BZPRPG - Kentoku Archipelago

[~Xemnas~]

*snip*

IC, Kiria: Hashi exited the room. quietly, where she found her fellow Menti and partner, Kiria, waiting by the door, hands folded in front of her. She loved very calm, almost regal- she was well-toned and pretty, and had piercing green eyes that spoke of intelligence.

"The Toroshu says to get ready- we're heading out," Hashi said to Kiria. Kiria nodded.

"What else did she say, Hashi?" asked Kiria, knowing that one simple statement wouldn't have taken that much time.

"She said that... she hopes that we don't need to pick a side."

Kiria again nodded in understanding. "Right. Our clan has always been neutral. Unless we're attacked, which is unlikely, we don't need to pick a side." She smiled at her partner. "Don't worry, Hashi- order will be restored soon, and we'll be at peace once again." Kiria looked to the door and waited for Toroshu Nihonei to come out and give the word.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

The sunlight hurt.

 

Amaki yawned as she sat on a bench in the market.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[Mr. House]

IC: (Dastana Shivada/Sado, Streets, The Alleyway)

 

The Imperial Guard rushed forward, to push the rioters from the Hogo and break on through to the street. Shivada took the lead, bringing her blade down upon a club-armed Dashi. Her mind had numbed, very slightly, to the pain of fighting her treasonous Clanswomen. More numb it became with each slice of the blade.

 

"Push, Hogo, join us to cast them into the streets!"

Edited September 16, 2014 by Mr. House

[25K Now!]

IC: Higashi

 

Her side was pushing forwards. Good.

 

Higashi peeked out the window. No arrows coming her way just yet.

 

She moved back behind the wall. Was she going to jump in and engage? Or was she just gonna stay here?

 

Choices, choices ...

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

As Hashi exited, the Toroshu she left behind rose grimly from her seat. Carefully, she picked two messages up from the desk; they were identical in every way, duplicated to ensure their arrival. Carefully prepared instructions for her clan, orders to prepare to defend themselves. Nihonei knew their necessity, and yet, she hesitated. Her predecessor had been the last to give such instructions, at the dawn of the last Fursic rebellion. The Eiyu were slow to arms, but the last time they had marched to war, she had inherited responsibility for the results.

 

After a moment’s more thought, she set them back down, slipping them into a drawer in the desk and engaging the lock. She would not send them until she had ascertained the situation for herself. Stepping away from the desk, she fastened her weapons around her waist, for the first time in many months out of necessity, rather than formality. Pivoting in place, she crossed the room and exited in a few steps.

“Hashi, Kiria, we’re going out.”

[~Xemnas~]

IC, Kiria: Kiria nodded and did a small bow. Hashi did the same. "Yes, milday," both said at the same time. Kiria started off after the Toroshu, with Hashi following close behind. Kiria wondered how Nihonei would respond to the riots, and if the Clan would end up picking a side. The last time that happened, things had not been good...

[The Lorax]

IC (Vilda Tara): It was all too much. Sado was poised to snap like a thin branch where too many piwai had built their nests. When it finally cracked, she knew, the birds' eggs would be scattered on the ground and the streets would be bathed in blood. Her own clan was already in the thick of the fighting, though war had not officially been declared, and she needed to get off the island and get away from it all. The Dashi was no warrior, and war was looking more and more likely by the day. When it came, she wanted to be far away.

 

It wasn't that she was a coward. No, the wildlife ranger was familiar with risk. She confronted the dangers of the wild every time she left civilisation behind for the wild places, and often went on her own. War, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. In the bush, she could trust in her instincts and years of experience to keep her safe from wild animals and treacherous terrain. She weighted the risks and accepted them, or else found a way around. She could control the risks she took, but not in war. That was entirely beyond her control. War was chaotic and indiscriminate, killing even the most prepared warrior along with green recruits and non-combatants alike. That unpredictability made it terrifying. It was a dragon that killed not for food or to defend its territory but simply because that was what it did. War was killing and destruction where no clans won, but some lost more desperately than others. She needed to leave Sado before she too was caught in its jaws.

 

She pulled the top of her pack tight, callused hands working quickly with the familiar strings as she tied it up and slung it over her shoulders. That was it; she was packed. With a last look back around her room in the imperial gardens, she turned and walked out the door, leaving it to close itself behind her. It was time to go. She had plenty of leave time stored up for the past few years. She didn't take a lot of holidays because in truth a lot of her trips out to Oki and Odaiba were like holidays in themselves. Now, she was able to take several months off and just disappear. She would return when either all of the political tensions had blown over or when full war was declared and she could return to Oki to help them how she could. Until that happened, she would try to find herself some peace out among the trees, birds and lizards, under the stars and the open sky. There was only the matter of where she would go first.

 

Odaiba, she decided. There were a few places there she would like to visit, and she knew that the huts around the lower slopes of Koshiki had recently been stocked with provisions. From there, she could always move on to somewhere else, but if she was going to be on the mountain then... why not have a crack at the peak? The area around the crater wasn't very hospitable, but the summit had been achieved many times by various groups and individuals throughout history. There wouldn't be too much snow on the peak at this time of year, and she could certainly use a bit of challenge and adventure. The more she thought about it, the more she like the idea.

 

There was just one snag. She knew most of the bush in the archipelago like the back of her mask, and was confident in her ability to navigate it successfully, even gathering from it everything she needed to survive if necessary. But to attempt the mountain, she would be reckless and stupid to go alone. She would need a partner, someone to watch her back while she watched theirs, and to hep each pother in a crisis. Mountains were treacherous places where conditions could change with frightening speed. She knew this, weighed the risk and decided against going alone. Maybe she could do it alone. Probably even. But she wasn't willing to find out.

 

The question was, who was she going to take? It froze her half in and half out of the doorway onto the streets of the imperial palace.

 

 

OOC: Tara open for interaction! Does anyone want to come along and climb Koshiki? You never know what we might find up there, or at least, our characters don't.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Deep in thought, the Fursic drummer accidentally bumped into Tara as she strolled along the streets of the palace.

 

OOC: Interaction request granted. Apologies for lacklustre post.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): It seemed that Tara wasn't the only one lost in her thoughts and not paying attention to the world around her. She was jolted out of her ponderings by a rather long pair of legs bumping into her mask and knocking her down onto the floor. Looking up, she saw the being attached to those legs was a Dasaka she recognised. She had often encountered the musician playing on the streets of Sado. She seemed like a decent person, in spite fo her clan's reputation.

 

"Amaki" she greeted the Fursic. "How are you?

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki scooted back in embarrassment: mostly due to the fact that she had bumped into someone, but also out of the shame of having been caught walking around with her head in the clouds. She really hoped that Tara didn't take any offense. The Fursic was definitely not wanting any trouble.

 

"I apologise," she said, schooling her expression and giving her acquaintance a deep bow. "I wasn't intending to bump into you."

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "It's OK" the Dashi assured her. "I wasn't looking where I was going either, and I landed on my pack."

 

"Actually, I was just leaving, to take a bit of a holiday from Sado. I'll head for Odaiba and the forests around Koshiki. If I get the chance and a good day for it, I'd like to take a shot at climbing to the peak, but I can only do that if I get a climbing partner, for safety. Would you know anyone who might be up for that?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

"Ah," said Amaki, her eyes lighting up. "If you want, I could join you?"

 

She needed to take some time off, anyway.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "Sure, when can you leave?"

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

"I'll need to get my things first, and I'll be ready."

 

She paused.

 

"Do you want to meet up at Odaiba?"

 

It would be easier than her going home to Kozu and returning to Sado to meet up with Tara.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "How about I meet you at the first hut along the Tahurangi trail? You go in from Tarakona castle, and the start of the track is pretty well signposted. If not, someone there can point you in the right direction. It won't be too difficult to get there by the end of today, and then we can stay there until conditions are right for a shot at the peak."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki nodded. While she was somewhat unfamiliar with the locations stated, it wouldn't be too hard to find them.

 

"Alright."

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "Great, see you at the hut at sunset then". That was problem solved, she had her climbing partner, and a strong Dasaka as well. It might be good to have one of the stronger species around if things went badly.

 

She turned back inside to check over her gear again and adapt it for a two-person venture. It didn't take long, and soon she was off, walking sticj in hand and whistling to herself as she crossed over the bridge to Odaiba.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Making her way back to Kozu didn't take too long for Amaki. Nor did she stay too long. It was remarkably simple, searching around her house (none of her siblings were around to disturb her) for the necessary equipment and other things that she would need for the hike. A lot of her gear was a bit dusty, true, but a quick brushing solved the problem.

 

The sun had not begun to set by the time she had jumped on the ferry to Odaiba.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): It was a grey and overcast day on Odaiba, with banks of mist hanging down like wet tendrils of moss from the solid mass of grey cloud the covered the volcano's peak. Tara took one last look up at the summit before crossing the line between cultivated fields and untamed bush. The road ended and became a narrow path under the tall trees, dangling long trails of moss from their branches. Water dripped off of these, creating small puddles among the roots. The occasional sound of a drop falling added extra beats into the steady rhythm of her feet and walking stick on the leaf-strewn ground. The mist muffled all other sounds, and in the stillness only brief flickers of movement informed her of the movements of a few small animals she disturbed along the path. It was an old place, and solemn, but not hostile.

 

Tara carried on up the increasing slope, her legs carrying her at a steady and enduring pace that she could keep up all day. The path would lead her up the valley and then out onto a ridge.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Tarakona Castle. While not a Daikura by any means, Amaki still looked upon the fortification with a sense of wonder and excitement. Here was where the Kanohi Dragon (in capitals), scourge of Odaiba and a constant threat to the Empire, had been slain in combat, finally bringing peace to the inhabitants. Of course, that was if she subscribed to the legend, but she didn't really know if she did or not. It was possible that there was a grain of truth, but it seemed so incredulous that the Daikura ancestor could have done such a thing.

 

She shook her head, clearing her mind of other thoughts. There was no time of lollygagging. As Tara had told her, there were definitely some signposts along the trail. Amaki didn't need to enter the castle to ask for directions when they were provided right in front of her. From her spot, she could see the road grow narrower and narrower as it snaked into the jungles. If she got hurt somewhere on the climb, it'd be incredibly difficult to get help.

 

But the risk was minor. With a deep breath, the drummer made her first steps into the hike.

[NorikSigma]

IC: Akone

 

Akone charged through the rebels and came to the street proper.

 

"Wheres Higashi, or everyone?"

Edited September 20, 2014 by Norik Of Celtania

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): By the time Tara reached the head of the valley, the fog was beginning to lift. The peak was still covered, but she could see out over the valleys to her left and right. They were still filled by rivers of cloud running down the mountain, but up above her, maybe a couple of kio away and about that distance from the treeline, she could catch sight of the flattened area where she knew the hut to be.

 

The sun was coming down now, almost level with where she was on the mountain, and shining through the gaps appearing in the mist. Around her, the golden light on the dark greens and browns of the forest brought out all kinds of vibrant colours, and the foliage seemed to glow where the sun struck it. Tara stopped here for a couple of minutes to admire the scenery before turning back into the trees and proceeding up the last, steep slope to the hut.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki discovered that she really didn't like mud.

 

Earlier on the hike, the young Fursic drummer had fallen into a muddy puddle, something that took her several minutes to escape from. Now, she was covered in the gunk, incredibly annoyed, and freezing cold. Still, her misfortunes were probably going to end soon. She'd been walking for a while, and her gut told her that there was really only the steep climb ahead of her that separated her from the hut where she was to meet Tara.

 

"Better get this done," she muttered, taking agonising steps up.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): By the time that dusk had settled over the mountain and Amaki finally arrived at the hut, she would find that it was already lit from within by a crackling fire in the hearth and filled with the smell of frying mushrooms. Earlier, when the Dashi had arrived at the hut and dumped her pack down on one of the crude bunks, she had only allowed herself a short time to enjoy having that weight lifted from her shoulders before she started about the practicalities of staying the night here.

 

First of all, that meant warmth. Even now in early autumn, the mountain could get deadly cold at night, and second, that meant food. The pair would be needing a lot of fuel for their bodies in the next few days, and doing so in the cold would require even more. A hearty meal wasn't just to lift the spirit's of climbers, it was every bit as necessary as warm blankets and shelter from the wind. Tara also had potatoes and dried meant heating in a billy of boiling water that hung over the fire. Lastly, it meant hydration and fluids. A lot of people underestimated the amounts of moisture they lost while tramping, but not the Vilda rangers. It would be impractical for anyone to carry enough water for a trip of more than a couple of days, so large tank collected rainwater from the hut's roof. A second billy held some of this life-giving liquid, boiling away so that they could make hot drinks, to be served in deliberately oversized mugs. Having prepared all of this, Tara was just sitting down with hers and taking a well-deserved rest when she heard a noise from outside the hut.

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

The door to the hut opened, revealing an exhausted-looking Dasaka. Her gaze swept across the room, before fixing upon Tara.

 

"Hey," said Amaki tiredly.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "Hey" she replied. "You look absolutely haggard. Come in, sit down and get some food into you."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki slowly pushed her pack of her back, placing it on the floor, before tiredly crossing the room to drop into a chair by Tara's side. She really needed to get out more, if the climb was that exhausting, but the mud might have had something to do with her current state.

 

"Thank you," she replied. "I appreciate it."

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "No problem" the Dashi shrugged as she started serving up plates of food for both of them. "By the way, what happened to you? You look like you fell halfway back down the mountain."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

"Fell into a muddy puddle."

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "Oh, is that all?" Tara teased. "You really need a better story. When you walk out of the forest covered in muck from head to toe and looking as tired as if you'd walked to the peak and back, you want something exciting like... you stumbled into a kanohi dragon's nest and had to fight your way out when the mother got home, or you were caught in a landslide, or you were tracking a really big boar through the densest bit of bush ever so you could bring it back here for dinner, but then it got away because of the landslide. If the best you can give is a muddy puddle, everyone will think that the mighty Dasaka warrior has gone soft."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

"Just pass over some food," grumbled Amaki. "Too tired for any other excuse right now."

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

I took in a long breath, my massive lungs nearly sucking all the air that remained in the room. A pin could have dropped and deafened everyone in the room, Jasik standing defiantly before me, gazing at his sister with an adoration and affection that I could only partially understand.

 

Here once again I saw the darker side of my mask.

 

People often commented how wonderful it must be to see through any illusion. How great and fantastic it might be to instantly know when someone was lying or otherwise hiding the Truth. To cut through any deception, all things revealed before my eyes, no half-truth surviving my steady glare. It was, in fact, the opposite.

 

More often than not things were revealed to me that I cared not to know. Every use of the mask told me the real story of the world, and not the fabrication of what our society projects.

 

Such as right now.

 

The Rode was not a mask of mind-reading. It did not tell me what the subject was thinking nor his intentions. But what I could infer from the amount of truth told, especially if the subject was not lying, could be substantial. It way be skewed, from an individual's point of view, but it did not make the statements any less truthful. The eyes are the gateway to the mind and soul, and through them I could see how the person thought then they spoke, what their words meant to them. Through practice I had learned to see the world through their eyes as they were forced to speak truth, see things how they perceived them, either good or bad. I had learned to simply take what I could and use that to help society as best I could... but this...

 

What he said cut me to the core, for the first time getting a street-level glimpse of what life was like for outsiders. To be a Saihoko, a type of outcast, a throwaway to our way of life. My mask dissected his truth from lies, but I was not prepared for his story. Granted, it was from his own point of view, as is every explanation, which lent itself to certain abuses, but that did not in any way lessen the impact it had on me. He was snarky, he was prideful, I could tell that he was a type of brat, but that was to be expected of anyone of his age and rank, and all things considered I could not bring myself to chastise him for it. The darker side of the caste system was bared before me in his soul, his experiences bleeding into my conciseness as I picked up his thoughts on the mental plane.

 

The picture he painted for me... I could not look away. My mask would not let me. As much as he could do nothing but bare himself to me, I could do nothing but watch and listen. Listen to his every word as my Rode judged it blindly on the great scale, revealing to me the hidden truths in those words. When he finally stopped and looked at his sister I could do nothing for a moment. What I had seen... I thought I'd seen it all as the Royal Executioner. Understood in greater detail how our society worked more than the overage high-ranking socialite.

 

Yet despite ALL his faults (in which there were many - too many to count) he had managed to shatter many of my pre-conceived notions.

 

My mask was a double-edged sword. It revealed Truth, ultimate Truth, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

 

Whether I wanted to believe it or not.

 

Whether I would accept it or not.

 

A lesser being would have been driven mad by it long ago.

 

The suspense of my pause would have killed lesser beings than those currently in this room.

 

"Lord Jasik, First Son of Clan Dastana, I find you... Not Guilty on all charges."

 

The air in the room rushed back as several present gave surprise glances.

 

I exhaled, creating a small breeze, pointing to my assistant. "Let it... be known that I, the Royal Executioner... absolve Jasik of any wrongdoing... in this matter. He... is to be treated with the... utmost respect from my office... as well as those within the Clan. Inform... the populous that the... murderer is still at large."

 

Slowly I turned back to Jasik, my mask now off. He stood defiantly, sweat beading across his brow. I looked at him with great sadness in my eyes, his revelation and the effects of this false accusation weighing heavily on me.

 

"I... am truly sorry." I said finally. I turned and took a step towards Arsix, giving her a half-bow in respect.

 

"Toroshu... thank you for giving us this... opportunity to find truth. I am... grieved at how much this has... harmed all of us. Others have accused you and your.... brother wrongly. If there is... anything I or my staff can do to... help you, please ask."

 

I stared at her abstractedly for a long while, mulling over what I had learned. "Someone... has framed you both. And you have shown me... truth. Truth that is not... easy to cope with." My eyes focused once more as I reverted my attention to her. "This... was manufactured. Who... do you know... would want this? Who has... the skill to fake another Soulsword?"

[Palm]

IC: Dastana Arsix

 

Arsix looked on as if she knew what Rayuke's answer would be in response to Jasik's explanation, "Rayuke, I understand that you search for answers," her eyes were as sharp is the world's finest blades, "Your position requires it of you. And no doubt as the Rora's brother you feel some pain for her death. I understand that," she stood up, her voice as cool as her alien eyes, "You say that if your staff can help - we only have to ask."

Hey eyes seemed to swallow attention now, even Rayuke seeming smaller, "You've proven we were framed. Yet our mother is dead. Unless you can bring her back to life then there is nothing you can do for my brother and I." She took a breath, refusing to look away from the hulking executioner, much like Jasik had, "The bottom line is that what's done is done, and instead of looking to quell death in the marketplace you come to speak to us. In principle I understand why, but in practice you've accomplished nothing today. There's blood in the streets and the courts for a reason. Reasons not you nor I can change."

 

Inside, Dastana Arsix was fearful of her own words, but on the outside she appeared wholly in charge, "You cannot stop the raging seas or the swirling storms. No matter what powers you hold, the waves will still crash against the shore and the storm will tear apart anything it touches. The force of nature answers to noone. Even those born into power without true rite of passage.

 

"I wanted to know who killed your sister as much as you. Not that I cared for her - your mask will tell you truthfully that I did not - but because now we have suffered your slowness to action and your ignorance. If you came to me and my brother the night of the murder we may have solved this mess," she grew, "But because you waited, the blood in the streets is on nobody's hands but your own.

 

"It doesn't matter if you find the true killer because as far as I'm concerned they are standing right in front of me in the form of a royal delegation and glorified lie-detector - too slow to answer the cries of justice from even your own people. I expect mistakes from any Dasaka under the sun. When a farmer makes a mistake she is harmed in the Rora's name. Yet when the you, the Rora's brother makes a mistake he is invincible. You might not see what you've done as a mistake, but I do and I'm not the only one. The moment you walk out those doors and the announcement is heralded, the name chanted by the people will no longer be Jasik Dastana. It will be yours, despite being untouchable."

Arsix stopped. The witnesses in the room seemed unsure about what to do or say as the young Toroshu defiantly accused the accuser of the crimes he'd worked his whole life to prevent, but there was one thing they knew; they couldn't look away, "I am the raging sea and swirling storm, and I do not answer to the petty questions that you - born into your power without true rite of passage - so hopelessly ask. So take your questions elsewhere, as I could and would not answer them."

 

 

 

There was a silence which screamed so loud it felt to all present as if their ears might pop.

 

 

 

"Executioner," Jasik spoke up, sounding just as controlled as his sister looked, "if you would allow me to walk you back out."

Edited September 22, 2014 by Palm

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): "Fine" Tara replied, passing over the larger of the two plates. "You'll feel better once you've warmed up a bit."

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Amaki graciously accepted the plate. "Thank you."

 

Even the plate itself was making her feel better.

[The Lorax]

"Mmmh" Tara replied, with her mouth full of food. 'Brum Ghrrh".

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

The uncultured display was a bit awkward to look at, but Amaki could not tear her eyes away, chopsticks paused in the midst of picking up her food.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): Amaki may have been staring, but Tara didn't mind. The Dasaka wasn't the only one who was tired and hungry, and she had walked up the track on much shorter legs. She wanted to chow down on some good food on a cold night, and she felt she deserved it. Back country huts had never been settings for high culture anyway.

 

Tara continued eating.

Edited September 22, 2014 by The Lorax

[25K Now!]

IC: Amaki

 

Her food was getting cold.

 

Amaki quickly tore her eyes away from her companion, moving to eat the food Tara had provided. It was good. She could see why the Dashi was shovelling it in so quickly. She was of the mind to do such herself, but she mentally slapped herself. Decorum was needed.

[The Lorax]

IC (Tara): The Dashi soon finished oof her plate and leaned back contentedly in her chair. It was a nice way to finish off the day.

 

"Well, I'm going to hit the hay" she commented. "Let's not worry about the cleanup until after breakfast tomorrow. We should have plenty of time, since there isn't so far to walk tomorrow, just a couple of hours' worth. We get up above the treeline and into the tussock, but not so afr up we're down to rocks, moss and dragons."