Turn 15: Obsidian and Jade

[Seppun Kuron]

Prologue the First: Duels in Death

Meanwhile, last turn in the Realm of Thwarted Destiny...

As the portal collapses before Tanaka he shakes his head in wonder at his situation. A year ago he would have challenged Toyotomi to a duel over the contents of that conversation. Now he finds himself wishing the Mantis Champion good fortune. How strange the fates have been to him.

He looks across the swaying high grass of “Togashi” province to where Otaku Mina is meditating beneath the shifting, rolling cloud formation that is the Shine of Air’s manifestation in this realm. His one visit to Togashi, years before the plague, showed it to be a rocky and wild, but beautiful place. Much different than it is now, but that must be due to Mina’s influence.

As he settles back into a Lotus position to resume his vigil, Mina suddenly lets out a gasp, as though someone had struck her in the stomach. Tanaka is upright in an instant, his hand resting on the blade of his katana, the golden glow of his skin intensifying as he brings his recently acquired Kigan to the ready. Suddenly, the skies are stormswept. Black clouds are pouring across them, and crimson lighting flashes everywhere. The ground boils, the grasses withering then regrowing, blackened earth erupting and then being pulled down.

Mina stands, her arms outstretched, fingers wide. A nimbus of golden light flares about her, and strands of sapphire power stretch from her across the province. But sweat pours from her brow, and each explosion of thunder causes her to flinch in pain. Tanaka moves quickly to her side, but there seems to be no attacker. Her eyes are tightly shut, and as the storm about the province comes to a climax, she gasps out “He comes!”

As she collapses, Tanaka catches her and gently lowers her to the rocky ground. She looks up with exhaustion and tries to speak, but nothing comes out. Tanaka looks around and sees the Togashi he was familiar with. But then out of wavering film of their bubble steps a figure shrouded in darkness. And he is angry.

“Impressive, for a flea,” grows Ishak. His long silver hair has fallen from his black hood. His brows scowl over the pools of blackness he has instead of eyes. “You couldn’t hold your shaping, but you prevented me from mine. I will enjoy making your journey to Meddio an excruciating one.”

“The only one who will be leaving will be you,” says Tanaka calmly. With a thought he channels the Kigan into his blade, and the sheathes of his katana and wakazashi begin to radiate a white light. “I will give you one chance to return to the desecrated bloodhill you call a home.”

Ishak looks on Tanaka with amusement. He reaches up and pulls a silver hair from his head. With a whisper, the long hair lengthens and grows. Suddenly, he is holding a slim, straight blade, its edge so sharp as to be nearly invisible. He raises it above his head, and streamers of night begin to dance around it.

“I think you are an even greater fool than she, to oppose me directly,” Ishak replies.

“I am a master of a Kakita school of dueling. I have integrated elements of the Murimoto technique that few could even consider. I could have been sensei of the Meikogon dojo, but I turned down the post to become Champion. And you seek to face me in a duel. Who is the fool?”

For a second, Ishak hesitates. But then it is too late. The duel has begun.

Focus…

Ishak’s confidence is supreme, obliterating all doubt. He is the Dark Oracle of Void. What will this mortal do? Just to make sure, he floods himself with Kigan, preparing a technique that would have been impossible in Rokugan.

Focus…

Tanaka’s mind is razor sharp, his Chi a burgeoning maelstrom. He expands his senses beyond their limits, seeking what his enemy’s move would be. Suddenly, in a flash of insight, he realizes what Ishak will likely do. Is it possible? Can he counter it? Should he act on this hunch?

Focus…

Mina looks up weakly. Her strength is returning, but not enough to help Tanaka. The air around the two combatants is shimmering, as though they were above an intense fire. Tanaka’s golden aura is expanding, while Ishak’s black aura is falling into himself. What does that mean?

STRIKE!

In the instant of the strike, Ishak rips apart the Void. Suddenly there is eight of him flying toward Tanaka from every direction, black and silver blades flashing. But Tanaka stands in place, spinning in a tight circle, his brilliantly glowing swords strike out dozens of times in the space of a couple seconds. As the Ishaks blur past Tanaka, white and ebony sparks explode like fireworks.

All the Ishaks land, and one by one they waver and then burst into a black and crimson liquid which boils away. Tanaka falls to his knees with a grunt as blood pours from a huge wound across his midsection. He has the satisfaction, before everything goes black, of seeing the last Ishak raise its fists and scream in rage before it explodes into nothingness.

[Seppun Kuron]

These are the Days of Destiny for the Emerald Empire.

War rages in the south and north. The Black Collar stalks the heartlands. Great Clans turn away from the will of the Emperor, who grows weaker by the month. Once again, the Imperial Lands are tainted by war, and a new cabal of Bloodspeakers raises its banner openly against the Empire.

The Obsidian War has begun. But how will it end...

[Juan Valdez]

Is this yet another plotline?
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[Don The Anvil]

Which one? The Extermination of the Phoenix? The fact the Scorpion have turned Bloodspeaker? The fact the New Voice is ignored? Those all seem like existing plot lines.
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There are some things I like about George W Bush. Since he took office, the New England Patriots have won 3 Super Bowls and the RedSox won the World Series after a 86 year drought.

[Michael]

Damn, all KINDS of smacking going on. Lots of fancy tacticing too. Let me see if I can lay it out:

In the north, the Dragon march hard through the province of Mori to strike at the Phoenix stronghold of Naka will a great force of infantry. A few Unicorn ride with them.

The Unicorn entrench themselves in Mori, preparing for a fight.

Two joint Phoenix/Gaijin forces move in to reclaim Mori, one from Naka, one from Shiba. They are also landing troops and using their ships.

Since we have two (three, counting the naval) attacks going into Mori (of sufficent army size) and only 1 coming out, the Dragon/Unicorn are pushed back into Mori, where the battle of the Dragon and the Unicorn versus the Phoenix and the Gaijin occurs.

The vast Lion force has marched on Otomo province, facing only light resistance from the Emerald Legions there.

The islands of the Mantis are quiet, for now.

In the south, tactics abound.

The Crab have launched a massive, three pronged assault on Shastakar: from Kaiu, Ukyo, and Shosuro.

The Scorpion are countering with an attack on Ukyo from Shastakar, and attacks on Shosuro from Shinomen and Bayushi.

But then a force of Crane cavarly and Mantis infantry is attacking through Shosuro into Bayushi.

So what does this mean?

Well, we go to the ruleset I sent out: Move first, then action. If you have cross border moves, then you make water checks. If you have mutiliple attackers, you are on the defensive.

Shastakar has three armies coming into it. One army is coming out across the same set of borders against them. The three-pronged Crab force forces the Scorpion army to fight in Shastakar.

Shosuro has two armies coming into it. One of the Crab armies going out (to Shastakar) does not cross the same border as one of these armies coming in, so the Crab move out and the incoming armies would take the empty province. However, the Crane/Mantis force moves to Shosuro on its way to Bayushi, and becomes an attacking army out of Shosuro. Since they are being attacked from two directions (from Shinomen and Bayushi) and only attacking one (to Bayushi) they are pushed back to Shosuro, and the battle takes place there.

Still with me?

Finally, we have Daidoji. The Crane, Mantis, and Crab (hereafter the CMC) are attacking from Yasuki and Suzame. The Bloodspeakers are pressing hard into Yasuki. However, since the Yasuki army of the CMC is of sufficent size (the 20% rule), Daidoji is being attacked in two directions, so the fight gets pushed to there!

Finally, the Bloodspeakers are also landing a small naval force in Yasuki. This doesn't count as a Daidoji attack (not coming across the border) so hopefully the CMC left a couple units behind to guard Yasuki. Of course, if they (somehow) get routed from Daidoji, they'll retreat back to Yasuki and find the Bloodspeaker troops there.

Whew!

So what do we have?

Gaijin/Phoenix versus Dragacorn in Mori.

Lion versus Imperial in Otomo.

Crab versus Scorpion in Shastakar

Scorpion versus Mantis/Crane in Shosruo

CMC versus Bloodspeakers in Daidoji.

Small naval landing in Yasuki.
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I like my coffee like I like my women. COVERED IN BEES! -Izzard

[Michael]

[Juan Valdez]

Hey, not my fault the whistler emoticon isn't working.
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[asa]

Hey, what happened to the (really tiny) navy I have off the coast of Yasuki?

Oh, and the complaint about shadowlands using boats is still valid. It was explained that you gave them boats to harrass someone other than me, and now they're using boats to harass me. The wall becomes silly if they can just sail around it.

[Michael]

The Shadowlands can use boats. Why the heck not? In the CCG they used them to sail up and destroy Otosan Uchi.

First, boats are expensive. Both to build and to upkeep. You'll never get the vast horde if you have to stick them on a navy. Land attacks are still the only way to get a serious army into Rokugan, and if you don't get a serious army in there, you're going to get smashed by the united Clans.

Second, they have all the boats they are going to get. I'm not building any more.

Third: oh yeah. They'll have to fight through the tiny navy to get to Yasuki. If you are lucky, they might sink them before they land.

Also, before I start cranking out these fictions and I get pounded by complaints, let me indicate the various Dishonorings that are occuring this turn. This does not indicate that these folks will surive, but by their planned actions they've gotten themselves in big trouble:

Bayushi Ken'ichi, Scorpion Champion.
Isawa Anzai, Bloodspeaker Supreme
Seppun Shuhan, Anzai's apprentice.
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I like my coffee like I like my women. COVERED IN BEES! -Izzard

[Juan Valdez]

[asa]

so wait, Kyoso is landing in Yasuki?!

[Michael]

Nope. As I said in the PBEM Constituion, Kyoso is gone.

Actually, the Bloodspeakers are running the show, just using the forces that were already out beyond the Wall (again, as listed in the PBEM constitution).
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I like my coffee like I like my women. COVERED IN BEES! -Izzard

[Juan Valdez]

WIth its head down and its tail between its legs.
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[asa]

I guess I didn't read "Pulling back the shadowlands as an active clan" as "The shadowlands will invade Yasuki"

[Michael]

I believe my comment was "over the next couple turns."

There will be no more Shadowlands units coming out fo the wall unless the conditions in the PBEM Constiution are met. The forces in Daidoji and in the Mantis isles are a non-refreshing threat (well, outside of zombie raising).
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I like my coffee like I like my women. COVERED IN BEES! -Izzard