Turn 15: Obsidian and Jade

[Juan Valdez]

If it's a free action I might consider sending someone. As it was originally I wasn't going to send anyone to begin with.
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[asa]

I of course agree with the free action thing.

Another nice thing is it somewhat reduces the fear of being assassinated during the attempt.

[Juan Valdez]

Getting antsy. Need Mori smacky info.
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[Michael]

It's coming. Like ten more minutes, I'm just cleaning it up. Christ, the dice roller did weeeeeird sheit on this one. I saw things I never thought possible. 'Course, Don and Brockman busted out all the stops. No hiding under respectability after this, eh boys?
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I like my coffee like I like my women. COVERED IN BEES! -Izzard

[Seppun Kuron]

The Battle for Mori Province

Mori province has never seen a gather of forces such as this. The Phoenix. The Gaijin. The Unicorn. The Dragon. Two of the most powerful clans in the empire clash with the once mighty Phoenix and a host of mysterious and unpredictable visitors in an epic battle that may catch the attention of those who still lurk in the shadows of the Empire.

Moto Tetsuko sits atop his massive Unicorn steed, sealed head to toe inside his massive, ancient armor. The Emerald Champion sits next to him, lightly armored, but he holds the shimmering Ancestral Sword of the Unicorn within his grasp. Together, they look down at over a hundred thousand cavalry, riding in a tight formation. Supporting them are almost fifty thousand Dragon troops, bushi and cavalry. Though on a hillock almost a mile away, the rumble of the earth is so loud they must raise their voices to speak.

“This is magnificent,” says Tetsuko, his voice exultant. “This here is the might of the Clans. This will show the Gaijin and the corrupt Phoenix what true powers is. With this army I could defeat any enemy.”

Morimoto nods, but his attention is elsewhere, always scanning his environment.

“Yama and Rekai report that the Gaijin and Phoenix are coming from the north. They must meet us here, on the Plains of Salido. There is no place for them to hide, no way for them to sneak up upon us. I have heard Yama speak of the one called Luigi’s tricks. They will not avail him here.”

It seems to Morimoto the rumbling of the troops has changed in pitch somehow, but Tetsuko does not notice.

“Their pathetic infantry will scatter like stick figures, ridden down as a wild pony tramples a rice field. Then we will storm into Shiba and burn all remanents of them out of Rokugan!”

Morimoto looks sharply at the main Unicorn formation. The horses there seem unsteady. Men seem to be looking at the ground and shouting in alarm.

"This is the dawning of a new era, one in which the Unicorn will rise to ascendancy with“

A massive explosion of earth rips through the center of the Unicorn formation, its shockwave knocking men down and raining debris over half a mile. A massive grey metallic shape bursts from the earth, belching steam and black smoke, a massive dirt encrusted screw spinning to a stop on the front. Tetsuko’s voice catches in his throat as his eyes go wide.

Within the gaijin machine, Baron Klaus von Wulfenbach smiles a devilish smile. “Behold, my greatest weapon,” he whispers, pulling levers.

The sides of the machine fly open, and Phoenix magics burst forth in a wave of power as hundreds of mounted shugenja pour forth into the Unicorn lines, scattering men like wheat. From overhead comes the familiar whistling of the gaijin cannon, which burst into the lines of the Dragon.

Yama wheels his horse around, purpling in fury. “What monstrosity is this?” he roars. “Some Jigoku-spawned oni? He raises the Dragon’s Claw. “The Gaijin are in league with the Shadowlands after all! Charge!” And the Dragon forces rush to follow him into battle.

Tetsuko and Morimoto are riding hard down the hill, heading for the Gaijin machine. “This was unexpected, but they have left themselves in a vulnerable position,” shouts Tetsuko. “We will destroy it before their forces can get here, then turn upon them.”

Suddenly, a blasts of magic explode around them. A small force of Phoenix shugenja ride at them, lead by the screaming form of Hida Ken. As their bodyguards wheel about to defend them, Morimoto shouts “Go! Lead the men! I can handle this rogue Crab!”

Tetsuko nods, and rides hard. Morimoto turns in the saddle, his hand going for his blade, but Hida Ken has ridden his horse like a man possessed, and slams into the Emerald Champion. They fall in a tangle of limbs, both horses screaming as legs snap. The Ancestral Sword of the Unicorn is knocked from Morimoto’s hand as he tumbles. He snarls, trying to stand and prepare himself for a proper duel, when Ken wraps his hands around Morimoto’s legs and pulls him down. Quick as lightning, the Emerald Champion is able to pull a tanto and cuts into Ken’s chest, but his heavy armor deflects some of the blow. Howling like a banshee, Ken slams his hands on either side of Morimoto’s head, lifts it up, and smashes his skull open on the earth like a melon.

The Phoenix shugneja in the heart of the Unicorn formation are wreaking havoc, but they are outnumbered, and as the Unicorn regain their footing, Tetsuko and the Dragon approach. But suddenly, out of the massive chasm caused by the Gaijin machine, thousands of Gaijin warriors begin to pour out, ambushing the opposition.

“We have them now!” shouts Luigi, firing his pistol as he emerges from the earth.

“NEVER!” shouts Yama. Enraged beyond all reason, his blade is as deadly as its namesake as he hacks a path to the Gaijin general, Rekai sending bowshot after bowshot as cover, firing twenty times to each shot the Gaijin can take. Luigi’s eyes go wide as the Dragon move though his force like a salmon going upstream.

“Give me that,” he snarls, grabbing the musket from a grenadier and kicking the man aside frantically. He turns, raising the weapon, but Yama is on top of him. The Dragon’s claw severs the musket barrel in half as Luigi discharges it, and the weapon explodes into hot shrapnel.

Luigi falls, half his face torn off. Yama too collapses, holding a bleeding shoulder. Rekai stands over him.

“Rekai,” pants Yama. “Quickly, we must pull back to our allies!

Rekai casually draws an arrow and levels his bow at Yama.

“I am,” he says, firing at point blank range before moving to Segundo’s position.

The Unicorn and Dragon forces, throughout outnumbering the Gaijin more than 2 to 1, are in complete disarray. The terrifying Gaijin monstrosity continues to loom over the battlefield, the cannon of the gaijin ships off shore send shell after shell down upon them, and, their unprotected center is full of enemy warriors. Dragon bushi are trampled by the Phoenix infantry. Gaijin grenadiers gun down wave after wave of Unicorn cavalry, the pikes of footmen spear the necks of horse and horseman alike.

Tetsuko roars like an enraged god though the madness, trying to pull his men together into some semblance of order in the constant chaos. Finally, finally, he readies a charge, though with anguish he sees that is force is half the size of when he rode into Mori several weeks ago.

“DEATH!” he bellows, Tara riding at his side. “DEATH TO THE INVADERS!”

Without Luigi’s tactical acumen, Segundo isn’t able to ready a unified front to the attack. The remaining Unicorn and Dragon cavalry may not have a tactical advantage, but they each are astride hundreds of pounds of muscle and controlled madness. The Unicorn sweep from left to right across the broad plain, and the Gaijin lines are torn and broken like spider webs struck by a child. Buccaneers, footmen, grenadiers, strange sorcerers, all face down the thundering wall of death with varying success. Pikes splinter, thin blades snap, and muskets shatter.

The wave of attackers even ride over the Gaijin’s command unit. Ravenna Cardona, still mourning her husband, is able to pull the webs of fate to protect herself. Segundo’s retainers sacrifice themselves so that he may continue to direct the battle, but the mighty warrior Duncan MacLeod finds himself caught by the elite Otaku Battle Maidens. Even his mighty magics do not avail him, and Segundo calls out in anguish for his lord as Duncan is ground beneath their hooves.

Segundo tightens a fist in anger. Suddenly, the Phoenix Champion is beside him.

“Mazumi?” he asks, surprised. Standing beside him is a massive man, with long white hair.

“Is this enough, master?” asks Omanu, holding a small black box within his hands.

“Almost,” says Mazumi distantly. “Almost enough death.” He turns to Segundo. “Surely, you want to counter attack? They have killed your lord. You have one more chance to strike them in the rear.”

But Segundo is already in action, not having time to worry about the strange workings of the Phoenix. He has but a third of his men, but they still have the tactical advantage. Banners waving in the smoky air, he leads them against the rear of the Dragon and the Unicorn.

Again, the screams of horses and men rend the air. The acrid smell of burning Gaijin Pepper is so thick those men who still draw breath gag and cough. The remaining footmen and sorcerers unleash their last desperate efforts on the Unicorn and the Dragon.

Mori province is choked with blood and corpses. Each force has less than quarter of the men they arrived with still living. More than a hundred and twenty thousand men lay dead upon the field.

“The greatest sacrifice I could hope for,” breathes Mazumi. “Now!”

Omanu opens the box, removing the spherical artifact of obsidian and ruby he had spent months crafting in the Great Forge of the Dragon. Mazumi raises it above his head, and a huge rush of crimson power storms upward from the corpses into it. His shapes twists and changes, becoming that of man with long black hair and white robes.

“At last! My true power restored!” laughs Iuchiban, First and Greatest of the Bloodspeakers. The crimson power bursts outward, and across the battlefield tens of thousands of corpses rise as zombies.

The still living humans stare in shock and disbelief, but quickly find themselves fighting for survival against impossible odds.

Laughing manically, Iuchiban points south. “It is a short trip to Otosan Uchi! The Empire is Mine! Let us usher in the new age of darkness!

[Juan Valdez]

Go get 'em Paul!
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[Don The Anvil]

Ummm, Ow! I didn't realize the Baron was getting involved into the battle.....

I'm going to have to see the detail to see what actually happened here me thinks
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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.

[Scotty]

Sayuri on the side lines in her Team Evil cheerleader outfit:

"Go, Team Evil, go, go Team Evil!"
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"...The Scorpion have purchased a large quantity of Gaijin black power..."

Chase:
"CRAP"

[asa]

Husaki is on the sidelines in Tesomi's Team Good cheerleader outfit:

TEAM GOOD.... SMASH!

[Juan Valdez]

Toyotomi jumps up behind her in his matching Team Evil Jersey, puts his hands on her waist and throws her upward. After about 30 seconds of waiting for her to come back down he looks upward, shielding his eyes with from the sun and scans the sky for the little black speck. He shrugs his shoulders, tears off the Team Evil Jersey with one hand and goes back to work on the Ancestral Speedboat of the Mantis again.
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What exactly do you mean by "You're dead"?

[asa]

GIMME A Y!
GIMME An A!
GIMME A K!
GIMME An AMO!

Whats that spell? YAKAMO! YAKAMO! YAAAY!

[Dr. Spank]

WTF! You told me that for Iuchiban to take over Mazumi would have to fail the difference in air X 10 roll against his void. So if Iuchiban has a 10 air and Mazumi is a 9 that means that Mazumi has to roll a 10 or less on 6 dice, and there is no way that is possible. When did this happen? Or is it another plot event?!? This fucking sucks!

[Don The Anvil]

I take it none of the 4 participants in the battle are happy campers right now
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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.

[asa]

What are you talking about? Everyone can see Husaki dressed up in a tight halter top and short skirt! Whats not to like?

Oh, by the way.

Last Straw. I Quit.

[PG]

Don't worry. I really attacked Otosan Uchi and not Otomo and became the Emperor. You all can quit playing now because I won the game.