Post Topaz Actions

Post Topaz Year

1st Good: Hida Ashitaka, while the events of the topaz were going on, his mother Kaiu Amai was busy arranging a marriage that would be more than suitable for her pride and joy. She took into account all of her little Ao's preferences, temperaments, and faults, and spent a lot of time trying to get to know Ao's friends (new and old) to find a perfect pairing. (Thinking either Blissful Betrothal or Imperial Spouse.)

2nd Good: Hida Ashitaka, upon returning was given the rank of a field officer, to which he dedicated himself deeply. He spent much time studying maps and the surrounding area, to find that his father before he passed had a few storerooms hidden that didn’t show very well on the maps if someone were to be looking at them. Hida Ashitaka, went to investigate these hideouts to find a wealth of things to combat the shadowlands, from greatest to least, Hida Tsuyoi’s (Hida Ashitaka’s father) Jade Infused Fiend hunter’s Ono, a small cart of Jade, some more gaijin pepper, and a variety of supplies and rations. Hida Ashitaka, thinking for the future keeps this hidden for now.

1 Bad: The tournament left a Hida Ashitaka with a couple things, a new found passion in a little bit of gambling, and a desire to seek out Shinjo/Shadowlands. Both of these however combined with his upcoming betrothal makes it a little harder on whoever he is marrying having her be developing Dependent. (Whichever of these three make sense to keep or get rid of)?

The evening after the final event, while gathered and waiting in the Kakita Dueling Academy with the other contestants for the elders to… well, whatever they were to do, Togashi Kakuu finds a corner where he can kneel, as if to meditate.

Instead, once kneeling, Kakuu draws the tsuka portion of the katana of his former clan-mate Mirumoto Tomoe. Just hours prior, in the first round of the Iajitsu duels, though already dishonored and looked down upon by her clan and family elders, the Mirumoto aspiring Samurai grossly and finally dishonored herself in front of all when she attempted to take the life of Togashi Kakuu during the contest. Her katana hadn’t been any clan or family artifact or heirloom, but it was a blade of fine workmanship, with emerald green cord wrap on the tsuka (hilt), and brass dragon metalwork on the tsuba (guard) and kashira (pommel). It had been stomped on and broken into two by the Mirumoto elder at the tournament, after Tomoe had dishonored herself that final time, dropped the sword, ripped off her clan mon, and walked away – dishonored and disowned.

The Togashi had picked up the fragmented tsuka portion of the blade, which hadn’t snapped neatly in half. The tsuka end had only about 10” of blade – almost as much blade as handle, which made it look awkwardly proportioned – the blade length of a tanto (knife) with a tsuka of a katana. The edge, however, was still razor sharp, as maintained by any would-be samurai.

Kakuu drew the blade and began to shave his own head in a private and quiet ceremony. Hair that he had been growing for the past eight years fell to the ground. Hair that his senseis at the Togashi monastery hadn’t cared about how long or short it was, or how it was styled; but had warned Kakuu that would need to be shaved once he completed Gempuku, and was a Samurai. That time was now, and the Togashi was doing what was due to be done. Over the course of five minutes, Kakuu managed a slow and methodical shaving of his head, with only one small nick on the back of his head.

(If any other contestants or guards approach Kakuu during this ritual, he will politely state that he needs no company, and will ask them to leave.)

When the ritual shaving is completed, the Togashi stands up, sheaths the fragment of the katana into the tanto saya (scabbard), and returns to continue waiting with the other contestants. He will politely correct any who address him as “Kakuu”, that his adult and Samurai name is now… “Kaze’ryu”.
(---This is pronounced phonetically in English as “KA zay - ri YU” ---)

First “Good”: Hunting down and destroying (Mirumoto) Tomoe.

Togashi Kaze’ryu (nee Kakuu) will approach the Dragon Mirumoto family elders. This is the family from which he was sent away when he was young for going grossly against his father’s wishes and causing his father dishonor (for failure to uphold a boon/obligation to another). It is also the family from which Tomoe was (and with a bit of connecting the dots IC, one can figure the reason why Tomoe was so hating of the Togashi). The monk approaches the elders who accept his audience since he has just proven himself not only a Samurai, but representing well – both in the competition and the battle against the evils. Togashi Kaze’ryu offers to hunt down and remove Tomoe, who has not only slighted his own honor multiple times over, but is now this stain upon the family’s and clan’s honor. He asks only for koku to employ a tracker. Kaze’ryu clarifies that he will do the killing himself; he only needs assistance with the tracking/locating of the target.

Kaze’ryu is given koku necessary to employ a tracker to hunt Tomoe (based on her infamy), and Kaze’ryu goes to the home of the Wasp clan, who are renowned for their skills as bounty hunters. He commissions one to assist him on this quest, but clarifies that he does not want for the Wasp to kill or capture Tomoe; only to find her.

The Wasp takes the lead, picks up in the region of the Topaz tournament, and works through many villages, asking questions of various manner of contacts or sources, seeming to always get a nod or a grin and some whispered words once some coin change hands. Weeks later, the Wasp and Kaze’ryu come upon Tomoe in the foothills of the Dragon lands, in the woods. She has been rousing local ronin to create a bandit gang. When you arrive, with the Bounty Hunter, there are four of them. The Bounty Hunter takes out the other three guys with arrows, sniping them from the woods, while Kaze’ryu engages Tomoe, calling her Tomoe-chan, the honorless, and challenging her to meet her fate. Tomoe draws her two swords, as per the unique Mirumoto style in which she was schooled, and engages the monk, who simply drops his bo staff, and walks towards Tomoe to engage her bare-handed.

Tomoe’s opening flurry forces Kaze’ryu to dodge and avoid through a series of sidesteps, slides, and rolls. She knicks Kaze’ryu’s arm, causing a crimson line of blood to appear; Kaze’ryu responds by taunting her “…‘Tis but a scratch!”, and snaps a kick to Tomoe’s jaw which too, draws blood. Tomoe engages a second flurry of offense, which lands a deep slash across Kaze’ryu’s upper chest and shoulder, missing his neck by only inches. Kaze’ryu thinks to himself that’ll leave a mark, but in the very next moment, he closes upon Tomoe with a lightning-quick slide, and locks her arms, wrenching one so as to force it to drop the katana, and locking the other to pin the wakizashi against Tomoe’s own body. In the close-quarters which he prefers and with Tomoe’s weapons useless, Kaze’ryu delivers short-range blows to her head relentlessly, breaking and bloodying her nose, and opening wounds across her head and face. A brutal elbow to Tomoe’s already destroyed nose causes her excruciating pain, her vision to blur, and her to slouch to collapse on the ground.

As she fights off unconsciousness, Kaze’ryu draws the fragmented katana which Tomoe once carried, and had tried to take the monk’s life with in the Iajitsu duels. Kaze’ryu stands over her nearly incapacitated form and says “I told you, I would not forget your dishonors and show you mercy a third time." He takes the blade (which is little more than a tanto with an awkwardly long tsuka (hilt/handle), places it over her throat, and stabs it down. Her eyes widen suddenly, then slowly begin to narrow. She gurgles through blood and whispers to him, "You never deserved to be with us. I will see you in the blooded plains of Toshigoku."

After the combat, Kaze’ryu gathers the dead, takes whatever is of value off of them intending to return the Dragon clan and Mirumoto family items from Tomoe back to the Mirumoto. Whatever the Mirumoto do not want, he will sell eventually for coin. ((Thinking that burning their bodies unceremoniously is the way to dispose of them, vice burying them or leaving them to scavengers. Chris can correct me if this is inappropriate.))

Results/effects:
Story: Tomoe is dead, an enemy is off the table.
Story: The Kaze’ryu’s personal honor and the Mirumoto family’s honor avenged.
Mechanics: “Social Disadvantage” disadvantage is earned off by these actions.
(Mike will also spend XP to buy off the Ascetic disadvantage, since Kaze’ryu will keep whatever of Tomoe’s and the bandits – including koku – that the Mirumoto do not want.)


 
Second “Good”: Friend of the Brotherhood and Kiho.

Kaze’ryu’s actions and deeds through the Topaz tournament drew the attention of a brother of the “Order of Heroes” monks (p232). “Shota”, one of the order, was attending the Topaz tournament to scout and identify potential candidates for heroic potential (not for recruiting into their order). (Reading the description of the Order of Heroes, it sounds very appropriate that they might use this tournament as a prime environment to seek out candidate heroic individuals, whom are deserving of their support, encouragement, and enabling assistance.) During the last event, Shota was possessed as were the majority of adult Samurai, but after coming to his senses, he recognized that Kaze’ryu and some of his fellow contestants were instrumental in saving the day at the final event.

Shota didn’t approach Kaze’ryu at the Topaz, but instead sought out Kaze’ryu a couple of days later, as he was leaving the town to return to Togashi lands. Shota complimented Kaze’ryu on his conduct and perseverance through the tournament… the various competitions, the patience enduring the offenses of his dishonorable clanmate, and his role in protecting Shosuro Ria and the White Wolf in the final minutes( – and Shota even noted that Kaze’ryu might have not tried as hard in the second round of iajitus so as to be “out” of the competition to allow him to be in the position to protect the others – prioritizing Duty to others over the competition). Shota invited and encouraged Kaze’ryu to visit the order’s monastery after he had returned to his own Togashi brothers and sisters. Shota promised that they would offer assistance to Kaze’ryu, to empower and aid him on his future endeavors (as a potential Hero of the Realm).

Results/effects:
Story: Kaze’ryu has impressed a member of the Order of Heroes monk brotherhood.
Mechanics: Granted the advantage “Friend of the Brotherhood”
(Intend to spend XP to purchase a couple of Kiho, not to exceed the limit of his monk school ranks as per non-brotherhood monk limitations). 


One “Bad”: Mother’s Passing with Kaze’ryu not present.

Kaze’ryu stays only a day longer at the site of the Topaz tournament (after the elders released them) to wrap up a couple of things, and then heads home. Upon return to the Togashi monastery, he is informed that they just three days ago received word that Kaze’ryu’s mother has fallen severely ill. The order sent a messenger to the site of the Topaz, and even tried to locate a Shugenja to use the kami to send word magically, but the messenger must have crossed on the road or taken a different route, and the kami magic must have failed. Before even seeing many of his sensei and friends which he hadn’t seen for weeks (since before leaving for the Topaz), Kaze’ryu left immediately for home to see his mother.

He arrived two days later (having run most of the way), Kaze’ryu arrived to a mourning at his home, to find that his mother had passed just the previous day. Very overtaken with grief, emotion, regret, and guilt (that he wasn’t there when she passed, that maybe he shouldn't have loitered that one day after Topaz before heading home, or that he somehow could’ve done something, etc.).

Kaze’ryu’s father recognized that Kaze’ryu returned with the shaved head and the wakizashi indicative of the Samurai, but refused to acknowledge his son, whom he had kicked out and all but disowned eight years earlier. There was not a word said between Kaze’ryu and his father for the next few days, and the mourning and death rites were completed for his mother.
(Recall from character history that Kaze’ryu’s mother was the parent who loved and supported him, through times of his father’s pressure and insistence, and protected Kaze’ryu when his father threatened to have the orphanage take him away.)

Results/effects:
Story: Kaze’ryu lost his mother, the one person who loved him and showed him greatest compassion.
Story: Kaze’ryu has guilt and regret over not being there; not having seen her in the past eight years, and that she never got to see him grown and as a success (samurai).
Story: Kaze’ryu still hasn’t made up with his father.
Mechanics: Earned the “Lost Love” disadvantage (weak, TN+5 if reminded of this, requires Void to suppress).
Mechanics: Earned the “Black Sheep” disadvantage. This is sort of a trade off with “Social Disadvantage” which was cleared  during his hunting down of Tomoe. His problem is now focused solely on his relationship with his father – his only immediate family. Kaze’ryu will not be able to interact with his father ever again without a mediator.)