The Day of Thunder

"Shinsei talks about reincarnation and the karmic cycle, but it's a pretty new idea," Ayako commented. "I really don't think most old people fully believe in it. Ancestor worship was good enough for their grand-daddy, so it's good enough for them!" "Reincarnation is nice to think about, though," Aya...

"Oh, you're a priest ?" Ayako asked, sounding surprised. "Most of our priests don't practice much in the way of the fighting arts. Well, except maybe the monks; some of them still do. They talk about it like you do: perfect the body and mind, that sort of thing." "Do priests in your land worship the...

Ayako nodded. "I've seen Shinsei before, when he visited our lands," she said. "He seems very wise. I know he's been gathering people to come here ... the revered teacher must have some kind of plan to help with what's happening."

"Meditation will, without question, be of use. Anything that helps to ensure that a person maintains and keeps their mind focused and clear will help in the face of fear and other threats." She nodded, glad to see that the Crab was well trained in this. "A clear mind resists temptation better. As f...

"I've had a little practice with music, and a little more with meditation," Ayako admitted. "Do you think those skills might be helpful against ... whatever it is that we'll face?"

"I'm betting he cracks open that giant rocks he carries around and on the inside are nine names written in jade." Kenji replied with a wry smile. "Because you never know with monks as you said." "HA!" Ayako guffawed. "I bet that's exactly it." "Likely a wise idea." He agreed with a nod. "They shoul...

She caught sight of Sora and waved him over, giving him a bow. "Old man," she said in way too familiar a fashion for one of his standing. "You've got perfect timing. Ayako here asked a good question." Ayako glanced over at the person introduced as "old man" and gave him a polite nod. "Keep your bla...

Ayako dreamed.... ShinseisRock.png Ayako was attending the revered teacher's speech again, but for some reason Shinsei didn't seem to be speaking. Instead, the rock that Shinsei was seated on opened its eyes and mouth and began to speak. " Ayaaaaaakooooo ," the rock groaned in its low, gravelly voi...

"Verukusa," Ayako repeated, trying to etch the foreign word into her memory. "Strengthening your center seems good," Ayako said, as she raised one foot to match Sugri's new position. The Crab woman proved to have fairly good balance, albeit with limited range of motion due to the constraints of her ...

After the eventful day, followed by dancing until she was exhausted, Ayako crawled into her bedroll. Muzzy thoughts about the revered teacher, the other warriors she had met, and the village woman she had danced with, all ran through her head. A small part of Ayako's mind didn't want the day to end,...

"Yeah, but I was looking for who might be the Champions. I mean it will probably be Lady Anjing for the Crab, but what if it's not?" Could you be a double hero? "I mean what would you do if you spent the next few days preparing Lady Anjing for the task and the Hero ended up being you or one of your...

"One of my teacher's principles is that we train as we should fight," Ayako said. "There's not much use in a technique that stops working when you put your battle armor on. So ... yeah, let me try it in armor." So saying, the Crab attempted Sugri's adapted (less intensive) poses. With slightly great...

"Well, it seems clear that there will be nine great Champions, one for each clan, who will end up Saving the World," Ayako said, remembering Shinsei's words. "That's certain to be Lady Anjing for the Crab; she's already a bona fide hero, after all." "I'm guessing the rest of us will play some kind o...

"Oh~~! Interesting," Ayako said. "Let me try."

The Crab attempted to mimic Sugri's poses. The effort is well-intentioned, but her movements are noticeably hampered by both her unfamiliarity and her armor.

"Um... I'm sure it must get easier with practice."

"I've seem farms outside of town, so they must grow something ," the Crab replied. "But it's just as foggy as here. Maybe more so!" The woman attempted to take a sip of her soup, but it's still too hot. "I'm called Yoshitsune Ayako," she added, attempting a careful bow that avoided spilling her soup...

Are the heads of the Hiruma and Kaiu families actual daimyo, or are they just respected elders? I ask because I almost name-dropped “Lord Kaiu” in one of my posts, but then realized that although Kaiu is on the official Families list, there is no Kaiu daimyo listed in the Champions and Daimyo almana...

Nearby, a short Crab woman in heavy armor was exchanging a few coins with a street vendor in a food stall. Accepting a cup of hot soup, the woman clutched the cup in both hands, allowing the rising steam to warm her face against the chill of the day. "Darn this fog!" the Crab commented. "Won't it ev...

"Perhaps some day I'll be able to figure out those riddles for myself," Ayako said ruefully. "I'm still working on that, I suppose."

"May I ask, what is your training actually like?" she asked. "I saw you practicing for a little bit ... it looked pretty different than what I'm familiar with."

"If I am called, I will do what I must." She replied, no hesitation in her tone. Yet still that sense of unease at someone revering her so. "It'll take more than just nine, though, if it is evil. Wars aren't just won on the heroics of a few. It takes many hands, and the bravery of everyone in the E...

"Oh, he's a very wise teacher," Ayako enthused. "Though sometimes he speaks in riddles, and I don't fully understand them until someone else explains them." Wait, is that really the mark of a good teacher? she pondered momentarily, before dismissing the thought. "Once I understand what he said, thou...