The Day of Thunder

He nods, "Organized is certainly an apt descriptor. There are those who shirk their duties or try to fight destiny but they are few and far between. Which is not to say there cannot be other conflicts. Our history has plenty of tales of Kshatriya warring among themselves over who is right in their l...

Sugri can't help but laugh though he does muffle it enough that it is unlikely to attract attention. "Some certainly bear such adornment. How to explain it...." He ponders for a moment, "If an empire is a body the Shudra are the hands and feet. The ones who do the labor and craft. The Vaishya are th...

Though he had to admit something still bothered him about the ritual he had just taken part in, something that escaped him, he could at least take pride in a solid demonstration of his people's archery. He carefully unstrings his bow once more as he joins with the rest of the crowd. (Happy to talk b...

"I have heard rumors of lands beyond the desert but they are too far, and too perilous, for regular travel and trade so far but sometimes those who trade within the desert bring back strange trinkets and designs that we have not seen from the desert before. I will admit to not knowing too much of su...

If something held Sugri back from answering his fear honestly, to himself as well as others, it would be unknown to mortal observers for, while his calligraphy is smooth and clear, the language is foreign to this land. What was readily apparent was his skill with the bow as the arrow pierced no only...

"Glad to hear you're not some kind of pacifist. Always find them in the worst places." Anjing sets off, setting a slow pace with plenty of time for the two to scan ahead as they move. No sense rushing through the fog of a haunted forest. "So, your homeland. It is to the south? Is it like Rokugan, o...

"His snores are truly heavenly." Now that she's closer she gives Sugri a curious once over as they talk, her eyes noting anything semeingly non-Rokugani "If unbound by family and station I would have little to live for. Family is what gives us the reason to live. To honour our parents, work beside ...

"They were gods, it's complicated. I married one, long story. He's a good man deep down." Anjing's mind briefly flashes back home. "Hopefully I'll see him again, but who knows?" As for Shinsei. "He is legendary in these lands both for his alleged wisdom and for the many wild seeds he has sown. A mo...

"Good, I wouldn't want you listening in on my marital troubles." Her expression darkens as he continues. "I see." There's a slight pause. "Well, far be it from me to speak on the company you keep, if you came from the south you would have had no choice. And there is not a one among my people who wi...

"Hmmm" She peers at him for a long moment. "No need, I have seen you and your mustache around the village, you're the outlander." He bows a little deeper again in acknowledgment of that fact. Anjing pauses, her brow furrowing deeply. "Apologies, this forest is mocking me in my husband's voice." She...

"I can - but I suppose so could a ghost if it truly meant to lure one to their doom. Evil spirits generally care little for truths I imagine." As the fog parts to allow them to see each other he offers a slight bow. "I could draw blood, I suppose, If one needed truest proof." He gestures towards the...

"The role of gods is to rule and oversee the heavens and tend to the great wheel. If balance is lost, on the wider scale, then that duty may require them to work within our world. But this world is for mortals. It is where we live, and die, and return until we find a way to transcend it. Only mortal...

Having heard Shinsei's words, and knowing it was not his role to be the vanguard of what was to come, did not mean that Sugri felt no obligation in the conflict that was apparently brewing. If he was to have a hand in whatever struggle would happen then it would be best if he knew the terrain even t...

"When they take the forms of mortals than they are people like us but that is not the truth of their nature any more than an actor in a costume is the role they portray. They may bring that role to life, some may even find themselves believing they are the role in the moment, but when the play is do...

Sugri looks to the sky with a slight grin, "There are certainly those who believe so but I fear my brethren with such thoughts have fallen into a trap. Among the ranks of our people we are generally viewed as the higher order though it is the Kshatriya who handle temporal leadership." "To me, though...

"Pain, too, is fleeting. Both of the body and of the heart. While in its throes it may feel eternal, unlike joy where our dread of its end makes it seem so short, but it is not. To give up on life, because we do not wish to be hurt, is to surrender before a fight has even begun."

Sugri stifles a laugh, "I think the hammer and the river might disagree. Though if one cannot be hurt nor can they feel pleasure and joy. Even if the rock was truly eternal is that a life one would wish to live forever?"

"An interesting thought. Among my people returning as plant or animal is seen as a step backward in the cycle but for those who have not yet started upon it, and have known only strife, I could see how it might seem an alternative to explore. Though I think, when we see a butterfly and view freedom,...

"There are those among the Brahmin who tend the temples and lead the worship of our gods. Others, like myself, do seem more like your monks who focus more on tending to the spirit on an individual level and help guide others in doing the same. It is one of the reasons I have been very interested in ...

He offers an approving nod at her motions, "Elephants are more often ally than enemy unless one goes truly rogue." "In truth those of my path tend not to see much combat. We are of the priestly caste, the Brahmin, and matters of war and combat belong to the noble soldiers, the Kshatriya. Our exercis...