The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

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 the veins and arteries the merchants and farmers who supply the body. Then the Kshatriya are the mind - the noble warriors who lead. Finally the Brahmin are the soul who bring wisdom, knowledge, and guidance."

"The Kshatriya are likely the easiest to compare as they are much like your samurai."

Anjing takes a few moments to process that.
"They are people defined by what they do? I suppose that makes some sense, your home must be very organised."
Of course that prompts a second question as, after once she's sure the coast is clear, they continue.
"You are not a Vaishya then, and a Shudra-" She says it twice, trying to make sure she has the pronunciation. "- that seems unlikely. So are you a Kshatriya then? Or a Brahmin?"

[Sugri]

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 leadership though thankfully that has not been the case within my lifetime."

"As for me I am of the Brahmin. Most of my kin tend to the shrines and temples and lead our people in worship but there are those of us who focus on more inward spiritual matters. It is, again, a rough comparison but saying I was dangerously close to Shinsei is not without merit in one sense I suppose. Those of us who follow a path similar to my own are not unlike the monks among your people. Though I understand that some become monks later in their lives... that is not our way. You are who you are from birth unto death."

[Anjing]

Snip

"Monks from birth?"
She shakes her head at such a notion.

"Certainly much more organised. But what if someone is not suited to be a monk? Surely there are Brahmin born who lack the temperament or interest? Is there no way to change?"
The annoyance she felt at the notion turns into a self-reinforcing loop on how she wouldn't have wanted to be born a monk in some far away land.

[Sugri]

In a way it was like asking what if one was born unsuited for breathing air but, like such a sad fate, it was not impossible.

"Ones place in this life is decided based on their actions in the one that came before. As one grows and improves their soul they rise within our people with each new life. To turn against that is to fight the rapids and flounder to shore worse than where you began. Those who truly sink below their station will likely not even see rebirth as a person in the next life and begin again among the animals to understand where their place truly should be."

He pauses after the somewhat bleak thought then offers a smile, "But, truth be told, that is a very rare occurrence. There are paths within paths. A Brahmin could devote themselves to celebration, or to decorating the temples and shrines, to teaching or to caring for those need. Those of us who walk the path of perfecting mind, body, and soul may not have the duty to be warriors as the Kshatriya do but we are no less capable for it."

"To follow your dharma, your place and duty, is to enrich yourself and your people and to earn even greater reward, and responsibility, in the next life."

[Anjing]

Snip

A slight frown is evidence that Anjing doesn't seem wholly convinced, but there is a certain logic to it, and it was not wholly dissimilar to what she had heard monks and priests preaching.

"So then, your soul must be very high and pure indeed."
She motions to a small stream and detours slightly to avoid it, the water in these parts was apparently poisoned.

"What comes at the end of the path then? When you have risen as high as you can? Do you become a spirit? A god?"

[Sugri]

A slight frown is evidence that Anjing doesn't seem wholly convinced, but there is a certain logic to it, and it was not wholly dissimilar to what she had heard monks and priests preaching.

"So then, your soul must be very high and pure indeed."

"Lives once lived can sometimes leave their own scars but bearing those well is part of continuing through the cycle."

She motions to a small stream and detours slightly to avoid it, the water in these parts was apparently poisoned.

"What comes at the end of the path then? When you have risen as high as you can? Do you become a spirit? A god?"

"I'll be the first to admit I am not so far down the path that I can see the final goal. There are those rare souls that are known to have achieved transcendence. They pass from this world and are not reborn though I cannot say exactly what their fate is. Perhaps there is a paradise for those who have obtained mortal perfection or perhaps we simply cease. No longer having lessons to learn and no longer suffering the pains and misfortunes of mortality."

He shrugs slightly, "I can say for certain though that we do not become gods. Our gods are known and, while they can birth more of their own, their numbers otherwise do not change. We revere them but they are not us they are their own beings with their own paths, triumphs, and failings."

[Anjing]

Snip

"But you have faith and that is enough? I try to do the same."

Anjing is content to contemplate this information silently for a few minutes as the two continue patrolling through the forest with only the odd intrusive thought from the surroundings intruding in.

"Your lands and your peoples are strange Sugri. But only as strange as I am sure ours appear to you. Perhaps your people simply feel the weight of destiny heavier than we do?"
Glancing over at him.
"I have a request though understand I can impose no obligation. Do you plan to stay in Rokugan long?"

[Sugri]

"But you have faith and that is enough? I try to do the same."

Anjing is content to contemplate this information silently for a few minutes as the two continue patrolling through the forest with only the odd intrusive thought from the surroundings intruding in.

"Your lands and your peoples are strange Sugri. But only as strange as I am sure ours appear to you. Perhaps your people simply feel the weight of destiny heavier than we do?"
Glancing over at him.
"I have a request though understand I can impose no obligation. Do you plan to stay in Rokugan long?"

He considers for a moment, not about accepting a request but about the latter question, "I suppose it depends on the events of these coming days. If Shinsei is right that your people will fight a great battle here then it will depend on your triumph or failure. Should you fall, and I live, I will need to warn my people immediately. If you are triumphant there is no such rush. Perhaps I might even see what lies north even from here."

[Anjing]

He considers for a moment, not about accepting a request but about the latter question, "I suppose it depends on the events of these coming days. If Shinsei is right that your people will fight a great battle here then it will depend on your triumph or failure. Should you fall, and I live, I will need to warn my people immediately. If you are triumphant there is no such rush. Perhaps I might even see what lies north even from here."

"A reasonable response. Should we fail and our world is consumed by darkness I would not expect you to remain to enjoy the scenery."
She smiles grimly.

"But if we do survive, my people remember our history through stories. We have a tradition of those who keep that history alive. And our lands are close by, just to the west and north. We would welcome the opportunity to add your stories to ours. Most of our chroniclers would relish the opportunity. And if you wish, they would tell you our stories to take back home."

[Sugri]

"A reasonable response. Should we fail and our world is consumed by darkness I would not expect you to remain to enjoy the scenery."
She smiles grimly.

"But if we do survive, my people remember our history through stories. We have a tradition of those who keep that history alive. And our lands are close by, just to the west and north. We would welcome the opportunity to add your stories to ours. Most of our chroniclers would relish the opportunity. And if you wish, they would tell you our stories to take back home."

Another warm smile amongst the cool fog, "Ah, that sounds like a request I could live up to. If anything it seems more like a pleasure than an obligation. I am not the greatest teller of tales but I can do my best."

[Anjing]

Another warm smile amongst the cool fog, "Ah, that sounds like a request I could live up to. If anything it seems more like a pleasure than an obligation. I am not the greatest teller of tales but I can do my best."

"Good, then I hope we will expect you. And if not, well there will be much else to worry about."
Anjing nods as if everything was settled before continuing on.

"And if you head further north still, it is a hard land and bitterly cold in the mountains. But it does go on and on, we do not know what lies at the end."

[Sugri]

"Good, then I hope we will expect you. And if not, well there will be much else to worry about."
Anjing nods as if everything was settled before continuing on.

"And if you head further north still, it is a hard land and bitterly cold in the mountains. But it does go on and on, we do not know what lies at the end."

Another chuckle, "Well I am used to not knowing what is at the end of the path, as we established, so I would not let a little thing like that stop me if that is where my journey takes me."

[Anjing]

Another chuckle, "Well I am used to not knowing what is at the end of the path, as we established, so I would not let a little thing like that stop me if that is where my journey takes me."

"Ha! I've always known where I was going, it was just the path that was uncertain. Not enough time in the day for wandering."
Far too much to do, like patrolling through a forest looking for monsters, normal stuff.

"I suppose I wasn't born a warrior, but I always was one. Even when I was little I was prepared to fight if I felt it was right. That just led to bigger and bigger scraps. Hmmm." Resting up against a tree covered in moss.

"I wonder, my children are warriors too. Will their children also be warriors on and on? Have I set their destiny like your people would? Lifetimes of dying for others."

[Sugri]

"Ha! I've always known where I was going, it was just the path that was uncertain. Not enough time in the day for wandering."
Far too much to do, like patrolling through a forest looking for monsters, normal stuff.

"I suppose I wasn't born a warrior, but I always was one. Even when I was little I was prepared to fight if I felt it was right. That just led to bigger and bigger scraps. Hmmm." Resting up against a tree covered in moss.

"I wonder, my children are warriors too. Will their children also be warriors on and on? Have I set their destiny like your people would? Lifetimes of dying for others."

"I do not know if your way shall be the same as ours. But, if that were true, it is not that you have set their soul on that destiny it is that destiny has birthed a soul to them whose time it is to walk that path." He pauses to double check his Rokugani to make sure that makes sense, "It does not seem like much of a difference, when I say it in those words, but I believe it is. If the lesson a soul needs will come from war or strife or leadership then it is better that soul be born into a Kshatriya household where it will have the training to best learn those lessons as opposed to as a Shudra who would likely just die in the field. Though, sadly, that fate has lessons of its own to teach so it still may occur."

[Anjing]

Snip

"So, if I understand you right. My family will have the right souls? They'll be born suited to be warriors?"
It was sort of comforting, sort of madness to Anjing.

"And if I'd decided to really like reading like Xia and spent all my time setting up the family to be book worms, then they'd have the right souls to bee courtiers?""

[Sugri]

"So, if I understand you right. My family will have the right souls? They'll be born suited to be warriors?"
It was sort of comforting, sort of madness to Anjing.

"And if I'd decided to really like reading like Xia and spent all my time setting up the family to be book worms, then they'd have the right souls to bee courtiers?""

"If your realms will have a cycle of reincarnation like ours then, yes, that would be the case unless adversity against their lot in life is the lesson to be learned. But that seems to be a rare one. Most are, if not content with their lot in life, at least able to see the importance that it holds."

[Anjing]

"If your realms will have a cycle of reincarnation like ours then, yes, that would be the case unless adversity against their lot in life is the lesson to be learned. But that seems to be a rare one. Most are, if not content with their lot in life, at least able to see the importance that it holds."

"...Well, I suppose it would be a poor way of doing things if it just fell apart under the first examination."
Nodding to herself.
"Right, your way of doing things is odd, but it's not crazy, there's an internal logic to it. I can understand it."

Sounding a little amused she ducks under some low branches.
"So, what would you do if your gods fell and landed in the earth around you?"

[Sugri]

"...Well, I suppose it would be a poor way of doing things if it just fell apart under the first examination."
Nodding to herself.
"Right, your way of doing things is odd, but it's not crazy, there's an internal logic to it. I can understand it."

Sounding a little amused she ducks under some low branches.
"So, what would you do if your gods fell and landed in the earth around you?"

"Worry."

He laughs, "Our gods do incarnate in mortal form from time to time but generally only when something has become unbalanced within the world or the heavens and even then usually only one or two. If something was truly so wrong that they would all need to come to our lands then things would be bleak indeed. It would mean that either they lost their way, and needed a go as mortals to remind them of their own place, of that we had lost ours so badly that, well, I cannot even imagine what that would look like. Even when the Rakshasa ruled in terror only Arun, an avatar of Vishnu, fought them directly - though there were influences of others upon his mortal life to help shape him into what he needed to be."

[Anjing]

"Worry."

Despite herself Anjing snorts, bringing up a hand to stifle an outright laugh.

"Okay, well you have me there."

He laughs, "Our gods do incarnate in mortal form from time to time but generally only when something has become unbalanced within the world or the heavens and even then usually only one or two. If something was truly so wrong that they would all need to come to our lands then things would be bleak indeed. It would mean that either they lost their way, and needed a go as mortals to remind them of their own place, of that we had lost ours so badly that, well, I cannot even imagine what that would look like. Even when the Rakshasa ruled in terror only Arun, an avatar of Vishnu, fought them directly - though there were influences of others upon his mortal life to help shape him into what he needed to be."

"Your gods come down, but then they return?" That was quite different. "And then they come down and fix problems?"
Still smiling.
"Ours come down to cause problems, very different. One of them fell so hard he made a hole in the earth. The shortest one, but the heaviest. Did a lot of damage."

[Sugri]

"Your gods come down, but then they return?" That was quite different. "And then they come down and fix problems?"

"Sometimes to fix problems. Sometimes to fix themselves. Gods can become lost in their path just as mortals can and sometimes need to relearn lessons as well. Some live out a full life as a mortal before returning to the heavens but others do ascend once their task is complete."

Still smiling.
"Ours come down to cause problems, very different. One of them fell so hard he made a hole in the earth. The shortest one, but the heaviest. Did a lot of damage."

He grins, "I had heard the tale though not quite given such a description. It was learning of these, more literal, descents that I realized that our gods must not be one and the same. We would have some sign if so many had gone missing and nor do yours tell of any other lives, to my understanding, except that which they lived in the heavens."