The Day of Thunder

[Canary]

OOC: Genji will tske 2 wounds if I srill can? No probbs if not

[you can]

[Shinsei]

The moment comes swiftly, announcing itself not with thunder and ceremony, but the tiniest of whispers. Shinsei's breath became deeper, slightly more labored. His eyes, so recently undercut by dark bags of exhaustion, grew more hooded and heavy. Whatever steadiness was left inside that tired body waned, and the veins beneath his skin swelled under the now rapid beats of his heart.

"The Realm's obsession with mankind. This is why it chose me, attacked me, and took from me. For years it has stood behind my eyes and watched, learned, waited. The claws it sent into my mind takes their way through my enlightenment, seeking power, seeking control. It plays its final hand against me now."

Shinsei's hands rose slowly, forming into some unknown mudra. A silent hum filled the air. "I know not what it plans to bring against you. I cannot say what secrets it has stolen from me but... you have my sympathies. I do what I do now to rob from it what I have left, those things I have clung to the hardest. Steel yourselves, and strike, now, like thunder."

The quiet him became a gentle wind, cool and refreshing, the briefest of respite before the fury of hell itself. It fled as fast as it arrived, and as it left, the faint vitality clinging to the little teacher went with it, the light fading as he closed his eyes.

The man once known as Shinsei is no more.

Prepare for battle.


==============

Each player will receive a pm containing a brief statement they heard in Shinsei's voice as the "wind" blew past them.

[Otaku]

Otaku raises her eyebrows as she steps into the shrine with its distorted space, but lets the others speak for her. She swings into the saddle and nods.

((Will take 2 wounds for Nao's buff.))

[Matsu]

"It is our turn to bleed." Nao said. She looked to the other Thunders. "I can ask the earth to aid us, to strengthen our wills, but to do so for all of us, will require sacrifice from all of us."

- - -
Nao will be casting Earth's Touch as a ritual, to increase Willpower by one for two hours (with her own raises). Anyone who wishes to participate will take two wounds.

If still able, Matsu would take 2 wounds

[Nozomi]

The quiet him became a gentle wind, cool and refreshing, the briefest of respite before the fury of hell itself. It fled as fast as it arrived, and as it left, the faint vitality clinging to the little teacher went with it, the light fading as he closed his eyes.

The man once known as Shinsei is no more.

Prepare for battle.


==============

Each player will receive a pm containing a brief statement they heard in Shinsei's voice as the "wind" blew past them.

She shed one last tear, having thought she'd shed them all privately for a lifetime. 'And I, you' she said as she stood back from the fight, getting out of the Thunders' way. She would not stand in their way. If they had to kill her husband, she would forgive them.

She knew that it had to be done. "St...Stand ready," she said with choked emotion. Not fear, but pain.

[The Dream of Jigoku]

As Nozomi tells them to stand ready, as if on cue, the candle in the lanterns up around the shrine all go out at once, leaving only the moon and stars overhead. Shinsei's form is shadowed, but the stillness of death lays over him for the moment.

Then the sky and trees they can see above them start to split apart as thought they were a painted window rather than reality. Slowly, the pieces of what they had seen before began to float into the air, disappearing into the sky above. The sky...

The sky, as you look up and the pieces of what was finally clear, has been taken over by a looming sphere above. They can see blue seas, landscapes, the shape of continents above them. Clouds whirl and move along it like foam floating across the sea, and between them, you can see an oddly familiar shape. A shape you know, with maps now being made and stored for public access. You can see on one continent, a reflection of Rokugan. The massive sphere floating above is like a reflection.

Above, you can see rocks like floating islands in space, blasted and without greenery, red lines of heat running along them like cracks. Black sludge, corruption in physical form, flows down them like waterfalls.

Above that is the moon. It seems to rotate on its own from gibbous to full. A line appears in the center, then splits to reveal a blood red eye staring down at the gathered Thunders. Around its rim, red, viscous fluid wells up and flows to the bottom, beginning to drip and flow down to the earth.

When you turn your attention back to Shinsei, two glowing white lights appear, opening where his eyes should be. Then another two, below them. Then another two. And another. Black wings like a crows tear through his robe and spread wide as he begins to float. A ring of bright light surrounds his head, and three more eyes open above him. The rest of his features are still shadowed, but somehow, you can't shake the feeling that this... thing that has taken over Shinsei's mortal shell is staring at you calmly. Studying you.

DreamofJigoku.jpg (41.29 KiB) Viewed 325 times

Finally, it speaks.

Fear not.

The sound of its voice up close is so much worse than hearing it through the Thunder. It reverberates through the wood floor, feels like it's thrumming through your very being. As if the entire world is speaking to it. And in a way, it is.

Many times you have come, and many times we have fought. I do not wish to fight you. I wish to give you a great gift.

It seems to smile, even though you can't see its mouth.

You have seen your fears. They are inevitable when humans interact with a flawed world. You have seen what could be. The reward of a life you have control over, instead of one that controls you. I wish to give you a world that is your own. One free of the flawed decisions of those supposedly greater than you that have brought you to this point.

It tilts its head.

I am the Dream. I am Yume-Jigoku. You cannot defeat an entire realm. But you make change it to your choosing. I have the secrets of your path - The Path of Man. It is more beautiful than even I imagined.

It spreads its arms.

You are asked to content yourselves with shadows, the barest, warped indications of what you could be. All I ask is that you accept me. Turn and see the miracle that you truly are.

[Hantei Genji]

Genji frowned, and pulled his blade out. His skin shone lighty as he gazed up at the moon, instead of the monk known formery as shinsei. "That is not a path." He shook his head. "That is the trap of man. My uncle's Empire won't fall for that. Shiba is a wise man with loyal followers." He gestured towards his fellow Thunders. "You better have a better pitch than that."

[Nanzi Ai]

"No," Ai replied.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"The path of man, can only be known, and walked, by man." Nao said. "We will not let you lead them astray."

[Wu Zhe]

''So you say, creature, but why do I not see a man before me? If the path of man is so beautiful...why not travel it yourself? Why not become a man?''

the dragon asked, curious

[Bayushi Norikage]

"You called it suffering heaven's tyranny for little gain", Norikage said, going back to one of his dreams where it showed itself. "And you proved you will give easily, but you take a price unspoken." He shook his head slowly, not taking his eyes off the living nightmare no matter how terrifying it was. "All heaven asks is that we struggle and prove our worth. Not to it, but to ourselves. What you offer is tainted to the core, we cannot accept, and we will expel you from this realm."

Survive? Win? No shit. The choice was always obvious. I'll remember you, Shinsei. Kumori will remember you, even if we fall, and the Empire will never forget.

[Matsu]

She armed herself, bearing her teeth and scowling at the wicked and vile creature. Her bisento gleamed with the emerald shine from the blessing of jade.

"Fuck you, demon. I'll see you to the very bowels of jigoku."

[Akodo Kenji]

Kenji chuckled. "You know my answer demon, you should not have even asked."

Even if from some twist of fate all others said yes. He would still fight.

[Otaku]

“Actions speak over words.” Otaku’s sword rings from its sheath, the metallic sound almost louder than her soft, clear voice. “Everyone you touch suffers. I have two eyes to see that.”

Tsubame snorts and paws the ground as the sky shatters overhead, but stands firm.

[Tyrus]

A black mist travelled up to the Dream that was once Shinsei. To coalesced into his hand and formed a staff of pure darkness. He twirled it experimentally before planting it and it lengthened and shrank a few times before he held it in a casual ready stance.

A soft sigh was heard disappointing. Maybe i can make you see. it trailed off as it focused on something for a moment feeling the world shift slightly about him. There are four effigies surrounding him grotesque humanoid shadows made of fear and doubt they move with jerky shuddering steps but seem to empower the monster before them.

The eyes look at the Thunders and a palpable wave of anger permeates the space though its body language still reads calm, it readies to attack.

----------------------------
Battle commences. The Dream is 50 feet from the Thunders, two effigies are 10 feet in front of him and 10 feet apart from eachother and two effigies are 10 feet behind him and 10 from one another.

Please make an intiative roll, can make a new post or simply edit into your current one. the effigies will act on The Dream's init for my sanity. Please also make a check against Fear 4 as the menace of the dream pushes against your will. (Make a TN 25 Willpower test adding your honor to the result. If you pass no effect if you fail suffer a penalty of -4k0 on all rolls for the duration of the skirmish.)

Day of Thunder intiative | 10k7 ⇒ 60
Day of Thunder riddle of water lore: water/water | 10k7 ⇒ 61 (TN: 20)

[Hantei Genji]

Genji felt a small vein of fear burst through, before pushing it down. No. Not today.

He eyed the effigies, his sword drawn.

He was ready.

OOC:
Day of THUNDARRR, Fear, tn 25, Honor, VP for +1k1, +1k1 from Earth's Touch, rerolling the pool | 5k5+6 ⇒ 40 (TN: 25)

PASS

Day of THUNDARRR, Init | 6k3 ⇒ 22

Stance: Defense
ATN: 32
VP: 2/3
Tech: +5 TN on all hostile spellcasting rolls targeting Genji

[Bayushi Norikage]

Well of course it wasn't going to be nine versus one...looks like I have my work cut out for me dealing with trash.

Norikage's sword has been drawn for a while now, all he needed to do was take a stance and be ready. The wrath of the nightmare challenged his resolve, but he did not come all this way simply to cower and flee.


Willpower vs Fear Tn 25: 34
Norikage is in Center Stance
Initiative: 32
Current wounds: 2/18 (healthy)
Armor TN: 25
Reduction: 3
Void 2/3

[Otaku]

Otaku grits her teeth and keeps her seat.

D7 LA-LE, Heaven or Hell--Fear 4 Check, Earth's Touch, VP | 5k5+7 ⇒ 39 (TN: 25)
Passed.

D7 LA-LE, Heaven or Hell--Init | 6k3 ⇒ 23
(Not rolling a separate initiative for Tsubame since we had him both moving and acting on Otaku's turn last time for sanity.)

Initiative: 23
Stance: Attack
ATN: 32 (Riding Armor)
Reduction: 4
Wounds 2/57 (Healthy)

Tsubame ATN: 15
Tsubame Reduction: 3
Tsubame Wounds 0/48 (Healthy)

In Stage 1 (top of the round) of this combat round, will use Otaku R2 to add 5 to ATN.

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao was ready to meet her destiny. But, she was afraid of what that might be.

- - -
D7 LA-LE, Heaven or Hell, Initiative | 6k3 ⇒ 23

D7 LA-LE, Heaven or Hell, Fear 4, Earth's Touch, VP for +1k1 | 5k5+4 ⇒ 24 (TN: 25)

Stance: Defense
ATN: 29 (Air Kami's Blessing)
VP: 1/4 used
Wounds: 0

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai had been preparing for this moment all her life.

OOC: Fear Check + Void used | 5k5+8 ⇒ 45 (TN: 25), made the roll. Initiative | 6k3+12 ⇒ 48 for her check.

Fear check Passed.
Initiative: 48
ATN: 25
Wounds Taken: 2
Willpower increased by 1 to 4 total.
Stance: Attack