The Day of Thunder

[Jiyo Sora]

Yukara sat down, and while she was fairly sure she understood the issue at hand, she wasn't entirely positive. Still, she put brush to parchment and scrabbled out, in heinous script that would embarrass a child:

hELlo, pEoPle oF thiS lOVeYy vILlAge.

You arE cuRrEnTly liVinG oN ThE dOorwAy to hELl. ThIs is bAD. I bELiEvE I woUld bE corrEct in sAYinG it is VEry bAd. IF tHe mAGicaL EndEavOrs bEing atTEmptEd by thE sAmurAi hErE arE not succEssFul, you wILl probAbly go crAZy and thEn tURn intO dEmonS. THat will Also bE bAD.

That was probably how it worked. She was fairly certain.

If you bEcomE dEmOns, I wILl HAve to KilL yOu. I Do nOt wiSH to Do So, but I Am tASkEd with huNTing and kiLLing dEmons. I killEd OnE a fEw dAys ago, whEn it sEt fire to yOur barns. If yOu do Not Do whaT yoU arE tOLd, yoU wiLL becomE a dEmOn anD try to SEt fiRE tO your baRns, aNd thEn I wILl kILl you. ThAt wOUld bE uNfoRtunatE.

Actionable, straightforward. Honest. That was what her sensei taught her. Never lie, not even with a pretty lie to spare the feelings.

KiLLINg alL of You wouLd bE vEry TIRing, and aLSo qUIte dEprESsing. ThEREforE, I aSk that You do As You are TOld and Do Not Turn into dEmons. ThEn wE can bE friEndS.

OthErwisE YoU will bE dEaD, anD I will bE sAd.

WiTh grEat sINcEriTy,
Ryoshun Yukara

Handing the message off, she was sure that they would see the wisdom of her words.

Seriously, this event is gold.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

I messed up the formatting. I have now fixed it.

[Makime]

Shang had been suffering from a sudden migraine as she had been trying to craft this letter. Ultimately, she broke the tone of the letter down as if she was kindly convincing a child to do their chores. It came from a place of good intention, although mired with some passive-aggressive tones.

To the wonderful villagers of Blue Lotus Village and Chouri-san,

Hello, how are you doing? I'm doing passable! I would like to take a moment of my time to address my thoughts on my stay to properly address my sentiments, my review and most importantly, the most pressing matter at hand. It seems that there is a calamity coming that the Thunder Champions will be dealing with and we will be needing your help. I don't know the whole business that is at hand, mostly that it deals with the dreaming realm, which you have a strong relationship with as lucid dreaming cultists but has also been invaded by Jigoku. You should know the rest, it seems all that you've been focusing on during our stay.

Did you know? You have been misled in your cult but that's not a matter I can speak directly about, only based on what I've heard. All that matters now is that you're on our side and that's okay. At least, it should be only okay if you maintain your part in helping us and the Kami Empire at large. If you don't wish to help, that's well and fine. We cannot control you or your destiny, I only wish that you have it in your heart to do what is right and help us. I do not believe a bird should be caged if it wishes to fly free. If you do not, I also don't control or the destinies of many who don't see any use in you and will slaughter you in haste. They say that you'll be considered the enemy and it will be very unfortunate. Let's just avoid that.

Lastly, I know that we've gotten off on the wrong foot here. You've done a lot to include us in your festivities and shared your kind hospitality. I've personally enjoyed myself and I've certainly made use of your plentiful stores of sake. However, it seems that there have been some very questionable things that happened in our dreams that I've been told have been tampered with. While I don't hold any grudges, I cannot in good conscience recommend a visit to Blue Lotus Village to any of my friends or colleagues. Perhaps they will find themselves trapped in the middle of the winter or find themselves wounded and in desperate need of staying in your village. Then fine, I believe it will serve as a passable place to stay, I will say that much.

If there were five stars in the sky, only two of those shine brightest for Blue Lotus Village. Two out of Five Stars should be considered an overtly kind review of your village.

Also, please help. It will improve your standing.

SARU
SHANG

Day 6 - Early Evening, Purification of the Soul, Lore: Spirit Realms (Yume-do)/Intelligence: Void for +1k0 Skill, +4k0 from Togashi Satsuki MAGIC HALP, 1 Raise Called | 8k3 ⇒ 21 (TN: 25)

Day 6 - Early Evening, Purification of the Soul, Sincerity (Honesty)/Awareness: Void for +1k1, 3 raises called. Whoops, forgot Emphasis! | 8k5 ⇒ 49 (TN: 35) 4 points

Day 6 - Early Evening, Purification of the Soul, Etiquette/Awareness : Void for +1k1 (3/4), 3 raises called. | 8k5 ⇒ 27 (TN: 35)

Total Points: 4

We may lose the Event technically, but we have dominated it spiritually.

[Jiyo Sora]

In the Late Afternoon, Tadaka write his story:

"The Spirit Realms are like the ocean. Jigoku are like seagulls. Evil and full hate, caring about nothing but chaos and destruction. Be like the jellyfish and heroically stand against the evil of the seagulls. Aid the Thunders as a jellyfish would throw jade at the seagull. Protect the ocean my fellow jellyfish!"



The people didn't quite get it, but he seemed pretty sincere and seemed to be calling himself a jellyfish so he wasn't being insulting. Either way, the kids seemed to like and played jellyfish and seagulls, throwing clumps of dirt at each other for the next few hours.

The compendium of pure WIN grows.

[Jiyo Sora]

Chuchu tries very very hard to explain things to the villagers. Her handwriting is... not great. Her grammar and spelling... also not great. (She'd run around the Imperial camp asking random adults to help her, and her note has lots of added notes correcting spelling and grammar if not writing out what she actually meant.) Her little doodle of herself with the villagers is very sweet though. She even got Chouri in there for a hug... you think...

Hewwo hoomans, (scribbled out, written in another hand beside it) Villagers of the Blue Lotus,

Pease (someone obviously helped her here) to be kind and (scribbled out wrong word) good to each other!!! Dreams belong to everyfun. Your children and me and our children and their childrens inherit dreams! You must protect protect them!!! If don't thousand years of suffering sadness pain (she drew a sad looking nezumi face here) Nezoomi children die die. Hooman children die die. I die die too. Want (scribbled out wrong word) future for us where happy happy friends friends. (scribbled out wrong words) Please help us save (scribbled out wrong word) future!!!

Luv you lots
(signed in a different hand, written out so name pronounceable) Chuchu (smiling Chuchu drawn here)

(Chuchu and the village children holding hands with Chouri drawn here)

And grows.

[Otomo Akutou]

Truly, Birb is a genius!

[Makime]

Otaku has to think about this request for a while. It seems to her, frankly, absurd. But she's nothing if not dedicated, so with a pensive frown she eventually puts brush to paper.

To the people and leaders of Blue Lotus village: Otaku, vassal of Lady Shinjo, sends you greetings.

Tomorrow I go, with eight others, to fight the Champion of Jigoku whom you and your rituals have summoned here to your doorstep. If we succeed, we will stop him from bringing an age of horror over all mortal lands. If we fail, life in this realm will become unimaginably terrible, or perhaps end forever. I do not expect to survive, but if my death helps save all of us, then I go to it gladly.

I am told that you may be able to help turn the odds in favor of humanity. Some in our party have suggested that we write you nice little letters, asking you kindly to do this.

It seems to me this suggestion insults all of you, profoundly and cruelly. You don’t need to be wheedled and begged like spoiled children to aid the cause of humanity. You are all human beings with intelligence and the soul of honor within you—honesty, compassion, fairness and righteousness. You already know what is right.

You probably had many reasons for the choices you made in the past: choices to run away from your fears, choices to follow a pretty face who promised you easy answers to your problems, choices to deceive, manipulate, and poison your neighbors and visitors. Perhaps you told yourself that you had no choice but to do these things, or that it was for the best, or that you really didn't know better. Perhaps, when we strangers questioned you, you felt hurt and insulted because you truly believe you are good people, nice people, you just didn’t know better. You had no choice.

Well, here is one of the best lessons I learned of Lady Shinjo: being a good person is not about being nice. It is not about whether you go along with your neighbors, or write very nice letters, or never hurt anyone’s feelings. The only truly good, truly honorable way to live is to question too-easy answers and face ourselves honestly, including our worst flaws—to decide, again and again to turn away from being small and selfish and afraid of taking responsibility.

I am not a good speaker, so I am glad I can write this rather than coming to say it to you in person. But if that were the best way to make you hear it, I would do it anyway, because I know my fears and I face them anyway. You should do the same.

You all have made dreadful choices, foolish and selfish choices, and there is no hiding from this. But it is not too late for you. Act now to restore your honor, so that when this is all over you can return to the world of humans with your heads held high.

I will not dishonor you by asking for this. I know you know what to do.

Otaku

There. She still has other letters to write--to her children, Shinjo, Ide, none of whom she really expects to see again--but those are a more welcome task by comparison.

---

D7 Letters Event--Lore: Spirit Realms, Void for skill, Hero of the People FR to lower TN | 4k3+5 ⇒ 26 (TN: 20)
+1 point

D7 Letters Event--Sincerity (Honesty), Void for 1k1, Hero of the People FR for points | 5k4 ⇒ 21 (TN: 20)
+2 points

D7 Letters Event--Etiquette, Void for skill, Hero of the People FR to lower TN | 4k3+5 ⇒ 15 (TN: 20)
roflfail, +0 points

3 points total

Hahaha!

[Nanzi Ai]

Subject: The Last Respite [D7, LA, The Grounds; Thunders+Nozomi]

Matsu had arrived early to be gathered. She was on her knees, her bisento and helmet before her. Eyes closed, she was breathing in deeply, as she focused herself, and was saying a prayer.

"Lord Bishamon, it is seldom I pray to you. I am no poet, no priest. This is no mere fight between tribes or clans. This is a battle for the world, for all of Rokugan. Who we are is unimportant. All that matters is that nine stood against the Champion of Jigoku. That's what's important. Strength pleases you, Bishamon, so grant me one request. Grant me HONOR! And if you do not listen, then to JIGOKU with you!" She bowed deeply after finishing her prayer, an old Noriaki ritual that Yamadono had taught her, blended with words that were new.

She slowly stood, placing her helmet atop her head, looking to the others, her hand gripping the bisento tightly, her daisho at her side.

I appreciate the Conan reference.

[Makime]

After taking care of the effigy monstrosity, Shang was fresh out of useable arrows and there were still villagers in harm's way! However, not all problems were taken care of with might and brawn! If the Harbinger was going to use song to enchant these villagers to do its bidding, it was only clear that Shang should use the same technique to break that spell!

She thought on the spot and tried to conjure an epic or a lesson to best do this. However, perhaps the simplest ways were best and she decided that it was perhaps an easy jingle that would speak the loudest with these humble villagers!

Her own song went a little like this...

To stop those monsters, one-two-three,
Here's a fresh new way that's trouble-free,
It's got Saru Shang's guarantee!

You can almost call this a Togashi-Kami decree!

Just don't drink! Just don't drink!
Just don't drink! Just don't drink!
Just don't drink! Just don't drink!

Day 7 - Early Afternoon, Protect the Villagers from Themselves!: +1k1 from Void (1/4) | 8k5 ⇒ 37 (TN: 30) Performance: Singing/Awareness used, to be clear!
Villager saved!

Shang releases the greatest evil.

The marketing jingle

[Hisomu Tadaka]

The effigies were dead, the black bird-man full of eyes remained.

Observing the situation for a brief moment, he stepped back to use the mystical power of mercy Chuchu had given him.

He did not know how it worked...but he did, kinda. It was like a sixth sense, a muscle you know you have even if you don't know how to train it normally.

He twirked his spear and hit the ground with the butt

''Allright! THUNDER MERCY POWER!''

Yelling the name of the power would certainly give it more strength.

Yup, pretty confident that magic worked liked that.
-----
moved 10' away from dreamboy
THUNDER MERCY POWER! On Matsu | 3k2 ⇒ 12

Stance: defense
ATN: 31
VP: 2/3
8/15 hp (healthy)

Yeah. Impeccable logic here.

[Doji Hikaru]

There's been a lot of good posts D7, but I want to make special note of this one. A good end for a villain... and Sugri's player's former character:

(With Birbmission)

Sugri offers a warm smile and a slight bow to the victorious warriors as he approaches the smoldering green remnants of what had once been the Harbinger. Seeing that the others were not in immediate need of aid he makes his way towards the fallen soul. As the guru draws near he, too, begins to shine with a soft green light though one much more pure and welcoming than that of the foe who had just fallen.

Their heavens had blessed those gathered to fight this darkness with weapons of jade. His body was his weapon. His soul was his weapon.

Allowing that purity to suffuse him he plunges a hand deep into the flaming wreckage, the jade protecting him from the fire and corruption, until it withdraws a small, black pearl.

Decades of hatred, decades of anger, decades of pain, decades of suffering. All crushing down on the soul that bore them trapping it in a prison of its own rage and malice. The darkness calcifying and squeezing the soul until all that was left was a shell.

Almost all that was left.

With a firm pressure the Invindi man crushes the pearl into flakes of obsidian powder. As he opens his hand it seems, at first, as if nothing remains but keen eyes would spot the smallest glowing flicker on his otherwise empty palm. A faltering, flickering pin prick of light that, with a light exhalation, he sends drifting from this world into the next.

He did not know how many lifetimes as a dung beetle such a soul might need before it would ever again be even the lowest caste of human but even it deserved a chance. The mistakes of one lifetime, while needing to be paid in those that followed, did not define all that one was or could be.

The jade glow around Sugri fades as he dusts his hands clean.

"Well done all." He offers another bow to Anjing especially, "I will be sure to tell your chroniclers of this tale as well."

[Togashi Satsuki]

I'm not crying, you're crying!

[Canary]

I'm not crying, you're crying!

I was going to link this too because I had literally that exact reaction.