The Day of Thunder

[Sugri]

Satsuki looked up from her note-taking and saw one of the more stranger people who had come to the village. The paper was rolled up and she moved over to the greet him.

"Hello there," she said with a kind smile and gave a short bow.

Sugri's return bow is shallow, with palms clasped in front, "Good afternoon."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Sugri's return bow is shallow, with palms clasped in front, "Good afternoon."

She takes a moment to observe his form of greeting, then mimics it herself in return. "You seem to me like someone far away from home? I have not seen clothes like yours since I visited the lands of the Nezumi...?" The young woman seemed genuinely curious, perhaps even a bit concerned for someone who had traveled so far.

[Sugri]

She takes a moment to observe his form of greeting, then mimics it herself in return. "You seem to me like someone far away from home? I have not seen clothes like yours since I visited the lands of the Nezumi...?" The young woman seemed genuinely curious, perhaps even a bit concerned for someone who had traveled so far.

He smiles and nods, "A keen eye. Well, I suppose it does not take a keen one to pick me out of a crowd, but as to where you may have seen similar. I come from lands beyond those of the rat-kin. I believe some among you have taken to calling it the Ivory Kingdoms. I am Sugri."

[Togashi Satsuki]

He smiles and nods, "A keen eye. Well, I suppose it does not take a keen one to pick me out of a crowd, but as to where you may have seen similar. I come from lands beyond those of the rat-kin. I believe some among you have taken to calling it the Ivory Kingdoms. I am Sugri."

"Ivory Kingdoms?" A part of her brain tingled a little at the familiarity of the words, but she couldn't quite place it. "I do believe I have heard of it, but can't remember the details. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sugri. I'm Satsuki of the family Togashi, of the Dragon Clan." Satsuki wasn't quite able to pronounce his name correctly, but she did her best to avoid causing offense.

"May I ask what has brought you to travel so far north? A pilgrimage perhaps?"

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D2 EA. Fluff roll to remember any mention of Ivory Kingdom. | 4k4 ⇒ 24

[Sugri]

"Ivory Kingdoms?" A part of her brain tingled a little at the familiarity of the words, but she couldn't quite place it. "I do believe I have heard of it, but can't remember the details. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sugri. I'm Satsuki of the family Togashi, of the Dragon Clan." Satsuki wasn't quite able to pronounce his name correctly, but she did her best to avoid causing offense.

"May I ask what has brought you to travel so far north? A pilgrimage perhaps?"

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D2 EA. Fluff roll to remember any mention of Ivory Kingdom. | 4k4 ⇒ 24

"I suppose that has become a fitting term if not entirely the original intent. I heard tales of your gods falling from skies, of triumphs against great evils, and other such tales but all too fresh to be simply myth and exaggeration. I spent some time among the rat-kin to learn your language from those who share both our tongues and heard more about stopping the spread of evil that had sought a claim upon their lands. Those tales began mentioning Shinsei and, as I entered your lands, more tales traced their way back to him. As such I thought it prudent to find the man himself and, in the end, that path has led me here."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

She tilted her head to one side, “They’re good people… Real salt of the earth self-sacrificing types. Always busy though… the seasons don’t stop for anybody.”

She smiled, “I was never the best kid though. I probably gave them more trouble than they deserved.”

"I feel like that sometimes, too," Ayako said sympathetically. "I'm hoping I'll become a good enough warrior that I'll have been worth the trouble, though."

"Assuming the madness and the monsters don't get us all, of course," she added. "But Shinsei's 9 Champions should get all that sorted out. Maybe we'll get to help with a small piece of it, too!"

[Jiyo Sora]

"Assuming the madness and the monsters don't get us all, of course," she added. "But Shinsei's 9 Champions should get all that sorted out. Maybe we'll get to help with a small piece of it, too!"

"Spoken as if you might not be one of them, Yoshitsune-san."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"I suppose that has become a fitting term if not entirely the original intent. I heard tales of your gods falling from skies, of triumphs against great evils, and other such tales but all too fresh to be simply myth and exaggeration. I spent some time among the rat-kin to learn your language from those who share both our tongues and heard more about stopping the spread of evil that had sought a claim upon their lands. Those tales began mentioning Shinsei and, as I entered your lands, more tales traced their way back to him. As such I thought it prudent to find the man himself and, in the end, that path has led me here."

Her eyebrows rose a little as her golden-hued green eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't think, or know, that these stories had spread so far." No doubt from the Nezumi, she figured, who shared the stories with others they spoke with.

"It's a shame that you came to our empire in this time of strife though, rather during our time of peace and prosperity. I hope this cursing of dreams hasn't happened in your homeland?"

[Sugri]

Her eyebrows rose a little as her golden-hued green eyes widened in surprise. "I didn't think, or know, that these stories had spread so far." No doubt from the Nezumi, she figured, who shared the stories with others they spoke with.

"It's a shame that you came to our empire in this time of strife though, rather during our time of peace and prosperity. I hope this cursing of dreams hasn't happened in your homeland?"

"It has not... or at least had not at the time I left. Though if our gods are not your gods perhaps our dreams are not your dreams either. But I am glad I am here now for, if you do fall, I am sure the evil will not respect boundaries for long and my people will need warning."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"It has not... or at least had not at the time I left. Though if our gods are not your gods perhaps our dreams are not your dreams either. But I am glad I am here now for, if you do fall, I am sure the evil will not respect boundaries for long and my people will need warning."

It was a daunting thought, that the twisted corruption of Yume-Jigoku could stretch even further than just these lands... she just hadn't thought of it before, but there was truly a larger world at stake. How big even is the world...?

"Evil rarely respects boundaries. I pray it will never reach your home, Sugri," Satsuki's voice was quite firm on that point. "But, if we can speak on lighter topics, I'd love to hear more about your homeland and you. If you don't mind, that is! I'm sure I'm not the first to ask."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Spoken as if you might not be one of them, Yoshitsune-san."

"Well, it'd be nice to be one of the big Champions, but I'm no one important," Ayako said, looking a little downcast. "I don't have a drop of kami blood; I'm just a regular girl. There's no reason the monks would pick me over one of the real heroes of the Empire."

[Sugri]

It was a daunting thought, that the twisted corruption of Yume-Jigoku could stretch even further than just these lands... she just hadn't thought of it before, but there was truly a larger world at stake. How big even is the world...?

"Evil rarely respects boundaries. I pray it will never reach your home, Sugri," Satsuki's voice was quite firm on that point. "But, if we can speak on lighter topics, I'd love to hear more about your homeland and you. If you don't mind, that is! I'm sure I'm not the first to ask."

"I am certainly not opposed to such topics though the scope is vast. Was there any area in particular you find the most interest?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

"I am certainly not opposed to such topics though the scope is vast. Was there any area in particular you find the most interest?"

She basically had to stop herself from saying 'everything' or 'start at the beginning', as she wanted to know so much. But she managed to focus in on one topic. "You mentioned that your gods are different from ours? That sounds like a good place to start, yeah?"

[Sugri]

She basically had to stop herself from saying 'everything' or 'start at the beginning', as she wanted to know so much. But she managed to focus in on one topic. "You mentioned that your gods are different from ours? That sounds like a good place to start, yeah?"

"Ah, yes! Our gods, in times of trouble, will sometimes incarnate as mortals. When I first heard of your gods, these Kami, I thought maybe they were a new incarnation of our own though I felt it strange they would be in a land so far from ours. Now that I have learned more of them, however, it has become apparent that they are not truly the same."

He smiles and shrugs a little, "I suppose it makes sense. It is not as if the spirits the rat-kin revere are the same as ours. But since we are much more similar I guess ones first instinct is to assume similarity rather than difference."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Ah, yes! Our gods, in times of trouble, will sometimes incarnate as mortals. When I first heard of your gods, these Kami, I thought maybe they were a new incarnation of our own though I felt it strange they would be in a land so far from ours. Now that I have learned more of them, however, it has become apparent that they are not truly the same."

He smiles and shrugs a little, "I suppose it makes sense. It is not as if the spirits the rat-kin revere are the same as ours. But since we are much more similar I guess ones first instinct is to assume similarity rather than difference."

"It's an interesting thought... if there are as many celestial heavens and gods as there are different lands and people? I never thought of that before, if I'm being honest. Your gods sounds benevolent and kind, if they appear in times of trouble. Have you heard that we also have other mighty spirits, that we call Fortunes? Such as Bishamon the Fortune of Strength, or Benten the Fortune of Love?"

[Sugri]

"It's an interesting thought... if there are as many celestial heavens and gods as there are different lands and people? I never thought of that before, if I'm being honest. Your gods sounds benevolent and kind, if they appear in times of trouble. Have you heard that we also have other mighty spirits, that we call Fortunes? Such as Bishamon the Fortune of Strength, or Benten the Fortune of Love?"

Sugri seems almost sheepish for a moment, "I must admit when I heard of Bishamon I thought one of your people was mispronouncing something I had told them. Now I see they were assuming the two were the same. So, while I had heard of one of these spirits, I cannot claim to actually know of them. As for our own gods most are benevolent, yes, though there are times they can show wrath and fury at mortal failings."

[Bayushi Norikage]

"Ah. I do not think I am up for adoption."

She patted the mon on her chest. "I am flattered, however."

With a shrug, she continued, "If that is what you would like, I am happy to go there, however. It is doubtless an improvement over my travel fare."

"Well, then follow me." And he walked as not-tired as he could back toward the Toshie and Daisuke's place.

[Ryoshun Yukara]

"Well, then follow me." And he walked as not-tired as he could back toward the Toshie and Daisuke's place.

(Cut to different thread?)

Yukara would trail behind, with the same poise and manner as a cat that had found something particularly interesting, each step that little bit more bouncy than it need be.

[Shiba Kumori]

"Well, it'd be nice to be one of the big Champions, but I'm no one important," Ayako said, looking a little downcast. "I don't have a drop of kami blood; I'm just a regular girl. There's no reason the monks would pick me over one of the real heroes of the Empire."

“Are you any less committed than the kami’s children?” She asked.

[Nanzi Ai]

"Y' won't hafta look hard t' find it, I think," Akutou says. "All it takes is one bad harvest, one bad catch, an' there's suddenly more mouths than food t' fill 'em. An', in truth, it's better that one suffer so th' rest have a good chance than t' make everybody worse off t' keep th' one."

He sighs.

"At least as I am, I c'n do f'r m'self if'n I hafta. Keeps me f'm bein' a burden."

"No clanmate despite their circumstances should be considered a burden," she responded.