The Day of Thunder

[Togashi Satsuki]

"That is... most reassuring. The devas are not gods but many serve the gods. They are spirits who have not lost their way and fallen to darkness. The latter we know as asuras - demons."

"Demons...?" she took a breath to focus herself. "No, our Fortunes are not like that... at least not that I'm aware of. I'll have to admit that even as a priestess of my clan, there's many things in the Heavens I don't know about."

"But your demons, these asura, are spirits that have fallen to darkness? Could you tell me more?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"All there is to it..."

Ayako nodded at this advice. "That doesn't sound as hard as I thought it would be," she said. "I'll try to keep it in mind. Thanks!"

"I crossed that crucial mark a couple of years ago, when I'd lived my present happy existence a couple of years longer than I'd scrambled around the Spine of the World hunting deer and stealing goats..."

"Stealing goats, really?" Ayako said, looking surprised. "That doesn't sound very heroic, or librarian-ly for that matter. Were you so poor then?"

[Sugri]

"Demons...?" she took a breath to focus herself. "No, our Fortunes are not like that... at least not that I'm aware of. I'll have to admit that even as a priestess of my clan, there's many things in the Heavens I don't know about."

"But your demons, these asura, are spirits that have fallen to darkness? Could you tell me more?"

He nods, "Some seem to have always been evil and cruel, perhaps to serve as tests for mortals to overcome, but some once served the gods. Even spirits are not beyond ambition and the dark paths it can lead to."

[Jiyo Sora]

"Stealing goats, really?" Ayako said, looking surprised. "That doesn't sound very heroic, or librarian-ly for that matter. Were you so poor then?"

"If you have no idea, Yoshitsune-san, how hard life was for the Hikaru Tribe in the Spine of the World, then perhaps a brief description is in order. When I was twenty-two winters or so, I was wholly illiterate, my only... sort-of friends were a couple fellow oddities in the tribe- my relationship with them improved greatly in later years- I thought a bronze sword and bronze-headed dagger-axe were the very height of military technology, and anytime I saw more than about five people in one place, it was a sign that my presence was unwelcome. My tent was always at the edge of our encampments because my eye marked me as touched by the spirits in a way no one was comfortable with. And I was most appreciated in times of violence. We weren't the rapacious raiders the Noriaki were- because to raid all the time would mean we were so weak we actually needed others- but we thought nothing of pillaging from our neighbors if they strayed too close to what we saw as our lands, or if we just fancied a bit of beef instead of deer. We defended out mountains from intruders, which translated to attacking people we caught in what we saw as our territory. We traveled about our range in small bands, and we didn't farm much of anything- our only food surplus tended to take the form of dried meat, smoked fish, dried berries, and the like. So yes. We were quite poor, and the one saving grace was that we didn't grasp the depths of our poverty."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"So yes. We were quite poor, and the one saving grace was that we didn't grasp the depths of our poverty."

"That sounds awful, if you'll pardon me saying so," Ayako said, shaking her head. "I guess if it weren't for Shiba, Hida and the others arriving, we'd all still be living like that. I suppose the Yobanjin and other tribes outside the Empire still do."

[Jiyo Sora]

"That sounds awful, if you'll pardon me saying so," Ayako said, shaking her head. "I guess if it weren't for Shiba, Hida and the others arriving, we'd all still be living like that. I suppose the Yobanjin and other tribes outside the Empire still do."

"Some do. The tribes weren't all quite like that. For example, the Seppun were quite prosperous, which is why the Noriaki attacked them. And other lands have other customs."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Some do. The tribes weren't all quite like that. For example, the Seppun were quite prosperous, which is why the Noriaki attacked them. And other lands have other customs."

"I suppose so," Ayako allowed. "Sometimes the old people in my clan talk about how nice the old Seidou lands were, and how good the hunting was there. But from what I've seen the Empire's been a big civilizing influence. Most people have someplace to live now, and hardly anyone has to make a living raiding their neighbors. Not that Lord Hida would put up with that sort of thing!"

[Jiyo Sora]

"I suppose so," Ayako allowed. "Sometimes the old people in my clan talk about how nice the old Seidou lands were, and how good the hunting was there. But from what I've seen the Empire's been a big civilizing influence. Most people have someplace to live now, and hardly anyone has to make a living raiding their neighbors. Not that Lord Hida would put up with that sort of thing!"

Unless those neighbors have fur and whiskers. Then he goes along with attempted land grabs.

"Perfection remains elusive, but we try..."

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou looks out over those assembled.

This's nice enough, he thinks. But how long'll it last?

[Shiba Kumori]

"I suppose so," Ayako allowed. "Sometimes the old people in my clan talk about how nice the old Seidou lands were, and how good the hunting was there. But from what I've seen the Empire's been a big civilizing influence. Most people have someplace to live now, and hardly anyone has to make a living raiding their neighbors. Not that Lord Hida would put up with that sort of thing!"

“The Lord Hida and his people are resilient. I can see why someone would miss their home… But it always looked to me like the Emperor must’ve really trusted his brother and his followers.”

She replied, “You don’t send people you don’t trust to do the hard jobs. And what your people are doing up north… Exploring, fortifying, preparing… that takes fortitude.”

[Togashi Satsuki]

He nods, "Some seem to have always been evil and cruel, perhaps to serve as tests for mortals to overcome, but some once served the gods. Even spirits are not beyond ambition and the dark paths it can lead to."

It was a concerning though if such was the case for Kami and Fortunes here too, Satsuki worried. "If gods and spirits reflect humanity, it would seem some of our sins reflect back on them then..." she thought out loud.

"Thank you for answering so many of my questions, even if I have many! But I have to ask if there's anything you want to ask in return? I'm more than happy to help out there."

[Nanzi Ai]

Ai was content to observe, she gave the Stag a warm smile for his company though.

[Otomo Akutou]

Ai was content to observe, she gave the Stag a warm smile for his company though.

"Ma'am, I've got a question if'n I may," Akutou says.

"Seen a lot o' Crane as have white hair but prob'ly ain't old 'nough f'r it t've come natural like. 'S it some kinda symbolic thing f'r y'all?"

[Nanzi Ai]

“Many dye their hair, mine is… natural white, though not all members of our lineage have it. I suppose it matches the white crane that we often use as our symbolic animal,” she replied.

[Otomo Akutou]

“Many dye their hair, mine is… natural white, though not all members of our lineage have it. I suppose it matches the white crane that we often use as our symbolic animal,” she replied.

Akutou nods.

"'Preciate the information, ma'am," he says.

He looks out over those assembled.

"There's hope in this, I think. People associatin' free an' easy, like. C'd stand t' see more shindigs like this after."

[Sugri]

It was a concerning though if such was the case for Kami and Fortunes here too, Satsuki worried. "If gods and spirits reflect humanity, it would seem some of our sins reflect back on them then..." she thought out loud.

"Thank you for answering so many of my questions, even if I have many! But I have to ask if there's anything you want to ask in return? I'm more than happy to help out there."

"Or vice versa - a child learns what they are taught but also what they see demonstrated." He nods, "I find the magic of your people most interesting. Among my own the gods will sometimes grant blessings that those who serve their shrines and temples can call upon but it tends to be more... subtle... than what I have seen some of your people accomplish and I understand that they could call on these forces even before they learned of the gods?"

[Togashi Satsuki]

"Or vice versa - a child learns what they are taught but also what they see demonstrated." He nods, "I find the magic of your people most interesting. Among my own the gods will sometimes grant blessings that those who serve their shrines and temples can call upon but it tends to be more... subtle... than what I have seen some of your people accomplish and I understand that they could call on these forces even before they learned of the gods?"

"You don't have shugenja, or shamans as some call us?" That surprised her, as she considered it such an integral part of their lives. "You're correct though, magic has existed long before the Kami arrived in this realm. Our magic... for us, or at least for me and how I learned it, it's more to do with communing and understanding the elements around us. It's an exchange of sorts. When I call upon the spirits of fire to burn something, I offer some of my own energies in return for it."

"But there are other things people would call magic that come more from within. As humans, we are composed of many different elements. Some are able to change their inner spiritual energies and elements, to be able to accomplish surprising feats. Such as walking on water, or enduring intense heat or cold."

[Sugri]

"You don't have shugenja, or shamans as some call us?" That surprised her, as she considered it such an integral part of their lives. "You're correct though, magic has existed long before the Kami arrived in this realm. Our magic... for us, or at least for me and how I learned it, it's more to do with communing and understanding the elements around us. It's an exchange of sorts. When I call upon the spirits of fire to burn something, I offer some of my own energies in return for it."

"But there are other things people would call magic that come more from within. As humans, we are composed of many different elements. Some are able to change their inner spiritual energies and elements, to be able to accomplish surprising feats. Such as walking on water, or enduring intense heat or cold."

"We have our priestly caste, the Brahmin - such as myself, and some who tend to the gods more directly do have magic though it seems to function differently. It does not involve the elements other than when it would impact them directly. I am not one of such, my training followed a different path, so I cannot say for certain but it does not seem that there is any intermediary between them and the gods when it comes to manifesting these miracles."

"The latter path you describe though is similar to my own tradition. We seek to perfect mind, body, and soul on an individual level as opposed to working through the gods. We still revere the gods, of course, but focus instead on the self and teaching and guiding others who do the same. Some who advance on this path can channel the energy of the self into great acts that others could not."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"We have our priestly caste, the Brahmin - such as myself, and some who tend to the gods more directly do have magic though it seems to function differently. It does not involve the elements other than when it would impact them directly. I am not one of such, my training followed a different path, so I cannot say for certain but it does not seem that there is any intermediary between them and the gods when it comes to manifesting these miracles."

"The latter path you describe though is similar to my own tradition. We seek to perfect mind, body, and soul on an individual level as opposed to working through the gods. We still revere the gods, of course, but focus instead on the self and teaching and guiding others who do the same. Some who advance on this path can channel the energy of the self into great acts that others could not."

"Brahmin..." she tried the word, which felt strange to her as she spoke it. "So you're a priest, but not a shaman, if I understand correctly? It sounds similar to our monks, who are ascetics that seem to be able to accomplish much the same as you - perfecting the mind, body and soul - but don't possess the powers of magic."

It was interesting to compare and learn more. "I'm able to do a little of what such monks can, but I'm very much a novice. My father has trained many talented students to learn such ways and more. It sounds like after this, it would be nice if you were able to travel further north to my family's lands. The Togashi would be very interested to speak and learn more too, I'm sure."

[Sugri]

"Brahmin..." she tried the word, which felt strange to her as she spoke it. "So you're a priest, but not a shaman, if I understand correctly? It sounds similar to our monks, who are ascetics that seem to be able to accomplish much the same as you - perfecting the mind, body and soul - but don't possess the powers of magic."

He nods, "Correct, yes. I have seen some similarities with these monks. It is one of the reasons I originally sought out Shinsei."

It was interesting to compare and learn more. "I'm able to do a little of what such monks can, but I'm very much a novice. My father has trained many talented students to learn such ways and more. It sounds like after this, it would be nice if you were able to travel further north to my family's lands. The Togashi would be very interested to speak and learn more too, I'm sure."

"Assuming your heroes prevail and I do not need to seek swift return to my lands to warn people of the dangers that may arise then that is certainly a visit I shall keep in mind. It would be interesting to share and compare such philosophies. There is nothing inherent to our path that suggests others from other lands could not also be walking upon it."