Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
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Post by Moto Arandaru on Jan 21, 2014 20:57:41 GMT
[OOC: Might I take the liberties to create a thread for the #1 mandate of the 2nd week to begin? If not, I will erase this and transfer the post as proper. This takes place after the Dispersal of the Winds thread. If you also think that something as written might be improper (or godmodding) please let me know and I will remove it asap. And of course it is an open thread so plz DO jump in!]
[Ward Masters Under the eye of their newest Scion Shosuro Sezaru, the Scorpion clan have been given the unenviable task of purifying the Imperial courtroom and strengthening the wards contained therein. While the ward masters of the Soshi and Yogo are on hand to guide The Wolf in his efforts, they have also called upon any priest of the kami who loves the Empress to also lend their aid. There is also considerable work yet to take place in determining just exactly how a bloodspeaker managed to penetrate the spiritual defenses already in place.]
After the fuss settled down in Toturi Tsudao's court most of the souls that witnessed the tragic event were shaken, possibly apart from the stout Empress. Yogo Hizuma, a member of the Scorpion Clan, had been possessed by the malevolent Lady of Darkness Shahai. She'd issued an ultimatum versus the reign of the Sword and to those that flocked under her banner's rule. He was put down by the Empress' hand as she tasked in a direct manner to the Scorpion Clan to settle this matter once and for all. Reprimanding her brother in front of the court, she let him and the ward masters of his Clan to "fix it."
During that time, Arandaru couldn't help but marvel to the prowess that these two women had shown in front of so much men. The Empress lived up to her reputation but Shahai... Iuchi Shahai... "Iuchi Daiyu's daughter..." he inquired... Her father was a great hero among the Unicorn entourage of heroes, a meishodo master that could harness the power of the wind so easily as to render himself immune to anything that could be flown at him. Arrows, daggers...even words eluded his presence. And that man was the father of this "abomination". The history of the Unicorn annals showed that she'd managed to desecrate his tomb and imbue his skull with the essence of the Ninth Kami. She wasn't denied her destiny. Arandaru admired her, even for an instant. "That crazy harlot. She got everything she needed, yet she "whines" about destiny forcing her to lose her "husband"....idiot woman..." he mused. Arandaru knew he could do even better than that.
All these notions flew into his head. Possible? He dared not to even think of that. The Shin-Tien-Yen-Wang steeled his spirit versus the dangers of the world, and even versus the Shadowlands.
Two weeks before he'd encountered along with his friends Kaiu Satomi and Yasuki Odai, a small pocket of a satanical sorcerer's enclave. There they'd received a warning about a bloodspeaker activity in the Lion lands. Taking the initiative he participated into a small group that begun planning to deal with this threat, but all now came into this. As everything unfurled in front of his eyes, be it karma or fate, made Arandaru think that he needed to take place in this, as beckoned.
He managed to approach the Scorpion Clan as quickly as possible and hand them a note describing the situation and the extra information they might extract from this.
Time flew by and Shosuro Sezaru responed quickly...he was to be found in the Kyuden's library where most of the protective magic of the Kyuden were entailed. He was surrounded by shugenja's of his Clan, adepts and prodigies. They had a fine discussion as of how to let the hibernating power of the Yogo wards get channeled through the shugenja's body, as of to verify its elemental balance. Of course there was the Ward Master that contained the vast amount of knowledge that could co-operate and guide the Wolf.
Arandaru approached the man and introduced himself. "Esteemed Shosuro Sezaru-sama, I am Moto Arandaru of the Unicorn Clan. Given the situation that unfolded, I am more than willing to offer my assistance and expertise to the matters of the arcane." he didn't say much for he didn't appreciate words over deeds.
The Wolf scanned the man dressed in purple and black as he kept his serious facade throwing to him a couple of words: "Truth be told Moto-san, your initiative is appreciated. Please look into these parchments over there. It contains a small indication as of the main supressing element regarding spells of non-detection." Sezaru didn't wish to be stern, but he needed to give time to his Clansmen to arrive. He'd sent summons to the individuals that could already help him...and Moto Arandaru would just need to wait a bit longer...
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Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
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Post by Moto Arandaru on Jan 22, 2014 5:33:25 GMT
Hours seemed to pass like minutes as more and more shugenjas and advisors flocked the room, granting advice and speaking intensely with the Wolf. Arandaru read about a dozen of scrolls of reports regarding the suppression of a ward's effect. Even after some time however his eye caught her, a beautiful young lady around 20, with cascading black hair over one side of her shoulder, with alabaster skin and a slight fragrance of cinnamon. She was wearing a mask of fine scarlet silk, covering her nose and lips. She had a mellow voice and a fine relaxing tone in it. Arandaru had heard that she was one of the Yogo prodigies that aspired to become a fine Ward Master. In an instant she was in front of him.
"Moto-sama, if I may? I am Yogo Akemi, of the Yogo family of the Scorpion Clan. Shosuro Sezaru-dono informed me that you might be needing some help regarding the studies around the protective wards in the Imperial courtroom."
Arandaru melted....
After an hour's discussion, they proceeded into the courtroom where the incident took place. Shosuro Sezaru was at one side of the southern wall, looking at a corner where the rice paper got a hinge with the metal clipping. Near him were Arandaru and Akemi. He seemed skeptical as Akemi proceeded into an analysis.
"As you see, the ward booms with energy. Focus and sense kaze-no-kami's essence around. It is active. However, it lacks the vibrant channeling force as proper when placed." Sezaru's eyes narrowed, "So that means that the wards weren't linked to one another at all. Right?" Akemi was deep in thought, "Not exactly Shosuro-dono, it means that the ward was un-linked during the commotion. Each ward was disconnected from each other for a short period of time."
Akemi's words made sense. Arandaru spent about a couple of hours studying the treatise over Yogo Junzo's study in the air kami and how it would be employed to grant non-detection.
"So that means that since each one got disconnected from the other, that there would be time for an avid practitioner to cast a proper spell linked to the non-suppressed elemental and enter the place." he added with a certainty in his voice.
"But, wouldn't that actually imply that there was a caster that performed the spell?" Akemi added
"...or casters" said Sezaru, "if it was a spell that employed non-detection and deception it would need a numerous amount of casters".
Sezaru's words seemed familiar to what Arandaru had heard all these days.
"So, we actually have to do with multiple casters that forced the elemental kami of air to infiltrate Kyuden Meiyo. Doesn't that mean that we actually have to do with....?" and he remained silent.
Sezaru and Akemi nodded.
"So, Yogo Hizuma didn't act alone." he said.
Sezaru inhaled vibrantly and turned to the shugenjas present
"Sans, we need to search the area thoroughly! Search for any trace of magic linked to the void and the air!" and although it seemed implausible, Sezaru entailed a small thread of optimism. And that would be their next link, to the casters.
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Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
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Post by Moto Arandaru on Jan 23, 2014 9:00:44 GMT
Moto Arandaru hovered his hand solemnly over a Yogo ward that had been inscribed over the wooden surface connecting the shoji screens that formed the court chamber. It hummed merrily as the elemental that was imbued responded to any sort of movement. However the ward seemed to have been exhausted. While it reacted, it didn't connect in power with the other ones. Moments later, the shugenja team that looked into this, with the Yogo daimyo leading this, gave the signal to activate the wards once again. Arandaru looked at Akemi as she smiled to him.
"Remember Moto-sama" she'd said, "Hover the hand over, motioning over to the direction of the attuned element, not the one imbued."
He waved his hand over to the southwestern side of the ward, as he was a water shugenja.
"Excellent, now softly caress the center to the opposite side. Soothe the agitated element."
He did as beckoned, feeling a burning touch over at the tips of his fingers.
"And now, the words" she whispered.
"Akuti.." he uttered.. "Akutibunisuru".
Yogo Akemi was elated. While she wouldn't share the exact words shared solely over among Yogo masters, she'd let a non-Scorpion shugenja into those small but fine steps of re-activating the wards.
Arandaru thought that it had been an easy task as all the wards in the room resonated, make a soft humming noise as an indication that the elements have found a balance among all the breathing members in the room. Something made Arandaru shiver as he looked over at Yogo Akemi. She seemed thoughtful and Arandaru could sense that she was shocked. He quickly called for the Yogo daimyo that was present.
"Yogo-sama, I think we've found something rather alarming."
The Yogo daimyo was a methodical person. He nodded and quickly than expected he was by their side.
Arandaru explained as he looked once more into the sketches he'd keep from the book of Yogo Junzo he was given to study by Shosuro Sezaru.
"This ward has been activated and resonated completely with the others, -however, I am afraid." as he produced the sketch.
"The fourth drawing line of their inscription is a curve." he mentioned.
The Yogo daimyo retained his calmness but by his words one could feel his agitation.
"The first 6 lines should never be curves. Straight lines over the Empire, channeling the chi to the directions of the Imperial City." he'd never wish to utter the whole methodology behind this, but Arandaru sensed that he wouldn't even understand his cryptic message.
Yogo Akemi remained silent.
"But here we have a curve." Arandaru filled in.
Yogo Akemi left their company to scan the rest of the wards as well as the Yogo daimyo. After a five-minute pause, he beckoned Arandaru and Akemi to the center of the room. He didn't want any attention to be drawn.
"Moto-sama, Yogo Akemi-san. As we've found out, the wards have been erratically inscribed, on purpose."
Moto Arandaru could sense the urgency in his words.
"They've been set up to fail from the beggining." he completed.
Arandaru and Akemi were taken aback. So it was an inside job after all. Akemi began a small talk with her daimyo, trying to apologize and find reasoning behind all this. She was after all part of the inscribing team since the beggining.
Arandaru closed his eyes and heard a whisper in his brain.
"Zuìkuí huòshǒu" the voice ringed vibrantly in his brain. It was a man's booming yet haunting voice. "The Shin-Tien-Yen-Wang" he thought. They were granting him insight. He quickly stepped over to one of the wards as he touched his hand over one of them. They were active again. He closed his eyes and saw a man in a brown-golden kimono, attuned to the kami of water. He was resting knelt, praying over a tatami mat. He was of the Kitsu family. Then the image disconnected and Arandaru was once again thrust into an alarming state. The gods had given him a clue.
He quickly paced over to the 2 Yogos in the center of the room. He'd found the culprit..
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Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
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Post by Moto Arandaru on Jan 24, 2014 1:26:28 GMT
It was the fourth night since the court had commenced and the winter's chill didn't seem to subside. Outside, the weather was really cold that the servants performed 2 extra shifts to light and maintain the chamber fires. It was rather dark outside, but across a corridor in Kyuden Meiyo, a dim lantern light could be seen. The man, dressed in a fine golden-brown attire, with a topknot the emitted elegance slowly approached his room. He was quite tired from doing his everyday chores, quite menial but essential. He opened the shoji screen and entered in his chamber. He had dismissed his servants, since he wished to maintain a level of privacy and simplicity. After entering, he closed the screen behind him and produced a small but tired sigh. He looked idly over the corner of the room and looked at a pale white mask hanged over to the side, as if spying his every move.
"Good evening Kitsu Seiza" the pale mask spoke.. In an instant the sodan senzo named Kitsu Seiza grimaced in fear. The mask wasn't an ornament but a face belonging to his nighttime intruder.
Arandaru carried on, "Sit"
The shugenja tried to rush back as an attempt to escape the room, but he felt a strong boost as if hit on the chest by a heaving blast of wind which knocked him fiercely on the ground. From the side, Yogo Akemi smiled, without even speaking, as the dim form of a Yogo ward hummed stoically forbidding those of malevolent intentions to exit the room.
The Moto shugenja approached over the form of the fallen man, as the second was watching in a panicked state.
"Do not consider screaming, for it will be your last words that will ever come out of your mouth again."
The Kitsu nodded in acceptance as he murmured something possibly out of fear..
Arandaru craned with his form over the man, putting his feet over his legs, pressing gently.
"And now tell me the reason of why you had to safeguard an entrance permit for Yogo Hizuma. I believe you're already fond of the name."
"He...he was a friend of mine...I never knew he would reach to such dark limits, to associate himself with the darkness."
Arandaru smiled musingly as he actually found joy in torturing this man. "He never associated himself with the darkness. He was merely possessed. Yogo Kizuma wasn't a willing recipient. Go ask a sodan senzo, he will attest to that. Oh, wait! I forgot...you're a sodan senzo Seiza."
Akemi was left speechless. How could Arandaru know? Then she'd felt blessed that she hadn't uttered a single word, for legend said that a sodan senzo could invoke the knowledge of your dead even by hearing a voice. But Arandaru seemed "unwilling" to believe in such superstitions.
"I am a friend of the daimyo, Kitsu-sama h...!" Seiza said as he tried to raise his voice
Arandaru slapped the man fiercely, so that a cracking sound could be heard from his mouth.. "Silence, or your neck will be next. Besides what could you do in a room enchanted by air spells so as to silence even a whisper?"
Kitsu Seiza cursed his luck for not being a shugenja of the air kami, for he desperately needed its help.
"..And as a sodan senzo, you would ensure that the Yogo would be a perfect victim for your coven's plot of bloodspeakers."
Seiza couldn't believe in his ears...
"Thus you allowed him to visit the library by giving him a permit. In the library you'd "accidentaly" misplaced a certain scroll of elemental suppression. It was quite clear, Sezaru-sama was the first to discover that. Thus the Yogo managed to sneak in, since you as a shugenja had the power in your station to grant him entrance. He pocketed a scroll over the lectern and invoked it at the time that the court convened. He was in another room and unguarded. Then you know the rest." he said as his mustache moved joyfully in the shade of the candlelight.
"And a day after, you as a sodan senzo managed to invoke his spirit, since he was left unsanctified, and oust it with your blessings over the realm of the sorrowful dead. Splendid and clever."
"How did you..." Seiza said in a profound suprise.
"You're not the only man that can invoke the realm of the unliving Seiza...you may speak to the dead, but I speak with their Masters!" he felt a vibrating joy, as a blessing to the words he uttered.
"In their rightful sense of justice, they demanded that you pay for what you did, but not before you give me the place of the bloospeaker coven! Speak!"
Seiza crept with his hands trying to obtain foothold, but his legs were locked on the ground.
"Outside of the city, in the forest, over the northeastern grove there is a crevasse. That's where they gather."
Arandaru smiled. It was quite easy to obtain such an information. And then his eyes flickered with a familiar eerie green light. His face changed into an ugly grimace. Akemi almost gasped as the hue lit the room dimly. It was exotic. Then Arandaru's eyes resumed as he turned over to Seiza and stepped over the man's side and kicked so fiercely on the back until a crack was heard. Excruciating pain overcame Seiza as Arandaru turned over to him without screaming a letter.
"You will not die today, the Shin-Tien-Yen-Wang allowed you to live." he said as he motioned to Akemi. She was speechless at the Moto shugenja's brutality. He certainly had a way to deal with informants of the bloodspeakers, even if they were as old as Seiza. As she caressed the ward and they begun to exit Seiza spoke.
"Moto-sama...He always maintained dark associates, but I assure you that he was a fine child."
Arandaru and Akemi turned to look at the old man as tears welled in his eyes.
"You have my word that I will never admit of what you did to me, but I wish to you that your cold heart will ever find a loving fire to warm it. And once you get a son, you'll understand. My Hizuma was a nice boy, a caring son. It wasn't his intention to harm. We send him to the Yogo to protect him and offer guidance, but his tarnished friends would never abandon him. His mother's jigai left me alone. And now I couldn't allow my boy, my own son to suffer. I had to protect him, because I love him, more than anything."
Arandaru was speechless.
"Yes I still love him to the very extent of my heart, and you won't understand. But I love you and the lady Yogo over there as well, even your lawful Death Gods for allowing me to live...because my talents as a sodan senzo might help me reach and embrace my son's pure soul again. Thank you samas...thank you."
Akemi's sad eyes felt itching but she didn't wish to cry. She slid the door closed and they both kept walking.
"You're brutal Arandaru-sama..." He wasn't speaking... "You knew that there was not even a spell cast in silence...you lied to him. You also twisted the information to "extract" the information you wanted to hear." He remained silent as well, out of grief, guilt, or patience? "And in the end, he was innocent, loyal to his son..his love..." Arandaru stood still and turned over to Akemi
"Akemi-san, you're right. The man was loyal to his son as he was acting out of love, but what of the Empress? Was he loyal to her? He knew that his son consorted with the Shadowlands and yet he remained blind. Do you speak of love? My parents sold me away from our family to safeguard their honor. I never met a family and thus I won't understand this....love you speak so proudly of. This man might be better than me or even us both....but he isn't but a weak link in the face of the Empire."
It was Akemi's turn to be silent now.
"Didn't Shahai proudly proclaim that she was acting out of love? So please spare me of this love...I wish to know nothing of it." and he turned his back to leave.
Akemi steeled herself and told him, "Arandaru-sama....I love you." she said regretted. Where was her training? Not to admit such things?
Arandaru turned to meet her eyes, as for the first time this night he felt a rushing wave of sadness overwhelm him. "No Akemi-san, find someone worthy of your affection. Do not get wasted on a "thug" like me..." he said as he turned and left.
And Akemi stood still, as the winter chill overcame her warm young heart.
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Moto Arandaru
Unicorn Clan
Posts: 199| Likes: 103
In Kyuden Seppun, eager to find a way to save the Empire!
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Post by Moto Arandaru on Jan 24, 2014 16:03:44 GMT
The dawn of the fifth day found Arandaru praying in solitude. He needed those precious moments to soothe his soul. He had this unnerving feeling..the elements were agitated. He felt as if they were whipping his spirit all the same as he was whipping his ego. He sat there for about 2 hours, contemplating last night's events and how they unfolded. Everything was originating from the stressing moments of his childhood. He felt alone, disavowed, disillusioned and hollow.
Yet the smell of incense invigorated him as well as the tangerine oil mixed with spring water and sandalwood. The fine bowl rested beneath the shrine, filled with petals of orchids and lilies. On the edges of the bowl rested casually sets of boughs of lavender, granting the air an intoxicating aroma. Logically the mixture contained cinnamon.
But the fragrance of the cinnamon reminded Arandaru of her, the beautiful young Scorpion lady that managed to pique his interest, even though he knew that she'd captured his heart.
As time passed, a small broken figure stepped at the shrine's entrance.
"Arandaru-san, I think that the fortunes had enough of your penitent groveling."
"Ide Raita-sama...I'm almost finished." he replied as if he was answering to Chagatai himself.
"Perfect, because my waist hurts as much as it did back in Kyuden Moto. I think it has returned." Ide Raita answered.
She was an old crone, which Arandaru learned to call "grandmother". Yet, she was more of a militant mare rather than a warming spirit of welcome. She was around to help little Arandaru grow into a fine man of honor, without missteps and mishaps. As of late, she was suffering from severe waist aches. Arandaru had managed to hire the most proficient acupuncturist that the Dragon clan could offer. But as the practitioner had disclosed him, "The lady Ide won't be able to find the vigor to trot again. Her sunset days are looming abound." Thus Arandaru had summoned her, along with the rest of the retinue. He needed her beside him, his only family known to him.
As the two of them began walking away she told him: "The Wolf has managed to purify the Imperial courtroom as well as properly inscribe the wards in it once more. They're telling that the Yogo daimyo as well as his trained school of ward masters were on the task as well as the Moto hatamoto. Don't expect any fireworks though my grandson, you know what they say about southerners and their arrogance..."
Arandaru let a relaxed laugh. He looked around, watching the garden in the daylight. Strolling around with his grandmother made him feel comfortable.
"What's more, the Kitsu sodan senzo, I believe his name is Seiza..? Claims that he has had an intense visit last night.." Arandaru looked idly at her. "Did he?" "Hai! He claims that once he communed with the spirits of the dead during the night, he sensed a malevolent force among the gaki denizens....ghosts for sure...thrusting into his body. He admitted that he wasn't able today to move at all. His waist was cracked and is left paralyzed. Could they do this grandson? Can ghosts do such a terrible thing?"
Arandaru looked his grandmother in worry "Hai grandmother, we're all prone to violence." She was left with her mouth open in shock...then she resumed her casual silence. They walked for about 5 minutes, totally mute before she said:
"She has left. The Yogo daimyo deemed that it was proper she resumed her studies back at Shiro Yogo." Arandaru didn't say a word. He felt his heart sink, as a strong stallion that is getting submerged into the moving quicksand.
"I wish to remain alone grandmother. If they ask for me, tell them that I will return when I deem fit." he said as he left his grandmother behind.
He wished to disappear, not a long before duties summoned him on his post again. He had helped to the situation that the Empress had asked as he could. Wards placed, courtroom sanctified, connection to the bloodspeakers made, he knew their location -probably the right one- and he had disclosed this to his friends. Yet he felt so empty, so alone. He looked back at the shrine of Benten in which he was praying hours before and even though he didn't believe in its power.. He hoped that the Fortune of Love hadn't truly abandoned him.
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