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Lucatiel wrote:Michiko looked to Kaito, “Oh, husband. You are awake. Forgive me,” she bowed her head “I did not mean to startle you or upset you. I just wanted to prepare myself early. I did not sleep much last night. And I admit I am suddenly feeling troubled about our daughter’s safety.”

-

Kondoru jumped out of the way of his uncle’s horse. He was shocked at first, instinctively readying his blade to use it for its true purpose of slaying mounts, but once he realised it was only his uncle, he moved out of the way. Having secured the bandits, Kondoru sheathed his blade and held it almost like a staff. Bowing to his uncle. “You bring me great honour, uncle. Gracing this minor battle with your presence. You appreciate my blade? It makes me deeply happy to hear that! You may have noticed I carry three blades on me, uncle.” And it was true! Kondoru had an Odachi which he carried in his hand, and a katana, and wakizash in his belt. “I would be honoured and truly delighted to teach you the ways of combat that my father and my mentor, Nishiouji of the Sainted Swords, taught me.” Kondoru would order his men to secure the horseshoes, before looking to his uncle. “I promised if they surrendered they would live. I believe I should offer this still. The ones who fought have been punished. The ones who did not have learned many truths today.”

Kaito sighed, but gave a nod in understanding. He continued to get dressed as he responded, "I wish I could say that there is no reason to worry, but that would be a lie. I am quite worried myself, and with everything that is happening as of late I am sure that our safety is far from assured. But that is why it is best to be proactive, so we do not get caught off guard again. That is the best way to assure the safety of ourselves and Sumire."

-

Taltoro looked over his equipment, clearly finding the layout odd but interesting, "Three blades? I can understand the point of a backup, never good to rely on merely one weapon for a task. However three is quite a bit, and they seem to have different purposes too. However could you not drop one blade to make room for a shield? Would be more useful when fighting in a true battle, arrows flying! All the same, this foreign style would be good to know. Elements of it may yet translate to proper Eversteenian techniques. And I can point out any weaknesses I see." He then looked back to the captured bandits, who the soldiers were keeping an eye on as they searched for the horseshoes. Taltoro sighed and gave a nod, "I suppose you did, and it would be pointless to besmirch your good word in this instance. We'll seize their weapons and confiscate their stolen goods, but then we can send them back. They are likely to simply become brigands again, as I doubt they have the capacity to return to their lives as peasants, but maybe they'll learn now that their lives are quite at risk in this line of work."

Lucatiel

Lucatiel

Eversteen wrote:Kaito sighed, but gave a nod in understanding. He continued to get dressed as he responded, "I wish I could say that there is no reason to worry, but that would be a lie. I am quite worried myself, and with everything that is happening as of late I am sure that our safety is far from assured. But that is why it is best to be proactive, so we do not get caught off guard again. That is the best way to assure the safety of ourselves and Sumire."

-

Taltoro looked over his equipment, clearly finding the layout odd but interesting, "Three blades? I can understand the point of a backup, never good to rely on merely one weapon for a task. However three is quite a bit, and they seem to have different purposes too. However could you not drop one blade to make room for a shield? Would be more useful when fighting in a true battle, arrows flying! All the same, this foreign style would be good to know. Elements of it may yet translate to proper Eversteenian techniques. And I can point out any weaknesses I see." He then looked back to the captured bandits, who the soldiers were keeping an eye on as they searched for the horseshoes. Taltoro sighed and gave a nod, "I suppose you did, and it would be pointless to besmirch your good word in this instance. We'll seize their weapons and confiscate their stolen goods, but then we can send them back. They are likely to simply become brigands again, as I doubt they have the capacity to return to their lives as peasants, but maybe they'll learn now that their lives are quite at risk in this line of work."

Michiko sighed, she was expressing immense levels of protection. Holding Sumire herself, tightly grasping and just her stance. Michiko seemed as if she was prepared to be attacked from all sides at once. In preparation to start running as fast as she could with their chick. But alas, she was only waiting for Kaito to finish readying himself.

-

Kondoru spoke after some consideration, “I have never found use for a shields, as a nobleman such as myself usually rides mounted. The peasants fill the role of foot based combatants, and even then, they would not carry shields, only spears and bows themselves. Where I come from, shields are semi permanent siege weapons. The peasants go out, erect the shields, and we samurai use the shields for tactical cover from arrows until we see an opportunity to charge on our steeds. And I rely on my speed with my different blades to defeat my enemies before they can have the chance to draw their bows. Or have my servants dispatch archers and defend me with arrows themselves. But I’m happy to discuss my blades!” He removed his Wakizashi from his belt. “This is my shortest blade, a traditional Wakizashi. Used for self defense and quick drawing against opponents. It is mostly good for parrying and fast defense engagements. The next blade is my Katana. Comparable to your shortswords. It is a more traditional blade in its function. Used primarily for cutting down armoured foes and anyone else who challenges me to a duel with a sword. Finally, my Odachi. This blade is primarily a mounted tool. Best used for when I ride my horse! It allows me greater reach while mounted! But it also works as an anti-mounted weapon. For if I am on foot, and my opponent is riding a beast, I would use this to slay their beast. Hence the large nature of the blade. But it can serve another purpose if the proper techniques are applied. My odachi, as you saw, is a perfect weapon for fighting enemies who have armed with lances or spears. The additional reach provided allows me to combat them, and with my training, I learned how to fight such enemies. You saw how I would aim to disarm them, and deliver killing blows, yes? Clean and efficient, powerful strokes that seek to end the fight in as few movements as possible. With strength in every step, I keep myself ground. With breath in my chest I maintain posture and stance. Hands delicately manipulating the blade I fight with honour.” He put his hands together and bowed, letting out a deep breath. “I thank you, uncle. For helping me honour my word. We can only pray for their safety and sense to return to them. May the gods grant them wisdom.” Kondoru returned to his horse, mounted with his uncle.

Lucatiel wrote:Michiko sighed, she was expressing immense levels of protection. Holding Sumire herself, tightly grasping and just her stance. Michiko seemed as if she was prepared to be attacked from all sides at once. In preparation to start running as fast as she could with their chick. But alas, she was only waiting for Kaito to finish readying himself.

-

Kondoru spoke after some consideration, “I have never found use for a shields, as a nobleman such as myself usually rides mounted. The peasants fill the role of foot based combatants, and even then, they would not carry shields, only spears and bows themselves. Where I come from, shields are semi permanent siege weapons. The peasants go out, erect the shields, and we samurai use the shields for tactical cover from arrows until we see an opportunity to charge on our steeds. And I rely on my speed with my different blades to defeat my enemies before they can have the chance to draw their bows. Or have my servants dispatch archers and defend me with arrows themselves. But I’m happy to discuss my blades!” He removed his Wakizashi from his belt. “This is my shortest blade, a traditional Wakizashi. Used for self defense and quick drawing against opponents. It is mostly good for parrying and fast defense engagements. The next blade is my Katana. Comparable to your shortswords. It is a more traditional blade in its function. Used primarily for cutting down armoured foes and anyone else who challenges me to a duel with a sword. Finally, my Odachi. This blade is primarily a mounted tool. Best used for when I ride my horse! It allows me greater reach while mounted! But it also works as an anti-mounted weapon. For if I am on foot, and my opponent is riding a beast, I would use this to slay their beast. Hence the large nature of the blade. But it can serve another purpose if the proper techniques are applied. My odachi, as you saw, is a perfect weapon for fighting enemies who have armed with lances or spears. The additional reach provided allows me to combat them, and with my training, I learned how to fight such enemies. You saw how I would aim to disarm them, and deliver killing blows, yes? Clean and efficient, powerful strokes that seek to end the fight in as few movements as possible. With strength in every step, I keep myself ground. With breath in my chest I maintain posture and stance. Hands delicately manipulating the blade I fight with honour.” He put his hands together and bowed, letting out a deep breath. “I thank you, uncle. For helping me honour my word. We can only pray for their safety and sense to return to them. May the gods grant them wisdom.” Kondoru returned to his horse, mounted with his uncle.

Kaito did not blame her at all, and he finished up getting ready. Showing that he was being rather protective himself, he did not just get into his robes, but also got into his armor. He felt it wrong to carry around his sacred blade without wearing his full getup, but of course he had the other reason of wanting to be able to fend off any attackers should they appear. Regardless, now fully equipped, he nodded to Michiko, "Time for us to get going. I'll take the lead." With that, he started to get moving towards the docks, to the designated meeting place.

-

Taltoro listened closely, considering his words with his own knowledge of Eversteenian warfare, "A lack of a shield is quite dangerous here in Eversteen, thanks to the existence of the Longbow and Crossbow. Both are deadly instruments, and can harm even a heavily armored knight. A shield is quite likely to save your life. And it is hard to outspeed a crossbow that is already prepared. You may need to adapt to that in due time, but fortunately here you will still have plenty of supporting archers." He seemed more impressed however by the blades, looking them over, "I see, the style makes some more sense to me, although there are still issues. The Katana, as you called it, may be suitable to armored enemies in your land... But it is very clear to me that your land does not do armor like we do here in Eversteen!" For emphasis he clanged his own full plate, "I don't doubt you can cut down peasants and the soft mainlanders, but you'll need to be ready to last in longer battles against Eversteenian armor. I'll have to teach you the way of the Longsword, which is a more suitable blade. However... I will admit your Odachi there interests me. Quite like a Greatsword, but different. Certainly more clean, and those techniques for handling spears and lances will serve you quite well. Keep that blade, Kondoru. One day you'll have to present it to a master smith, so he can copy the style and create for you such a blade of masterful quality."

Meanwhile, one of Kondoru's soldiers came up to him, "My lord, we found the horseshoes. However, there is a good deal of other loot here. Stolen weapons, gold coins, wine barrels... It's quite the haul. What should we do it with it? There is a wagon here we could load it up on, although we'd need to use the horse of you and Lord Taltoro's to drag it in that case." Meanwhile, the bandits were being forced away by the soldiers, allowed to keep their lives as they ran off into the forests.

Eversteen wrote:Kaito did not blame her at all, and he finished up getting ready. Showing that he was being rather protective himself, he did not just get into his robes, but also got into his armor. He felt it wrong to carry around his sacred blade without wearing his full getup, but of course he had the other reason of wanting to be able to fend off any attackers should they appear. Regardless, now fully equipped, he nodded to Michiko, "Time for us to get going. I'll take the lead." With that, he started to get moving towards the docks, to the designated meeting place.

-

Taltoro listened closely, considering his words with his own knowledge of Eversteenian warfare, "A lack of a shield is quite dangerous here in Eversteen, thanks to the existence of the Longbow and Crossbow. Both are deadly instruments, and can harm even a heavily armored knight. A shield is quite likely to save your life. And it is hard to outspeed a crossbow that is already prepared. You may need to adapt to that in due time, but fortunately here you will still have plenty of supporting archers." He seemed more impressed however by the blades, looking them over, "I see, the style makes some more sense to me, although there are still issues. The Katana, as you called it, may be suitable to armored enemies in your land... But it is very clear to me that your land does not do armor like we do here in Eversteen!" For emphasis he clanged his own full plate, "I don't doubt you can cut down peasants and the soft mainlanders, but you'll need to be ready to last in longer battles against Eversteenian armor. I'll have to teach you the way of the Longsword, which is a more suitable blade. However... I will admit your Odachi there interests me. Quite like a Greatsword, but different. Certainly more clean, and those techniques for handling spears and lances will serve you quite well. Keep that blade, Kondoru. One day you'll have to present it to a master smith, so he can copy the style and create for you such a blade of masterful quality."

Meanwhile, one of Kondoru's soldiers came up to him, "My lord, we found the horseshoes. However, there is a good deal of other loot here. Stolen weapons, gold coins, wine barrels... It's quite the haul. What should we do it with it? There is a wagon here we could load it up on, although we'd need to use the horse of you and Lord Taltoro's to drag it in that case." Meanwhile, the bandits were being forced away by the soldiers, allowed to keep their lives as they ran off into the forests.

The walk to the docks was short and simple. The morning darkness and cold air put Michiko on edge, her neck feathers ruffled up as a sign of her discomfort. She clutched Sumire close to her as well.

As they reached the docks, Kaito found Toru waiting by a small ship. A servant was sitting on the boat itself, holding an oar. And Benjiro was sat at the front of the boat facing towards the back. Toru was standing with a little boy, who couldn’t have been older than 8 or 9. Still a young one, he was wearing robes of his own, and trying to imitate Toru’s professional and proper stance. Though he was falling asleep while standing, holding onto Toru’s robes for support. Toru bowed as Kaito approached. “Good morning, noble friend. I do not believe you have met my son, Yasutake. Go on, boy. Introduce yourself.”
The young man stepped forward and bowed, half asleep but trying to maintain his composure, he spoke in a quiet voice. “Hello... Lord Kaito, I am Yasutake Okadu.”
Toru looked like he was going to say something else, but Benjiro spoke, “Come! Come, come, come! Both of you!”

-

Kondoru’s pride seemed to rear itself as his uncle talked about the Katana, “Uncle, I can assure you my armour is sturdy and holds! It allows for flexible movements, unlike your armour which seems far too heavy to allow for useful combat. My Katana could not cut through armour like your’s, but should I encounter an opponent like you, I would have a simple strategy. Cut the mount down from under the attacker, and use my Odachi to cleave at the slow armoured foe. The Katana would be useful for fighting peasants and lower enemies. However, I believe my arsenal is adequate for this land or any land. My father taught me these forms, and I wish to honour him by continuing his legacy.”
He turned to the approaching soldier, “secure the coin for yourselves, consider it a reward for valiant hearts. Kamikaze is no working horse, and he will not haul a wagon! Leave whatever you cannot divide and carry for others. I have no need of it.” He said as he mounted his horse and stroked its neck before turning it and heading for the exit of the cave.

Lucatiel wrote:The walk to the docks was short and simple. The morning darkness and cold air put Michiko on edge, her neck feathers ruffled up as a sign of her discomfort. She clutched Sumire close to her as well.

As they reached the docks, Kaito found Toru waiting by a small ship. A servant was sitting on the boat itself, holding an oar. And Benjiro was sat at the front of the boat facing towards the back. Toru was standing with a little boy, who couldn’t have been older than 8 or 9. Still a young one, he was wearing robes of his own, and trying to imitate Toru’s professional and proper stance. Though he was falling asleep while standing, holding onto Toru’s robes for support. Toru bowed as Kaito approached. “Good morning, noble friend. I do not believe you have met my son, Yasutake. Go on, boy. Introduce yourself.”
The young man stepped forward and bowed, half asleep but trying to maintain his composure, he spoke in a quiet voice. “Hello... Lord Kaito, I am Yasutake Okadu.”
Toru looked like he was going to say something else, but Benjiro spoke, “Come! Come, come, come! Both of you!”

-

Kondoru’s pride seemed to rear itself as his uncle talked about the Katana, “Uncle, I can assure you my armour is sturdy and holds! It allows for flexible movements, unlike your armour which seems far too heavy to allow for useful combat. My Katana could not cut through armour like your’s, but should I encounter an opponent like you, I would have a simple strategy. Cut the mount down from under the attacker, and use my Odachi to cleave at the slow armoured foe. The Katana would be useful for fighting peasants and lower enemies. However, I believe my arsenal is adequate for this land or any land. My father taught me these forms, and I wish to honour him by continuing his legacy.”
He turned to the approaching soldier, “secure the coin for yourselves, consider it a reward for valiant hearts. Kamikaze is no working horse, and he will not haul a wagon! Leave whatever you cannot divide and carry for others. I have no need of it.” He said as he mounted his horse and stroked its neck before turning it and heading for the exit of the cave.

Kaito was rather careful himself, constantly checking around him on the way to the docks. It may have been short, but he kept watch for anybody following him regardless, just in case. Regardless, when they got to the docks, Kaito bowed back to Toru in greeting, "Good morning to you as well, Toru. And ah, your son, I have indeed not met him before." He looked down to Yasutake, chuckling at his attempt to be proper like his father but clearly was rather tired, "Hello to you as well, little one. You take well after your father. Although it does seem you will need more sleep. Anyways, time to get going. Come, let's get aboard." He got into the boat, taking a seat and motioning for Michiko to sit beside him. He then looked to Benjiro, and asked his question, "My Emperor, if I may be allowed to ask... What is this all about?"

-

Taltoro laughed, clearly far more amused by Kondoru's objections rather than offended, "Ah, you have much to learn, Kondoru! You quite underestimate how one can move in armor such as this, and the strength of a Bestial Stallion! This is no standard horse, it is a beast with armor and strength to match! It does not fall so easily." He pat the side of his armored steed, which was indeed quite a large thing. Larger, more muscular, and wearing far more armor than a regular horse would. After all, a regular horse, even one bred for war, could not carry an Eversteenian Knight based on all the armor they had. It took a far great breed for that. Taltoro then continued, "All the same, I'll let you adapt your strategy as you need to, and let you learn for yourself. You can utilize your legacy, just be prepared to adapt it as time requires" With that, he would drop the subject.
The soldier nodded his head, "Thank you my lord! The reward is greatly appreciated, thank you again!" With that, he went to inform the others of the allowance for plundering, and they went to grab what valuables they could carry. Each got themselves a small sack of coins, of varying value, as well as grabbing some objects of note. Kamikaze meanwhile was happy for the stroke, and Kondoru was correct in that he was not a workhorse. He was a very different breed to Taltoro's more bestial mount, for he was a horse bred by a people who appreciated movement and speed over simple strength. A Nomadic Breed capable of great speeds and dexterous movement, he could be trusted to cross even rough terrain with grace and agility, but he was certainly not one for pulling a cart or carrying a warrior so heavily armored as the traditional Eversteenian Knight. Regardless, the exit was open to them, as the bandits were gone and the roads empty, it was safe to go back.

Eversteen wrote:Kaito was rather careful himself, constantly checking around him on the way to the docks. It may have been short, but he kept watch for anybody following him regardless, just in case. Regardless, when they got to the docks, Kaito bowed back to Toru in greeting, "Good morning to you as well, Toru. And ah, your son, I have indeed not met him before." He looked down to Yasutake, chuckling at his attempt to be proper like his father but clearly was rather tired, "Hello to you as well, little one. You take well after your father. Although it does seem you will need more sleep. Anyways, time to get going. Come, let's get aboard." He got into the boat, taking a seat and motioning for Michiko to sit beside him. He then looked to Benjiro, and asked his question, "My Emperor, if I may be allowed to ask... What is this all about?"

-

Taltoro laughed, clearly far more amused by Kondoru's objections rather than offended, "Ah, you have much to learn, Kondoru! You quite underestimate how one can move in armor such as this, and the strength of a Bestial Stallion! This is no standard horse, it is a beast with armor and strength to match! It does not fall so easily." He pat the side of his armored steed, which was indeed quite a large thing. Larger, more muscular, and wearing far more armor than a regular horse would. After all, a regular horse, even one bred for war, could not carry an Eversteenian Knight based on all the armor they had. It took a far great breed for that. Taltoro then continued, "All the same, I'll let you adapt your strategy as you need to, and let you learn for yourself. You can utilize your legacy, just be prepared to adapt it as time requires" With that, he would drop the subject.
The soldier nodded his head, "Thank you my lord! The reward is greatly appreciated, thank you again!" With that, he went to inform the others of the allowance for plundering, and they went to grab what valuables they could carry. Each got themselves a small sack of coins, of varying value, as well as grabbing some objects of note. Kamikaze meanwhile was happy for the stroke, and Kondoru was correct in that he was not a workhorse. He was a very different breed to Taltoro's more bestial mount, for he was a horse bred by a people who appreciated movement and speed over simple strength. A Nomadic Breed capable of great speeds and dexterous movement, he could be trusted to cross even rough terrain with grace and agility, but he was certainly not one for pulling a cart or carrying a warrior so heavily armored as the traditional Eversteenian Knight. Regardless, the exit was open to them, as the bandits were gone and the roads empty, it was safe to go back.

Toru nodded, “He must prepare himself for a life of little sleep. We all must make sacrifices to serve and rule. And I expect nothing less of him. Come, boy. Onto the boat.” He said as he guided the sleepy little one onto a seat next to him. Michiko was sitting next to Kaito, still clutching onto Sumire. The boat was a large sort of canoe, with two decks. A top one and a bottom one, the coxswain sat at the back, and there were servants below with oars. Benjiro was sitting on a small rug, where servants had piled nesting material for him. Several Imperial Guards, wearing heavy armour, wielding spears and banners, as well as a few in just robes with a helmet stood around the top deck. The guards all wore black armour, with blue and gold robes underneath. As the craft got underway, sailing away from the capital city, Benjiro folded his hands into his sleeves in a dignified way.
“It has come to my attention, by my Shinobi informants, that a traitor was identified. A vile Omukade. A Bushi, by the name of Honshino Junichi was reported to be acting suspicious by both my shinobi and the... degenerate monks who inhabit his region. We sail for the coasts of Hiiki. Where you two will seek out this Lord Junichi. Confront him, and learn the truth on if he truly is a demon. And if you can, report to me about the monks who dwell on his land. I wish to know why Junichi has disobeyed my orders to purge the monks. Your children will remain with me, for both have something to learn.” Benjiro was acting oddly serious for once.

-

Kondoru simply bowed his head to his uncle, and continued riding. Allowing the servants to string up the cart and move it onto the road, Kondoru leading the retinue down the path back towards the city. “An excellent job done then, I believe. I could not have asked for a better outcome. Not too many lives were lost. We secured our cargo. And the men are happy.”

Lucatiel wrote:Toru nodded, “He must prepare himself for a life of little sleep. We all must make sacrifices to serve and rule. And I expect nothing less of him. Come, boy. Onto the boat.” He said as he guided the sleepy little one onto a seat next to him. Michiko was sitting next to Kaito, still clutching onto Sumire. The boat was a large sort of canoe, with two decks. A top one and a bottom one, the coxswain sat at the back, and there were servants below with oars. Benjiro was sitting on a small rug, where servants had piled nesting material for him. Several Imperial Guards, wearing heavy armour, wielding spears and banners, as well as a few in just robes with a helmet stood around the top deck. The guards all wore black armour, with blue and gold robes underneath. As the craft got underway, sailing away from the capital city, Benjiro folded his hands into his sleeves in a dignified way.
“It has come to my attention, by my Shinobi informants, that a traitor was identified. A vile Omukade. A Bushi, by the name of Honshino Junichi was reported to be acting suspicious by both my shinobi and the... degenerate monks who inhabit his region. We sail for the coasts of Hiiki. Where you two will seek out this Lord Junichi. Confront him, and learn the truth on if he truly is a demon. And if you can, report to me about the monks who dwell on his land. I wish to know why Junichi has disobeyed my orders to purge the monks. Your children will remain with me, for both have something to learn.” Benjiro was acting oddly serious for once.

-

Kondoru simply bowed his head to his uncle, and continued riding. Allowing the servants to string up the cart and move it onto the road, Kondoru leading the retinue down the path back towards the city. “An excellent job done then, I believe. I could not have asked for a better outcome. Not too many lives were lost. We secured our cargo. And the men are happy.”

Kaito nodded to Benjiro. He could tell that if the Emperor was actually treating something serious, then it was certainly a matter of importance. More demons, that would be quite bad if more of them were emerging. He could understand now why such urgency was put into this, although he was still unsure as to why he had to bring his family. Not sure what they apparently needed to learn. No matter, first there was the matter at hand, "Very well then, my Lord. I assume that if he is a demon, then we'll have to utilize our sacred blades to dispose of him. As for the monks, I am not sure what they have done, but I will do my best to locate them. Do you want to do the purge ourselves? Or would you prefer simply an update so you may decide on a new course of action?" He then looked to Sumire, a bit concerned, "And for my daughter, what will you be teaching her?"

-

Taltoro gave a nod back to Kondoru, "Indeed, it was a good hunt! Those bandits were bold, but they have learned the error of their ways. Dulfian's special horseshoes are recovered, and those disobedient peasants punished. An excellent outcome. Not sure why you went out of your way to accept this request however, do you simply want to prove yourself, Kondoru? If that is the case, then there is an upcoming occasion for you to do so." Making good pace, they once again were crossing into the rather barren areas around the Smith's City, with Viola in the distance.

Lucatiel

Eversteen wrote:Kaito nodded to Benjiro. He could tell that if the Emperor was actually treating something serious, then it was certainly a matter of importance. More demons, that would be quite bad if more of them were emerging. He could understand now why such urgency was put into this, although he was still unsure as to why he had to bring his family. Not sure what they apparently needed to learn. No matter, first there was the matter at hand, "Very well then, my Lord. I assume that if he is a demon, then we'll have to utilize our sacred blades to dispose of him. As for the monks, I am not sure what they have done, but I will do my best to locate them. Do you want to do the purge ourselves? Or would you prefer simply an update so you may decide on a new course of action?" He then looked to Sumire, a bit concerned, "And for my daughter, what will you be teaching her?"

-

Taltoro gave a nod back to Kondoru, "Indeed, it was a good hunt! Those bandits were bold, but they have learned the error of their ways. Dulfian's special horseshoes are recovered, and those disobedient peasants punished. An excellent outcome. Not sure why you went out of your way to accept this request however, do you simply want to prove yourself, Kondoru? If that is the case, then there is an upcoming occasion for you to do so." Making good pace, they once again were crossing into the rather barren areas around the Smith's City, with Viola in the distance.

“You are being sent to investigate and only execute him if you can confirm he has been infested by a demon. As for the monks, they cling to their ancient and outdated worship of nature and spirits. They do not worship me, or... the pantheon of gods. They are degenerates! But alas, I shall not ask men pure as yourselves to purge monks. However, I would ask you scout them out. And learn any information they may know about the Bushi. This is my command.” He then closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. Settling into his roost.

-

Kondoru nodded happily and pat his chest, “I had indeed done this to prove myself! I admit I’m eager to fight, it’s been a while since I’ve fought and gained victory. Not since my father and I fought together... long ago. And even with you, I wish to simply make up for any lapse in respect... and prove myself to you and our family.” He rode his horse, seeming a little upset now. But not completely lost! He perked up a bit and smiled again, “yes! A chance soon! Please enlighten me, uncle!”

Lucatiel wrote:“You are being sent to investigate and only execute him if you can confirm he has been infested by a demon. As for the monks, they cling to their ancient and outdated worship of nature and spirits. They do not worship me, or... the pantheon of gods. They are degenerates! But alas, I shall not ask men pure as yourselves to purge monks. However, I would ask you scout them out. And learn any information they may know about the Bushi. This is my command.” He then closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. Settling into his roost.

-

Kondoru nodded happily and pat his chest, “I had indeed done this to prove myself! I admit I’m eager to fight, it’s been a while since I’ve fought and gained victory. Not since my father and I fought together... long ago. And even with you, I wish to simply make up for any lapse in respect... and prove myself to you and our family.” He rode his horse, seeming a little upset now. But not completely lost! He perked up a bit and smiled again, “yes! A chance soon! Please enlighten me, uncle!”

Kaito bowed again to Benjiro, "Understood, my emperor! I'll hold my blade if there is no demon within, and investigate the monks. I will avoid slaying them unless required, even if they are of such primitive sorts. I will see to it that your commands are followed." With that, he looked around again on the boat, and then sat himself down. He would have to wait to arrive so he could begin, but he decided to look over and see what Toru was doing right now as well, curious as to what he was doing to pass the time.

-

Taltoro noted the small bit of sadness, speaking on it first, "I cannot blame you if you feel you have to much to prove, and need to find a new place in the world without your father to guide you. But you have good potential, and I know you will carve out an impressive destiny for yourself." He then smiled again, "Now, as for the chance I mentioned. Eversteen has a problematic sort in the interior, a place known as the Blackwood. These dark forests are a corrupted place, and so we endeavor to keep the creatures within contained. Not us specifically, I mean, we Skylax are far from the Blackwood, which is on the eastern side of the island, we are in the west. Other noble families are entrusted with this task. But they occasionally fail, and things get out. The worst of all being the vile agents of the Death Cult, worshipers of the God of Death, traitor to the 48 and quite dead himself. A group of them has made their way to the area around Viola, so a task force is being put together to hunt them down and kill them all, before they can enact any vile schemes or spread their corruptive worship. I will be part of this, so I can of course bring you along as one of my retainers."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito bowed again to Benjiro, "Understood, my emperor! I'll hold my blade if there is no demon within, and investigate the monks. I will avoid slaying them unless required, even if they are of such primitive sorts. I will see to it that your commands are followed." With that, he looked around again on the boat, and then sat himself down. He would have to wait to arrive so he could begin, but he decided to look over and see what Toru was doing right now as well, curious as to what he was doing to pass the time.

-

Taltoro noted the small bit of sadness, speaking on it first, "I cannot blame you if you feel you have to much to prove, and need to find a new place in the world without your father to guide you. But you have good potential, and I know you will carve out an impressive destiny for yourself." He then smiled again, "Now, as for the chance I mentioned. Eversteen has a problematic sort in the interior, a place known as the Blackwood. These dark forests are a corrupted place, and so we endeavor to keep the creatures within contained. Not us specifically, I mean, we Skylax are far from the Blackwood, which is on the eastern side of the island, we are in the west. Other noble families are entrusted with this task. But they occasionally fail, and things get out. The worst of all being the vile agents of the Death Cult, worshipers of the God of Death, traitor to the 48 and quite dead himself. A group of them has made their way to the area around Viola, so a task force is being put together to hunt them down and kill them all, before they can enact any vile schemes or spread their corruptive worship. I will be part of this, so I can of course bring you along as one of my retainers."

Toru was listening to the emperor, same as Kaito. But after their briefing, he was merely letting his son sleep against him. Toru himself was staring at the waves as the ship pulled away from the main island and sailed north. He seemed to have his usual stern face, but as he was doing so, Kaito heard the coos of his young one. Sumire was rising from her own sleep, possibly due to the cold or maybe the movements of the ship. Whatever the reason, she was squirming in Michiko’s arms.

Benjiro in the meanwhile had his arms crossed, but seemed more relaxed. He watched Sumire with much curiosity and occasionally would turn away before his eyes made their way back to the young one. He seemed most interested in just watching her, and perhaps what Michiko was doing to soothe the chick. Regardless, the journey was uneventful and took a couple of days. But eventually, the boat reached a sandy shore. Shrouded in fog and mist.

Benjiro rose from his roost and inspected the beach, not leaving his ship, “fufufu, ‘Arrive at new shores, two holy men of action, the hunters hunted.” Benjiro giggled some more and clapped his hands, “my two lords, it is time for you to leave us. I will know when you are finished here and will arrange travel then.”
Toru bowed, “yes, heavenly sovereign.” He rose from his bow slowly and jumped from the boat onto the beach. He was wearing his armour, heavy and well made, concealed by a large robe he wore over it. As the two might be entering battle, Toru figured it best to just wear his armour as he would not have a servant to carry it for him. In his belt he carried his holy blade and a smaller regular blade. He waited for Kaito to join him on the beach. The moment Kaito stepped off the ship, it pushed away from the beach and sailed away into the fog. Disappearing after a few minutes. Ahead of them was a thick forest of pine at the end of a rocky beach.
Toru turned to Kaito, “Have you seen our northern islands before, friend?”

-

Kondoru nodded, “your words of support and wisdom greatly honour me, uncle. Thank you.” He bowed his head as he rode. “Heretics, then! Very well, uncle. If you would choose me to fight alongside you and bring justice to these blasphemers I would of course follow you into battle!” He seemed to perk up, “but first, I think I should collect armour and weapons from the smith. Perhaps, if it is as you say, and the Eversteenian way of war is too much for my father’s arms, it might be best for me to swallow my pride and wear your armour and wield your weapons. So that I may get accustomed to the way of life here.”

Lucatiel wrote:Toru was listening to the emperor, same as Kaito. But after their briefing, he was merely letting his son sleep against him. Toru himself was staring at the waves as the ship pulled away from the main island and sailed north. He seemed to have his usual stern face, but as he was doing so, Kaito heard the coos of his young one. Sumire was rising from her own sleep, possibly due to the cold or maybe the movements of the ship. Whatever the reason, she was squirming in Michiko’s arms.

Benjiro in the meanwhile had his arms crossed, but seemed more relaxed. He watched Sumire with much curiosity and occasionally would turn away before his eyes made their way back to the young one. He seemed most interested in just watching her, and perhaps what Michiko was doing to soothe the chick. Regardless, the journey was uneventful and took a couple of days. But eventually, the boat reached a sandy shore. Shrouded in fog and mist.

Benjiro rose from his roost and inspected the beach, not leaving his ship, “fufufu, ‘Arrive at new shores, two holy men of action, the hunters hunted.” Benjiro giggled some more and clapped his hands, “my two lords, it is time for you to leave us. I will know when you are finished here and will arrange travel then.”
Toru bowed, “yes, heavenly sovereign.” He rose from his bow slowly and jumped from the boat onto the beach. He was wearing his armour, heavy and well made, concealed by a large robe he wore over it. As the two might be entering battle, Toru figured it best to just wear his armour as he would not have a servant to carry it for him. In his belt he carried his holy blade and a smaller regular blade. He waited for Kaito to join him on the beach. The moment Kaito stepped off the ship, it pushed away from the beach and sailed away into the fog. Disappearing after a few minutes. Ahead of them was a thick forest of pine at the end of a rocky beach.
Toru turned to Kaito, “Have you seen our northern islands before, friend?”

-

Kondoru nodded, “your words of support and wisdom greatly honour me, uncle. Thank you.” He bowed his head as he rode. “Heretics, then! Very well, uncle. If you would choose me to fight alongside you and bring justice to these blasphemers I would of course follow you into battle!” He seemed to perk up, “but first, I think I should collect armour and weapons from the smith. Perhaps, if it is as you say, and the Eversteenian way of war is too much for my father’s arms, it might be best for me to swallow my pride and wear your armour and wield your weapons. So that I may get accustomed to the way of life here.”

For the rest of the days Kaito would primarily alternate between spending time with his family and just patrolling the ship. He didn't fear any sort of threat, he was just anxious and wanted to be doing something rather than just sit around the whole time. As they arrived however, he got up and prepared himself. Equipping his heavy armor, a bit more heavy than the usual thanks to his preferences, and of course took up his holy blade. He brought along a secondary blade as well, like Toru. But he did bring along one more thing, his bow and arrows. Kaito was after all an archer by trade, and while he had been using his blade more of late, he still quite liked the bow. Once he was prepared, he went towards the waiting Emperor. He gave a bow to Benjiro, "Understood, my Emperor. Your will be done."

With that, he got off the boat, jumping off into the beach. He stepped forward and looked around, it was an unfamiliar sight. He shook his head to Toru, "No, I am not well traveled in truth. I have been to rather few areas besides my own lands and the capital. What can you tell me about these Northern Islands?"

-

Taltoro nodded his head, "Correct, heretics. Worshipers of a traitor to the Gods themselves. Good that you are enthusiastic about cleansing their stain, they're quite the problem. I shall bring you on as a retainer for that then." He smiled, nodding, "Smart boy. The Death Cult should be taken seriously, and it is always good to prepare yourself properly. And seems you're getting over that bit of pride! Good not to get too prideful, lest we make mistakes. Just don't tell that to the peasants. Still, keep that big sword of yours, it has potential. Ah, we are arriving." They had gotten past the gates of Viola now, and once more were in the city. Taltoro nodded, "Right, I have some business to attend to myself. There is a guard captain here I must speak with, you should go on to meet the smith yourself. Deliver your horseshoes, get your rewards, and so on. Meet me here at the gates once you're done."

Eversteen wrote:For the rest of the days Kaito would primarily alternate between spending time with his family and just patrolling the ship. He didn't fear any sort of threat, he was just anxious and wanted to be doing something rather than just sit around the whole time. As they arrived however, he got up and prepared himself. Equipping his heavy armor, a bit more heavy than the usual thanks to his preferences, and of course took up his holy blade. He brought along a secondary blade as well, like Toru. But he did bring along one more thing, his bow and arrows. Kaito was after all an archer by trade, and while he had been using his blade more of late, he still quite liked the bow. Once he was prepared, he went towards the waiting Emperor. He gave a bow to Benjiro, "Understood, my Emperor. Your will be done."

With that, he got off the boat, jumping off into the beach. He stepped forward and looked around, it was an unfamiliar sight. He shook his head to Toru, "No, I am not well traveled in truth. I have been to rather few areas besides my own lands and the capital. What can you tell me about these Northern Islands?"

-

Taltoro nodded his head, "Correct, heretics. Worshipers of a traitor to the Gods themselves. Good that you are enthusiastic about cleansing their stain, they're quite the problem. I shall bring you on as a retainer for that then." He smiled, nodding, "Smart boy. The Death Cult should be taken seriously, and it is always good to prepare yourself properly. And seems you're getting over that bit of pride! Good not to get too prideful, lest we make mistakes. Just don't tell that to the peasants. Still, keep that big sword of yours, it has potential. Ah, we are arriving." They had gotten past the gates of Viola now, and once more were in the city. Taltoro nodded, "Right, I have some business to attend to myself. There is a guard captain here I must speak with, you should go on to meet the smith yourself. Deliver your horseshoes, get your rewards, and so on. Meet me here at the gates once you're done."

Toru began walking up the beach, and across the boulders. He was walking towards the trees and heading inland. But he sighed, “well, if I am to recall correctly, this place should remind you of home. Our northern isles are all trees and mountains. The main villages here are settled in the valleys, so we will have to trek for half a day I believe. And do not fear the spirits here, this place is closer to the gods than even our capital. It is more peaceful up here, full of kind spirits. Forest dwellers, the like. Our Emperor... well... was born into the mortal world from the mountains up here. And I can only presume that our Heavenly Sovereign was alerted to the presence of demons by the large amount of spirits here.” The two would leave the beach and enter a large heavily wooded forest, full of tall pine. Many of the trees here seemed groomed, like someone had been manicuring the leaves. Many folded pieces of paper hung from trees, and other things like decorative ropes and such were scattered about. Toru seemed a bit put off by all this, “hm, the work of monks. Be careful, brother. These monks will attempt to bend your ear against our emperor. Their heretical practices were outlawed many years ago, be mindful of this if we encounter any.”

-

Condoru nodded his head and bowed from his horseback, “yes, uncle!” He turned to his retinue and waved forward, “Come then, men. Let us deliver these horseshoes.” The half-breed would steer his horse back to the craftsman’s shop, leading his men all the way there. But in his mind he was a bit mixed on feelings. Struggling with the potential loss of his ancestral heritage as a Badofoku, and now faced with this... foreign culture. It was perhaps no surprise to someone like Kaito that Kondoru might find this place a bit barbaric compared to their home, his home. As a child he dreamed of seeing his father’s homeland. Now all he could pray for was to return to his mother’s land and embrace her once more.

Lucatiel wrote:Toru began walking up the beach, and across the boulders. He was walking towards the trees and heading inland. But he sighed, “well, if I am to recall correctly, this place should remind you of home. Our northern isles are all trees and mountains. The main villages here are settled in the valleys, so we will have to trek for half a day I believe. And do not fear the spirits here, this place is closer to the gods than even our capital. It is more peaceful up here, full of kind spirits. Forest dwellers, the like. Our Emperor... well... was born into the mortal world from the mountains up here. And I can only presume that our Heavenly Sovereign was alerted to the presence of demons by the large amount of spirits here.” The two would leave the beach and enter a large heavily wooded forest, full of tall pine. Many of the trees here seemed groomed, like someone had been manicuring the leaves. Many folded pieces of paper hung from trees, and other things like decorative ropes and such were scattered about. Toru seemed a bit put off by all this, “hm, the work of monks. Be careful, brother. These monks will attempt to bend your ear against our emperor. Their heretical practices were outlawed many years ago, be mindful of this if we encounter any.”

-

Kondoru nodded his head and bowed from his horseback, “yes, uncle!” He turned to his retinue and waved forward, “Come then, men. Let us deliver these horseshoes.” The half-breed would steer his horse back to the craftsman’s shop, leading his men all the way there. But in his mind he was a bit mixed on feelings. Struggling with the potential loss of his ancestral heritage as a Badofoku, and now faced with this... foreign culture. It was perhaps no surprise to someone like Kaito that Kondoru might find this place a bit barbaric compared to their home, his home. As a child he dreamed of seeing his father’s homeland. Now all he could pray for was to return to his mother’s land and embrace her once more.

Kaito was at first surprised to hear that it would be like home, but as he described it did indeed resemble West Eversteen. Many trees, mountains, and valleys over there. The factor of being more filled with spirits and being close to the Gods was different, however. He gave a nod to Toru, "If this was where the Emperor was born then this place is indeed closer to the Gods than usual. Good that the spirits keep to fall in line as such. Makes the removal of the demons all the more prudent as well." He then looked over at the odd trees, finding the decor strange, "Hm, well we were meant to verify the status of the monks. Perhaps we should try and follow their... festive decor, to see if they yet still live. And find out what they know of any demons. They can be handled if they resist or are in cooperation with the demons."

-

It was certainly a very different land to where he had grown up, but it was also the place his father had grown up. He certainly had a step up from his father in that regard of cultural exchange, but of course that would do little to remove the homesickness. In that way, he could understand his father more deeply as well now. Regardless, when he got back to Dulfian's forge, he would see an armored knight emerging from the shop. It was a rather large Rignoian, judging by the tail, wearing heavy plate armor. What was notable however was the insignia on the front of his chest piece, a purple Dragon. He was carrying a spear as opposed to a sword, and in the hilt there was a small, glowing, purple stone. As he was exiting the shop, he looked over Kondoru, speaking with a low growl, "The new Skylax in the flesh, a fortunate meeting... Interesting equipment. Tell me your name. Although, of course, it is only courteous for me to say mine first. I am Sir Rescai Volod, a Knight of the Purple Dragon Order. You apparently come from over seas, to explain your equipment. But I wonder still if you are faithful, both to our gods and Eversteen as a whole."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito was at first surprised to hear that it would be like home, but as he described it did indeed resemble West Eversteen. Many trees, mountains, and valleys over there. The factor of being more filled with spirits and being close to the Gods was different, however. He gave a nod to Toru, "If this was where the Emperor was born then this place is indeed closer to the Gods than usual. Good that the spirits keep to fall in line as such. Makes the removal of the demons all the more prudent as well." He then looked over at the odd trees, finding the decor strange, "Hm, well we were meant to verify the status of the monks. Perhaps we should try and follow their... festive decor, to see if they yet still live. And find out what they know of any demons. They can be handled if they resist or are in cooperation with the demons."

-

It was certainly a very different land to where he had grown up, but it was also the place his father had grown up. He certainly had a step up from his father in that regard of cultural exchange, but of course that would do little to remove the homesickness. In that way, he could understand his father more deeply as well now. Regardless, when he got back to Dulfian's forge, he would see an armored knight emerging from the shop. It was a rather large Rignoian, judging by the tail, wearing heavy plate armor. What was notable however was the insignia on the front of his chest piece, a purple Dragon. He was carrying a spear as opposed to a sword, and in the hilt there was a small, glowing, purple stone. As he was exiting the shop, he looked over Kondoru, speaking with a low growl, "The new Skylax in the flesh, a fortunate meeting... Interesting equipment. Tell me your name. Although, of course, it is only courteous for me to say mine first. I am Sir Rescai Volod, a Knight of the Purple Dragon Order. You apparently come from over seas, to explain your equipment. But I wonder still if you are faithful, both to our gods and Eversteen as a whole."

Toru nodded, “I doubt the monks will be in cooperation with the demons, but likely spreading their insurgency to the peasants. Regardless, I believe we will see shortly.” Toru seemed to slow down his pace, eyes looking all over the land, he knelt down and looked at some patches of the ground. “Yes, they are nearby. See how the branches are crushed here? A prayer spot. They likely have a hidden fortress nearby. We must be careful we do not stumble into their fortress and find ourselves facing down an entire monastery. Tell me, in your own skirmish against me, did any of your generals propose to you the construction of a hidden fortress?”

-

Kondoru was surprised to encounter such a Knight in such circumstances, but merely bowed his head from horseback. Using his hand to direct his men to drop off the horseshoes. Kondoru spoke with an imposing and professional tone, “I have yet to adopted a fitting name of these lands, so for now I use my foreign name Kondoru. I have come oversees by the will of the Heavenly Sovereign and Divine Emissary of the Heavens and Pantheon. You should have faith that I hold the gods above with the deepest respect, and love both my mother and fatherland. Tell me now, Sir Volod of the Purple Dragon Order, why do you delay my appointments with so many questions?”

[color=#FFBF00]𝖂𝖊𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖊 𝕿𝖗𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖊𝖗...[/color]
...𝕬𝖒𝖎𝖉𝖘𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖛𝖊𝖘 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖊𝖆 𝖔𝖋 𝕿𝖊𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗𝖘 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖘 𝖆 𝖌𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙 𝖎𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖒𝖆𝖌𝖎𝖈, 𝖜𝖆𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖙 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘, 𝖆 𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖑𝖒 𝖔𝖋 𝖜𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖒𝖞𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖞; 𝕰𝖑𝖈𝖔𝖗![hr][hr]In this land you will find countless peoples; from elves, goblins, humans and dwarves to mythical creatures lurking deep inside shadowy woods. You will come across wizards, knights and dragons ...awaiting you to write their adventures and lore. Come and Join our community and have fun with us while RPing as a Kingdom, or just a single char! We value quality over quantity as a region, but we nevertheless allow creational freedom as far as it respects the High Fantasy nature of the region.[hr][hr][color=#FFBF00]⊕[/color] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvw5IRzuTVY&list=PLfqYgIZWs3YfUzJSU22V7Yut0Kwh8xEGQ [color=#A9A9A9]𝕸𝖚𝖘𝖎𝖈 𝕻𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑[/color]
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[color=#FFBF00]⊕[/color] https://discordapp.com/invite/SbYkuwc [color=#A9A9A9]𝕯𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝕻𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑[/color] [hr][hr]

Lucatiel, Ralcane, and Eversteen

Lucatiel wrote:Toru nodded, “I doubt the monks will be in cooperation with the demons, but likely spreading their insurgency to the peasants. Regardless, I believe we will see shortly.” Toru seemed to slow down his pace, eyes looking all over the land, he knelt down and looked at some patches of the ground. “Yes, they are nearby. See how the branches are crushed here? A prayer spot. They likely have a hidden fortress nearby. We must be careful we do not stumble into their fortress and find ourselves facing down an entire monastery. Tell me, in your own skirmish against me, did any of your generals propose to you the construction of a hidden fortress?”

-

Kondoru was surprised to encounter such a Knight in such circumstances, but merely bowed his head from horseback. Using his hand to direct his men to drop off the horseshoes. Kondoru spoke with an imposing and professional tone, “I have yet to adopted a fitting name of these lands, so for now I use my foreign name Kondoru. I have come oversees by the will of the Heavenly Sovereign and Divine Emissary of the Heavens and Pantheon. You should have faith that I hold the gods above with the deepest respect, and love both my mother and fatherland. Tell me now, Sir Volod of the Purple Dragon Order, why do you delay my appointments with so many questions?”

Kaito gave Toru a nod, taking the possibility the peasants may be getting involved with the monks into account. With that, he looked to the crushed branches and nodded, "I see. We would certainly need to be careful, an ambush when there is only two of us would be quite dangerous. And a hidden fortress was not proposed to me, or at least not that I can remember taking seriously. I focused on improving the fortress I already had, the island one. I felt it more secure than a hidden fortress, as a hidden fort loses its luster if the location becomes known. But why do you ask?"

-

As his men dropped off the horseshoes, Volod made a low chuckle, "Impatient, are we? You have the Skylax name, but you have much to learn about courtesy here. But I will give you an answer. It is because it is not every day that a supposed descendant of a lost noble appears on our shores, such an event draws attention. My order serves the King of Evorhold and the Gods above all, and it is in our interest to make sure the will of neither is disrupted by such an unforeseen arrival. I simply wanted to see and hear from you myself, in the flesh. Quite the claim you have made about coming here by the will of a Heavenly Sovereign, as you do not look like a Demi-God or an aspect of any God's will, nor are you a Paladin of the Silver Cabal. Curious indeed, unless there are those overseas who proport to have connections to the Gods as we do... That would be an interesting change of pace. Regardless, words mean little, action is what matters, that is the view of my order. You have made no action yet to show yourself as a foe, but you have yet to show proof of fealty. We will be watching. And if your claims are shown to have truth behind them, then you may be getting more than just a social visit from my order. We take the will of the Gods quite seriously."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito gave Toru a nod, taking the possibility the peasants may be getting involved with the monks into account. With that, he looked to the crushed branches and nodded, "I see. We would certainly need to be careful, an ambush when there is only two of us would be quite dangerous. And a hidden fortress was not proposed to me, or at least not that I can remember taking seriously. I focused on improving the fortress I already had, the island one. I felt it more secure than a hidden fortress, as a hidden fort loses its luster if the location becomes known. But why do you ask?"

-

As his men dropped off the horseshoes, Volod made a low chuckle, "Impatient, are we? You have the Skylax name, but you have much to learn about courtesy here. But I will give you an answer. It is because it is not every day that a supposed descendant of a lost noble appears on our shores, such an event draws attention. My order serves the King of Evorhold and the Gods above all, and it is in our interest to make sure the will of neither is disrupted by such an unforeseen arrival. I simply wanted to see and hear from you myself, in the flesh. Quite the claim you have made about coming here by the will of a Heavenly Sovereign, as you do not look like a Demi-God or an aspect of any God's will, nor are you a Paladin of the Silver Cabal. Curious indeed, unless there are those overseas who proport to have connections to the Gods as we do... That would be an interesting change of pace. Regardless, words mean little, action is what matters, that is the view of my order. You have made no action yet to show yourself as a foe, but you have yet to show proof of fealty. We will be watching. And if your claims are shown to have truth behind them, then you may be getting more than just a social visit from my order. We take the will of the Gods quite seriously."

“An ambush would be most unfortunate. Aah, your foreign lineage does provide you with an interesting perspective. From any of our kin’s perspective, when on the losing side and being outnumbered, it is considered a good idea to relocate the Noble’s family and much of his treasure to a hidden fortress along with some of his best warriors. Usually hiding such a place in mountains or caves, these fortresses comprise of nothing more than... three or four buildings. But are full of secret passages, traps, and hiding spots. All meant to ensure the heirs to rightful lands are safe and so are the fortunes. In the case of these monks, I suspect they migrated their order, and many of their relics to a similar fortress to elude our soldiers.” Toru spoke in a calm and low tone, his eyes and ears scanning the horizon.

-

Kondoru bowed his head once more, “Apologies, Sir Volod. I have been uncourteous. An undertaking of mine weighs on my mind and occupies great space and time. I had assumed you were stopping me to harass or delay me. I do still have much to learn of these lands.” He smiled a bit and chuckled, “You do honour me, likening me to a demi-god. I must refute any such claim of being of divine errand or importance. Merely, the ruler of my motherland, is himself a divine being. Descended from the heavens to rule over our people. It was his will that brought me here. I would agree with your order, actions are always better than words. I understand your suspicion and welcome it. Perhaps I speak great and legendary tales. But what little reputation I have here greatly burdens my past, does it not? If next we meet, Volod. I hope it will be well. You seem honourable. And I take to that greatly.”

Lucatiel wrote:“An ambush would be most unfortunate. Aah, your foreign lineage does provide you with an interesting perspective. From any of our kin’s perspective, when on the losing side and being outnumbered, it is considered a good idea to relocate the Noble’s family and much of his treasure to a hidden fortress along with some of his best warriors. Usually hiding such a place in mountains or caves, these fortresses comprise of nothing more than... three or four buildings. But are full of secret passages, traps, and hiding spots. All meant to ensure the heirs to rightful lands are safe and so are the fortunes. In the case of these monks, I suspect they migrated their order, and many of their relics to a similar fortress to elude our soldiers.” Toru spoke in a calm and low tone, his eyes and ears scanning the horizon.

-

Kondoru bowed his head once more, “Apologies, Sir Volod. I have been uncourteous. An undertaking of mine weighs on my mind and occupies great space and time. I had assumed you were stopping me to harass or delay me. I do still have much to learn of these lands.” He smiled a bit and chuckled, “You do honour me, likening me to a demi-god. I must refute any such claim of being of divine errand or importance. Merely, the ruler of my motherland, is himself a divine being. Descended from the heavens to rule over our people. It was his will that brought me here. I would agree with your order, actions are always better than words. I understand your suspicion and welcome it. Perhaps I speak great and legendary tales. But what little reputation I have here greatly burdens my past, does it not? If next we meet, Volod. I hope it will be well. You seem honourable. And I take to that greatly.”

Kaito clearly found that interesting, as the concept was very much new to him, or at least hearing it was common practice was surprising, "I was quite unaware of this. It is very different in Eversteen. For an Eversteenian, we of course are not foolish enough to fight unwinnable battles, and we do change tactics. We withdraw the family of the nobility to a central, heavily defended fortress, and leave it with a suitable garrison. In the meanwhile, those who are left and capable of fighting are meant to deploy into the forests and mountains, and fight a hidden war. It is why all Rigonians are trained in the use of the bow from a young age, and taught to forage in forests. We never stay in one place however when doing this, always moving. But we always attempt to maintain one castle of our own, for surrendering the last fortress without a fight is an admission of defeat. What use are riches without land? Little better than a merchant at that point. The city citizenry would prefer your method however, I can be sure. All the same, you are right. I will keep my eyes open, just in case of traps or ambush." He kept moving along, searching about, but then thought of something, "Do these monks have any particular tell-tale sign? Something they do which may leave behind signs of their activity?"

-

Volod waved a hand in dismissal at the apologies, his voice taking on a more amused tone, "You need not bow to me, Kondoru of the Seas. I am merely a Knight, not a Lord or King. Your apology is accepted, as I can forgive you for being new. However I will certainly wish to speak to you more. It is good that you do not stake any undue claim to divinity, be it of yourself or your mission, but it is a major claim indeed to say you know of a Demigod in another land. Although... Such a thing would explain how an Eversteenian went there, and his descendant comes back, speaking the language and knowing the faith. I will have to confer with others about that. All the same, I look forward to hearing of your exploits and meeting you again, Kondoru. Honor is a high principal of the Purple Dragon Knights, sworn as we are to our duty. Perhaps next time we meet I may even be here to recruit you, heh." With that, the large Rigonian moved to leave, his footsteps rather loud from the clanking of his heavy armor.

Eversteen wrote:Kaito clearly found that interesting, as the concept was very much new to him, or at least hearing it was common practice was surprising, "I was quite unaware of this. It is very different in Eversteen. For an Eversteenian, we of course are not foolish enough to fight unwinnable battles, and we do change tactics. We withdraw the family of the nobility to a central, heavily defended fortress, and leave it with a suitable garrison. In the meanwhile, those who are left and capable of fighting are meant to deploy into the forests and mountains, and fight a hidden war. It is why all Rigonians are trained in the use of the bow from a young age, and taught to forage in forests. We never stay in one place however when doing this, always moving. But we always attempt to maintain one castle of our own, for surrendering the last fortress without a fight is an admission of defeat. What use are riches without land? Little better than a merchant at that point. The city citizenry would prefer your method however, I can be sure. All the same, you are right. I will keep my eyes open, just in case of traps or ambush." He kept moving along, searching about, but then thought of something, "Do these monks have any particular tell-tale sign? Something they do which may leave behind signs of their activity?"

-

Volod waved a hand in dismissal at the apologies, his voice taking on a more amused tone, "You need not bow to me, Kondoru of the Seas. I am merely a Knight, not a Lord or King. Your apology is accepted, as I can forgive you for being new. However I will certainly wish to speak to you more. It is good that you do not stake any undue claim to divinity, be it of yourself or your mission, but it is a major claim indeed to say you know of a Demigod in another land. Although... Such a thing would explain how an Eversteenian went there, and his descendant comes back, speaking the language and knowing the faith. I will have to confer with others about that. All the same, I look forward to hearing of your exploits and meeting you again, Kondoru. Honor is a high principal of the Purple Dragon Knights, sworn as we are to our duty. Perhaps next time we meet I may even be here to recruit you, heh." With that, the large Rigonian moved to leave, his footsteps rather loud from the clanking of his heavy armor.

Toru’s neck feathers ruffled like he was about to start barking at Kaito for ignorance, but the man laughed a little. “Different tactics for different lands, I suppose. Well done, friend.” He pondered a long time, “It is interesting. Fighting a hidden war. Yes, we do that here too. But the Hidden Fortress is more meant to protect infant heirs or daughters. Who can use their wealth as influence with allied lords or perhaps buy safety. And plot revenge another day. The lord himself will die before surrendering. We in this land die in battle or commit honourable suicide rather than be made a prisoner. The bushi are expected to die for their lord. And the lord himself, if he does not die in battle, will plunge his sword into his abdomen and disembowel himself. An ally or his enemy will remove his head before it can show pain or fear. This is honourable. Traditional. And... maybe something you, yourself will be expected to perform.” As Toru kept talking, the pair suddenly found themselves in a small clearing of trees. It was circular and just a patch where no tree grew, but the two were surrounded after a moment. Not just by the trees, but by autumn monks. A collection of humans and badofoku with shaved heads and orange robes wrapped around their chests. The monks carried staves.
An eldery human man with a kindly face, sitting on a rock with his legs crossed bowed to the two. “Greetings, greetings, friends.” Toru drew his sword and stood ready. “Oh, please, please sir. Sheath your weapon. We mean no harm, but we know that you do not mean the same for us. Please, please sit. Let us be cordial. Come, come.” He ushered to the leaves in front of his rock, “Sit, sit.”

-

Kondoru spoke not, bur listened and bowed once more. “Farewell, Volod-san. Safe travels.” The young warrior rose and headed to Dulfian’s forge. Looking to find his retinue and greet the smith after completing his task. Though, Kondoru had much to ruminate on. What the knight, his uncle’s proposition. Life was interesting now, certainly. But how long would it stay that way?

Lucatiel wrote:Toru’s neck feathers ruffled like he was about to start barking at Kaito for ignorance, but the man laughed a little. “Different tactics for different lands, I suppose. Well done, friend.” He pondered a long time, “It is interesting. Fighting a hidden war. Yes, we do that here too. But the Hidden Fortress is more meant to protect infant heirs or daughters. Who can use their wealth as influence with allied lords or perhaps buy safety. And plot revenge another day. The lord himself will die before surrendering. We in this land die in battle or commit honourable suicide rather than be made a prisoner. The bushi are expected to die for their lord. And the lord himself, if he does not die in battle, will plunge his sword into his abdomen and disembowel himself. An ally or his enemy will remove his head before it can show pain or fear. This is honourable. Traditional. And... maybe something you, yourself will be expected to perform.” As Toru kept talking, the pair suddenly found themselves in a small clearing of trees. It was circular and just a patch where no tree grew, but the two were surrounded after a moment. Not just by the trees, but by autumn monks. A collection of humans and badofoku with shaved heads and orange robes wrapped around their chests. The monks carried staves.
An eldery human man with a kindly face, sitting on a rock with his legs crossed bowed to the two. “Greetings, greetings, friends.” Toru drew his sword and stood ready. “Oh, please, please sir. Sheath your weapon. We mean no harm, but we know that you do not mean the same for us. Please, please sit. Let us be cordial. Come, come.” He ushered to the leaves in front of his rock, “Sit, sit.”

-

Kondoru spoke not, bur listened and bowed once more. “Farewell, Volod-san. Safe travels.” The young warrior rose and headed to Dulfian’s forge. Looking to find his retinue and greet the smith after completing his task. Though, Kondoru had much to ruminate on. What the knight, his uncle’s proposition. Life was interesting now, certainly. But how long would it stay that way?

Kaito gave a smile, pleasantly surprised that Toru was being friendly instead of barking at him. It was an interesting bit of cultural difference he had to suppose, although the ritualistic suicide was particularly notable to him. Eversteenians were not fond of suicide, as that was considered a different form of surrender to a different sort of enemy. Unfortunately he of course didn't get the chance to respond, as that was when the monks showed up. Kaito glared at the elder, and drew his sword as well. He didn't move to attack, simply staying where he was and speaking, "I would prefer not to. You may stay where you are. Are the monks of this place, the ones who spurn the Emperor?" He was quite suspicious, and in no mood to trust these monks.

-

His retinue arrived at the forge soon after Volod departed, and so they would go with him inside the forge. As he got inside, he found the large lizard slamming away at some metal, seeming to be shaping it into the shape of a chest plate, although it did seem to be early in the workings. He seemed to notice Kondoru enter, and turned to face him. He seemed surprised, but smiled, "Well the youngling is back already! That took you less time than I expected, Kondoru. Quite good however if you did get those horseshoes, means I'll be able to deliver them to a buyer nice and early. Anyways just place them over to the side, I got something to show you first. I did some quick work I think you'll like." He moved to the side, and moved some cloth to reveal a helmet waiting on a table. It was different to the designs of those Humans and Rigonians would wear, it had a more Avian shape. It was built for Kondoru's head frame, clearly, based on the measurements he had taken earlier. It was a proper bit of plate armor, with a visor that could be flipped up, "I started work on your armor. The body will take a lot more, as will the legs, but I decided to quickly craft a helmet as a sign of appreciation. Give it a try, let's see if I got it right."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito gave a smile, pleasantly surprised that Toru was being friendly instead of barking at him. It was an interesting bit of cultural difference he had to suppose, although the ritualistic suicide was particularly notable to him. Eversteenians were not fond of suicide, as that was considered a different form of surrender to a different sort of enemy. Unfortunately he of course didn't get the chance to respond, as that was when the monks showed up. Kaito glared at the elder, and drew his sword as well. He didn't move to attack, simply staying where he was and speaking, "I would prefer not to. You may stay where you are. Are the monks of this place, the ones who spurn the Emperor?" He was quite suspicious, and in no mood to trust these monks.

-

His retinue arrived at the forge soon after Volod departed, and so they would go with him inside the forge. As he got inside, he found the large lizard slamming away at some metal, seeming to be shaping it into the shape of a chest plate, although it did seem to be early in the workings. He seemed to notice Kondoru enter, and turned to face him. He seemed surprised, but smiled, "Well the youngling is back already! That took you less time than I expected, Kondoru. Quite good however if you did get those horseshoes, means I'll be able to deliver them to a buyer nice and early. Anyways just place them over to the side, I got something to show you first. I did some quick work I think you'll like." He moved to the side, and moved some cloth to reveal a helmet waiting on a table. It was different to the designs of those Humans and Rigonians would wear, it had a more Avian shape. It was built for Kondoru's head frame, clearly, based on the measurements he had taken earlier. It was a proper bit of plate armor, with a visor that could be flipped up, "I started work on your armor. The body will take a lot more, as will the legs, but I decided to quickly craft a helmet as a sign of appreciation. Give it a try, let's see if I got it right."

The older monk smiled, "Yes, yes. I am a monk. Spurn the emperor? No I do not. I am a spiritual man. I am a man who speaks with the spirits. I do not know what poison this one has poured in your ear about us. But my name is Homnyokai. I am the grand master of this order of enlightenment. I welcome you to our northern island. And inquire as to your purpose, so do tell, tell!" He smiled looking at the two men. "Might I at least ask you to lower your swords? It is my hope that you are not here to continue a silly effort to continue a fight with us."

-

Kondoru excitedly took the helmet and placed it on his own head. "Snug, but comfortable. I appreciate your skills craftsman. You are a good man, and I hope that I can continue to receive my armour in a quick a timely manner. I thank you, good sir. But now I should ask what we are to do next?" Kondoru smiled and removed the helmet and placed it on the table. He stood at attention and stood proudly.

Lucatiel wrote:The older monk smiled, "Yes, yes. I am a monk. Spurn the emperor? No I do not. I am a spiritual man. I am a man who speaks with the spirits. I do not know what poison this one has poured in your ear about us. But my name is Homnyokai. I am the grand master of this order of enlightenment. I welcome you to our northern island. And inquire as to your purpose, so do tell, tell!" He smiled looking at the two men. "Might I at least ask you to lower your swords? It is my hope that you are not here to continue a silly effort to continue a fight with us."

-

Kondoru excitedly took the helmet and placed it on his own head. "Snug, but comfortable. I appreciate your skills craftsman. You are a good man, and I hope that I can continue to receive my armour in a quick a timely manner. I thank you, good sir. But now I should ask what we are to do next?" Kondoru smiled and removed the helmet and placed it on the table. He stood at attention and stood proudly.

Kaito simply shook his head, "No, my sword is going to stay at the ready. However I can tell you that I am not here to fight you, if it can be avoided. We are here for a different traitor. A Bushi with the name Honshino Junichi, who we suspect to be in cooperation with demons. Perhaps even directly corrupted by them. We seek you, Homnyokai, because we heard you have some information on this corrupted Bushi, or at least some of your monks do. Tell us, and we can get going. This is not a social visit after all."

-

Dulfian smiled at Kondoru liking the armor. He took pride in his work, and he liked it being appreciated. He then shrugged however at the question, "I appreciate the compliment, I do put a great deal of work into my craft. But as for what you do next, I am not sure why you are asking me. You've returned the horseshoes I wanted, and now I can make a nice sale with them! Although... You have a horse, what I can do is help put a set of these horseshoes onto your own mount. These horseshoes are after all made for the Nomadic Horse Breeds, and your mount seems to be one. They'll serve him quite well."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito simply shook his head, "No, my sword is going to stay at the ready. However I can tell you that I am not here to fight you, if it can be avoided. We are here for a different traitor. A Bushi with the name Honshino Junichi, who we suspect to be in cooperation with demons. Perhaps even directly corrupted by them. We seek you, Homnyokai, because we heard you have some information on this corrupted Bushi, or at least some of your monks do. Tell us, and we can get going. This is not a social visit after all."

-

Dulfian smiled at Kondoru liking the armor. He took pride in his work, and he liked it being appreciated. He then shrugged however at the question, "I appreciate the compliment, I do put a great deal of work into my craft. But as for what you do next, I am not sure why you are asking me. You've returned the horseshoes I wanted, and now I can make a nice sale with them! Although... You have a horse, what I can do is help put a set of these horseshoes onto your own mount. These horseshoes are after all made for the Nomadic Horse Breeds, and your mount seems to be one. They'll serve him quite well."

Homnyokai perked up a bit, “now, now here is something interesting. Two rigid men, seeking a man who has taken the side of demons. Yes, I know of Honshino Junichi, Bushi and self proclaimed lord of Kita Castle. It was said he slew his own Daimyo in front of a court of peers. Took the title for himself and plunged this region into chaos! Silly, silly man! However, you should know the one who calls himself Emperor approves of such violence. Meaningless, meaningless conflict like this is encouraged amongst the bushi and daimyo to keep them all distracted and obedient! But I doubt you will listen to an old, old monk’s ramblings! I have communed with the spirits of the valley ahead. A demon had been allowed to make its home at Kita Castle. The spirits warn me. They tell me the water in the rivers has turned to mud. The crops fail. The cattle die. Because this demon drives everything away, away! I have taken a vow of peace. Or I would have taken the fight to the Lord of Kita Castle. But I have done enough for one life time. You young men enter this valley. But who will they return as? Go in peace, peace.” The monk unfurled his arms and threw confetti over Kaito and Toru. The old man hoping down from his rock and walking away. The other monks bowing to Toru and Kaito.

-

Kondoru seemed confused himself, “a-aah, right. I have delivered your horse shoes and our contract is fulfilled. Kamikaze here will accept your shoes and I shall be grateful. If you will excuse me, I shall find my uncle.” He bowed to Dulfian and stepped outside the forge. Looking to his uncle and his retinue.

Lucatiel wrote:Homnyokai perked up a bit, “now, now here is something interesting. Two rigid men, seeking a man who has taken the side of demons. Yes, I know of Honshino Junichi, Bushi and self proclaimed lord of Kita Castle. It was said he slew his own Daimyo in front of a court of peers. Took the title for himself and plunged this region into chaos! Silly, silly man! However, you should know the one who calls himself Emperor approves of such violence. Meaningless, meaningless conflict like this is encouraged amongst the bushi and daimyo to keep them all distracted and obedient! But I doubt you will listen to an old, old monk’s ramblings! I have communed with the spirits of the valley ahead. A demon had been allowed to make its home at Kita Castle. The spirits warn me. They tell me the water in the rivers has turned to mud. The crops fail. The cattle die. Because this demon drives everything away, away! I have taken a vow of peace. Or I would have taken the fight to the Lord of Kita Castle. But I have done enough for one life time. You young men enter this valley. But who will they return as? Go in peace, peace.” The monk unfurled his arms and threw confetti over Kaito and Toru. The old man hoping down from his rock and walking away. The other monks bowing to Toru and Kaito.

-

Kondoru seemed confused himself, “a-aah, right. I have delivered your horse shoes and our contract is fulfilled. Kamikaze here will accept your shoes and I shall be grateful. If you will excuse me, I shall find my uncle.” He bowed to Dulfian and stepped outside the forge. Looking to his uncle and his retinue.

Kaito noted the information, as that was what he was hear to learn. Honshino Junichi was the Bushi of note, and apparently a usurper Daimyo. It was unsurprising that such an action would incite chaos throughout the region, such violent power grabs tended to do so, and it was probably made worse by the presence of demons. That would need fixing. Kaito was a bit annoyed by the confetti, but it was useful information all the same, so he gave the monks his own little bow, "Thank you for the information, Homnyokai. I am here to take the fight to the demon, so I will see the demons thrown out. And I will keep what you say in mind." Kaito couldn't say he was too surprised by the Emperor not totally disallowing feudal conflict, that was the case even back in Eversteen as the minor lords or cities fought eachother over land disputes, for prestige, or even just grudges. Although it was a bit different to hear it being encouraged, and he would have to note that for later. All the same, he had a mission to do. He turned to Toru, "So, where is this Kita Castle? I'm still unfamiliar with the region so the name doesn't ring any bells for me. But that appears to be where this Honshino Junichi is, and he's our demon."

-

Dulfian gave a simple nod, and decided to go off and give Kamikaze his new shoes now that he had the shipment. Meanwhile, Kondoru would find Taltoro outside the forge, having finished with his own business and met up with Kondoru's retinue. He looked to Kondoru as he stepped out and smile, "Ah, there you are. Seems everything has gone well. Hopefully nobody has disrupted you. Now then, Kondoru! While the rest of your armor is being worked upon, I have gotten us signed up for a mission against the Death Cult, as I mentioned to you prior. The Dead God's worshippers have a group nearby, and I learned that they're apparently hiding out right now around an abandoned mine. We're going to join up with a detachment of Viola's City Guard and a few Knights who are heading out to remove them. I believe the knights in question come from two orders, those being the Purple Dragons and the White Griffons. The White Griffons I know are local, they're some of Viola's best warriors. The Purple Dragons aren't quite so local, they're from the Capital Evorhold, but they tend to move throughout Eversteen as they see fit. They like that whole questing knight ideal. Roving warriors, basically, but at least they're useful. If you're all settled, we can get going for that."

Eversteen wrote:Kaito noted the information, as that was what he was hear to learn. Honshino Junichi was the Bushi of note, and apparently a usurper Daimyo. It was unsurprising that such an action would incite chaos throughout the region, such violent power grabs tended to do so, and it was probably made worse by the presence of demons. That would need fixing. Kaito was a bit annoyed by the confetti, but it was useful information all the same, so he gave the monks his own little bow, "Thank you for the information, Homnyokai. I am here to take the fight to the demon, so I will see the demons thrown out. And I will keep what you say in mind." Kaito couldn't say he was too surprised by the Emperor not totally disallowing feudal conflict, that was the case even back in Eversteen as the minor lords or cities fought eachother over land disputes, for prestige, or even just grudges. Although it was a bit different to hear it being encouraged, and he would have to note that for later. All the same, he had a mission to do. He turned to Toru, "So, where is this Kita Castle? I'm still unfamiliar with the region so the name doesn't ring any bells for me. But that appears to be where this Honshino Junichi is, and he's our demon."

-

Dulfian gave a simple nod, and decided to go off and give Kamikaze his new shoes now that he had the shipment. Meanwhile, Kondoru would find Taltoro outside the forge, having finished with his own business and met up with Kondoru's retinue. He looked to Kondoru as he stepped out and smile, "Ah, there you are. Seems everything has gone well. Hopefully nobody has disrupted you. Now then, Kondoru! While the rest of your armor is being worked upon, I have gotten us signed up for a mission against the Death Cult, as I mentioned to you prior. The Dead God's worshippers have a group nearby, and I learned that they're apparently hiding out right now around an abandoned mine. We're going to join up with a detachment of Viola's City Guard and a few Knights who are heading out to remove them. I believe the knights in question come from two orders, those being the Purple Dragons and the White Griffons. The White Griffons I know are local, they're some of Viola's best warriors. The Purple Dragons aren't quite so local, they're from the Capital Evorhold, but they tend to move throughout Eversteen as they see fit. They like that whole questing knight ideal. Roving warriors, basically, but at least they're useful. If you're all settled, we can get going for that."

Toru brushed the confetti from his shoulders and eyed the monks carefully as they left. “Religious extremists. Perhaps seemingly harmless, but the ideas they spread are poison. They do not recognise the emperor’s heavenly sovereignty. They still cling to the idea that only the spirits are heavenly, and the emperor has just been corrupted by the affairs of the mortal world. It was my first posting for the emperor that I seek out and destroy these monks. But that was many years ago, friend.” Toru resumed walking through the woods, “yes, yes... Kita Castle. Two generations ago Kita Castle was a mighty fortress built by our people to defeat the invading Xin hordes. The lord of Kita Castle has held much influence here in the north. A legendary impregnable fortress of such architecture and craft that, and do forgive me, puts even your keep to shame. It is a quite valued castle to us. And if a demon occupies it we must expel it as quickly as possible.”

-

Kondoru smiled a bit and perked up, “we shall grind the bones of these cultists into the rocks and send them back to their dark patrons! Once Kamikaze has his shoes fitted, we must ride swiftly! I wish to make good impressions on these Purple Dragons and White Griffons!” Kondoru secured his weapons and awaited his horse.

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