Sapphire Ambassadors

(Open to Doji Yoshino and Asahina Asano)

After walking away from the town for a spell, Kojiro calls a halt to the expedition.

"Ugh, walking places is lame. Why can't the fire kami carry eveyrone everywhere?" he complained to the night sky.

He turned back to cursed-chan and his lovely assistant.

"Alright, this should be a good spot. Close enough the gaki can find cursed-chan, far enough away we don't incinerate some peasant heading into town for work. You would NOT believe how upset the authorities get when that happens, believe you me."

Glad to have brought a lantern, Yoshino had carried it all the way to the end of town and beyond. It made actually walking in the dark possible. The uncouth and excitable Phoenix shugenja was the largest anomaly Yoshino had ever encountered. She was still getting a handle on him.

Could he really fly?

She gulped and took a deep breath. Dangerous was now adding to the words she associated with Kojiro. "Yes, please let us not harm any peasants... or samurai." Was it necessary to add that last bit? She really hoped not, but she could not be certain.

The Crane caught her breath after the walk. "What should we do?"

Yojiro clapped his hands, ready for the work to begin.

"Alright, so I'll prepare the warding circle, and I'll leave warding marks to my lovely assistant." he said with a nod to Asano, who was totally there, really.

He produced a paint pot and a brush, for the Crane shugenja.

"So it's like that story...ah what's it called earless.....hoichi, that's the one! Although, make sure you cover curse-chan's ears too if you please. Ah, and after she paints your backside, give it a moment to dry before sitting down, curse-chan. Oh, you should do her backside first before you do the other bits. Especially the eyelids and lips, you should do those last. Make sure you don't open them once they're painted, curse-chan. Wouldn't want the ghost getting in through your eyes."

He paused a moment.

"Oh right, the wards. If you're not familiar, I brought a scroll detailing them, y'know, if you want to check your work. It's important to get them right! Ah that should do for the first bit, let's get going, chop chop!"


(Asahina Asano will make an Int/Theology roll at TN 15 and an Awa/Artisan: Painting roll at TN 15. If either roll fails, there is no benefit as the wards are not properly put on. If both rolls are passed, each raise on both rolls will provide Yoshino a +5 to her rolls to resist being fed on.)

The Doji did her best to follow instructions to the letter.

"Good luck Asano-san. I know you can do this."

Trying to buoy her cousin, she'd close her eyes and wait. She tried not to hope too much. Or to show how nervous she felt.

"Do please stay still Yoshino-san. And trust me."

Asano herself was calm as a cat; Yes, there was nervousness inside, but she was the sort used to ritual and the expectations of such. And more than used to her brush. So it was that she followed the instructions to a T; She'd even set aside time in the day to nap to make sure she was awake for this.

Each symbol and ward went on with impeccable strokes, almost like calligraphy but more artistic. Asano was careful not to be too hard or soft or tickle her cousin... and soon she was done.

"That should be everything, Isawa-sama. I am sure I replicated what was on the scroll, down to the last stroke."

And it had only taken her a minute or two.
--------

Day 6, LN, Gaki Busting, Int/Theology TN15. VP 1/3 day 6 for 1k1 | 5k4 ⇒ 19 (TN: 15)
success, no raises.

Day 6, LN, Gaki Busting, Painting/Awareness, TN15, 3 called raises, TN30, VP 2/3 day 6 for +1k1 | 7k5 ⇒ 40 (TN: 30)
success, 3 raises

Yoshino probably looked pretty silly. Her ears and other parts were covered. She obediently remained sitting still.

While Yoshino was being tickled with her eyes closed, she could definitely hear the Isawa doing...something.

He constructed a large bon fire to the north, lit quickly with a brief prayer to the kami causing the fire to roar to life bringing a great deal of light for the Asahina to work with.

Next a prayer to the earth kami caused the ground to rumble and before long a spike of stone shot out of the ground to the south.

To the east, he produced a set of wind chimes which jangled merrily hung from a wooden pole.

He placed a bowl to the west and a smooth glass orb in the middle before the painted Crane.

Then he produced a stick, drawing various symbols in the ground connecting the four elemental points.

It took a bit longer than the Asahina's quick work but it took a bit more effort.

"Nicely done, my lovely assistant, we're about ready to begin." he said, not bothering to check her work.

He handed her the painting from Yoshino's room and produced a bottle of water.

"We should be only moments away from the arrival of our special guest. Wait for the gaki to fully manifest, Asahina-san. Then we both must act as one. You toss the painting into the fire and I'll pour the water in to the bowl. That will close the trap and cut off their escape route. Make sure neither of you disturbs the wards. It's first instinct once I start blasting it will be to run, and it just needs to run to the nearest source of art to get away. It might try to leave through Asahina-san's kimono. Not sure if it can pull that off, and it'd be interesting to see it try, but let's try to get this right the first time. Doji-san, just need you to sit still. You're going to feel cold and hot, but stay absolutely still, and you'll be completely fine."

Everything clear?"

Asano listened carefully, having set down the brush and pot as she did so.

"Mostly, Isawa-sama. One question; Do you know where the spirit will manifest from? If it manifests from the painting, then I wish to make sure I'm not in your way. Since I will be holding it to toss in the fire, no? Otherwise, I hope my kimono will not work for it; It is plain blue, with no embellishments besides my mons. I should hope if no more counts as art than the fact I have my hair combed..."

Asahina Asano wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 22, 2022 11:16 pm

Asano listened carefully, having set down the brush and pot as she did so.

"Mostly, Isawa-sama. One question; Do you know where the spirit will manifest from? If it manifests from the painting, then I wish to make sure I'm not in your way. Since I will be holding it to toss in the fire, no? Otherwise, I hope my kimono will not work for it; It is plain blue, with no embellishments besides my mons. I should hope if no more counts as art than the fact I have my hair combed..."

"Ah I see I see. It's a matter of positioning Asahina-san. It will come from the painting. Stand on the outside of the circle, but hold the painting on the inside of the circle. Then once you toss the painting and I pour the water, just stay outside the circle."

The Doji nods a few times. She wasn't actually sure if she was allowed to talk. She didn't want to talk in case it would disturb anything. Keeping still sounded relatively straightforward however.

Nonetheless she was feeling nervous. Not being able to see any of their prep work was only adding to the gut-wrenching feeling of tension.

Asano nodded and positioned herself near the fire like the Isawa priest said to. She held the painting with both hands but gave a nod to him, "I am outside, the painting is inside, I am certain."

It meant holding the painting a bit away from herself awkwardly, but luckily Asano had long arms anyways.

"I am ready when you are, Isawa-sama."

Kojiro clapped.

"And just in time too it seems, as a black smoke started flowing outside the painting towards Yoshino." he noted with a grin.

Asano felt the painting turn cold even standing so close to the fire.

"Alright, wait for it, wait for it....waaaaaaait for it." he said waiting for the ghost to fully manifest.

"Now!" he shouted for the Asahina to toss the painting as he poured the water into the bowl.

Even as stolid as Asano was, the tension got to the Asahina woman a little. Not to mention the sight of the spirit. She gave a start but gave her best throw towards the fire, at least being prepared for this, mostly.

Day 6, LN, Athletics/Reflexes to throw the painting when Kojiro says now, kind of fluffy, no TN per say | 5k4 ⇒ 13

Sadly Asano's dreams of being chosen for the Rokugani Painting Tossing Association (RPTA) were dashed before they even began. But it was a large bonfire, and at least the painting landed in the corner of it outside the circle rather than within.

"Woo! Time for the fun part! Hang in their curse-chan! Should have this done before you're even mostly eaten!" Kojiro exclaimed as he called the fire kami to frenzied activity. The little lantern fire kami was completely yanked out of the lantern and the bonfire itself grew dim as the entire area heated up and glowed. Torrents of fire flew forth from Kojiro and into the gaki. The gaki tried to flee but there was no where to go inside the warding circle. And so it tried it's hardest to draw more strength from poor Yoshino. Would the wards paintd by Asano hold?

(Yoshino needs to make three void rolls during the firefight....at TN 5 due to the wards laid upon her.)

Shivering at this point, and alarmed at all the noise, Yoshino mentally steeled herself and did her best to hold out. Seconds ticked by and her mental fortitude drained. However, a little extra effort at the end and the excellent work of both shugenja ensured she kept a strong grasp of herself. She'd not be so easy a target for the gaki.

-----

Rolls: 33, 17, 14 with void

The battle raged on with a great deal of fire and screaming before finally, Kojiro lifted his hands up and with one final gesture there was a final howl from the gaki...and then silence.

"Got him!" Kojiro said, hopping over the binding circle, and picking up the now smoking glass ball from the center.

"Oh, hot hot hot" he exclaimed juggling the glass ball from hand to hand.

"Ahhh, nothing like a successfully completed ritual." he crowed. "Congratulations, curse-chan, you've been saved successfully"

He offered a quick bow to Asano.

"Good work to you too my lovely assistant. I could have done it without you, but curse-chan would've really complained about me painting all over her body."

The still very ignorant of spiritual matters Yoshino lifted and waved a hand. She pointed it at herself, particularly her eyes and ears.

She was being very good.

She was also very excited to hear about the positive result. Undoing it now by opening her eyes when she wasn't meant to would be terrible, or so she thought.

"I probably would have found a way to come along regardless. Anyways, I am glad it worked too. It was just the one spirit then? I suppose I should have asked earlier, but I wasn't sure... Since rumors said others had been seeing spirits as well. ...I mean, if you know that is, Isawa-sama."

She looked over at Yoshino, then back to Kojiro.

"I take it Doji-san here can speak again? Or should I remove the wards first?"

Asahina Asano wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:08 pm

"I probably would have found a way to come along regardless. Anyways, I am glad it worked too. It was just the one spirit then? I suppose I should have asked earlier, but I wasn't sure... Since rumors said others had been seeing spirits as well. ...I mean, if you know that is, Isawa-sama."

She looked over at Yoshino, then back to Kojiro.

"I take it Doji-san here can speak again? Or should I remove the wards first?"

Kojiro slipped the glass orb into a sleeve with a deft motion and looked up.

"Hm? Oh, probably people talking, you know how rumors are. But I'll keep an eye out for other spirts. May as well since I'm stuck here for the duration."

He nodded a bit.

"Oh, yes she can speak, and don't worry about removing the wards. They'll fade away in like a week, and she'll be a little bit more protected until then."

He yawned a bit.

"Anyways, I'm going to go ahead and head back, I could use a nap after that fight. I'll leave the rest to you two." he said.

With a swift incantation, Wings of Fire blazed forth from Kojiro's body as the bonfire gutted out and he lept into the air. Leaving the pair with naught but the fading glow as he streaked across the sky, the smell of smoke, and the tinkle of the wind chimes he left behind.


/exit Kojiro to Up Up and Away!

Yoshino opened her eyes only to catch the Isawa's flashy departure. What a show off!

She pushed herself up and inspected Asano's handiwork in the light of the fire and her lantern some metres away. "I'm glad I didn't bring a mirror. I look ridiculous don't I?" She turned to her cousin to ask with a tired expression.

"I am worried I've traded one problem for another."