(Anglais] Evolution du Crabe, du Dragon et du Scorpion
Publié : 26 nov. 2005, 09:05
The 2005 European Championships
Ichizo sighed and shifted the heavy sack over one shoulder. Sweat poured down the young farmer’s face as he peered about with a thoughtful frown. Seeing no one about, he climbed down into the ditch beside the crossroads. Surely, no one would care if he arrived in Kosaten Shiro a bit later than expected. His father would never know if the taxes had arrived a few hours late. If the delivery had been so urgent, he could have sent one of his brothers to help carry the rice.
As he settled in for a nap, Ichizo noticed a plume of smoke in the southern sky. Strange, he’d never noticed anything like that before.
The sudden sound of hoofbeats terrified the young farmer. He seized the heavy satchel and crawled into the tall grass, mindless of the thick mud that covered his clothing. Bandits would do far worse than get his clothes dirty. Ichizo held very still as the sounds of hooves drew closer.
He saw a single rider, dressed in brilliant armor of green and gold. No bandit, by the looks of him, but a Dragon samurai. What would such a warrior be doing so far south? Though no longer quite so afraid, Ichizo could not bring himself to emerge from his hiding place.
After several moments, the sound of another rider approached. This, like the other, was dressed in green and gold.
“What news, Mareshi?” she demanded in a gruff voice.
“Negotiations have taken an unfortunate turn,” the first rider said softly.
Her eyes moved past him, toward the plume of smoke in the city beyond. “What has happened at Kosaten Shiro?” she demanded.
The first man looked over his shoulder, then gave her a hard look. “Return to Lord Satsu, General Kei,” he said. “Tell him that Kosaten Shiro burns today… and we will require reinforcements.”
“How has this happened, Mareshi?” she demanded, breathless.
“You knew why Lord Satsu sent me here,” he shot back bitterly. “What did you expect the Crane’s answer to be? The drums of war have begun to beat their steady rhythm. We must march with them, and swiftly, or be destroyed.”
Kei was silent for a long moment. “Hai, Mareshi,” she said at last. “Carry the Fortunes until I can return with help.”
Mareshi nodded silently.
The two Dragons quickly rode off the ways they had come, returning to their lord or to the battle, leaving an unseen farmer huddling in a ditch. Ichizo waited till they were gone, rose and ran back toward his village as quickly as his tired legs would carry him. The sack of rice lay forgotten in the grass. Suddenly there were much, much worse things on his mind than paying the taxes a bit late.
GenCon SoCal 2005
In the halls of Kyuden Bayushi, silence usually reigned. The ruling family of the Scorpion Clan was well known for its tact and subtlety. Even when the Winter Court came, as it did now, the lords of the Scorpion were renowned for their ability to maintain control in the face of ambassadors from every clan. Today, shock and startled accusations echoed through the castle’s halls.
“I will have silence,” the Righteous Emperor finally demanded
in a quiet voice, and somehow even the boldest samurai found he had nothing further to say.
The Emperor’s eye fixed once more upon the stranger who had entered the court beside the Crab. He was a pale, gaunt man, dressed in simple robes and bound in chains of jade. A contingent of Witch Hunters surrounded him. The man winced in pain, trembling as he stood at the edge of the wards that protected the court chambers.
“Lord Kuon,” the Emperor said. “Why have the Crab brought a
corrupted prisoner into my presence?”
“Your Majesty, this is Daigotsu Soetsu, an ambassador from the
City of the Lost,” Kuon said. The court nearly exploded in outrage again, but the Emperor silenced everyone with a curt gesture. “My Witch Hunters have interrogated and tested him extensively, and we are confident he poses no danger.”
“He wishes to speak of a most interesting opportunity in the
Shadowlands,” Hida Kisada said.
“Lord Kisada,” Bayushi Paneki sighed. “Leading the minions of
darkness to the Emperor’s presence again? Your Majesty, why do we even tolerate this outrage?”
The Great Bear turned to face the Scorpion Champion with cool
fury. “You dare question me in such a manner? Who are you to question me?”
Paneki chuckled. “I am the Defender of the Empire, the Master
of Secrets,” he said, “and you are the man who brought a follower of the Dark God into my house. I demand an explanation.” He turned to face the Emperor with a calm, patient expression.
“Let him speak, Your Majesty,” Lord Kuon said. “The Witch
Hunters have confirmed he has no magic. He is just a man, albeit a man sworn to the Dark Lord’s service. The tale he tells is a compelling one.”
“You have one minute,” the Emperor said, looking down at
Soetsu. “Make your case swiftly.”
The Lost ambassador nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, the note of respect sounding somewhat curious from an enemy. “I am Daigotsu Soetsu, formerly Hiruma Soetsu of the Crab Clan. Eleven centuries ago, the children of the Sun and Moon gathered to build an Empire. Mortals swore fealty to each of the Kami as each pursued his or her destiny in the mortal realm. One sibling, however, was forgotten – abandoned to the depths of the Festering Pit. Excluded from your Empire, the sinister demons of Jigoku became Fu Leng’s only companions. They counseled him to destroy everything his siblings had built, to show no mercy. They blinded Fu Leng’s eyes to the truth – that they had concealed our Dark Master’s survival from his brothers and sisters, that they had desired only that Fu Leng, the greatest of the Kami, become their vessel of retribution. Thus began a thousand year war between the Shadowlands and the Empire. Fu Leng’s destiny was denied, and we have all suffered for it.”
“What destiny is that?” the Emperor asked.
“To form a Great Clan,” Soetsu said, “as his brothers and
sisters did. The survivors of Oblivion’s Gate and their descendants have built a city in the shadows. We have achieved what the brave Crab Clan could not in countless generations of combat – we have fulfilled Fu Leng’s destiny.”
“Fu Leng has always had mortal followers,” Asahina Sekawa said, his voice skeptical.
“That is true,” Soetsu said, “but never so many as kneel before him today. Never before has the leader of Fu Leng’s servants embraced the path of honor in such a manner as Daigotsu.”
“Honor?” Naseru asked. “You speak of the man who murdered my father and sister.”
Soetsu did not blanch at the Emperor’s words. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I see Lion and Unicorn samurai standing in this court. I see Dragon and Phoenix whose blood stain one another’s hands – yet they stand together because they all know that they are samurai, and war is an inevitable part of their existence. Your father and sister died in combat, as samurai. They died as heroes. They understood the nature of war.”
“Then tell your Dark Lord to present his case to me himself,” the Emperor said, “and I will show him the same respect.”
Soetsu’s face paled.
“Guards, escort this man from the court,” Hida Kisada said, his voice a low rumble. When Soetsu had been taken away, the Great Bear looked up at the Emperor without fear.
“You all have misjudged me,” Kisada said. “I see it in your
eyes. Even you, Your Majesty. I WILL NOT MAKE PEACE WITH THE SHADOWLANDS!”
“Then what is the meaning of this, Kisada?” Naseru demanded.
“Ultimate victory,” Kisada said. “The Oni Lords and the Lost now fight for Fu Leng’s favor. No Crab soldier has ever been able to reach the Festering Pit – but Daigotsu’s Lost can. With the support of the Crab, the Imperial Legions, and the One Tribe we could use the Lost to destroy the Shadowlands forever.”
“And what of Soetsu and his brethren?” Paneki asked.
“Any Lost who seek true redemption can join the Damned and redeem themselves in death,” Kuon said. “As for Daigotsu himself – well, Soetsu said it best. A samurai understands the nature of war, and the Dark Lord has much to answer for.”
“To ally with the Shadowlands, for any reason, is an incredible risk,” Isawa Ochiai said. “It is Fu Leng’s nature to turn us against ourselves.”
“Oh?” the Great Bear said, looking at the Master of Fire with a sneer. “Tell me more, Phoenix. Tell me more of the danger that darkness holds. I am interested to hear of your extensive experiences.”
Ochiai quickly looked away, embarrassed by her own words.
“Your Majesty,” Bayushi Paneki said. “This is not a matter that should be decided in one day, and it should not be decided by the Crab alone. Their proximity to the Shadowlands sometimes blinds them to all but their own war. Let this ambassador, Soetsu, become a guest of the Scorpion Clan. We will ascertain the sincerity of his words.”
“Dealing with the Shadowlands is the Crab Clan’s responsibility,” Hida Kuon replied angrily.
“And dealing with secrets is mine,” Paneki replied. “You came here seeking help, Crab, and now you roar at me for offering it? Daigotsu Soetsu will remain a guest of the Scorpion Clan,” he looked at Naseru, “with the Righteous Emperor’s permission.”
The Emperor nodded.
--
This year at the European Championships, winner Faber van Kraanen decided that the Dragon Clan have made war on the Crane Clan. At GenCon SoCal, a Dragon Clan player was victorious in a special match vs. a Crane Clan player, and the Dragon have drawn first blood in their new conflict. We saw that the victorious Dragon used Miromoto Hirohisa almost exclusively for dueling in the match and that even more interesting, Doji Saori was his main tool for causing the duels…
Also at GenCon SoCal, Tristan Muntsinger, a Scorpion Clan player bested all comers and won the right to control the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, and to accept an emissary from the City of the Lost. The Scorpion plans for the Mask remain only whispers, but even now, Diagotsu Seotsu, bound by jade, travels to the court of the Scorpion Champion.
Legend of the Five Rings is the game where the players direct the story. The Age of Enlightenment has come, and only time will tell how the players will react to its challenges, strife, and intrigues. As Mirumoto Mareshi foretells, the Drums of War have begun their beat.
Ichizo sighed and shifted the heavy sack over one shoulder. Sweat poured down the young farmer’s face as he peered about with a thoughtful frown. Seeing no one about, he climbed down into the ditch beside the crossroads. Surely, no one would care if he arrived in Kosaten Shiro a bit later than expected. His father would never know if the taxes had arrived a few hours late. If the delivery had been so urgent, he could have sent one of his brothers to help carry the rice.
As he settled in for a nap, Ichizo noticed a plume of smoke in the southern sky. Strange, he’d never noticed anything like that before.
The sudden sound of hoofbeats terrified the young farmer. He seized the heavy satchel and crawled into the tall grass, mindless of the thick mud that covered his clothing. Bandits would do far worse than get his clothes dirty. Ichizo held very still as the sounds of hooves drew closer.
He saw a single rider, dressed in brilliant armor of green and gold. No bandit, by the looks of him, but a Dragon samurai. What would such a warrior be doing so far south? Though no longer quite so afraid, Ichizo could not bring himself to emerge from his hiding place.
After several moments, the sound of another rider approached. This, like the other, was dressed in green and gold.
“What news, Mareshi?” she demanded in a gruff voice.
“Negotiations have taken an unfortunate turn,” the first rider said softly.
Her eyes moved past him, toward the plume of smoke in the city beyond. “What has happened at Kosaten Shiro?” she demanded.
The first man looked over his shoulder, then gave her a hard look. “Return to Lord Satsu, General Kei,” he said. “Tell him that Kosaten Shiro burns today… and we will require reinforcements.”
“How has this happened, Mareshi?” she demanded, breathless.
“You knew why Lord Satsu sent me here,” he shot back bitterly. “What did you expect the Crane’s answer to be? The drums of war have begun to beat their steady rhythm. We must march with them, and swiftly, or be destroyed.”
Kei was silent for a long moment. “Hai, Mareshi,” she said at last. “Carry the Fortunes until I can return with help.”
Mareshi nodded silently.
The two Dragons quickly rode off the ways they had come, returning to their lord or to the battle, leaving an unseen farmer huddling in a ditch. Ichizo waited till they were gone, rose and ran back toward his village as quickly as his tired legs would carry him. The sack of rice lay forgotten in the grass. Suddenly there were much, much worse things on his mind than paying the taxes a bit late.
GenCon SoCal 2005
In the halls of Kyuden Bayushi, silence usually reigned. The ruling family of the Scorpion Clan was well known for its tact and subtlety. Even when the Winter Court came, as it did now, the lords of the Scorpion were renowned for their ability to maintain control in the face of ambassadors from every clan. Today, shock and startled accusations echoed through the castle’s halls.
“I will have silence,” the Righteous Emperor finally demanded
in a quiet voice, and somehow even the boldest samurai found he had nothing further to say.
The Emperor’s eye fixed once more upon the stranger who had entered the court beside the Crab. He was a pale, gaunt man, dressed in simple robes and bound in chains of jade. A contingent of Witch Hunters surrounded him. The man winced in pain, trembling as he stood at the edge of the wards that protected the court chambers.
“Lord Kuon,” the Emperor said. “Why have the Crab brought a
corrupted prisoner into my presence?”
“Your Majesty, this is Daigotsu Soetsu, an ambassador from the
City of the Lost,” Kuon said. The court nearly exploded in outrage again, but the Emperor silenced everyone with a curt gesture. “My Witch Hunters have interrogated and tested him extensively, and we are confident he poses no danger.”
“He wishes to speak of a most interesting opportunity in the
Shadowlands,” Hida Kisada said.
“Lord Kisada,” Bayushi Paneki sighed. “Leading the minions of
darkness to the Emperor’s presence again? Your Majesty, why do we even tolerate this outrage?”
The Great Bear turned to face the Scorpion Champion with cool
fury. “You dare question me in such a manner? Who are you to question me?”
Paneki chuckled. “I am the Defender of the Empire, the Master
of Secrets,” he said, “and you are the man who brought a follower of the Dark God into my house. I demand an explanation.” He turned to face the Emperor with a calm, patient expression.
“Let him speak, Your Majesty,” Lord Kuon said. “The Witch
Hunters have confirmed he has no magic. He is just a man, albeit a man sworn to the Dark Lord’s service. The tale he tells is a compelling one.”
“You have one minute,” the Emperor said, looking down at
Soetsu. “Make your case swiftly.”
The Lost ambassador nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty,” he said, the note of respect sounding somewhat curious from an enemy. “I am Daigotsu Soetsu, formerly Hiruma Soetsu of the Crab Clan. Eleven centuries ago, the children of the Sun and Moon gathered to build an Empire. Mortals swore fealty to each of the Kami as each pursued his or her destiny in the mortal realm. One sibling, however, was forgotten – abandoned to the depths of the Festering Pit. Excluded from your Empire, the sinister demons of Jigoku became Fu Leng’s only companions. They counseled him to destroy everything his siblings had built, to show no mercy. They blinded Fu Leng’s eyes to the truth – that they had concealed our Dark Master’s survival from his brothers and sisters, that they had desired only that Fu Leng, the greatest of the Kami, become their vessel of retribution. Thus began a thousand year war between the Shadowlands and the Empire. Fu Leng’s destiny was denied, and we have all suffered for it.”
“What destiny is that?” the Emperor asked.
“To form a Great Clan,” Soetsu said, “as his brothers and
sisters did. The survivors of Oblivion’s Gate and their descendants have built a city in the shadows. We have achieved what the brave Crab Clan could not in countless generations of combat – we have fulfilled Fu Leng’s destiny.”
“Fu Leng has always had mortal followers,” Asahina Sekawa said, his voice skeptical.
“That is true,” Soetsu said, “but never so many as kneel before him today. Never before has the leader of Fu Leng’s servants embraced the path of honor in such a manner as Daigotsu.”
“Honor?” Naseru asked. “You speak of the man who murdered my father and sister.”
Soetsu did not blanch at the Emperor’s words. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I see Lion and Unicorn samurai standing in this court. I see Dragon and Phoenix whose blood stain one another’s hands – yet they stand together because they all know that they are samurai, and war is an inevitable part of their existence. Your father and sister died in combat, as samurai. They died as heroes. They understood the nature of war.”
“Then tell your Dark Lord to present his case to me himself,” the Emperor said, “and I will show him the same respect.”
Soetsu’s face paled.
“Guards, escort this man from the court,” Hida Kisada said, his voice a low rumble. When Soetsu had been taken away, the Great Bear looked up at the Emperor without fear.
“You all have misjudged me,” Kisada said. “I see it in your
eyes. Even you, Your Majesty. I WILL NOT MAKE PEACE WITH THE SHADOWLANDS!”
“Then what is the meaning of this, Kisada?” Naseru demanded.
“Ultimate victory,” Kisada said. “The Oni Lords and the Lost now fight for Fu Leng’s favor. No Crab soldier has ever been able to reach the Festering Pit – but Daigotsu’s Lost can. With the support of the Crab, the Imperial Legions, and the One Tribe we could use the Lost to destroy the Shadowlands forever.”
“And what of Soetsu and his brethren?” Paneki asked.
“Any Lost who seek true redemption can join the Damned and redeem themselves in death,” Kuon said. “As for Daigotsu himself – well, Soetsu said it best. A samurai understands the nature of war, and the Dark Lord has much to answer for.”
“To ally with the Shadowlands, for any reason, is an incredible risk,” Isawa Ochiai said. “It is Fu Leng’s nature to turn us against ourselves.”
“Oh?” the Great Bear said, looking at the Master of Fire with a sneer. “Tell me more, Phoenix. Tell me more of the danger that darkness holds. I am interested to hear of your extensive experiences.”
Ochiai quickly looked away, embarrassed by her own words.
“Your Majesty,” Bayushi Paneki said. “This is not a matter that should be decided in one day, and it should not be decided by the Crab alone. Their proximity to the Shadowlands sometimes blinds them to all but their own war. Let this ambassador, Soetsu, become a guest of the Scorpion Clan. We will ascertain the sincerity of his words.”
“Dealing with the Shadowlands is the Crab Clan’s responsibility,” Hida Kuon replied angrily.
“And dealing with secrets is mine,” Paneki replied. “You came here seeking help, Crab, and now you roar at me for offering it? Daigotsu Soetsu will remain a guest of the Scorpion Clan,” he looked at Naseru, “with the Righteous Emperor’s permission.”
The Emperor nodded.
--
This year at the European Championships, winner Faber van Kraanen decided that the Dragon Clan have made war on the Crane Clan. At GenCon SoCal, a Dragon Clan player was victorious in a special match vs. a Crane Clan player, and the Dragon have drawn first blood in their new conflict. We saw that the victorious Dragon used Miromoto Hirohisa almost exclusively for dueling in the match and that even more interesting, Doji Saori was his main tool for causing the duels…
Also at GenCon SoCal, Tristan Muntsinger, a Scorpion Clan player bested all comers and won the right to control the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, and to accept an emissary from the City of the Lost. The Scorpion plans for the Mask remain only whispers, but even now, Diagotsu Seotsu, bound by jade, travels to the court of the Scorpion Champion.
Legend of the Five Rings is the game where the players direct the story. The Age of Enlightenment has come, and only time will tell how the players will react to its challenges, strife, and intrigues. As Mirumoto Mareshi foretells, the Drums of War have begun their beat.
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