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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 26, 2018 13:01:11 GMT 10
The Shiba remains largely silent as she leads the party down the hall, the three illusions seemingly calmly walking among the group. To those who try to talk to the illusions they do respond, but the answers occationally feel off. Honami's very good, and has clearly done this before, but she doesn't know the people her illusions are trying to imitate.
Eventually they reach a set of rather ornate doors, a pair of traditional Shoji style screens instead of the more modern material. Honami scratching lightly at the screen, and they hear a rough voice reply, "Let yourselves in. It is not like I have other guests coming."
The room beyond is covered in incredibly detailed in star charts. Some are new and modern, while others are clearly copies scanned from ancient books and scrolls, detailed information from the time of Isawa. On other parts of the walls are references to Astrology, Kawaru and various other ways of predicting the future. The walls are covered in lines as if the man is trying to map something out.
At the center of this vast map of stars, planets, coins, knowledge and other such detailed pictures, is a picture of the world of Junya III. Where the Crab first deployed Orbital Station Omen against the the Spider....and due to underestimating the weapon, did significant damage to the Dragon and the innocent Heinin of the world.
The second thing to notice was the man in the centre of the room was old. Ancient would be more accurate. He should have retired to a monastery a long time ago, based on the wrinkles and liver spots covering his skin but the robes he wore were clearly that of a Shugenja, rather then a monk. The Shugenja was sitting in a wheel chair, his body clearly barely able to support his weight standing anymore, and slightly after they entered he issued a weak cough, his lungs clearly not what they used to be.
But despite his frail appearance, his eyes were still sharp.
Reaching up to stroke his long white beard, he said, "So who comes to seek the guidance of an exiled Seppun?"
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Post by Hida Tetsuko on Mar 26, 2018 14:58:36 GMT 10
Tetsuko looked around and then realised it was up to her to speak. “We do, Seppun-sama,” she said, giving him a formal bow. “I am Hida Tetsuko, and this is Kiru, Captain of the Warren.”
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 26, 2018 16:12:35 GMT 10
"M'thack-kir is pleased to meet Professor X Sepoon-Sepoon. One so venerable must have seen so much. Must have long Name." Kiru bows low, waiting a few seconds before rising from it to stand comfortably.
"This one is Shiba Itsuki, Seppun-sama," the Shiba intones with quiet reverence. It is no wonder he has sought refuge among Shiba outcasts. We know the failure of duty that is out of our hands too well.
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Post by Hida Tetsuko on Mar 26, 2018 21:12:19 GMT 10
(sorry totally forgot he was there )
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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 27, 2018 2:13:30 GMT 10
((OOC: If it helps, Itsuki generally likes being forgotten. )) The Seppun's eyes glanced over the Samurai and the Nezumi gathered in his room. They linger briefly on the Crab, and for a brief moment clear bitterness is visible in his eyes. Then he relaxes, "I am Seppun Taiyō. I will not lie and claim I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Hida-san, but I know the Phoenix would not bring people to see me unless there was a good reason." Turning his attention to the Shibas and the Nezumi, he bowed his head, "Konnichiwa, Shiba-san, Shiba-san and" He paused for a moment and with a rough chuckle added, "Nezumi-Nezumi." He presses a few buttons in his chair and suddenly a 3-dimensional hologram of the Empire suddenly filled the room. The stars on this scale were surprisingly small, and the space between them quite vast. But given several well known systems being marked on the projection, it could be nothing else. "I assume you aren't here for a prediction. Far to many people call my touch a curse for that." He suddenly has a coughing fit and Honami takes a step closer, before being waved away, "I'm not dead yet, Shiba-san." "You need re..." "I can rest in Meido. I am fine." Closing his eyes he reached he wet his lips and said, "Now...A Phoenix, a Crab and a Nezumi seek an exiled scholar of the stars. You seek to stop Maho, their can be no other reason. Tell me what you need."
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 27, 2018 6:18:10 GMT 10
(He really, really does haha. Also, Taiyo? Fucking arrogant Seppun calling themselves the Sun...if we didn't have stuff to do, even Kiru might call him out on that...)
Kiru smiles with genuine glee—nobody has ever called him that before, it seems. "Need help to locate a rift-broke-portal. New entrance to the blasted land of Fleng."
Itsuki visibly stiffens at his captain's blunt mentioning of Jigoku, but he couldn't have honestly expected much else.
"Please decipher riddle," Kiru adds. He pulls out the plastic sheet Shinwa left him with the details of the Oracle's answer as to the location of the rift, then hands it to Shiba Honami to pass to the Seppun.
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Post by emeralddragon on Mar 31, 2018 4:23:00 GMT 10
The Seppun looks at the first riddle and then laughed. Rough and clearly filled with worry and disgust, but he laughed anyway. When he had calmed down, he then changeed the star chart to zoom into Rokugan's star system and the systems around it. A few more button strokes and the stars shift backwards. Its slow, but they are moving, as time rapidly went backwards "The first is a Rogue planet. Has to be. It wouldn't be the first one we have seen or heard of, but we rarely find them. They find us."
Suddenly as they watched, a large planet, at least three times the size of Rokugan shot through the system. Pressing several buttons, time proceeds forward again, at an advanced rate. A date in the corner showed as it flashed through the system over the course of 3 years, "That was the first of the five we have found. Tengoku's Provenance. Its the planet that united the Phoenix during the War of the Tao, and allowed them to present the solution to the Emperor that ended the war. It is considered a gift from Tengoku, proof that heaven's can change even in this new world of stars and planets and spirit realms."
He coughs briefly and then added, "No Astronomer has ever spotted it again. The Elemental Master's probably know where it is, but our Telescopes still can't pick it up."
He brings up a list. Each world on it has a detailed picture and a brief description the world. The most striking thing however is how short it is. Still over a dozen worlds, but given the size and number of sectors in the empire you would think it would be bigger, "These are all the Rogue planets we know of. Lifeless rocks the lot of them. What you seek isn't known to us. To big, with to much atmosphere. If you give me a path this cult has struck as it moved across the Empire, maybe I can help....maybe."
He paused and a dark smile crosses his lips, "Only other option is asking a powerful Fire Shugenja to look into the void between Stars." He chuckled once again, the bitterness clear, "Pity the Kuni aren't fire. Madness for one for the salvation of many. Damnation of the few for the salvation of the rest, right Hida-san?"
Not even waiting for a reply he looked at the second note. His smile faded and he murmured, "This, this I can work with."
The sky chart changed again, the whole Empire reappearing. Various small Star systems clicked in the sky, "The Forbidden worlds. With VERY few exceptions controlled by the Dragon, and given the reference to Green and Gold in the first line, almost certainly one of that majority instead of the minority. Unfortunately...." He pressed a button, and the it zoomed into a single Star system.
Instead of seeing the detailed worlds from before, all that appeared was a solid grey ball. Clicking again to get closer, the following information appeared:
"They are all like this. Not even the name is public." He was still smiling though...he knew a little more.
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Post by M'thack-kir on Mar 31, 2018 10:07:23 GMT 10
Kiru's eyes narrow. "To conceal a Name suggests shame. Bad-bad. Itsuki, how do we find the true place?"
Itsuki blinked, surprised he is being addressed in a room with two people far more qualified than he to answer such a question. "The riddle stated it was not forbidden by the Emperor. So the Dragon have tried to hide this one for whatever reason, meaning the change will be clear when comparing with our starcharts."
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Post by emeralddragon on Apr 2, 2018 1:07:34 GMT 10
The Seppun said nothing but gave a brief nod, simply acknowledging and agreeing with Itsuki's statement.
Honami walked over and bowed to the Seppun, before pulling out a data pad and typed across its surface. The Data pad was mostly hidden from the Seppun, but it would have taken little effort for him to look. He made no such move though, simply flicking the current star chart down back to his personal tablet.
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Post by Hida Tetsuko on Apr 2, 2018 7:38:48 GMT 10
Tetsuko watches silently. Can someone just please tell me where we are going and who I will need to hit?
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Post by M'thack-kir on Apr 2, 2018 14:23:59 GMT 10
Kiru seems perfectly content to wait, either having all the time in the galaxy, or not having a steady grasp of the concept of time.
Itsuki waits patiently for a few minutes, but when it is clear this task will take a while, he bows to apologise in advance for breaking the silence. "Anoo...sensei, could this data, once identified, perchance be transmitted to our ship, so that we do not unduly waste Hida-san's time? It is my understanding that her family has need of her on Kyuuden Hida Prime, so the sooner we can visit there, the better for her."
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Post by emeralddragon on Apr 2, 2018 22:26:42 GMT 10
Honami glances up from her datapad, and then said, "Their is little reason why that cannot be done. I suspect that I could transmit the request fully to the Asako if given such time. The fact that this action slipped through their fingers is something they need to be informed of."
The elderly Seppun growled slightly, recognizing what little could be done to make those who did this pay for their actions, "At least a reckoning is coming for the Dragon. Their actions are inexcusable, an example of arrogance due to their connection to the Emperor."
The Shiba maintained her On, pretending she had not heard the Seppun, "Is their anything else you wish or should I guide you back to your ship?"
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Post by M'thack-kir on Apr 2, 2018 22:32:18 GMT 10
"Please tell-tell the Inquisitors," Kiru replies jovially, then turns around, ready to return to his home.
Itsuki manages to refrain from sighing or slamming his head on the nearest wall, and bows, waiting for dismissal or escort.
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Post by Hida Tetsuko on Apr 3, 2018 0:33:57 GMT 10
"My only request is this, Shiba-san," said Tetsuko seriously. "That my clan also be notified of these findings. It is our ancestral duty to guard against such threats, no matter how they are...presented."
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Post by emeralddragon on Apr 3, 2018 14:40:27 GMT 10
The Shiba's On could be carved from stone as the Crab implies that interference in Asako's historic records is the business of anyone besides the Phoenix.
The Seppun's eyes narrow briefly and for a moment it appears like he will be silent as well. But then he gives a rough laugh, and said, "I will make sure anything to do with your Imperal charter is passed to your clan."
The Shiba's eye widen briefly but her On remains fixed. Whether this is due to shock, surprise or joy is hard to determine.
((OOC:Hida-san roll Courtier/Awareness))
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