[L5R] River of Dreams IC

[Lost Soul]

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2012/267/8/6/mystic_river_by_maximecourty-d5fqqfr.jpg

You are falling... or perhaps rising? You can tell from the air circling around you. Yet it does not feel like air. It does not feel like wind. It feels empty. And then, as a shell connects to a turtle's back, you are connected to the emptiness. You are a wind that is not a wind. Time passes...

...until finally: Your eyes open and a river lies before you...

You stand atop a small, rocky hill. The land around you is lightly forested, full of mostly lush aspen trees. A chilling breeze is in the air but you find yourself protected by a small cloth mask covering your mouth and nose.


As you look closely, the shadows of the trees appear to be on the wrong side; i.e. if the sun is on your left then the shadow is as well. You look around you and all the shadows appear to be... wrong.


The river has two directions. One leads inward, dispersing into a thin stream consisting of a series of dozens of ascending waterfalls. The other direction leads outwards and appears to have no end in sight, surrounded by hills on either side.

As you take in the area, you suddenly realize that someone is standing next to you!


You are wearing a stereotypical Scorpion outfit, with your Clan mon on your back and your family mon on either one of your shoulders. The person next to you is wearing something similar, but his family mon is the intricate web of the Shosuro.

He seems to be a boy around your age, a bit smaller than you, wearing the same cloth mask.

When you look down, you realize that you are also wearing a daisho that is unfamiliar to you.


You notice that the boy next to you is wearing your sensei's daisho!




You are wearing a stereotypical Scorpion outfit, with your Clan mon on your back and your family mon on either one of your shoulders. The person next to you is wearing something similar, but his family mon is that of the scorpion in water, that of the Bayushi.

He seems to be a boy around your age, a bit larger than you, wearing the same cloth mask.

When you look down, you realize that you are also wearing a daisho that is unfamiliar to you.


You notice that the boy next to you is wearing your sensei's daisho!

[Maugan Ra]

"Am I dreaming?"

The Shosuro is a small boy, slim of figure and dark of hair, his eyes bright and inquisitive above the cloth veil wrapped around his face. There is a slightly distracted tone to his voice as he looks around, and after a moment he nods to himself, spotting the impossible shadows.

"I must be. That is not what Ningen-do looks like." He says, half to himself. "But... I have never dreamed and known of it at the time. How strange."

It is at that point that he notices the other boy standing beside him, and his eyes widen in momentary shock. Then, remembering the harsh lessons of his sensei, he bows.

"Forgiveness, Bayushi-san." He says softly, keen eyes picking out the family Mon on his counterpart's shoulders. Uncertain of the other boy's status, he defaults to the more generally respectful 'san' for his address, and bows only so low as to one of unknown station. "I am Shosuro Asheki."

Then his eyes land on the swords belted at his counterpart's waist, and a frown creases his features. "And with respect, those swords do not belong to you."

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Where...are we?"

Even his mask could not betray his quizzical look. He stood tall and broad shouldered, but wore deliberately oversize clothing to mask a child that had grown quickly but unevenly. His mask was small, barely a strip of cloth covering his mouth and nose, and his hair was cut short.

"The trees. Look at them. A wakeful dream? It seems impossible, but his else would one explain this? A bout of collective madness for the both of us? Seems equally unlikely"

He leans down, running his fingers along a rock licked with spray from the stream. He rubs the water between his fingers.

"Feels real enough. How strange. And it would appear you've my daisho as well. What do you make of that? I am called Hoi, by the way"

[Maugan Ra]

"The Realm of Dreams, perhaps. I might blame one of its denziens, or perhaps my sensei seeking to teach us both a lesson of some kind..."

Asheki's fingers drum on the hilt of his sword for a moment or two, before he grasps the blade and removes it - still sheathed - from his belt. "An exchange? If this is a dream, then there is meaning here of some kind. And... I should feel more comfortable with my sensei's swords than those of a stranger."

[JustPlayItLoud]

"Agreed"

Hoi pulls the unfamiliar blades from his obi and exchanged them for his own. After taking a moment to place his swords just right, he continued.

"If this is a test of some sort, I doubt that it should benefit us to stay here indefinitely. Be you real or a construct of my dream, perhaps we should at the least attempt to discern the nature of this dream. What say you?"

[Maugan Ra]

"I am quite real... but I accept that proving such would be difficult." Asheki admits, taking a moment to set the swords in his obi. He will avoid drawing them if at all possible, for they are not his and his sensei might be angered by the disrespect, but it is good to have the option.

Thoughtfully, he gestures at the river. "Following a natural feature seems more sensible than wandering blindly. It seems we are faced with a choice as to which way to go - the forest or the hills?"

[JustPlayItLoud]

"I must say, your admitting that makes me inclined to believe you. One would think a dream creature would put up a more argument"

Hoi looked around, tapping his fingers on his saya, as he tried to decide if he'd been serious or if he'd made a joke.

"Ordinarily the hills seem like the safer choice, but why wouldn't I indulge my sense of adventure in a dream?"


Hoi took off in the direction of the forest. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation or the significance of the appearance of a fellow Scorpion, but he was eager to get to the bottom of it all.

[Lost Soul]

Hoi sets out into the forest.

Asheki follows closely behind. As Hoi turns his head to make sure Asheki is there, the two boys notice something strange. Although they had walked slightly perpendicular to the stream, the stream remained parallel and no further from sight.

A bird call is heard. A brightly colored red heron flies between the young samurai, seemingly and impossibly flying backwards. Each boy gazes up at it and find its head slightly cocked, its eyes clearly staring at him. It disappears into the treeline.

The Scorpion pause to reflect when, suddenly, their vision goes black.


A powerful wind lifts you off your feet, wrapping you in a vortex that has robbed your vision. The vortex slowly turns cold; colder than even the tremendous chill of the wind. You realize that the air has turned to water, and you can feel yourself drowning. That same feeling of emptiness you had earlier has returned.

A voice is heard, spoken from within the water. Bubbles erupt all around your ears and the thickness of the liquid makes it hard and dull to understand but you hear nonetheless: "Is this adventure enough, Bayushi?"

Make a Water Ring / Void check (roll Water + Void, keep Void)



You feel a powerful gust of wind rushing over you, making it hard to breathe. But you can feel subtle variations in the gust, as if the force of the wind was suggesting you move one way or the other. That same feeling of emptiness you had earlier has returned.

You feel objects being tossed into your hand : The hilt of a blade, the rivet of a folding fan, and the edge of some bamboo. At least, you think that's what these items are; your sight continues to elude you. These same three items begin to cycle and you can feel the wind entering the crevices of your fingers and then pushing down on them, as if telling you to choose.

Make an Air Ring/ Void check (roll Air + Void, keep Void)

[Maugan Ra]

Standing alone, buffeted by the maelstrom and surrounded by the raw force of elemental wind, Asheki does the only thing he can think to do - he laughs. His head tilts back and his arms spread out to his side, the young Shosuro delights in the sensation of air all around him, feeling the way it catches at his robes and runs across his skin.

He is more certain than ever, now, that this is some kind of vision. Precisely what a scarlet crane flying backwards might mean, he has no idea, but such is often the case with portents - they are to be interpreted later, solved with the aid of context and advice from those more knowledgeable than he. But the choice presented, that at least is easier to grasp, even if he must always be aware that he might be thinking of it incorrectly.

"I already have a sword, and mysteries are to be approached at length, not seized on instinct." He says aloud, though the roaring wind steals most of the detail from his voice. "The choice is obvious."

The wind suggests which way he moves, and it carries the unknown objects with it. For one as in touch with it as he is, it is a simple matter to bring the two together. He takes a step, reaches out and catches the rivet from the fan in a light but unyielding hand.

And rolling Air/Void, so 6k2.

[roll0]

Explosions from the left: [roll1]

Total = 24

[JustPlayItLoud]

Though this was unlike anything he had experienced before, Hoi had been raised a Scorpion. He refused to allow himself panic or anger. He made sure to gather his calm and slow his breaths before speaking. He slowly began to speak, listening closely to gather any information that could be had.

"What nonsense is this? Are you toying with me? Do you seek to punish or judge me for empty talk? If you wish me to beg for my life, for answers, for succor then kill me now and wash your hands of it. I should rather die than face the disgrace of some boorish interrogator that will not even face me. Tell me your purpose or allow me to get comfortable until you kill or free me"

[Lost Soul]

Pain runs through you, although you find yourself able to talk.

The dull voice from earlier pauses in response to your words. You can feel the pressure of the water intensifying, as if you are falling deep or perhaps the vortex is growing stronger. Just as you begin to think this is the end, bubbles rapidly form and burst all around you and you hear laughter. "Wash... Wash... Wash my hands of it?! Haha! Your humor is even greater than your pride!"

You feel yourself rising and the vortex weakening until it is no more. You are thrown out of water and can feel wet dirt upon your fingertips.

The image of a fisherman in strange clothes blinks into your mind for just a moment's time. He wears red clothes alongside a brown jacket. You hear laughter and coughing, that of an old man's...

http://www.mortenesolberg.com/River_Of_Dreams.jpg




You grab at the fan and it falls easily into your hand. Immediately, you hear the sound of water clashing violently with the air around you. You feel yourself spinning, as a small ball bowled down the floor, or a pebble hopping across water.

The air finally stops.

The image of a fisherman in strange clothes blinks into your mind for just a moment's time. He wears red clothes alongside a brown jacket. You hear laughter and coughing, that of an old man's...

http://www.mortenesolberg.com/River_Of_Dreams.jpg


...the laughter grows louder, and the boys' sights clear.

The land is covered in a heavy fog. The river from before is here, larger now, different now, yet the boys can feel it is the same river. Dozens of trees lie upon each other going easily 30 feet up in a semi-circular formation, blocking off the rest of the land ... if there even is any more land to be seen. There is only this small patch of land, the trees, the river, and of course the fog.

The fisherman from earlier appears before you, sitting upon a simple wooden stool. His jacket has turned black and its back has a symbol upon it:

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080430205124/l5r/images/0/0f/Mon_monk.jpg

His line is set far into the water in front of him. He now wears a more conical hat that covering the majority of his head. He tips his comically oversized ronin-gasa at the young samurai before returning the hand to his pole and setting the other hand upon a paint brush. A blank canvas and stand are situated to his left.

Asheki sits to the fisherman's right upon a similar wooden stool. A courtly fan rests in his hand, open. A bamboo fishing rod lies at his feet, with smoke and the beginnings of a fire erupting along one of its edges.

Hoi lies on the ground by the river, soaked in water, and coughs up a tiny fish, which flops around and jumps back into the stream. An oversized rat biting down upon a small blade is at his side. The rat sways its head up and down, left and right, its blade going in and out of the water, as if trying to catch a fish.

It becomes apparent that the laughter is coming from the fisherman, although his chest does not move up and down as would be normal for such a voluminous sound.

"Put out that fire!" he croaks at Asheki, his voice sickly, like that of a dying man. "And get up!" he yells at Hoi. "By Ebisu, these fish aren't going to catch themselves." He taps a nearby pot full of fish with his knee.


Despite no longer being dulled by the thickness of water, you realize the fisherman's voice sounds just like the voice that was taunting you earlier.



As you try to catch the fisherman's gaze through the slits, you realize that there are no eyes to catch; his face is a blur of darkness and white lines. It is hard to tell with the odd sugegasa upon his head.



The mon the fisherman wears upon his back is that of the Brotherhood of Shinsei.

[Maugan Ra]

A student well used to taking orders, Asheki reacts more to the tone of the old man's voice than the actual words. A simple flick of the foot propels the fishing rod up into the air, where he catches it with his free hand and dunks the burning sections in the river, that being the quickest and most effective way he can come up with to quench the flames.

That done, he turns back towards the unknown man, and pauses.

"What does a faceless monk want with fish?" He asks warily. This dream, if dream it is, is growing stranger with every passing second.

[JustPlayItLoud]

Perhaps it was a bit of arrogance or perhaps he was more stunned than he would let on, but Hoi failed to notice anything especially strange about the fisherman save the mon on his back. He pulled himself up to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, taking a moment to keep his mask secured.

"A Shinseist fisherman? And a fishing...rat? What sort of madness is this, monk?"