Weather: Day 7

[Cearnach]

The temperature today has a high of 55 (13 C) and a low of 46 (8 C). The day is miserably humid and overcast, with intermittent 6 mph (10 kph) winds.

THE MOON IS FULL!

Events Today
MM-EN: The Despair of Lord Ikoma
EA: Court
MA: Theatre: Stage, Audience
MN: Scene: Telephone Line
Extended Event: The Sumai Tournament (Days 7-12):

[Fukurokujin]

“Seppun Sadako looked so magnificent in court standing up for her family the other day. No wonder she is perhaps the most eligible woman in the Empire… Such beauty, honor, and commitment… The total package.” (TN45)

"All these unspecific marriage contracts hiding alliances between the clans being brought up without the approval of the Imperial Matchmaker? Are the clans again conspiring again to ignore the Emperor? Or can they just not be burdened to hide their filthy love for lucre? It must have broken the Empress' heart in her last days to see the clans fall back into their old short-sighted ways..." (TN45)

"It must be particularly hard on the Imperial families... They knew her best of all."

"We're lucky to have such valiant people at the helm in this crazy time... Imagine how much worse it would be without Sadako-sama, and the rest of the Imperial Officers..." (TN45)

"I heard that the Lion are refusing to meet with the Scorpion. You'd think such an honorable clan would be courteous enough to meet with every clan their hosting on behalf of the Empress, wouldn't you?" (TN30)

"The Crane have certainly been shining examples of honor at court haven't they? Although, well-intentioned as it may have been, calling out the Lion for that security breach was kind of insulting, don't you think?"

"Lord Ikoma has been really devastated since the Empress' passing."
"So are we all."
"No, I mean, this is really bad. He won't even acknowledge you when you speak. I don't think he's *bathed*."
"That's nasty. But then, Kitsu Shintaro strutting around like he's got the sun in his pocket isn't the best look, either."

"Heard the Empress' ronin arrived last night, two days late and a koku short."

"The Emerald Magistrate's back."
"Yeah, saw her up at Crane House last night."
"No, not her, the other one! The Dragon one!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, and let me tell you, she looked *pissed!*"

"I guess Lady Shiba and the Chancellor had a disagreement last night. Something about whether court can reconvene without an Emperor. Ain't either of 'em looked happy when they left."

"Lady Bayushi requested the Empress' visiting logs from Lady Seppun. Don't know if she got 'em."

[Fukurokujin]

Letters

A rather large scroll for a standard letter offering is delivered to the Crane delegation, though many look at it on its way. The paper once as pure as now, has now been walked upon by an ink brush....though much of the snow remains untouched.

From one of the scroll rods dangles a thin silk cord with a simple origami crane made of paper entirely stained with black ink. The other has a similar crane of white, with writing on it. Unwrapped, one side reads:
To achieve balance
Sometimes the flower must bend
Ikebana, and

When creating an Ikebana display, sometimes elements must be bent to display their true potential. All art is thus.
The other side concludes:
There is room for a story
Of many brushes attached
The letter itself is poetry...traditional. But certainly bends the rules to attach something that seems to ask for...more.


This is a story written by many hands and seen by many more eyes. Multiple paths join together to form this road, to a destination yet invisible to our eyes, but set upon by our hearts.

And so we begin, fittingly enough, with a man named Jo, walking down a path. Jo, like many men, had his good points, and he had his bad points. Among his good points was his extreme loyalty to his friends. His back bore many scars, each it's own story of an arrow or a spear taken for another. For Jo was a yojimbo of no small talent, though of small means. And thus, when he received a letter from his dear friend Pei, asking for Jo to make the long journey to visit him, Jo naturally set off before even Lady Sun has shown even a glimmer of her gaze.

(GoL 35. Start of a round robin story.)

[Fukurokujin]

Get your rumors and letters in!