CathayKa - Lord of the Five Rings History
20 years ago
Summer
A moonless night.
A Rokugan castle situated on top of a hill.
The song of the cicadas can be heard in the background. They suddenly stop.
Shadows move along the castle wall. The shadows move across the clear expanse surrounding the castle towards the forest.
Spring
The sun beats down on a small farming village. Peach & cherry blossoms bloom from the trees. Colorful dolls and banners wave from the houses. It is Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival or Girl’s Festival). Villagers young & old are in the town center happily watching the small troupe of circus performers. Housewives and children watch the acrobats and contortionists. Excitement can be felt in the air as mouth-agape they watch “The Great Shojiro” throw his sharp knives at the frail-looking young lady standing in front of a board.
In a small traveling circus cart parked away from the small village, a newborn baby cries. A young maiden tenderly carries the girl child to her mother and says, “She is a beautiful child, milady Noriko.” The mother smiles, thanks the girl and lovingly brings the child to her breast to suckle.
About 3 years later
Another small village in Rokugan
Cherry blossoms blooming, the sun is shining.
A girl child about 3years of age fearlessly rides a horse seated in front of a man. The man holds a bow & arrow at the ready while the horse races across the field 1. A target is set to the left of the field. The man easily hits the target. The child gleefully claps all the way to the end of the course. A lady patiently waits for them to reach her. The man hands the child to the lady and gets off the horse. They all walk towards the blanket under a cherry blossom tree laden with various items of food. They talk and eat quietly while the girl child plays off to the side. After eating, the man gingerly gathers the child in his arms and takes an amulet from his neck and puts it on the child. “You are my heir. You are the future.”, the man says in a solemn tone and kisses the child tenderly on her forehead. The amulet is made out of gold inlaid with intricate patterns overlaid with the symbol of the Scorpion.
They spend a lazy afternoon lounging under the tree. Their peace is suddenly broken by a man’s hoarse cry in the distance. A man rushes from the bushes towards the family. “They’ve found us! Run Master! Ruuu----ughn!” The man slowly falls to the ground. Several arrows and shurikens riddle his back as he falls.
The young master calmly takes his bow and arrows and stands to defend his family. The lady moves away to hide the child and shortly returns to her husband’s side.
Bayushi Family of the Scorpion Clan
Hina Matsuri - Doll Festival or Girl’s Festival
1Yabusame – mounted archery
Summer
A sunny day
Grass fields sway in the breeze
A well-traveled dirt road runs through the fields
A joyful sound of whistling is coming from the dirt path. From the crest of the ridge a man dressed in monk’s robes slowly walks into view. He is of medium height, heavy set with a slightly rounding belly. His round face is emphasized by his baldness. There is a twinkle in his small almond eyes as he walks along. The lines on his face suggest that he is a man that likes to smile and laugh a lot. His kimono, tekko1 and tabi2 are all simple, well-worn and dyed a dark indigo blue. Around his neck are his prayer beads made of wood. On his back is a small pack covered by his takuhatsu gasa3. On his left hand is a long wooden staff and on his right arm is a small sleeping child.
Takahashi Kentaro is on his way back to the Shinsen monastery on the border of the Scorpion and Unicorn clans after several months of traveling. He has just come from the Scorpion Daimyo’s castle and was entrusted a valuable scroll for the holy abbot of the Brotherhood of the Shinsen. What message the scroll contains he does not know. All he knows that it is imperative that he hands this scroll to the abbot himself.
Two days ago he came upon this girl child wandering in the fields alone and crying for her mother and father. Searching the surrounding areas proved somewhat fruitful. In the next field, he found a bloody blanket under the trees. There were two pools of blood in the clearing where the bodies must have lain. There are signs that the bodies were dragged away. This could only have been the child’s parents. “Poor child, the gods must have meant for me to find you. Do not worry, you are in good hands.”, He thought. So he travels now with this foundling child. It is time to take an apprentice.
1 Tekko – hand cover
2 Tabi – cotton sock (divides big toe from other toes)
3 Takuhatsu gasa – monk’s begging hat
Kyahan – leggings
Waraji – footwear made of rope/ jute
Date UNKNOWN Time UNKNOWN
I am weary. I am being watched. I have neither seen nor heard any living person for several days but still this feeling persists. I have had this sensation since leaving the monastery. It has not abated. Traveling by night only intensifies this sense of doom. I have chosen to travel by day to alleviate this menace.
I have traveled many months to reach this land. I am told it is called Brightstone. It is a strange but interesting place. I hope that it will not take long for me to find what I seek.
Brightstone
The lords of Brightstone are seeking assistance from all that are able to defend this land of theirs from the Githyanki. I have heard talk from my wanderings in this town that a number of good people have been captured by the Githyanki. Could my master be one of them? I must find out.
Brightstone
Hall of the Lords
There are so many different people in this place. I see that some of my brothers and sisters of the Rokugan empire were also drawn to this land. What is this? A lady from the Unicorn clan is here. She has a regal bearing. I wonder if she is one of the great families or one of their by-blows? There seems to be a panda that’s always near her, could it be her pet? Kawaii yo--. (How cute!)
Such a great number of beautiful people gathered in such a small place! A Blessed One! We are indeed fortunate to have one of such holiness. They call him St. Jorune.
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