Tactics For Hosts and Guests - Revision history

JasonK at 23:13, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T23:13:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:13, 25 February 2007
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	==On Foreign Ground, Strike Deep==		==On Foreign Ground, Strike Deep==
	Though [[Choshu Ishi]] wanted, more than anything, to end the fight with a single, swift blow, he had learned the value of patience where [[Mayhiros Xenon] was concerned; he would wait to see the secret of these "new tricks" before he struck. He flooded his anima with more Essence and the mica there took on the Radiance of a Glowing Coal, even as a phantom colossus rose up around him.		Though [[Choshu Ishi]] wanted, more than anything, to end the fight with a single, swift blow, he had learned the value of patience where [[Mayhiros Xenon]] was concerned; he would wait to see the secret of these "new tricks" before he struck. He flooded his anima with more Essence and the mica there took on the Radiance of a Glowing Coal, even as a phantom colossus rose up around him.

	Ishi didn't have to wait long for Xenon's trick. The horselord threw his lance, Pine Needle, high into the air and put an arrow to his bow as he rode his black [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] battler in a hard circle around the Ivory Dragon. Xenon cried out "The Rose Has Many Thorns" as he drew back the bowstring and green-glowing thorny vines seemed to grow beneath him as he let the arrow fly.		Ishi didn't have to wait long for Xenon's trick. The horselord threw his lance, Pine Needle, high into the air and put an arrow to his bow as he rode his black [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukani]] battler in a hard circle around the Ivory Dragon. Xenon cried out "The Rose Has Many Thorns" as he drew back the bowstring and green-glowing thorny vines seemed to grow beneath him as he let the arrow fly.

JasonK at 23:13, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T23:13:19Z

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 ==On Foreign Ground, Strike Deep==
 ----
 [[Heaven's Mandate]]

JasonK at 21:04, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T21:04:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:04, 25 February 2007
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	"My lords are heroes!"		"My lords are heroes!"

	"No!" Xenon shook his head. "They each have dreams would see fulfilled, and they would ~~use~~ my people~~, change them~~ into something else, to see their own needs met. You prize heroism, Choshu Ishi. If you would be a hero to the Marukan, learn to ride as my people do, turn away from these Solars and help me drive them and their ambitions from this land."		"No!" Xenon shook his head. "They each have dreams they would see fulfilled, and they would change my people into something else to see them come to pass. They would use the souls of others to their own needs met. Is that a hero's mark?

			"You prize heroism, Choshu Ishi. If you would be a hero to the Marukan, learn to ride as my people do, turn away from these Solars and help me drive them and their ambitions from this land."

	The Ivory Dragon seemed barely to listen to Xenon's words; he shouted, "I would be a hero to the whole Scavenger Lands!" More white Earth Essence bled into his anima, and Xenon saw his muscles ripple with the Strength of Stone.		The Ivory Dragon seemed barely to listen to Xenon's words; he shouted, "I would be a hero to the whole Scavenger Lands!" More white Earth Essence bled into his anima, and Xenon saw his muscles ripple with the Strength of Stone.
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	Xenon dropped into his own Lightning Hoof Form and grew calm as his anima called the waving grasses of the Marukani plain up from the ground beneath his horse's feet. He held up his jade powerbow, Cloud of Pollen. "I have learned new tricks in the weeks since last we fought, Ishi. If you will not join me, you'd do well to turn back to your masters now."		Xenon dropped into his own Lightning Hoof Form and grew calm as his anima called the waving grasses of the Marukani plain up from the ground beneath his horse's feet. He held up his jade powerbow, Cloud of Pollen. "I have learned new tricks in the weeks since last we fought, Ishi. If you will not join me, you'd do well to turn back to your masters now."

	"My lords will thank me, all Marukan will thank me, for ridding the land of a coward and traitor!" Ishi gave a final twist of his wrist, activating the Five-Dragon Blocking Technique~~, even as~~ Xenon did the same, ~~and~~ battle was joined.		"My lords will thank me, all of Marukan will thank me, for ridding the land of a coward and traitor!" Ishi gave a final twist of his wrist, activating the Five-Dragon Blocking Technique. Xenon saw and did the same. And then, battle was joined.

JasonK at 21:01, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T21:01:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:01, 25 February 2007
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	"Lying dog!"		"Lying dog!"

	Xenon gripped his weapons, and his temper, tighter. "To my shame, you provoked me to recklessness at Madai. To my regret, you drove me from the field [[Strategies_For_Mountains_and_Valleys\|in Yabu Valley]]. I'd hoped you wouldn't come here."		Xenon gripped his weapons, and his temper, tighter. "To my shame, you provoked me to recklessness [[The_Crow_and_Cloud_Formation\|at Madai]]. To my regret, you drove me from the field [[Strategies_For_Mountains_and_Valleys\|in Yabu Valley]]. I'd hoped you wouldn't come here."

	"Because you're afraid."		"Because you're afraid."

JasonK at 21:00, 25 February 2007

2007-02-25T21:00:18Z

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-==On Home Ground, Assemble the People, Initiate No Action==
+==On Home Ground, Initiate No Action==
 ----
 [[Heaven's Mandate]]

JasonK at 07:17, 24 February 2007

2007-02-24T07:17:52Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:17, 24 February 2007
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	[[Choshu Ishi]] walked the path to White Stone without company. ~~With the Black Thunder Lancers'~~ [[Strategies For Mountains and Valleys\|~~defeat~~]]~~, he had no more need of strategy;~~ [[Mayhiros Xenon]] ~~stood undefended~~. He had ~~split the talon into scales, placed each under the command of different member of~~ [[The Zhuque Brotherhood]] and ~~bade them return to their patrol of eastern [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukan]]; there were still [[Chapter 7\|demons to find]]~~. ~~The last fight would be personal.~~		[[Choshu Ishi]] walked the path to White Stone without company. A few of his soldiers had lost their lives [[Strategies For Mountains and Valleys\|when last he fought]] with [[Mayhiros Xenon]] and his [[Waterless Rain\|masked ally]], but many more had been injured. One of his relays, Ashitare Wei, had been pinned by three arrows; impetuous Hoto Xing had broken leg and ribs beneath a horse’s hooves when [[The Zhuque Brotherhood]] had broken the Black Thunder Lancers’ charge; and Smiling Tao’s recovery was taking longer than any had expected – whatever other skills he had, he healed as a merely mortal man.

	~~Smiling Tao had delivered~~ the ~~best of his considerable intelligence, but White Stone held precious little to report~~. ~~A range town~~, ~~like any of~~ the ~~dozens of others that dotted the northern Marukan, it counted some three hundred people, twenty five families, as residents,~~ and ~~they relied mostly on sheep for~~ their ~~livelihood. White Stone stood out in only one respect: it hosted~~ the [[~~Stables~~ of ~~the Smaller Circle~~]]~~, Mayhiros Xenon's manse, headquarters and school~~.		It shouldn’t matter, in any case; the time for strategy was over. Xenon’s forces had scattered, with some even joining [[An Oathsworn Circle\|the Solars’]] side and racing their way with Ishi’s injured talons back to the [[Eye of Hiparkes]]. This last fight would be personal.

	~~None~~ of the ~~range town's residents stopped Ishi~~ as ~~he walked through~~ the ~~open gate, although he came in~~ his ~~full panoply of war~~. ~~Those few~~ men and ~~women he saw simply waved to him from in~~ the ~~middle of their tasks; it~~ was ~~almost as if they thought he was there for the Spring Market rather than a duel~~. ~~Ishi waved back and continued~~, ~~confused, towards the manse~~.		Not that Xenon was undefended. Ishi met a scattered few of his foe’s still-loyal Black Thunder Lancers on the road, as they rode hard back to their master’s hand or patrolled the land around his hold. He fought them in the way that brave men should, but they were mortal and the outcome was never really in doubt. Even with those delays, Ishi’s trip to White Stone took barely five days.

	~~He arrived to find~~ the ~~stables buzzing with activity as what must have been most~~ of ~~the town's populace piled in through the open main gate~~. ~~Ishi paused~~, ~~took in~~ the ~~manse's solid stone foundation~~, ~~the straight wood walls~~, and ~~then joined the crowd as~~ they ~~filed in~~. ~~"What~~'s ~~going on," he asked the men nearest him~~, ~~but they only smiled or laughed~~ and ~~moved on~~.		Smiling Tao had earlier delivered the best of his considerable intelligence, but there was precious little for him to report. A range town, like any of the dozens of others that dotted the northern [[The Marukan Alliance\|Marukan]], it counted some three hundred people, twenty five families, as residents, and they relied mostly on sheep for their livelihood. White Stone stood out in only one respect: it hosted the [[Stables of the Smaller Circle]], Mayhiros Xenon's manse, headquarters and school.

	Ishi ~~felt little choice~~ but to ~~follow~~.		Ishi kept to the shadows as he made his way through the open gate and deeper into the town. Stealth was not his strong suit, but he had the camouflage systems of his gunzosha armor to aid him and none of the townsmen marked his passage. The rustics were engaged, happily it seemed, in the business of Marukani life. The shearers were busy with their blades, stripping the winter fleece from their sheep in time to have it flaxed for the Spring Market; the farmers crushed their rice in the grist mill; and the smiths pounded away at their forges, turning out mostly horseshoes, it seemed. The Ivory Dragon sighed; he had hoped to find a more despondent group of peasants to rescue.

	~~Inside~~ the stables was a courtyard, open to the air~~, with low wooden benches all around,~~ fronting on twenty five large horse stalls. A few had fine Marukani battlers inside, but most stood empty; this was probably where the Black Thunder Lancers houses their mounts when they were at rest. ~~The townsmen sat~~ on the ~~benches and talked excitedly amongst themselves~~, ~~passing small rice cakes around to share~~. ~~The Ivory Dragon~~ stood in the ~~courtyard~~ and ~~tried not to look confused; Mayhiros Xenon had prepared an arena for~~ the ~~two of them, but why? Fame as a hero was~~ one ~~thing, but an exhibition was something else entirely~~.		He found the stables exactly as Smiling Tao had described; a solid foundation of fitted stone supporting straight wooden walls. Inside was a courtyard, open to the air and fronting on twenty five large horse stalls. A few had fine Marukani battlers inside, but most stood empty; this was probably where the Black Thunder Lancers houses their mounts when they were at rest. Ladders rose from the walls to higher level lofts on either side of the courtyard, but Ishi doubted their wood could support his armored weight. Two small doors stood closed on either side, near the stalls, and a great door stood opposite the one he had entered.

	~~And then~~ the ~~crowd grew silent as~~ Xenon ~~himself~~ rode his black charger ~~slowly through the opposite door gate~~. He had a jade powerbow in his left hand and his lance, Pine Needle, in his right, and Ishi saw ~~from~~ his ~~posture that he had~~ already ~~assumed~~ the ~~Lightning Hoof Form~~. "~~Welcome, Choshu Ishi~~. ~~Are~~ you ~~ready~~ to ~~end this fight~~?"		Through this last door, open to the fields beyond, Mayhiros Xenon rode on his black charger. He had a jade powerbow in his left hand and his lance, Pine Needle, in his right, and Ishi saw that his anima already crackled slightly green with the power of his Elemental Halo's Mercy. "And so you’ve come. Will you hound me to the ends of the earth? Chase me from every home I care to name?"

	Ishi drew [[Hidden Riches]], dropped into the Five-Dragon Form and said, ~~"Once~~ and ~~for all."~~		Ishi drew his blade, [[Hidden Riches]], and dropped into the Five-Dragon Form, left hand extended, fingers up, with the right hand holding a sword close to his chest, pointed forward and parallel to the ground. He said, “Name whatever home you care to, save one that belongs to another. [[The Crow and Cloud Formation\|Madai was never yours to claim!]]”

JasonK at 08:40, 21 February 2007

2007-02-21T08:40:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:40, 21 February 2007
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	Ishi felt little choice but to follow.		Ishi felt little choice but to follow.

			Inside the stables was a courtyard, open to the air, with low wooden benches all around, fronting on twenty five large horse stalls. A few had fine Marukani battlers inside, but most stood empty; this was probably where the Black Thunder Lancers houses their mounts when they were at rest. The townsmen sat on the benches and talked excitedly amongst themselves, passing small rice cakes around to share. The Ivory Dragon stood in the courtyard and tried not to look confused; Mayhiros Xenon had prepared an arena for the two of them, but why? Fame as a hero was one thing, but an exhibition was something else entirely.

			And then the crowd grew silent as Xenon himself rode his black charger slowly through the opposite door gate. He had a jade powerbow in his left hand and his lance, Pine Needle, in his right, and Ishi saw from his posture that he had already assumed the Lightning Hoof Form. "Welcome, Choshu Ishi. Are you ready to end this fight?"

			Ishi drew [[Hidden Riches]], dropped into the Five-Dragon Form and said, "Once and for all."

JasonK at 07:18, 21 February 2007

2007-02-21T07:18:13Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:18, 21 February 2007
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	He arrived to find the stables buzzing with activity as what must have been most of the town's populace piled in through the open main gate. Ishi paused, took in the manse's solid stone foundation, the straight wood walls, and then joined the crowd as they filed in. "What's going on," he asked the men nearest him, but they only smiled or laughed and moved on.		He arrived to find the stables buzzing with activity as what must have been most of the town's populace piled in through the open main gate. Ishi paused, took in the manse's solid stone foundation, the straight wood walls, and then joined the crowd as they filed in. "What's going on," he asked the men nearest him, but they only smiled or laughed and moved on.

			Ishi felt little choice but to follow.

JasonK at 07:14, 21 February 2007

2007-02-21T07:14:46Z

New page

[[Choshu Ishi]] walked the path to White Stone without company. With the Black Thunder Lancers' [[Strategies For Mountains and Valleys|defeat]], he had no more need of strategy; [[Mayhiros Xenon]] stood undefended. He had split the talon into scales, placed each under the command of different member of [[The Zhuque Brotherhood]] and bade them return to their patrol of eastern [[The Marukan Alliance|Marukan]]; there were still [[Chapter 7|demons to find]]. The last fight would be personal.

Smiling Tao had delivered the best of his considerable intelligence, but White Stone held precious little to report. A range town, like any of the dozens of others that dotted the northern Marukan, it counted some three hundred people, twenty five families, as residents, and they relied mostly on sheep for their livelihood. White Stone stood out in only one respect: it hosted the [[Stables of the Smaller Circle]], Mayhiros Xenon's manse, headquarters and school.

None of the range town's residents stopped Ishi as he walked through the open gate, although he came in his full panoply of war. Those few men and women he saw simply waved to him from in the middle of their tasks; it was almost as if they thought he was there for the Spring Market rather than a duel. Ishi waved back and continued, confused, towards the manse.

He arrived to find the stables buzzing with activity as what must have been most of the town's populace piled in through the open main gate. Ishi paused, took in the manse's solid stone foundation, the straight wood walls, and then joined the crowd as they filed in. "What's going on," he asked the men nearest him, but they only smiled or laughed and moved on.

==On Home Ground, Assemble the People, Initiate No Action==

----
[[Heaven's Mandate]]