Session Report: 23 October 2020
The Ill-Omened Tournament
General Summary
In this session of Tsuwamono, the following events transpired:
The Mōri Tournament: Day 311/15/1559: 09:00 (Morning)
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: The Mōri Tournament: Day 3 (Continued)
After a few matches had passed, significantly including Fubuki's own, the cold-eyed "oni" found herself* approached by an armed and armored guard of the Mōri Clan. Aiō Mototsuna desired to speak with her* and she* should follow him without delay, the guard intoned ominously. Fubuki assented, following the samurai for a short jaunt across the northern stands. Aiō Mototsuna stood there in the Mōri box, looking down as Fubuki approached. His eyes did not appear angry or suspicious above his mask. Instead, they were alight with hopeful curiosity. The reason for his summons soon became clear. It was Kintoki's Hatchet, which Fubuki had used without subtlety in her* match against Mōri Takamoto. Mototsuna wanted to know where she'd* gotten it and, most importantly, if Sakata no Kintoki still lived. Fubuki admitted that, to her* knowledge, Kintoki still lived in the lands of the Hashinara. The weapon here in the arena was a copy, a perfect replica created by some strange twist of time and fate. Indeed, she* would not have brought it if not certain that Kintoki would not follow. Mototsuna proved receptive to Fubuki's explanation. While disappointed that the Golden Child still lived, he accepted knowledge of her whereabouts as more than enough reward for his questions. With a word of appreciation, the two bowed and Fubuki returned to her* seat. Meanwhile, Ryūzaki Sanosuke had noticed something curious. Kitsuno, a flamboyant oni of uncommon tastes who had recently rejoined The Wolfpack as Maxim's adviser, had just crossed the width of the stands to speak with Mōri Motonari. The two now conversed in hushed tones. Being not as keen of ear, Sanosuke relied on his trusted retainer Motoyama Tsugutoshi to eavesdrop for him. Tsugutoshi's report turned out to be vague. There was something about "The Wolfpack" and "Knight Commander Maxim." The conclusion she drew from the overheard conversation was that Lord Maxim, who had entered the tournament under the alias of "Swordsman," no longer wished to remain anonymous. In an attempt to follow-up on this information, Sanosuke reached out to Kitsuno within the mental network. Indeed, the peach-garbed oni did seem to have been inducted at some point, and replied without delay. Kitsuno admitted that the business with Motonari had been regarding some Wolfpack business, but wouldn't elaborate further without Maxim's express approval. Sanosuke took this to mean that the topic must have been regarding secret business. He thanked Kitsuno and left it at that. When the final round had ended and the corpses cleared from the field, things finally began to settle down. This marked the closing of morning matches, and custom was to break for lunch before returning to the arena for clan matches at the sun's zenith in the sky at noon. Indeed, with fewer matches, it hadn't taken the whole morning to complete the individual bracket, and was still rather early for lunch. This didn't stop Kita Narikatsu, who scurried around the arena to invite each member of the Hashinara Clan to lunch with his sister, Mōri Motonari. Narikatsu began with Ryūzaki Sanosuke, who took it as an individual honor and accepted. This proved to be a wise starting point, as the Silver General adopted a sullen expression when he realized that the rest of the Five Cardinal Generals, and not just him alone, had been invited to attend. Then, Narikatsu moved to Hashinara Yoshitakatomo, Aotsuki Tsukamoto, and Maxim. Face-to-navel with the hulking foreigner, neither Narikatsu nor Maxim seemed thrilled at a repeat of their former meeting. A few rude words were exchanged, and the diminutive oni took it upon himself to retract his sister's invitation. As he sped off, however, Urashima Tarō caught the little whippersnapper by the collar and shook him around until he apologized. Maxim received a proper invite and a grudging sorry before Narikatsu was off. His next target was Fubuki, still in the basin of the arena, but first he stopped off by Yagyū Munetoshi and complimented her cat. The other, similarly-statured oni took this compliment in stride, but Narikatsu made a show of dropping something out of his pocket for her to find before running off. Munetoshi picked it up, granting Mori Hibiki a rare chance to escape her vise-like grip. He hopped onto her head and, after ensuring that the cat wasn't going anywhere, Munetoshi relented and the two read the note together. From his own place not far away in the stands, Maxim was able to spot that it seemed to be some kind of haiku, Eastern poetry, but he couldn't make out the details. When he reached Fubuki, Narikatsu implied that Motonari had invited someone that she* might know, but seemed to deliberately dance around the cold-eyed oni herself*. That seemed just fine with Fubuki, who sent the young man on his way. It was still early, but Mōri Motonari still looked wan and hungry. Perhaps she was quite eager to eat. Whatever the reason, the heroes of the Hashinara were all due at the Yakisoba Yashiki in Shimonoseki proper without delay.Tournament Day 3: Independent Match 4 (Morning)
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: Sasaki Kojirō vs. Ono Shigeyuki
The crowd in Shimonoseki's arena hadn't yet had time to recover from the brutal display that was Kōtenbō's loss at the hands of Honda Tadakatsu. After more than a moment of silence, Kikkawa no Myōkyū attempted to rouse the crowd once again with the announcement of this round's fighters. Sasaki Kojirō, esteemed Kensei loosely affiliated with the Silver Meteor Storm, would be clashing with Ono Shigeyuki, amazon Twin Wall of the Tachibana. The two took up sides across from each other and waited for the maidenly announcer to begin their match. Begin it she did, and Sasaki Kojirō took the first action by ducking behind that enormous stained-glass cube still hunkering in the northwestern corner of the arena. This left her obscured from Ono Shigeyuki's view, but the armored warrior did not pursue the obvious goad. Instead, Shigeyuki trudged over to the southwestern corner, jumped up atop one of the pillars there, and surveyed the area for any clue to her opponent's whereabouts. Like a serpent, Kojirō wound out from her hiding place, crossed the sand, and struck before Shigeyuki could respond. Her first slice with Monohoshizao cut the pillar through horizontally. Then, she dashed around to the other side and kicked the now-loose top of the pillar with tremendous strength. Shaken from her footing, Shigeyuki and pillar fragment both tumbled through the air and landed with a splash in the canal ten feet away. Heavily armored as she was, the amazon wasn't injured by her flight. As she stood up, however, the water of the canal seeped heavily into her armor. Free movement would be a bit more difficult for her now. Without giving Kojirō a chance to pursue, Shigeyuki hefted the stone pillar fragment and lobbed it with great force through the air back where it had came. Stone clashed against steel as the chunk slammed into Monohoshizao and fell away harmlessly. Shigeyuki clambered out of the canal on the opposite side, only to see her opponent dashing away for the safety of the cube once again. She sighed and determined to wait. Without any reliable method of attacking from range, Shigeyuki's opponent would have to close with her eventually. On the far side of Cube, Kojirō was diligently hacking away at the glassy surface in front of her with Monohoshizao. Four swift cuts left four evenly-spaced handholds, allowing her easy access to the top of the object. Now clearly visible, she motioned for Shigeyuki to "bring it." Bring it she did, or attempted to. Shigeyuki grabbed a chunk of rock and kicked it as hard as she could at the side of the cube. Perhaps her intention was to break the structure's wall and send Kojirō tumbling down in an avalanche of rubble. In reality, the rock merely plunked against the cube's solid wall and fell unceremoniously to the ground. It was more than obvious at this point that her opponent would not be lured into engaging on her terms. Therefore, Kojirō only attempted to look as dashing as she could, standing silhouetted at the top of the cube for a moment before gracefully falling down and fumbling the landing. It was a testament to her skill that the kensei could make even that clumsy roll look almost intentional. Soon she was on her feet again, across the arena, and finally in melee with her opponent. Shigeyuki's heavy armor promised to be a powerful deterrent even against Monohoshizao. So, Kojirō focused her strikes on her towering opponent's unprotected head. The two clashed as skilled warriors do, with blows and counterblows so quick that it was all the audience could do to follow along. Kojirō employed her deadly technique, Tsubamegaeshi, while Shigeyuki pounded away with Otegine, scoring destructive wounds on the kensei's lightly-armored flesh. Luck seemed to be on Shigeyuki's side, or perhaps her real battlefield experience simply won out. When the two separated, the amazon proudly wore a set of head wounds that each would have shattered the skull of a lesser warrior. Kojirō, however, was not bearing her injuries as well. A particularly deep spear-wound had left her unable to focus fully for the pain, and her movements were slowing from fatigue. In the end, it was not blood that determined the fight, but stamina. Putting all her strength into one last strike, Kojirō opened another skull-piercing gash on her opponent's head. Shigeyuki bore the wound calmly, and did not strike again when the kensei fell to the ground from fatigue. Neither had escaped unscathed, but Ono Shigeyuki emerged this time the clear victor.Tournament Day 3: Independent Match 5 (Morning)
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: Gotō Mototsugu vs. Tsutsui Junkei
When the two fighters from the previous match either staggered off or were carried back to the stands, a new pair descended to the flowered sands to replace them. Gotō Mototsugu, ghostly victim of Honda Tadakatsu and a Spear Pillar in her own right, was to face against Tsutsui Junkei of the Oda Clan. Mototsugu was a seasoned warrior, and a wraith to boot. However, Junkei had performed exceptionally well in the preliminaries. This had potential to be a close fight, although the crowd's cheers seemed to favor the former over the latter. When Kikkawa no Myōkyū called a start to the match, Junkei seized the initiative by dashing across the field to her opponent. Throwing her arms wide, she attempted to grab the ghost and hold her fast. This was a bold tactic for a few reasons. First, Mototsugu was indeed a ghost, infamously difficult to grab. Second, Randi Carter had already attempted this maneuver in an earlier round with unenviable results. Had she succeeded, Junkei would have at least succeeded in preventing Mototsugu from making use of ghostly flight. She did not, however, succeed. The unbound Spear Pillar took a moment to laugh at her opponent, taunting and distracting her. At the same time, Mototsugu's legs subtly scurried off from below her body and hid inside the cracked stained-glass cube still lurking just north of them near the arena's edge. Her distraction apparently successful, the ghostly warrior then tried to hover up to the cube's top and set a trap. Junkei, however, was not about to let her go. This time, she managed to strike a solid, ki-enfolded blow that stopped Mototsugu's flight short. At this point, there was little for the Spear Pillar to do but engage her opponent directly. The two exchanged barbs and jokes as quickly as blows. At the end of one flurried exchange, Mototsugu was still unharmed, but Junkei sported a decent naginata wound even through her hard, oni flesh. Seasoned as she was, Mototsugu didn't miss her opportunity to press the advantage. Her ghostly legs ran out from the cube and circled around to flank her opponent. Suddenly pressed on both sides, Junkei's defense faltered. Shizu no Naginata rose and fell three more times. On the fourth, Junkei was already unconscious from her wounds. In what the charming announcer called a "refreshingly simple match," Mototsugu had won without difficulty. Due to a poorly-worded bet, the spirit now realized that she somehow owed her opponent a bottle of expensive drink. Even so, that was a small price to pay for such a splendid victory.Tournament Day 3: Independent Match 6
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: Maxim vs. Marilène Leclair
The last match to grace the flower-littered sands of the arena had been "refreshingly simple," but things were about to take a dark turn. Knight Commander Maxim, leader of The Wolfpack mercenary organization took to the field to face his opponent, Marilène Leclair of Sancta Sedes. Maxim was known to many as a powerful warrior who had defied death itself. Marilène, in contrast, was a green Deacon of the church with little combat experience to her name. She had survived the ordeal at the Palace of the Firebird, however. Perhaps she did stand some chance. Before the match had officially begun, Marilène hailed her opponent with hopes that he had considered the Exarch's suggestion regarding the soul of Akechi Mitsuhide. It was not too late, she claimed, to save his immortal soul. Maxim knew that immortal, half-digested soul was now languishing inside Hashinara Yoshitakatomo's mask. Perhaps wisely, he said nothing. Sensing that the two had said all they would, Kikkawa no Myōkyū called a start to the round. Maxim rushed forward, intent on sparing no mercy even against an enemy at such a disadvantage. He struck once, twice, and three times with an enormous, two-handed blade, pressuring Marilène to dodge each one. The first two she managed successfully, passing up her opportunity to counter in favor of focusing on defense. Maxim's third strike cut deeply into her flesh, however. It was not a mortal wound, but not one which Marilène could easily shrug off, either. When the onslaught had slowed, she finally put her strength into a blow, swinging the two-handed axe she carried at Maxim's shoulder. Unsurprisingly, the knight's deft defense and solid armor defied any effect the attack might have had. Her fears confirmed, Marilène knew now that she had no chance to win this conflict. She might yet, however, fulfill a separate goal. Dropping her axe on the ground, she clasped her hands together and began to recite a litany in a language few recognized. In the stands, Takayama Ukon was able to confirm for Ryūzaki Sanosuke that this was no spell or secret technique. Marilène was merely uttering a heartfelt prayer in Latin. Maxim, however, had no such advice upon which to fall. Taking the ritualistic litany as a sign of impending doom, he offered her one last chance to yield. When she continued her prayer without answer, Maxim swung with all his might at the chanting girl. Marilène did not dodge. Maxim's Hokkuken cut through her thigh and up with a tremendous thunderclap, crushing her body and spreading what remained across the field in front of him. Absolutely no doubt remained that Marilène was completely, utterly dead. Maxim had his reasons for performing it, but to the watching audience his attack had seemed a brutish action. A shocked hush fell over the crowd, broken only by Gualdim Pais finishing his fallen acolyte's prayer. "Amen." Fubuki preempted any action on the Mōri Clan's part. Moving so quickly into the arena that she* seemed to teleport, she* touched Marilène's scattered body and invoked the power of Amaterasu to make it whole once more. The fallen deaconess was still grievously injured, but her soul no longer fluttered temptingly before the hungry eyes of Ketzi'ah in the stands. Francine Xavier descended to the field and took up Marilène's broken body in her hands, thanking Fubuki and asserting that Sancta Sedes themselves would take it from here. Zōta, too, chimed in that their religion did not usually look favorably upon resurrections of the sort Fubuki had just performed. This, however, was a generous exception. It seemed to them that Marilène had foolishly attempted to get herself killed, an "assisted martyrdom" to secure her place in the halls of Samayim. To Zōta, it was more likely that what she had done would be seen as an "assisted suicide," damning her soul to torment in Gehenna instead. Fubuki's actions had spared her that fate, although Marilène would need to do much to repent. Maxim faced the situation stolidly. It seemed as though things had gotten away from him, and he couldn't help but feel some guilt at the ugly turn his match had taken. It was in a morbid silence not dissimilar to that which had come over Honda Tadakatsu's match that he trudged back to his place in the stands. Maxim had won, but at what cost?Tournament Day 3: Independent Match 7 (Morning)
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: Hōjō Ujiteru vs. Kobayakawa Takakage
A somber pall had fallen over the audience at the conclusion of last match. What's more, this coming battle showed little promise of dispelling that gloom. Hōjō Ujiteru descended from the stands, silent and expressionless as a doll. Many had seen her in her previous fight and the preliminaries, aided by some enormous unseen creature. Hashinara Yoshitakatomo was able to mystically detect a powerful undead looming over the girl, and Aotsuki Tsukamoto beheld in Kagami's mirror a gargantuan skeleton, crouched on all fours like a beast. To everyone else, even those with eyes able to pierce the mystical, nothing hinted at the presence of the monster save for its actions in combat. Even the flowery sand in the base of the arena remained undisturbed. To face this unnerving opponent came Kobayakawa Takakage. She seemed tense, angry, and ready to avenge the loss her elder sister, Mōri Takamoto, had suffered earlier that morning. That this opponent had nothing to do with that loss did not seem to matter to her. Takakage was searching for an outlet. Neither of the two contestants seemed inclined to speak, so Kikkawa no Myōkyū started the match without delay. Takakage had no illusions about what she was up against. She had only to anticipate the unseen creature's first attack, dodge it, and counter with a kick so powerful that it would cease to be a threat. Then, Ujiteru would be helpless against a trained warrior such as herself. Unfortunately for the younger Mōri, her opponent moved faster than she'd have believed possible. Before Takakage could so much as react, a great pressure bit down on her from above. Literally bit, as blunt teeth marks dug into her exposed flesh, bruising and drawing blood. Seizing the opportunity, Ujiteru subtly wove a spell. Some few in the audience recognized it as Dominate Life, a necromantic curse. Most saw nothing but Ujiteru's outstretched arm. Her enchantment held, and Takakage suddenly stopped her struggling. To just let this happen went against the oni's nature, and she fought against the spell with all her spiritual might, but to no avail. Aotsuki watched in the mirror of truth as Ujiteru's giant skeleton grasped Takakage in a bony claw, stood, and reached over the arena wall to deposit her gently outside. Little blood had been shed, but it became obvious after a few beats more that Takakage would not be returning under her own power. With a tinge of disappointment and a little awe, Kikkawa no Myōkyū declared Hōjō Ujiteru the winner. As soon as she did, the spell lifted. Takakage stormed into the arena and sulked to her place in the stands without another word. The crowd proved similarly subdued, and only a smattering of applause welcomed Ujiteru on her own return.Tournament Day 3: Independent Match 8 (Morning)
Shimonoseki
Historical Entry: Momo vs. Amago Haruhisa
The last match of the morning was set to begin as Momo and Amago Haruhisa both descended onto the field. The former was a member of the Hares of Inaba, bodyguard to Yakami-hime, and apparently quite an accomplished martial artist. By her own admission, she wasn't really certain why she was participating. Due to the fact that she'd been granted a bye in the bracket, this would be the first time the audience had seen Momo fight since her brief showing in the preliminaries. Her opponent came with a much more storied reputation following her into the ring. Amago Haruhisa was Vassal-Daimyō of the Amago Clan and Bugyō of Bingo Province under the Mōri. The Amago family had not gone as peacefully into subjugation as many of the Mōri Clan's conquests, and it was no secret that Haruhisa chafed under the other's rule. What's more, she marked the union of Ibaraki-dōnyo and Shuten-dōji as the daughter of two Onigami. This accounted for Haruhisa's monstrous stature despite her relative youth and promised great power in her future as she developed, a prophecy certainly not lost on Mōri Motonari. Taking advantage of her opponent's cumbersome size, Momo acted first as soon as Kikkawa no Myōkyū signaled the start of the match. She leaped up on top of the stained glass cube still hunkered just north of her starting position. The dreamstuff structure had somehow survived each round since Randi Carter had conjured it in the second match of the morning, more or less intact. From this vantage, Momo waited for her opponent to approach. Haruhisa obliged, charging forward and slamming her armored gauntlet into the cube's side. Glass strained and shattered under this monstrous blow, taking the wall and Momo's footing with it. Rabbit and rubble tumbled down into a heap on the ground, Momo left prone but somehow unharmed. Rolling to the side, she managed to avoid Haruhisa's second punch, lashing out with a kick of her own in reprisal. The Usagi girl's foot connected, but awarded her only a dull, ineffective thump against Haruhisa's stony skin. Before the ogress could swing another deadly haymaker, Momo hopped to her feet. Then, she hopped again. Soaring up to near eye-level with her opponent, she let loose with a Snap Kick so quick and powerful that it boomed through the air and sound barrier alike. This time, Haruhisa was sent stumbling back from the impact. Nothing seemed broken, but she'd definitely felt that one. Momo's descent left her open, and Haruhisa did not hesitate to loose another punch in return. The ogress' gauntlet caught the falling rabbit with violent impact and sent her flying through the air. The back side of the cube offered little resistance as Momo punched through it in a crash of shattering glass. Only the far wall of the arena finally stopped her flight as she slapped into the wall with excruciating force and slid to the ground. Incredibly, she kept her feet. More incredibly, a blow that would have turned any ordinary human to paste only left the Usagi girl looking a little bruised. Any more punches like that might spell trouble, however, so Momo relied once again on her superior speed to put some distance between herself and her opponent. Haruhisa followed after, her slower gait offering her only a chance to throw her metal war fan in a spinning trajectory at the fleeing rabbit. Momo managed to dodge the weapon's spinning edge, then waited a moment more for Haruhisa to come into range. Jumping up once again, she concentrated ki into her foot and lashed out. This Snap Kick was aimed at Haruhisa's sternum, and the crack of tortured sound mingled with a snapping of bone as it connected with devastating force. The ogress reeled as Momo twisted in the air, unable to defend herself from the follow-up kick. This strike had none of the ki, speed, or force of the initial attack, but it was still enough. With a final crunch, Haruhisa fell backward into the water of the canal, throwing up a great, final splash as she landed prone on her back. Momo seemed just as surprised as the crowd to see that the ogress was not breathing. The rabbit managed only a gasp of surprise before another presence in the stands made itself known. Ibaraki-dōnyo, with a stream of curses that scorched the air around her, gathered up all her power in reprisal and unleashed Onigami's Fury upon the hapless victor. A clawed arm of searing-red energy manifested above and swooped down, carving Momo's stomach out as it passed. The crowd gasped as the rabbit, standing stunned just a moment before, fell just as dead as Ibaraki's daughter. Motonari quickly attempted to take control of the situation, speaking up in a hoarse voice for the first time since the morning's matches had begun. As she apologized to the crowd, the white-haired, white-skinned oni from behind her descended to Ibaraki. There was something unearthly and pale about this tall, slender girl. Indeed, she gave off the same kind of uncomfortable sense of the ancient and holy as those priestesses who carried off each who fell in the tournament. Even great Ibaraki-dōnyo seemed unnerved in the face of this girl's somber stare. With a few more expletives in her wake, she was pressured to leave the arena peacefully. As this transpired, Fubuki had descended to the site of two unfortunate deaths and once again invoked Amaterasu's power to return each to life in turn. Only... that didn't seem to be necessary. As Fubuki hoisted them up in her* fox's tails, she* realized that both were breathing again, their wounds already healed by some unknown force. As they returned to the stands together, Amago Haruhisa began to awake. She expressed frustration, but not surprise, when Fubuki explained what had happened. Ibaraki was of the ancient type of oni, still ruled by her emotions, and had not "calmed down" as Shuten-dōji had somehow managed, she explained. Fubuki could only commisserate, stating that she* herself* sometimes acted on impulse in a similar way. Finally, amidst a muttering crowd, Kikkawa no Myōkyū declared Momo the winner and the morning's matches to be at an end.Rewards Granted
- 29,096.595 Kuma Coins and 4,963 Candy in total betting profit
- Various Elan bonuses and penalties
Character(s) interacted with
- Aiō Mototsuna
- Amago Haruhisa
- Francine Xavier
- Gotō Mototsugu
- Gualdim Pais
- Haures
- Honda Tadakatsu
- Hōjō Ujiteru
- Ibaraki-dōnyo
- Kashirin
- Ketzi'ah
- Kikkawa no Myōkyū
- Kita Narikatsu
- Kitsuno
- Kobayakawa Takakage
- Momo
- Marilène Leclaire
- Motoyama Tsugutoshi
- Mōri Motonari
- Ono Shigeyuki
- Sasaki Kojirō
- Steffi Schwangau
- Takayama Ukon
- Tōdaisen Nobuhara
- Trivia
- Tsutsui Junkei
- Urashima Tarō
- Watanabe Hajime
- Yai
- Yagyū Munetoshi
- Yufu Korenobu
- Zōta
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