Magistrates of the Emerald Empire: Fate of an Empire.
 

Raiden stood in the snow. Izumi beside him. In front a dark cave. There was no light coming from it. Kenren said this was the place. A shiver went up Raiden's spine. He had rested fitfully, his muscles ached.

"Raiden-san," Izumi said. "When this is over I fear I may never see you again, I wish to thank you for the time we spent together."

"The pleasure was mine." Raiden said. He fastened his mempo.

"Are we ready?" Raiden asked.

(ooc: ok it begins.
To refresh your memory your void ring actually does something. It gives you a one time bonus to any stat at any time. so if your agility is 5, blow a void point for this turn it's a 6. I'm also employing optional void rules for this chapter cause I want us to survive.

One point:
avoid 10 wounds
Gain a noncombat action
heal 1 wound rank
Ignore fatigue
Increase your tn to be hit by 10
intervene in attack
modify you initiative +/- 5
Get a free raise
Reroll one attack die

Two points:
Avoid 30 wounds of damage
Heal three ranks of wounds
Keep an extra die
reroll an attack
Talk to a kami

All your points (minimum 3)
Avoid an attack
Stare down any opponent

Taken nodded as he walked up behind the rest of the group, his expression uncommonly cold. "Let us end this here. They have taken enough life."

Tama hobbled over on his leg, still using his sheath as a crutch.

"All I know is, my leg's hurting like hell right now. Somebody's got to pay for that."

Raiden placed his right hand on his sheath and entered the dark cavern. The wind howled and the sunlight only extended a little into the cave. He paused at the edge of the darkness.

Raiden walked into the chilling darkness. He kept his instincts about him. Someone or something was watching. Only one, but he souldn't tell how far away.

ooc: someone want to make light?

Yoshi, deciding that some light was needed, summoned some fire to light up the area, which he held in his hand.

The fire light glittered off the walls veins of crystal lined the deeper portions of the cave. In the shadows something moved something big. The Cavern extended deep into the mountain.

Kenren followed somewhere in the middle of the group. Samehada's handle was still chilly from the frigid air outside, but the slight shiver running through him was born more of his pounding heart than any cold.

Am I ready for this?

He didn't know. Even though he had been studying the arts of the Void and the art of the sword for the ten full years the Isawas had him, he still did not know. He ahd only been an Emerald Magistrate for a year or so, and already he was being called on to hunt maho-tsukai, without so much as a team of professional samurai behind him. Admittedly, the ronin Taken and the Dragon Raiden had proven to be worthy allies, as had Yoshi and Izumi, but he was more concerned with the wounded Tama... and himself. Admittedly, his trick of locating the tsukai was a useful one... but in a conflict where steel flashed and the kami raged, it was little comfort knowing that he could perceive it in its absolute clarity.

And the dark warrior - a maho-bujun, most likely - and the blood sorcerer. He had no illusions that they were easy opponents, outnumbered as they were. One of them had called forth three Oni. it was so hard to see now, so hard to plant to think...

There are people in life who are filled with doubt, and they spend their lives consumed in uncertainty, until the ultimate certainty claims them.

The words of Katsuhiko-sensei came back to him, and for a moment, Kenren's mind was silent. He was right, after all. Sometimes, their was no recourse but action.

Now was such a time.

He tucked Samehada back into his obi and moved on, eyes searching the edges of the flickering firelight.

Tama's eyes glared into the darkness. He wasn't going to let his leg get the best of him. He'd been hurt worse before. All he had to do was pick a spot, and keep other things from getting too close.

And he didn't fear death. He never had. If it was his time, it was his time. All he knew was if he had to die, he would be wanting some company.

"Remember that feeling I had where I felt we were being watched? It's back again."

Raiden moved further down into the cavern. The fire light faintly showed multiple paths.

"We have problems." Raiden said. "Which way Kenren?"

Kenren studied the three passages. None of them looked particularly inviting, and he wasn't sure what to expect.

Best to let the kami lead him...

From where he was, Kenren suddenly fell silent, breathing slowing as he focused deeply within himself, tuching the Void as he so often did. His eyes were closed, but his mind was open, and he sent it forth to investigate the three ways.