lotus on the water - IC Thread
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Human Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Red Offerings on 02-02-2014, 23:43:33</h2>
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				Title: <strong>lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Red Offerings</strong> on <strong>02-02-2014, 23:43:33</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320x240q90/819/1rqz.jpg)<br><span style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bbc_font"><em><strong>lotus</strong> on the water</em></span></div>
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				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Red Offerings</strong> on <strong>02-02-2014, 23:50:10</strong>
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				Roll Result: Red Offerings rolled: 2d100<br>Comment: Roll determining how pleasant or poorly things start off for lotus on the water I. <br>Result: 100, 22<br><br>First dice achieved a 100 (very bad), second dice achieved 22 (bad). Please read OOC, Info thread to see what this means.
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				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Red Offerings</strong> on <strong>03-02-2014, 01:13:31</strong>
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				This would become known as one of the worst winters the Xiao empire had ever endured. The sun had not been seen for days because of the dark gray sheath of clouds that continuously coated the sky, casting the earth below in a sort of perpetual twilight for its daytime hours and the night's as black as ravens wings because there was no moon or stars to allow for much safe travel at night. The temperature was bitter, frigid, causing the ground to become hard and frozen just before the snow began to fall. That had been four weeks ago. It had snowed on and off for eighteen out or the thirty days. Sometimes the snow came down like tiny white specks that shot from the dull gray clouds with great haste. Other times, the snow was fat and fluffy, gliding on the frozen air like feathers. That was the kind of snowfall that settled, stayed, and then built up and grew. Three weeks ago all travel had come to a stand still because the snow had reached three feet in just two days! Livestock had to be brought in because they wouldn't last in snow like that and with the temperatures dropping to single digits overnight, they barely made it anyways. Smart ranchers made fires near their livestock pens to keep them alive.<br><br>Some of that snow had melted or blown away, but all that had done was cause drifts that often barricaded people in their homes. They often had to dig themselves or a neighbor out of their own houses. And sometimes, like today, snow fell at such a heavy pace that a person could not even see but a few feet in front of them. At a time like that, it was all too easy to get lost in a village that you had spent your whole life in. The snow was now back over two feet and people tried to spend as much time as possible cooking, cleaning, or doing anything to keep warm against the bone chilling wind that occasionally blew all of the snow sideways and into your face.<br><br>The village of Hongyuan was nearly buried in snow. Since virtually all of its men had been taken by the surrounding clans in order to bolster their army ranks, it had been left in the hands of its women. It was a middle sized rice village that had once boast a hundred people, but since the men and able bodied boys had been taken, that population had dwindled to forty three. They had pulled through though and had not moved on because many of them held onto hope that some day their men would be returned to them and their lives would have some semblance of normalcy. But, it had been three years now and they had been struck a low blow by this winter. It had crept up through an unusually called fall season that had been cut short because winter was apparently eager to deal its blows.<br><br>Biyu knelt down by the hearth and gently tossed the remaining logs onto the fire, one right after the other. The fire soon grew and the room brightened a little bit, lit up by the amber glow of the flames. It was a small place and definitely humble as it had belonged to an aging couple that had never had any other children other than Biyu. Both father and mother were there because her father had luckily been too old to be of much use to the clans and their armies. He wasn't without his uses though and when it was the season to plant, he was out there with the women, placing the rice plants neatly in rows. He had always been a hard worker and had thoughtful dark brown eyes and a set of salt and pepper eyebrows that were impressively bushy. His wife, only a few years younger than him was short and quiet. She wasn't the type who shared her thoughts too often but worked hard to keep the little house running. <br><br>Biyu was a great help to the both of them. She was very young at nineteen and worked hard. She had always been keen on pushing herself, providing the best she could for the parents she had been given to show them how grateful she was. It was still cold in the house, but with the fire being larger, it would warm up a little more. They were also having broth with dinner tonight. The village would probably never go hungry as long as the fairer seasons remained fair. That was probably the largest benefit from living in a farming community. They might not have the fanciest clothes or grandest houses and they might even be a little colder in the winter, but they would never go hungry. <br><br>She reached out and grasped the wooden spoon and stirred the broth, which was now beginning to boil. Behind her, her mother sat on a thin cushion and was in the process of making rice balls with her nimble, but aging hands. Biyu looked behind her at her mother and said, "It is almost ready. But we are out of wood. I'm going to move it a little from the fire and go out to the stack so that neither of us needs to go out to get anything."<br><br><em>"That is good,"</em> her mother said simply without looking up from the rice ball she was forming in her hands at the moment.<br><br>Biyu pulled the pot off of the hook and set it on the warming bricks that were just outside of the hearth. Now she wouldn't have to worry about the pot boiling over, or the broth going cold. She stood up and wrapped a heavy shawl around her shoulders and then wrapped one of her father's heavier winter robes around her slim frame to best thwart the bitter chill. Then she wrapped another shawl around her head so it didn't get cold. Next, she pushed the door open and it was nearly ripped out of her hands as a particularly forceful gust of wind hissed across the countryside. They had a basket hanging up near the door where they had most of their shoes so they wouldn't get buried in snow. Biyu reached in after she pushed the door shut with her weight and slid them onto her feet. She realized by their loose fit that they were her father's but he was napping and there was no way she could have seen to even be able to pick through the basket to find hers. Plus, it was awfully cold out here. She shivered and exhaled a cloud of white which quickly swirled from her lips and then began to move carefully along the side of the house to where&nbsp; her father had shopped wood the day before this hellish storm had hit them.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Thufir Hawat</strong> on <strong>03-02-2014, 22:43:45</strong>
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				While all the good people were keeping at home and drinking tea, Lau was wading in the snow. That by itself was, some might say, a comment Fate made on the flaws in his character.<br>It was duty that brought him on the road, though. His brother has married in that far-off village, which was normal. He had chosen, however, to remain with his wife's parents, which was weird. But weird or not, family was family. And one doesn't leave family alone when they might be in need.<br>Recently, they had learned he has been mobilised - the Lau elders have managed to misrepresent the number of men in the household, so only a couple have been taken away. But it seemed like his brother's relatives have been less adept at manipulating magistrates, because he had been taken away. So Lau has been dispatched to take care Second Aunt didn't want for anything! And he intended to do so, although the place was really unfamiliar. Why, even the roofs were sloped, instead of flat like they were further south, at his home place.<br>Weird people, those Northerners, he concluded, while jumping nimbly to avoid the falling snow. Then he crouched. Had someone thrown it from the roof?<br>A minute passed by. Nobody else moved, but how has the snow fallen? Lau was starting to get cold...<br>Then he slapped his hands and giggled. The sloped roof was the only one guilty!<br>"So, that's why they built you like that?", he turned to the roof. "You're actually acting like a Crane Wing step, defending the home below from the falling snow like the Crane Wing defends the fighter! Intercepting the snow, then letting it shed off by itself...smart roof!"<br>He shook his head. Maybe the Northerners had their reasons to build roofs like that, he concluded, before turning to continue on his path.<br>Big Aunt's home probably had a sloped roof as well, but he didn't know which one it was. And there was nobody to ask for instructions. So he resolved and approached a random house, knocking on the door.<br>"Good morning", he raised his voice. "I'm Lau, the brother of Lau the foreigner. Can you show me the way to his house? I've never been here until today!"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Tsunami</strong> on <strong>04-02-2014, 17:49:23</strong>
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				It was so cold,&nbsp; cold the likes many had never seen, but for some this cold was even worse due to the fact they had no joy left. Times happened to be tough and getting tougher especially&nbsp; for young Lei Fong. His brother only recently placed in the ground and him barely even understanding his new duties.&nbsp; This caused him to withdraw from what was left of his family,&nbsp; spending his days much like to do doing the most basic of task because those have the most meaning, at least to him. <br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Today such tasks found him just out side in the woods trying to collect what ever salavagable fire wood he could find. He moved gingerly though the forest pick in 's small branches untill he had a decent size bundle in his arms " Is this enough or am I fooling myself " he said softkh to himself as he made by is way back to a small slay that had a small mound of wood laging upon it.&nbsp; "well if I need more I will simply come back out " he nodded to himself as he grabbed the reigns of his slay and began his mini trek back to his home.&nbsp; <br>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; "So cold,&nbsp; I guess it's the sign of the times we dwell in,&nbsp; the flow of the world is cold much like the hearts and minds of men"spoken softly to himself, as he pushed forward through the snow until he reached the village. As he moved down snow covered streets he was quite hoping to not be seen. As he inched his way home his mound of fire wood go&nbsp; smaller and smaller as he dropped off little stacks to certain homes,&nbsp; but only those who needed it and tried his best to not be seen.&nbsp; He wsnged to help but he didn't want people to know he was helping cause they would expect more, and more he couldn't afford after all his family had to come first. But there was a problem by the tune he got home his mound of fire wood was simply a stack. "well my uncle is going to scold me " he said mostly to himself as he turned and took back off toward the woods.
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				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>HairyHeretic</strong> on <strong>07-02-2014, 17:33:10</strong>
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				Wu Kuai tramped through the deepening snow, part of his attention focused on the Tao of the strengthened body, and maintaining the flow of chi that cloaked him and kept the worst of the cold at bay, while he kept an eye out for anything that looked like shelter, or better yet, civilization. Just because he could endure the elements, it didn't mean he enjoyed being out in the worst of them.<br><br>"Useless road." he muttered. "Mangy bear." He continued tramping through the snow. "What was a bear doing out in all this anyway?" He looked at the remains of the bear that he was dragging along behind him on a small, hastily built and exceptionally rough, sled. The fur would make a good cloak and the cuts of meat, while not exactly the worlds finest, would still sit well in his stomach. "Bears sleep all winter." he scolded the carcass behind him. "Stupid bear."<br><br>He couldn't even claim it had been a mighty victory. The bear had jumped out at him from roadside bushes and the two had fallen, rolled and skidded down the ravine slope that the road had run alongside. When he managed to recover his wits, he'd found the bear about a stones throw away, flattened against a boulder, it's neck broken in the fall.<br><br>"Stupid bear." he said again, then paused as an errant breeze carried the scent of wood smoke to him. <br><br>"Smoke." he murmured. "Either a camp, a village, or the forest is going to burn down." He looked at the snow, then grinned. "No burning forests today, but hopefully warmth and shelter."<br><br>He turned into the wind and strode forwards, his pace picking up at the thought of what might lie ahead.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: lotus on the water - IC Thread</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Florence</strong> on <strong>07-02-2014, 21:28:06</strong>
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				The sounds of blade clashing against blade, the screams of soldiers, orders being shouted, battle cries being yelled into the air; the smell of smoke, blood and death; the sight of men cutting each other to pieces, cavalry charges smashing into rows of awaiting infantry, arrows&nbsp; flying through the sky and piercing into the unfortunate bastards who stood below. Those were the things Yanyi remembered most about that day; the day her people faded into history; the day the Wu fell. To the present day, she'd still never learned just how many soldiers the enemy brought against them that day, but it was larger than any army she'd ever seen before. The enemy knew their back was against a wall, and they aimed to make that battle into a decisive finishing blow. All the same, the Wu had mustered up the greatest defense they could manage. They held nothing back, as they knew as much as the enemy, that this was a fight for the very survival of their clan.<br><br>A man charged into the field of battle, decorated in the most exquisite armor the Wu had available to them, and followed by a small contingent of bodyguards. Between the quality and the cosmetic adornments, it was obvious he was someone very important. He looked to be about 30 years of age, with only a small amount of facial hair, styled rather fashionably; and a fiery passion in his eyes. The Zhou troops saw quickly how important this man was and rushed to attack him. He swung his qiang around, deflecting their swords and delivering several swift killing blows to one after another, thrusting the spear into one, and pulling it out just in time to slash the tip through another as he rushed forward to avenge his comrade. As several more rushed him, he continued holding his own, until a few managed to slip around his bodyguards and attempted to attack him from behind.<br><br>They fell before they could strike, as another qiang was suddenly thrust into one's back; and before his body could even hit the ground, the others joined him. The wielder of this spear bore a striking resemblance to the important young man, though distinctly more feminine. She scowled at the young man as she charged forward, joining the battle, and swiftly dispatching each enemy soldier one-by-one, thrusting her spear into one's chest, tossing his body into his allies and rushing forward to finish them while they were toppled over. The blade of her spear ripped through the few foolish enough to charge her with a single swing. The rest decided to retreat, but were struck down before they could run.<br><br>With the last of this batch of enemies fallen, the woman stormed over to the young man and practically shouted at him, "Yanyu, what the hell are you doing out here!? I told you to stay behind the wall!" From the quality of her own gear, as well as the way she felt so comfortable yelling at the man, it was obvious she was fairly close to him; in both status and trust. She even waved her spear in his direction in an almost threatening manner, before gesturing to the gate behind them, "Now get back there before some enemy archers decide to fill that empty skull of yours with arrows!"<br><br>"I can't just stand back there while our people are being killed by these animals! Besides, what better way to boost their morale than to see their lord fighting proudly besides them!" the man retorted, thrusting his spear into the air, and looking adamant about his decision. Despite this, the woman seemed hardly impressed and simply slammed the blunt end of her own spear into the ground and let out a frustrated sigh.<br><br>"And what quicker way to kill their morale than to let yourself get killed? We need you alive, brother, I can coordinate the defense from here; you need to get behind the gate where it's safe. Our troops need to know you're still alive to fight for, more than they need to see you fighting with them," she replied flatly, and the man's expression faltered.<br><br>"I... alright... but if the enemy breaches the walls, I'll fight just like everyone else... until then I'll just... be conserving my strength!" he declared with a bit of a forced laugh, though it was clear he didn't want to go; but he knew his sister was right, and he signaled his guards to follow him back inside the walls. He gave Yanyi a look before he did, and a slight nod, simply adding, "Stay safe, Yanyi..." As he turned to leave, Yanyi's soldiers formed up around her, preparing for the enemy.<br><br>As the gates closed behind her brother, she looked forward and saw the enemy charging forward. She called out, giving orders to the various officers about her before charging forward towards the enemy. She spun her spear through the air in a flourish, before slamming the blunt end down into the ground with enough force to create a small shock wave around her. The enemy stopped in their tracks and looked forward with fear clear in their eyes as the identity of this spear-wielding woman became quickly apparent to them. It was only with a barked order from an officer, and with great hesitation that they charged forward. Yanyi charged to meet them, and with a single great swing of her spear, sent nearly the whole front row of soldiers to their deaths. They did not relent, however, and continued to assault her, and she continued to stand her ground.<br><br>Their weapons collided with her spear as she held her guard and with a mighty push, she sent them all flying back, rushing forward to finish off as many as she could before they could stand and regain their composure. Even with her fellow soldiers fighting alongside her, they were vastly outnumbered, and even a woman of her might couldn't prevent their position from quickly becoming surrounded. Before she could worry too much, however, a loud roar of a battle cry sounded, and another unit of allied infantry came crashing into the enemy, lead by a towering man armed with a massive guandao. His mighty glaive cut through the enemy as the headed the charge on horseback. This disrupted the enemy just enough for Yanyi to go on the offensive, and together they tore through the enemy.<br><br>When all was said and done, the enemy was fallen, and their losses acceptable. Yanyi looked up at the large man, who was now on foot after being dismounted during the fighting; yet still he stood tall as an ogre amongst the other soldiers. "Thank you, Li Shen," Yanyi said, bowing her head just slightly in thanks.<br><br>"Oh, don't worry about it, sister, I couldn't leave all the fun to you, after all," the big man replied in a booming voice. While they weren't related by blood, they may as well have been, and as he spoke they shared a good laugh. With that said, the man turned to see more of the enemy amassing in front of them. Their numbers seemed endless, but the man just laughed again before commenting, "I don't think they brought enough men."<br><br>With that, the woman flourished her spear again, and called for her men to form up, as Li Shen did the same. "Jingfei is safe?" she asked, as she stared at the oncoming enemy.<br><br>"Of course, though it took me forever to convince her we needed someone guarding the rear in case the enemy tried anything funny," he replied.<br><br>"Good... Well then, shall we make them regret sending such a paltry force against the likes of us?" she said with a chuckle.<br><br>He simply nodded, and the two of them charged, roaring their battle cries as their men charged with them, into what seemed to be an endless sea of enemy soldiers.<br><br>Suddenly, Yanyi awoke with a gasp, a cold sweat covering her body, as the air seemed to chill her to the bone. She was dreaming about the past again. A long time had past since then, she looked older now... not too much older, but age was beginning to make its presence known. She looked around the quiet, and dark home she had made for herself. All things considered, it was fairly comfortable. It was abandoned and derelict when she claimed the building as her home, but she'd built it up into not only a comfortable home to live in, but a respectable school for the fighting arts. It wasn't the largest home in the world, but it was a step above the hovels most people in this area called home, if only a small step, and only due to the hard work of herself and the young students she had taken in from the orphaned and the homeless, who were currently asleep in their communal sleeping quarters. She afforded herself very few luxuries that she couldn't spare others', but being the owner and instructor, she did allow herself a comfortable bedroom of her own to sleep in, and to store what little possessions she'd kept from her old life, and now had hidden away so as not to arouse suspicion.<br><br>Of course, the local villagers had no idea who she had been before the mysterious spear-fighter arrived at their doorstep, calling herself Li Yanyi, and making a name for herself as both a wise and charitable teacher of the martial arts. They only knew she had brought them only kindness and good will, and in exchange for the many ways she tried to help, they knew not to ask too many questions about her past. With that mutual understanding in place, she had found herself a very welcome member of this community.<br><br>Still, as the snow continued to pile around her home, she could only take note that nature could sometimes be far less welcoming than people. She knew that come morning, her pupils and herself would have their work cut out for them trying to clear enough of the snow to get about... however, she could think of that when the time came... for now, she had to try relaxing and getting back to sleep. Of course, when morning did finally come around again, with what little sleep she eventually managed to get, she was proven quite right. She could only try to get them to consider the manual labor to be part of their training, and not just an impossible chore.
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