What Has Come Before

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He was talking about the subject he was talking before with the Kuni, and perceived that he would like to follow up to ask with future realizations about the place. Then we went to search for Yotsuo, before he would go to the shrine to purify himself. Finishing his service for today, he had some time to search for Yotsuo, and help him if he was still occupied.

Day 8 Horse - Lore: Ancient Races/Intelligence, void to gain a skill rank, TN 30.: 4d10o10k3 38

[OOC: Thread is open but expecting Yotsuo, will be probably foccused on Shadowlands talking]

[Kuni Yotsuo]

Yotsuo was found on just outside the doorway leading to the courtyard. He had a pile of sleeping tatami on either side of him and he was cleaning them off with a dry cloth.

"Hello again, Kaiu-san," he greets with a seated bow, sounding content.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He answers the Kuni with a common bow. "Hello. May I help you with your task? I have already finished mines." He sits in front of Yotsuo.
"I was looking for you before talking with Hiruma-sensei or Hida-sensei. About last night's attack, still."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"It would be appreciated," he replied. "Just cleaning up the sleeping mats."

"Yes, I would like to know more about what happened, though there is not much I can do about it now. It seems a curious and dangerous thing, that corrupted creatures would be living beneath the dojo."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He looks around for a cloth. "Most students, including me, were on the barracks when we heard a scream coming from the forge. We bushi, Dao and Otomo-domo went outside to see what it was."
He found one, taking it with him. "It was when we saw a small horde, twenty or so, of corrupted Zokujin coming in the direction of the barracks."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"And you say they were tainted? What led to that conclusion? Were they showing obvious symptoms?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Horribly disfigured, to the point that they looked like Goblins. Extremely agressive. Dumb. Skin was dark."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"I've never seen a zokujin before, but I imagine it was easy to tell that the disfigurements were unnatural due to variance in each one," he said with a nod. "The corruption though, as it takes over the enemy becomes more and more like other corrupted enemies."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Monstruous. It reminds me of something I forgot really easily. I'm absolutely sure that the ancestral races can be tainted. Like, trolls." He says.
"Anyway, the security still is extremely lacking. There are just two more ashigaru. I visited the forge earlier and they tapped the hole, but the stone used to do so has a gap."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"Seems like they used my strategy for the gaki from the first night. Just cover the hole and it'll go away. Unfortunately that's not usually effective against physical assaults. But if a small horde was taken out, that might have been the majority of what they had available for an assault. It may have just been a test of the defenses around the tunnel. If none made it back then others down there likely wouldn't just attack indiscriminately again. If the forces in the city want to attack again it will likely be some time and more organized in the future."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"A second wave came approximatedly one minute, I think, after the first one. It was half the size, but had two yellow Zokujin that acted like commanders, because one of them barked orders to the group, and instead of knives they had tetsubos. They could regenerate their wounds and when one of the two approached the gap there used to be in front of the barracks, it said something and suddenly the gap was gone. Filled. The earth united to cover it. I think it was a shugenja of some sort."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"That's not a good thing, but it does point to the idea that they will take time before attacking again if they plan to do so. The only reason to cut off your own retreat is to prevent people from going to where you came from. They obviously didn't want anyone else going down there. So either they wish to be left alone or they are organizing and that attack was their attempt to probe the defenses and find out what they were up against."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I heard Kenji-kun commented that he closed the hole at the forge. It was closed still at night. How they would find and bring down such a big rock is a mystery, so I think he went alongside a shugenja. Anyway, this battle brought my nerves up. People here don't really know anything. No sense that it should be at least dangerous to pick goblin knives, know nothing about the Taint, anything at all."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"It's a danger that most folks just aren't familiar with. And they don't want to be familiar with it either. It's an unsavory subject, but it's a subject that we simply have to be familiar with as Crab. All we can do is try to guide folks in the right direction and try to keep them safe from their own lack of knowledge. It's not unlike how we entrust unclean duties to eta. Each person has their place and role, and our clan's role is to help protect the empire from the darkness. It's natural for us to worry for those that don't know better, but it is our place to keep them safe so we must live with that."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"People didn't obey me either, Yotsuo-san. I told to stay behind the pit when it still existed so the creatures could fall on it when they jumped, and half the people jumped to the other side. Four people, one of them being a courtier. Two almost died, the other two were hurt and may be tainted now, because when I demanded someone to bring jade to pass over their own wounds they did not hear, too. I believe that I would have more success at obedience by herding cats. I know I have no authority over anyone here, but shouldn't hearing the Crab when you are fighting evil be common sense?"

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"Sense is far more common between experienced and trained adults. Many here feel they need to prove their abilities, want to test themselves against real threats. It is like trying to convince a puppy to drop a piece of meat. They're not going to listen. It's not a good age to be exposed to those types of threats in an uncontrolled manner. Age and experience with danger will lead to more patience and wisdom. Also, some may feel compelled to act in a way that puts themselves in danger to protect their fellows. You can warn people until you are blue in the face, but if they're determined to sacrifice themselves for others they'll still do so even if they don't know what they are facing."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"It is right, but it is still a concern. Still, I wonder if I should develop more protections for this place. Something that does not require anyone to unknowlingly fall in danger if they are in an area that should be safe, so no hidden traps. But an alarming system would do wonders. Something even simple will do, and it is mildly necessary as this area has been now confirmedly been tarnished underground. Needs not to be anything complicated. Just efficient enough that it will help the area endure until a real Engineer comes to the place."

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"That would likely be very useful, but I would request permission from the sensei. They may already have plans in motion.". Yotsuo nods at that.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I plan on doing this now, just wanted to check first if it was a good idea. Want to come with me to look for Hiruma-sensei?" He asks.

[Kuni Yotsuo]

"Let's finish up the last of these mats and then get to it. Only have," he counts the remaining few, "four left."

He starts goes about completing his task with a bit more speed and then picks them up to return them on their way to find the Hiruma sensei.