The New Winds

Ichiro was here again pounding metal into shape, the curve was set in and the shape was basically complete, after today the only thing left to do will be polish and sharpen and he will have a functioning scimitar. He found he greatly enjoyed this activity and would certainly be following up with Unicorn weaponsmiths once he got home to continue training in it if he had time.

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D7 Serpent weaponsmith/str tn 25: 5d10o10k4 42 exceptional success raise for quality

He heard noises from the forge. Strange, as Sakura-san did not work at this time. But he was a Kaiu in surname and blood, and had to investigate who was playing with metal. With this sound, it need to be metal. He enters the forge, not expecting to see here the Moto. He nodded and took the protection gear.

The sounds of pounding attracted another in the midst of his exercises. Saburo made his way over and gave a bow to the two of them. His eyes were curious as he took a look from a respectful distance. What was that... ah, wait, that was one of the unicorn's preferred weapons, was it not? He wasn't aware that Ichiro was an artisan, but he supposed you learned something new every day. Ichiro had proven rather a surprise in the past after all.

The Moto boy looked up as the others entered the forge just a few final taps of the hammer and the blade was basically finished. He dipped it in the oil to cool it and set it on a rack near by to cool.

He nodded to the others "Hello, Not too many others visit the forge from what I understand."

"Everyday at the Tiger a Doji girls here. She is a weaponsmith kakita artisan. The day I accompanied her, Kenji-kun and that redhaired boy were also with her. My school is one of smiths and armourers, specifically."
He approached the forge, looking at what was cooling even though he saw it in air. "Ujikuhai?" He pronounced the name trying to fit it into a Rokugani accent.
D7 Serpent - a general Lore: Something/Intelligence roll to know about the Ujik-Hai: 3d10 11

Ichiro nodded "The scimitar was the weapon of the Ujik people of the burning sands. They brought it with them when they became the Moto."

"And I know about the Crane girl and her red haired pet. She is the reason I am here, she said I couldn't make a sword, so I'm making a sword."

He acknowledged Saburo's presence and nodded. But he seemed here to look only, so he continued his talk with the Moto.
"I see. It reminds me of when there was a competition between the students to forge the strangest weapon. One of the rules was that it needed to be something that existed, so you could not make a new design on the spot. So people went either for obscure old designs with a very specific purpose, replicas of the stuff in legends, or gaijin swords. The person who originally won the contest got declassified because she couldn't prove that it existed although she claimed a lot that it was from somewhere I forgot the name. It was a kind of whip that was at the same time a sword and was like, very long. Like, you can't invent something and say that it is gaijin just because you are the daughter of a former Unicorn, you know."

Saburo chuckled slightly, thinly, as he leaned against one of the posts of the forge and nodded towards the others. "I heard hammering and thought to see what was going on, since part of the forge is kept closed by the guards. Good to see you rising to the challenge. Somehow, I'm not surprised, Moto-san." Tell the man he couldn't do a thing, and what was he going to do? He was going to do the thing and prove you wrong. That just seemed like the kind of person he was. "I've never seen one of those weapons up close before. Not common as far to the east as our lands."

By not common, he meant 'almost unheard of.'

Kaiu Aiichiro wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:06 am

The person who originally won the contest got declassified because she couldn't prove that it existed although she claimed a lot that it was from somewhere I forgot the name. It was a kind of whip that was at the same time a sword and was like, very long. Like, you can't invent something and say that it is gaijin just because you are the daughter of a former Unicorn, you know."

"I have heard of this weapon but never seen it. I don't think she made it up. Your sensei should have more knowledge if they are going to have a competition like that." the large boy said as he slipped off the thick leather apron he had on for protection and hanging it on a hook.

Asako Saburo wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:12 am

Saburo chuckled slightly, thinly, as he leaned against one of the posts of the forge and nodded towards the others. "I heard hammering and thought to see what was going on, since part of the forge is kept closed by the guards. Good to see you rising to the challenge. Somehow, I'm not surprised, Moto-san." Tell the man he couldn't do a thing, and what was he going to do? He was going to do the thing and prove you wrong. That just seemed like the kind of person he was. "I've never seen one of those weapons up close before. Not common as far to the east as our lands."

By not common, he meant 'almost unheard of.'

"Come back tomorrow and it'll be done I think. This is my first time doing it but it looks like a scimitar and I followed all the steps I read about. Should be a formidable weapon when it is finished."

He thought that the Moto was joking or testing him. A whip sword is a stupid idea. Perhaps it could be effective against unarmed targets, but such is any other weapon. Perhaps it could be easily hidden, but such is a small bow, a knife or a disassembleable naginata. He tried to justify himself mentally not to challenge his belief and focused on Saburo and the sword to distract himself.
"Aren't you heat-treating it?"

"I am not sure if I have ever heard of such a thing, but the kingdoms outside our borders make incredibly strange things," Saburo grunted out, nodding at the offer to see it finished properly the next day. He was almost certainly doing that. His knowledge of all things bs was not quite up to knowing about random things like the Urumi, but the story was at least plausible. He grunted again and shrugged. "One never knows the kinds of tales that get spun of far-away lands, though I suspect Moto-san is more in a position to know than us."

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(OOC: Hah, I think it's at LEAST a 20 or Saburo to have heard of an Urumi. Only ever saw that in a game once.)

Kaiu Aiichiro wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:30 am

He thought that the Moto was joking or testing him. A whip sword is a stupid idea. Perhaps it could be effective against unarmed targets, but such is any other weapon. Perhaps it could be easily hidden, but such is a small bow, a knife or a disassembleable naginata. He tried to justify himself mentally not to challenge his belief and focused on Saburo and the sword to distract himself.
"Aren't you heat-treating it?"

"I just finished the heat treating, that was the third treatment, no warps or cracks in the metal i might give it a final one tomorrow before assembling and attaching the handle and sharpening it." He responded matter of factly.

Asako Saburo wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:32 am

"I am not sure if I have ever heard of such a thing, but the kingdoms outside our borders make incredibly strange things," Saburo grunted out, nodding at the offer to see it finished properly the next day. He was almost certainly doing that. His knowledge of all things bs was not quite up to knowing about random things like the Urumi, but the story was at least plausible. He grunted again and shrugged. "One never knows the kinds of tales that get spun of far-away lands, though I suspect Moto-san is more in a position to know than us."

He nodded "indeed. Living in Khanbulak has shown me many things I wouldn't see anywhere else. Since the city is the end of two different trade routes one through the burning sands and one leading to the ivory kingdoms. It is a lively city though my father doesn't let me into the markets proper which are outside the border of the Empire."

"I see..." Then he suddenly blinks and looks at Ichiro again, in awe. "You went to actual Khanbulak? Isn't this the city near the kingdom that fights the Ghostlands? I always, like, really wanted to see how things were at the other side. I don't think I will ever go there in a lifetime though, unless my duty calls for it. Always tried to know properly how the Ghostlands are, I never found a book on this no matter how hard I tried, even one in other language. Sometimes I found lost information, but it was so resumitive to give context and sparse."

Day 7 Serpent Nearing the Finish (Open) - Lore:Something/Intelligence to Khanbulak: 3d10 25

Ichiro shook his head "Not near it though we guard the Ki-rin road that leads to the Ivory Kingdoms. I live in Khanbulak my father serves the Moto Daimyo directly."

"Truly. You do come from as far from what anyone of us can see as I can imagine. It must get quite ... exotic at times." He wasn't sure if he'd be fascinated or revolted by all of the strangeness of gaijin customs. Honestly? Probably fascinated, like any good Phoenix. It was his nature to be inquisitive after all. "Though I like to think there are wonders of a different sort in the forests of the Isawa." Magical ones.

"I see... You live on it? Is it too different from here?" The depressing thought that the Unicorns got to explore the world whilst he had to always stay on the wall as if he was a part of it struck his head. He had been already melancholic that he probably wouldn't return to this part of Rokugan, but to make traveling a life... That must be a dream.