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| The men appear to be in a deep debate about the nature of the elements and their place in what they refer to as "The Celestial Pattern". As Dusk raises his hands lightly to move the wind one of the men turns in his direction as if he senses the wind's presence. The man simply says in passing,"Every momment has a lesson for you to learn. Learn to listen." He then returns to his conversation. Each man gives off a similiar piece of interesting, yet cryptic wisdom as they continue their conversation. Dusk leans around the corner of the fountain for closer examination. The men are all similiar in the color and design of their robes, the fact that there is not a single hair on their heads, and the fact that what parts of their bodies are exposed are covered in various tatoos. As they each, in turn, offer up their point on a various element they also each hold out their hand, palms open towards the sky. The conversation continues. One of the men proposes,"In order for a man to follow the path of Earth, it is necessary for the man to keep in mind that the essence of Earth is to build an indominable spirit and an iron will; to believe that you cannot fail in anything that you do." With this a small mountain of earh rises up from the center of his palm. The next man proposes,"When strength is robust and not trapped, it's justice is not thwarted and it's duty is not frustrated. Using water as a model, the spirit is made to be as water is..." With this he cups his hand and it fills with a small pool of water. The next man proposes,"Fire is beneficial for the success of the upright. Flexibility gets through successfully by clinging to balance and rectitude. Illumination doubled makes fire. Thus do great people shine on the four quarters with continous light." With this a small fire appears and dances just above his palm. The next man is the one who Dusk suspects knows he is there. He proposes,"All things and beings are prodiced through the sensitivity of heaven and earth. The sensitivity of sages moves people's minds so much that the world is harmonious and peaceful. Be aware...and all things in the universe be seen, even the wind itself." With this a small twister of wind appears just above his palm. The final man proposes,"From one thing, know ten thousand things. When one learns they know nothing, then they will be able to understand everything." With this he simply turns his palm out and nothing happens. At this point the 5 men sit down on their bamboo mats and remain silent as the sun rises up and casts it's rays onto the back of the figure on the fountain. They appear to be deep in meditation and Dusk sits back to reflect on what he has heard as they do so. A few momments later they all simultaniously rise and, in single file, exit the garden. As they do the one who spoke of Air veers slightly away from the others and stops in front of Dusk. He says,"Relish the momment before you make the 1st step on a journey, for that is the sweetest momment in the world." He then bows and smiles at Dusk. Before he leaves to join his bretheren he adds,"...and your journey is just beginning." He then departs. Before the 5 men are out of view, Dusk turns to watch them leave. He notices they all have the same symbol on the back of their robes...  Dusk is now alone in the garden. |
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| -A small child,"Mommy, tell me the story of The Naga again before I go to bed, pawease?" -A drunken man with the background of what sounds like a tavern,"Believe what you want to! I don't care! I'm tellin you all that ah've seen The Dragon of Air!" -A dark and unnatural voice,"Master, it has failed. We will have to try again." -A reply in the same conversation,"Very well, we must know their secrets before the legend becomes reality." -The voice of an older man,"And that is tonight's lesson, my children. Tomorrow, before class, I want you to meditate on what I have taught you and focus on harnessing the powers of your element. If you work hard then someday you will all be Elemental Masters." -The sound of a horrible creature roaring, it's voice echoing through what feels like a large field. A momment later it's joined by another roar, then another, and another, and then it sounds like thousands of them. -And finally a calm voice that speaks directly to Dusk,"When you are ready, my child, The Oracle of Wind will be there for you. You need only seek it out. Air knows the way to Wind." ...then there is silence... |
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| Etiquette of The Dragon Clan: ____________________________________________________________________ The Dragon do not follow the same rules as those of the majority of Rokugan. Overall they place far less emphasis on concepts like politeness, sincerity, and proceedure and prefer to focus more upon things like enlightenment, truth, and wisdom. Many Dragon live out their days on the mountain. It is uncommon, but not impossible to encounter them in daily travels though. Many people have described them as enigmatic and this is a fair description. Let us look at the various families and how they behave. Togashi(The Ise Zumi): The tattooed followers of Lord Togashi are perhaps the strangest of the clan. They respect wisdom and personal character over cast and heritage. This has much to do with their ongoing quest to attain enlightenment and the fact that the Togashi are not a true family in the literal sense of the word. They are, instead, a group comprised of both blood members and members from various other clans and walks of life. The Togashi are perhaps the easiest to distinguish due to the fact that they are rarely covered in elaborate garments and, instead, cover their body in various forms of tatoos. They are not the only family of The Dragon to have tatoos, but should you encounter a person covered in them then the odds are in favor that it's a Togashi. Many Rokugani dismiss the aloof Togashi as arrogant and condescending, but nothing could be further from the truth. A typical Togashi can have much to say, but he would rather not say anything at all, remaining content to watch a scene rather than get involved. The Togashi are more concerned with enlightenment and truth, however, will not remain quiet when duty to these ideas demands they speak up. Those who speak and act genuinely, honestly, and respectfully will gain the good attentions of the Dragon. The Togashi are often misunderstood because they tend to never give a direct answer. They're known better to give out small bits of wisdom or quote other sources of wisdom such as The Tao of Shinsei. The Mirumoto: The Mirumoto are the Samurai of The Dragon Clan. They are usually the easiest to spot because they wear armor and carry two swords. The Mirumoto are known throughout Rokugan for their 2 sword technique and this is a very good way to identify one of their ranks. The Mirumoto mostly follow the same rules of etiquette as other samurai. They will bow to another samurai or anyone they see as an equal. They will also bow to show respect to those who have earned such from them. A Mirumoto, like most samurai, will kneel before someone greater than them or who holds a higher rank(aka a Daimyo). The Mirumoto are one of the two more traditional families of The Dragon Clan in the eyes of Rokugan. The Mirumoto respect skill and purity over that of sheer might. Even their most casual actions reveal their skill and teachings. The Agasha: The Agasha are the shugenja family of The Dragon Clan. They are also the clan's historians and are often referred to, by other Dragon, as "The Memory of The Dragon Clan." The Agasha are polite, but driven. They seek enlightenment though harmony with the elements. Fire is their most common path in this matter, but Agasha can be found are following any of the 5 rings to enlightenment. The Togashi are often silent and tend to offer up cryptic bits of wisdom from time to time, but the Agasha are less likely to offer up that much. They will talk more directly if you can gain their attention on a certain subject matter, but are more prone to listen than speak. The Agasha are odd in whom they choose to show respect. Their own magical paths differ greatly from those of the other clan's shugenja and for this it is a mystery as to what they are looking for in reguards to respecting a fellow shugenja. This much is certain, if you earn the respect of an Agasha then it is not something to be taken lightly. The Kitsuki: The Kitsuki are known throughout Rokugan as a family of investigators and justicars. They are easily the most social of the families and follow the closest to what would be considered normal etiquette. The major difference between a Kitsuki and another member of Rokugan society is their almost blatant disreguard for sincerity and deciept. The Kitsuki are drivin by a deep rooted sense of justice and honesty. Unless on official business for The Empire a Kitsuki will rarely engage in casual conversation with someone they do not trust. A Kitsuki's trust is a very difficult thing to earn and only the most honest and pure of character can ever hope to accomplish such a thing. Those who do, however, are to not take such an accomplishment lightly. The Kitsuki, unlike their fellow Dragon, tend to live mostly in the capital. They are in direct service of both their clan and The Emporer. They are seen as the major link of communication between The Empire and The Dragon Clan due to the Dragon's tendancies to remain in their mountain stronghold. Final Thought: The Dragon are not known as the most enigmatic of the clans without just cause. Those who can earn their trust or respect have gained a powerful ally, even though they may not know or understand the motivations of that accomplishment. |