Honorable Service
By Mike Mullins
A month of whispers and rumors had filled Otosan Uchi. Standing in the shadows of dusty alcoves, gathering in ancient and obscure corridors, and sneaking into the Imperial gardens at the darkest hours, the diplomats and courtiers of the Imperial capital gathered to discuss the audience Toturi had scheduled for two nights hence. Twenty-nine days earlier, Toturi had commanded that the fastest messengers be sent throughout the Empire to announce to the noble clans and families that a special session of court would be held in exactly one month. The scrolls carried by the messengers only indicated that Toturi would bestow a declaration of honor during the special session of court and that the Emperor wished for representatives of each clan and family to be in attendance.
Now, two nights before Toturi's declaration, representatives of the Crab, Crane, Dragon, Mantis, Brotherhood of Shinsei, and Lion had arrived in Otosan Uchi. Courtiers and diplomats could be found at every hour of the day discussing the event about to occur. Rumors spread quickly as each family tried to leverage themselves for the greatest gain from Toturi's announcement. Discussions of the gift that Toturi would bestow with his declaration were as numerous as the flowers in the Imperial gardens. Some of the diplomats and courtiers even began to rumor that this declaration would be Toturi's life gift.
In addition to the diplomats and courtiers, each family's entourage consisted of artists, poets, and historians. These normally solitary individuals added to the unrest in the court and, in some cases, added to the speculation of the upcoming events. More than one painter spent hours covering a paper with the reproductions of the Imperial gardens, and while ignored by the courtiers and diplomats, remembered every word spoken and reported the speculation, rumor, and facts held by other clans and families to the leaders of their families.
A single day prior to Toturi's announcement, an unusual visitor arrived at Otosan Uchi. He was dressed in thick black robes, accented in red, and moved with an odd grace. He was obviously gaijin. His first steps in Otosan Uchi led the man to the Imperial palace where he called for an audience with the Emperor. "I bid welcome to the Emperor of Rokugan. I have journeyed far, from the City of One Thousand Stories, and have been sent by the Caliph of Medinaat al-Salaam to open relations with Rokugan."
The stranger's name, al-Hazaad, spread quickly throughout Otosan Uchi. The Doji were the first to learn that the foreign dignitary had been invited to Toturi's court the following day, but word quickly spread to the other families and clans.
The day of Toturi's declaration was filled with rich foods and performers. At noon, the courtiers, poets, artists, diplomats, and historians filled the largest audience chamber of Otosan Uchi. In a far corner of the room, al-Hazaad scanned the chamber looking for a specific individual. The ronin was not easy to find, but al-Hazaad located the undersized man a few minutes before Toturi was announced.
As Toturi moved to the podium, the whispers throughout the crowd softened and finally quieted as the herald shouted, "Toturi the First, Emperor of Rokugan." Cheers erupted from the crowd and slowly fell silent.
"The Imperial court is honored by the audience gathered here," addressed Toturi to the crowd. The Emperor followed with words of warning about the days ahead and the plight that lay before Rokugan. His speech brought cheers from the crowd and many families began to plan how they could gain advantage in the near future. As the speech waned, al-Hazaad prepared himself for Toturi's declaration.
As the Emperor began to speak once more, al-Hazaad moved his fingers in intricate patterns and focused his vision on the movements of Toturi's lips. To the gaijin's eyes alone, a small bubble of mystical energy surrounded the Emperor's lips. Al-Hazaad knew the mystical arts of the Burning Sands were far different than the magic practiced in Rokugan and doubted that any shugenja in attendance would be aware of the spell he had cast. Reading Toturi's lips, al-Hazaad mouthed that which he wanted the audience to hear the Emperor say and motioned with his hands hidden beneath bulky robes. The sound of each word escaped Toturi's lips moved through the mystical bubble that al-Hazaad had crafted and the words changed to the words mouthed by the foreigner.
The crowd heard, "During the invasion by the Shadowlands army, a ronin showed honor of a samurai when true samurai were ready to dishonor themselves. This man showed the courage of our greatest warriors and fear never overcame him. This man stands as an example to all of us and demonstrates the qualities needed by the Empire if we are to purge the Shadowlands from our borders. I do hereby bequeath the mantle of the Monkey clan and a small province of Imperial lands to the honorable Toku."
As all eyes searched the chambers for the subject of the Emperor's recognition, a small man stepped towards the dais where the Imperial herald announced, "Toku, Daimyo of the Monkey Clan." Toturi stood perplexed, his announcement had been quick and well rehearsed, and he had not even noticed, until the very end, that the words he spoke were not words that the audience or himself had heard. Realizing that his intent to honor the Crab clan was gone and that he had just honored an unknown ronin, Toturi quickly moved to give some importance to the events.
Toturi himself helped Toku to stands on the dais and said, "Your honor is a testament to my reign. The Monkey clan shall act as the magistrates of Otosan Uchi."
The crowd erupted in cheers and the festivities truly began. The Doji and numerous other families began to include the upstart Daimyo in their machinations. Toku found very little during the festivities to enjoy himself as diplomats and courtiers sought him out to discuss alliances and even a bride, and as poets, historians, and artists sought out the new Daimyo to capture this moment in a permanent reflection of the man in either words or paints.
• • •
Al-Hazaad and two other lip readers in attendance knew that Toturi's words should have been, "During the invasion by the Shadowlands army, a single clan stood strong against the onslaught beyond my expectations. This clan lost lands to the Shadowlands invaders and witnessed the pure brutality and dishonorable acts of Fu Leng's army. They sought allies, but few came to their aid, and none came in numbers. This clan shall be honored for their acts and given a province of Imperial lands while the Empire recovers their lands. In addition, the guidance of the Falcon clan is given permanently to the Crab clan and a new family is added to their roles and history. The Crab have honored us in their efforts against the Shadowlands, and now, it is the Empire's time to honor the Crab."
Lexicon:
Medinaat al-Salaam - a vast city in the center of the Burning Sands
Otosan Uchi - the capital of Rokugan
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