Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Moderator: Game Masters

Li Dao Wen
Marquis
Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Li Dao Wen »

Xun Jiang did not budge an inch when her hand rested on his face, almost as if it was a pleasure for him to be touched by her. It was mystical, surreal, almost as much for him as it had been for her. But her words daunted him, wracked his mind for answers, trying to come up with a succinct enough answer to merit her sweet approval. And while he did, he permitted his mind -for a split second, at least- to be as baffled and rattled as hers had been. Companionship is an age-old notion, how could any matured individual not know about it? He was taken aback by her words, but her opening of the doors to him prompted him to fall into another bout of silence.

She asked him what companionship was, and this made him question himself if he did know what it was. A tiny smirk flickered in his lips as he focused on his own perceptions. Of course he knew what companionship was. Wasn't it being with someone all the time, to be a part of a retinue, to share the pleasures of the high life together? This was his initial notion, but one which he quickly dismissed as petty and arrogant; it was not the answer she was looking for.

Was it simply being with someone to share not only pleasures, but also pains with? Was that it? If this was the case then he indeed knew. He has always had companions, didn't he? Qian Yen, the Kijo, Shan Dian and Po Huai. Weren't they companions to him? Ma Dieu and Fei Lai, weren't they? Haven't they all been together since the dawn of their minds, the sharpening of their wits, the sculpting of their arms for force? He scoffed inwardly at the notion, but a deeper understanding started to bloom as he perused within himself.

As he thought back on those things, his eyes widened from some deep slumber within him. That was when he realized that he realized that, while he knew how to have companions, how to be a companion and what companionship truly was, he never truly utilized this knowledge for his own benefit. He didn't know anyone, and nobody ever knew him, or tried to get to know him. People often came to him with bribes, gifts and flattering words, but it was of course all business, to address some prior concern which only his brute strength could solve.

Even before this encounter he knew there was something inside him that was missing, one he thought could be filled by slaughtering thousands upon thousands of men, by glory and by fame in the battlefield. But this was when he did realize that he was wrong. For whenever Lady Tai looked at him and smiled that enigmatic smile of hers, whenever her graceful hands threatened to touch even the clasps of his armor, his dormant heart begins to ache and call out, as if it had simply found something which he never even gave a thought about. It threatened to explode upon itself should he leave her tent without an affirmative response, to drive him wild with a pain and suffering which would make being buried alive look like a petty punishment. It was as if her answer began to draw a thin line within his head, of the concept of a living heaven should she agree, and a living hell should she not.

He instantly felt as if he would be more than willing to wade into battle and best death for her; he felt so willing to brave her confusing mind to uncover the truth behind that mask of duplicity which she exuded. The simple fact that she was able to tame him, him, the infamous Black Ogre of the south with her mere presence and make him seek a higher ideal within himself fully convinced him.

Perhaps this is what companionship truly was; even though he had barely met her for an hour, he felt as if he had been made to be with this woman, to hold his great arms against the rage of their chaotic lives to protect her.

He didn't know how to say all of these realizations and thoughts to her, but again the words came on their own. After a good long while of staring back at her eyes as she waited with expectations, he smiled genuinely as he answered. "Companionship is wanting to be with a person even if the reasons for doing so are unclear. It is not for power, for fame, for money, for physical intimacy. It feels like surrendering yourself to someone else, without fully giving your freedom up. It is growing together, learning together, becoming more complete together in both pain and harmony." He paused, took a deep breath, then continued with, "I have never experienced these, and I have never let anyone experience these from me. But now, I want to... With you, Lady Tai. I want to be your companion."

How he, an ogre of death and destruction came to know of these things, even he did not want to know. He simply assumed everything out of the things he never felt with any of his other 'friends.'

What colors did she have within her? And what other colors did he have in him? He felt as if only she could show him the answers to both.
Shang Yu, strategist and miser

Formerly:

Xun Jiang the Black Ogre, King of Yan
OneEyedDrgn
Lieutenant
Posts: 362
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 7:13 pm
Location: Moe moe kyun~

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by OneEyedDrgn »

Li Dao Wen wrote:@ OED

OOC:
Thanks a lot for replying! :D

With an annoyed expression, Xun Jiang snorted to himself as he rode down the road towards some nondescript village deep in the heart of Jiaoxi. With his eyes of ebony roving around the lonely grasslands in search of some unfortunate soul that could be branded as a 'danger', he caught sight of their destination after what had been a long and tiring ride. On his back were a dozen or so riders, all well-trained and strong and wearing heavy armor, yet for the duration of their journey he had all but neglected them.

The ruler of Jiaoxi, his employer Ma Dieu had charged him with the safety and security of the rural villages, thus he was compelled to go roaming around with a hefty baggage of men to make sure there was nothing to be feared (except him). He found little joy in his current undertaking, other than having a very convenient license to kill whoever dared cross his path -under the pretext of 'obstruction of justice.' He was a bandit, a man of chaos, and to think that he was being ordered to eradicate it seemed quite ironic and agitating for him. Nonetheless, he was bound by his contractual obligations to comply.

Dismounting from his tired steed and dismissing his men for some rest, the so-called Twilight General walked into a busy crowd of people in one of the villages under Ma Dieu's control, dividing it as he passed by. Everyone who beheld his presence were immediately awe-struck by his enormity and the ferocious appearance of his infamous weapon; there were many rumors circulating around about him as well, and most people found them to be justified --except for the ones which portrayed him as some real monster with flaming eyes and fire breath.

Passing by a tavern in the downtown section -which had several wounded and bruised men grumbling and shaking their fists outside- Xun Jiang paused and started to listen to what they were saying. They were saying that there was some arrogant warrior inside who had been playing around with their wives and girlfriends, and judging by the assortment of broken bottles and wooden beams they had collected outside, they were waiting for Liang Zhuwen to become drunk enough to kill. Upon catching sight of the giant man in black and gold armor staring at them, however, they immediately abandoned their plans and scampered home.

Curious about the warrior, Xun Jiang entered the rich establishment, upon which everyone else grew quiet in fright and intimidation. All stopped eating and chatting, except one brash and confident voice which proudly proclaimed something which made his eyes flicker with some unseen fire. Liang's laughs became more pronounced as he continued his stories about his exploits, but what truly caught Xun Jiang's attention was his boast about being one of Xiang Yu's soldiers.

With huge ominous strides he approached Liang Zhuwen and the girl he was with, staring down at the seated man with a dangerous expression lining his face. "You say you are one of Xiang Yu's men? What is your name warrior?"
For a few seconds, it seemed that the unruly warrior didn't give the menacing warrior before him any attention. Instead, Zhuwen murmured a few inaudible words to the woman he was with and she would respond in small giggles. The man proceeded to touch the... "top area" of the lady before she giggled some more and lightly pushed his hand away with a, "Oh please, not here!"

It was then that Zhuwen turned to look at the warrior before him, still keeping the smile on his face. Perhaps it was stupidity, perhaps just a lack of concern, but the man did not seemed fazed at all.

"Nope, I didn't say that. I said I was a former underling of him. I left that dude like a year ago or something."

The warrior grabbed a cup of wine and took a long drink before looking at Xun Jiang and speaking again.

"I don't really like giving my name out to men. But it's Liang Zhuwen. What's it to ya?"
Liang Zhuwen, 28, Male, Chaotic Neutral
Stats: 50-92-36-31-80
Skills: Assemble II, Challenge II, Diplomat, Gongshu II, Jianshu II, Yueshu II
Biography
Zhuwen's Theme
Li Dao Wen
Marquis
Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Li Dao Wen »

OED

He waited patiently for Zhuwen to regain any semblance of courtesy before he added a response to his last brash question.
"In the instance that you didn't know, some men were waiting outside for you to get drunk to beat you to death, I didn't want them to waste their time, so I sent them off,"
he raised a thumb and gruffly pointed to the door, devoid of the fifteen or so angry men blocking it earlier.

The warrior he was looking at seemed like he could handle himself in a fight, indeed. A part of him wanted to test that outright, but that would be classified as 'causing trouble; he needed to curb the attitude within himself if he was going to be an unofficial policeman for the general. He could see that the man didn't care one bit about the angry husbands or the minuscule danger they posed to him, given that he was drinking himself dead and amusing himself with pleasures of the flesh. Nonetheless he had been tasked with a chore by his employer, and seeing that his fiddadling was rather disrupting to the patrons, he sneered at Liang's brash attitude.

"You're apparently somewhat famous around these parts for being a trouble maker. We don't like trouble makers here in Ma Dieu's holdings." he looked away and scoffed, clicking his tongue with distaste at his own words. It was a damn, outright lie; he wanted to have trouble, to make trouble everywhere he went, but he had responsibilities to fulfill.

But the whispers were becoming stronger for him, and they sent waves of thunder crashing into his dammed up desires.

Duty...

Desire.

Duty...

The fight.

Duty...

The blood.

With the last premise, his will finally snapped.

Without any regard for Liang or his woman he suddenly pulled a chair from the opposite end of their table, thrust his halberd to the stony pavement, then shouted to the bartender. "Get me twenty bottles of your best wine, now! General Ma Dieu shall pay for it!" A solid hand slammed the table as it retrieved a bowl from their side, spilling some of Liang's wine to the floor. "Why are you drinking this cheap wine? A former man of Chu shouldn't be so cheap. Aren't you all supposed to be ostentatious and boisterous men?"

He paused, then drank the last of the bowl's contents before throwing the bowl away, the porcelain being smashed to bits against the wall. "Today you shall know defeat! Come and share a drink with a former man of the Qin!"
Shang Yu, strategist and miser

Formerly:

Xun Jiang the Black Ogre, King of Yan
Phailak
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 9147
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:55 am
Location: PHP world of Warlords :)
Contact:

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Phailak »

Osi! wrote:((Super sorry for the late reply!))

Xuan laughed a little in embarrassed pride. "Ah I am not deserving of such high regard, but its appreciated nonetheless. I do remember the old days though. I thought I'd never get through to you. Still, you always performed beyond expectation."

Xinrichu seemed to grow a little more interested at the tale. Or perhaps it was seeing a more casual and relaxed version of his adopted father. "Is that so? Well that is interesting enough to me. Master Fei do you still serve in the military today?"
Lai nodded, displaying a sad smile.

"I do. It consumes my life and I may not rid myself of it. I have pledged my loyalty to my oath brother who has ambitions for this land. Though I have never condoned war, I find myself on the field of battle way too often. These past months, I have been involved in skirmishes and full scale invasions every month. Though I cannot say I have a thirst for battle lust, I am very much intrigued by it. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, I was given a weak body. That forces me to use my wits and mind far more than relying on any kind of physical prowess. I tend to the support side of battle. Has the blood lust bitten you?"

Lai tried to make sure to remove the glory from war and stay his tongue in respect to the young one's father, but it was difficult for him since he was so passionate about it.
Kakirot83
Sergeant
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:25 am
Location: The Moon

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Kakirot83 »

@ Li Dao Wen

Tai was a little shocked by the answer, but it seemed to make sense. He seemed to point out the more spiritual side of the word, taking it further than what she had originally assumed it might be. That he would have it be something more than one mere thing, and have it perhaps encompass all the things mentioned, danced around in her head.

She seemed almost as if she were nodding to herself, letting it all sink in. It was definately enough, that she could understand the concept better, as odd as it still was to her. She thought it might be fun to try and befriend the Ogre, perhaps seeing if there was more there.

"Then I will consent to helping you, and seeing where this road might lead us both." she msiled to the man, and bade him stand up, tall on both feet again. "I have men though, and followers, so I wonder where first, you shall lead us, that we might help each other along with this?"

She was not planning on leaving what she had been gathering, but neither did this man talk of employment, or where they were supposed to go, if she was to work alongside him, on seeing all they could see.
Tai Ju Li, 43-42*-104*-55*-91, Civil Administrator, Confuse III, Diplomat III, Doctor, Scribe II, Politician, Propagandist, Public Planner II
Age: 24, 379 gold, Location: Han

NPC Followers: Sun Luo;63-57-70-52-55/Decoy I, Military Administrator I, Poison I, Politician I, Rupture I, Trainer I
Li Dao Wen
Marquis
Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Li Dao Wen »

She said yes, and his heart leaped with joy, even though it only showed within a ghostly smile. He got up to his full height when bidden to, his shadow once more covering almost the entirety of the tent.

He paused as he digested her words. Remembering that she indeed had all those men under her command posed a bit of a disturbance for him. There was indeed an easy, cliche solution to it: employment under Ma Dieu. They would all be sheltered, given jobs, homes within their town or post of choice, and Lady Tai would not have to suffer the discomfort of the tents she and her followers currently lived in. However he didn't want her to think that it was his purpose for coming in the first place; it had honestly not even crossed his mind until she had brought the topic back up.

The situation transcended both duty and desire for him, and it begged such a confounding question; what would be best for Tai Ju Li and her men? Would it be shelter under the administration of Ma Dieu, or the freedom of nature? If he were to look at the bigger picture it would definitely be the former; the times were becoming seriously more dangerous, even more so because Li Jiacheng had finally shown his true colors and malicious intent towards them. Fact to the matter is, all of Jiaoxi was currently in a state of war. Would her little army be able to escape the carnage by joining it? Or would it be better to lead her and her men away from the province towards other lands? Or better yet, would his pledge of security, of protection be enough to actually keep her safe?

There was only one recourse for him, and it somewhat pained him to do it. He must ask her to join him under Ma Dieu's banner.

"I will allow you to choose your path for now, milady. I will not be so presumptuous as to dictate the flow of your life, and the colors inherent within it. For everything that its worth, I open the doors of Jiaoxi's cities for you and your men to consider. I have great influence in Ma Dieu's court, and with a single word from me you and your men will have the best of everything this province has to offer."

And now, the difficult part of his speech. "But on the other hand, Jiaoxi is fast becoming a dangerous place, and if the tide turns against us, soon it shall be a battleground between us and Li Jiacheng. If you choose to leave Jiaoxi, I will escort you and your men to your province of choosing, but I cannot leave this place right now for I have duties to fulfill. Will you be willing to stay with me throughout this ordeal? See this coming victory beside me? If yes, then once it is done with, then we can both leave if you wish it, and I will follow you like these men do."

It is said that hardship is the true measurement of a real and genuine connection, and the coming fight would be a very good test for both of them. It would be an epic start to what could be a very long learning experience which he was planning to enjoy and savor.
Shang Yu, strategist and miser

Formerly:

Xun Jiang the Black Ogre, King of Yan
osiris
Major
Posts: 608
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:09 pm
Location: Its that one city, with the name. You know...

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by osiris »

Phailak wrote:
Osi! wrote:((Super sorry for the late reply!))

Xuan laughed a little in embarrassed pride. "Ah I am not deserving of such high regard, but its appreciated nonetheless. I do remember the old days though. I thought I'd never get through to you. Still, you always performed beyond expectation."

Xinrichu seemed to grow a little more interested at the tale. Or perhaps it was seeing a more casual and relaxed version of his adopted father. "Is that so? Well that is interesting enough to me. Master Fei do you still serve in the military today?"
Lai nodded, displaying a sad smile.

"I do. It consumes my life and I may not rid myself of it. I have pledged my loyalty to my oath brother who has ambitions for this land. Though I have never condoned war, I find myself on the field of battle way too often. These past months, I have been involved in skirmishes and full scale invasions every month. Though I cannot say I have a thirst for battle lust, I am very much intrigued by it. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, I was given a weak body. That forces me to use my wits and mind far more than relying on any kind of physical prowess. I tend to the support side of battle. Has the blood lust bitten you?"

Lai tried to make sure to remove the glory from war and stay his tongue in respect to the young one's father, but it was difficult for him since he was so passionate about it.
Xuan's face became neutral. He crossed his arms and seemed to just wait and see how things would play out. Xinrichu looked at him, and Xuan simply gave a slight nod.

"Well, I have not been looking for a war really, or a fight. I am not so good a fighter, but I can command a little." he said getting a touch excited, "I think I am best at rousing speeches and such. Though I really don't like politics or war that much, but I am looking for a good lord to serve. I want to help the land," he said, in that starry eyed fashion so common in youth, "I want things to get better than they are, better than they have been before and I am looking for someone who can do that."

Xuan smiled a little and said, "I've just had to tell him to realize that if he wants to join a force, war and politics will be inescapable realities. Ah but you have an oath brother now. If I may ask, who is the fellow?"
"A man will not give his life for a half pence, you have to speak to his soul, electrify him." Napoleon Bonaparte

Fasho Baipan zi Xinrichu 60-39-42-71-90
Civil Administrator II, Deride, Diplomat, Military Administrator II, Haste, Poison, Politician, Propagandist, Rally II, Saboteur
Age 14
Followers: Shun Xuan(22) 56-38-70-60-45 skills in OI
Cheng Linpeng(36) 49-64-70-77-75 skills in OI
Yang Jian(17) 50-54-58-76-67 skills in OI
Phailak
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 9147
Joined: Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:55 am
Location: PHP world of Warlords :)
Contact:

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Phailak »

Lai nodded, smiling and seeming to gaze into fond memories.

"Rare are those like us that are able to make a difference while avoiding war. I had a bit of the same ideals, still do. Unfortunately, war and politics are very important to molding the land into something better and strong. I tend to let others dictate that while I prepare to enforce their beliefs. You may not be able to avoid them, but you can surely live with them."

Turning to his old friend, Lai smiled.

"I have known him since my youth, he is my oath brother and Lord now, Ma Dieu. We are heading towards a violent clash with Li Jiacheng from Wu, Brother Ma has always had a way of attracting attention, I suppose conquering three cities within a month tends to raise the alarms of some ambitious Lords."

It was a fair warning to his old friend, the young Master would be confronted to war anywhere he decided to serve, but likely none as dangerous as around here.
Kakirot83
Sergeant
Posts: 267
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:25 am
Location: The Moon

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Kakirot83 »

@ Li Dao Wen

Tai seemed to be in thought, mulling over the idea of serving under someone. True, she had considered it before, but had usually talked to the ruler. Also, it did seem fighting was breaking out in Jiaoxi, and she had come here for some reason, unknown to her.

She had odd plans, odd ideas in her head, but much of them had drifted away. She had a hard time imagining a justification for leaving now, after having said she would help him along his quest. It seemed only logical she would have to help him along in fighting too.

"I suppose the only fair way to see this through, would be to join Lord Ma Dieu. I only ask a small favor to do so; those that follow me must be allowed into his service as well. I do not think wandering freely is something they want, and perhaps they might enjoy serving a higher cause than me as well. If that can be done, then my talents and resources will be fair game for Lord Ma Dieu."

She smiled at the man before her, imagining that he would say yes. She didn't really account for if he would want all of them to join, but she knew that in the end, they would probably be accepted into service.

(OOC: Not sure exactly how to join someone, so feel free to tell me what to do. :P )
Tai Ju Li, 43-42*-104*-55*-91, Civil Administrator, Confuse III, Diplomat III, Doctor, Scribe II, Politician, Propagandist, Public Planner II
Age: 24, 379 gold, Location: Han

NPC Followers: Sun Luo;63-57-70-52-55/Decoy I, Military Administrator I, Poison I, Politician I, Rupture I, Trainer I
Li Dao Wen
Marquis
Posts: 1788
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: Jiaoxi Provincial Roleplay

Post by Li Dao Wen »

An affirmative. It was enough to bring another real smile to Xun Jiang's face, nodding with a very solemn expression. It was odd; he didn't know nor expected that it would end this way at all. Her words were more than fair, the General needed more fighting men to join his cause as well. And Lady Tai? She would be a well-received and honored lady in the court, if not revered. Everyone in Ma Dieu's lands knew of him, feared him and respected him, and to offer Lady Tai anything less than what he receives would bring terrible consequences.

Offering an arm for Lady Tai to take, he led her out into the encampment, where the men had been waiting curiously for any sign of life from the tent. They had been together inside for a good two hours, and they had been wary of him from the start. Taking his halberd and with the fair maiden by his side, the Black Ogre issued a proclamation. "Listen, all of you! Gather your tents, your horses, your weapons and your courage, you who are truly of Lady Tai's banner. From today, you shall fight for General Ma Dieu of Jiaoxi! Join us and seek a glory far greater than you have ever known in your lives!"

OOC: Thank you for joining us! :D Please post in Ma Dieu's OI as well as note your joining us in the Status changes thread.

Also, I would like to continue RPing with you. You sure are an awesome player with fantastic flair! :D If you will, please allow me to continue our RP here. Thank you!
Shang Yu, strategist and miser

Formerly:

Xun Jiang the Black Ogre, King of Yan
Post Reply