Warlords: Three Kingdoms

Diao Cai

It was strange how artists of a particular craft have the ability to make it appear so easy, so simple. The woman’s movements were fluid, dare she say graceful, as she went through the routine she did every day. She’d never seen anyone just sit out in the open doing such work, and in her youth before she could ever catch a peak her mother tugged her away saying it was too dangerous for little girls. Well clearly it wasn’t the most dangerous thing in the end. The first comment caught the young mute by surprise, blinking her eyes wondering what she meant by Ogre. She knew ogres… this woman was no Ogre.

The tone of voice was surprising to the girl, and a bit of envy of such a vocal tone crept over her. A gentle giant seemed to be the nature of this woman, and judging by the eye patch one with more life experience then any wanted. Slowly the girl sat next to the woman watching as her hands moved before again making eye contact.

What is your name? Suyin’s eyes lowered to the ground momentarily, debating how to answer this. She’d left her scrolls back in the office, and there was no way to verbally response. Noticing an extensive collection of pebbles the girl’s eyes brightened suddenly. Starting to arrange them, she created the best depiction of the characters in her name. Jiao Suyin.

Sweet_Ayame wrote:Diao Cai

It was strange how artists of a particular craft have the ability to make it appear so easy, so simple. The woman’s movements were fluid, dare she say graceful, as she went through the routine she did every day. She’d never seen anyone just sit out in the open doing such work, and in her youth before she could ever catch a peak her mother tugged her away saying it was too dangerous for little girls. Well clearly it wasn’t the most dangerous thing in the end. The first comment caught the young mute by surprise, blinking her eyes wondering what she meant by Ogre. She knew ogres… this woman was no Ogre.

The tone of voice was surprising to the girl, and a bit of envy of such a vocal tone crept over her. A gentle giant seemed to be the nature of this woman, and judging by the eye patch one with more life experience then any wanted. Slowly the girl sat next to the woman watching as her hands moved before again making eye contact.

What is your name? Suyin’s eyes lowered to the ground momentarily, debating how to answer this. She’d left her scrolls back in the office, and there was no way to verbally response. Noticing an extensive collection of pebbles the girl’s eyes brightened suddenly. Starting to arrange them, she created the best depiction of the characters in her name. Jiao Suyin.

Ayame

Regarded the young woman for a moment as she did not answer at first, she wondered oddly if the young woman had lost her hearing. There were illnesses that plagued the land that could cause such things so it wouldn't be completely unheard of. Ah but whats this? Ming Mei watched as the girl moved the pebbles around to form a response. she reguarded the lettering for a moment and nodded softly.

"I see, Jiao Suyin."

"Poor thing, must be unable to speak." were the thoughts that ran through her mind. Mutes were not all that uncommon, at least not in the young. Children were often exposed to things that they normally might have trouble couping with, bit a tiger in the woods, a bandit, or other such things. It often left them unable to speak for many years. Her own village had its share of children, though not always for bad reasons, some were simply punished with silence for something they said or did.


"Hum...well that's not going to be easy on you now is it? let's see..ah I know. You know in my village our little ones sometimes were punished with silence. I learned how difficult it is to take requests for when things break. usually pots or the such. But when the children are asked to run the errands and cannot speak from punishment, makes taking the orders harder. So...lets see if I still have it hum?"

Reaching behind her she sought something in a bag. Inside was a small collection of things she kept around her forge, stuff the bandits didn't make off with. a small "Ah HA!" later a small tray was produced. this tray was, as someone trained in the higher arts of nobility might recognize, a more poor and low class version of a calligraphy trainer. setting it down she reached inside her bag to produce just plain sand and poured it into the tray. it didn't take much but with the tray came a small stick, finely shaped for the typical use of calligraphy training. But in this case Ming Mei had adapted its use to something far more practical. Whether it was a bad lisps, unable to speak properly, or simply her ears stopped up from the heat, she adapted the small training tool to allow someone to write down on so that communication could be done. It was a small trick adopted from her foster father. And she felt in this case it might help out. she nodded down to the tray and smiled

"Why don't we give that a shot. I usually keep that around, makes life around a forge a little easier to handle. I'm Ming Mei of Han. its nice to meet you Jiao Suyin."

She hoped that Suyin wouldn't take offense to the calligraphy tool, it was hard sometimes to judge people, particularly those who had disabilities, either being mute, deaf, or blind. sometimes a person took offense when you simply tried to make their life easier. She hoped Suyin was not such a person. After all, Suyin was the only other person aside General Yi, and the men she had trained earlier, whom she had met.

Lynn

“Perhaps I should cease such vague references” he would response, his tone having nary departed from the soft comforting sound he had maintained since her arrival. Such a coincidence, as though on cue, he had offered to provide her understanding of his metaphor; truth be told, it had been merely an assumption he had considered upon reflection of her inquisitive mannerism. She was naught one to allow her curiosity to be kept at bay, at least not since they had met. Even within the earlier exchanges between them, when her disposition belied to whom had been, her apprehensive would subside in the slightest manner, whilst she garnered intrigue to heaven only know. It had been years before he had a degree of accuracy in predicting what it was she desired, and even upon this juncture it was a rarity he was certain. Of course, he concluded at random intervals she denies his presumptions for nothing more than her own amusement. The mischievous grin would have it a worthwhile exchange endeavor at every pass, simply because he knew she had allowed her solemn past to dislodge itself from her thoughts, if only for a few moments.

“We lived, lived to meet one another” he would utter, emitting a heavyhearted sigh, his embrace momentarily waning whilst he contemplated whether or not to commence further, not having the yearning to contradict his earlier assurance to reprieve her curiosity. “Perhaps now is not the best time to relay tales of old, suffice it to say I should have perished long ago, slain in the destruction of the royal palace of Julu nigh two decades ago.” For what would be the first time, he had spoken of events that would indistinctly reveal who he had been years prior. The destruction of Julu, the subjection of Zhao, t’was knowledge that had become wide spread in a short duration. Furthermore, in recent months rumors had originated citing the survival of royalty, that a small portion had escaped the smoldering ruins of the capital. Had he admitted such was true?

Devoid of another word for some time, Xingnu would reaffirm his embrace around Suyin, drawing her closer against his body, keeping her from the steadily growing chill derived from the nightly breeze that had arose. T’was only upon this juncture had the Young Master pondered how long they had conversed in this tranquil meadow, with the stars to serve as their illuminated light. “I wonder, shall we depart, or would you fancy to remain through the night?” he would inquire. His original intentions would have him return to the village only after some time, with Suyin by his side, he thought perhaps she would rather not stay in the dwellings he had crafted in this serene environment. “And another… “ he spoke, subsequent to a brief pause. “I shan’t keep your curiosity at bay any further. If you wish to know anything, simply write and I shall answer.” The difficulty of his statement could be felt through his uneasy tone. Nonetheless, Xingnu had been careful not to ask her to question him with her voice, even if he longed to hear her speak.

Cao Chao wrote:"That only shows he knows the light," replied Zhiwen, shaking his head, a hint of impatience in his tone, "I have yet to hear of his utilization of any tactics that stem from the Dark Art of War . . . from tactics and ploys that plumb the very depths of the darkness that rests within the hearts of man. He has committed no act that will bring him widespread condemnation and censure from the lords of the realm. Until he does, I do not believe that he has what it takes to be a hegemon."

"As for our borders, they are far less secure than you believe," continued the young general, continuing to shake his head, "Perhaps it is because my duties as a military commander requires me to prepared to face any and all threats. Regardless, I do not share your rosy view about our frontiers. They may seem safe, but right now, everything is in flux. We cannot count on things always being in our advantage. We must be prepared for an invasion . . . from all sides if it comes to it . . ."

"Not all light is blinding, and not all darkness is choking," Rui observed, frowning at his friend. This was a relatively simple point, why wasn't he understanding? "Certainly, the Dark Art of War can demand of one to massacre cities to cow others into submission, but it may also be something as simple as amassing troops while providing a cover of strength to hide one's limited numbers," he lectured.

"Security is itself an illusion," he then continued. "Do you truly believe I think of our neighbours as permanently paralyzed? No, of course not. I am not that naive," he pointed out. "What I do know, however, is that our meteoric rise, and the expansion of other warlords, some of them under our wing, some not, has caused everyone to pause and regroup. Gaonu was an upset for the allied forces leveled at Kai-daren, and Lady Zhu in Yin is not incapable. Zhefu, for his part, is presented with a rising power in Jiaodong, and thus he must be cautious before he can make any move, lest Shi-daren swallow him whole."

"You do your profession honour by being suspicious, Zhiwen, but too much suspicion is paranoia, and that can paralyze a man," Rui stated bluntly. "We are secure. For now. Maybe in a month, that will change. Maybe not. Whatever the case, we must use this opportunity to seize the rest of Zhao and establish our base."

Marquis Black wrote:"Not all light is blinding, and not all darkness is choking," Rui observed, frowning at his friend. This was a relatively simple point, why wasn't he understanding? "Certainly, the Dark Art of War can demand of one to massacre cities to cow others into submission, but it may also be something as simple as amassing troops while providing a cover of strength to hide one's limited numbers," he lectured.

"Security is itself an illusion," he then continued. "Do you truly believe I think of our neighbours as permanently paralyzed? No, of course not. I am not that naive," he pointed out. "What I do know, however, is that our meteoric rise, and the expansion of other warlords, some of them under our wing, some not, has caused everyone to pause and regroup. Gaonu was an upset for the allied forces leveled at Kai-daren, and Lady Zhu in Yin is not incapable. Zhefu, for his part, is presented with a rising power in Jiaodong, and thus he must be cautious before he can make any move, lest Shi-daren swallow him whole."

"You do your profession honour by being suspicious, Zhiwen, but too much suspicion is paranoia, and that can paralyze a man," Rui stated bluntly. "We are secure. For now. Maybe in a month, that will change. Maybe not. Whatever the case, we must use this opportunity to seize the rest of Zhao and establish our base."

"Forgive me if I am not altogether convinced by your words," replied Zhiwen with a chuckle, flicking Bai Rui an amused look. "Especially when it comes in the form of a lecture." Pausing, the young general shook his head, rubbing his chin thoughtfully for a moment. "It is true that there is a wide range of possibilities for both light and dark," he continued after several moments, "But for one to be truly a hegemon, he needs to show that he's capable of showing both the darkest of darkness . . . as well as the lightest of the light. Only with such juxtaposition will he show himself to be a true hegemon. Muddling the surface is something even the most incompetent of lords are capable of doing. I agree that an eye must be kept on Shi Tong to continuously measure his abilities, but at this point, he has not proven that he possesses the requisite skills of a hegemon."

"It is my duty to be vigilant against external threats," replied Zhiwen, shaking his head, "As such, I must see and prepare for threats even when there seems to be none. We must be eternally wary about our neighbors. We have not made many friends during our abrupt departure from Qi. And we are now . . . at least for the time being . . . vassals of the Hegemonic King of Western Chu, which will not endear us to many of those who remember the bloody swathes that Xiang Yu cut through these lands in order to crush the Qin. We are in the smack middle of Hebei bordering three major powers and a few minor ones as well. Just as we need to prepare for overt threats like enemy troops, we must prepare for the covert as well . . . It is more difficult to defend against a knife in the back than a charging horde coming at you from the front."

Untying a bag of gold from his waist, Zhiwen tossed it to Bai Rui. "Take it, this is a partial sum of the gold that I owe you."

Yi Zhiwen pays Bai Rui 67 gold

Jin Taozu

It was a beautiful day; birds were chirping with the return of the morning sun and Jin was walking along the dirt road which winded against the Yellow River which bordered Zhaoge. He was gradually making his way to the Port to pick up a few supplies, idly reading one of the books Zhao Jui, his advisor and close friend kept on his person for trips such as these.

Persing his lips, the strategist grinned, "Zhao, listen to this." The younger male clearing his throat as he began, "Times change but war never ceases; Humanity was made on wars and destruction. Terror and greed, we are sinned children who care nothing about the gain of others and think inwardly." Idly tapping a finger over his chin in thought, Jin chuckled before nodding to the older man.

Being older, and wiser, Zhao Jui merely sighed, shaking his head. "We are all created different. While others thrive on war and terror, others believe in peace and prosperity. You surely must acknowledge this, sir."

The young scribe chuckled lightly and closed the book as they soon approached the docks of the Port and stops, looking at all the different people busily hurrying within the streets. Peering over towards the various boats docked before turning back to his advisor and looking up at him, he couldn't help but cross his arms and sigh. "Yet we are plagued by war and destruction, is that not correct, Zhao Jui?" Grinning to himself a little while the older man grumbled to himself.