I kneel about 8 feet in front of him
"How was your trip,(insert appropriate title and honorific here)?
"Long and arduous. Thank you for asking. You move gracefully, like a crane. I am Honda. May I ask your name?" ((to bed with me, my response in the morning))
"Thank you, My name is Eli.
Where are you going to?"
Honda sucks on his pipe, eyeing you pensively. "At the moment," he responds, "I am sitting here."
"Heh, Well, at least we've had nice traveling weather."
"Nice weather, indeed." He is making small talk with you, but you can tell that he is studying your face and your body, deep in thought about something.
After some small talk
"What are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking about you, Eli. You are dressed in clothes of a peasant, but carry yourself like a samurai. Are you, perhaps, a rurouni?"
"You could say that. Although I don't have a sword or master, a fierce sense of honor burns within me.
He nods, and smiles slightly. "As I thought," he says smugly. "Perhaps you might try to sell your services to the Emperor's Men; I hear he's been needing help to quell a small rebellion of sorts. Of course, there is the small matter of you not having a sword. A samurai without a sword is like an old man without an heir." He thinks for a moment. "Your dishonor and mine both weigh heavily upon our shoulders. I am in need of one to pass my craft on to, you are in need of a tool with which to ply yours."
"I have a proposal that will solve both of our problems eventually.
How this? You set up shop here and take me as your apprentice.
You get an apprentice that is eager to learn and accustomed to hard labor.
I eventually get to make the sword of my dreams.
Does this seem like a good deal to you?"
"To set up shop here would be difficult, to say the least. I have been wandering the countryside in search of an heir to my craft, and would willingly accept you, rurouni Eli. However, you would have to travel with me to my forge; it is three days' travel to the north of here. Lodgings are comfortable and rice is plentiful, as long as you provide a hard day's labor for me."
"It sounds good to me, Honda-sensei
May I have two or three days to get my dealings around here in order?"
Honda nods. "Two days, and then we travel."
"Yes, sensei."
I spend the two days setleing up with my host and saying goodbye to the acquaintances I have made.
Does Edge come within those two nights?
(ge: 20) Edge does not come. Your host thinks you're the luckiest guy in the world. The second day comes; you're going to meet up with Honda to begin travel?
Yes,I will met up with Honda-sensei.
Edge will find it out and met me later.
That would be the hope, wouldn't it. (haha I said wooden tit. nevermind. I'm tired.) Honda and you begin your journey through the farmland. You break for the evening, and he gives you a riceball for dinner. The night passes uneventfully. He is a silent travelling companion, but if you have any questions for him, he may answer them. (I'm off to bed, continuing in the morning.)
"What kinds of katana do you specialize in?"
He tells you, "I make all forms of swords, but I am well-known for my katana and their sister wakizashi, both of which are considered meitou. I have also made tanto, nodachi, and the occasional zanbato. We have long had a saying in my shop, which is called Mei's after my master; it was not said first by myself; 'if it is a sword made by Mei's, it is a meitou.'" Any other questions?
"My teacher had a saying 'A Warrior should use all weapons available to him, to leave one unused is a dishonor to your master and you ancestors.' I agree with him, But I always had a preference for the nodachi and zanbato. Speaking of which, it's been so long since I held a sword, My ability with them has decayed to almost nothing. Do you have one your willing to let me practice with in my off time?"
He responds, "We have enough scrap metal around my forge that you no doubt will be more than able to craft a practice weapon for yourself. Crafting one worthy of wielding in combat will take some time, yet; but for training, all you will need is a heavy scrap." He speaks with the confidence of experience.
I'm done with the questions.
You climb a footpath on a mountain with him, and eventually reach his forge. He lives moderately well, with a house with paper walls, a low stone table in one room with a wood stove beneath it, and he owns two futon. Seeing the futon, your back begs you for a real rest, but Honda has other plans for your back. You spend a tough day lifting raw ores and being taught the very basics of the art of Japanese sword making. This begins a course only a fool would call easy; add 1@1 Honda's Ninja-do to your sheet, slow defensive, rf1, weapon-adverse, +30 defensive SM. In-character you do not realize the practical combat applications of the motions he insists you use while assisting him, and therefore do not recognize this as a martial art at this time.
I work diligently on the tasks assigned to me. I knew what I was getting into when I asked to become his apprentice.
Should we start the training calender?
OOC:Haha! I would have never guessed that the swordsmith was a ninja.
Note: Styles can't have Sit mods in higher than 20 points
(the damage mods can go up to 40 since they cost half as much).
He probably put the 10 extra points into a defensive damage mod which results in -20 def DM.
If this is correct it would look like;
1@1 Honda's Ninja-do B7@1, slow defensive, rf1, weapon-adverse, -20 defensive SM,-20 defensive DM
((Get used to the curve balls, there will be a lot of them ;) I see nothing like that in the materials I'm looking at; what I see is that fast styles should have between ten and twenty points to distribute, and slow styles should have between 25 and 30 to distribute. I will look it up later.. there will be more skills he will be teaching you, so the calendar does not begin yet. I will post greater detail later. Closing ritual at work begins now.))
It's under page 316 of the big black book.
((Thanks, I'll look it up and take it under advisement... now that I think back, I'm thinking you're probably right, so record it the way you have it)) After a week passes, he has completed a katana he was already working with; a few practiced swings to test the weight of the blade, and it is clear that he is more than a simple weaponsmith. He notices you watching him, and says to you, "I see the time has come to begin teaching you my art in earnest. Remember, as I have told you, a sword is a tool, not to end life, but to protect it." He gives you a sword and begins teaching you some basic maneuvers; (the roll is 56; a few crunches later and you have learned the style 1@2 Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, weapon-dependent, slow defensive, 15 defensive sm, +30 damage mod B7@1 (that's right, I went there, what are you gonna do about it now, "rurouni" =p))
OOC: I knew I should have called myself 'Kenshin'.
Continue, there is nothing I can do about it.
btw, I LOLed for a minute solid after reading that.
((ok, coming back to you tomorrow with the skills -- I've got the list, I just need to assign biases and we're good to go after that; I should ask whether you want the English translations of the style and skills or the more Japanese sounding transliterations))
If you don't mind,I'd like both.
This format will work
Japanese transliterations(English translations)
OK, add (Flying Heaven Honorable sword style) to the skill description for the style. Also add 1@1 Do Ryu San (Ground Dragon Flash) base annoying area attack 3':6':9':12':+20/1 B7@9, 1@1 Ryu Sui Sen (Dragon Mallet Flash) base weapon +DC B7@3, 1@1 Ryu Kan Sen (Dragon Wind-up Flash) base weapon RS/2' B7@3, and 1@1 Ryu Sou Sen base weapon, lethal damage rider B7@3. The master is pleased with your ability to pick up the skills so quickly, and says to you, "These abilities are at the heart of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu." He reiterates, "A sword is not to be used to take life; it is to be used in the defense of life."
"Yes sensei, I'm lucky to have a teacher as great as yourself. I will practice these techniques everyday...I still need to make a practice nodachi and zanbato."
"All things in time, rurouni," comes his response. Meanwhile, you are learning Smithing as well, so give yourself 1@1 skill for that; and we'll tentatively begin the training calendar.
Ok, would working as a smith count towards strength and stamina training?
It certainly will, and certain other aspects of your training will benefit your agility, will power, hand/eye, and intuition. Your master closely watches and leads you in training for 5 months, and seems well pleased in your noted advancement in the skill he has taught you. (Bump the skills within your training regimen with him to 1@7.) He tells you, "The time has come for you to learn more advanced techniques of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu; many of these will build on previous skills you have learned." ((I seem to have forgotten to give you the English translation of Ryu Sou Sen, it is (Double Dragon Flash.))) Also add
1@1 Ryu Kan Sen Tsumuji (Dragon Wind-up Flash Gyrate) base weapon -10 damage mod RS=3' B7@3
1@1 Ryu Sho Sen (Dragon Rising Flash) base weapon, on success enemy falls incapacitated for RS=5 minutes, make a will power check to resist, RS=s/d/n B7@7
1@1 Ryu Tsui San Zan base weapon +20 damage mod -10SM B7@3
1@1 Hi-Ryu Sen (Flying Dragon Slash) base weapon, on success enemy falls unconscious from pain, make a stamina check to resist, RS=s/d/n, requires sword in off hand B7@7
1@1 Ryu Sou Ryu Sen (Paired Dragon Flash) base weapon damaging damage rider, damage rider is +30SM, requires sheath B7@3
1@1 Ryu Kan Sen Arashi (Dragon Wind-up Flash Storm) base weapon +DC RS=1' B7@3
1@1 Zantetsu base weapon, success deals triple damage when used vs hard metals, B7@3
1@1 Shihara Dori catch enemy sword, RS vs. opponent attack, B7@5
1@1 Ryu Mei San disrupts intensified hearing, RS vs. opponent skill check, B7@7
1@1 Madoshi Giri base weapon, cut not apparent until RS = minutes or target is used or moves, B7@7
He encourages you to get to know these maneuvers as well, as they are more advanced and crucial in the next phase of your training.
I continue practicing the techniques he taught diligently.
Shouldn't the Smithing and Honda's Ninja-do be raised to 1@7, since I assume he teaching them at the same rate?
Have I made a practice katana, wakizashi, nodachi and zanbato?
Note: I noticed that weapon dependent styles require a separate Martial Arts Weapon skill.
What SAL have I gotten to with the ones I've practice with?
Yes, the two of those are among the skills boosted. The only weapon he is teaching you with is the katana; once you reach 1@10 he will stop you from using the practice blade and gift you a real sword. If you are practicing with other weapons on your own time, the SAL will be to 1@1 still, I believe; 1@2 for the zanbato, the "dice" say.
So I've made the practice version of those four weapons?
Other than that,continue.
Yes, you have made the practice versions of the four weapons using scrap from around the forge that your master had no interest in.
Today four samurai come to your master's forge. They are rude and obnoxious, and your master graciously offers them to share his tea and gives them rice. They talk about a rebel faction of samurai who want to bring down the Emperor and form a republic. Your master arches an eyebrow at this, and says, "So, there are people who doubt the divinity of the Emperor? Times have changed." You, too, are invited to sit at the table; is there anything you would like to add?