Doji Toyozo and Kedo whirl and crash through the Lion defenders like a whirlwind through wheat, leaving brused and broken bodies in their wake.  Their progress is noted, and an answering cry of challenge rings out through the streets.  Three Lion samurai wearing the mon of the Matsu bar their way.  No challenge or speeches are made, the naked blades in their hands speak for themselves.

TNtbH:  35
Initiative:  27

***
Tsuruchi Sumi and Bayshi Kenji make their stealthy way past the Lion defenses.  Nearby they can hear the sounds of raging battle and the recognizable voices of Doji Toyozo and Kedo making their bloody way to the heart of the Lion forces.  As they near, Sumi and Kenji see them blocked by three Matsu, but from the roof tops, two archers take aim.  A third archer catches sight of them and lets fly an arrow bringing the other's attention to you.

OOC:  TNtbH 18
Initiative 16
This message was last updated by the GM at 05:46, Fri 16 Mar 2012.

Growling a bit with frustration, Sumi drew an arrow and sent it flying into the archer who had just warned the others.

Tsuruchi Sumi:
rolled 48 using 8k3 with rolls of 6,2,4,1,4,9,(10+10+10+3)33,5. Reflex/Kyujutsu.
rolled 16 using 5k2 with rolls of 5,4,4,8,8. Damage.

Kenji stays low, dodging behind chimneys, making his way ever closer to the rooftop archers.  A silent prayer to the Kami echoes in his mind that his companions distract them from the battle below.

OOC:
Reflexes/Stealth- 20
Agility/Athletics- 34
Over halfway there.  :D

 Once more, Kedo leaves his Crane companion to engage the most skillful of the incoming foes while moving wide to one flank, forcing the charging Matsu to either split the focus of their assault or risk being flanked, attempting to reduce the legendary effectiveness of Lion working in concert by dividing them. The grey-clad swordsman sways in and under the assault of the first onrushing Bushi while his katana snickers out in a reversed cut at midriff-height that continues around, reversing itself once more in his hand into a descending slash designed to seperate head from body that should leave a momentary obstacle at the feet of the second Matsu intended to slow him enough that a straight, full-body lunge will skewer them like a child skewering a fishball on a chopstick....

 ...well, that's the plan anyway.

[Private to GM:  07:24, Today: Kedo rolled 57 using 8d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,6,(10+10+10+1)31,3,8,9,1,6. Initiative (with tactics).

07:25, Today: Kedo rolled 49 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 5,5,2,(10+2)12,8,7,2,9,4. Attack #1.
07:27, Today: Kedo rolled 16 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 1,5,4,1,1,3,7. Damage #1.

07:25, Today: Kedo rolled 44 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3,3,9,9,4,1,2,7. Attack #2.
07:27, Today: Kedo rolled 35 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,8,6,8,(10+9)19,2,5. Damage #2.

 07:26, Today: Kedo rolled 53 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 1,3,4,(10+4)14,1,4,4,(10+8)18,3. Attack #3 (only if someone died).
07:27, Today: Kedo rolled 33 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,9,2,6,(10+5)15,4,8. Damage #3.]

Blades flash in a stunning display of kenjutsu as Toyozo and his opponent strike at each other simultaniously, armor deflecting the blows.

Kedo flies at the Lion, deftly avoiding their technically precise attacks.  Blades whistle by his head and torso, deflected by his whirling daisho or avoided by the simple expedient of not being there.  He is past the first of his opponents in a flash, sidestepping a thrust as he moves to the left flank of the other.  His first strike misses the Lion's torso, instead cutting into the bushi's leg.  Kedo's follow up strike, therefore fails to remove his head, but his arm instead as the bushi swung his katana in a lethal backhand slash at Kedo's vulnerable neck.  Instead the Lion katana falls to the ground and he attempts to draw his wakazashi with his remaining hand.

One part of Kedo's plan has succeeded, at least.  The remaining bushi is prevented from reaching Kedo by the obstruction of his companion.

Wounded Lion TNtbH 15
Uninjured Lion TNtbH 35
Initiative 27

***

Sumi's arrow strikes home with a wet thunk, lodging itself in the archer's leg.  The return strikes are not as precise, and only a single arrow grazes her arm, cutting through her sleeve and drawing a thin line of blood.

Kenji manages to make his approach unscathed, arrows whistling harmlessly past his body.

Archer TNtbH 18
Bushi TNtbH 28
Initiative 16

 With one Lion down if not out, barely able to fight Kedo circles away from him, opening up the flank of his companion - whom he engages with a circular sweep of his Wakizashi intended to gather up and sweep aside incoming steel and a snicker-snack stroke of his Katana intended to open up thigh and inner arm in turn, darting for areas of the Matsu's armour not able to protect their bearer in the extension of a charge...

 ...and if that should prove successful, the delicate, hummingbird-like extension of his long blade into the eye of the first Matsu as he lunges to the attack will be almost an afterthought, a regretable necessity honouring the dreadful Matsu determination to bring down their foe no matter the cost.

[Private to GM: 07:47, Today: Kedo rolled 43 using 9d10+13, keeping the 4 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 4,8,6,8,8,4,4,2,1. Kedo-chop #1 (Matsu 2).
07:48, Today: Kedo rolled 30 using 7d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 2,4,8,(10+4)14,6,8,2. Damage #1.

07:47, Today: Kedo rolled 45 using 9d10+13, keeping the 4 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3,5,3,1,(10+8)18,3,3,6. Kedo-chop #2 (Matsu 2).
07:48, Today: Kedo rolled 38 using 7d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,(10+5)15,(10+6)16,3,3,6,5. Damage #2.

07:51, Today: Kedo rolled 87 using 9d10+13, keeping the 4 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,6,7,(10+9)19,(10+1)11,3,(10+2)12,(10+10+6)26,(10+7)17. Oops. Kedo-chop #3 (If Matsu 2 falls).
07:51, Today: Kedo rolled 20 using 7d10, keeping the 3 highest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5,2,7,7,1,5. Damage #3. .]
This message was last edited by the player at 06:52, Tue 27 Mar 2012.

Kenji continued his charge, silent feet carrying him swiftly forward to close the distance between him and the archers.  Attempting to keep a lane of fir open for Sumi behind, Kenji's katana flashes silently through the air, seeking to down to rooftop archers before they can do any harm.

OOC:
Agility/Athletics- 48
Reflexes/Stealth- 21
Attack- 39
Damage- 23

Sumi grunted loudly from pain when an arrow grazed her arm. Gritting her teeth, Sumi snatched an arrow from her quiver and fired it at the archer who had shot her, or at least the one that she thought fired the arrow that hit her.

Tsuruchi Sumi:
rolled 21 using 8keep3 with rolls of 7,1,5,1,3,3,9,2. Reflex/Kyujutsu.
rolled 33 using 5keep2 with rolls of (10+4)14,9,(10+9)19,1,5. Damage.

As Kedo's bloody blades rise and fall, leaving death in their wake, three more Lion samurai charge into the fray.  The ronin's first strike punches through the under reinforced lacquered armor under the Matsu's arm, piercing a lung, and his second blow plunges deep into the Samurai's brain.  The remaining crippled Samurai attempts to charge Kedo as he slays his companion, but is impaled by the ronin's striking wakazashi, and falls dead in time for Kedo to meet the fresh Lion samurai coming to the aid of their now dead companions.

OOC:  you have one free attack from killing the second Matsu in addition to your regular attacks.
Lion TNtbH 40
Initiative 27

***

Kenji's strike cuts deep into the archer bushi's body, completing the task that Sumi's arrow began.  He manages to extract his blade just in time to deflect the attack from the archer's bushi companion.  Locked in combat, Kenji still manages to twist his body just enough to avoid being impaled by an arrow from one of the other archers.

Sumi's own retaliatory strike punches deep into the arm of the archer who had hit her, throwing off his next shot enough so that it misses her by a wide margin.

Archer TNtbH 18
Bushi TNtbH 28
Initiative 16

Kenji is engaged in melee with a Bushi

 It is a terrible, beautiful thing to take anothers life this way - and the weight of it falls upon Kedo's slim, muscular shoulders with greater pressure by the moment, the slump of the first slain Matsu dropping to his knees and onto his face joined a moment later by the clatter of the second's armour hitting the ground - and the steely rasp of a Katana's edge meeting the first incoming Lion, having been drawn straight back out of its last target and swept at armpit height into the flank of the first charging swordsman, a step-and-pirouette on Kedo's part taking him out of the mounded bodies and into the midst of the running formation of swordsmen, seeking to use their own number as a weapon against them.

 Following through with the strike his Katana sweeps up in a wave-pattern to lash down across the chest of the second Lion while a stop-thrust from his Wakizashi at the third in the charging force glances harmlessly from a breastplate in a screech of steel on laquered steel, swift but harmless and leaving the gray-glad swordsman in a precarious position surrounded by multiple Matsu swordsmen...

[Private to GM: 00:03, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 66 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of (10+7)17,9,(10+8)18,4,6,2,2,6,9. Leftover strike.
00:04, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 28 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,6,(10+3)13,2,9,4,2. Damage.

00:08, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 51 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 5,7,2,3,5,2,(10+8)18,3,8. Strike on 2nd Lion.
00:08, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 41 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,8,8,4,7,(10+10+4)24,8. Damage on Lion #2.

00:08, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 39 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1,5,9,5,1,7,4,4. Strike on 3rd Lion.

 And if the second blow put someone down (fingers crossed!) my additional strike will be with my Katana at the third one in line as I try and put serious wounds on as many foes as possible to steal the sting from their inevitable counter-strikes.

00:15, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 44 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,8,5,8,6,4,9,6,1. Additional (if I get it) on #3.
00:16, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 27 using 7d10, dropping the 4 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,5,(10+3)13,8,3,5,4. Damage on Lion #3.]

Kenji's form was precise, clean and smooth, the katana in his hand an extension of the lethal intent in his soul.  He may not know the Lady's reasons, but he would not tolerate failure on his part.

OOC:
Attack- 35
Damage- 17

Sumi shrugged then nocked another arrow. At least she had hit the man. Drawing back the bow, she took sight on the archer again then let the arrow fly.

Tsuruchi Sumi:
rolled 22 using 8d10 keep 3 with rolls of 6,8,8,6,3,2,1,6. Reflex/Kyujutsu.
rolled 20 using 5d10 keep 2 with rolls of 4,(10+1)11,9,2,5. Damage.

Toyozo's face was intent on ending his stand off with the Matsu quickly, but perhaps due to the fighting of mainly peasants recently, Toyozo misjudged his first attack against the Matsu because he was already planning out his second one. The first strike went wide of the target and as a result Toyozo had to drop back to protect himself.


First swing would have hit but the second failed.
Initiative: 49

The three Lion samurai are brought to a standstill by Kedo's whirling display of swordsmanship.  The first staggers as the ronin's turning strike cuts deeply into his leg.  The second raises his own blade to block, but loses his left hand for his troubles.  The third bushi comes off rather better, being uninjured, but the sight of two of his fellows badly injured in the initial exchange staggers his confidence.  Still, the Lion attempt to rally against the force of nature from the mountain.

The two injured Lion come close, but fail to pierce Kedo's formidable defenses...the third, however, succeeds...

[Private to Kedo: 15:25, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 32 using 7d10+6, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,7,2,8,4,6,(10+8)18. Damage Kedo.
15:24, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 38 using 9d10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,8,(10+4)14,5,2,6,4,7,5. Lion 3 attack (Kedo).
15:24, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 34 using 9d10-20, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 8,3,3,1,(10+2)12,9,(10+7)17,7,(10+6)16. Lion 2 attack (Kedo).
15:23, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 34 using 9d10-10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 5,1,1,2,(10+5)15,9,4,(10+2)12,8. Lion 1 attack (Kedo). ]

Toyozo's opponent manages to fend off his attack, but fails to succeed in his answering strike.

Initiative 27
Kedo Lion TNtbH 40
Toyozo Lion TNtbH 35

***

A quick exchange of blows leaves Kenji uninjured and his opponent wounded, but not fatally.

Sumi's arrow finishes off another of the archers, but the remaining archer proves to be more skilled than his fellows, and manages to strike a telling blow to the Tsuruchi courtier.

[Private to Tsuruchi Sumi: 18:36, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 9 using 2d10, dropping the lowest dice only, rerolling max with rolls of 2,9. Damage Sumi.
18:34, Today: Kaze no Kage rolled 34 using 6d10, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,1,8,2,(10+6)16,9. Attack Sumi. ]

Archer TNtbH 18
Bushi TNtbH 28
Initiative 16

 One Lion's blade is gracefully permitted to flow high over Kedo's back as he leans forwards and his Katana flows to meet it, a second slides past him as he twists and aids its unimpeded passage with a gentle nudge from his reversed Wakizashi... But there is no hand left over for the third and though he attempts to evade, there's a sound of steel on steel as the chisel-tip of the Matsu's sword glides neatly between two of Kedo's armour panels and into his midriff, gashing along his flank but failing by sheer fortune to penetrate deeply.

 Not even Dragon stoicism can completely ignore such pain, but for a brief moment the successful Lion's weapon is stuck and it leaves him without a defence - whereupon Kedo's longsword completes its defensive circle, slashing in at neck-height upon the stalled enemy once, twice in a snicker-snack pattern intended to sever head from body with enough lingering momentum to carry around in a complete circle back the way his sword came, trying to finish the fight before another blade can strike home.

[Private to GM:  Alright, if all the guff below pans out, the net result is this:

 Kedo hits and 'kills' the unwounded lion:
 Lion #3  0 -> 27+20 = 47
 If he does, he gets an attack on the last one he hit:
 Lion #2 41 ->   +13 = 54
 If that one dies, he keeps swinging at neck neight to kill the first one he hit:
 Lion #1 28 ->   +25 = 53
 Ending the round on TntbH 38 (33 if wounds penalise defence) and 22 wounds (grazed).

00:37, Today: Kedo rolled 44 using 9d10+3, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,4,(10+7)17,7,1,9,8,2,7. That Lion then.
00:38, Today: Kedo rolled 27 using 7d10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,1,6,(10+8)18,8,5,9. Stabbity.

00:37, Today: Kedo rolled 36 using 9d10+3, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,3,6,9,8,9,4,7,4. That Lion then #2.

 Thinking about this, as I read the actual section on fighting, I'll spend a void point to negate ten of those brutal wounds. That moves me from -15 to -5, which is what I can ignore with my Katana skill, leaving me on no penalty. So my second hit strikes home doing:

00:43, Today: Kedo rolled 20 using 7d10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,4,7,(10+3)13,5,1,4.

00:44, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 56 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,6,3,(10+5)15,8,4,2,(10+1)11,9. Possible follow-up.
00:45, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 13 using 7d10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 3,7,6,5,5,5,5. Possible damage #1.

00:44, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 73 using 9d10+13, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 9,7,5,8,(10+3)13,(10+10+9)29,4,5,9. Possible follow-up #2.
00:45, Today: Secret Roll: Kedo rolled 25 using 7d10, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of (10+8)18,2,2,7,5,3,2. Possible Damage #2.]

Toyozo strides forward and time slows down as he slashes his blade laterally, he sees his opponent attempt to defend himself but with the smallest of adjustments, the Doji alters the trajectory slashing at the Lion's midsection.

[Private to GM:
14:19, Today: Doji Toyozo rolled 40 using 10d10-6, dropping the 5 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 7,3,(10+7)17,7,8,1,2,5,7,4. Atk, 2 raise dam. +2 free for dam.
14:20, Today: Doji Toyozo rolled 27 using 7d10, dropping the 3 lowest rolls, rerolling max with rolls of 6,9,4,4,8,3,3. damage. ]

Sumi yelped when the arrow hit her and cursed. That was another that she was going to need to remove. For now however, she broke the shaft so that she could work around it. She then drew her own arrow and placed it in the bow. Taking aim on the opposing archer, she drew the bow back and released.

Tsuruchi Sumi:
rolled 41 using 8d10 keeping 3, with rolls of 3,6,(10+9)19,8,(10+4)14,5,1,4. Reflex/Kyujutsu.
rolled 26 using 5d10 keeping 2, with rolls of (10+3)13,7,(10+3)13,6,2. Damage.

Kenji's blow leaves a telling lapse in the Lion bushi's defense, and the young warrior is not loath to capitalize on the enemy's weakness.  The steel blade in his hands becomes a blinding flash, slashing the opposition with no more remorse than shown by it's master.

[Private to GM: Attack- 44
Damage- 23]