Dark Edge Village

Kemuri stumbled a bit as he made his way through the sea of yurts. He held his forehead and looked around through squinted eyes. Where were the cook fires? Had he gone the wrong way?

Ameka emerged from her yurt at the same time as the Shinjo was wandering through, either still drunk or hung over, going by the stumbling. Hard to tell. It reminded her a little of when some of her schoolmates had snuck some sake. Well, it wasn't polite to point it out, anyway. Instead, she merely greeted, "Good morning, Shinjo-san," she a bow as he neared.

He stated at her for a few moments, blinking a few times. Finally, he bowed... slowly.

"Good morning, Doji-sama. My apologies... for my state."

State? What state? She didn't notice any state. There was no state to notice. Certainly not being hung over. Goodness no.

She smiled. "Hmm? I couldn't imagine," she says, not specifying what, exactly, she was referring to. She seemed to recall something about slightly heavier foods being good for the state Shinjo-san definitely wasn't in. "Has Shinjo-san eaten yet?"

"Umm.. No." he shook his head and winced. "I was actually on my way to breakfast. Have you had rice yet, Doji-sama?

"I have not, yet. Perhaps you would do me the honor of joining me?" She suggests.

"It is my honor." he smiled, offering a nod of agreement.

She tied back the flap of her tent to let him inside, sending someone to return with breakfast, something a little on the heavy side. "Please, come in, then," she says, with a warm smile, gesturing to one of the seats. "How has the miai been for you so far?"

He stepped inside and sat down.

"Things have gone well. It has been a good opportunity to learn more about the Empire. How have the past few days been for you?"

The inside of the yurt was a little darker, at least. It wasn't a bright day, but even the sun behind clouds probably wasn't doing a headache any favors. "Aside from a brief bout of being under the weather, quite well. I'm glad to hear you've learned more about the Empire... I have learned a bit about your Clan, myself, but not as much as I would like. I'm hoping to learn more."

The dimmer light was definitely helpful.

"Is there anything specific you were curious about?"

"Hmm... Everything, really," she says. "Do you have anything of particular interest to you that you'd like to share?"

He considered it for a few moments, then began.

"You are likely aware that before the Ki-Rin left the Empire, Shinjo no Kami was given a mirror by Doji no Kami. The blessed mirror allowed communication between the clan and Rokugan during the Ki-Rin's travels. I do not know why or when, but the stories say that those communications stopped at some point. Then, two centuries after leaving the Empire, the Ki-Rin were in a fierce battle in the mountains. A tribe of warriors riding large birds, Rocs, attacked and the Kuchi were forced to create a landslide to defeat them. This closed the pass, blocking access to all known routes to Rokugan, the Steppes of the Ujik-hai and the Burning Sands."

"There was no way home." Kemuri continued. "Lady Shinjo took her sister's gift and split it into four pieces. It would likely prevent any possible communication with the Empire, but it would allow the families of the Ki-Rin to maintain contact. The clan was divided and each went in search of a path home."

"The Ide and the Moto encountered beings of great power, known as the Ashalan. They were initially friendly, but had a strange obsession with Lady Shinjo and the other Kami. The Ide and the Moto were forced to fight their way free o the Ashalan city. Their escape cost them dearly. They took heavy casualties and took refuge in a port city called Aqahba.'

He paused for a minute, to gather his thoughts and clear his head. The headache was better. Kemuri looked to Ameka, to see if she had any questions.

"Akaba?" She repeats the name of the city, pronunciation not perfect, but fairly close. "What sort of beings were the Ashalan?"

She paused and shook her head. "I'm sorry for interrupting, I'm sure there's time for that at the end. Please go on, Shinjo-san."

"It is alright. It is a long tale, that can take many directions." he assured her. "Aqahba is a city at the edge of the desert, on the sea. The Ashalan are harder to describe. Desert mystics, similar to men, but something more."