2 hours ago, Doji Hyōkin said:

By the same token, it’s super dishonourable and negligent that the Phoenix Council didn’t inform the Emperor as to the extent of the elemental imbalance, given that their duty is the spiritual health of the Empire.

I could buy a Crab Champion who won’t admit to the shame of being the one who‘s going to lose the Wall, and doubles down on “We Will Not Fail” mode until it’s too late. Not the direction they seem to be taking, and not the Crab I want, but doable.

Hey, what would you expect of the Phoenix? Do I as say not as I do should be inscribed in the Isawa mon, the same way that I can swim is inscribed in the Bayushi's.

3 hours ago, KakitaKaori said:

Think of that scene in Game of Thrones where Jon Snow opens a box with a wight in it in front of Cersei. That's what it's going to take.

This one ?

4 hours ago, Doji Hyōkin said:

Does anyone outside the Crab know a Watchtower has fallen? Only the Mantis we just saw Oguri hire. Have losses been higher than in recent years? The RPG Beta adventure had a Twenty Goblin Winter, and they were willing to entertain the notion of bolstered support from other clans, but unable to work out an agreeable command structure which indicates that they might be more hard up than usual for bodies on the Wall. Dwindling jade shortage, all signs point to leaks in the dam. Flood's a-comin'...

I'm not saying the Crab couldn't try and keep it a secret, I'm saying it's extremely unlikely they'd succeed . Because unlike the "elemental imbalance", which no one can explain the cause or origins off, and thus no one can point the finger at the Phoenix for it, a Shadowlands invasion that goes tearing through the southern empire would have an obvious origin and -cause for being there - the Wall has been breached.

And once the various Lords and Daimyo begin reporting that "Hey, an army of goblins just ate all of Still Water Beneath Willows village's food, an Oni destroyed Kakita Aimi's family estate, and Kakita Aimi has been kidnapped by a Tainted Ronin," it'll be kind of hard for the Crab to keep the Wall having been breached secret.

Depends on how many get through. A gap opens, the Crab try to keep it plugged by throwing people into the breach until the Kaiu can manage something more permanent. A few smarter/sneakier things make it, maybe up along the edges of Shinomen.

There can be degrees of failure before the tide of darkness crashes over.

Edited to add - now that I think of it, the Palace of the Emerald Champion adventure I think has reference to increased goblin/ogre attacks well inside Cane lands.

There i

17 hours ago, Mangod said:

This one ?

Sort of? 🙂

The truth is...the lands most likely to get hit with little attacks that slip through before the big wave hits /are/ Crane lands. But those attacks don't go like

Quote

And once the various Lords and Daimyo begin reporting that "Hey, an army of goblins just ate all of Still Water Beneath Willows village's food, an Oni destroyed Kakita Aimi's family estate, and Kakita Aimi has been kidnapped by a Tainted Ronin," it'll be kind of hard for the Crab to keep the Wall having been breached secret.

That's going to go

"Doji Noto-sama..we haven't heard any reports from Still Water beneath Willows village in a month and Kakita Aimi has not sent a message in response to our inquiries...and our last messenger did not return. Shall we send out a squad to investigate?"

"We /should/ but what squad do we have? All the available Daidoji units have been called up. Maybe the road was washed out again...lots of other villages are not reporting due to flooding washing away the repairs. I'll add it to the list for the next available unit, but since it's to the south, and we've got many that could be taken by the Lion it'll be a while...."

2 hours ago, KakitaKaori said:

There i

Sort of? 🙂

The truth is...the lands most likely to get hit with little attacks that slip through before the big wave hits /are/ Crane lands. But those attacks don't go like

That's going to go

"Doji Noto-sama..we haven't heard any reports from Still Water beneath Willows village in a month and Kakita Aimi has not sent a message in response to our inquiries...and our last messenger did not return. Shall we send out a squad to investigate?"

"We /should/ but what squad do we have? All the available Daidoji units have been called up. Maybe the road was washed out again...lots of other villages are not reporting due to flooding washing away the repairs. I'll add it to the list for the next available unit, but since it's to the south, and we've got many that could be taken by the Lion it'll be a while...."

And that's how you get oni knocking on the door to the Imperial Palace.

17 minutes ago, Schmoozies said:

And that's how you get oni knocking on the door to the Imperial Palace.

Is that from the inside or the outside?

7 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Is that from the inside or the outside?

Both

43 minutes ago, Schmoozies said:

And that's how you get oni knocking on the door to the Imperial Palace.

Oh certainly. But that's the nature of the current chaos, eh? Kind of a perfect storm.

I blame the Phoenix. 😉

1 hour ago, KakitaKaori said:

Oh certainly. But that's the nature of the current chaos, eh? Kind of a perfect storm.

I blame the Phoenix. 😉

I second this motion 😂

On 3/29/2020 at 6:56 PM, AtoMaki said:

Hah! Joke is on the Crane because the Unicorn is also about to explode via severe Moto overdosing!

"I take no responsibility for the Moto ."

2 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

"I take no responsibility for the Moto ."

Possibly the best line from Across the Burning Sands .

Haven't had the chance to read the novels yet, but who says this?

Surely, not Altansarnai.

1 hour ago, Diogo Salazar said:

Haven't had the chance to read the novels yet, but who says this?

Surely, not Altansarnai.

Shono, knowing his limits.

On 4/29/2020 at 11:40 AM, KakitaKaori said:

I blame the Phoenix. 😉

Oi, you want another tsunami? We can get one in the mail for you, just say the word! 😉

(On the subject of shady actions, let's talk about "we told no one about the imbalance, we tried to fix it, and whoops, the resulting natural disaster actually hit someone else !")

1 hour ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Oi, you want another tsunami? We can get one in the mail for you, just say the word!

Can you? Last I checked the Phoenix couldn't magic there way out of a wet paper bag.

Plus, doesn't that go against that whole 'pacifist' thing you guys are always going on about.

3 minutes ago, shineyorkboy said:

Can you? Last I checked the Phoenix couldn't magic there way out of a wet paper bag.

Plus, doesn't that go against that whole 'pacifist' thing you guys are always going on about.

Phoenix pacifism has always been more of a stretch goal, they always work towards it, but every once in a while they get a Megumin who just has to master Explosion.

4 minutes ago, Schmoozies said:

Phoenix pacifism has always been more of a stretch goal, they always work towards it, but every once in a while they get a Megumin who just has to master Explosion.

Or a Lion general who thinks that he'll be the one to get past their defences.

14 minutes ago, Schmoozies said:

Phoenix pacifism has always been more of a stretch goal, they always work towards it, but every once in a while they get a Megumin who just has to master Explosion.

Don't you mean every once in every once (or simply, everytime)? 😂

17 minutes ago, Diogo Salazar said:

Don't you mean every once in every once (or simply, everytime)? 😂

Well while is vague enough that it can apply for long periods in between or the more common every other week.

5 hours ago, shineyorkboy said:

Can you? Last I checked the Phoenix couldn't magic there way out of a wet paper bag.

The secret is to try not to cause a tsunami!

The power of Phoenix magic remains unfettered!

The, uh, execution and precision, on the other hand, kinda... get away there...

5 hours ago, shineyorkboy said:

Plus, doesn't that go against that whole 'pacifist' thing you guys are always going on about.

Really more what you'd call "guidelines."

11 hours ago, shineyorkboy said:

Can you? Last I checked the Phoenix couldn't magic there way out of a wet paper bag.

The last time I checked, resurrecting dead people with "good magic" is now a thing for the Phoenix. That's pretty big if you ask me.

1 hour ago, AtoMaki said:

The last time I checked, resurrecting dead people with "good magic" is now a thing for the Phoenix. That's pretty big if you ask me.

Well so far 1 Phoenix has done it so remains to see if its a clan thing.

Akodo Kaede's a Phoenix these days.

😄

1 hour ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Akodo Kaede's a Phoenix these days.

😄

Hey you can try and make her a Lion, but when push comes to shove she defaults to lets try this weird new magic that I've just come up with on the spur of the moment to save my husband, nothing could go wrong with this. Its not like ripping him away from the gates of Meido will in any way will this have any effects on the workings of the afterlife will it.

6 hours ago, Schmoozies said:

Well so far 1 Phoenix has done it

That's pretty much in-line with every other magical feat so far.

5 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Akodo Kaede's a Phoenix these days.

She didn't marry into the Ikoma so I guess she is .