Meridia's Finest
Merrze
Merrze
Two men made their way through a crowd of celebrating Meridians. The apocalyptic ordeal was enough to make any man want to celebrate having survived. It mattered not the victory was fought for another land, there was more than enough merriment to go around. A cool and soothing voice greeted people here and there as the duo proceeded towards the center of the group where their leader was.
Yoshiro stepped out of the crowd and into an open area around a fire with Dong Zhu close behind him. Yoshiro was smiling confidently as he laid eyes on Merrze and stepped forward to greet the fanalis ruler. "I can't thank you enough for what you did today. Would a bit of Kou's best wine be a good start?" He joked as he gestured with his hand cuing Dong Zhu to step forward with a grin and two large vessels of wine. Both were placed before Merrze to handle as she saw fit.
The emperor's warm gaze conveyed his gratitude as he reached into his sleeve and produced a red cloth into which a jade title plate was fastened. The cool smooth rectangular plate had a single character carved into it. Emperor! "This is also for you. It is a title plate that represents my authority. All you show it to should know that you are recognized as a friend of the emperor. No one will dare bar your path or make trouble for you should you wear it inside Kou's borders." Yoshiro explained the gift briefly with a jovial tone, but suddenly the weight of gaze changed and he became a shade more serious.
"I'm sure you understand the trust I'm showing in giving this to you. It comes one one more use..."
At that point the emperor raised his head slightly and his voice along with it as he began to address the crowd of Meridian's as well. "Merida has paid Kou a favor that wont be forgotten. This jade title plate is a symbol of Kou's promise to take up arms to defend your home should a time of need arise!" A beaming smile came across his face as he made the declaration loudly and with pride. It was only natural that Kou pledge as much, but Yoshiro felt good having a reliable ally out in the world and was eager to repay the favor owed.
Yoshiro then turned his focus back to Merrze as Dong Zhu took his place behind the emperor once more.
"Is there anything else I can do for you while I'm here?"
- Spoiler:
- Name: Yoshro's Title Plate
Tier: A
Material: Jade and Silk
Description: A red silk cloth baring a rectangular jade plate inscribed with the emperor's seal. It marks the wearer as a friend of the throne and can be worn anywhere on the body by simply tying the cloth to oneself.
Plot Effect: Free passage and services(social) through all of Kou. The Emperor's backing hold a lot of weight with Kou NPCs. Can be used once to request Yoshiro and the armies of Kou to come to your aide for a battle thread(Defensive or justified battles only.)
Swords of Reim
Cyrus
Cyrus
Dong Zhu was the first to spot the surviving Reiman soldiers huddled together. The past conflicts between their nations didn't matter right now to the soldiers of Kou, but still the survivors seemed to be content to have found a place for themselves to rest and eat. The general tapped Yoshiro on the shoulder and whispered something before pointing towards Cyrus in particular.
The emperor made his way over and approached the young man with a friendly smile. Dong Zhu followed close behind and arrived with a stern look on his face. His eyes were sharp as they landed on Cyrus' sister but did soften up a bit once they landed on Cyrus himself. "My general tells me that the soldiers of Reim fought bravely. Perhaps a bit...too bravely. I'm sorry, it was my own ineptitude that put your brothers and sisters in harms way." Though the remark did call out the near disaster that had occurred during the battle, the remorse and guilt in Yoshiro's voice as he apologized was sincere.
After a moment of silence out of respect for the fallen he returned to his smile and continued. "The valor of you all can't be denied. But the one I'm interested in most, is you." Yoshiro pointed to Cyrus directly and then reached into his robes to reveal a blue sash with a bronze title plate on it. The title plate was fastened into the cloth and had a single character carved into its surface. Ambassador!
"Cyrus Argentum, not only did you risk your life to save those of your people, but you were seen carrying the wounded and aiding Kou's people in the retreat. Your heart is big enough to care for both our nations and that is why I would like to ask you. Will you accept this title plate and become a bridge between our two countries?"
Yoshiro held the title plate out to Cyrus and waited for his response. Though it was sudden, Yoshiro had been planning to select a soldier from those that had arrived from Reim to choose as his own personal envoy to the Reim government. Cyrus had shown character that aligned to Yoshiro's ideals of righteousness and so he decided to make the offer to him first.
- Spoiler:
- Name: Ambassador's Title Plate
Tier: A
Material: Bronze and Silk
Description: A blue cloth with a bronze plate fastened to the middle. The plate has the character for ambassador carved into its surface. It denotes the wearer as an official envoy between Kou and Reim that is trusted by the emperor.
Plot Effect: Free passage within all of Kou. Travel word counts for moving between Reim and Kou removed(does not work for others in the same travel thread.)
Left Dragon of Kou
Tenma
Tenma
Searching the entire celebrating army for one person was a daunting task. One could easily pass by their target just a few meters away and never notice if there were people in the way. Yoshiro had asked around for the whereabouts of his general, Tenma. Some had seen him celebrating earlier but he had since disappeared. Dong Zhu accompanied Yoshiro as they searched until learning that someone had seen the man heading towards a guard tower on the camp's perimeter.
Yoshiro and Dong Zhu climbed their way up the tower to find Tenma alone facing the moon as it hung in the sky.The storms from earlier in the day never returned making for a clear night sky full of twinkling stars. Yoshiro paused after seeing Tenma by himself and knew that the reports he received had been true even though it sounded unbelievable. Yoshiro stepped forward and stood beside Tenma as he placed his hand on the tower railing and looked out at the heavens.
"It's a celebration. How can the hero who pacified Gao's fiercest general and ensured the least number of deaths possible be moping by himself up here?"
Yoshiro turned his head and gave Tenma an understanding nod as sympathy shone in his eyes. "I don't know the details of what happened, but I believe you aren't the kind of man who disregards the lives entrusted to him. I won't ask about it, but I order you as Emperor to cheer up. After all, it's official now." Yoshiro spoke "serious" words but his tone had become friendly and joking as he reached out and patted the man on the shoulder.
"That's right, that sort of demeanor isn't befitting of Kou's Left Dragon!"
Dong Zhu suddenly said as he stepped forward to Yoshiro's right. Yoshiro laughed softly at Dong Zhu's words and nodded. "Well said. Tenma, I am promoting you from general to the Left Dragon of Kou. Alongside Dong Zhu as the Right Dragon, you two will be the supreme commanders of Kou's forces. The Right Dragon is responsible for protecting the capitol and the emperor acting as his shield. Typically the Left Dragon is the emperor's sword and leads foreign conquests, but Kou will be the conqueror no more. So instead, your duty will be to ensure Kou's interests abroad and build stronger relations with foreign states so that we may make them our allies."
"Tenma, when you came to join my cause, your loyalty to Kou was called into question because I can tell that you have important matters that you keep to yourself. I did some digging and though I don't know the whole story, I do know you've been running all over the world chasing something. I still expect you to do your job, but if you pursue your own goals in the meantime then that is your business. Just don't drag Kou into any trouble and remember your position as a representative of Kou."
With that, he reached into his sleeve and took out a jade ring in the design of a dragon coiling around to grab its own tail with its head turned to the left. Dong Zhu had a similar ring on with the dragon turning its head to the right. Yoshiro's own ring was that of two dragons eating each other. These three rings were new symbols of authority and power under Yoshiro's newly solidified rule and Tenma now held one of them if he accepted his new station.
- Spoiler:
- Name: Ring of the Left Dragon of Kou
Tier: A
Material: Jade
Description: A rind carved from jade crystal forming the shape of a dragon coiled around to grab its own tail. The dragon's head is turned to the left and bares fearsome fangs.
Plot Effect: Absolute military authority within Kou(Only matched in rank by Dong Zhu and outranked by Yoshiro.) Authority to act as a diplomat for Kou in foreign nations. Can bring Hei Lu OR Dong Zhu into a thread as A-tier combat NPCs, but only within Kou's borders.