What Have We Done?
from Bayushi Hituro August 1999
White autumn moon...
Black-branch shadow patterns
Printed on the mats
-- Kikaku
This letter was received after the release of Honor Bound, after Gencon, 1999. It is from Bayushi Hituro.
Brothers and Sisters, of all the Clans, what have we done?
By our hand the Moon lies dead. I look out of my window now as night falls and the sky is dark and dead, no light comes to us. Is this the way of the Celestial Order that we claim to follow, where a man might challenge a God? What will come next. Will we rise up to strike down Lady Amaterasu for causing our crops to wither in the fields and live in eternal darkness? Will we cut down the fortunes because they did not answer our prayers? Perhaps we will turn our bloody swords against our ancestors themselves because we think they have failed us?
The way of my Grandfather was to revere the Fortunes, the Moon and the Sun. He knew his place in the Celestial order and he was content to follow it. So it was with the way of his Grandfather and his Grandfather in turn and so it was, I will guess, with yours. Once we of the Scorpion Clan turned our blades against the Empeoror and it was called an offence against Heaven and the Celestial Order. Now we have tried to slay Lord Moon himself. We have all fallen. Once seven thunders stood against a single Kami and the world trembled, even though their meeting had been ordained since the beginnings of time. Now without a thought we slay a God and bring darkness to our Land.
Brothers and Sisters this must end. No more should we raise our Katana against the workings of the universe, that is not to serve, that is not loyalty or honour or Rokugan. If your lord commands your death you will die. If the gods turn their fury upon a man that man is lost and no man would stand in the course of fate. If the fortunes decide that the rice will wither in the fields or that the mountains shall fall upon it we shall accept it, to do anything else is to destroy every shred of honour or belief we have.
Brothers and Sisters. Ask yourselves what we have done. Ask yourselves if there is any way to right this wrong.
The Crane Response (from Kakita Kaori and Doji Hyuu)
A haiku found fluttering in the wind near many of the castles and homes of the Crane
Oh, What have we done?
I answer, my brothers, we
Have done what we must
Signed with the chop of Doji Hyuu
--------------
Scorpion-san,
My heart is weary, and I am cold and tired. We went to Otosan Uchi, in our small numbers, and with hearts tired from war, at the behest of Shinjo. We kept our word to our Lady Doji with the strength we had left, coming to her sister's need, at her request. The deed was done, and Lord Moon is now dead, and the sky is dark. The warriors that fought fought with honor and skill, but I am no Dragon. I cannot presume to know the ways of the Kami or the death of gods. It may be presumptuous of me, but I do not think that any truly understand what has conspired, save Hitomi and the Togashi in their moutain fastness. We came at the will of Shinjo.
You seem afraid, Bayushi-san. Afraid of the future, afraid of what-ifs, afraid of the darkness outside your shoji. Maybe you have something to be afraid of...the darkness is long and bleak. But for myself, I am too tired to be afraid. There is no profit to my family or my clan to be found in worrying about the actions of the Gods. I shall pray at the Temple, defend my duty with honor, and wait and see. It is too late for any action we make to work with or against the gods to matter. We will discover if the future holds the flame or the void soon enough.
Until then, Kurai-san, break out the sake, and let us sing the songs that heros are remembered by.
White autumn moon...
Black-branch shadow patterns
Printed on the mats
-- Kikaku
This letter was received after the release of Honor Bound, after Gencon, 1999. It is from Bayushi Hituro.
Brothers and Sisters, of all the Clans, what have we done?
By our hand the Moon lies dead. I look out of my window now as night falls and the sky is dark and dead, no light comes to us. Is this the way of the Celestial Order that we claim to follow, where a man might challenge a God? What will come next. Will we rise up to strike down Lady Amaterasu for causing our crops to wither in the fields and live in eternal darkness? Will we cut down the fortunes because they did not answer our prayers? Perhaps we will turn our bloody swords against our ancestors themselves because we think they have failed us?
The way of my Grandfather was to revere the Fortunes, the Moon and the Sun. He knew his place in the Celestial order and he was content to follow it. So it was with the way of his Grandfather and his Grandfather in turn and so it was, I will guess, with yours. Once we of the Scorpion Clan turned our blades against the Empeoror and it was called an offence against Heaven and the Celestial Order. Now we have tried to slay Lord Moon himself. We have all fallen. Once seven thunders stood against a single Kami and the world trembled, even though their meeting had been ordained since the beginnings of time. Now without a thought we slay a God and bring darkness to our Land.
Brothers and Sisters this must end. No more should we raise our Katana against the workings of the universe, that is not to serve, that is not loyalty or honour or Rokugan. If your lord commands your death you will die. If the gods turn their fury upon a man that man is lost and no man would stand in the course of fate. If the fortunes decide that the rice will wither in the fields or that the mountains shall fall upon it we shall accept it, to do anything else is to destroy every shred of honour or belief we have.
Brothers and Sisters. Ask yourselves what we have done. Ask yourselves if there is any way to right this wrong.
The Crane Response (from Kakita Kaori and Doji Hyuu)
A haiku found fluttering in the wind near many of the castles and homes of the Crane
Oh, What have we done?
I answer, my brothers, we
Have done what we must
Signed with the chop of Doji Hyuu
--------------
Scorpion-san,
My heart is weary, and I am cold and tired. We went to Otosan Uchi, in our small numbers, and with hearts tired from war, at the behest of Shinjo. We kept our word to our Lady Doji with the strength we had left, coming to her sister's need, at her request. The deed was done, and Lord Moon is now dead, and the sky is dark. The warriors that fought fought with honor and skill, but I am no Dragon. I cannot presume to know the ways of the Kami or the death of gods. It may be presumptuous of me, but I do not think that any truly understand what has conspired, save Hitomi and the Togashi in their moutain fastness. We came at the will of Shinjo.
You seem afraid, Bayushi-san. Afraid of the future, afraid of what-ifs, afraid of the darkness outside your shoji. Maybe you have something to be afraid of...the darkness is long and bleak. But for myself, I am too tired to be afraid. There is no profit to my family or my clan to be found in worrying about the actions of the Gods. I shall pray at the Temple, defend my duty with honor, and wait and see. It is too late for any action we make to work with or against the gods to matter. We will discover if the future holds the flame or the void soon enough.
Until then, Kurai-san, break out the sake, and let us sing the songs that heros are remembered by.
