#yagyu clan

[bumblekastclips]

KYLE CROUSE: [reading question from ChaosSonic1] "At the time this question is written, Sonic Speed Simulator just put the Kunoichi Amy and while it is not canon as you said yourself many times, it is mentioned. This does get me thinking, what if instead of going to Knothole in pre-Super Genesis Wave of Archie what if Amy went to the Dragon Kingdom and was raised by any of the 4 clans, and how would each of the clans raise her and how would she be?"

IAN FLYNN: This is, number one, assuming that any of them would actually take her in, 'cause they were very isolationist in their own rights, but we'll ignore that for the sake of the question. KYLE: Mhm. IAN: Um, if she were to go into... let's say she got picked up by the Yagyu, became like, the right hand to the Bride of Rich Nights. Uh, number one, Iron King wouldn't have offed the Bride, that's for sure. And, I don't know, I could kinda see her becoming their greatest muscle in the group, like... the living embodiment of 'smash and grab.' This is assuming that the hammer comes with her, that it's like, a mystically-tied item, and uh... 'cause I think that's how we were going in pre-reboot, if I remember correctly. So, you know, the Yagyu thieves are out there pillaging the land, and if anybody tries to actually stop them, she comes in and stops them. Uh, Raiju Clan? Well, they're already war-like, so now you've got Amy with potentially lightning-channeled hammer in addition to everything else? KYLE: [chuckles] That sounds awesome. IAN: Now maybe her inherent compassion means that she doesn't finish off her opponents. She's just content with defeating them, but she is schooled in the ways of making lots of pain, lots of- really darn fast. Uh, the Gossamer Clan? [sigh] That's almost like saying 'Amy becomes a nun.' KYLE: [snorts] IAN: Y'know? Or... or she goes out into the world, following the Web of Fate, to ensure things play out a certain way. And maybe her fortune cards are a way of interpreting that, or there's a different version of them. Something that's more tied to the Web of Fate. Maybe instead of fortune cards, she does, like, uh... oh, what is it called when you do, like, the strings between your fingers to make Cat's Cradle and stuff? Like, very quick weavings to fortune-tell. That might be kind of a fun twist on things. Uh, and then for the Shinobi Clan, that would be worth it just for the long con. She's there in the narrative as she always was. You don't think it's any different, you think this is just standard Amy, but surprise! She's been Constant Vigil's sleeper agent in the Freedom Fighters this whole time! KYLE: [laughs] Oh no! IAN: The fangirling over- that fangirling over Sonic? That was just to keep tabs on him! Why is she paying so much attention to Sonic? "Oh, she's a fangirl. Don't worry about it." No, ninja spy! KYLE: [laughs] Wow! You've explained everything, Ian! Perfect. You've solved it. You've figured it out, Ian. You've justified it. We've- you've done it. Man, this show is so productive! [both laugh]

--- TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Please remember that nothing that is said on BumbleKast is canon! It's just some guys and their opinions occasionally spitballing ideas. If you don't like an answer, you don't have to take it as Word of God or anything like that. It's all just for fun! ----- Do you want a specific question transcribed and posted? Send the question and the episode date to my ask box! Or if you just want questions about a certain character, send me their name and I will see what I can do!

[chernobog13]

Poster for Yagyu Chronicles 3: The Valley of the Outlaws (1961).

The popular Toei film series about the Yagyu Clan continues. Konoe Kushiro returns as legendary swordsman Jubei Yagyu, sporting Jubei's signature eyepatch for the first time. I'll have to watch this film again to make sure, but I seem to recall there was never an in-series explanation for the eyepatch's arrival.

The eyepatch is used in many modern depictions of the character, with varying explanations as to why Jubei must wear it. It is believed by many historians to just be an invention to enhance Jubei's legend. Chronicles of his life and portraits taken of him show him with both eyes.

[twigwing]

ok fine. i'm gonna slowly reread all of IDW with the sole mission of staring very closely at the crowd shots and trying to collect every single bat character design in this stupid(affectionate) little furry franchise because i have two bat OCs and my life is a nightmare

[laarbybarbtbox]

Day 2 of @teamdarkweek! I’m not as happy with how this one came out, but I still like it ngl

The team is reminiscing about their pasts. I like to headcanon that Omega is built with parts from the E-series robots before him and that Rouge was born from the Yagyu clan. That random bat clan from the Archie comics

[vivienna-vivid]

One of these days I'm gonna list ALL the references to actual Yagyu Clan facts that's sprinkled all around the DLC's story because GOD ALMIGHTY there were a lot! I've been a huge Yagyu Clan nerd and I genuinely love how they touch upon more less widely-known stuff about the clan!

[talesofedo]

Not all of Munenori’s children were a source of pride. Especially Jūbei caused him grief. Born in 1607, Jūbei had been a troubled child from the start. Possessed of a dark and brooding disposition, he was given to sudden, inexplicable outburst of anger. As he grew older the outbursts became less frequent but deepened in intensity, especially when he took to drinking.

...

All the greater, then, was Munenori’s disappointment with his own son [ compared to his nephew ] when, on his return to Edo, he learned Jūbei had again injured a fellow practitioner. This time he had fractured a man’s skull with a bokutō, and though the man still lived, he was bound to spend the rest of his days a cripple.

(from William de Lange's "The Remarkable History of the Yagyu Clan")

Yep, that's pretty on brand for Jubei.

[robotnik-mun]

In the real world there are many bat species it makes easy to say that the yagyu clan from archie sonic and rouge the bat are the not same bat species at all.

Apologies for taking so long!

And you're quite correct- there are a PLETHORA of bat species in the real world! Trouble is, the difference between Rouge and the Yagyu clan bats is a bit more extreme given that they have 'wing arms' while Rouge has a set of arms AND wings. See how that might come off as a bit of a glaring difference, even or especially compared to real world bats?

Then again, given the origins of Mobians in Archie, namely via the Gene Bomb, its entirely probable that multiple pathways in evolution/animal-human genetic recombination means that such variations are not uncommon. Look at the Bird mobians who either have wing arms and can fly (Sir Pecker, Cyril the EAgle), while other birds have human arms and seemingly cannot do the same (Bean the Dynamite, Dr. Quack).

... I still wanna see what a 'Sonic' take on a Hammerhead Bat would look like.

BEHOLD!

The reason why bats and moose shouldn't marry!

[battlestory]

Kenta Fukasaku talks about his father Kinji Fukasaku and Battle Royale

NEWS Movie theater Shibuya TOEI closed in December 2022, screening well-known and loved movies for the last time, Battle Royale being among them.  December 4, 2022 Source: nikkansports, tellerreport

INTERVIEW Kenta Fukasaku talks about the charm of legendary director Kinji Fukasaku! Special Interview / Kenta Fukasaku December 27, 2022 Source: tvguide

Read both articles in english below ↓

Director and screenwriter Kenta Fukasaku (Battle Royale and Battle Royale II) talks about memories of his father Kinji Fukasaku at the special screening of Sayonara Shibuya TOEI "Battle Royale". Producer of Battle Royale and Battle Royale II, Kimio Kataoka, on the left. 

Toei's directly managed theater, Shibuya TOEI, which opened in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo on November 18, 1953 (Showa 28), closed on the 4th, marking the end of its 69-year history. On the same day, the last special screening titled "Sayonara Shibuya TOEI" was held. At 11:30 a.m., 1999's "Poppoya" (directed by Yasuo Furuhata) starring Ken Takakura, was screened and from 6:00 p.m., 2000's "Battle Royale" directed by Kinji Fukasaku.

At the special screening of "Battle Royale", Director Kenta Fukasaku (50), who was the eldest son of Director Fukasaku and served as the scriptwriter and producer of the film, and Kimio Kataoka (59), the producer, took the stage. Director Kenta Fukasaku said, “It was a very difficult movie to make into a movie. At the time, I was 27 years old when I first became a producer. There was considerable opposition from within Toei as well.”

On top of that, former chairman Yusuke Okada, who passed away on November 18, 2008, was the sales manager at the time, and said, "It was a work that was realized by pushing through the planning meeting. Fukasaku Kinji's works were hardly received in the 90's. It must have been a work that had a lot of discussions about whether it was okay.”

On top of that, director Kenta Fukasaku said "Battle Royale of Kinji Fukasaku was the same with 'Battle Without Humanity', and he was a director who constantly made movies for young audiences by drawing images of post-war youth. The next one may be the last... A movie that I challenged at the age of 70 as a movie for young people to see." Then, "The night before (the release), my father was very worried, and in the middle of the night, father and son quietly went to see how the Marunouchi TOEI was going. Unlike today's reservation system, there was a culture of lining up (around the movie theater) from midnight the day before. When I saw people lining up, I still can't forget the face of the old man who was sitting in the front passenger seat. Thanks to you, it was a big hit."

He also mentioned the relationship between Shibuya TOEI and Battle Royale. “As you may know, the last part ends in Shibuya. After all, Kinji Fukasaku had a lot of feelings for young people and youth culture in Shibuya. I wanted to stand on the stage in Shibuya, so I was allowed to stand on the stage greetings," he said.

INTERVIEW  Kenta Fukasaku talks about the charm of legendary director Kinji Fukasaku! Special Interview / Kenta Fukasaku December 27, 2022 Source: tvguide

Toei Channel has decided to feature Fukasaku's works for nine consecutive months from January 2023 as a memorial for the 20th anniversary of director Kinji Fukasaku's death. This time, we asked Fukasaku's son, Kenta Fukasaku, who works on movies and stage productions, about his father and the appeal of his work.

──In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of his death, the works of Fukasaku Kinji's will be featured from January. You have made many films, but do you remember the first film you saw?

“When I was 5 years old, I went to the filming location of 'The Conspiracy of the Yagyu Clan' (1978) at Toei Kyoto Studios, and for the first time I saw my father happily running around the set. After that, I also visited the site of my father's sci-fi film "Message from the Universe" (in the same year). I remember that the first work I saw was one of them. At the time, there was software on 8mm film, and my father would show it to me through a projector at home. This year was the year that "Star Wars" was released, and I saw "Star Wars" after "Message from Space", but I was stunned at why it was so different (bitter smile). However, I also thought that the sword fights in Japanese films were cooler, and that Shinichi Chiba and Mikio Narita seemed to be stronger than Darth Vader.”

── Out of the many works, which director Kinji's work do you like the most?

"The Graveyard of Humanity (1975) starring Tetsuya Watari. The main character, a yakuza, is from Ibaraki, the same place as my father. I could see my father's image of youth overlapped with that way of being. As a filmmaker, I think there was also a paternal sympathy for the world of misfits. He doesn't have a "steady" job as a film director either."

──As with "Graveyard of Humanity", director Kinji is famous for his work that depicts the life of an outlaw. What were your impressions when you first saw the most representative series, "Battle Without Humanity and Honor"?

“When I was a junior high school student, I was skeptical, but when I first saw it on video for the first time, I was reminded that Kinji Fukasaku, who makes films on the side of the weak, is a wonderful director. My father hated the strong and the power of the state. When the war ended at the age of 15, he thought he had been betrayed by what the adults said. Since then, he no longer believes in people who stand by the strong. In "Battle Without Humanity and Honor" (1973), thugs who were used by their boss die tragically, but it is also a requiem for the young people of the time who were sent to the battlefield by the country and had no choice but to die. But when I look back at my father's works, almost all of them are hymns of youth."

── When you think of teenagers sent to battlefields, "Battle Royale" (2000) comes to mind. Kenta-san was in charge of producing and writing the script.

“I bought the original book and put it on my desk, and my father picked it up. On the belt it said, ‘Murder all 42 junior high school students’, and he seemed to be interested in it. Then, after reading it, said, 'This is interesting. I want to shoot this.' In the depiction of the original work in which a student becomes a corpse, I overlapped myself and Japan during the war.

However, Toei did not immediately approve the project, and we were told, 'If you're going to shoot, take Kenta as a hostage.' My father didn't stick to budgets and schedules (bitter smile), so I guess he thought that if his son was made a producer, he'd probably stick to it. Moreover, it was difficult to decide on a scriptwriter, so he said, 'Kenta should write this too.' "

── Director Kinji was hospitalized and passed away right after he started working on the sequel to "Battle Royale." Twenty years later, do you have any thoughts about having a special feature like this one?

"During my lifetime, when we often drank together, I would say, ‘Movies seem to be immortal, but there are movies that are forgotten and those that grow old. When a film director dies, he is forgotten.' He's a beloved father, and I'm sad that he's gone, but even after 20 years, many people have seen my work, and We even organize a special feature like this one, so that people who haven't seen it yet will have the opportunity to experience the work. I think that director Kinji Fukasaku is a very happy director. Even if you have seen it before, if you review it, you should be able to rediscover it, so please continue to support us. Please look forward to Kinji Fukasaku's work."

[dark-hybrid-ninja]

How would the men with the clan members react to seeing a body pillow of their husbands. What would you do with the pillows?

*the boys all blushed deeply, each with a similar nosebleed*

Hiruko: "well...I'd definitely want to keep mine hidden"

Kai: "even i would keep mine so close no one would be allowed to steal it"

Kagefumi: "I'd keep a close eye on mine"

Hakutomi: "I'd hunt down anyone who steals mine"

Raidou: "Mine might be a tad cold to touch"

Shin: "mine would be treasures"

The yagyu Twins: "No one is allowed to borrow"

Gen: "even my Pillow birdie would be as cute"

Yukino: "a pillow of my Kuya, a very pleasing thought id enjoy"

Akira: "oh, as long as the real deal doesnt find mine, its all fine"

[badschmitt24071994]

Jubei Yagyu - samurai shodown

Jubei is a one-eyed samurai of the Yagyu clan. He was born as the son of a poor samurai. But because his skills in sword fighting was great, he was adopted by Yagyu Munenori. His skills in sword fighting eventually earned him the position of the leader of the Secret clan of Yagyu, the Iga ninjas. One day, his family suddenly disappeared without a trace. Since then, Jubei travels throughout Japan to find his lost family. During his travels, he was challenged by a young warrior named Haohmaru. Although he easily defeated him, he decided to find other strong warriors to show the power of Yagyu Shinkageryuu. Later, the Bakufu government ordered him to rid of the evil when Amakusa appeared and later Mizuki appeared.

Jubei Yagyu is based off of a character of the same name from the movie Makai Tensei. He is also based on the historical figure of the same name.

[chernobog13]

Jubei Yagyu is about to give that ninja a shave in this poster for the film Yagyu Chronicles 8: The One-Eyed Ninja (1963). 

Yagyu Chronicles is a 9-film series (1961-64) from Toei depicting the adventures of Jubei and other members of the Yagyu Clan.  Most of the films in some way or another involve the secret scrolls of the clan: either someone is trying to steal them, someone has stolen them, or the dread secret in the scrolls has to be used to save the clan and/or country.

The scrolls were previously featured in two films, Yagyu Secret Scrolls Part 1 (1957) and Part 2 (1958), both directed by Hiroshi Inagi.  These films, although they deal with a similar plot, are not part of the Yagyu Chronicles series (but may very well have been the inspiration for the series).

Yagyu Chronicles featured longtime respected jidaigeki actor Jushiro Konoe as Jubei Yagyu.  Konoe-san portrayed Jubei in 11 films and the 27 television episodes (26 of which were in the 1965 Yagyu Chronicles series).  He was the actor most identified with the role until 1978, when Sonny Chiba made a second career of playing Jubei (4 films, 91 TV episodes, 1 TV movie).

Ironically, Jubei Yagyu died when he was 42 or 43 years old (accounts differ), but Konoe-san was nearly 50 when he starred in the Yagyu Chronicles.  At the age of 58 he made his last appearance as Jubei in an episode of Shadow Assassins (1972).

[fridaypacific]

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx on Letterboxd

In the second film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, Ogami Itto battles a group of female ninja in the employ of the Yagyu clan and must assassinate a traitor who plans to sell his clan’s secrets to the Shogunate. ×

[ao3feed-roninwarriors]

Feu Originel

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/cfhIeRm

by Quiet_Shadow

Rei a d'étranges pouvoirs, mais ils ne lui viennent pas forcément de son statut de Sailor; en fait, la réponse se trouverait plutôt dans son sang et celui de sa lignée.

Kayura pensait être la dernière de son clan, mais Nasutei n'en est pas convaincue, et avec raisons...

Words: 6444, Chapters: 3/3, Language: Français

Series: Part 2 of Ces Inconnus Qui Nous Lient

Fandoms: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Yoroiden Samurai Troopers | Ronin Warriors

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Kayura (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers), Yagyu Nasuti | Mia Koji, Hino Rei, Hino Rei's Grandpa, Hino Risa, Kaosu | The Ancient One (Yoroiden Samurai Troopers)

Relationships: Kayura & Yagyu Nasuti | Mia Koji, Kayura & Rei Hino (Sailor Moon), Hino Rei (Sailor Moon) & Yagyu Nasuti | Mia Koji

Additional Tags: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Slice of Life, Flashbacks, Secret Identity, Long Lost/Secret Relatives, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Friendship, Worry, Secrets, Family Secrets

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/cfhIeRm

[vivienna-vivid]

Mutuals and followers if I have to be remembered as anything please remember me as the Yagyu Clan fanatic.

[talesofedo]

This is a work of fiction. (I'm finally rewriting it.) You can find more information about my tumblr, Tales of Edo, here, and an index for this story’s chapters, anything else I've written, and my art, here.

...

Suigetsu (Samon’s Story) Loosely inspired by Yagyuu Hijouken Samon (manga) / Also on AO3 CW: graphic violence, abusive family, physical & psychological abuse

Chapter 1

It was already well into the hour of the rat and the bright full moon hung large and white in an inky sky, casting deep shadows across the formal garden of the secluded samurai mansion in the valley below. Gathering storm clouds raced across the blackness, pushed by the strong winds that had been gusting since late in the afternoon; winds that tore at the ancient maple at the center of the garden, scattering its crimson late-fall leaves like embers sparking from a fire.

Samon sat cross-legged in the center of the porch facing the garden, far enough from the edge that the overhanging roof shielded him from the thick raindrops that had begun falling just then, the only person still awake at this late hour.

He was dressed in a white kimono and light blue hakama as if readying himself for seppuku, and the brightness of his clothing contrasted with the dark wood of the veranda like a reflection of the moon above. He was watching the trees swaying in the distance, trying (and failing miserably) to calm his unfocused mind.

Early the previous morning, a messenger had arrived with a wrinkled letter sent by an acquaintance in Edo, a servant girl working in his clan’s upper mansion, who had once embarrassed herself by confessing her love to him when he was still a boy.

The letter, difficult to read because of her unpracticed handwriting, had been unsettling: she wrote that Munenori, Samon’s father, had been beside himself with rage after finding out about the stipend His Excellency the Shogun had granted Samon, and that he had dispatched Jubei, Samon’s eldest brother, to the Yagyu valley to “set things straight."

She didn’t know what this meant, said a scrawled addition at the end, but thought that he deserved a warning, considering his father’s and his brother’s tempers.

Samon appreciated her thoughtfulness in sending the letter, but the message had given him cause to anxiously pace around the mansion and its grounds ever since, trying to collect his thoughts and preparing for the worst. He almost wished he’d never received the letter at all, that he had been left in blissful ignorance until Jubei arrived at his doorstep.

He understood, at least on some basic level, why his father was angry: Tokugawa Iemitsu, who had inherited the post of Shogun following the death of his father, was in a precarious position because many of the daimyo opposed his succession and instead favored his younger brother, Tadanaga, whom they considered more suitable. Anything those men could use as fodder to strengthen their case, like the relationship Iemitsu and Samon had failed to keep secret, threatened not only the shogun, but by extension the Yagyu, Samon's family.

It was because of these politics Munenori had sent his son away months ago under the guise of illness, and why Samon was now little more than a prisoner in the old family home in Iga, two weeks’ travel from Edo.

Samon often wondered whether the politics surrounding their situation had occurred to Iemitsu. Certainly, he must have given it some thought before trying to return his lover to Edo with the stroke of a brush, by making him a daimyo in his own right and therefore subjecting him to the Edo posting, which required all daimyo to live in the city every other year; ironically, a measure originally devised to prevent rebellion against the shogunate.

But perhaps Iemitsu hadn’t considered it at all, had worried only about the two of them being kept apart for reasons he didn’t fully understand or care about.

Samon would have liked to think Iemitsu wouldn’t be so shortsighted, but he also knew just how impulsive he could be: once, when Iemitsu was still a teen, he’d stabbed his older lover to death just for looking at another man, though Samon had not seen that side of him as the young future Shogun matured.

He realized, of course, that worrying about Iemitsu’s intent or consideration made no difference now: what was done was done, and the only path left was the one moving forward, regardless of where it might lead. Logically, this made it entirely pointless to worry about the What Ifs of the situation.

However, Samon did worry about his father’s plans for “setting things straight,” as the girl had put it in her letter. He found it difficult to imagine any scenario that didn’t end in his own death, and he’d paced around his rooms and up and down the veranda for hours, apprehensively pondering whether a simple thing like blood ties would stand in the way of his father’s ambitions and desire for power.

Would this even enter his father’s mind, considering Samon was merely his third son, and additionally only the child of a mistress?

Eventually, and perhaps overdramatically, Samon had resigned himself to the idea that he would likely be killed once Jubei reached the Yagyu valley, and he’d dressed accordingly to await his brother’s arrival, which he supposed wouldn’t be too long after the courier’s.

By the time he sat down on the porch that night – and honestly, he couldn’t have slept even if he tried, just like he hadn’t slept the previous night – his thoughts were all over the place still, but somewhere at the back of his mind, he’d at least made peace with the idea of death. After all, if this was the price to pay to keep Iemitsu safe in his position as Shogun, wasn’t it worth such an insignificant life as his own?

How strange, he thought, that both my father and I share the common goal of keeping Iemitsu safe.

…

The initial thick, slow raindrops had turned into sheeting rain by the time Jubei arrived, dressed in black and dark green traveling clothes, climbing over the back wall into the garden like a common thief, rather than a visiting relative. It was a familiar entrance for Jubei, who had come and gone by means of this secret back route as a boy more times than Samon could count.

But this was no childhood escapade. Jubei already had his long sword unsheathed as he stood on the tiled roof of the wall, one foot planted firmly on either side of the center ridge while he surveyed the scene before him, like a large bird of prey perched on a tree branch, looking for a juicy mouse scurrying along the forest floor.

Seeing that his younger brother was waiting for him, he jumped down and walked casually along the stone path winding between landscape features, entirely unbothered by the rain dripping from his face and soaking into his clothes.

A small, satisfied smile curled the corners of his lips upward with contentment because his brother was expecting him, but his eyes were cold and disdainful, just as they had commonly looked at Samon in the past.

“I always hoped we’d get a chance to duel,” Jubei said when he was close enough for Samon to hear him over the rain pattering against the tiled porch roof. “I’m told some people think you’re the stronger swordsman, but we’ve never had a chance to measure our skills against each other in the fencing hall, let alone with real blades.”

This was so like Jubei: the obsession to be the stronger swordsman, the strongest swordsman, had not let up since Samon had replaced him as Iemitsu’s fencing instructor five years prior, and it stood to reason that he had only gained more real-life sword experience in his missions and wanderings since.

Samon had already played out in his mind numerous scenarios of how he might draw and strike with his sword tonight, and in each of them had found himself lacking in the face of his brother’s skill.

Jubei was many things: he was hateful and short-tempered, inconsiderate and self-important, ambitious and ruthless. But still, Samon could not deny the fact that Jubei was also an expert swordsman possessed of a strength and speed that was like a demon’s.

And Samon was scared. Terrified, really.

So, this was it, then.

Samon took a shaky breath and uncrossed his legs to rise, uncomfortably aware of the sweat slicking his palms as he reached for the sword that lay beside him, waiting to be drawn.

He found it unmovable, because someone, some shadowy figure suddenly standing behind him, had planted a foot against the sheath, pinning it in place against the floorboards. As distracted as Samon had been with anxiety, and with his focus solely on his elder brother, he’d never heard this second man approach, never even felt his presence. It served only to remind him in this split second of sheer panic of how inexperienced he still was, despite his years of training.

The thought flashed through his mind that his father would have been disappointed.

Samon tried to draw his blade from this awkward position, but next thing he knew, a coarse rope was slung around his neck. Instinctively, he brought up his hands to protect himself from being strangled, but before he could grab the rope, the man behind him kicked him between the shoulders, causing him to slam face first into the dark wood of the porch.

In the seconds it took Samon to taste the metallic bitterness of his own blood in his mouth and try to push himself upward, the man had knotted the rope at the nape of his neck, looped the two loose ends around his elbows to pin his arms against his sides, and bound his hands tightly in the small of his back. No matter how Samon struggled, he already knew there was no point: he was completely defenseless in front of Jubei.

“Why are you doing this?” he gasped, the rope pressing against his throat as he still pointlessly struggled to get to his feet. The man behind him pulled him backward and Samon came to sit awkwardly as Jubei approached.

“Ah, don’t give me that angry look,” Jubei sneered, sheathing his sword. “Is this any way to greet your big brother?”

“Why would you go to such lengths?” Samon said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady but hearing it waver all the same. He was both seething with anger that his own brother would resort to using one of their clan’s shinobi to trap him like this, and utterly terrified at what Jubei had planned, now that a fair duel seemed out of the question. “I know you don’t believe I’m better with the sword, or that you need to resort to dirty tricks to kill me.”

Jubei shrugged. “I’m not allowed to kill you, so what need is there for a duel?”

Samon couldn’t hide his confusion as he studied his brother’s face for anything that might give away a hint of what would happen next. Of all the scenarios he had considered over the past two days (and there had been many), he hadn’t considered a single one that did not involve his own death, unless he’d somehow be able to best Jubei in a duel.

After all, what easier way was there to solve his father’s dilemma: If the youngest son presented a danger to both the Shogun and the Yagyu, then disposing of the youngest son would fix the issue, since merely sending him away had not. And although understanding the reasoning gave him little comfort, it was at least a thought process Samon could follow and he’d prepared, in his own way, for this worst-case scenario.

But this, whatever this was, loomed dark and foreboding in its uncertainty.

“If you aren’t here to kill me,” Samon asked tentatively, “then why are you here?”

The rain had started to let up by now and Jubei smoothed back some of the soggy strands of hair clinging to his face as he stepped onto the porch, leaving muddy footprints in his wake.

Looking around the yard as if he were studying its features, the large rocks and manicured shrubs, he explained: “Father sent me to ensure you’re no threat to our family due to your …” A sarcastic chuckle interrupted his sentence. “…intimate friendship with our Shogun. But, for reasons that are a mystery to me, he doesn’t want you dead. He wants to keep you around.” A shrug. “Your mother is his favorite mistress, after all, so perhaps he’s feeling some kind of attachment. Perhaps she begged him for your life. Who the fuck knows.”

He turned to face Samon. “At any rate, he doesn’t want you dead. But he does want me to ensure that you won’t be seeing our Shogun again and that the stipend and title, with which he tried to return you to Edo so desperately, are rendered irrelevant.”

Although Jubei’s tone was light and dismissive, Samon could detect the undertone of anger, which he supposed originated in his brother’s disappointment at having to miss out on a long hoped-for duel, and he worried this might spell disaster because Jubei had a terrible temper – always had, even when they were both still children – which showed itself in a sadistic side. Jubei truly was their father’s son in that regard.

“So, here I am.” The elder brother continued, spreading his arms wide to indicate the mansion and gardens around them, irritation plain on his face. “An errand boy sent to do father’s bidding, sneaking around the Yagyu valley like a thief. And why? Because my little brother can’t be entrusted with simply doing his job as fencing instructor. No, you just had to spread your cheeks for the Shogun like a cheap whore, caring nothing about rank or position. You truly are an embarrassment.”

He leaned in close, breath warm against Samon’s face, and, with a smirk that exposed his pointy canine teeth, he produced a small dagger from within his belt.

“It’s not death, sorry, but I promise it will hurt a lot.”

As if on cue, the man behind Samon grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him flat onto his back, tied arms trapped awkwardly beneath his body so that the boney parts of his wrists and elbows ground painfully into the unforgiving wood of the floorboards.

For a moment, their eyes met and Samon recognized the shinobi as Genjiro’s son, Taro, whom he had known since childhood. He felt betrayed that someone he’d once counted as a friend would do this to him, and at the same time realized what a ridiculous sentiment this was, considering Taro was in service to Munenori, just as his father Genjiro had been before him, and any friendship that might have existed between the two boys as children did not extent to their respective positions in adulthood.

Taro placed his hands on either side of Samon’s face to hold his head steady, and Jubei lowered himself over his brother, knees to either side of his ribcage, and leaned forward to look closely at his face.

Samon lay still and quiet, knowing there was no point in struggling now and having resigned himself despondently to whatever was going to happen next.

He couldn’t think of any other course of action to take; his whole life had been one of doing as he was told, no matter if the orders came from his father, his elder brother, or the Shogun. If His Excellency asked for a duel, Samon would let him win. If his father wanted to use him as a pawn in some political scheme, he would hold his breath and wait for it to be over, regardless of the sacrifices he had to make.

Once, he'd told Iemitsu that he didn’t fear death because he was dead already, though that had been a bit of a lie. He feared death. He just knew that his life had never belonged to himself in the first place.

Jubei studied his younger brother’s face, droplets of water dripping down from his hair and rolling off Samon’s cheeks as he leaned in close.

“Get a good look, little brother,” he said, his pale brown eyes searching Samon’s, which looked at him through long lashes. “I’ll be the last person you’ll ever see.”

He touched the side of his brother’s face gently, calloused fingers against smooth, pale skin, then brought his hand up to force open Samon’s right eye. With a flash of steel caught briefly by the moon’s brightness, he flipped the small knife, holding it as one might hold a writing brush.

Samon took a sharp breath in, reflexively trying to wrench his head from Taro’s grip to no avail.

Jubei paused, clearly savoring his younger brother’s expression of terror, of the pupils widening at the sight of the sharp blade, and then he brought the knife down to carefully, surgically, lift the eye from its socket and cut its attachments, all in one swift motion not entirely unlike shucking an oyster.

Samon bit down on his lip to keep from screaming as he felt the warmth of his own blood spill from his eye socket, but his body stiffened and he couldn’t keep his breath from quickening, coming in harsh gasps no matter how hard he tried to control himself to deny Jubei the satisfaction of hearing him cry out. He felt betrayed by his own body when he realized he couldn’t even keep himself from spilling tears.

Jubei noticed, of course. He switched the knife to his left hand and cupped Samon’s cheek with his right, wearing an expression of satisfaction that made Samon feel utterly nauseous.

“How sweet,” Jubei said, his voice soft. “Actual tears.” He used his thumb to wipe them, then licked it as if savoring the salty taste.

“Do you suppose a person can still cry if they don’t have any eyes,” he wondered aloud, not expecting an answer, as he switched the knife back to his right and turned it on his brother once more.

His sarcastic smile was the last thing Samon saw before his world went dark and blood spilled across the other half of his face. He clenched his teeth so hard he was afraid they would break from the strain, but anything was better than giving Jubei the joy of hearing him scream. Even so, he couldn’t suppress a whimper in his agony, and his body, which he’d tried so hard to control even through the pain, was shaking now, shivering as if with cold, and he could do nothing to stop it.

Jubei sat back on his heels, wiping his hands and the small blade on his black tattsuke bakama before reaching into his sleeve and producing a small square piece of silk, which he spread across his palm, carefully placing the two eyeballs on it.

He studied the now lifeless dark brown irises, pupils gaping black in their centers, and seemed amused by the bits of optical nerve still attached to the back, which flopped limply like dead fish as he turned the globes between his fingers.

He stood up and stepped away, engrossed in playing with his trophies. Distractedly, he ordered Taro to wipe up the bloody mess lest it should stain the floorboards of the family home.

Taro helped Samon sit up and began gently wiping his face with a tenugui, whispering quietly so that Jubei would not overhear: “Please bear with it just a little longer, wakasama. I have prepared something for the pain and will give it to you as soon as your brother leaves.”

After a few minutes, Jubei wrapped the eyes with the cloth and tucked them into a pouch for safekeeping. Then he turned and said, almost as if to himself, “Our dear Shogun has always been so attracted to your dark eyes and those pretty lashes.” Every word was dripping with disdain. “I don’t suppose he would find you as attractive now, were he to lay eyes on you.”

You think him so shallow, Samon thought, but he couldn’t help wondering how Iemitsu would react if he saw him like this. After all, he had so often praised Samon for his appearance, just as Jubei said. He tried to shake the thought from his mind.

“Ah, but don’t worry, little brother,” said Jubei, watching him carefully. “You needn't be concerned that he’ll see you again. After all, these lovely little eyeballs I’ll be taking back to Edo…” He jiggled the pouch in his hand, even though his brother obviously couldn’t see it. “… these will serve as proof that you’ve lost your mind being separated from your lover for such a long time. He’ll want nothing to do with a madman who’s gauged out his own eyes, I suppose.”

So, that was the story father was planning to fabricate.

It was brilliant, in a way. Keeping Samon sequestered in the Yagyu valley had not done the trick. Instead, it had served only to embarrass Munenori, making him the subject of gossip around Edo castle once his son had been awarded that ridiculous stipend.

This, on the other hand, would solve the problem: once rumors that Samon had taken leave of his senses and disfigured himself to such an extent would begin circulating around the city, as assuredly they would with Jubei’s help, Munenori could rest safe in the knowledge that the Shogun would at last heed his advisors’ words and sever all ties with his former lover.

Surely, it would be a bit of an embarrassment to the Yagyu, but since Samon was only a third son and the child of a mistress, the outrage would certainly be brief. And the masses would love it: a story of a former lover driven to despair by their separation. It was the kind of gossip that kept the city going.

“Of course,” Jubei said, turning back from the end of the porch. “Our poor shogun will have to find himself a new wakashu on whom to dote his affections now. Though I doubt that will be much of a problem. The city is literally teeming with capable young samurai and since His Excellency certainly doesn’t hold his lovers to particularly high standards, as we’ve seen with you, perhaps he will find himself a whole harem of pretty, young, disposable boys to suit his fancies now. Don’t you think, brother? He might fill his whole Ooku with young men.”

“You’ve no right to mock Uesama,” Samon said through gritted teeth. “You’ve done what you came here to do. What reason is there for you to stand here and mock him.”

Jubei chuckled. “Oh, but it’s so much fun seeing you all riled up. I suppose the sex must have been quite something for you to become so utterly attached. It’s very sweet.”

He crossed back to Samon in a few swift steps, grabbed his brother by the chin, and slammed him backwards into the floorboards so hard Samon saw stars and, for a minute, thought he was going to pass out.

Jubei pulled him back into a sitting position by the front of his clothing, his younger brother too dazed from the sudden assault to resist. “But here you are still thinking you can talk back to me. You just don’t learn, do you? Your job – your only job – is to shut the fuck up and do as you’re fucking told.”

He grasped Samon’s chin and forced his rough fingers, callused from a lifetime of sword training, into his brother’s mouth, forcing it open.

“Don’t even think about biting me,” he warned as he pinched his tongue between two fingers and pulled it forward. “You’ll want to hold nice and still so I can make a straight cut. If you fight me … well, I might just rip it out instead. Your choice.”

He unsheathed his little knife again and sliced through his brother’s tongue, severing it just forward of its base. Then he pushed Samon back down, gave him a kick for good measure, and cast the severed tongue into the yard.

“We’ll have no more talking back now, will we?” he asked calmly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all.

Turning to Taro, he added, “I think I’ll find a servant to heat the bath for me. Get this cleaned up. Once dawn breaks, have someone fetch the doctor. And don’t even think about untying him.”

“Yes, master Jubei.” Taro shifted nervously, watching Jubei disappear around the corner toward the main part of the house, then looked down at Samon who lay on his side in a puddle of his own blood, his body shaking from pain and blood loss.

“I am so sorry,” Taro said quietly. “Please don’t bear me a grudge, wakasama. These things are out of my control.”

Of course, they are. Just as they are out of my control as well.

Samon pulled his legs up, curling into himself, and pressed his head against the smooth wood of the floorboards. If there was only something he could do to make the pain stop. The coppery taste and smell of his own blood were so overwhelming in his nose and mouth they made him retch and he just wanted this to be over.

He lifted his head and slammed it into the floorboards.

He would never have been truly happy sequestered away in the Yagyu Valley, but only a handful of days ago, before the message of his appointment and stipend had reached him, he’d believed that he could at least be content to carve out a small life of his own here.

He’d considered opening a school to teach commoners’ children to read and write, just as his uncle Toshikatsu, his father’s eldest brother, had done after he was injured in battle and no longer able to fulfill his obligations to his lord. Perhaps he might even have taken up teaching the sword in the family dojo or build a fencing hall of his own and teach anyone interested in learning.

But now, even the hope for a simple life had been taken from him.

He slammed his head into the floorboards a second time. And again. Perhaps he could at least succeed in ending his life on this night. Not to spite Jubei, though he had no doubt that his father would see it that way, but to end the misery he was enduring.

But when he tried to hit his head into the floor again, Taro pulled him upright and wrapped his arms around his body, stopping him from continuing.

“Wakasama, please, calm yourself.”

Almost reflexively, Samon smashed his head backward into Taro’s face, hearing the crunch of his skull against the other’s nose. It was to Taro’s great credit that he didn’t curse out loud, but he brought one of his hands up and held Samon’s head back, restraining him from doing anything else.

“Please, wakasama,” he said again. “Calm down so I can see to your wounds. Your life should not end tonight. Don’t give them that satisfaction.”

Samon supposed “them” meant his brother and father, but he cared little whether they were or were not satisfied. He was tired of being a pawn in their political games, tired of being powerless against the forces that controlled his life. But he knew there was nothing he could do and he was tired, so very tired, of continuing down this path that was being laid out for him.

He felt Taro’s fingers on his mouth, a sudden cool touch against lips slippery with blood, and a small round object was placed in his mouth, the finger gently pushing it to the back of what remained of his tongue.

“Please swallow this,” Taro said. “It will take away the pain.”

.

Index | Next Chapter

[greysfind]

Total war shogun 2 collection vs gold

#TOTAL WAR SHOGUN 2 COLLECTION VS GOLD PATCH#

#TOTAL WAR SHOGUN 2 COLLECTION VS GOLD SERIES#

Sword unit charge bonus upgrades reduced.

Sword unit melee attack skill upgrades reduced.

Admiral Heavy Bune Fire arrow ability added.

Siege Tower Bune: cost from 1550 to 3000.

Matchlock Samurai: cost from 700 to 650.

Naginata Warrior Monk Hero: cost from 1700 to 1500.

Fire Bomb Throwers: cost from 700 to 600.

Daiyku Samurai : cost from 1000 to 1100.

Matchlock Ashigaru: cost from 400 to 500.

Bow Warrior Monks: cost from 1000 to 1100.

Loan Sword Ashigaru: cost from 400 to 500.

World Weary: accuracy debuff reduced from -5 to -3, melee attack debuff reduced from -2 to -1.

Yagyu Sword Instructor: sword infantry melee attack bonus reduced from +2 to +1.

Drill Square: sword infantry melee defence bonus reduced from +3 to +2.

Trading Post: cost decrease for all units reduced from -5% to -4%.

Untrained Fugu Cook : Effect now applies to sword infantry only.

Yabusami Master: avatar accuracy and reload speed increased from +5/+5 to +7/+7.

Zori Tori Sandal-Bearer: avatar fatigue resistance increased.

Lightweight Gunjingura War Saddle: cavalry speed buff increased from +5% to +10%.

Uma-Jirushi Nobori Standard-Bearer: avatar morale buff increased from +2 to +3.

Mouldy Feed Stocks: enemy cavalry fatigue resistance debuff increased.

Kacchu-Mochi Armour-Bearer: avatar armour increased from +3 to +4.

Supply Wagon: missile units’ extra ammo increased from +5 to +8.

Scroll of Inspirational verse: avatar melee attack increased from +3 to +4.

Gokamon Bodyguard: avatar melee defence increased from +5 to +6.

Camp Sickness: missile units’ speed debuff increased.

Tetsu-Bishi Caltrops: spear and missile units’ bonus vs cav increased from +3 to +4.

The amount of XP awarded is double the base win/loss XP for avatar battles.

Avatars now get awarded XP if the player participates in a drop-in battle.

All non-key building maps have been removed from the match-making map pool.

The Kyoto and Buatsui castle maps have been removed from match-making map pool.

The small funds bracket has been removed from match-made siege battles.

Time limit added to siege battles (45 mins).

This is based on the skill tree with the most skill points spent within it. Ladder and overall stats have been rearranged for clarification and ease of use.Īn avatar’s primary skill-set is now displayed on the avatar’s banner in battles.

Units and retainers which cannot be used in the next battle have been made more visible.

Locked icons have been added to retainer slots which currently can’t be used.

The player’s current number of clan tokens is now displayed on the skills tree.

Avatar rank is now shown on the pre-battle setup screen of all users.

The XP bar on the avatar screen now shows current and required XP for a rank increase.

Match-made battles will now prioritise avatar level when attempting to match players, taking into account ELO rating.

Higher-Prestige avatars require consequently more XP to level, and cost more to field.

Upon promotion to a new Prestige level, Avatars gain +10 Veteran Slots.

Upon promotion to a new Prestige level, the avatar’s skill-tree is reset, but his units retain their veterancy, and he retains any armour pieces, retainers earned through armour pieces and clan tokens.

Coloured ranking stars are now used to define the current Prestige of an avatar: Bronze Silver and Gold.

Upon reaching level 10, Avatars can now be promoted to a new Prestige level and re-play the avatar conquest mode.

Winner of clan competition (Mon, Crest, Helmet).

#TOTAL WAR SHOGUN 2 COLLECTION VS GOLD SERIES#

There is now a series of rewards for players whose clans are promoted: Filters have been added to sort retainers into smaller concise lists based on units and weapon restrictions.You can now cycle through and view all other worlds in the clan competition as well as search for a specific clan and view the world they are operating in.A number of filters have been added to help display the strategic situations of your own and other clans in the clan competition.Points loss: Every time a player loses a match-made battle, they will lose 50% of the clan influence they would have gained for a victory.Corruption and logistics: clans will suffer a cumulative 5% cost in influence point gain for every province beyond 3 that they own (with a maximum penalty of 95%).These maps do not appear in the Rise of The Samurai DLC campaign. O 1 top-tier castle, considerably larger than any other castle in Shogun 2Įach castle appears across five maps, resulting in 15 new siege battle-map variants. O 1 standard sized castle on a clifftop with limited approaches O 1 standard sized castle of new configuration Three newly-designed castles specifically for the Shogun 2 campaign map:

#TOTAL WAR SHOGUN 2 COLLECTION VS GOLD PATCH#

Darüber hinaus steht ein Patch mit allerlei Bugfixes und Balance-Verbesserungen für das Hauptprogramm bereit und sollte automatisch runtergeladen werden.