Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Jan 21, 2011 16:09:22 GMT -5
(All righty, here's the start of the plot thingy.)
As Kazuki made his way down the main street of the small castle town of Tochigi, he drew closer to the bridge extending over the moat. He looked up at the three storied keep, a square tower with elaborately gables roofs adorned with shibi. Yagura, smaller towers and turrets, were scattered throughout the complex. Most served a defensive purpose, but as this was the residence of a daimyo, others likely served purposes such as an astrology tower or as a vantage point for enjoying the natural scenery.
It was not an especially large or ostentatious castle, and probably only held a modest sized garrison, but a castle nonetheless.
The lord of this castle, one of several minor daimyo vying for control of Shimotsuke, had issued a summons for rōnin and other mercenaries. Kazuki knew little of this particular lord, and was originally just passing through the area when he first heard about the summons. The daimyo were always looking for additional fighting men, and normally he wouldn't be interested, being content to wander. But this seemed different, the details of the summons vague, to be explained in private. There were rumors going around the town and surrounding villages that members of the lord's family had been spirited away.
So, his curiosity piqued, Kazuki had come to the castle at the appointed day and time. Crossing the bridge, he identified himself to one of the dozen or so samurai stationed at the main gate. The guard looked Kazuki up and down carefully.
"Wait." He said, and banged his spear on the gate and shouted. Another guard came out and the two men briefly conversed before gesturing for Kazuki to follow.
There were more walls, with arrow slits, just inside the gate. They formed an umadashi, a small enclosure meant to trap any invaders that managed to penetrate the main gate. Several more samurai stood watch here. To proceed any further, Kazuki voluntarily handed over his swords and allowed one of the guards to frisk him for any concealed weapons.
Escorted through another gate that stood at right angles to the first, Kazuki entered a drab courtyard which held what he assumed to be the barracks. Tens of samurai patrolled the area. Beyond a second moat and bridge lay the inner wall.
Passing through the gates of the inner wall, he found himself in another enclosure, the walls again pierced with arrow slits. Past this, Kazuki and his escort finally emerged into the castle's honmaru, it's inner area. In addition to the main keep itself, there was the honmaru-goten, the honmaru palace, which served both a residential and administrative purpose. Though deceptively simple looking on the outside, such complexes were often many separate buildings connected by long corridors, intersecting roofs, and various courtyards.
More guards patrolled the gardens surrounding the mansion. Kazuki and his escorts gained entry from the guards at the doors. They stopped briefly while Kazuki removed his geta in the spacious entry hall. The guard moved at a quick pace, allowing Kazuki only a brief look at an empty reception room with a coffered ceiling, wall murals, and a large dais at the far end. Leading him down a corridor, his escort brought Kazuki to a similar looking reception room. This one had a table, upon which sat a tray of rice cakes and tea.
"Wait." The guard told him and departed.
Kazuki shrugged and kneeled on the tatami mats, helping himself to a cake, wondering if he was the first one to answer summons.
As Kazuki made his way down the main street of the small castle town of Tochigi, he drew closer to the bridge extending over the moat. He looked up at the three storied keep, a square tower with elaborately gables roofs adorned with shibi. Yagura, smaller towers and turrets, were scattered throughout the complex. Most served a defensive purpose, but as this was the residence of a daimyo, others likely served purposes such as an astrology tower or as a vantage point for enjoying the natural scenery.
It was not an especially large or ostentatious castle, and probably only held a modest sized garrison, but a castle nonetheless.
The lord of this castle, one of several minor daimyo vying for control of Shimotsuke, had issued a summons for rōnin and other mercenaries. Kazuki knew little of this particular lord, and was originally just passing through the area when he first heard about the summons. The daimyo were always looking for additional fighting men, and normally he wouldn't be interested, being content to wander. But this seemed different, the details of the summons vague, to be explained in private. There were rumors going around the town and surrounding villages that members of the lord's family had been spirited away.
So, his curiosity piqued, Kazuki had come to the castle at the appointed day and time. Crossing the bridge, he identified himself to one of the dozen or so samurai stationed at the main gate. The guard looked Kazuki up and down carefully.
"Wait." He said, and banged his spear on the gate and shouted. Another guard came out and the two men briefly conversed before gesturing for Kazuki to follow.
There were more walls, with arrow slits, just inside the gate. They formed an umadashi, a small enclosure meant to trap any invaders that managed to penetrate the main gate. Several more samurai stood watch here. To proceed any further, Kazuki voluntarily handed over his swords and allowed one of the guards to frisk him for any concealed weapons.
Escorted through another gate that stood at right angles to the first, Kazuki entered a drab courtyard which held what he assumed to be the barracks. Tens of samurai patrolled the area. Beyond a second moat and bridge lay the inner wall.
Passing through the gates of the inner wall, he found himself in another enclosure, the walls again pierced with arrow slits. Past this, Kazuki and his escort finally emerged into the castle's honmaru, it's inner area. In addition to the main keep itself, there was the honmaru-goten, the honmaru palace, which served both a residential and administrative purpose. Though deceptively simple looking on the outside, such complexes were often many separate buildings connected by long corridors, intersecting roofs, and various courtyards.
More guards patrolled the gardens surrounding the mansion. Kazuki and his escorts gained entry from the guards at the doors. They stopped briefly while Kazuki removed his geta in the spacious entry hall. The guard moved at a quick pace, allowing Kazuki only a brief look at an empty reception room with a coffered ceiling, wall murals, and a large dais at the far end. Leading him down a corridor, his escort brought Kazuki to a similar looking reception room. This one had a table, upon which sat a tray of rice cakes and tea.
"Wait." The guard told him and departed.
Kazuki shrugged and kneeled on the tatami mats, helping himself to a cake, wondering if he was the first one to answer summons.