The Ronin of Ishiyama
“They are late,” the young woman said with crossed arms. The middle age man beside her nodded absentmindedly, his full attention given to the fish grilling over a bed of coals. The young woman continued to look out to sea as if she could through sheer force of will call the boat to appear over the horizon. “They should have been here by now,” she thought as she began to tap a foot. A loud sigh brought her attention away from the sea. She shot a glance at the older man bent over the bed of coals. “Aren’t you worried?” she asked clearly annoyed. “The only thing I am worried about is all the noise your armor is making with each tap of your foot. It is distracting and cooking is an art. It requires absolute concentration.” Her brows furrowed but she stilled her foot. “Here Hanamara, eat this,” the middle age man said lifting a speared fish from the fire over his shoulder. The young woman reached for the spear but quickly paused. “That’s still raw…” she said even more annoyed. The older man simply peered over his shoulder with a smile. “Oh…I know that look. Don’t you get philosophical on me, Masao.” The older man’s grin beamed into a wide toothy smile. “Very well. I will spare you this time but be patient. Remember, scattered as we were there is no telling if and when our band will be complete again.” Hanamara took in his words and let out a deep breath. She knew he was right but still… “The letter said today,” She added after a moment. “And I told you ten minutes for dinner but to be honest with all this chatter I fear it will be closer to fifteen,” Masao said while turning the fish over on the coals. “Life happens,” he added as he seasoned the sizzling fish. That was a truth they both knew all too well. “Hai, so da ne” Hanamara answered in their native tongue. They had lived through that truth since their fated meeting when they were jailed beside each other all those years ago. The memory brought a smile to her face. She and Masao had broken out that same night. And since then they traveled together. Town to town, province to province. Everywhere they traveled they helped people like themselves, the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the outsiders. As time went by their duo grew. People from all walks of life came to join them “No tashi Orai,” She said to herself, remembering their mantra of “To make many one.” And born out of their travels and deeds were the Ronin of Ishiyama. Yet their deeds and success were not welcomed by all. Powerful lords in their distant homelands banded together and sought to smother the growing band of Ronins. “No honor…unforgivable,” She said with a sudden flash of anger under breath as the memories came back to her. She could recall the surprise attack, the fire and chaos, and the death of so many of her fellow Ronins. She could still feel the shame of waking up at sea with only Masao looking over her. Before her thoughts could go any further, she felt a hand on her shoulder. “They will come, and in these new lands we will continue what we started. Now, dinner is ready. If you are quite finished brooding…let us eat,” Masao held a cooked fish out to her. She suddenly realized how tense she had become. She let out a deep breath and took the fish from her close friend. “They will come, in this I know you are correct,” she said to Masao as she gave one final glance to the open seas.
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The Ronin of Ishiyama are a band of people from a mysterious and distant land. Whether you are an honorable samurai, a stealthy ninja, or master tea brewer, all people from this distant land are welcome to relocate and join their Ronin brothers and sisters in Britannia. For more information message Hanamara or Picacho on discord or in game. There will be an ongoing guild event, in which players will help rebuild an abandoned castle for the purpose of building a new home for the wayward Ronin!
Important Note: All guild members will be asked to refrain from using artifacts or runic armor. This is to promote a balance playing field among players, keep the combat challenging, and to promote us to work together to overcome challenges. Runic weapons will be allowed. All new members will receive a free suit of armor upon joining the guild.
