[D1EE] Searching for the place where the earth meets the sky (Open)

[Moto Mitsuki]

No matter how verdant the city was, it was still a city, and its gardens but shadows of nature imprisoned in-between man-made constructions. If Mizuki was to find a proper place for her spiritual obligations, she would have to pass back the walls again and dig into the forest.

So she put up her traveling coat, saddled her horse, and rode on.

She followed the road a bit at first, but the woods on its side were still far too marked by human hands for her needs. So she eventually guided Avel into the the wild. Her mount had sure footing enough for that, even if he was quite wary in this unknown environment.

She didn't know what she was looking for exactly, even less where to start looking for it, so she just followed her instinct, the signs the Lords had put on her way, and the natural elevation of the terrain.

[Suzume Senseki]

Exploring the lands around wherever he was gonna be for more than a few days was second-nature to Senseki, and that he set out to do. Not on a horse, of course. The Sparrow could never afford something like that.

But exploring it was, nonetheless.... and eventually, while looking at the plants around and stopping by to hear the sounds and look for tracks left by animals, he was bound to hear or see the woman riding around.

[Moto Mitsuki]

Noticing the approaching man, Mitsuki had her mount slow down so he could catch up, while still leaving her ample time to observe him.

At first, she thought he was a local guard. But his clothes and equipment were wrong. So she supposed he was a ronin. He did look like one after all.

Then, she finally noticed the Sparrow mon, which opened more questions than it answered.

"Good evening samurai-sama. May I be of any help to you?"

[Suzume Senseki]

"Evening, ah... Unicorn-sama", he answered looking at her mon. He thought he might know the family mon, but wasn't entirely sure and thought a mistake would be worse than just keeping it simple.

He bows respectfully low. "Suzume Senseki, humble servant of Sanbuku Mura in the northern Sparrow lands. Pleased to meet you!" An easy smile crossed his face as he stands again. "And... not any help per se, thanks - taking some time to learn the way of the land, is all. Unless you're well acquainted and would have time to spare to share some of your knowledge, that is... or, if it wouldn't disturb and you're looking around yourself, I could offer company".

[Moto Mitsuki]

Mitsuki simply bowed her head in response, without dismounting:

"Moto Mitsuki, of the ten thousand blades of the Khan. I've only seen the sun set once on these lands in my whole life, and it was yesterday, so I'll make a poor guide of these woods. Ask me again after I have had a few days to acclimate or if you find yourself ever wandering the Burning Sands."

She gave a second look at the man, at his clothes that, for worn out they were, seemed suited to this dense and humid forest. Although her own all-purpose deel was not inappropriate, it wasn't nearly as local-flavored... At least from the point of view of someone used to live in the desert on the other side of the known world.

"Actually, if you're familiar with that kind of forest, I'm the one that could use some help. I'm trying to understand the topology of these woods, and for now I'm still in the dark. In particular, I'm searching for a place rocky enough that the trees couldn't grow on it, making for a natural clearing."

[Utaku Kheree]

In the distance came the soft neigh of a horse as Kheree guided her obtained horse through the woods, as she enjoy nature and the breath and smells, while her raven took a moment to eat a mouse, as he rested on he reinforced gloves.
Which did not make the 8 legs of the 3 of them of them easily missed, even if it seemed that so far they had not heard the other late night wanderers . Possibly because she was currently holding a animated conversation with her horse, which answered with neighs
Natures touch, did not keep any dices | TN: 1 | Success: 1 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1

[Suzume Senseki]

Mitsuki simply bowed her head in response, without dismounting:

"Moto Mitsuki, of the ten thousand blades of the Khan. I've only seen the sun set once on these lands in my whole life, and it was yesterday, so I'll make a poor guide of these woods. Ask me again after I have had a few days to acclimate or if you find yourself ever wandering the Burning Sands."

She gave a second look at the man, at his clothes that, for worn out they were, seemed suited to this dense and humid forest. Although her own all-purpose deel was not inappropriate, it wasn't nearly as local-flavored... At least from the point of view of someone used to live in the desert on the other side of the known world.

"Actually, if you're familiar with that kind of forest, I'm the one that could use some help. I'm trying to understand the topology of these woods, and for now I'm still in the dark. In particular, I'm searching for a place rocky enough that the trees couldn't grow on it, making for a natural clearing."

"Pleasure to meet you, Moto-sama", he says with another bow, his face pensive. So... a desert warrior, then! In a way, he imagined he'd meet different people here... but someone used to travelling beyond the Empire?

His eyes strayed to the woman's strange Daisho and the weird... thing? Plaque? that went along with it. He didn't know quite what to make of it.. but then there was much he didn't know, and that was no reason to judge.

So while there was much going on inside his head, he simply smiled kindly to the woman again, with a nod. "Well...", he said somewhat uncertainly, his eyes scanning the area around. "I'm more familiar with hills, I'd say, but I'm not a stranger to woodlands, you could say. So... a rocky place, eh?..." he takes a look at the soil, kneeling down to test some of it between his fingers, and tries to remember what he knows of the woodlands close to home, in the hope it could help find out where such an area might be found there... farther from water, probably, and likely towards higher ground...

OOC:
Assuming Earth/ Survival (based on a "Recall" approach) is possible here? Or maybe Water/ Survival (for "Survey" approach)?

[Suzume Senseki]

In the distance came the soft neigh of a horse as Kheree guided her obtained horse through the woods, as she enjoy nature and the breath and smells, while her raven took a moment to eat a mouse, as he rested on he reinforced gloves.
Which did not make the 8 legs of the 3 of them of them easily missed, even if it seemed that so far they had not heard the other late night wanderers . Possibly because she was currently holding a animated conversation with her horse, which answered with neighs
Natures touch, did not keep any dices | TN: 1 | Success: 1 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 1

After a while, he hears the footsteps of another horse close by and turns to see who is coming. Seeing the lady riding and holding a bird, he bowed again, a pleased smile on his lips as he projects his voice towards her. "Samurai-sama! Seems like quite a few of us decided to take a hike outside today, huh?"

[Moto Mitsuki]

So while there was much going on inside his head, he simply smiled kindly to the woman again, with a nod. "Well...", he said somewhat uncertainly, his eyes scanning the area around. "I'm more familiar with hills, I'd say, but I'm not a stranger to woodlands, you could say. So... a rocky place, eh?..." he takes a look at the soil, kneeling down to test some of it between his fingers, and tries to remember what he knows of the woodlands close to home, in the hope it could help find out where such an area might be found there... farther from water, probably, and likely towards higher ground...

"That's the idea yes. Ideally, the higher it will be the better."

[...]

After a while, he hears the footsteps of another horse close by and turns to see who is coming. Seeing the lady riding and holding a bird, he bowed again, a pleased smile on his lips as he projects his voice towards her. "Samurai-sama! Seems like quite a few of us decided to take a hike outside today, huh?"

Mitsuki blinked. Nobody had told her there was another Unicorn in the vicinity. Maybe she had missed some message?

An Utaku. Not a Shiotome though, unless she had for some reason left her personal horse at the stables. Hard to pinpoint which of the many Unicorn traditions she belonged to. The scimitar was reminiscent of the Burning Sands, the raven was a monk bird, so she could be a Shinseist traditionalist, but it was but a wild guest.

That would ever make the whole affair far simpler or far more complicated.

"Utaku-sama! It's good to see you. I didn't know I had a clansmate in these woods. This one is Moto Mitsuki, of the Khan's ᠣᠷᠳᠤ. We're looking for a ᠣᠪᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ."

She explained the unpronounceable words, full of foreign consonances, for the poor Sparrow:
"ᠣᠷᠳᠤ is the Ujik name for the Khan's army in the Burning Sands. Can be roughly translated as the horde.

ᠣᠪᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ is... I don't think there is an exact equivalent for that word... A sacred rock place? It's what I described to you earlier, a place where nature itself has arranged the location into a simple shrine.

For your convenience, I propose we pronounce the word with a Rokugan accent instead of the original Ujik one. That would sound like obo then."

---

OOC: Assuming Earth/ Survival (based on a "Recall" approach) is possible here? Or maybe Water/ Survival (for "Survey" approach)?

As you see fit. Can also bypass rolling entirely and just handwave it as allowed by the GM.

[Suzume Senseki]

"That's the idea yes. Ideally, the higher it will be the better."

Senseki nods, smiling still, and seems to be looking at a particular direction, but he turns to the Unicorn again on hearing her next words - with interest or confusion, it's hard to say.

"Utaku-sama! It's good to see you. I didn't know I had a clansmate in these woods. This one is Moto Mitsuki, of the Khan's ᠣᠷᠳᠤ. We're looking for a ᠣᠪᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ."

She explained the unpronounceable words, full of foreign consonances, for the poor Sparrow:
"ᠣᠷᠳᠤ is the Ujik name for the Khan's army in the Burning Sands. Can be roughly translated as the horde.

ᠣᠪᠤᠭ᠎ᠠ is... I don't think there is an exact equivalent for that word... A sacred rock place? It's what I described to you earlier, a place where nature itself has arranged the location into a simple shrine.

For your convenience, I propose we pronounce the word with a Rokugan accent instead of the original Ujik one. That would sound like obo then."

He looks at one, then another of the Unicorn - the smile still there, perhaps even wider, but his eyes clearly a bit lost.

...eru fuu? Secure... seal*? ...maybe something related to the otter instead? But the grammar is all wrong... and she said they're active in the burning sands... He shakes his head slightly, smile still there, but no words coming from him.

And then... a sacred place, called "obo"? Or oboo? Is it... a place for memory**, then? Or... a monk***? But... a sacred rock monk?

Another shake of his head. He's heard that the Unicorn are different, of course. But that's all so confusing! Still... he wasn't there to understand it, definitely not to question it.

With another smile, another bow to both of them and a nod, he just said: "Hai, Moto-sama, Utaku-sama, an "obo..u" I'll call it then. I'll be glad to see what you mean exactly when we find a suitable place." He points to a direction in which the land seems to be slightly higher. "I believe the land rises towards the northwest here, away from the river... shall we try?"

OOC:
* 得る + 封
**覚 from 覚え
***お坊 (from お坊さん - he's assuming the Unicorn might ignore the honorific XD)

Also - handwaving it as suggested