Avatar Legends - The Northern War

[jaydude]

Shizu nods in reply to both O-Ren and Bamboo, as if seeing no reason to doubt their stories. Soon though, he turns his attention to Liu Bing, his eyes narrowing as he subjects her to scrutiny.

"And what about you, young lady? What did you do to earn the displeasure of the Fire Nation?"

He doesn't yet seem to have suspected anything problematic, but he does appear interested in hearing Liu Bing's answer.

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Sherwood]

Liu shrugs. "Does it really matter? I went left when I should have gone right, and because of that, I got to spend several months of hard labor in a prison camp. If it were not for my fellow prisoners, I'd still be there until I was old and grey."

 

[jaydude]

Shizu gives Liu Bing a mildly disapproving look at her evasiveness, but he doesn't say anything about it.

"And just what do the three of you plan to do once you leave this place?"

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

"Uhh," Bamboo has not thought this far ahead. In fact, the thought had not ever even come close to his mind. The first thought leaps into him so quickly he doesn't think to check himself. "Well... there's the Yulong Academy, right? I've never met a general or seen an academy before! I bet you're pretty proud of the place, right?" Bamboo's eyes brighten. "A whole academy! I bet there's all kinds of cool things there to see and people to talk to!

"Oh. Forgive me for not mentioning it, your, uh..." what did one call someone of his station? Bamboo had no idea and it was clear on his face. "...Your Generalness! This is the first time I've ever been to the Earth Kingdom. Your people seem to have strong spirits - and with the Fire Nation scroll in your possession and your knowing of their upcoming attack, there's no way the Fire Nation will take Fort Tangdao! The Earth Kingdom will win the day for sure!" Filled with youthful enthusiasm, Bamboo even raises his fist in victory.

The notion that General Shizu has yet to decode the scroll has not yet entered Bamboo's brain.

But he means what he says!

 

[jaydude]

"Just 'General' is fine." Shizu assures Bamboo. He doesn't seem too affected by the lad's enthusiasm; Liu Bing and O-Ren can perhaps equate this to his years of learning discipline allowing him to remain unflappable in situations like these.

"So you plan to stay at Fort Tongdao for a while, do you?" he asks. "I imagine then that I can make use of you, should you wish to aid the war effort. The advantages of a mount that has no need of touching ground are immeasurable..."

He doesn't get to say much more before the four of you hear a knocking sound. Shizu bids the person on the other side the door enter; it's Deng, with a different scroll in his hand.

"General. Our decoder has finished translating the message." he says, before reading out the contents of the scroll. It's the same as what the three of you discovered; there's a network of underground tunnels underneath Fort Tongdao, and General Danzin is moving troops into position to take advantage of them.

Shizu's eyes widen a little at this news, but he otherwise remains composed as he turns to look at the three of you. "I must investigate this matter with my own eyes, to make sure this is not false information planted by the Fire Nation. But if the contents of that scroll you retrieved speak the truth, it would seem that both I, and the Earth Kingdom as a whole, owe the three of you a great debt of thanks."

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[jaydude]

The three of you get the impression that Shizu believes you, or at least doesn't smell an elephant rat here.

He then gives you all a curt nod. "I will be looking into the information you've given me, and arranging any necessary counter-manoeuvres. The three of you are free to leave this fortress and return to your bison. I understand that you're staying at an inn within the town; if I have any need to get word to you, I'll send it there."

It will take at least a few hours for Shizu to confirm the existence of the tunnels himself. If he decides to carry out any countermeasures against the Fire Nation's use of them, that'll take him even longer. In the meantime, what do you all want to do? Head back to the inn and Smoochie? Head to Yulong Academy? Or something else?

Spoiler: Group Stats

O-Ren Ichi​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [X]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Support - (_)-(_)-(_)-{B}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Leadership

Liu Bing​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Control - (_)-(B)-(_)-{_}-(X)-(X)-(X) - Connection

Bamboo​

Fatigue: [_][_][_][_][_]
Conditions:
Afraid [_]
Angry [_]
Guilty [_]
Insecure [_]
Troubled [_]
Balance: Role - (_)-(_)-(B)-{_}-(_)-(_)-(_) - Freedom

 

[Purr]

He then gives you all a curt nod. "I will be looking into the information you've given me, and arranging any necessary counter-manoeuvres. The three of you are free to leave this fortress and return to your bison. I understand that you're staying at an inn within the town; if I have any need to get word to you, I'll send it there."

"Great!" Bamboo replies. "Sir? I bet you know Fort Tongdao better than anybody! Is there any place you'd recommend us to visit that would tell us more about Earth Kingdom and its culture? You've got to know some place that's really cool! Er, sir!"

Regardless of how the general replies, Bamboo turns to General Shizu and, smiling, tries to give him his best salute (and his very first). This is not done to cheer the dour battle-hardened fellow, but out of sheer respect for an adult who is walking a line Bamboo prays he never has to walk - a leader in a time where men and women are doing their very best to harm one another.

The idea of reward might come across the minds of many in a moment like this, but it does not occur at all to Bamboo of the Celestial Wildlands - the reward is in the work itself, the act of doing, and the satisfaction in feeling one has put more into this ancient universe than one has taken. Oh. And not simply to have a better time of it in the next life. In short, Bamboo has done this to help those who are most likely to suffer against the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom. Especially those who have no ability to fend for themselves. He has tasted, firsthand, the treatment of the Fire Nation toward their prisoners - he cannot find it in himself to wish that treatment upon anyone else, including his former captors.

And then he asks Liu and O-Ren, "Where would you like to go? I'd like to go get Smoochie so she can come along too! The old girl always has the same scenery, you know? Just clouds and round earth. I want her to have some fun too! Just because she's a Sky Bison shouldn't change that too much, right?"

 

[jaydude]

"Great!" Bamboo replies. "Sir? I bet you know Fort Tongdao better than anybody! Is there any place you'd recommend us to visit that would tell us more about Earth Kingdom and its culture? You've got to know some place that's really cool! Er, sir!"

Shizu gives a shrug of his shoulders. "The Earth Kingdom covers a vast amount of land. What's Earth Kingdom culture can vary from place to place." he says. "Still, the founder of that inn you're staying at is in his nineties. If there's anyone here who's well learned in this country, it's him. Otherwise...there's the university in Ba Sing Se, but that has some pretty high entry fees. I've also heard rumours of some great library within the Si Wong Desert, but I couldn't begin to know how much truth there is to them..."

 

[Purr]

Bamboo has to stop himself from clapping. "Really? That's great!" Bamboo bows in deep gratitude and then offers a friendly wave. I really hope the contents of the Fire Nation scroll helps everybody, and I hope you get time off from all of your duties to enjoy these things you've explained to us, Mister General Shizu sir!"

The jungle-bred youth turns to his friends and asks, "Want to talk to the old fellow at the inn? That way we can go get Smoochie and she can join us! She gets lonely something awful sometimes." Bamboo's frowns just thinking of Smoochie feeling lonely. But then he perks up. "I bet that old guy at the inn knows all kinds of cool stuff!"