24601

Turos background:

Time designation: following the rise from the ocean, before the move to the south

As I said, upon rising from the ocean, the local daimyo, Lord Aeyunaga, had called for warriors
to fight me, but I told him I did not wish to fight. Upon hearing this, he welcomed me into his house,
where I stayed for sometime. Since I didn't ask for a room, they let me walk around as long as I wasn't
interfering with any duties. I eventually found the forge, where I helped myself to their metal and
began making armor to pass the time. One night, Aeyunaga's son, Yoromori, a young man, saw me
working with my hands, doing what it took days and weeks for their smiths to do in a matter of minutes
and hours. He was astounded, he talked to 24601...me...for some time that evening. He tested the metal,
and found it stronger than his own armor. He thus commissioned for himself some armor. I spent
several days making armor for him. After I had been living at the castle for some weeks, they gave me
a room adjoining the forge. Eventually, Lord Aeyunaga himself came for armor, and had me make
armor for his bodyguards and special warriors. One day, sitting with me while I worked, Yoromori,
who had quickly become something to what I hear others call a “friend”, asked me if I was also a
warrior. I told him of my previous designation as an assault unit, and he seemed very glad at this. The
next day, he asked me to accompany him on the field of battle against a rival clan, the Shino. He said
that he needed anyone he could get, as this was a battle of honour. Honour is something 24601 does not
understand, but wanting to see people not stamped underfoot 24601 does. On the field of battle, 24601
first tapped into the fire powers it manifested, and burned whole swatches of troops. Both sides were
horrified, and as the Shino troops fell back from it, only one warrior dared fight him. 24601 fought the
warrior, until 24601 touched him, and the weapon in the warrior's hand grew hot and he dropped it.
24601 grabbed the head of the man, and burnt the man's head to ash. No Shino warrior kept fighting, as
this had been the general of the army. 24601 returned to the castle, and no one stood in his path. 24601
heard one word whispered by people as he walked by: “Wenyudo”. Later that night, Yoromori returned
to the forge, where I repaired his armor. I asked him what “wenyudo” meant. He explained to me that it
translated over into “wheel of fire”, but was the name of a thing they called an oni-spirit. He told me
that the soldiers, and most of the land that heard about the battle, had taken to calling 24601 Wenyudo,
as no one knew its name. 24601 asked for a picture of it. Eventually provided one, 24601 began
thinking on this, and tapping into some “inspiration” he found in himself, he began to mould his
armor/skin into this new, “demon” image. Over the next few months, he realized his change of
appearance upset most people, so he began to wear robes in the style of the monks. Another few battles
between area clans elapsed, and having shown “courage” and such, 24601 given land and became a
noble. Not far from the castle, but outside the city, a small fortress was given as his land, with farm
land about it, and several guards and servants. Most of the servants were monks who, seeing something
“virtuous” in him, and likening him to some spirit similar to Wenyudo, they volunteered for the
position, and the fortress also became a sort of monastery, since 24601 didn't keep a family, or really
need much of what the normal Turosians did. He was taught court etiquette, which he only treated with
in regards to the diamyo's of clans. His small fortress/monastery was named the Temple of Fire, and
there began a fire which was kept burning constantly. A time of long peace occurred, and all 24601 had
to do was make armor, adapt himself, and be taught various things by the monks, most of which he
didn't understand, but thought on anyways. Yoromori came and visited often.
One day, while bringing a large amount of armor to the castle (most of which was samurai-style armor,
with a little demonic influence), he was called to the court of Aeyunaga, which he responded to. There,
he discussed with the people how he realized that the dwarves would come looking for him. As if on
cue, dwarves came in and immediately attacked 24601, and those who seeked to defend him. Yoromori
was wounded, and this sent 24601 into a fit of rage, in which he then slaughtered the other dwarves. He
talked with Yoromori and Aeyunaga about how as long as 24601 was present, the dwarves would
continue to send teams to kill/retrieve, or invade the land. As a plan, Aeyunaga decided that to save
both 24601 and the land, 24601 would be “exiled” - however, the exile would be to leave the land, and
upon doing so, would be allowed to return to the clan, retake his fort and his noble bearing, and
continue to live as he did, while the clan would be able to tell the dwarves, without lying, that upon the
actions committed in the court, 24601 was exiled. The Temple of fire would left to the monks residing
there, and would do their business as normal. The final act was painting the hands of 24601 red, and
24601 left to the south, as that night he had a vision of an half-orc's bearded face working over a forge.