War in the Heavens
GenCon 99 Storyline Tournament Results
The War in the Heavens brought forth a handful of clans to its Final 16:
1. Conrad Jackson -- corrupt Toturi
2. Seth Mason -- honorable Toturi
3. Stefan Zarzynski -- enlightenment Water Monk
4. Jimmy Beck -- bloodspeaker Phoenix
5. Bret Swanson -- military Water Monk
6. Paul Higgins -- honorable Phoenix
7. Ian McGuigan -- honorable Toturi
8. Richard Riley -- honorable Unicorn
9. Antoine Blanchard -- honorable (Shrine) Phoenix
10. Michael Jahnke -- partially corrupt Toturi
11. Terry Madden -- dishonor Crane
12. Nathan Roberts -- Toturi (honorable?)
13. Karl Prahl Lion -- (honorable?)
14. Vaughn Derderian -- Ninja (heh)
15. Noel Meyer -- honorable Lion
16. Neil Canvel -- Crane (not sure what type)
Five Toturi, three Phoenix, two Monk, two Crane, two Lion, a Unicorn,and a servant of the vile Shadow.
Six clans or factions had failed to confront Onnotangu in order to strike the telling blow.
For the Scorpion, the tricks Bayushi Hisa had stolen from the Shadow failed to win him the day.
For the Dragon, Mirumoto Taki did not reach the final battle with the golden katana given him by the Scorpion.
For the Mantis, Tsuruchi's arrow did not fly true.
For the Naga, Balash did not attain the side of the two-legs.
For the Crab, Hida Unari succumbed to wounds suffered in the assault on Volturnum. He did not die, but was laid low.
For the Shadowlands, Jama Suru had not corrupted any of the remaining representatives.
The Final 8
The Unicorn, Crane and Ninja had been eliminated. Moto Amadare charged Onnotangu, and the force of the Moon flung him away. The Shadow had failed to corrupt any of the remaining players, and thus none was revealed as a Ninja Mimic. And for the Crane, Toshimoko, who had used a secret passage in the Imperial passage shown him years before, did not arrive on time. The top two Crane players announced, as the representatives of the Doji and the Daidoji, that the Crane civil war was not over -- but there would be no more Crane blood shed by Crane. Instead, the conflict will be resolved by the courtiers, where the Crane belong. For the Lion, Matsu Turi leapt at Onnotangu with the sword of his father, and was defenestrated for his troubles.
The Final 4
Isawa Hochiu stepped forward with his father's sword (a common theme) and told Onnotangu that he had learned the lessons of the Dark Isawa, and he would not make his father's mistakes -- the Phoenix *would not be corrupted again*. Onnotangu laughed: "I am not a thing of the Shadowlands, a creature of the taint that you can wash away. You do not choose whether or not to worship me. I AM A GOD!" And Hochiu was flung away with a gesture of contempt.
Onnotangu rose to claim Toturi, to drive the Shadow into him and claim him forever. But one man stood between his Lord and the Moon, and Hasame took the blow, perishing instantly while saving the Emperor's soul. Toku carried the body of his comrade away.
And then, a light cleaved the Darkness...
The Final 2 and Winner: The House of Tao
Takao stepped forward and challenged Onnotangu, who laughed: "You are mortal. What can you do to stop me?" Then, the power of the Moon drove Takao into the back wall. Takao stepped forward again, and laid hands upon Onnotangu's apparition. "You do not truly understand what it means to be mortal." With that, Takao flooded Onnotangu with the power of Void. At the battle with the Moon Incarnate, the God arched in pain, as Hitomi raised her sword and cleaved his head from his shoulders.
The Moon shattered, and the Darkness over Otosan Uchi was lifted.
Source: tourney reports from Gencon (thanks to Jeff
Williamson)