Duty

> "*The city was open. There was one warrior among that could have prevented that disaster. A single orochi, locked in a prison cell for years. That imprisonment was about to come to an end."*
>
>

**Duty** is the first chapter in the Samurai Story Campaign. Completion of the Knight and Viking campaigns are required before the Samurai story becomes available. The Vikings have invaded the Imperial City and the Emperor is dead. Buildings are on fire and the Vikings are ransacking and plundering. The Orochi has been freed from the prison by Okuma, Ayu and Momiji. The Orochi leads the fight to take back the city.

## Events Of

The city of Koto is ablaze. Its defenders broken and all its champions dead, all but one. The Daimyo Ayu, Okuma, and Momiji seize this opportunity to break into prison and free their only hope: The Orochi, greatest swordsman in the land and their old friend.

Even with the Emperor's Champion freed, the city was still overrun with Vikings. They were outnumbered and overrun. The four of them bring the full force of not just the Samurai but the Myre down upon the Vikings. Flaming arrows turn their lanterns into fire bombs. Poison mines derived from the vegetation are planted. The Viking horde is soon repelled from the city.

But just as the Samurai are about to close the gates, the Blackstone Legion charge through on horseback, forcing their way to the imperial palace. In the ensuing chaos, Ayu is taken with them.

In the palace, the Blackstones kill the Emperor. Apollyon has brought every Daimyo she could gather before her, announcing that their Emperor is dead and offering his position to any takers. Only one of them she deems worthy: an orochi named Seijuro. She leaves the palace to Seijuro. Those have refused the position are executed, and the rest are dumped in the Myre to fight for control.

## Transcript

**The Orochi**: *(voiceover)* Home. We Samurai lost our home long ago. Now, to us, the word means something different.

*Camera fades in on Koto. The city is ablaze, the Vikings looting and plundering.*

**The Orochi**: *(voice over)* We made a new home. But we have to fight to hold it.

*Camera cuts to the front gate of the city. The Viking horde slaughters all Samurai that stand in their way, setting fire to buildings and looting resources.*

**The Orochi***: (voiceover)* I wasn't going to be fighting anyone from inside a prison cell.

*Camera cuts to the prison. Ayu, Okuma, and Momiji approach the front gate. Okuma smashes the gate down and the three enter.*

**The Orochi**: *(voiceover)* But my friends - my Daimyo - saw an opportunity and took it.

*Camera fades in on the front gate. The three secure the door. A moment later, The Orochi emerges.*

**The Orochi:** *(sees Koto)* They're burning the city!

**Ayu:** We're leaving!

*The Orochi walks to the edge of the balcony to look at the destruction.*

**Ayu:** I said we're leaving. Let's go.

**The Orochi:** We can't.

**Momiji:** This is how you ended up here in the first place.

*The look on in silence. Finally, the exchange glances and nod, silently agreeing to stay to fight off the invaders. The four walk off as the camera pans over the burning city.*

**The Orochi**: *(voiceover)* We needed a quick way through. Fire would do it.

**Mission Objective: DESTROY the gate**

*The Orochi shoots one of the lanterns at the gate with a flaming arrow, turning it into a fire bomb that burns the gate down.*

**Mission Objective: KILL the Viking invaders**

*The Samurai divide and conquer. Ayu and The Orochi go around the city near the prison, clearing that area of the Vikings.*

**The Orochi**: *(voiceover)* Time to regroup; find Okuma and Momiji.

**Mission Objective: REACH the bridge**

*With the Vikings in that area cleared, The Orochi heads for the bridge that connects the two parts of the city. But as he/she crosses it, the structure gives away and collapses.*

**Mission Objective: REACH Momiji**

*The Orochi crosses the city. He/she finds Momiji at the base of a large tree. A nearby Viking is suddenly engulfed in a cloud of green gas before dying.*

**Momiji:** These poisonous mushrooms make amazing traps!

**Mission Objective: SET the poison traps**

*The Orochi and the others follow Momiji's example. They take the poison traps and lay them in the area.*

**Mission Objective: PROTECT the poison source**

*The Vikings soon arrive. The four Samurai were outnumbered. But the poison traps cut down their numbers. Wave after wave of Vikings arrive and are swiftly eliminated.*

**Mission Objective: PUSH BACK the Vikings**

*With the Viking numbers now dwindling, the Samurai forces regroup and head for the front gate. But the Vikings won't give up and continue pouring in. But they are overwhelmed by the Samurai. Soon, they stop coming and the Samurai go to close the gates.*

*Camera fades in on the front gate. The Samurai begin pushing the gates closed. But before they are, a horse kicks them back open. It is Apollyon.*

**Apollyon:** To the palace!

*Apollyon rides off, Blackstone forces riding into the city. The weary Samurai flee from the scene as the Blackstones ride into the city. As they pass, The Orochi grabs his/her sword and cuts one of them down. But he/she is unable to stop them.*

*Once they have passed, Okuma goes to help up his friend.*

*The Orochi, Okuma, and Momiji examine the corpse of the knight.*

**The Orochi:** Knights. From the Blackstone Legion. *(looks around)* Where's Ayu?

*Momiji and Okuma look around, realizing Ayu is not with them. The sound of commotion coming from the Imperial Palace catch their attention. The Orochi signals his/her friends to split up and they head for the palace as the camera fades to black.*

**The Orochi***: (voiceover)* The Vikings broke into our city.

*Camera fades in on the front gate of the palace. The Samurai pound at the gate as the Blackstone knights inside take defensive positions. Wardens, Conquerors, Peacekeepers, Shield Captains, they all prepared to repel an assault.*

**The Orochi***: (voiceover)* They didn't know who they served.

*Camera cuts to Apollyon cleaning her sword. Around her, the corpses of other Daimyo are littered about. She looks behind her as more Daimyo are brought out, including Ayu.*

**Apollyon:** Ah, the last few.

*From a tower outside, The Orochi watches the scene.*

**Apollyon:** Daimyo, your Emperor is dead. *(points sword at nearby Shugoki)* Will you take his place?

**Shugoki:** Never!

*Apollyon thrusts her blade into the Shugoki's throat. The giant man falls over in a pool of his own blood. Apollyon walks to the next Daimyo in line, an orochi in green armor named Seijuro.*

**Apollyon:** Would you be emperor?

**Seijuro:** After I kill the rest of them? I'm coming to kill you.

**Apollyon:** *(chuckles)* A wolf. *(to her troops)* Leave the palace to Seijuro. The others can fight for the scraps.

*The Blackstone knights begin hauling away the Daimyo. Seijuro lunges angrily at Apollyon but is held back by a conqueror.*

**Seijuro:** Who do you think you are?!

*Pause.*

**Apollyon:** War. I am war.

*A warden calls Apollyon away. The Blackstones lead Seijuro in one direction while they take the remaining Daimyo in the other.*

## Observables

* The Aftermath
	+ When you start the mission, look out across the burning city.
	+ *"Once the bridge gate fell to the Warborn Raider, the Vikings swarmed into the city. Fortunately for the outnumbered Samurai, the Vikings were only seeking plunder."*
* Jail
	+ When you start the mission, turn around and look at the gate of the prison (not the gate you leave through)
	+ *"The Orochi that Ayu freed was no ordinary duelist or scout. Had that jail been broken open sooner, the Vikings perhaps would have stayed on that bridge."*
* Sentiment
	+ After you burn down the gate, stick to the left across the rooftops. Once you reach the end, there should be a tree visible. It's on an obelisk in front of the tree.
	+ *"Some of the Samurai wear sentiment as a shield. Poems and proverbs to reassure and calm such sheep. Yet, true warriors walk among them. They are desperate to be freed."*
* Lost to time
	+ Follow the instructions for the observable above. When you reach the end, drop down and turn left again. You'll be on a path to the palace. There should be a statue on you right.
	+ *"How many layers of civilization lie within that city? We ruled it for a time, but those first builders were not our ancestors, nor were they Samurai, or any other living people. Lost to time, those first architects."*
* The Imperial Palace
	+ After you exit the gate, head left like the previous observables. You should see the walls of the imperial palace. The observable is on a tower in the wall.
	+ *"The Imperial Palace, added atop the city by the second of the new Emperors to celebrate his own glory. A scar of indulgence on an otherwise honorable people."*
* Water
	+ Keep to the right side of the map. As you approach the burning bridge, look down at the waterfall below.
	+ *"The seventh new Emperor had a river diverted to pass through the palace. They harnessed its power to automate machinery, carry away waste, and to irrigate their cliff gardens. Ingenious."*
* Mushroom Tree
	+ The only way to get the following observables are to cross the bridge. Unfortunately, said bridge will burn down during a cutscene after you cross it so make sure you have all the observables before this. After the cutscene, go straight. You'll find Momiji at the poison tree. Look up at the tree.
	+ *"Long ago, the Samurai arrived in a land already inhabited. They were forced to live where others would not, in the fens and wastelands and crags, and along the way, they learned to tame the dangers that we were afraid to touch."*
* True Peace
	+ You'll inevitably find yourself at the front gate of the city. On the right hand side you'll find a statue of a monk and the observable on its forehead.
	+ *"A monk once told me that true peace is the product of one's mind and body working in perfect harmony. A battlefield, then, is one of the most peaceful places you can be."*

## Trivia

* During the opening and ending cut scenes, cosmetic inconsistencies can be seen. Ayu, the Kensei, is seen with the Descending Dragon ornament, but for the rest of the game she is seen with a unique gold moth ornament. In the ending scene, the Orochi won't have his/her chosen ornament.
* In the opening scene, Ayu is shown holding her nodachi at the hip with the blade down. Martial arts revolving around the use of swords teach to have the blade up. Also, nodachis were not typically held at the waist like the katana.