Talk:Across the Nightingale Floor

New Synopsis Thoughts

Hi, I was considering a replacement synopsis which is more detailed below is the new one I was wondering whether this would be apropriate please give me some feedback!

The protagonist; Takeo, or Tomasu as he was originally called, is set upon a path of revenge when his peaceful village was destroyed by the evil warlord Iida Sadamu. He is saved by the benevolent Lord Shigeru Otori. The Otori clan is one of the three that rule the Three Countries and Shigeru is also set upon revenge after witnessing Iida's murder of his father and cruelty towards the populace. Lord Shigeru and Takeo travel across The Three Countries towards the capital of the Otori clan; Hagi.

Takeo has become mute because of what is assumed to be trauma at the time and his hearing has become sharper than a dog's this all is actually a part of his natural gifts. Along the way they encounter a party escorting Lady Maruyama, leader of the Seishuu, across the Middle Country (home of the Otori clan). Takeo soon learns that Shigeru and Maruyama are having a secret relationship. They leave the party and continue to Hagi, Lady Maruyama continues her journey. Upon arrival in Hagi, Shigeru announces his plan to adopt Takeo into the Otori clan to his staff and servants within his estate.

Takeo begins to train in the ways of the lord; meanwhile we learn of the plight of Shirikawa Kaede; from her perspective. Shirikawa Kaede is a hostage of the Noguchi clan; she is being mistreated and forced to live and act like a servant. This treatment is disgraceful and dishonourable in The Three Countries, especially towards a noble hostage. She is constantly bothered by guards and soldiers who she is forced to wait upon. During a delivery of a knife to Arai, captain of the guard, she is set upon by a particularly depraved guard and stabs him in the neck in self defence. Arai arrives upon the scene and takes the knife from her, telling her to say the guard tried to rape her and Arai stabbed him to stop it (a woman is never allowed to kill a man in The Three Countries).

Takeo continues to learn swordsmanship, until one night a famous and skilled assassin, Shintaro Kuroda, attempts to assassinate Lord Otori Shigeru. Takeo hears the man (who is all but silent) outside the window and warns Shigeru. Shigeru and Takeo rush Shintaro upon his entry, plunging all three out the window and to the ground below. Shintaro kills himself with a poison capsule, however Takeo still calls for help; no longer a mute. After this event; Muto Kenji arrives and informs Shigeru and Takeo that Takeo belongs to the tribe. Muto is a long time friend of Shigeru and forces the tribe to stand down temporarily on their claim with the promise that he will teach Takeo the ways of the tribe. Takeo is soon ready to have his adoption approved by the Otori clan leaders; Shigeru's uncles who inherited the clan instead of Shigeru after the battle of Yaegahara where Shigeru's father was killed, Iida granted them the title because he deemed Shigeru a threat. Shigeru's uncles had only one condition; that Shigeru marry a woman Iida chose.

Kaede meanwhile is moved from her servant quarters to a room befitting her station and prepared for an audience with Lord Noguchi. During the audience she is told that she must marry Lord Otori Shigeru. After this she receives a visit from her father; who tells her how important it is that she complies. She then gains a maidservant called Shizuka who is revealed to be the lover of Lord Arai who was banished for helping Lady Shirakawa (Kaede). Other things are revealed to Kaede, such as the fact that she is beautiful (she hadn't had access to a mirror before hand) and that she is third in line for inheritance of the Maruyama lands, the only clan that passes inheritance through the female line. She is very afraid of men and hates the idea of getting married.

Takeo and Shigeru travel towards Inuyama where the marriage is to be held and along the way they meet Shirakawa Kaede and her travelling party. Kaede falls in love with Takeo on first sight and passes out. Later after she meets Shigeru and Takeo officially she is also speechless. Takeo thinks her beautiful but is not emotionally attached. Later when Shizuka is teaching Kaede to fence it is revealed that she is Muto Kenji's granddaughter and of the Tribe. Takeo is taken by Muto Kenji outside to train with Shizuka in swordsmanship and eventually duels Kaede. During the duel Takeo falls in love with Kaede and compares the duel to dancing.

Travelling party continue to move towards Inuyama but makes a stop before getting there to adhere to the traditions of the festival of the dead in Yamagata. Takeo, upon hearing the wails of the tortured Hidden, imprisoned and left as living food for the crows upon the walls of castle Yamagata, decides to use his Tribe skills to put them out of their misery. He skilfully puts them to death after many begging him. On his way back to the travelling party he encounters one of the Hidden who thanks him for killing his brother; Takeo tricks him into believing him to be an angel by using his second self to distract him and then letting it disappear. Kenji is furious and betrays Takeo and Shigeru after they reach Inuyama by kidnapping Takeo with the help of a dozen members of the Tribe. Shigeru is then captured by Iida for being of the Hidden and harbouring a fugitive. Takeo convinces the head of the Kikuta family to let him go and help Shigeru after Takeo promises to follow orders following his return.

Takeo rescues a tortured Shigeru and finds that Shigeru no longer wants to live after Maruyama was killed. Takeo helps Shigeru die by the sword by decapitating him with the legendary snake sword Jato, which he inherits. He then climbs the castle walls and crosses the beautifully crafted and almost impregnable Nightingale Floor to Iida's quarters. He opens a screen and finds Lady Kaede sitting behind the dead Iida Sadamu with a bloody knife in her hands. Iida had tried to rape her before he was going to kill her. Takeo decapitates the body of Iida and places the head in a bag, Takeo and Kaede then make love for the first time. Kaede understands that she must never tell anyone who killed Iida on pain of death. Takeo then leaves victorious and parts ways temporarily with Lady Shirikawa who is now the ruler of Maruyama. He heads for the temple Shigeru's brother is buried at and buries​ Shigeru's head there and throws Iida's head on the grave. Takeo is proclaimed the lord of the Otori lands by the people and is now torn between the Tribe, Kaede and the Otori.​

There are no references because this is of my own work (i'm new is this allowed?)just wanting to make this page more detailed.

Please tell me your thoughts on this. LeBlackPanther (talk) 04:19, 30 March 2012 (UTC)