Marksmanship Training

[Oda Nobunaga]

In a recent training exercise, your army's accuracy with a bow has proven to be pitiful at best. Your lordship has sent his most skilled marksman to give your camp a lesson in archery. All units are expected to hit a target nine times out of ten, under this marksman's watch.

Objectives: You must hit a target from 100 yards in the head. You will be given twenty tries, and you are expected to complete the task with a 75% success rate.

Secondly, you will be given a moving target. You are expected to hit it in the legs. You will be given ten tries, and you are expected to complete the task with a 80% success rate.

Rewards: Up to +3 Dex.

Location: Your faction's main camp.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

"You... want me... to shoot at your men? And you're going to pay me for this?"
"Do not worry, they will be protected. This is to better their reflexes, you see."
"And if I hurt someone?"
"They will be fine. I'm only paying you to shoot."
"Alright, you got it, old man."

This Daimyo had 20 of his men lined up, 100 yards away, and he handed Takehiro a bow and ordered him to shoot at them. He was getting paid for each guy who didn't parry the arrow, and as these guys seemed like newbies, it seemed his chances of a good haul from this were high. He set a standard for himself, and decided he would let no more than five men parry the arrows, if he wanted to eat well for the next few days.

Takehiro nocked an arrow and pulled it tightly, aiming down the range. The first man, the one in the center, is the one he took aim at. He slowly exhaled, releasing the arrow as he did so. It soared across the plain, but was split in two as the target slashed through it, effectively parrying it. That man's job done, he stepped away from the line.

You can do better. Come on. Big haul, big haul.

He sighed, nocking another arrow, firing it at the next man down the range. He, too, split the arrow into pieces as he effectively parried it. He stepped back from the line as well, leaving Takehiro grumbling under his breath. 2/20 shots fired, and they were effectively parried. It rattled his nerves a little, but he continued the job: yet another arrow was nocked, and, slowly, he centered himself. After a deep breath, he released the arrow to his third target. This arrow found itself in the man's padded shoulder armor, and his sword sliced through only the wind. The man failed, and he left the line.

3/20 shots fired, and so far only one was giving the man a bonus.

Feeling lucky, Takehiro took his time with each of the shots. One by one, the men failed to parry, and one by one, they all served to increase Takehiro's bonus. By the end of this, all 20 arrows had been fired, and only two of the men successfully parried them. 'twas a shame to the Daimyo, but Takehiro could already feel his pockets growing.

"One more task, Mercenary."
"You name it."
"I want them to be able to avoid arrow fire from the side, when charging in battle. Ten men will be running in front of you - still padded. You get a bonus for each one you take down."
"Oh, I like this. You got it."

The men were all lined up perpendicular to the mercenary, and he simply grinned. Another chance to earn some easy Yen. He set another standard for himself, limiting the men he'd miss two only two.

The first man started with a mad dash, and Takehiro quickly nocked his arrow, following the man for a moment. He released the arrow, and it soared into the man's leg, causing him to crash to the ground. Immediately after, the next man would take off, and the same course of events would follow.

At the end of this event, only one of the ten men made it all the way across the plain without being shot, so Takehiro's take was increased even further. He loved his line of work, sometimes.

[Takeda Shingen]

Amakusa Takehiro: +3 Dex

[Sanada Yukimura]

"But father...!"

"I know your skills with the bow are good. But there will always be more for a person to learn and improve upon. I do not doubt the skills of my men, but their display of accuracy at the most recent training exercise was, less than desirable. This is not punishment my son, this is your training."

"But...! ... Very well then father."

His father ordering a straw training dummy to be set up 100 yards away, he would then hand Yukimura a bow and a quiver full of twenty arrows, and give him his objective. He would not be the only one completing the lesson in archery though, all the men of his unit would be working on their skills as well. Not only did this give Yukimura a chance to redeem himself and his men, but also improve his archery skills as well. Pulling out an arrow and nocking it, he would pull the arrow back, and take aim at the dummy. Clearly nervous under the watchful eye of his father, Yukimura would release the arrow, as it would soar straight for the dummy... and hit it in the leg.

That was not his target. His target was the dummy's head. He was certainly off to a great start. Nocking another arrow, he would try again, this time hitting it in the arm. Then in the shoulder the third time. And then the neck the fourth time. This was not turning out good for him. Aware that his father would continue to watch him regardless of how nervous he was, taking a deep breath in, Yukimura would exhale... and focus. Slowly pulling the arrow back, focusing and paying no heed to his father nearby, Yukimura would take aim... and release the arrow, as it would fly straight and true... and hit the dummy in the head. This was no time to celebrate though, and continuing to concentrate, Yukimura would fire over and over, as one arrow after another would bury itself in the dummy's head. By the time all twenty arrows had been used up, the dummy was literally like a pincushion, covered in arrows sticking out of its head.

"Well done my son. Now for your final objective. This time, you will be firing on ten of my men as they run across the length of the training area. Do you think you can succeed?"

"Of course father! I will not fail!"

"Excellent."

Calling the men over, as they would quickly run over covered from head to toe in padded armor, Yukimura would be handed ten arrows, and given the command to begin. Nocking an arrow, Yukimura would take aim at the first man as he ran across the training area, keeping a sharp eye on him and releasing the arrow, as it would soar into the man's leg, causing him to stumble and fall down. Immediately after, the next man would take off, as the same course of action followed, and Yukimura would rinse and repeat. Once all ten arrows had been used up, Yukimura had only missed two men, as his father would give him a nod of approval, causing Yukimura to sigh inwardly with relief. He had redeemed himself and his family name, and under the scrutiny of his father no less.

Thank Amaterasu!

[Oda Nobunaga]

Sanada Yukimura: +3 Dex

[Shinomori Katsumi]

[[Again, gonna make this work with Kat being a mercenary, if that's alright. Gonna go with the same "group".]]

This military officer was really serious, and he must have deeply cared about his daughter, something Katsumi couldn't relate to. Everyone was required to do archery training, even the skilled archers. The mercenary may not have been as physically strong as others, but she was quick and her shooting skills were high, so she found this odd. But, then again, Katsumi was never against further training and went along with it. Not only was she getting paid for protecting this bride-to-be but also getting training for free. There wasn't much better than that.

Of course, the more skilled archers and the other soldiers were separated, and Katsumi stood among a group of people, the only merc among them. They were given a speech that was said when she first took the job and everyone that was assembled at the large camp. Utmost importance to be at their best. Protect the little princess, or whoever she was. Blah blah. As curious and even serious as Katsumi was, she had heard this all before, and only really cared about the training at this point, as well as the money.

Eventually the little pep talk was over and they started getting down to business, the good stuff. The first part was hitting a target. Easy enough. It wasn't even moving, and only one-hundred yards away. It was far, but not horrible. This seemed more like a warm up, but, nevertheless, Katsumi would take the task seriously, and accomplish it with vigor.

The dummies were all lined up, and, unlike the less skilled archers, they were expected to do headshots. Bows went at the ready, arrows in place, and then the order was given to start. They were expected to go to one target and move to the next, one after the other, and that's precisely what Katsumi did. Among the archers, she was the best, her hits proving to be successful time and time again. She always breathed deeply and blocked everything else out, focusing on shooting, hitting the targets correctly. Out of the twenty, Katsumi made all headshots, with the exception one in the upper-torso, two neck shots, and just one complete miss, which came near the end when Kat got a little too antsy, too excitable. And she beat herself up over that one, disappointed in herself, self-deprecating herself internally again and again til the point where she accidentally busted her lip from chewing on it so roughly.

The next test was far more challenging, and Katsumi appreciated it. They all headed towards the outskirts of the forest near the large camp, and two men were carrying a wooden crate. A skinny, long-legged dog with mangled fur was growling and whimpering within, trying to claw itself out. The merc peered within the cage curiously and rose her brows as she looked up at the commander, waiting for an explanation.

After gaining everyone's attention and all of them stood tall and were at the ready, he spoke briefly, concisely, "Dog's the target. Whoever shoots the cur in the legs first gets a bonus. Got it? Oh, and it gets a three minute head start, so don't go immediately charging in after it."

Bonus, eh? This piqued Kat's interest, and she certainly wasn't the only one. Everyone seemed to find this desirable, and they all glanced at one another, a few grinning. Despite being pleased with this idea, Katsumi remained impassive and serious, not even a semblance of a smile across her features. The door was opened and the canine bolted from cage, quickly entering the forest. Time ticked by and they waited anxiously, wanting to pounce on the opportunity and be the first to get the dog. Soon enough the time came.

"Go and get 'im, boys."

And then they were off. The others immediately chased after the dog, while Katsumi stayed in place. She was the only one to not move. Her brows furrowed, wrapped hands reaching up to her chin as she thought through a strategy. There was a river nearby. About four miles away in the direction they were all going. She highly suspected the wild dog would head in that direction. The trees grew thicker in that area and she had seen packs there before.

She had lived in the forest for some time when she couldn't find any jobs, and saw a pack living there. This was likely one of those dogs. From here, if she crossed to the left, she could make it to the river more quickly and wait for the perfect shot. On the ground, it would prove useless and too difficult for such a hard target.

Katsumi bounded off towards the river, pace steady and brisk. It wasn't long before she was there, hearing the trickling of the flowing water. Across was where the pack typically resided, further off. The canine would eventually reach here, after maneuvering around to try and lose the others. Going over to the shallow part of the river, the woman crossed it and climbed up a tree, finding a sturdy branch that allowed her a good angle and view of the other side of the river.

Perching herself up there, the woman donned as a man pulled out her bow and bided her time. She was like a hawk, dark eyes staring down at the forest floor, searching for her prey. Time slipped by and she didn't hear a horn, so nobody hit the dog yet. There was still the opportunity to make the extra money, and she desperately needed it.

She had been correct in her assumption, and eventually the panting and frightened wild dog emerged from the trees. Kat didn't hear anyone nearby, so it seemed the dog lost the others... at least until now. He was sniffing the air, determining what to do next, whether it was safe.

The woman grabbed an arrow and pulled her bow back, aiming down at the dog, at his back left haunch. Moments passed before she finally released. The arrow whizzed by and the dog's ears pricked up, and he yelped, jumping up. She narrowly missed him, the head of the arrow hitting the ground just at its feet.

"Shit," she cursed, as the dog rushed forward and jumped into the shallower part of the river.

He began wadding through the water to cross and get to the other side, and Katsumi readied another arrow. The mercenary had one more shot after he exited the river before her current spot was not not good enough anymore. She determined where the canine would come out and was ready to fire, and right when the dog exited the water and was pushing itself out of the mud onto the shore, the arrow was released, and there was a thump and a whine.

She hit it, left, upper-foreleg, and the dog fell onto the ground. Bulls-eye! Score. Now it was time to get her extra pay and help fill her money bags. For the first time in months, they would be full, not on the bridge of being empty, and that was such a satisfying sensation.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Shinomori Katsumi: +3 Dex

[Morei Haji]

"You can do it, kid! Believe in the bow, and shoot yourself!"

"I, uh..."

I glanced over at the guy who was attempting to lecture our unit on how to become better archers. After the previous leadership exercise, I didn't have too much doubt in our men, but... I knew I wasn't up to par myself. I hoped I would never have to shoot anybody, but I knew that the more skills a samurai possessed, the better he could be when the need arose. Perhaps I could provide more services to a Daimyo or a village that needed aid. With that in mind, I steeled myself, attempting to better concentrate on the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, I let loose an arrow that I had pulled back. It soared across the range and... struck one of the men in the foot. He jumped around screaming in pain, and I jumped up. "Yeah! I did it! ... I think." That still counted as hitting the target, right? Granted, I did feel horrible. The guy looked at me from across the range, staring at me as he screamed in agony, pointing at the arrow. It was unnerving but he didn't seem to do much besides scream...

"Right then..."

Pulling back another arrow, I didn't take much time aiming this one as much. Rather, I just positioned the bow the same exact way and let it loose without thinking. The arrow flew, but one of the samurai had cut it down in mid flight. It was actually the guy whose foot I had hit previously, and he had the most pissed off look on his face.

The man from earlier walked by and shouted in my ear. "I SAID SHOOT YOURSELF! SHOOT YOURSELF! SHOOT YOURSELF!!!!!" He walked away from me, still shouting that at the top of his lungs. I stared at him in disbelief, letting out a long sigh. Maybe the guy had a point though, maybe he meant to be patient...

I took a deep breath, steadying myself as I drew back an arrow. I looked down the range, noticing the padding on their helmets. Maybe I had to go for a headshot... Taking careful aim, steadying myself, ignoring everything else but the task at hand... I let loose an arrow, and it was failed to be parried, hitting one of the guys in the head. He looked like he was about to cry, seeing that arrow sticking out of his helmet. Repeating this tactic, I managed to get the rest of the 17 shots in with accuracy I deemed superb. It just took me some time.

With a satisfied grin, I moved over to the next challenge. This time, I had to hit moving targets, but in the legs. Judging from my first shot of the day, this might not be too bad...

I nocked an arrow as one of the men had begun to dash across the field. His arms were flailing in the air and he screamed wildly. I stared in disbelief for a moment, before steadying myself as he moved. Following him close, I decided to lead a bit, and then... I fired. The arrow soared across the range and hit the guy in the legs, and he fell to the ground face first and laid motionless. I didn't know whether to check on him or what...

The second man composed himself, and began to dash across the field. He looked determined to make it across, and I readied my arrow in an attempt to stunt that motivation of his. I lead just like the first guy, and fired. However, as the arrow neared the man, he suddenly leapt into the air, front flipping gracefully and narrowing avoiding my arrow... landing on the other side. Victorious, he glared over at me and flipped me off. Confused, I realized he looked a lot like the guy whose foot I shot... nevertheless, that was strike number one.

I readied my arrow ahead of time for the third man, and the moment he began to dash, I had already let it fly. It flew and hit the man just seconds after he got off of the start line. The fourth man fared no better, the fifth had made it halfway. None of the others made it past the halfway mark. The only one who succeeded was that ninja-like second man with the attitude.

"SHOOT YOURSELF!!!!"

I looked behind me, seeing the man shouting at another recruit. I took this opportunity to make my leave. After all, I had accomplished what was asked of me. Now I just wanted to get my reward and leave. The sooner I got away from that guy, the better.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Morei Haji: +3 Dex

[Wakeshima Shoji]

Shoji never did like archery. He much preferred the art of swordplay, to have a blade within his hands. To kill with blades was so intimate and sensual, passionate even. One was so very close to their victim, and their blood covered one's body, slipping down flesh in droplets. The splatter of blood hitting his skin and the crimson liquid pooling in his palms, seeping out of his fingers, was an almost orgasmic sensation.

Nevertheless, the samurai didn't disrespect ranged weapons. He saw their value, and didn't disagree when his new wealthy patron demanded he train in archery. And so for the last three days, a bow was in Shoji's hands. For hours upon hours a day, the tall man practiced. Even Shoji had to admit that he was pretty terrible in the beginning, but, overtime, the merc's aim improved and it came to the point where he generally hit most of his targets. Perfectly? Of course not. But he at least hit them, and that was good enough for the samurai.

Now was the day of the test. If Shoji didn't pass then the patron would fire him, and this was one of his best thus far. And so the samurai was determined to show his worth.

There were dummies placed out and Shoji was expected to hit them in the head from one-hundred yards away. Miss enough times and the watching patron would be displeased, and the samurai's ass would be kicked back out on the streets. Even though he was an excellent swordsman. That was rather frustrating, but what was Shoji to do but hold it in?

With a sigh, the man took the bow and his crimson eyes glanced over at the patron, who was staring at Sho and the other mercs sternly. Closing his eyes, the samurai inhaled deeply and went up first. Might as well get it over with first, right?

Shoji spent about four or five minutes taking aim and firing. He made sure to be slow about it, not wanting to screw up. As he made his targets, Sho's speed increased, and his confidence rose. He was doing pretty well! There were only a few arrows that didn't quite hit the mark, and no complete misses. That had to mean something, right?

After finishing, Sho was grinning satisfactorily. He passed this round fortunately, and watched the other mercenaries. All but one made it as well, and the man threw down his down and stormed off, clearly frustrated with the ordeal. They were all swordsmen being forced to take up a bow. Sho understood his annoyance, but there wasn't really any sympathy there. After all, the samurai made it, and so did the others. The other was a failure and that was that. He could find a job elsewhere.

The three men were separated and the tall Japanese man found himself before his patron, who sought him out specifically. The next ordeal was, well.... it intrigued the man, brows quirking up as the details were laid out. A man by the name of Yusuke had been caught defiling his wife, and instead of making the affair public and ruining his and the wife's name, the patron wished for one of his men to take him out in secret. The patron had decided on Shoji after getting to know him and seeing his skills. Hearing all of this, the samurai supposed he wouldn't be messing around with this man's women. Despite that, he found this guy to be quite deliciously cruel, and there were plenty of other fish in the sea, so Sho wasn't too worried about being unable to go after his wife and daughter.

In order for this to fit with the test, Yusuke was going to be released in the field they were in and Sho was required to shoot at his legs. From there, he would take his katana and behead the man, and, at hearing that, a large grin spread across Sho's face. Why, he was starting to like this fellow more and more!

Yusuke had been dragged out, and the man was filthy and bruises covered his body. Obviously, he had been imprisoned for some time, and the guards certainly weren't gentle. Or perhaps it had been the patron himself. Either way, it didn't matter. His injuries made the man an easier target and tormenting and killing him would be entirely enjoyable.

The prisoner was released and told to run for his freedom, and he did just that, making his way for the trees. Sho was told to give him a minute start, and he did just that, standing in place, waiting in silence. When the time was up, Shoji was given three arrows and the bow. He took aim and a smile crept upon his face.

His first shot was a long-shot and Sho internally scolded himself. He wasn't used to moving targets, and fired again. It narrowly missed the man's foot, and the samurai bit down on his bottom lip. He had one more shot and that was it, and the confident man grew a little nervous. Taking aim once more, Sho inhaled slowly and, on the exhale, released the string. The arrow whizzed through the air and struck Yusuke in the heel. A cry rang out in the air and Sho began to chuckle as Yusuke collapsed onto the ground. Now that Sho passed his trial, it was time for the fun part.

As the merc and patron neared, Yusuke was trying to crawl away, and, with a smirk, Shoji stomped on the arrow and the man screamed in agony. He knelt down and twisted the arrow, and from the corner of his eyes he could tell that this pleased the patron. Good.

He pulled out the arrow and tossed it to the side, standing up and kneeling down, gripping the man's brown hair. Shoji yanked his head up and twisted him around so that he was on his back. The merc's foot stomped on the man's throat, and he watched at Yusuke struggled, trying to pry Sho's foot off. But it was a pointless endeavor, and Shoji didn't stop until the man nearly passed out.

The samurai stepped back and removed his katana, staring down at the fool, the dog on the ground. He was even weaker now, gasping for breath, and Sho found himself still smirking. In fact, the smile only widened. Sho waited until after Yusuke started getting his colour again, regaining himself a bit, before stepping forward.

Blade hovering over the man's neck, the merc leaned down and cooed, emphasizing the dog's name and not using a suffix, to taunt him even more, "Have fun in the afterlife, Yu-su-ke~"

And, standing up straight, his arms lifted up and he then brought the blade down. With a single swing, Yusuke's head was severed from his body, and crimson sprayed up in the air. Sho wiped off the blood from his blade, if only because he was in the presence of his patron, and, the other giving an approving nod, the two walked away. Shoji had a feeling tonight would be good, and filled with much merrymaking with fine wine and, if lucky, women.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Wakeshima Shoji: +3 Dex

[Oda Nobunaga]

All participants receive: Proficiency: Marksmanship - D

[Ichimura Ryunosuke]

"Now damn. Just damn it. Why are you guys that horrible in shooting?"

Ryunosuke stomped his feet in frustration as he said those words while walking with another person, a member of the local militia. He and the other local militia of Totomi were called for a special training in archery. That, of course, infuriated Ryunosuke, who had just received a special rest from the leader of his unit for a successful patrol. Now, as it was a general call, he should also attend, effectively cancelling his rest.

The drillmaster for the day was a new one, a very skilled marksman who just came to Totomi to train them, and, presumably, to get some profit off it. Ryunosuke did not listen much to the instructions of the marksman, still harboring resentment as he did not enjoy his leave. That kind of attitude from a boyish person infuriated the marksman, who said at the end of his instruction in an angry tone, "I hope you truly understand the basics of aiming, and not pretending to understand because they are angry at something," before walking out in a bad mood.

The exercise provided by the instructor came in two parts. The first part is shooting a training dummy from 100 yards away. Ryunosuke put on a confident smile, having done the same with a gun. "This should be easy," he thought, as he stepped forward to shoot. But the first shot he made was not only off-course, but it also hit the training dummy of another person. At the worst, all of the others shot perfectly at the head of the training dummies. The instructor shot a blank arrow on only one rear as a penalty, and only one was the butt of jokes at that time, and it was Ryunosuke. Only then did he remember the instructions that he have heeded while at Shinano.

Ryunosuke exhaled as he aimed again his bow at the target. As he was aiming, he took notice of his environment. The wind was blowing softly and continuously to his left, and the weather is not much humid. As he took notice of these conditions, the arm that was holding the bow was swinging to the right. He then released the arrow, which sped towards the training dummy and hitting its head, where the right eye should be. He then loaded another arrow, and then a small arm swing, and release. The arrow hit the temple of his training dummy. Load next arrow, arm swing, then shoot. The arrow flew towards the nose bridge of the dummy. The end result is that all 19 remaining arrows hit their mark.

He did not lose his focus from the first part when the second part started. It consisted of shooting 10 people at their legs, while they are in combat. He again took notice of the weather. The wind was now flowing northwest, and the weather is not humid. Ryunosuke just swung his bow slightly to the right as he released the arrow. The arrow found itself hitting the right upper leg of the target, the person falling down as he tried to remove the arrow from his thigh. Load arrow, arm swing, shoot. The arrow flew towards the left leg of another soldier, felling him down. All of his 10 arrows found its way to their targets; 9 of them were a hit on the legs. One of the arrows barely missed the leg of the seventh fighter, crushing his private part. Ryunosuke apologized to the one he hit on the groin before he left, an accomplished man in archery.

[Takeda Shingen]

Ichimura Ryunosuke: +2 Dex

Proficiency: Marksmanship - D

[Kyoya Naotora]

While she was not an archer, Naotora found herself at the range, as per her Lord's request. Despite the fact she was a warrior made for close combat - made evident by her strength, and the weapon she wields - she held now a bow in her hands, with the simple task of improving upon her archery. The warrior was not too keen with the bow, typically, but any opportunity to grow with the arts of warfare was one she should not overlook. So, she adhered to her Lord's request, and would spend hours at the range perfecting her archery if that was as he wished.

Taking in a deep breath, Naotora nocked an arrow, taking aim down the range. She had to hit a target from 100 yards away, and, given she'd hardly used a bow in her life, even the 75% accuracy thing seemed to be difficult for her. Her comrades watched her from afar, ready to knock on her for any and every mistake, and she wasn't about to let herself fail. So, after a long moment of concentration, she let her arrow loose. It sailed through the wind, and looked as if it were about to hit her target. However, she failed to account for the wind, and her arrow strayed off-course, buzzing by the target dummy's head, and falling into the grass. Bad start.

Sighing calmly, Naotora nocked yet another arrow, and spent another few minutes just concentrating on her target. It was a little unnerving, finally finding something she might fail at, but she had to push through, else she would disappoint Lord Masamune. So, she steeled herself, exhaling as she released the string, once more causing the arrow to soar through the air. This time, luckily, her arrow hit her target, strike the dummy in the head. She smiled, and the men around her applauded her, some tauntingly so. It was rare for a woman to be seen in battle to begin with, and they expected just because she was a fighter she could not handle a bow. But, proving them wrong was going to make her ever so happy.

Taking another calming breath, Naotora would nock another arrow and aim downrange. Each arrow she would fire from this point on would take a good deal of concentration, but would prove fruitful because of it.  More often than not, she would hit her mark, and each hit rose her confidence. By the end of the trial, each shot would take less time, but still hold the same level of accuracy. She would have made 18 arrows hit the dummy's head, and that was what she wanted. She did not fail her Lord, thus far, and she had no plans to.

The next task was going to be a little more difficult. She had to hit running targets, soldiers with padding on their legs, and she had to get them in the legs. They would be running from one end of the field to the other, and she had to make sure no more than two got by. It was going to be tough, but she was sure she could manage.

Naotora nocked an arrow and watched as the first man made his run. She followed him, gaging how fast he was going, before she moved the bow and fired where she believed he was going to be at the moment of impact. She let out a laugh of happiness as the arrow struck the man's knee and he fell to the floor. She had no idea she would be able to make shots like that! But, her time to rejoice would be cut short as the next target immediately began sprinting across the field. Hurriedly, Naotora nocked an arrow and fired another shot, though this one was too far forward, and the man made it across successfully. Two people had gone, and she'd already wasted one of her shots... she had to concentrate harder.

For the rest of this trial, Naotora would take time with her shots, learning she needed to concentrate if she was going to pass. As each target ran across the field, she tried to measure just how fast they were, so when she fired the distance would be appropriately measured. Taking her time helped a lot, as her shots were starting to hit, and, like before, it would take less and less time to actually prep each shot. By the end, the second runner was the only one who'd made it across, and Naotora had completed her task, hopefully proving she was a capable warrior to her Lord.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Kyoya Naotora: +3 Dex

[Miyamoto Kenji]

Next on the Mogami training camp agenda was a test of archery. As the group made their way to the shooting range, Kenji noticed a difference in the way that the soldiers carried themselves. They seemed to be taking things more seriously now, walking with purpose. Perhaps they realized that without adequate discipline, they might die in combat, and never return to their families and homes. The rest of these exercises ought to be more interesting now that his fellow warriors appeared to be trying harder.

The lot of them were arranged by their captain on the field. Dummies were set up one-hundred yards to the north, with the stated goal of putting arrows into their heads. Anyone who failed to put at least fifteen of his twenty alloted arrows would have to try again, and continue until he succeeded. With his quiver slung over his shoulder, Kenji was the first to nock an arrow, but not the first to fire. He instead gauged as many relevant factors as he could: distance, wind direction and speed, how his arrow would fly, and at what angle he should fire. He was far from a master archer, but as someone familiar with adapting to situations, not to mention familiar with a bow, he would make this work out.

At last, he would draw the arrow, take careful aim, go over the details in his head, and release. Whistling through the air alongside others' shots, it bore into the dummy's head. Not dead center, but a little off to one side. A good start, at least in Kenji's opinion. With the first arrow gone, he proceeded to rinse, lather, and repeat; he plotted the trajectory to the best of his ability and let arrows fly one after the other, most of his shots making their mark on the targeted dummies. At the end of it, two arrows missed the mark, one flying clear past the head due to a sudden gust of wind, the other falling short and hitting the shoulder instead. In battle, that would be a welcome result, but in the exercise, it was a failed shot. Still, nine times out of ten was pretty good in both his eyes and the captain's.

While a third of the men remained behind to redo their shots, Kenji and most of the unit moved to the second half of the exercise. They were given ten new arrows and directed to an assembled group of volunteers from town. Within ten tries, they had to hit the legs of the mobile volunteers at least eight times, or else start from the top. The arrow tips were blunted, and the assembly wore protection on their legs and waist, so short of a shot going wild and pegging them in the head, they would be relatively unarmed, and sore at worst. Kenji took up position with the rest of his fellows and nocked an arrow early, just like before.

Unlike the previous test, this would require less patient thinking, as it was meant to simulate battle to a degree. If a target was on the move, he only had so long to aim and fire. More importantly, the trick here was not to aim at where the man was, but where he would be at the moment of contact. Keeping this in mind, Kenji opened fire on one of the men. His aim sung true, striking the runner in the ankle. He kept up the momentum and nocked the next arrow, aimed for another man, and let fly, the blunt tip colliding with his lower leg. Not letting himself stop for longer than necessary, he cranked out a further eight arrows one after the other, only missing one of his marks by a split second.

At the end of it, a further fourth of the unit had to remain behind to restart the challenge, but Kenji was among those who cleared it on the first try. He smiled and nodded to himself as he unslung the quiver, quite satisfied with his progress. At this rate, the training camp would fly by before he knew it, and he and the town's dutiful troops would be all the better for it.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Miyamoto Kenji: +3 Dex

Proficiency: Marksmanship - D

[Yamabara Shou]

“A bow?” Shou asked dumbstruck at the idea. “Yes Yamabara is there a problem with that?” Captain Koboyashi would ask holding up curved wood and stringed weapon at him for him to take. Shou took the weapon, as well as one of the quivers of arrows. “It’s simple men.” The captain started walking away from him to talk to the whole of the unit. “Lord Shingen is disappointed in us. This is Nakamura-san. He is here to bring us up to scratch.” Koboyashi explained gesturing over to the man beside him.

The other man stepped forwards and pointed to the archery range behind them, and Shou turned to look, as the professional archer explained. “Good evening men, by the end of today you are going to be better. No excuses. Do you see the targets behind you?” Nakamura asked, and Shou looked the targets over. They were an impressive imitation of men constructed out of wood, dry grass and cloth, spaced apart in a line some way off. “I’m going to run you through correct form to use your bow, and then you going to take 20 arrows, and hit that thing 15 times in the head. Oh and you better at least hit the target, I don’t want to see more then errm… let’s call it two misses.” Nakamura explained shrugging his bow off his shoulder and into his hand he approached the first in the line of the unit.

Eventually after going through the first men in line Nakamura reached him. “Alright show me how you use your bow, just draw don’t fire.” The other man order him, no greeting and Shou did as instructed. His lack of use of a bow shining though as he drew the bow he was sure. “No no no. That is completely wrong.” Nakamura spoke with shock. Firstly he used one of his feet to push one of Shou’s legs back rather than having them so close together. “Yes you need to be straight, but you need a wide enough stance to be balanced. Otherwise you’re going to throw your shot off completely.” A prodding hand force him to move his grip higher on the bow’s body. “Hold here, where you don’t feel the bow forces you to grip it, but rather grip it willingly.” Finally another hand pushed his other arm up. “Don’t draw across the chest, its terrible form, but rather draw to the chin or the jaw. Good form and allows you to aim correctly.” Nakamura ordered with each pressing change to Shou position he made. “Now draw again and hit the target as I instructed.” Nakamura finished with a point before moving onto the next man.

Shou followed the instruction as best he could, and redrew the bow arrow notched and aimed. With a brief exhale, Shou then held it mid release, as he let the bowstring go. The arrow sailed throw the air and passed over the shoulder of the target, closer than he had been expecting from his lack of previous use of a bow. Trying again, he notched a arrow and was about to draw, before realizing why he may have missed. Taking a quick step to the side and realigning himself up. He tried again. The arrow flew pass the poll of a neck of the dummy and Shou knew that the shot would have hit if it had been a human target, which was extremely annoying. Now having got he generally position right for the exercise, Shou aimed on the third shot. Striking wooden torso, followed by another doing the same. Raising his aim higher, having got centred the fifth met the cloth head. Following his form he repeated the shot as best he could over the next fifteen arrows. Muscle memory led him mostly at this point, and seeing as he didn’t move from where he was standing, the arrows hit the mark consistently.
Shou finished and waited for each of the men in turn after to him to get instruction, and attempt the exercise after him.

“Good work men.” Koboyashi would congratulate, appearing in the strangest large padded armour that Shou had ever seen. “But we not done yet.” Nakamura added picking up a similar grab. Shou as well as the rest of the men stifled laugher as the archery pulled on the armour. “Me and you captain are going to run pass each of you. I want you to get us in the leg. Lead your shots and you should do fine. We’ll both make 5 passes. And I want you to hit us seven times in the leg at least. And only let’s say 1 actual miss this time, half the shots from before so half the mistakes.” The marksman’s explained leading Koboyashi off as the two were now ready. Shou and the other men quickly got back in position and got ready.

It was Koboyashi that ran first, and Shou tried to draw and fire in time to get the man, but Shou was quick to realised he need to be ready first in order to hit and his first arrow met nothing but air. Having realised he draw again as quickly as he could and held himself ready as the marksman came pass. Leading his shot, Shou loosed the arrow catching the man in the padding of the hip not having brought his bows aim down far enough. Now Koboyashi was coming back from the other side and he tried once more leading his shot longer this time, giving himself time to bring the bow down and loose the arrow, getting the captain in the back of the knee. Soon to be followed by Nakamusa once again, his bow already aimed ahead of the man he wait till would be slightly behind his aim and let go. The marksman, basically running into the path of the arrow to be struck in the lower thigh.

Shou once again got into the rhythm of the exercise. Following Koboyashi and leading his shot enough to get the captain in the leg. And then being ready for the faster moving man that was the Nakamusa, and taking his shot while the man slightly father away then he original lead Koboyashi. It was working. He had got it down. It was much different from leading a target with a throwing, once he had the correct form down, and knew how fast the arrow move compared to a running man. Hopefully the lesson with a bow wasn't going to throw his normal timing out. Taking his shot happily on the other two men’s final pass, Shou smirked to himself. The extra range of a bow wasn’t that bad, maybe he would have to get one for use while on horseback. As throwing daggers weren't the best in that regard.

[Oda Nobunaga]

Yamabara Shou: +3 Dex

Proficiency: Marksmanship - D

[Tokugawa Iemasa]

Iemasa normally did find himself with a bow in his hands, given that he preferred the rifle. Hell, he was a rifleman, that should have said everything. However, Lord Nobunaga requested all men improve upon their archery, and he couldn't really complain. Long-range combat was his thing, and he was going to show everyone here that, even though he didn't have a rifle, he could be just as effective as always.

Taking a bow in his hands, Iemasa headed out to the range. He aimed out at his target, a dummy 100 yards away, and nocked an arrow. He pulled the string back and fired without thinking much. The arrow soared through the air, grazing past his target by a small margin, but enough to consider a disappoint. He frowned, realizing that maybe he did need this. His aim wasn't as impeccable as he'd hoped. So, he nocked yet another arrow, this time taking a small moment to concentrate before firing. A small exhale and he held his breath, releasing the arrow through the wind. It would hit its mark this time, striking the dummy in the center of the head. Iemasa smiled, realizing where his fault laid. He just had to concentrate, and he could hit his mark every time. So he did. Before every shot, Iemasa would concentrate, just for a moment. And every time his arrow soared through the air, it would strike the dummy's head. By the end of the first trial, Iemasa had hit 19 out of 20 targets. He was hoping for 20 out of 20, but hey, shit happens, sometimes.

Moving on to the next trial, it seemed Iemasa had to hit moving targets, now. Men with padded armor would be running across the field, and his job was to peg their legs and take them out, letting no more than two pass... couldn't be too hard, right?

Nocking an arrow, Iemasa took aim just as one of the men took off running. He aimed for him, taking into account things like wind and distance, as well as where he was going to be at the time of impact. Concentrating heavily, Iemasa released his arrow, and it soared right into the man's padded calf armor, and he fell to the ground. That was exactly the result he'd wanted, and it made him happy. He just needed to do that a few more times, and he would be good.

The rest of the trial, Iemasa would take time before each shot. He'd watch the men as they ran, releasing the arrows at the time he thought most effective. Every time, it would hit them anywhere from the calf to the thigh, and one-by-one, they would all fall. Iemasa didn't miss a single shot that time. This just further asserted the fact that he was an excellent ranged fighter. A man like him could not be easily replaced by the Oda, that was for sure.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Tokugawa Iemasa: +3 Dex

Proficiency: Marksmanship - D

[Chosokabe Nanami]

~* Nanami stared at her father, dumbstruck. "Bows? Why do we pirates need to use bows? Can't we just shoot our enemies with guns and be done with it?" She questioned. Motochika merely patted his daughter on the head, laughing at her. "Aye. But there could be a time when a lass such as yourself is stuck without your trusty sidearm, and you have no choice but to use a bow."

~* Nanami grumbled, but she supposed her father was telling the truth. She couldn't always rely on her guns, right? That said, she recently started to carry cannons around on her back. It wasn't the most conspicuous weapon, and it certainly wasn't silent, and thus was a no go for stealth missions. The pirate shrugged and took her place at the archery range, attempting to fiddle with the bow.

~* She nocked an arrow, taking aim down the range, but upon firing, it would only sail halfway across, making it nowhere near the target. She pursed her lips and pouted, realizing this took more skill and focus than simply firing a pistol. She once more nocked an arrow, pulling the string back further. The wood on the bow bent as she did, and upon releasing, the arrow flew much further. She celebrated with this fact, despite the fact that she missed. The instructor facepalmed upon watching her.

"Alright, time to get serious!"

~* Nanami would take aim, nocking an arrow. She would focus, concentrating for a long period of time as she lined the target up in her sights. Taking deep breaths, she would envision it being like the first time she ever learned to fire a gun. Patience. Slow and steady. She released the arrow, and it hit the target dead center. With a grin, she realized this wasn't so bad. The lass continued to fire arrow after arrow in this manner, her shots striking the target consecutively, which she was grateful for as she had already wasted her two allowed misses at the very beginning.

"I think I'm a natural!" The girl beamed brightly. The instructor merely shrugged. "Just go and try your next task."

~* She wandered off to the next part of the range, listening to what her next task was. She had to hit moving targets this time. People with padding on their legs would sprint by, and Nanami had to fire at their legs in order to take them down. 10 targets, 8 of which were required to be hit. "Well, drop my anchor and call me Peter, this sounds tough..."

~* The girl took her place, looking down the range. She nocked an arrow back, taking a deep breath as the first target began to run. Her eyes widened. "Gee willikers, he's fast!" She followed along in a panic, firing her arrow. By some stroke of luck, she had successfully hit the man in the legs and he fell forward. "Yippie!" She cheered, getting ready to hit the next one. The second man would start to run, and she fired an arrow at his legs, missing him. "Aww... but... but... but..." She pouted.

"Okay, Nanami... focus..." She bit her lip, nocking another arrow. Trying to take her time with the shot, the next man was also missed. "Oh crap..." That was her second alloted miss, she could only succeed from this point. Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself down before nocking another arrow. The next target would start to sprint forward, and this time instead of following along, she led her target. Taking aim... firing... success! She hit the man square in the legs! Grinning proudly, she would repeat this tactic for the last six men, succeeding in the rest of her shots.

~* Excitedly, she ran off to report the news to her father.

[Takeda Shingen]

Chosokabe Nanami: +3 Dex

Proficiency: Marksmanship - D and making the Co-Admin laugh, because Nanami reminds me of May from Guilty Gear.

[Ikeda Keisuke]

Archery wasn't exactly what Keisuke would call his forte, considering he wielded a giant ass war hammer, but after the last training practice, Lord Masamune had sent his best marksmen to whip the forces into shape in the usage of a bow and arrow. After he was given his objective, a straw training dummy was set up 100 yards away, as he was handed a bow and a quiver full of twenty arrows. Pulling out an arrow and nocking it, he would pull the arrow back, and take aim at the dummy. Clearly nervous under the watchful eye of the trainer, Keisuke would release the arrow, as it would soar straight for the dummy... and hit it in the arm.

That was not his target. His target was the dummy's head. He was certainly off to a great start. Nocking another arrow, he would try again, this time hitting it in the arm. Then in the shoulder the third time. And then the neck the fourth time. This was not turning out good for him. Relaxing his body and taking a deep breath in, Keisuke would exhale... and focus. Slowly pulling the arrow back, he would focus and take aim... and release the arrow, as it would fly straight and true... and hit the dummy in the head. There was no time to celebrate though, and continuing to focus, Keisuke would fire over and over, as one arrow after another would bury itself in the dummy's head. By the time all twenty arrows had been used up, the dummy was literally looked like a pincushion, covered in arrows sticking out of its head.

Now came his second and final objective. This time, he would be firing on ten of Lord Masamune's men as they ran across the length of the training area. The men coming over, as they would quickly run over covered from head to toe in padded armor, Keisuke would be handed ten arrows, and given the command to begin. Nocking an arrow, Keisuke would take aim at the first man as he ran across the training area, keeping a sharp eye on him and releasing the arrow, as it would soar into the man's leg, causing him to stumble and fall down. Immediately after, the next man would take off, as the same course of action followed, and Keisuke would rinse and repeat. Once all ten arrows had been used up, he had only missed two men, as he would sigh inwardly with relief. Archery was stressful, geez...