Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

You take a deep breath a multitude of questions flood your mind. All of them potentially germane, all of them worth asking, but if you asked all of them you'd never leave this castle again. The nasty paranoid side of you thinks that might have been the plan all along, but instead of listening to that, you focus it down on to the things you needed to know

-Otosan Uchi
-Rift
-How to court Shinjo-no-kami

Then the things that would make you personally happy to know
-What became of your other uncle
-How to make sure your daughter doesn't turn into your uncle
-advice for Shem-zhe

And an an open end thing at the end so that you can try to wring out every last bit of knowledge from the old kami. You might need to go cleanse yourself for thinking so impiously at that last thought.

"To my mind there are many questions, but the Empire comes first Togashi-no-kami. The Rift in the north and Otosan Uchi, do you have insights on this matter?" you ask.

"The North is set to be dealt with by the Keepers, they will not succeed without the addition of a certain heroine who forsook her name. To the matter of Otosan Uchi. You must understand that the legend of the Throne is true...and that is what it is all set up for shift the array and all else will fail."

"The Legend of the Throne?" You ask.


"Do they teach you nothing? The way to Heaven is behind the Throne." Togashi explains.

"What then of Shinjo-no-kami, should I be making a pilgrimage to Seido Benten?" You ask.

"Only if you want her to move against you. Benten-no-kami hates to be controlled, why do you think she delights so in giving people love that cannot be?" Togashi answers.

Well when you put it like that...the kami has a point.
"So there is nothing we can do?" You press.

"I did not say that, only that Benten-no-kami is not your ally here. My dear sister likes heroes who are kind, who use words over violence...and widowed. I can say no more."

"How much can you say? You said the Heavens punished you, but here you are helping us still"

Togashi shrugs.
"I am bound not to give you the answer you seek in full. An answer that is true and useless is what I am to give when it comes to solving problems. To inform you of a problem I have some leeway, but the more of my power I use the quicker I age."

"I see, may I ask some personal questions then?" You ask

"Hai"

"My Uncle, Isawa no Toturi Sezaru, do you where he is?"

"I do" Togashi answers.

"Where?" You ask.

"Enjoying a nap in the Mantis lands" Togashi answers.

"...Grandfather means to say he's been reborn." Satsu says.

"...Oh" You decide to press on from that. "My daughter she is touched by the void, I do not want the Toturi to be known for madness."

"Give her something green"

"...What?" You get out.

"That's all I can say."

"So about Lord Sun and Lady Moon...when they fall, what will happen exactly? Will there be adverse affects? Where? What will they do"

"After your test, they will become mortal, depends on your definitions, North. Find peace at last" Togashi says.

"Uh..so are they married?" You decide to just get that over with
The curiosity would have driven you mad otherwise.

"Yes and no. There is no formal ceremony but the positions are considered so and will compel the bearers to act as if they are."

"But Lord Sun and Lady Moon's hatred of each other is well legendary."

"Hatred and love are not opposites intrinsically. The deepest hate often comes from the deepest love" Togashi says.

"I...guess...it still seems strange to me" You admit.

"It's less so when you realize that my mother once cut my father open as a result of a complicated plan to get a necklace." Togashi says.

You have no response to that.
"Is there advice I should pass on to my Jade Champion"

"Don't eat the sashimi" Togashi says.

"...that's specific and yet not very helpful" You reply.

"It is, isn't it?"

"You're risking a lot to help me, to help the Empire. How can I help you Togashi-no-kami?"

"I'm far beyond that now. A year, maybe two and I will pass on once and for all to oblivion. Take care of my Clan, Toturi, thats all I can really ask."

With that somber note, you finish the tea and he makes his good byes. Satsu bows and seems somewhat apologetic about the thing he just dropped on your lap. You're not to sure what to make of it. You now not only have to arrange to have someone help up North that you don't know who. You also have to find a husband for a goddess who left because her mother was absolutely disgusted with the world.

Some days, you really do understand why the Hantei went 'screw it' and let someone else handle everything.

=================================
AN: Not a real good break point here to segue into. Year Eight will be up shortly

Eighth year of the reign of Toturi IV, Month of the Hare, Twenty Ninth Day (Spring)

You rub your hands together as the servants light another brazier to warm the council room. Around you, with the notable exception of Akane, your councilors are all trying very hard not to show that they feel the bitter cold. Even Shem Zhe has decided to be somewhat scandalous and cover himself in furs for this meeting, not that you blame him. Why is it so cold?

The fire is lit and you bask temporarily in the renewed warmth in your limbs. Its supposed to be spring and the whether still hasn't broken, this is concerning. Thus the weather along with Togashi-no-kami's words and the Test will be the focus of today's discussions.

Looking around at them you decide its time to begin.
"I know this is a lot to take in, but we've had time to think about this and now we must begin to act. First we will address the mundane issues of the Empire, then the Test, and then...the Courtship of Shinjo-no-kami" You settle on.

Shem-zhe is...noticeably unhappy to hear that. You can't blame him really, Shinjo-no-kami is considered by most of the Shinjo to be their mother in spirit if not flesh, and well...yeah.

Its Noritoshi who speaks next.

"I've ordered it checked a dozen times, and so has my counterpart in the Treasury. The divination is clear, this year will be a bad harvest, the snows won't abate until the summer, well after planting season. We are at odds though on how to handle this imminent problem. I believe that the only thing we can do is to lower taxes for this year and run a deficit to be brought up when the weather improves."

Hiroko takes her turn now.
"Where as I, who have been working so very hard to keep the Treasury from being completely depleted believe that we cannot reduce taxes like that and continue our work on the Test. Therefore I believe that a tax reform is in order. We take a very high percentage because every Samurai must be fed properly, and in turn the Daimyo distribute this for us. So while the take is high, what we receive is not. If we were to create a more formal system of assessments and remove many of the exemptions in the codes, we could maintain our revenue and let the peasants keep more of their food."

"Exemptions like the Crab exemption from the food levy?" Ginchiyo asks lowly.

"Not specifically, it'd be a case by case basis" Hiroko says.

"Regardless of the...unpleasantness of that. Yoritomo-san does have a point about our need to keep funding work on the Test." Akane says.

Shem Zhe nods.

"Very well, do my other three advisers have their own things to bring to the fore?" You ask, mulling things over.

Akane nods. "The Phoenix wish to take your daughter and begin Ishiken training by the end of next year and all the Clans are very eager to know who your daughter will begin her training with soon. We can put it off for another year if we must, but any longer and it will look like you're coddling her and refusing to train your heir."

Ginchiyo nods. "The Legions are being reformed slowly, as the Unicorn and Lion rebuild. For now we can continue to hold the Jeweled City, but I would recommend we not do anything further at this time, beyond perhaps further fortifying it."

Shem-Zhe shakes his head.
"The weather is beginning to make some doubt that you are blessed by the Heavens, we need to find some concrete progress in the city this year. And to do that I need Jade"

Ginchiyo bristles, "The Crab cannot sustain any less Jade than they already supply, removing it is dooming countless warriors!"

Shem-Zhe looks at her. "And not doing it dooms the Empire. I hate that this is the choice I have to make. But if it comes down to one Clan, or the Empire as a whole. I will choose the Empire no matter whose clan it is."

That hardly makes Ginchiyo less upset with your Jade Champion.

"Enough. The things you wished to do towards Otosan Uchi outside of the jade are still valid?" You asks Shem-Zhe.

"Hai" he answers.

"Then we move on to the last matter. A kind man, who prefers words over violence, and a widower. That along with someone potentially like her first husband Lord Jin is whom we seek. What do you have for me to seek that?" You ask.

"While we were warned against seeking Benten-no-kami's guidance, we were not for seeking Musubi-no-kami, it may be worth it to do so" Shem Zhe says.

"The Amethyst Champion is not traditionally a matchmaker, but could serve as one. As luck would have it Doji Hirumi is actually an accomplished one. We could direct her to do so discreetly." Noritoshi says.

"We could ask your own nakado, Otomo Kasumi to do so, strange as it is, she did choose well for you, my Emperor" Shosuro Ayumi says.

"Lastly myself and Otomo Kotaro-san could simply discreetly search the Unicorn clans for a number of candidates" Akane says.

"Very well then my decisions are as follows. First I will allow my wife and mother to see to my daughters status, we have lamentably more important things to do. Second the Jade gathering will happen, we have no choice in the matter. Horiuchi-san, what else do you need done?"

Shem Zhe seems taken aback. "Er, I suppose I would like to build a new grand conclave for shugenja?"

"I will consider that as well then. Kitsuki-san?"

Akane steps in smoothly, "If you are delegating that, then I say that for now my primary role can be in soothing the clans or if you wish arranging a new tournament."

[] Sooth the Clans (Variable TN, Variable results)
[] Lower taxes for the year and look for ways to cut spending (TN 20, +5 Crab and Dragon, -5 Scorpion and Unicorn)
[] Fortify the Jeweled City (TN 25 +5 Lion and Unicorn, -5 Dragon and Phoenix)
[] Reform the Tax Code (TN 20 +5 Dragon and Scorpion, -5 , Crane, Mantis)
[] Build a Grand Conclave so Shugenja have a public forum from all over the Empire (+10 Phoenix, -5 Lion, Crab)

On the Matter of Otosan Uchi
[] Figure out the Pillars
[] Mount a Scouting Expedition
[] Prepare a Scouting Expedition
[] Attack the Palace

On the Courtship of Shinjo
[] Send a supplication to Musubi no kami, Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth
[] Have the Amethyst Champion put together candidates
[] Have your nakodo put together candidates
[] Have Akane and Kotaro look for candidates

AN: The Matter of Otosan Uchi has again all rolls. Courtship of Shinjo is largely Air based but has no set tn beyond higher being better