Mandate of Heaven (Three Kingdom Quest)

You are Long Wanru. In your family you are known as a great talent. Your father himself is fairly well-regarded for his good looks and charismatic aura. The former is quite common among your family. In your home county your family is famed for producing famed beauties and good-looking scholars. But even among their numbers your father is exceptional and the same goes for you.

Born with the beautiful features your family is known for, you always stood out from the masses. However your good looks are not your most striking feature.

Strengths: You were born with many gifts, but among all your gifts like good looks, an amazing mind and a strong body one thing stands out above all. (Choose one option)

-[X] Strong Body: When others needed rest, you persisted. When others were plagued by fatigue, you were ready to go again. From birth you have been blessed with a strong body, allowing you to work harder and longer than other contemporaries. Towering over your contemporaries, you strike a tall and powerful figure. (Unlocks Trait Strong of Body: Provides a Bonus of +5 on any physical task like fighting, hunting, running or working in the field etc.)
-[X] Loud Commanding Voice: When you speak people listen, if they want to or not. Your voice echoes over their cries, talk and protestations. (Unlock Trait Natural Born Leader: Provides a Bonus of +5 on commanding troops, rallying men or giving speeches before battles etc.)
-[X] Clever Mind: Quick witted and gifted with a cleverness rarely seen, you were always able to think or talk your way out of most situations. (Unlocks Trait Sound of Mind: Provides a Bonus of +5 on debates, schemes or plots etc.)
-[X] Charismatic Figure: Some people are born with a special light or fire that draws people in. You are among those. When you enter a room, people turn towards you. While others try to make friends, everyone wants to become yours. (Unlocks Trait Personal Magnetism: Provides a Bonus of +5 on all personal interactions with other persons like talking to a person, recruiting someone or increasing their bond etc.)

Outside of your outstanding feature, one of the most defining parts of your young life has been the education your parents provided to you. As the son of a nobleman you learned horse-riding, shooting a bow and enjoyed a classical education. Some things you liked, others you neglected. Thankfully your parents were willing and able to indulge you. Instead of forcing a certain education on you, they saw where your interests lay and helped you on your chosen path. Or you just ignored it all.

Education: No one knows everything at birth and a child has to learn to walk before it can run. The same goes for the mind. An education is what a child needs to come into its own.

-[X] Martial Education: From an early age you pursued the study of the military classics and learned what you could about leading men in times of war. The Six Secret Teachings, the Methods of the Sima, the Wuzi and Wei Liaozi became your daily companions. Hours and days spent discussing and learning their teachings. All to prepare you for a military post. (Unlocks Trait Martial Education: Prerequisite to earn a higher military post. Provides a bonus of +2 to all actions concerning the military from commanding armies to organizing them.)
-[X] Martial Training: From an early age you were schooled in martial skills. Trained by famous xias and martial artists they honed your body into a well-crafted weapon. Under their eyes you learned about the different weapons you can wield and studied one in particular.(Unlocks Trait Martial Artist: Provides a bonus for duels (+2) and without it you suffer malus during it. Allows picking for Weapon Focus.)
-[X] Scholarly Education: From an early age you were schooled in the Classics. The Five Classics became your companions for years. Learning their secrets and deepening your understanding of the Confucian values a gentleman has to encompass. Reading the commentaries of your forebearers, discussing the Five Classics with your father and laying the foundation for the path of the official occupied most of your time. (Unlocks Trait Classical Education: Prerequisite to earn a higher civilian post. Provides a bonus of +2 to all actions concerning the civilian side of governing from administrative duties to simple accounting.)
-[X] Played around: From an early age you disliked studying and training. Far more interesting were games or frolicking with friends. Going hunting or around the taverns in town. Flirting with the beautiful maidens and spending the one or other moment with them alone. Your activities did not please your father, but you made friends far and wide and know how to entertain a crowd. (Unlocks Trait Gregarious Nature: Provides a Bonus of +5 on all interactions with persons. Unlocks Trait Disappointing Son: Malus of -10 to all interaction with family. Unlocks OC Friend: One character will be a close friend made by MC, skill is dependent on roll and origin).

But every man has his weaknesses. Be it a certain character flaw, a desire unfulfilled or bad influence. There are numerous cases for such a weakness to come forth. In your case, everything came together. Your older half-brother Long Guan was always there as a comparison. He is the son of a concubine and you, the son of the official wife. Put against each other either through circumstances or in a deliberate effort, you don't know which it was, just that everything turned into a contest and your relationship suffered for it.

Compliments for your skill and flattery by a myriad of sycophants put only more pressure on you. All this could have led to your own flaw, or you were just born that way.

Weakness: No one is perfect and sometimes our greatest weakness is just that, a major weakness.

-[X] Frail and sickly: You have been born with a frail and sickly body. Often you are plagued by sickness or have to rest to recuperate. (Incompatible with Strong Body!!)
-[X] Poor self-esteem: You were always lacking in self confidence. Doubt gnawed at your every decision. Always you felt yourself to be lacking in something. Not smart enough to offer your answer, not sure enough of your knowledge. Just not enough. (Incompatible with Loud Commanding Voice!!)
-[X] Rude and disrespectful: You were always lacking in decorum. You saw no reason to waste time with it. Better to speak your mind and, if this insulted someone, so be it. They deserved it.
-[X] Arrogant: You always knew you were special. Better than your contemporaries, siblings and friends. Nothing is impossible for you.
-[X] Unsocial and sheltered: You never liked going outside the mansion or leaving the room. Talking to people was a chore and proved to not be your forte. (Incompatible with Charismatic Figure!!)
-[X] Vain: You were always mindful of your appearance and the appearance of others. With the rank of your family came certain expectations and you deemed your meticulous appearance to be one that was utterly necessary to be upheld.
-[X] Lecherous: You always liked women. No that is wrong, you love women. And if your hands often wander that is just a sign of your appreciation. It is not like anyone ever said no.
-[X] Wrathful: You always were quick to anger. A wrong word, or the right insult was enough to have your temper take control.
-[X] Distrustful: You always had a hard time trusting people. If it was with a secret or to complete a task, it did not matter. In any case you prefer to go about it on your own.

Your mother's family is the Jiang Clan. Some of your cousins are better known to you than others, but the family of your mother has welcomed you and your siblings with open arms. The Clan was famous for housing many heroes and noble folk. But they are especially known for housing one kind of people.

Choose your Mother's Clan Roots: Clans that have existed for a long time will have accumulated a rich history and numerous accomplishments. The Jiang Clan of your mother was no different.

-[X] Clan of Scholars: Your mother comes from a clan of scholars, who have spent their time dedicated to study of the five classics, the composition of poems or contemplation of the great mysteries of the world. (Upgrades Classical Education to Extensive Classical Education increasing the bonus to 4, One Scholarly Item as present/heirloom)
-[X] Clan of Officers and Generals: Your mother comes from a long-line of military officers. Her father, brother, uncle and cousins all have served or serve in the Northern Army or in one of the frontier garrisons. (Upgrades Military Education to Extensive Military Education increasing the bonus to 4, One Military Item as present)
-[X] Clan of Martial Artists and Xias: Your mother comes from a clan of martial artists and travelling xias, which made the development of martial skills into a question of family honor to her. (Upgrades Martial Artist to Skilled Martial Artist increasing the bonus to 4, One Weapon Item as present and another Weapon Focus)
-[X] Clan of Merchants: Your mother comes from a line of merchants, not registered ones but itinerant ones. They always bring many presents when they visit and remain open-handed with their accumulated wealth. (4 Items from any category and higher starting wealth)
-[X] Clan of Officials: Your mother comes from a long-line of officials. Her family has had grand administrators, inspectors and even one minister among their ranks. ( Unlocks Trait Familial Connection increasing Guanxi gains by 5%, Two Scholarly Items as presents)

Apart from your mother, there is of course your father. While your mother stands beside you at the beginning of your tale, what about your father? Did he perish upholding the law? Or did he call for you when the messenger came? A father has much influence on the decisions of their children. They can sponsor them and bring out the best in them, or stand in their way to true greatness.

Fate of your father: Your the begins with Yellow Turban Rebellion, but is your father alive to witness it or does his fate compel you into action.

-[X] Father is alive: Your father was nominated as filial and incorrupt some time ago and has even gotten a post as prefect. He is currently in the process of organizing the defenses of the county against the rising rebellion of the so-called Yellow Turbans. The warning has come before anything horrible could happen and he has already called for troops to gather to face this menace.
-[X] Father is dead: Your father was a valiant man. When duty called and the Yellow Turbans rose up, he stood ready to protect the Han empire and the people under his protection. As a prefect he was gifted and well-loved, but sadly he was never a warrior. Far more famed for his scholarly skills, he failed in battling the rebels. Together with the commander of the county, he perished fighting the Yellow Turbans, leaving you and his family behind.

With your home province being Yang Province, there were many posts open to your father. Before he became a prefect he served in other positions. When the order came for him to assume his post, he was truly happy. It was seen as the first major step for a long and glorious career. No one could know that it would put your family at risk and embroil you in a conflict such as the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

Father's Post: Your father could not take up an official post in his home province, therefore his post as prefect had to be somewhere else. It could be fate, good or bad luck that it ended up being here. (Choose one location)

-[X] Early disaster: Runan is one of the commanderies, which was overrun early on in the rebellion. Barely a month into the rebellion and the grand administrator was killed. Officials run, villages burned. Your father's county in the middle of it all. (Nightmare Difficulty)
-[X] Of the counterattack: Yingchuan had its own problems, but here the counterattack of the Han Empire truly began. Yellow Turbans came from the bordering commanderies and attacked, but two Han armies are on their way to beat them back. Your father's county stands in the way of both. (Hard Difficulty)
-[X] Last Stand: Nanyang was another centre of Yellow Turban activity in the South. Here the uprising was planned meticulously and executed without fail. Officials slain, villages burned and the administrative centre conquered. The Yellow Turbans resisted regardless how often their leaders fell. They truly fought till the last. Your father's county is a distance away from the main fighting centres, but still in danger.(Normal Difficulty)
-[X] Woes of a king: Xiapi is ruled by a chancellor and the fief of a prince. While the fiefdom did not suffer an all-out uprising from the Yellow Turbans, the rebels did crossover from Runan. The prince fled and the people suffered. Your father was tasked with the governance of one of the counties in Xiapi. (Easy Difficulty

In the end he finally secured his current post. For two years he has now served as a prefect and during this time he did many things. At first he built up a rapport with the local gentry and increased his own power base. Then he got to work. Diligently he recommended the able and punished the wicked. His two reviews were passed with glowing recommendations sent to the court. In these two years he did much that can be considered a meritorious service and these accomplishments can now be the one thing standing between him and a horrible end to his life.

Father's Accomplishments: During his time as a prefect your father did not stay idle, he served the people as well as could be expected and as a result at the start of the Yellow Turban Rebellion he had some accomplishments to his name. These accomplishments granted him some advantages compared to the other prefects in the commandery concerning his attempts to battle the threat of the rebels.(Choose three options)

-[X] A skilled commander, who has served in some military campaigns in the North and is considered a mighty warrior in his own right.
-[X] The silos are filled with grain ready to sustain the city in case of a siege or the people in case of a famine.
-[X] Decent sized force of chueh chang, strong men capable of loading the strongest stationary crossbows.
-[X] Decent sized force of soldiers dedicated and trained by your clan meant to protect its interest.
-[X] A group of loyal and able retainers make up the higher echelons of the county. All of them are sworn to your family and proven to be skilled in fulfilling their given duty.
-[X] Promises of support from the local families. Most of them look to the prefect for leadership.
-[X] The grand administrator has pledged his support to your father in exchange for some favor he did for him.
-[X] Some local merchants stand ready to support your father on a moment's notice. Offering their wealth in thanks for his noble governance.
-[X] Strong Walls were built during the tenure of your father to protect the seat of the country and showcase the promise of protection.
-[X] Full contingent of crossbows safely secured in a warehouse for use in emergency situations.
-[X] A champion, formerly a wandering xia, decided to enter the service of your father as his bodyguard in gratitude for helping his village through a plague.
-[X] Gratitude and admiration of the people inside the county. The people love and respect your father.
-[X] The inspector of the province has shown clear favor to your father and has bestowed multiple signs of favor upon him.
-[X] Early warnings and his own suspicion led to your father taking matters into his own hands. He opposed the Way of the Great Peace even before their uprising, lowering the chance of insiders in his ranks.
-[X] Respected by fellow prefects. During his tenure he coordinated more than once with his fellow prefects to better help each other, be it through battling bandits together or coordinating the trade in the region.

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AN.: To make it clear the choice of your mother's clan does not balance out the normal education choice. If the corresponding education is not chosen, the upgrade part will just not happen.

The location is roughly a difficulty level, but there is no high reward attached to it, just to make that clear. Runan will be a hard, really fucking hard. A miracle would be needed to save the grand administrator and go on the offensive. Doing a Liu Chong would be a strong recommendation from my side for that option. Xiapi has the lowest danger rating and the other two sitting between these two, but for that there will be little chance to really fight or join up with one of the main Han armies. Yingchuan is sitting a bit higher than Nanyang.

Fate of your father will be important. He will not risk your life on a vain quest for glory or something like that. Please remember a son at that point will obey his father.

Lastly for weakness, I cannot stress this point enough I go about it differently than Gaz. If you choose poor self-esteem, I play it differently. He went for fragility, I go starting at the bottom. You need to build it up and will refuse to put yourself forward. It would take time and achievements to build self-esteem up.