Since we have Air 3 a TN 20 won't be difficult to surpass? I mean, I could be reading the system wrongly since I never learned legend of the five rings, but 3d10 for DF 20 seems harsh...
L5R Roll and Keep Probabilities - Lynks
If you don't know l5r probabilites this thingy is great.
For those who don't want to click through its about an 82% chance of success.
[X] Pressure the Sultan to throw Garbas out, but arrange for Garbas to escape (TN 20)
[X] Pressure the Sultan to throw Garbas out, but arrange for Garbas to escape (TN 20)
-[X] Don't pressure him all that hard. More of a "mention our inclinations on the matter", really.
...because the idea of spending any political capital at all on behalf of the Yodotai kind of bugs me a little. Seriously. Their ambassador, when graciously allowed in past the borders fo the Empire, responded with "This is a beautiful country. I'm so looking forward to deposing your gods, dethroning you, and grinding it under our heel."
I mean, yeah, we don't really want to hang on to the guy. We have more important things to deal with right now. We can pencil in The Great War with the Yodotai for years 10-15, maybe. Still... well, our chief diplomat is a Scorpion. I want her to really be able to *work* that "lying" specialty to the Sincerity skill when she tells them what we're doing on their behalf.
Hmm seem to have a vote name tie so holding this open for a little longer...but let's get the roll done.
!roll 6k3 emphasis show_dice TN20 Miya HeraldBOT-Today at 23:11
@Gman391 rolled 12! You failed by 8! Your dice were [6, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2] and I kept [6, 3, 3]
The Emerald Lady giveth and the Dread Lord Arrengee taketh away.
That either means someone found out about our plan, Garbas was caught anyway, or this whole scheme was a way for the Yodotai to get a Casus Belli to refocus their energies against an external foe.
[X] GM's name choice.
I don't care about the name.
And damn those dice. Alright. Well, there's the 12% failure chance. Actually its a 99% chance to beat 12 so that's a 1 on a d100.
The autumn storm promises another hard winter. Yet as the thunder cracks, and the rain pours down in sheets of silver, you find it suits your mood perfectly. The silence of your office is only broken by the storm, Shosuro Ayumi looks...not terrified, but aware. Aware the way a hunter is when they come upon a bear in the wild, baring a terminal case of stupidity, a bear would not typically attack, but for a lone hunter, the bear held in its claws life or death.
Between you is a letter. Not just any letter, but a letter from Suetionus recording all of your misdeeds for all the world to read. Every foreign court, everyone had read of it. Of your two faced nature to proclaim honour in one hand, while helping the traitor Garbas in the other.
You temple your hands in that way father always did when he was absolutely furious but couldn't show it. The more things change...
"What. Happened." You say in clipped tones.
Ayumi to her credit betrays no hint of fear.
"We miscalculated. Gabras' wife, Ionna betrayed us all. The signs were there, we just missed it. In exchange for returning to Tenorion their capital, and a divorce. Ionna told a Vulpes, their spies, everything. So even though we had been discreet in our messages...Gabras told her to get ready to move, and from there...well, he told them everything. Even how we had provided a caravan for them to head south. Suetionus wasted no time in publishing it all to the world once he knew.
I will not lie, although the barbarians are nothing, their opinion of us has dropped, at least with the Yodotai and Pelmyrians. As it stands, it is only because Angelos cannot blame the Jewel for our actions that he does not attack"
"Tell me Shosuro-san, what you intend to do to fix this."
"The agents involved will be publicly sacked, we will say it is a rogue operation. One not authorized by you. Furthermore, I intend to send emissaries to the Pelmyrians and Senpet to shore up their support. We will likely need to give more favourable trading rights with our caravans, but not too much I hope. Finally, as the one who first suggested this operation. I offer my life." Ayumi says.
[] Accept her offer (-5 Scorpion and trigger a new selection, +5 to Yodotai)
[] Decline (+10 Scorpion)
"As you wish my Emperor." She says.
----------------------------------------------------- Month of the Boar, 12th day
Kaneka sits down in front of you, placing in front of you a selection of portraits and dossiers.
"Well, have that list for you. Had to do a bit of a head knocking to get things settled down, but these are the best of the best when it comes to strategy and tactics in my opinion."
He slides towards you the first portrait and dossier
"As you mentioned, Bayushi Paneki-san, former champion, current head of the Eight Banners, needed to brush the dust off, but he's sneaky, effective, and none too fussed with attacking or defending. Honestly, after the War? I'd put him as better than Chagatai or Shigetoshi. Politically, he's loyal to the regime, if not necessarily you personally. It will give a Scorpion imbalance on the Council. But you want the best, not just the most politically expedient."
You look over his dossier, quick, smart, and more than a little duplicitous, he certainly had earned the spot, what with single handily winning the southern front.
"Alright who else?"
He slides over the second one. "Hida Ginchiyo, something of a dark horse, she was trained by my own sensei for a few years and turned out to be a fantastic students. A bit of a Crab, but what will you do? She's pretty good at getting fortresses where they have no place being and tell her to hold something, and she'll hold it. Offence is a little limited though. That said, the she made it into the final six with the little tournament I had in the Imperial legions. Tying Chagatai ain't a bad way to go out."
You read over her dossier, born of relatively common birth, showed uncommon aptitude for war and went to the Hida War College, married with a child already, transferred over to the Legion in preparation for the war. Distinguished herself for her rear guard actions...and only two years older than you. She'd likely be able to serve the rest of your reign baring fate.
With a nod, you look up and pull down the last portrait.
"And last on the list, and the only one besides Chagatai, Shigetoshi and Paneki to make it to the final four. Shiba Iga Kazuki. One of the few who survived my purge of the Imperial Legion, he seemed to take it as a challenge, consumed every book he could find and practised day and night to be better. Paid off, most of his strategies prefer an overwhelming strike in the opening blows followed up by other strikes afterwards. He can defend, but not very well"
"Iga...why do I know that name?" You ask.
"Because it was from the Iga family that Jama Suru, Iuchiban's chief lieutenant came from. Seems that Kazuki also wants to make up for that too, although he won't tell folk."
Jama Suru the Immortal Maho Tsukai, who had taught Iuchiban blood magic, and been his chief follower. It had been Suru that had seen to the madman's revival both times, it had been Sura that killed the tenth kami and lead to the ascension of Lord Sun and Lady Moon. He had been a monster, on that your uncle Sezaru had dealt with via the expedient of unmaking his very soul.
In retrospect, your uncle did that unmaking thing way more than was healthy.
"And you think that people won't be concerned?" You ask dryly.
Kaneka shrugs. "Maybe, but it's been nearly four centuries since Suru was born...it'd be the right thing for this family to have pride again."
[] Kyuden Asako (+5 Phoenix)
[] High House of Light (+5 Dragon)
[] Kyuden Hida (+5 Crab)
"Alright, I'll have it done." Kaneka says bowing.
-------------------------------------------------
AN: Stats for everyone
Bayushi Paneki
Skill 4
Balanced
Hida Ginchiyo
Skill 4
Defensive
Shiba Iga Kazuki
Skill 4
Offensive
Offensive means they are good at attacking people with armies. Defensive means they're good at holding ground. Balanced means they can do both but not as well as a specialist.
ANN: Trying something new here in dossier choices. Also not giving a skill down grade for the new shogun.
Which since trying to maintain relations with the Yodatai is a fools errand because they are compelled to conquer us anyway, this is not the worst botch we will have over the life of this quest.
Going all-in on the Crab since that would bring us to 95, only one more +5 to get them to the max and I would like to know what happens at that point.
Iirc didn't he want to resume being the Scorpion Champion so he could deal with this Atsuki fellow?
Admittedly taking him as Shogun and sacrificing Ayumi is a better way to leverage the clan ratings, but I don't like punishing vassals for our terrible dice.
Then again...
@gman391 Ayumi is offering her life to us or to the Yodatai? And if to us, we don't need to demand her seppuku? Regarding Paneki, if theorically he wanted to purge traitors in his clan, would Hisao know if being Shogun or clan champion would be better?
@keenscythe Ayumi is offering to commit sepukku to atone for her shame. So its to you, but it can be spun that you were so angry about this and wanted to make it up to the Yodotai so bad that you demanded it. Fun fact lying to foreigners is not considered dishonourable.
@Wang and HuHu
I did not intend to communicate Kazuki as being strategically ungifted, a preference for blitzkrieg isn't a bad thing. He's just not as strong at defending as Ginchiyo is.
