[Exalted] Heaven thy Home and Earth thy Slave

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[X] Three Red Rising Song
[X] "I remembered our humiliation, and the thrice-cursed Realm…"

Melancholy and a friend to temper it.
 
[X] Three Red Rising Song: Effectively your informal bodyguard, Three Red Rising Song is a close—if argumentative—friend. From a family originally hailing east of the Firepeaks, Rising Song is short with dark skin and her golden hair in a long braid; a strong contrast to her fire-red bodo blouse. Seemingly easygoing and calm, you know Rising Song to be one of the most argumentative and stubborn people alive, something that is just as much an annoyance as it is a boon. Rising Song's family have been martial elites for generations, a tradition in which she follows with pride and displays with her intimidating mastery of the foreign Crimson Pentacle Blade Style. However, having grown up in such a military family, she was also raised far from the affairs of court, and her lack of understanding for court etiquette frequently shows.

Can't decide between the personality options tbh
 
[x] Three Red Rising Song
[x] "I thought of the old Shogunate, and its grandeur…"
 
[X] One Black Heavenly Witness
[X] "I remembered our humiliation, and the thrice-cursed Realm…
Melancholy is a rare trait for a main character, so I want to see what Chehrazad does with this :)
 
[X] One Black Heavenly Witness: There are really no words to describe the relationship between you and Heavenly Witness. Stemming from a line of court astrologers, she covers herself in strange bangles and rattling oracle bones, her bald head frequently painted with strange astrological signs. To put it lightly, Heavenly Witness is strange, and it is never really quite possible for you to explain why you stick together, but she has a talent for always turning out correct in the end. She is also, to put it mildly, simultaneously infuriatingly smug to be around and seems to be almost compulsively followed by odd omens. Despite this, she seems to consider you worthy of her own kind of strange loyalty and you affectionately refer to her as your very own royal seer, something which she tries to pretend doesn't flatter her.

[X] "I thought of the old Shogunate, and its grandeur…": In the time before the Realm's calendar reckoning, the Shogunate dominated all Creation. Anathema were kept to the margins, rebellion was subdued and peace was maintained. Yes, it was conflict-ridden, but it was cabinet wars between lords and their small retinues, not bloody wars that ravaged provinces. And yes, it had to retreat to the West eventually, but was that not better than maintaining an unsustainable rule over all Creation? At the Shogunal court, all the classics had been written: The Secret History of the Shoguns, the Frontier History, the Water-Flame Records, the Book of Praises. And orthodoxy had been maintained! Law had ruled, not the law of despotism and strength but a law of justice and a law of pens. Was that not better? (This is a personality vote. Holiest Gift will be hopeful.)


What else can make you hopeful but knowing the future!
 
[X] Three Red Rising Song
[X] "I dreamt of our greatest ruler, and her death..."

Listen, I know SV always likes to go the smart/schemer route, but historically the best way to increase your kingdoms richest was to conquer nearby areas. Pre-industrial revolution you can't really play deep, only wide.

Plus, if we want to go schemer (and I know we will) then having a beatstick for a friend is useful
 
Welp, I'm late. I can't tell if Thirteenth or Eight won, but in... uhh, Thirteenth is our sister, as in one of the only major threats to us if she decides she wants the throne (or someone else convinces her she wants the throne), which means having her with us is one of the best opening moves we could make for securing ourself, one way or another.

Also how long until the asshole Empress disappears? I'm wondering how soon we could get away with kicking the asshole Dynasts off of our northern lands. Assholes.
 
ShadowAngelBeta said:
Welp, I'm late. I can't tell if Thirteenth or Eight won, but in... uhh, Thirteenth is our sister, as in one of the only major threats to us if she decides she wants the throne (or someone else convinces her she wants the throne), which means having her with us is one of the best opening moves we could make for securing ourself, one way or another.
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Hahaha, I completely forgot to call the vote lmao. It seems we actually have a tie between Peaceful Breath and Rising Song, so if someone can either switch their vote or do a final vote now so I don't have to flip a coin that would be nice. It doesn't have much impact on next update, which is almost ready to be posted in an hour or so, but I would like it!

Also, small aside: Peaceful Breath is close like a sister. She is not actually your sister. But succession in the Shogunate is a bit more complex than just a direct line anyways and among other things involves a process of acclamation and election by the notables, so if she was your sister she wouldn't necessarily be as much a threat as you might think!

ShadowAngelBeta said:
Also how long until the asshole Empress disappears? I'm wondering how soon we could get away with kicking the asshole Dynasts off of our northern lands. Assholes.
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The Empress disappears in a year. It is currently RY 767 by the Realm's calendar reckoning.
 
Arc 1. II: The Tongue of Men is the Whip of God
  • Threadmarks
    • The Tongue of Men is the Whip of God

    [X] "I thought of the old Shogunate, and its grandeur..."
    [X] Three Red Rising Song

    In the treasury of Pasiap's Abode District,
    On the orders of Five Green Great Hill, Foreman,
    Two Blue Tall Grass made this firewand.
    On the authority of Seven Cerulean Far Vision, Treasurer, and Nine Saffron Swift Thought, Secretary of the Treasury,
    Series firewand of the Eighteenth Cycle, Twenty-Third Indiction, Bronze Era of the 11th Epoch of the Great Shogunate.
    294,140 grains of firedust supplied by Six Gold Raging Onager, merchant, were taken to the storehouse for Five Green Great Hill, Foreman, Nineteenth Cycle, Twenty-Third Indiction, Bronze Era of the 11th Epoch of the Great Shogunate
    1513 firewands supplied by Five Green Great Hill, Foreman, were taken to the court of Seizing-Prey-as-a-Falcon, Agha of Yalpagesh, Twentieth Cycle, Twenty-Third Indiction, Bronze Era of the 11th Epoch of the Great Shogunate.
    -Administrative Records of the Great Western Shogunate, Shogunal Divan​

    It might perhaps be inaccurate to speak of viewing the palace of the Great Western Shogunate, because in reality the one before you is merely one among many. Rising from the enormous Image-of-Creation Square, a host of blind arches in the palatial facade each play home to frescoes and art, the smooth and reflective turquoise stone of the heaven-humbling dome shining in the sunlight, seeming more like the icing of some monstrous cake than quarry-hewn marble. The pre-eminent palace of the Western Shoguns is truly a sight to behold, even in its modern somewhat sorry state. Here and there, a fresco is missing. Here and there, the gold filling of a carved inscription has not yet been refilled. Though only a few soldiers of the Realm ever made it in here and the defence of the palace was the most ardent in all the city, parts of the palace were sold off following the sack or even more disgracefully by defector princes and lords who stole from the palace to grant themselves a stipend. It is in this palace that you have grown up, and even from the outside, your gaze catches on different wings; the chancellery, the reception, the banquet hall.

    You step out of the carriage, saying goodbye to your vision of the square as imperial attendants erect a tunnel of silk between the carriage and the palace gates to respectfully shield your dignity from visibility. You roll your eyes - it's not that you dislike the practice, but so close to the palace it always seemed somewhat pointless - and make your way through the gates opened before you, Wave following behind you. You need to switch into something more appropriate for the court session later, so you signal for Wave to follow and hurry towards the private sections of the palace. You pretend to not look improper as you hurry through the luxurious inner corridors, well aware of both the court to be held in a few hours and the time and difficulty it can take to find a proper outfit

    Usually referred to as the Painted Rooms, for the ornate artistry that covers the walls, the private sections of the palace are secluded in the eastern wing of the palace. Meant for changing clothes, as well as the more private matters of courtiers that have to take place beyond the prying eyes of others, it is a well-known and accepted truth that the Painted Rooms are also most likely the one place in the palace most spied on. This is usually considered acceptable on account of the fact that the spies work for the Dais and not for other courtiers; no place in the very heart of the Shogunate goes unsurveyed, but some eyes are more preferable than others. They should be just a few minutes from here, but you are rushing and thinking of other things, so you suddenly find yourself unsure of where exactly you are. Of course you have attended court a thousand times before, but this time is different-

    "Forgive me, your divine Highness, but you seem agitated as of late. As your closest attendant - and your friend - I need to ask what is on your mind." Wave's voice cuts through the corridor despite being barely above a whisper.

    You look around, where were the Painted Rooms again? You absent-mindedly answer Wave's question without much thought to what comes out of your mind, "It's because of that prince." You freeze up as soon as you realize what you've said. Friends, is it illegal to reveal a state secret by accident if you're the only heir?

    You don't get an opportunity to ponder the question further. You think the Painted Rooms are actually on the next floor and you start making your way up the stairs, being hounded by Wave all the way. "What prince, pray tell?" She asks, clearly forgetting the address form from the shock.

    "Not here, Wave!" You protest, trying to shout and speak barely louder than a whisper at once, then swearing in a most un-Shogun-like way when you stub your toe on one of the final stairs before the next floor. You continue to whisper conspiratorially with Wave as you turn down the corridor to the Painted Rooms, pretending your foot doesn't hurt.

    Oh yes, this is the Painted Rooms. You feel proud of yourself for your successful identification of the enormous painted drama of Eight Vermillion Grasping Creation and her court on an imperial hunt. The insight expected of the Shogun-Banu-to-be.

    "I understand that Gift - I mean your divine Highness - but a prince from Yalpagesh is here? What's he like? Why is he here? Why was the court not informed?" Wave seems to be trying to drown you in questions, even as you enter the secret Shogunal compartments of the Painted Rooms.

    "I don't know Wave, that's what I've been telling you." You hiss back.

    "I have no idea, I just know a Yalpageshig prince will be here and has sought an audience with the Shogun-Banu, nothing else. Now help me find an outfit, please, or I might just commit suicide and make sure my blood splatters on you so the Shogunal Companions will think the mistress of the robes has murdered the Shogunal Heir to impersonate her like in The Secret History of the Shoguns."

    That gets her to laugh, though it's more like one of those characteristic Calm Wave snorts that you get when you have said something truly ridiculous, or more commonly when she feels like being a contrarian and disagreeing with your suggestions for no good reason at all except to inform you that she thinks you are stupid. Once again, a very rude, no-good mistress of the robes all around!

    The stark reminder that you are currently in the private part of the Painted Rooms and looking for an outfit that will be needed in a few hours seems to get her mind briefly off its current track. At least you hope so.

    "You're right, your divine Highness. Of course, forgive me." She starts sizing you up and down with her eyes, as she has done a hundred, thousand times before and taking your measure in your mind.

    "In The Ornament of All the World, Twelve White Swaying Dance has her protagonist pick out a unique costume for each of her courtiers to symbolize where they came from and how much they enrich her court. Maybe you should try something similar?" She suggests.

    You think about it for a while, holding back the bratty impulse to ask her if she's suggesting you should show up with all your friends in quirky clothes for each. Not only would she probably 'forget' you are her superior and slap you, it would also be a very rude misunderstanding of The Ornament- a crime that you believe should be punished with death or exile.

    You consider her suggestion and find yourself quite liking the idea of styling your outfit off:

    Article:
    [ ] Your Embassy in Saata - Only three years ago, you were part of an embassy to the citystate of Saata. While nominally an imperial satrapy, the Sinasana dynasty of Saata have no problems hosting their own embassies and banquets, and though you found the nobility of Saata itself boorish at best the city was something else. With its enormous riches and open displays of vice, the city was a sight to behold and you found yourself touring its painted streets with eager curiosity. A Saatan costume will admittedly be somewhat scandalous in the court, but you fondly remember your time in House Sinasana's abode. You are fondly remembered there as well. With your foreign etiquette and manners - combined with no small amount of generous donations - you the talk of the town and your donations helped revitalize the orthodox Immaculate temple of Saata and founded a shelter for homeless and prostitutes that your ledgers inform you is still in use. (This is a personality vote. Holiest Gift will like scandalous fashion and dislike restrictions on her behaviour)

    [ ] Your Education in Yalpagesh - To aid in the cause of peace, it has never been uncommon for Yalpagesh and the Shogunate to swap "hostages", that are brought up in the other's court. You are the adopted daughter of the Mirzas of the Semerwi dynasty of Yalpagesh and grew up surrounded by the culture and knowledge of that country for a significant part of your life. Even if it is somewhat distant to you know, you still remember those years with a mixture of fondness and confusion, unsure of how exactly you will plan to deal with a country that occupies such a treasured place in your heart as supreme ruler of its primary enemy. More pertinently, you remember absolutely falling in love with the fashion of Yalpagesh. Wearing a court version of the signature frontier kaftan of brocade that the Aghas of Yalpagesh so adore will certainly be one way to make your entrance, but it will also make an impression on the prince and hopefully on Yalpagesh that you have not forgotten your upbringing. (This is a personality vote. Holiest Gift will like Yalpagesh and dislike conflict)

    [ ] Your Captivity in the Protectorate - Five years ago, you were taken from Keinginan-i-Gehan and sent to the capital of the so-called Protectorate to Pacify the West- the enormous satrapy north of the mountains maintained by the Realm. Effectively a glorified captive, you nonetheless mingled with the dynasts of the Realm, as well as the local nobles. The hybrid of imperial culture and its mark on local customs was fascinating, and so was the time you spent touring the countryside. While you have no particular desire to return to those lands, the Grand Satrap Cathak Zamati did take a shine to you and complimented you many times that you would have made a fine dynast, something you are still not quite sure how to take. Regardless of your personal feelings on its culture and history, wearing native with a Realm-inspired twist is quite fashionate these days among courtiers, so it is simply a small step to take it a bit further with Realm-inspired clothes with a native twist. (This is a personality vote. Holiest Gift will be interested in the Realm and like Cathak Zamati)


    With your choice made and outfit on, Calm Wave gives you a final, critical eye. After clothing you, she is always unsure, and it is clear that this time is no different.

    "You did great work as always, Wave." You assure her soothingly, attempting to get her mind off the doubts.

    She simply harrumphs and continues to eye up her handiwork.

    "I suppose it is fine, your divine Highness." She finally concedes and you can feel your tense muscles relax.

    "You should attend to yourself too Wave, you look tired. If you go to court like that, they might confuse you for a merchant." You laugh, but stop when you notice that Wave is silent.

    "Is there anything wrong, Wave?" You ask, your voice full of concern as you step closer to her.

    "It's just- I can't get that prince out of my head, Gift. Usually they send emissaries, don't they? So what is a prince doing at the heart of the Shogunate? In the Unfolding of Ten Thousand Scrolls, the Semurvi prince who shows up at Ten Lilac Sublime Butterfly's court does so to declare war on him. Do- do you think this will be the same?" Wave steps closer to you as well, closer than any rules of procedure and protocol permits.

    So close, you can see all the worry and fear in her eyes, the imperceptible creases in her normally disciplined expression, the shaking of her gentle voice. You have never seen her so afraid before.

    "Wave, I-" you begin, before the same part of your brain that once told you to go on a hunt without any courtiers or announcements so the entire court worried over your death for a day stops you. Your body makes the decision for you and you embrace her and bring her as close to you as possible, something both of you are clearly unsure of how to deal with.

    You stand in silence like this for what seems like ages, quietly praying that the Shogun-Banu-to-be and her mistress of the robes could be dissolved and leave Wave and Gift alone, until she embraces you in turn.

    "I'm sure there won't be war, Wave. The Unfolding was written more than a hundred years ago, and is so overdramatized anyways. Even if there was war, even the Semurvis know that they cannot get past our walls. That lies past even the army of the Yalpageshig. The Empress only managed to do so by betrayal."

    You can feel her steadily relax in your arms, though the tension never really goes away.

    "I- I understand so Gift, but I can't banish the fear from my mind. I'm just so afraid. What if it becomes war and the Yalpageshig pierce the walls or starve us for years? What if- what if you die?" The room is silent except for you too and you can feel her words impale your heart like an artfully wielded dagger.

    "I understand, Wave." You hold your friend tighter and don't say anything else, and eventually she leans into the embrace as well.

    "I will do what I can." You find yourself repeating meaninglessly, though you're not sure whether you are speaking to yourself or to Wave or what you could even do.

    After several minutes of silent embrace, she breaks off the embrace.

    "You need to attend court, your divine Highness. Do not bother yourself more with me, I will meditate on the will of the divine Elders through self-annihilation, and I will find peace."

    You nod in repsonse.

    "As thou wilt, as is within mine power, thou lady of pearl and feather." You quote the Unfolding, and your reference to Shogun-Khadev Eleven White Uttermost Edge's response to the Caulborn emissary's request for protection against imperial depredation and piracy is not lost on her.

    She smiles weakly and tries to look confident.

    "To the feet of mine lord, thou governor of the rising-sun-land, two-times seven times I fall down. To the throne of mine Shogun, barbarian-dispelling lord of hosts, thou holy one, two-times seven times I fall down." She quotes the Unfolding in return, and turns away.

    "I must prepare for the court as well. Can't have them thinking I'm a merchant, now, can we?" She attempts to joke, though her shaky voice tells of her insecurity. You part from each other as she goes further into the Painted Rooms and you go the way of the audience hall.

    "Your divine Highness", the pair of guards outside greet you in their ceremonial armour and bow deeply for you as you step through the open portal.

    "In the name of the divine Elders, the holy Immaculate Dragons and their incarnated heavenly Shogun-Banu; the most gracious, the most merciful." You announce your presence and make a second-rank bow, bending halfway forward, until Mother's voice calls you to rise from your bow.

    You cast your gaze about the audience hall and take in the painted walls, the decorative pillars of marble, the Radiant Peacock Dais itself with its many colours. Serene in her sovereignty, your mother Six Gold Gentle Palm reclines in the divan of the Dais, raised above the earth by a staired platform covered in an enormous, richly patterned rug. There is no place in the room in which one cannot but stare at the Dais itself, framed by a solar outline of orichalc-gold and carmine jade, each of its shining solar rays leading the eye to the Shogun seated beneath its golden roof. There, chimes and bells of sacred bones, devil-gold and all the colours of holy jade dangle in harmony around Gentle Palm's seated body.

    Seated in the seat of splendour, her Most High Divine Majesty the Shogun Six Gold Gentle Palm reclines within the Dais, letting herself be fanned by a pair of servants on either side. With her stern face framed by the halo of her golden radiate crown and elaborate earrings, Mother is like cast out of one of the paintings on the wall; a stark contrast to the tall and lanky form of yourself. A pair of jade armbands cover her muscular armbands, and her chest is covered by a luxurious silken sarong in imperial yellow, its edges trimmed with sapphire blue, gold and jewels of all sorts. You make sure to stand to her right as the heir apparent is supposed to, while the Voice of the Shogunate stands to her left. As the attendants and courtiers trickle in from the sides, you see several familiar faces among them; your dear friend Rising Song winks at you and you give Wave an encouraging and hopefully non-obvious nod. Soon there will not be time for any more nods or encouragement.

    The Voice - a gaunt man who must be in his fifties and fits his kaftan badly - looks back to the Shogun as the bells of court ring to signal the opening of the court. An orchestral symphony of sound erupts as the Shogunal trumpeters and musicians sound the Hymnal Prayer to the Continuation of our Divine Terrestrial Shogunate and Mother signs her message at the Voice: [US] [SERVANT] [INTRODUCE]. He makes a third-rank bow to her, keeping his eyes on her hand until he sees the [UP] [RISE] signs from her. As the sound of trumpets and singing dancers slowly dies down, he rises from the bow and turns to the assembled courtiers, raising his voice as a new team of tambourines and other musicians supply the next part of the introductory court ceremony:

    "As the Song doth rise in the East and our Shogunate doth meet it in the West, so doth our Great Shogun see fit to show her radiant face to we, her Most High Divine Majesty's eternally loyal subjects, once more. As the Sun doth with the Moon's companionship accompany her trailing across the heavens, so do our Shogunal Sun and her divine Highness, the Shogun-Frazend, unveil to us their heavenly grace and bid the courtiers and subjects of the divine Great Terrestrial Shogunate proclaim their allegiance now and forever to the rule of the laws and customs of the world-governing Shogunate."

    As he finishes the lengthy introduction, it is as if a wave passes through the court, and its many courtiers fall in one great and sinuous motion to the floor, performing the bows appropriate to their rank to show obedience to you and Mother- though you know it is really just Mother for now. While you were acclaimed in your mother's womb, you have not yet been given the formal acclamation during your life, nor the one you would receive upon your ascent to the Dais.

    Mother signs to the Voice again; [US] [PETITION] [PLURAL] [RECEIVE].

    The Voice turns to the Court and raises his voice to proclaim the opening of petitions, and you do your best you can to pretend you don't hate standing straight up for an hour looking regal as your mother listens to the petitions of merchants, notables and other residents of the Shogunate. The rest of the court mingles and engages in talk with each other, only stopping in their doings now and then when the bells ring, your Mother's Voice proclaiming some new verdict and the resumption of affairs. The court can mingle, of course, but not the heir; her job is to stand regal and look like she has a job to do. Something which you most certainly do not, except for the few times the Voice asks your opinions on Mother's behalf and you opine them back to him with a whisper in his ear. Unlike Mother, you are permitted to use your voice at court, just not too much.

    When you don't opine on court cases, judgements and petitions, you try to find Wave or Rising Song with your eyes. Typically you don't succeed in the former case; Rising Song is very easy to spot despite her short height, however, if only because of her love for foreign styles. You spend the time in boredom, casting your gaze over the great Shoguns portrayed on the artful walls and imagining yourself in their shoes, riding up the River of Queens to campaign against the Tengese or crossing the mountains with a hundred thousand men and twenty thousand horses to meet the Realm at the open fields of Janneh-Valhat like in the Book of Lessons.

    You smile.

    Those stories always appealed to you; when the Shoguns were powerful and the Empress feared the Shogunate. Now you are just prisoners. Confined to this cage of a city while the Realm doesn't even see fit pick at your corpse. Your smile fades. Fades just in time for you to be shaken out of your revelry by the next announcement.

    "Speak thou now, thou prince of Yalpagesh, thou scion of the blood of Semerw!" You look at the prostrating figure before you, your heart catching in your throat as they pass over his clearly Yalpagesh-style kaftan, his long hair underneath his draped turban.

    With his face still pressed against the floor - an unusual degree of submission for a prince of Yalpagesh, now that you think of it - you cannot see his face as he speaks.

    "To the feet of mine lady, thou governor of the setting-sun-land, two-times seven times I fall down. To the throne of mine Shogun, barbarian-dispelling lady of hosts, thou holy one, two-times seven times I fall down!" He proclaims, and you are reminded of how it somehow still shocks you that Yalpageshig princes are often more fluent in your language than they are their own. His paraphrasing of the Unfolding, seems to shock the other members of the court, but this part is less surprising to you; Yalpageshig adore the classics almost as much as you do.

    Your mother signs and the Voice speaks.

    "For what purpose dost thou fall before the Throne of the Universe, thou Yalpageshig prince?" Something is off about the way he says it, you think. It doesn't feel right, nor does the swift reply of the prince.

    "To submit myself before the world-governing Shogun, thou Voice of the Universal Shogunate, thou holy ones! To beg for the blessing of the Great Shogunate unto this insignificant servant, thou Terrestrial Shogun of the world."

    You still can't quite put your finger on it, but there's something about this whole thing that feels fundamentally wrong. It is like you are a character in a play who has realized an actor is playing her and she is merely a mask. You find Wave's eyes in the crowd, and she looks into yours with a look like she means to shake you, to beg an explanation of you. You can feel your fingers fidgeting and a drop of sweat accumulating on your brow.

    The Voice speaks without Mother's sign, yet she does not seem to even note it. She merely gazes down on the prostate prince before her.

    "Thou Shahrab-Daimyo of the Great Shogunate what blessing from the Shogun, Who Illuminates Both Worlds With Majesty and Power, what blessing dost thou request of Her Most High Divine Majesty?" Suddenly you realize what's wrong. You are about to turn your face to Mother, but then the prince speaks up again. Oh no. Oh no no no.

    "Thou Most High Divine Majesty, thou who art Pasiap Who Illuminates Both Worlds With Majesty and Power incarnated, who governs the world, possessing the Creation-Ruling Mandate, thou supreme sovereign, Shogun who dispenses crowns and seizes thrones!" He begins, and you realize that you have heard this beginning a hundred times before, your stomach sinking.

    "I am wide-famed as an Agha and by name I am called Seizing-Prey-as-a-Falcon. When I was dwelling in my country and my father the Mirza of the line of Semerw - may the Dragons light up her tomb! - died in his peaceful slumber, I was according to the customs of my nation to make way for the capital from my seat in the province of Elmeren. With my seat situated at twenty three frasukhs from the royal seat, I made way thus to claim the throne in the fashion of the Yalpageshig. But I had been deceived, for through trickery my elder brother had kept the messengers from reaching my seat, and when I arrived, my beloved father had been dead for a week and my treacherous brother who had taken the throne thus through deceit declared me to be killed. There were those among the people who did not listen to lies, for the Dragons made them see the truth, and they hid me amongst them and I made for thine generous Shogunate. I prostate myself now before thee, thou crown-dispensing Shogun and I beg before thine feet that thou seatest me upon the throne of Yalpagesh as the rightful Shahrab-Daimyo, and I shall return to the Shogunal lands all the provinces west of the Karvand river."

    Rising Sun catches your gaze and you share a single moment; her expression of sheer confusion meeting your horrified realization. This whole thing was an act, a play to deceive those unable to see Mother's lack of hand movements and realize that the whole exchange was planned beforehand. Those unable to realize that the allusions to the classics and the introductory speech of submission were more than merely a particularly educated barbarian showing off his interest in your enlightened culture. His ritual submission was lifted directly from the Unfolding- a revival of the traditional exchange of vassalage and overlordship between Shogun and Daimyo.

    The Voice speaks again, and the words cut in your ears like knives.

    "Her Most High Divine Highness, the crown-dispensing and throne-seizing Shogun speaketh to her faithful Shahrab-Daimyo: Thou art by the law and customs of the nation of Yalpagesh its Shahrab, and by the law and decree of the bakufu of Her Most Divine Highness, Six Gold Gentle Palm Who Illuminates Both Worlds With Majesty and Power, her Shogun. On account of Her generosity and infinite love for her eternally loyal subjects She hath seen fit to grant to thee a detachment of Shogunal troops numbering one thousand and five hundred." You feel like vomiting, like crying, like screaming, like bleeding.

    Do they not realize that this is tantamount to a declaration of war against Yalpagesh? Do they not realize that they only have one chance? Do they not realize that this could mean the end of the Shogunate?

    A cynical voice speaks inside you: And this ennui is not? You do not answer it.

    The rest of the court proceeds like a faint voice at the edge of your hearing, a shadow in the edge of your vision. Your eyes cannot focus. Your voice cannot speak. The mumbling and bumbling of the court is audible to you, but it is more like the buzzing of a mosquito than the speech of humans. You have lost track of time when the court audience ends, and your body feels more like a puppet on strings, dancing to the fingers of your mind as you go through the formal rituals, blessing the court and thanking the Dragons for the perpetuation of the Great Terrestrial Shogunate. You are not sure if you are really there.

    You need something else. You need someone else.

    Luckily it does not take long before both Wave and Song find you, just in time to drown you in a deluge of questions. Are we going to war? What is the Shogun thinking? Do you know the prince? What are you going to do? Are you following the army? You feel nauseous, like you are about to throw up. Every time you open up your mouth, you swallow in another mouthful of questions like drowning in murky waters. Stop, stop. Help, help. Can't you see I'm drowning? The world starts to spin, your head is hurting. Won't someone just help me?

    "Alright. This won't do." Rising Song's voice cuts through the air like the seas being parted.

    "It is clear that we need to do something else, or I'm going to get sick." She declares before following.

    "And then Gift might get even more sick." She casually refers to you by your informality-name in public, seemingly not caring about the mortified stares of nearby courtiers leaving.

    "It is clear that we need to do something, and what we need is a good, wholesome game of chowgan. No one has ever been sick after a game of chowgan."

    "That is not happening." Wave's voice is authoritative and powerful.

    "Her divine Highness needs a calm and peaceful session of calligraphy. The classics focus the mind and the pen-strokes focus the soul. No one has been sick after chowgan because the sick people tend to get knocked unconscious off their horses." She emphasizes that last part, and after a minute of argument, neither of them seem to be particularly interested in asking you what you want. You decide to break it up and say that you would rather prefer:

    Article:
    [ ] A Game of Chowgan - Chowgan is the traditional game for nobility in the Shogunate. It originally stems from the Southwest, but it was one of many traditions that the Shogunate carried with itself when it was moved to the West. Competing to strike a small rubber ball with long sticks - usually fitted with a mallet or similar - two or more teams play mounted, attempting to defeat the other by moving the ball into a goal on the opposing side. Chowgan is typically played by nobility in the Image-of-Creation Square right outside the palace and considered an important game to maintain equestrian skills. (This is a personality and style vote. Holiest Gift will like riding and gain the Equestrian Empress style)

    [ ] A Session of Calligraphy - Calligraphy is one of the most traditional pastimes of refined nobility and scholars. It was once practiced all over the Shogunal world, but now the only true centres of calligraphy is Keinginan-i-Gehan and - you are ashamed to admit this - the Imperial City of the Realm. Only here do cultured people still truly understand the strokes, the styles, the methods. Typically practiced in specialized calligraphy halls, of which there are several in the palace, it is enjoyed along with chai and frequently involves many so-called "calligrapher's games", in which participants attempt to finish a character based on what another has written or guess what a character will say before it is written. (This is a personality and style vote. Holiest Gift will like high culture and gain the Empire-of-Words Style)
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Your Education in Yalpagesh
    [X] A Session of Calligraphy

    The Yalpagesh option seems like it'll be the most interesting with the immediate situation, and I like words.
     
    [X] Your Captivity in the Protectorate
    [X] A Session of Calligraphy

    So I'm not quite sure what happened. Apparently there's a ploy for the Shogunate to go to war with Yalpagesh, and this was all orchestrated before hand by the prince and the Voice (and maybe the Shogun I'm not too sure)?

    Also the prose is really cool. While it takes me a few times to understand what it's saying, it really adds to the atmosphere.
     
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