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In Thunder's Echo (Legend of the Five Rings Quest)

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Sirrocco said:
Our duty to the Clan is... to do whatever we need to do to best serve the Clan. In our particular case, for the duration of this Winter Court, our duty to the Clan is *overwhelmingly* better-served by winning the at the social and informational game than it is by being better at swords. We do not have any sort of nebulous duty to be an amazing combatant.

Or hey - maybe I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. Could you clarify? What test are you thinking we're going to be put to that will result in us failing our duty to the clan if we haven't invested heavily in martial skills?
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I'm not saying that we need to be an amazing combatant. I'm saying that we need to be competent at it, and only having a 3 in one combat stat with 2 at everything else is pretty bad. And considering that we're a Bushi, aka a warrior, being able to fight is a must. A Bushi who can't fight has wasted his clan's resources since we would have better served our clan as a Courtier apparently. I'll also be surprised if Maugan Ra doesn't throw at least one combat situation our way, considering that we took the Bayushi Bushi school at character creation.

There's also the Kyujutsu tournament which relies on Reflexes, but that's way down the line.
 
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A Nation's Virtue said:
A Bushi who can't fight has wasted his clan's resources since we would have better served our clan as a Courtier apparently.
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You are aware that this is hardly our decision to make? The blame would go on our parents and sensei, rather than to us. Kenjutsu at 2 is enough since we're rolling 5k3 with exploding and Void points. With Voiding our Katana... the only thing we won't beat is someone wearing heavy armor.

I'm not so familiar with Kenjutsu tourneys, but this should mean something.
 
EtchedSteel said:
You are aware that this is hardly our decision to make? The blame would go on our parents and sensei, rather than to us. Kenjutsu at 2 is enough since we're rolling 5k3 with exploding and Void points. With Voiding our Katana... the only thing we won't beat is someone wearing heavy armor.

I'm not so familiar with Kenjutsu tourneys, but this should mean something.
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That's just for hitting. There's a lot more to combat than just that. Wounds, Armor TN, damage rolls, and Initiative are all dependent on the other stats. For us Wounds and damage rolls aren't that important, but Armor TN and more Initiative are far more important if we're going to split our focus.
 
A Nation's Virtue said:
That's just for hitting. There's a lot more to combat than just that. Wounds, Armor TN, damage rolls, and Initiative are all dependent on the other stats. For us Wounds and damage rolls aren't that important, but Armor TN and more Initiative are far more important if we're going to split our focus.
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Getting Kenjutsu 3 wouldn't significantly improve our attack rolls or damage rolls and it wouldn't improve our Armor TN, Initiative or wounds at all (though since the tournament is a fight to the third blood, our damage rolls and wounds likely won't matter). If we want to become a better fighter, I'd rather wait until we can buy reflexes 3.
 
Just so everyone remembers, we're also rolling +1k1 on Initiative anyway because of our School Technique. So I wouldn't say we're slow or anything.
 
[X] Save the XP.
[X]Get and read through a Saijiki for appropriate seasonal Kigos.
[X] Try to think of several stirring or interesting images or turns of phrase that could be used in a poem.
[X] Bring an appropriate gift
 
A Nation's Virtue said:
I'm not saying that we need to be an amazing combatant. I'm saying that we need to be competent at it, and only having a 3 in one combat stat with 2 at everything else is pretty bad. And considering that we're a Bushi, aka a warrior, being able to fight is a must. A Bushi who can't fight has wasted his clan's resources since we would have better served our clan as a Courtier apparently. I'll also be surprised if Maugan Ra doesn't throw at least one combat situation our way, considering that we took the Bayushi Bushi school at character creation.

There's also the Kyujutsu tournament which relies on Reflexes, but that's way down the line.
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We're tolerable as a combatant - and Scorpion bushi are not, by and large, expected to be all that awesome.

Being able to serve our clan well is a must. Ability to fight is only a small part of that - and we can strap on armor and pick up a katana and fight.

If we'd been a courtier, we wouldnt' have the beefy int that we do now.

We're not planning on entering the Bowman's Wager. Not a whole lot to be gained.

You seem to think that it is fundamentally inherent in the nature of our school as a bushi school that we *must* focus a certain amount into the combat arts, or everything will be lost. That's just not true. We're going to run into combat challenges as well as court challenges of various sorts, and our combat stats are likely to matter a bit, but we've already been told that this is going to be a low-combat game for the first arc - and the first arc takes us all the way through Winter Court.
 
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[X] Save the XP.
[X]Get and read through a Saijiki for appropriate seasonal Kigos.
[X] Try to think of several stirring or interesting images or turns of phrase that could be used in a poem.
[X] Bring an appropriate gift
 
OK, vote called, it looks like you're saving the xp for the moment. I've noted it on the character sheet, and will start working on the next update in a bit.
 
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2.10 - Speaking with Doji Mariko
  • Threadmarks
    • The next day, you dress in respectable but understated clothes and set off to pay a visit to the Crane delegation. You had half expected to run into serious difficulties acquiring the supporting material for your poetry, but whatever the stereotypes might say about the Matsu family they are still samurai, and therefore just as interested in cultured pursuits as the rest of the Empire.

    Once you explained your intentions to Bayushi Kimoko (who came back from her dinner with the daimyo smiling in a way you can only describe as mischievous), she was quite happy to lend you the funds to secure the supplies. Your news about the offer from Ikoma Genji was met with thoughtful consideration, though in the end your superior agreed that the circumstances leave you little choice but to cooperate. When you mention the concerns about the Crane, however, Kimoko goes silent and still. You get the feeling that she has her own suspicions on the matter, but she is refusing to share them just yet. It is frustrating, but such is her right as your superior.

    Shaking your head, you focus your attention back on the meeting to come. The Crane delegation have been housed in the same tower as you, two levels up, and like you have been given the entire level to themselves. There are no servants around at the moment, so you approach unobserved, and as you draw near to the entrance you cannot help but overhear the sound of sharp words and angry declarations from within their quarters. Good social etiquette would insist that you block the sounds out and pretend not to have noticed anything - a necessary habit in a nation where the primary building material for interior walls is rice paper and thin wooden slats - but you are Scorpion. Turning down such an opportunity would be most unlike you.

    You cannot actually discern individual words, but there is no mistaking the contrasting tones of Daidoji Chen and Doji Mariko (it occurs to you that you have never actually heard their Kakita companion speak a word). That they are arguing seems obvious, and if you had to guess you would say that Chen is the aggressor here, angrily questioning his superior on some topic or other. Before you can peace together anything more, though, they break off and a shadow grows on the rice paper as one of them approaches the door.

    Daidoji Chen slides the door open with perfect calm, nothing in his expression or bearing giving the slightest hint of the tensions you believe to be present. He nods to you briefly, a gesture which you return - there is no need for bowing when simply passing one another in the hallway - and proceeds past you towards the tower exit.

    "Soshi-san, welcome." Doji Mariko calls from inside, having caught a glimpse of you through the open door. "Your punctuality is commendable. Please, come in."

    You enter as invited, taking a moment to glance around as you do so. It does not escape notice that the Crane's quarters are rather more luxuriously appointed than your own - silk cushions, works of art and other luxuries are apparent everywhere you look. Doji Mariko is seated in the centre of the room before a cherry-wood table, a small stack of paper and several fine brushes arranged next to her.

    You bow, take a seat and move through the formalities of presenting your gift - a branch of jasmine, acquired from a gardener in the town and chosen in reference to one of several ways in which you could write your host's name. Mariko goes through the ceremonial rejections, but appears pleased by the thoughtfulness implied by the gift. That done, she takes some of your existing work and looks over it in silence for a few minutes while you wait patiently.

    "Soshi-san, might I offer some criticism?" She says gently, setting down the paper and looking at you with an aura of serenity around her.

    "By all means, Doji-sama." You reply smoothly, aware that this was likely coming. "I should be a poor student if I was unwilling to hear my own faults."

    Mariko smiles softly, an almost whimsical edge to her expression. "You are studying poetry. It is pointless, and you should stop."

    For a moment, you can only blink in subdued shock. That was... well, rather more direct than you were expecting. "I am afraid I do not understand, Doji-sama."

    "It is obvious to look at, as plain as the mask on your face." The courtier says, indicating the paper with your words upon it. "You are trying to produce your best poetry, drawing upon whatever tools you have available. Tell me, did you study a Sajiki when composing these?"

    Slowly, you nod. "Expanding my vocabulary seemed the best way to improve, Doji-sama."

    "It can help, certainly, but it is not a path that you can walk for very far." The Crane replies, folding her hands in her lap. "One can study poetry in great detail, much as you study your history or geography, learning the names of famous composers and the origins of different styles... but this will not make you any better at poetry. A true poet does not worry about sentence structure or the rules of composition when creating a new piece of art, he simply does it. His mind is free of such distractions, a blank canvas upon which his drive and creativity will create true beauty."

    "Mushin no Shin." You murmur as understanding comes to you. Mariko smiles and inclines her head.

    "Precisely. Mind without mind, thought without thought. Do not seek to compose a perfect verse, any more than you would seek to calculate a perfect strike. Clear your mind, exist in the moment, and act."

    How do you wish to continue this conversation?
    [ ] Focus exclusively on your lessons.
    [ ] Enquire about a certain topic
    - [ ] Specify which and how you broach it.
    [ ] Flirt
    [ ] Write in
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Huh, so that could have started better, but we seem to be doing alright, so far! Hmm...maybe we could choose a light topic to try to win trust? We clearly shouldn't go right out and say anything that might even hint to a good analysis that we might be...curious of certain things.
     
    For a second I was considering how to respond to this update and the probably faked division among the Crane.

    [X] Flirt

    But really Maugan's already given us the perfect course of action.
     
    Can we spend void points to up skills? If so, I'd like to increase our poetry skill with it.

    I mean, she basically just told us to:p.
     
    cody said:
    Can we spend void points to up skills? If so, I'd like to increase our poetry skill with it.

    I mean, she basically just told us to:p.
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    Void points are a purely temporary thing. On the other hand, you can apply them to basically any skill+stat roll.

    Also, pretty sure she said somehtign along the lines of "No, no, no. Int+poetry is the wrong answer. It produces terrible poetry. You need to roll Awareness+poetry. Also, a void point might help."

    So... information theory is an interesting thing.

    - We have a thing that we do not want her to know - that we are investigating her on behalf of the Ikoma.
    - We're scorpion, so she'll be at least wary of us attempting to gain advantage. To the degree that there is something skeevy going on with the Crane delegation, she'll be keenly aware of it, aware that others will be attempting to discern it, and paying attention. She'd have no *particular* reason to believe that *we* would be investigating her, but she'll keep her eyes open.
    - She has a thing she does not want anyone to know - what exactly is going on with the Crane delegation.

    So, the question is, what advance can we gain here without paying a cost in suspicion? What advance can we gain elsewhere?

    here:
    - We could ask peripheral information. Conceive of an interest in... something, and express curiousity. Unfortunately, this is a really obvious play, if someone knows what you might be looking for, and we don't know enough to pick particularly good peripheral topics.
    - We could flirt. "Come, pretty lady - clasp me to your bosom, that I might sting you." is one of the classic Scorpion schticks for a reason. (...and we didn't grab Dangerous Beauty. Ah, well.) She's pretty moving quickly to try to get our support for something. Allowing ourselves to be enthralled romantically, even if the feeling is not returned with more than pleased amusement, will give us a justification for wishing to know more about her, to spend time with her, and may help convince her that we're on her side. It won't give us all that much information, but it's a preparatory play.
    -- unfortunately, it's a potentially costly one. That argument could have been any of a number of things, but one of the things that it might have been is Daidoji-san getting unhappy about us potentially getting between him and his woman. Embracing that role would leave him highly motivated to think ill of us, and might conceivably drive him to rash action. Admittedly, the timing on this argument is... suspicious in some ways, especially when she complimented us on our punctuality Still, the possibility exists. Additionally, we really only have about one romantic slot for this Winter Court. If we go after her, we won't be able to go after any of the others.
    - We could take a positioning play in some other, non-romantic way. Not thinking of any right now, but I'm sure they're out there. General idea would be to reassure her of our alignment with her goals, while setting ourselves up for having entirely nonthreatening reasons to want to know a lot about certain subjects.

    elsewhere:
    - Keep pushing on the charm offensive on the heimen. Acknowledge them as people, try to be kind, possibly even solve one or two of the little heimen problems they might have. Servants notice things, and right now, we crave that information.
    - The previously mentioned letter-writing campaign.
    - We could try to strike up an external discussion with Daidoji-san (assuming we haven't seriously upset him already) and see fi we can get anything from that end.

    I want to say something about flirting while also inquiring about her, in one of those multi-layer conversations.

    - Of course we're just here talkign about poetry, and using informative examples
    -- I'm flirting shamelessly and deniably, using this as an opportunity to flatter you in a wide variety of ways, with a variety of seasonal metaphors
    --- I'm subtly pushing you for information on yourself with these metaphors - what your background is, what you like and so forth - by asking questions about them. I'm presenting myself as someone who's interested romantically, and wants to know more about you so I can better plan my campaign.

    but... yeah. I think I still need to keep up my self-imposed write-in moratorium for a bit. I'm not yet back up to speed.

    I *am* amused that there's a viable and reasonable plan with an end goal of "Marry Matsu Ketsui" where step 1 is "Seduce Doji Mariko." Yep. Scorpion.
     
    Sirrocco said:
    Void points are a purely temporary thing. On the other hand, you can apply them to basically any skill+stat roll.

    Also, pretty sure she said somehtign along the lines of "No, no, no. Int+poetry is the wrong answer. It produces terrible poetry. You need to roll Awareness+poetry. Also, a void point might help."

    So... information theory is an interesting thing.

    - We have a thing that we do not want her to know - that we are investigating her on behalf of the Ikoma.
    - We're scorpion, so she'll be at least wary of us attempting to gain advantage. To the degree that there is something skeevy going on with the Crane delegation, she'll be keenly aware of it, aware that others will be attempting to discern it, and paying attention. She'd have no *particular* reason to believe that *we* would be investigating her, but she'll keep her eyes open.
    - She has a thing she does not want anyone to know - what exactly is going on with the Crane delegation.

    So, the question is, what advance can we gain here without paying a cost in suspicion? What advance can we gain elsewhere?

    here:
    - We could ask peripheral information. Conceive of an interest in... something, and express curiousity. Unfortunately, this is a really obvious play, if someone knows what you might be looking for, and we don't know enough to pick particularly good peripheral topics.
    - We could flirt. "Come, pretty lady - clasp me to your bosom, that I might sting you." is one of the classic Scorpion schticks for a reason. (...and we didn't grab Dangerous Beauty. Ah, well.) She's pretty moving quickly to try to get our support for something. Allowing ourselves to be enthralled romantically, even if the feeling is not returned with more than pleased amusement, will give us a justification for wishing to know more about her, to spend time with her, and may help convince her that we're on her side. It won't give us all that much information, but it's a preparatory play.
    -- unfortunately, it's a potentially costly one. That argument could have been any of a number of things, but one of the things that it might have been is Daidoji-san getting unhappy about us potentially getting between him and his woman. Embracing that role would leave him highly motivated to think ill of us, and might conceivably drive him to rash action. Admittedly, the timing on this argument is... suspicious in some ways, especially when she complimented us on our punctuality Still, the possibility exists. Additionally, we really only have about one romantic slot for this Winter Court. If we go after her, we won't be able to go after any of the others.
    - We could take a positioning play in some other, non-romantic way. Not thinking of any right now, but I'm sure they're out there. General idea would be to reassure her of our alignment with her goals, while setting ourselves up for having entirely nonthreatening reasons to want to know a lot about certain subjects.

    elsewhere:
    - Keep pushing on the charm offensive on the heimen. Acknowledge them as people, try to be kind, possibly even solve one or two of the little heimen problems they might have. Servants notice things, and right now, we crave that information.
    - The previously mentioned letter-writing campaign.
    - We could try to strike up an external discussion with Daidoji-san (assuming we haven't seriously upset him already) and see fi we can get anything from that end.

    I want to say something about flirting while also inquiring about her, in one of those multi-layer conversations.

    - Of course we're just here talkign about poetry, and using informative examples
    -- I'm flirting shamelessly and deniably, using this as an opportunity to flatter you in a wide variety of ways, with a variety of seasonal metaphors
    --- I'm subtly pushing you for information on yourself with these metaphors - what your background is, what you like and so forth - by asking questions about them. I'm presenting myself as someone who's interested romantically, and wants to know more about you so I can better plan my campaign.

    but... yeah. I think I still need to keep up my self-imposed write-in moratorium for a bit. I'm not yet back up to speed.

    I *am* amused that there's a viable and reasonable plan with an end goal of "Marry Matsu Ketsui" where step 1 is "Seduce Doji Mariko." Yep. Scorpion.
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    It's too late, and I'm sleepy, so more reading will come later, but what's Dangerous Beauty?
     
    Personally, I think that we should try and fish for a least some information. Pretty sure it'd look strange if we didn't, at least regarding something as obvious as their actions so far. Expressing some surprise about their opening (ie, no gift), for example.
    We can always combine that with some flirting.
     
    On the winter romance front, I am still waiting for the Yasuki to appear in the stage.

    But in this situation... focusing in the lessons give us more bonus to our skills...

    Ok
    [X] Flirt
    -[x] enquire about the Crane (generalities) and Her

    Lets get a better grip on the Crane position an on her ... this can be hidden in the flirting and if perceived, will only show that we are wanting to know more about her.

    At the same time, whatever she tells us will allow for a better understanding of the situation.
     
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    [X] Enquire about a certain topic
    - [X] Enquire about their (lack of a ) gift and the state and rebuilding of the Crane lands, approaching the topic by expressing your surprise about their lack of a gift.

    I doubt she's going to tell us her delegation's real reason for giving the Lion nothing, but even so, she might tell us something we can use later.
     
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