[x] Decline the offer of housing
[X] Argue
-[X] "My order has embraced asceticism and do not place value on worldly possessions. Perhaps I could speak to your superior and convince him to waive the tax." If he tries to let you through without paying, insist that you wouldn't want to get him into trouble and continue asking to meet with a higher-ranking officer.
"It is a curious thing, is it not? Destiny. A year ago, I believed that my place in the Celestial Order was set. To serve Akodo and the Lion for as long as I was capable. After all, such is the duty of the Matsu. But then, I met that man."
He paused, considering.
"No, not a man. A child. A young boy who had not even passed his gempukku. He had taken offense at my treatment of an impudent peasant and challenged me with his blade. He was a Dragon, but not of the traditional Mirumoto school. I later learned that he was a Taoist Swordsman, seeking to achieve enlightenment through mastery of the sword. A most curious thing, is it not? The sword is a weapon of war, the ultimate proof that a samurai is prepared to strike down the enemies of his lord. How could such a thing lead to enlightenment?"
He waited for a response, but none came.
"Regardless, I was confident in my own skills. I would teach him not to interfere with his betters. I wouldn't kill him, of course. I would simply leave him with a lesson and the scars to make sure he remembered it the next time he felt the need to take the place of heimin against a samurai. I am of the Matsu, fiercest family in the Empire. My grandfather followed Lady Matsu even before the arrival of the Kami. My father fought on the same battlefields as Akodo himself in the war against the Ninth Kami. Against the strength of such ancestors, what could some boy from the mountains possibly do?"
Like it had a hundred times before and would a hundred times again, his hand reached up and traced the scar going over his right eye.
"You can see for yourself what he did. My strike cut deeper, but his cut with a precision I thought was beyond anyone outside of the Kakita. Which is what has brought me on this journey. Even Matsu herself once lost a duel against Kakita, and no Lion samurai would ever speak ill of losing an eye in battle. Not after the most venerable Akodo One-Eye did. But to do both? Against a youth not even past his gempukku? Over some insult from a peasant? I was humiliated. Disgraced. Even as we speak, the Matsu are preparing for battle to avenge past slights. And they are doing it without me."
"Please..."
"Do you know how the Matsu Elite Spearmen fight? Not in personal combat, you saw that demonstrated firsthand. No, I mean in mass battle. It is a wondrous sight. It starts as a hundred nage-yari are thrown from a hundred hands, raining death upon the enemy. And then a hundred more follows. And yet another hundred. When the battle finally enters close quarters, the magari-yari is drawn. It is said that you can recognize a true master of the spear from the great circle surrounding them, in which all enemies are either dead or dying."
"Have mercy..."
"Mercy? Did you show mercy when your victims asked for it? When they begged you to spare their belongings, or their lives, or the virtue of their daughters? I think not, bandit. Save your begging for when you stand before Emma-O, I will send you to see him soon. But first I will finish my story. Like I said, I believed that my destiny was simply to serve the Lion until death. To fight bravely in the legions, to follow Bushido, to marry as my superiors ordered, and to raise my children to do the same. It was not to be. That life was taken from me when I encountered that Dragon. Just as your own life and the lives of your men were taken from you when you encountered me."
He held up his spear, the tip still slick with the unclean fluids which once flowed through the veins of the dying man.
"Some people say that the time of the spear is over now that the Kami brought knowledge of the katana with them from Tengoku. That this is a weapon beneath the samurai, only fit for peasants. A year ago, Matsu Hiro believed that. The Matsu Hiro who was so proud of his katana, his soul and the symbol of his place in the Celestial Order. If you had fought that Matsu Hiro, then you would have won and I would be the one bleeding out on this dusty road. That is why I do not regret my meeting with Togashi Hideo. I may have lost an eye, but I gained clarity of vision. The spear is a beautiful and magnificent weapon, and I will not rest until the Empire has seen its worth as I have. That is why I embarked on this warrior's pilgrimage. The road I am walking on will only end when I fight Togashi Hideo again, my magari-yari against his katana. That is my destiny. Your destiny was to serve as a single step on that road."
With that, Matsu Hiro plunged his spear into the heart of the bandit leader. The man was large, having lived well on stolen rice and grain, but Hiro was larger still, and when he raised his spear the bandit followed, until his feet had left the ground entirely. Hiro hefted his spear and the bandit was unceremoniously dropped at the side of the road. Slowly, with ritual diligence, Matsu took a cloth and wiped his weapon until it was as clean as the day it was forged.
"Let us continue, Ikoma-sama. We should inform the judge that his bandit problem has been diminished."
He began walking and I followed him after taking a final look of the battlefield, burning the details into my memory. Of the five dead bandits, he had slain four. The one with the chain weapon had been the first to attack, seeking to entangle Hiro and making him easy prey for the others. He had died quickly, as Hiro overpowered the grapple and struck him down. The man with the tonfa had failed to dodge and the spear had opened his throat. It was at this point that the man with the kama reached me, and I did not see the battle conclude. The story was easy enough to discern though, the leader had attacked with his axe before taking a deep wound below the collarbone, probably after being tricked by a feint. Hiro liked to end things quickly when facing heavy weapons. The last man had tried to run, only to take a nage-yari to his back. Even with the loss of an eye, Hiro could still hit a target at this range. Untrained bandits or not, singlehandedly killing four men attacking from ambush would make for a good story. Of course, my own presence would have to go overlooked. 4-1 odds were more worthy of public bragging than 5-2 odds, and it just wouldn't do to have the storyteller become a part of the story.
After all, such is the duty of the Ikoma.
"Yes, Matsu-sama. I expect he will be pleased to hear of your victory."
I smiled, showing the joy that Hiro could not, and once again thanked the Fortunes for the grand opportunity they had provided me with.
Matsu Hiro.
Togashi Hideo.
I intend to make you legends. For as long as Lady Sun shines over Rokugan, people will remember your names and your battles.
[x] Decline the offer of housing
[X] Argue
-[X] "My order has embraced asceticism and do not place value on worldly possessions. Perhaps I could speak to your superior and convince him to waive the tax." If he tries to let you through without paying, insist that you wouldn't want to get him into trouble and continue asking to meet with a higher-ranking officer.
[X] Accept the offer of drinks
[X] Decline the offer of housing
[X] Argue
-[X] "My order has embraced asceticism and do not place value on worldly possessions. Perhaps I could speak to your superior and convince him to waive the tax." If he tries to let you through without paying, insist that you wouldn't want to get him into trouble and continue asking to meet with a higher-ranking officer.
If I was going to pick a three-point Disadvantage for Hideo... Maybe Sworn Enemy (Matsu Hiro)? I'm picturing a story where we once stood up to a Lion samurai on the behalf of some peasants, saved their lives in an obvious and humiliating manner to that Matsu - and perhaps engaged him in a iaijutsu duel that left no clear victor, to the point that both of us were badly injured? That's the sort of story that would get told and retold, especially by heimin.
But, maybe Matsu Hiro isn't actually a bad guy by samurai standards. Honorable, valorous, a 'hero' as samurai understand it. It would let the QM frame our story as a clash between two virtues; tell a tale of how the Tao of Shinsei and the Bushido of Akodo, the two halves of a samurai's soul, can both come into conflict against one another and be harnessed to work in harmony. (Fun Fact: both Hiro and Hideo can be translated to "hero" in English.)
He underestimated us. Hideo is superior with Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu, which is how they fought. Hiro does not intend to make that mistake again. And since Iaijutsu has not yet become the absolute standard for settling things in this era, he might not have to.
Also that. Hideo has a big advantage when it comes to Void, even before you bring in the Ocean Tattoo.
I've made a character sheet for Hiro using the same starting 80 exp that Hideo had. I attempted to make a reverse Hideo, someone who embraced Battle and Akodo's Bushido instead of Enlightenment and the Tao. It's why Hiro has his own Paragon and Seven Fortune's Blessing advantages. I'll probably leave his future stat developments to @Hello (unless he asks me to take care of it).
[X] Argue
-[X] "My order has embraced asceticism and do not place value on worldly possessions. Perhaps I could speak to your superior and convince him to waive the tax." If he tries to let you through without paying, insist that you wouldn't want to get him into trouble and continue asking to meet with a higher-ranking officer.
There was little Hideo could do but argue with the guard. Fighting would likely end badly for everyone involved and paying the man would just let him off to rob the poor people behind Hideo in broad daylight. Leaving would end much the same and put any attempts to find a boat for passage on the back-burner while he tried to break into a walled city.
Guard tries to intimidate Hideo into paying. When that doesn't work he tries to intimidate Hideo into staying quiet about it. Guard A rolls 3k2 (Intimidation/Strength) = 13
Hideo rolls 4k3 (Etiquette/Willpower) = 19
Guard A rolls 3k2 (Intimidation/Strength) = 12
Hideo rolls 4k3 (Courtier/Awareness) = 21
Guard now tries to talk to his squad leader about the situation. Hideo counters. Guard A rolls 4k3 (Courtier/Awareness) = 21
Hideo rolls 4k3 (Courtier/Awareness) = 24
Guard Leader apologizes for what is obviously a mistake. Guard Leader rolls 4k3 (Sincerity/Awareness) = 25
Hideo rolls 5k3 (Investigation/Perception) = 39
Guard leader now tries to bribe. Guard Leader rolls 3k2 (Temptation/Awareness) = 7
Hideo rolls 4k3 (Etiquette/Willpower) = 15
Hideo cleared his throat and put on his most innocent face. "My order has embraced asceticism and do not place value on worldly possessions. Perhaps I could speak to your superior and convince him to waive the tax."
The guard tried to draw himself up to a bigger height but standing on his tippie toes in heavy armor just looked ridiculous so Hideo had to hide a smile by wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
"I don't see any reason to bother him about any of this, and I can't see any reason for you bother him either," the guard said his voice becoming more menacing with every word. "He is a very busy man." The guard looked over at a figure standing on the other side of the gate awning in elaborately detailed armor. Hideo did not think that he looked busy at all, but put on his innocent face again.
"I wouldn't want to do anything wrong, Guard-sama." Hideo began. "I have a duty to my order and to the Clan Head to make sure that I follow all procedures in his lands."
With that Hideo quickly, but without appearing hurried walked through the lines of people to stand in front of the guardsman leader. While he was navigating the crowds Hideo heard the guard mutter under his breath the words "Clan Head" and then a variety of curses as he tried to follow behind Hideo. Hideo was kind enough to stop in front of the standing figure in green and wait for his attention, and for the guard to catch up.
The guard arrived sputtering apologies just as the figure in green turned to look at Hideo. The man's gaze looked him over from bottom to top and Hideo felt as if he was being weighted for a chopping block. When the leader's eyes alighted on the sword at Hideo's side his eyes flickered quickly to the mon inscribed on the side and then to the mon on Hideo's robes.
All of this took a second, in which the guard arrived to attention and bowed before speaking. "Toshi-sama, sorry for bothering you, this monk wanted to speak to you and would not wait." The guard took a deep breath and seemed to steady himself.
"He says he is from an ascetic order and has no goods to declare before entering the city." Here the guard gestured towards the pack on Hideo's back. "Despite evidence to the contrary."
Hideo refrained from bristling at the implied accusation and began his turn. "I carry nothing for sale, but that is not what is important here. During this guard's questioning of my visit to the city he mentioned a tax on heads and goods. I have no money," Hideo considered the money he had taken off the bandit's dead bodies the property of the dead samurai's families "and I was hoping to implore you to waive the tax for me because my monastery requires us to take a vow of asceticism. "
At the mention of a tax the guard leader's face turned to stone and he looked at the now scared guardsman with a glare that Hideo imagined would kill the man on the spot. The rest of Hideo's story was taken in the same way though when it was obvious Hideo was finished the leader broke into a smile and began speaking.
"I know exactly which order you are from Togashi-san." the guard leader waved off the other guard back to his post and motioned Hideo to join him. The shiny armored samurai led the dust covered swordsman into a wooden building built into the side of the wall directly in front of the gate. They walked up a short flight of stairs before reaching a clean sparsely furnished office with a desk dominating the center of the room.
The guard leader took his seat behind the desk and motioned Hideo to sit in one of the two chairs arrayed before the desk. "Tea?" the guardsman queried while pulling out some leaves and calling for a servant girl who when she arrived he told to get a pot of boiling water.
"No thank you," Hideo replied while surveying the contents of the desk in front of him. There was a large stack of papers and a dirty ink covered seal laying to the right of his host as well as a short bonzai placed diagonal from where Hideo was sitting. However what drew his attention the most was a set of jade chips put together into a symbol that Hideo vaguely recognized as one of the old Isawa charms used back before the Kami fell to ward off evil spirits. The set was arrayed directly in front of the chair Hideo was sitting in, and he wondered if the guard's most recent visitors had put it together.
Once the hot water had been brought and the leaves were swirling in the cup before him the guardsman began speaking again. "I mentioned earlier that I recognized your order, the Taoist monks am I correct?"
Hideo nodded.
"Yes, served with a few of them in the Great War, peerless swordsman all of them." The guardsman lauded. "Well I am sure this can be cleared up easily and there is no reason for any great fuss. I will tell my subordinates to waive any kind of fee that they might have attached to your person and packages out of respect for the service your order has done for the Empire."
None of that made any sense to Hideo. There was no way that a guardsman, even the leader of a group of guardsman, could afford the things that Hideo saw in front of him. The tea smelled like the special kind that his sensei had brought all the way from the Crab lands. The quality of the porcelin and the desk was immensely out of proportion with the rest of the room given the fine details that Hideo could make out from where he was sitting, and the obvious craftman ship that went into the wave pattern that swirled on the desk's polished surface. Finally, he felt like the guardsman's words just felt flat and too practiced like he had been rehearsing them in a mirror before this meeting.
"I would not want to cause you any kind of inconvenience," Hideo began. "There is no reason I could not talk to your superior about payment in some other way like through service to a nearby temple. If you could put me in contact with them I would greatly appreciate it, and I would be sure to let them know exactly how good a job you are doing." Hideo finished with a smile that reflected in the guardsman's eyes like a sword.
The guard looked stricken for a second before his face relaxed. "Oh there is no need for that, the Taoists did more than fair share for me and this city many years ago. In fact, in memory of that service why don't you take this as a personal gift from me to your order." The guard leader waved towards the symbol made up of interlocking jade chips on the desk. "That is a donation of say, 5 koku or so."
Hideo has been offered a bribe to be quiet of 5.5 koku. He resisted the temptation roll earlier (why this guardsman thought bribery would work on a asectic is beyond me, but he rolled badly) meaning that he can decide whether or not to take the jade, and what to do afterward. Remember to vote soon, I plan on beginning writing when I wake up. Also, please tell me about any typos because I wrote this on my phone and it is harder than normal to find them.
[X] Take the 5.5 Koku, and make promise to use it for good ends. Leave the Guard for a stern warning, and that he will check up on him again to make sure further mischief is not afoot.
[x] Refuse the koku
"I cannot accept such a hefty donation when I am stationed so lowly in my order. If you wish to thank us, please donate it to the Brotherhood."
It really doesn't matter how noble our intended use for this money is- this shit is dishonorable, and there's no real reason to think that if we get the Guard Captain's scam busted the wealth wouldn't be reasonably redistributed to those who suffered. Far more koku will go into the hands of those who need it if we reveal his scheme than if we used the 5.5 for noble ends.
How? He'd have to kill a samurai whose entire schtick is Sword Everything over all else without allowing us to escape or make a ruckus. That's not going to happen. We're not in a room with the scary guard captain the guard captain is stuck in the same room as the scary super skilled swordsman who may or may not have some mystical powers. And once we leave? He's just a gate guard captain, he doesn't have a huge amount of pull throughout the entire city, nor the resources to go after us.
How? He'd have to kill a samurai whose entire schtick is Sword Everything over all else without allowing us to escape or make a ruckus. That's not going to happen. We're not in a room with the scary guard captain the guard captain is stuck in the same room as the scary super skilled swordsman who may or may not have some mystical powers. And once we leave? He's just a gate guard captain, he doesn't have a huge amount of pull throughout the entire city, nor the resources to go after us.
On the other hand that leaves us in a guard barracks with the captains corpse and no explanation.
He could just order his troops to attack us.
He could send a runner to whoever is important to spread nasty lies about us. If its his word against ours then the fact that we're the stranger here somewhat equalises our status advantage. Bushido hasn't been codified remember?
Use your imagination a little, a corrupt guardsman and his gang of equally corrupt guards should be able to come up with something between them.
I don't disagree I just would like a vote option that wasn't what we've presented. Refuse is pretty broad and I'd like to know that we're defusing the situation rather than being outraged at attempted bribery.
