Mechanics Example
Looks fairly thematic and makes sense so far. Curious how they'll work in practice, though.

Example of how this would play out:

Tsubaki, the Namazu Daimyo, wants to show her devotion to the Emperor by destroying a nearby bandit camp belonging to the Forest Killers. Gold Province (home of Zakyo Toshi) has a Battle of 3; Namazu Jiro (her General) is somewhat inexperienced, so he grants only 2 additional kept dice to this check. Luckily, the bandit camp is a small one, and is only TN 15 to destroy. Thus, the roll is 5k3 vs. TN 15.

EDIT: After rolling the dice, Jiro has a 27, meaning that he easily mops up the pitiful bandit troops. If however the bandits had secretly been under the leadership of a maho-tsukai (TN 30) he would have failed.
storybookknight threw 6 10-faced dice. Reason: Bandit Extermination Total: 36
7 7 7 7 10 10 2 2 8 8 2 2
 
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0.18 - Prologue
[X] Do something else before leaving
--Adopt Taigen and Gohei into our clan Before leaving.
--Repeatedly remind Taigen that our (and now her) family name is
her fault.

You suppose you
could wait until you got back to Zakyo Toshi to offer your clan name to Taigen and Gohei with all of the other members of the Warakkoi-gumi, but it wouldn't seem right. The two of them stood with you against the Emperor's mysterious assailants, and deserve to be the second and third members of your Clan.

You find them getting the boat ready for travel, re-stowing all of the goods that have shifted during transport and making additional room for Miya-san's belongings. Curiously, they are not alone. Hiruma Tamayo, Hida Kaoru, Hiruma Fujita, and Hida Aoba are standing around with them, chatting idly and assisting with the repacking of the boat.

"Ah! Namazu-sama!" You hear, and Kaoru gives you an enthusiastic (if slightly undignified) wave. To your great satisfaction, you see Taigen visibly
flinch.

"Heh. Heh. Heyyyy, boss! Congratulations!" She says with a fixed smile on her face, eyes slightly wide with poorly concealed panic.

"Good morning Taigen!" You say with all the sweetness of a stewed beet, and her smile drops. You know your revenge is coming. She knows your revenge is coming. But she doesn't know when, and she doesn't know how, and you're just going to let her think about it for a little bit. "I'm surprised to see you this early, Hida-san! It's a beautiful morning though, don't you agree?"

"Oh, definitely." She nods. "I was just saying as much to your clansmates - er, friends, I guess? - anyway, them."

You do your best not to smile at her charming lack of sophistication. "Have you come to see us off?"

Kaoru looks around a bit awkwardly. "Um... wellllll.... so, there was some talk last night, and you guys only have three samurai now, and there's still maybe bandits around looking for revenge, so we volunteered to come with?" Behind her, you can see Tamayo surreptitiously palm her forehead in frustration at Kaoru's bluntness.

"That's very kind of you, thank you Hida-san." You say, eyeing the boat. It might get a bit heavy with the extra weight of the Crab samurai's armor and Miya-sama, but you should be able to manage. "It will be good to have a full crew on the oars!"

"Oars?" She looks at the boat, then back at you, and realizes you aren't joking. "Oh! Right, yeah. Oars. Totally ready." She looks over her shoulders at the other three Crab samurai. "Right guys?"

All three of them look at Kaoru with varying degrees of flat expressions and blank looks. Aoba is the first to rap one fist across his breastplate; he shouts "Osu!" and the other two are only a few seconds behind.

You grin and give them a salute back. You look at Tamayo speculatively. You'd planned to give her a gift before you left, but since she's coming with you... yeah, you'll get her something better in Zakyo Toshi. If nothing else, there's probably some sake that they don't sell around here. With that decision made, you turn back to Gohei and Taigen. "So. Are you ready to become Clan samurai?"

Gohei grins. "Hmm. On the one hand, I get a fancy last name.... On the other hand, I have to swear fealty to you... Honor redeemed... putting up with Tsubaki-chan... Eh, why not." For all the brave face that he puts upon it, you can see his breast swelling with pride.

Taigen just keeps her mouth closed and gives you a convulsive nod. You pretend not to notice the tears in the corners of her eyes.

You look at her. You smile. You say, "Gohei. Kneel." Really, it's because he got injured in the assault and so has the right to be sworn in first. Not at all because you're still bitter about your Clan Name being Namazu. Really.

So it is that Gohei becomes the second member of the Namazu family, and Taigen the third. With that bit of ceremony accomplished, the three of you set about finishing the packing of the boat, with the Hida and Hiruma members nearby assisting where they can. After some urging by you, Gohei, and Taigen they shuck off their heavy armor and stow it in the bottom of the boat as well. You aren't too terribly concerned about capsizing - it's a sturdy boat - but the extra weight will make it much heavier to scull. Luckily, there's a decent breeze today, so once you get onto the open waterway you'll be able to step up the mast and unfurl the sails. Also, you have these big strong bushi to help row for you.

As Miya Sato comes down to board your boat, you see that he has a few people following him. The remainder of the Emerald Guard. Hida Tanaka, newly confirmed Champion of the Crab. And Hantei Hantetsu, 31st of his line, the Son of Heaven himself, your Emperor, and - you are beginning to suspect - a man who could one day become your friend, if he is not one already.

Hantetsu comes up to you holding a folded white square of fabric. "Tsubaki-dono!" he says, and you feel a little thrill of pride for just having been -dono'd by the Emperor himself. "I'm glad that we caught up to you before you departed."

You raise an eyebrow. "If you wished me to stay longer, Hantei-heika, you had only to ask." You eye the parcel suspiciously.

"Fair enough," he laughs, "in that case I am glad not to have delayed you unnecessarily. Here," he says, and hands you the parcel. "A parting gift, to serve in temporary stead for the ancestral blade of the Namazu that I have yet to have forged."

You shake out the white fabric to reveal a long white haori. Some ambitious or terribly skilled heimin has clearly spent the whole night working to complete the design on the back in time - a mon, the design that of a leaping catfish in grey over a blue field. You fall in love with it immediately. "You shouldn't have, Hantei-heika. You have already given us so many gifts."

"And yet, it is less than I owe you." He smiles at you, and gestures at you to put it on. "And in any case I would not have those who have earned my favor presenting themselves as beggars." He turns slightly, and Miya Sato hands him a pair of grey armbands with the blue of the mon stitched in on one side. He presents each one in turn to Taigen and Gohei, who look at him in faint awe, and they almost shame you by putting the armbands on immediately.

"Still, Hantei-heika...clearly noone could gainsay your word. To give us an additional gift is wholly unnecessary." You continue with the ritual protest, eyeing the fit as best as you can from where you are. Isawa-san must have gone back to the clothier's for it - you'll have to write her a letter to thank her for her help.... maybe after you've had a chance to practice your calligraphy.

"Nevertheless, it is something that I desire that you accept." Hantei-heika says, and really what else can you say to that?

"Then it seems that I have no choice." You grin, and shrug on the overcoat. It's a bit warm for the weather, but it fills out your profile and clearly shows your brand new family mon.

With your new name firmly displayed, you begin the final preparations to launch the boat. Miya-sama boards delicately, evidently unfamiliar with boats in general. He initially sits just under where the boom will be, and you have him move to near the front of the boat, to counter where your weight will be in the back. Taigen and Gohei direct your temporary oarsmen on how to sit on the rowing benches, and you prepare yourself at the boat's stern, placing two firm hands on the boat's keel. You bid a final farewell, give a mighty push, and the boat starts slowly grinding over the mud of the bank, then picks up speed as it slips into the water. For a second you are nervous that you will get your new coat wet, but you manage to time things just right so that just as the boat begins to float on its own, you vault over the ship's stern. The front of the boat dips alarmingly, but you manage to roll forwards in time to keep any water from coming over the edge. You turn and wave goodbye at your bemused audience before setting up in your familiar position at the back of the boat, facing forwards towards the waters ahead and your backwards-facing rowers.

The day is quite pleasant as you set out, a swift breeze speeding you onwards to the east. The new hands are unused to the discipline of the oar, but you soon get them onto an appropriate rhythm with river-songs, calling out the beat to make sure that everyone pulls their oars together. Soon enough, the Hida and Hiruma members of your boat are pulling in tandem with Taigen and Gohei, sending you upriver in smooth, clean strokes.

Finally you get to the open river, and can set up the sail. The sheets of blue silk luff and flap, and then fill as you haul the boom around and tie it to an appropriate position. Now that you are no longer steering with the oars, you put the rudder in the water, leaning lazily upon it to keep the boat heading straight upriver, and your rowers take a grateful break. With the additional freedom to move, Miya Sato-sama gingerly picks his way past your crew so that he can get close enough to you to have a conversation. As usual with Clan samurai, there are a few moments of discussion about the weather and the journey ahead of you before he gets down to business. "As you maybe know, Namazu-sama, the Miya clan has a long history of making sure to indulge in charitable endeavors before we make any announcements that we may have, so as to make sure that the common folk are well-disposed to us before they hear our news. However, I am unfamiliar with the city of Zakyo Toshi. Where would you recommend that I direct my charitable endeavors?"

[ ] Feeding the hungry - there are far fewer farms around the city than people inside of it, and the cost of food is correspondingly high. The beggars of the city would truly sing Miya's praises.

[ ] Healing the sick - travelers come to Zakyo Toshi from all over, and bring their sicknesses with them. While you have not yet seen the City suffer the ravages of a plague, there are seemingly always sick people about, and never enough priests to treat them.

[ ] Housing the orphaned - There are always little gangs of children running about the streets of the city. You would know - you used to be one of them. Making sure that they are adequately taken care of is a noble goal indeed.

[ ] Repairing the defenses - Zakyo Toshi was once called the City Of White Walls, but these days the fortifications are decrepit and crumbling, and the exterior dirtied or long unpainted. Restoring the walls would appeal to citizens' civic pride.

[ ] Venerating the Kami - The city has always been a very secular place, to the discontent of many. Announcing a new temple to the Thunders would surely grab everyone's attention.

[ ] Write-in.
 
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0.19 - Prologue END
[X] Feeding the hungry.

"Food." You say bluntly. You almost don't even have to think about it. "The city needs food."

Miya-san actually scoffs. "Come now, I think that I would have heard if there had been a famine in such an important city..." he takes in your hard expression and flinches a little. "...but you aren't talking about famine, are you?"

You shake your head, remembering too many cold, hungry nights. "Not the kind you mean, no." You look north over the horizon, upriver where you know Zakyo Toshi lies. "Nobody cares about anybody in Zakyo Toshi unless they have money," you begin. "It's not just that those who don't work don't eat, it's that those who can't work don't eat either. Unless children have parents, they starve. Unless the elderly have strong children, they starve. Those who are injured through no fault of their own while working, hope they saved something up. It's not like villages, where there's a sense of 'well I'll help with your fields if you help with mine', because there are no fields. It's not like the lords will take care of you, because there are no lords, just people who collect taxes and pocket what they can before inevitably getting shipped off to a more prestigious post. And so people fall to crime, join gangs, whatever, because if the lords aren't looking out for your interests... you might as well find someone who will, even if it costs you your honor to do so." You sigh heavily. "If I hadn't been taken in by Boss Koibu... I don't like to think about who or what I could have become."

"And this Koibu is...?" Miya-san asks.

"An honorable man," you say with a smile. "One of too few. And the next person to be joining the Namazu clan, if I have anything to say about it. He had a stupid, silly dream of somehow uniting Zakyo Toshi, turning it into a place where people did care about each other, forming an otokodate instead of a gang, behaving as samurai should and protecting the heimin from the dangers of the world. And he got it to work - not all the way, yet, the real gangs hate us and the Guard thinks we're just like the gangs, but... the dream is still alive. When I was at my darkest, when I was empty of passion and honor, he shared that dream with me, and I was saved." You give Miya a wistful smile, then say "You probably want to duck. SAILORS! READY...... ABOUT! HARD A'LEE!" You push the tiller hard away from you, and swing the boat around a bend in the river. Gohei and Taigen deftly manage the lines so that the sail comes to the optimal new position, while your temporary Crab crewmen do their best to just stay out of the way of the swinging boom.

As Miya-san uncurls from his half-crouch, he studies you closely before nodding. "You know, I believe I would like to meet this Boss Koibu of yours," he says. "He seems like a most formidable man."

You grin. "I'll do what I can."

The rest of the day passes relatively easily, with the wind doing the majority of the work against the current, sending you upstream at a steady pace. There is a time or two when the river passes to closely to the outskirts of Shinomen Mori and the tall trees of that fell forest steal your wind, and you must once again ship oars and row your way out of the doldrums, but otherwise you are able to pass the time in easy conversation or idle meditation, watching fields and hills slowly slip by.

Eventually you come to the Village of Sacred Stone, where a Crab patrol is sifting through the rubble looking for clues to the identity of the Emperor's assailants. Smoke hangs heavily over the village, and you can see where the equipment of the Seppun guardsmen has been carefully set to one side, whereas their corpses have doubtless been already burned. You are handed a small wooden box that contains the commingled ashes of your fallen brothers, still slightly warm from the fires that sent your brothers to meet with their ancestors. You posthumously induct them into the Namazu family with as much pomp and ritual as you can manage, given the lack of preparation or priests around to assist you in the ceremony.

With the wind at your back, it takes you three days to finally reach Zakyo Toshi. You arrive midafternoon at the city docks, and are swiftly hailed by members of your otokodate.

"Ooooi! Namazu-chaaaaan!" You hear a familiar shout. One of your comrades, Yosuke, is waving from the shore, making ready with ropes to tie up your boat. "You're four days late! We were worried you got killed by pirates!"

"That's Namazu-dono to you!" You shout back.

"Aaaaah? Why's that? You finally find someone dumb enough to marry that ugly face of yours?" Yosuke shouts.

"No, I saved the Emperor's life from bandits and he gave me a Minor Clan!" You shout.

You hear laughing for a few seconds, and then you come into his line of view in your fancy new clothes and even newer haori, with Miya Sato as a passenger and a whole bunch of unsmiling Crab bushi on the rear oars. The laughing abruptly stops.

"Holy Fortunes..." Yosuke whispers, and then he just drops to his knees and bows before you. "Namazu-dono, I swear, I didn't -"
You cut him off. "Oh, get up, Yosuke. I've known you were a loudmouthed idiot for ages, I'm not about to start getting mad over it now," you say.


He scrambles to his feet, and you fix him with a stern stare. "Listen, Yosuke, I need you to get everyone. Everyone, but especially Boss Koibu, and have them all meet me here at the docks." He stares at you, mutely incomprehending. You unbend enough to give him a smile. "Spread the good word, brother. Today we become a Clan."

His eyes widen and he runs off. There is already a crowd forming of curious onlookers, already orphans heading through the streets to sell the rumors to anyone who will pay for them. So you do the only thing you can do - you start unpacking the boat, stepping down the mast, and otherwise doing your job. You have the sneaking suspicion that you're going to be too busy for it later.



Boss Koibu is a man in his late fifties, once powerful of frame but reduced by age to 'merely' being a man of overwhelming force of personality. He walks down the docks towards you, being followed by his son Jiro and a host of other members of your family.

You step down off of the docks... and bow deeply to the Boss, showing him your sincere respect. "Koibu-sama. Your daughter, Tsubaki has returned." He motions for you to rise, not yet saying anything, and so you do. "She returns to you with the ashes of her fallen brothers. With a tale of great deeds. With the thanks of the Son of Heaven himself. And with a Clan Name."

"Oh?" Koibu says, something twinkling in his eye. "And whose name has she taken?"

"Her own!" you say, and you pitch your voice for everyone to hear. "Koibu-sama, you took me in as a child. You taught me everything I know, saved me from the meaningless life of a criminal and a thief. If not for your teachings, and your example, I would not be standing before you triumphant, as I am today." You can see the crowds gathering, the murmurs and conversations dying to a hush as your voice cuts through the clamor of the city. "It is because of your honor that I did what honor demanded, and went to the Emperor's defense! It is because of your courage that I had the courage to charge into battle to defend him! And it is because of your dream - the dream of an honorable Zakyo Toshi, the dream of a family standing together as one - that I have the means to achieve that dream!"

You suck in a deep breath, and for the first time proclaim yourself. "I AM NAMAZU TSUBAKI, FIRST OF HER LINE! CHAMPION OF THE CATFISH CLAN!" You shout with your head held high so that all can hear. "Koibu-sama." You say in a voice still pitched to carry, though not quite as loud. "Will you join me? Become my family in truth? Swear fealty to me, and help me lead my brothers and sisters of the Warakkoi-gumi to a brighter future?"

For a brief second you panic, suddenly afraid that he will refuse, but slowly a smile of joy breaks upon his face, and he drops to his knees before you. As if on cue, the rest of the Warakkoi behind him bow as well; some with almost unseemly haste, others - such as Jiro - almost reluctantly. But nevertheless, they bow, you take their oaths, and it is done. They are your sons and daughters, your Clan, and you are their Champion.

The first celebration of the Namazu clan threatens to put all future such celebrations to shame. The halls of the family compound are full with people drinking, shouting, playing music, laughing and talking. The heimin sake-brewers and restauranteurs and everyone else that you protect celebrate with you, adding delicious tastes and smells and alcohol to the mix. Probably best of all are the geisha and the butterfly-boys carousing freely with the rest of you, adding cultured music and dance to the mix - and the possibility for more illicit activities later. You sit at the head of the whole household with Koibu-sama, drinking only in moderation at his advice. You swear person after person into the clan, tell the full story of saving the Emperor to a house full of drunk samurai, and on and on into the night.


It comes as no surprise the next day when pretty much the entirety of your fledgling Clan is hilariously hung over. Surprisingly, you find yourself one of the few samurai in better condition than the rest, so despite your elevated status you find yourself still in charge of Miya Sato's guard detail. Koibu-sama joins you, though more out of a desire to speak to Miya-dono than out of a true desire to be a guard, and you choose Taigen and Yosuke to round out your group. Not because they're on your shit list and you enjoy watching them suffer with hangovers, no... they're just the best people for the job. Really.

You give Miya-dono a tour of the poorest districts of the city, and watch him work his magic on the crowds. Tearful heimin come up to him, thanking him profusely, begging him to bestow the Emperor's grace upon their infants; he handles it all with grace and aplomb. You're not entirely sure how, but as you stand there behind him as his guard, you find people asking you to do the same. Clumsily, you do your best to imitate Miya-dono, and fulfill their requests as best you can. The story has apparently gotten out that you saved the Emperor's life; the fact that you are now escorting Miya-dono around and showing him where people need the most help has somehow linked the two events in peoples' minds and convinced them that it is your actions that have brought the Emperor's largesse, rather than the simple fact that the Miya family always does this sort of thing before making announcements - and you're starting to think that Miya-dono is orchestrating that mistaken impression on purpose.

At the end of the day, Miya climbs up the steps outside of the Governor's Palace onto a balcony overlooking the largest square in town. You follow slightly behind him as a 'guard', but otherwise hang back to watch as he speaks to a square crowded with people, eager to hear the Emperor's proclamation. Miya unfurls a scroll, and begins to speak, orating to be heard despite the press of people. "In the name of Emperor Hantei Hantetsu, Son of Heaven, thirty-first of his line! Let it be known that one among you has performed a great service to the Empire this day! Due to the valor of a citizen of Zakyo Toshi, the life of the Emperor was saved from honorless bandits! Let it be known that in recognition of her valor, the ronin Tsubaki has been granted the right to bear the name of Namazu!" There is a wild cheer at this, and Miya waits for it to die down before he continues. "Let it be known that Namazu Tsubaki has been granted the right to found the Clan of the Catfish!" Another, louder cheer. You look out and see some of your family members in the audience, as many of them as possible already wearing Blue and Grey. Again, Miya waits for it to die down before continuing. "Let it be known that the Clan of the Catfish has been granted the right to administer the lands of Gold Province and Wave Province in the Emperor's name! That Daimyo Otomo Genryu has been granted the right to an honorable retirement! And that Namazu Tsubaki, Champion of the Catfish, is now Daimyo of Zakyo Toshi and all surrounding lands!"

At this last, the crowd truly goes wild. Under your breath, and the cover of the wild cheers, you mutter "....dammit, Hantei-heika," shake your head at your Emperor's undue affection for surprises, and follow Miya Sato's beckoning hand to stride forwards and deliver your first speech as ruler of Zakyo Toshi.

END PROLOGUE
 
The Namazu Clan
THE CATFISH CLAN

Founding: 913

Founder: Namazu Tsubaki

Originally an otokodate of honorable ronin known as the Laughing Carp (the Warakkoi-gumi), the Namazu were founded when one of their members, known only as Tsubaki, saved the Emperor from a bandit attack in the year 913.

Honor: 3.5 - Though significantly more honorable than most ronin, the Namazu still came from ronin stock, and have yet to develop a firm set of traditions that they can rely upon. The recent addition of many less-honorable ronin into their ranks has still left them slightly more honorable than most ronin, but there is much work to do if the Honor of the Catfish is to rival that of other clans.

A clan's Honor statistic represents the Honor value of its average member, and is a general guideline to how the members of that clan behave.

Status: 2.5 - As a recently founded Minor Clan, the Namazu have very little influence over the politics of the realm as a whole.

A clan's Status represents their influence on the realm as a whole, the precedence given to them in formal situations, and so on.

Example Status ranks:
10 - Emperor
9 - Imperial Families
8 - Crane and Lion
7 - Crab, Dragon, Phoenix, Scorpion
6 - Unicorn
5 - Fox
4 - Mantis, Dragonfly
3 - Hare, Sparrow, Tortoise, Centipede
2 - Falcon, Catfish
1 - Kanosei Furudera, Nanashi Mura, other 'civilized Ronin'

Glory: 4.2 - Due to the glorious deeds of their founder, the Namazu have earned some measure of recognition from the wider world. However, the fact that they allowed a large number of ronin to swell their ranks is seen as slightly questionable, an admission of weakness that contradicts the initial impression given. They have recently gained a great deal of glory thanks to the immortalization of their founder in song.

A clan's Glory represents how likely that members of their Clan are to be recognized for their positive deeds, and the general opinion that the Empire as a whole has of them. Glory decreases over time as memories of past deeds fade away.

Infamy: 0.3 - Because of their origins as vaguely criminal Ronin, their role as patrons of the geisha of Zakyo Toshi, and the unusual habits of their bushi in using oars, the Catfish Clan had a faintly unsavory reputation. However, due to some social manipulation by the Clan's founder, much of that tarnish has been polished off.

Clans who perform questionable deeds, or who engage in practices that the rest of the Empire would ordinarily consider dishonorable, gain Infamy accordingly whether they lose personal Honor for such acts or not. The Scorpion Clan has high Infamy, but so do the Unicorn for their unusual eating habits.

Unity: 5.5 - There is little doubt that Namazu Tsubaki is the rightful leader of the clan, and there is high confidence in her decisions. However, frictions between the Warakkoi-gumi and the new additions of the Firemen and Ronin to their ranks exist, and will take time to smooth out.

Unity is a measure of the Clan's social capital and confidence in its leaders. Attempting to develop new traditions or break old ones, adopting new people into the clan, public embarrassments, and deaths of a leader can decrease Unity, whereas Clan celebrations, time, the removal of unpopular elements, and great victories can increase it.

Dojos:
None so far.

Traditions:
The Oar - Samurai of the Catfish clan suffer no Honor loss for performing manual labor if that labor is related to boats, nor any Honor loss for using peasant weapons if that weapon is an Eku.

Geisha Patrons - The Catfish clan has a long history of friendly relationships with Geisha despite the latter's status as Hinin, non-people. Namazu samurai suffer honor loss for injuring any member of the sex trade that does not pose a clear threat to them.

Gamblers - The Catfish Clan have a long tradition of gambling, and it is said that the deal that formed the Warakkoi-gumi was arrived at in part as a wager at the gambling table. Catfish samurai treat wagers with an unusual degree of respect, and may even consider them an alternative to iaijutsu duels (though not in matters where a life is on the line.)

Notable Members:

Namazu Tsubaki - the original founder. Daughter of a geisha and a Scorpion samurai, she rose to prominence by saving the life of the Emperor.
Namazu Koibu - Founder of the Warakkoi-gumi, the group that the Namazu was born from. Originally an honorable ronin, later daimyo of the Wave Plains.
Namazu Jiro - Son of Namazu Koibu. A moderately skilled bushi.
Namazu Gohei - One of the subordinates of Namazu Tsubaki in the rescue of the Emperor, and first to be adopted into the Namazu Clan. A gruff, burly individual.
Namazu Taigen- One of the subordinates of Namazu Tsubaki in the rescue of the Emperor, and first to be adopted into the Namazu Clan. A vivacious, sly individual.
Namazu Minato
Namazu Yu
Namazu Chouko
Namazu Wakaba
Namazu Hoshi
Namazu Shirou
Namazu Taka

Notable Associates:
Hatsuyuki
Black Deer
Rittou
 
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Provinces Of The Catfish
PROVINCES OF THE CATFISH CLAN

Gold Province - Home to Zakyo Toshi, called at various points in its history Pleasure City and the City of White Walls, Gold Province relies on its trade routes for most of its wealth. Bordered by Shinomen Mori to the west and the River of Gold to the east, Gold Province is a natural stopover point for anyone traveling the River of Gold, as well as lumber and silk from Shinomen and food from the east banks of the river. However, in recent years the province has become prone to mismanagement, and is eagerly awaiting more stable leadership.

Daimyo: Namazu Tsubaki
Steward: Namazu Yu 'the Rock'
Chancellor: Hatsuyuki 'the Yuki-Onna of Zakyo Toshi'
Spy: Namazu Wakaba
Warlord: Namazu Minato
Keeper of the Temple: Namazu Chouko

Trade 4 - Zakyo Toshi was for many years one of the largest trade cities in the South, surpassed only by Ryoko Owari. Sadly, its recent mismanagement has left it somewhat diminished from its glory days.
Production 2 - There are few industries that rely on Zakyo Toshi proper. The area around it is easily irrigated and home to quite a few farms, but the total size of the territory is quite small, and many peasants are unwilling to farm too close to Shinomen forest.
Diplomacy 3 - The city is full of many entertainments for visiting dignitaries, and the ruling Clan of the city enjoys both the protection of the Emperor and the neighboring Crab.
Popularity 3 - The current daimyo is a hero, and is replacing someone who was poorly liked. Moreover, the Clan has a relatively friendly attitude towards heimin and hinin. However, allowing the somewhat brutal Firemen to join the clan has left a bad taste in the mouth of some members of the populace.
Information 2 - The shadowy underbelly of the city is wide and vast, and despite the ruling clan's former place in it, they are by no means its masters, and have few feelers into the world beyond the city.
Enforcement 4 - The Namazu Clan is full of former ronin who are used to keeping the peace in their neighborhoods, and is skilled at handling problems of in discreet ways. Adding the powerful muscle of the Firemen has only increased the presence of the Namazu on the streets of Zakyo Toshi.
Learning 2 - While the Namazu Clan lacks any formal dojos, there is a relatively strong system of master & apprentice teaching that provides its members with training.
Battle 4 - The warriors of the Catfish are enthusiastic, but lightly armored and inconsistently trained. On the other hand, there's a lot of them. Ronin and ashigaru from multiple provinces have flocked to the Catfish banner.
Enlightenment 3 - Zakyo Toshi has no special relationship with the kami, nor patron deities; however it has likewise avoided running afoul of any unfortunate curses.
Non-Production income:
- Silken Song Theater: 0.1
- Miya Clan Grain: 1 (until Year 923)

Unusual Expenses:
- Temples To Inari: 1

Wave Province - So called not only for the large number of ronin who live there, but for the vast plains of tall grass and wheat that ripple in the wind. Though largely too dry for the cultivation of rice (except on its western border, where it touches the River of Gold), Wave province is home to a small number of villages that harvest such less-prestigious grains as wheat and millet. Though Scorpion lands lie to the North, the Scorpion have been relatively disinclined to administer these lands due to their poverty and low population, instead allowing ronin to make a home there.

Daimyo: Namazu Koibu
Steward: Black Deer
Chancellor: Namazu Jiro
Spy: Namazu Taka
Warlord: Namazu Shirou
Keeper of the Temple: Rittou

Trade 1 - The Wave Plains are poorly traveled, and avoided by most sane merchants.
Production 2 - The farms of the Wave plains are relatively fertile, if few in number and producing only lesser-quality grains.
Diplomacy 1 - The Plains lack any form of organized government, formal place to receive visitors, or people of any kind of status.
Popularity 2 - The heimin of the Wave Plains are relatively disinclined to revolt, if only because they lack anyone in particular to replace their current rulers with.
Information 2 - With all of the ronin administering the province now under the Catfish banner, it's possible to get information out of the province, though there are no organized systems of reporting or official spies.
Enforcement 2 - There are few forces available in the region to enforce the daimyo's will, but thankfully also few organized forces capable of resisting said enforcement.
Learning 1 - The Wave Plains have neither dojos nor traditions of education, though there may be a few individually skilled swordsmen.
Battle 3 - There are many former ronin in the Wave Plains, and they all fight under your banner. They're no true army, but neither are they completely helpless, and they are slowly learning to fight as one.
Enlightenment 2 - like most of the people of Rokugan, the Kami have forgotten the Wave Plains, for good or for ill.
 
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Year 913 - Turn 1.1 - Alliances
Year 913: Turn 1

You are Namazu Tsubaki, Champion of the Catfish Clan.

You have just been named governor of Zakyo Toshi and daimyo of the neighboring provinces.

You are in badly over your head.

Luckily, you have excellent advisors. Today you sit with Boss Koibu, your surrogate father (now Namazu Koibu, your underling, and isn't that an odd thought) in the Governor's Mansion, where Otomo Genryu lived only a few short weeks ago. Koibu-sama has lead the Warakkoi-gumi for many years, and has a great deal of advice for you on how to set up a new group - a Clan, after all, is not too dissimilar from an otokodate in execution, even if it differs in size and prestige.

"The second most important thing for you to do," he says, "is to pick a council of trusted advisors that will serve as your hands, eyes, and ears within the greater group at large."

You raise an eyebrow, and take a sip of tea, before finally breaking down and asking. "Okay, I'll bite. Why is that the second thing I need to do, and not the first?"

He grins at you. "Because the first thing you need to do is to figure out who you need to bribe with a spot on your council to keep them happy."

You laugh. "Fair enough. So who are you thinking I need to do that with?"

He looks at you solemnly. "The Catfish aren't any bigger than they were last week," he says, "Nor any better equipped, or better trained. If the Firemen and the Brotherhood teamed up against us tomorrow, do you think we could take them, just because the Emperor says we're in charge?"

"Ergh." You say, acknowledging the point. "So what do you think I should do?"

"You're going to need to make compromises," Koibu says with a slight frown. "Like it or not we need help from somewhere. Some of our rivals might join us; others might agree to a non-aggression pact. Here's what I see as our options."

DEALS AND COMPROMISES

The Autumn Brotherhood - A gang of drug dealers that masquerade as priests, using holy vows and the protection given to the Brotherhood of Shinsei to engage in one of the most illegal trades known to Rokugan - Opium. Their leader is unknown to you.

[ ] Adopt the Autumn Brotherhood. (+1 Learning, +1 Enlightenment, +1 Trade, +1 Information, +2 Infamy, -1 Honor, -1 Unity). As much as you detest the opium trade, it's never going to just go away, and the Brotherhood are at least the devil you know. Bringing them under your rule would limit the damage that they do... and give you the resources to make up for the stain upon your soul.

[ ] Leave the Brotherhood alone. You can't bring yourself to actually make peace with them, but if you remove them, you'll only be making room for the cartels in Ryoko Owari to take their place.

[ ] Crush the Brotherhood. You don't care who else you have to make deals with, you're going to eradicate these opium dealers root and branch, and do the same thing to anyone who tries to take their place. You've seen too many people taken by opium to just let that trade flourish in your city.

The Silent Canaries - A gang of merchants and smugglers that deal in seriously illicit goods. Besides tax evasion, they also deal in gaijin goods and information. Their leader is Ukyo, a failed member of the Daidoji clan, who has dyed her hair a vibrant yellow rather than her original clan's typical white. Ukyo is a skilled plotter and a talented businesswoman.

[ ] Adopt the Silent Canaries. (+1 Trade, +1 Information, -1 Diplomacy, +1 Infamy, -1 Unity) So they're smugglers; well, so are you. If you team up with the Canaries, you can make sure that your city's goods make it to markets everywhere without having to deal with patrols or taxes. You'll pay taxes to the Emperor, of course - it's just the Great Clans that you want to compete with. You can't say that having access to gaijin goods would be unattractive either.

[ ] Leave the Silent Canaries alone. Smuggling is relatively harmless, all things considered. You can deal with them after you've dealt with more pressing threats.

[ ] Get rid of the Silent Canaries. Smuggling cuts into your tax base in a serious way, and like any ronin, you know how important money can be. Getting rid of their network now will save you years of losses in the future.

Ronin - The Wave Plains are full of Ronin, and there are quite a few ronin in the city that might join a Clan that would not have joined your otokodate. Recruiting so obviously from the wave-men will cost you some prestige, but making sure that you have a solid base of people to build your clan on is important.

[ ] Adopt Ronin into your clan. (+1 Battle Gold Province, +1 Battle and +1 Information Wave Province, -1 Glory, -1 Honor, -1 Unity.) Your boss accepted only honorable ronin into the Laughing Carp; you aren't going to accept outright criminals, but life as a ronin was painful and you're minded to give other ronin a similar home.

[ ] Leave the Ronin alone. The Empire needs a place where ronin are accepted; as long as the ronin in your lands pay their taxes on time, there's no reason not to let them govern themselves.

[ ] Get rid of the Ronin. You don't need a bunch of masterless samurai in your lands that are bound to stir up crime, and getting rid of them should be pretty easy - just let them know they're unwelcome, and they'll go.

The Firemen - A gang composed primarily of heimin firefighters, they have been long-term rivals of the Warakkoi over the protection racket and the geisha trade. Their leader is a Ronin named Minato, a skilled warrior with the Ono - he's seen as a thug, and is not very well liked, but is a talented leader of men and a cunning plotter.

[ ] Adopt the Firemen. (+1 Battle, +1 Enforcement, -1 Popularity, -2 Unity) They've been your rivals for so long in part because you have similar interests and values, you've just disagreed as to who should be in charge. Now that the Emperor has spoken on the matter, is there really a reason for continued conflict? There may be some grumbling about playing nice with your long-time foes, but you should be able to manage it. In return you'd get a contingent of skilled ashigaru, and a few talented samurai to boot.

[ ] Call a truce with the Firemen. The City still needs firefighters, and you have more important potential enemies to worry about.

[ ] Get rid of the Firemen. They've been your enemies for ages, and that's not going to go away. Going to war with them now will keep them from becoming a problem in the future.

The Emerald Guard - Not technically a criminal gang, the Guardsmen in Zakyo Toshi are still corrupt thanks to the influence of their former leader, Otomo Genryu. Most of members of the Guard are going to be unwilling to leave their former Clans behind, but you may be able to convince certain members of the Guard to stay behind as permanent Clan allies or ambassadors, some might marry into your fledgling clan and some might straight up join as 'gestures of goodwill' - too bad that there will almost certainly be spies and criminals among anyone willing to stay behind.

[ ] Adopt from the Guard (+1 Diplomacy, +1 Learning, -1 Enforcement, -2 Unity) If you're willing to accept foreign spies and criminals in your ranks, you will create opportunities for ties between your fledgling clan and the Great Clans, acquire teachers that you desperately need... and potentially lose some of your control over the city and your Clan as foreigners plot against you.

[ ] Keep the Guard on until their rotations end. It will ensure a smooth transferral of responsibilities, make sure that your new administration is not unprepared for any complications that come up... and give agents among the Guard a chance to subvert your men.

[ ] Get rid of the Guard. You'll muddle your own way through running the city if it means that you can keep your people from being unduly tempted.


Any adoptions that you make will be permanent, and will be reflected in Gold Province's stats (also Wave Province, if you adopt ronin).

You may also pick up traditions, etc. from people that you adopt.

Unity is sort of like Honor - 4 is about average, and 6 is quite good.

Dealing with the Great Clans will wait until after you have a diplomatic advisor.
 
Year 913 - Turn 1.2 - Advisers
[X] Plan Give and Take.

You listen to the options that Boss Koibu lays out, and think on it hard for a second. "I want - " you pause, trying to come up with the best way to say it. "- I want our clan to break free from our pasts. I want the city to break free from its past." You give him a fierce glare. "And to start, I mean to crush the Brotherhood of Autumn."

Koibu nods approvingly. "A fine choice, especially given what you told me about Hantei-heika's reaction to hearing of them."

You continue, encouraged. "We won't be able to do it on our own," you say, "I know that. But... I don't want to just become a pawn of the Great Clans, either. I'll keep the old guard around for as long as they're useful, but after that I want them gone."

He nods. "So the Firemen, the Ronin, and the Canaries?" he asks.

"Not the Canaries. I'll give them a pass for now as long as they don't join with the Brotherhood, they're more or less small fry... but I don't want to deal with gaijin goods either. If nothing else in all of this, I want to stay true to the Emperor. To build an honorable Zakyo Toshi. To do what you did for me, and give everyone who I can, everybody who hasn't already gotten completely mired in the corruption of this place a clean start."

Koibu slowly nods. "It'll be a hard road to follow, Tsubaki-dono," he says to you, but you can see the determination in his eyes. "But the kami willing, we will see it done."

Both of you take a deep breath, sip your tea, and move on to the next topic. "So, advisors?" You say.

He nods. "If you're planning on adopting the Firemen, I'd advise you to make sure that bastard Minato 'the Axe' is on your advisor council. He's a proud man, and not one to take lightly to being ignored. You'd also do well to take at least one of the ronin from the wind plains, though they're a bit..." he pauses. "Well, there's none of them that I'm going to be a hundred percent comfortable with. If you want advisors you can trust, though, I'm sure that any of my advisors would be happy and willing to help you out - along with myself, of course."

ADVISORS
You may pick at most one Advisor for each Ring, and may not choose the same advisor more than once. Each advisor will have a focus and a rank. Some advisors may additionally have special bonuses or penalties to certain circumstances.

Earth:

[ ] Boss Koibu - your former boss is an experienced wheeler and dealer, and a skilled gambler to boot. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Trade. Rank: Expert. Special: Gambler.

[ ] Black Deer - The current Steward for the Warakkoi-gumi, Black Deer is a wealthy heimin merchant with a strong trade network behind him. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Trade. Rank: Skilled.

[ ] Yu 'the Rock' - The leader of a small ronin village called Koeru Mura, Yu is known for being a stubborn, hardheaded bastard with a sense for the weather and a working knowledge of how to administer a farm.
Affiliation: Ronin. Focus: Production. Rank: Average. Special: Weather Eye.


[ ] Write-in.

Air:

[ ] Boss Koibu - In addition to being a skilled man of business, your boss is also a savvy diplomat, able to get heimin, ronin, and geisha all working together. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Popularity. Rank: Expert. Special: Leadership.

[ ] Hatsuyuki - The leader of the geisha of the Silken Smile, most prestigious geisha house in Zakyo Toshi. She is an adept manipulator of men, particularly samurai. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Diplomacy. Rank: Expert. Special: Seduction.

[ ] Jiro - Your boss's son has been raised as much as possible to follow in his footsteps. He doesn't have anything like the old man's skill, but has the youth and vigor to potentially make up for that in time. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Popularity. Rank: Amateur. Special: Leadership.

[ ] Write-in.

Water:

[ ] Wakaba - A youthful, yet skilled, veteran of the orphan gangs of the city. Like you, she found purpose under Koibu, but maintains much closer ties to her old friends, the children of the city. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Information. Rank: Amateur. Special: Children, Fast Growth (will gain in skill quickly).

[ ] Minato 'the Axe' - The brash head of the Firemen, Minato is an expert at maintaining control over areas that he has deemed are his. Affiliation: Firemen. Focus: Enforcement. Rank: Skilled. Special: Intimidation.

[ ] Taka - The man who goes by 'Hawk' is a ronin of few words, but keen observational skill. He keeps falcons and messenger pigeons alike, and has a small network of like-minded ronin birders on the Wave Plains that he keeps in touch with using the birds as carriers. Affiliation: Ronin. Focus: Information. Rank: Average.

[ ] Write-in.

Fire:

[ ] Jiro - The commander of the Warakkoi-gumi's military and your boss's son. He's honestly not the most skilled warrior, but he's courageous and well-liked. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Battle. Rank: Average.

[ ] Minato 'the Axe' - a big, powerful man and a terror to face on the battlefield, a fact that you can personally attest to. He normally wields an Ono, a two-handed axe nearly as tall as he is, and is as skilled a leader as he is a warrior. Affiliation: Firemen. Focus: Battle. Rank: Expert. Special: Personal Combat.

[ ] Shirou - a relatively young man who nevertheless claims to be the head of an almost-forgotten dojo deep in the heart of the Wave Plains. He is a skilled duelist, with some unusual forms. Affiliation: Ronin. Focus: Learning. Rank: Skilled. Special: Teaching.

[ ] Write-in.

Void:

[ ] Rittou - A monk of the Brotherhood of Shinsei, he has served for years the family priest to the Warakkoi-gumi. Well liked by most, if not especially enlightened. Affiliation: Warakkoi-gumi. Focus: Enlightenment. Rank: Average. Religion: Shinsei.

[ ] Seiji - The spiritual advisor to the Firemen, Seiji is a follower of the Seven Thunders. He is a passionate preacher, but still youthful and inexperienced. Affiliation: FIremen. Focus: Enlightenment. Rank: Average. Religion: Seven Thunders.

[ ] Chouko - A shugenja of the Kanosei Furudera order, she has been meditating at Dangai monastery for some time. Though clearly gifted with the kami, she is decidedly odd in demeanor, and makes no secret of the fact that she was common-born. Affiliation: Ronin. Focus: Enlightenment. Rank: Skilled. Religion: Fortunist (Inari).

[ ] Write-in.

EDIT: Wave Province Daimyo

[ ] Leave empty for now.

[ ] Write-in.
 
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Tsubaki's Character Sheet
Aaaand, here it is.

Tsubaki Namazu

Age: 24 (Winter 913)

Insight Rank 5 (Ronin)

School: Laughing Carp 1 (as Tawagoto's Army) / Namazu Bushi 1 / Silken Song 1 (IR5 rank)


Laughing Carp 1 technique: The People's Will – Those who are guided by honor carry the strength of the Empire's people in their actions. When you spend a Void Point to add a bonus of +1k1 to any Skill or Trait Roll, you may also add your Honor Rank to the total of that roll.

Namazu Bushi 1 technique: Reading The Currents - The way of the Namazu is to always know when trouble is coming. You gain your Air Ring to your TN to be hit at all times. If you have the Inner Gift: Empathy of your founder, this bonus increase to 2*Air Ring. Additionally, you suffer no honor or glory loss from using staves, and have an additional +1k0 on all damage rolls involving staves.

[Gained Insight Rank 5 technique: The World Your Stage - You may attempt to shift someone's attitudes by offering a suitable artistic performance (typically dance or music) and making a Contested Roll of your Perform / Awareness (or Acting / Awareness if more appropriate) against their Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower. With a success, you lure them into the attitude or a choice you would prefer. If they have no reason to be on their guard against you, you may also take them as an Ally with 1-point Devotion. The target will be unaware that you are influencing them in this manner. You may only use this technique against the same target once per month.

Additionally, when you spend a void point in a Contested Social Skill Roll against someone who has seen you perform, you gain additional unkept dice equal to your ranks in that perform skill. ]

Honor: 6.7
Glory: 6.3
Status: 7.5

Earth: 4

Air: 5 (Awareness 6)

Water: 3 (Strength 4)

Fire: 2 (Agility 3)

Void: 3


Skills:
Acting 2
Courtier 3
Etiquette 4
Investigation 1
Perform(Song) 6
Perform(Oratory) 5
Sincerity 4
Athletics 3
Battle 1
Defense 3
Iaijutsu 3
Jiujutsu 1
Kenjutsu 4
Staves 6(Eku)
Commerce 1
Sailing 5
Intimidation 1
Stealth 1
Temptation 1
Calligraphy 1
Tea Ceremony 1
Games: Kemari 1
Games: Go 1

Advantages:
Great Destiny (FREE)
Sacrosanct (FREE)
Great Potential (Staves)
Inner Gift (Empathy)
Way of the Land (Gold River)
Voice
Benten's Blessing (FREE)

Disadvantages:
Bad Fortune (Disfigurement)
Idealistic
 
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Year 913 - Turn 1.3 - Minato
[X] Plan Candesce


You look at the Boss after he's finished explaining what he thinks are your best options. "There's some tough choices there," you say. "I honestly don't want to lose a single one of these people for our clan, and that will happen if I choose some of them over others."

He nods. "I know, but -"

You interrupt him. "That's why I'm making you daimyo of Wave Province."

"Come again?" He blinks.

"You're the single most competent advisor I have. You're an expert at trade, something Wave badly needs to get on its feet. You can get all sorts of people to work together with each other and build a, a Clan. And I can't think of anyone who deserves it more."

Your usually reserved Boss chokes up a little bit at that. "You could run both Provinces," he says. "You don't need to give up half of what the Emperor himself gave you."

You shake your head and smile. "He didn't give it just to me," you say. "I told him a lot about you, you know? And the Warakkoi-gumi. Because of you, we were already a Clan. The Emperor just made it official."

"I can't accept," he says. "I can help you manage Wave just as well from here as I can from a position as a daimyo. I'd be taking away the option of giving the seat to one of your children when you get older."

You pause for a second. ".... You know, I actually hadn't thought of that? I'm going to have to have children to carry on the family name... what a strange idea." You shake your head. "Even so, it doesn't matter. I don't need a daimyo's to be available in twenty years, I need a daimyo now, so we can bribe everyone who needs to be bribed with a seat on an advisors council, and you're the only person I could possibly trust with the position."

He laughs, shakes his head, and pulls out a bottle of sake. "Well, when you put it that way," he says, and pours you a cup. You take the bottle from him to pour his drink in return, and drink on the matter together.

"Pfaugh!" You say, as the harsh spirits practically burn your tongue. "Is this shochu, old man?"

"Ha ha ha!" He refills your cup after you put it down. "You're gonna have to learn to be a better drinker than that! Don't think that young friend of yours hasn't already told me all about your bender with the Champion of the Crab!"

"Taigen..." you growl, then you catch your boss's eye and both of you break into laughter. "Okay, then. I'm gonna need you to leave me Hirayuki and Wakaba," you say, getting down to business even as the alcohol loosens your tongue and lets you slide back into an easier, more comfortable mode of speech. "They aren't gonna do you much good anyways out in the plains."

"So cruel of you, leaving an old man out in the middle of nowhere like that," he teases. "Hmm. I guess that means I'll have to train Jiro up to take my place as daimyo. Probably for the best - he's a fine warrior, but I don't know if it's ever what the Kami truly meant for his destiny to be. And for my spy-in-chief... Guess it'll have to be Taka." He scowls a little at this and takes another swallow of shochu.

"Not least because I don't trust that bastard Minato in charge of our magistrates," you agree. "Which means he's got to be my Marshal, and since I don't want our only sword instructor deciding to go work for someone else..."

Koibu sighs. "It's probably just as well, since his so-called dojo is in Wave province anyways." He rolls his eyes a bit. "From what I hear, it's less of a dojo and more of a shack, but whatever." He pauses, and thinks about the decisions you've made so far. "That leaves your Steward and Priest roles open, and you with a need to fill at least one with ronin... Yu's not a bad choice of Steward, though putting a man who doesn't know trade in charge of a trade city is a bit odd, but... are you really going to take that crazy shugenja?" he asks.

"Actually?" you say. "I kind of like Chouko. Goofy cigarettes, common blood, straw hat and all."

He shakes his head at you once again for that, and the two of you continue drinking and discussing the future late into the night.

Of course, your whole plan revolves around Minato 'the Axe' agreeing to your proposal, so you schedule that for the very next day.

Your first impression on meeting Minato for the first time is that he's big. He's not the first tall samurai you've met lately; there were quite a few among the Crab who were significantly taller than average, Hida Tanaka coming particularly to mind. However, Tanaka was big and tough, a mountain of gristle and scar almost like a piece of the Kaiu Wall itself had come to life. Minato is big and fast, scarcely an ounce of spare fat upon his rangy frame, long of limb and broad of shoulder. His brownish hair is cropped unstylishly short, and where his arms are not decorated with tattoos they are covered with scars from flame and blade.

You are meeting in a teahouse in what has been neutral ground between you up until now, one of the districts quick enough with bribes or favors to the Imperial Guard to have been under their protection. That the territory is now yours is doubtless a fact that is not lost upon him, but the history of neutral grounds is enough for him to meet you here. He sits across from you unceremoniously, spawling his legs indecorously wide rather than attempting to cram them underneath the low table. For all of his seemingly relaxed posture however he keeps his sword within easy reach on his left side where he could make a quick draw if negotiations turn sour. "Thank you for meeting me, Minato-dono," you begin.

His eyebrow raises suspiciously at your polite greeting, but he apparently decides to play along for now. "And congratulations to you, Namazu-dono, on your recent successes." He stares at you impassively over the spread of tea and crackers, and says nothing more.

"It's well known that you're a man of few words, Minato-dono;" you say, still keeping your noble and refined airs, only to drop them all at once. "So let's cut the bullshit."

He smirks. "Oooh?" he drawls. "Interesting. Playing things a bit different from the Old Man, are we?" He snorts. "Fine then. Is this where you tell me that my men and I disarm ourselves or we get locked up? Seems a little early in the day to be burning down the Governor's palace, but if I have to I'll make an occasion of it."

For all his bluster, you can see that Minato is nervous. There is a twitch in his hand where it hovers near his scabbard, and you can feel that he is half-expecting you to move on him here and now. You also notice spikes of tension from elsewhere in the room, assorted ashigaru and dohei that have been here even before you showed up to keep an eye on the place and help Minato fight to an exit if he needs one. So you make no sudden moves and pick up your cup of tea, taking a slow sip, and give Minato your wryest grin. "No, this is where I ask you questions to make sure you have what it takes to join the kuge of the Catfish Clan as my Warlord." In the brief moment where his shock and surprise is still keeping him from speaking, you press your advantage. "Question one: tomorrow you're the commander of every bushi and ashigaru in the Catfish, Firemen, and the entire Wave Plains. What's your first priority?"

He laughs, startled. You fix his gaze with your own, silently demanding an answer from him, and leave him with no response but to answer. "Figuring out a chain of command," he says. "First thing. You can't do anything with a group that large without figuring out who you can rely on."

"How?" you quickly ask, and he grins and cracks his knuckles.

"How else?" he responds. "Tournament style. Ask some questions, watch some sword forms, whatever you gotta do to figure out who you need running things, then hand your lieutenants blunt objects and let them sort out the rest."

"What about equipment?" You ask. "Do you let people choose their own weapons?"

He snorts. "That's no way to train an army. I'd... probably put people in ashigaru armor, to start. Your people need to swim, my people need lightweight crap to fight fires, and ashigaru armor's cheap. Maybe light armor for the actual lieutenants. And then with the money we save, we make sure everybody has a big-ass weapon. I'm partial to axes," he says with a grin, "but naginatas'd work, those fucking oars of yours'd be okay if you want us to play nice with the peasants, could get bisentos if you want to talk to the monks up north, or nodachi if you're feeling stupid rich. The point is that if I'm teaching, they're learning to hit hard, hit fast, and dodge faster."

You nod slowly. "I can live with that. Can you live with working with the Namazu? Avoid putting just your men in all the top spots?"

He looks vaguely offended. "Hey, I know my business. Your guys can keep up with mine, prove they're tough enough, they lead. Simple as that."

"And working for me?" You say archly.

He looks you straight in the face, directly at your unlucky birthmark, and you don't flinch. Eventually he shrugs. "I got no real problems with you, girl. Can't promise I won't give your old man trouble, or that punk kid of his, but you and me, we ain't got nearly that kind of history. I reserve my right to take my men and go if it turns out you're a complete clusterfuck, though."

Inwardly you grin. He's already talking like he's accepted, and that's good enough for you. You take a bottle of sake and a pair of cups out, and pour him the first drink. "Then welcome to the Namazu, Warlord Minato."

He pauses as he realizes just what has happened, then laughs uproariously. Shaking his head, he pours you a more generous portion than you poured him, and raises his own glass high. "I'll kneel before you tomorrow, Tsubaki-sama. But I'll drink to you tonight."

Minato 'the Axe' has become Namazu Minato, and first of your advisors.

He brings several potential traditions to the Namazu, and only time will tell which of them take hold permanently.

Short Hair - due to the firefighting origins of the Firemen, short hair (that is unlikely to burn or singe) may become a preferred style.
Leadership Of The Strong - All else being equal, it may be physical might and combat prowess that determine who leads the military.
Large Weapons - the bushi of the Catfish may develop a preference for large weaponry.

Who would you like to induct into your advisors next?
This will have no effect on group dynamics, their opinions of you, etc - just on who I write up first.

[ ] Yu 'the Rock'
[ ] Hatsuyuki
[ ] Wakaba
[ ] Chouko
 
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Year 913 - Turn 1.4 - Yu 'the Rock'
[X] Yu 'the Rock'

Now that you have the Firemen under your banner, you decide the next most important thing to do is to win the loyalty of the ronin of the Wave Plains. You aren't so naive as to assume that all of the ronin out there will simply fall over themselves in gratitude just for being offered a spot in your Clan - it'll help, but you'll need to show them that they're respected and valued, so besides just taking care of their needs you'll also need to show them that you're willing to listen to their leaders.

The first step in that is visiting the village of Koeru Mura. It's probably the largest village in the Wave Plains; it's also the furthest away, and you and your honor guard have a long ride of several days on your stocky ponies before the tall grasses give way to tall stalks of wheat and millet. You carefully ride single-file in the rows between the fields to avoid trampling the crops, and soon come upon a rather sizable village. The homes of the village are surprisingly sturdy-looking, their walls often reinforced with stacked rocks and dried earth rather than just relying on simple constructions of wood. They could probably double as impromptu fortifications if the need arose, and this deep into lawless lands you find it entirely likely that it has arisen in recent memory. The center of the village is defined by a large, flat boulder of granite that seemingly serves as a stage or podium for the village leadership, and as the assorted heimin and ronin of the village begin to congregate curiously around your party you hop up onto the stone so that your voice can clearly reach everyone.

"I am Namazu Tsubaki, champion of the Catfish Clan!" You shout. "For my service to the Emperor, I have been granted the right to administer the Wave Plains in their entirety! Samurai of Koeru Mura! You have made this one of the most prosperous villages in the Plains! Its heimin are safe, its lands well-managed! For your skill and bravery, I offer you a place in the Catfish Clan, to help me make a nation of the Wave Plains!"

A samurai climbs up to meet you on the top of the rock, and from the deference that everyone else shows him you assume that this must be Yu. He's not quite what you were expecting from a man with the nickname 'the Rock'. While he is obviously in fighting shape and possesses a relatively solid build, he is obviously balding and greying, has the slightest hint of a pot belly, and is about an inch shorter than you are. He looks at you suspiciously, but you and all of your followers are wearing the Clan blue and grey, have your new Mon proudly emblazoned on your kimonos and armor, and are too clearly samurai to be lying about such a matter. "Hmph. What happens if we don't join?" he says roughly.

You pitch your voice to carry, but address Yu directly. "If your personal honor demands that you remain ronin, then I am minded to leave you in peace to manage the land here as you have been, and the new daimyo of the Wave Plains will send troops to collect taxes in the fall. On the other hand, if you do join, I'd personally like to have you as my Steward, Yu-dono. Word of your skill and leadership has spread even to Zakyo Toshi, and I would like to see what a man of your talents could do with the resources of an entire city behind him."

You can feel it when he makes up his mind - it resounds in your Gift like a boulder shifting places, coming down with a crash. "Alright, Namazu-sama. I'm your man." He kneels before you, and you swear him into the Clan. Soon after him follow the other ronin of the village, swearing to you one after another on the stone at the center of the village.

After the ceremony, you seek out Yu to discuss the future with him, and find him waiting for you by a small stream, sitting on a rock outcropping and looking up at the sky. "So, you want to know my secret?" He asks. "How I managed to turn this village into a place a man could be proud of?" He slaps the rock next to him in wordless invitation, and so you sit.

"I do," you say. "My instincts are telling me that you'll do just as good of a job in Zakyo Toshi as you would here, but I need to be sure."

"First secret," he says. "Attention." He jerks his chin at the landscape in front of you, the rolling grain and grass-covered hills that lead up to the foothills of the Spine of the World. "Not a cloud in the sky," he says, "but the wind's coming out of the south." He inhales deeply through his nose. "Air's not wet, but it's not dry either, and it smells like pollen. Crickets started chirping earlier than usual this morning. Air's a little bit hazy over the Spine. Scars ache a bit." There is a long pause as he chews thoughtfully on a piece of grass. Finally, he speaks. "Rain tomorrow morning, most like."

You nod hesitantly. "I can see how that would be helpful in avoiding having crops ruined, but..."

Yu raises an eyebrow at you. "Neighbors are all buying wheat, looks like it'll be a dry year. Plant sorghum. Cold winter? Plant beans. Hot rainy summer? Wheat and melons. Goes for cities, too. Hot, dry summer? Start cutting lumber, because there's sure to be fires somewhere. Cool wet year? Buy up silks and blankets. All you have to do is pay attention, and you can find out what people need."

You nod again, this time with a bit more confidence. "I see. What's the second secret, Yu-sensei?" You say teasingly.

He grumbles slightly, and draws his hand through the dirt. He picks it up and rubs it between his fingers before your eyes, and you watch as the light brown dirt crumbles easily and smoothly. "Ground here's sandy," he says. "Doesn't hold water. Makes it shit soil for rice." Yu scoffs. "Before I took over, this place was still trying to grow that shit anyways. Second secret, humility. If you have ground for wheat, grow wheat. Don't try to be what you're not. Know why?" He asks.

"Aside from the fact that you have more to eat?" You answer with a smile.

He laughs a little, and then says, "Crane grows rice. Lion grows rice. Scorpion grows rice. Even the Crab grow rice where the land isn't all ruined to hell. Rice is a 'samurai food'! But they all like to eat noodles." He shrugs. "So even though I have less land than any of them, I still get a good price."

You are made a little uncomfortable by his frank discussion of money, but you can see the wisdom of his words. "And for Zakyo Toshi?" You ask. "How does humility apply there?"

Yu picks up another handful of dirt and lets it fall through his fingers. "Dirt around Zakyo Toshi is full of clay." He claps his hands together, then brushes them against each other to clean them. "Probably never be able to make porcelain like the Crane, but you don't need fine and fancy work if all you want is a pot to piss in." He chuckles. "Kaiu smiths are the best in the world, but it doesn't take a genius to knock out nails. The Unicorn make gaijin glass so clear you can see through it, but you don't have to be able to see through a jar to know what's in it if you slap a label on it. And if you can stomach the smell and dealing with the eta, there's always leatherwork." Your stomach churns faintly at the thought but the logic behind it makes sense. "It's not glorious, but 'man cannot subsist on glory alone.'"

"Fair enough." You say, mulling over the idea. "And the last secret?"

He gives you a challenging grin and stands. You stand as well, and he begins leading you towards the center of town. "The last secret is, 'fuck you, work harder.'" You blink in surprise as he calls out to a passing heimin. "Hey, Botai! What did I say when your field only grew six bushels when you needed ten?"

"Fuck you, plant two fields!" The heimin shouts back cheerfully.

He gestures to a man standing by one of the sturdy looking houses in the village square. "Junpei! What did I tell you when fucking bandits burned down your house?"

"Fuck you, build a stronger house!" comes the response, and you feel a smile threatening to creep in at the corner of your mouth.

Yu jumps up onto the big flat rock in the center of the town and looks down at you. "And when the kami put a big-ass rock right in the middle of your best goddamn field, and it's so heavy it takes fifty men to move, you say fuck you, get a hundred men, and drag that piece of mountain all the way to the center of town where people can see it every damn day." He gives you a challenging grin. "They don't call me the Rock because of my muscles," he says, "or my thick skull - though my wife might disagree. They call me the Rock because as hard as this bastard was," he says, stamping on the granite below him, "I proved I was harder."

You laugh, and extend a hand to him so that he can pull you up to join him. "So I see," you say. "I admit, I'm impressed."

He grins back. "'Course you are. I don't think I need to explain to you how that secret works in Zakyo Toshi, do I?"

"No," you shake your head, "I don't believe you do."

Yu 'The Rock' has joined the ranks of your advisors as Namazu Yu.

He brings several potential traditions to the Namazu, and only time will tell which of them take hold permanently.

Noodles - Wheat noodles are a favorite of Koeru Mura, and may gain popularity in Zakyo Toshi as well.
Humility - The Namazu may choose to focus on Humility in addition to the tenets of Bushido.
Ebisu's Favor - The Namazu may develop a strong tolerance for, and respect of, manual labor and the heimin who provide it.

The next advisor to join will be [X] Chouko. Who will you induct after that?

[ ] Hatsuyuki
[ ] Wakaba
 
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