[L5R] Minor Clan Quest

[storybookknight]

[X] reignonyrparade

You nod as you listen to your advisors summarize their days, doing your best to continue to look and act like a decisive, inspiring leader rather than someone who would really rather just go to sleep. As they all finish, you give them a smile of encouragement. "Well done, all of you. Some of you I want to hear more from tonight, the rest of you I can speak with tomorrow, but first things first." With that said, you pull the book of poetry that you received from Bayushi Yamato out from your kimono. "What do you all make of this? The Champion of the Scorpion gave me a book of poetry as a gift, and I have to think that there's more to it than that."

"Poetry?" Chouko says. "Give it here." She sounds unusually avid in comparison to her usual spaciness, and you watch as she flips through the book, reading at a rapid pace. After a few minutes, she frowns. "If I didn't know better, I'd say this was a present for me, not for you. It's poetry themed around the sixty-four yarrow divinations, one for each casting." She frowns, flipping through it some more. "Some of it... isn't very good poetry, to be frank. A lot of it is stilted, almost? There are some really unusual word choices that make very little sense thematically."

"Let me see that." Koibu's voice brooks no argument, and Chouko hands the book over willingly. He examines it carefully, his free hand sticking out one or two fingers at a time in an unusual pattern. After a few seconds, he breaks into a slow, triumphant smile. "Aha! I thought so!" He looks up from the book at you. "This isn't a book of poetry. It's a codebook."

Wakaba actually gasps, then puts her hand to her mouth to hide her lapse of on. "No way! That is so cool. Let me see!" He hands the book over to her, and she flips through it avidly, Minato and Yu looking over her shoulder. After a few seconds, she says, "... I don't get it. How can you be so sure?"

Koibu points to the chapter titles. "So, this may require some explanation. Chouko-san revealed that the poems were all themed around the I Ching, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Wakaba says in agreement.

"Okay, so picture a yarrow stalk reading. Each stalk is either yin or yang." He says. "Either crossed by another stalk, or uncrossed. And all sixty-four readings have their own pattern. So, what if you translated those patterns into either 'yes' or 'no'?" He points at a particular word. "Many of these words are, as Chouko-san noticed, quite long - but especially so towards the front of the book. See, here - story, monogatari. My bet is that we may at some point get a message where one of the words is bakemono, and depending on whether it is placed as a 'yes' or a 'no', it could mean 'bake' or 'mono' - or perhaps 'mono' or 'gatari', it will take some time with an actual message that he sends us to translate for certain."

Wakaba looks terribly impressed, but Minato's reaction is even better. "Oi! You bastard, is that why you kept sending so many letters to so many people?" Minato growls, glaring daggers at Koibu. "Every time my men intercepted one of your stupid letters, it was always full of nonsense. Was that why?"

Koibu preens like a cat that has just stolen a fish. "I used a rather different cipher, but yes, this isn't my first time using a code of some sort." He picks up the book and hands it back to you. "The main thing to recall about ciphers like this is that they are typically impenetrable unless someone has the corresponding cipher-book to decode it with. So keep a very careful watch on this."

You tuck the book once again into your kimono. It's a not unpleasant weight, a physical reminder that the Courts are full of shadows and plots far beyond your experience. "All right, then. Since it sounds like we won't be able to do anything further about this book until Yamato-dono sends us a letter?" Koibu nods in confirmation. "In that case, let's leave it for the moment and talk for a bit about your nights. Koibu-san, tell me about Kitsune Yasuji-dono, and this Yasuki of yours."

Koibu doesn't blush, but you can feel a surge of embarrassment from him, and your interest sharpens. "Well, Yasuji-dono seemed like ... I would say, probably a proud man, forced by circumstances to be humble. He is definitely someone who knows how the game is played here at court." He pauses for a second, clearly considering. "I would say, he's used to being one of the leaders of the Minor Clans, especially in this circumstance. I don't know that he's entirely pleased that we seem to have so much influence, nor that we have so far avoided making common cause with the other Minor Clans, but I didn't get the impression that he was so angry that we wouldn't be able to smooth things over."

You mull over that for a moment. "The bags of rice that all of the Minor Clans gave to the Crab - That was his move." You say, thinking out loud. If that is the case, the Fox might be more important than you had assumed, if the Sparrow and Hare were following their lead.

"I think so," Koibu agrees. "It's possible that becoming too close friends with the Fox could lead to trouble with our hosts." He frowns thoughtfully. "Unless we could convince the Minor Clans that allying themselves with the Crab would lead to a better state of affairs in the long run."

After a pause, you nod in affirmation. "Definitely something worth handling quickly, then." You give your Boss a sly smile. "What about the young lady from the Yasuki?"

Taigen chimes in. "She was hot stuff, Tsubaki-san. Asked him if he was unmarried and everything."

"Oh ho," you say. "Do tell."

Koibu glares at the both of you. "Oh, come now. We discussed little of any consequence. I'm sure she was just being a good host."

"Hmm. A distinguished older daimyo, having tragically lost his wife and never remarried, part of a new and heroic minor Clan..." Taigen singsongs, "A courtier of the Great Clans couldn't possibly be interested in someone like that."

Wakaba chimes in. "As Tsubaki-sama's intelligence advisor, I'm going to have to remind you that certain clans have been known to use seduction techniques to get what they want, Koibu-dono. You should guard your virtue carefully."

"Now see here!" he sputters as everyone else laughs, you included.

"Well, if there was truly nothing of importance discussed, I think we can leave it for now," you say.

"Thank you." Koibu says with a glower.

"Wakaba, tell me about these Clan Heirs," you say. "It seemed like they had some information?"

She smirks. "They have all the enmities of the Champions, and none of the power to do anything about it, so really they just sat there and bickered at each other all night, going in for little digs or challenging each other to sparring matches later in the Winter, and so on. Um, one thing I figured out is why the Mirumoto are so mad at the Crab. Seems like there was a big food shortage a few years ago? And one of the Yasuki argued that the Crab needed the harvests more than anyone else did, so the Crab got it, and the Dragon starved. Like, lots of people died, starved."

"Is that what that was all about?" Yu says. "I was listening to the traders, and the Dragons kept making references to 'ten years ago', but nobody made reference to the actual event itself so I wasn't sure."

Wakaba nods. "Well, in any case, the main thing with all of these Clan Heirs is that they take themselves a lot more seriously than their parents seem to. A lot of them are really smart, talented kids, but most of them don't have much power on their own... yet. Um, they're all pretty suspicious though, seem to be on guard against false friends. Making contacts might be a good long term plan, but not necessarily super easy."

Again, Wakaba has given you something to think on. "Thank you," you say. "So, there are a few things that I'd like everyone's opinion on. First off, what can we do to get more information on what is going on? Knowing why the Mirumoto are angry at the Crab definitely helps - thank you Wakaba - but it doesn't tell us why the Lion are cooperating with two of their traditional enemies, nor why the Togashi aren't overruling the Mirumoto; and though the Crane have well-known motivations for such a course of action it really does seem like they are expending colossal amounts of effort to accomplish this. More information can only help us."

There is a round of nods in understanding. Finally Koibu speaks up. "I think that we should also consider looking for information on the Scorpion as well. They are being oddly helpful to us, given their reputation."

You nod slowly. "And the Unicorn." At the quizzical looks that you receive, all that you can say is that "I got... an odd vibe off of Shinjo Shakaguchi-san. It could have been nothing, but better to be careful." From across the room, you can see Taigen and Gohei looking at you with solemn eyes, in full agreement with your proposition. "We'll have to discuss plans for that as time goes on. There's also the matter of who we can find to make more official contacts or allies with."

Yu nods. "Lots of traders want to move goods through Zakyo Toshi, that's a natural market right there."

"The Minor Clans, definitely." Says Koibu. "I'm not so sure about Kitsune-dono, but there otherwise seems to be a vein of camaraderie going through the Minor Clans that you could easily take advantage of."

"You've already heard my take on the clan Heirs," says Wakaba, "but you could probably make some progress with them just by declaring them important enough to visit."

Minato grunts. "It kind of seems like a lot of clans brought their high-ranking warriors to Court. The Crab are a pretty martial Clan, so that makes sense - but it means that talking to the rikugunshogan and so forth might give you a bit more leverage here than it would otherwise."

Finally Chouko responds after dreamily staring off into place. "Um, well, there's my art crowd. Um, and a bunch of the people you want to talk to are shugenja. Kitsu-dono, Kitsune-dono, Isawa-dono... wouldn't be the worst idea to poke your head in and talk to some people there..."

You aren't quite so sure about that last, but you leave it lay. "Alright, last thing. The Emperor has basically commanded me to get married swiftly, for the good of our Clan and the Empire."

There's kind of a generalized raucous laughter at that, and you sigh, waving your hand in the air. "All right, all right, get it out of the way. So, as these offers come in, what should I be looking for?" There is a vast array of comments, from 'dowries' to 'alliances' to 'the cute-looking ones!' but in the end it leaves you little more decided than you had been before. You will have to wait and see what offers actually present themselves.

With that, you head to bed. The months ahead will be busy, and there is much to do to prepare. Together with your advisers, you hammer out a plan for the weeks ahead.

THE MONTH OF THE RAT (Pick ONE per adviser)

EARTH - YU

[ ] Work on hammering out some trade deals. Like it or not, trade is the lifeblood of your Clan for right now, and encouraging trade relationships will be important. Plus, you will get a first mover advantage.
[ ] Work on hammering out some trade deals... to the benefit of the Crab. The Crab are badly undersupplied right now, and having your support in making sure that agreements favor them would be valuable.
[ ] Study other Clans' trade arrangements. By keeping a weather eye on who is buying and selling, you will get a better picture of overall politics, and set yourself up to make better deals in the months of the Ox and Tiger.
[ ] Try to recruit craftsmen and traders. Other clans might be willing to lend you artisans to train members of your own clan, which would help you to get your home industries up and running.
[ ] Study other clans' negotiation techniques. Right now Yu is unpracticed at actual negotiation, but some time spent studying the methods of the Yasuki and how other clans respond to those methods could very well prove beneficial in the future.
[ ] Write-in.

AIR - KOIBU

[ ] Smooth things over with your hosts. The Crane's attack on you is unlikely to shatter your alliance with them by itself, but working at mending those bridges before they are tested again is probably a good strategy.
[ ] Show your face in important social circles. If you intend to spend your personal time away from the spotlight, sending Koibu in your place to the major courts would be a good way to keep from giving the impression of retreat.
[ ] Make contacts with the Minor Clans. The other Minor Clans are natural potential allies of yours, and sending Koibu to make friends would be an excellent foundation for future alliances with them.
[ ] Actively assist the Crab. The Crab aren't known for their skill with words, the Yasuki family aside. Though it would attract attention, jumping to their defense would be a strong sign of support for them.
[ ] Study other courtiers' techniques. Koibu has a lifetime of experience working with ronin and heimin, but noble Clan Samurai are another breed entirely. It's possible that by studying how other clans operate, he could develop some useful skills to bring back to future Clan dojos.
[ ] Write-in.

WATER - WAKABA

[ ] Spy on the Crab. You don't really think that you're in any danger of being attacked by them, but there could be assistance that they need that they cannot honorably ask for. 'Overhearing' the right conversation could neatly sidestep that issue.
[ ] Spy on the Clan Heirs. Because of her apparent youth, Wakaba is uniquely positioned to grab a great deal of information from people less well equipped to guard it than their parents. The challenge will be to sift the gold from the dross.
[ ] Spy on the Crane Alliance. Knowing your enemy is one of the central tenets of successful warfare, and the Crane / Lion / Dragon alliance has certainly declared itself your enemy.
[ ] Watch the Unicorn. There seems to be something weird about Shinjo Shakaguchi, and you would rather not be blindsided by a potential enemy willing to act like a friend.
[ ] Study the intrigues of court. Wakaba is a brilliant novice in spycraft, and Winter Court is one of the places most filled with intrigue that she is likely to find. Studying the situation here could help solidify her grasp on her skills.
[ ] Write-in.

FIRE - MINATO
[ ] Seek out trainers for your armies. It's an unfortunate fact that you have far more people in your Clan than sensei to train them, and it's possible that Minato might be able to find people here at Winter Court that could fill that lack.
[ ] Make friends with the generals. Since you're in Crab lands, members of the military have an unusual influence over their delegations, and as your most noted warrior Minato is probably best placed to capitalize on that to win your Clan alliances.
[ ] Seek mercenary contracts. Right now you have a well-equipped military and very little that you need to use it on; being of military assistance to the other Clans could win you money, alliances, or both.
[ ] Compete in tests of personal skill. Minato has a great deal of personal skill as a warrior, particularly in the heavy axes that the Crab favor. He could very likely gain some glory for your clan by participating.
[ ] Spar with some Crab bushi. Rather than looking for trainers, Minato could focus on developing his own skill so that he could pass down some of those skills to your own warriors, and the Crab would be an excellent Clan to do that with.
[ ] Write-in.

VOID - CHOUKO
[ ] Assist Yu with his efforts in Trade. As a skilled priest of Inari, Chouko could have quite a deal to say about agriculture that would be of aid in discussing deals involving food. Furthermore, the ability to speak with the Kami has many useful applications.
[ ] Assist Koibu with his efforts in Diplomacy. Chouko's skills as a poet would add an artistic flair to Koibu's approaches that he lacks, and there are many ways for a shugenja to be of assistance in the diplomatic arena.
[ ] Assist Wakaba with her efforts in Intrigue. Chouko herself is not terribly adept at the matter, but Wakaba could definitely use her as a resource to use the kami to eavesdrop on her targets.
[ ] Assist Minato with his efforts in Battle. While she doesn't have nearly Minato's combat experience, she does have experience with supply lines for food and with the use of the kami in battle that he lacks.
[ ] Attempt to make friends with the other shugenja present. Priests of the kami are rare, and building relationships with them could be another way to circumvent the primary diplomats of delegations. Plus, Chouko is likely to learn something from discussing theology with other priests.

TSUBAKI
Your presence is likely to be highly in demand, and you know better than to think that you can plan any concrete objectives with so much of your time taken up by official duties and ceremonial events. Still, there are a few things that you can plan.

CHOOSE ONE SOCIAL ARENA:
[ ] Traders: You are the ruler of Zakyo Toshi, one of the largest trade cities in the South. Your presence in a trade-related milieu would be unquestioned, and you could provide many of the social niceties that have so far escaped Yu.
[ ] Artists: Chouko has provided you with an opening to meet with some of the poets, musicians, and other artists of the Empire. You're eager to show off Auntie Hatsuyuki's techniques, and while you have plans to be able to do so in any arena, doing so in a circle of artists has the highest potential reward. Yet, out of anywhere, the critics in a artistically minded arena are likely to be the harshest.
[ ] Youths: You are young enough, and low enough in status as a champion of a Minor Clan, that it would not be completely out of character for you to take place in the social one-upmanship that goes on with the younger set at Winter Court. While immediate benefits are likely to be few, you could make some friendships with people who will one day be quite important indeed.
[ ] Generals: The military presence at the Winter Court is difficult to deny, and while you are not quite up to the standards of some of the fighters here your heroism in rescuing the Emperor is more than enough to win you acceptance into such circles, and possibly even respect. With many bushi neglecting the arts of court in favor of the arts of the sword, you might be able to find some easy targets for potential manipulations.
[ ] High Rollers: Screw Doji Ran, and the little friends she came in with, too. You'll be damned if you back down from a fight, even a fight with the Champions of the most powerful Clans in the Empire. You'll stand next to the Emperor, and they can learn to live with you or they can choke.

CHOOSE ONE DELEGATION TO MEET WITH:
[ ] Crab / Scorpion: Since your initial meetings with these groups are already out of the way, spending further time with them will be easier to arrange - yet at the same time, it is possible that you could achieve similar effects just by being present in social arenas that they also occupy.
[ ] Unicorn: There's something unusual about the leader of the Unicorn, and you want to find out what. More to the point, they're the only one of your neighbors who you haven't developed a formal relationship with yet.
[ ] Mantis / Fox: Daimyo Kaido knew quite a bit about your business in Zakyo Toshi, and many of his responses to conversation made it seem like he would be a possible ally. And then there's Kitsu Yasuji, who you are potentially at risk of offending. Spending some time with the Minor Clans might be a good idea.
[ ] Phoenix: The Great Clan that you know the least about, but you have an opening to speak with the Elemental Master of Wind - and perhaps more of the leadership of the Phoenix as well. They also seem to be emphatically not supporting the Crane in their moves against the Crab - perhaps you would be able to find another ally here?
[ ] Crane Alliance: Right now they're de facto your enemy, but that doesn't have to be the case. Going out of your way to appease them might cause some resentment among the Crab, but for the long term survival of the Catfish, perhaps developing closer ties with the Left and Right Hands of the Emperor would be a safer move.

 

[storybookknight]

I don't think I have energy to tackle the in-character writeup yet, but have a quick rolls summary.

EARTH - 19. Not enough to help the Crab, but enough to look good and keep the alliance strong.
AIR - 27. Good success with the Minor Clans.
WATER - 26. Wakaba levels up to IR 2, and gets 11 points towards her next level up.
FIRE -
This is the Heavy Weapons tournament.
Round 1: Opponent - 2 is Crane. Minato utterly humiliates a young Daidoji bushi. This will come back to haunt him later.
Round 2: Opponent - 4 is Lion. Minato has a narrow victory over a midranked Matsu.
Round 3: Originally I was going to say that there had to be at least TN 20 to go to round 4. However, round 3's opponent was a 1, which meant a Crab. Minato did well enough to get a split decision against a high-ranking Hida bushi, and because you got a 2 on that coin flip, the Crane decided to use it as an opportunity to humiliate the Crab and pushed Minato on to the next round.
Round 4: Of the six non-Crab clans left, you rolled a 1. Round 4 will be Minato 'the Axe' vs. an Insight Rank 5 Daidoji bushi. If Minato wins, he takes on the Crab Champion. If he dies, you have to find a new adviser. And the kid Minato walloped in Round 1 seems to have been this guy's relative. Um, good luck?


TSUBAKI - WTF.

Okay, I probably should have made you choose this before I rolled, but since Tsubaki's technique involves changing people's minds through performance art - let's give you some options about what you sang.

[ ] A song extolling the sacrifices of the Crab. (change attitudes towards Crab.)
[ ] A song about the love between a samurai and a geisha. (change attitudes towards Geisha.)
[ ] A song about the courage of Reichin, first Champion of the Hare. (change attitudes towards Minor Clans.)
[ ] A song about the formation of the Tonbo. (change attitudes towards Crane Alliance.)
[ ] A song about the Emperor (Mystery boooooox!)
[ ] Write-in (write-in effect.)

 

[storybookknight]

MONTH OF THE RAT - RESULTS

EARTH -
Over the next Month, Yu and Chouko meet with a variety of more trade-oriented samurai from the Major Clans. Yu does his best to extol the virtues of trading with Zakyo Toshi, citing the additional stability that it will have now that it is a holding of a Minor Clan and its connections to the River of Gold. Unfortunately, Yu is by himself not a terribly convincing person when it comes to such negotiations. Worse, the merchant patrons of the Daidoji are out in force, and have much to say about the virtues of a sea route in comparison to an overland caravan.

If not for Chouko's presence, he might not have had any luck at all. Chouko talks exhaustively about the goddess Inari and the temples to her that you have funded, swaying a few religiously-minded samurai to look favorably upon trade with you. A few more take notice when Chouko participates in the Winding River banquet, a combination drinking and poetry contest that startles a great many people with just how much sake a woman her size can consume with no apparent ill effects, and impresses those same people with her poetic efforts. In the end you convince a few minor samurai to start a few small trades of rice with you, though not at anything like the price or the volume that you had hoped for.

Still, when you take your efforts to the Yasuki and sell the rice that you acquired at cost, they are appreciative of your efforts. Unfortunately you get the sense that it is likely no better than they could have accomplished themselves, were they in a better diplomatic position, but in this case it appears to have been the thought that counted as the Yasuki are among the first to offer you a major diplomatic marriage. Indeed, it appears that the Crab take their debt to the Catfish seriously, because you are offered no less an alliance than to the daimyo's second son, Yasuki Nakura. You liked Nakura when you met him, and the Crab have a lot to offer, but for now you are withholding your decision.

[Alliance with the Crab maintained, no further benefit.]

AIR -
You've always been impressed by how Koibu managed to build a coalition of samurai and heimin to oppose the crime lords in your city, and the same skill that he has with words shows itself during the Month of the Rat. Even the traditional period of silence imposed by the Festival of the Moon's Wrath poses no obstacle to him, as Koibu simply continues his negotiations with his unusually beautiful calligraphy. You are reminded once again that it was originally Koibu who designed all of the signs and emblems that your Clan uses, as he adds beautiful artistic elements to his messages by using different colors of ink and paper to invoke different moods in his messages. A narrative slowly emerges from the Minor Clans - while the Fox are the technical heads of the Minor Clan Alliance, it appears to be the Mantis who are actually driving much of their policy, using some recently acquired wealth to prop up the occasionally floundering Hare and Sparrow.

Though he is careful not to alienate the Fox, it is the Mantis who receive a great deal of Koibu's attention over the following weeks. It seems that Kaido has an ambitious plan in mind - a dream of Catfish riverboats sailing the rivers of Rokugan while Mantis ships meet them in ocean ports carrying goods from the Islands of Silk And Spice to be sold far inland; a huge expansion of the markets that both you and the Mantis have access to. Of course, it is possible for you to try to pursue a similar trade network without the Mantis - at least if you don't care about the Islands of Silk and Spice - but he does warn you that many people have underestimated the dangers of pirate activity on the seas of Rokugan. His men, of course, are very well experienced at driving off such scum.

Like the Crab, the Mantis are interesting in solidifying this alliance with a marriage. Kaido's son Okimoto is one of the talented Mantis kobune, and a skilled warrior and trader in his own right.

Spoiler: Okimoto

[Firm friendships developed with Minor Clans. Possibility of trade union with Mantis. Possibility of strong marital union with Mantis.]

WATER - While there are things that you could have Wakaba do, the fact of the matter is that in comparison to the schemers of the Great Clans, your talents at espionage are likely to be useless at best, and dangerous to use at worst. The shame of being caught scheming during your first Winter Court would be truly excruciating. Luckily, there are few schemes that you need to pull off, and little in the way of skullduggery is required for you to succeed in your objectives for the winter. The best use for Wakaba, you deem, is to have her observe, to build her skills for the future.

And observe she does. It seems that almost every day, she is coming to you with a new piece of information about what she has learned. One day she is abubble over the realization that courtiers of the Crane use a secret language of gestures to communicate silently, and is determined to develop a similar method of silent speech to help her brother Hoshi. The next day she has a juicy rumor, gleaned by going through other courtiers' mail. In all of this, however, her biggest fascination is with Bayushi Yamato. She is incredibly envious of his seeming ability to move through crowds unnoticed, enthralled by the way that he slips into the background while no one is looking at him directly. You see her trying to mimic his movements in an attempt to understand the phenomenon - but after a while she seems to tire of it, because you no longer notice her doing so. It comes as quite a surprise to you when you learn that she considers herself to have made great progress in this matter.

Apparently, Bayushi Yamato himself noticed, because he came over to congratulate her on her newly found skills - and also to pass you an offer of marriage. Unlike the other Clans, Yamato is offering you the hand of a member of his ruling family, in this case that of Bayushi Nimuro. You haven't spoken to Nimuro much - actually, thinking back, you aren't certain that Nimuro spoke at all during your first meeting with the Scorpion - but he's an attractive man, and apparently quite skilled in the matter of politics.

[Wakaba is now Average at intrigue, and has learned to fade into backgrounds. Possibility exists of her developing sign language. Scorpion are courting you with a member of their ruling bloodline.]

FIRE -
It is with some trepidation that you instruct Minato to take part in the Crab's Tournament of Steel. Minato's death in the tournament would be devastating to your newly formed military, and his loss would show a humiliating lack of strength. In the end, it is Minato's desire to participate that wins you over. You will simply have to have faith in your champion. Your general blows straight past the Hida Bushi that they set him against for the qualifying round seemingly without expending any effort, and you find yourself wondering just how good Minato 'the Axe' really is.

The first round goes very well for Minato - almost too well, really. A young yojimbo of the Daidoji school joined the competition to prove his strength, but made the mistake of wielding an Ono and then attempting to trash-talk your military leader about whose skills would prove superior. That is to say, he challenged Minato 'the Axe' to a skill of axemanship. Minato proceeds to chop straight through the haft of the Daidoji's weapon, then drops his axe to pick the Daidoji up and physically hurl him out of the ring. You admit to some vicarious glee over seeing a member of the Crane humiliated after that Jade Teapot they gave you, but in the long run you wonder if you might regret such a course of action.

The Matsu Berseker who stands as Minato's next opponent is a much tougher fight. There almost appears to be a family resemblance; as while the long blondish-brown hair of the Matsu is nothing like Minato's short, red-dyed fuzz they stand with similar predatory builds and fight with similar lacks of finesse. By the end of the fight, both contestants are badly injured, and it is only Minato's greater experience that allows him to get the last blow in fastest.

The third round is terrifying to watch. It is a war of speed against endurance, the crashing wave against the mountain stone. The Hida Bushi who stands against Minato barely even bothers dodging against Minato's mighty swings, instead using heavy armor and the smallest of movements to turn limb-splitting blows into harmless nicks. When he punches Minato in the face with the haft of his weapon and sends Minato into a daze, you almost think it is all over, but Minato recovers in time to send his axe into the Hida's ribs even as the Hida's tetsubo crushes his own. That strike is what ends the match, as both warriors are too damaged to continue. In the end, it comes down to a decision to see who will go on to the next round - and you are utterly shocked when Minato is the one chosen to continue.

That is, until you see who his next match will be. It seems that a highly ranked and famed member of the Daidoji was related to the child that Minato defeated in the first round, and used the influence of the Crane to sway the decision so that he could get revenge for his younger relative himself. The look in his eyes as he steps into the ring with Minato is the expression of a man who is ready to kill an opponent, not just that of a man in a spar for glory.

But either Minato doesn't notice that look, or Minato doesn't care. The former leader of the Firemen Gang, now your military adviser, begins the battle with a reckless charge. As he gets to within striking distance Minato actually leaps off the ground, adding his weight to the weight of his axehead to crash down on the Iron Crane like a meteor from above. The Crane attempts to dodge, but is sent flying by the powerful attack, tumbling end over end until he has almost left the arena. With a growl, the Daidoji drags himself up off the floor and swings in a surprising upwards strike, the heavy weight of his tetsubo coming up in an ascending arc aimed at the point of Minato's chin in the hopes of stunning your general for a follow-up attack that will surely end the fight. Minato catches his balance just in time and leans back, dodging the upwards blow by no more than the width of a hair - then frantically skips to the side to avoid the downwards crashing follow-up.

Given how quickly the fight - and Minato's life - almost ended, you would have expected him to back off and take the enemy's measure more carefully. Instead, Minato steps towards the Daidoji with his arms wide on the haft of his axe, trading some of the power of the strike for an incredibly precise chop at the gash he has already put in the iron plates of his opponent's armor. He sinks the blade deep into the gash, then pulls, performing a slice rather than a chop or a cut. A few iron plates actually drop to the floor as the leather straps holding the armor together are sewn through. The Daidoji looks down in shock at the gash in his belly, and slowly his face settles into a composed mask. "I forfeit," he says. He and Minato have a brief conversation before the Daidoji walks off stage, and Minato comes over to you in response to your quizzical look.

"He wanted to thank me for holding back on that last strike," Minato says. You nod - such is the way of honorable warriors. Minato leans in and whispers into your ear. "Joke's on him, that was just a crappy hit. I was going full force!"

You have to struggle not to show your amusement. Luckily, you do not have to struggle for long, as Minato's match against Hida Tanaka is in no way funny. Tanaka's Dai Tsuchi has all the power of Minato's Ono, but a great deal more finesse. Your general gets exactly one hit on Tanaka before the Champion of the Crab punches Minato in the face with the head of his hammer and effortlessly hammers your strongest warrior into the ground. Minato decides that discretion is the better part of valor, and yields the fight in an exchange that took less than ten seconds, start to finish.

Still, for making it to the fifth round against the Crab in a tournament of Heavy Weapons, your clan has gained a great deal of face - nearly as much as the Crane has lost. Your yojimbo are singing Minato's praises, and you see many members of other Clans viewing both you and your general with a great deal of additional respect. When the Elemental Master of Air approaches you with a marriage offer from her son Isawa Toshiji, you briefly wonder if it has anything to do with her rivalry to the head of the Asahina Family. Still, her son is a powerful shugenja, and the bloodlines of the priests of the kami are a powerful asset in the game of Clans.

Spoiler: Isawa Toshiji

[Major boost to glory and renown! Damage done to glory & renown of the Crane. Approached by the Isawa for marriage.]

TSUBAKI

"Pardon me, Namazu-sama, but may I ask whose Mon that is on your left sleeve?" In a room full of artists, sculptors, musicians, smiths, calligraphers, and every other type of artist in Rokugan, someone was bound to notice the emblem of your dojo eventually. After all, that was the whole point of you wearing it. "I am familiar with a great number of family and school Mon, and I don't believe that it is a symbol currently registered with the Miya Heralds." You give your questioner, a bard of the Ikoma family, an answering smile.

"You certainly may. This is the Mon of the Silken Song Performing Arts dojo, recently established in the city of Zakyo Toshi. Due to its newness, we have not yet gone about having the emblem registered."

She blinks. "The Silken... Song? Is it in any way related to the Silken Smile theater in Shiro no Shosuro?" The bard asks.

You shake your head. "Ah, you do us too great an honor by comparing us to such an august institution... though the name comes from there, in a way. No, the name comes from the esteemed Silken Smile geisha house in Zakyo Toshi." The room around you goes silent almost immediately.

"You named... your dojo... after a geisha house? Forgive me, Namazu-sama, but... why?" The Ikoma looks affronted, but also curious - you can sense the insatiable urge to know a story boiling off of her.

"How could I do otherwise?" you say. "Its first sensei, its founder, is the legendary geisha Hatsuyuki. Famous even among your Clan, I believe, for the legendary bounty paid to her by Matsu Masakawa-dono."

The Ikoma's eyes go wide in disbelief, and in the silence her astonishment brings, another person jumps into the conversation. "Namazu-sama, are you certain that allowing a hinin such liberties and respect is wise? The Geisha are embodiments of the sin of Desire - only by maintaining their proper place in the Celestial Order do we prevent them from sparking tragedy. There are even several songs on the matter!" The speaker, Kakita Hana, laughs in an affected way that shows off her musical voice.

"I'm familiar with many of them," you dryly rejoinder. "Yet having lived near and among geisha for years, I have come to believe that while their place in the celestial order should not be allowed to climb too high, at the same time we should also take care not to push it too low." Auntie Hatsuyuki prepared you for an argument like this, and you have a planned counter for it. "Consider, if visiting a geisha is viewed the same as speaking with an eta, might a samurai not fear discovery for visiting one? Or, after having taken off their face and relaxed in a necessary fashion for their wellness and readiness to do battle, feel shame and regret for having to have visited such a lowly being in order to do so?"

You feel a few people around you sort of considering the idea, and so press the opportunity. "Too, there is the simple fact that nothing is so desired as what is taboo or forbidden. A child will reach for sake to prove that he is like an adult by drinking it, and drink until he feels sick, but an adult will simply enjoy his sake in moderation, because it is not forbidden to him. I don't mind admitting that the first time I ever saw a butterfly boy, I was fascinated with desire - yet now that they are around all the time in the halls of the dojo, I notice more their aesthetic appeal, and whether they have made any mistakes with their makeup, than that all-consuming passion." There is a low chuckle at this, and you shrug. "Care should be taken with geisha to be sure, but the best way to avoid having geisha tempt samurai into sin... is counterintuitively to allow them to perform openly so that they can be seen and heard without regret."

After a few seconds of thought, the Ikoma speaks up. "I admit, I am intrigued by these ideas, Namazu-sama. Would you be willing to give us a demonstration of what your dojo teaches?"

"I would be delighted." You say. This, too, you have planned in advance. A few musicians of the Crab in the room have been briefed on how to accompany you as you sing, and as you take up a position in a natural archway that will carry your song to the room, the music begins to play. You have chosen an ancient ballad as your tune, a love song between geisha and samurai, one that ends in tragedy and tears. Yet, as you begin to sing, your audience slowly discovers that something is different from their expectations.

Though cleaving to the same melody as the original, you have changed the lyrics so that instead of being told from the perspective of the samurai, the tale comes as from the mouth of a geisha. You let your careful mask of neutrality drop, and pour yourself into the story, speaking of passion, heartbreak, but also pieces of slow and tender love and moments of humor. The stanza where the samurai boasts and brags to win the geisha's attention becomes a piece of boasting and bragging about the attention being paid to her. When she accepts and he confesses his love, you turn it into a description of her inner thoughts. The hushed tones of his sneaking into her okiya to see her become hushed laughter at her lover's silliness, and sorrow at not being able to love openly. At every point in the story, you reach out to the audience with your face and your voice, confiding in one person with a particular teasing tone, sharing a worry with another afterwards, drawing them in to the story that you are telling. You yourself find that you are transported into the song, losing yourself in the melodies that you rehearsed so many times with your Auntie. You forget any nervousness that you may have about performing in front of an audience, and simply... tell your Auntie about the man that you love.

The biggest change that you make comes when the samurai finally reaches the geisha's room. Whereas in the original song there is a long, drawn-out silence, you instead fill that silence with a long, drawn-out expression of joy that has no few of the men and women in the room torn between shock, discomfort, envy, and even desire. When you look out over the room, you can see that they hang rapturous on your every move and gesture, lost in rapture as your voice echoes off of the stone walls. It is as though the entire world has stopped, and even the Heavens are listening, allowing the reverberations of your harmonies to slowly die down into nothingness. Even the musicians accompanying you have to remind themselves to continue to play, slowly returning to the original melody as they find themselves one by one.

From there you return to more closely following the original story, but instead of the samurai telling of how increasingly torn he is between his duty and his lover, you describe how your lover is less and less caring when he visits you, using you more and more as a way to relieve his stress rather than simply cherishing his love for you. And when the samurai cries out that alas, his shame is discovered and has become too much to bear... the you cry out that alas your love has gone, and has left you with your grief and his child, both to be borne alone.

The way that you hold yourself after that last has no few people convinced that you yourself are the product of such a union... and yet, from your words before the song and the content of the song itself, that it is not truly the sin of the samurai or his desire for the geisha to be the blame, but instead the shame that came from having been unable to love openly and freely. There is a moment of stillness as the song ends, and people wait breathlessly to see if you will sing another note. When the spell breaks, there is a vast clamour of excitement and praise towards you as you are suddenly catapulted into the ranks of fame and glory. You are invited to a quick succession of other venues on the heels of your first performance, and though none of them approach the sheer magic of that first effort you are received with acclaim at all of them. Even the Emperor requests your presence for a performance, hearing first the love story you have sang so often now, as well as then requesting a performance of the river-songs that you used to carry him to safety.

You, your Clan, and your dojo have achieved a monumental success this Winter, earning acclaim, glory, and renown. Despite that, it still comes as a shock when Otomo O-Shishi, of all people, offers you an alliance of marriage to his son Otomo Katsura, the Emperor's Nephew.

Spoiler: Otomo Katsura

Either in response to this news, or in response to the immense artistic skill that you have just displayed, your current marriage offers become much more generous, as all of these clans compete for your favor.

[Large increase to Personal Glory! Increase to Clan Glory! Increase to School Reputation! Permanent Reduction to Clan Infamy!
.... Gained Benten's Blessing!]

MARRIAGE OPTIONS:

Spoiler: Author's Note

I switched where the offers for Air and Water took place because it made sense thematically, so Wakaba got the Air offer and Koibu got the Water offer. Also, keep in mind that it is possible to get many of the options that you would get in marriage through negotiation, but a marriage gives them to you for free.

[ ] EARTH - The Yasuki.
Family Bonus: +1 Willpower Awareness.
+1 Earth, +1 Fire.

By marrying from the Crab, you would gain access to the financial support of the Yasuki, the engineering of the Kaiu, and to training from the Hida and Hiruma. You would permanently solidify yourself as an ally of the Crab, and be able to funnel them a great deal of resources with your trade networks - perhaps also serving as a diplomatic front to their otherwise crude natures. On the other hand, you would be destined to earn the permanent enmity of the Crane, and likely be expected to contribute in some way to the battles against the Shadowlands.

[ ] AIR - The Bayushi.
Family Bonus: +1 Awareness.
+1 Air, +1 Water.
By marrying from the Scorpion, you would be legitimized by the scorpion as a branch of their clan, openly admitted to have sprung from that family line. Your children would be descended from Bayushi-no-kami himself, and you would gain a powerful alliance with the diplomats and spies of the Scorpion, as well as trainers from the Shosuro Actors. On the other hand, the Scorpion have many enemies, and there is a sure chance of being drawn into their intrigues. Furthermore, it would give the Scorpion a genealogical claim to your Clan name and lands, risking vassalization in the future if your line ever dies out.

[ ] WATER - The Mantis.
Family Bonus: +1 Strength Awareness.
+1 Trade, +1 Popularity, +1 Water, +1 Battle, +1 Infamy.
By marrying from the Mantis, you would utterly defy social expectations - yet the benefits are great. Bereft of a Clan Name, many Mantis would be happy to marry into the Catfish, swelling your forces to an even greater height. You would be able to expand your trade network potentially across all of Rokugan with little hindrance, and easily make allies with the many Minor Clans who often depend upon Mantis support, potentially assimilating them if they grow too weak to stand on their own. With the blood of Kaimetsu-Uo, and thus Osano-Wo in your children's veins, you might even be able to expand to your north in the province governed by the Temple of Osano-Wo. In time, you could rival the Great Clans yourselves, and the additional experience of the Mantis with smugglers and ronin would only be of benefit. However, the Great Clans will look askance upon you for this, and many will take offense.

[ ] FIRE - The Phoenix.
Family Bonus: +1 Agility Awareness.
+1 Fire, +1 Void.
The Phoenix are distant, but are politically powerful, and would make excellent allies in the courts. However, the main benefit to allying with them is their bloodline. An infusion of several Isawa Shugenja into your ranks could transform your clan from simple bushi and courtiers into a clan of shugenja. Your children would be much more likely to be born with your unique gifts of empathy, as well as with the gifts of communing with the Kami. You would also stand a chance of being able to actually learn from the vast Shinomen Mori and perhaps understand some of its mysteries. If there is any disadvantage to this offer, it is that you would gain very little in the way of actual military support if the worst should come to pass, due to the pacifism and the distance of the Phoenix.

[ ] VOID - The Otomo.
Family Bonus: +1 Void
+1 Void, +1 Status, + 1 Glory, +1 Honor.
You would get little in actual physical resources from the Otomo. Katsura is young, and not a person of great skill; additionally, unlike many of the other options there will be very few members of his family who similarly marry your advisers. If you choose this option, it will be for the glory, status, and bloodline alone. On the other hand, your children will be indisputably and openly descended from the Hantei dynasty, an Imperial Family in all but name, with many potential effects down the line.

[ ] Wait - if necessary, you can take the time to meet some of the people that you have not yet met... but there is a possibility of certain offers being rescinded in the meanwhile.

 

[storybookknight]

The suite of rooms belonging to the Unicorn is surprisingly cozy. Unlike your own rather spartan accommodations, or perhaps because the Unicorn knew ahead of time that the hospitality of the Crab would be simple fare, the rooms belonging to the Unicorn are draped with elaborately quilted tapestries of patterns both gorgeous and foreign to your untrained eyes. The effect is almost as though you sit in a tent, an intimate and cozy feeling at odds with the stone construction surrounding you. As if noticing your questioning stare, Shinjo Shakaguchi laughs softly. "Jus' a few little reminders of home, Namazu-dono. We'd never dream of implying that th' hospitality of th' Crab was anything less than adequate, so this is just decoration."

That the 'decoration' covers up the cold stone walls is, you're sure, just coincidence. "You have my thanks for inviting me to come visit you, Shinjo-dono," you say pleasantly.

"Oh, no trouble at all. Let's have tea, eh?" She says. As you nod your assent, she snaps her fingers, and a heimin enters the room with a full formal tea set suitable for the Cha-No-Yu. You know just enough about tea ceremony to note that the materials have been laid out in such a way that implies that you will be conducting it - problematic, since you've only ever seen one once. As if taking into note your hesitation, Shakaguchi clicks her tongue in irritation. "Tch! That silly heimin, he set it up as though you were our guest. We're both guests of the Yasuki here, we can dispense with those formalities."

Despite the fact that you are clearly in her quarters and thus her guest, you nod your assent. "That is most kind of you, Shinjo-dono."

She smiles sweetly. "Nonsense, Namazu-dono. It isn't as though you're completely ignorant and uncultured, after all. I'm just takin' the opportunity to show off my own skills." And show them off she does, moving through the motions of the tea ceremony with a cultured grace that seems almost at odds with what is commonly expected of the Unicorn. Yet as she does so, her earlier comment still rankles. It is difficult to see it as anything other than a direct criticism of your ignorance, yet to counter it, you would have to display some mastery of the tea ceremony - a mastery that you do not possess. That, and it would also be quite rude to interrupt the Cha-No-Yu with an argument.

For now, you let yourself be sucked into the ceremony. Over the next few minutes, you examine the art along the walls and the beautiful artisanship of the tea bowls, then watch as Shakaguchi ritually purifies each implement in order, setting them down in exactly the right places to make picking them up a natural, graceful movement. As she does so, the kettle laid over the charcoal fire begins to steam, and she makes the first cup of tea. You take a few sips from the single bowl of tea as is appropriate, compliment her on the preparation, then wipe the rim and pass it on to your host. The tea is delicious; Shakaguchi has prepared the tea koicha, using an abundance of powdered leaves to create a thick, almost creamy broth that carries an inordinate degree of flavor. All too soon the bowl is finished, and Shakaguchi begins ritualistically putting away the equipment with the same grace in which she unpacked it. That done, she sets the low tray aside, and the heimin removes it, returning with a pair of pipes, dried tabac leaves, sweetened rice pastries for snacks, and the materials for preparing a second bowl of tea, this in the thin usucha style. This is as delicous to you as the first, though in a wholly different way.

The whole of the tea ceremony is a study in elegance, a noble and ancient art, but at the same time you are glad once the ceremony finishes and the second cup of tea has been drunk, as you can finally begin discussing things other than the quality of tea. Unsurprisingly, it is Shakaguchi who begins the discussion, as is her right as host. You find the subject matter that she chooses, however, a bit uncharacteristic of her. "Say, Namazu-dono. You have any opinion on th' fashions this season?"

You blink at the unexpected question. "I... can't say that I do, Shinjo-dono."

Shakaguchi flicks her eyes deliberately up and down your kimono. "I see. Well, in that case, have you read the writin's of the monk Ahsoka? They have some very interestin' insights into the nature of the Tao."

Your eyes narrow slightly at Shinjo. "I have not, Shinjo-dono."

"Oh?" she says archly. "How strange. Why, I had thought that was practically required readin'? Ah, but never mind, never mind. I can tell that you're not in the mood for such discussions. Do you play Go, Namazu-dono?"

You shake your head, doing your best to remain in control of your emotions and your on. There is no question - Shinjo-san is definitely doing this on purpose.

"Then let me tell you a story," she says. Unless you want to get up and leave right now - honestly a bit tempting, considering how rudely you are being treated - you have little choice but to assent, and you have no desire to give offense to the Champion of one of your nearest neighbors. You nod, and she continues. "My first Winter Court, I was just out of my gempukku. My mother died unexpectedly from a wound gone septic, and all of a sudden I'd inherited leadership of the Unicorn. I was young, fresh. Didn't know much about anythin' except being a bushi," she says with a half-wistful, half-sardonic smile. "But, I was determined to make a good impression, determined to show face for my Clan. So I participated in some tournaments, did very well, an' was actually pretty popular for a few weeks."

"And then?" You ask softly, as you can feel resentment and long-buried anger boil underneath the placid mask of her face.

"And then the fuckin' knives came out." Shakaguchi says. "All of a sudden, people started needlin'. Started picking fights I couldn't win. Talkin' about philosophy, fashion, fuckin' board games - stuff I'd never had to bother with when I was just ridin' a horse around Unicorn lands. An' since I'm the emblem of my clan, it means that it wasn't just me who was uncultured and unsophisticated. It was my whole kamidamned Clan. We lost alliances we needed, things we needed to buy got more expensive because people figured they could get a better price from the illiterate barbarians, people in my clan died," she says emphatically, "Because I couldn't talk about fashion, and therefore young, glory-hungry courtiers thought they could use me to score points."

"And this was your way -" you begin to say, and are cut off by Shakaguchi.

"Of warning you, you betcha." She says. "'Course, if I wanted to, I could be scorin' points off of you easy as I liked. Didn't have to ask you those questions here in th' privacy of my own quarters, could've just hit ya with 'em right in the middle of Court. Lucky you, I got better thin's to do with my time than piss off future tradin' partners." She gives you an admonishing glare. "But the Dragon? The Lion? Maybe even the Crane? I sincerely doubt they give a single flake of dried horse shit whether you trade with them or not."

You nod, slowly. You had thought that you were doing well in insulating yourself from attack with the strong successes that you and Minato had recently made - instead it seems that you have just made it so that you will be attacked from unexpected directions. "Do you have any advice?" You ask.

"Learn. Fast." Shakaguchi says. "At least the basics, anyways. Once you have those, you can generally get away with 'I'm a bushi, so my training is focused on other things, but... - and then go into a low-level explanation." She shrugs. "If you can show a little knowledge, and come up with a good reason for not having more, you're fine. Full ignorant, though, and you're in for some trouble."

You nod. "My thanks for your timely advice, Shinjo-dono."

She shrugs. "Hope it does y' some good. Anyways, so. I heard a rumor says you're thinkin' about gettin' married soon?"

"I, ah - yes. I've received several offers," you say. "Though I've not yet made up my mind."

"Hmm. Well, congrats to you anyways. I'd have offered up one of my boys, if they were older." Shakaguchi says.

"Oh?" You ask, raising one eyebrow. "How old are they?"

"Four and two," she says with a smile. "Too young to travel. And way too young for you!" She says with a laugh. "By the time they were old enough to give you kids, you'd be too old to have them!"

While that's certainly true, you do have to repress a bit of a glower at the way she says it. You're not that old, darn it! "Perhaps if I have a daughter," you say. "We can talk about the matter again then."

She raises an eyebrow at you for that. "Might be we will," she says. "'Course, I ain't the only person you'd be lookin' at for marriages. Rumor has it Hida Tanaka-dono's goin' to get married himself. Though, I suppose he couldn't put it off any more what with bein' Clan Champion now."

"Was he unmarried before?" You ask quizzically. "I thought he was older than that."

"Oh, he was married," Shakaguchi says. "'Til his bride up and challenged the wrong Crane at the wrong Court. Wound up havin' to commit jigai. Anyway, he hasn't married since."

"That's... unfortunate," you say. "So those gifts that the Crane gave him... that was a criticism of his childlessness?"

"Officially." Shakaguchi says. "Unofficially, rumor has it she was pregnant. Juuuuust startin' to show when she had to slice her own belly." Your gut churns as you listen with disbelief. "It's a clever move, really. Attack where your enemy is weakest, see if he'll shame himself in front of the Emperor."

"Clever?" You say, suddenly angry. "That's... that's dishonorable!"

"Never said it wasn't," Shinjo Shakaguchi says mildly. "Never said it was, mind, just in case there's a Kakita lurkin' around the corner. But still, makes ya think, don't it? How the children of geisha and gaijin can see honor so clearly when the children of excessively noble samurai ... well, seem to have a more nuanced understanding, to say the least?" She gives you an almost pitying smile. "And that's what they'll do to someone who's actually a threat to them. Watch your back, aye?"

With that, Shakaguchi finishes putting away the last of the tea implements and begins walking you out. As you reach the door, she stops you once more. "Oh, before I forget. Got a little gift for ya. Congratulations an' all on your new position." A heimin walks up - the same heimin that brought the tea, you think - holding a lacquered box full of books and scrolls. "Shinjo-no-kami traveled with her followers for a long time across the Burning Sands, seeking knowledge of threats outside of Rokugan. Well, there was some of that... but that wasn't the only thing she found, or the only thing her followers recorded. This's a collection of a bunch of the latter - jus' general observations on what it's like out there. Nothin' useful to yer average samurai, mind," she stresses carefully. "Just a bunch of interestin' readin'. Who knows, maybe one of 'em will inspire your next big hit."

You make your requisite two denials of the gift, she does the requisite insistences that yes, she does want you to have them, and you depart with the scrolls in tow. Shinjo Shakaguchi has given you a great deal to think about.


Are there any actions that you wish to take in response to her words?
[ ] Write-in (write-ins will be added to the turn plan for Month Of The Ox as vote options)

Spoiler: Author's note

Work is still a bit crazy, but I managed to steal some time today to write this up. I'll hopefully have a meeting with Otomo Katsura and the next month's turn plan up next update.

 

[storybookknight]

You had no idea what to expect when you invited Otomo Katsura out to a teahouse for a semiprivate meeting. You have never before met the Emperor's nephew, yet according to Hantetsu the young man requested a marriage with you specifically. The diplomatic benefits of being married to a member of the Imperial Families are many, so you are minded to accept... but you would like to know why.

There is a soft rap on the screen, and you call out for Katsura to enter, rising to greet him as you do so. Your first impression upon seeing him is one of youth. Katsura is no more than a few years past his gempukku, perhaps six to eight years younger than you. Where possible, he has taken care to appear a bit older; his hair sits in a very proper and slightly old-fashioned topknot, and he wears a beautifully made yet sober kimono, attempting to allow his clothes to assist in making a first impression. For one so serious in demeanor, however, his heart is full of nervousness, and you cannot help but give him a smile as he enters. "Welcome, Otomo-dono. Have you had rice?"

"I have, Namazu-dono." He smiles in return with just a hint of shyness, and the movement transforms his serious face into one that is almost boyish. Katsura is not unpleasant to look upon, being tall and well-muscled of frame. Like you, though he wears the robes of a courtier he bears a katana at his hip, suggesting that he has at least some skill in physical combat. "Thank you for inviting me here. This is quite a lovely teahouse."

"My military adviser Minato is a connoisseur of architecture," you say. "He drew my attention to this place as we passed it one morning, and it has rapidly become one of my favorites." You gesture towards the low table in the room. "Please, come in, sit down. And, feel free to call me Tsubaki, there's no need to be so formal."

He sits with a smooth motion, removing his sword and placing it far off to his right as a gesture of trust. "Then you must call me Katsura as well, Tsubaki-dono. Have you been enjoying the Court so far?"

You take some time with minor conversation and small talk to get some more of Katsura's measure. He speaks fluidly and sincerely, though not with any special elegance; he is clever, certainly more learned than you, though not to the level of a true scholar. Like his uncle, he does not shy away from looking at your birthmarked face, though many people at court of late have done the same. As is often the case when you attempt to learn about others, it is your inner gift that yields the most information. Though his on is impeccable, Katsura's inner emotions are tumultuous. Hope, anxiety, admiration, curiosity, all of these and more swirl inside of him. Whatever else he may have intended, you judge, his offer was genuine. Finally, you broach the subject that you asked him here to discuss. "Katsura-dono," you say with a serious tone in your voice, and you watch as his back straightens and his attention sharpens. "Your uncle tells me that you specifically requested that an offer of marriage be made to me. Before I accept... I would like to know why."

Katsura takes a deep breath. "My uncle," he says with a wry quirk to his lips, "likes to meddle. That's not the reason, I mean, that's just an observation."

You have to hide a smile by taking a sip of tea. "I had noticed that, yes."

Your eyes meet for a second, and you share a moment of mutual amusement. Katsura matches your sip of tea with his own, taking the time to collect his thoughts. "I've... always known that I would marry for political reasons," Katsura begins. "The Otomo have been custodians of the Empire for some time, maintaining the bloodlines of the Great Clans and ensuring that the gifts given to us by the Kami never fade away. With as closely as I am descended from the Imperial Throne, there was never a chance that I would be married for any purpose other than that. And for a long while, I was content with that."

A short silence falls, and you eventually break it. "What changed?"

"I met some of the people I could be marrying," he says with sarcastic humor. "It's not that they were necessarily unpleasant people, exactly. But they universally looked at me like I was a prize or a trophy to be won, a thing that they could parade in front of their rivals to prove that they were of a better breed, more worthy of an Imperial marriage than the other."

You wince in sudden understanding. "I've noticed something similar with my newfound fame," you offer. "Courtiers competing over which of two simultaneous social events I attend."

He sighs. "It's tiresome, isn't it? Imagine if your entire life was like that." He shrugs. "And then... I noticed you speaking to my Uncle. You look at him, the Emperor of Rokugan, like he's just a person you know. You get exasperated with his little games the same way that I do. You even laughed over the pompous act that my father puts on."

You blink in surprise. That was an act? Your mental estimation of Otomo O-Shishi's skill as a courtier jumps by several notches. "I... had the fortune to see a side of your uncle that few do, perhaps. I certainly respect and revere the Emperor -"

He waves your protests away. "I'm not accusing you, of all people, of disrepecting the throne! It's just that - well, you see him as a person. Not as a political tool, not as an obstacle or a resource, but... as a human, as well as an Emperor." He looks aside for a second, apparently unwilling to meet your gaze. "Though we do not know each other well yet, it was... my hope that you would be able to do the same with me. That you are brave, and talented, and honorable... is certainly also appealing, but if I were to name one reason for seeking you out, it would be that."

You're not really sure how to react to that declaration. You would have to admit to yourself that your initial reasons for accepting Katsura's suit had absolutely nothing to do with who he was, and everything to do with who he was related to. But heavens help you, you are actually starting to like the earnest boy in front of you. Eventually you clear your throat. "I... had also reconciled myself to marrying for the good of my Clan, rather than any personal happiness that it would bring me," you say. Katsura's gaze snaps back to you, and you can feel the hope swelling in his breast. "But... when the opportunity to achieve both exists, I would be a fool not to accept it." You smile at Katsura encouragingly, and receive another charming smile in return.

You spend the remainder of the afternoon in the tea-shop discussing other topics, slowly getting to know your future spouse. Neither of you acts with any sort of impropriety, and indeed you are still strangers to each other, but there is a potential for something to grow with time. Sadly, as a Clan Champion and a member of the Imperial families, both of you have great demands on your time, and you eventually part with the expectation that you will not see much of each other for several weeks.

Much of that time is taken up by the various games and intrigues of court - for all that you are a somewhat central figure of the Face Of the East for much of the Month of the Rat, in the end there are over two hundred and fifty samurai in the castle, each of whom has their own motivations, and takes actions accordingly. How you respond to these actions of others could have a great impact over the coming months.

Your first opportunity arises when Wakaba comes in bearing a distinctive earring. According to her, it is one of a pair that belong to the daughter of the Clan Champion of the Sparrow, Suzume Hanae... and Wakaba found it while attending a small social gathering in the rooms of Mirumoto Kaien. She believes that the son of the Dragon and the daughter of the Sparrow are conducting an illicit love affair, the sort of romantic liaison between the Clans furthest North and South that could only take place at such a prestigious event. What do you do with this item?
[ ] Return it to Suzume Hanae, no questions asked. Will likely gain you some goodwill from the Minor Clan.
[ ] Spread rumors about the secret love affair. Will possibly damage the Glory of the Dragon.
[ ] Blackmail the couple. Having someone on the inside of the Crane Alliance in your pocket could be very useful.
[ ] Give the earring to your allies in the Scorpion. They'll be able to use it as a weapon much more effectively, and it would earn you a favor from the Clan of shadows.
[ ] Encourage their relationship. You have the ear of the Otomo, perhaps there is a way to see this loving relationship come to fruition?
[ ] Write-in.

It is actually Minato who brings you the next piece of news. Apparently, there is a young man by the name of Ikoma Watanuki who talked a bit too loudly about his plans to love for a certain Soshi Biwako, and his plans to 'do something about' her husband Asako Tsukasa, a noted historian that seems to care more about his books than his wife. What should you do with this information?

[ ] Ignore it. It is quite possibly just talk, and you have no wish to be branded a rumormonger.
[ ] Bring the matter to Asako Tsukasa's attention, so that he can prepare for possible treachery.
[ ] Bring the rumor to Ikoma Watanuki's attention, so that he knows that he has been less than circumspect and should avoid conflict.
[ ] Pass the rumor on, hopefully shaming the Lion with the poor actions of its Clansman.
[ ] Talk to Soshi Biwako about the whole mess. By acting in accordance with her wishes, you may make an unexpected ally.
[ ] Write-in.

The last matter is not a rumor, but merely an event that occurs. The Crab put on a Noh Play for all guests present who wish to attend. While to your eyes it was a solid if not outstanding affair, it appears that the Crane have found much to criticize, particularly a certain Kakita Hana who you remember from your debut. Given your recent fame in the matters of the stage, many are looking to hear your opinion on the matter.

[ ] Stay out of matters. For all that you're a talented singer, you're still an amateur when it comes to acting, particularly in the matter of critiquing other works.
[ ] Defend the Crab. Smooth over the criticisms of the play's weaknesses and make sure that members of the audience go home with a good opinion of the Crab's artistic side.
[ ] Be honest. While you certainly don't want to join the Crane in their attack, providing an honest critique of the good and bad could win you many points for your integrity.
[ ] Provide a much more favorable critique. By playing up the play's strengths, you could potentially provide an even better impression among the audience than by merely defending it - but you also would open it up to more criticism than by simply defending it.
[ ] Offer to provide a venue for Kakita Hana to perform. She can talk the talk, but can she walk the walk? If she refuses, her criticisms will be seen as invalid; if she accepts and succeeds well, she will gain prestige at the Crab's expense.
[ ] Write-in.

Though you are expecting some form of coded letter to arrive from the Scorpion, you receive nothing but routine correspondence. Whatever games they intend to play, it seems that they have not yet begun. It is in the midst of all of these and other events that you and your advisers gather to discuss plans for the Month of the Ox.

THE MONTH OF THE OX (Pick ONE per adviser)

EARTH - YU

[ ] Work on hammering out some trade deals. Now that the first month of court is over, everyone is making deals, not just the dedicated traders and ambitious sorts. Now's probably when the widest variety of options will be available.
[ ] Develop a trade relationship with the Unicorn. Your recent encounter with Shinjo Shakaguchi has left you convinced that you don't want to get on her bad side, and making sure that she continues to have reasons to be invested in your well-being would be prudent.
[ ] Study other Clans' trade arrangements. Now is the busiest month for commerce, meaning that you would give up some opportunities to make deals of your own, but in return you would receive a great deal of information about what the Clans need and have to offer which could be of assistance after the winter.
[ ] Search for books. Your recent encounter with the Unicorn has made it apparent to you that one of your Clan's greatest weaknesses is your lack of any organized stores of written knowledge. You don't know when you'll get another chance to trade with distant but learned Clans such as the Phoenix and Dragon.
[ ] Train Yu on matters of negotiation and etiquette, and learn about commerce in turn. Yu is probably the roughest member of your advisor council when it comes to social niceties, making him a potential weak plate in your armor - and though it seems unlikely that you would be attacked over a lack of knowledge in commerce, stranger things have happened.
[ ] Write-in.

AIR - KOIBU

[ ] Try to promote diplomatic ties with the Crab. Now that your relationship with your hosts is back on a firm footing, and that your Clan has gained a good deal of glory, perhaps the time is right to act on the Crab's behalf and try to assist them in making friends with currently neutral or unaligned clans.
[ ] Develop diplomatic ties with the Major Clans. It is inevitable that you will have ambassadors from the Major Clans in your city - taking action at Winter Court will help make sure that those ambassadors are of the friendlier and more influential sort.
[ ] Discuss a possible Gold River Alliance. Though you have already made friends with the Minor Clans, a potential alliance against the interference of the other Great Clans would be quite valuable - if perhaps difficult to arrange. Still, Fortune Favors the Mortal Man.
[ ] Compete in Tengen's Tournament - a display of skill at calligraphy. Koibu's skill at this is notable, and success or failure here could have an impact on attempts to attack your clan's perceived lack of education.
[ ] Study matters of etiquette with Koibu. While Hatsuyuki's skill at persuasion are unrivalled among your retainers, Koibu possesses much more of the traditional samurai knowledge whose basics you have yet to master. You might be able to teach him a few things as well.
[ ] Write-in.

WATER - WAKABA

[ ] Watch your back. Though Crane, Lion, and Dragon are all renowned for their honor, that is no guarantee that any attacks they make upon you will be honorable ones. It may be safest to keep Wakaba's keen eyes out for any possible attempts at sabotage or deceit.
[ ] Spy on the Clan Heirs. The young and glory-hungry members of the courts are among the most likely culprits for any potential attacks on your Clan - Wakaba's new unobtrusiveness could give you the ability to head off some of these plans before they begin.
[ ] Spy on the Crane Alliance. A very difficult task, and potentially a very valuable one. Anything that you could learn about your foes and their relationships could save you a great deal of embarrassment - but the Great Clans are adept at hiding their secrets.
[ ] Research the Unicorn. Now that you've actually met Shinjo Shakaguchi one-on-one, you have a much better idea of her nature - but also many questions that remain unanswered. Who are her enemies? Who are her friends? And what truly motivates her?
[ ] Study with Tsubaki. Wakaba is soaking in learning like a sponge, and while her powers of observation are excellent, some intrigues also require the sort of clever conversational tricks that you learned from Auntie Hatsuyuki. You could share those with her, while yourself learning some of the courtly games such as Go and Kemari.
[ ] Write-in.

FIRE - MINATO
[ ] Commission some Kaiu gear for Minato. Minato has gained a surprising amount of prestige and respect among the Crab with his successes in the heavy weapons tournament. You might be able to leverage that into acquiring armor or weapons of a quality not usually for sale.
[ ] Spar with Crab bushi. Minato can exchange tips with the soldiers of the Crab, and now that he has some fame to his name, he may be able to make some influential friends doing so.
[ ] Study other warriors. By hanging around the training yard and observing other peoples' training habits and skills, he may develop ideas for your training regimens, or pick up an advantage against foes that he may be called upon to duel.
[ ] Spar with members of the other Great Clans. You'd be deliberately opening Minato up to attack by ambitious youngsters looking to prove themselves against him, but members of all the clans respect strong warriors, which could lead to you gaining friends in unlikely places.
[ ] Train with Minato. Your general is crude, blustery, and quick-tempered; giving him some practice at keeping his cool could be a literal lifesaver. In return, you could spar with him, work out some of your aggression, and maybe learn a few things.
[ ] Write-in.

VOID - CHOUKO
[ ] Assist Yu with his efforts in Trade. Though her authority as a priest of Inari is a card that has been already played in the realm of trade, her advice on food and agriculture could still be valuable, as could her magical assistance.
[ ] Assist Koibu with his efforts in Diplomacy. Chouko's skills as a poet and as a shugenja have become no less valuable over the last month, but she has also revealed some authority as a priest of Inari - another mark in favor of her ability to help.
[ ] Assist Wakaba with her efforts in Intrigue. Many of your targets or enemies have much more reliable access to the blessings of the kami than you - her assistance in knowing whether a ward or other spell has been cast could be crucial.
[ ] Assist Minato with his efforts in Battle. Her divinations have proven eerily reliable - perhaps she can divine the times for auspicious meetings in the training yard.
[ ] Study with Tsubaki. Chouko is learned at philosophy and religion, crucial skills where you lack anything more than a bare-bones knowledge of the subjects at hand. While you're dubious how much you could teach the slightly spacey shugenja in return, perhaps she would appreciate lessons on how to be a more effective public speaker for when she delivers sermons.

TSUBAKI
Your debut last month went staggeringly well, but is sure to invite reprisal. While you are certain to be invited to all of the best parties and social gatherings as the darling of the court, the flip side of this is that you are likely to have even less time than you did last month. In such a scenario, the best that you can do is to pick your best strategy and to simply hold on.

CHOOSE A DEFENSE STRATEGY:
[ ] Avoid The Limelight: By sticking more to minor courts and lower-ranking court members, you have a much better chance of being able to use your status as a bludgeon to avoid inconvenient challenges, and will generally evade the notice of many opportunists.
[ ] Stay Close to Allies: Instead of trying to do it alone, sticking close to the Imperial Families, the Yasuki, the Minor Clans, and potentially the Scorpion and Unicorn could provide you with some diplomatic cover. On the other hand, you risk embroiling allies in your battles - and if you do fail, it will be in front of people of higher rank.
[ ] Deflect and Demur: Follow Shinjo Shakaguchi's advice. Learn enough to get by, then plead a life of service as a bushi. It's the expected tactic, maybe, but it's a proven one - why mess with what works?
[ ] Meet Them Head On: You have excellent clansmates. Spending a lot of time training with them could give you enough skill to handle all challenges with ease, which would gain a great deal of respect for you and your clan among the samurai of Rokugan
[ ] Double Down: Instead of staying on the defense, attack! You're nearly as skilled at oratory as you are with singing, and while you're no true swordsman your defensive skills are top-notch. Showing off additional skills could help keep people speaking well of you, and keep your enemies waiting for the right time to strike.

CHOOSE A DIPLOMATIC AGENDA:
[ ] Consolidate relationships with your current allies. You have laid the groundwork for many firm friendships, but some attention by you to set those matters in stone would prevent those chances from deteriorating.
[ ] Develop friendships with clans that you have not yet spoken to. The whole northeastern half of Rokugan are more or less complete strangers to you. While the Crane Alliance may be acting against you, even they can see the benefits of having ambassadors in your courts, giving you an opportunity to perhaps counteract some of their prejudices.
[ ] Look for additional marriage alliances. Though you were undoubtedly your Clan's biggest prize, there is still opportunity to make alliances through bonds of marriage with the clans that approached you before. Alternately, you could set up marriages for talent, cherry-picking from all of the options to gain talented samurai for your Clan.
[ ] Talk to the courtiers that Bayushi Yamato pointed out to you. So far you have not embroiled yourself in Scorpion intrigues, but these courtiers have been identified as potential weak links in the Crane Alliance - and represent both great risk and great opportunity.
[ ] Get to know your husband-to-be's family. You find yourself wanting to spend time with Otomo Katsura, and what better way to do so than to join the Imperial Families at some of their family events? Between Hantetsu's patronage and your impending marriage to Katsura, you are certain to be welcome, and it would give you the chance to meet people at the highest levels of society.

 

[storybookknight]

RETURNING THE EARRING

"So, Wakaba, how'd it go?" You ask.

She looks up from the game of Go that she is playing with Chouko. "Hmm? Oh, the Earring thing? Fine, fine. Sent the girl a message that could have been from her boyfriend asking her to meet me, snuck in real quiet-like, returned the earring and told her I 'forgot' where I found it."

"You forgot?" You say, wrinkling your nose at the deception.

"As far as she's concerned," Wakaba confirms. She notices you looking at her with disapproval and squirms with discomfort. "What? Now she knows we found it someplace compromising, but chose not to do anything about it. If I actually just said like 'the floor' or whatever she might think she lost it someplace less embarrassing. Now she definitely knows she owes us."

You sigh heavily. "I suppose. I'm really not used to all of this ... sneaking around."

Koibu raises an eyebrow at you from his calligraphy. "You probably should get used to it," he says. "I may have insisted that the Warakkoi-gumi act with honor, but there were always occasions when I had to make exceptions for the greater good of the otokodate."

You nod slowly, and finally look at Wakaba. "Well, anyways. Good job, Wakaba."

She beams. "Anytime, boss. Next time, though, you'll have to let me do something a bit less boring."

IGNORING THE RUMORS

Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to interfering with the business of the Great Clans, you stand back and allow things between Ikoma Watanuki and Asako Tsukasa to play out on their own. Over the next few days, you and the rest of the court witness the Ikoma horrifically insult the Asako; you watch the duel between the two courtiers' chosen champions, a Matsu and a Shiba, that ends with the Shiba dead and the Matsu maimed so badly that he would have been dead if not for the Kitsu, never to fully recover. Asako Tsukasa commits jigai, Soshi Biwako throws herself off of a cliff in despair at her husband's death (for she loved him, and merely wished he had paid more attention to her), and Ikoma Watanuki soon commits suicide himself at her loss (though some whisper about the intervention of Biwako's relatives, as they always do when a Scorpion is involved.) It is a tragic business for all involved, except potentially for the Lion, who gain some small amount of glory at the victory of their chosen warrior in a duel.

Luckily, none of the ugly business splashes back on you in any way, except for a lingering feeling of regret that perhaps you could have done something.

DEFENDING THE CRAB

The night of the play is a gala affair, with every samurai present dressed up in their finest to see a production of 'Shojo', a story about an orangutan spirit that buys sake, then blesses the samurai who sold it to him. It's a lighthearted play, clearly taking influence from the Crab's favored "draw lots" plays with many elements of physical comedy and overly exaggerated movements. You find yourself laughing at the play, but it's clearly not one meant to emphasize the subtleties of Noh.

Unsurprisingly, as you leave the performance you hear Kakita Hana loudly discussing the failures and lack of subtlety in the play. You turn this back on her, speaking of how the lightheartedness of the play would have suffered if more subtle acting had been used. If you are being honest with yourself, your actual arguments for the technical details of the play are somewhat vague - but you are well-known and persuasive enough that it hardly matters. The main thing is that you manage to convince anyone listening - and since it is a public discussion, quite a few people are - that the Crab do indeed have a sense of humor, that most of the rough patches in their performance were deliberate, and while you don't exactly dispute Hana's criticisms you definitely soften their blow.

THE MONTH OF THE OX - RESULTS

EARTH + VOID

As Yu and Chouko explain it, the first hurdle when setting up trade arrangements is simply to avoid bad deals. There are plenty of Clans that engage in economic warfare, using diplomatic wiles, alcohol, and blackmail to trap samurai into unprofitable arrangements that they cannot escape from... luckily, while Yu is not especially clever at conversation, he is excellent at spotting unfavorable scenarios, and at the very least avoided making any horrible mistakes.

The second challenge is to find someone interested in what you have to offer. This is made easier and harder by the fact that you have only a very narrow selection of things to offer other than the transportation of goods. Luckily, you are in Yasuki territory, so anyone from the south interested in selling to the Crab, or anyone from the North interested in selling to the South, has a reason to talk to you. That you are on speaking terms with the Scorpion, Unicorn, and Mantis only helps matters. Soon enough you have a network of contracts to carry goods to those who need them.

With these contracts come a host of other challenges and questions about taxes, tariffs, and other legal issues. However, since he was forewarned by Bayushi Yamato, Yu came prepared and had drafts of your new trade policies already well in hand. The details are too complex to really lay out, but in essence he explains that you are lowering many of your tariffs and import taxes in exchange for your neighbors similarly doing the same - then, making sure that you have as close to a monopoly as possible on all of the contracts for guarding traffic in and around Zakyo Toshi. The hit you'll take to having open borders will be compensated for by the caravan and riverboat guard revenues, and in exchange you will be able to import the things that you need much more cheaply. It's the sort of arrangement that benefits everyone... except maybe for smugglers and tax evaders, whose clients may choose the safer but less profitable alternative of paying their taxes legally, now that the differences in profits are not so large.

Of course, once you already have guaranteed income from your trade networks, it's a simple enough matter to lend out that income to those who are short of coin in exchange for future revenues. The fact that the Yasuki, who typically act as moneylenders, are short of coin due to the demands of renovating the Face Of The East allows Yu to temporarily fill that need and facilitate some additional transactions, so that you should see a tidy sum of additional income for next year and the several years following - assuming that you can keep the waterways clear and meet all of your new trade obligations, anyways. Chouko's help was invaluable in this, as she used her skills with divination to find out who needed money, and thus would make a good target for Yu's attention.

Yu had an idea for something that he called 'insurance' that he tried to explain to a few interested parties, but didn't quite manage to explain it clearly enough to actually make any sales. This might be for the best - you aren't sure that you understand it yourself. It's like the opposite of a loan? You're not quite sure why anyone would want such a thing, but Yu is keen on working on it for later years. Overall, you are quite impressed with his results, and it appears that the Yasuki are as well, as you see them beginning to give him nods of respect in the hall as he passes by.

[Zeroth round: auto-pass, no penalty to trade income next season. First round: +2 income next year. Second round: Reduced prices for next five years. Third round: +1 income/year for next five years. Surplus money can be lent out to other Clans. Fourth Round: Ideas for future projects. Yu makes progress towards becoming a Skilled adviser. Yu seen with respect by the Yasuki.]

AIR

Over the course of the Month Of The Rat, you and Koibu give each other crash courses in your areas of weakness. Both of you are skilled with talking to people, remaining polite, and so on - so you don't focus on that. Instead, Koibu teaches you calligraphy, having you draw the same characters over and over again until your hands begin to cramp; when you can't take it any more, he switches you to practicing the Tea Ceremony, making the same movements over and over again until your arms cramp, as do your thighs from sitting in one position for so long. "It's all about mindfulness," he says, "learning the movements by rote until your mind no longer focuses on them, so that you can focus instead on precision, or on style."

In return, you teach him some of Hatsuyuki's tricks. How to project his voice, to sound confident, to stand one way or another to appear as a bushi or a courtier. Though he has no ear for music, you teach Koibu the basics of oratory, how to take a canned speech and deliver it with force and emphasis. This he takes to quite well, his experience with the leadership of the Warakkoi-gumi instantly allowing him to see the usefulness of the skill. Though neither of you make tremendous strides, you both reaffirm your friendship and respect for each other.

[Tsubaki gains 1 rank in Calligraphy and Tea Ceremony. Koibu gains situational bonuses to appropriate circumstances.]

WATER

Not for the first time, you are struck by how intuitive Wakaba is. Her skill as a teacher is honestly pretty weak, if only because she seemingly only has to see or attempt things a few times to grasp them on an inarticulate, nonverbal level. Your introductions into Kemari and Go are almost frustrating in their simplicity - "Uh, so, give it a try. No, like this. Watch how I do it. Yeah, um, nooooot quite. Let's do it again." Still, she is patient, and eventually manages to get her points across through sheer persistence. You have better luck with Kemari than Go, as it is much easier to practice keeping a ball in the air without verbal instructions or strategies than it is to learn a game requiring deep and complex thought.

Your attempts at teaching her, on the other hand... she seems to grasp almost immediately the basics of what you are saying, the typical conversational tips that Hatsuyuki had to drill into you coming easily and naturally to her. Almost before your eyes, Wakaba goes from... frankly a bit of a street-rat to a proper young lady, mimicking your posture and diction to an almost uncanny degree. However, what interests her most is not your skills at conversation, but rather your Inner Gift of Empathy. It winds up turning into almost a bit of a game - she points out a particular courtier, and you tell her what that person is feeling; then she starts trying to guess herself. Slowly she becomes more and more accurate, as she matches up the truths behind peoples on to the miniscule twitches of muscles and emotions that they betray in hiding said emotions. It's not completely reliable, not right away... but if she can find a way to learn how to read people as well as you do, and can figure out a way to teach that ability? You're beginning to get some ideas.

[Wakaba becomes a Skilled Intrigue adviser! Wakaba becomes an Amateur Diplomacy adviser! Wakaba begins to learn Muscle Reading! Tsubaki learns Games: Kemari and Games: Go!]

FIRE

Minato spends much of the Month of the Rat down by the training yards, swapping stories and moves with the bushi of the Crab. While the Crab's fighting style is obviously much better developed than his, with heavy weapons they train first to fight the Shadowlands, second to fight armies, and third to fight duels - a lack of focus that Minato exploits, at least well enough to make an impression. In exchange for a few of his tips - such as, nobody expects Feints from a Heavy Weapon - Minato winds up picking up a Kata commonly used by the Crab, and has made a few firm friends. Surprisingly, one of those friends is Hida Tanaka himself, who apparently finds Minato an interesting sparring partner due to the differences in their styles. While you were already on pretty good terms with Tanaka, reinforcing that bond with a second member of your advisers certainly doesn't hurt.

[Minato gains Kata: Strength In Arms Style. Minato gains the 'Crab Friend' specialty.]

TSUBAKI

"I find myself becoming bored." Those were the words that wound up causing you a surprising amount of trouble.

The news of your engagement to Otomo Katsura had been met with very little in the way of ill-grace or surprise, at least publicly. Most had figured it a ploy by the Emperor, to strengthen one who had His favor; while the truth was more complex, you had no real reason to elaborate upon the truth of the matter and thus simply accepted the congratulations as your just due. But, between your engagement to an Imperial scion and your successes as a performing artist, the Great Clans had taken note of you... which was not necessarily in your best interest.

So it came to be that in the midst of all of the interminable courts, all of the tedious sermons and pedantic speeches by people who were too well-connected to interrupt, you found yourself agreeing with a Crane. It has been six weeks into your time at Winter Court, and although you have wanted for very little on the part of the Yasuki, past a certain point all of the social events have started to blend together. No matter how gracious and talented a host may be, at a certain point the guests must begin to devise their own entertaiments. Thus, those fateful words.

"Do you find yourself discontent?" Ripostes a member of the Yasuki family.

"Perhaps... wishing to avoid wasting time," responds the woman who said them initially, a Doji Keiko. "As entertaining as simple conversation may be, perhaps something more structured would better allow us to hone our skills?"

"Oh?" Said Yasuki Yosuke. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh... perhaps a simple competition? There is one that we often used in my dojo to determine our suitability as future leaders of the Clan." She smiles sweetly. "Unless, of course, anyone is afraid of participating in such an event?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea!" Said an Ikoma.

"I find myself intrigued," said a Kitsuki.

A few other voices sounded out with encouragement, and you looked around the room - truly, it seemed, the fix was in. With your Inner Gift, you could tell that though many of the yea-sayers were simply bored, or perhaps owed the Doji what seemed like harmless favors, the fact of the matter is that the courtiers of the Crane Alliance seemed to be expectant, or challenging, rather than simply curious. Despite your misgivings, you agreed with the rest of the people in the room... and so began an unusual competition.

Scorecards were issued, with potential points out of 10 for your performance in each one of five categories, and it was explained that in order to score well - and thus prove yourself well and truly capable of being a daimyo in the future - you had to run around to many stations in turn, and thus prove yourself to be worthy of such an exalted station.

Of course, the actual competitions had little if nothing to do with such a lofty post. Whether one can compose Ikebana, or do well in a game of Go, is largely irrelevant to the actual business of running a Clan - yet these courtiers seem to take the matter with deadly seriousness. Thanks to your preparations with Koibu and Wakaba, you find yourself initially doing quite well - you are able to neatly record all of your scores thanks to your efforts in practicing Calligraphy, and you do far better in the mock Tea Ceremony and the game of Go than you would have several weeks ago. However, no amount of preparation would have been enough, for you find yourself struggling mightily during a simple scavenger hunt.

For all that it is a child's game, the jeers coming at you from all sides at your failure are surprisingly convincing, and you find Shinjo Shakaguchi's words of defense coming to your lips. "Ah, it seems that I have much still to learn - after all, I was no more than a simple bushi a year ago."

"Oh?" Doji Keiko asks, her bleached hair falling neatly onto her shoulderblades. "I had not realized you were so accomplished in the arts of the warrior, Namazu-san. Would you be willing to give us an exhibition match?"

[ ] Refuse (guaranteed glory loss, probable continued assault next turn)
[ ] Agree to an immediate Iaijutsu match to first blood (Crane Alliance will be limited to the younger & less experienced samurai currently available, your fatigue from having participated in multiple unfamiliar events will be less difficult to overcome)
[ ] Agree to a kenjutsu match to third blood (Crane Alliance will have time to find a better trained champion, you will get to wear armor and use a skill that you have some training in, still an unfavorable matchup)
[ ] Propose a match where you get to use your eku (Crane Alliance will take you seriously so that they don't get beaten by a jumped-up ronin with a peasant weapon, possible infamy gain for using a peasant weapon, major consequences if you lose and thus prove that your skill in defending the Emperor was really just luck)
[ ] Write-in

 

[storybookknight]

Spoiler: Author's Note

As was later pointed out to me, I made a mistake on the math and it is utterly implausible that this person had stats so high, so young. With a recalculated stat spread she still won due to the luckiness of the rolls, but FYI, I messed up here, and admit it.

You do your best not to glare too obviously at Doji Keiko. The smugness radiating off of the other woman is palpable, and you have the sudden dawning realization that you have been steered to this outcome. By Shinjo Shakaguchi, possibly - or perhaps simply as an inevitable consequence to having crossed the Crane. Yet, there's still possibly a way for you to get out of this. "Of course," you say with a beatific expression, "But why should we interrupt the festivities? I have my sword, and I am certain that you have a clansmate who would be willing to stand in - let's have an iaijutsu match."

For a second, you feel a brief flicker of surprise... and then a slow, dawning, vicious satisfaction as Doji Keiko takes out her fan and waves it in the air. "I have just the person in mind. Maaya-san!" She calls out.

Out of the crowd of people nearby steps... a tiny girl who cannot be more than a year past her gempukku, a girl who still has the round cheeks of youth. She steps towards you. "Yes, Keiko-sempai?" She says sweetly.

"Namazu-dono is interested in demonstrating her skill as a warrior," Keiko says. "Would you mind terribly indulging her in a brief Iaijutsu match?"

Maaya's eyes go wide with surprise as a hush falls over the room. Your teeth grind. To send a child against you.... well, will probably make it more of a fair fight. But losing to one will be greatly embarrassing, and defeating one will give you very little glory. You watch as Maaya's eyes fill with determination. "Hai, Keiko-sempai!"

"Clear a space, people, clear a space." Doji Keiko says, clapping her hands and beckoning at the crowd of people around you to open a flat space on the flagstone floor. "We're having an exhibition match." She smiles at you. "Kakita Maaya is inexperienced, but she is a well trained duelist. I trust that you have no objection to my choice?"

"No," you say, trying not to grind your teeth. "The skill of the Kakita school's duelists is well known. I'm sure that Kakita-san will prove a worthy opponent." You move into the center of the space and stare at the much younger girl. She adjusts her formal kimono to make sure that it will not impede the draw of her blade, and belatedly you do the same. She takes up a particular stance unique to the Kakita school; you take the loose, formless stance that was taught to you by Hideyoshi, your now-deceased companion.

Maaya wrinkles her nose at your position, as if unsure whether to take your loose and informal posture as an insult. "Ah... are you ready,
Namazu-dono?"

You nod... and the duel begins.

Your Initiative: 57
Maaya's Initiative: 62

Despite your determination not to let your opponent get the first move, Maaya is the first to step slightly to the left, forcing you to follow her pace. You strain your Inner Gift to its utmost, attempting to discern where and when she will strike.

Your Assessment: 48
Her Assessment: 38

You find yourself reading her every movement... and what you see is not good. Though inexperienced, this girl is a dedicated duelist, a master of her chosen craft.

((You learn: Maaya has Void 4 Void 3, Reflexes 4, Iaijutsu 5, an emphasis in Focus, and 2 void points remaining. She is uninjured.))

Your focus narrows to a single, thin point.

Your Focus: 77
Maaya's Focus: 94

Maaya's Strike (vs. TN 30): 44

And despite the fact that you are as concentrated on the task before you as you have ever been in your life, this little girl is faster. With a hiss of blade against sheath, she leaves a single, small cut on your cheek, not even marring your beautiful robes. You barely manage to restrain yourself from striking back in turn, your blade frozen halfway to her ribcage.

The two of you step back, and she gives you a small bow. "An excellent duel, Namazu-dono."

You bow back to her as graciously as you can. "Your skill is remarkable, Maaya-san."

Her eyes flicker once, briefly, to Doji Keiko. "Not really, Namazu-dono, but it is very kind of you to say so."

You wince, and take a silk kerchief out to hold it to your face.

What do you say?

[ ] Write-in.

storybookknight threw 12 10-faced dice. Reason: Your initiative Total: 83

storybookknight threw 10 10-faced dice. Reason: Maaya's Initiative Total: 68

storybookknight threw 9 10-faced dice. Reason: Your Assessment Total: 49

storybookknight threw 10 10-faced dice. Reason: Maaya's Assessment Total: 58

storybookknight threw 9 10-faced dice. Reason: Your Focus Total: 56

storybookknight threw 12 10-faced dice. Reason: Maaya's Focus Total: 86

storybookknight threw 9 10-faced dice. Reason: Maaya's Strike Total: 61

 

[storybookknight]

[X] Plan: Wade Garrett

You look down at your bloody handkerchief with a flat expression, then look at Maaya, keeping your features perfectly composed. You can feel the smugness radiating off of her in waves. You know how good her strike was, she knows how good her strike was... and it appears that she is not entirely content with having been asked to keep quiet about that. Well. You have an idea or two about that sort of situation. You let out an uproarious laugh, or at least what qualifies for one under the circumstances, and bow to Maaya. "Nonsense, Kakita-san! I have never seen such speed in a duel!" It helps that this is even true - you have not moved so quickly before in your life, and were still humbled by this slip of a girl. She preens slightly under the attention, but throws a nervous glance at Doji Keiko. While you think that maybe if you praised her skill enough you could get her to own up to it, throwing her a bone surely wouldn't hurt... and would help keep her from getting into trouble with her Clan superiors. "I see the tales of the Crane's excellence in dueling are not exaggerations! Truly, this has been an incredible display. I'm sure your Sensei must be proud of you."

Your Temptation / Awareness Roll: 48 (7k7 with Benten's Blessing)
Her Etiquette / Willpower to resist: 17.

She blushes shyly. "I... I was actually the best duelist in my year. It's sort of my specialty."

You raise an eyebrow at Doji Keiko. "It's good to know that you thought so highly of my skill as a warrior, Doji-san!"

Your Courtier / Awareness roll: 60
Her Courtier / Awareness roll: 33

She smiles at you sweetly. "Your bravery and skill in rescuing the Emperor is well known, Namazu-dono. We could hardly send just anyone against you." You feel a slight hint of frustration coming from Doji Keiko - apparently, whatever you're doing is inconveniencing her. Not as much as you'd like, because she doesn't seem distraught, but you seem to be having some positive effect.

Bolstered by this knowledge, you turn to the still-blushing Maaya. "Maaya-san, I would be honored if you would join the Namazu delegation for dinner this evening...I want my men to see the bushi that beat their Champion with their own eyes. Well? What do you say?"

She hesitates for a moment. Her eyes flicker once, guiltily, to Doji Keiko. And then she smiles. "I would love to, Namazu-dono."

Where do you take her for dinner?

[ ] A private affair, where she can get to know the people of the Namazu.
[ ] At your table in high court, in front of the nobles of Rokugan.
[ ] A public tea-shop, where people can see you feteing her, but less formally.
[ ] The Shell of Stone, where you can try to get her drunk on chilled mugijochu.
[ ] Ask your hosts for suggestions. The Yasuki may have some good ideas.
[ ] Write-in.

storybookknight threw 8 10-faced dice. Reason: Temptation Total: 48

storybookknight threw 4 10-faced dice. Reason: Feeble Resistance Total: 29

storybookknight threw 10 10-faced dice. Reason: Spinning the loss Total: 63

storybookknight threw 10 10-faced dice. Reason: Counterpoint Total: 52

 

[storybookknight]

Spoiler: Author's Note

Sorry about the recent spate of short posts, guys. Work has been difficult, and my concentration for writing has been shot. Hopefully this will make up for them somewhat.

[X] A private affair, where she can get to know the people of the Namazu.

You bow politely to Keiko and Maaya, one hand still keeping your handkerchief pressed firmly to your cheek. "If you'll excuse me, then, it seems that I have some preparations to make." You turn and head out of the room, heading for your guest chambers. As you walk through the halls and the adrenaline slowly dies down, your cheek begins to seriously sting.

"Tsubaki-dono!" Taigen hurries to catch up to you, looking at your bloody face with concern. "What was - what happened?" She asks. "I only caught the end of it."

You laugh, once. "Hearing -dono from you still feels a bit wrong, Taigen-san." You make a wry face, then immediately regret it as the motion pulls on your cut cheek. "It's a bit of complicated story," and one that I don't want to tell in an open hallway, "but the long and short of it is that I lost an exhibition duel to Kakita Maaya, and so I'm inviting her to a very fancy dinner where she will be the guest of honor."

Taigen looks at you, confused. "I don't see how .... Why did you invite a Crane to dinner right after they just got done messing with you?"

You roll your eyes, and pull her into a quiet room for a second. "Let me restate, then." You say in a hushed tone. "I, your Clan Champion, have just very publicly lost a duel. If I don't make it very clear that it's because Kakita-san is very, very talented, then every carrion crow samurai and their brother will be throwing insults at me so that they can beat me in a duel too."

Her eyes go wide with comprehension, and her face finally goes suitably grave. "Okay, yeah, that's a problem. What can I do to help?"

You bite your lip thoughtfully, a plan beginning to take shape in the back of your mind. "We need... two things. We need to keep Maaya-san happy with us, so that it doesn't look like we asked her to join us as a political maneuver -"

Taigen raises an eyebrow. "Even though that's what we're doing?"

"- and we need people who will gossip," you say bluntly, ignoring Taigen's snide comments. "Having the same interpretation of events come from multiple people will do a lot to shape opinion."

"... Hida Kaoru!" Taigen says, snapping her fingers. "She's here, and if we're looking for people who can't keep their mouth shut and have reputations for honesty..."

You smile - and once again, regret it as the act causes your cheek to move. Stepping back into the hallway, you nod at Taigen. "Okay. Go find her, see if she can make it. If you run into anyone else from the Catfish on the way, let them know to meet me in our quarters."

"Got it, boss!"

As you open the screen to your rooms, you note with relief that Yu and Chouko are both there, taking a break from the relentless grind of trade. You immediately send Yu out to purchase supplies for thirty people or so, have Chouko heal your wound, and get down to a furious spate of party planning. Messages are sent out to all of your clansmates, sending a message couched in as neutral words as possible that they need to get back to the rooms, and they need to invite other people to dinner tonight. Koibu is among the first of your advisers to return, and you almost immediately set him to penning invitations with his immaculate calligraphy, a task that he takes to with his usual finesse.

Slowly throughout the day the news trickles in. Otomo Katsura can attend; Koibu is bringing two guests, Yu and Chouko each are bringing one; Minato is out of the castle on a hunting trip and will not be returning until dinner. You had just about reconciled yourself to a smaller, more intimate dinner when Wakaba came back with the news that a full four of her friends, all well-connected members of the younger set, will be in attendance. Emboldened by this last welcome piece of information, you work to turn your quarters into someplace a little bit more comfortable for a large group of people to eat in. A heimin servant of the Yasuki brings you enough folding screens to section off an area of your room for all of your personal belongings to be stored, and you make sure to store the jade 'gifts' that you have received well out of the way so as not to discomfort any of your Crab guests.

Since you lack anything like the wall hangings that the Unicorn have, you do your best to make the focus of the room the table and food. You send Yu out to make sure that you have sufficient supplies, and he returns with a variety of foodstuffs and drinks in tow. Though the nearby streams and lakes are not plentiful, being so close to the mountains allows for boxes of snow and sawdust to be used to transport fish from nearby larger rivers and oceans. Yu brings back all of the required fixings for sushi, as well as plenty of rice, and many small fried or baked treats suitable for sharing among many hungry people. Of course, there is a small problem in that none of you is a particularly accomplished cook; and while it is not terribly difficult for you to call in a favor from the Yasuki and get a pair of heimin to help you out, you make a mental note to see about acquiring some talented heimin of your own for future such events.

As you finish your preparations, your guests begin to arrive. You are amused to see that Koibu apparently has not only the young lady of the Yasuki on his arm, whose name you learn is Yasuki Chie, but also has the attentions of a certain Shosuro Miyuki. The two of them appear to be rivals of one another, and you get the feeling that Koibu hadn't exactly planned on them both being able to show up - or maybe one of them is reading the other's mail, it's hard to say. On first impressions, you like both of them, though for different reasons - Chie is energetic and earthy, while Miyuki has a cool grace, and is apparently a very talented actress.

As Chouko and Yu have been spending so much time recently working out trade negotiations with the Minor Clans, both of them bring guests from those clans. Yu's friend is a cynical, somewhat morose Mantis named Hiroji who begins to relax and lighten up as he starts sipping on some sake, while Chouko has invited a fellow shugenja by the name of Kitsune Kouki. He and Chouko appear to have somewhat of a friendly rivalry going on, something about the benefits of paying attention to the natural world vs. the spiritual essences thereof and... that's about as far as you get before you have to leave them to it. If nothing else, he seems able to keep Chouko from being too spacy at your other guests by absorbing her attention.

Minato hurries in late, having obviously just bathed from his excursions outside of the castle. He apologizes for not having had time to speak to anyone, but you wave it off - this was obviously a spur-of-the-moment occasion. Luckily, Wakaba's friends more than make up for the perceived lack. A Lion, a Scorpion, a Unicorn, and a Phoenix come through the doors in what has to be the least likely assemblage of samurai that you have ever heard of. Apparently Ikoma Tatsuki, Yogo Namio, Moto Rokuro, and Shiba Shinpei are all junior members of the Emerald Magistrates, and gather as friendly rivals whenever they can. Somehow Wakaba has slid into place with these promising young samurai quite easily, possibly by applying her position as your chief Clan Magistrate. More to the point, all four of them are convivial sorts, well used to the necessities of being polite and friendly with members of other clans. Then Hida Kaoru, Hida Aoba, Hiruma Tamayo and Hiruma Fujita arrive, and the place becomes practically packed with large, boisterous, enthusiastic samurai.

Behind them is Otomo Katsura, and as he comes in he seemingly cannot help but give you a shy smile; despite your position as a host, his expression is so charming that you cannot help but give him a secret smile in return. You can feel your heart beating faster just from that small moment - you're no pure maiden, but it was not long ago when all you could afford was a threadbare kimono, when you used your hair to hide your face rather than accent it, and people hid looks of disgust around you instead of smiles. You take a moment to compose yourself as you introduce your fiance to your clansmates; you have no desire to be caught up in bad memories of the past. Koibu seems to notice your slight reticence, and quickly takes charge of Katsura, making the introductions for you while you play the more impartial host. Your defeat this morning and the frenzy of preparations this afternoon have left you with no time to compose yourself and regain your center, but you push down the shadows of the past with practiced ease regardless.

Finally the guest of honor arrives, and you make it a special point to greet her and present her to the assembled party. Kakita Maaya has dressed much more formally than she did this afternoon, and looks almost like a precious doll. A deadly, deadly doll. For all of her innocent charm, you still vividly remember just how fast Maaya was. Despite your lingering feelings of resentment, you welcome her warmly and sincerely, and she blushes prettily as she is congratulated and praised by the various guests.

The night passes in a pleasant fashion, both for you and all of your guests. While Hatsuyuki might not have been able to train you on the various games and sophisticated stratagems of court, she definitely taught you about how to make a guest comfortable, and you employ all of those abilities skillfully. Despite your initial dark mood, you find yourself having a surprising amount of fun. You wind up performing a call-and-response oratory with Ikoma Tatsuki, sing in harmony with Kitsune Kouki's strong tenor, and even steal a few moments of quiet conversation with Otomo Katsura. Nor are you the only one so entertained, as you see Koibu and Hiroji having a few drinks together while Yasuki Chie and Shosuro Miyuki are distracted by a riddle-game of Wakaba's, and see Moto Rokuro working together with Hida Kaoru and still being unable to overcome Minato in an arm-wrestling contest.

As the night begins to wind to a close, Kakita Maaya gets your attention and steps into a corner with you. Her cheeks are flushed from a small amount of sake, and her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and fun. "Thank you so much for inviting me, Namazu-sama. I've never... I've never met so many samurai from other clans all at once before. Usually I eat with the other Crane, and well..." she blushes a little bit more, and shakes her head. "Um... Namazu-sama, would you... would you be interested in, in maybe sparring together sometime? Um, I'd be happy to show you a few tips on Iaijutsu, and... maybe you could show me some kenjutsu?"

What do you say?
[ ] Write-in

Is there anyone who you would like to speak to before the party ends?
[ ] Write-in

 

[storybookknight]

Spoiler: Author's note

Once again, sorry for the delay on this. I hope it was worth the wait.

[X] Hastygaming

"Well, I'm certainly not going to pass up the opportunity to spar with someone so talented," you say. "Especially since it's you, Maaya-san." You make the calculated decision to speak to her informally, as though you were speaking to a friend, and you see her eyes light up in time with a surge of excitement from your Inner Gift. It seems like your earlier hypothesis was correct - Kakita Maaya is lonely, unused to being valued for anything other than her skill with iaijutsu. You're not really sure whether you want to feel guilty for manipulating her this way, or pity for her being so vulnerable to it. "And yes, I'd be delighted to show you some kenjutsu in return. My style is a bit, eh, idiosyncratic, but that just means you'll have some unusual tricks to try out on your next opponent."

She bows to you hastily. "Ah! Yes! Thank you so much, Namazu-dono."

Waving your hand in the air, you dismiss her thanks. "No, no, it's nothing that deserves being thanked for. We all serve the Emperor, don't we? It's only natural for samurai to help each other learn how to best fulfill our duties."

"A very enlightened approach, Namazu-dono." She replies with a slightly sad smile. "If only more people thought that way."

You are struck by a sudden urge to place your hand on her head and ruffle her hair, but somehow manage to restrain yourself from such an undignified action. "Well said, Kakita-san. Luckily, tonight you're in the company of people who do! Hey, Hida Kaoru-san! You have room for one more in that circle there?"

"Oh, Namazu-dono!" Kaoru booms. She, Taigen, Wakaba, and Hiruma Tamayo have formed a loose confederation of women all sitting in a circle playing what appears to be some form of stick-picking-up game that involves penalty shots of sake, with your yojimbo Jumonji serving as the group's token man. "Sure, pull up a cushion!" She says, scooting over to make some room. "I always wondered what it would be like to get a Clan Champion drunk."

"You already got me drunk, remember?" You say teasingly. "Hida Tanaka-dono was there at the time too, if I recall."

She laughs self-deprecatingly. "Oh, yeah. Can't blame me for forgetting that one, Namazu-dono, that night's pretty blurry. Oh! And neither of you were Clan Champions at the time, so there!"

You do not snort in an unladylike manner, no matter what anyone nearby would have said to the contrary. It clearly must have been someone else nearby. Probably Taigen. "Ah, I'd love to, but I have to keep playing the good host. You're going to have to settle for a duel with a Kakita," you say, and gently nudge Maaya forwards.

The look of sudden panic on Maaya's face at being put on the spot is adorable, and it nearly distracts you from your nervousness over how these next few seconds could possibly go. Kaoru is a good-natured sort, and you trust her to be willing to play along with your wishes as a host, but you're less sanguine about her ability to control her tongue and not say anything offensive. Still, it seems as though your calculated risk has paid off. "Oi oi, Kakita-san, the fearsome duelist! Do you dare to challenge the undefeated Hida Kaoru-sama... at Mikado?"

"The undefeated champion of poor short-term memory, maybe. Or did you forget how I just took the last round?" Says Hiruma Tamayo.

Maaya giggles, and you breathe out a sigh of relief. "All right, Hida-sama, prepare to meet your match!"

Since it seems like they are getting along for now, you excuse yourself to go find a drink and leave Maaya in Taigen and Kaoru's capable hands, and to touch bases with everyone else at the party. Speaking personally and in depth with all of your guests would be impossible. Try as you might, you are only one person, and if you were to attempt to divide your attention over a dozen ways between all of your guests it would be a guarantee that someone would go home slighted. Luckily, you have the assistance of your clansmates, and as occasionally flaky or rude or naive or ... the point is, you can rely on them to assist you in being good hosts to your visitors, which leaves you the time to talk to at least a few people as individuals. And you have just the individuals in mind.

Yasuki Chie and Shosuro Miyuki are currently seated on either side of Koibu, listening with what is apparently rapt attention to a story that he is telling to Hiroji of the Mantis and your yojimbo Togano; neither is seated so close that it is a total breach of decorum, but both are rather amusingly skirting the edge of such behavior. For his part, Koibu appears to be loving the attention. He seems to be switching out who he places his sake cup closest to in order to have it refilled, and every once in a while will brush one girl or the other with 'accidental' touches.

You had no idea that your surrogate father figure was such an incorrigible flirt. You cough gently to get their attention, and smile first at Yasuki Chie. "Ah, Yasuki-san, are you enjoying yourself?"

"I am indeed, Namazu-dono." She gives you a gracious nod. "I understand that it was Namazu Yu-dono that arranged the majority of the food tonight? Please convey my thanks and appreciation to him, it has been a most pleasant evening."

"An evening that would not have been possible without the assistance of the Yasuki," you say, bowing to her slightly. "Once again, the Yasuki have been the epitome of gracious hosts, and I am truly impressed by the beauty of Shiro Kaotsugi No Higashi." A true statement; though the Face of the East is often stark and harsh in its beauty, the finely worked stone and gorgeous views that the castle offers are without compare. "It is our hope that once we have built a Clan Castle of our own, we shall be able to return the favor and the hospitality."

"Ah, yes, Koibu-san," she begins, and you struggle to keep your eyebrows from rising with the familiarity that she is taking, "has told me that the Namazu are currently filling the governor's manse in Zakyo Toshi almost to capacity, and that he is currently administering Wave Province out of a mere village, is it not so?"

"For now," you agree. "Though we have already begun considering possible locations for where a castle may be built."

Chie raises a polite eyebrow. "So I had heard. Had you decided yet how you planned to build such a castle?"

"Ah, the fame of your cousins among the Kaiu in matters of engineering is well known, Yasuki-san, so we are definitely considering the Kaiu in this matter, but the needs of a young Clan are many. It may be that we will fill our needs with temporary construction to begin with, and move to a more permanent location once our position is more secure." You give Chie a wry smile. "I hope that I will not offend you if I say that it may come down to price."

She laughs. "As so many things do, Namazu-dono. As so many things do. Still, it is refreshing to see a leader of a Clan willing to discuss such matters so openly."

"Well, Koibu-san is much better at it than I," you say with a grin at your former Head, now your subordinate Daimyo. "He taught me almost everything I know."

Koibu salutes you with his sake cup. "And blessed I was, for having such an able student!"

Shosuro Miyuki looks at you both with curiosity. "Was it... Wave-daimyo-dono that taught you to sing?" she asks, flushing slightly, perhaps from strong drink. Unlike Chie, she is much more proper and correct with her address towards Koibu, as she refers to him by his title in lieu of calling him by a family name that you both share. On the other hand, her kimono is artfully disheveled just enough to allow someone seated to her left a glimpse of creamy skin under the folds of silk, and she, too seems to be playing the game of brushing just enough against someone for it to appear accidental. "I had the luck to see you at your first performance, Namazu-dono. It was..." she trails off slightly, seemingly without words to describe it properly. "It was a truly exceptional experience."

You shake your head with a smile, and Koibu himself laughs a little bit. "Ah... I'm afraid not, Shosuro-san. I believe I mentioned that I recently studied at the Silken Song theater, but before that I learned from my mother. Koibu-san here," you say with a smirk, "can't even carry a tune in an upside-down kabuto."

She chuckles. "Really? That's a surprise!" She looks up at Koibu and, you would swear to the very Kami themselves, actually bats her eyelashes at Koibu. "Wave-daimyo-dono has a surprising amount of appreciation for fine artists, given that such is the case."

Koibu actually coughs and looks away slightly, and you're beginning to suspect that there's a story there ... but it would be rude to say anything out of the ordinary. "Well, given Koibu-san's long experience as a protector of the geisha of Zakyo Toshi, it would be difficult for him to be anything else, after all."

Miyuki nods at you. "It's very admirable of him, don't you agree? To display such compassion towards those lower in the Celestial Order?"

Yasuki Chie scoffs slightly. "Please. 'oh, his display of one of the virtues of bushido is admirable'. No, really? I hadn't noticed," she says dryly

"Well, it can't be helped, given your inexperience," says Shosuro Miyuki, and you experience a sudden desire to vacate the area as the two women glare knives at each other. You give Koibu an almost disbelieving look, and he shrugs, as if to say 'what can you do'?

"Ah, excuse me." You say. "I believe that Ikoma-dono wanted me for something. I'm glad to see that you're enjoying yourselves, though." You give a slight bow, and walk swiftly away. You're not completely sure of exactly what is going on with Koibu and these women, but you absolutely plan to ask him about it later, if only for the comedic potential. In the meantime, you have Emerald Magistrates to see.

You walk over to the close-knit group of Ikoma Tatsuki, Yogo Namio, Moto Rokuro, and Shiba Shinpei. The four of them are seemingly enjoying themselves, compensating for the fact that Wakaba has abandoned them by discussing various things with Minato and Kuroki. "Thank you all for being able to make it on short notice," you say to begin. "Are you all enjoying yourselves?"

"We are indeed, Namazu-dono," says Moto Rokuro. He is a swarthy man whose exotic features do little to recommend him, but he has a keen intelligence glittering in his eyes, and he carefully speaks without any trace of the accent that you would expect from his gaijin features. "It is not often that junior magistrates such as we are invited to spend time with such august company."

You smile. "I certainly don't see why not, all of you have been most pleasant guests indeed. I confess that I haven't spent much time with many magistrates other than Miya Sato-dono and his associates; there is an Asahina Arata-dono serving as an Emerald Magistrate in Zakyo Toshi, but he is due to retire this year, and I have yet to receive any word on who it may be that would replace him. I don't suppose it would wind up being one of you?"

Ikoma Tatsuki snorts. "Hardly likely, Namazu-dono. The four of us are far too junior for such a prestigious assignment. Why, Shiba-san here is still a yoriki!" She is an athletic young Lion, with calluses on her knuckles that speak of long training in the ways of jiujutsu.

Shinpei, a tall, angular young man, scowls at Tatsuki. "At my own request, Tatsuki-san. I still have much to learn from Kitsuki Shiroku-dono."

"Yeah, yeah." Ikoma Tatsuki says, waving away his objections. "In any case, you're likely to get someone much more senior than any of the four of us. There's a chance we could be that Magistrate's chief assistant or something, though."

Yogo Namio raises an eyebrow. He is almost stereotypically Scorpion, "I have heard a rumor or two," he ventures. "It is indeed possible that you will be seeing me sooner rather than later."

The way that the other three magistrates look first to each other and then to you doesn't completely reassure you. "Oh?" you ask. "How so, Yogo-san?"

Namio smiles. "Well, my superior, Kaiu Ganjo, has recently been promoted and has a good deal of experience with the south... the odds aren't bad, at least." His expression is innocent, but you still remember his fellow magistrates' expressions.

"What is Kaiu-dono like?" You ask, and feel Namio's frustration as he has to fumble for words.

"Hmm. Well... Imposing, I would say," Namio says with a nod. "He's definitely someone used to throwing his weight around, he quite enjoys sporting events, he's a bit of a gourmand..." Namio shrugs. Behind him, completely coincidentally, is Moto Rokuro, who is holding his hand palm-inwards in front of his belly as if to imply the existence of an enormous gut.

"Hrmmm..." You say slowly, doing your best not to give any impression of having realized that Yogo Namio's sensei / superior is morbidly obese. "I see. Well, hopefully I'll get a chance to meet him sometime. Is he here at the Face of the East?"

Namio shakes his head. "He is attending Winter Court in the lands of the Asahina, where he was assigned. I would be there myself, if not for the fact that my family requested my presence." You can see why they might have done such a thing; Namio-san is well spoken, and the Yogo family is notoriously reclusive. Having a well-connected magistrate, even a junior one, on hand to assist them during Winter Court would indeed be a boon.

"Well in any case, we are glad to have you, Yogo-san." He inclines his head in thanks, and you move on to other matters of conversation for a few minutes before slipping away.

The party is winding down, and you want to speak to Otomo Katsura before he leaves. To your surprise, you find him playing a game of dice with Yu, Gohei, Kitsune Kouki, and Chouko. To your greater surprise and general amusement, Katsura appears to be winning handily, judging by the sizable stack of zeni in front of him and the much smaller stacks in front of everyone else. He smiles up at you as you approach. "Ah, it seems that I'm wanted," he says with a cheeky grin towards your clansmates and Kitsune-san. "I apologize for my rudeness in leaving while the game is still ongoing, but I'll be happy to make it up to you all with another game some other time."

Yu snorts in derision. "You just want another chance to take our hard-earned money, you mean. Tsubaki-dono! Get yer fiance out of here before he bankrupts the clan!" There's some general raucous laughter at that, and the other four members of the game wave Katsura off in good humor.

He stands, and the two of you walk a few steps over to what passes for a quiet corner. "I'm sorry, Otomo-dono," you say, suddenly and unaccountably feeling almost shy. "I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"I'm happy you did," he says almost reflexively. Your eyes widen slightly, and he coughs. "I - I mean, it gave me a good chance to leave while I was still ahead." He looks at you out of the corner of his eyes, then begins to pour himself a cup of sake, carefully keeping his eyes on the pour to avoid meeting yours. "You can... call me Katsura. You know, if you want."

Your gaze follows his, looking at his hands where they pour the sake into the cup. They're strong hands, callused, with the occasional scar from sword practice. They're good hands. "Mmm," you say in agreement. "It would indeed be a shame to keep calling you Otomo-dono, only to have to stop once you take my name in marriage." The hands tremble just the barest smidgen, and you have to fight to keep from smirking. Katsura is surprisingly cute for someone of his position, and it almost makes you want to tease him. "Very well then, Katsura-san," you say, putting a little bit of purr into your voice in imitation of some of the ways of speaking that Hatsuyuki-sensei showed you, "I suppose that I can start getting used to calling you by name, at least until I can start calling you husband." You almost want to giggle as he gulps down his cup of sake far more quickly than is seemly to cover his flustered emotions. "You'll have to call me by name in return, though. It's only fair."

Katsura turns to you and looks you straight in the eye, a bit of heat still pinking his cheeks. "As you wish... Tsubaki-san." In contrast to your teasing tones, he is perfectly serious, which is... definitely cheating, because seeing him get that serious about this is, it's not fair, and your cheeks are getting red too, and, and ... did the room just get noticeably quieter? In your peripheral vision you see Taigen and Maaya both watching you with amusement, and what made you think that leaving an impressionable young girl with Taigen was a good idea?!

You cough pointedly and look away from Katsura, whose head turns at roughly the same time as yours in a similar amount of embarrassment. The conversation in the room returns to a more normal volume, and you feel a burst of glee coming from Taigen's direction that has you groaning internally. "Uhm, so... you're pretty good with dice?" you say lamely.

"I, um. Yeah, I guess so," he says, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "The, um. The line of Hantei has always been favored by the Kami, so..."

You blink. "Wait. Even at dice?" He smirks. "That's... that's... that is so unfair!" You say, and he looks so unbearably smug that you practically want to kiss him just to wipe that expression off of his face.

"Truly," he says, looking deeply into your eyes. "I have been most fortunate."

Yup. Definitely unfair.

All too soon, your conversation comes to an end, and the night finally winds to a close. One by one your guests depart, all of them shining with enthusiasm and good feelings to your Inner Gift, and all of them thanking you kindly for your invitation. You have apparently made this a night to remember for all people concerned, and it seems likely that the story will perpetuate itself further in the days to come.

[Tsubaki lost 10 points of glory due to her public loss in iaijutsu, and Maaya gained 5, with the respective clans each gaining half of their representatives' gains and losses, -5 points for the Namazu and 2 points for the Crane. Due to your actions afterwards, Tsubaki has reclaimed 9 points of glory (one for each successful invitee), the Namazu have regained 4 points, Maaya has gained an additional 4 points, and the Crane have gained an additional 2.

You have made an Ally out of Kakita Maaya, and will be sparring with her to train Iaijutsu.

Certain diplomatic overtures may be possible to both the Yasuki and the Shosuro.

Your next Emerald Magistrate is likely to be the... formidable Kaiu Ganjo.

Otomo Katsura will provide the Namazu with one reroll per realm administration turn due to the blessing of the heavens.]

Of course, while the Crane's move against you was probably the most notable event to occur to you during the Month of The Ox, it was by no means the only one. Despite your loss to Maaya, you still remain an incredibly popular and celebrated individual, and find yourself becoming further and further drawn in to the goings-on at court. As always, how you respond to such actions has a great potential to affect the future of your Clan, and the goings-on of Court.

HIDDEN INSULTS

You are seated in an open forum one day, listening to an older courtier of the Ikoma family tell the story of one of the Lion's many victories, and wishing for some form of distraction. It is not that the Ikoma's story is poorly told - far from it! It is a stirring tale of honor and of valor, of sacrifices made in the name of duty. But, it is a very long story, and in your inexpert opinion he has chosen it in order to dominate the stage and deny others a chance to contribute to the discussion, for it would be rude indeed to interrupt. In this case, your wish is answered by a young man of the Hiruma family, who gets your attention and pulls you aside. Interestingly, he asks you to meet him behind a folding screen, which by court custom means that you are to be considered 'in a separate room', where 'no one can hear you speak', despite any evidence to the contrary.

Hiruma Shichiro is almost whipcord-thin, a young man without any extra fat on his bones - and probably even lighter in total than even his lean frame would suggest, because his left arm is missing all the way to the elbow, where the sleeve of his court robes has been tied off in a knot. "Yes, Hiruma-san? What can I do for you?" you ask.

"Can you believe that fat fuck prattling on about sacrifice?" He asks in a loud, piercing tone. "It doesn't look like he's missed so much as a meal."

While it's true that Ikoma-san has gained a bit of weight due to his respectable age, that the Crab have occasionally not had enough to eat is also undeniable, and it is clear that this is a political ploy. How do you respond?

[ ] Act neutrally - you don't want to abandon your ally in the Crab, but you don't want to participate in a dishonorable action either. Simply allowing Hiruma Shichiro to make his own criticisms without adding any of your own should be enough.
[ ] Join in - You aren't exactly experienced in sadane, the game of insults, but you're certainly skilled enough in other courtly ways that it can't be that hard. And getting back at the Crane Alliance would certainly be appealing.
[ ] Invite a friend - The Scorpion are the acknowledged masters of this sort of thing, and you see Bayushi Nimuro standing not far away. You're... pretty sure that he'll play along, and if he does, it will be much more effective than if you had acted on your own.
[ ] Decline to participate - You may be allies with the Crab, but this smacks too close to dishonor for you to be willing to participate in such an attack. Even if it means defending the Lion, you'll have to decline.
[ ] Write-in.

ARTISTIC CRITICISMS

Between your skill with musical performance and your less well-known but similarly profound talents at oration, you are becoming quite well known for artistic skill. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has lead many young courtiers to come to you and ask you for your opinion on various works of art that they have composed. Unfortunately, not all courtiers present at the Face of the East are as skilled as you are. You have heard poetry and songs of varying degrees of quality from many young courtiers, and have even been asked to vet a few prepared speeches on the parts of your allies. How do you respond to such requests?

[ ] Politely - no matter how execrable the performance, it would hardly do to make enemies. Attempting to be as charitable as possible will avoid the risk of making enemies.
[ ] By attempting to assist - A few people may be offended by your criticisms of their skills, but a bit of assistance in helping them develop their skills could be well-received.
[ ] On a bias - by encouraging your political rivals to prepare some of the more... poorly-thought-out compositions that you have heard, you might be able to cause them some embarrassment at little downside.
[ ] Honestly - As important as making friends is, your personal integrity is also important, and there are times when Honesty takes priority over Sincerity.
[ ] Write-in.

FACTIONAL SPLINTERING

Clued in by the Scorpion, you have been closely watching the members of the Crane Alliance that Bayushi Yamato pointed out to you. Over time, you have seen Kitsu Makoto stand further and further away from the Akodo and closer and closer to the Shimizu, seen her joined by Togashi Touma, Kitsuki Aoi, and a few other Dragons; seen all of them joined by Daidoji Mamoru and a few others among the Iron Cranes, as well as a few Kakita and Asahina. Clearly something is going on.

What do you do?
[ ] Watch and see what happens - what it says on the scroll-cap. You aren't really sure that you want to get involved with such an event, whatever it might be.
[ ] Try to make friends - if there is a contrary faction to the clans of the Crane Alliance, they would likely be very good people to know. Though they are likely to be suspicious of outsiders, perhaps your fame and charisma will allow you to surpass such hostility.
[ ] Spy on them - Wakaba has gotten much more skilled at intrigues of late, and due to the disorganized nature of such factions, they would necessarily be easier to observe than their host clans.
[ ] Try to manipulate them into conflicting with their leaders - you don't have to know what the grounds for hostility are between these people and the Crane Alliance to be able to take advantage of it. Why not push them into open conflict and watch the fireworks?
[ ] Get Chouko's help with this - choose alongside another option. It will mean that she will be unable to assist any of your other advisers for the month of the Tiger, but this could be important.
[ ] Write-in.