[X] Seek out the Scorpion, perhaps Bayushi Yamato will be able to offer advice or information.
You fume.
Doji Ran has effectively maneuvered you in such a way that you suspect you will still be discovering the implications of her actions for months. The brutal truth is that you do not have the skill, the status, or the knowledge of the situation to even begin to counter such attacks. Of course, there are people in the room who do. As tempting as it would be to remove yourself from the situation temporarily by speaking to the Minor Clans or to the Phoenix, you are not yet willing to admit defeat. The Crane are probably expecting you to seek support from the Crab or the Emperor, and may have moves planned to counter such actions.
They probably aren't expecting you to go to Bayushi Yamato. True, Scorpions make for untrustworthy allies, but as far as you can tell, they're much more likely to use you to take a shot at their real rivals among the Crane or Lion than to further attack someone who poses little threat to them. And, you have a convenient pretext to go speak to them. As you start heading over to the Scorpion delegation, you turn to ask for one of the bottles of sake that are being used as gifts, only to see that your followers are currently holding a Tetsu-eku, a jade teapot, a display stand, jade prayer beads, and the sake bottles as well, so that fully half of your delegation is toting some form of gift around. You hurriedly grab a heimin servant and have him set up an area over to the side with a screen so that the gifts you are carrying can be safely set behind it. With that done, you are finally able to move to the back of the room.
The room is becoming much more mixed now, with most delegations splitting off by ones and twos to mingle, meet, and otherwise gain social advantage for their respective clans. You give a nod to Yu, Koibu, and Chouko, and the three of them split off to find other delegations to meet on a more official basis, while Taigen and Gohei similarly head out to meet with some of the lower-ranking samurai. You keep Wakaba and Minato with you, as 'bodyguards' with a bit more practice dealing with more ... unsavory types.
Once again, you almost completely manage to overlook Bayushi Yamato among his flashier relatives. He isn't wearing deliberately drab clothing or anything - indeed, in a place where everyone is dressed their best such as this, that would make him stand out - but the embroidery upon his robe is tasteful and subdued, and its palette runs much more to the black than the red aspect of his Clan colors. As you approach, Yamato breaks off a conversation that he is having with a young man in Imperial green. "Ah, Namazu-dono." He says as you approach. "Allow me to introduce Seppun Shougo-san."
Shougo is youthful, likely only a few months past his gempukku. Unlike most of the Seppun Guardsmen serving in the room, he is neither armed nor armored; it seems likely that he is present as a guest, rather than being on duty. He seems intensely uncomfortable to be speaking with a Clan Champion and looks at you gratefully for the chance to bow out of the conversation. "Ah, pleased to meet you Namazu-sama. Excuse me." He bows and backs away like a man fleeing a live viper, leaving you alone with the leader of the Scorpion.
Yamato's lips quirk in amusement. "Always a pleasure to meet the younger generation, don't you agree, Namazu-dono?"
You're not sure that you want to know. "Indeed. Are you well, Bayushi-dono?"
He smirks. "Well enough, Namazu-dono. And yourself?" He asks solicitously. "I know that it can be ... overwhelming to deal with so many of one's new responsibilities all at once. Why, even the well-wishers can become a burden."
You give him a wry, self-deprecating grin. "I had underestimated perhaps just how much that would be the case."
"I often find that in matters such as these, the best way to handle them is to simply take things one at a time." Yamato says.
Your attention sharpens. "Oh? How so?"
He nods. "Individuals are much simpler to handle than groups. After all, even an army is defeated one soldier at a time, is it not? But enough talk of such matters. It occurs to me, that there is someone with whom you could speak regarding the questions of ancestry that you posed to me the other day."
"The -" The bit about me being possibly part of your clan, those questions? "- ah, that is excellent news, Bayushi-dono. Who in particular do you suggest that I speak with?"
He smiles with a completely innocent expression. "Why, Kitsu Makoto-dono, of course. Who better to discuss matters of ancestry with than a member of the famed Kitsu Family?" His gaze lands on a tall woman with curly red hair, leaning on the wall and watching some of her cousins in the Shimizu indulge in diplomacy.
Your confusion clarifies. He is not giving you an opportunity to verify your ancestry - he is giving you a pretext, and perhaps a target. "Of course, Bayushi-dono. The thought should have occurred to me on my own, and I thank you for your wisdom." You raise your eyebrows. "It occurs to me that I truly know very few members of the kuge. Are there other people that you could recommend seeking out for conversation?"
"Hmm. Well, I can say that I have enjoyed the few conversations that I have had with Daidoji Mamoru," he says. "The Daidoji are after all the defenders and warriors of the Crane even as the Bayushi serve on the front lines of the forces of the Scorpion. In truth, I am unsurprised to see him here - he has after all served on the Wall with the Crab. He must be quite valuable to the Crane delegation." He points out a tall man with bleached hair, looking unhappy as he stands behind a member of the Doji family. "Also Togashi Touma, or perhaps Kitsuki Aoi? Both have been worthy rivals at times, having come across them in other courts. I recall some truly fascinating discussions on the nature of Truth." Two tattooed individuals, both in the same group of conversation around a samurai from the Matsu family.
You turn to Bayushi Yamato. "That is truly very helpful of you, Bayushi-dono." You cannot help but be suspicious - to have a lead dropped into your lap so easily is far more than you had hoped for. "Please, do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of equal assistance."
Yamato covers his mouth with a fan to laugh politely. "Nonsense, Namazu-dono. Why, you are practically the guest of honor." He looks down at the bottle of sake that you hold. "Ah, is that sake from the famed breweries of Zakyo Toshi?"
"It is indeed, Bayushi-dono. Please, accept this gift as a token of my regard." You go through the typical dance of acceptance and refusal, even as your mind races, trying to figure out the angle that he is playing. It seems at least that your earlier thoughts on this matter were correct; the Scorpion are as discomfited by the current alliance of three clans as the Crab. If only you could read him - even when Yamato's face shows amusement or curiosity, the feelings that you get from your gift regarding him are frustratingly blank.
"I humbly accept, Namazu-dono." He says, once the requisite two refusals have been achieved. "In return, please accept a small token of my esteem." You have a brief moment of panic, before you realize that he is merely handing you a book. In it is a collection of poems, seemingly themed around portents, omens, and revelations. You don't quite understand it, so after the usual two refusals and some more polite small talk, you tuck the book away for safekeeping. You will have to show it to Chouko later.
In the meantime, the period for free conversation is more than halfway through. You probably have time to speak with one more delegation before dinner. Daidoji Mamoru is sticking a bit too close to his Doji charge for you to have a frank conversation, but other than that you have many options.
[ ] The Kitsu Daimyo
[ ] The Phoenix
[ ] The Minor Clans
[ ] The Dragons
[ ] The Emperor
