[X] Continue with an extended prologue.
Upon returning to Kanyou your father was greeted with great fanfare from the citizenry. Sitting atop his barded steed, in ornamented armor, and with glaive in hand, your father looked like the epitome of a war hero. With the times as they were, the people needed icons to inspire them, otherwise the bleak reality of the world would crush them.
As you rode in the carriage beside your mother, you could see the adoration directed at your father present within the eyes of the masses, while the soldiers and nobles simply nodded at him respectfully. The mood in Kanyou seemed to be lighter compared to your last visit, most likely because your father's victory ensured that the Chu Army would advance no further into Qin territory.
Once you reached the gates leading into the palace district, rather than heading off towards the visitor's quarters like before, you instead followed your father and his subordinates into the palace proper. Unlike your last visit to Kanyou, the reward ceremony for your father's subjugation of the rebellion at Ei would not be a wholly private affair but open to the public.
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Dressed in the finest silk robes your family could afford, you and your mother sat in attendance for the reward ceremony, along with the other notables of Qin. Those notables included high officials within the bureaucracy, members of the nobility, and high-ranking officers within the Qin military. However, the person who seemed to draw much of the attention of those in attendance was not your father, but the man standing only steps away from the Qin Throne, Chancellor of State Sai Taku.
With a thin, but otherwise unassuming form, he seemed more like a scholar than the powerful Chancellor of Qin. However, even you could tell something was different about him, whether it be his piercing, analytical gaze or the sheer presence he exuded which seemed to loom over those in attendance.
From what you had heard from listening to those around you, Chancellor Saitaku was originally a citizen from the State of Yan to the far east of Qin. It was only due to his natural talent and intellect that he rose from a simple, lowly official into the trusted Chancellor of King Sho. Other than his piercing eyes, the only thing that distinguished him from the others in attendance physically was has rather impressive moustache and goatee, both of which were impressively long.
As you sat there, gazing around the room, your attention was drawn to the sudden movement at the front. With a sudden opening of the doors to your left, all in attendance quieted down
It was then that a man in the garb of an official walked in and proclaimed to the crowd, "Your attention please, his majesty the 28th King of Qin, has arrived!"
With the proclamation made, all in attendance kowtowed to their sovereign. No matter their status, whether it was a lowly servant or the Chancellor himself, all were equal before the eyes of their sovereign.
You were not sure what to expect of King Sho, but when he strode into the room, with bodyguards flanking, you could literally feel the awesome presence he exuded. Looking to be around middle age but fit, with graying hair and a close-cut beard, King Sho looked to be like any other noble, save for the royal affects that he was adorned with.
With his majesty finally seated upon the throne, Chancellor of State Saitaku rose to approach the throne.
With a clear but firm voice, he announced to all, "We will hereby commence the reward ceremony!"
Following that pronouncement, a scroll was handed to Chancellor Saitaku which he promptly read, and discarded with him saying, "We are here to recognize and reward the accomplishments made by Duke Ten in his victory over the Chu army and the following pacification of the region surrounding Ei. Please stand and be recognized, Duke Ten!"
As your father rose you could hear the cheers from the men of his army joined by the applause of the rest of the audience in attendance.
Once the cheers had subsided, Chancellor Saitaku followed his earlier words by saying, "Duke Ten, it was through your exemplary battle planning, as the commander of the army, that led to the Qin army being victorious at the Battle of Shunran Plains. Furthermore, you were able to personally eliminate a threat to Qin, through your duel with General Raizen of Chu.
At that, murmurs of acknowledgement spread throughout the crowd in recognition of your father's achievement.
"For his efforts Duke Ten will be given 2000 units of gold, 10 units of treasures, and the lands of-"
Interrupting Chancellor Saitaku, King Sho simply raised a hand in response and said, "Allow me to make things more interesting Saitaku, if you will."
With a swift nod, Chancellor Saitaku simply replies, "Of course your majesty."
At that, King Sho rose and approached your father who was still kneeling at the front of the throne. Once there he asks your father, "Rather than simply receiving more lands to add to your already impressive domain, would you be willing to accept a personal gift from myself instead?"
Composing himself quickly your father says, "Of course-"
Only to be interrupted by King Sho who says, "How modest of you, I haven't even told you what the gift would be. But in reward for your modesty, I shall tell you."
Clearing his throat, King Sho beckons for one of the servants to bring a sword to him. With a sheathed sword in hand, King Sho explains to the audience, "When Great General Hakuki captured the capital of Chu, Ei, a few years back he brought with him many treasures and wonders upon his return. This sword was one of them. To most this sword would appear rather to be simply another fine treasure blade in the possession of the King of Chu, however for those who know of its provenance, it is a blade almost without comparison."
With the audience hanging on to his every word, King Sho continues from before saying, "In the distant past the King of the State of Wu commissioned a husband and wife duo of blacksmiths to create him a sword without compare. As they worked away they poured their life energy and souls into the very creation of those blades. What you have here before you is none other than one of the five treasure blades of China, Kanshou."
At that, King Sho unsheathed the sword for all to see and what greeted your sight was a blade that appeared almost black in color with a wicked sheen that seemed to convey to you how sharp it was. After re-sheathing the blade, King Sho continued from where he left off by asking, "So Duke Ten, what will it be? More lands for your family's domain, or the treasure blade Kanshou?"
At the last of those words, King Sho turns his head slightly and seems to peer directly into your eyes.
What boon does Duke Ten choose to receive from King Sho?
[] Lands. While Kanshou is a truly impressive blade, Duke Ten would probably never use it as his favored weapon is that of the glaive. Over time the added lands would probably benefit your family more than a blade that will simply rest within your family's armory.
[] Kanshou. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to gain one of the five treasure blades of China. Kanshou and its partner sword Bakuya were said to be swords without compare, there was nothing that they could not cut, and those they wound are said to never be able to recover from those wounds. While the income from the land given would be nice, your family is already very wealthy as it is. This is an opportunity to gain a weapon that is legendary in its own right, and who knows maybe someone will be able to find a use for it.
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With the reward ceremony in Kanyou over, your family begins their journey back to their fief. While you are traveling back to your home, you ponder what you are going to do for this half of the year.
Turn One
Turns will last half a year in duration. You will receive two personal actions each turn, which you can use to take an extra action in one of the other trees or to double down on an existing choice for a bonus of +20 to that roll. Here are the stats I rolled for you using a 1d6: (4,4,3,6,5,3), vote for how you want to assign them.
Please vote using plan format so that it will be easier to count the votes.
Martial (Choose 2):
[] Train with the…: Your father has decided that you are finally at the right age to start learning how to fight. Among nobles it is not an all too uncommon sight to see a noble youth being trained in combat considering the times in which you live. For this task your father's chief bodyguard Souma has been appointed to teach you. Reward: Increased personal combat score and martial score. Gain proficiency with a weapon. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
-[] Sword
-[] Spear
-[] Bow
-[] Glaive
-[] Mace
-[] Write-in
[] Study the Art of War: The teachings of Sun Tzu still ring true today, even hundreds of years after his death. While you are still in the process of learning how to read your father has decided to set aside time to teach you the lessons from within. Reward: Increased martial score. Gain basic knowledge required to learn more advanced tactics. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Diplomacy (Choose 1):
[] Meet your peers: Your mother believes that it is best if you get to know some of your noble peers. That is why she has invited the children of prominent noble families within Qin to attend a gathering within your home. They may be children now she says, but in the future they may end up becoming power allies or enemies. Reward: Increased diplomacy score. Increases ties with other noble families and individuals. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
[] Etiquette Training: As a scion and heir to a noble family you will be expected to know the proper manners and etiquette when dealing with others of your station. You do not only represent yourself, but your family, and potentially your state. That is why your mother has taken the time to personally instruct you in the proper deportment expected from a noble. Reward: Increased diplomacy score. Lessens chance of offending other nobles. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Stewardship (Choose 1):
[] Finances: Running a fief is hard work. You have to take into consideration things like taxes, incomes, guilds, and infrastructure when it comes to managing your finances. You will not always have a steward around to help you run your domain. That is why your family's steward, Kai Ryo, has been instructed to take time to teach you the basics of economics. Reward: Increased stewardship score. Increased understanding of economics. Required for unlocking later options. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Will lock down for one year.
[] Business: In this era while work hard mostly to survive, there are others who have managed to rise from their lowly beginnings and work to earn great wealth. These commoners are merchants and they are the ones who travel to and from peddling their wares and services to whoever would have use of them. While your family already possesses great wealth, it wouldn't hurt to learn how to haggle like the best and earn more, right? Well, that's what Kairyo thinks at any rate and that is why he has offered to teach you the ways of the merchant. Reward: Increased stewardship score. Increased proficiency with haggling and deal-making. Required for unlocking mercantile options. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Intrigue (Choose 1):
[] Stealth: For those who work in the shadows, their greatest tool is often surprise. Knowing how to move undetected is a requirement for those who work in the underworld. Stealth is also something that is also useful on the battlefield as well. That is why your father has hired someone from Clan Shukyou, he told you it was better for you to not know his name, to train you in the art of moving silently. Reward: Increased intrigue score. Increased stealth skills. May unlock later assassination techniques. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
[] Workings of the Underworld: While much of the politics and conflicts within the Warring States take place during the day, there are many things that take place in the shadows which influence those in the light. Your father's chief bodyguard Souma has been assigned to teach you of the workings of the underworlds, such as the names of the different assassin clans, as well as who to watch out for. Reward: Increased intrigue score. Increased knowledge of the underworld. Required to unlock more actions involving the underworld. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Piety (choice locked):
[X] Philosophy: Many would think that in a time with seemingly endless conflict that there would be no time for deeper thought. Well those people would be wrong as hundreds of schools of thought have arisen teaching a myriad number of philosophies for which the people should live their lives. Your family believes that it is in your best interest for you to learn at least the basics of these philosophies so that do not make a fool of yourself in an intellectual discussion. Menshi, a scholar who studied at the famous Jixia Academy, has been tasked to teach you the basics involving the main schools of thought. Reward: Increased piety score. Learn basics of the main philosophies. Required for learning philosophy in greater depth. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Learning (choice locked):
[X] Education: Within the many states, an education is only attainable for those with the wealth to afford it. While they do not expect you to become a scholar, your parents understand the importance of literacy, mathematics, and the arts. Which is why the scholar Menshi has been hired to instruct you in your lessons. Reward: Increase in learning score. Required for unlocking later learning/research options. Locked for 4 years. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
Personal:
[] Explore the City: You are finally at the age where your parents have allowed you to go out of the estate. Even though you will be accompanied by your family's guards, you hope to use this opportunity to get to know the commoners better and tour what will one day be yours. Reward: Increased relationship with commoners. Potential to meet interesting people. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
[] Spend time with your family: Considering the busy lives your parents live, their time is very important. That is why opportunities to simply have fun with them are golden to you, for you never know how long this will last. Reward: Increased relationship with your parents. Chance of Success: 80/60/40%
AN: Well here is the first turn. Go nuts. I will be heading off to do errands soon, and then bed afterwards so I will probably answer your questions later tomorrow. Anywho I will leave this one open for at least 24 hours. Remember to vote for the stats and choices in plan format.
