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Keith Valken Lionheart rolled 1 10-sided dice:
7
Total: 7 (1-10)
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 Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:03 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:38 pm
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The Mantis Clan. The name brings to mind images of brutes. Pirates. Thugs. The Mantis bears and unsavory reputation that rivals that of the Scorpion. Acts of violence are not beyond it's members, and their use of such... inappropriate weapons... gave them more than enough of a reason for their reputation to be well deserved.
So why, then, did they send a diplomat?
Enter Yoritomo Hisashi. Courtier of the Yoritomo Courtier school. Small. Pale. Fragile. Not fond of the sword. By all rights, an unlikely samurai. But as the Mantis were a clan known for their unorthodox methods, so too must their warriors be.
It was his presence that set him apart from his looks. It was difficult to pinpoint, but it was clear that size and fragility were not problematic to this man. Indeed, the courtier was not openly concerned about anything. As Hisashi entered the training grounds on the morning of the tournament, his mind was not filled with doubt or dread. He was a professional. He had trained for this. He would use every tool at his disposal and bring honor and glory to his clan.
After seeking directions, Hisashi made his way to the Jade Magistrate in order to register for the social competition. Though he was mildly disappointed that he could not also participate in the Go competition, he would mentally tell himself take note of the winner. Perhaps he could get a quick game in with the man before tournament was over. After all, one needs to practice all of their skills in order to keep them fresh and available for use.
Once signed up, he would quietly wait for the event to begin. Standing outside, he would quietly watch the actions of everyone running about the place and mentally preparing himself for court. Though he were curious about the other competitors, he chose to not seek out their company. He wanted to keep his assets a secret, at least until he was done with the first competition. He would not be rude to others if they approached (etiquette was something he was trained in, after all) but he didn't intend to show his hand unnecessarily.
Best to keep the trump card hidden until the time was right.
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:41 pm
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@ Scorpion Tent:
Soshi Maru would bite her lip gently, rapping her folded fan against her open palm rhythmically. "Kitsu....." was all she would say. She would smirk then, taking it all in. "Excellent. I think I have the edge over all the other shugenjas, then. You've been a real help, Bayushi Kojiro." She would lean over and place a gentle kiss on his cheek, before walking back to her bunk.
"You best be heading out soon. I don't want to... make you late for your first showing in the tournament." She would sit upon her bed, crossing her legs and leaning back on her hands. "Oh! If you do come across Naizen there, don't let him intimidate you. He's really a big softy." She would smile.
--------------------
@ Daidoji Training Grounds:
Koan would smile, almost relieved at Zanzen's determination. "Thank you, Zanzen-san. There is one other duelist here, but his ineptitude shames me. May your courage show the rest of these rejects what it means to be a Crane."
Seppun Benjiro walked by the two not far away, shooting the two a glance without slowing his pace. As he headed towards the largest clearing, several samurai of various Clan affiliations began to flock towards him, despite him not saying a word; he merely stood there, patiently.
"I think that's your cue, Zanzen of the Koriyuka." Koan would bow his head down slightly - again, only slightly - towards the Kakita in acknowledgment of his potential.
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@ Crab Tent:
The woman would stir and waken suddenly, shooting Kagae a nasty glare. She would pull down the blanket, revealing that she had been clutching a tanto dagger quite tightly, its blade glistening from the small amount of sunlight that breached through the tent's entrance.
"..." She would eye the man up and down, sizing him up. She would reach beside her bed and grab the sheath to the blade, putting away the tanto. "You must either be Crab, brave enough to get so close to a Kuni unannounced, or gaijin trash, too stupid to know any better. Thank the fortunes that it's the former."
She would stand up, reaching up to rub one of her eyes quickly. "Kuni Kaori," she simply stated, looking back at Kagae. Suddenly, she seemed a bit more alarmed. "Wait, what time is it...?" She would finally realize what Kagae had woken her to tell her. Kaori suddenly flew into a panic, stuffing scrolls inside their case and trying her best to straighten her shugenja robes, muttering about her own stupidity before flying out of the tent without composing herself. Just like that, she was gone.
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@ Lion Tent:
"Ah... excuse me?" An older man, probably in his last forties, would poke his head in through the doors. He wore simple, unmarked, gray robes. His fair skin had started to wrinkle, and equally fair hair had started to thin. He had a somewhat bushy mustache, but otherwise, no other facial hair.
"I'm sorry for intruding. Could I ask a favor of you two, Samurai of the Lion Clan? My name is Kan, I'm a monk from the Order of Four Temples. It seems in their haste, the Jade Magistrates did not put up a tent for guests besides those from the Great Clans. Would you consider giving this humble monk lodging within your own tent? I would be greatly honored if you considered my request." He would bow deeply assuming he wasn't turned away immediately, his head dipping down below his waistline, and would remain that way.
Whether you accepted his request or not, he would then add, "I believe the Samurai competing in the martial duel are gathering now, if either of you are competing."
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Sutiiven rolled 5 10-sided dice:
8, 5, 1, 4, 5
Total: 23 (5-50)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:42 pm
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Agent Sinistra rolled 5 10-sided dice:
4, 1, 8, 10, 3
Total: 26 (5-50)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:43 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 4:49 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:17 pm
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@ Lion Tent:
Keith Valken Lionheart "I am Matsu Seichiro, at your service, Kyumi-san." He gave her another deep bow, then would gesture for her to take a seat, if she wished to. "I am sorry, I'm not a man who is... very good with words. Plus, my height makes sure people won't approach me for conversation. It's both a blessing and a curse." He would walk to his bag, taking out a small tea set for 2. "Would you be interested in some tea?" Regardless, he would start preparing some tea.
Rain Yupa "Ah... excuse me?" An older man, probably in his last forties, would poke his head in through the doors. He wore simple, unmarked, gray robes. His fair skin had started to wrinkle, and equally fair hair had started to thin. He had a somewhat bushy mustache, but otherwise, no other facial hair. "I'm sorry for intruding. Could I ask a favor of you two, Samurai of the Lion Clan? My name is Kan, I'm a monk from the Order of Four Temples. It seems in their haste, the Jade Magistrates did not put up a tent for guests besides those from the Great Clans. Would you consider giving this humble monk lodging within your own tent? I would be greatly honored if you considered my request." He would bow deeply assuming he wasn't turned away immediately, his head dipping down below his waistline, and would remain that way. Whether you accepted his request or not, he would then add, "I believe the Samurai competing in the martial duel are gathering now, if either of you are competing."
Keith Valken Lionheart Seichiro would bow to the monk, smiling at him. "Well, since that is my cue, I believe it is time for me to go participate. So please, take my seat here, Kan-san. Make yourself comfortable." He would shift his attention to the stunning Shugenja, smiling and giving her a bow with his head. "If you would not mind, after the competitions are over, could I perhaps see you later, if you'd like?"
At the entrance of someone new, Kyumi quickly got to her feet to greet him.
"As Matsu-san has no issue with it, neither do I. It would be an honor to have you as our guest, Kan-san." Kyumi gave a shallow bow and smiled as she spoke, although she frowned slightly as she thought of the monk's predicament. "It's... disappointing that our hosts ended up overlooking you. I hope that they are at least able to accommodate for your other needs. Otherwise, I believe we'd both have reason to be upset."
While Seichiro began to leave, Kyumi bowed shallowly to him in farewell.
"I would like that. I will look forward to hearing of your victory when you return." She replied to him; her face had quickly reverted back to its usual cheerful expression. ”Have they announced when the other competitions will start yet?” She asked.
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:18 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:23 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:24 pm
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Raganui Minamoto rolled 5 10-sided dice:
1, 10, 5, 10, 8
Total: 34 (5-50)
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 6:38 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 4:44 am
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:33 pm
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@ The Martial Duels:
The first duel is between a Crab and a Mantis; the former is of a heavily robed shugenja from the Crab Clan, Kuni Kaori. Her face is painted all white, a bit less elaborate than what is traditional for the Kuni, almost as if it was done in haste. She wears thick robes which mask her physique, making her appear larger than most women traditionally of her height. Her opponent, Yoritomo Susumu, is a tall, lithe Mantis man, heavily tattooed and equally heavily scarred. He carries a pair of kama, a traditional armament for someone of his upbringing.
While the Mantis is eager to get underway, Kaori approaches Seppun Benjiro, having a brief discussion with him. With a nod of approval, Kaori would return to her starting postition, 20' away from the other duelist. Though armed with a no-dachi sheathed on her back, she would instead pull out a scroll, something ill-received by the Mantis. As he begins to verbalize his displeasure, the Crab finishes her spell, the Earth Kami around her following her motions as she stomps her foot into the ground, shattering the stone that lay within. Reaching down from the fragments, she would pull a large, crude tetsubo of pure stone from the ground, hefting it over her shoulder with relative ease. A serious look of determination on her face, and she was ready to begin.
Round 1
Kuni Kaori wins initiative, and with an unexpected roar (from everyone, including the Yoritomo), she charges him! She takes a Full Attack posture, sinking both Free Raises into damage, looking to put down her opponent in one swing! Dealing 29 damage, she swings it hard and catches him in the torso, knocking the wind out of him, leaving him Injured.
Surprised he was still standing, he would spit out a bit of blood from his mouth, muttering something before using 2 of his raises to counteract the wound penalty, 1 to up the damage. He proceeds with a quick flourish of slashes that would catch the Kuni woman off guard, dealing 26 damage to her and leaving her Down. Collapsing onto one knee, she began panting, finding herself unable to continue. Spitting at her feet, the Mantis would walk away victorious.
Winner: Yoritomo Susumu
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The second duel is between two opponents that were not as extremely different as the last pair. First up is a woman dressed in Dragon Clan colors, wearing a sleeveless top with her hair tied back in a ponytail. Known as Kitsuki Wazuka, she carries a hooked spear known as a sasumata, with a steely look of determination in her eyes. Her opponent this round would be a woman from the Unicorn clan, with very short, cropped auburn hair. This woman came armed with a unique weapon of her own, a large hammer called the dai tsuchi... which she was wielding one-handed effortlessly! She has an aura about her of almost shame, as its written all over her face that she leads a less-than-noble lifestyle (read: Glory of 0.0). Though she was donned in heavy unicorn armor, the unarmored Kitsuki did not seem deterred whatsoever.
No trickery this time, they would settle this with a pair of non-katanas, waiting for Seppun Benjiro to give them the go-ahead.
Round 1
Kitsuki Wazuka wins initiative by a point, letting out a kiai shout as she lunged forward, attempting to grapple Sayoko with her weapon, pinning her to the ground! Calling two raises, she snags the Unicorn with her odd weapon, attempting to pin the armored woman to the ground! However, much to her chagrin, Horiuchi Sayoko spends a void to terminate the grapple, brushing aside the weapon with an impressive feat of strength; then she steps forward, in a Full Attack posture, and swings her dai tsuchi at the courtier, hard. Calling 2 raises, she gains a total of 5 to use towards extra damage.
35 damage later (that's NOT keeping the 16 she rolled), the Kitsuki was sent flying into the crowd of observing samurai, unconscious and blood oozing out of her ears, nose, and mouth. Several ribs were obviously broken, and it was by the fortune's grace that she was still alive. By the time everyone's head swiveled back towards Horiuchi Sayoko, she was already walking back to her tent.
Winner: Horiuchi Sayoko
--------------------
For this round, Kaiu Kagae would find himself fighting an opponent unlike any of those who have competed so far. A man in red robes with short, spiky black hair. His dark eyes would size up the Crab, everything from his nose down covered in tight cloth. Reaching to his side, he would unsheath his katana, obviously not one for banter.
Kaiu Kagae, roll initiative!
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Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:37 pm
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@ Courtier Debates:
Not long after the completion of the Martial Duels, Doji Kita would lead the six people competing in the Debates into a private room inside one of the Daidoji buildings. Seven places would be set, and Kita's personal attendants would be waiting for everyone to take a seat before going to prepare tea.
"Welcome, samurai, to tea. I will be judging the exchanges, but otherwise, I will remain uninvolved after presenting the topic for all of you to address. As you have no doubt noticed, there are specific places set for each of you, determined in a set order by the drawing of names prior to our gathering. I will state the rules now."
Eyeing each of you in turn, Doji Kita would keep a neutral expression, judging you on your demeanor already, it would seem. "Everyone will take turns debating an issue, starting to my left, with Kan. It will continue onward in a circle, ending with Doji Koan and skipping back to Kan again. You may not interrupt another competitor as they make their case, but feel free to refute and argue against their claims come your turn. Once someone is unable to make a valid argument, they will be asked to leave, and a new topic will start. Is that understood?"
In mechanical rules, the debate's Awareness/Courtier TN is 5, to start. Once it has come full circle, the TN is boosted to 10, and increases by 5 every circle. You can call raises on your turn to increase your TN to argue against someone's point. If you succeed, it increases their next TN by the same amount you increased yours. The limit of these raises is limited by your Void, AND the circle round. That is to say, if its on the first time around, you can only raise once, even if your Void is higher. If its on the third time around, you can only raise twice if your Void is 2. Update: You can use the social skills Etiquette or Deceit as well, but the TNs of those rolls are increased by 5, since Courtier is the key skill. Beware of the honor loss of Deceit rolls if you're caught!
Once someone fails their roll, that's it for the topic, and that person is the weakest link, goodbye.
Around this time, Doji Kita's servants would return with a kettle of boiling water, and begin serving tea. "Ah, thank you." the Magistrate would say as she was served first, and then Doji Koan would follow shortly thereafter. "The first topic of debate is this: With the release of many spirits with the somewhat recent opening of Oblivion's Gate, the deceased spirits of many former Rokugani samurai have attempted to resettle into our lands, trying to continue old habits and pursue old grudges. Do these spirits have the same rights to exist as a normal, mortal citizen of Rokugan?" And with that, Kita would begin to drink from her tea cup.
Kan, the older gentleman of unremarkable distinction would be first up. The servants not having gotten to him quite yet, he would remain kneeling patiently, looking at the rest of the group. "As a member of the Order of the Four Temples, we've accepted initiates of all walks of life. I personally don't see any reason to exclude someone simply because they come from a walk of afterlife. As long as they don't mean any harm, what harm could come from giving them meaning?" {Courtier of 27}
Ide Jiro, the fair-haired charming Emissary from the Unicorn, would go next, after thanking the servant girl for pouring his tea; his smile would make her blush considerably. "It would seem to me that every Clan should be able to decide for themselves! I know for a fact that most unicorn would take any opportunity to bolster our numbers! If the spirits of the dead are willing to adapt to our customs and rules, let them come!" Letting out a proud, jovial laugh, he would take a sip of his tea. {Courtier of 18}
Soshi Maru, the scandalously-dressed shugenja from the Scorpion Clan, would be next. She was smiling in response to Jiro's answer, but how much attention she paid him was uncertain; her eyes were completely concealed by a densely-knit veil blocking her eyes from being seen. She would set her tea cup down, nodding to her hostess. "This is excellent tea, by the way. It's always a pleasure to see how much delicate care the Crane take in their tea." Bringing a fist to her mouth, she would clear her throat softly before speaking further. "I'm not in total disagreement. However, a lot of these spirits are long forgotten, and we don't know what kind of threats they possess. We really don't know where each of their loyalties lie, and what living relatives they might have that can verify their claims. If we were to accept them, I feel it would only be productive after arduous screening." {Courtier of 24}
Next up was Shinjo Gemmei, a woman who had little to say up until this point. She took a drink from her tea cup as she thought carefully before speaking, her eyes closed. "How would you go about screening them, Maru-san? Or, more to the fact, what would you do with the ones that failed the test? You can't just cull their numbers like that; living or dead, it's just not right." {Raise to challenge Soshi Maru, Courtier of 27 vs TN10}
Yoritomo Hisashi, you're up!
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