Technically, I’m still around, but I’m quite happy to drop. This isn’t a very engaging game.
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Kiyoko's likewise was on the loyalty of family protecting one another against overwhelming odds. (Wrens are much smaller than hawks, and what is more loyal than a parent protecting its child by chasing away threats to them?)
I am sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself- I'll be praying for you.
At the next contest, Kiyoko takes up a quill and ponders a moment before writing: Snow atop the firs
When her turn arrives, Kiyoko selects a katana from the weapon racks and proceeds onto the dojo's mat. She bows to the judge(s), then her opponent, and waits for the signal to begin. Once given the signal, she draws her katana and lunges forward in an aggressive series of overhead strike and slashes aimed at her opponent's torso.
Kiyoko glances at the Scorpion scion one last time, expression carefully neutral. That Doji-sama lets the boy go freely...Does he approve of this assassination? To say that she, too, was unconvinced--if less prone to show it--was an understatement.
Kiyoko stays silent, following Niko's lead for the moment and removing herself from the wrestling match to stand off to the side. A snake in the grass would be more straightforward, she thinks contemptuously.
Spotting other samurai coming out, Kiyoko decides against picking up a fallen bushi's blade. Instead, she moves to help Niko restrain the Scorpion, yelling, "Help! Assassin!"
Kiyoko sizes up the distance between the Bayushi assassin, the party, and the dead bushi. She readies herself to dive for one of the katana lying on the ground, should things come to blows.
Kiyoko looks to see if any of the fallen bushi are armed, sparing an inscrutable glance at the Bayushi scion. If there is a ninja, it is no doubt him.
Kiyoko glances at the tag-along they've acquired (Otaku Shiko), then shrugs and hustles toward the noise as well.
Kiyoko frowns, hearing the ring of metal on metal. Was it two bushi practicing, or was something else afoot? One didn't usually practice with metal blades.... The Kakita onnamusha looks to her companions as they walk. "Perhaps we should take a look?"
Kiyoko is silently relieved that the attention is not on her. Still, she is curious about the involvement of her kinsman, Kakita Yuri, and occasionally glances in his direction. Not having much experience reading lips, she simply wonders in silence at what they might be talking about at the main table, and sips her tea.
Kiyoko recalls what knows about the appropriate way to respond to such an invitation, and sends an appropriate reply. She likewise makes sure to change into her better kimono after bathing, and if she can find him, asks Toshimoko who all will be attending the dinner--and especially if there are any person's she should pay special attention to.
Kiyoko shakes her head, failing to recall much about the law.
Kiyoko eats her lunch slowly, then returns to the Kakita dojo to relax until the time of the next challenge. Arriving on time, she awaits her turn and then nimbly mounts the assigned steed. She guides it with her knees out to the target, drawing the katana she was given for the trial and delivering two precise slashes. Kiyoko then resheathes her katana as she guides her horse away from that target, and unholsters the han-kyu bow she was given. Once at an appropriate pace and position, she nocks an arrow to the string and sends it sailing into the archery target's center of mass, then holsters the bow again. Placing her hands back on the reins, she guides the horse back to the starting position, then hops off and wordlessly guides it to its attendant.
Kiyoko takes the offered opportunity to rest by heading back to the Kakita dojo and finding a towel to dry off the sweat with. After that, she heads back to the inn and finds a seat at an out of the way table. With a nod to the waitress, she says, "A bowl of rice, please."
I don't see the results of the Heraldry role for my opponent. Did I do better?Yes, you did. So, did we just need to do better, or did we need to hit TN 20 also?
Kiyoko is ready at the starting line for the signal. As soon as it is given, the Kakita girl dashes forward, managing to keep pace to the first obstacle. Once there, she nimbly hops onto the log and extends her arms to either side for balance as she crosses. Hopping off at the other end, she dashes forward again, maintaining a respectable pace. She is oblivious to the rope through the Kuwaga needles, but thankfully she didn't lose her geta sandals in the race over the log and simply keeps on running without issue. Kiyoko arrives at the base of the wall and starts climbing, agilely grasping handholds and clambering up and over. She hops down the other side and takes off into a run again, though she is starting to feel winded and slows down shortly before crossing the finish line.
Given that Kiyoko's unskilled Heraldry would've ended up at 17 rather than 20, but that her opponent rolled even lower, should she have rolled again? It might take a while to make a 2k2 roll with a TN of 20. But it says 'first to respond correctly,' which sounds like the challenge continues until someone successfully recognizes it, yes? So both Kiyoko and possibly Tetsumaru (you never rolled his opponent's Heraldry) would need to go to a second and possibly more rounds.
Kiyoko's lips thin and she nods in recognition.
Kiyoko kips up to her feet after her landing outside the ring, and bows to her opponent, then the judge. An inauspicious start, the Kakita swordswoman thinks to herself. She looks around her to see how the others--both the ones she traveled with, and the other contestants in general--fared.
Likewise, Kiyoko nods to her opponent and settles into a low stance. On cue, she leans forward and grasps her opponent's forearms, then attempts to heave him or her forward out of the ring.
At the inn, Kiyoko finds a table and waves down a serving girl. "A bowl of ramen and a tokkuri of umeshu . Or sake, if you do not have umeshu." She eats in silence, then returns to the Kakita dojo. She had noticed a number more representatives of each family than she had expected--perhaps there were other Crane or Kakita kin here to participate as her rivals too, then. She would ask around to see what matters of clan politics she needed to look out for, as well.
After the commotion with the Emperor's arrival dies down, Kiyoko notes with only passing interest the rumors that the Lion clan might go to war with her own. Perhaps she would see battle soon after the Championship, then, she muses somewhat hopefully. The Kakita samurai-ko turns away from the crowds to return to the inn for dinner and sake.
Kiyoko hurries to the crowd and joins them in performing the proper obeisances before the emperor. Perhaps now the tournament can begin, she thinks to herself.
Ok, my first roll I think. So should I use Perception or Awareness here, if it is Perception it is 4k3 because I have a 3 in Perception and 1 in Heraldry but if it is Awareness it would be 3k2 Lore is actually Intelligence-based, so it'd be Lore (Heraldry)/Intelligence. For you, 3k2 (2 Int + 1 Lore (heraldry), keeping 2 because of your Intelligence).
Kiyoko's eyebrows rise at the sight of the barge and its retinue. She had been returning from the Kakita dojo to the inn, but now she hastens to join the others greeting the great dignitary. This must be the Emperor.
Now wondering why her kinsman is ignoring her question, Kiyoko likewise excuses herself after finishing the paperwork and heads for the Kakita dojo where she plans to stay.
Kiyoko fills out the required forms, still wondering when the dignitaries are expected to arrive.
Kiyoko awaits an answer from Toshimoko about when the dignitaries are expected to arrive, and wonders where the forms are that she needs to fill out. I wonder if they serve umeshu here, or simply sake. She had a strong preference for the former over the latter.
Kiyoko nods. "I see. When will they arrive? And do you have the forms with you?"
Spotting her kinsman Toshimoko, Kiyoko approaches him and bows. "Your welcome is kind, Toshimoko-san," she says. "You are the host this year? Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Are there forms to fill out?" The Kakita swordswoman looks to any paperwork near Toshimoko--or if there is none, she simply looks around the room in search of it--and continues, "I will be staying at the Kakita Bushi dojo here. Does the Championship begin tomorrow?"
Is he the guy we would be meeting to organize the tournament with? I'm pretty sure we'd have instructions on where we're supposed to go.Yeah. You can stay at the tea house (Scorpion Holding). Kiyoko can stay at the Kakita Bushi school (Crane holding). Or you can stay at Megumi's house. Usually, when you go to a tournament, you have to check in with the tournament organizers if you're a participant. Our characters were told what to do after we arrived in Tsuma, yes? Were we supposed to go to check in with the tournament organizers? Does the Topaz Championship start tomorrow (in-character) or today, or next week? Were our characters just told to go to Tsuma and no one told us where we could stay or if we should meet anyone after we got there? I feel like we're not getting nearly all of the information we should have here.
Kiyoko nods silently in agreement with Asao. She apes his bow, more to avoid any kami's wrath who happened to be paying attention at the moment than any real sense of reverence, and continues on past the temple. I am sure we will be back soon enough.
Didn't answer the second question: are we all armed and armored, or do we get our daisho (wakizashi in Asao's case) after the Topaz Championship is over?
Kiyoko gives the Yasuki merchant a hard stare for several seconds. "...Mmn." With that utterance, she gives the man a curt bow and walks away, following after Asao. I need no 'luck.' I will win by my own merit.
"Yes, to me you are children," says the merchant. Okay, question: how does the merchant know that they haven't completed their gempukku yet? I assume that they all are armed and armored, so is he just assuming they're all 'children' because they're heading to Tsuma at that time of year? Or are we all unarmed (well, other than Yoshi, what with the bit of divine intervention there), since one doesn't usually receive one's daisho or wakizashi until after the gempukku?
So is the merchant carrying a wakizashi or a daisho?
Kiyoko glances at Niko, then looks to see if the Crab was carrying a daisho, or at least a wakizashi--something to indicate he was of the samurai caste as well. "'Little Phoenix'? Such familiarity is unseemly, merchant."
Kiyoko pauses as Niko strikes up a conversation with the Crab merchant. Wordlessly doubling back, she takes a closer look at the trinkets the man is selling. A Yasuki merchant? she wonders silently, looking at the man out of the corner of her eye. He was bold to be trading in lands his family abandoned centuries ago, but perhaps he had someone's patronage or permission to be here. Not that the matter concerned her...much.
Kiyoko scarcely pays the merchant any mind as she keeps walking, though she does give his wares a casual glance.
Did not the old man say his name was Megumi, and not his lord's? Kiyoko thinks, raised brows slowly settling as the business concludes. She makes a point to show appropriate deference to the old man in case he was the kami in question as she seeks to extricate herself from the situation and make for the inn again.
So good of you to join us! ;P
Kiyoko's eyebrows rise as she watches what transpires back with the others. A woman's name? And so familiar with Bayushi-san, as well. Does he know this person?
Yeah, no worries. Also, the second PDF Character Sheet at this link tallies up your Insight and does a few other minor calculations for you.
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