[D1, EE, EVENT] Meet the Daimyo: Phoenix

[Shiba Higashime]

Upon your return from the gift-giving ceremony, you are surprised to discover that the delegation house has already been reconfigured by Lady Shiba’s serving staff.

The Champion of the Phoenix strides into the chamber, now dressed in the familiar trappings of Kyuden Shiba–ornate screens, magically preserved reeds and flowers, and what appears to be Lady Shiba’s accustomed seat–all hauled across the plains of the Lion to bring a touch of the northern coast to Kyuden Ikoma. She takes her seat as though she owns the place, which, in a complicated sense, she does, and gestures to her servant, who steps down from the small dais to gesture for you to approach.

“Minna-sama, Shiba Higashime, Champion of the Phoenix Clan, bids you approach and make yourselves known to her.”

It would seem you have been summoned.

[Cearnach]

Mechanics
You are about to “make yourself known” to one of the most powerful women in the Empire, and certainly the most powerful in your clan. That can be scary! Especially so when that woman is Shiba Higashime, whose reputation as a firm-but-usually-fair stickler for the rules is not always so comforting as one might hope.

Part I: The Introduction
You will have to make your introduction. Of course, you’ll have to get over the social pressure of the moment. Make an Etiquette (Conversation)/Awareness, Perform: Oratory/Willpower, or Courtier (Manipulation)/Intelligence roll at TN 25. Each success and called raise allows you to add another sentence to your introduction. If you fail, you can only give your name and the name of your house.

Include in your post whatever information you wish to convey to establish the basis of your relationship with your delegation during court. Are you an authority on a subject? Do you have a particular responsibility? This is your moment.

After 24 hours have elapsed, please refer back to this thread. Lady Shiba will begin responding.

Part II: Cultivation
The most important connections, however, are those we make with our fellow samurai. Shiba Higashime may be overbearing, but you have several companions-in-arms that are going through the same thing. In the course of your ensuing conversation with Shiba Higashime, you may direct one or more of your statements to draw the attention of a member of the NPCs of the delegation. If your statement attracts their interest (that is, if you pass the roll associated with them AND manage to reply sensibly to Lady Shiba with an Etiquette (Conversation)/Awareness roll of TN 20, then you can lay the groundwork for a 1-xp discount on an Ally in the delegation for each successful Raise you call on their roll.

Delegates
Asako-ke no kashin Asako Misa [Lord Asako's Niece] (Influence 5) (Courtier): Courtier/Awareness TN 30
Isawa-ke no kashin Shikishi Katsushiro (Influence 4): Courtier/Willpower, TN 25
Shiba-ke no kashin Takumi Eiko--one of Lady Shiba's staff officers. (Influence 4) Battle/Perception, TN 25
Shiba Toshiko (Artisan, Influence 4) Any 1 Performance skill/Awareness tn 25
Isawa Yoshio (Shugenja, Influence 4) Theology/Intelligence tn 25
Asako Oburo (Courtier, Influence 3) Any 1 Lore/Intelligence, TN 20
Isawa Nakajiro (Shugenja, Influence 3) Commerce/Intelligence, TN 20
Shiba Kinichi (Artisan, Influence 2) Any 1 Artisan/Perception, tn 15
Shiba Kinuyo (Bushi, Influence 2) Sincerity/Awareness, tn 15
Asako-ke no kashin Sasaki Emiko (Influence 2): Etiquette/Awareness, TN 15
Asako Yoshiaki (Bushi, Influence 1): Investigation/Perception, tn 15
Shiba-ke no kashin Michishita Erina (Influence 1): Any 1 artisan/Awareness skill, TN 15

[Asako Emiko]

In this instance, Asako Emiko will appear as the first respondent, but please recognize that she will have waited quite some time for more senior members of the delegation to introduce themselves. She is, as always, merely serving as an example of how this particular task gets done.

Sasaki Emiko breathes slowly and deeply to keep herself under control. Winter Court is so cool! She got to be in the presence of the Empress, present a gift to a Lion lord, and later on she'll be going to a reception where the great and good of the Empire will eat complicated little hors d'oeuvres and talk nonsense! But now...now things are really heating up, because now Lady Shiba's attention is passing from that stuffy Isawa over to...her!

Whoa, what a presence! Lady Shiba doesn't even need the fire kami; I feel like I'm burning up right now!


Emiko takes the customary step forward and opens her mouth....

[Emiko respects her Courtier/Intelligence dice pool (7k4), but tends to be cautious when speaking with her superiors. She calls one raise, bringing her TN to 30. She succeeds with a 41.]

..."This one is Asako-ke no kashin Sasaki Emiko," she begins in a firm but pleasant voice, no hint of the rush of embarrassment that can come when imposter syndrome begins to kick in. "This one has been trained extensively as a scribe in the historical and legal archives of Morning Glory Castle." She bows deeply to emphasize the humility of her position.

[Asako Kenichi]

Kenichi bowed low before his Champion.

"Konnichiwa Shiba-ue, this one is Asako Kenichi of House Ito, hostage of Kyuden Ikoma of the last six winters. A mi or diplomar granted lewve to study also with the Ikoma Bards during my stay here, as q guest of the Lion."

OOC:
D1, meeting Phoenix Champ, etiquette (courtesy)/awa, prodigy, vp for +3k1 due to loremaster tech, 1 cr, tn 30 | 10k5 ⇒ 34 (TN: 30)

[Shiba Ryusei]

Ryusei knew he had a lot riding on this...

So he knew not to outreach himself or take up too much of Shiba-ue's time.

The young bushi waited until persons of more importance than he (meaning almost the entire Delegation) had spoken before making his own introduction.

He bowed low to his Champion, and the daimyo whose cause he had been backing from the moment he'd been made aware that he could back causes.

She wasn't just the Clan Champion, after all- she was the Shiba daimyo, and therefore his superior in a very direct fashion.

But Ryusei was also remarkably free of pressure. After all, screwing up catastrophically here would simply result in what little hold his House had on relevance evaporating in a puff of incompetence.

So he wouldn't be incompetent.

Simple.

"Greetings, Shiba-ue, this one is Shiba-ke no kashin Shigi Ryusei. This one had the honor of serving on the staff of Shiba Godaigo-sama at the recent maneuvers Shiba-ue graciously observed."

He'd made a bit of an impression on Godaigo, so he hoped the word had trickled up to where his name might have been at least mentioned, but there was no sense in trying to act more important than he was.

He bowed again and withdrew, just in case, by some dark miracle, there was anyone less important in the delegation who needed to introduce themselves.


[And of course I forgot Benten's blessing on the damn roll, and it hardly matters, Raises scare me

Just how scary IS Higashime? Pretty scary. Courtier/Intelligence, TN 25. Shiba Void-bomb for +2k2. Calling 1 Raise for a TN of 30 | 8k5 ⇒ 48 (TN: 30)]

[Isawa Ebiko]

Shiba Higashime's reputation proceeded her. Ebiko might like to be in the presence of powerful women, but not women this powerful, and certainly not directly in their gaze. Nope! This is too much for me.
"Konbanwa, Shiba-ue, this one is Isawa Ebiko of House Yoshinobu. This one trained as a scribe with the loremasters and learned the art of philosophical debate with historical anecdotes."
Too long? Too short? At least that didn't go as bad as the gift-giving. I want back in the archives.

(calling one raise, spending vp, loremaster tech makes it +3k144 v tn30 Success!)

[Isawa Shingo]

Shingo seems surprised by Higashime's major redecoration, but he quickly buries any sign of that foolishness. He raises he should have expected this, and he prepares to introduce himself when his turn comes.

"Most honorable Shiba Higashime-dono, this one is your dedicated servant, Isawa Shingo of House Yoshinobu. Our exacting historians and researchers are ever at your command."

He is brief, proper - Lady Shiba is already well aware of who Shingo is and he needn't draw any extra attention to that unless the champion wills it. He simply takes note of the other delegation members, mentally cataloging who he needs to meet with on which issues.

------
Roll: success but no raises.

[Shiba Higashime]

Part II: Cultivation
The most important connections, however, are those we make with our fellow samurai. Shiba Higashime may be overbearing, but you have several companions-in-arms that are going through the same thing. In the course of your ensuing conversation with Shiba Higashime, you may direct one or more of your statements to draw the attention of a member of the NPCs of the delegation. If your statement attracts their interest (that is, if you pass the roll associated with them AND manage to reply sensibly to Lady Shiba with an Etiquette (Conversation)/Awareness roll of TN 20, then you can lay the groundwork for a 1-xp discount on an Ally in the delegation for each successful Raise you call on their roll.

Delegates
Asako-ke no kashin Asako Misa [Lord Asako's Niece] (Influence 5) (Courtier): Courtier/Awareness TN 30
Isawa-ke no kashin Shikishi Katsushiro (Influence 4): Courtier/Willpower, TN 25
Shiba-ke no kashin Takumi Eiko--one of Lady Shiba's staff officers. (Influence 4) Battle/Perception, TN 25
Shiba Toshiko (Artisan, Influence 4) Any 1 Performance skill/Awareness tn 25
Isawa Yoshio (Shugenja, Influence 4) Theology/Intelligence tn 25
Asako Oburo (Courtier, Influence 3) Any 1 Lore/Intelligence, TN 20
Isawa Nakajiro (Shugenja, Influence 3) Commerce/Intelligence, TN 20
Shiba Kinichi (Artisan, Influence 2) Any 1 Artisan/Perception, tn 15
Shiba Kinuyo (Bushi, Influence 2) Sincerity/Awareness, tn 15
Asako-ke no kashin Sasaki Emiko (Influence 2): Etiquette/Awareness, TN 15
Asako Yoshiaki (Bushi, Influence 1): Investigation/Perception, tn 15
Shiba-ke no kashin Michishita Erina (Influence 1): Any 1 artisan/Awareness skill, TN 15

Lady Shiba is perfectly expressionless as she goes through each member of the delegation. Where other Daimyo may bluster, shout, or gently correct, Shiba Higashime reveals nothing at all about her inner thoughts as she takes each member of the delegation in turn. Not even Asako Misa is spared her dispassionate scrutiny.

..."This one is Asako-ke no kashin Sasaki Emiko," she begins in a firm but pleasant voice, no hint of the rush of embarrassment that can come when imposter syndrome begins to kick in. "This one has been trained extensively as a scribe in the historical and legal archives of Morning Glory Castle." She bows deeply to emphasize the humility of her position.

"Asako-san, your work in the legal archives may be of some use to us in the coming weeks. I will be particularly interested in inheritance precedents."

"Konnichiwa Shiba-ue, this one is Asako Kenichi of House Ito, hostage of Kyuden Ikoma of the last six winters. A minor diplomar granted lewve to study also with the Ikoma Bards during my stay here, as q guest of the Lion."

"Good Evening, Asako-san. From what I understand of your position, I am inclined to believe that you may find it difficult to negotiate the obligations you have toward the Ikoma with the duties you have toward this delegation. Am I wrong in this?"

"Greetings, Shiba-ue, this one is Shiba-ke no kashin Shigi Ryusei. This one had the honor of serving on the staff of Shiba Godaigo-sama at the recent maneuvers Shiba-ue graciously observed."

Higashime returned Ryusei's deep bow with a nod of acknowledgment. "I recall the occasion. Godaigo has always been conservative, but I noticed that your reports often contained new interpretations of doctrine. Is this a common approach for you, or were you maneuvering on two levels that day?"

"Konbanwa, Shiba-ue, this one is Isawa Ebiko of House Yoshinobu. This one trained as a scribe with the loremasters and learned the art of philosophical debate with historical anecdotes."

(calling one raise, spending vp, loremaster tech makes it +3k144 v tn30 Success!)

"Good afternoon, Isawa-san. I am curious about your reference to historical anecdotes. Is there, perhaps, a precedent to any of the issues of this court?"

"Most honorable Shiba Higashime-dono, this one is your dedicated servant, Isawa Shingo of House Yoshinobu. Our exacting historians and researchers are ever at your command."

"Are you not one of the students of Isawa Orimitsu? Has the Master of Earth any advice for our delegation?"

[Shiba Ryushi]

Shiba Ryushi arrived at the hall. His face serious as he approaches the Daimyo. He bowed low and presented himself. He knew that he had fumbled as he was late to the meeting.


//D1 EE Event Introduction Etiquette Conversation | 6k3 ⇒ 18 (TN: 25)

[Asako Kenichi]

Krnichi did not frown. Though he did slughtly crease his forehead. "That is certainly an obvious conclusion, Shiba-ue, and Ibam indeed indebted to my hosts, for providing me with quality education."

That my own family has neglected.

"However, I have two thoughts in response. One, the Ikoma might be lulled into a false sense of security by my precarious position, and overexend themselves and lower their fans in a way they wouldn't otherwise. The other thought is that during my time here, I jave built a small rapport with Ikoma-ue, and while it is not a legendary brotherhood, he might still bend to my requears for sentiments sake. For example, I could help Sasaki-san with her necessary research. Perhaps even get access to the library if needed."

His bit spoken, he held his fan with a strong grip. Too strong perhaps, as his fingers where white from the effort.

OOC
Daimyo response:
D1 daimyo event, sensible response, tn 20, etiquette/awa, prodigy | 8k4 ⇒ 49 (TN: 20)

D1 daimyo event, Sasaki Emiko 3 cr tn 30,etiquette/awa, prodigy | 8k4 ⇒ 37 (TN: 30)

[Isawa Shingo]

"Are you not one of the students of Isawa Orimitsu? Has the Master of Earth any advice for our delegation?"

"Hai, Shiba Higashime-sama," Shingo replied, nodding his head. "I am sure he appreciates your interest in his counsel. And I would say, to be most direct, Shiba -sama, his counsel is entwined in his suggested goals of being judicious about conflict and endeavoring to make a connection between the Council and another notable shugenja of the empire. To those ends we should not seek unnecessary conflict and instead share our wisdom, so that the empire may see how our leadership benefits them."

Though the setting was not formal, Shingo still bowed notably when he had finished. His face needed a moment of relief while his mind was swinging wildly between pride in his remarks and worry at his quick candor. Was he impressing anyone besides himself with his remarks?

-------
Rolls:
Success keeping up conversation with the champion.
Success w/2 raises to impress Miss Sasaki Emiko.

[Shiba Ryusei]

By some miracle, Ryusei was equal to the question.

"Let us say that this one is flexible, Shiba-ue. I always explore alternatives when I have the luxury of the time for it. Particularly in exercises, where we can explore new concepts without risking our resources unduly. And it is a staff officer's duty to provide alternatives."


-
Roll 1- Respond sensibly to the terrifying Phoenix Lady, tn 20, etiquette/awa | 6k3 ⇒ 20 (TN: 20) Given how many rolls I've failed by 1 over the years, hitting the exact number is more satisfying than it has any business being.

Roll 2- Butter up Asako-ke no kashin Sasaki Emiko, Etiquette/Awareness, TN 15 | 6k3 ⇒ 13 (TN: 15) Ah, Sakkaku, never change XD. Well. Unless Benten's Blessing applies in which case that dropped 2 I'd get to keep would let me hit it. GM's prerogative.

[Shiba Higashime]

Shiba Ryushi arrived at the hall. His face serious as he approaches the Daimyo. He bowed low and presented himself. He knew that he had fumbled as he was late to the meeting.

Ryushi's bow was acknowledged with a simple nod.

"I am not entirely sure that I approve of presenting you for the purposes of obtaining something by false pretenses, but if you say that Lord Ikoma has offered you his hand in friendship, then that is an acceptable basis on which to begin a negotiation. Indeed, access to the Libraries on a regular basis for any of our Loremasters would be a good advantage for us. Well reasoned."

"The Master of Earth is perhaps wise to suggest cultivating connections among the various shugenja families in the Empire, though I am sure that you are aware that the Daimyo of many of them are quite mad. I sympathize also with his desire to avoid conflict, but I am afraid that some conflict is almost certain to find us. We are in the ascendant, but there are many hands that will seek to drag us down. I am sure that you can think of a few even now, learned as you are. We must be prepared, and we must meet such challenges resolutely."

"I shall, of course, require that you apply some of that perspective you have developed to our tactics here. And I believe that a modicum of flexibility is wise in this setting, provided one remembers what cannot be compromised." She paused, but if most people take a beat, hers was certainly syncopated, as though her mind were moving about half again as quickly as most. "Yes, I think that I require that you attend me tomorrow. We will discuss these tactics after you have had a chance to observe the lay of the land."

[Asako Emiko]

Wow, Emiko thought, bringing her fan up to hide her expression, such intensity in Kenichi-san and such brave honesty from Shingo! I did not know my co-delegates had such hidden depths! I wonder...does that make me a bad courtier? *Gulp* I really need to start thinking about the interior world. Granny was always saying 'look past the words,' but how does anybody know what's really in someone else's head before they tell you? Maybe the Bayushi have a magic spell that makes your thoughts write themselves out in special Scorpion-only ink on your forehead? No, that's silly. Or is it? Yes, it is.

She startled a bit as Lady Shiba began to speak, shaking herself out of her reverie.

[Shiba Ryusei]

"I shall, of course, require that you apply some of that perspective you have developed to our tactics here. And I believe that a modicum of flexibility is wise in this setting, provided one remembers what cannot be compromised." She paused, but if most people take a beat, hers was certainly syncopated, as though her mind were moving about half again as quickly as most. "Yes, I think that I require that you attend me tomorrow. We will discuss these tactics after you have had a chance to observe the lay of the land."

Ryusei simply bowed to his daimyo.

The day had already given him some perspective, and there would be the reception later.

He'd need to keep a weather eye out.

[Isawa Shingo]

"The Master of Earth is perhaps wise to suggest cultivating connections among the various shugenja families in the Empire, though I am sure that you are aware that the Daimyo of many of them are quite mad. I sympathize also with his desire to avoid conflict, but I am afraid that some conflict is almost certain to find us. We are in the ascendant, but there are many hands that will seek to drag us down. I am sure that you can think of a few even now, learned as you are. We must be prepared, and we must meet such challenges resolutely."

"Hai, Shiba -dono, you are right," Shingo replies encouragingly, "only *some* friendships are possible and some conflicts avoidable. Wise leaders like yourself and Isawa Orimitsu-sama will show us which friends to prioritize and which conflicts we must win. The Yoshinobu and your other loyal followers will do all that's necessary to meet those goals."

He smiled lightly as he hoped he'd bridged her needs with these achievable goals, and he cast a brief glance around the delegation, smiling a touch more brightly as Eriko seemed to be following his words intently.

[Shiba Higashime]

"Unfortunately, it is not altogether clear at first who our primary adversaries are going to be, save one. The Lion are likely to be at least somewhat hostile because we have supplanted them in the Empress' favor. This is only natural, but they will make things more difficult than they need to be. Our relationship with the Imperial Families should be cultivated and used to our advantage in the courts."

She paused. "As you leave, you will be handed briefing papers. These are to be read, but they are never to be seen outside of the private areas of the delegation house. They contain our priorities. Know them well, and turn your efforts to ensuring that they are carried out."

Lady Shiba pauses. "Is there anything else?"

[Shiba Ryusei]

Well, that certainly explains why some of us are here... no one can truly disarm the Lion, but many of us have ties that might be of some use in cushioning the blows...

[Isawa Shingo]

The young Isawa lord nodded as Higashime gave her guidance.

Should I... No, he thought. I should ask that privately, just in case... A faint grimace slipped over his face that had nothing to do with Higashime 's words.

[Cearnach]

Results
Shiba Higashime is aware of the members of the delegation (except for poor Shiba Ryushi) and their primary functions.

Furthermore
+3 xp discount on Ally: Asako Emiko for Asako Kenichi
+3 xp discount on Ally: Asako Emiko for Isawa Shingo

(Note from GM Fukurokujin: remember, Ally has a minimum cost of 1 XP.)