Well then... I've, evidently, some documents to revisit!

One of us... One of us?

We shall follow you to victory, most noble leader.

@Zeee

Do we know each other, or are we all coming in as strangers?

I'm happy to start building background with people if it's the former, but I don't want to spoil it if it's the later.

From my point, and the knowledge regarding the Kaito, unless anyone has visited Phoenix lands it's unlikely Makoto would have met anyone else. The Shrine Keepers are a rare sight out of Phoenix lands, as they concern themselves primarily with tending to the various temples and shrines within said lands. Very rarely they'll leave to go on pilgrimages.

I remember reading somewhere that the Phoenix Clan Champion has started using them as spiritual investigators as well, to look into issues of imbalance across the Empire, but I can't say with 100% certainty on that one.

All that said, if anyone does think their character has been through Phoenix lands, and would have reason to visit this or that temple(and assuming such former relationships are expected/encouraged), I'm not against working something out.

See?  This lady gets it!

And Hachi, no idea,   Granted, Chihiro and I already went and cobbled together basic together.  Worse comes to worse, we can scrap it, but generally speaking, I've never found that some connections with other PCs to be a bad thing.  Gives folks a reason to co-operate beyond that 'PC Glow' as it were.

Makoto, Kashin has certainly traveled to the Phoenix's lands, but again, he's entirely coastal, and more than a little shady (though he does do plenty of legitimate business as a cover), so it might be a little bit harder.  That said, sailors are a superstitious lot, so I could easily see him visiting a suitably appropriate shrine before a voyage or the like.

We do have a whole lotta K.

In reply to Kasuga Kashin (msg # 92):

Yep! More connections the better. Though in Makoto's case, I don't feel Chihiro has probably roamed that far up the coast from Scorpion lands as most of her lords anxieties revolve around the Lion and Crane.

Welcome brother!  As the second best double K player, your can be my right hand during the glorious revolution!

As an aside my Crab friend, what school did you end up with, Kaiu or Yasuki?

It occurs to me that I don't actually know anything about the Tortoise Clan, other than that I'd assume they were one of the minor ones.

A lot of covert trading expeditions and stealthy shipments is generally what they get up to. All of course, legitimately sanctioned... By someone. Somewhere. Someone important, naturally.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:12, Thu 20 Aug 2020.

The Tortoise Clan is super duper weird. Technically, in the Imperial histories, they're the personal servants of the Emperor, and the Clan built around the Kami Hantei. However, they've always played second fiddle to the Imperial Families (who technically serve the Imperial Throne, not the descendants of the Kami like the Great Clans). As such, they've basically devolved into a band of low-lives and semi-criminals, using their monopoly on the docks of the Imperial capital to extort the Crane, Mantis, and Yasuki, and run protection rackets throughout Otosan Uchi.

In reality, they were the crime syndicate running Otosan Uchi when it became the capital of the Empire, and now they're used by the Imperials to do all the shady shit Imperial honor doesn't allow, and can't be outsourced to the Scorpion or Ikoma, including conducting a swift trade in gaij- hey look at that dog!

They actually become integral to the Mantis Alliance during the Clan Wars because they were the only minor clan with a formalized courtier school and ties to Imperial Families and almost (and in my opinion should have because their daimyo had just been exploded by demons) swore allegiance to the Mantis after the Clan Wars.

And that's precisely how we like it Makoto-sama!

Well said Chihiro-sama!  At best that's likely what I imagine most people know about them.  Assuming they even know we exist at all.

Miho-sama is of course quite correct.  Officially of course we exist to guard the Empire against the influence of the Gaijin so that there is never another White Stag (stop blowing up the Empress with cannons damnit!), and thus, we are the only samurai authorized to conduct trade with those foreign devils.  Granted, nobody really knows that bit except the Emperor and the Tortoise.  And that's about it, full stop.  Like, there's a decent chance even the Emerald Champion doesn't know.

And thus, we're simply a minor clan who cares for the walls of the Imperial City, and does some sketchy stuff on the side.  Okay really it should be the other way around, but hey.  That said, it really does beg the question, why are they even tolerated?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Thu 20 Aug 2020.

So... at this point(with the rollback of time, space and continuity), they're basically yakuza hiding as a legit family, running around performing whatever criminal acts the imperial family needs doing while also making as much money as they can because why not?

They're probably tolerated the same reason anything else is technically tolerated. For good or ill, money talks, and when there's support, at least nominally, from the Imperial families then there's a lot you can get away with.

Not to say that anyone else would tolerate them longer than they'd have to. But please, sama is too much for one such as me. The Kaito, though elevated to a full Phoenix clan family, haven't been so for too long. We are still so very small compared to so many others.

It's also probably not a level of villainy that requires the dedication of the Scorpion or at least cannot be deemed safe to entrust to the Scorpion, anyway.

More or less.  Though again, it should be noted that they take the whole watching the gaijin thing super seriously.

Money, for sure.  War isn't cheap after all!  And heh, there's complete and total support, and from the highest levels no less.  So when early attempts to quash the clan failed, the Great Clans just ignored them, like they tend to do with minor clans in general.

Yeah, they're kindred spirit with the Scorpion, and share methods, but they're also very very different.  It's an interesting dichotomy.

The common view of the Tortoise (from those who are in Otosan Uchi enough to even know they exist) is that they mostly don't do anything, and what they do get up to is insulting to the term samurai. The Tortoise are dishonorable but in a distinctly low class sort of way. If the Scorpion are The Godfather, the Tortoise are the Sopranos- sitting around the back room of a strip club playing poker.

No, the Mantis are the Sopranos. The Tortoise are more like a street crew in The Wire.

I'm assuming a Crane who has spent the last few years in Crab Territory in the Port Town of Sunda Mizu Muza would not have heard of the Tortoise then?

I dunno, the Yasuki interact with the Tortoise somewhat frequently- they ship a lot of material to the capital. Hachi might have picked up some of their complaints or interactions with the Kasuga. Probably up to you.

I'd planned on having Miho know the Tortoise (at least what's publicly known) because of her expertise in Imperial law.

Pretty much Miho!  And hey, I'm all about The Wire!  Being a street crew means that I don't have someone constantly looking over my shoulder telling me what to do!

And Hachi, it honestly feels like a combination of circumstances and skills.  First, you'd have to be in a situation where you'd run into them (or, as Miho said, someone dealing with them).  Then you'd need the requisite skills.  And by skills, I largely mean Culture, as that's the one that "covers knowledge of the Emerald Empire’s customs, traditions, families, trends, geography, and practices."

To me, a good Culture score would be knowing about the Tortoise and their practices, a good Government score would allow you to know that they're protected somehow, from somewhere really high.  But just my two cents, I'm not running things.

~scans sheet~

"Tortoise you say, never heard of them"

Its ok, Kakita-Sama. We can be ignorant of the Tortiose together.

Hello everyone, crab clan courtier here. I have a pretty good idea where I am going with Yasuki Rohata, but I always like to go though the 20 questions before I finalize my character.

I was hoping to have established myself in court for a little while, so if you are a local, I would be willing to chat pm about some kind of connection.

Rohata is famously successful for getting things done for his clients. He takes payment in money, secrets, and favors. Just don't ask too many questions about how the job is done.

Heads up everyone, I need 3 days for a personal matter.  My mother had a surgery in one of her eyes, and then insisted she could take care of herself, only to fall down and twist her knee pretty badly.  She's been at my house and I've found it hard to get online to play games.  Come Monday she'll have someone able to assist her while she recovers at her home, but in the meantime it's on me.

Come Tuesday I'll be on daily.

Oh good lord, I'm glad she's alright-ish.  Hang in there, and take care of your family, it's far more important than this.  We'll see you when you get back.