Badger Clan, sumai
Centipede Clan, theology
Dragonfly Clan, divination
Falcon Clan, hunting
Fox Clan, herbalism
Hare Clan, athletics
Mantis Clan, personal combat
Monkey Clan, kenjutsu
Sparrow Clan, iaijutsu
Tortoise Clan, sadane
Wasp Clan, kyujutsu
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:02, Wed 25 Mar 2015.

 I can see I'm going to need to hurry to take part!

Well,  there's definitely some pre-tournament politics to get out of the way first,  so you have some time

Also, based on your itinerary, I don't forsee any major effects of double posting in your travel thread and in the main plot

Hey guys, sorry about the inconsistency of posting lately, it's been a tough week, culminating in some job stress, a toddler with pink eye, and an emergency trip to a 24 hour vet hospital for a cat with a urinary tract blockage, all on Friday.

Fortunately, it is a weekend, the toddler is recovering nicely, and the cat made it through surgery okay.

I will try to resume regular posting tonight.

Hmmm ... I need a bit of help here.

1) Does Sumai use the Jujutsu skill?
2) "Personal Combat" -- is that is basically a non-lethal "anything goes" sort of thing?

In reply to Bayushi Kenshin (msg # 884):

1) I believe Sumai would use Jiujitsu as Jiujitsu is the skilled used for Grappling (Core Revised p. 179).

2) My guess is that since "Personal Combat" is being hosted by the Mantis, who with their Kama have made a clan specialty of using unorthodox/unconventional (i.e. peasant) weapons, that this similar to Kenjutsu sponsored by the Monkey Clan but any type of weapon can be used (so not just swords, thus allowing the Mantis to show off their special techniques using peasant weapons like the Kama).

1) yes, Jiujutsu is the skill to be used for sumai (which would be an emphasis)

2) yes, "personal combat" does mean anything goes, preferably non-lethal ^_^

Dang! I just realized ... we never met Byako or Shiko, did we? (Or was that Shishako?) That pulls a whole lot of role-playing out ... that is gonna have to be redone.

Before I finalize my XP expenditures: the Sumai competition doesn't require the emphasis, does it? In other words, it's useful bot not actually a necessity?

My expenditures (to actually have ranks in all the skills) put me at exactly 200 insight with 1 XP to spare, so I wanna be real sure about this.

In reply to Daidoji Kasumi (msg # 887):

Yeah. If we had met previously, I would have been talking to you already.

You did meet Byako, at least in passing, since she was with you when you were talking with Kuwanan in the Volume 2 Prologue

Hmm... so if I understand this correctly, this means that the likely Champion is going to be a Major Clan Samurai (is there a Minor Clan who isn't sponsoring an event)?

No, sorry if that was unclear.  If a Great Clan samurai wants to become champion, he/she has to enter every event. A Minor Clan samurai can be Champion by placing in every event but their own. For example, say Suzume Kirika placed in every event, except for the test of the Sparrow (which she's prohibited from entering) and got a higher total score than anyone else, then she would be champion.

Shoji, I think having  your bear maul someone as "Personal Combat" would be met with about the same amount of approval as Shema casting Rise, Water and having an elemental do his personal combat for him... which is to say: the judges would be forced to frown on it, but you'd live on forever in stories.

so the rule that I'm using to determine whether it would be acceptable or not is:  how many skill checks do you need to make

Shoji would have to make multiple, ongoing skill checks to maintain control of the bear (just as a normal combatant would have to make multiple, ongoing skill checks to fight)

Shema would only have to make one skill check to use Rise, Water, and then it's the Elemental doing the fighting.  That's why Bo of Water is acceptable (one skill check to cast, multiple skill checks to fight), while Burn the Soul is not (one skill check to cast, no other skill checks to make)

Thanks for the clarification.

Note that I hadn't actually considered (until now) using the animals to fight in the personal combat contest.  I suppose they'd be sort of an unconventional weapon.

I might if Shoji didn't have his yojimbo available, but it would feel like Shoji was dishonoring Daichi somehow by choosing a pet to represent him instead of his brother/yojimbo.

Ummm ... the Personal Combat test is strictly non-lethal, isn't it? Is Kenshin expected to compete with a "Live Blade" or Bokken?

Stories! Oh goody! Uh, wait a second ... *lol*

Sorry for the long wait people, I'm too tired to post tonight, but I'll try to get something up tomorrow

Sorry, all.  I've been in an intensive training for work that I hadn't expected and have no time for reading/posting until this Fri or Sat at which point I'll be catching up.

No worries, real life comes first ^_^

Sorry about the total silence, y'all.  Real life is starting to slow down, so things are getting better, I'm hoping to have enough free time to post regularly again soon!

okay guys, going to be camping with the in-laws and a two year old for the next couple of days...wish me luck!

In reply to Kaze no Kage (msg # 902):

a 2 year old... good luck!

The funny part of camping...

Driving on the way to the campground:

Me:  "are you okay, kiddo?"
Kid: "yeah"
*squelchy sound of car sick 2-yr old vomiting*

Cleaning up vomit on the highway:
Kid:  "let's go camping!"

The not so funny part of camping...

Arrived at campground and starting to set up:

Park ranger:  "emergency evacuation due to forest fire, effective immediately, time to go"

We did manage to find another campsite (not in the path of the fire), but as of today, the fire is at 10% containment.  For the curious, it's the Markleeville fire.