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The first question is a rather simple one, but defines the most about our samurai; what Great Clan does he or she belong to? I will provide a quick description of each of the Great Clans, but feel free to read the image for a little more information.

The choices are as follows:
>Crab Clan, the stalwart defenders of a great wall to the South of the Empire, the only barrier between civilization and the gateway to Jigoku. On the upside, they're extremely courageous and pragmatic. On the downside, they're quite brutish.
>Crane Clan, the elegant masters of courts and culture. Artistry, music, acting, dueling, they excel at these things and use this to their advantage. On the upside, they're eloquent and pleasant. On the downside, they're a little risk adverse.
>Dragon Clan, the mysterious mountain clan that seeks enlightenment. On the upside, they're always earnest and genuine. On the downside, they're more independent and aloof than most samurai.
>Lion Clan, a militant group of proud warriors who devote themselves to martial supremacy. On the upside, they are devoted to the traditional samurai honor. On the downside, they have no compassion for the common people.
>Phoenix Clan, the clan of mage-priests and historians devoted to preserving the Empire's lore. On the upside, they go to great lengths in the pursuit of wisdom. On the downside, they don't trust anyone else with knowledge.
>Scorpion Clan, underhanded samurai who take it upon themselves to do the dishonorable deeds that no one else is willing to. On the upside, they hold their duty all else. On the downside, they have sacrificed their honor.
>Unicorn Clan, a group of explorers who returned to the Empire after centuries in foreign lands. On the upside, they're compassionate and caring. On the downside, they became a little too foreign during their absence.

>Scorpion Clan

Let's get back the clan's honor (even if it's through dishonorable means)

>>3946814
Our honor IS our duty, my friend.

>>3946811
>>Dragon Clan, the mysterious mountain clan that seeks enlightenment. On the upside, they're always earnest and genuine. On the downside, they're more independent and aloof than most samurai.

>>3946811
.
>Crane Clan, the elegant masters of courts and culture. Artistry, music, acting, dueling, they excel at these things and use this to their advantage. On the upside, they're eloquent and pleasant. On the downside, they're a little risk adverse.

I played a crane iaijutsu apecialist once, it was nice.

>>3946811
>Scorpion Clan

>>3946811
>Scorpion Clan

>>3946811
>>Phoenix Clan, the clan of mage-priests and historians devoted to preserving the Empire's lore. On the upside, they go to great lengths in the pursuit of wisdom. On the downside, they don't trust anyone else with knowledge.

>>3946811
>>Unicorn Clan, a group of explorers who returned to the Empire after centuries in foreign lands. On the upside, they're compassionate and caring. On the downside, they became a little too foreign during their absence.

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You have chosen the Scorpion Clan as our samurai's clan. As a result of picking a clan, a samurai gains three things: A ring, a skill and a starting status.

Rings are your core attributes in Legend of the Five Rings. There are five of them, one for each of the elements. They don't necessarily cover strength and dexterity, but instead they cover different approaches for doing things. At character creation, all rings start at 1 and can only be raised up to 3.

Basic descriptions for the rings are as follows:
Air Ring, the path of manipulation, evasion and perfection. Grace, cunning, precision.
Earth Ring, the grounded and traditional path. Caution, consideration, endurance.
Fire Ring, the path of the fierce and the direct. Passion, invention, aggression.
Water Ring, the path of least resistance. Adaptable, charming, amenable.
Void Ring, the centred and spiritual path. Enlightenment, sacrifice, subsistence.

Skills are somewhat self-explanatory, except they start at 0 and like rings, can only be raised to a maximum of 3 during character creation.

As for Status, that impacts your character's standing in society. Respect must be shown towards those with higher Status, while those with low Status than you must respect you.

By being a samurai of the Scorpion Clan, our samurai has gained the following:
+1 Air (Ring).
+1 Skulduggery (Skill).
Base Status of 35.

I will move on to the next question shortly. View the image for more details regarding the Scorpion Clan.

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The second question is this: What family does your samurai belong to?

Each of the Great Clans has a few major families, that represent the different facets of that clan. These families also have their own schools that teach different techniques, but the families of a Great Clan are cooperative enough that a samurai can belong to one family and learn from the school of another family.

The families of the Scorpion Clan are as follows:
>The Bayushi family. Named after the Scorpion Kami, their duty is to serve as Rokugan's villains, to cause disarray and disrupt the other Great Clans, so that no samurai might ever challenge the Hantei dynasty. They are viewed as shocking and scandalous, and that's just the way they like it.
>The Shosuro family. Named after of an actress who served as the Scorpion Thunder, one of the seven mortals who sealed away Fu Leng. In truth, this actress was a wickedly cunning shinobi, as are many of her family. While the Bayushi draw the eyes of Rokugan, they operate in the shadows.
>The Soshi family, one of the shugenja families of Rokugan, with shugenja being priests capable of communing with the elements. Their true nature of their founder is mysterious and known only by a few. Known for being cautious and meticulous, they provide stability for the Scorpion Clan.
>The Yogo family, another shugenja family. Founded by Yogo, a mighty shugenja of the Phoenix Clan who was cursed by Fu Leng himself. Damned to betray the one he loved the most, he chose to serve Bayushi, for he had no love for the Scorpion Kami. His descendants have inherited this curse.

Which of the Scorpion families shall our samurai belong to?

>>3946967
>>The Shosuro family. Named after of an actress who served as the Scorpion Thunder, one of the seven mortals who sealed away Fu Leng. In truth, this actress was a wickedly cunning shinobi, as are many of her family. While the Bayushi draw the eyes of Rokugan, they operate in the shadows.

>The Bayushi Family

Let's embrace being a hardcore anime villain

>>3946967
>The Bayushi family
Being Itachi doesn't sound bad

>>3946967
>>The Bayushi family. Named after the Scorpion Kami, their duty is to serve as Rokugan's villains, to cause disarray and disrupt the other Great Clans, so that no samurai might ever challenge the Hantei dynasty. They are viewed as shocking and scandalous, and that's just the way they like it.

>>3946967
>>The Bayushi family. Named after the Scorpion Kami, their duty is to serve as Rokugan's villains, to cause disarray and disrupt the other Great Clans, so that no samurai might ever challenge the Hantei dynasty. They are viewed as shocking and scandalous, and that's just the way they like it.
>>3946977
agreed.

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You have chosen the Bayushi family for our samurai's familiy. As a result, our samurai has gained the following:
+1 Air or Fire (Ring).
+1 Courtesy and +1 Design (Skill).
Base Glory of 44.
Starting wealth of 8 koku.

A character's Glory is how well-known they are. As the Bayushi are the leading family of the Scorpion Clan, they're the most prestigious family. This can be boosted later on, depending on the options that you choose.

Time for the third question: What is our character's school?

The school is what defines a samurai's skill-set and how they will serve their clan. It takes a decade of training to master even the basics of a school. While most samurai learn from a school in their own clans, it isn't unknown for a samurai from one clan to train in a school of another clan, usually as part of a trade agreement, an exchange program or a diplomatic favour.

So, our Bayushi's options are as follows:
>Bayushi Deathdealer. These samurai are trained to be very versatile, to be able to exploit any situation that they find themselves in, and whatever opponent that they face. They're ruthless, pragmatic and under-handed fighters.
>Bayushi Manipulator. They follow the same ethos as the Deathdealer, except they use that philosophy in court and not on the battlefield. Seduction, intimidation, blackmailing, they'll do whatever it takes the get the upper hand.
>Shosuro Infiltrator. While they typically pose as performers or artisans, they are actually shinobi who excel at the dishonourable art of infiltration and assassinating the unaware. Shinobi caught in the act always end up disowned.
>Soshi Illusionist. These shugenja are subtle, capable of invoking spirits without alerting anyone to their magic. They are trusted with the religious affairs of their clan, although the Scorpion doesn't put too much importance on faith.
>Yogo Wardmaster. One of the two schools of the Yogo shugenja, this particular school protects the secrets of the Scorpion Clan by creating wards. Binding their magic to paper, they can transform their invocations into an arsenal of traps.
>Yogo Preserver. The second Yogo school, they use their magic to animate paper servants, shikigami who carry out their will. These particular shugenja are used for more proactive purposes, such as espionage and assassination.
>A school from another clan. This is perfectly acceptable, though we will need to come up with a backstory for our Bayushi to justify why they were taught the techniques of another clan. If this option is chosen, we'll decide which clan our Bayushi is tutored by next.

>>3947222
More info:
>Bayushi Deathdealer: This school is both a Bushi and a Shinobi.
>Bayushi Manipulator: The is a Courtier school.
>Shosuro Infiltrator: This is both a Shinobi and Courtier school.
>Soshi Illusionist: This is a Shugenja, Courtier and Shinobi school
>Yogo Wardmaster: This is a Shugenja school
>Yogo Preserver: This is a Shugenja school

There are 6 types of schools and schools (as listed above) can be multiple types at the same time:
>Bushi - Warrior schools focused on combat and command
>Courtier - Focused on political maneuvering and conversation
>Shugenja - Spellcasting priest schools with access to Invocations (i.e. spells)
>Shinobi - Ninja schools most of the schools with this tag have limited access to Ninjutsu techs. Only 1 school currently has complete access to Ninjutsu techs
>Artisan - schools focused around creating art and items.
>Monk - schools with a mystical focus. Most have kiho access but several have limited invocation access instead.

>>3947222
>Bayushi Deathdealer

>>3947281
Cheers for providing the details.

>>3947222
Bayushi Deathdealer.

>>3947281
>>Shosuro Infiltrator

>>3947222
>>Shosuro Infiltrator. While they typically pose as performers or artisans, they are actually shinobi who excel at the dishonourable art of infiltration and assassinating the unaware. Shinobi caught in the act always end up disowned.

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You have chosen the Bayushi Deathdealer school for our samurai's school. Our samurai gains the following:
+1 Air and +1 Fire (Rings).
+1 to five Starting Skills (Skills).
Base Honor of 40.
Striking as Air or Striking as Fire (Kata Techniques).
Assess Strength (Shūji Techniques).
Way of the Scorpion (School Ability).

Before we move on to the next question, we should decide on the starting skills that our Deathdealer has been trained in by his or her dojo. No samurai leaves their sensei behind knowing everything that their school has to offer, so we must decide what aspects of this school our Deathdealer has excelled at.

Due to being of the Scorpion Clan and the Bayushi Family, our samurai already has the following skills:
Courtesy 1 - This is the social skill used for interacting with others in court and paying respect to people with higher Status than you.
Design 1 - This skill is used for creating, maintaining and assessing clothing, and can be used to adapt or conceal things within clothes.
Skulduggery 1 - This skill is used for stealth, pick-pocketing, picking locks and all sorts of dishonorable unpleasantness.

But our Scorpion must learn five of the following skills as a part of his or her training. Please pick five out of the following eight options:
>+1 Command - This is the social skill used for commanding on a battlefield and bossing around people with less Status than you.
>+1 Courtesy - This is the social skill used for interacting with others in court and paying respect to people with higher Status than you.
>+1 Fitness - This is the physical skill used to resist critical strikes in combat and to perform physical feats outside of combat.
>+1 Martial Arts (Melee) - This is the skill used for attacking with melee weapons.
>+1 Martial Arts (Ranged) - This is the skill used for attacking with ranged weapons.
>+1 Tactics - This skill is used for determining your initiative in battle and also for coordinating troops in larger conflicts.
>+1 Sentiment - This is the skill used for reading other people, discerning their true feelings and telling lies from truth.
>+1 Skulduggery - This skill is used for stealth, pick-pocketing, picking locks and all sorts of dishonorable unpleasantness.

>>3947662
Sorry for not counting your post, mine was already finalized. However, there is quite a bit of overlap between the Bayushi Deathdealer and the Shosuro Infiltrator, as the Deathdealer can also be used as a shinobi when necessary.

>>3947666
>+1 Skulduggery
>+1 Martial Arts (Melee)
>+1 Martial Arts (Ranged)
>+1 Sentiment
>+1 Courtesy

>>3947666
>+1 Tactics - This skill is used for determining your initiative in battle and also for coordinating troops in larger conflicts.
Because knowledge is power!

>>3947685
And four more; you get to choose five, not just one.

>>3947666
>+1 Fitness
>+1 Martial Arts (Melee)
>+1 Martial Arts (Ranged)
>+1 Tactics
>+1 Skulduggery

>>3947666
>>+1 Fitness - This is the physical skill used to resist critical strikes in combat and to perform physical feats outside of combat.
>>+1 Martial Arts (Melee) - This is the skill used for attacking with melee weapons.
>>+1 Tactics - This skill is used for determining your initiative in battle and also for coordinating troops in larger conflicts.
>>+1 Sentiment - This is the skill used for reading other people, discerning their true feelings and telling lies from truth.
>>+1 Skulduggery - This skill is used for stealth, pick-pocketing, picking locks and all sorts of dishonorable unpleasantness.

>>3947758
+1

>>3947666
>>+1 Skulduggery - This skill is used for stealth, pick-pocketing, picking locks and all sorts of dishonorable unpleasantness.
>+1 Sentiment - This is the skill used for reading other people, discerning their true feelings and telling lies from truth.
>+1 Courtesy - This is the social skill used for interacting with others in court and paying respect to people with higher Status than you.
>+1 Fitness - This is the physical skill used to resist critical strikes in combat and to perform physical feats outside of combat.
>+1 Martial Arts (Melee) - This is the skill used for attacking with melee weapons.

>>3947666
>+1 Courtesy
>+1 Fitness
>+1 Martial Arts (Melee)
>+1 Tactics
>+1 Sentiment

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After a quick tally, the most popular suggestions are:
Martial Arts (Melee).
Fitness.
Sentiment.
Skulduggery.

Tactics and Courtesy are tied for the fifth spot, so I'll break the tie and select Courtesy out of personal preference. Also because our samurai's excellent Air and Fire rings already give them a nice boost when it comes to initiative.

I will move on to the fourth question now, which is where we start to personalize our samurai and make him or her more than just a combination of clan, family and school.

The fourth question is this: How do your character stand out within their school? This question requires us to choose a particular ring that our character specializes in, that separates them from the rest of their school. Our samurai has +1 Air from belonging to the Scorpion Clan, +1 Fire from belonging to the Bayushi Family and +1 Air and +1 Fire from being a Bayushi Deathdealer. This leaves his or her rings as follows:
Air 3
Earth 1
Fire 3
Water 1
Void 1

As we cannot increase any ring above 3 for a starting character, we must choose between Earth, Water and Void. Which element differentiates our Bayushi from other Deathdealers?
>+1 Earth. Our samurai has a cooler head than other Deathdealers and tends to be more patient and meticulous in how they handle their affairs. By choosing Earth, our samurai will also be more physically durable and able to endure greater amounts of duress.
>+1 Water. Our samurai is more perceptive and cordial than other Deathdealers, which allows them to be flexible in their approach to a situation. By choosing Water, our samurai will also be able to endure greater amounts of duress., as well as more vigilant and perceptive.
>+1 Void. Our samurai is more spiritual and introspective than most of their school, with a better understanding of the role they play in the Celestial Order. By choosing Void, our samurai will also have access to an additional Void point, which can be spent to turn the tide in crucial moments.

Also, it's technically not one of the twenty questions, but let's get this out of the way at the same time, and choose a gender.
>Our samurai is male.
>Our samurai is female.

>>3948075
>>+1 Earth. Our samurai has a cooler head than other Deathdealers and tends to be more patient and meticulous in how they handle their affairs. By choosing Earth, our samurai will also be more physically durable and able to endure greater amounts of duress.
>Our samurai is female.

>>3948075
>+1 Void. Our samurai is more spiritual and introspective than most of their school, with a better understanding of the role they play in the Celestial Order. By choosing Void, our samurai will also have access to an additional Void point, which can be spent to turn the tide in crucial moments.
>Our samurai is female.

>>3948075
>+1 Void. Our samurai is more spiritual and introspective than most of their school, with a better understanding of the role they play in the Celestial Order. By choosing Void, our samurai will also have access to an additional Void point, which can be spent to turn the tide in crucial moments.

>Our samurai is female.

>>3948075
>>+1 Void. Our samurai is more spiritual and introspective than most of their school, with a better understanding of the role they play in the Celestial Order. By choosing Void, our samurai will also have access to an additional Void point, which can be spent to turn the tide in crucial moments.
>>Our samurai is male.

>>3948075
>>+1 Void. Our samurai is more spiritual and introspective than most of their school, with a better understanding of the role they play in the Celestial Order. By choosing Void, our samurai will also have access to an additional Void point, which can be spent to turn the tide in crucial moments.

>Our samurai is male.

>>3948075
>+1 Water. Our samurai is more perceptive and cordial than other Deathdealers, which allows them to be flexible in their approach to a situation. By choosing Water, our samurai will also be able to endure greater amounts of duress., as well as more vigilant and perceptive.
>Our samurai is male.

You are in favor of the Void ring, that much is evident. However, there's a split when it comes to gender.

I'll let the next ID who hasn't voted so far place the deciding vote:
>Our samurai is male.
>Our samurai is female.

>>3948075
>+1 Void
>Female

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You have chosen the Void ring for our samurai, who you have also decided will be female. As a result of your choice, her rings look like this:
Air 3
Earth 1
Fire 3
Water 1
Void 2

Her strong connection to Fire and Air means that like most typical samurai of the Bayushi family, she favours aggressive and direct approaches, as well as precise and manipulative methods. Both on the battlefield and in the court, she is best suited to manoeuvring her victims into delicate positions, and then striking when they are at their most vulnerable.

Her ties to the Void allow her to take a more balanced approach when necessary, though this is not necessarily her strongest area. To act in accordance with the Void is to bring harmony to a situation, to enlighten the unbalanced and to understand when sacrifice is necessary to achieve results.

However, she also has her weak points. Our samurai's lack of attunement to Earth and Water means that she is not grounded or adaptable. She might have trouble when she is required to befriend someone rather than manipulate them, or when she is required to reason with others instead of incite them. This lack of stoicism and flexibility also leaves her rather emotionally fragile and easily overcome by moments of distress.

As our samurai's rings have been completed, I am now able to derive other attributes from them.

Endurance, a samurai's ability to fight on despite fatigue, is determined by their combined Earth and Fire rings, which is then multiplied by two. Our samurai has an Endurance of 8, which is average.
Composure, a samurai's ability to endure emotional distress, is determined by their combined Earth and Water rings, which is then multiplied by two. Our samurai has a Composure of 4, which is worrying low and makes her emotionally vulnerable.
Focus, a samurai's ability to react to situations that they are aware of, is determined by their combined Air and Fire rings. Our samurai has an impressive Focus of 6, which will make them a great deal faster than many other samurai.
Vigilance, a samurai's passive awareness and wariness, is determined by their combined Air and Water rings, which is then divided by two and rounded up. Our samurai has a Vigilance of 2, which is an average result.
Finally, there are Void points. Our samurai can keep up to two Void points in reserve, which she can spend to survive deadly encounters despite all odds, overcome great obstacles and accomplish incredible deeds that would normally be beyond her.

I'll work on the fifth and sixth questions next. For the time being, are you happy with this outcome?

>>3948462
>>3948459
I like the quest and I appreciate that you're adding your own flair to it.

But Samurai have always been men. Women have been warriors some I'm sure mightier than men in many cases. But they have their own name and I guess its semantics. But it bothers me that now its included as a strange new option.
Best of luck with your quest seems very intresting.

>>3948464
I had assumed male for similar reasons to >>3948471, before the question came up. I am not entirely familiar with Rokugan, is this more common there or is it likely to be seen as unusual?

Once that is answered, I am happy with the outcome.

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>>3948471
As was mentioned at that start, this is not guaranteed to become a fully fledged quest. I will answer your concerns however.

A key part about the setting of Legend of the Five Rings is that Rokugan is not Japan. It is inspired by Japan and takes a great deal of inspiration from Japanese history, but it is ultimately not the same culture as Japan. This is ultimately a fantasy setting and within this fantasy setting, samurai can be female.

I can understand if you disagree with this and if you take issue with this, but this is not me adding a personal flair, this is a case of me being true to the setting, a setting which is not true to history and which is rather fantastical.

Pictured, a female samurai of the Bayushi family.

>>3948464
Kinda makes me think of Azula.
So yeah I'm pretty happy with it.

>>3948484
Within the setting of Rokugan, female samurai are not uncommon. Regarding marriages, the noble caste of the samurai cares more about status than it cares about gender. If the wife has lower status than her husband, then she will be expected to remain at home and tend to her husband's estate and children. If the husband has lower status than his wife, then he will be expected to tend to the estate instead.

Hopefully this answers your question but if there's anything else that you wish to ask about it, let me know.

fuck, was about to vote

>+1 Void
>male

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The fifth and sixth questions are closely tied together: Who is your lord and what is your character's duty to them, and what does your character long for and how might it impede their duty?

Each samurai has a giri, a sworn duty, and a ninjō, their human feelings. Every samurai is supposed to live up to the ideal and be a paragon of Bushidō, or in the case of the Scorpion Clan, slavishly devoted to their duty. However, the sad truth is that samurai are still human, and humans are flawed beings that can be led astray by their desires. The best stories revolve around this conflict between the ideal that a samurai must live up to and the realities of a samurai's life.

I mentioned at the start that this samurai of ours will be going through gempukku, in an effort to prove herself worthy of being a fully-fledged samurai. For this reason, the fifth question has already been answered. As of this moment, her lord is her sensei and her duty is to prove to him through gempukku that she is worthy of being a true samurai of the Scorpion Clan. This is our Bayushi's giri.

However, the sixth question remains unanswered. What does our samurai long for, and how might it impede her duty? What is her ninjō, the human desire that might distract her from her duty to the Scorpion Clan and prevent her from serving the Emerald Empire as well as she should? There are several possible answers to this question, and I encourage people to write in with their own ideas for her ninjō. You might want to draw inspiration from her affinity to the Void, if you like.

The best ninjō should be important enough to our samurai that it will always linger on her mind, and broad enough that she will frequently encounter temptation that might lead her astray.

I'll present a few options:
>She is a deeply religious person at heart, who would rather spend her days praying and meditating on the Tao of Shinsei than dwelling on the material affairs of Rokugan.
>She strives to prove her mastery of a particular skill, perhaps as a duellist or something else, and she will always seek to test her mettle against others to show her supremacy.
>She longs to be of higher status, to climb her way up the social ladder no matter what it takes. She believes that she wasn't meant to serve others, but to rule over them.
>She craves glory and fame, the attention of others. She will go out of her way to try and earn renown, even if it interferes with the duty that she has been given.
>She is rebellious and wishes to decide for herself how she serves the Emerald Empire. Following orders is not her way, she can decide the best way of fulfilling her purpose.
>She is rather attached to material things and will accumulate wealth and luxuries whenever she has the opportunity, even if it gets in the way of the task at hand.
>Write in. I encourage this option and I would prefer it if you guys could work together to come up with a cool ninjō of your own for our Bayushi Deathdealer.

>>3948593
>>She longs to be of higher status, to climb her way up the social ladder no matter what it takes. She believes that she wasn't meant to serve others, but to rule over them.

>>3948593
>write-in
She wishes to act with the honour typically denied to those of her clan.

>>3948593
>She craves glory and fame, the attention of others. She will go out of her way to try and earn renown, even if it interferes with the duty that she has been given
Going full Azula is the best option

I'll narrow down the selection to the options that the previous three posters have expressed interest in, so that voters aren't overwhelmed by choice.

>She longs to be of higher status, to climb her way up the social ladder no matter what it takes. She believes that she wasn't meant to serve others, but to rule over them.
>She wishes to act with the honor typically denied to those of her clan, even if this will put her at odds with her superiors and her duty. Samurai are meant to follow Bushidō, not disregard it.
>She craves glory and fame, the attention of others. She will go out of her way to try and earn renown, even if it interferes with the duty that she has been given.

>>3948794
>She longs to be of higher status, to climb her way up the social ladder no matter what it takes. She believes that she wasn't meant to serve others, but to rule over them.
Eh, I'll switch to this. It's similar enough.

>>3948794
>>She wishes to act with the honor typically denied to those of her clan, even if this will put her at odds with her superiors and her duty. Samurai are meant to follow Bushidō, not disregard it.

>She longs to be of higher status, to climb her way up the social ladder no matter what it takes. She believes that she wasn't meant to serve others, but to rule over them.

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Our samurai is driven by ambition, a desire for greatness. She is not content with just serving the Scorpion Clan dutifully and performing her function for her future lord, she believes that she is destined to rise to a position of power. Without a doubt in her mind, she considers herself fated to becoming a leading figure of her clan, or perhaps even the Emerald Empire. A daimyō with a castle to call her own, or a Jewelled Champion who serves the Emperor directly, maybe one of those roles might satisfy her lust for power. Until she achieves this authority, she will not be content, and any chance to rise up the ladder will sorely tempt her.

To the people who voted for the more honourable route, allow me to assure you that this is not the last time that honour will be brought up, and we will get another chance to discuss how our samurai views honour. However, her primary priority in life is her desire for higher status and the power that it brings.

I'll move on to the seventh question though: What is your character's relationship with their clan?

For the purpose of this, I will elaborate on the Scorpion Clan's philosophy, starting with the story that Shinsei told Bayushi, the Kami and founder of the Scorpion Clan, a thousand years ago.

A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream. The scorpion asks the frog to carry him across the stream on its back. The frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion says, "because if I sting you while you cross the stream, surely I shall drown too."
The frog is satisfied, and they set out. But in midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of paralysis and starts to sink, but has just enough time to gasp. "Why? Why would you do this to me? Now you shall surely drown as well."
The scorpion replies: "But little frog, I can swim."

This story is a purposeful twist on the traditional telling of the Scorpion and the Frog, intended to teach the Scorpion Kami a specific lesson: Nothing is as it seems. This drives everything that the Scorpion Clan does. Every fully-fledged samurai of the Scorpion Clan wears a mempō or a mask of sorts. This serves as a reminder to themselves and to onlookers that every samurai hides who they truly are, and that the Scorpion Clan is the only clan that is honest about this duplicity.

Each of the Great Clans has a duty given to it by Hantei, and the Scorpion Clan serves as the Underhand of the Emperor. They keep the other Great Clans in line. Typically they do this through manipulation, by tempting samurai into committing great dishonour that they can be blackmailed with, or embroiling a samurai in a scandal that will ruin their future. When necessary, they even assassinate samurai that they believe to be a threat to the Emerald Empire or to the Scorpion Clan's duty, slaying them when they least expect it.

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Ultimately, there are two possible answers to this question:
>Our Deathdealer remains true to the ways of the Scorpion Clan. She understands that in order to keep samurai in line, their true nature must be discovered and used against them. Her traditional approach bolsters her reputation within the Great Clan.
>Our Deathdealer disagrees with the ways of the Scorpion Clan. Whatever her disagreement is, her unorthodox approach has allowed her to learn skills that samurai of her school are not known for. She's still useful to her Great Clan, despite her opposition.
I'd like you to elaborate on the option that you choose and how you believe our samurai came to either agree or disagree with her clan's philosophy. Especially if you think she should disagree, in what way does she disagree?

>>3949311
>Our Deathdealer disagrees
She finds the balance kept by her clan to be unnatural and believes it must be broken. Preferably the change brought about by this would grant her a position on top.
Tried to do something with her being spiritual and wanting to climb the social ladder. Sorry if it's shit.

GOD DAMN IT OUR PC IS A FUCKING CHICK VGNFCGVBFVHB

>>3949311
>agrees
>>3949395
Imagine being this mad kek

>Our Deathdealer disagrees with the ways of the Scorpion Clan. Whatever her disagreement is, her unorthodox approach has allowed her to learn skills that samurai of her school are not known for. She's still useful to her Great Clan, despite her opposition.

>>3949311
>>Our Deathdealer remains true to the ways of the Scorpion Clan. She understands that in order to keep samurai in line, their true nature must be discovered and used against them. Her traditional approach bolsters her reputation within the Great Clan.

>>3949385
No, that works. It's a little egocentric but there is nothing wrong with a character who believes that her dharma, her soul duty and reason for being, outweighs her giri, her duty to her clan. Usually most samurai believe their dharma and giri to be one and the same, but she might believe that she is more enlightened than the rest of her clan.

Another reason for disagreeing with the Scorpion Clan philosophy is that it is being abused by other samurai, who use temptation, blackmail and assassination for their own personal gain rather than to protect the Emerald Empire. She could believe that her purpose is to weed out this corruption.

Anyway, I'll await a fifth post to place the deciding vote, as we're currently split.

>>3949311
>>Our Deathdealer disagrees with the ways of the Scorpion Clan. Whatever her disagreement is, her unorthodox approach has allowed her to learn skills that samurai of her school are not known for. She's still useful to her Great Clan, despite her opposition.

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You have chosen for our Bayushi to be an unorthodox samurai of the Scorpion Clan. She disagrees with its principles and behaves in a manner considered eccentric by others of her clan. This is likely to get her in trouble further down the road.

Thanks to her antics, she has acquired certain skills that represent her divergence from her clan's philosophy and the training that her school has imparted on her. According to the suggestion of >>3949385, perhaps this samurai's unorthodox ways come from this spiritual and introspective side of her. You might want to take inspiration from that when you make your choice, or you might want to come up with another reason for diveregence.

In any case, our samurai gets to gain a rank in a skill that she has gained no ranks in so far. Choose one skill from the following selection, and feel free to add how this skill represents her divergence from the Scorpion Clan in your post.

>Aesthetics - The skill used for creating non-utilitarian visual art. Painting, bonsai, origami, etc.
>Composition - The skill used for creating literature. Poetry, stories and letters fall under this.
>Smithing - The skill used for creating arms and armor, either for ceremonial or battlefield use.
>Command - The skill used for commanding on a battlefield and bossing around people with less Status.
>Games - The skill used playing games of skill with other samurai, such as go or shōgi.
>Performance - The skill used for impersonation and for performances such as plays or dancing.
>Culture - The skill used for knowledge about the culture, history and people of Rokugan.
>Government - The skill used for knowledge about the laws and bureaucracy of Rokugan.
>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Theology - The skill used for knowledge about the spiritual aspects and religions of Rokugan.
>Martial Arts (Ranged) – The skill used for attacking with a ranged weapon.
>Martial Arts (Unarmed) - The skill used for attacking without any weapons at all.
>Meditation - The skill used for determining initiative in duels and mastering your emotions.
>Tactics - The skill used for determining your initiative in standard combat and for larger battles.
>Commerce - The skill used for dishonorable things like mercantilism, trading and currency.
>Labor - The skill used for dishonorable things like farming, construction and manual labor.
>Seafaring - The skill used for navigating and surviving on the seas and rivers of Rokugan.
>Survival - The skill used for surviving in the wilderness, away from the civilization of Rokugan.

Pictured, a typical castle of the Scorpion Clan.

>>3949737
>>Command - The skill used for commanding on a battlefield and bossing around people with less Status.

>>3949737
>>Meditation - The skill used for determining initiative in duels and mastering your emotions.

It is through her meditations that she has come to the understanding, mistaken or otherwise, that the balance of the clan is wrong. She was taught to master her emotions, but just as frequently it is the opposite that happens when she reflects upon them.

>>3949737
>Government - The skill used for knowledge about the laws and bureaucracy of Rokugan.
Lawyers powers activate!

Like before, I'll narrow down the selection to the options that have already been suggested. I'll also provide a little flavour, to help connect the chosen skill to her reasons for unorthodoxy.

>Command. Our samurai doesn't agree with the Scorpion Clan's focus on duty and loyalty, and believes that the Scorpion Clan should instead focus on its own supremacy, and devote itself to becoming the greatest of the Great Clans, second only to the Emperor.
>Meditation. Our samurai doesn't agree with the Scorpion Clan's methods of maintaining balance between the Great Clans. She believes that balance should be obtained through mediation between the Great Clans, not subterfuge.
>Government. Our samurai doesn't agree with the Scorpion Clan's habit of breaking Imperial law in order to achieve its goals. She sees nothing wrong with exposing the wrong-doing of others, but she believes that the Scorpion Clan should be above disgracing itself.

Future voters can pick one of those three. I'll be around in nine hours or so to tally the votes.

>>3949963
>Meditation

>>3949963
Command

>>Meditation - The skill used for determining initiative in duels and mastering your emotions.

>>3949963
>Command. Our samurai doesn't agree with the Scorpion Clan's focus on duty and loyalty, and believes that the Scorpion Clan should instead focus on its own supremacy, and devote itself to becoming the greatest of the Great Clans, second only to the Emperor

It's an even split between Command and Meditation so far. I am not going to break this tie myself, since these represent two massively divergent paths that we could take the character down.

Going with the motivation I have given for the Command route will make our character dishonorable even in the eyes of the Scorpion Clan, as she will value ambition over duty, the one tenet of Bushidō that her clan holds dear.
On the other hand, going with the motivation I have given for the Meditation route will make our character much more likely to lead an honorable life, an exceptional (and quietly mocked) thing in the Scorpion Clan.

These are two different attitudes rarely found in the Scorpion Clan, and they're opposing extremes. Not only that, but this is probably the defining moment in character creation that will determine a lot of our future choices for this character. For this reason, I'll leave the vote open for a while longer for others to get their opinion in.

>>Meditation - The skill used for determining initiative in duels and mastering your emotions.

>>3949963
>>Command.
you thought that the tie had been broken but no

>>3950687
but from what i have been able to understand of the personality of our character this seems the most connected with the previous votes

>>3950689
shit i meant to say that command seemed to be the more in line with what we already know about our character

>>3950659
Command is a gay choice

Oh for Christ's sake.

Time for the tie to broken once and for all. The next unique ID that has not voted on this issue so far gets the deciding vote, on whether we go down the Command route or the Meditation route.

>>3950689
>>3950691
You are not wrong, the ninjō that we established in Question Six seems to work a little better with the Command route but at the same time, the Meditation route has more synergy with our answer to Question Four. Not only that, but you can still justify her ninjō even if we go with the Meditation route. She could feel that it is her dharma to lead and she will always struggle to balance her sworn duty to her lord, and her soul duty, what she feels is her purpose in this life.
>>3950713
My opinion on the matter is that the Command route offers a more clear and well-made path for the character, while the Meditation route offers a deeper and more complicated experience. If we choose the Meditation route and the character is handled properly, our samurai could be a very compelling character indeed. If the character is handled poorly however, she'll come across as schizophrenic. The Command route is simple enough that it might not ever be as good as the Meditation route done well, but it will certainly be much better than the Meditation route done poorly.

>Command

Honor is for weaklings

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You have chosen for our samurai to diverge from the Scorpion Clan philosophy. In particular, she disagrees with her clan's fixation on duty. There is nothing wrong with doing one's duty, as all samurai live to serve the Emperor, but she believes that there's a difference between doing what is best for the Emerald Empire and blind, self-sacrificing obedience. And in her eyes, what is best for Rokugan would be the ascendancy of the Scorpion Clan as the greatest of the Great Clans, second only to the Hantei dynasty.

While the Bayushi Deathdealers teach their students how to demand obedience, our samurai did not need any training. She naturally behaves in an authoritative and controlling manner, seeking to assert her dominance over anyone that she considers inferior. Some samurai of the Scorpion Clan find our Bayushi's antics to be amusing and believe that she will inevitably sabotage and humiliate herself in some hare-brained scheme. However, others are a bit more worried and suspect that her unrestrained ambition might lead to treason against the Emperor himself.

But it's time for the eighth question: What does your character think of Bushidō?

All samurai of the Emerald Empire are expected to follow the code of Bushidō and lead honourable lives, as paragons of virtue. However, the Scorpion Clan takes exception to this. They sacrifice their honour for the purpose of performing their duty to the Emperor, resorting to whatever disgraceful method is necessary to maintain the balance of power in Rokugan. Of course, they must be careful about this. In public, they cultivate the image of scandalous deviants, but their truly heinous acts are never spoken of. They would ruin the Scorpion Clan if they were ever made public.

We have already established that our samurai takes umbrage against her clan's fixation with duty, and I consider it quite likely that she is as unorthodox as the rest of her clan. However, I'm putting everything up to vote so I'll let you guys decide this as well.

So, choose one of the following two options:
>Our samurai deviates from the Scorpion Clan by adhering to orthodox Bushidō. She behaves in the honourable fashion expected of a samurai, and is likely scorned by the rest of her clan for not sacrificing her honour in the Emperor's name.
>Our samurai follows the Scorpion Clan standard of diverging from Bushidō. Hell, perhaps she doesn't even believe in it at all. She engages in behaviour that isn't befitting of a samurai, though she doesn't do it in the name of duty like the rest of her clan.

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And although this isn't a part of the eighth question, I figure that the following questions could help add some more flavour to our character.

Which particular tenet of Bushidō do you think our samurai values the most, even if she is not particularly honourable?
>She favours Compassion. Through kindness and caring for those beneath them, the samurai ensure the unity of the Empire.
>She favours Courage. There is no shame in samurai putting their lives at risk for the sake of something more important than themselves.
>She favours Courtesy. Samurai are above pettiness and vulgar behaviour. By behaving in a respectful way, they are worthy of respect.
>She favours Duty and Loyalty. Samurai live to serve and without a master to devote themselves to, they are without purpose or meaning.
>She favours Honour. A true samurai knows what is right from what is wrong, and can always be trusted to act in a noble fashion.
>She favours Righteousness. Whenever a samurai encounters disgrace, their own course of action is to reveal it and put an end to it.
>She favours Sincerity. Should a samurai speak with honesty and conviction, even the ugliest truths can become tolerable.

What particular tenet of Bushidō do you think our samurai values the least, even if she strictly adheres to every tenet?
>She shuns Compassion. Obedience is its own reward, and anything less deserves punishment. Samurai should not coddle their servants.
>She shuns Courage. The life of a samurai has great value and is not something that should be thrown away in a fit of martyrdom.
>She shuns Courtesy. Samurai should not have to mince words and behave meekly to be worthy of respect and recognition.
>She shuns Duty and Loyalty. All too often, obedience can mean blindness. Samurai should decide for themselves how they serve Rokugan.
>She shuns Honour. In the end, samurai are human. They can be led astray by their own desires and cannot be trusted to act honourably.
>She shuns Righteousness. At times, a little bit of dishonour is necessary in order for Rokugan to function. Samurai must recognise this.
>She shuns Sincerity. Sometimes, a samurai should not speak the truth. It is better to lie than be responsible for calamity.

>>3951030
>>She favours Courage. There is no shame in samurai putting their lives at risk for the sake of something more important than themselves.
>She shuns Sincerity. Sometimes, a samurai should not speak the truth. It is better to lie than be responsible for calamity.

>>3951070
Any answer for the question in >>3951024?

>>3951030
you better make it so that this ends in a quest or else we would have argued for no reason

>>3951024
i forgot

>Our samurai follows the Scorpion Clan standard of diverging from Bushidō. Hell, perhaps she doesn't even believe in it at all. She engages in behaviour that isn't befitting of a samurai, though she doesn't do it in the name of duty like the rest of her clan.

>>3951024
>>Our samurai follows the Scorpion Clan standard of diverging from Bushidō. Hell, perhaps she doesn't even believe in it at all. She engages in behaviour that isn't befitting of a samurai, though she doesn't do it in the name of duty like the rest of her clan.
>She favours Courage. There is no shame in samurai putting their lives at risk for the sake of something more important than themselves.
>She shuns Sincerity. Sometimes, a samurai should not speak the truth. It is better to lie than be responsible for calamity.

>>3951024
Our samurai follows the Scorpion Clan standard of diverging from Bushidō. Hell, perhaps she doesn't even believe in it at all. She engages in behaviour that isn't befitting of a samurai, though she doesn't do it in the name of duty like the rest of her clan.

>She favours Courage. There is no shame in samurai putting their lives at risk for the sake of something more important than themselves.

She shuns Righteousness. At times, a little bit of dishonour is necessary in order for Rokugan to function. Samurai must recognise this.

>>3951024
>Our samurai follows the Scorpion Clan standard of diverging from Bushidō. Hell, perhaps she doesn't even believe in it at all. She engages in behaviour that isn't befitting of a samurai, though she doesn't do it in the name of duty like the rest of her clan.

>She favours Honour. A true samurai knows what is right from what is wrong, and can always be trusted to act in a noble fashion.

>She shuns Duty and Loyalty. All too often, obedience can mean blindness. Samurai should decide for themselves how they serve Rokugan.

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You have chosen for our Bayushi to not follow traditional Bushidō, as is typical for a samurai of the Scorpion Clan. However, to openly admit to not following Bushidō is a good way for a samurai to lose their status and be cast out, as they cannot even be trusted to commit seppuku. Such fools are destined to live out the rest of their days as rōnin, masterless samurai without a home to call their own.

For this reason, our samurai emulates adherence to Bushidō for the sake of appearances, like all good Scorpion do. In particular, she admires the tenet of Yū, the virtue of courage that encourages samurai to accept the inevitability of their demise and act without fear of it. Even if she does not follow it as rigidly as she should, she cannot help but admire those warriors who are willing to surrender their lives if it means achieving their goals. There is strength in that.

However, she cannot bring herself to respect the virtue of Makoto. There is power in deception, and our Deathdealer cannot understand how other samurai fail to see this. What is the point in exposing ugly truths that will do nothing but harm the reputation of the one who tells them? Secrets are to be wielded like weapons, not cast out into the open for the sake of honesty.

As a result of living without much regard for Bushidō, our samurai has gained proficiency in a skill that is considered to be unusual, degrading or perhaps even dishonourable. She gains a rank in one of the following skills, of your choice:
>Commerce - The skill used for dishonourable things like mercantilism, trading and currency.
>Labour - The skill used for dishonourable things like farming, construction and manual labor.
>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Seafaring - The skill used for navigating and surviving on the seas and rivers of Rokugan.
>Skulduggery – The skill used for dishonourable things like stealth, pick-pocketing and picking locks.
>Survival - The skill used for surviving in the wilderness, away from the civilization of Rokugan.

Just as importantly, we are about to enter the questions in which we choose our character's Advantages and Disadvantages. There's lots of them to choose from, dozens for each question. Would you like for me to list them all, or would you like for me to only list options that I believe are fitting for the samurai that we've built so far?
>Give us every option so that we can tailor-build this samurai exactly the way we want.
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
>>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
>>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
>>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Give us every option so that we can tailor-build this samurai exactly the way we want.

>>3951711
On second thought switching to
>Give us every option so that we can tailor-build this samurai exactly the way we want.
Can't help but feel we could miss out on some interesting choices. Though, I'd still like to know which ones you think fit best.

>>3951698
>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
Skulduggery
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
>>Medicine - The skill used for knowledge about the physical body and how to tend to its ailments.
>Only give us your suggested options, for the sake of stream-lining the process.

>>3951698
>Skulduggery
We were just talking about how honesty is gay, so it'd be confusing for me if we didn't choose this kek
>suggested options

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You have chosen Medicine as the skill that our samurai has acquired through dishonourable means. Of course, treating the sickly and the wounded is not seen as dishonourable, and there are even samurai who serve their lords as healers. However, there are less noble uses for medicine. A knowledge of herbs and chemicals can be used for the creation and administration of drugs and poisons, and this is likely the area that our Bayushi specializes in.

With that, I will move on to the next batch of questions. Each samurai starts off with four Advantages and Disadvantages; a Distinction, a Passion, an Adversity and an Anxiety. These questions will allow us to determine each Advantage and Disadvantage and allow us to decide how our samurai acquired these traits, how these traits impact her life and so on.

The ninth question is this: What is your character's greatest accomplishment so far?

I'm going to work backwards for this question. I shall list various Distinctions that could work for our samurai, and once we have selected a Distinction, we can discuss how it factored into this accomplishment of hers. Keep in mind that she's only a student right now, so her greatest accomplishment likely won't be a significant feat.

Here's a list of potential Distinctions that I believe would suit our Bayushi. Please choose one:
>Ambidexterity (Air). Our samurai can use either hand for any task, a talent that she can put to good use when performing feats that require a great deal of manual dexterity.
>Blessed Lineage (Void). Our samurai has an ancestor of significant importance, a fact that she can exploit to gain diplomatic immunity or political favours.
>Dangerous Allure (Fire). Our samurai always make an impression on whoever she meets, and excels at inciting irrational behaviour and emotions in others.
>Famously Lucky (Void). Our samurai has a reputation for things always turning out well for her, which she can exploit to convince others to put their faith in her.
>Famously Successful (Fire). Our samurai has a reputation for being competent, which she can leverage to convince others that she will accomplish any objective she has in mind.
>Jurojin's Blessing (Void). Our samurai has a knack for enduring both physical and spiritual afflictions with great ease, and an almost supernatural penchant for survival.
>Keen Hearing (Air). Our samurai has excellent hearing, that she can use to listen out for creeping intruders or to eavesdrop on faraway conversations.
>Quick Reflexes (Fire). Our samurai acts with a swiftness that few can match, enabling her to leap into action at a moment's notice, before anyone has time to react.
>Small Stature (Air). Our samurai is much shorter than most people her age, a fact that she has learned to exploit for the purposes of stealth, infiltration and evasion.
>Subtle Observer (Air). Our samurai has a strong understanding of subtle cues, and can derive a lot of information from the most insignificant details or body language.

>Famously Lucky (Void). Our samurai has a reputation for things always turning out well for her, which she can exploit to convince others to put their faith in her.

>>3951897
>Subtle Observer (Air). Our samurai has a strong understanding of subtle cues, and can derive a lot of information from the most insignificant details or body language

>>3951897
>>Jurojin's Blessing (Void). Our samurai has a knack for enduring both physical and spiritual afflictions with great ease, and an almost supernatural penchant for survival.

>>3951897
Ambidexterity
Beening abke to fight with both hands is such an amazing thing and woukd help with under handed fighting, who knows which hand will the blow come from.

>>3951897
>>Jurojin's Blessing (Void). Our samurai has a knack for enduring both physical and spiritual afflictions with great ease, and an almost supernatural penchant for survival.

>>3951897
>Quick Reflexes (Fire). Our samurai acts with a swiftness that few can match, enabling her to leap into action at a moment's notice, before anyone has time to react.

>>3951897

>Small Stature (Air). Our samurai is much shorter than most people her age, a fact that she has learned to exploit for the purposes of stealth, infiltration and evasion.

Tiny halfling samurai here i come!

>>3951897
>Jurojin's Blessing (Void)

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You have chosen for our samurai to possess Jurōjin's Blessing. Jurōjin is one of the Seven Lucky Gods, the greatest of the Fortunes worshipped in Rokugan. In particular, he is the Fortune of Longevity. Those favoured by Jurōjin find themselves resistant or perhaps even immune to ailments that cut the lives of others short. This blessing is responsible for a particular event in our samurai's life, a great accomplishment that she would not have been able to accomplish without Jurōjin's favour.

How has our samurai demonstrated Jurōjin's Blessing in the past?
>While our samurai was young, disease broken out near her home. Heimin and samurai alike were covered in a rash of fluid-filled blisters. Many died, perhaps even some of our samurai's family. However, the disease never touched her.
>One year, a poor harvest was followed by a long and bitter winter. Food became scarce and other students at the dōjō succumbed to starvation. Our samurai endured, fasting and continuing her training without allowing hunger to impair her.
>After earning the ire of another student, our samurai was poisoned. Though she suffered greatly from the poison, the Bayushi made an impressive and unexpected recovery, after which she was able to identify her poisoner. They were severely punished.
>Write in. If you can come up with another story that expresses our samurai's fortitude and resistance to poison, disease and other ailments, feel free to post it.

Additionally, how does our samurai respond to the Fortune's favour?
>She regularly offers prayers to Jurōjin, as thanks for his blessing. She even holds the Fortune of Longevity above all of the other deities of Rokugan, perhaps even Lady Sun and Lord Moon.
>She lives her life in a relatively humble manner. She abstains from many forms of indulgence and lives in an almost ascetic manner, a way of life that Jurōjin is said to approve of.
>She doesn't connect her impressive fortitude to Jurōjin, and does nothing to keep his favour. She lives her life as she sees fit, not knowing that she is blessed by one of the Seven Lucky Gods.
>Write in. How else do you think our character might respond to being blessed by the Fortune of Longevity? If you've got another idea, feel free to suggest it.

>>3953486
>While our samurai was young, disease broken out near her home. Heimin and samurai alike were covered in a rash of fluid-filled blisters. Many died, perhaps even some of our samurai's family. However, the disease never touched her.
>She regularly offers prayers to Jurōjin, as thanks for his blessing. She even holds the Fortune of Longevity above all of the other deities of Rokugan, perhaps even Lady Sun and Lord Moon.

>>3953486
>>After earning the ire of another student, our samurai was poisoned. Though she suffered greatly from the poison, the Bayushi made an impressive and unexpected recovery, after which she was able to identify her poisoner. They were severely punished.
>She regularly offers prayers to Jurōjin, as thanks for his blessing. She even holds the Fortune of Longevity above all of the other deities of Rokugan, perhaps even Lady Sun and Lord Moon.

>>3953486
>While our samurai was young, disease broken out near her home. Heimin and samurai alike were covered in a rash of fluid-filled blisters. Many died, perhaps even some of our samurai's family. However, the disease never touched her.

>She views her fortitude as a testament to her destiny to lead.

>>3953486
>>After earning the ire of another student, our samurai was poisoned. Though she suffered greatly from the poison, the Bayushi made an impressive and unexpected recovery, after which she was able to identify her poisoner. They were severely punished.

going to back >>3953588 on the second choice, fitting write in

>>She views her fortitude as a testament to her destiny to lead.

>>3953486
>After earning the ire of another student, our samurai was poisoned. Though she suffered greatly from the poison, the Bayushi made an impressive and unexpected recovery, after which she was able to identify her poisoner. They were severely punished.
Kinda ties in with how she knows about posions herself now.
>She doesn't connect her impressive fortitude to Jurōjin, and does nothing to keep his favour. She lives her life as she sees fit, not knowing that she is blessed by one of the Seven Lucky Gods.

>>3953486
>One year, a poor harvest was followed by a long and bitter winter. Food became scarce and other students at the dōjō succumbed to starvation. Our samurai endured, fasting and continuing her training without allowing hunger to impair her.

>She lives her life in a relatively humble manner. She abstains from many forms of indulgence and lives in an almost ascetic manner, a way of life that Jurōjin is said to approve of.

>>3953486
i was >>3953499
i wish to change the second part of my vote to >She views her fortitude as a testament to her destiny to lead.

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You have chosen for Jurōjin's Blessing to manifest when our samurai was poisoned by another student at the dōjō. Perhaps it was out of jealousy, or out of disgust for our samurai's ambition, it matters not. What is important is that Jurōjin's favour kept our samurai from dying to this poison. After a remarkable and unexpected recovery, the young Bayushi deduced the identity of her poisoner and promptly pointed the finger at them. The culprit was promptly expelled from the dōjō and our samurai never saw them again.

As for how our samurai views her blessing, she sees her actions as being sanctioned by the Fortunes themselves. If they did not wish for her to fulfil her destiny, they would not have preserved her life. She pursues her ambitions, believing that Jurōjin himself supports her endeavour. However, the thought of thanking him for his blessing always seems to slip from her mind.

The tenth question is this: What holds your character back the most in life?

Here's a list of potential Adversities that challenge our samurai and make her dreams of higher status so much harder to reach. Please choose one:

>Bishamon's Curse (Water). Our samurai is cursed with feebleness, that makes her quickly become exhausted after putting any significant effort into a task.
>Disdain for Duty and Loyalty (Earth). Our samurai's distaste for Chūgi impacts her ability to uphold it, making it difficult for her to come across as loyal.
>Disdain for Sincerity (Void). Our samurai's distaste for Makoto impacts her ability to uphold it, making it difficult for her to come across as sincere and genuine.
>Ebisu's Curse (Earth). Our samurai is damned when it comes to honest labour. People of lower castes abhor her and her efforts to perform menial tasks always fail.
>Haunting (Void). Our samurai is haunted by a spirit with a peculiar agenda, that has a habit of making her life miserable if she refuses to heeds its wishes.
>Incurable Illness (Earth). Our samurai was born with or has acquired a debilitating affliction that makes her fragile and prone to suffering violent fits.
>Sworn Enemy (Earth). Our samurai has an enemy that she may or may not be aware of, who will stop at nothing to either end her life or make it a living hell.
>Whispers of Cruelty (Earth). Our samurai has a reputation for acting in an inhumane fashion, which leads to others distrusting her and fearing her wrath.

>>3953815
>Sworn Enemy (Earth). Our samurai has an enemy that she may or may not be aware of, who will stop at nothing to either end her life or make it a living hell
Could be the one that tried to poison her still holding a grudge.

>>3953815
>>Disdain for Sincerity (Void). Our samurai's distaste for Makoto impacts her ability to uphold it, making it difficult for her to come across as sincere and genuine.

>>3953815
>>Sworn Enemy (Earth). Our samurai has an enemy that she may or may not be aware of, who will stop at nothing to either end her life or make it a living hell.
The guy OR GIRL we got kicked out of the dojo, it's a classic

>>3953815
>Sworn Enemy (Earth). Our samurai has an enemy that she may or may not be aware of, who will stop at nothing to either end her life or make it a living hell.

Got to go with this after the last one.

>>3953815
Sworn Enemy

>>3953815
>>Sworn Enemy (Earth). Our samurai has an enemy that she may or may not be aware of, who will stop at nothing to either end her life or make it a living hell.

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You have chosen for our samurai to have a sworn enemy and it seems like I don't even need to poll you guys for who that enemy should be. It seems that the fellow student responsible for poisoning our Bayushi is still alive and out there, with the intention of ruining her life whenever he or she runs into her. Of course, the feeling is likely to be mutual, considering that our girl is unlikely to appreciate her poisoner's presence whenever she encounters him or her. She will have a distinct disadvantage when trying to reason with him or her, and any attempt to defuse their encounters is almost guaranteed to fail.

On to the eleventh question: What activity most makes your character feel at peace?

This is actually rather important for our Bayushi, considering how emotionally fragile she is. This will determine how she recovers from moments of strife and avoid surrendering to her emotions. Choose one of the following:

>Curiosity (Fire). Our samurai is driven by new experiences, from tasting novel dishes, to wearing unusual clothes, to trying out peculiar activities.
>Daredevil (Fire). Our samurai loves taking risks. Nothing compares to the thrill that she gets from putting everything on the line, or even risking her life.
>Fashion (Fire). Our samurai derives a great deal of joy from fine clothes and accessories, whether she's wearing them, talking about them or creating them.
>Gossip (Air). Our samurai loves a little gossip, no matter whether she's the one spreading rumours, or whether she's hearing them from other gossipers.
>Playfulness (Air). Our samurai enjoys gentle jests. She has a habit of teasing others and making light of them, even if she can be a little untoward.
>Provocation (Fire). Our samurai loves to be antagonistic and can frequently be found provoking others, with the goal of making them lose their tempers.
>Secrets (Void). Our samurai delights in secrecy. Whether it's keeping a secret or learning them, she loves the game of seeking and denying hidden knowledge.
>Tea (Void). Our samurai adores tea and knows all about it, from the different leaves to the various techniques used to make it, there's nothing that she loves more.
>Wordplay (Air). Our samurai finds pleasure in subtlety. Her joy comes from carefully constructing poems, letters and speeches, all of which have multiple meanings.

Also, select the gender of our samurai's sworn enemy:
>Male.
>Female.

>>3953933
Curiosity (Fire
Male is from an ols school family and thinks no female should be able to become samurai.

>>3953933
>Playfulness (Air). Our samurai enjoys gentle jests. She has a habit of teasing others and making light of them, even if she can be a little untoward.

>Female

>>3953933
>Wordplay
>Female

>>3953933
>>Wordplay (Air). Our samurai finds pleasure in subtlety. Her joy comes from carefully constructing poems, letters and speeches, all of which have multiple meanings.
Can this include puns? I'd love to have a ninja who starts punning when she gets flustered

>>3954038
Veiled insults, metaphors, anything that makes feel her witty and makes other samurai think that she's witty. So yes, puns might work though she'd need to be careful about when to deploy them. Samurai have a habit of being serious business, all the time.

>>3954038
Il change my vote for the puns.

>>3954052
>>3954053
Looks like it's time to pun up or shut up

>>3953933
>Wordplay
Even the arts bend to her will!
>Female

The twin that shares her ambition, but neither were willing to subservient to the other and saw standing as equals an impossibe!

>Curiosity (Fire). Our samurai is driven by new experiences, from tasting novel dishes, to wearing unusual clothes, to trying out peculiar activities.

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You have chosen for our samurai to delight in wordplay. It's a way of not only testing her wit, but that of the people around her. She knows she is in the company of a dullard if the only reaction to a delightful quip is a bemused stare, and that she is speaking with a fellow intellectual if they can offer her a clever retort. Her favourite conversations are full of double meaning and innuendo, a verbal sparring match to prove that no tongue is sharper than hers.

On to the twelfth question: What concern, fear or foible troubles you the most?

This is even more important than the previous question. As I have stated before, our samurai is rather delicate when it comes to stress and whenever she encounters her anxiety, that will be enough to bring her close to her breaking point, if not straight over it. Choose one of the following, but be careful about it:

>Addiction (Earth). Our samurai is addicted to a particular substance, and becomes rather stressed when she goes without it or must resist its temptation.
>Delusions of Grandeur (Void). Our samurai believes that she is destined for greatness, and she has a habit of becoming frustrated whenever she must humble herself.
>Impatience (Earth). Our samurai lacks patience and nothing gets on her nerves more than having to wait or weigh her options, instead of acting immediately.
>Intolerance (Water). Our samurai despises a particular group of people with a passion and hates having to interact with that group in a positive way.
>Jealousy (Air). Our samurai harbours a great deal of envy for a particular person and she becomes anxious whenever she must maintain her decorum around them.
>Paranoia (Water). Our samurai believes that enemies seek to undo her at every turn, and gets distressed whenever she believes that she might be in any danger.
>Perfectionism (Water). Our samurai is infuriated by anything that's imperfect. Nothing distresses her like having to work with something that she considers unfinished.

>>3954216
>Delusions of Grandeur (Void). Our samurai believes that she is destined for greatness, and she has a habit of becoming frustrated whenever she must humble herself.

Considering the chosen ninjō this would be an appropriate anxiety.

>>3954216
>Delusions of Grandeur
I'd rate this samurai Azula/10

>Perfectionism (Water). Our samurai is infuriated by anything that's imperfect. Nothing distresses her like having to work with something that she considers unfinished.

>>3954216
Impatience

>>3954216
>>Delusions of Grandeur (Void). Our samurai believes that she is destined for greatness, and she has a habit of becoming frustrated whenever she must humble herself.

>>3954216
>Delusions of Grandeur (Void)
Would've been very memeable if we chose tea for our like and addiction.

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You have chosen for our samurai to have delusions of grandeur. She quickly becomes riled when she has to perform menial tasks or live in a humble, ascetic fashion, sometimes to the point of losing her temper. She has been disciplined more than once for throwing tantrums and refusing to sweep the dōjō, or perform any other menial labour that her sensei demands. Any effort to instil a sense of humility and obedience into her has failed.

At times, this anxiety of hers might even clash with Jurōjin's Blessing, for the Fortune of Longevity favours simple living. Though this deity has blessed her to thrive in situations in which humility and frugality are valuable, our samurai shuns these traits. Only time shall tell what sort of fate Jurōjin has in mind for this woman who has his blessing, but does not follow his way.

Time for the thirteenth question, which is a little more in-depth: Who has your character learned from the most during their life?

This doesn't just have to be a mentor, it could be anyone that our samurai has had to deal with that she has learned important life lessons from, that have shaped her perspective and turned her into who she is today. Friends, family, teachers, rivals, servants, lords, anything work. It can even be someone that she hasn't met, or someone that is long dead, figures that she might look up to or despise with a passion.

Not only that, but they don't need to have shaped her in a positive way. A vicious rivalry might have taught her to be fiercely competitive, or the death of a family figure could have made her terribly afraid of dying, or something else. All that matters is that this person will have shaped her life more than any other, and perhaps not even through direct influence.

First we'll need to decide on who this character is, before we can elaborate on how our samurai learned from them. Please choose one of the following:
>One of her parents, please choose whether you want it to be her father or her mother.
>A sibling of hers, please state whether you want this to be a brother or a sister.
>Her sensei, the person responsible for training her in the ways of the Deathdealer.
>A fellow student, a future Deathdealer that she has been training beside for years.
>Her sworn enemy, who clashed with her and was responsible for poisoning her.
>A servant, someone who has quietly supported her throughout her training.
>Her lord, the samurai that she is destined to serve once her training is complete.
>An ancestor, a legacy that weighs down on her and has strongly influenced her.
>A supernatural encounter with an entity that intruded on her life at some point.
>Write in. If you can come up with something else that I haven't covered, say so.

>>3954663
>Her sworn enemy, who clashed with her and was responsible for poisoning her.
I like the idea of what could have possibly been called a friendship turning sour. Maybe this causes her to have trust issues? Maybe not in the paranoid "everyone around me is out to get me" kind of way, but more the "the only person I can rely on is myself" way and causes her to further mentally seperate herself from others?

>>3954663
>>A supernatural encounter with an entity that intruded on her life at some point.

>>3954663
>A supernatural encounter with an entity that intruded on her life at some point.
Could be the clans Paton

>>3954663
>Her sensei, the person responsible for training her in the ways of the Deathdealer.

>A supernatural encounter with an entity that intruded on her life at some point.

>>3954663
>A supernatural encounter with an entity that intruded on her life at some point
I'm hoping QM has ideas for this because I sure don't.

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You have chosen for the most influential figure in our samurai's life to be something supernatural. While this is certainly rare, it is not unknown. As a child, the young Hantei XXIII fled from the courts to spend the night in the woods. He was later found in a small forest, unharmed and eager to share a tale about a silver fox who kept him company, fed him berries and sang beautiful songs to him. No one believed him but when he came of age and succeeded his father, his first act was to declare this forest sacrosanct.

The truth is that this forest contained an active gateway to Chikushō-dō, the Animals' Path, the realm where the souls of men go to reincarnate as beasts, governed by fey and powerful animal spirits. There are many realms like this in the cosmology of Rokugan, but not all of them are as benign as Chikushō-dō.

Here's a few examples of supernatural encounters that could have defined our samurai's life. Choose one:
>While our samurai was young, her family was assailed by a gaki, a hungry ghost. This spirit was responsible for the death of at least one of her family and the encounter has scarred the Bayushi, leaving her with a healthy fear of the hungry dead.
>Our samurai gained the attention of a sorei, an ancestor spirit. Seeing the potential in her, this ancestor imparted a few words of wisdom before it returned to the realm of Yomi. The Bayushi has taken this advice to heart, and lives according to it.
>Again, our samurai was visited by a sorei, an ancestor spirit. However, this particular ancestor of hers did not view the Bayushi kindly. It haunted her and sought to remake her in its image, until she found a way to rid herself of it.
>Our samurai briefly earned the ire of a trickster spirit of Sakkaku, the Realm of Mischief. Her life was fraught with distress as it harassed her at every turn, but eventually she found a way to appease it or rid it from her life.
>In Rokugan, everyone's spirit goes to the realm of Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams, when they sleep. Our samurai had particularly vivid dreams when she was younger, and attracted a yōkai who played a great part in shaping her young mind.
>Write in. If you've got any particular ideas about how our samurai could be influenced by the supernatural, or if you want to inquire about other more esoteric options, feel free to use this option.

>>3956264
>Our samurai gained the attention of a sorei, an ancestor spirit. Seeing the potential in her, this ancestor imparted a few words of wisdom before it returned to the realm of Yomi. The Bayushi has taken this advice to heart, and lives according to it.

>>3956264
>>In Rokugan, everyone's spirit goes to the realm of Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams, when they sleep. Our samurai had particularly vivid dreams when she was younger, and attracted a yōkai who played a great part in shaping her young mind.

>>3956264
>Again, our samurai was visited by a sorei, an ancestor spirit. However, this particular ancestor of hers did not view the Bayushi kindly. It haunted her and sought to remake her in its image, until she found a way to rid herself of it.

>>3956264
>In Rokugan, everyone's spirit goes to the realm of Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams, when they sleep. Our samurai had particularly vivid dreams when she was younger, and attracted a yōkai who played a great part in shaping her young mind

>>3956264
>>In Rokugan, everyone's spirit goes to the realm of Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams, when they sleep. Our samurai had particularly vivid dreams when she was younger, and attracted a yōkai who played a great part in shaping her young mind.

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You have chosen for the most influential figure in our samurai's life to be a yōkai of Yume-dō that lingered in her dreams when she was a child. Drawn to her by her delusions of grandeur, this peculiar spirit clung to the Bayushi like a parasite, feeding off of her imagination and growing fat on her fantasies. Whether this relationship was benign or malicious is something that we shall determine shortly. Sometimes she spoke to her parents of this being but they dismissed it as a figment of her childish mind, rather than believe that a spirit from another world might have taken an interest in their child.

There's two directions that we can go in for this question. Either we can have our samurai gain an Advantage to represent what she learned from this figure, or we can have our samurai gain one rank in any skill at the cost of gaining a Disadvantage as well, to represent a negative impact that this figure had on her and what she learned from the experience. I'll suggest a few possible options that might fit this yōkai.

Choose one of the following:
>Sixth Sense (Void). Over time, our samurai came to notice the differences between the dreams that were visited by the yōkai and those that were not. There were always telltale signs of supernatural influence, and she has come to notice them when they occur in reality as well whenever a spirit is present.
>Spiritual Protector (Void). Our samurai is watched over by the yōkai to this very day. Though it can't influence her surroundings, it can make the Bayushi aware of imminent danger. This typically manifests in the form of a familiar whisper, itching at the back of her mind and warning her of what's to come.
>Stories (Earth). Her vivid imagination only grew with the yōkai's aid. As a result, our samurai is infatuated with stories. She loves listening to tales and sharing them with others. On occasion, she even comes up with her own, inspiring (or amusing) other samurai with her romantic mind.
>+1 Composition and Overconfidence in Creativity (Fire). Infatuated with our samurai's mind, the yōkai showered her with praise, causing the Bayushi's ego to inflate. While this praise encouraged her to develop some skill as a writer of poems and prose, she greatly overrates her own talent as an artist.
>+1 Meditation and Haunted (Void). The yōkai wasn't particularly kind to our samurai... And it still isn't. It haunts her sleep to this day, weaving her dreams into nightmares. In an effort to keep the horrid spirit at bay, she has turned to meditation as a method of emptying her mind and enjoying dreamless nights.

>>3957147
>>Spiritual Protector (Void). Our samurai is watched over by the yōkai to this very day. Though it can't influence her surroundings, it can make the Bayushi aware of imminent danger. This typically manifests in the form of a familiar whisper, itching at the back of her mind and warning her of what's to come.

now that i think about it our character is going to be so hard to kill

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Also, the form that the yōkai takes is likely going to be that of a baku, a dream-eating creature with the tusks and trunk of an elephant, the mane and claws of a lion, and the tail of an ox.

The spirits of Yume-dō are weird.

>>3957196
that's fucking badass

>>3957147
>+1 Composition and Overconfidence in Creativity (Fire). Infatuated with our samurai's mind, the yōkai showered her with praise, causing the Bayushi's ego to inflate. While this praise encouraged her to develop some skill as a writer of poems and prose, she greatly overrates her own talent as an artist
Others are just too barbaric to appreciate her work!

>>3957147
Sixth Sense (Void). Over time, our samurai came to notice the differences between the dreams that were visited by the yōkai and those that were not. There were always telltale signs of supernatural influence, and she has come to notice them when they occur in reality as well whenever a spirit is present.

>Sixth Sense (Void). Over time, our samurai came to notice the differences between the dreams that were visited by the yōkai and those that were not. There were always telltale signs of supernatural influence, and she has come to notice them when they occur in reality as well whenever a spirit is present.

>>3957147
I don't remember all the stats and choices we've made. Is she particularly good at perceiving things (like danger)? If she is not above average in that
>Spiritual Protector (Void)
If she is above average in noticing danger
>Sixth Sense (Void)

>>3958196
Water is the ring typically used for perception, and water-plus-air determines a character's vigilance, their passive awareness of their surroundings. Her water ring is at 1 and her vigilance is average, making her a little poor when it comes to perceiving danger. So, I'll take that as a vote for Spiritual Protector.

I'll be back in two hours to see if the tie between Spiritual Protector and Sixth Sense is broken.

>>3957147
I suppose I should try to break the tie.

>Spiritual Protector (Void). Our samurai is watched over by the yōkai to this very day. Though it can't influence her surroundings, it can make the Bayushi aware of imminent danger. This typically manifests in the form of a familiar whisper, itching at the back of her mind and warning her of what's to come.

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You have chosen for our samurai to be protected by this yōkai of Yume-dō. Drawn to the young Bayushi by her fantasies of grandeur, the baku played an important role in her dreams for years. He explored extravagant palaces at her side, kowtowed before her in the fanciful courts that her mind produced, and defended her from all manner of ghoulish gaijin that were spawned by her imagination. Yet even as she grew up and her fantasies became tamer, the baku never abandoned our samurai. After all, she still has great ambitions, and what are they if not dreams of a sort? So he lingers in the back of her mind, supping on her desires and warning the young woman of anyone who would dare harm her.

As for how she feels about him, she has learned not to speak of the baku to anyone after being scolded by her parents for harbouring such foolish thoughts. As she has gotten older, he has appeared in her dreams less frequently, to the point where a direct encounter with him is a rare surprise. She still thinks of him fondly, and still heeds any advice that the yōkai has to offer her, yet she can't help but wonder, why does he protect her and cling to her after all of these years? Is this spirit truly fond of her, or she simply his favoured source of sustenance? Only time will reveal the truth.

On to the fourteenth question: What do people notice first when encountering your character?

We're getting into the parts that flesh out the little, insignificant details of our character. Our samurai is more than her clan, family and school, she has her own quirks. Any mannerisms, traits or accoutrements that she possesses fall under this section.

First of all, let's decide which of these traits we want her to possess. Select as many of the following options as you like. If at least half of you express interest in an option, then I'll use that option.
>Our samurai possesses a peculiar mannerism, a behaviour that makes her stand out amongst other samurai of her clan. It is not necessarily frowned upon, merely something unique that separates her from the rest.
>Our samurai possesses an unusual physical feature, a trait that isn't commonly found amongst the samurai of her clan. It can be something that she was born with, or an alteration that has occurred since her birth.
>Our samurai possesses a notable curio, an ornamental item that makes her stand out, that other samurai of her clan don't usually possess. It can be something of sentimental importance, or it can be an easily replaced accessory.

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Second of all, there's something special about samurai of the Scorpion Clan. They wear masks, every single one of them. This is a tradition that was created by Bayushi himself, after Shinsei taught the Scorpion Kami that nothing is as it seems. They wear these masks to remind themselves (and everyone who beholds them) that all samurai hide who they truly are, and that only the Scorpion Clan is honest about this fact.

These masks can look like almost anything, and some of them are barely masks at all. Our samurai has not yet completed her gempukku, so she is yet to receive her mask... But I would like to hear from you what sort of mask you believe she would have. I will leave the details out of your control, but you can decide on the basic structure of the mask. Choose one of the following:
>Our samurai's mask will cover her entire face, leaving only her eyes visible and completely obscuring her expression from the sight of others. This is a particularly sinister and intimidating choice, typically used by more martial samurai and shugenja.
>Our samurai's mask will cover the upper half of her face, typically concealing the brows, cheekbones, bridge of the nose and temples. This mask puts emphasis on the exposed lips of the samurai, and is common amongst women of the Scorpion Clan.
>Our samurai's mask will cover the lower half of her face, typically concealing the nose, mouth, cheeks and chin. This mask puts emphasis on the exposed eyes of the samurai, and is the most common choice for men of the Scorpion Clan.
>Our samurai's mask will consist of a veil that covers the lower half of her face, though the gauzy fabric of the mask will do little to hide the detail of her face. The Scorpion Clan consists this a viable mask, and this is another common choice for Scorpion Clan women.
>Our samurai's “mask” is barely a mask at all. It might consist of a few decorative pieces of lacquered wood that adhere to her skin, strings of beads draped over her face or even just clothing with a very high collar. A little on the vain side, but a tolerated choice.

>>3958494
>>Our samurai's “mask” is barely a mask at all. It might consist of a few decorative pieces of lacquered wood that adhere to her skin, strings of beads draped over her face or even just clothing with a very high collar. A little on the vain side, but a tolerated choice.

>>3958494
>>Our samurai's mask will cover the upper half of her face, typically concealing the brows, cheekbones, bridge of the nose and temples. This mask puts emphasis on the exposed lips of the samurai, and is common amongst women of the Scorpion Clan.
>Our samurai possesses an unusual physical feature, a trait that isn't commonly found amongst the samurai of her clan. It can be something that she was born with, or an alteration that has occurred since her birth.
>Our samurai possesses a peculiar mannerism, a behaviour that makes her stand out amongst other samurai of her clan. It is not necessarily frowned upon, merely something unique that separates her from the rest.

>>3958494
>Our samurai possesses a peculiar mannerism, a behaviour that makes her stand out amongst other samurai of her clan. It is not necessarily frowned upon, merely something unique that separates her from the rest.

>Our samurai's mask will consist of a veil that covers the lower half of her face, though the gauzy fabric of the mask will do little to hide the detail of her face. The Scorpion Clan consists this a viable mask, and this is another common choice for Scorpion Clan women.

>>3958493
>Our samurai possesses a peculiar mannerism, a behaviour that makes her stand out amongst other samurai of her clan. It is not necessarily frowned upon, merely something unique that separates her from the rest.

>>3958494
>Our samurai's mask will cover the upper half of her face, typically concealing the brows, cheekbones, bridge of the nose and temples. This mask puts emphasis on the exposed lips of the samurai, and is common amongst women of the Scorpion Clan.

>>3958493
>Our samurai possesses a peculiar mannerism, a behaviour that makes her stand out amongst other samurai of her clan. It is not necessarily frowned upon, merely something unique that separates her from the rest
>>3958494
>Our samurai's “mask” is barely a mask at all. It might consist of a few decorative pieces of lacquered wood that adhere to her skin, strings of beads draped over her face or even just clothing with a very high collar. A little on the vain side, but a tolerated choice.

It seems like we are going with a peculiar mannerism as the sole visually defining trait of our character. I'm a little relieved by that actually. However, we seem to be torn between our samurai's mask covering the upper half of her face and our samurai's mask being superficial and barely present.

I'll let the next post break the tie.

>>3958860
>>3958568 here, swapping to
>Our samurai's mask will cover the upper half of her face, typically concealing the brows, cheekbones, bridge of the nose and temples. This mask puts emphasis on the exposed lips of the samurai, and is common amongst women of the Scorpion Clan.

>>3958885
Sexy

>>3958860
Qm this better turn into a quest.

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You have chosen for our samurai's mask to cover the upper half of her face, leaving her nose and her mouth exposed for others to see. Additionally, you have chosen for her to have an unusual mannerism that separates her from other samurai. This behaviour is typical for her and can be observed at most times, regardless the mood or the situation that she can be found in.

I'll list a few suggestions here, but I highly encourage you guys to come up with a mannerism of your own for the samurai through the write in option. Choose one of the following:
>Our samurai has a case of resting bitch face. It isn't intentional, her mouth just naturally slips into a scowl, giving people who are unfamiliar with her the impression that she is always in a foul mood. She can consciously subdue this but when she isn't focused on being cordial, her face always falls back into that frown.
>Our samurai appears to be infuriatingly smug. An opposite to the above option, she always seems to have some reason to smirk to herself, unless the situation is dire. She can suppress this if she wishes to, but her mind inevitably wanders when she isn't focused and she can't help but grin in that exasperating way.
>Our samurai fidgets quite a bit. She wrings her hands when they aren't holding something, or she drums her digits against the saya of her katana. Whenever they're not occupied with a task, her fingers have a mind of her own, tapping and rattling and toying with whatever she can get her hands on.
>Our samurai fixates on her appearance, tidying herself up whenever she gets the chance. Every now and then, she might lift a hand to brush a few stray hairs back into position, or smooth down her clothes whenever they become wrinkled. This might make other people view her as a little vain and self-conscious.
>Write in. I'd appreciate it if you could come up with something a little more unique than these basic options that I have given so far.

>>3959006
Our samurai fidgets quite a bit. She wrings her hands when they aren't holding something, or she drums her digits against the saya of her katana. Whenever they're not occupied with a task, her fingers have a mind of her own, tapping and rattling and toying with whatever she can get her hands on.

>>3959006
>>Our samurai appears to be infuriatingly smug. An opposite to the above option, she always seems to have some reason to smirk to herself, unless the situation is dire. She can suppress this if she wishes to, but her mind inevitably wanders when she isn't focused and she can't help but grin in that exasperating way.

SMUG

>>3959006
>Our samurai fidgets quite a bit. She wrings her hands when they aren't holding something, or she drums her digits against the saya of her katana. Whenever they're not occupied with a task, her fingers have a mind of her own, tapping and rattling and toying with whatever she can get her hands on.

>>3959006
>>Our samurai appears to be infuriatingly smug. An opposite to the above option, she always seems to have some reason to smirk to herself, unless the situation is dire. She can suppress this if she wishes to, but her mind inevitably wanders when she isn't focused and she can't help but grin in that exasperating way.

>>Our samurai appears to be infuriatingly smug. An opposite to the above option, she always seems to have some reason to smirk to herself, unless the situation is dire. She can suppress this if she wishes to, but her mind inevitably wanders when she isn't focused and she can't help but grin in that exasperating way.

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You have chosen for our samurai to be horribly smug. The samurai of Rokugan are known for their restraint and for being above petty things such as emotion. Even a smile means a great deal, so a woman who can't help but smirk to herself is considered to be a sign of confidence at best, and outright rude at worst. Still, there are ways around this. She can keep a straight face when the situation requires it and when attending court, it's perfectly acceptable for her to hide her grinning face behind a fan.

Moving on to the fifteenth question: How does your character react to stressful situations?

We've established our character's basic behaviour, the pompous air with which she carries herself. Now it's time for us to decide how she behaves when she's under duress. What telltale signs does she show of her anxiety whenever someone gets under her skin, or when she's particularly distressed?

Choose one of the following:
>Our samurai has a habit of grinding her teeth whenever she gets frustrated. Her jaw clenches and her teeth grate against each other, as she tries to restrain herself from saying anything that could expose her irritation and embarrass her.
>Our samurai tends to clench her hands into fists. Her knuckles become white and her nails leave painful welts in the palm of her hands, but the sensation helps distract her from the stress of the situation that she finds herself in.
>Our samurai reaches for her weapon whenever she feels threatened, eager to react to the source of her frustration with violence. Others might consider this threatening, but that puts them on the back foot long enough for her to collect herself.
>Our samurai becomes more animated as her temper threatens to spiral out of controls. She waves her hands about and gesticulates more than is necessary and she raises her voice, almost to a point that could be considered rude.
>Our samurai loses her breath whenever she is anxious. She becomes flustered, audibly breathing through her mouth as she tries to gather her wits and think clearly, rather than allowing the source of her stress to overwhelm her.
>Write in. If you can think of another way in which our samurai might react to a stressful situation and what telltale signs of anxiety she might have, feel free to share them. Any sort of tic will do.

>>3959651
Write in
She just starts hard core making puns of everything even if it dosnt make sinse

>>3959651
>>Our samurai reaches for her weapon whenever she feels threatened, eager to react to the source of her frustration with violence. Others might consider this threatening, but that puts them on the back foot long enough for her to collect herself.

>>3959651
>Our samurai reaches for her weapon whenever she feels threatened, eager to react to the source of her frustration with violence. Others might consider this threatening, but that puts them on the back foot long enough for her to collect herself.
This bitch crazy

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You have chosen for our samurai to react to stress with guarded and hostile posture. If she has a weapon on her person, then she instinctively reaches for it. In courtly situations, this can be the cause of trouble; samurai do not take kindly to someone grasping for a weapon in the presence of their lord. In other situations, this can be beneficial, as heimin and other subordinates are much more likely to cave when they feel threatened. There's a good chance that whenever our samurai is pushed past breaking point, she will react with violence, even in situations where that isn't so beneficial.

I'll hurry on to the sixteenth question: What are your character's pre-existing relationships with other clans, families, organizations and traditions?

Despite spending most of her life in the land of the Scorpion Clan, surrounded by samurai of that particular clan, she has very likely been exposed to figures from outside of the clan. Perhaps she has run into diplomats visiting the castle where her dōjō is found, or she has encountered soldiers of an army passing through the Scorpion Clan's territory. Whatever the case, she has had experiences that may have given her prejudices against other organizations, or endeared them to her.

One of the following groups has influenced our samurai more than any other. Choose one of them:
>The Crab Clan. Our samurai has had a run-in with the brutish but courageous warriors of the Crab Clan, most known for defending the Carpenter Wall against the horrors of the Shadowlands.
>The Crane Clan. Our samurai is familiar with the eloquent and vain courtiers of the Crane Clan, who wield more political influence and produce more food than any other Great Clan.
>The Dragon Clan. Our samurai has encountered the enigmatic and spiritual warrior-monks of the Dragon Clan, who are considered unknowable and strange by most of the Emerald Empire.
>The Lion Clan. Our samurai has met the callous but disciplined soldiers of the Lion Clan, who serve as the military might of the Emperor and are unmatched in terms of martial matters.
>The Phoenix Clan. Our samurai has spoken with the arrogant yet undoubtedly wise mage-priests of the Phoenix Clan, who catalogue the history of Rokugan and manage its spiritual affairs.
>The Unicorn Clan. Our samurai has encountered with the curious and foreign horsemen of the Unicorn Clan, who have brought all sorts of curiosities to the Emerald Empire from gaijin lands.
>The Imperial Families. Our samurai has met with samurai of the prestigious families that directly serve the Emperor, who serve as his sword, his eyes and his word and wield great authority.
>The Brotherhood of Shinsei. Our samurai has run into the devoted monks of the Brotherhood, who are not samurai but are highly respected and tend to the religious affairs of Rokugan.
>Another family within the Scorpion Clan. Our samurai's most significant encounters have been with Scorpion samurai who belong to the Shosuro, Soshi and Yogo families.

>>3960758
>The Crane Clan. Our samurai is familiar with the eloquent and vain courtiers of the Crane Clan, who wield more political influence and produce more food than any other Great Clan.

>>3960758
>The Unicorn Clan. Our samurai has encountered with the curious and foreign horsemen of the Unicorn Clan, who have brought all sorts of curiosities to the Emerald Empire from gaijin lands.

>>3960758
>The Unicorn Clan. Our samurai has encountered with the curious and foreign horsemen of the Unicorn Clan, who have brought all sorts of curiosities to the Emerald Empire from gaijin lands.

>>3960758
>The Crane Clan. Our samurai is familiar with the eloquent and vain courtiers of the Crane Clan, who wield more political influence and produce more food than any other Great Clan.

>Another family within the Scorpion Clan. Our samurai's most significant encounters have been with Scorpion samurai who belong to the Shosuro

I'll need a tiebreaker between the CraneClan and the Unicorn Clan,

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3961819
1 is crane and 2 is unicorn.

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You have chosen the Unicorn Clan as the outside organisation that our samurai has been influenced the most by. Without a doubt, they are a peculiar lot. For eight hundred years they roamed the world beyond Rokugan's borders, riding across strange steppes and burning sands. For this reason, they are unfamiliar with the culture that Rokugan developed after the time of the Kami. They are torn between being very traditional, remaining true to the old ways that samurai followed during the first days of the Emerald Empire, and being very unorthodox, having become accustomed to the ways of gaijin during their time in foreign land.

These fascinating people, riders of magnificent horses and wielders of alien magic, have visited the castle that contains our samurai's dōjō many times over the years, usually for the purposes of diplomacy and trade – many of the Unicorn Clan do not shun commerce like most traditional samurai do.

The question is, what is the most important encounter that our samurai has had with the Unicorn Clan? Was it positive or negative, and what did she gain from them?
>A trader of the Ide family, the polite and diplomatic face of the Unicorn Clan, came to the castle to offer his wares. He was a clumsy man, who was quietly mocked by his hosts during his stay. Our samurai even managed to steal a small bottle of expensive and exotic spices from the hapless fool, which she keeps to this day as a trophy.
>An inquisitive shugenja of the Iuchi family, who practise a curious art called meishōdō, the use of talismans to bolster their magic. During a diplomatic visit, this priest took an interest in our samurai after detecting the presence of a yōkai lingering about her. As a safeguard against the influence of such spirits, he gave her an omamori, a protective charm.
>An Utaku Battle Maiden, a samurai from the most traditional Unicorn family, renowned for their legendary horses. The honour guard of an Ide diplomat, the serene woman struck up an unlikely friendship with our young samurai during her stay. She even commissioned an elegant kimono for her to wear at courtly functions, when she grew up.
>A seasoned outrider of the Shinjo family, the descendants of the Unicorn Kami. A carrier of missives and messages from the Unicorn Clan, he frequently stopped by to spoil the students of the dōjō, typically with sweets. The most permanent gift our samurai ever got from him is an oil-paper umbrella to protect her skin from the sun, so she didn't become as wrinkled as him.
>A barbaric warrior of the Moto family, gaijin adopted by the Unicorn Clan during their travels. She was an irritable and reluctant representative of her clan, and the local children took great joy in playing jokes on her. After one such prank, the frustrated Moto snapped and threw a masakari, a hatchet, at her tormentors. Our samurai holds on to it as a keepsake.

>>3961952
An Utaku Battle Maiden, a samurai from the most traditional Unicorn family, renowned for their legendary horses. The honour guard of an Ide diplomat, the serene woman struck up an unlikely friendship with our young samurai during her stay. She even commissioned an elegant kimono for her to wear at courtly functions, when she grew up.

>>3961952
>>An Utaku Battle Maiden, a samurai from the most traditional Unicorn family, renowned for their legendary horses. The honour guard of an Ide diplomat, the serene woman struck up an unlikely friendship with our young samurai during her stay. She even commissioned an elegant kimono for her to wear at courtly functions, when she grew up.

>>3961952
>>An Utaku Battle Maiden, a samurai from the most traditional Unicorn family, renowned for their legendary horses. The honour guard of an Ide diplomat, the serene woman struck up an unlikely friendship with our young samurai during her stay. She even commissioned an elegant kimono for her to wear at courtly functions, when she grew up.

>>3961952
>An Utaku Battle Maiden, a samurai from the most traditional Unicorn family, renowned for their legendary horses. The honour guard of an Ide diplomat, the serene woman struck up an unlikely friendship with our young samurai during her stay. She even commissioned an elegant kimono for her to wear at courtly functions, when she grew up.

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You have chosen for our character to have befriended a Battle Maiden of the Utaku family. They are a curious lot, matriarchal and oddly traditional for Unicorn samurai. Out of all of the families that left with Shinjo to explore the world beyond Rokugan, they are the ones that were changed the least and remained true to the old ways of the Emerald Empire. Typically they are quiet, pure and devoted, not even raising their voices when charging in the heat of battle. They are most known for their Shiotome, the Battle Maidens, a school of female samurai renowned for their discipline and for the formidable gaijin horses that they ride, known only as Utaku Steeds.

Having only heard of the Shiotome in tales, our samurai was more than a little curious when one of the legendary Battle Maidens arrived at the castle where she trained in the ways of the Deathdealer. The Utaku tolerated the child's fascination to begin with but during her stay, she came to enjoy the company of our Bayushi. The Battle Maiden found her insatiable drive particularly endearing and encouraged it, though she never realised just how ambitious the girl really was. When her stay came to an end, her parting gift was a fine, embroidered kimono for our samurai to wear when she came of age, and the two remain in touch through letters to this very day. Needless to say, this encounter has given the Bayushi a positive impression of the Unicorn Clan, or at the very least, the Utaku family.

Now for the seventeenth question out of twenty, we're coming to the end: How would your character's parents describe them?

Though our samurai has likely spent most of her recent years training at her school's dōjō, her relationship with her family is still important and in those formative years while she still lived with them, her relationship with them probably shaped the sort of person that she would become. In terms of mechanics, this question allows you to gain a rank in a skill that you have gained no ranks in so far. Rather than list all of those skills however, I'll go with a few specific options since we have a stronger idea of the character now.

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Choose one of the following options to define our samurai's relationship with her parents:
>+1 Composition. While our samurai was growing up, she spent a great deal of her time with her nose buried in books, trying to make sense of the words. Her parents view her as bookish and aloof as a result, and were frequently exasperated whenever she absconded to read.
>+1 Performance. Our samurai's upbringing frequently involved her trying to hog the attention of her parents, seeking to earn their praise through song and dance. Her father appreciated and encouraged this behaviour, while her mother didn't approve of such frivolous antics.
>+1 Culture. Guests were not an uncommon thing in our samurai's household, and her parents put a great deal of effort into training her in etiquette and teaching her how she was supposed to behave in the company of others. She found this stringent upbringing to be chafing.
>+1 Martial Arts (Unarmed). Our samurai has always thrived off of proving her superiority, and what better way to do this as a child other than to fight? Her parents frequently became exasperated with her and punished her whenever she got into fights, to no avail.
>+1 Survival. The household that our samurai came from was rather poor. Perhaps this is part of the reason for her ambition? Whatever the case, our parents took advantage of another pair of hands and taught their child how to assist them with foraging and hunting.

>>3962835
Is it possible for us to be orphans? I'd have
>+1 Survival
Our Bayushi's parents were sickly, and died early on. She was raised as a ward in a poor home, and had to learn how to keep her head above water. Now that she's made it out, she despises the humble beginnings she was forced into

>>3962835
>>3962855
But if that's too hackneyed or whatever I'll vote
>+1 Composition. While our samurai was growing up, she spent a great deal of her time with her nose buried in books, trying to make sense of the words. Her parents view her as bookish and aloof as a result, and were frequently exasperated whenever she absconded to read.

>>3962835
>+1 Culture. Guests were not an uncommon thing in our samurai's household, and her parents put a great deal of effort into training her in etiquette and teaching her how she was supposed to behave in the company of others. She found this stringent upbringing to be chafing.

>>3962835
>+1 Martial Arts (Unarmed). Our samurai has always thrived off of proving her superiority, and what better way to do this as a child other than to fight? Her parents frequently became exasperated with her and punished her whenever she got into fights, to no avail.

>>3962835
+1 Performance. Our samurai's upbringing frequently involved her trying to hog the attention of her parents, seeking to earn their praise through song and dance. Her father appreciated and encouraged this behaviour, while her mother didn't approve of such frivolous antics.

Wow, one vote for each option so far, if I count both of 3YGp66WX's suggestions.

While I wait for more votes to come in, I'll need to ask for some rolls for Question 18. I'll need two rolls of 1d10, from two separate posters. Type "dice+1d10" in the options field.

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>3962904

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>3962904

>>3962904
is big number good?

>>3962968
It's a table, high or low doesn't matter. I'll post why it matters when once we've decided the answer to Question 17.

The results are very interesting though.

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>3962904

>>3963166
No need for more rolls. Right now, I'm waiting for someone to break the tie, as mentioned in >>3962904.

>>3962835
>+1 Martial Arts (Unarmed). Our samurai has always thrived off of proving her superiority, and what better way to do this as a child other than to fight? Her Mother secretly encouraged her "teaching her inferiors their place", while her father was caused no small amount of worry by his daughter's favorite pastime
Having a bit of a sadistic streak doesn't sound bad. Also taking after our mother sounds fun

>>3963205
changing my vote to be more like this one

>+1 performance
--
I actually am main character sexist, I can't relate to female characters so yeah. Have her be a dancer I'm out

>>3963214
>posting just to say you won't participate
I'll never know why people can't just stay quiet and fuck off.

I'll ask for a tie-breaker between these two options then.
>+1 Martial Arts (Unarmed). Our samurai has always thrived off of proving her superiority, and what better way to do this as a child other than to fight? Her mother secretly encouraged her viciousness, while her father was caused no small amount of worry by his daughter's favorite pastime.
>+1 Performance. Our samurai's upbringing frequently involved her trying to hog the attention of her parents, seeking to earn their praise through song and dance. Her father appreciated and encouraged this behaviour, while her mother didn't approve of such frivolous antics.

>>3963244
>+1 Performance. Our samurai's upbringing frequently involved her trying to hog the attention of her parents, seeking to earn their praise through song and dance. Her father appreciated and encouraged this behaviour, while her mother didn't approve of such frivolous antics.

>>3963251
You've already voted, I'll wait for someone who hasn't.

>>3963244
>1 Martial Arts (Unarmed). Our samurai has always thrived off of proving her superiority, and what better way to do this as a child other than to fight? Her mother secretly encouraged her viciousness, while her father was caused no small amount of worry by his daughter's favorite pastime.

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You have chosen for our samurai to be a bit of a thug as she grew up, a trait encouraged by her mother. While her father was more protective when it came to his daughter, his wife taught the girl that the only path to earning the respect of her rivals was to best them. She had to be strong and she had to put her strength on display, if she wanted to prove that she was superior to others. The young Bayushi put these lessons about ruthlessness to good use, by being a bit of a bully. It was not uncommon for her to return home with bruises and scrapes, having inflicted much worse on other children.

Having to endure years of raising such a vicious little imp, her father became somewhat distant and despondent. He understood the importance of violence as all samurai do, but he disliked how his child engaged in it for its own sake. Meanwhile, her mother approved on this behaviour, believing that this practise would hone her daughter into a perfect weapon of the Scorpion Clan. She never realised just how devoted to her dreams of grandeur the girl truly was.

Time for the eighteenth question: Who was your character named to honour?

In Rokugan, samurai have more than one name. They have the name that they were born with, the child's name given to them by their parents. They have their ancestral name, a name taken from a noteworthy ancestor who they seek to honour with their actions. Finally, they have their personal name, a name that samurai choose for themselves when they come of age, typically derived from the ancestral name. This question is focused on the ancestral name that our character shall earn during her gempukku, her rite of passage.

What sort of person the ancestor was is determined by a roll on a chart. You roll a ten-sided die twice, you compare the results to a table, and then you choose the result that you prefer. We rolled a 9 and 10, giving us the results in the image. So, it's time for us to choose one of the following, the option that we prefer:
>Our samurai is named after an ancestor who was of Imperial blood, who married into the Bayushi family. This sacred lineage elevates her above others of the same station. While she does not technically possess more authority than other samurai, tradition demands that she is treated with the reverence that a distant descendant of Hantei deserves.
>Our samurai wasn't actually named after an ancestor at all. Perhaps she is named after a figure who has done a great deal for the clan, or perhaps she is given a name based on the sort of person that she is. This name serves as a symbol of how unorthodox our Bayushi is, and that she is an outlier amongst the samurai of the Scorpion Clan.

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Here's the full table, if you'd like to know what other options you could have rolled.

>>3963347
>those rolls
honestly both pretty compelling and work well with our character! i'll vote
>Imperial Heritage

>>3963347
>Our samurai wasn't actually named after an ancestor at all. Perhaps she is named after a figure who has done a great deal for the clan, or perhaps she is given a name based on the sort of person that she is. This name serves as a symbol of how unorthodox our Bayushi is, and that she is an outlier amongst the samurai of the Scorpion Clan.

>>3963347
>>Our samurai is named after an ancestor who was of Imperial blood, who married into the Bayushi family. This sacred lineage elevates her above others of the same station. While she does not technically possess more authority than other samurai, tradition demands that she is treated with the reverence that a distant descendant of Hantei deserves.

>>3963347
>Our samurai is named after an ancestor who was of Imperial blood, who married into the Bayushi family. This sacred lineage elevates her above others of the same station. While she does not technically possess more authority than other samurai, tradition demands that she is treated with the reverence that a distant descendant of Hantei deserves.

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You have chosen for our samurai to be descended from the Hantei line. The link is tenuous and ancient, but even a drop of Imperial blood is worthy of reverence in the Emerald Empire. The question is, how can a Great Clan samurai carry the legacy of Hantei in their veins? The answer to this is complicated; once a new emperor succeeds the last, their brothers and sisters are compelled to renounce the Hantei name and surrender any claim to the Chrysanthemum Throne. After this, they are adopted by one of the three Imperial families that serve the Emperor. For this reason, a great deal of Imperial samurai carry the blood of Hantei in their veins and ever so rarely, they marry into the Great Clans.

And so we must decide, who is our samurai's ancestor, this august figure of Imperial lineage who married into the Bayushi family? Which of the Imperial families does this ancestor come from? Choose one of the following options, and we'll be able to answer these questions:
>Our samurai's ancestor was one of the Seppun Palace Guard, the family and school of samurai trusted with personally protecting the Emperor himself. Through blackmail and subterfuge, a daimyō of the Scorpion Clan managed to coax a few favours out of this ancestor's father. One of the demands was for a political union, for his son to marry the daimyō's daughter. With a heavy heart, the Seppun complied and took on the Bayushi name. There was no romance to be found in that union, but it is known that this ancestor did his duty and served the Scorpion Clan faithfully.
>Our samurai's ancestor was a courtier of the Otomo family, the schemers who monitor the Great Clans and ensure that none of them gain any undue influence, not even the Scorpion Clan. In particular, her ancestor sought out a union with a particular daimyō, viewing him a weak link within the Scorpion Clan. Eager for the prestige that would come with an Imperial samurai marrying him, the daimyō accepted. He became little more than a puppet of his wife, whose true loyalty was still to the Otomo family, and who exerted great influence over the Scorpion Clan through her spouse.
>Our samurai's ancestor was a Miya Cartographer, devoted to mapping out the Emperor's domain. Her task was to chart the Spine of the World, the mountain range the laid within the Scorpion Clan's domain and split Rokugan in half. She requisitioned a yōjimbō to protect her while she performed this duty within Scorpion territory, only to fall madly in love with her guardian over the course of months. Her subsequent marriage into this unlanded samurai's family was considered scandalous, with many suggesting that this romance was the product of seduction, rather than a genuine love story.

>>3964133
>Our samurai's ancestor was a courtier of the Otomo family, the schemers who monitor the Great Clans and ensure that none of them gain any undue influence, not even the Scorpion Clan. In particular, her ancestor sought out a union with a particular daimyō, viewing him a weak link within the Scorpion Clan. Eager for the prestige that would come with an Imperial samurai marrying him, the daimyō accepted. He became little more than a puppet of his wife, whose true loyalty was still to the Otomo family, and who exerted great influence over the Scorpion Clan through her spouse.

>>3964133
>>Our samurai's ancestor was a courtier of the Otomo family, the schemers who monitor the Great Clans and ensure that none of them gain any undue influence, not even the Scorpion Clan. In particular, her ancestor sought out a union with a particular daimyō, viewing him a weak link within the Scorpion Clan. Eager for the prestige that would come with an Imperial samurai marrying him, the daimyō accepted. He became little more than a puppet of his wife, whose true loyalty was still to the Otomo family, and who exerted great influence over the Scorpion Clan through her spouse.

>>3964133
>>Our samurai's ancestor was a courtier of the Otomo family, the schemers who monitor the Great Clans and ensure that none of them gain any undue influence, not even the Scorpion Clan. In particular, her ancestor sought out a union with a particular daimyō, viewing him a weak link within the Scorpion Clan. Eager for the prestige that would come with an Imperial samurai marrying him, the daimyō accepted. He became little more than a puppet of his wife, whose true loyalty was still to the Otomo family, and who exerted great influence over the Scorpion Clan through her spouse.

>>3963347
>Our samurai is named after an ancestor who was of Imperial blood, who married into the Bayushi family. This sacred lineage elevates her above others of the same station. While she does not technically possess more authority than other samurai, tradition demands that she is treated with the reverence that a distant descendant of Hantei deserves.

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You have chosen for our samurai to be the descendant of an ingenious Otomo schemer. This ancestor of hers chose to sacrifice her own status to marry into the Scorpion Clan, so that she could monitor it from within. The wife of an oblivious provincial daimyō, she managed to wrap her husband around her finger and use him as an unwitting pawn of the Imperial families. However, her duplicity is something only known to cunning historians. On the surface, she is known only for her elegance and her commitment, as a devoted wife who never left her side of her beloved spouse.

This woman was the great-great-grandmother of our samurai and by adopting her name after her gempukku, the Deathdealer will be closely associated with the Imperial family from which she claims descent. In the eyes of most, it is a great privilege to possess such a name, but shrewd scholars who delve into the ancestor's history might come to another conclusion. Perhaps this name serves as an indicator of our samurai's duplicity, that her loyalty lies in a cause outside of the Scorpion Clan? Only time will tell. As for the province that the Otomo ruled over through her husband, it is currently governed by a distant cousin of our samurai, a blood tie that might be of use to her some day.

First I'll mention the nineteenth question: What is your character's personal name?

Our character will receive the ancestral name of this Otomo courtier upon completion of her gempukku, the samurai rite of adulthood. After that, she will be able to derive a personal name from it which will become her true name, replacing the name that she carried throughout her childhood. I would rather leave the choosing of a name for the quest itself – if I choose to run it – so I will not ask for us to choose the character's personal name right now. Instead, I'll ask for the childhood name of our samurai, given to her by her parents.

Choose one of the following, or write in if you can come up with a better one. A childhood name doesn't need to have any special meaning, like the ancestral or personal name. It is simply a label that the child was given at birth. Keep in mind, this name is almost guaranteed to be replaced by the personal name that our samurai will choose for herself after her gempukku.
>Yui.
>Kiyoko.
>Ichika.
>Miyuki.
>Ayako.
>Write in.

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And second, I'll also talk about the final question: How should your character die?

Let's face it, all characters die and in a samurai drama, death is an important and fundamental part of the story that cannot be ignored. So how do you believe our samurai should die? What would be a fitting death for her? Should she pass on having achieved all of her wildest dreams, or should her death be a miserable and hopeless one, after her catastrophic failure to make her dreams a reality?

Choose one of the following, or write in:
>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.
>Our samurai will die with her blade in hand, having defied the authority of another and paid the price for it. Until the end, she refused to accept that anyone else was superior to her, and this arrogance was her undoing.
>Our samurai will die screaming as her soul is torn from her body to be bound to Traitor's Grove, never to be reincarnated. Such is the punishment for Scorpion samurai who put their ambitions and desires above their clan.
>Our samurai will die peacefully in her sleep, in the serenity of a monastery. A humble and simple end for a woman who was once so driven and selfish. What could possibly cause her to abandon her desires? Only time will tell.
>Write in. If you can come up with another fitting death for our samurai, I'd be glad to hear it. Who knows, there's the possibility that it might even come to pass.

>>3964871
>>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.
>>Our samurai will die with her blade in hand, having defied the authority of another and paid the price for it. Until the end, she refused to accept that anyone else was superior to her, and this arrogance was her undoing.
Both of these sound perfect... any anons want to convince me one way or another?

>>3964867
>Kiyoko
>>3964871
>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.
I like the idea of her... everything causing her to push people away whether she intends to or not.

>>3964867
Miyuki

Our samurai will die with her blade in hand, having defied the authority of another and paid the price for it. Until the end, she refused to accept that anyone else was superior to her, and this arrogance was her undoing.

>>3964867
>Kiyoko.
>>3964871
>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.

>>3964867
>Miyuki
>Our samurai will die peacefully in her sleep, in the serenity of a monastery. A humble and simple end for a woman who was once so driven and selfish. What could possibly cause her to abandon her desires? Only time will tell.

>>3964871
>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.

Looks like we're going with this one regarding how you want our samurai to die.
>Our samurai will die swathed in fine silks, surrounded by decadence and luxury but with no one by her side. Her only company will be the greatness that she fought so hard to cultivate, and her passing will not be mourned.
But there seems to be a bit of a tie when it comes to our samurai's childhood name. Does anyone want to break the tie between these two options?
>Bayushi Miyuki.
>Bayushi Kiyoko.

>>3965593
roll a 1d2 since it seems nobody is gonna vote

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>3965851
Fair enough. One for Miyuki, two for Kiyoko.

File: Bayushi_Fuyuko.jpg (111 KB, 1008x700)

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Well, the roll settles it. Our samurai's name – at least until she earns a personal name by passing her gempukku – is Bayushi Kiyoko. As for how she will die, she will pass away surrounded by the luxury and wielding the authority that she has always desired, but without anyone who she can call an ally or even a friend. Her demise will be a lonely one without anyone to mourn her. Such is the fate of anyone who sacrifices everything in the name of ambition.

The twenty questions have been completed and I am finalizing Kiyoko's character sheet. There's just a few choices that I brushed over in order to speed up the process of creating this character, and I'll take care of those now.

The Bayushi Deathdealer starts with a choice of equipment. They already start with a katana, a wakizashi and a knife, but there's one more weapon that they can get. Choose one of the following:
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.
>A folding half-bow. A short-ranged bow with a low draw weight, its main strength is that it's collapsible and can be stored in an easily hidden case. This will give our samurai a ranged weapon that she can use when necessary, though she has little training when it comes to archery and the folding half-bow is inferior to most other bows in Rokugan.

Second of all, Bayushi Deathdealers get to choose between two possible techniques. I'll need to explain a core mechanic of the game to get you to understand how these techniques will work. In this edition of Legend of the Five Rings, you need to roll Successes in order to succeed at a check. However, another result you can roll is Opportunities. When you roll an Opportunity, you can spend it in order to do something useful unrelated to succeeding at the roll.
With that out of the way, choose one of the following:
>Striking as Air. This technique will allow Kiyoko to feign and plan her attacks. Mechanically, this means that she can spend Opportunities when she attacks to reserve the dice that she rolls, and to use them in her next attack instead. This is typically used to make a samurai's attacks succeed more consistently.
>Striking as Fire. This technique will allow Kiyoko to push the attack, and make the blows that she lands deadlier. Mechanically, this means she can spend Opportunities when she attacks to increase the severity of her next critical strike – an attack that goes through the defences of her opponent.

>>3965958
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.
>Striking as Air. This technique will allow Kiyoko to feign and plan her attacks. Mechanically, this means that she can spend Opportunities when she attacks to reserve the dice that she rolls, and to use them in her next attack instead. This is typically used to make a samurai's attacks succeed more consistently.

>>3965958
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.

>Striking as Air. This technique will allow Kiyoko to feign and plan her attacks. Mechanically, this means that she can spend Opportunities when she attacks to reserve the dice that she rolls, and to use them in her next attack instead. This is typically used to make a samurai's attacks succeed more consistently.

>>3965958
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.
>Striking as Air

>>3965958
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.

>>3965958
>A shinobigatana. It looks identical to a katana while it is in its sheath, but the truth is that the blade is shorter. A shinobigatana can be drawn faster than a katana, allowing its wielder to strike first, though its short blade is a disadvantage after the first strike. Knowledgeable samurai will be able to identify it as a forbidden and dishonourable weapon when it is unsheathed.
>Striking as Air. This technique will allow Kiyoko to feign and plan her attacks. Mechanically, this means that she can spend Opportunities when she attacks to reserve the dice that she rolls, and to use them in her next attack instead. This is typically used to make a samurai's attacks succeed more consistently.

File: Bayushi_Kachiko_11.jpg (80 KB, 1054x700)

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With that, our samurai is complete.

She is Bayushi Kiyoko, a student of the Bayushi Deathdealer school. Believing that she is destined to reign over others and longing to exercise her right to rule, she must first complete her gempukku and prove herself worthy of serving the Scorpion Clan, as a fully fledged samurai. Favoured by supernatural beings who seek to protect the young woman from harm, her odds look good, but she is not without enemies. The path to fulfilling her ambitions will be fraught with danger, and even if she succeeds, what will she have to sacrifice to achieve that lofty goal?

https://pdfhost.io/v/fS9zig8Y_Legend_of_the_Five_Rings_Bayushi_Kiyoko_Character_Sheet.pdf

Here's her completed character sheet. I might also put together a Twenty Questions sheet, which contains the answers to all of these questions in more precise detail. I'm rather happy with what was made. She's a little less focused than I like and the number of supernatural allies she has makes her seem like a bit of a snowflake, but I enjoy the theme of her arrogance and a lot of the relationships we've given her. Overall, a pretty fun character.

Which leaves a final question, I guess.

Would anyone like to see a quest in which this character is the protagonist, and has to navigate her way through the Legend of the Five Rings world in order to make her dreams a reality?

Or was this character-creating exercise enough on its own and would you like to leave it at that?

>>3966117
yes i would like a quest with her as the protagonist

>>3966117
Too invested to not want a quest

>>3966117
Sure, why not.

>>3966117
Gives me the quest

>>3966117
Gib quest ty

>>3966117
Yes please!

>>3966117
Absolutely would love to

>>3966117
>seem like a bit of a snowflake
You'll notice that most quest MCs are snowflakes.
Yes to quest, to do otherwise would be the ultimate cuckening

That's enough interest for me to go ahead and do it, though let's face it, my posting schedule for this thread is a little too chaotic for running a quest. It took almost two weeks to make this character. For this reason, it's best if I have a period of the day where I am (or try to be) as active as possible.

To the people who are interested, what are your time zones so I've got a decent idea of when to be active? I'll start my prep and hopefully before the thread gets archived, I should be able to give you a time and date for the first session.