Hay, Tsuka! pt. 01 -- some general babbling

[taichara]

The current messstate of affairs in greater Rokugan; or at least the relevant bits:

- Yes, we're going with the Spider as a legit Great Clan, Fu Leng (who needs a different name, maybe, if I'm not too lazy) cleansed and now in Tengoku with the other kami (still a piker though), and the Taint is the Taint (working on that part). Spider are still up for shourido instead of bushido most of the time, etc etc, but they aren't hiding galloping armies of undead and other horrors in the jungle in this version.

- Speaking of the jungle: the Iweko did still send the Spider off to the Colonies after the Destroyer War, because the bastards are vicious so even without the dumb as fuck reasoning in canon getting them to be the conquering vanguard makes sense. Except now the Spider have the greatest swathe of Colonial holdings, even over the Mantis, and isn't that fun for socio-economic ramifications when they aren't considered Tainted pariahs? 83 (I need the bloody Atlas to firm some of this up mind you)

- Iweko I is stepping down from the Throne soon, or is going to keel over. None of that speaks-directly-to-the-gods, apparently-immortal, blah blah horseshit here thanks. Of course that means that Shibatsu and Seiken are making noises at each other -- and there's a bit more behind it than "oh, aren't our supporters being silly". What the Empress makes of this, no one knows at the moment.

- The Mantis are squabbling with the Spider some (mainly in the Colonies), and may be looking at Crane or Phoenix shorelines. The Crab are being Crab because the Shadowlands continue to be a threat. The Lion are getting rumbly at the Crane and their strong Progressive leanings but may have their hands full dealing with the Unicorn in the future, and the Dragon are staring intently as a spot on the wall as per usual while the entire Empire wonders what a war between Crane and Phoenix might look like, assuming it actually comes to that and also becomes a "real" war.

- So many opportunities for stingy bugs, who seem to be being overlooked at the same time the other courtly power -- which has been leaning towards economic power after so many years of being squeezed out of political influence -- seems to be getting distracted ...

Hay, Tsuka! pt. 02 -- Granma Stingy Bug and her instructions to a little stinger

[taichara]

The official reason Tsuka is off to Shiba Danjuro and White Maple Castle:

A debt of obligation, basically, for being trained in the Isawa school. As noted before, he's off to Danjuro's court to observe, and to fulfill a shugenja's duties -- up to and including, if deemed necessary, helping to deal with any hostilities that break out with the Crane. After all, he may be trained in the Isawa traditions but he's a Scorpion ~ (talk about knowing how to honour your beliefs while skirting right around them, good show Phoenix ;3)

It's worth noting that this makes Tsuka almost as much a part of the castle household/staff as an outsider come to the court, in time ~ Useful ~


Of course, granma's chill with this because it discharges an obligation while giving the Scorpion more openings for intel than god. Heh. Some possibilities include:

- Watch all the feathered idiots! Border tensions are rising between the Phoenix and the Crane, something no one ever expected. The fuss seems to be generating through a combination of Progressive/Traditional friction, some Crane border daimyo beginning to absorb the unclaimed buffer lands, Phoenix distaste for a good deal of Colonial influence/magic/etc, and -- or so it's said -- one Crane warlord (they have those?) in particular. But which one is he?

- What exactly are the Phoenix opinions on the Colonies, and the current sociopolitical split that's growing, helped a great deal in part because of said Colonies? What about Danjuro's in particular?

- What is up with Rayu's family? And they have their hands deep in Colonial interests, it seems, but they haven't uprooted and moved to a Crane Colonial holding or the Second City. What's going on, and would it be useful for the Scorpion to know it, or individual details?

- Is there any notable activity from other Clans lurking around the area? Bugs may not be the only ones sensing opportunity ...


-> and what would Tsuka like to ferret out himself, hmm ~? There's that ancient shrine the castle is apparently named after ...

Hay, Tsuka! pt. 03 -- some folks from chikkinland

[taichara]

( hiding under here ~ )

Hay, Tsuka! pt. 04 - BIRB GOSSIP OHNOES

[taichara]

( BIRBS UNDER HERE )