[D5EM] It's a beautiful day (Expecting)

[Shosuro Kaoru]

Another day, another morning session of studying, analyzing, and recording.

Today's document was a depiction of the Topaz championship by someone who took part in it about fifty years ago. It wasn't a very good book, very self-centered, and much self-indulging about one's own failure (the narrator's showing wasn't exactly great). But Kaoru hoped to find in it patterns that would match the current events. For example, if it was usual for the Crane to lay low until the final sets of trials.

Sat at one the garden tables, she progressed slowly through the journal, gritting her teeth from time to time. The prose had every flaw expected of a young poet not nearly as good with their chosen art as they thought themselves to be, and often a full page was used where a short sentence would have been enough.

[Ikoma Aya]

The same chance visitor Kaoru had received at the park right at the start of the tournament showed up again today, quick, restless steps through the grass announcing her presence long before her bow.

"Shosuro-san. What a coincidence. Pleasure to see you again." Seeing the book on her hands. "Seems like I'm interrupting you again, as well. I hope it's not a nuisance?"

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"Coincidence, or habits starting to take shape? I have gotten used to do a bit of work in the garden every morning, so if you also included this place in your workout, such encounters should be of the likely variety.

And I was looking for an excuse for a break if I am honest. This book is... a lot to take in in one go. How's your own training going?"

[Ikoma Aya]

"Coincidence, or habits starting to take shape? I have gotten used to do a bit of work in the garden every morning, so if you also included this place in your workout, such encounters should be of the likely variety.

And I was looking for an excuse for a break if I am honest. This book is... a lot to take in in one go. How's your own training going?"

The Ikoma thinks for a while. "Oh... good point, Shosuro-san. I do often come here for some of my training. And... it's going... well, I've been trying to give it my best. I see how well so many others do, and it never seems good enough. And my performance at the forest yesterday..."

She keeps quiet for a moment, takes a deep breath.

"Well. I feel I must work harder and harder if I am to honour my presenc here. And Kaoru-san? How have the last days treated you - and the tournament?" Then, looking at the book again. "So... this is something related to the work you do, then? Or... will do in the near future?"

She tilts her head slightly, her right brow raising slightly. "Or... is this related to... what Shosuro-san was talking about the other day?"

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"The tournament is roughly going as expected I would say, with every clan doing well in the trial designed around their core values. If things continue that way, we'll have a quite balanced final eight... and if traditions are to be kept, a Kakita will then come out on top of these eight.

And no, it's just my usual work. Studying precedents of present events is always interesting and sometimes useful. Did you know the Topaz championship use to have a trial solely dedicated to heraldry but it eventually got discontinued due to too many errors spiraling into diplomatic incidents?

As for the case at hand, a Kitsuki is apparently working with the local authorities on it, so likely the issue should be solved soon."

[Ikoma Aya]

"The tournament is roughly going as expected I would say, with every clan doing well in the trial designed around their core values. If things continue that way, we'll have a quite balanced final eight... and if traditions are to be kept, a Kakita will then come out on top of these eight.

And no, it's just my usual work. Studying precedents of present events is always interesting and sometimes useful. Did you know the Topaz championship use to have a trial solely dedicated to heraldry but it eventually got discontinued due to too many errors spiraling into diplomatic incidents?

As for the case at hand, a Kitsuki is apparently working with the local authorities on it, so likely the issue should be solved soon."

The Ikoma nodded, somewhat slowly. "Studying precedents... that would make sense I suppose. Although... does Shosuro-san expect traditions will be kept exactly like that this year?" A moment of silence as she looks up to the sky, as if thinking about something, then she looks at Kaoru again.

"For a heraldry test to spiral into diplomatic incidents... I suppose I had not expected that." A slow look at the girl. "Any particularly interesting stories about that? I mean... that does sound quite serious for an event with pre-gempukku students such as ourselves."

She then nodded at Kaoru again regarding the investigation. "Ah, that's good to know. So... it's probably not that serious of an issue then, hai?"

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"The example given here is the personal mon of a respected personality of one clan – and direct ancestor of one of the participants – being wrongly identified as the symbol of a disgraced vassal family. Likely because of previously existing enmities, the accusation was thrown that the mistake had been done on purpose to mock their descendant, and the rest of the tournament was completely overshadowed by the feud between supporters of both sides, culminating with a nasty duel soon after they received their blades.

A small spark in a very inflammable environment made a big fire if you will.

And let's say that if there was someone taking bets on the tournament, Kakita competitors would have started the championship at two-to-one, any other major clan bushi like you at three-to-one, and a courtier like me at maybe five-to-one. As for what will actually happen, I am no seer."

She pondered the last remark for a bit.

"I wouldn't say it isn't a serious issue. However, I would say the smugglers made the Crane angry by having them appear riddled with crime in front of their guests, and the issue is now to be crushed swiftly with the full might of a great clan."

[Ikoma Aya]

"The example given here is the personal mon of a respected personality of one clan – and direct ancestor of one of the participants – being wrongly identified as the symbol of a disgraced vassal family. Likely because of previously existing enmities, the accusation was thrown that the mistake had been done on purpose to mock their descendant, and the rest of the tournament was completely overshadowed by the feud between supporters of both sides, culminating with a nasty duel soon after they received their blades.

A small spark in a very inflammable environment made a big fire if you will.

And let's say that if there was someone taking bets on the tournament, Kakita competitors would have started the championship at two-to-one, any other major clan bushi like you at three-to-one, and a courtier like me at maybe five-to-one. As for what will actually happen, I am no seer."

She pondered the last remark for a bit.

"I wouldn't say it isn't a serious issue. However, I would say the smugglers made the Crane angry by having them appear riddled with crime in front of their guests, and the issue is now to be crushed swiftly with the full might of a great clan."

"A big fire indeed", the girl said, nodding. "I... cannot say I know much of such things, but I would expect the organisers would have avoided including direct ancestors in such a test to prevent that?" A shrug and a slow shake of her head. "I can't really say... but it does seem like something that would cast a shadow over the championship. Not something I'd expect the organisers wanted.

There might be a slight hint of... something there, or maybe she was just being somewhat blunt. One way or another, she quickly changes the subject.

"That makes sense... but then, with the championship ending in a Iaijutsu tournament, I suppose that's hardly a surprise, ne? Although... there have been some courtiers and shugenja who won the tournament, haven't there? Have your studies revealed something on that, Shosuro-san?"

Regarding the smugglers, Aya just nodded. "As it should be, then, ne? I mean.. it should not have happened, but sorting it out swiftly and correctly after it's found out is the best we could expect, ne?"

(OOC: Oof, missed this answer here, sorry!)

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"The details of the incident I do not know. Maybe the questions had been prepared long before the list of competitors was available, and someone forgot to double-check they wouldn't be any issue. Maybe the judge willingly included famous ancestors of the candidates to stroke their ego without realizing the potential backfire."

The thought Maybe it was a Scorpion event and the incident was engineered on purpose. went through Kaoru's mind but did not reach her lips.

"That one single source is far too incomplete to get the full picture of what happened. If you want to know more, you'll have to take a page from your cousins' book and dig the archives like a true historian.

I have likewise but a superficial knowledge of that subject, so take my input with a grain of salt, but shugenja's victories tend to be shrugged off as 'the will of the kami', and courtiers' victories attributed to a training mixing both courtly and martial arts. Oddities, but not fully unexpected.

For example I know myself at least the basics of swordsmanship, and I expect someone like Kitsuki Jun to be able to give a bushi a run for their money in a duel even if they wouldn't fare nearly as well on a battlefield."

[Ikoma Aya]

"The details of the incident I do not know. Maybe the questions had been prepared long before the list of competitors was available, and someone forgot to double-check they wouldn't be any issue. Maybe the judge willingly included famous ancestors of the candidates to stroke their ego without realizing the potential backfire."

The thought Maybe it was a Scorpion event and the incident was engineered on purpose. went through Kaoru's mind but did not reach her lips.

"That one single source is far too incomplete to get the full picture of what happened. If you want to know more, you'll have to take a page from your cousins' book and dig the archives like a true historian.

I have likewise but a superficial knowledge of that subject, so take my input with a grain of salt, but shugenja's victories tend to be shrugged off as 'the will of the kami', and courtiers' victories attributed to a training mixing both courtly and martial arts. Oddities, but not fully unexpected.

For example I know myself at least the basics of swordsmanship, and I expect someone like Kitsuki Jun to be able to give a bushi a run for their money in a duel even if they wouldn't fare nearly as well on a battlefield."

The Ikoma's lips curl in a half-smile, or perhaps a half-smirk, at Kaoru's remark. "Well, by the time I can delve into that, the Tournament will be over already, ne, Shosuro-san. Although it does make an interesting topic. Makes one think of what other interesting happenings may have occurred in previous editions."

A nod.

"But I suppose you're right. Although... in some ways, all victories might be called the will of the kami, I suppose? Will of the elements or not, it would take a shugenja with martial training to win as well, I'd imagine. Not too different from what you said about courtiers."

She seems to think for a while. "But then... I don't think prowess in a battlefield is quite what the tournament is looking for, in general. I suppose the Test of the General and the Test of the Warrior test some of these skills, but they're hardly those mostly needed to win. And... I think it's not that usual that Topaz Champions become great military leaders either?" She shrugs. "Perhaps that's one more question I'd have to look into in the Ikoma libraries. But then... Shosuro-san herself wouldn't do poorly if you were to go to the finals, then, ne?"

[Shosuro Kaoru]

"If I was to face someone actually trained to duel, I do expect my blade to be at least half out of its scabbard by the time I lose. Far closer to the strike than someone who's never truly trained with a sword, but still a world away from what would be required to succeed.

Being better than a theoretical average means nothing in a competition. Only being better than the persons you're competing against is relevant to your final ranking. And Topaz candidates are definitely several steps above average in at least their favorite subject.

For me to prevail in an iai tournament would also be an instance of the will of the kami, with advantageous pairings eliminating and tiring the most fearsome opponents, and an actual divine intervention, like a gust of wind blowing the right way at the right moment, for the finale.

Not 100% impossible. But I wouldn't bet on myself if I was a wise bookmaker.

As for what become of Topaz champions... Most end up doing a fine but not especially memorable career after it. There's one champion every year after all, they cannot all become Imperial Chancellor, Emerald Champion, or something like that. It's a good stepping stone for an imperial position, but by no mean the assurance of leaving more than a footnote on Rokugan history on its own."