Scenario: Word of the Emperor’s assassination by his ancestor, the so-called Steel Chrysanthemum, has reached the court of Toshi no Omoidoso. The final days of court, typically reserved for finishing the last few details of trade negotiations, have collapsed into utter chaos.
While nobody is denying that the assassination of the Emperor is a terrible crime, some of those in the court believe that, in light of the situation, Hantei XVI is currently the rightful Emperor of Rokugan. Unlike the Emperor’s widow, Hantei Tokiyo, the Steel Chrysanthemum was once recognized as the rightful Emperor of Rokugan, and his return to life (and thus, his position as Emperor) must have been endorsed by the heavens.
It is an unprecedented scenario, and similar arguments are surely playing out in courts across the Empire. Will the courts choose to place the Empire under the heel of an unstable tyrant in the name of tradition, or will they allow control of the Empire to pass into the hands of a former Lion?
Participants: Four characters.
Imperialist Victory: If the debate ends with more Imperialist Points than Traditionalist Points, then the court sides with Hantei Tokiyo and decries the bloodthirsty actions of the Steel Chrysanthemum. Imperialist players gain +.5 Glory, while the Traditionalist players are scorned and have .5 of their Glory converted into .5 Infamy. All Imperialist and Traditionalist Points are added to the Empire’s total. The points count as points earned by the character.
Imperialist Bonus: If there are at least twice as many Imperialist Points as Traditionalist Points, then the Traditionalist players are mocked and decried as traitors. Each such player gains the “Social Disadvantage” disadvantage.
Traditionalist Victory: If the debate ends with more Traditionalist Points than Imperialist Points, then the court sides with Hantei XVI over the pretender Empress and her pro-Lion sensibilities. Traditionalist players gain +.5 Glory, while the Imperialist players are scorned and have .5 of their Glory converted into .5 Infamy. All Imperialist and Traditionalist Points are added to the Empire’s total. These count as points earned by the character.
Traditionalist Bonus: If there are at least twice as many Traditionalist Points as Imperialist Points, then the Imperialist players are mocked and decried as traitors. Each such player gains the “Social Disadvantage” disadvantage.
Rules: This event has three steps that each character must attempt. Because this is a formal court event, no spellcasting or kiho can be used during this event.
A character can attempt to argue an “Imperialist” position that supports Hantei Tokiyo, the Emperor’s widow, or a “Traditionalist” position that supports Hantei XVI.
Imperialist supporters will earn Imperialist Points, while Traditionalist supporters will earn Traditionalist Points. Both types are referred to as “Discussion Points” below. Please state which side of the argument you will be taking in the comments section of your dice rolling.
Historical Precedent: The character can attempt to recall some sort of historical precedent that supports their position. Doing so is a TN 15 Lore: History/Intelligence roll. On a success, the character earns 1 Discussion Point for their position, plus 1 Discussion Point per successful Raise.
If a character fails this roll, they end up accidentally providing supporting arguments for their opponents. The opposing position gains 1 Discussion Point, plus 1 Discussion Point per failed Raise.
Passionate Debate: Armed with historical precedent (or a handful of poorly-understood talking points, at the very least), the character must present their argument to the court. Doing so is a TN 15 Courtier (Rhetoric)/Awareness roll. On a success, the character earns 1 Discussion Point for their position, plus 1 Discussion Point per successful Raise.
If the character fails this roll, their impassioned argument is weak and is torn to shreds by the opposition, making them look foolish. The opposing position gains 1 Discussion Point, plus 1 Discussion Point per failed Raise.
You Fools!: A debate about the assassination of the Emperor and whether his murderer should assume the throne is, not surprisingly, quite heated on both sides. Each character must make a TN 25 Etiquette (Courtesy)/Awareness Skill roll to keep their cool. On a success, the character manages to remain calm in the face of shouting, screaming, and personal attacks and gains Honor for “Showing Sincere Courtesy to Enemies or Rivals.”
On a failure, the character loses their cool and begins shouting, bickering, and fighting with their opponents. Hair is pulled, fans are snapped, and faces are slapped. The character loses Honor for “Breach of Etiquette, Major.” If the character has the Brash disadvantage, they attack and kill or more of their (NPC) opponents, resulting in the honor loss changing to “Breach of Etiquette, Blasphemous,” and they gain +.5 Infamy and either the Black Sheep disadvantage (if a samurai) or the Cast Out disadvantage (if a monk).
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