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Year 1151, 10th Day of the Month of the Moon

Before you stands the Daidoji Training Grounds of the Crane Clan. As you approached the gates of this walled complex, you are unsure what to expect, let alone if this is the right place. A lone man, dressed in a yellow kimono embroidered with green kanji, would await you at the gate. In his late thirties, his shoulder-length black hair was starting to gray. His face was definitely weathered by experience, but he did not come off as unfriendly. Just unwavering.

"Welcome, traveler. I am Seppun Benjiro, Jade Magistrate to Emperor Toturi. I take it that if you've come all the way out here, then you are a new initiate sent by your Clan to compete in the competitions sponsored by the Jade Champion, Kuni Utagu. If so, you have come to the right place. The competition won't begin for several hours, so do make yourself comfortable as the rest of the competitors arrive. I'm afraid that I must ask for your name and rank within your Clan, however. We'll need it for purposes of the tournament's records."

Upon your approach, he gestures over a peasant scribe, a young man of humble roots and utterly remarkable. Upon giving your information, Seppun Benjiro dictates to him what to inscribe upon the scroll in his hands. Afterwards, he bids you entrance into the dojo.

There is a large clearing typically used for large-scale training exercises, though most of it has been taken up by numerous tents of various colorations and, often, Clan insignia. There are some buildings not far beyond them, but rope has been tied between several trees, several parchments hanging from the long divider indicating the buildings are off limits.

All around the perimeter of the dojo are numerous areas of mixed terrain, obviously grown or put there artificially; however, they are, in no doubt, the battlefields of many of the Daidoji Harriers in which they train to hone their skills.

Now, you merely wait for the Hour of the Akodo to approach, when the sun is highest in the sky. Within a matter of hours, you will, perhaps, have some of the answers you have come all this way to seek.

You may begin. The Tournament specifics will be explained sometime on Tuesday. You can filter in any time between the night before and the morning of the Tournament day. Several Daidoji often patrol the grounds; though much of their force is not here presently, these few look like they will be more than capable of handling anyone who gets out of line.

Bayushi Kojiro arrived early. The nondescript samurai absentmindedly traced the wrappings of the hilt of his katana while he waited his turn to give his information to the Magistrate. Even mere scribes are more noticeable than I Kojiro thought bitterly. No matter. I will succeed here. Then maybe Koyuki will give me a night's worth of peace.

Kojiro was jostled out of his revelry as a samurai bumped him. The Scorpion bushi took the apology other samurai offered in good spirits. Inwardly, the young Bayushi glowered. My family's greatest asset, and yet our greatest curse. It doesn't matter. Neither standing nor fame will give me what I truly want. Perhaps if I win at this tournament, I'll be a step closer to my desire.

The young Crane strode forward carefully, attempting to stay calm. Only his right eye was open, a clear blue. As he stopped before the man, he bowed. "Kakita Zanzen of the Koriyuka." And proceeded to give the indicated information, leaving when dismissed.

Ah the Daidoji grounds, always a lovely place. Though he never did train here, he saw it a few times during travel. The place was well kept and, moving to a wall, he leaned on it to observe the ground, and more importantly, anyone else entering.

It was with great exuberance and excitement that Kitsu Kyumi, accompanied by her attendant, came to the entrance of the Daidoji Training grounds. Her emotions are obvious, although a light tug on the sleeve of her golden colored kimono from her attendant prompts her to make herself look more composed.

With a polite bow from both women, the bright red haired woman began her introduction. “I am Kitsu Kyumi, and this is my attendant Omi.” At being mentioned, the plainer looking of the two women gave another bow. Kyumi continued on to provide the requested information. After that, the two left after they were dismissed and began to make their way towards the Lion Clan tent.

Seichiro stood a few feet past the gate, looking down at the ground with his single eye. He was lost in thought, and excited. But feelings wanted to burst out of him, but he was nonetheless keeping his cool. He looked up a few times, blinking as his eye adjusted the amount of light going into his iris. He smiled, then sighed. A tournament! A chance to prove oneself worthy and to bring honor to one's family! He adjusted his eyepatch, then walked around, getting a feel of the battlefield. This felt just like back when he was a warlord; it was both exciting and unnerving.

He adjusted his belt and armor straps, then walked to the golden-colored Lion tent, the emblem of the clan proudly facing everyone who stared at the tent. He walked in, to see if there was anyone he knew. In a way, he was hoping there wasn't, because he was not a social man. He was a man of battle.

As Lord Sun rose over the eastern horizon and proceeded to journey across the sky, the hour of the tournament by hand. More and more samurai filtered into the Training Grounds. Some came as individuals, while others came with their own posses and troupes, be them onlookers, guards, or personal attendants.

The designated time would approach, and some samurai began to instinctively gather at a clearing near the tents, unsure of where to meet. Whether you join them is up to you, but eventually, an older woman in blue robes (marked by the same green insignia as Seppun Benjiro) would approach the crowd, clearing her throat. The few nearest her would quiet and turn to her, and eventually silence would overtake the gathered mob.

"Greetings, one and all. I am Doji Kita, Jade Magistrate. The Jade Champion, Kuni Utagu, has sent us a message; he regrettably informs us that he will not be able to attend the competitions to take place at this tournament. He has left myself, Seppun Benjiro, and Kuni Raicho in charge of overseeing the events."

Kita, though her voice was innocent sounding by nature, spoke firmly and without any doubts in her voice. Her gentile eyes contrasted with her assertive posture. Gesturing behind her, another larger, heavily-robed woman, in assorted greens and grays, would stand quietly and patiently, unmoving. Her face, painted in a macabre dance of black and white paints, would only somewhat mask the look of disinterest on her face.

"The Tournament itself will begin shortly. They will proceed thusly: For the next five days, there will be three competitions held, and you are limited to participating in at most, one of the three. Starting at midday, a competition to measure physical prowess will occur first. In the afternoons, a social competition will happen next, where you will be judged by your interactions with your fellow samurai. In the evenings, a measure of your intellectual fortitude will conclude the day's events."

"Seppun Benjiro has been logging in various contenders as you have arrived, and the information given will be used by us to help keep records for scoring purposes. Anyone who wins the competition for that day gets two marks after their name; the runner up will receive a single mark. The eight top-scoring contenders will compete in an Iaijutsu tournament on the sixth day, to determine the over-all winner of the tournament. Those who do not carry a katana can elect another willing samurai to champion them for this tournament, as normal."

"The physical competition for today will be a Martial Duel. Weapons of any melee caliber will be permitted. The winner will be determined by whomever strikes the most blows to their opponent, or whomever forces their opponent to submit. However, if you take the life of your opponent, you will be immediately disqualified from this tournament."

"The social competition for today is a Court Debate. Those who participate will attempt to discuss and argue various points on Rokugani culture and history. Remember; if you lose face, you also lose the debate."

"The mental competition will probably delight a good number of you. To close the competition for today, we will end with a light-hearted Go Tournament. May the best man or woman win!"

"Those that wish to compete in the Martial Duel, please report to Seppun Benjiro. Those that are interested in the Court Debate, please see me. Those that will participate in the Go Tournament, please see Kuni Raicho. That is all." She would simply turn and head towards the gates where you were greeted, the Kuni magistrate hot on her heels.

Kagae arrived at the Daidoji training grounds of the Crane earlier than expected. He was hoping that his diversions on the way there would help him avoid the event entirely. Luckily or unluckily for him he arrived on time just as the event was about to go under way.

"Um... Greetings... I am Kaiu Kagae a bushi of the Crab clan... Can I go in now? Thanks" he told this to a man to register for the tournament.

When he got further in he heard a call to remind people of the competitions going on.

'A duel? I'd be okay at that but there is certain to be people better than me at it... Social comepti- NO. A game of go? Never played it.' He sighed while he thought to himself and resigned himself to the duel.

He then reported to Seppun Benjiro to sign up for the martial duel before retreating to the Crab clan tent to ready for said duel.

When he reached the tent he immediately sat down on an available seat and pulled out a immaculate suit of heavy armor which of course was his own. He had worked on this during his travels here to get it to a suitable level of craftsmanship of which he was satisfied.

Kojiro stopped trying to get the attention of his fellow Scorpion participant. He had hoped to discuss the other participants with her, but the Soshi simply was not paying attention. Kojiro shrugged and signed up for the martial event. He wasn't much of a courtier.

After the woman finished speaking, he did what she said: she walked towards where Seppun Benjiro was, after asking around. He registered for the martial duel, and then proceeded to go back to the Lion tent, where he would practice his kata, before the tournament would start.

"Tch... the duel is for me." The Crane turned, noting a few of the other samurai there, especially marking out any of the Lion and in turn, if they wore a house insignia, the Matsu. Heading to sign up for the martial duel, he wondered how many would participate.

Kyumi had just about gotten up the courage to approach the large samurai that she was currently sharing the Lion Clan tent with when it became clear that the festivities were about to begin. Perhaps she would speak to him after the day’s competitions were over. After all, on the slim chance that she made it to the tournament’s finals, she’d need to find a champion. It’d be an insult to the Lion Clan on the whole if she didn’t seek the assistance of one of her own over one from another clan…

But that was something for her to think about later. For now, it was best to focus to the events at hand. From the explanations that the Jade Magistrate provided, it was obvious she had two choices- Either she took part in the debate or joined the Go tournament. The more she thought about it, the more appealing the game began to sound. Certainly, it might not be her best subject, but… She knew the game somewhat. Besides, considering how competitive the tournament would likely become, it might be a good idea to enjoy things while she still could…

Her mind made up, Kyumi went off to find Kuni Raicho. Once she had signed up, she retired to the Lion Clan tent, where she watched her fellow clan member as he practiced with some interest.

"Dueling, eh? I'll be interested in seeing what the Kakita have brought to bear this year!"

Turning around, Zanzen would see a man in his late twenties, grinning broadly. Tanned skin and fair hair, the bright-eyed man clearly wore a kimono of the Unicorn Clan colors. He would bow immediately upon catching Zanzen's attention.

"My name is Ide Jiro, though you may call me friend, if you'd like. I myself am not competing in the martial duel, but I'm curious about the competition gathered here thus far. Would you care to sit down with me for a cup of tea before the festivities begin?"

He would bow in return. "Kakita Zanzen of the Koriyuka."

The Crane raised a brow softly. "Perhaps in a bit. It seems that you draw interest from someone. I believe I should speak with him first. As a Crane to another. I wish you well in whatever contest you participate in." Taking his leave, Zanzen would approach the Courtier.

With a bow, he spoke. "Kakita Zanzen of the Koriyuka."

"It is fine, it is fine. Perhaps another time, then! If you excuse me, I'll be off to see if I can track down that Lioness I saw earlier." With a playful wink, he would grin and part ways with Zanzen.

The young Kakita would make his way over to the Clansmen that was watching from a distance and introduce himself. "Well met, Zanzen of the Koriyuka. I am Doji Koan, courtier of the Crane, and I've come to make sure that one of our own wins this competition." Koan would bow in return, though the attempt would almost seem half-hearted.

The white-haired young man would look in the direction the Ide had disappeared off to, frowning. He definitely had an air of confidence and superiority about him, and right now, Zanzen was about the only thing not getting on Koan's nerves.

"Be careful who you associate with, young Kakita. The other Great Clans have undoubtably sent spies and saboteurs to sow chaos into our ranks. If we stand by our training, we won't find ourselves disillusioned by their trickery. We need to watch each other's backs, you and I."

"You need not worry. I plan to win this. I will not bring shame to the Kakita Bushi school nor our name and Clan. Let them bring their tricks and dishonor themselves, I will persist with skill." He tilted his head slightly. "So, which competition are you in?"

Koan would smile, almost relieved at Zanzen's determination. "Thank you, Zanzen-san. There is one other duelist here, but his ineptitude shames me. May your courage show the rest of these rejects what it means to be a Crane."

Seppun Benjiro walked by the two not far away, shooting the two a glance without slowing his pace. As he headed towards the largest clearing, several samurai of various Clan affiliations began to flock towards him, despite him not saying a word; he merely stood there, patiently.

"I think that's your cue, Zanzen of the Koriyuka." Koan would bow his head down slightly - again, only slightly - towards the Kakita in acknowledgment of his potential.

"Then shall we see what the competition will be like?" He smiles, following his fellow Crane.

The Mantis Clan. The name brings to mind images of brutes. Pirates. Thugs. The Mantis bears and unsavory reputation that rivals that of the Scorpion. Acts of violence are not beyond it's members, and their use of such... inappropriate weapons... gave them more than enough of a reason for their reputation to be well deserved.

So why, then, did they send a diplomat?

Enter Yoritomo Hisashi. Courtier of the Yoritomo Courtier school. Small. Pale. Fragile. Not fond of the sword. By all rights, an unlikely samurai. But as the Mantis were a clan known for their unorthodox methods, so too must their warriors be.

It was his presence that set him apart from his looks. It was difficult to pinpoint, but it was clear that size and fragility were not problematic to this man. Indeed, the courtier was not openly concerned about anything. As Hisashi entered the training grounds on the morning of the tournament, his mind was not filled with doubt or dread. He was a professional. He had trained for this. He would use every tool at his disposal and bring honor and glory to his clan.

After seeking directions, Hisashi made his way to the Jade Magistrate in order to register for the social competition. Though he was mildly disappointed that he could not also participate in the Go competition, he would mentally tell himself take note of the winner. Perhaps he could get a quick game in with the man before tournament was over. After all, one needs to practice all of their skills in order to keep them fresh and available for use.

Once signed up, he would quietly wait for the event to begin. Standing outside, he would quietly watch the actions of everyone running about the place and mentally preparing himself for court. Though he were curious about the other competitors, he chose to not seek out their company. He wanted to keep his assets a secret, at least until he was done with the first competition. He would not be rude to others if they approached (etiquette was something he was trained in, after all) but he didn't intend to show his hand unnecessarily.

Best to keep the trump card hidden until the time was right.

By the time Kagae arrived, there was already someone from his Clan in the tent. A woman, sleeping in her bed, several scrolls and books strewn about. Upon examination, she probably fell asleep studying. In one hand, she clutches a finger of jade tightly.

Kagae after finishing preparing his armour and also donning it except for the helmet. He had also placed his Katana to one side so he could sit down if he needed to. Noticing the nest of paper Kagae leaned in to see if he could read any of the scroll and titles of the books.

The girl would stir beneath her blankets, but not wake. The scrolls are components for shugenja to cast their spells from. The books are various subjects and topics. By the looks of things, she was up all night preparing for today.

Kagae was always baffled by the spirituality needed to be a shugenja it seemed to rely on willpower rather than physics. Still it intrigued him how people could devote their lives to such things. He realised that if he let her sleep she may end up missing any events she signed up for and it would be nice to know if any other Crab clan are attending the event.

He willed the courage to wake the sleeping woman after a while, "Um... Excuse me.... I am Kaiu Kagae a Kaiu engineer and I was wondering... If you had signed up to any of the competitions going on and also that if any other Crab clan members are attending?"

He finished saying all of this and quickly remembered to bow, even if it was sudden and rigid, nearly forgetting all etiquette which was a result from his hermit ways.

The woman would stir and waken suddenly, shooting Kagae a nasty glare. She would pull down the blanket, revealing that she had been clutching a tanto dagger quite tightly, its blade glistening from the small amount of sunlight that breached through the tent's entrance.

"..." She would eye the man up and down, sizing him up. She would reach beside her bed and grab the sheath to the blade, putting away the tanto. "You must either be Crab, brave enough to get so close to a Kuni unannounced, or gaijin trash, too stupid to know any better. Thank the fortunes that it's the former."

She would stand up, reaching up to rub one of her eyes quickly. "Kuni Kaori," she simply stated, looking back at Kagae. Suddenly, she seemed a bit more alarmed. "Wait, what time is it...?" She would finally realize what Kagae had woken her to tell her. Kaori suddenly flew into a panic, stuffing scrolls inside their case and trying her best to straighten her shugenja robes, muttering about her own stupidity before flying out of the tent without composing herself. Just like that, she was gone.

Watching the woman leave he realised she had only answered one of his questions but at least he knew her name and that she might be taking part of the martial duel if she ran off that quickly.

Martial duel...

'Damn! I'm taking part in that! Oh waily wail I hope I do not have to face her or get myself hurt' Kagae thought to himself as he gathered his helmet and katana.

He left the tent clutching his katana in his right hand and his helmet under his left arm as he hurried to the area the duels were taking place in.

Seichiro would keep this up for quite a few minutes, doing gentle, quick strokes with his Katana, and would've kept it up if he didn't notice the woman watching him. He choked, and almost tripped and fell down. He put his katana back in the scabbard, and bowed down to her.

"I am sorry. I didn't know you were here, ma'am." He said this words with a serious, yet gentle and serene tone, one that didn't really fit a man that tall or a Matsu.

Kyumi had been startled by Seichiro's sudden break in concentration, and couldn't help but feel a bit flustered when she realized that she had been the cause.

"My deepest apologies! I-I didn't mean to disturb you!" She bowed deeply as she spoke. "I am Kitsu Kyumi... I would have introduced myself earlier, but you are... Difficult to approach." Kyumi glanced upward to the large Matsu man when she heard him speak to her in gentle tone rather than start to scold her.

"You have expert form. I couldn't help but watch while you were practicing..."

"I am Matsu Seichiro, at your service, Kyumi-san." He gave her another deep bow, then would gesture for her to take a seat, if she wished to. "I am sorry, I'm not a man who is... very good with words. Plus, my height makes sure people won't approach me for conversation. It's both a blessing and a curse."

He would walk to his bag, taking out a small tea set for 2. "Would you be interested in some tea?" Regardless, he would start preparing some tea.

"Ah... excuse me?" An older man, probably in his last forties, would poke his head in through the doors. He wore simple, unmarked, gray robes. His fair skin had started to wrinkle, and equally fair hair had started to thin. He had a somewhat bushy mustache, but otherwise, no other facial hair.

"I'm sorry for intruding. Could I ask a favor of you two, Samurai of the Lion Clan? My name is Kan, I'm a monk from the Order of Four Temples. It seems in their haste, the Jade Magistrates did not put up a tent for guests besides those from the Great Clans. Would you consider giving this humble monk lodging within your own tent? I would be greatly honored if you considered my request." He would bow deeply assuming he wasn't turned away immediately, his head dipping down below his waistline, and would remain that way.

Whether you accepted his request or not, he would then add, "I believe the Samurai competing in the martial duel are gathering now, if either of you are competing."

Seichiro would bow to the monk, smiling at him. "Well, since that is my cue, I believe it is time for me to go participate. So please, take my seat here, Kan-san. Make yourself comfortable."

He would shift his attention to the stunning Shugenja, smiling and giving her a bow with his head. "If you would not mind, after the competitions are over, could I perhaps see you later, if you'd like?"

At the entrance of someone new, Kyumi quickly got to her feet to greet him.

"As Matsu-san has no issue with it, neither do I. It would be an honor to have you as our guest, Kan-san." Kyumi gave a shallow bow and smiled as she spoke, although she frowned slightly as she thought of the monk's predicament. "It's... disappointing that our hosts ended up overlooking you. I hope that they are at least able to accommodate for your other needs. Otherwise, I believe we'd both have reason to be upset."

While Seichiro began to leave, Kyumi bowed shallowly to him in farewell.
"I would like that. I will look forward to hearing of your victory when you return." She replied to him; her face had quickly reverted back to its usual cheerful expression. ”Have they announced when the other competitions will start yet?” She asked.

Seichiro bowed yet again to both the monk and Kyumi, and took his leave. He would walk towards the many men gathered in the arena, all armed with their weapons, and stood behind them, clearly taller than them.

Kojiro rummaged through his sack, pulling out many things, like his piece of jade and his battered copy of Lies to reveal his Kusarigama. He set the weapon down and then repacked his possessions.

Kojiro stood up straight and gave the chain portion of the kusarigama a few practice swings, careful not to get out of control and either clonk himself on the head or send the weighted end through the tent.

After Kojiro finished, he wrapped the chain into a coil and fixed the kusarigama across from his daisho.

"Tell me, Lady Soshi, will you be joining me in the test of arms? Or will you be attending the other two events?"

Kojiro would proceed to unpack his things. Not far away was a Soshi woman, who had arrived very recently. Clothed in black robes embroidered with red. Despite being the middle of the spring, and it being warm, she wore her robes a bit looser than what might arguably be proper. Whether or not Kojiro would call her on that would be up to him; however, she has a very seductive quality to her. Another problem came with her mask; a veil over just her eyes, woven like black spiderwebs that made it nearly impossible to see through from the outside. 'My eyes are up here' was kind of difficult to enforce when one's eyes were completely hidden.

"Hmm?" she would ask, looking up from the chest that she was loading her things into. "Oh, dear me, no. I'm more of a lover than a fighter. I'm going to speak at the debate. Thought about playing in the Go tournament, but I haven't played since I was a child."

Closing the chest, she would stand straight up and place a hand on her hip, eyeing(?) Kojiro up and down. "I don't believe I know of you. You definitely carry yourself like a Bayushi. Not that that's a... bad thing..."

"I carry myself as the Bayushi I am most suited to be. I would say you carry yourself like a Bayushi as well... Bayushi Kachiko." Kojiro bowed respectfully. "I am Bayushi Kojiro of the Trail's Respite Village. Since you have been here longer than I have, perhaps you could favor me with your observations on various contestants in the duel, Lady Soshi? I would be indebted to you, of course."

The scorpion woman would pull out a fan and cool herself with it, hiding a smirk behind the paper folds. "You honor me, Bayushi Kojiro. I am Soshi Maru, up-and-coming shugenja sent by our Daimyo to help us win this tournament. There is one more, but I expected him here already..." Snapping the fan shut, Maru would throw a glance(?) towards the tent's door, as if expecting someone to be there.

"You are mistaken, however. I have only just arrived. I cannot tell you much about who has already arrived; not yet, anyways. I can tell you about who I saw in Mura Sabishii Toshi that were preparing to leave around the same time I was. A Crab bushi, definitely Hida... A Dragon wielding a large polearm... and a Unicorn woman who was more patient than any Unicorn I've ever seen. There were more definitely others, but I did not get a good look at them."

She would take a few careful, meticulous steps closer to Kojiro, long clean legs protruding from beneath her kimono with every bit of distance she closed with him. "If you are truly indebted to me as you claim... whom have you observed?" Walking around the side of the bushi, Maru would whisper quietly, "If this keeps up, we may find ourselves in a... beautiful working relationship."

Kojiro struggled fiercely to control his emotions. The bushi was sure that his face would be as red as the clan mon if he wasn't careful.

"Err..am..I saw a Crane duelist arriving. He kept one eye closed for some reason. You could tell there was still an eye in it. A..after that, I saw a Kitsu shugenja and her servant arrive. Both decidedly young." Kojiro swallowed and focused, allowing him to relay his observations without further stumbling.

"A Matsu bushi arrived after the shugenja did, and was wearing a patch over one of her eyes. She was easily taller than the Crab who followed her. I'm sure the Crab was not the same Crab you saw. I spotted the Kaiu mon on his armor as the event registration took place."

"Those were all I saw before I retired to this tent."

Soshi Maru would bite her lip gently, rapping her folded fan against her open palm rhythmically. "Kitsu....." was all she would say. She would smirk then, taking it all in. "Excellent. I think I have the edge over all the other shugenjas, then. You've been a real help, Bayushi Kojiro." She would lean over and place a gentle kiss on his cheek, before walking back to her bunk.

"You best be heading out soon. I don't want to... make you late for your first showing in the tournament." She would sit upon her bed, crossing her legs and leaning back on her hands. "Oh! If you do come across Naizen there, don't let him intimidate you. He's really a big softy." She would smile.

@ Kojiro blushed furiously as the Soshi's lips touched his skin. I think that may be the goal of some of the other contestants of this tournament, Maru. Your information has been enlightening as well. I know exactly who to watch out for now.

Kojiro bowed as he took his leave of the Scorpion and paused before he left the tent to wipe off any makeup that Maru may have left on his cheek.