Art: https://l5r-game.fandom.com/wiki/Polar_ ... Engine.png
Strangely, the abbess is not supervising the preparations for the parade. Someone looking for her would eventually discover, first by chance then by following the sound of voices once they're close enough, that she is situated on one of the monastery's balconies. A natural terrace with a parapet added to avoid accidents, only accessible through an unlit corridor, facing the direction opposed to the road and the monastery's entrance, it's a semi-hidden location the monks sometimes use when they need solitude.
Alone she is not however. Haruhi is here with her, both figures standing out from the mountainous background behind them. They are going through a discussion still amiable at this point but dancing on the edge, the abbess' facade showing cracks of annoyance for the first time in days.
"Oshō-sama..."
"I hear your arguments Haruhi-chan. I've heard them a lot already. You and Wu have been coming at me on this subject for weeks now. And I keep telling you Hiro's choice is his own."
"I know Hiro well. He is not nearly as decided as you make it sounds. One word from you could change everything!"
"And why would I tell him it's too early for him to take up his final vows?"
"Because it is! He's going through a rough patch at the moment, but it's still far too early for him to retire from the world!"
"You underestimate the boy's faith. He is a born monk."
"And you underestimate what he has to lose by shaving his head for good now. He'll never reach his full potential, as a monk or otherwise, that way."
"Wu and you, you don't realize how much there is to gain from simple contemplation."
"And you, you don't realize how much there is to contemplate beyond these walls."
"Haruhi-chan..."
This event will be an Intrigue Conflict Event in Structured Time, using Stances. All restrictions on how to spend opportunities, or which technique can be activated, are lifted for this event.
This event is limited to three PCs and will start as soon as three players have posted here.
On entering thread, please:
Roll TN 1 Sentiment, adding your Focus to the result, to determine your Initiative.
Reminder: The Initiative roll is not affected by stances. However, the ring you choose for it does determine the stance you'll be in until your first turn, at which point you can switch stances.
Indicate your Vigilance and Status scores as this is useful for some techniques.
Make a post in your private forum listing all your advantages and disadvantages that you think might be relevant to the subject, as well as your questions about your social techniques requiring GM's input.
Secretly choose one of the following objectives and send me a PM with your decision:
✽ Objectives
✿ Support the abbess
The abbess won't talk to Hiro on Haruhi's behalf.You may only target Haruhi with the Persuade Action. This is a TN1 Command or TN2 any other Social skill check. On success, Tokiko's score increases by 1, plus 1 additional point for every 2 bonus successes.
You achieve your Objective if, at the end of any PC's turn, Tokiko's score is 8 or more and at least 2 points greater than Haruhi's score, or if no other Objective has been achieved by the end of the fifth round.
✿ Support the student
The abbess will throw in a word for Hiro that maybe he should delay his vows for now.You may only target Tokiko with the Persuade Action. This is a TN2 Courtesy or TN3 any other Social skill check. On success, Haruhi's score increases by 1, plus 1 additional point for every 2 bonus successes.
You achieve your Objective if, at the end of any PC's turn, Haruhi's score is 8 or more, and at least 2 points greater than Tokiko's score.
✿ Strike a compromise
The abbess will talk to Hiro, retelling what has been said today, all the arguments raised in this very discussion, and he'll come to a conclusion of his own.You may target either Haruhi or Tokiko, using the same rules as above.
You achieve your Objective if, at the end of any PC's turn, both Haruhi's score and Tokiko's score are 6 or more, and the difference between them is 1 or less.
By the book Intrigue events, so characters take turn firing "social attacks" at the NPCs until high enough scores to trigger the event's end are achieved.
Characters can unmask once to reset their strife to zero and heal up to one of the following conditions: Dazed, Disoriented, Enraged, Silenced.
This is done at the cost of Minor Breach of Compassion, Courtesy, Righteousness, or Sincerity (player's choice), forfeiting Honor as defined on pages 300-301 (as much as Honor rank as a default).
Special
Since the PCs can only target NPCs with actions as a default, and that NPCs will only target each other out of simplicity, the Air and Earth Stances would offer no advantage to the PCs. To compensate for that, the following rule will be used:
When a PC uses an Earth based Scheme action against either Tokiko or Haruhi, the opposite NPC gets the benefit of the Earth stance until the PC's next turn (cannot spend to inflict conditions on them). In other words, the NPC they're siding with will "share" the benefit of their stance. Same thing with Air and its +1 ATN bonus. Max one such bonus at a time, the newest one replacing the older one. No effect if the NPC is already in, or switches to, either Air or Earth stance.
NPCs
Mother Tokiko and Sister Haruhi are characters in the scene and can be targeted not only by the Persuade action, but also by techniques, abilities, effects of opportunities, etc. They can take and heal strife, and be affected by Conditions.
In case they become Compromised, their Vigilance is treated as 1, effectively making most checks against them (including the Persuade action) TN1.
They start with the following stats:
✽ Mother Tokiko
Vigilance: 3
Status: Always considered higher than the PCs for that scene (every captain's a king on their ship)
Stance: Void
Strife: 6/? (not Compromised)
Initiative: 0
Starting score: 0
✽ Sister Haruhi
Vigilance: 2
Status: Always considered lower than the PCs for that scene (novice monk out of their depth)
Stance: Fire
Strife: 2/? (not Compromised)
Initiative: 1
Starting score: 3
At the end of the scene:
If Tokiko' side "won", characters that supported it earn a fluff invitation for tea with the abbess, 6 Information points evenly split among them, and one Tidbit for each 3 three points earned that way (individually).
If Haruhi's side "won", characters that supported it gain a fluff invitation for sparring with the student, and 6 Impression points evenly split among them.
If a compromise is achieved, each character that supported it gain 6 points, evenly split among them, plus one additional point individually. These points can be Information, Impression, or a mix (player's choice). One Tidbit is awarded for each 3 three Information points earned that way (individually).
In addition, one Information Tidbit will also be awarded to all participants for each time a NPC had to unmask (so, to a maximum of 2).
