Heir of the Mitsumine Clan - Royal Correspondence and Gossip Houses

You could make noodles out of rice.

No, they used wheat to make noodles, they just didn't figure out how to make bread.

There were a lot of decrees passed that prohibited things imported from the West, including bread (which was first seen with Portuguese missionaries in the late 1540s). It wasn't invented natively in Japan, and by the time people had seen it to maybe figure out how to make it, it was illegal.

Oh wow, they banned bread? That's...kinda interesting. What did the west did to the Japanese to warrant such a ban?

It wasn't really anything the West did, per se. Japan was just a very isolationist country, and it pursued a lot of policies that limited or banned interaction with the West. From the late 1630s until the Black Ships showed up in... 1658?, the country was entirely closed off.

dang bro. The More You Know, that's pretty knowledgeable.

It's been said that someone alive to witness some of the last battles fought with swords in Japan (the Satsuma rebellions in 1877, which I think The Last Samurai is based off of, maybe?) could conceivably have lived to see the atomic bombs dropped in 1945. Japan was stagnant for a long, long time, or maybe refining if you prefer to call it that, and then when it changed it changed fast.

Do Japanese breakfasts usually include sake?

Not really I believe, Takeshi only took a little in a pseudo toast to Ainori's health and rule, but aside from that he's drinking water. Still, there should be some around in case someone wished to drink to her health.

Hm. I'm wondering what the best way to introduce Kasuria would be since she lives with Ainori and Takeshi.

edited 30th Aug '14 5:02:53 PM by Chariot

Me and Theo were discussing in PM regarding ninjas and stuff and he agreed that we should post the world building part of our message in this thread so here:

If ninja clans were to allow double agency or turning coat to a side with the highest bidder, it would mean that clans like Blood Lotus and The Tigers would be long gone ages ago with that logic since no one trust them if that's the case. I think there is this rule that, once you're contracted by one side, you're stick to that side till the contract expires and both clans must take this rule seriously. If they suspect any foul play, they'll run extensive investigative scans on their network and kill out any ninjas who turncoat.

On the Ninja Clans or at least, the Blood Lotus. Theodore asked me, so I post my reply to him here as general information.

They are very honorable to an extend. And they are regularly used by the people in power. Thing is that you don't tend to hire them merely for assassination. People in power hire one to be a long term sort of bodyguard. Not so much muscle as an expert in infiltration, espionage and the like. Someone that can run your security detail to deal with hidden threats and other assassination attempts, as well as run your information and the like. These ninjas tend to not proclaim they are so, of course, blending into other positions on the staff or simply accepting charges of chief of security or intelligence, perhaps even blend in with the staff or guards. That is why you don't usually announce you are Blood Lotus, even to the guard of your client. That is talked in private and even if your staff knows, its not widely spoken off.

When you do want to assassinate someone, you usually don't send your bodyguard ninja at it... not usually. You hire another one to do the deed, probably arranging it with your own ninja. Your chief ninja bodyguard can also hire others from his clan, usually of a lower rank, to serve as their informant or as backup agents if the person they cover is too important. It's one thing for a single person to keep a mansion safe, another thing to keep an entire palace safe.

And once again, once you got a contract, you negotiate the terms and they aren't to be broken. When there are conflicting loyalties, the Blood Lotus keep to their contract, so there have been instances of Blood Lotus killing others of their clan to keep their contract safe and this is fair game. Everyone knows what they are getting into, even if they try to avoid such conflicts. There are usually clauses in the contract to prevent this kind of thing from happening... however, your bodyguard will never assist in your own assassination. Worst thing that can happen is for you to receive communication that the Blood Lotus cannot protect you anymore and the agents in your employ to leave you with a given grace period before another Blood Lotus comes to you.

edited 31st Aug '14 4:06:33 PM by daltar

Everyone a little announcement, please try to finish your introductions fairly soon, as the first event of the RP is approaching.

Just so everyone knows, I'm getting a rain check on Mikoto's private meeting with Ainori so we can get the first event underway.

@Daird: I assume Jun followed Ainori and Yasu out of the dining hall and stood guard near the private room? Because that's the only way he could've seen Yasu and the cat.

@sgtpendulum:

Famous Last Words.

No! BAD KITTY >:<

Aaaaaaaaaand now that I've suggested Ainori likes the gift, Daltar's going to make it terrible. Like a pile of horse crap or something.

Just as a note, there's no way anyone is wearing any weapons inside the hall, especially not at a diplomatic meeting. Ghiren's right-handed, right? If so, his sword would be on the floor on his right side, with the blade turned inward to make it all but impossible for him to draw with any kind of speed. Same for the Horse soldiers. Anything else is either disrespect at best or plotting assassination at worst.

So..now that we have our Spymaster, any suggestions or preferences on how I should introduce him?

Hmmmm you may contact our newly hired ninja's on the dinning room and let them know you'll be their boss in the Mitsumine household, or if you want to help Ainori, you can go into her next meetings and give advice... though need to look proper for that.

Just an FYI: If I haven't been active in the RP as of late, it's because my current situation has become rather busy. I'll check in when I can, but for the time being, our General's going to be kind of quiet. That said, in a few weeks, things should calm down on my end, and I should be able to participate more then.

Understood, kk!