Shinjo's Agenda
Current Events
Waiting on letters from :
Ledaal Venosa - response to letter from morning 22nd AW
Sesus Nagat - an invite to his Villa and the cultural artifacts collected within
V'neef Mahara - invite to a gala to recruit the Untamed Flame
V'neef Kalla - response to changes to Instruction of the Wastrel
Ledaal Mercurio - an invite to peruse books on the Orderly Flame and Teran Woo
Shinjo is currently focused on finishing his play for the Festival of Wood. To that end he is adapting Immaculate treatises and hoping to 'borrow' from obscure southern works of theater by following Prodigal Salt's example. His immediate concerns are visiting the Serpent's villa, attending Toji Temple and fending off betrothals from Cynis Hibare and Mnemon Miasa; the latter he wants to lead on for a time longer in hopes of gaining knowledge of lord Dashwe and lady Kora (MAIN PLOT). Once his play is done he may also visit the Academy to show it to the monk Radiant Coal as pretext for asking after Okubo (MAIN PLOT).
Future plans include rehearsals for Mahara's gala, fielding the demands of the Untamed Flame for a role denied, and organizing a night of revelry with Jozan and Cynis Bei for Tyros' bachelor party.
Shinjo also has to deliver a letter for his father to Kalla, as well as obtaining her measurements for a suit of armor. Shinjo owes Kalla his arm for securing a gala invite and visiting a coastal retreat with her... which almost certainly means Arjuf.
List of Subplots
Infiltration of the Cathedral
The All-Seeing Eye wants Shinjo to exploit his connection with Ragara Thannak-Tyros to obtain further access and information. The Eye demands specific details of all connections and interactions between Thannak-Tyros/the Cathedral, Ragara Raman/the 6th Legion, and the Black Helms... times and dates of meetings, contents of conversations, supply/payment transfers, and production orders.
- Shinjo has spoken to Tyros at length about various aspects of his craft: his desire to create new wonders over repairing and maintaining old ones, the loss of various arts like the crafting of artifacts of permanent effect that do not require such maintenance, and the techniques required for utilizing materials like moonsilver.
- The Eye passed along a clue on asking Tyros about the Mnemon monks who staff his Cathedral, Shinjo has not found a good way to bring this up yet
- Tyros let slip that his betrothal to V'neef Pepaa is a also a business partnership of sorts. Combined with his utter focus on his work at the Cathedral and his professed lack of skill in her field of bureaucracy, the implication is that she is involved in the management of his business. Shinjo intends to cross her path to learn more about her.
- Shinjo commissioned a suit of light armor from Tyros for V'neef Kalla. Assuming pick up is done at Tyros' manse, Shinjo and the Eye might use it as an opportunity to investigate his private documents... seeing as the circle keeps records of the Okubo investigation there, this might need to be diverted in some way.
East 9th Ward: Printing The Pillow Book
Shinjo promised Sesus Nagat a story on the unexpressed romance between Sesus Zhoutai and Peleps Archova, as well as promising Sesus Kimiasha a pillow book. The two ideas are combined, and production begins with a visit to Cynis Shungado, master of shunga woodblock art, and to the Theatre of Enticing Display for inspiration.
- Once art is done Shinjo plans to have the pillow book printed in the East 9th 'Zhoutarn' printery as an excuse to visit in person and investigate.
- Shungado poisoned Shinjo and used him as a model for some of the artwork, causing Shinjo to wander the Palace halls in some sort of crazed manner. He appears to have run across Cynis Tiburon, Tepet Jozan, and Peleps Staemos... which bodes ill.
- Shinjo may have spoken at great length about the women in his life with Shungado, as the man appears aware of the liason with Miasa and has also drugged and painted pictures of Kimiasha and Sorae entangled in bed together. Wow.
The Play of Teran Woo
The Ledaal City Maidens Saturnia and Venosa, as well as Senator Yashiva, have requested a play written for the express purpose of convincing House Cathak to march the 2nd Legion south to defeat Saloy Hin. It will be performed at the Festival of Sextes Jylis. Cathak Baitai, General Meata's lover, has agreed to act in it, but Shinjo's attempt to recruit Cathak Vessala at the Spring Flowers gala failed.
- Shinjo decided to use the Battle of Teran Woo to stand as metaphor in place of Scorpion Ridge, where troops from both Ledaal and Cathak units bested a dragon of Hin's. He read about Teran Woo in Sesus Ketek's book, as well as getting the tale from Rekka, a fire elemental summoned to share his bed.
- The intent is to "correct" Ketek's history books and thereby please General Meata, who hates her husband. The play will also show that House Ledaal's scholars share the same values as the Cathak historians with relation to "truth", as Shinjo intends to use the stage to alter the history of events such that two Dragon-Blooded armies won the field at Teran Woo, and not an assemblage of gods and elementals absent DB commanders.
- Shinjo convinced Tyros to recruit a fang of dragon armor pilots to act as Shogunate-era officers in a bid to involve his House's other interests in sorcery and scavenging.
- The play will feature a theme for the religious in the audience of how the words of the Immaculate creed inspired the corrupt censor Swan Dragon to lead many of his fellows in the famous battle of Teran Woo under Terrestrial command.
Maharra's Gala
STAEMOS
While drugged and wandering the Palace, Shinjo appears to have encountered Peleps Staemos.
- Cejanis received a crate of peach schnapps (I suspect it is rice-wine with peach flavor?) with a letter from Staemos asking for her to forward the gifts to Shinjo as "completion of his end of their contract". Cejanis has sent several letters to Shinjo that have progressively angrier. She also inquired with Senator Yashiva about Shinjo's dealings with Staemos, which caused the old man to snap a cookie in twain.
- Shinjo sent a letter to Peleps Staemos with an overly cryptic poem.
This is my favorite infiltration on the Citadel
The Eye also demands explicit details be gathered from the Citadel of Purifying Flame: exact troop numbers, unit identifications, contents of arsenals and deployment preparations, names of officers present, destinations of any deployments.
- Shinjo largely bailed on this objective, though hope remains that Cathak Caiji can be tapped as a resource on 1st Legion movements.
Marriages
There seem to be particular omens that trigger Shinjo's destined marriage. Notable related events are sex in a manse, pillow-books, and gifts of adamantine glass; Shinjo is not aware of the latter.
House Cathak
The Houses of Cathak and Ledaal have recent close relations, and as a "Ledaal without sorcery" Shinjo is an ideal candidate for a match to a suitable Cathak. Likely politcal angle is sealing the agreement to march the Second Legion south. This House is considered Shinjo's least favored match however.
The Untamed Flame was present at the Spring Flowers Gala, and was Shinjo's first choice for the role in Venosa's script. Her wild antics and threats towards Sorae resulted in Shinjo looking elsewhere for a lead actress. She was present at the Citadel of Purifying Flame, but Shinjo avoided her there in fear that his House meant to replicate his romance with Miasa and would threaten him with binding to the House of War. Recently, Shinjo engaged Vneef Mahara to write the Flame and imply that she was being denied the role at the Festival on account of the young playwright's wandering heart.
Talonlord in the 1st, Cathak Caiji is Septimus' favored candidate. She may be under the impression Shinjo is more heroic than he truly is due to his pressure on helping her see through the rumors spread through House Cathak. On AW22 V'Neef Cejanis lied to Shinjo and said she had overheard rumors of a possible match for him with Caiji in order to threaten him. He over-reacted somewhat.
House Vneef
Another close ally of House Ledaal, no obvious candidate has been put forward from the House Placentic. Unknown politics. Shinjo considers Vneef the least onerous home he could be sent to... aside from his childhood friend who stands as an easy match.
The worst. A young potential Senator from Ledaal or Cathak is her ideal match, someone she can control. Shinjo asked her to assemble a list of attractive Vneef women for him to couple with in hopes of arranging something more suitable to his tastes... and to help her stop his marriage to a Cynis. Cejanis betrayed that trust and threatened him with a Cathak match, sundering the fragile agreement for the moment.
Strictly speaking not a Vneef at all but an outcaste, Kalla has been maneuvering to secure a husband since before the beginning of the chronicle. She agreed to sail for Arjuf for a performance, with speculation she was promised Shinjo as her husband (I think the actual terms were "any bachelor in the Palace of Vines" because Venosa is a witch)... learning the date of that deal may be of use in the Okubo investigation. At the very least she has recruited Tepet Jozan, Vneef Mahara and Sesus Seramis in her efforts to manipulate Shinjo. The boy has no idea, as he believes that she and Jozan are lovers; besides, who would want to marry INTO House Ledaal?
House Cynis
The House of Art traded a son to Arjuf a hundred years ago with promise the blood would be returned; Cynis Tiburon clearly feels Shinjo is "the Prince that was Promised" and is trying to force the issue now for political advantage in returning his vineyards. Shinjo's second-most preferred home, aside from the poor quality of the candidates, the highly political nature of the alliance, inevitable sexual abuse, having to train slaves, etc.
Twin sisters of the Belar line threatening the bachelorhood of Shinjo and Jozan. Shinjo had the occasional dalliances with both at the Academy, and knows that the two cannot stand each other for long.
Short and eternally youthful, Banqui is sensitive about her swordsmanship skills and child-like appearance.
Lacking the perfect beauty of many of the City's actresses, Lara will be angered by mention of her crooked nose.
House Sesus
The feathery Kajak branch is putting forth a candidate, mostly due to Sesus Kimiasha's whim and desire to free Sorae's lover from the House of Sorcery. Politics might concern Immaculate assistance with salt rate?
Student at the Academy and theatrical prodigy. Daughter of Sesus Seramis.
House Mnemon
Alliance between the two Houses strong in the Immaculate Order heralds some agreement for a religious project. Likely they are negotiating a deal to suppress the salt gods who are abusing the opening with the Realm's disorder to exploit the common-folk reliant on them. This behavior has had repercussions on the Empire's economics, especially on the western prefectures.
Fellow student at the Academy, and partner for rumored coupling atop the Crystal Palace. She attended the Cloister and knows Earth Dragon Martial Arts. Sorae sighted her at a tea house in company of her father and Ledaal Iago, nestor of the salt god temple.
House Peleps
Staemos made an offer to the Ledaals of Imperial Navy shipping their precious Scavenger Trade across the Inner Sea instead of Vneef Merchant Marine ships. Peleps and Ledaal are former allies from before House Vneef's formation and assumption of the merchant fleet.
A fire aspected bureaucrat, notable for classical Dynast clothing including golden hair pins, well-painted face and intricately brocaded robes of red and gold.
A water aspected sorceress, notable clothing a dress of obsidian butterflies and an outfit of chains and thigh-high boots.
House Ragara
Unknown, though likely speculation is their matchmaker Ragara Storona will retaliate against her rival Venosa by stealing her 'Painted Boy'. Considering Storona is unmarried and looking for a husband, the theft may be quite direct.
House Ledaal
The Lady of Scythes threatened to marry Venosa's "pet" should they fail in their assigned task.
List of Realm Plot Hooks
CRUSH ALL SALT GODS QTIYD
- Corruption within the ranks of the salt gods is causing them to raise the rates they tax... which has a knock on effect on all moneylending (and insurance?) as the salt rate is used as the interest rate for many businesses. The northwest parts of the Isle are suffering the worst from this, though it is an issue across the Isle.
