04: The Competition, Day Two

Your conversation is cut short as you reach your lodgings and find a small army of servants rushing about. Each of you are quickly hurried off to your rooms and the servants help to prepare you for the evenings feast. In fairly short order you find yourselves at the local magistrates estate, an elegant home overlooking the village which is currently festooned with lanterns and packed with servants and guests. The house has its doors thrown open to the warm spring evening, transforming its interior into one massive feast hall around a central garden.
A servant bows to you as you enter and escorts you to your seats at a long table set aside for the contestants. At the head of the table is Kakita Toshimoko, flanked on either side by town magistrate Kakita Kaetatsu and the priest from the contest. Kitsuki Yuikimi and Bayushi Sugai sit across from him as honored guests, and each favors you with a glance as you reach your seat—a friendly one from Yuikimi, and a dour glare from Sugai.
Most of your fellow contestants are already here and enjoying the sake as well. Hitoshi, in particular, seems to be muttering darkly into his cup which surprises you all somewhat as his performance at the end of the day has seemed enough to have passed his Gempuku. Infact you are quite pleased to see all of the contestants have passed. Before you get chance to check on the Mantis there is a small ringing of a gong signifying that the guests should begin to present their gifts to their host, Kakita Toshimoko. As tradition dictates the guests of the Dragon clan are expected to present theirs first and after perhaps seeing Yoshi's slight hesitation as consent Mirumoto Hinata moves to present their gift, a book of stories and philosophies of some of the greatest Shinseist thinkers of the Dragon Clan. After the polite series of refusals and repeated offerings Toshimoko accepts the gift and seems to spend a moment reading a note that was slipped inside before smiling slightly and nodding at Hinata in thanks. Most eyes now turn to Yoshi as Hinata regains their seat.

Yoshi presents their gift and whilst Toshimoko seems a little bemused he says "My thanks, philosophy is not my strongest suit Yoshi-san but I hope to gain some enlightenment from your gift" and he bows in thanks.

Yasuki Jun presents a small cask. From the markings on the side it appears to a cask of Friendly Traveller Sake, widely regarded as one of the best in Rokugan. Toshimoko smiles widely at the gift and seems very grateful for the gift.

Kashita is up next and after the presentation Toshimoko is silent for a long few moments before smiling faintly "Remarkable, you have caught his likeness incredibly well Kashita-san. I know just the place for this to go." he favours you with a slight smile as he bows in thanks.

Moto Batbayar presents a caged songbird that they found in the western lands beyond the boundaries of the empire.

Bayushi Mei Lin presents next. The Scorpion strangely offers up incense and perfumes that are known to come from the Spice Islands of the Mantis. Whilst he politely accepts Toshimoko's face takes a decidedly harder turn at this gift.

Aki then presents her gift and his mood seems to lift somewhat as he accepts the book of prayers. He opens the book seemingly at random and reads a passage to himself and smiles slightly before thanking her.

Shiba Toya presents a poem written in honour of the Grey Crane and is shown to be written in stunning calligraphy.

Kakita Riku presents a broken bokken, which is clearly worthless but makes Toshimoko laugh out loud and smile warmly.

Kitsu Tsubasa presents an elegant jewelled fan that once belonged to one of Toshimoko’s ancestors who married into the Lion Clan.

As the gift giving is taking place Hitoshi's expression gets increasingly darker, the Mantis seems to be getting increasingly annoyed by the proceedings. As the Lion rejoins his seat the servants begin to bring more drinks and the first course of the meal but before they have put more than a few bowls of food onto the table Hitoshi explodes out from his seat! "Enough!" Hitoshi shouts, standing and knocking a jar of rice wine from the hands of a nearby servant. ’’I am not to be ignored, passed over, insulted at every turn! I, too, have a gift for you, Kakita-samal" He points one accusing finger as the hall rings with silence "I challenge you to a duel!". At this the room falls silent and you all see the now familiar ghostly figure of Doji Satsume starting at Hitoshi, you feel you have but a moment to act as Toshimoko seems too stunned to think right at this instance....

Duels to the death are fairly rare to be honest. For minor slights or insults, perceived or otherwise, a duel would normally be to first touch or blood. Duels to the death are typically only reserved for the most serious transgressions.

To elaborate, you'd all be aware of the following - the parties involved would be usually expected to agree on the terms of the duel, typically just the objective (to the first strike, to incapacitate, to the death, or another goal) and what weapons and fighting styles are to be used. If they cannot come to terms then it falls to the reigning lord (whichever samurai is present that has the highest Status) to decide, in this case Kakita Toshimoko would have absolute discretion over the terms so it would largely depend on how angry Hitoshi's outburst has made him. Given that none of you have formally achieved your Gempuku as yet (the ceremony will be completed after the duelling competition tomorrow) if he was to accept the duel and declare it was to be to the death, especially considering how much he obviously out matches Hitoshi, even if he were to win the loss of face for effectively slaughtering a child would potentially be so great that he would be expected to take his own life....your assumption would be that it would be incredibly unlikely for Toshimoko to accept an objective more severe than to the first blood.

If the above would change your previous posts at all feel free to amend them.
Doji Satsume was the brother in law of Kakita Toshimoko (Satsume's widow is Toshimoko's sister)