Even on a frontier world such as Asakaze, traditional arts are still practiced and cherished - both to cultivate the character of the samurai and to remind the settlers of their origins. Asako Yuugao, karo of Asako Naokuni and the head gardener of Shiro Yoake is a fervent traditionalist and noted patron of the art. The xenobotanic garden, tended by Yuugao, is a testament to her philosophy, blending the local plant life with those select few Rokugani plants that can survive in the acidic ground of the world. Today Yuugao is overseeing an ikebana competition sponsored by Snow-Moon-Flower and YuRaku.

Samples of various plants, both native to Asakaze and Rokugan have been prepared for the samurai willing to take part. Unfortunately the samples, which include several poisonous specimens, are poorly labeled. Luckily for the characters, the Phoenix have prepared heavy protective gloves for everyone.

Magic: Magic is allowed though spells must be cast so that they cover the duration of the entire event, i.e. 3 hours. You can use multiple casts to achieve this as long as you have sufficient spell slots.

This is safe, right?
Characters may roll Courtier/Awareness, Use Computers / Intelligence or Lore: Biology / Intelligence against TN 25 to acquire information about the xenoplants before their eyes. The Courtier roll counts as opposed against R2 Phoenix samurai. Benten’s Blessing applies for the Courtier roll. Only one roll is allowed, so choose wisely.

If a character fails this roll, they may choose to work with heavy protective gloves, suffering +5 TN penalty for ‘Chintama are blue roll’ as the thick gloves hinder their movements. If your Orokos log does not say you are wearing gloves, your character is not wearing gloves. Regardless of whether a character succeeds or fails this roll, they may proceed to the ‘Hanasaki are red’ part. They may also choose to give up, admitting that they are not up to the task at hand, the Phoenix noting that 'Ikebana is not for everyone' in a reassuring manner. Overconfident characters must roll for their disadvantage if they want to wear gloves.

Hanasaki are red.
Character must pick the freshest and the most beautiful specimen for their ikebana by rolling Investigation / Perception or Lore: Biology / Intelligence against TN 15. Success and each successful raise grants the character a Flower point. Even if a character fails this roll, they may advance to the next step - they merely end up picking substandard flowers for their ikebana.

Chintama are blue
Once the character has picked the plants they use, they must roll Artisan: Ikebana / Awareness against TN 15. Success and each successful raise grants the character a Flower point.

Xenofungi eats you!
Characters who failed the ‘This is safe, right?’ must roll raw Stamina against TN 20 or become Poisoned. Characters who wore protective gloves gain two Free Raises on this roll. Characters who passed the ‘This is safe, right?’ do not have to roll for getting poisoned.

Poisoned character suffers a +5 TN penalty to all his Skill rolls, physical Trait rolls, and Spell Casting Rolls for a duration of days equal to five minus their Stamina (i.e. Stamina 3 samurai would be Poisoned for 2 days) Phoenix are more than happy to provide medical help if requested, though this incurs 3 point Disadvantage 'Obligation: Phoenix' as the locals are keen on having favors returned. Alternatively character may also pursue aid of his or her fellow competitors. Jurojin's Balm will cure the poisoning.

Outcome
Once you have finished making your rolls, please post your total points to this thread along with a link to the relevant rolls. The character(s) with most Flower points will earn a voucher for two at the Snow-Moon-Flower, allowing a luxurious and romantic dinner in a private cabinet with all expenses paid. Character(s) with the second most points will earn a voucher for YuRaku, allowing them and an another person of their choosing a lovely afternoon at the bath house with a shojin-style lunch paid for them both. Ties will not be broken.

Mal-Chin didn't know if he'd ever really had a private dinner at Snow-Moon-Flower. This could be worth it! At the least, he could forget about falling face first into the mud.

He quickly spun up his densai and took advantage of all the time spent cataloging the different plants of Asakaze. There really weren't that many flowers, so those that made it into the garden he'd taken good notes on. Which ones were safe to handle and which ones weren't, most especially.

Picking the freshest flowers, the most vibrant. Well, that was simply knowing which ones would truly last longest. And if you knew all the proper signs, well, then that was just a sign of having done your due diligence.

Scooping it up and putting it into a flower pot was all that was left to do with Ikebana, right?

***********
D2 LA: This is safe, right?: Use Computers / Intelligence TN 25: 7d10o10k4 29
D2 LA: Hanasaki are red: Lore: Biology / Intelligence, 1 FR, 3 Raises, Void for +1k1 TN 30: 6d10o10k5 33 = 5 Flower Points
D2 LA: Chintama are blue: Artisan: Ikebana / Awareness TN 15: 3d10k3 9
Total: 5 Flower Points, No Poison.

Total: 5 Flower Points

Now poisonous Xeno-Biology...this was a topic that Tsugiharu was more versed in...for reasons. The Phoenix didn't put out any plants that were lethal just from handling with your hands or being near...but there were a few that if you didn't handle with extreme caution, you'd be spending the next few days incredibly ill. Injesting the flowers would, of course, be even worse, so hopefully Nara didn't stop by thinking they were candy. Although he wasn't entirely sure Katsuo's job would actually be any harder trying to marry her off while dead.

Overall, he picked up some fairly nice flowers, that one could safely handle. However, proper arrangement...that was really more of a Crane thing.

Speaking of Crane, he snapped a picture off and sent it via text to Doji Ichika.

<Couldn't quite get the arrangement to take shape, but I thought the flowers might make you smile.>



This IS safe, Right! Int/Biology 36 vs. 25, Pass

Hanasaki are red 2 CR, 25 vs. 25, pass!

Chinatsu are blue 8 vs. 15, Fail

3 Flower Points, No poison

Ikebana! Chiyoko actually seemed pretty excited about this, and had spent quite a bit of time chatting the ear off of one of the poor Asako about it. No doubt the Asako was as surprised that 'Maximum Range' Chiyoko knew jack and shit about ikebana, but it didn't seem to be getting anywhere for Chiyoko.

"Uh, Matsu-san? Maybe you should wear gloves if you want to use those plants," he pointed out to her.

"Hm? Nonsense, what's the worst that could happen?"

This conversation would cost Chiyoko, as she was paying well more attention to the Phoenix than to her flower choices. Ah well. She'd make due with what she had.

And... well, surprisingly, she did. Even with less than perfect flowers, the arrangement was a loud, vibrant piece that was almost chaotic in it's own way. But in the middle of the arrangement was a calm, blue flower. A veritable piece of calm in the middle of chaos.

And then she sneezed. And sneezed again. And again. Oh dear. Maybe she should have worn those gloves..?

She spied a healer. Blinked a moment. "Uh, hey? I think there was somethin' wrong with this flower, cause I don't feel so good..." The healer was perfectly happy to help clear her up.

-----

This is safe, right? Courtier/awareness, TN25. Void for skill: 3d10o10k2 10 - Fail

Matsu-sama, maybe you shouldn't. Overconfident: 3d10o10 12 - Chiyoko's got this

Hansaki are red. Investigation / perception, 1 raise. TN 20: 4d10o10k3 11

Chintama are blue artisan: ikebana, 1 raise. TN 25. Gloves worn. Void spent.: 4d10o10k3 22 TN is actually 20 because Chiyoko failed overconfident. Passes for 2 points

Xenofungi eats you! Raw stamina, TN 20. 2 free raises from gloves: 2d10o10+10 26 - this is actually a fail because Chiyoko failed overconfident. Chiyoko is poisoned for 3 days unless she seeks aid.

2 flower points. Poisoned as of late afternoon. Healed by the phoenix [3 point Minor Obligation]

Flower arrangement is typically not a "Crab thing", but Tetsu is at the very least interested in the xenobiology, something that he doesn't know a great deal about. He does some research, figuring out what plants will and won't poison him and that knowledge gives him the confidence that only a true novice with a bit of insight can possess.

"The article said that they are truly right when it hits this pantone..." Tetsu squints at the screen of his new Densai, the screen giving him some surprising clarity and helps him pick out a rather nice selection. Tetsu isn't exactly an artist per se, but his engineer training has the benefit of some amount of streamlined sensibilities. The look is a bit "art deco" but at least tastefully arranged.

_____
Xenoikebana-This is Safe, Right?-Use Computers/Intelligence-TN 25: 5d10o10k4 35
Xenoikebana-Hanasaki are Red-Lore:Biology/Intelligence-2 raises-VP for phantom rank-TN 25: 5d10o10k4 35 3 flower points
Xenoikebana-Chensai are Blue-Artisan/Awareness-VP spent for phantom rank-1 raise-TN 20: 4d10o10k3 21 2 flower points

5 flower points, no poison

D2 LA Use Computers/Intelligence, TN25: 9d10o10k5 42

Reaching out to begin picking plants for the ikebana, Tsukiko hesitates at the last moment and pulls out her densai instead. Don't bright colors mean that something is poisonous generally? Ah, yup, it's a good thing she took precautions then. Being poisoned while doing a fun activity on vacation would absolutely suck, like having a hangover on your day off and being unable to enjoy it fully. Wait, she did something similar last night... Okay, admittedly she's not the best at metaphors, but it's not like anyone can hear her thoughts so it doesn't matter.

D2 LA Lore: Biology/Intelligence, TN30 (3 CR): 5d10o10k4 32 (+3 flower points, forgot you can only call raises to your void)

D2 LA Artisan: Ikebana/Awareness, TN15: 2d10k2 11 (+0 flower points, i rolled a 10 and a 1 wtf)

After easily picking the freshest and most beautiful flowers she saw, Tsukiko faltered at actually arranging them. She drummed her fingers on her densai hoping to get hit with a random stroke of inspiration, which she did, or at least she thinks she did, buuuuut she went way too overboard on her idea and actually ended up making it worse... Oops. Well, you live and you learn. No pictures or recordings of her ikebana would be sent to her brother, or anyone for the matter, though she still snaps one to remember the event by. At least she managed to avoid being poisoned, unlike some of the other unlucky samurai here.

---

Total: 3 flower points, no poison

"You picked out some very nice flours Tsukiko-san." Tetsu peers over from his collection.

Umbrella offering precious shade as she makes pleasant talk with the local Phoenix, gently pulling the information that she needs with a few pointed questions amongst the more benign inquiries about their families and health and their standings, and agreeing to the sentiment that Isawa Sora is indeed quite handsome and he’s only been glimpsed in passing.

Feeling well armed with the knowledge of which plants to avoid, poison is simply not something to be done, Hakka starts to scrutinize what is available. Unfortunately, even though she knows which ones to avoid, she’s not able to get a true feel of what makes the plants worth using in regards to sentiment and color. She’s close and she knows, but, it’s just not there.

Though the materials are subpar, the arrangement itself is not, a testament to Hakka's skill. The faded colors are used to their advantage with the few that are still vibrant all the more so because of their background. She steps back, after gently placing the final piece and takes a slow breath. A fan appears in hand, a green, bamboo forest vibrant and sure against a pale, pastel yellow background, and she begins to wave it in front of her face as she waits.

Courtier/Awareness TN 25, 1 Free Raise - 67 Rolled PASSED
Investigation/Perception TN 15 + 2 Raises = 25, 23 Rolled FAILED
Ikebana/Awareness TN 15 + 3 Raises = 30, 36 RolledPASSEDREROLL-Incorrect Dice Kept

4 Flower Points (incorrect calculation of FP in previous edit)

Just like with the otori, Fusako took her time and did her best not to embarrass herself. She managed to convince the Phoenix to give her some information on the flowers, figured out what the best flowers were, and how to arrange them. Yet again, she managed not to make a fool of herself, even if she wouldn't win any awards.

---------------------
Courtier roll, TN 25 = 41
Lore: Biology roll, TN 15 = 30 (1 FP)
Artisan: Ikebana roll, TN 15 = 20 (1 FP)

2 FP

Koryn steps forward, avoiding the gloves he picks out several colorful flowers in a nice mix, he attempts to make a beautiful arrangement out of them, but falls a little short, not exactly skilled at the artistic side of this.


D2 Xenoikebana Tn 25 Botany/Int: 5d10o10k4 27

Success

D2 Xenoikebana Tn 25 (2CR) Biology/Int: 5d10o10k4 37
+3 Flower Points

D2 Xenoikebana Tn 15 Ikebana/Awareness Void for Skill: 3d10o10k2 14
+0 flower Points


Total 3 Flower Points

Flowers?

Flowers!

Nara was as pretty as a flower after all, so this event was perfect right?

She got to work, doing the rare thing of paying attention when she asked questions about the flowers, and learnt quickly about their dangers...which was good. She didn't want to get eaten by a rogue Spider eating lily after all.

Her picking of flowers was very...bland. She picked the one that was blue. Oh and a yellow one. And some sticks! Sticks were just flowers that were too shy to come out after all. The woman next to her just looked confused as the stack of random items she was picking. The finish however was surpsing.




(ooc:
D2 LA flowers event - Courtier/awareness vs TN25: 5d10o10k4 33 passed, don't need the gloves
D2 LA flowers event - picking flowers. Investigation/perception, TN15+2 raises (Tn25): 4d10o10k3 24 fail
D2 LA flowers event - sorting flowers into pretty state. Artisan Ikebana/Awareness (Vp for skill). TN15+2 raises (Tn25): 5d10o10k4 30 3 points

Total: 3 points

Nozomi glanced at each of the flowers and nodded to herself. Many were deadly poisons but some of them might even make delectable tea! Incidentally, she looked around for the most perfect flowers to go for tea instead of for ikebana.

Truly, she barely managed to put together a piece of artwork. She dipped her head in shame and excused herself promptly once more.

---

D2 LA Lore: Biology / Intelligence TN 25, VP for +1k1: 5d10o10k4 25

D2 LA Investigation / Perception TN 30, 3 CR, VP for +1k1: 5d10o10k4 24

D2 LA Artisan: Ikebana / Awareness TN 15: 2d10 12

0 Flower Points. No Poison.

Ah, mushroom ikebana that was something....Shoan also didn't understand in the slightest. Still, after a polite inquiry to the hosts a la "So, which of these will kill me if I touch them?" Shoan was ready to begin.
Day 2 LA, This is safe, right? Courtier/awareness, contest roll: 6d10o10k3 17

....She doesn't have much look looking for specimens either, the only examples the Lion comes across are the ones she accidentally trod on
Day 2 LM, Hanasaki are red, Investigation/Perception, 2 raises called for TN 25, voided, no gloves.: 5d10o10k4 19

At least they're arranged nice, if simply. The crushes stems are now a feature
Day 2 LM, Chintama are blue, unskilled Ikebana/awarenss TN 15: 3d10 25

Day 2 LM, Xenofungi eats you, Stamina TN 20, voided: 4d10o10k4 8
And then I guess she eats one or something, Shoan just straight up eats a strange mushroom to make sure she isn't giving anyone else poisonous ikebana by accident. A hero ladies and gentlemen, not an idiot.

It seemed only proper to participate in these events that the Phoenix were arranging.

Ikebana... really? She sighed heavily. How was ikebana going to impress anyone.

She just assumed that the Phoenix wouldn't be deliberately giving their guests poisonous plants to poke around with, and she went ahead by just taking a single flower and simply placing it in a vase. Really, how hard was it?! Flower goes into vase. Only the Crane could make something as vapid as this into an art-form...

Oof... she wasn't feeling so good though. Maybe something she ate. But it was like an unpleasant cold sweat coming on, but as the Phoenix asked if she was feeling well, she brushed it off cooly, claiming nothing was wrong.




----------

No VP, can't pass "This Is Safe, Right?"

D2 EVENT LA: Hanasaki Are Red. Untrained Investigation/Perception. Wearing Gloves (+5 TN). TN 20: 3d10 19

D2 EVENT LA: Chintama Are Blue. Untrained Ikebana/Awareness. Wearing Gloves (+5 TN). TN 20: 2d10 12

D2 EVENT LA: Xenofungi Eats You! Stamina vs Poison. 2 Free Raises to reduce TN to 10.: 3d10o10 5

0 Flower Points

Coming back to the Xenobotanic garden, this time for an actual event, Shion was a bit surprised at how some of the different plants laid out before them were different from those she was used to back in Rokugan. Of course she had seen some different plants, mainly on Miya Network shows, but... seeing those up close was really something else.

She actually considered for some time whether she was skilled enough, or knew enough about those plants, to make an attempt... but even if she wasn't particularly knowledgeable about it, Ikebana was a traditional Rokugani art, so she should at least make an attempt... right?

This is safe, right?
Asking Asako Yuugao some questions about the plants, she feels reasonably sure she knows which plants are the best bets to work with, so with that knowledge in hand, she starts.

D2 LA - Xenoikebana. This is safe, right? Courtier/ Awa TN 25...: 4d10o10k3 40 - wooo good Kharma. No risk of poisoning.

Hanasaki are red.
When it comes the time to actually choose a beautiful flower to display, she looks at the ones available - making sure to only look at those Yuugao said were safe - and... gets a flower. Any flower. She thinks it's good enough... right? How could she tell, really?

D2 LA - Xenoikebana. Hanasaki are Red. Lore: Bio/ Int TN 15. Unskilled.: 2d10k2 9 - Fail!

Chintama are blue
Getting the flower, she tries to remember something her sensei might have mentioned about Ikebana. It was all about... balance, right? Finding the right balance in the vase?

What did that mean again, though...

She went for a literal meaning, trying to balance a flower stalk above a plate. She knew she wouldn't have much luck trying to balance it standing, so she just left it lying supported by both edges of the plate.

D2 LA - Xenoikebana. Chintama are Blue. Artisan: Ikebana/ Awa TN 15. Unskilled.: 3d10k3 14 - Fail!

Outcome
It found its balance. Didn't fall off, at least, so there's that.

0 Flower Points. Not poisoned at least!

Entering the gardens once more Ichika found herself coming to really enjoy this place. A safe place to enjoy the planet's flora. Stepping up to the arranged area she listened along, gathered her instructions, and set about walking the area in which they were set loose. Finding one of the Phoenix monitors she approached and got to talking with him for a while. Ichika was kind, as she always was, and after some time she even slipped in a question about what the nicest plants for Ikebana might be around here. Some small connection was formed there and they answered happily. With a mirthful smile the girl bowed, and bid farewell to the monitor as she got on with her task.

Finding the plant itself was a little tricky, and she had to be certain it was the right one. Specimen and in a good stage of it's life cycle. All things that Ichika had maybe heard from one person or another, but she also seemed to just have a good idea about these plants. Knowing she could have found a better assortment of flowers and local flora she elected to remain with the ones she found, was safer than risking looking and missing out on these. Picking a few lightly colored ones of a relatively safe variety, she brought them over to a space where she might cultivate them.

By the end, she'd created something quite appropriate. Setting it up for appraisal by the monitors Ichika took a quick snap of the arrangement. Knowing she had a message waiting, and sent along the reply. Smiling down at her communicator while the monitors finished up.



:Rolls:

This is safe, right?
LA 2 | Event: This is safe, right? : Courtier Awareness vs TN 25: 7d10o10k4 36

Hanasaki are red.
LA 2 | Event: Hanasaki are red : Lore: Biology (Int), Void for Skilled vs TN 20 (1 Raise): 4d10o10k3 46
2 Flower Points.

Chintama are blue.
LA 2 | Event: Chintama are blue: Artisa: Ikebana, Void +1k1, Soul Artistry vs TN 25 (2 Raises): 6d10o10k5 26
3 Flower Points.

Xenofungi eats you!
- Ichika passed the Courtier roll.

Total points: 5 Flower Points, no poison.

Shizuku eyed the plants. She looked at her computer screen for a while, then eyed them again. She narrowed her blue eyes. The Phoenix wouldn't... would they?

... The more delicate arts of Lady Doji had never been for her anyway. She gracefully bowed out.

~~

Xenoikebana Phase 1: Computers/Intelligence TN 25: 6d10o10k3 19

Forfeit

The chance to play with some of the local flora sounded fun. But...some of them were definitely not entirely benign, so Mumei paged through notes on her holoslate, without finding much since she hasn't really gone studying these things yet.

With a shrug, she begins looking through the selection of plants and fungi, making some relatively interesting and muted choices.

Remembering the burning of the spores yesterday, she dons the protective gloves, thinking there really should be some less bulky ones available. She couldn't get nearly as nice an arrangement with her fumbling fingers, but still found it reasonably charming, and possibly edible.

________________
This is safe, right?
D2 LA Xenoikebana: Safe? Use Computers / Intelligence Void for +1k1: 5d10o10k3 23 fail

Hanasaki are red.
D2 LA Xenoikebana: Hanasaki Investigation / Perception 1 raise for TN20: 5d10o10k3 32
2 points

Chintama are blue
D2 LA Xenoikebana: Chintama Artisan: Ikebana / Awareness, gloves, TN 20, Void for skill: 4d10o10k3 19
*glares at Orokos*

2 flower points

Atsumori knew how to collect plant specimens, more or less, but ikebana was an otori of a different color. You weren't supposed to preserve the flowers in spirits, or slice them really thin and stain them on a slide, he definitely knew that much.

Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that the native Asakaze which looked so much like an Old Rokugan iris in fact got its color from a fungal symbiote that contained a pretty strong toxin absorb-able through one's skin. Live and learn, though, right?

The jumble of flowers in his celadon basin were each quite fresh and pretty, if not exactly artfully arranged. And he felt a bit weird...


--
((argh! had a draft written but I seem to have lost it. Short perfunctory failpost it is.))

Step 1: failed!
D2 LA Side Event--step 1, is it poison? Lore: Nature/Int, TN 25 hahahaha: 4d10o10k3 19

Step 1.5: Overconfident check also failed!
D2 LA Side Event--step 1.5, Overconfident, "Do I *really* need those silly gloves?" Raw perception TN 20: 3d10o10 10

Step 2: success! Plant acquired (1 point)
D2 LA Side Event--step 2, Hanasaki are Red, Lore/Int TN 15: 4d10o10k3 24

Step 3: failed! What do you mean I'm not supposed to just stick it in a bucket?
D2 LA Side Event--step 3, Chintama are Blue, Ikebana unskilled TN 15: 2d10 11

Step 4: Totes poisoned
D2 LA Side Event--step 4, On Phoenix planet, veggie eats you! Raw Stamina TN 20. So you're telling me there's a chance...: 3d10o10 16

Final tally: 1 point + some poison I'll probably get cured At A Price, we'll see

Asako Mal-Chin, Doji Ichika and Fundai Tetsu earn a voucher for two at the Snow-Moon-Flower, allowing a luxurious and romantic dinner in a private cabinet with all expenses paid.

Doji Hakka earns a voucher for YuRaku, allowing them and an another person of their choosing a lovely afternoon at the bath house with a shojin-style lunch paid for them both.