Moving this from the questions thread!

I've been poking here and there, but I should probably put this out there, as Tori would be spreading the word and trying to get folks on board with the idea.

One of Tori's projects for the trip is to erect a shrine to Fukurokujin at their destination, which will also serve as a library and center for research and cultural exchange. One important part of this plan is an initial selection of texts.

Tori's seeding the shrine with six texts, representing each of the six great clans. Unicorn don't count yet, but they'll be poked to give something once we meet up.

Crane: The Sword.
Lion: Leadership.
Phoenix: The Tao.
Scorpion: Lies.
Dragon: Not quite decided, but not Niten. Ideally, something regarding the philosophy of Agasha naturalism, GM permission pending. Nothing secret, of course.
Crab: Also not decided. I don't know of any major canonical Crab texts at all, so I'm thinking something by the Kaiu on the subject of design and construction.

Others are absolutely welcome to contribute. The Dragon have been invited to bring a copy of Niten. I believe Haruka is bringing a copy of the charter of the Emerald Magistrates. But anything is welcome! Poetry, plays, atlases, books on the flora and fauna of Rokugan, history. All of these aren't covered yet, and would be great stuff to bring to help enlighten the outside world.

Kannon ruled that a book of respectful quality for a place of honor in a shrine like this would run one koku each.

You can discuss this but I am serious about possible derailment. Hold your horses until D2.

Oh, IC derailment. I thought you meant the OOC conversation in the questions thread! Sorry.

I dunno... Niten is *the* most prized work of literature the Dragon have, as it is the philosophy and teachings of the Thunder Mirumoto, penned by his son Hojatsu. Hantei Ningi approved of it so much that he actively encouraged the Mirumoto to have it copied and distributed to the rest of the Empire.

I know you don't mean offense, but it seem very unfair IC to choose The Sword over Niten, seeing its importance for the Dragon Clan and their identity. I would personally find the inclusion of both the Sword and Niten to show that there are different philosophies to sword-fighting. Like a yin and yang-kind of deal.

Hmmm, good point. Even super progressive Kenzo might wonder why the one, but not the other.

The Scrolls of Taikyo could work for Crab, as it is about Kaiu Engineering and I don't think it's clear when Kaiu Taikyo lived.

Both the Sword and Niten are as much about philosophy and culture as they are about swordplay and represent different views. The problem with even a limited version of Agasha's Journals is that there were secrets in the journals that took the Dragon centuries to discover. There could always be more they haven't found.

Edit: I realize this may be derailed IC, but it is an interesting discussion OOC, regardless.

Any six texts would be woefully incomplete. It's precisely why Tori is specifically inviting the Dragon to bring a copy.

And as things stand, layout isn't cast in stone, depending on what people bring. For example, putting Lies in as one of our six representative texts may be unwise, so that might be moved back in favor of a collection of Shosuro plays, or the charter of the Emerald Magistrates as Saibankan's masterpiece. The Sword might be rotated out as the Crane representative text in favor of a collection of classical poetry, and Leadership rotated back in favor of an Ikoma history, then we set The Sword, Niten, and Leadership (plus the Book of Sun Tao, if anyone brings that, which would be great) separately in a place of honor as the three/four definitive texts that, together, present the Rokugani philosophy of war and combat.

But this all depends on whether this gets derailed and what people bring.

Those six books are what Tori is bringing. Any major Rokugani text that comes with us is likely to be the only copy on the island, and there will be many that are important and should come with us, but won't. These are the six that Tori wants to come with the explorers, and in the absence of other material, this is how she'll arrange the shrine if that plan gets traction. More materials mean more options when we get to the politics of floor plans and inter/intranational diplomacy.

@Edogawa: That sounds perfect!

Given the proclamation of a new fortune of art and geisha and the fact that we're now in the year of art, bringing those cultural texts may be a good idea anyways!