M10 - Aiko's Notes

Back in the pagoda once more, you find yourself alone for the first time since the start of this tea party. Even the little Darumaka, you think you recall her name being Aiko, seems to have slipped out of the room, leaving behind the little clipboard with her scribblings on the stool where she’d sat. Peering over the page of very tiny handwriting, you see that it’s filled with notes on the different warlords you had seen around the tea garden’s grounds today.
With this little fount of information sitting before you, find yourself suddenly in need of a quick brushing up of the facts. It wouldn’t really hurt to have look after all, it all seemed to be the same thing you could learn from talking to the warlords themselves. Either way, you begin to flip through the pages of dainty notes, being quite careful to avoid smudging the ink.
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Ichikawa Nobuhide, Seiryu Province.
He is accompanied by the Dragon Palace emissary and guild hand, Hoori, who also seems to be acting as his assistant. Ichikawa was once the most decorated general of both the Emperor and the Katsumi's father when he was the Shōgun, though he has now retired. That being said, don't take him lightly in battle. In fact, don't even get into a battle with him, it probably won't end well for you. But, since he is retired and battling is no longer his go-to activity, he has since taken up fishing. His province controls the most used harbour in Sazanami and is a huge trade and fishing hub, but more importantly, the province hosts Yagami's headquarters for the guild and has the closest route one can take to access the Dragon Palace. Ichikawa is an eternal optimist, he sees the good in people, even if they can't see it themselves, though he can be too trusting. Still, his instincts are sharp, his reflexes are still strong, and he is wise even with his numerous years.
Ichikawa has known Katsumi since she was a small child and knows her well. He believes she is a good Shōgun and he sees a lot of her father in her, but he admits that, when her father died, she gained all of the power of a Shōgun but not the experience. As such, he was regularly available to her as an advisor and friend, but he notes that lately she has been ignoring his advice, or even going against it. Still, he holds no blame against her and says that she has a lot of pressure on her. Since he has already pledged to ally with Aether, he will give full use of the harbour, ships, weapons, sailors, and more. He has even offered to go into battle with them and has plenty of battle strategies to offer. He is willing to work with any of the other warlords but notes that many wouldn't want to work with him. He says that Minoru, Onoue, and Umezawa treat him fine, and he believes that Inazuma and Hashira like him well enough. He claims to not be able to tell what's going on in Omori's head and outright admits that Masuyo and Aonuma doesn't seem to like him.
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Masuyo Hanako, Nantō Province.
She is accessorized by her assistant, Fujita Umeko. Masuyo is a relatively young warlord compared to the others. She is rather well-liked in Sazanami and is one of the more "beloved" warlords -- though this is possibly vanity talking. Her province is regularly traveled to for its beautiful landscapes and warm climate and is the province in Sazanami that houses the most Pokémon with injuries and illnesses, second only to Umezama's province, thanks to their impeccable bathhouses. In addition, many artisans live in this province, particularly writers, and some of the best literature in Sazanami comes from this province. Her strength lies in her and her people's way with beauty and words; they are able to manipulate and convince others to do their bidding through their craft. However, the province's distance from the others creates issues for them, especially since a few of the key luxuries are received through trade, but treaties are strongly in place between her province and the others.
She believes that Katsumi is paranoid and on edge about the whole traitor situation and is focusing too hard on figuring out who is and isn't trustworthy and not spending enough time actually leading. If she were to ally with Aether, she'd offer up some troops to assist in combat and use of her bathhouses for anyone injured on the battlefield. She would prefer to work with Omori, as they both deeply care for nature, Umezama, as they are an excellent healer, and Aonuma, who, despite being annoying, is always honourable with her. She says she has no quarrels with Onoue or Minoru but that she would never work with Ichikawa, Hashira, or Inazuma, the former because he is gullible and the latter two because they care nothing for nature.
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Aonuma Shogo, Aonuma Shogo Province Genbu Province.
He is carried, yes, literally carried when on land, by his assistant Yamamota Kenta. Aonuma loves talking, mainly about himself, and enjoys the attention of others. He's incredibly self-centered and a bit childish, but he's also a masterful commander and a powerful force on and off of the battlefield himself. His province is known for its mountain springs and clear waters, which are traded throughout the country, particularly with Masuyo and Onoue. The province also boasts an impressive army that is noted to be the Shōgun's "back-up-army" if needed. Moreover, there is a great tradition of lore in the province, thanks to Aonuma's grandmother, who can recount many of the old stories of Sazanami.
As stated before, Aonuma is very powerful and is a terrible enemy to have to face. And, though he claims to have no weakness, his massive ego and big mouth are enough to turn many 'mons away from him and make him difficult to work with. Aonuma believes that Katsumi does a good enough job as the Shōgun but that her father was better. He says that Katsumi is "too afraid" of insulting those who loved her father and won't make changes because of it; he also claims that she spends too much time trying to win over those who will never go to her side. If he were to ally with Aether, he would allow full use of his soldiers and hot springs and pointed out that, given how far his lands are away from the Shōgun's palace and influence, Aether might have more freedom to accomplish their goals in his lands than they would if they were closer. Aonuma claims that all of the warlords would kill to work with him, but his preferences lie with Inazuma, who made him his mask and armor, Hashira, who provided the metal for the mask and armor, and Masuyo, Onoue, and Ichikawa, all valued customers of his water. His only real issue is with Minoru, though he claims that he could be persuaded to work with him.
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Omori Shino, Hokutō Province.
The oldest of the warlords, not sure how old though, but he’s definitely the oldest, even if he doesn’t seem it. With him is his assistant, Kita Tamiko. Omori doesn't like talking -- either that, or he just doesn't do it often -- but when he does, he is blunt and to-the-point. His province is well-known for both its scholars and philosophers but also for its focus on tradition. Many shrines to ancient gods and heroes can be found in his province; moreover, his is the only province that still practices bushido regularly.
He is very attentive and a good listener, as well as being fair. However, he is also stubborn and has a history of violence that he trying to amend through pray. He cares deeply for nature and is especially harsh on those who would damage it. Omori claims to have no opinion on Katsumi, though he later commented that she should "show restraint once in a awhile." If he were to ally with Aether, he would provide them with warriors for defense and evacuation, but not attacking or battle. His preferences of warlords to work with are Masuyo, Umezawa, Minoru, Ichikawa, and Onoue and outright refuses to work with Aonuma, Inazuma, or Hashira because they "have no honour."
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Umezawa Kaoru, Suzaku Province.
She is accompanied by her assistant Inoue Hayate. She is one of the older warlords and is a renowned and gifted healer who specializes in dream healing. Her province is well known for their talented healers and diviners, those who communicate with spirits. Shrines to those who died defending Sazanami are usually found in her province.
With her access to dreams, Umezawa is very gifted at healing mental pains by trauma, few can claim to have access to the same wide range of healing techniques she can perform and fewer still can match her skill. However, her age is catching up with her and she can no longer stay conscious for over an hour. She believes that, although Katsumi is young, she is doing her best to keep the kingdom flourishing and is very concerned about her people's well being. Kaoru said she wishes she could do more to help ease Katsumi's worries. If she were to ally with Aether, she would offer them both healers on the battlefield and a safe haven in her lands where 'mons could go to recover. She will happily work with all of the other warlords, claiming that every one of them is capable of being reasoned with. She wants what’s best for Sazanami and is willing to do anything within her power to keep the nation safe.
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Onoue Takeshi, Nansei Province.
Accompanying him is his most trusted advisor and wife Onoue Wakana. His province is known for thick pine forests (due to its flat fertile grounds), and home to talented carpenters, plying their trade both in statuary and architecture. Many Merchants also travel through his lands, and the messengers trained by his wife are the fastest. His family has a history in innkeeping and he himself guarantees the quality of those inns, both in lodging and the food being good. Onoue enjoys literature and art, and practices calligraphy.
He frequents Masuyo's bathhouses, enjoys Minoru's tea ceremonies, Aonuma's hot springs and Umezawa's dream therapy. If Aether chooses to work together with him he would allow them full use of his merchants and traders so they had access to many supplies. He would also allow them use of his province's messengers and access to his inns. His preferences of the warlords are Ichikawa and Minoru, as they have always been reasonable in the past and treat both himself and Katsumi with honour and respect. He says he has no qualms with any of the other warlords and would likely adapt to work with all of them, but he admits that Inazuma, Aonuma, and Omori are hard for him to work with. He is also willing to work with Masuyo and Umezawa, out of thanks for what they have done to help him in his healing process, and with Hashira as well, as he believe the lattermost would be a faster learner.
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Hashira Eboshi, Byakko Province.
Accompanied by her assistant, Sato Osamu, who does most of the actual warlord work for her, it seems. Hashira doesn’t appear to be interested in diplomacy, or anything involving her title, really, and appears very outgoing and open to everyone. She is the youngest of the warlords and her province is known for its mines and the stones, minerals, and gems that are harvested from it; the province is also known for their warriors who are highly trained in ambushing their opponents.
Hashira prides herself on having lots of energy and being “street-smart” but it has been noted that she is also very prideful. Thinks Katsumi is “the greatest” and a good Shōgun; she also said that Katsumi is like a big sister to her. If she were to ally with Aether, she would offer them her warriors to fight with and access to parts of the mines in the province to gather resources. She claims that she would work with any of the warlords, but doubts that many of them would want to work with her because they believe her to be too young to trusted, except for Inazuma, whom she regarded as “cool.”
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Inazuma Isas, Hokusei Province.
He is joined by his assistant and translator Ueno Raiju. Isas is a passionate inventor with a strong, clever mind, a love for technology and tinkering, a skilled warrior, and known for having a slight accent. Inazuma is one of, if not the most, skilled metalworker in Sazanami and a talented warrior; however, he regularly gets too absorbed in what he's doing, has a short temper and is very stubborn. Their province is widely regarded as a weapons and armour manufacturing hub; all of the best gadgets and inventions come from this province and it is more advanced than any of the other provinces. Because of this, their warriors are equipped with the best gear in Sazanami and each 'mon is worth five on the battlefield.
Inazuma says, while he has nothing against Katsumi as a person and even respects her as a skilled fighter, she cannot make decisions well. He also notes that, instead of trying to ensure that the warlords work together, her attention is elsewhere and Sazanami suffers because of that. All and all, she's a good person, but her diplomatic and leadership skills are lacking (he also claimed afterwards that he doubted that anyone would be as honest about Katsumi as he was). If Aether were to ally with Inazuma, he would offer them his soldiers, all armed to the teeth with special weapons and gadgets. He also noted that he is an excellent problem solver and could help with any unforeseen issues that could arise. Inazuma made it very clear that he would not work with Omori or Masuyo, but he would happily work with Aonuma and Hashira, as the former is a good business partner and the latter understands his work of metal.
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Minoru Sho, Farming Province.
The host of the event and owner of this pagoda. There are many of his servants scattered around, but they likely will not come out or stop doing their duties. They shouldn't, anyway. Minoru is a very open and hospitable person who is a fan of relaxation methods, tea, history, and sumo wrestling. He is neutral in all of Sazanami's issues and is a very patient 'mon. Minoru's province is meant to be a safe haven, a neutral land of peace where the Shōgun can make decisions without fear of influence. The primary focus of the province is farming, as the land is amazing fertile and grows a wide range of plants, especially rice and tea leaves. The people of this province are also wonderful musicians and painters.
He claims that Katsumi is a good Shōgun but that she could be better, though he points out that everyone could be better. He believes that Katsumi has far too many people whispering in her ear, so many that she fails to see what's happening in the kingdom. As he is meant to remain neutral, Minoru is not meant to become allies with Aether, but he says that he would offer them food if need be. Again, as he is meant to remain neutral, he is not meant to have to work with any of the other warlords, but, if need be, he says that he would be most willing to work with Ichikawa, Onoue, and Masuyo. He claims that, although both are "strong personalities," he can handle Inazuma and Omori and that he appreciates that Umezawa can keep the peace. He believes that Hashira has some "growing up to do" and that Aonuma is "all bluster" and "harmless" despite his temper. So, in the end, he'd work with everybody just fine.
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