Yoshitsune Chizu is hosting a Draw Lot play: slips of paper with the names of roles are dropped into a kabuto helmet and drawn at random by the participants, who then have to play those roles in a play.

CASTING

The first 24 RL hours after the event opens is reserved for Casting.

Each player who joins the event during this time “draws” a part by rolling 1d10 (non exploding) for an Adjective and 1d10 for a Noun. Taken together, this defines their character in the play. The Adjective roll also determines whether that character is a "hero" or a "villain" in the play. Examples: if you roll 5 for adjective and 8 for noun, your character is a poor scholar who is a hero of the story. If you roll 2 and 4, your character is a cowardly woodcutter who is a villain of the story. Post your rolls and the result in the event thread in order to join the cast of the play.

The drawing of lots is somewhat rigged to avoid embarrassment to important persons, so any character with Social Position may roll 2k1 (non exploding) for each roll instead. (You may choose to keep either die in this case. Characters with multiple levels of Social Position still roll 2k1.)

1d10 adjective
1. foolish (hero)
2. cowardly (villain)
3. naive (hero)
4. ignorant (villain)
5. poor (hero)
6. greedy (villain)
7. loyal (hero)
8. deceitful (villain)
9. clever (hero)
10. treacherous (villain)

1d10 noun
1. fisherman
2. merchant
3. sing-song girl
4. woodcutter
5. farmer
6. monk
7. warrior
8. scholar
9. magistrate
10. princess

THE PLAY

24 RL hours after the event opens, Casting ends and the Play begins.

The event organizer acts as narrator and will describe a scene, including some exposition, character motivations, and a story objective.

The players who are part of the Cast then “act out” the scene by posting roleplaying threads describing what their characters are doing. Interacting with, and playing off of the posts from other players, is encouraged. Feel free to improvise being long-lost relatives of other characters, having other characters as your secret love or sworn enemy, etc.

During the play, the players in the Cast may role-play combat, but may not make combat rolls. The cast members may mutually agree who wins such a combat; otherwise, “hero” characters will be considered to win fights against “villain” characters, and all other conflicts are considered to be ties. No character may be “killed” (even narratively) until late in the play (no earlier than the last RL day of the game day); instead they miraculously escape, only to turn up again later.

During the play you should make at least one Acting or Perform roll (TN15) at an appropriate moment, to demonstrate to the audience how good you are at acting. But this is only for fluff purposes. There is no penalty for failing except you will look bad. (You must make at least 1 roll during the event. However, don’t make more than 1 roll per post.)

If appropriate, the narrator may interject further exposition or scene changes in order to move the plot along. The play continues until the story objective is achieved -or- the story is de-railed to the point of being silly -or- until player interest wanes.

Players who join the event after Casting has ended are considered part of the Audience. They can watch the play and applaud/heckle as appropriate.

REWARDS

If the story objective is achieved through role-play, all cast members (both heroes and villains) “win” and Chizu will award each cast member a bottle of shochu.

Sora had no intention of entering his name.

Unfortunately for him, Shirayuki and Phi thought it'd be hilarious to enter him, and thus did Sora belatedly realize the perils of literate children.

And thus did the Imperial Librarian find himself cast as a poor scholar.

Well, I've been poor, and I'm kind of a scholar...

He fixed his giggling daughters with a baleful glare.

"Remind me to take you both camping later."

A theatrical night! Kinsen was so thrilled with both evening events that she manages to get a very interesting role to herself. The foolish monk. Of that kind, she knows quite a plenty to get inspiration from.

--
Adjective https://orokos.com/roll/897899 1
Noun: https://orokos.com/roll/897900 6

Dojihime giggled with delight and when it became known she would be the Loyal Magistrate, she was highly intrigued.

OOC: Loyal Magistrate is on the case!

Draw Lot Play Adjective: 2#1d10 2 7

Draw Lot Play Noun: 2#1d10 5 9

Shiba arrived and, rather than simply join the audience as was typical for his attendance at events, he approached the lots and drew his own. "A deceitful fisherman. How interesting."

Adjective: 2#1d10 8 1
Noun: 2#1d10 1 5

Theatre? No...Draw lot play? Yes!

Zhe walked up to the kabuto with Shu tucked in his kimono and leaned in to draw his role but, at the last instant, his red panda launched forward and grabbed the pieces of paper for itself

Dragon and panda stared at each other for a moment

''You picked them, you play them'' came as the dragon's reply

Behold princess Shu!

-----
Shu Adjective: 1d10 3 Naive
Shu noun: 1d10 10 Princess

[OOC: Casting will be open until around 10am Eastern US time on Wednesday; it’s a little less than 24 hours of casting, but most people should’ve had a chance to join by then and it’s a good time for me to post an update.]

Leave it to the Scorpion to draw decieveful farmer. Sasori shook her head and sighed.

Gusai, fresh from the other play, finds himself in need of diversion--and he finds it. He's heard of this kind of thing before, of course, and he's in the mood for it, so he joins in--and draws the role of a foolish merchant hero. Muttering "Well, that's right on the nose," he takes a drink and a bite to eat--it is a dining hall, after all--and settles in and laughs at the fancy panda before checking out the rest of the crowd.

Adjective: Foolish, per https://orokos.com/roll/898057 (rolled a 5 and a 1, keeping the 1)
Noun: Merchant, per https://orokos.com/roll/898058 (rolled a 6 and a 2, keeping the 2)

Yoshitsune Chizu rushed about, briefing the recently conscripted actors on the parts they had drawn from her kabuto helmet. Compared to the formal play put on by the Crane, the costumes were decidedly amateur to nonexistent, often bits of clothing borrowed from bystanders with kitchen utensils as makeshift weapons - all except the costume of Princess Shu, which was, of course, glorious.

[OOC: CASTING has closed. The PLAY begins!]

As the play began, Chizu stood on the makeshift stage - an area cleared in the center of the dining hall - and began to declaim in a singsong voice:

Chizu, the NARRATOR wrote:“In recent months, SCHOLAR SORA has discovered through research that the SACRED TABLET OF FUKUROJIN is hidden in a RUINED SHRINE in the center of the DISMAL SWAMP, and has persuaded SHU, a NAIVE PRINCESS to organize an expedition to the DISMAL SWAMP to retrieve the SACRED TABLET. PRINCESS SHU is accompanied by her FOOLISH but WELL-MEANING advisors, MONK KINSEN and MERCHANT GUSAI.

In a nearby village, MERCHANT GUSAI hired two villagers, FISHERMAN SHIBA and FARMER SASORI to act as guides to the DISMAL SWAMP. While there, MAGISTRATE DOJIHIME warns of the ruthless BANDIT GANG that has made its hideout in the RUINED SHRINE. Fearful for PRINCESS SHU’s safety, MAGISTRATE DOJIHIME insists on joining the expedition.

Our scene begins as OUR HEROES enter the DISMAL SWAMP on the boat of FISHERMAN SHIBA in search of the RUINED SHRINE. But little do they realize, the FISHERMAN and FARMER are secretly in the pay of the bandits, and leading the group into DANGER!”

[Story objectives: The whole group, both heroes and villains, win if:
1. The heroes find the ruined shrine and defeat or outwit the bandits there.
2. At least one villain must betray the party.
3. At least one hero must make a noble sacrifice.
4. At least one hero must retrieve the sacred tablet and escape alive.

This is a play, not a melee, so the villains are not supposed to win, but are supposed to be challenging enough to be exciting. This event is intended to be mechanics-light, roleplaying-heavy. Just try to tell a fun story. Feel free to make up scenery, background, imaginary enemies, etc., as if in an improv show. As in improv, please incorporate plot elements introduced by the other actors when you can.]

Gusai steps forward, planting his feet, putting his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest, and bellowing in his best deck-command voice "FISHERMAN, FARMER, WHERE ARE YOU LEADING US? WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE DISMAL SWAMP, NOT ON A DISMAL ROMP!"

He turns his head towards them, rolling his neck so that his one good eye swivels towards them--or would, if he were swiveling the right way. Somehow, he has looked in the completely opposite direction.

Kinsen takes a deep breath to attune herself to the foolish monk persona. Suddenly, she strips off her upper kimono remaining covered only by her sarashi. Monks, after all, gain their power by showing naked skin. It was told.

"Worry not. The way is lost, but the direction is as found." She says, looking to the yelling merchant with a serene tone of voice. Then, she starts to stretch and flex in front of him.

--
D6, LE, Becoming the foolish monk + Benten + VP: 4d10o10k4 14

Magistrate Dojihime got into the spirit of things by donning a makeshift mustache and beard made of cloth and of course a most prodigious hat to be quite distinguished. He would have to be glorious to impress the love of her life Princess Shu.

He cleared his throat and said, “This swamp is dismal and cold, but hark do not fear this magistrate is BOLD!”

Then he adds to the crowd, “Now is my chance to impress this beauty, so furry so fabulous she is a cutie!”

"My Merchant sama this is the Dismal Swamp." Sasori noded to the Hantei Monk. "The area is somewhat smelly but that is just like swamp smell like." The girl shrugged. "Ah...and Magistrate sama is right pretty cold indeed."

Shiba is hunched over and squinting like an old man, pretending to push along their "boat" along with a stick someone happened to have handy. "Not to worry, not to worry merchant-sama! I have been this route many times to fish! But the swamp is treacherous, and we must take winding routes to reach our destination!" Then he lets out a creaky-sounding cackle.

He stage-whispers to FARMER SASORI for the sake of the audience, "More treacherous than an outsider would know, ne?"

Sora sat on the bow of the "boat," peering owlishly ahead.

"I don't think any of these idiots knows where we're going. I'm SURE I have a scroll about this somewhere..."

He started making a pile of scrolls, pulling a few he'd stuffed into his kimono out, reading them, scowling, and throwing them over his shoulder.

And if a few of them smacked anyone else in the cast, well, that was just tough luck.

Gusai, facing the other way, is thus struck, and he whirls about--several times, in fact--crying out "WHAT HAS ASSAILED ME? BEWARE ATTACK! BEWARE!" and swinging what looks like a pair of chopsticks--one in each hand--about wildly until he falls down in the "boat," somehow missing everybody as he somersaults to a stop near--a large bottle, which he picks up and drinks.

It seems to go over decently.

~~~~~
Perform 32, unSkilled, https://orokos.com/roll/898123
Guess I know where that last XP is going...

Jiyo Sora wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:25 pm

Sora sat on the bow of the "boat," peering owlishly ahead.

"I don't think any of these idiots knows where we're going. I'm SURE I have a scroll about this somewhere..."

He started making a pile of scrolls, pulling a few he'd stuffed into his kimono out, reading them, scowling, and throwing them over his shoulder.

And if a few of them smacked anyone else in the cast, well, that was just tough luck.

“Little does he know,” smacked in the face with a shoe, “This idiot, knows more than he thinks he thinks.”

Hit in the face with a stick, “This idiot is fourteen steps ahead, and this idiot is prepared.” What looked like a scroll hits him in the face and he blinked and then unfurled it dramatically and said, “Mother of Kami, is this the Secret Hida Handshake Technique of Seven Punches? Scholar! How did you come by this secret technique? It’s forbidden in at least four kingdoms, two realms, and six bedrooms.”

“Tell me? I must know!” the Magistrate exclaimed.

Doji Dojihime wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:30 pm

“Little does he know,” smacked in the face with a shoe, “This idiot, knows more than he thinks he thinks.”

Hit in the face with a stick, “This idiot is fourteen steps ahead, and this idiot is prepared.” What looked like a scroll hits him in the face and he blinked and then unfurled it dramatically and said, “Mother of Kami, is this the Secret Hida Handshake Technique of Seven Punches? Scholar! How did you come by this secret technique? It’s forbidden in at least four kingdoms, two realms, and six bedrooms.”

“Tell me? I must know!” the Magistrate exclaimed.

"Oh, is that what that was? I was making a laundry list on the back of it."

He looked toward the audience.

"You have to make sure you use all of your parchment! That stuff's not cheap! Anyway, Magistrate-sama, I think I found it..."

He pulled a small stuffed animal out of his kimono. Glared at it.

"Gonna eat this later. Right. Think I found it in the Lost Library of... well. It's lost, anyway."

Jiyo Sora wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 23, 2021 8:35 pm

He pulled a small stuffed animal out of his kimono. Glared at it.

"Gonna eat this later. Right. Think I found it in the Lost Library of... well. It's lost, anyway."

"FLUFFY?" cries Gusai. "THEY SAID YOU WENT TO A FARM IN THE NEXT PROVINCE!"

He drinks from the bottle again. "WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE ME?"