Although it was difficult to realize at times, the Hachi were truly passionate about the arts. They saw the ability to create deeper meaning out of mundane means as the greatest skill of mankind, akin to magic and a gift from the Fortunes. But this also meant they hated to see mediocrity, considering it an offense to the Kami and a stain on one’s honor. As such, the Hachi became merciless courtiers, travelling the courts of Rokugan to dispense their judgments, like magistrates of the fine arts. This gave them significant political clout which, true to their Crane heritage, they never hesitated to use to solidify their position in the Empire.
Rank One: The Sting of the Bee
The first thing a Bee samurai learn is how to properly criticize art, finding the smallest of flaws in any work. Rare is the samurai who can measure up to their standards, but for those their reputation is assured. You gain a +2k0 bonus to all Games: Sadane rolls, and to any Artisan or Perform rolls made to appraise the quality of somebody else’s work. If the work of art or performance you’re reviewing was made with at least as many raises as your school rank, the artisan or performer gains an amount of glory points equal to your school rank if you publicly praise them.
Rank Two: Colors of the Season
The Bee know that fashion follows cycles not unlike those found in nature, and choose their outfits accordingly, subtly enhancing their social talents. Before attending court, you can make a Lore: Fashion/Intelligence roll at TN 15 to select your outfit. If successful, you gain a +2k0 to rolls using a specific emphasis of the Courtier or Etiquette skills (ex: all Courtier (Manipulation) rolls, or all Etiquette (Conversation) rolls) for the duration of the day. You can roll again for a new outfit the following day, but must choose the same bonus unless you successfully make two raises on your roll. The GM is free to disallow usage of this technique if your supply of clothing is somehow limited, but the ones included in the school’s starting outfit are considered enough for the purposes of using this technique.
Rank Three: the Words of my Sisters
Members of the Hachi Family are a tightly knit group, and although their activities often cause them to be separated they kept contact through extended correspondence. Using the flowery language of the arts, the Bee were able to communicate information to one another, hidden even to those who might read their letters. By writing a letter and succeeding at a Calligraphy/Intelligence TN 20 roll, the Hachi Courtier can request information from another member of the Family. The letter cannot be fully understood by anyone who doesn’t have access to this technique - the metaphors used are unique to the Bee Clan. The information usually pertains to the arts and fashion, such as upcoming new trends, the rise and decline of specific artists, or the location of performer groups. The information can take from one to four weeks to come, but once obtained can provide a +3k0 onetime bonus on a roll related to it, such as reviewing a piece of art related to the new trend or obtaining favors through showcasing a popular artist.
Rank Four: Shatter the Ego
At this rank, the Hachi courtier learns how to completely destroy the confidence of a samurai based on his works or representation. By succeeding at a roll of the appropriate artisan or performance skill/Awareness, at a TN equal to the roll used to create the work or performance, the Hachi Courtier can spend a Void point to activate this technique. Verbally pointing out the flaws of the performance or work, and through it of the performer or artisan, causes him to suffer from a -2k0 penalty on all further social skill rolls the same day, and prevents him from spending Void points on social skill rolls.
Rank Five: Beyond the Veil
The most senior members of the Bee Clan look for those rare displays of artistic skill which can be considered perfect. For those so attuned to the deeper meaning of the arts, such a sight can be akin to a temporary moment of enlightenment, allowing them to see everything around them more clearly. Upon witnessing a work of art or performance accomplished with at least 5 raises, the Hachi Courtier can roll the appropriate artisan or performance skill/Void, at a TN of 25. If successful the Courtier recovers all spent Void points, and gains three extra Void points on top of his maximum.Those three Void points disappear if not used by the end of the day, and this technique cannot be used more than once a day.