Kyuden Shika

"Interesting", he nodded, appreciatively. "The Scorpion are in general the opposite, Bayushi are Bayushi, Shosuro are Shosuro and so on, but our sensei are wise despite that and find students with talents that lie in other fields to grow them as well." He chuckled. "Somehow that meant I should be a bushi like my father, I'd much rather have followed my mother's path as a courtier, but I must admit I would regret not having trained with horses."

"We don't have many horses in the mountains. That's something we don't get much training for, unless it's a personal interest." he explained. "What other interests do you have, Shosuro-sama?"

"I like to read", he started, then gestured at the board. "Playing games, I enjoy practicing the shakuhachi, shamisen, among other things", he said. "Being a Shosuro demands these, but I've found I enjoy them as hobbies even if it's unlikely I'll be called to the stage."

"One of my ancestors studied games, puzzles and toys." he said as they exchanged turns. "He wrote about how they were influenced by the cultures of each clan and of how the games had influenced those cultures."

"That's very thoughtful", the Scorpion remarked and took some territory for once. "What were his findings in this endeavour?"

"The differences from region to region were interesting." he said. "With some games, like go, there were few variations. The rules are fairly simple and straightforward, even if the play can become deeply complex. So, only the strategy and style of play might change. That may be more obvious with games like shogi, wherein maneuvering pieces adds different aspects to consider. Then, there's Fortunes and Winds, which has elements beyond the game itself, with side bets that Are more commonly seen in some areas of the Empire than others. And, there's a wide variety of hanafuda games. There are ways to play cards that are unique to single families."

"My father only played Fortunes and Winds with me once, at my Gemppuku celebration", Hikimasu said. "He told me never again, somehow I won three times against the whole table."

"From my experience, it is best to quit the game while you are winning." he grinned.

"Well when it comes to playing with other Scorpion that's just not true", he said with a sigh. "If they don't get to see you fall at the table, you can expect suffering away from it."

"Sometimes, the only way to win is not to play." he nodded. "That's definitely true about drinking games."