Welcome to the grand stage, noble poets of Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru!

Whether you are a master of the brush or a scholar of the soul, this competition is your chance to shine. Do not let the pressure of the blank page deter you—we are here to celebrate beauty, and there are many paths to victory!

Here is everything you need to know to take home the prize.

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The Five Pillars of Poetry

In each round, you can choose how you want to create your masterpiece. Every method is a TN 2 Composition Check, but the Ring you use depends on your approach:

• Fire (The Spark of Creation): Compose a brand-new poem on the spot.
• Air (The Hidden Whisper): Use an existing poem but weave in a secret, clever meaning.
• Earth (The Timeless Classic): Recite a well-known poem that perfectly fits the topic. *
• Water (The Flow of Change): Adapt an existing poem to better suit the current theme.
• Void (The Infinite Wisdom): Rephrase a quote from the Tao of Shinsei or a Koan as a poem.

*please make a short not of the Clan, Family and maybe even name of the IC poet who originally composed the haiku or tanka

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The Art of Delivery

Once your poem is ready, it’s time to move the audience! You will make a second check using Perform or Courtesy. The difficulty depends on how your composition went:

• Standard Delivery: TN 2.
• The Master’s Edge: If you gained bonus successes on your composition, the TN drops to 1!
• The Poet’s Recovery: If you failed the composition TN, the TN for your performance increases to 3 due to the stress of the moment.

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Schedule & Themes

IC each theme/round will take roughly 1 hour.

We shall take our time to savor the beauty of each verse. The competition will last five days, with one topic per day. You have a full 24-hour window for each round to roll your dice and post your presentation at your leisure.

Note: If you miss the 24-hour window for a round, your character is assumed to have been struck by "poet's block" and will receive 0 points for that day.

The Wordsmith's Toolkit

Whether you choose the brevity of a Haiku (5-7-5) or the elegance of a Tanka (5-7-5-7-7), the stage is yours. Feel free to use the power of the internet or text generators—we are here to have fun, and not everyone is a born wordsmith! In-game, your character will be seen as the brilliant Samurai presenting the piece regardless of your real-world source.

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Scoring & Opportunities

The poet with the highest total score at the end of the five rounds is the winner!

• Success: Meeting the TN gives you 1 point.
• Excellence: Every bonus success earned gives you 1 additional point.

Special Opportunities

During your checks, you may spend your Opportunity exclusively in the following ways:

• 1+: Remove 1 Strife per opportunity spent.
• 1 (On Failure): You demonstrate such determination that you suffer no embarrassment or shame despite the miss.
• 1 (On Success): You perform with such grace that you gain the total admiration of the crowd!

Announcement of the winner will be at April 26, 2026 at 04:30 PM.