Every morning, merchants gather at the Suitengu's Bounty Warehouse found in Tenjin Town for a chance to bid on the day's catch. Some of these might be daily purchases for the many food businesses on Shiawase Island, while some of the larger bids made here might find their way in a large trade made in Winter Court. Needless to say, competition here is quite fierce. Often, merchants want to spend the least but also want the best stock available. Merchants are bidding here on a variety of stakes, some with the livelihood of their business on the line, where leaving empty-handed might be considered a great failure to some lords.
Magic: Yes, but all spells will need to have at least an hour duration to be used.
Budget Points
Each bidder will be given 10 Budget Points by either their Clan or sponsor to spend in the day's bid. When making a roll during these events, a bidder may convert any number of Budget Points to contribute +1k0 to a roll. Please remember the Corebook rules on rolled and kept dice. No dice pool can ever be greater than 10 rolled dice, and they are converted to 1 kept die for every 2 rolled dice after 10.
When a roll is successful in this event, any number of Budget Points spent on the roll is expended and deducted from the bidder's total. If the roll is a failure, the Budget Points are not expended and can be used in a later roll. Bidders must note how many Budget Points they are using in the description of each roll.
Bidding and Rolling
Each bidder will have 3 opportunities to make their bid as they attend various bids happening in Tenjin Town. Many will take place on the docks, warehouses and cold storage. It's not unheard of for some deals to happen at sea or in back alleyways.
Each opportunity begins by rolling 1d6 on the Catch Table to determine what catch is currently being offered at the venue. The bidder then may make the appropriate rolls and expend any number of Budget Points to help with their roll. They will have to judge how much to spend on the offer, which can be extravagant or conservative if they wish to save their resources for another deal. They may also call Raises for a better deal. On success, the bidder gains a number of Fish Points associated with the catch and 1 additional Fish Point for each Called Raise.
Once a bid is completed, if the bidder has an opportunity left, they will begin the next bid by rolling 1d6 again to determine their next prospect on the Catch Table until all 3 opportunities have been used.
Catch Table
Today promises to be the largest catch of the season, with many junk boats and fishing fleets returning with their share of the ocean's bounty. Some Yasuki fishing fleets can spend as long as two months at sea to secure their payday and fish for some truly rare catches.
Before every bidding roll, please roll 1d6 to determine the catch they are presented with. Do not roll the catches prior to making the bidding roll associated with the previous catch is made.
This is considered a contested roll. Benten's Beauty only applies to Sincerity and Etiquette rolls done here. Bayushi Courtier technique offer one Free Raise to Temptation, Sincerity, and Intimidation only. Yoritomo Courtier is able to find a target at 2 Status Ranks lower but no less than Status Rank 0.
- Shellfish: Shellfish are caught close to shore and the reefs. This catch may contain the equivalent of mussels, oysters, clams, and even barnacles. Bidders may either make a skill roll using Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 25 or lean into the catch's known aphrodisiac properties and roll Temptation(Seduction)/Awareness at TN 20. This catch is worth 5 Fish Points.
- Fish: This catch consists of mid-sized fish that may be commonplace elsewhere in the Empire, such as salmon, normal tuna, and tilapia. This is a necessity in many diets, but won't impress anyone as a stock. Bidders may either make a skill roll using Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 25 or it is willingly surrendered by the fishmen if the bidder displays some keenness with fish grabbing with Animal Handling(Fish)/Awareness or Craft: Fishing/Agility at TN 20. This catch is worth 6 Fish Points.
- Diamond Shrimp: Diamond Shrimp are caught and farmed locally at Tenjin Town. While they are common in many places on Shiawase Island, they are considered a rarity elsewhere and often charged in great multiples. Most recently, some locals have considered raising the price to meet the Empire's market demand. To claim this catch, bidders may either make a skill roll using Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 30 or appease the locals using Sincerity(Honest or Deceit)/Awareness at TN 25. This catch is worth 7 Fish Points.
- Tango Tuna: The prized Tango Tuna has been a mainstay of many oceanic island provinces on the Green Carp. While it has been a hotbed of territorial conflicts between provinces, the fish continues to see large exports throughout the Empire, and its pricing continues to be resilient even compared to other fish products on the market. Bidders can make a skill check using either Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 35 or petition to its claim with Etiquette (Bureaucracy)/Awareness at TN 30. This catch is worth 9 Fish Points.
- Greatshark: Greatsharks are terrors of the seas and often the apex predators of most oceans. Hunting them often proved to be a deadly endeavour, resulting in the potential loss of the ship and lives. However, there are times when ships find themselves having no choice but to face directly against a greatshark directly, finding themselves lucky enough to take one down and bring its carcass back to tell about it. The meat of a greatshark is a highly acquired taste, but there is some demand for it in the market, both as a novelty and for medicinal purposes. Bidders may perform a skills check using Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 45 or utilize the frightful presence of the greatshark to further scare away other buyers, using Intimidation(Bullying)/Willpower at TN 40. Alternatively, they may analyze the means to take down the greatshark and provide some tactical knowledge to safeguard ships in the future, this is done using Battle(Mass Combat)/Perception at TN 40. This catch is worth 11 Fish Points.
- Terror of the Deep: The oceans of the Green Carp are vast, and their depths are still fully explored to this day. There are times when some foolish fishermen will attempt to catch something in the abyss, or something is found from a deep-sea outpost. Sometimes, curiosities or horrifying discoveries that are best left untouched are found in their adventures. Nevertheless, something is brought back that will prove valuable for study, especially if it could potentially be a discovery of a lifetime! Bidders may make a skill check using Commerce(Appraisal)/Perception at TN 55 or attempt to identify the catch using Lore: Nature/Intelligence or a Lore related to any animals naturally found at sea at TN 50. This catch is worth 12 Fish Points and 1 Bid Point.
All bidders should tally up their total Fish Points at the end of the event and take stock of their remaining Budget Points. The governor's staff will be watching the proceedings and determining the most business-savvy participant. Ultimately, some recommendations will be made based on their performance here.
The bidder with the most Fish Points will be awarded 9 Bid Points in first place, with 7 Bid Points granted to the second place, and finally 5 Bid Points to the third place bidder. Ties will be broken by the bidder with the most remaining Budget Points unspent, showing themselves to be both a savvy bidder and someone who can manage their resources.
Any bidder who manages to accumulate a minimum of 20 Fish Points will be granted 1 Bid Point, as they've proven themselves to be able to bring a day's catch in like a local. This stacks with any bidder who places first, second or third, as well as any Bid Points granted from catches.
