Courtesy
The essential Social skill of Kiga's highest circles of power, the Courtesy skill represents a character’s ability to influence others’ opinions, persuade others to a course of action, outmaneuver their opponents, win arguments, steer a conversation in a desired direction, and deliver cunning put-downs—all without ever openly giving offence or stepping beyond the complex rules of Kigani etiquette.
In the vicious world of court politics, politeness is a deadly weapon in a courtier’s arsenal. Baiting someone to an outburst of emotion can destroy their reputation and earn their enmity for life, while deflecting someone’s wrath onto oneself, taking the blame for a mistake, can put them in one’s debt and foster new alliances. Courtesy is also needed when one wishes to influence the perceived truth of a matter that may be in question, regardless of the actual truth.
Courtesy Approaches
The Courtesy skill can be used with the appropriate rings as follows:- Reason Approach (Earth Ring): Convincing someone to listen to reason rather than their emotions, reminding someone of their duties, convincing someone to wait rather than acting and suffering potential consequences.
- Charm Approach (Water Ring): Getting someone to like or trust you, fostering desire for something or someone in a person, altering someone’s current desires, efficiently making your way through the complex bureaucracy of a court by being pleasant and gregarious.
- Incite Approach (Fire Ring): Convincing someone to listen to their emotions rather than reason, reminding someone of their desires, drawing attention to yourself, getting someone to ignore risks before them, insulting someone openly.
- Trick Approach (Air Ring): Convincing someone of something untrue (or incomplete), deflecting attention from yourself onto others, spreading a rumour about someone, leading someone to an idea to convince them it is their own, insulting someone subtly and deniably.
- Enlighten Approach (Void Ring): Using well-chosen words to get someone to question a truth they held as absolute, getting someone to remember their true self when they are acting out of fear, despair, rage, or supernatural influence.