treave, I'm curious as to how the various different signs would carry out their roles as Adjutant: would the Horse or Ox be more of a praetorian who protects the Prince from physical dangers, while somebody like the Goat or Dragon acts in a more subtle way? I figure that a guy like the Goat would be more of a detective/investigator type.
Also, what are the differences between Perception and Intelligence? A guy like the Ox isn't very bright, but he's probably fairly aware of his surroundings, right?
The background says Adjutant, but that is more of an official term than a job description, I suppose. Perhaps a more proper term would be aide. In reality, your job would primarily involve being the Crown Prince's companion and playmate. Your education is well-rounded, so that in the future you can assist him in both military and administrative capacities. This is different from being
designated as an official bodyguard or investigator or minister or what-have-you. You are just there to serve the Prince in whatever capacity you can.
This means that your orders will come only from the Crown Prince, or perhaps the Emperor, if His Majesty is so inclined. If he wants you to play ball, you play ball. If he wants you to be his bodyguard, you will lay your life down for him. If he wants you to solve a murder mystery, you better put on your thinking cap and solve it with a dramatic reveal. Of course, since he has grown up with you from a very young age and knows you well, he will understand what you are most skilled at, and
usually put you to that use. In that regard, you are correct about the approximate roles each sign may play, but there may be exceptions where you are called on to serve in an area you are not proficient in.
The Pig, for example, would probably just laze around flirting with the palace maids until the Prince gives him a friendly boot up the ass to get him to help out with something that requires a somewhat unorthodox approach.
Or take the Rat, who would not need to be tasked with ferreting out information because he is naturally inquisitive, and will already have a good grasp on being a gossip-monger.
You can expect a rather different Adjutant from each sign you pick. The most similar would be the Horse and Ox, but even then the Horse is more energetic, while the Ox is rather stoic.
Perception is more closely related to observation skill. Someone with high perception but low intelligence has great awareness but may not be able to react to it on much more than an instinctual level, while a low perception, high intelligence character is absent-minded if intelligent, and can be reckless due to lack of awareness about their surroundings.
