A crane bitch that doesn't look like a pussy?
wut?

>>10141303
It's a man.

>>10141303

Kakita Ai was fed up with her Clan's reputation for androgyny, and set out to prove that a Crane girl can be very, very, very undeniably a healthy female warrior.

>>10141355
>>10141287
That's hot.

Once I ate a sandwich!

And then, immediately afterwards, I ate another sandwich, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW IT WOULD SPOIL MY DINNER!

I live my life on the EDGE.

In before inevitable clan verbal slapfight.

>>10141381
Truly, you are some sort of fiend.

>>10141381

A story worthy of inclusion in my journal! Let me write it down at once!

>>10141449
Updated your Journal?
> namelessone.jpg

Anyway, according to legend, she vowed never again to wear armor that would hide her feminine attributes, and at long last, all of Rokugan was forced to say...

"That is definitely, and without any doubt, a woman amongst the Crane."

>>10141521
"That, or a man with well placed bags of sand"

>>10141547

One cunning man pointed that out to her, and she proved him wrong on the spot. However, while she swore to do the same to anyone else with such doubts, she guaranteed that she would remove their eyes afterwards.

>>10141287
That poor girl, I wonder who stole half of her kimono and made her wear all those clumsy, vaguely armor-like contraptions?

I legitimately cannot find any other non-androgynous Crane pictures.

At least she has a helmet.

This is Doji, pretty sure she's female.

This guy is pretty masculine.

>>10141287

...I have a tale to tell. Please be patient, it may take some time to relay it all fully.

>>10141684
Chop chop.

Androgyny?

Every pic I see of Crane Clan, the girls are showing off tits like it's goddamn Carnival.

This is the tale of Shosuro Shirou.

Shirou was named so by his mother, for when he was born, he was a weak and sickly baby, with a weak and sickly spirit. Still, the thinnest vine can cling tenaciously to the tree, and he survived to adulthood, becoming a bushi of no small skill and a man of no small reputation. He was known for his temper, and for the swiftness of his sword, and for his silent step. He was a cruel and arrogant young man. Many feared him, and few liked him, for it was an ill air that hung about him and poisoned his movements. Although it is a shame to admit about a member of my own Clan, they say Shirou engaged himself with criminals and gamblers, and before long owned a fair amount of land and business through means that it is perhaps best not to cast light on. Had nothing else happened, it is entirely likely that the story would end there, a young man growing affluent off of wickedness and greed. Of course, he advanced the Clan, but there was little light in him except for that which reflects from coins and blood. It was while he was such a man that he encountered Toku Shizuka.

>>10141827
How would a female monk or martial arist look in L5R? Bound breasts, nothing else?

>>10141867
Well, and pants obviously. I mean from the waist up.

>>10141827

Everyday is carnival day in Crane Lands, while most parties are little more than drinking tea, its EVERY DAY.

Crane Clan are the popular kids party people.

These Daidoji Harriers seem like pretty cool guys, can anyone give me background on them? Background information on the Crane spy/secret police family would be cool, too.

I downloaded and read some of the L5R book, and I want to play a Monkey Clan bushi with a Scorpion Clan wife.

Shizuka was a poor wanderer from the Monkey Clan, a girl prone to laughter, a newly-appointed magistrate. Everything she did burst with energy and life. When she swung her sword, she spared who she could, but every movement was done in the name of justice. In the darkness of Shirou's soul, she burned like a dark-eyed flame, and it singed him in ways he had never known.

He went before his lord, on bended knee, and asked him, "Have I not been faithful, O master? Have I not brought you wealth and power? As Shosuro served Bayushi, have I not served you always?" And his lord, who was uneasy around Shirou, spoke with caution as he replied, "Always, my retainer, you have brought me profit, and you have increased my standing. As Shosuro served Bayushi, so have you served me." Once more, Shirou bowed his head, "And have I ever once asked you for any favor, for any particular consideration in return, anything even as small as a crumb, my master?" And again, uneasy, his lord replied that it was so, that Shirou had never requested anything from him beyond what was needed to perform his duties. A third time, Shirou asked, prostrate, "Has my loyalty ever been in question, master?" And a third time, his lord was forced to admit that his service had been excellent, that there had never been any true question of Shirou's loyalties, for Shirou was through-and-through a Scorpion at heart, even when he sullied himself. Thus Shirou made a single plea of his lord, "Master, I am wealthy and politically connected, my lands have done well, my businesses prosper, yet my house is empty. My father is dead, my mother is dead, and I have no siblings. My hearth is cold. Please, give me Toku Shizuka as a bride. I am confident her family will agree, for I am wealthy where she is poor, and my allies are many where hers are few." Although it filled him with reluctance to give such a man his blessing, Shirou's lord granted his request, and within the month the two were wed.

>>10141867
TITTY BINDINGS
NOTHING ELSE
FINAL DESTINATION

>>10141923
Check the wiki.

The marriage was successfully completed, and as is custom, one of them continued to wander and to do their duties as a warrior while the other managed the property. Shirou took eagerly to the second role, as his sword had in the past taken second strike to his barbed tongue and skill at finance.

As Shirou had owned so many beautiful things in the past, so he expected to own Shizuka as well. A magistrate was a powerful tool, something that a clever man could easily threaten to unleash on his rivals, and he felt that if he owned her he could easily gain great advantage. To hold a treasure in his hands until it no longer pleased him, and was added to the pile of the signs of his greatness was a familiar feeling. Yet...whenever he thought she truly belonged to him, he found some aspect of her that he did not understand or control. Worst, she did not seem to realize his nature. She seemed proud of his many 'friends', not realizing their nature, she seemed genuinely affectionate towards her pale, occasionally sickly husband, and for the first time, Shirou knew what it was to have someone who trusted him utterly. Day by day, her bright flame burned more of him away. He found himself disgusted by his former acquaintances and actions, disgusted by the way he had intimidated and slaughtered his way into power. He cut old ties, sometimes bloodlessly, sometimes not, and buried his misdeeds where he could.

>>10142138
So, where's the BAD END?

He breathed deeply in the cool winds of honest and open living. His sword remained sheathed, his incisive words and piercing gaze remained unused. His businesses were legitimate, and he turned himself fully towards managing his land, and keeping his wife happy. It was not until he had cleared out his own darkness that he realized something about the pure flame he had for a wife...the reason she was so pure, so certain, was that she had never delved the depths he had. She was naive. Some men would have been disappointed, or shocked that something they valued so highly had flaws. Shirou was not, he almost envied her, but in that moment he came to a resolution...there were ways she could not protect himself, and he would wield his sword for her to keep her safe.

He read her papers, her messages, he forged new contacts and spilled more blood, he wove what remained of his old associates into a net of eyes and ears...and waited. He shadowed his wife. When she tracked a grisly murderer, he made sure she never found out how the man had defiled the young girls that composed his victims, or how he skinned the bodies and ate the meat from them. The murderer was shocked to find his storehouse empty one morning, fresh-dug graves in his garden, and papers clearly indicating he was responsible for the disappearance of various girls. Even more shocked was he when a young Monkey magistrate burst through his door shortly after, and had him arrested.

>>10141884
>>10141867

Lots of tatoos, bald head?

>>10142291
I'm just wondering what a monk would look like. I can imagine a shirtless male monk, I'm just wondering how that applies to a woman.

>>10142283

Who said there was a bad end?

>>10142297

Breastbindings, no top aside from that.

A few years ago I came across an Ikoma bard who told me the story of a young Mantis bushi who fought in the Clan War. It was a most interesting tale, as the young samurai not only had to fight against a maho-tsukai, he had to fight against his own inner demons.

Perhaps, you young samurai would like to sit and hear this story?

>>10142313
Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks.

I have too many pictures of chicks, and almost no pictures of samurai.

Once again, Shirou's sword was used. He worked himself day and night, finding her prey before Shizuka did, making sure the situation was safe and that she would not see anything that broke the blazing spirit of justice he loved so much, even ensuring that she would only receive messages and tips when and where it was most advantageous to her survival. Many would-be villains, upon exclaiming "Ah-ha! Young fool, you have stumbled into my CLEVER TRAP!" were shocked when, in fact, such traps had already been disarmed. Hidden guards had been bribed to retire early or killed, or found their movements slowed as if they had swallowed sleeping medicine with their tea. Excess minions who might potentially have injured an invading Magistrate were killed in what seemed like inter-gang violence. In one case, even a minor Oni was inexplicably banished...and the components that would have been used in a ritual that would have turned its summoner into an unstoppable, undead beast of Maho were delayed so much that he had only just begun the spell when he was interrupted, and consequently met his end at Shizuka's blade.

>>10142374
that just looks painful

Within L5R, what clan/school would be best for making the most hard-core, badass character possible?

I'm thinking some sort of Crab, though also possibly Lion.

>>10142315

I certainly would.

>>10142315

Of course.

>>10141287

Please tell me this is just DA faggotry and not official L5R RPG art. First and 2nd edition had fuck-win flavor and art direction... please don't tell me this is where we've ended up.

>>10141827

Yeah, that's not how kimono work....

>>10142465
Basically all the Clans have at least a few hardcore badasses. If they didn't, they probably wouldn't be Clans.

What personality and attributes, besides being hardcore and badass, are you looking for your character to have? Don't try to match them to Clan yet, just list some.

I have a wondrous story to tell you all.

Now, we Crab are well-known for the strength and presence of our fortresses, but they are easily as deadly on the inside as they are on the outside. It seems that the citadel I had worked on was being eyed by a tainted Phoenix shugenja who was heeding the call of Fu Leng, and wished to help create a foothold for the Shadowlands horde. He conjured a foul oni with his own name within the fortress to try to tear it down from within.

Fortunately, I had predicted such an occurrence, and set up a cleverly disguised system of very large catapults. The oni flew for -miles- before making a splatter that, I am told, spread for miles.

>>10142465
Crab are the ones who have the 'I survived a week by eating my own arm and using the blood to attract demons that I killed to keep my skill high' shtick. Lions have the 'battlefield glory' angle.

Pic might be a crab, I'll post an equally distorted lion in a second.

>>10142488
It's just Genzoman.

>>10142511

>>10142499
Truly, the works of the Kaiu family are worthy of legend.

Maybe a Crane? I've got a few of these, if anyone wants the rest let me know.

>>10142516

Yeah, drawing ridiculous tits and thighs is pretty much all he does.

>>10142623
But they're AWESOME thighs and tits.

>>10142511
>>10142529
>>10142591

Come think of it, why hasn't anyone made a game about this bunch of people? I mean, other than Gensosuikoden, which was good but not quite the same as the story. To put it mildly.

>>10142468
Take a seat have some tea.

Before the Mantis were a great clan almost a year before the Scorpion Clan Coup, the was a young Mantis bushi named Yoshimaru. Yoshimaru was a proud young Mantis, and had been raised by his sensei who had no heir. His parents had died at sea when he was a small child. A few years after Yoshimaru's gempukku, his guardian and sensei gave him a gift before he retired to one on the monasteries near Kyuden Gisei. His old boat, Amaterasu's Glory, and with that a mission from the daimyo of the Mantis, Yoritomo himself.

The mission was to travel to the Ivory Kingdoms and trade goods, silks and spices, for many of the products you can only find outside of Rokugan. He was given his very own crew, and the open seas were now his to sail. Yoshimaru was extremely happy, most samurai dream of serving their clans in court or battle. But not him. His last memories of his father were watching him on the bow of his ship, the wind in his hair and a smile upon his face. Yoshimaru dreamed of the same freedoms his father had on the open sea.

How low power can you play L5R?

Now, this is a true story, sadly, and like all such it has a rather disappointing end.

It was spring, and the land was beautiful. Flowers bloomed, trees awoke, the world itself yawned gently as it rose from its slumber and began to put out shoots again. Shizuka had ridden far from their lands, hunting a cult of Bloodspeakers who were abducting children to sacrifice in perverse rituals, hiding themselves in a cave network within a series of hills...while Shirou lay at home, sick. The weakness that had plagued him his whole life had grown worse with long winter nights spent walking cold streets, with rooftop duels in the rain, with losing blood from countless minor wounds, and only his sheer, bitter stubbornness kept him going. It took all of his effort to arrange for her to be delayed by minor crimes and complaints while he rode his fastest horse nonstop, timing his movements perfectly despite his fever and the shakes that wracked his body, cutting the tentacles from the poisonous and monstrous beast they had used to guard the pass she would need to take, ambushing it as it lay asleep and cutting it until it moved no more. He found the discarded and half-eaten bodies of the child sacrifices, and buried them at the base of the hill. Wounded, nearly blind from the trace amounts of poison that had splattered him from the oni's blood, exhausted as he tamped the last of the dirt in place...he didn't hear the sounds of battle from the caves, and it was with horrified resignation that he, covered in blood, and obviously just finished grave-digging, felt the prick of Shizuka's katana at his throat.

>>10141287
Goddamn that fucking ugly picture.

>>10142691

Yoshimaru set sail by the next week. His crew was faithful and they became best of friends. Many he knew form his time training in the dojo, many friends and distant relatives. One night while his crew was sitting around drinking, his first mate Senju approached Yoshimaru to tell him of a tresspasser they had found.

A young Scorpion girl had sneaked aboard the ship. Yoshimaru could not get any information as to why the Scorpion, or this particular girl, were interested in the Mantis bartering with the Ivory Kingdoms. Yoshimaru assumed the Scorpion were trying to get some kind of incriminating evidence towards a violation on gaijin policy. He locked the young girl, Bayushi Ku, in one of the spare rooms of the boat.

>>10142847
So BAD END. I was right.

Incidentally, before someone points it out, yes, he burned the bodies first, and was burying the ashes. Really, of course he remembered Rokugani custom.

How do you reconcile such crushing disappointment, and such relief at the end of a long and burdensome journey? The shovel dropped from his hands, realizing he had been too late, turning to face his wife as the tears streamed from her eyes. She asked him a simple question, why was he here, although he only heard the first word. He opened his mouth, to tell her only that he loved her, and allow her to kill him...when he remembered his duty, his loyalty to her. So he told her the truth, or part of it. That he had worried for her safety, that he had feared she was walking into great danger, that his act of being a simple land-manager was an act and that he had drawn his sword for her. That he had killed a monster, and had brought peace to the victims of great evil. His strength leaving him, he fell, and in a properly tragic story he would have died there, peaceful and honest at the base of that hill in springtime...but this is a true story, a Scorpion story, and we are the Clan that values loyalty most. So when his wife pleaded for him to live, he loyally lived, and eventually recovered. They say he continued to quietly help her in her duties, protecting her pure spirit, for the rest of their lives.

>>10142826

How low-power can you play WFRP?

>>10142623

I hate genzoman doing L5R art so damn much.

I remember when this pic was as slutastic as L5R art got

>>10142511

Lions have the "I killed six dozen Crab bare-handed fighting my way out of a mud-slicked battlefield, humped my way across hostile territory with the last few men of my unit for a month, and STILL managed to kill the enemy general when he foolishly allowed his unit to get too far ahead of the main army, believing victory was assured."

>>10143032

I hear they're returning to the older art style.

>>10143063
Smells like butthurt Matsu.

>>10143080

Smells like butthurt Hida. PROTIP: You have a giant wall to sit on and fling rocks down at your enemies, we're sure the goblins are very scary and all, but your MASSIVE FORTIFICATIONS mean you've slightly lost the right to complain.

And that is the end of my tale. Thank you all for listening.

>>10142896

Hm...interesting. Go on, Daidoji-san.

>>10143120
Crab aren't known for their roar. I'll leave you to shout yourself hoarse.

>>10142499

I believe a tear of joy has escaped under my mask, please excuse me while I expunge it.

>>10143063
That hardly sounds like Lion at all. In fact, after
>I killed six dozen Crab bare-handed fighting my way out of a mud-slicked battlefield
I'm pretty sure that you totally lost all vestiges of reality. No one kills six dozen bushi of any Clan bare-handed.

>>10143167
>I'm pretty sure that you totally lost all vestiges of reality.
Sounds like a lion to me!

>>10143120
Oh, yeah, because massive fortifications do diddly shit against teleporting oni that use corpses as fuel.

Not to mention the ambient Taint in the place - I'm surprised the Wall itself hasn't sprouted feet and gone to town on Rokugan.

>>10143167

As if the arm-eating is any less absurd?

>>10143167
Togashi Mitsu could. Even pre-oracling (oraclizing?).
Of course, he wasn't really ever a killer, so he'd just beat up 6 dozen people, then tell everyone to stop being assholes.

Once, I dared to seduce a Matsu's lovely betrothed.

...someone already posted the picture I like to use. How sad. This one is slightly too warlike for me, but it does what it does.

>>10142896

Now in those days, Yoshimaru was a naive young Mantis. He was always looking for the best in people. Many nights, he would sit and talk to Ku outside the door of the rooms, or bring her food and sake. They would tell stories about their clans, their family, their time during their training at their respective dojos.

One night when Yoshimaru brought Ku some food, they talked for a few hours, and Ku told Yoshimaru about how she ended up on the Mantis isles. She had been traveling as a yojimbo to a troupe of Shosuro Actors, performing a play in the courts of the Mantis Clan. While she was staying in Kyuden Gisei, one of the older Mantis told her an old mantis legend about an island full of treasure from the times before the Kami fell. She had decided that this was a worthwhile investment, and wanted to find a captain daring enough to search for the treasure. The troupe had enough yojimbo to watch after them, what was one missing girl, after all? She decided to sneak on board one of the ships.

Ku had watched Yoshimaru from the shadows of the boat, and admitted she was impressed with his boldness. She admitted to being infatuated with the young bushi. Yoshimaru was not strong enough to resist Ku's "charms", and made his first mistake in trusting in a Scorpion woman. She had convinced him to give up on his duty as she had and pursue this treasure. Surely it would be more valuable the gaijin goods. Right?

>>10143148
>>10143167
>>10143188

Upset Crab detected.

>>10143237

You stole a Matsu woman's boyfriend? Hot damn, that takes some guts.

>>10143275
Not exactly. Doji Yuri is another Crane who wastes her time being an embarassment.

>>10143243

Well as Yoshimaru would soon discover, this was not the case. Ku and hed became confidants and lovers. He let her out of confinement. Yoshimaru stared to become estranged from his crew. They questioned his loyalty to his clan behind Yoshimaru's back. Why was he abandoning his duty for some legend, some wild goose chase. He would shame all of them. After they failed they would be forced to face Yoritomo and commit seppuku, or worse become ronin.

>>10143294

What do you mean?

>>10143275

Reverse the genders. Big, brutish Matsu man, soft and adorable Isawa betrothed.

>>10143294

Hmph! Do you have an issue with me, cousin?

>>10143326

Fascinating, although I fear this might become another one of those stories that casts us as two-dimensional stock villains. Oh well, every story needs its antagonist.

>>10143420
Not at all, cousin. I am grateful beyond words that your foolish endeavours often remove you from the heartlands of the Crane, where they might actually do some damage to our clan.

>>10143512

...You're a man I can respect. That was very cutting.

>>10143413

Yes, and...er...didn't the Matsu basically ignore you, while you abused your poor retainer into trying to bribe the Isawa with various magical artifacts belonging to the Asahina, then the girl outright rejected you with threats of siccing her berserker betrothed on you?

>>10143512

Damage? Don't you think teaching plenty of promising maidens what a woman's tongue can do, giving ME their love and loyalty AND expanding my influence is the OPPOSITE of damage?!

>>10143553
Cutting is what I do, on and off the battlefield.

>>10143672

Flicking silver blade
A cow's tail among the herd
Grazing on corpses

So, you're a warrior, then? Ah, do you have your own command?

>>10143326

Go on, dude, we're listening.

>>10143672

>>10143728
I'm naught but a bodyguard, Bayushi-san, to a noble Katogama daiymo. My master is gracious enough to grant me some authority over his household, and even to occasionally ask for my advice.

>>10143326

CONTINUE THE STORY!

>>10143917

Ah, fascinating. I am a simple retainer myself, although my immediate family has some degree of land and property. The pomegranates are going to come in nicely this year, I've heard.

So...is this not the first time that your apparent cousin, Yuri, has caused you trouble?

>>10143672
>>10143917

Don't ignore me, Amiki-san! I'm speaking to you!

>>10144013
>>10144141
As you can see, Yuri is loud enough that is is simply impossible not to hear of the trouble she causes.

>>10143592

Who cares? I still intend to ruin them both.

>>10144160

You're too tense for someone so pretty, cousin. I could fix that, you know. It would be easy...really easy, and you'd like it too, I promise.

>>10144160

I...see. Well, she certainly does certainly seem to have a libido that gets out of hand. It's a weakness someone might exploit, someday.

I only read the first couple dozen posts in this thread, and being a typical 4channer, I am going to fly off the handle without reading the rest of the read to see if anyone else said what I am about to say, or if people are even still talking about the subject. Afterwards I might read the rest of the thread and be less ignorant, I also might not.

>no such thing as non-androgynous Crane

Are you kidding me? Haven't any of you kids ever heard of Uji?

>>10144160

By the way, where did you study? I hear the Crane have many fine schools of swordsmanship.

>>10144327

Yeah, she was pretty hot. That's a beautiful woman you've posted there, by the way, real pretty eyes. Lovely veil, too.

>>10144327

Daidoji don't count.

>>10144327
I hardly consider the Daidoji to be Crane in anything but name. They're actually respectable.

>>10143326
Forgive the delay my friends.

Yoshimaru and his crew eventually found the island they were searching for. After days of searching for the treasure, or any sign of life, they stumbled upon an old hut buried deep in the forest. There Yoshimaru and Ku spoke with an old shaman who told them where to find the treasure. He, however, warned Yoshimaru of a curse his ancestors had placed on the tomb where the treasure lied. His ancestors were leaders of men before the Kami had fallen. Some of the shaman's ancestors joined the kami Hida after the fall, while others fled from the rule of the Kami to establish their own freedom. the ancestors who fled sailed to this island. The leader of the ones who fled died, and his spirit still resides there to protect the various jewels and ores the people brought over.

>>10142992
well looks like the scorpions aren't all bad and they even get a happy ending now and then

That's not your mother, it's a man baby.

>>10144427

Rustling paper fans
Even the softest of smiles
Can hide deadly blades

Getting ready to run my L5R game next week, still nervous about having to portray Tsukimi, 'fraid I won't be able to do her justice.

>>10144543
err *tomorrow, not next week.

>>10144511
The floor is actually blades. Your haiku is invalid, though aesthetically pleasing.

>>10144543

Running it offline or online? If online, can we watch?

>>10144570
Naw, offline, face-to-face with a group of gamers that has stayed together for about 18 years.

>>10144563

Remind me never to visit you at home, I fear I would not survive sitting down to tea.

>>10144244
You... are not quite sharp enough for me, cousin.

>>10144331
If truth be told, I was redirected to study at Kosaten Shiro.

dude looks like a lady

>>10144428
Yoshimaru, despite the danger and the complaints from his crew. decided the treasure was a worth while pursuit. He would bring riches beyond imagination to his clan and bring Yoritomo more honor than a petty barter with the Ivory Kingdoms ever would. He and Ku decended into the tomb of the ancestor, and after searching for the treasure for hours, finally stumbled upon the spirit of the ancient guardian, the man who defied the Kami. The spirit tried to stop Yoshimaru from retrieving the jewels of his family, but was unsuccessful. Yoshimaru and Ku managed to fend off the spirit, and his crew started to harvest the treasure. His crew began to believe in their captain again.

>>10144601

On the borders of Lion lands? I've heard the Iron Warriors study there as well, did you train with them? I'm sorry, you must think me rude, to be asking so many questions, and answering so few. Feel free to ask me anything you wish, since my manners have been so atrocious.

>>10144616

That is a man? I don't believe you for an instant.

>>10144601

Is Amiki a man's name? I can't tell with Cranes.

>>10144651

Bad end incoming.

>>10144651

As they sailed back to Mantis Isles, some of his crew began to act abnormally. Some would go missing, they would sleep at night, and would be gone before the morning. It was only during the night when the sailors would disappear. Yoshimaru put gurards on the outside of their doors, to make sure they weren't walking out of their rooms. Sailors kept disappearing. Yoshimaru remembered the words of the shaman, remembered the words he spoke of the curse. His mind started to race, he became prone to fits of panic, and not even Ku could calm him down. He became obessed with returning the treasure before he disappeared from the curse.

>>10144601

Really, now? You won't even give me a chance to change your mind, sweet cousin?

>>10144735

It's a woman's name.

>>10144563

You are commendably dedicated.

(Crab fistbump?)

>>10144805
Crab fistbump.

Also, honoured bushi, you, ah, may wish to avoid the floor panels made of un-knotted wood.

I was going to start my own L5R thread, but I will use this one instead. I had scheduled to run L5RQuest tonight but sadly I will not be able to, I have to work early in the morning and thus can't stay up with the Quest.

On the plus side I will be able to run it Sunday night instead. I will start at my normal time of 11:30 CST. I hope to see people there.

>>10144833

Of course, Kaiu-san, of course.

>>10144888

Awesome! We'll keep this thread alive with the strength of the Crab, so people can see.

>>10144765

Either bad end or massive Scorpion dickery spotted.

These are all wonderful, and I'm enjoying every single one.

...I'm afraid we may have lost Doji Amiki-san.

>>10144765

TYPE. FASTER.

>>10144765

A storm formed on the horizon a day's sail from Kyuden Gisei. The boat began to shake, and out from the sea came a gigantic sea monster, Yoshimaru ordered his crew to fight the monster. All drew swords, and the monster slaughtered three fourths of the crew. Yoshimaru retreated the only way he could. The monster drove them into the heart of the storm.

As the ship began to sink from damage caused by the monster's ambush, Yoshimaru's crew began to doubt their captain again for putting them all in this mess. As he drove his ship the storm opend up and a giant maelstrom formed out of the waves in the sea. Amaterasu's Glory sailed straight ahead into the maelstrom, Senju approached his friend, and put his hand upon the wheel.

"This talk of a curse has driven you mad Yoshimaru-san. You abandoned your duty. You abandoned your crew. You mean to kill us all. For nothing. I will not allow these good men to die."

Yoshimaru snarled at his friend. After shoving Senju's hands off of the wheel, Senju reached for his kama. Yoshimaru iaijutsu drawed his katana and severed his best friend's arm at the elbow. As the ship toppled into the edge of the maelstrom and sunk into the sea, Yoshimaru kicked his friend off the port of the ship. The crew stared in horror. Ku stood smiling beside her captain.

"If anyone else thinks they can swim without hands," Yoshimaru screamed at the top of his lungs," Let him grab the wheel!"

The ship descended into the depths of the sea, Yoshimaru's insane cackle carrying over the sounds of the wind and rain.

"FOR THE GLORY OF THE MANTIS!"

>>10145091

Hrrrrrm...but what did she have to gain from all of this? Such insane risks for no profit, it's...not like a member of my Clan.

The Spider Clan.

Do you prefer them to be mustache twirling supervillains to the last man, or should they also attract normal people who genuinely believe they are the do-gooders they claim to be, possibly causing inter-clan civil war if the truth were to come out?

I can see the potential for storytelling either way, but I personally prefer them to be mustache-twirling villains all the way. Any outsider joining them should be either a potential recruit for The Lost, a dupe there to take the fall for something, or a blood sacrifice.

>>10145339
I think the Spider Clan are one of the worst things that the Story Team came up with. Their "way out" of the Shadowlands' madness took a lot of the fear out of the taint. I long for the old days of the Oni Lords.

>>10145369

Guess what the new edition is bringing back? Vicious, vicious, vicious Taint.

>>10145339

I'd imagine some legitimately do join for those reasons, but...by the time they realize (fairly quickly) that OH SHIT EVERYONE'S TAINTED, they're Tainted too.

Remember when taint was scary and death actually meant something? Remember when there were conflicts and mysteries and quests and enemies that weren't solved/overcome/defeated immediately by named story characters that were so much more awesome and cooler than any PCs could be?
I am glad 4E is going to be timeline neutral. Sometimes playing in the current timeframe just feels too much like playing Forgotten Realms to me.

>>10145417
FUCKING YES

>>10145417
I am aware of that. I am just VERY skeptical that it is compatible with the relatively stable Spider Clan Samurai.

>>10145471
>>10145483

Spider are in Advanced Mechanics, as a VERY optional Clan.

>>10145225
If I were to guess, she was ordered to dishonor and/or eliminate the Mantis of that ship, a task in which she seems to have accomplished admirably. An entire ship full of Mantis in exchange for a single agent seems like a smashing success for the Scorpion.

>>10145591

Crewmen are of little importance, and he seems like he was young, unless there was some big, unrevealed extenuating factor, there are so many more efficient ways to deal with him.

>>10145525
Point being? Because they are in the book I will have to deal with a retard in every game that wants to play one. If I do not let him, he goes out of his way to get the taint and his "nightvision and super strength."

Though I really fucked over the last one in my game. He thought it was patently unfair that I used the Book of the Shadowlands from 1E for all my taint-y badness. Internally I loled and he eventually got tired of being a gibbering madman with a Quatto style parasitic twin growing out of his back that constantly whispered fucked up shit in his ear, which I actually whispered in his ear so as not to subject the rest of the group to my vilest, sickest shit.

>>10145622
Making a very graphic example of why not to screw with the Scorpion might be enough of a reason. Sometimes Rokugan needs to be reminded of how bad it is to cross the Scorpion.

>>10145665
>Point being? Because they are in the book I will have to deal with a retard in every game that wants to play one. If I do not let him, he goes out of his way to get the taint and his "nightvision and super strength."

Then go out of your way to get a Kuni and their "Taintvision and super Tainted-punching abilities." Also emphasize that Taint drives you rapidly into screaming madness.

>>10145091

Yoshimaru's lone body washed on the shores of Kyuden Gisei the next morning. He was found by a lone fisherman, on the verge of death. After the fisherman saw Yoshimaru's katana, he brought him before Lord Yoritomo. Yoshimaru's sensei was waiting with Yoritomo, handing over his daisho, his last act as a samurai.

Lord Yoritomo called for a shugenja to heal the young Mantis. When Yoshimaru regained consciousness, he looked startled asking about the treasure, asking if Yoritomo was proud of him.

The saya of the daimyo's sword hit Yoshimaru in the mouth. Blood spilled from Yoshimaru's wound,as he asked what he had done to offend Lord Yoritomo.

"You lost our trade goods. You defied my orders. What were you thinking?!" Yoritomo demanded.

"I thought..... I thought...." Yoshimaru stuttered.

"You thought you would bring glory to the Mantis? You have brought shame upon us. There was a Scorpion on board that ship Yoshimaru."

"Ku.....no...." Yoshimaru muttered.

"How are we going to convince them you didn't kill her!" Yoritomo demanded. "Her blood is on your hands! I should feed you to those wolves!"

"Please, my lord." Yoshimaru prostrated himself before his lord. "Allow me to redeem the name of my clan. Allow me to atone for my sins, and commit seppuku."

Yoritomo stared at him, anger in his eyes. " No no no. That wont be happening. I have new plans for you. I will feed you to these wolves."

At that time a handsome young scorpion walked int the room behind a shoji screen. "We are hardly wolves Lord Yoritomo," replied the Scorpion. Yoshimaru noticed the seal of the emerald champion on his sleeve. "Hello Yoshimaru-san. I am Bayushi Yojiro."

"Forgive me, Yojiro-san," Yoshimaru cried. "Ku she... she...."

"Forget it, Yoshimaru-san" Yojiro said. " You will have your chance at redemption."

And thus began the story of how this dishonored Mantis went on a journey to save Rokugan. Yojiro introduced him to a sly Bayushi, and a happy-go-lucky Tonbo. They all became companions and tracked down an ex scorpion who had become a maho-tsukai.

But thats another story.

>>10145707

Well if she wanted to do that, why not just slip him something horrible and hallucinogenic so that he dies tearing at his own flesh thinking that he's being eaten by dogs?

As is, nobody will know what happened to him and his ship.

>>10145741
>>10145757

Ah, thankfully I spoke prematurely. Well-told, Daidoji-san.

>>10145757
Oh, come on. No one thinks that Scorpion actually died, do they? After "stowing away" on a ship with her superiors knowing about it... pff.

>>10145735
See my second paragraph. It still does not make Spider/taintfags any less annoying, it just means I have to take time out from my regular game to show him how bad the taint can be.

>>10144718
That's a woman. Doji Hariya.

>>10145822

Sadly, we have sacrificed people for stupider reasons.

>>10145822

OOC for a moment,Yoshimaru was an actual PC in a game I played. She was actually dead. Or if she wasnt we never saw her.

That was all Yoshimaru's backstory

>>10141614
Behold, the manliest of Cranes!

Gay.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with this character I'm developing... I'm trying to pull off a cahracter that's a lot like Sima Yi from the Dynasty Warriors video games but I'm wondering what clan to put him as.

My thoughts were either as a member of the Soshi family or a manipulative as fuck Isawa.
Pic related, that's Sima Yi.

>>10145920

That is a very manly Crane. Guess that disproves the stereotype, then.

>>10145369
>>10145665
>>10145837
The way I see it, The Shadowlands (I use it here as a collective reference for Oni, the Lost, Jigoku itself, basically everything that serves Lu Feng) are tired of their usual "invade, every Clan turn against us as one, be narrowly be defeated by the slimmest of margin possible, Curse you Rokugan, I'll get you next time!" and decide to send a fuck-ton of the Lost undercover to soften Rokugan up for the next time Lu Feng is unleashed.

The taint, while it may sometimes recede to allow a willing operative more freedom to act without suspicion, it will never, under any circumstances, fully release anything under its influence.

The ultimate goal of Jigoku is the complete corruption of the Mortal Realm, to be used as a stepping stone to conquer the Spiritual Realms. It is subtle, powerful, corruptive, but above all else it is infinitely patient. It has until the end of time to usurp reality and it will use any means to do so.

If this means sending hordes of Oni and Goblins to attack the wall, so be it.

If this means sending Kansen to corrupt promising young Shugenja, so be it.

If this means having Bog Hags write a children's book in which Oni and other Shadowland creatures are foolish and easily tricked to make people underestimate the danger of the Shadowlands, so be it.

I fail to see how sending human pawns into the Empire itself to spread corruption and evil is such a big problem with fluff, it there something I'm missing?

Or is it just the annoyance of having to deal with taintfags who want superpowers and can't be arsed to properly roleplay the whole "I'm a puppet to the very forces of evil and my taint is the strings they pull me with"?

>>10145965
Nah, that guy is totally a Yogo.

>>10146140
>If this means having Bog Hags write a children's book

Bog Hags can write?

>>10145965
Sima Yi just screams Scorpion.

>>10146140
>I fail to see how sending human pawns into the Empire itself to spread corruption and evil is such a big problem with fluff, it there something I'm missing?

That is not the problem. It mostly comes from the "out" that exists by embracing Shourido, the amoralfag's version of Bushido. Basically you do not go crazy from Shadowlands madness because acting like a wannabe Sith Lord protects you. Guess what? Most taintfags want to do exactly that. They are like the Kender or CN "LOLRANDUMB" players in DnD, they tend to be disruptive or force the GM to come up with workarounds if you do not kick them.

>>10146210
>Bog Hags can write?
Not according to that book.

Seriously though, it's in Third Edition version of Way of the Shadowlands. I'd post the actual page, but I don't have the pdf on this computer.

>>10146210
The smart ones can...and they are all pretty smart in a vicious sort of way.

>>10146145
What makes you think that? Just curious.

>>10146401
The guy has that vague creepy look that most Yogo have.

>>10146296
So basically, the problem with the Spider Clan is in the way that some game mechanics make the taint user-friendly, as well as in the players that such a mechanic caters to?

Well, the designer diaries for 4th Edition said that they looked to the First Edition for inspiration when it came to making taint something to fear again, so let's hope they fix that particular problem.

>>10146574
Like I said in >>10145483 I am VERY skeptical about how they are going to pull it off. But yes basically that is it, Shourido effectively eliminates many of the worst effects of the Taint and it does nothing to prevent the person from integrating into Rokugani society as a whole. Many aspects of Shourido are attractive to many samurai and embracing them can lead to a successful career.

>>10146671

I'm guessing it's no longer gonna do much but help you infiltrate, you'll still be rotten on the inside.

I think the idea was to present what seemed like a legitimate temptation to Rokugani samurai, instead of "The taint just makes you evil.". It did not seem to work, admittedly, but hey.

Bump for L5R.

Bump for Shinjo!

I've never played L5R, but I do find myself desiring to do so. The hardest part seems choosing a clan and family; there are a lot that I like, but you can only be one at a time. Such is the nature of these things I guess.