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File: Ive seen some shit.jpg (51 KB, 700x519)
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Previous thread
>>52759929
>>
>>52812912
>The thechniques samurai used in combat did not come into being of their own accord, nor were they all gifts imparted to mankind by the Kami
>It was a long process of study, testing in combat, and refinement over the course of decades, even centuries
>It begins with basic knowledge of how to use a weapon.
>Very basic
>The first techniques you learn are equally applicable with Katana, wakizashi, or no-dachi.
>They were then refined to work only with a single type of weapon.
>Some of the things you could with a no-dachi you could not do with a katana
>In their quest to master the blade, great swordsmen went even further.
>They combined several techniques into kata
>The elemental stances were the first Kata, and now form the basis for all forms of combat, and are taught in every dojo in the Empire
>It was only by combining several Kata that the highest techniques used by the great clans were born.
>The Kensai of the Lion clan studied Kata deeply, ingraining them so thourughly that they could shift from stance to stance and form to form without effort.
>It is said that only the Kenku were better with the sword, and indeed, it was a Kenku who taught the first Kensai.
>Given that Kensai were taught to master the step between basic ability and high technique, which were still being created at the dawn of the Empire when the older races had more contact with humanity, I could believe that.
>A Shiba bushi was hardly inflexible though.
>A Mirumoto or Kakita seeks to understand the world through mastery of their blade.
>From one thing, know ten thousand things,
>A Shiba approaches the world with a broad mind, seeking to understand the unity of all
>From ten thousand things, know one thing
>No one said anything, all were too focused on this bout
>The two warrirors faced one another.
>The Shiba shifted his stance first.
>The Lion followed suit
>step and shift
>counter step, shift
>step and shift
>counter step, shift
>KIAI
>>
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>>52819543
Oooh yeah! Welcome back Ishigaki-san!
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>>52819555
>Akodo Yoshi struck as Shiba Asahi was mid step, closing the distance between the two faster than should have been possible
>If Asahi was caught off gaurd he did not show it, his face calm and passive as he shifted mid step and leapt back out of Yoshi's reach.
>Shiba's movement was natural, practiced
>So this then was the advanced stepping of the Shiba School. I began to realize I undervalued such a simple thing.
>Yoshi calmly returned his sword to a neutral position, taking a new stance
>This time he held his blade high, above his shoulder, edge to the heavens and tip pointint at Asahi
>The Shiba fell into a stance as he landed, but upon seeing the Lion's stance he began to shift again
>KIAI
>again Yoshi struck while the Shiba was in mid movement
>Two blindingly fast thrusts came at Asahi, who sidestepped and tried to deflect
>Though out of position he reacted with astonishing speed, a smoothness I recognized from all the times Naomi's Yojimbo had done so.
>Yet, for all that speed the Lion's focused precision won out, his bokken finding Asahi's shoulder
>Asahi was pushed by the thrust, and pivoted his hips to turn with the blow, slowing int to glance off his shoulder instead of dislocating it
>I could tell the Shiba was swimming deep in the void now.
>How long could he touch the space between all things I wondered?
>Everyone could find those moments of perfect clarity, where thought and action became one
>Monks said this was the ideal state of living, that the Enlightened were as one with all things at all times, and pursued it their whole lives.
>So did the finest warriors, whose skill transcended the physical and entered into a spiritual realm.
>But a person who had achieved Enlightenment was a very rare thing.
>Someone so in tune with the world would appear less then once in several centuries.
>>
>>52820363
>Eventually, Asahi's concentration would slip
>Even as he fell back from the Lion's thrust, Asahi finaly made his own move, sweeping low to high and then back down in a single motion
>Yoshi stepped to the side of the first strike, deflected the second off of his blade
>And snapped a strike at the top of Asahi's head.
>The Shiba interposed his blade, but Yoshi adjusted his strike and hit his wrists instead
>Asahi managed to hold onto his blade, and countered
>Only for the Lion to not be where he was aiming
>Instead the Lion had fallen to knee, and spun striking the Shiba in the knee, taking his leg out form under him
>Asahi fell
>The Kensai had won.
>>
Crab-sama, please, never stop, I need you in my life.
>>
>>52820379
>Shoji was not pleased with that.
>The Karo was sweating a bit as he confirmed the lineup for the next days events
>Doji Rei vs Kitsuki Takeshi
>Hida Ishigaki vs Shiba Hotaru
>Toku Satoshi vs Kakita Sakurada
>Moto Li-Ta vs Akodo Yoshi
>We ate dinner amongst the courtiers, because of three of our group had advanced to the second round
>Aoi was unable to sit beside Kitsuki-san, so she settled for sitting across from him instead
>Everyone was discussing the days displays loudly, many bringing up the differences between a spar like this and a battlefield
>I was not the only one who was certain that Matsu Keiji would have slain me in a real fight
>I did notice most of those who said so wore red, orange and yellow.
>The other topic most discussed, but in hushed tones to those nearest the speaker, was the animosity between the host and my own group
>Of course it had not gone unnoticed
>...is his daughter?
>...accusations...
>...emerald...jade...
>...bushi...
>...very upset...
>well.
>I did my best to ignore the gossip
>Though I could feel many eyes on me.
>Word was getting around, though neither Shoji nor I acknowledged the relationship, that he was my father in law.
>I caught one Asahina giving Naomi a disproving stare over her sleeve.
>I stared at her until she noticed me
>Her fan fluttered as she dropped her gaze
>The Ikoma beside her hid his mouth behind his sleeve, but I saw his eyes crinkle up.
>They way they would if one were smiling
>Fine, let them share a joke at my expense. But not at Naomi's.
>Kitsuki-san leaned over, hiding his mouth with his hand as though he were chewing food
>They are hoping to bait you into a rude display
>I can tell that.
>I didn't bother to hide my response
>In fact, I spoke just loudly enough that some around us could hear
>They should be careful what they wish for
>The whispering nearest us died down a bit, as cold eyes appraised me.
>I calmly ate some more rice
>>
>>52820786
Always gossiping and prattling away. What a bore, these courtiers.
>>
>>52820786
>Oops
>embarrassed giggle
>How clumsy
>I glance over
>Aoi had dropped a piece of shrimp
>right into her cleavage
>This got a lot of attention, needless to say
>She fished the shrimp out with her chopsticks set in on a plate, and handed it off to a servant
>Then wiped herself clean
>She now had the undivided attention of the entire table
>I wasn't sure if she was trying to defuse the subtle tension in the air, or just trying to seduce Kitsuki-san
>Likely both.
>I glanced towards Naomi out of the corner of my eye
>She was looking at me
>I smiled, with my eyes closed and whipsered just loud enough for her to hear
>I was just reminded of my favorite sake cup
>Naomi tilted her head, then her eyes widened as she realized what I had been talking about.
>She had to look away, going very very red.
>But she squeezed my hand under the table
>Once diner was over we took our baths and returned to our rooms
>I had had Daiko and Tetsute brought to our rooms from where the children usually slept.
>I would not underestimate Shoji again.
>Naomi gave me sad look as she saw them here.
>You really think he would do such a thing, Ishigaki-kun?
>I could tell her sadness came from the fact that she was no longer certain that he would not
>I think I will not take that chance
>Naomi looked down.
>Hai. That is reasonable
>The children were looking at us both. They could sense their mothers mood
>Help me, Naomi?
>With what?
>I moved over to the stand where my armor rested
>...oh.
>Naomi told the children to sit still
>She had a tone she could use with them that conveyed seriousness, without any hint of anger or disapproval, that got their immediate attention nonetheless.
>They both sat quietly. Not formally, but quietly.
>I could see thier eyes widen bit by bit as Naomi helped me into my armor
>They had seen me in my armor a few times when I would return home; they had never seen me put it on before
>>
As someone who wants to get into L5R
A-Are these just fanfic threads? Seems comfy
>>
>>52821091
Crab-anon and Crane-anon are recounting past games, likely with a fair bit of embellishment and artistic license so as to cover any lapses in memory and also because simply sharing what happened at your game table is probably going to take way too much time and have stuff like, "we couldn't remember what the rule was so we made up some other one" or "we then spent half an hour looking for the one rule because otherwise it would niggle at the back of our brains until it was all we could focus on".
And also there's sometimes stuff that is far more obvious to players than to characters, and it's up to the storyteller/poster to decide what and how much information they share.

>tl;dr:
One dude's telling us what happened in character at his game, with another anon doing the same during lulls in the 1st story.

Also, please don't stutter-post.
>>
>>52821192
I'm pretty sure Crane-anon is detailing what happened before his character met Ishigaki, but I might be misremembering.
>>
>>52821066

>I could do it myself, all Crabs could don their armor unaided
>But it was a tricky thing to do. There were many laces to be tied. Most samurai needed several servants to don a full suit of armor
>Bit by bit I readied my spirit as I donned my armor
>The ritual to don ones armor brought forth their full warrior spirit,
>Preparing you to kill, to be killed
>That is part of the reason it is taboo to wear ones armor in another clan's territory
>Even traveling through bandit infested lands, the act of donning your armor was declaring your intent to do battle
>In extreme cases, even one armored samurai could be seen as a declaration of war
>Daiko and Tetsute were both staring open mouthed now
>For a Hida bushi, their armor is like a second skin
>We train in it. We even sleep in it
>And we know every shortcut to donning it, so that we can put it on without aid faster than anyone else
>As such we are better able to call up our marital spirit
>we can go from relaxed to unrestrained violence in an instant
>or vice verca
>As such, while my children had seen me in armor, this was the first time they had been exposed to my killing intent, even though it was not directed at anything as of yet.
>They bore it well.
>Daiko scootched across the floor when I was done dressing, and reached up to touch my suneate
>She smiled
>Tetsute then followed his sisters lead
>Naomi got the children dressed for bed
>She curled up with one on either arm and slept
>I sat beside the door to our room, ankles crossed, with my tetsubo resting across my knees
>Nothing and no one would harm them while they slept.
>I would see to that.
>I emptied my mind, meditating, and kept watch over my family.
>>
>>52821321
Crane-san's story is unrelated to Ishigaki.
>>
>>52821336
Ooooooh shit.
Taking all bets, who's the cowardly bird gonna go after next?
Wait.. is this really Crane v. Phoenix with the Mantis as a proxy? Or am I actually nuts?

Anyway, I think that Monkey gonna get it. He's the one who most directly insulted Shoji's clan and isn't wearing heavy armour in his family's room. That, or the children's room is about to get FUCKED UP.
>>
>>52821321
No, I don't believe I've met Daikakita Tatsuya. Seems a decent enough fellow, for a Crane pretty boy.
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>>52804604
>They genderbent Hoturi into Hotaru
So Hoturi has a vag. How is that different from the original timeline, again?
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>>52821343
>>52821424
Never mind, guess I was mistaken.
>>
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>>52821424
Speaking off, I'm gonna grab some lunch. Here's a pic of Hida Kissada. This is when he returned to the mortal realm to bitch slap Iuchiban, so while he's not wearing Ketsuen, it is a divinely made replica that looks exactly like it.

In other words, most Crab Clan Champions are going to look similar to this pic
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>>52821424

And you're surprisingly well-adapted to courtly life for a brute

I would probably make some joke about her having you on a shorter leash than you might realize
Not Daikakita-san, though
He'd be too polite to
And too busy writing haiku glorifying your True Love

Anyways, will be getting a bit busier in the near time, so probably will only be able to bump Crab-san's lunch time, which is about 8 in the evening for me, maybe write up an extra post to bump the thread in my morning while he's dreaming of making more crab-babies with Naomi

Now, where was I...
>>52811237
Ah, yes, my arrival at the Black Mantis
>>
>>52821469
Because Bayushi Kachiko bore the child of Doji Hoturi. She didn't tell him though(She did tell her husband, who accepted the boy. Scorpions, amiright?), and Hoturi later unknowingly killed his son during the Coup. Kachicko then kidnapped Hoturi and made an evil replacement to fuck up the Crane in revenge for the killing of the boy he didn't know was his son. (Again, Scorpions.)

So if Hotaru has incompatible bits, that storyline is automatically altered significantly. In the time that the new CG is set Bayushi Dairu should already be close to gempukku age, if he exists.
>>
>>52822190

>The Kakita mon is quite distinct and easily recognizable by the Clans
>A Crane holding a katana, showing their innate mastery of iaijutsu
>The Daikakita mon is almost identical, save one detail that many miss, especially those outside the Clan
>The Crane is holding a jitte
>To symbolize our family's Duty as magistrates protecting Kakita lands from lawbreakers
>The Hogosha's eyes, dimmed by many years on the seas of Rokugan, does quite obviously not notice the difference
>"Moshi Nokodo-sama is currently on the bridge, looking out over the waters, having given us our orders
>What are you investigating?"
>The bluntness of his question almost takes me off-guard
>I had often heard of the lack of Polite Courtesy shown by the Mantis outside of the court
>But never before truly experienced it
>My limited interactions with the Mantis delegation to the Topaz Championship was not enough to prepare me for this
>"We are investigating a smuggling ring responsible for several crates of contraband, including the banned drug Sweet Dreams.
>The smuggling ring, made of Colonial sailors, has been summarily executed upon daring to attack my person, as well as one of my yoriki.
>By their own admission sailors of this ship."
>The Hogosha stares at me with surprise for a moment
>"Was one of them by any chance named Hon?"
>"Yes, Yoritomo-san."
>His face goes as red as a Scorpion banner
>Another new thing I learned about the Mantis
>He bursts out a string of curses, the sort that should not be put to paper
>"I knew that asshole couldn't be trusted! We never should have let him on!"
>We see a Moshi appear over the bridge railing, lured by the shouting
>"What's going, Satoshi-san?"
>"You're gonna wanna come down here, captain!
>Turns out I was right about Hon.
>This Kakita boy says he's a magistrate, killed Hon after he and a few others assaulted him
>Hon's been smuggling that drug, Sweet Dreams."
>I barely contain my rage at the Hogosha's unbelievably impolite lack of honorifics
>>
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>>52822996
Look, all I'm saying is Hoturi was always a little girl. Fu Leng gave him quite the fisting, in fact. Dark God was elbow deep in that Crane, you know?
>>
A salted river,
Ruined eye and honor,
A Phoenix burns.
>>
Crab and Phoenix,
Fighting over dishonor,
Only Mantis wins.
>>
A little Crab feels,
No fear and no pain,
Crushing sea waves.
>>
Crab and phoenix glare
How will mantis calm tempers?
Delicious oppai!
>>
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I believe someone in the last thread asked for Kitsuki art. Here's some line art of our favorite Dragon investigator, no doubt after someone has fallen into one of his courtly traps.

The new scanner at work was sent back for some reason or another, so had to use the old one and turn the contrast up, so just doing basic line art. I'll try to do more detailed pictures in the future.
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>>52825300
Moshi Aoi has good taste.
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>>52825300
Huh, I always guessed that Kitsuki would be a lot more stonefaced than that.
Also your art's very good (especially the perspectives) and you should do more.
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>>52825300
that's good
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>>52825967

Normally his is, but I just really wanted to draw him with a smug expression having sprung a trap on someone in court, even though it's a bit out of character. An "All according to kekaku." moment if you will.
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>>52826079

"Normally he is" and "after having sprung" are what a ment.
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>>52826118
I see you too write as a crab holding a brush.
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>>52819543
Question: if I have Ring Earth 2, that means that I have 38 wounds on me. If an enemy deals 48 wounds to me, not all in one moment, is my character Dead or Unconscious?
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>>52826832
As in: he deals 20 damage on one round and then 28 on the next.

Sorry for not saying first
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>>52826832
at down you cannot move without spending a void, at out your unconcious, once your dead rank is filled you're dead.

So, at 48 earth ring two your having tea with grandpa while he judges how many times you fapped to your cousin.
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>>52826904
I guess so... well, in that case I will use my void to avoid too much dmg in the future
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>>52827036
Just remember that you can only do that once per round. If you're out numbered, it's probably better to spend the void point to raise your TN by 10 for the round.
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>>52827074
You're right. Thanks man, I will keep that in mind for the next time I find myself in such a situation!
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>>52826762
It's because I'm trying to reply with my phone. I make few typos on an actual keyboard, honest!
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>>52827120
No problem, Shiba-kun! May you have a long, glorious career that brings honor to our clan!
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>>52827224
A samurai can tell a peasant to become an eta in order for them to carry the head of a monster for them to a damyo as proof, right?
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>>52827036
An earth ring of three is something you should aim for ASAP if your any kind of bushi

Don't underestimate defense and full defense stances, if you can goad a foe into full attack, defend and wreck them. If they go before you in the initative pass, you can use your void to boost your initiative by 10 or to switch places with another willing person

If you're facing multiple enemies try and use terrain to limit the number of attacks you're facing. Aside from the TN booster you can also make use of movement. It takes a simple a simple action to rise from prone, so they're not attacking on their next turn unless you're dealing with people who attack as simple. Also terrain features keeping people from coming at you from one or more sides help

Lastly, don't forget your schools kata.

As you rise in insight your options become more open, and heavy armor can help quite a bit once you convince your lord you need some (and have the agility and skill to still hit things while wearing it.) Surviving past rank 1 is tough, but once you do your odds of getting killed go down drastically.
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>>52827252
Eta are their own category, they are even less than peasants. So if you need an eta to do something for you and one isn't around, you'll tell a nearby peasant to "fetch an eta for x task" or more likely just say "have x task performed."

Also note, a samurai should not address an eta directly. You should do your best to ignore them. Make your desires known to the people in charge of such lowly creatures and leave the matter at that.
>>
Lil' off topic but I have a question about the different schools advantage. Who do you owe your allegiance to? To my knowledge the "scale" of loyalty/duty goes something like immediate family>sensei>clan>empire right? so if you are trained, housed, and fed within a different clan who would a character have the strongest sense of duty to(in terms of the Rokugan political structure and minus emperor of course)? Also ive read about a couple instances of characters in Rokugan being adopted into a clan how does this work?
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>>52827252

There is an item specifically made for carrying heads around in. Kakita used it when picking up the head of the Maho user.

It's all about DIRECT contact with the dead flesh. Using an over sized pair of chopsticks and a burlap/net sack to haul the head around in is a perfectly acceptable method.

If the head is too large to carry, you could use ropes and hooks to secure it and drag it along behind you.

While using an eta is the preferred method of hauling death things around, there are ways around it. The key focus is never directly touching the dead thing.
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>>52827867
Everyone says their first loyalty is to the Emperor. Really your list is about right, however there are some who do mean it when they say their duty is to the empire as a whole. The Grey Crane, Kakita Toshimoko tried to cut his politcoal ties to the Crane Clane upon becoming the Emerald Champion during the Clan War as one example. And you can expect quite a few imperial legionaries would fight against their own clan if it came down to it,

Sensei though, really occupy a strange place as far as loyalty goes, in that it is very specific how the relationship works. You'll be expected to do chores at the dojo, but sensei ISN'T going to be having you fix the roof of his own house. You will be expected to keep the techniques you learn a secret form everyone, until you yourself become a sensei. That means a Lion that studies at the Kakita school isn't going to suddenly start teaching Katkita techniques to other Lions so they keep the Crane duelists in check in the next war. If a war does break out, you can bet that you'll get used however your clan thinks best, say that Kakita Trained Lion will likely Yojimbo for a general to keep the Kenzishen (super duelist advanced school) from just cutting off his head and winning the battle that way, but Sensei is unlikely to withold training from you, and you'll be permitted to return to your clan if your in the territory when the declaration is made. Under escort of course, but unharmed unless you start shit on your own.

This CAN vary quite a bit depending on individual sensei, and none of the above really applies to scorpion, but sensei is generally not a quest giver in the classic sense, mostly bonus side quests to specifically further your training.

That's part of why different school is so expensive, it represents the cost of convincing a clan that you don't belong to that you're trustworthy and won't betray them.
>>
>>52829376
okay, thanks
An additional question if I may; have there been instances in the lore (that you know of) of people choosing the clan/family/school they trained with/in over the clan they were originally from? Is that considered a hugely dishonorable move?
>>
How do you guys name your characters?
I've never been great at it, I usually just scroll through a name generator for a few, and if I have time I'll look 'em up to see if they mean anything interesting.
>>
>>52821336
Oh yeah, that happens from time to time. Not JUST because you trained with this or that clan, mind you, but complex reasons can lead to some allegince shifts. As an example Hitomi, the Dragon Clan Thunder, beat up dudes, put tattoos on them and then forced them to join her clan after the second day of thunder. One guy who became well known because of that was Doji Reju (though he eventually rejoined the Crane Clan, mystic tattoos and all)

Then there was the guy who lead the Mantis Clan durring the four winds era. He was the son of the brother of Bayushi Shoju, the guy that strarted the Scorpion Clan coup.

Hell, enire FAMILIES have jumped ship before, both the Agasha and the Yasuki left their original clan, taking their school with them.

During the Clan Wars, every Clan got their "bad guy" side to show, if only a little bit, and plenty of people have decided they couldn't serve their clan anymore. Going to the Clan you trained with is fine. You just need to figure out what prompted you to make that move in the first place. Some people WILL talk shit about though, you'll be a controversial figure, and your old clan will want to kill you (seriously, don't do this if you were born a scorpion. They WILL kill you, and if you're REALLY lucky that's all they'll do) but it's not without precedent.
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>>52827867
I am loyal to my Family, Clan, Emperor, and the Gods, in that order.
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>>52830048
was for
>>52829611
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>>52830001
I'll look up important people from Japanese history when I want to make characters I care about. But I mostly make joke characters, so I just base them off names from anime.

For example, the Kakita Bushi I'm currently playing is called Daidoji Kirito. He's an insufferably good duelist who believes that skill and hard work are unimportant, and what really matters is spirit and determination.
>>
>>52821336
>I got out of my armor and returned it to it's stand once the children decided they were hungry and woke Naomi up.
>Then we all went down to breakfast.
>Four matches today. Two in the morning, two in the afternoon
>We were joined by Amano-san, Aoi-san, and Ayame-san.
>Ayame know wore a simple strip of black silk to cover her eye
>While I pondered the spiritual significance of the arrival of the triple A-team the others engaged in the far less important task of discussing the coming bouts.
>Aoi was certain of Kitsuki-san's victory
>After all, that Rei woman is an archer, not a swordswoman.
>She only won her first match because he opponent let his guard down
>Manits disagreed
>She's still a bushi, And Kitsuki-san is still a courtier.
>But Takeshi-san is well trained, she stands no chance!
>Did that woman just call Kitsuki-san by his first name?
>Everyone caught that.
>Kitsuki-san sighed.
>Please do not be so familiar with me, Moshi-san
>Oh, Kistuki-kun! Why are you being so cold!
>She leaned in and looked at him, fake hurt in her eyes
>I chuckled
>Yeah, Kistuki-KUN, you should be nicer to our new friend.
>Kitsuki-san tried to light my beard on fire with his stare
>I didn't work out for him.
>Besides
>I continued
>It doesn't really mater who wins this next match because neither of those two can beat me.
>Manits-san scoffed.
>Getting a little ahead of yourself there?
>That Shiba was better than Ayame, but not up to calibre of the other contestants. I may as well have a bye.
>Monkey nodded
>Ishigaki-san's right about that much at least.
>Only way the Shiba advances is if Ishigaki gets disqualified for accidentally killing him.
>But then he wouldn't be able to put up much of fight in the next round, y'know?
>Eyes were closed. Nose bridges were pinched. Temples were rubbed.
>Mantis-san growled.
>One day Monkey, I'm going to hurt you the way you hurt me.
>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>Big Ass Monkey Grin
>>
>>52830255
>>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>>Big Ass Monkey Grin

Monkey, oh monkey.

I laughed out loud.
>>
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>>52830255
>>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>>Big Ass Monkey Grin

Don't tempt fate, monkey
Or your face may look more like
Shoji's than your own
>>
f5
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>>52830255
>The first match of the Second round began
>Kitsuki-san took his stance, one foot forward, front knee bent, sword gripped at waist height, point aimed at his opponent
>It doesn't get more basic than that.
>Rei mirrored his stance
>To my surprise neither of them shifted stances
>I glanced over to Aoi-san
>She had gotten changed right before the match and came back in something...normal.
>The disappointment was palpable.
>The fact that is was brought out a few scowls from some of the ladies of the court.
>Rei was one
>Finaly, Rei stepped in to strike
>Kitsuki-san did the same
>Rei checked her blow and leapt back.
>Monkey whispered
>did you guys see that?
>Of course we did.
>But, just to be sure we all saw the same thing what did you see, Monkey?
>It looked to me like Kitsuki-san moved the same way she did, at the same time.
>Bullshit.
>Aoi shook her head.
>it's not. His memory is flawless, after all.
>He's exploiting the limits of her Daidoji style
>hah?
>She stepped to his side, and he mirrored her again. I saw only a slight delay certainly not long enough for ME to have recognized what she was doing and copy it
>I see
>Amano joined in
>Yes, in a one on one situation like this her technique is limited to mostly basics that are taught in all dojo's. In other words, there is no move she can make that he cannot already replicate.
>Aoi nodded.
>And since he had time to study her before he can spot her tells easily.
>Rei began to shift her stance, and Kitsuki-san followed her.
>If I wasn't seeing him do it with my own eyes I would have said this was impossible.
>Rei had enough, with a snarl of rage she rushed in a attacked
>Too reckless, by far
>Kitsuki-san deflected both her strikes then brought the pommel of his bokken at her face
>As she recoiled he stopped than quickly struck her wrist
>A loud crack announced he had broken it.
>Doji Rei fell to her knees, clutching her wrist and biting her lip
>>
>>52830571
......is kitsuki-san the student of a kenku? that mirroring tech thing is from the kenku school i think
>>
>>52830571
>Kitsuki-san waited until a shugenja had tended to her, then exchanged bows and returned to us
>Did you seriously do what it looked like you were doing out there?!
>Yes, I did.
>Toshiro looked at him
>So why don't you do that more often?
>I would need to know an opponent thoroughly, for starters to guess what they will do that fast.
>I would also need an opponent who only knows techniques I do.
>I cannot learn new movements just by watching them, I would have to practice to ingrain them into myself.
>And if those movements are not taught by my school, it would be detrimental to learn them to that extant.
>Lastly, it only works if my opponent allows themselves to be goaded by that.
>How did you know Rei would?
>I didn't. I took a gamble
>huh. Well then.
>I left to prepare myself for my match
>Shiba Ayame intruded upon my meditation
>Hida Ishigaki-sama?
>Very formal.
>Yes?
>I just wanted to make sure you remembered your promise...
>I opened my eyes and looked at her.
>Is it because you want to take revenge yourself?
>She looked away.
>Is that wrong.
>Not at all.
>She looked back at me, surprised
>Naomi is the kind of person who would say revenge only begets more revenge, or something like that.
>Personally, I think you have every right to look him in the eyes as you extinguish their light.
>So long as you aren't planning anything stupid.
>Uh, no. I mean, I don't really know what I'm planning...
>I folded my arms.
>I can't believe I'm about to say this, but...
>I think you should speak to Bayushi Amano-san
>Huh?!
>No one does revenge like the Scorpion.
>Obviously you don't want him to handle it for you, but he can at least advise you on the best ways to get your former Gunso into a duel.
>That IS what you want right? To best him in a fair fight?
>Otherwise there really isn't any point in me holding back.
>Yes, that is what I want.
>>
>>52830668
Nah, it's just perfect memory and knowing the same basic moves. He's seen her fight before, so he can see her body's tells when she's going to sidestep or swing. Most likely, he made some sort of taunt roll in the defense stance and this is how it was described in character
>>
>>52830763
>Alright then. Go to Amano. Tell him to give you the Ishigaki discount on his advice.
>What's the Ishigaki discount?
>The discount Scorpions give out when they don't want a Crab pissed off at them for taking advantage of someone that Crab likes.
>She smiled at me.
>Thank you, Hida Ishigaki-sama
>you don't have to be so formal with me, you know?
>As you wish, Ishigaki-sama
>I still didn't feel right, hearing her address me as -sama, but I guess it was true that I outranked her.
>For that matter, I always felt a little odd whenever ANYONE addressed me as -sama.
>Of all the things in court life I had gotten used to, outranking people was the one thing I could never get a hold on.
>I had never desired promotions before, nor holdings.
>I had never expected to live long enough to attain any rank worth mentioning.
>how a simple warrior such as myself found himself rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the empire, I will never understand.
>Let the philosophers and sages argue about it, if they want.
>I had heads that needed a good cracking.
>>
Little Phoenix,
Who only knew sufferings,
Got a hard crab shell.
>>
>>52830882
>I entered the arena
>Shiba Hotaru faced me calmly
>I had promised I wouldn't to anything permanent
>But I'll be damned if I don't make him pay in some way
>I pulled my arms inside my kimono, and thrust them up through the opening in it's front, reminding the Shiba he was now facing a large, scarred wall of muscle.
>An ANGRY, large, scarred wall of muscle
>I saw the corner of his eye twitch, just a little
>He bowed.
>I just took my stance
>He stood for a moment, then rushed at me, trying to knock the boken from my hand.
>I held my grip, locked up our blades and shoved him back
>Hotaru backpedaled, but kept to his feet.
>Good. I didn't want this to end too quickly.
>I began to stalk him, walking instead of stepping.
>My sword resting on my shoulder
>Showing utter contempt for his skill
>He tried to make me pay for that by thrusting at my chest.
>I didn't even bother trying to avoid it.
>He looked at me in horror, as I swung my own bokken at his side, hard.
>He managed to deflect it.
>So I swung again, at the same spot
>Of course he deflected that one as well.
>But I knew his palms were stinging when he re-tightened his grip.
>I knew I was getting to him.
>So I spread my arms wide apart, offering him a free shot.
>he stared, incredulously.
>And took it.
>I didn't so much as flinch as his bokken slammed into my chest.
>Nor did I attack him.
>I just scratched at my chest
>Is that all?
>I stared into his eyes
>He dropped his gaze
>then his bokken
>hai. I surrender
>I slid my kimono back on and left
>>
>>52831028
Elimination by emasculation. Ishigaki sure knows how to destroy people. I absolutely love his style.
>>
>>52831028
"Look man, you're rolling what? 4K1 with that bokken? I have a minimum of TWELVE Reduction when I'm standing here. You wanna call it a day?"

Lol
>>
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>>52831028
>>
>>52831028
>There was a break for lunch in between the first two bouts and the last two
>Katsuie-sama asked me, Toshiro and Naomi to join him for a private lunch
>First, I should congratulate you, Ishigaki-san.
>I do not know quite how I feel about the way you disrespected your oponent in your last match, but I must admit making him admit defeat was impressive.
>I opened my mouth to explain myself, but he held up a hand
>No. I know full well why you did what you did. Everyone does. Which is why I said I do not know quite how I feel.
>If you had done that to any of the other contestants, I would be very upset with you.
>There was just a tiny hint of warning in Katsuie-sama's tone.
>I understand Hida Katsuie-sama.
>Good, good.
>He poured me a fresh cup of tea, silently declaring he considered the matter dropped
>I suppose it is all well and good that you so humiliated the only Phoenix to advance to the second round
>Oh. Oh shit.
>Toshiro spoke
>So, it's official then, Katsuie-sama?
>hai. I do not like it, but Yasuki-san assures me that the deal is very good for our clan.
>He spoke at some length about return on investment, market forces, other things I do not understand, nor would I care to.
>Suffice to say that in the worst case, even with the value of the Crane rice increased we will still see no loss on our own dealings
>And we most likely will come out ahead this year.
>If we do well, we may even have some grain left over for next year.
>Toshiro and I were shocked at that.
>Most every Crab soldier had, at some point or another, been feed lesser grains like millet.
>The Yasuki did there best, but some times there just wasn't enough rice to feed the Clan for the year.
>An actual surplus? Just the possibility of one would get the Clan's undivided attention.
>Will you be able to endure this, Hida Naomi-san?
>Naomi looked Katsuie-sama in the eyes.
>Hai. I am Crab now. My children are Crab.
>I will do what is best for my Clan.
>>
>>52831066
>>52831098
>>52831222
Ishigaki theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWxBrI0g1kE
>>
>>52831237
>I understand this is a difficult time for you, and i want you to know the Clan appreciates your efforts.
>Please, Katsuie-sama, this much is expected, is it not?
>True, yet I would be remiss if I were to ignore the position you are in.
>I am not so heartless.
>Here, I want you to have this.
>he pushed over a bag
>Naomi bowed
>Please Katsuie-sama, I am not doing anything praisworthy! When I took my marrige vows I knew I was leaving my old Clan behind!
>Yet your family will always be your family, and now we do battle against them. Your heart carries a great burden
>My family are also Crab, my children are Crab! They need this rice as well!
>You are a fine person Naomi-san. Loyaly, compassionate, with strong magic and a gift for healing. Though you detest war you set aside your feelings for the good of the Clan. For this I, at the very least, must thank you.
>Very well, Katsuie-sama
>Naomi accepted the bag he had offered.
>She did not open it, it was rude to open a gift in front of the giver.
>We did not speak of anything else heavy during lunch, instead Katsuie-sama gave a lengthy discourse on the cultivation of tea leaves.
>When lunch was over we returned to our rooms
>The others were there already.
>Amano greeted me first
>The 'Ishigaki discount'?
>he smirked a bit.
>I hope you aren't planning on handing that out willy nilly.
>Nah. In the first place it's a small miracle I recommended you at all.
>True. Still it is a marked improvement in our relationship, and I will treasure this moment my entire life.
>To my surprise, I couldn't detect even a trace of sarcasm.
>He couldn't really mean that, could he?
>No Ishigaki, of course not, That's just how the Scorpion lure you in
>Naomi opened Katsuie-sama's gift then
>Seeds.
>What are these?
>Oh! Kitsuki-san, are these...?
>Seeds for tea leaves, yes,
>So that's why he had gone on and on about growing tea leaves.
>I wonder if these are from his own crop?
>Toshiro looked at the seeds
>Most likely, Ishigaki-san.
>>
A loud wind blows
Can't move stone in wall
Battle has been won
>>
>>52831480
>Wow, that's neat!
>Monkey looked at the seeds
>So, what did you do to earn that reward?
>Everyone looked at him
>Huh? What did I say?
>Kitsuki-san shook his head
>Even Mantis-san knows, Monkey.
>How can you be so oblivious
>Hey! 'Even Mantis-san'?!
>Kitsuki-san ignored Mantis-san's protest
>Monkey just looked around.
>Okay, fine I get it. I'm dense. Will someone just spell it out for me?
>Amano answered him
>The Crab have accepted the deal, and now support war between the Mantis and Phoenix
>Monkey's face fell like a Oni no Tsubaru shoved off the south side of the wall
>oh
>im sorry, Naomi-sama
>I have been hearing that a lot. I am fine, really. There is no
>She broke off into a coughing fit.
>I caught her, Toshiro called forth some fire kami to get the tea going, Kitsuki-san produced her medicine, and Monkey got the tea set.
>Daiko handed him the cup herself
>So, she has begun to understand about her mother's illness
>Tetsute just chewed on his knuckles looking confused, but knowing something was wrong
>Mantis-san knelt beside him, and patted his head to sooth him
>Once the fit had passed, and Naomi had rinsed out her mouth, she sipped at her tea.
>It had not been very bad, comparatively, She was able to hold her own cup and drink without help.
>After a few minutes she spoke
>Like I was saying, I am fine.
>The Crab clan needs that rice. My children need that rice.
>everyone nodded and let the matter drop.
>No sense bringing it up over and over again.
>That would only make it harder on her.
>Monkey changed the subject
>So, any tips for me in my match?
>No, I can't think of anything.
>You SHOULD by all rights, loose handily.
>Which means you'll win.
>Monkey blinked
>hah?
>Mantis-san agreed with me
>It's just what you do, Monkey.
>Kitsuki-san nodded firmly.
>We've all come to accept that fact now.
>Um. Thanks for the vote of confidence guys. I think...
>>
>>52831601
>shonen protagonism intensifies
>>
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>>52831601
three thirty in the morning here. Tomorrow will pick up with Monkey vs Kenshinzen!
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>>52831640
Over here, it is
Nine-thirty, fuck time travel
I can't read the next
>>
>>52830763
Sleepy-chan needs to switch to another clan.
Does she have any options for that outside marriage?

>>52831028
I want to see this animated.
>>
So, I have a question about CCG - how is it different from MTG? Can I describe it for some hardcore mtg grognards and make them interested to cash in?
I'm from small city, where there is only MTG with OCCASIONAL Pokémon matches. And really don't like mtg for its "arms race decks" policy.
>>
>>52832000
the ccg is dead, fantasy flight now holds the liscence and is making an LCG. we've seen about 30 or so cards and have gotten a general rules breakdown, but that's about it.
>>
>>52831480
tea from an old veteran? iroh? you in here?
>>
>>52832064
Dead, huh? That's a shame.
And I heard there is several editions for a l5r rpg. What is best for a novice and for fluff?
>>
>>52831923
become ronin and get adopted into another clan
very rare and veeeeeery shameful
>>
>>52832096
general consensus is:
4th, 1st, 3rd,2nd,.....................................d20
>>
>>52832096
There's a shitton of fluff you need to read to get into it. Because to RP properly you need a solid grasp of Rokugani culture. heavily japan, but not exactly japan.

Fourth ed is the best to actually play. first ed was sound, but it suffered from power creep and, in comparison anyway, limitted school choices. 2nd ed was an attempt to address the power creep and fiddle with the mechanics a bit that turned into a 98 train pile up with a sarin gas topping. Third ed's biggest selling point was that it was not second ed. Fourth ed takes all the lessons learned up to that point, rebalances the game nicely AND does not assume a set time so you can play whenever you want.

For fluff you'll want Way of [clan] first ed, sword and fan and the Book of [Element] from fourth ed. Those will give you enough understanding of both your clan and society that you can engage in in char diolouge and think the way your char thinks. Emerald Empire and Great Clans, both fourth ed books can add just little more depth but aren't really necessary
>>
>>52832166
DMing this for a new players sounds like quite pain in the ass. Got any tips?
>>
>>52832244
Seconding this question, but expanding on it slightly, any tips for a GM relatively new to the setting and system, (got all the books while reading Ishigaki's tale) and introducing it to my players. They are mostly familiar with Warhammer (40k and fantasy) so after our current campaign of WFRP is over was thinking of playing L5R, starting them on the Wall fighting the shadowlands before having the winter court take place in crab lands and them ending up there.
In short, how to introduce Warhammer fans to L5R
>>
>>52827281
But what about hitting the enemy until they stop moving? As the saying goes: the best defense is a good offense. I should just post the pdf here...
>>
>>52831028
Ishigaki-san reminds me of Hector. Best lord in any Fire Emblem.
>>
I am still new in l5r, so I wanted to ask if there are random encounter tables the GMs use?
>>
>>52832510
I believe Enemies of the Empire has a few, but generally combat tends to be very plot driven. You aren't going to have a fight unless you are looking for one or someone wants you dead.
>>
File: Shiba Rin.pdf (3.58 MB, PDF)
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3.58 MB PDF
Here's my current character: what do you elegan/tg/entlemen think? I focused on Bugei skills because I am a Bushi...

Here's what I have as skills, since it might not show:
>Kenjutsu 1 (5k4)
>Spears 1 (5k4)
>Perform 1 (drums)(5k4)
>Poleams 3 (Emphasis: Bisento)(7k4)
>Etiquette 2 (4k2)
>Lore: Theology 1 (3k2)
>Investigation 1 (4k3)
>Kyujutsu 1 (4k3)
>Defense 3 (6k3)
>Iaijutsu 3 (6k3)
>Athletics 1 (3k2)
>Meditation 2 (5k3)

How bad did I mess up?
>>
>>52832276
I think it's a wonderful idea: they are fresh out of WH and they have to fight "Chaos" (as in Shadowspawn) immediately after: it will probably help them understand what the shadowlands are and why they're bad mmkay?
>>
>>52832895
Well, mechanically you'd be better off skipping all the extra bugei weapon skills and going with Crab Hands while piling xp into Kenjutsu and wielding a no-dachi. Together with your high Agility, Crab Hands brings you up to par with any weapon you might have occasion to use.

>Your School Outfi t includes only weapons, armor, clothing, necessary tools of the trade for your profession (such as a scroll satchel for shugenja), and nothing else.
No travelling pack or koku with Ascetic. It is a hardcore choice and will fuck you up unless you can rely on the benevolence of other samurai at all times. Which is itself a giri trap.

What's your Bad Fortune?

What's your Great Potential?

Brash and Idealistic are not a good combo. You will insult someone by pointing out how they could have been more honourable, and then you will end up in a fight.

10/10 for effort in playing to samurai concepts, but -5 for doing it with a Shiba Bushi, -3 for not filling out all the details, -1 for appending a skill list when there's room for skills on the first page, and -1 for focusing on another weapon in katana edition.

(though if you do want to go with a spear or polearm, seriously, get Air 4 instead of Agility 4, and take Iron Forest Style)
>>
So... More shitty haikus or not?
>>
>>52832866
>You aren't going to have a fight unless you are looking for one or someone wants you dead.
That's not true; there's plenty of reason to hold non-lethal (or less lethal) fights in Rokugan.
>>
>>52833121
Bad fortune is Evil eye and Great potential is Polearms. I like polearms.

There's only so much L5RCM can do when printing out a PDF, mind. Also, what's wrong with Shiba? They're a chill group.

Not my fault there's two skill lists: I blame it on L5RCM.

I will take that -1 for focusing on polearms, because I love polearms.
>>
Don't worry to much your build is ok.
Yeah your probably going to get into a number of duels but you've got decent Iaijutsu and that extra Void from Shiba school should help you handle those. I might change up Ascetic for something else but in the end it's your choice have fun^^
>>
>>52833196
Nothing wrong with Shiba. They are a chill group, and I like their schools.

Your brash, idealistic, very bugei focused samurai with an evil eye isn't *exactly* the chillest example. In a heavily spiritual clan, who appreciate a sense of pacifism in their warriors this guy obviously hasn't found, while at the same time he shows signs of being obviously cursed and a lodestone for evil spirits.
>>
>>52833455
Having said that; sometimes it just doesn't matter, and you can get away with w/e in the right group.

Are you in the right group?
>>
>>52833136
My waka is shit
And my haikai no renga
But at least I tried
Tanka is fun, as are most
forms of restrictive poem

Sea churns, a Crab learns
She releases old plumage
A phoenix reborn
>>
>>52833196
>>52833196 has really only given you advice on how to hit for ALL THE DAMAGE!!!!!!11, not how to improve your character around you concept.

For some actual, USEFUL, advice on that, here on some recommendations:

Your character is Idealistic and Ascetic? Presumably he believes that the code of Bushido will see him through his life, yes? So you should have some ranks in Lore: Bushido to reflect that. Side benefit is, you can also judge how honorable another character is.

Remember that as a Shiba bushi, you are probably a shield for the honor of your charge. That most likely means being a champion for them in a iaijutsu duel. The first thing that happens is the assessment phase, which is an Iaijutsu/Awareness roll. If you succeed at the roll for assessment, you learn traits about your opponent, and if you actually BEAT their roll by , 10 or more you gain +1k1 on the Focus roll. With that in mind, it might be good for your to raise your Awareness to 3 instead of the 4 Agility. The side perk is you'll gain 10 Insight, and it will put you on the path of a 4 Air Ring for Iron Forest Style as recommended by >>52833196

If you want to be able to recognize folks, you'll want a few ranks in Lore: Heraldry. Handy for knowing just who that Lion general you're about to insult is.

And while it isn't necessary for your character, I do always find it odd when a samurai rolls up to my table with no ranks in Lore: His Own Damn Clan.

There's my contribution. May your honor take care of the rest.
>>
>>52832895
Get more Investigation and Hunting. Otherwise, you pretty much maxed out the character. Maybe some Horsemanship would be good too.

It is cool, because your character just plays itself both mechanics-wise and story-wise. You are effectively a sohei wannabe high on the Phoenix Kool Aid and with more raw talent than sense (common or otherwise). He has FUN written all over the character sheet.
>>
>>52833503
>has really only given you advice on how to hit for ALL THE DAMAGE!!!!!!11
No need to be an asshole about it, anon. Also, your post numbers seem a bit skewif.

You did remind me of the one thing I forgot, though. If >>52833196 (heh) sticks with the Agility and the Fire Ring, they may want to get Sage to start, then build up their Intelligence to work around having every Lore skill at 1, rather than spending xp on Lore: Heraldry, Lore: Bushido, Lore: Your Own Damn Clan, etc

>I do always find it odd when a samurai rolls up to my table with no ranks in Lore: His Own Damn Clan
Not everyone is a scholar on their own clan. Basic knowledge is expected, anything they've personally experienced is probably going to be straight Intelligence, and other details can be covered by an unskilled roll. TNs may even vary because of their origins.
>>
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>>52833455
>Your brash, idealistic, very bugei focused samurai with an evil eye isn't *exactly* the chillest example.
Yeah, I was thinking that the brashness and idealism comes from him being largely avoided due to his evil eye, which caused him to think about plucking it out quite a few times, only stopped by his Sensei who saw the Great Potential in his usage of the Bisento and the Naginata. So he stayed his hand and tried to atone by being the most honorable man he could, leading to him becoming ascetic, relying heavily on his lord's good graces.

This eagerness to prove himself made heaven smile upon him more, making him luckier than usual.

>>52833503
Thank you anon, I was definitely planning on raising Awareness, too: I already begun play with this character so I won't swap Agility 4 anymore but I will up my bushido lore as well as awareness to avoid stepping on too many toes (after all I am Brash: as long as nobody threatens me or my charge, you could argue that a 5k3 Etiquette samurai has it in him to hold his tongue more often than not and do inoffensive conversation with some other courtiers)

>>52833639
Thanks man: I will do my best to be the most annoyingly honorabru samurai of the phoenix clan!

For all the help, have another nice portait of a samurai to use in future games!
>>
>>52833759
Ganbatte, Shiba-kun!
>>
>>52832930
In regard to this, would placing them on the wall allow for an easier introduction to the social mechanics of rokugan due to the crabs course nature?
>>
>>52834751
yes, and no. Yes the Crab's will be a bit more relaxed about shit so your stupid round eyed players will have an easier time socializing
No because the Crab social norms are atypical Sometimes extremely so. It's like my old karate sensei said, 'The way you train is the way you fight' so if you don't throw them in the deep end it can imprint bad habits they'll have a hard time shaking off latter.
On the other hand, Crabs don't give as much a shit about Iaijustsu dueling, so to parties that get pissed will (assuming they don't just flip tables and start throwing punches until an officer breaks it up) decide on some less than leathal way to slap each other around and get it out of their system Anything from full armor and tetsubo, to juijutsu to a drinking contest can be used to settle up when someone feels insulted.
>>
A new day dawning
Protects friends and family
Ishigaki is a wall
>>
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Just a question in regards to character creation, how effective are togashi monks in social settings, would they flounder uselessly or can they be of use? Thinking of making a character seeking enlightenment and, having him be a togashi monk, but the campaign seems like it will primarily be set during the winter court and focus a lot on intrigue, with some dramatic combats in. between. Would a esthetic monk, calm and respectful to everyone he meets and devoted to the code of Bushido, or would I be better going with my second character concept of making a Bayushi courtier work?
>>
>>52835874
Another concern that I had would be if pulling them of the wall and throwing them into the winter court a third of the way through the campaign would make it difficult for the characters to adapt as the skill sets required are quite different, any tips as to how to handle courtiers on the wall or bush in the courts? One of the players wants to play a Bayushi courier which considering the crabs view of the scorpion might be difficult. Advice?
>>
Is there an archive for all of this?
>>
>>52835958
Yes, if you look in suptg you can find most past episodes (except the first, apparently. The first is capped in an image you can find in the first saved thread tho, so you will be able to understand everything that is going on.)
>>
>>52835893
I was thinking of taking the crane tattoo and increasing my air ring as well as the scorpion tattoo for general utility in combat and stealth. My one concern is how effective it is to use the crane tattoo when it needs to be uncovered while I use and rokugani clothing covering most of your body by custom. Instead I thought of taking the Lion tattoo so that I can use it for kenjutsu, jiujitsu or Iiajitsu depending on the situation in case I get in a duel.
>>
>>52835893
>Are Togashi monks good at X?
Yes. The answer is always yes. Take the Crane and Ki-Rin tattoos for a social build. Fun fact, you can activate your Crane tattoo, use up all the bonus dice, activate the Ki-Rin tattoo, then activate the Crane tattoo again without needing to wait an hour.
>>
>>52836143
But wouldn't it be problematic having my skin uncovered to activate them? or could I get away with wearing short sleeved robes and have them on my arms?
>>
>>52836143
>Fun fact, you can activate your Crane tattoo, use up all the bonus dice, activate the Ki-Rin tattoo, then activate the Crane tattoo again without needing to wait an hour.
It's debatable as to whether the Crane tattoo is considered deactivated by another tattoo's activation. All it says is that it's active the full hour, and the dice are lost on activating another tattoo.

>>52836213
Wear a robe or pants.
>>
>>52835930
You can have them guard some other clan samurai who are touring the wall and crab lands
>>
>>52836313
Would it be better to go with crane and scorpion, then at rank 3 get lion and ki-rin
>>
>>52836213
Tattoo them on your head.
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>>52836423
I'd say, if you're concerned more over the mechanical benefits than the setting implications of having any given tattoo, that you should pick the Ki-Rin at rank 1.
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>>52836645
What would the setting implications be? Would having a crane or Ki-Rin tattoo endear you to the Crane or Unicorn clan and make you associated with?
>>
>>52835930
Honestly hands down the most important book to read before running a Wall game is Bearers of Jade. 1st ed book that really, deeply explores life on the wall. And, while 2nd ed is largely garbage, Way of the Shadowlands DOES have some good perspective on why Jigoku does the things it does, how it decides who becomes a supertaint engine of anihaltion, an absurdly pretty infiltrator and who just becomes a roving flesh eating lunatic. WotS also has the rules for naming an Oni which, afaik, have NOT been reprinted anywhere.

But seriously, Bearers of Jade. I've got a pyhiscal copy and I refrence that shit all the time my story. Speaking of which...
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>>52836923
A response from the great crab himself, truly I am blessed.
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>>52836213
Nah. Everyone knows tattooed monks are weird like that. It's like Unicorn with leather saddles and wearing furs. It's not normal for everyone else, but no one is going to make a stink about it. Unless you piss them off some other way and they go for the low hanging fruit, but they can be ridiculed for going for the low hanging fruit
>>
>>52836923
Way of the [Thing] books are all pretty good for fluff. A lot of modern fluff is just snippets taken from those and Bearers of Jade.
>>
Ok, I am convincing my group to play l5r since these stories have intrigued me.

I'm already trying to think of a character concept, and based off the little I have learned a Monkey or Unicorn Bushi seems to be interesting choices.

Any anons willing to list the pros and cons of a being gaijiin technique stealer or a glorified shounen peasant?
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>>52837137
Glorified shounen peasants are great. They make great generalists and even greater specialists.
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>>52831601
>As we headed towards the ad hoc arena Ayame tugged at my sleeve
>Thank you
>she whispered
>It was my pleasure
>and that was true
>Kakita Sakurada was already waiting for Monkey
>Monkey shot us one last 'really? no tips?' look before heading in
>He scratched his sideburn while the Crane stood and faced him
>They bowed and took their stances
>The Crane adopted a stance I'd never seen before
>His feet were shoulder width apart, and he raised up on the balls of his feet.
>he faced Monkey squarely, with his bokken at held at waist hight. Edge to Heaven, point towards Sakurada's rear.
>His left hand open and resting on the end of the handle, right hand also open, with the top of the handle near where the tsuba would be on a real sword resting in the nock of his thumb and forefinger.
>All I could see was a man begging to be disarmed and knocked on his ass
>Kitsuki-san however...
>This stance! It's a Kenshinzen stance!
>Whoah, what?
>Among the Kakita there is an elite group.
>As the Defender of the Wall is the best of the best of the Crab Clan when combating the Shadowlands, the Kenshinzen are the best of the best iaijutsu duelists the Crane clan can produce
>And they only ever get better with each new entrant.
>Beause in order to become a Kenshinzen, one must first defeat a Kenshinzen in a fair duel.
>When the Crane MUST win a battle, it is these warriors who often turn the tide.
>They enter in the fray, hunting down enemy officers, taking their heads and throwing the enemy into chaos.
>So of course, their Kenjutsu in no joke either, since resheathing your blade after every strike is a bit impractical in the midst of a raging battlefield.
>Neither were the typical soft bishounen one typically associates with Crane duelists
>It simply wasn't possible to avoid injury when in open warfare.
>A squishy bishy would never live long enough to be able to penetrate deep into enemy territory
>Now more than I was certain of it.
>Monkey was going to win.
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>>52837343
>Now more than I was certain of it.
>Monkey was going to win.

Thank the heavens for the bonuses that monkey get when squaring off against superior enemies!
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>>52837343
>Monkey took a step towards the Crane
>Who then sprang off the balls of his feet, changing his grip in the air and slashing at Monkey
>Monkey had no hope of avoiding the blow
>The Crane struck him solidly on the shoulder, pulled his blade back up, and rapped monkey on the head for good measure
>Monkey stumbled and staggered back from the assault, rubbing at his head
>OW! That kinda hurt, y'know!
>Sakurada blinked.
>A long, slow, catlike blink
>Then reset his stance
>I chukled softley
>That damn Monkey...
>Aoi looked at me
>What is it, Ishigaki-san?
>He's tougher than he looks. I'm like a big rock, but he's more like bamboo.
>I...see.
>Monkey tried to take the Crane off gaurd, going from rubbing his head to slashing at Sakurada in an instant
>But the Kakita sprang again. I saw now the point of his feet placement. It was true that his balance was precarious, with his heels up off the ground.
>But his hakama hid the fact that his knees were slightly bent, so that he could spring in any direction he needed at a moments notice.
>A solid blow would almost certainly take him off his feet.
>Good luck landing a solid blow
>Fortunatly for Monkey, Luck was his special skill.
>Monkey followed through chasing after the Kakita
>Monkey took a swipe at the Kakita's legs, but pulled his blade up as it travled
>As Sakurada dodged again, Monkey managed to clip his ankle mid air
>The Crane landed awkwardly, but did not fall
>He lashed out at Monkey, more to keep Monkey off of him than to actually hit
>Monkey however, was still in pursuit
>And so he ran right into the Crane's thrust
>Monkey twisted his body, letting Sakurada's bokken glance off his body and slide past him
>So that he could get inside the Crane's range
>Monkey struck, then, three rapid thrusts of his own, all to the Crane's sternum
>Kakita Sakurada's eyes bulged as all the air was expelled from his body
>he fell to one knee, gasping like a fish out of water, and tried to recover his breath
>>
>>52837762
>Monkey was moving awkwardly however.
>The Crane's strikes had taken their toll.
>However, Kakita Sakurada had clearly gotten the worst of that exchange
>Kitsuki nodded.
>It's over
>And it was.
>Monkey stomped heavily forward, batted aside the Kakita's bokken and struck him once more, squarely on the top off his head.
>Sakurada's eyes rolled up into his skull and he fell over face first
>Once the Crane hit the floor, Monkey dropped down onto his ass
>Naomi-sama!
>He whinned
>She got up and ran to him
>Aoi blinked in surpise
>Even Amano was open mouthed
>You were all correct, it seems...
>Mantis-san shrugged.
>That's Monkey for you. He's good at doing the impossible.
>Mantis-san glared at Amano then
>But if you ever tell him I said that I'll rip out your tongue and feed it to you, understand?
>Amano smiled, unconcerned in the least with Mantis-san's threat
>Perfectly.
>Monkey and Naomi then rejoined us.
>I congratulated him on his victory
>looking forward to kicking your ass in the final, Monkey
>Aoi looked at me
>Don't you mean you're looking forward to watching Takeshi-san defeat Monkey in the final?
>Kitsuki-san's eyebrow twitched
>I did my best to respond innocently
>No.
>Kitsuki-san's eyebrow twitched again
>Aoi tittered behind her fan
>But Ishigaki-san! Stong though you may be, Kitsuki-san has known you for years!
>There is nothing you can do to catch him off gaurd!
>Then I wont bother with tricks. I'll just him really hard.
>That seems to work out for me more often than not...
>Kitsuki-san finaly opened his eyes and looked at me.
>I wish you luck in our upcoming match, Ishigaki-san.
>His tone was colder then I had expected.
>The grin on my face died immediately.
>Kituski-san could get annoyed from time to time, but he wasn't one to let banter get the best of him
>However, I cannot afford to lose to you.
>Especially since you so handily defeated the Shiba
>Oh. I see.
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>>52832895
i find great potential kinda useless, get more void instead, anyway you are a shiba bushi and already need void. brash AND idealistic? thats an honor sink right here, i guess shiba bushi dont use honor much? agreed with the other anon, dump your non main weapon skills and go crab hands. i find strength not that important actually, could go for MORE VOID instead or more earth/reflex. awareness is ALWAYS good, even for a bushi. you dont want to be manipulated at court.
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>>52838136
>Kitsuki-san's eyes darted across the room.
>Shoji, Katsuie-sama, Togashi Akuma and the Yoritomo who had taken over for Yohko were deep in conversation
>It was easy to loose myself in the thrill of this simple competition, but now every victory I earned was a proxy argument in favor of the Mantis Clan.
>I inclined my head respectfully to Kitsuki-san
>I cannot afford to hold back either, old friend.
>I know, Ishigaki-san.
>damn. I had avoided thinking about it, but now the Crab Clans gain would be the Dragon Clan's loss.
>They lived in the mountains, terrain not well suited to growing rice.
>Every bushel of rice taken, every grain store burned would be one more the Dragon would need to get from the Crane.
>And the Crane would make them pay dearly for it
>Of course the Mantis would not compete with the Crane this year, and the Crane could convince the Unicorn not to offer rice to the Dragon.
>None of us knew how to shake off the heavy air that had settled in as the last bout of the day began
>Moto Li-Ta, still as shameless as ever, faced off against Akodo Yoshi
>Bows made, stances taken, the two collided
>Li-Ta swung her bokken in wide arcs, driving the Akodo back as he sought an opening
>She spun off to the side as he attacked, aiming a slash at his side
>He anticipated it, but as her blade struck his she spun the other way striking at his oposite side
>He was able to deflect again, and again she allowed her bokken to rebound off his and propell her to his other side
>Only to bring he blade down from above instead of the side
>This time he was out of position, and she struck his shoulder
>He shrugged off the blow and shifted his stance
>Li-Ta spun he bokken in her hand twirling it twice before seizing it in a two handed grip and bringing it down on him again
>This time the Lion was ready. He raised his blade, stepping to the side and deflected her blow past him
>The he he spun facing his back to her he thrust his bokken into her stomach
>hard
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>>52838136
The protagonist power is strong with Monkey. Can't wait to see who makes it to the finals.
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>>52838536
>strength not that important actually,
Water + battle for mass combat determination
More movement helps you to limit the number of attacks you'll face if you're clever about it
Percpetion aids in making sure you don't get shot full of arrows in an ambush before you can even get your sword out
Also, have you even been paying attention to this story time? All the void, go first, kill one guy really good! Okay. And then what do you do when the NEXT opponent steps up and you've got an armor tn of 15 and 38 wounds?
Glass cannon builds are just begging to get killed.
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>>52838550
a, samurai drama, right here, its nice
>>
Shiba Bushi really do work best with Void and at least one friend who is also liberal with their void use.
At rank 5, they can spend two void points for the effect of something like 6 points. They blow their load early, but fights don't last more than a handful or rounds anyway, and they really, really destroy whatever they're up against.
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>>52838650
raise battle, not water for mass combat, also, battle raise init at 5+

in my couple group in the last...15 years ive played l5r, never once exact movement speed was asked, its a you can or you cant (so you are probably right, i cant judge this one)

only one character need good perception, he can warn the others, leave that to the crab, mantis or water shug (kitsuki magistrate are excellent at this) also, ambushes do not give that great of an advantage in 4th ed /opinion

playing void is not glass cannon, but it can be, remember that in 4th ed you can spend void to reduce wound by a good number. even more by being a shiba bushi. with good earth and void you can be a wall
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>>52838550
>A loud whuff escaped her as she flew back through the air, her light frame allowing her to stay aloft for an impressive length of time
>She manged to land on her feet, but stumbled to a knee as her momentum continued to pull at her
>Yoshi wasted no time, shifting his stance in an instant he rushed to her and struck the bokken from her hand while she was still recovering her balance
>So then.
>I would face Kitsuki-san tomorow morning, and Monkey would face the Lion Clan Kensai in the afternoon.
>Then I would face Monkey the day after in the final
>I had no doubt Kitsuki-san had some plan in store for me, that was obvious.
>I was equally certain it would not matter in the end.
>We ate dinner together, and made small talk. >Avoiding the looming confrontation
>I donned my armor that night after we all bathed, though I allowed myself to sleep tonight.
>My old instincts were reawakening quickly. I had no doubt anything out of place would awaken me.
>It turned out I was right about that.
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>>52838740
and the katana as the special ability in 4th ed to add 1k1 to damage roll for 1 void point
>>
So I was thinking of making a scorpion courier, but my GM has told me that we will be starting on the wall in crab lands, he says that the campaign will later include more intrigue at the winter court. I am quite new to the system, play mostly Warhammer rpgs, GM got inspired by these threads and recommended them to us. Any tips on how to survive as a Bayushi courier on the wall until the time of the winter court?
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>>52838912
My lunch/dinner thing has arrived, break for eats, back in a bit.
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>>52838917
to be honest, this is gonna be a rough time. bayushi courtier and doji courtier have the LEAST reason and skills for the wall

best you can do is act as a courier (official message delivery) or screamer if you have good perception

prepare to get treated like shit, a scorpion AND courtier on the wall....
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>>52838917
Focus on Reflexes, the Defense skill, and Kyujutsu.
Stay as far back as you can and plink with arrows. If anything gets close, turtle up in Full Defense until a bushi removes the threat.
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>>52839002
agreed
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>>52838916
Which combines with the Shiba abilities. A rank 5 Shiba can spend 2 void points to add 4k4 to damage with a katana. Cleanly bisect anything you happen to swing at.
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>>52838941
The cliffhanger is real!
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>>52838912
>>It turned out I was right about that.
Ishigaki-san, you triple tease you... Have a portrait!
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>>52839053
He can also reduce incoming wounds by 40, increase his armor tn by 40, increase his initiative by 40, or get a half strength version of any two of these benefits.
And then he spends a half hour meditating or someone else spends a void point and he gets to recharge and go again.
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>>52838917
Courier or courtier?

Though, in either case, the answer is have a big yojimbo to hide behind.
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>>52839291
Courtier, although I suppose that the slip up turns out to have shown me the role that I will be playing.
I get the impression blackmail isn't going to help me much on the wall either?
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>>52839359
Probably not. If you told a wall-crab that you've got blackmail on him, you'll probably find yourself face to face with a bunch of masked thugs in a back alley somewhere, or mysteriously fall down the same flight of stairs first two or three times in a row.
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>>52839359
Your best bet for things to go smoothly and have a reason to be at the wall is to try and get some kind of family (That's lowercase family, not Family) connection to the Crab. Maybe one of your parents was a Crab or something and you're visiting or trying to help a cousin. I find that it's one of the best ways to establish good faith inter-clan connections when making a character.
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>>52838912

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G65pvuTFR_A
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If the GM rolled on a random encounter table and sent a rank 3 enemy against the party, which had the potential of killing them and disrupting the mission they are on, would they gain honor for killing it?
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>>52839053
>Which combines with the Shiba abilities. A rank 5 Shiba can spend 2 void points to add 4k4 to damage with a katana

This is false. The rules specifically state you cannot spend more than one void point on enhancing a katana's damage, even if you may spend more than one void point per round on enhancements. If you want to be able to blow a load of void points on a katana damage roll, see the Taoist Swordsman school of the Dragon Clan.
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>>52839910
It depends entirely why they're fighting him. A random ass bandit ambush isn't going to get you any honor. A higher ranking samurai who acts like rude and insults your family straight to your face will get you a lot of honor.
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>>52839910
Most likely glory rather than honor, although depends on the enemy they're facing

Also, after a bit of a busy day, finally back to continue, gonna have a drain on my free time in the near future, hope I'll still be able to contribute to the thread enough to stay relevant

Really glad though to see these threads have inspired people to play, even if I have to admit it's mostly thanks to Ishigaki-san's story, though he has the upside of relatability

Whelp, back to greentexting Daikakita's tale
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While we're waiting for Ishigaki, you can watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4tKOPyKYps
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>>52839359
No, it will. Just not the Crabs. Blackmail a Crane and get the Crabs you're living with free rice. They'll suddenly take a keen interest in keeping you alive.

This is your in, one of the functions of a courtier is to negioate the trade that goes on between clans disgused as giving gifts and doing favors. You make it your lifes goal to keep the Crab Clan rolling in rice and Jade for as little cost to them as possible, and you'll never run out of friends.

Also, the inside of the Wall is FULL of death traps. You may want to grab precise memory so you can get hungry oni to chase your poor "defenseless" ass right into a spike pit or meat grinder.
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>>52840113
This. You can work with the Yasuki too if they're around. They won't trust you, but they absolutely will work with you and keep other Crab off your back if you can deliver the goods.
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>>52840039
well, not quite yet
Puppies need walkies

But as a small preview, to keep more in tone with the Kakita fame for artisanry, parts of my greentext will now be in haiku when appropriate
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>>52840198
Was it you who requested a drawing of Togashi-san in the drawthread?
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>>52840297

It was not, no
It was Togashi-san's player
>>
So would it be of any use to invest in kenjutsu? It would mean that I'd have to fight my own duels which would be less than fortunate. Is it a good idea or should I just focus on defence and kyiajutsu and try to avoid getting to close, supporting my allies outside of combat?
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>>52823031

>I grip my jitte tightly as Moshi-san descends from his ship to speak with us

>We bow in greeting
>His Mantis face most grim
>Braced to accept shame

>"I am Moshi Nokodo, captain of the Black Mantis."
>His eyes inquisitive as he looks me up and down.
>"How can you be sure it was Hon, Kakita-san?"
>The gall to question my word
>But at least Moshi-san was trying to save face properly
>And remembered how to use honorifics
>"He ran when we attempted to first apprehend him, in pursuit he lead us to the warehouse base of the smuggling ring"
>"Hmmph... I wanted to give him a second chance when we first caught him smuggling
>But it seems my compassion was misdirected
>My humblest apologies, Kakita-san, for allowing such a crime to be conducted under my leadership.
>I hope I will be able to make proper amends."
>Seems more aware of etiquette than his first mate
>"Thank you for admitting your error, Moshi-san.
>Do you know how Hon gained his contraband?"
>"He seemed to have a supplier in the Second City. That's where we picked him up.
>I cannot tell you more than that"
>"Very well. Thank you for your aid in this investigation.
>How long will you be in port?"
>"About a week and a half, make sure we can unload and sell all our previous stock, give my crew some leave time, and then reload on our trip back to the Colonies"
>"I shall bring this information to Kakita-ue. After that, it shall be decided how you will make reparations for your slight."
>"We will be ready to repay however necessary. We do not need more tension after what happened between our Clans in the Colonies."
>We bow and bid each other farewell
>On the return trip, Daidoji-san tells me he noticed something about the ship
>It was a Mantis pirate ship, refitted for trade
>Most likely saw combat against one of our own during our Colonial War with the Mantis
>It gives me unease, but the captain seemed sincere
>We will see
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>>52840846
For a courtier who isn't trying to be a bushi-lite, all kenjutsu really does for you is let you use your wakizashi in a pinch. You don't have to carry a katana just because you have the skill to use one. However, if you are planning on using a katana, you'll need iaijutsu too.
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>>52840846
you are a courtier, its not your job to defend yourself, kenjutsu 1 is pretty much all you need if you are not also a magistrate.

archery is a natural fit for courtier, it works with reflex, keep you away from things that murder you and reflex is a companion of awareness, the courtier stat, which mean more insight which mean better courtier

dont wear a katana, it means you know how to use it, which is unusual for a courtier and unusual is mostly bad in rokugani culture

you also dont need iaijutsu, its the duelling skill. you get a champion for those things
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>>52840846
Carrying a katana around with your wakizashi has the implication that you can fight your own duels
It's one of the reasons courtiers a) only carry the wakizashi to show they are samurai and b) why they're usually accompanied by a yojimbo

Same applies for shugenja, not counting magic duels

If you don't have a yojimbo, someone related to neither clan will be asked to volunteer as your champion, such as one of the other party members
If none do, one of 3 things might happen

1) you have to fight the duel yourself, meaning you'll probably lose
2) depending on the situation, a clan member might be asked to volunteer. If it's a personal issue between two relatively minor samurai that is being dueled over, clan allegiance isn't that important. After all, the duel is the manifestation of the Will of the Heavens, not Might makes Right (even though it is)
3) The duel can be done in a different contest, such as archery, art, or a game like go or shogi, although this is extremely rare

The skill is used for more than the katana, but a last resort use of it with your wakizashi is most likely the only scenario for you as a non-bushi, so heavy investment is not necessary
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So I made another character in case Shiba-kun bites the dust... and also because one day I want to GM a game of L5R so I will begin making an upstart Matsu Berserker Girl who dreams of becoming part of Lion's Pride one day!

What do you anons think about her?
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>>52841048
Here would be her portait... unless I find one more fitting.
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>>52840856

>To daimyo, bow deep
>Old news bringing, and making
>New plans that will be

>We report to Kakita-ue our findings at the Black Mantis
>Deep concern shows behind my lord's public face
>"It seems this conspiracy runs deeper than we thought, even deeper than this new testimony shows
>During your investigation, news has spread to us of similar occurences throughout the Empire
>The Empress, in her divine wisdom, has decreed a full ban of the drug
>And decreed that any magistrates dealing directly with the drug shall be treated as if they were Emerald Magistrates
>But this goes far beyond our borders."
>He motions towards a servant carrying a box to bring it to us
>"I have signed these documents for you. Travel papers, as well as papers explaining your charge.
>I hereby charge you to discover and quench the source of the drug called Sweet Dreams.
>By Imperial Decree, you have the full powers and responsibilities of an Emerald Magistrate, even though you are only a Crane magistrate at this time.
>These travel papers will help you enter the Second City.
>I'm sure the Ivory Magistrates, once aware of her Majesty the Empress's decrees, will aid you as much as they can.
>I will send a letter to the captain of the Black Mantis.
>As his reparation, he shall bring you to the Second City and back, with supplies for your voyage on his ship, at no charge.
>You will leave once Togashi-san is well enough to travel, as she is still your yoriki.
>Make your preparations
>You're going to the Colonies."

>Great thanks for great task
>A Crane will prove his worth now
>In lands far away

>As I return to my chambers, I draft a letter to my family, now surely back at our holdings.
>Telling them of the great honor I have been bestowed with such a task
>Asking them to pray to our family founder to guide me
>And wishing my brother Hogai-san great success in his continued education

>More preparations
>Many words to exchange now
>But first, time for tea
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>>52841390
>time for tea
And haiku!
>>
I just started playing l5r and I have a question. My equipment says I start with either a heavy weapon or polearm, but can I choose to not take one?
>>
>>52841761
I'm sure your GM will allow it, but I recommend you take it and take a point in the relevant skill. What's your character?

Also, /l5rg/
>>52836786
>>
>>52841891
Nevermind, that thread died quick.
>>
>>52841390

>Man makes his own fate
>Makes his own mark on the world
>Even with great tea

>I have a servant ensure my letter would be sent
>Then make my way back to the little tea shop
>The information I gained here proved quite valuable
>And the tea is damn great
>The serving girl recognizes me, brings her grandmother again with the tea
>I ask the old woman to sit with me, for I wish a word with her
>She sits, politely silent, avoiding my gaze as most heimin do
>I try to ignore that she looks like a pile of wrinkled skin wrapped loosely around a human body
>"You truly make some delicious tea, woman."
>"Oh, you humble this lowly one with such praise, oh great magistrate-sama."
>"Nevertheless, it is not the only reason I have come back to your tea shop.
>What you told me, of Hon, of your daughter's problem with Sweet Dreams, has helped my investigation a great deal.
>Thanks to your help, heimin, all cargo of Sweet Dreams in Tsuma has been confiscated.
>In about a weeks time, I shall travel to the Second City to further investigate the drug
>Make sure no more of it is ever made
>Hopefully even find a cure.
>Until my departure, I shall be visiting this establishment of yours for your delicious tea.
>I hope this shall be enough to repay you for your tea, your time, and your help."
>Without looking at the coins, I place 3 koku on the table beside the tea set.
>With all i have told, and faced with these 3 coins, the old woman can barely keep her face
>I notice a hint of tears building up in her eyes
>"Please, if you'll excuse me, samurai-sama."
>I nod my head, allowing her to go out of sight so she can save what little face heimin like her can have
>She rushes into the house bare moments before tears start streaming down her face
>Leaving the koku
>I sip my tea
>She returns with a small box
>The area under her eyes seems drier than usual
>She open the box and presents it to me as a gift
>Inside is a small statue of Ebisu
>Made of jade
>What
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>>52841891
Matsu Berserker. The basic idea I had was a guy that had a shoji like father and has dedicated his life to surpassing him in glory.
>>
>>52841761
>>52842124
Starting supplies and equipment are items given to you by your sensei, family, and liege lord before start of the game
They are not gifts in the same sense as the more traditional gift-giving, so there's less backlash to saying "no thanks" to them
In the case of the heavy weapon/polearm you don't want, you can say it was granted to you by your liege lord as if he "lent" it to you, as he does every weapon in his arsenal to those serving under him, and that you returned it to him since you have no more need for it, as one should do when no longer having the need for an item lent to you by one's lord

Whether or not you get any extra starting koku as if you sold a starting item in another RPG is up to the GM, but unlikely to be necessary considering how the setting society works (in the example of Daikakita that i'm currently telling, whenever he's a guest at a samurai's holding, such as Kakita Ikura in Tsuma, or later on in the Second City in the mansion of the Crane ambassador, he does not pay for food and lodging, as it is demanded by the Courtesy tenet of Bushido that a host provide these for their guests)
>>
>>52842465
You could also just leave it at home.
It's important to note that even the most pacifistic samurai has a complete daisho given to them at their gempukku. Courtiers and shugenja tend to leave the katana mounted on the household shrine, but they still have one. The outfit is your general travelling kit.
>>
I know this is story time, but I'm trying to brainstorm a Minor Clan game. Can anyone offer story ideas or inspiration?
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>>52841986

>"How did you come by this?"
>"It is an old family heirloom
>It is the only way I can truly repay you for what you are doing for my daughter"
>This is even more surprising than the quality of her tea
>"I cannot accept such a gift. It is worth far more than what I have done"
>"Oh, no, what you have done and what you are doing is worth far more than such a small gift
>Please, take it"
>"I cannot, I am only doing my Duty, and that is it's own reward for a samurai such as myself"
>She looks up, stares into my eyes
>"I beg you, honorable samurai-sama, accept this gift, it is only appropriate for one as low a myself to give this to you"
>"Very well. I am humbled by such a gracious gift. I hope you will be able to continue serving tea to me once I return from the Colonies"
>Until dinner, I spend my time drinking tea
>Returned to the estate, Daidoji brings me more good news
>He supervised some patrols in the slums in case someone else might require being arrested for their crimes
>They caught Hon

>Turns out he had hidden in the warehouse during my battle with his associates
>Fled into the night as I went to find doshin to take care of Togashi-san and the contraband
>Now he made a misstep, and was in our custody
>But he would not speak, wishing to take his secrets to the grave
>And all men of Kakita-ue's household were too honorable to allow more... intense interrogation methods

>I set off to my next conversation after dinner
>I still couldn't believe what I was about to do as I approached the entrance to Bayushi Asako's geisha house
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>>52842887

A band of brothers, from various minor clans. Born to be forgettable, they will carve out their destiny among the heroes of the Empire, gaining glory, fame, recognition and adoration

A group of magistrates who just so happen to be all from minor clans

Minor Clan delegates to a local celebration of an Imperial Festival

Minor Clan delegates to act as third party arbitrators between two Great Clans disputing.

Minor Clan delegates sent to the Wall, as a show of respect and support to the Crab, or as a punishment to the delegate for a dishonorable action

You all meet at a roadside sake house when suddenly, ...
>>
>>52842894

>The geisha greeter recognizes me
>"How may I assist you, Magistrate-sama?"
>"I wish to speak to your matron, and promptly"
>"As you wish, Magistrate-sama."
>I am led to a waiting room outside the office of the Scorpion matron
>I tense up apprehensively
>The idea of a Clan like the Scorpions was one extremely uncomfortable with me
>Anyone who was actively hiding much from his superiors and his peers was either neglecting his Honor, Duty, or was a coward neglecting Courage
>The three tenets of Bushido held highest by my family
>And Scorpions are infamous for doing this as casually as I drink my tea
>Finally I am allowed audience with Bayushi-san
>Face hidden behind mask and her ornate fan
>"Tea, Kakita-san?"
>"No, thank you."
>She pours herself a cup and drinks
>I do my best not to fidget nervously
>"So, Kakita-san, how may I help you?"
>"Do you recall when you offered your aid in my investigation into the drug Sweet Dreams?"
>She seems to stop moving
>I would've assumed she even stopped breathing had it not been for the slight movement of her bre--shoulders
>With a click, she closes her fan and set it on the table between us.
>"I do recall, Kakita-san, as I do recall your lack of reply
>Should I take it you've made up your mind on my offer?"
>"I have, Bayushi-san. One of the men that smuggled the drug into Tsuma is in the dungeons of Kakita-ue.
>However, he refuses to tell us anything.
>And all in the service of my lord are too honorable for any unsavoury methods of interrogation.
>Is there any way you could aid me in finding out what I need to know, Bayushi-san?"
>"Hmmm... it's a shame that none in my employ are able to help you in this matter."
>"So you cannot help me?"
>"I never said that."
>>
>>52842887
Your clans are attempting to create an alliance but none of them trust one another after the last attempt resulted in the diplomats being murdered. It is decided to send a mixed group of expandable samurai to figure out who did it and whether its even feasible to work together.
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>>52843693

>I left the geisha house with mixed emotions
>Satisfaction that I might get answers, disgusted with myself that I had to ask a Scorpion for help in getting them
>As long as justice could be done, however, it was a sacrifice I was willing to make
>The following week was relatively uneventful
>Practicing my School techniques
>Practicing my poetry
>Practicing my tea appreciation at the tea shop
>The haiku I gifted Togashi-san was more than satisfactory, once I myself was pleased with my own work
>I hope eventually that no paper will need sacrificing to the fire kami of my lit candle
>One day, news reached us that Hon had managed to commit suicide in his cell
>Leaving a letter of confession
>He had a supplier in the Second City, who got it directly from the source
>But he did not know who that was
>There was no evidence anybody else had been in that cell
>The guard who was supposed to keep watch over him was reprimanded heavily for his neglect of Duty
>I made a mental note to visit Bayushi Asako before I left

>Togashi-san's recovery only took a week
>And thus, we made our final preparations to leave
>I visited the geisha house one last time
>"Ah, Kakita-san, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
>"I wish to thank you for your aid in my investigation, Bayushi-san"
>"Oh? Leaving so soon?"
>I could tell she already knew that
>I still didn't drink her tea
>"I am to continue my investigation in the Colonies, so as to deal with this conspiracy at its source"
>"Well, in that case, I think I may be of further service, Kakita-san
>In the second city, there's a local magistrate, Mantis by birth, Yoritomo Kon
>He owes me a favor. You may use this favor in my name for any aid in your investigation he may provide
>Again, nothing required in return.
>This is for the good of the Empire, after all."
>I bow, thanking her for her aid again, and leave
>We are now ready to sail to the Ivory Kingdoms, Colony of the Emerald Empire
>>
>>52841048
I would strongly recomend strength of the earth if you can find two points for it. It's one of those advantages you need to start with, and it'll help take the sting out of wound pen. You made the right call going with the heavy armor with this settup, for the reduction. Since whenever you go full attack the tn bonus is effectively lost.

So, you're going to get often, but you'll wreck anything you care to swing at, and can survive a fight despite your desire for full attack. It looks like a solid base to start off with. I recomend saving your first xp to raise your Ref ASAP, if only because it's always better to not get hit in the first place, even with heavy armor reduction and void.
>>
to celebrate the new samurai jack season, i was thinking, what would jack be?

bushi for sure.
imperial? lion? crane? theres even an argument for crab or mantis!
what school?
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>>52845439
Imperial for sure, since his dad is a bigwig. A straight port would probably make him a Hantei. I'd say that he was probably slated to go to the Kakita duelling academy (Because that's tradition for Hantei brats), but actually ended up influenced by the Daidoji, which is where the affinity for traps and pragmatic actions comes from.
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>>52845439
He's the son of the Emperor, per the original premier, so definitely Imperial.

He's a bushi, but his school is hard to pin down due to all the different training he received. His primary weapon is his sword, so Crane, Dragon or Lion bushi schools would be my best guess, though he also picked up a [Ninja] school somewhere along the line.
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>>52836743
No, but a tattoo is considered to reflect who you are among those who know anything about them. Also, it's a good idea to RTFB.
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>>52825300
I saw that expression and pointing, and "Cornered" immediately started playing in my head.
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>>52838912
>I was awakend by a soft tread approaching the door.
>The presence of dim light, a single candle, told me the person creeping up to our room was not trying to sneak up on us
>So I waited calmly.
>The door opened crack, and a soft whisper came in
>Onii-sama? Onee-sama?
>Come in Ahsitaka, just keep your voice down.
>And don't panic
>He did so, looking around for me.
>When he saw me sitting there in my armor lit only by a single flickering candle, he jumped back but did not cry out.
>I told you not to panic.
>Well, you didn't scream, so that's something.
>Shut the door.
>he did
>W-why are you...?
>I wondered if I should tell him the truth.
>'Oh,no big deal really. I just think your dad might try to have his daugher, grandkids and/or me assinated in the middle of the night, that's all'
>Yeah, that won't do at all.
>Things have gotten...complicated.
>He sat down on his knees before me.
>Everyone says that, or something like it, when I try to get them to tell me what's going on.
>Ashitaka was a clever boy, there was no denying that.
>And dancing around a subject was a good way to insult him.
>I decided not to be rude to my little brother
>Though I also wasn't about to completely destroy his innocence
>I sighed, dramatically
>These are lessons you should not have to learn yet, Ashitaka-san
>He liked it when I addressed him as a grown up.
>I would remember that for when my own children got a little older
>But I suppose you will worry more if you do not know what is going on. You're clever enough to pick up that something is happening, after all.
>The situation has changed. The Crane and Mantis clan have convinced the Crab to join them now, working in support of open war with the Phoenix clan.
>But...!
>Shhhhh
>he started again, softer this time
>I thought the mantis were just making threats to get our clan to offer them gifts!
>That is what the Mantis say they are doing, yes.
>And the Crane say they only want peace
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>>52845553
Nah. If you're born Hantei, but not the emperor in waiting, on your gempukku you get shunted into another imperial family. Happened to Iuchiban.

>As he was not the Emperor's eldest son, custom demanded that he change his name upon completing his gempukku. He became Otomo Jama, renouncing any claim to the Emerald Throne in favor of his older brother.
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>>52845687
>But in private the Crane have convinced the Mantis that war is the best choice for them.
>And now the two clans have combined their efforts to sway my clan to their side
>...how did they do that?
>The Manits will strike at storehouses. They will attempt to take rice and grain from your clan in the war. What they cannot steal they will burn
>That will make the Crane's rice much more valuable.
>I waited for him to nod along.
>Though he only had a basic grasp of the value of rice, he understood cause and effect quickly.
>You may not have known this, but my clan does not make enough rice to feed itself every year.
>His eyes widened
>So, every year when winter court comes around we give gifts of the things we do have enough of to others so they give us gifts of rice in return.
>He nodded again.
>by keeping us from being able to make gifts of rice the Crane make their gifts more valuable... and since your clan needs rice that is why you opposed the war at first...
>I nodded.
>Yes, that's right.
>so to get you to join them, they must have offered your clan enough rice that you wont need to rely on the Crane's more valuable rice?
>I nodded again.
>You really catch on quickly.
>he looked down, as he realized what that must mean
>How can things like this happen?
>I blew out another sigh.
>The urge to protect is strong.
>he looked up at me
>What do you mean?
>I looked over to where Naomi and my children were sleeping
>If my clan does not get enough rice, then they might go hungry.
>I will do whatever I must to ensure they get that rice
>But if the Crane have enough rice why don't they just give it to you and be done with it?
>Because there are some things the Crane do not have enough of.
>Sometimes what they need is not even a thing, but an ally instead.
>Say the Lion want to make war on the Crane, because the Lion always want to make war on the Crane.
>The Crane may offer my clan rice and in exchange ask us to send soldiers to aid them in battle.
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>>52845925
>on your gempukku you get shunted into another imperial family
They still get trained in a different school. The firstborn traditionally goes Kakita Duelist, but the other kids could end up in literally any non-secret school based on politics or preference. Hantei Yugozohime was trained in a Lion school, for example.
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>>52845925
That has no bearing on what school they attend leading up to their gempukku.
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>>52845982
>I shrugged, making my armor rattle just bit
>it is how things are. It is no one persons fault, not even a single clan can be blamed for how the Empire functions.
>Ahshitaka stared into the distance for a long time.
>I will not be able to protect everyone all the time, will I?
>No one can.
>It is up to you to decide for yourself who or what it is that you hold most dear.
>And do your best to keep it safe
>Sometimes that means drawing a blade and taking lives
>Sometimes it means being able to put your blade away.
>A warrior that can tell the difference between those two times is rare indeed, but I believe you will be able to, in time.
>My father is very upset with me
>I figured as much, given that you had to sneak in here in the middle of the night to talk to me.
>He says bushi are all bloodthirsty louts who will throw their lives away for nothing.
>He says this tournament proves it.
>Ashitaka looked me in the eyes
>Why do you do it, Onii-sama?
>Not just you, all the other bushi do as well
>The way of the warrior is death, Ashitaka-san
>When others would choose life, the warrior chooses death. For himself, or his enemies.
>But you just said...!
>That is for those who rise high enough in rank to make those choices.
>The vast majority of Bushi will not bear the responsibility of even hundreds of lives, let alone thousands.
>For most bushi, they do not choose which enemy to fight, nor do they choose the time and place of the battle.
>They must trust in their superiors who have made those choices for them.
>The reason, that we go so far is that we must test ourselves constantly
>When our lord calls us to war, we must go.
>When our lord commands us to fight, we must fight
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>>52846196
Little phoenix chick,
Time to open your young eyes
And see the frail nest
>>
>>52846196
>Only by defeating our enemies do we earn the right to return to our homes and loved ones
>And only by constantly training ourselves, pushing ourselves to our very limits and beyond, do we have any hope of emerging victorious.
>Because our enemies are training just as hard, in the hopes that they will be the ones to win
>I looked at him evenly
>Are you having second thoughts?
>he shook his head.
>No. There is much more to being a bushi than I realized, but my desire is unchanged. I am glad I can ask you about these things, Onii-sama
>Good luck in your match tommorow.
>he slipped out of the room
>I went back to sleep
>In the morning I once again got out of my armor
>I ate breakfast with just my immediate family
>And I went early to the arena
>I sat down, folded my legs lotus style, and waited with bokken across my knees
>I heard people come in in small groups.
>Whisperer I did not care to try to make out floated about the room
>Finally I heard the step of Kitsuki-san entering the arena
>I opened my eyes, took hold of my weapon and stood up slowly, allowing my joints to pop quite audibly
>I rolled my neck to get just a few more pops out
>And turned to face him calmly
>Of course, he was disciplined enough that he didn't let show if I had managed to throw him off or not with that little mind game.
>Well, it's not like I had any other tricks up my sleeve.
>I would just hit him over the head so hard he'd have to open his kimono to eat.
>Be bowed, and I moved as soon as our heads came back up
>Kitsuki-san backpedaled, deflecting my attacks
>I inteded to give him no time to breathe, and pushed on
>His training with his sensei showed, his defense was solid
>I knew better than to overextend myself though.
>While I doubted he could knock me over, he may have been able to disarm me, if I gave him the chance
>Still, I had him on the defensive.
>It was all he could do to keep me away from him
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>>52846013
Says what source?
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Quick interjection here, I just wanted to share a conversation I just had with ForeverGM. See, he'd never posted to an image board until I got him to post his artwork

So as I'm heading to the bathroom he mutters
"I hate you"
"Hate who?"
"YOU!"
"becase of you now all I do is peruse the same stupid threads full of stupid people! REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" (Okay, he didn't really say reeeeeee but everything else is true)

So I figured now it's time to show him pic related.
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>>52846566
The ones where imperial scions go to multiple different schools that aren't just Otomo or Seppun.
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>>52846569
Welcome to 4chan, ForeverGM.

Don't go to /pol/ or /b/.
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>>52846569
kek
>>
>>52846494
>After several exchanges I had to give him credit
>Most people hands would be numb by now, having blocked so many of my heavy strikes
>but he was parrying well, keeping himself from taking the full force
>Had he tried to just dodge, he'd have gotten tired eventually
>He was good at conserving his strength for the right moment
>I just had to make sure that moment never came
>then Kitsuki-san surprised me
>he deflected my strike, then struck at my wrist
>I hit his bokken aside, forcefully, trying to knock it away or at least out of position
>But he had expected just that kind of response
>he had not committed to his attack, he let his wrists loosen and my strike passed his bokken
>Now I was the one out of position
>Calm determination was all I saw in his eyes as he moved, striking before I could prepare myself
>he hit me quite hard. No tricks, just raw force
>I was surprised that I actually felt it.
>Then I brought my own bokken down on his crown
>enough! I yeild!
>...Well.
>I can't say I didn't expect to win, but he had gotten in the first strike.
>So he did, at least, have the morale victory there.
>For a courtier to come as far as he did, and perform as well as he had was impresive
>I bowed as Naomi came up to tend his injury, then we both sat down together
>Aoi smirked as we sat down
>I knew Takeshi-san would win
>I looked at her
>In what possible way is that a win?
>He is not a bushi, yet he advanced to the semi-finals of a kenjutsu tournament, and was able to outmaneuver the warrior who had so handily dominated his foe in his last match!
>You may have won the match, but Takeshi-san's showing was far more impressive!
>I looked over at Kitsuki-san.
>He shrugged.
>It was the best I could realistically hope for.
>I see, so not a morale victory, but a political one.
>Nicely done, then.
>>
>>52846569
topkek
>>
>>52846843
>Since there were only two bouts today, there was more time for classic politicking in between the end of my match and lunch.
>having entered into the final, I was once again under assault left and right form fluttering fans and backhanded compliments
>Or,if you want to be honest about that last one, insults you can't actually respond to.
>Yet another example in a long list of games of pretend played in Rokugan, so long as you disguise your insult like a compliment, you can lie about your intentions.
>Then it is not you who is shamed, but anyone who does not pretend to go along with your bad lies
>This kind of crap gets under the skin of a Crab like nothing else, and the Lion aren't too fond of it either.
>If I had to guess, the reason everyone tolerates this sort of thing is because they see at as a game.
>You're supposed to trade insults back and forth, without being so crass to give your foe grounds for a duel, and the first one to lose their face is disgraced.
>It's a test of wit, to come up with insult after insult, and of willpower, to endure one after the other without losing your composure.
>I was lacking in the former.
>But I had enough of the latter
>So I simply threw them off by playing to their expectations
>Your victories are quite impressive, Hida-san! >You show us all what is possible when one does not wast time learning manners and focuses all effort on being a fine warrior!
>Well thank you, Scoripion-san! Sadly, it is true I will never be as good as a proper bushi at arranging flowers!
>To my surprise, it was a Crane that came to my rescue
>Flower aranging is for courtiers anyway, Hida-san.
>I, for one, am glad you sacrifce studies of art and culture.
>I do not think a haiku, no matter how well written, has ever stopped a rampaging oni before.
>I dug around in my ear a little bit, just to see if there was something in there
>Like a brain eating parasite
>There's no way a CRANE just said that.
>>
>>52846617
So ... you got nothing, then?
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>>52847072
I've got information on the ritual of abdication, which only states that they change their name to Otomo. I've got multiple individuals who were not firstborn Hantei who were trained in Great Clan schools. It's a repeating plot point during multiple eras that various potential heirs are all trained and backed by different clans.
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>>52847229
Not just that they only change their name, but that they don't even do the ritual until their sibling is coronated as emperor. Until the previous emperor retires or dies, all of his children have the Hantei name, regardless of age. Once he dies or retires and their oldest sibling takes charge, they change their names to Otomo.
Although, a lot of Imperials are statted as Otomo Bureaucrats, even firstborns who should have gone to the Kakita school according to fluff.
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>>52847276
> a lot of Imperials are statted as Otomo Bureaucrats
iirc, there are even Doji who were married into the Imperial family well after they should have started in a School or even graduated who get statted as being part of the Otomo school. Whoever AEG had giving NPCs stats didn't think about it too much.
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>>52847013
>A Lion gave voice to my own incredulity
>Are you implying art has no value, Doji-san?
>Not at all, Ikoma-san! Your last painting moved me very deeply in fact!
>But from time to time it does not hurt to remember that the Crab sacrifice much more than just their lives to stand their eternal vigil on the Empire's southern border.
>I think it uncouth to hold that against them
>Oh, I almost forgot, Hida Katsuie-san wished to speak with you, Hida Ishigaki-san.
>Ah, well then, If you'll excuse me
>I went over to join Katsuie-sama
>It was just him, a Yasuki, and a Hiruma yojimbo.
>Doji Ai was able to get you out of there in one piece I see.
>Hai, Katsuie-sama.
>Good, good. Let's all just act like we are deep in conversation and keep those buzzing insects away.
>Some of them have nasty bites
>so we did, until it was time for lunch
>We ate together privately, so Monkey would not have to deal with the jabbering of the courtiers
>Naomi had to take Tetsute in her lap and feed him herself, to keep him from crawling across the table to reach whatever bit of food had caught his eye
>So while my wife fed our son, I fed her
>Aoi, back in usual attire, tried to feed Kitsuki-san
>He looked to me for help, I just smirked
>Having a fine woman feed you was a simple pleasure every man should enjoy from time to time.
>I know I loved it when Naomi fed me.
>Toshiro snickered at that exchange
>So, no tips again, I assume?
>Kitsuki-san used this as an excuse to evade the noodles Aoi was holding out for him
>He is a kensai. And I believe Akodo trained before becoming one of those elite warriors
>Akodo have great precision, their first lesson allows them to fine the vulnerabilities in any suit of armor.
>The real issue is the adaptability of the Akodo. >They are trained to be soldiers and to be able to face any number of situations.
>They flow like water, seeking their opponents weakness and attacking it with all their might.
>>
>>52847229
>>52847276
>>52847297
That's still a whole lot of no sources for me to look into.
>>
>>52847323
>The Kensai becomes even more versatile.
>So even after seeing him in two bouts I doubt we've seen all he has to offer.
>It's not that we do not think you need advice, Monkey.
>It's that we cannot give you any.
>Just expect the unexpected
>But Kitsuki-san... that's literally impossible
>If I DO expect it, then it's been expected so it's not unexpected anymore.
>god
>dammit
>Monkey
>From time to time my mind wanders into strange places, some of them better of unexplored
>Now I was struck with a sense of just how much I truly treasured these moments
>Yes, even the ones where I felt like throttling Monkey
>Perhaps it was a side effect of getting older, but as I looked at my children, already so big, I couldn't help but feel like time was slipping by faster and faster
>How many more of these precious memories could I make, I wondered, before time ran out?
>I popped a mouthfull of rame into Naomi's mouth
>My fingers lost their grip on the chopsticks just enough that one noodle managed to get free and whiplash up her face as she tried to slurp them down
>She blinked, the noodle stuck up along the side of her nose
>Then slurped it up and blushed
>None of us could contain our laughter
>>
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>>52847531
with this post I bid you all good night. Tomorrow we finish up the kenjutsu tourney!
>>
>>52847411
It's exactly as many sources as you provided.
The Ritual of Abdication happens when an emperor dies or retires and a new one is coronated. The wiki, Secrets of the Empire, and older sources all say this. The fact that imperial children still have the imperial name until their sibling takes over also proves it. The very first person to do so did it voluntarily when Hantei II was coronated, and that's the tradition. Dowager empresses also take the Otomo name when their kid takes over. While their father or mother is on the throne, they keep the name.
I'm not going to track down every ex-Hantei who trained at different schools, but they're out there. One of Hantei XVI's siblings was trained with the Asako, Yugozohime was trained with the Lion, almost every Toturi was trained with the clans (Mostly Lion). The firstborn being trained with the Kakita is an old piece of fluff, but the Book of Air repeats it. The mechanical stats for Imperials do not reflect the fluff. They're literally all Otomo Bureaucrats unless they need to be something else for plot reasons if you go strictly based on statblocks and nothing else. And even then, they might still be statted as Otomo Bureaucrats.
>>
>>52846569
ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!
>>
>>52846569
Welcome, ForeverDM!
Don't mind trolls and shitposting and enjoy your stay!
I wouldn't recommend go to /v/, /tv/ and sometimes to /jp/. In fact, I don't recommend go to ANY board with V on it.
It's for your own good.
>>
>>52847667
>almost every Toturi was trained with the clans (Mostly Lion).

Kaneka was a ronin, Sezaru was trained by the Phoenix, Tsudao was trained by the Lion, and Naseru was trained by Hantei XVI. Not really disagring with your argument in general, just being a bit nitpicky on how your sentence seems to suggest there were more than four Toturi.

And no, I'm not counting Toturi himself. You don't get points for being the Lion Clan Champion before you became the Emperor. :)
>>
>>52848025
>And no, I'm not counting Toturi himself. You don't get points for being the Lion Clan Champion before you became the Emperor. :)
Ah, but there is exactly my point. Hantei family members don't count as Otomo until one of them dies or retires and another one steps up as Emperor. The only one that gets locked into a school is the firstborn, because it's assumed that they will make it all the way to adulthood. The rest are spares, ready to step in if their older siblings bite it.
>>
>>52843497
Crane-san, what's the best minor clane and why is it sparrow?
>>
>>52848078
I understand, what I'm saying is that Toturi doesn't count because he wasn't of Imperial blood until he founded a new dynasty after the last Hantei (known to the Empire) was killed during the Second Day of Thunder. Up until then, he was just the Lion Clan Champion (well, technically he was a ronin).
>>
>>52848168
Och-arr, that's because they're real salt o-the earth types, don'tya know.
>>
>>52847959
What about /vg/, /vr/, /vp/, /trv/, and /adv/?
>>
>>52848259
vg - it's just v, but with more waifus and shitposting. What do you expect from whole board for generals, anyway? Good for finding mods though.
vp - closet furries, all of them. Even those who faps on trainers
vr - they kinda okay.
trv - it's like int lite.
adv - "my gf dumped me wat do?" "Ask opposed gender ANYTHING" "I'm gonna kill myself ;_;"
Though they all have a good threads, I personally don't like much these boards.
But at least they are not /b/ /pol/ and /soc/. Fuck those guys. Just fuck them.
>>
>>52848400
/b/, /pol/, and /soc/ are dams, designed to keep the undesirables out of the other boards. Be thankful for their presence, for without them we'd be swimming in piss and shit.
>>
>>52848450
So they are like Crab clan, but only shittier?
I'm kinda okay with that.
>>
We should post greentext for PermaDM
>>
>>52848450
They're less like dams and more like game reserves: they're very nice places to interact with animals for brief periods of time, but you can only stay away from civilization for so long...
>>
>>52845408
I thought so: I will do that when I get the chance and make sure she climbs a rank, too
>>
>>52846569
'Sup forevaGM

Hope you're havin funzies like we do!
>>
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>>52848534
Speaking of greentext...
>>
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>>52849250
Greentext comes and goes,
but screencaps stay forever.
Unless you lose them.

Just those two for now.
>>
Where I can a screencap of previous adventures, Before there were made an jade magistrates?
>>
>>52849657
Where I can find*
Damn I'm have a shitty concentration if I forgetting write a fucking WORDS
>>
>>52849699
Go here and be happy
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Legend%20of%20the%20Five%20Rings
>>
>>52849699
You can find their adventures on suptg if you look for memories of a stone wall. Remember to click on the greentext in the first archived thread because the story starts there
>>
>>52848168

Fun fact, after Daikakita-san's death, I played around with the idea of playing a Suzume Storyteller that was fanboying over the by-now famous party, and would be following them around for the honor of being the first to write down the rest of their story

Because to be perfecly honest, IF I were an L5R character, i'd be a Sparrow with Crab ancestry, and playing yourself in an RPG can always be fun
>>
>>52848078
>It's exactly as many sources as you provided.
CBF looking through more than the wiki for someone who by their own admission won't look for anything when asked to back their statements up.

>The only people allowed to bear the Emperor's dynastic name were the Emperor, his wife and his children.
If you're sibling to the reigning emperor, once you reach adulthood, it's off to the Seppun or Otomo. There's no loophole for Hantei children who pass their gempukku after the emperor's coronation.
>>
A Monkey fighting,
Like drunk peasant yet wins,
Lucky little fool.
>>
>>52848168
Somehow you managed to spell "Badger" wrong.
>>
>>52851904
Huh, I think misspelled "Hare". How clumsy of you.
>>
>>52844548

>Our first stop would be Kyuden Seppun
>A ship can only hold so many supplies, and we'd fill up what we'll consume after leaving Tsuma
>Enough to last us until Twin Forks City, our other stop before the colonial capital
>Moshi-san was perfectly happy about taking us to the Second City
>His first mate, not so much
>Daidoji however managed to make himself useful to the first mate
>He would be a fine addition to the Crane Navy one day
>If he doesn't pick up too many bad habits from these Mantis sailors
>The trip downriver to Kyuden Seppun is rather pleasant
>Watching the country-side fly by is quite the inspirational sight
>I retreat to the cabin to write a haiku inspired by this scenery
>The cabin I'll be sharing with my yoriki
>This is a trade ship, after all, not a passenger ship
>And that won't get awkward at all
>I produce a respectable work, although not quite as much as I would have liked it
>Still, one less paper to feed to the fire kami
>I am improving
>We arrive in the morning, and will leave the next day
>The Seppun magistrate working customs at the docks signs off on our travel papers
>We really are about to leave our precious homeland
>Dinner with my yoriki is no different than usual
>Until Daidoji starts drinking sake
>With the Mantis
>Kanpai
>I raise my cup along with the toast to my companions, but only sip my tea as the others down their sake
>Togashi humours them with their company, but doesn't drink as much, it seems
>As attention turns away from food, it goes to gambling
>Daidoji heartily joins in
>I cannot abide by such heimin-like treatment of money by samurai
>I politely excuse myself, to avoid accidentally staining my honor by being present
>As if to prevent staining my kimono when seated next to a messy glutton
>>
>>52852330

>I take a long walk on the moonlit sands of the beach
>It's my first time seeing the ocean
>A beautiful sight under the full moon
>I take a moment to reflect
>I remember the tale of Doji's disappearance, on a night much like this at the beach near Kyuden Doji
>Inspiration fills me

>Summer moon shining
>Over cool sand, like souls and fates
>Endless vigilance

>I say a prayer to Lady Doji in remembrance, to protect my clan, my lord, my family in my absence
>When returning to the ship for a night's rest, I find out Daidoji-san had made modest winnings
>I act as though I do not care of this, like a proper Crane should
>And start wondering about Daidoji-san's lineage
>On the day of our departure, he made a request to my lord Kakita-ue for a no-dachi, to be returned once his Duty as my yoriki in this investiagtion was complete
>And Kakita-ue was graceful enough to grant him this request
>I'm starting to wonder if, much like I may be a not-so-distant cousin to a Matsu, Daidoji-san may have a similar connection to a Hida
>Myself and Togashi-san made similar requests, of course
>She asked for a katana, still proud of her achievement in the Topaz Iaijutsu Tourney, and willing to show to all that she, despite a monk, was still more than capable of defending her own honor
>My request was much simpler
>Paper and writing supplies, so I may write reports to my lord on my progress, and letters to my family
>Also, a pouch of Crane-grown tea leaves, if I ever should require any

>The sea definitely agrees with Daidoji-san
>From the first day, he's agreed to help the sailors, learning first-hand what it's really like on a ship
>Togashi-san meanwhile takes in the glorious view, breathing in the fresh air of saltwater
>Standing at the helm of the ship, enjoying her first day on the ocean
>I hide in the cabin, successfully repressing the urge to throw up
>No tea in the world would help with such a sick stomach
>>
>>52852562
>I hide in the cabin, successfully repressing the urge to throw up
>No tea in the world would help with such a sick stomach
Ouw, a crane with sea-sickness...

That must hurt
>>
And now, a haiku!

Bump bump bump bump bump
Bumpitiy bumpitiy
>>
>>52853308
Fuck, I fucked up:
Bumping bumpity bump
Bump bump bumpity bumping bump
Bumpity bump bumping
>>
>>52847531
>Monkey and Yoshi stood facing one another
>For a long time
>a soft, almost breathless whipser from Kitsuki-san
>Their battle unfolds now in their minds eye
>Any last minute predictions
>He shook his head
>Only that whichever one has a deeper mastery of Mushin no Shin will win
>Even I knew Mushin no Shin
>It means, roughly, no mind
>That instant of clarity, harmony with the moment.
>There is a limit to the speed at which thought becomes action
>Reflexes are faster, because there is no thought
>That is why the student trains night and day, to ingrain the technuiqes into his body until they become reflex
>But there is a level beyond even that
>Even if the technique is reflexive, you must still see what your opponent is doing, and then move appropriately.
>In Mushin no Shin perception, understanding and response all become as one.
>The speed of no-thought
>Lion and Monkey moved as one
>It was like a dance
>strike, deflect, counter strike, step, strike
>I found it hard to believe, as smoothly as they moved, that they had not rehearsed this beforehand
>the steady clack clack clack of wood on wood echoed through the room, accompanied by the tump tump of their stepping
>A song, played to give timing to their dance
>Then the sound of wood striking flesh, and the spell was broken
>Both had spun in the same way, and struck each other at the same time
>A jolt of pain could shatter the state of mushin quite easily.
>Who would recover first?
>It was Monkey that did so
>He attacked now, again and again, pressuring his foe
>Yet Akodo Yoshi gave no outward indication of being under pressure
>His intense focus, his eerie calm, made it seem as though Yoshi had the upper hand, despite being on the defensive
>Monkey managed to penetrate the Lion's guard, a sharp strike to Yoshi's left shoulder
>And then everything changed
>Akodo Yoshi closed his eyes. When he opened them, he was looking at nothing.
>>
>>52853500
Hoooooolie SHIIIIIT!!!
Run monkey, run!!!
>>
>>52853500
Go Monkey!
>>
>>52853500
>I had seen thousand yard stares before, plenty of times, in the aftermath of battle
>Or when a Crab has stood too long on the Wall
>This was different.
>I realized what it was
>The Lion was not staring at nothing.
>He was staring at Nothing, and Everything
>His stance shifted even as he attacked
>Gasps arose from the onlookers
>...it cannot be!
>Akodo Yoshi's blade was everywhere
>Kitsuki-san, what is it?
>Akodo Yoshi was everywhere
>The Thousand Years of Steel!
>I had heard of it
>during the brief reign of the Toturi dynsaty the Daimyo of the Kakita family and the Mirumoto family came together and spoke at length to one another about their ancestors approach to swordsmanship.
>The rivalry between the two men, and their descendants was legendary.
>Exemplified by Kaktia's saying 'One man. One sword. One strike'
>to which Mirumoto responded 'Two hands'
>But, when those two daimyo spoke the realized that their ancestors styles had much more in common than in difference.
>One could liken it to two different generals, both employing the same strategy to seek victory, but both using different tactics to realize that strategy
>The daimyo of the Kakita and Mirumoto distilled their ancestors shared strategy into a set of kata
>1,000 Years of Steel
>These kata are passed on, taught in a single dojo erected at the Daimyo's meeting place.
>Only a select few, by invitation only, may enter the dojo and receive it's instruction.
>There is no favor, no gift, no apointment that can gain one entry to the Dojo.
>Only being recognized as person who dedicates their entire being to the sword can one hope to be allowed to join.
>I watched, in disbelife, as Akodo Yoshi struck Monkey over and over again
>I saw no technique on display. No form, no stance
>Monkey looked stiff and slow in comparison
>every time Monkey moved, to attack or defend, the Lion was elsewhere
>at last, Monkey fell
>>
>>52853791
>>at last, Monkey fell
Please tell me he's okay.
>>
>>52853791
>At last, Monkey fell

Monkey no!
>>
>>52853791
>>At last, Monkey fell
Please tell me he have a back up plan...
Please he have a crazy plan, just crazy enough to work!
>>
>>52853791
>I grabbed Naomi's sleeve before she ran up
>I could see the Lion was still in his battle trance, anything entering his territory would be attacked
>Only once Akodo Yoshi's eyes snapped into focus did I let go of Naomi
>He waited, calmly, until Naomi had healed Monkey
>Then bowed, deeply, from the waist
>It was an honor to face you Toku-san. No man has ever forced me to use that Kata before.
>Monkey returned the bow
>Thanks for the compliment, Akodo-san.
>I can't even remember the last time I got my ass kicked so thoroughly...
>No, wait I can. It was that guy that did it
>He pointed at me
>Yoshi nodded, but did not look surprised
>I look forward to or match tommorow Hida Ishigaki-san
>I nodded back to him
>Likewise.
>I could see the Courtiers ready to swarm
>But Yoshi would be their main target
>Everyone knew that only dedication could earn an invite to learn the Thousand Years of Steel
>But many Courtiers refused to acknowledge the limits of their power.
>There was a long standing debate over the power of the pen vs the power of the blade
>Courtiers argued that it was their words and their pens that sent armies to war, or prevented them from beginning, or brought them to an end
>Warriors contended that no pen could stop a blade thrust at the heart of the one holding it
>So these courtiers would try to butter up Akodo Yoshi, to convince him to recomend this or that subordiante, hanger on, or relative for the Dojo.
>He would not of course.
>And then they would seek out other prey.
>I had no intention of being around these sharks, not with blood in the water already.
>I made from our rooms before the courtiers lost interest in Yoshi
>The others joined me
>You okay Monkey?
>Yeah, I'm fine.
>Naomi-sama fixed me up good as new
>But uh, Ishigaki?
>Yeah?
>I don't think you can beat him
>I beat you, didn't I?
>That Kata though, his Mushin is endless!
>I had to admit, having seen it firsthand I had no idea how I would defeat it
>>
If a character can do attacks as a simple action, does that mean that s/he can do two attacks in a round?
>>
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>>52853791
>shonen protagonism wanes

Who am I kidding, Monkey's going to be invited to learn Thousand Years of Steel
and turn it down, just cause
>>
>>52854089
Yep, sure does.
>>
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>>52854021
>>I can't even remember the last time I got my ass kicked so thoroughly...
>>No, wait I can. It was that guy that did it
>>He pointed at me

>>I look forward to or match tommorow Hida Ishigaki-san

>tfw
>>
>>52854094
He'll train even harder to become the strongest! Believe it!
>>
>>52854021
>Well? Any advice you guys?
>Kitsuki-san folded his hands
>No.
>I must say however, that it is because I do not know enough about the kata.
>The Thousand Years of Steel is the essence of the strategy employed by the two greatest swordsmen the Empire has ever known
>It is so rare that I have never seen it until now, however.
>So if there is a vulnerability to it, I cannot even begin to guess what that might be.
>I nodded.
>Alright then.
>I slipped out of the room
>I went outside
>I found a nice large pile of snow
>And sat down in it
>I focused on my breathing, emptying my mind
>And I played the fight between Monkey and Lion over and over in my head
>Years ago, Shiba-san had taught me to meditate
>I found it useful. It helped when I needed to stay awake, when I could not find time to eat, when my mind was exhausted.
>I had never tried to do what I was doing now though.
>I had seen some of my senpai at Sunda Mizu doing this though. And the Sensei
>Even more often when I became a Defender of the Wall
>I was meditating on a problem. Focusing on the battle at hand
>It was a way of training, far more spiritual in nature than my normal routine
>Most of the time I exercised basic kata, I ran for lone periods of time, I stood with knees bent and arms outstretched holding buckets of water
>In short, I trained my body to endure
>Now I trained my mind to focus
>I doubted it would be enough, not with only one day to go.
>But I had seen firsthand the heights to which true masters could attain.
>How had I managed to come so far, when I was so limited?
>I could not hope to match the great masters yet, but I now had a goal to set for myself.
>A challenge to overcome.
>I was good at overcoming challenges.
>It was only a question of how many beatings I would have to absorb before I broke through my limits once more.
>>
>>52853791
When nobody else has ever seen it, how do they recognize it?
>>
If I'm an Ishiken, do I have to pay extra points and/or curry for favor to be trained by the Isawa?
>>
>>52854312
Great and poetic descriptions. Kata and techniques such as these are the subject of legends, poems, and art. Students of the blade hear of them, and never expect to see them - but, when they see it, they can grasp at its name.
>>
>>52854312
Heard accurate descriptions of it?
>>
>>52854312
Rumours, older descriptions and conjetcure.
>>
>>52854312
Probably rumors and exaggerated stories.
>>
When is Ishigaki sleeping?
>>
>>52854377
Depends on what you mean.

Do you need to be trained by the Isawa to get an Affinity for Void? Yes. Only the Isawa Shugenja school gives you that option.

Do you need an Affinity for Void to cast your Void spells? No.
>>
>>52854094
if Monkey got invited it would be awesome, but I doubt 1 good fight demonstrates the dedication to the sword needed.
>>
>>52854484
Though I should add that the other schools don't start with any Void spells, so you'll need to lean them at Rank 2.
>>
>>52854089
Three, if you can call the raised necissary for the extra attack action....
>>
>>52854529
Not four, if you successfully raise on both simple action attacks?
>>
>>52854484
I mean that I'm a 12 year old Yoritomo with the potential to be trained in the Void. Will I need to bend over backwards (both mechanics-wise and flavor-wise) to get the Isawa to teach me?
>>
>>52854591
Mechanics wise, you're gobbling up your starting XP on Ishiken and Different School. Flavorwise, the Isawa are probably bending over backwards trying to get you to be trained by them. They try very hard to get every ishiken they can find (To the point that they will offer student exchanges, trade concessions, and eventually resort to outright kidnapping if they have to), and they can find most ishiken through word of mouth and the Void itself.

In the most recent eras, there's a sudden surge in Ishiken and the Isawa simply can't get to them all, which is why other schools start running their own Void programs, with limited success.
>>
>>52854565
No, it can only be done once per turn.
>>
>>52854270
>Naomi and I prefomed the tea ceremony togother in the morning, to steady my spirit
>Then I entered into the arena
>I still had no plan to defeat Akodo Yoshi
>Well then.
>I'll just have to fall back to the standard plan
>Cover up, wear my foe out, and crush him when he gets tired of hitting me
>Crabs.
>We can be a bit masochistic, at times
>I entered the arena and we bowed to one another
>I have been eager for this day to come, Hida-san
>I have often wondered how my technique would fare against the servants of the namless one.
>I do not mean to insult you, though.
>I only think that sparing with one who can out ogre ogres, and stand up to the blows of Oni must be a fine substitution
>Oh? Has the soul of your katana awakened?
>No, nor is it made of anything other than folded steel. I prefer to rely on my own skill, instead of great magic
>I nodded.
>Perfectly reasonable, given the rarity of such things. But for Oni you'll need jade powder then.
>Just, the more hits you land, the more the powder gets rubbed off, until you need to reapply a fresh coat.
>It's especially obnoxious when you've got a big one, trying to keep it at bay while you reapply your powder over and over...
>Akodo Yoshi considered that for a moment.
>I see.
>We took up our stances
>Yoshi did not use his kata right away
>That made me suspect there was a drawback to it, of some sort.
>I deflected his first blows, because I had been prepared for him to unleash it from the beginning
>I shifted my stance,seeking Mushin
>Yoshi stepped back, preparing to receive my attack
>It would be rude to keep him waiting
>his defense held, and he tried to twist his bokkne after taking my second blow, seeking to disarm me.
>I was too strong however, and kept my grip
>I waited, patiently, for him to strike again
>Then I attacked at the same time
>I hopped to simply trade blows with him, trusting that I would inure him more than he inured me
>judging by the grunt and the way he staggered, I was right.
>>
>>52854792
>Mechanics wise, you're gobbling up your starting XP on Ishiken and Different School
fuck
>>
>>52854312
to be clear, Kitsuki-san had never seen it before. it was other courtiers recognizing it, and whispering it's name, that lead him to know.

>>52854470
At night, in his armor. He just has standing orders that if gm makes a perception roll for him to spend a void on it. That first night he didn't, though. But you can use the meditation skill to go without sleeping for a while without penalty
>>
>>52854497
I don't think Monkey has any dedication to the sword. Talent, maybe, but not dedication.
>>
>>52855056
That was kind of my point. Monkey is just Monkey. Not a dedicated disciple of the blade.
>>
>>52854939
>Yoshi nodded
>Then closed his eyes
>Oh shit
>He opened them, and stared at Nothing and Everything
>I insinctivley assumed the stance of earth, and called upon my own kata to make my body as unmoving and unfeeling as the mountains.
>All I could do was endure this to the best of my ability
>Yoshi rained blow after blow down on me, it was as though I was attacked by a swarm of hornets
>his blows hurt far more than simple hornet stings however
>Knowing I could not stop all his attacks I simply gaurded my weakest points, and allowed him to strike my strongest
>Just as I was begining to wonder if he could keep going forever, a saw a tremor run through his jawline
>The flurry of blows eased, as his eyes refocuses
>I saw shock when he realized I was still standing
>I lashed out, striking him across the ribs
>This spurred him to recover his calm, and then he shifted stances again
>he struck at me
>Then he stuck again, and again
>Like a river, he poured over me and I could not keep up.
>This was not the same thing as he had done before, i could tell that much.
>I realized that if all I did was defend against this attack, he would wear me down eventually.
>I had no choice then. I attacked
>we strcuk each other at the same time
>My blow fell on his shoulder, and drove him to his knee
>He struck me on my temple
>Stars burst in front of my eyes
>And then I was looking up at him
>I realized I had fallen
>I was prone,
>He was just barely able to stand
>Akodo Yoshi had defeated me.
>>
>>52855332
I am Lion hear me Rawr.

T_T
>>
>>52855415
>>52855332
Honestly, this seems as impressive a loss as he could possibly have hoped for.
>>
>>52855332
Honestly, it says a lot about Ishigaki's group to everyone there that they basically filled the semi finals excluding Yoshi.

Plus 2 of their number forced Yoshi into using 1000 years of steel.
>>
>>52855724
It is a testimony to Naomi-san that they survived that long too.

Usually L5R is a very lethal game and so far no one died. It's amazing.
>>
>>52855869

Honestly, if Crab-sama is gonna die, I'd rather him die protecting his friends against a horde of crazy shit while shouting "I AM THE WALL", or something similarly climatic and heroic.
>>
>tfw no one to play L5R with
>>
>>52855869
They could be using the higher health rules instead of the standard Earth x 2 rules.
>>
>>52855937
I've been wanting to play since who knows how long. When I seemingly forget about it Crab-anon appears with his story and now my itch is stronger than ever with no way to scratch it - all games that I managed to find are at the wrong timeslot.
>>
>>52855869
True. I can't argue that Naomi is a major part to their survival.

Also can't rule out the stars just aligning for them either though. Like how Monkey saved Ishigaki at the last second after they assumed he drowned trying to retrieve the magic trident.
>>
>>52855937
>>52856033
Do you live in the European timezone?
I also wanted to play l5r, maybe I should just bite the bullet and GM.
>>
>>52856748
Yep, in Europe. GMT+2, to be more specific.
>>
>>52856748
I do.
>>
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>>52843497
Based sensei, thank you. I'm doing a custom minor clan based off a previous L5R campaign my group ran (Beetle Clan), and the 'act as third party arbitrators between disputing Great Clans' sounds like perfect campaign fodder.
>>
>>52856748
>>52856884
>>52856885
As someone who got his temporary L5R group in a thread such as this one, I strongly recommend that you guys share skypes or something and make a group.
>>
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>>52856896
>Beetle Clan
Are they friends of JUSTICE
>>
>>52856920
>temporary

Why?
>>
>>52856884
>>52856885
I have to warn you. This will be my first time GMing.
But if you are still willing, my Discord name is:
bob mc.scrougels the Fourth#7686
>>
>>52856928
Those are grasshoppers anon.
>>
>>52857071
Thought they were beetles. Oh well.
>>
>>52856896
Beetle Clan?
>>
>>52856884
I am in the same situation, desperately want to play but seemingly no games in the right time zone, GMT+2 as well so if you set up a game I would love to join.
>>
>>52857654
You can join here >>52857004
>>
>>52856963
No particular reason. We all got busy and we weren't able to keep playing regularly.
>>
>>52855332
Moooooar!
>>
>>52858264
Don't rush Crab-San. He'll feed us in his own time.
>>
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>>52858277
Hungry crab doesn't care
For kids pleading for more tales.
All things in due time.
>>
Bump limit soon dudes.
>>
Besides, the thread is practically done. Next thread will likely see the next installment
>>
>>52859264
>>52859166
So... lest wrap this up, or some haikus for a road?
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>>52856044
It helped that pretty much everyone at the table was a longtime veteran of L5R, so we knew what we were getting into when blades were drawn. We'd use a lot of positioning and defensive tactics to limit the number of attacks received each turn; things like Ishigaki going into full defense stance and baiting out a full attack, then Mantis-san would wail on the now exposed target. Ishigaki would also use knockdown a lot to make enemies waste their action standing up or to make it easier for other party members to hit them. Any enemies with bows also tended to be targeted by the party members first, with Mantis-san, Shiba-san and Kitsuki-san opening the engagement with ranged attacks before moving in (I noticed that Ishigaki has forgotten that Mantis-san started with a bow and few ranks in kyujutsu during this story, heh).

With Naomi, I pretty much always used the first round or two to move in defense stance and find a safe area to cast spells from, since in the beginning she started with 19 wounds (Earth 2 + Bad Health). If she had to go anywhere near the front lines, at least one other party member (usually our Shiba player) would be around to use the guard maneuver on her; and often times it was two.

Things did get a little easier once Toshiro joined the party; Force of Will plus Naomi's healing being an excellent combo, and Toshiro could cause some serious damage at range with his fire spells.

And of course, we got VERY lucky more than a few times. "Dice be dice yo." is a common saying at our table regarding exploding 10s; especially after a Lion character suffered 57 wounds from a peasant using a 1k1 knife in our last campaign.
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>>52859612
>57 wounds from a peasant using a 1k1 knife
Jesus Christ.
How did you describe it?
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>>52859722
Fresh bread!
>>52859722
Fresh bread!
>>52859722
Fresh bread!
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>>52859656
Well, after the table had finished their hysterical laughter and phrases like "You're so fucked!" (we were playing on a low coffee table, so everyone saw that one die keep re-rolling) it took me a moment to come up with something. Ended up with something like:

"Kurabei advances on the peasant with the knife, utter contempt on his face. In his overconfidence however, he forgets about the ground being slick with blood from all the carnage. As he raises tsubame (his no-dachi) above his head to deal the killing blow, his footing gives out from under him. With a terrified yell peasant thrust the blade forward as Kurabei falls upon him. The blade slides just above the top of Kurabei's do, finding the soft flesh of his throat. Kurabei collapses to the ground gurgling on his own life's blood while the peasant looks on in wide eyed disbelief."

Exact words may have been different, but that was the gist of it.




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