>>53335498
>No. No we are not!
>Everyone looked at Kitsuki-san
>All we need to do is get the word out for reinfocements!
>A simple matter, with the right air magic
>Toshiro gave Kitsuki-san a falt stare
>And where the hell do you think you're going to find an air mage in a Crab camp?
>Obviously not here, but in the Scorpion camp!
>Scorpion-san, you have a shugenja ready to send messages back to report on the battles progress, do you not?
>...yes, we always do so, but do you think?
>Of course!
>The blood did not destroy even rice paper! I'm certain that there must be some of your shugenja who survived!
>All we need is for you to write up a letter, in a Cipher your Clan uses so that they will know it is authentic, and deliver it to them!
>Then we will simply wait in the Kaiu built fortress for reinforcements to arrive!
>Raiko gave Kitsuki-san an incredulous stare
>And how, exactly do you plan to get a message out to the surviing Scorpion when there are THREE LEGIONS of zombies out there?!
>Kitsuki-san smiled.
>Never underestimate the strength of one man, Raiki-sama.
>He looked over at Monkey
>Uh...
>Mantis-san clapped him on the shoulder.
>It IS your fault we're in this mess, Monkey
>How is this MY fault?!
>You had to open your big mouth...
>If you hadn't said anything, it would have just rained burning blood.
>You're the reason we got zombies to go along with that...
>...I don't think that's how it works...
>Well, the rest of us think it is.
>Hey, Scorpion! You done with that letter yet?
>Wha- I haven't even started!
>Hurry it up, the sooner this Monkey gets moving the sooner we can get out of this mess.

good to see the thread's already off to a good start

>>53335682
It's Shonen Protagonist Time!

>>53335682
>Kazuya-sama
>What is it Ishigaki-san
>The rain has stopped.
>yes?
>The earhtworks, the hospital...
>Ah...!
>yes, of course! Take the Hida out, quickly!
>HAI!
>I led the remnants of the Hida outside the caslte
>There were puddles of blood everywhere
>I knelt and touched one with my finger of jade
>The jade sizzled and blackened almost immediately.
>The ones who say passed to word back to the others, do not touch the blood
>I'm sure Toshiro and Matemon would love to know if the spell itself raised the zombies, of if the blood tainted what it burned and the taint is what made the zombies rise.
>I couldn't care less which it was. All that mattered was that there were zombies. Lots and lots of zombies
>OOOIII!
>IF ANYONE CAN HEAR ME, MAKE FOR THE CASTLE! DON'T TOUCH THE BLOOD!
>Here and there, from tents and out of from under supplies, one or two crabs would poke their heads up and do as I said.
>Of course, shouting like that also got the attention of the less fortunate ones.
>Which is what I wanted
>I saw a brown armored shape dart from cover to cover, heading towards the Scorpion camps
>The zombies came at us
>From the direction of the medical tents
>...
>I prayed that they had at least enought time to end their lives cleanly, rather than lay helpless and waiting for the zombies to kill them.
>I knew I was praying in vain.
>So I let my fury show as I charged intto the walking corpses
>I bellowed with battle rage, driving deep into the ranks of zombies
>Deep enough that with every swing I hit several at once
>Deep enough I needn't worry about hitting my fellow crab
>claws teeth and blades scraped at my armor,
>but the zombies simply could not do me any harm.
>Several of them grabbed and pulled, trying to take me off my feet
>I shoved and twisted, sending them sprawling instead
>A hot pain shot up my leg
>I glanced down.
>A zombie had crawled up to me, and sank it's tallons into my calf
>I stomped on it's skull, crushing it underfoot

>>53336009
>The press of dead flesh against me was an annoyance mostly
>Though every now and again, a fresh pain would signal one had gotten lucky.
>there were enough zombies that even I would be brought down eventually.
>But there might still be wounded crabs, alive and helpless, in that tent.
>That was reason enough to keep going
>I had to save them, if there were any left to be saved
>it was my fault this had come to pass.
>MY indecision had allowed Touka to act unhindered.
>I had allowed him complete his ritual.
>Now I had to atone for that failure
>An ono came over my shoulder, and struck the head of a zombie in front of me
>I looked back
>Other Hida were right behind me, pushing in just as deep as I was.
>Get back you fools, it's too far in!
>If it's not to far for you, it's not to far for us!
>I shatered the knees of a zombie, and another brought his masakari down on it's neck as it thrashed on the ground
>HO! HO! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
>I glanced back, the Toritaka that had been on the second floor had moved up to the first, and were cheering us on
>Well then, FOLLOW ME!
>I lashed out left and right, throwing my bulk against the tide of the undead, clearing a path
>And then I was on the other side
>The tents right before me
>I turned and began to hack at the backs of the zombies.
>I did not want to look inside that tent
>I could not
>Every dead Crab in those tents was my fault.
>I knew I could not bear the weight of their accusing stares
>Jade fire flew over me, passed through me, to burn the zombies I was striking
>I glanced back
>The Kuni woman.
>Bleeding from a bite on her arm, panting heavily, but still very much alive
>EVERY OTHER MAN:GET THE WOUNDED TO SAFTEY! CARRY THEM IF YOU HAVE TO!
>WE WILL HOLD HERE!
>I slammed my tetsubo into the mud and drew a thick line
>NOT ONE ZOMBIE CROSSES THIS LINE!
>A deafening roar accompanied my order
>We are the Crab1
>We are the Hida!
>We are the Wall!
>WE WILL NOT FAIL!

>>53336164
>We managed to destroy the zombies, secure the courtyard
>We had retaken the entire castle
>The death toll inside the medical tents was much lower than I had thought.
>not one wounded Crab had perrished
>Though a dozen Kuni had died keeping their charges safe
>There was no time to rest, however.
>More zombies pressed against the walls, floundered in the now bloody moats, and tried to get inside
>I took a position in the central gate of the courtyard, becoming a part of the wall around the castle
>Fire and jade flew from the second floor of the castle to burn the zombies that kept coming
>Save Raiko and Kazuya, all the Kaiu had died in the blood rain.
>So the Kuni had taken up the slack
>Toshiro called forth his avatar once more.
>A crystalnie behemoth charged forth to tear into the zombie hordes before they ever reached us.
>Flaming arrows rained down from the top floor
>I could see Naomi up there, bow in hand
>Zombies were already dead, she felt no remorse over striking them down.
>Mantis-san added his own fire to the mix, with that Tsuruchi bow of his
>We had just enough Hida to cover all the walls of the courtyard at once.
>Monkey needed to hurry.
>Three days.
>After three days without sleep the mind became greatly imbalanced
>You would see things that were not there, hear voices no one else could
>When all sense and reason had already left, as when dealing with an army of walking dead men, you cannot even think that you may be delusional for a second.
>After three days, we might end up killing each other.
>Even after a day and half, our minds would drift away.
>Our bodies would move on their own, because we had trained them to know what to do when our minds were gone
>But it was not like Mushin no Shin.
>We would be clumsy, our judgments poor.
>As though we were drunk.
>And while I knew that Crabs trained to function as best they could without sleep for long periods of time, I did not think the Scorpion did.
>Hurry, Monkey.

>>53336417
>Naomi did what she could to ease the strain on us.
>But the mists she called forth the cleanse fatigue could not refresh an army.
>And there were wounded as well
>She helped the Kuni recover mostly, and the officers, so that their minds would be clear
>I waved her aside every time she looked at me though.
>I have trained for this sort of thing, Hana-chan.
>Don't worry about me, a few nights without sleep is nothing.
>It was true, in a sense
>Kojiro's final lesson did allow to cast off debilitating injuries.
>From fatugie to starvation to ringing ears from a heavy blow, the Defender of the Wall learns to ignore such things and press on in pursuit of their duty.
>There were limits of course. I was fighiting a near constant battle to keep the fatiuge at bay.
>It wasn't like I could go days without sleep, or that I no longer had to eat.
>It was just that I could ignore the protestations of my body when I had to put it under great strain, at least until I died of hunger or I just passed out from exhaustion.
>But it was important I not relly on Naomi's magic
>My fellow Crab were depending on me. THey knew I was a Defender of the Wall, and my seeming tirelessness encouraged them.
>SImply by enduring these hardships I bolstered our morale.
>And that was very importnat when facing a sige by the undead
>zombies did not eat, or drink, or sleep
>Just a steady battle as the sun rose and fell and rose again.
>Soon there were no more arrows
>Raiko got the siege engines working
>She was not as good at firing seige engines as she was building things, but she was still the best we had
>Without trained crews she could not be as precice as one would usualy expect, but that did not matter much at this range
>at dawn of the third day of the seige, the zombies finally made it up over the wall
>By simply piling up body after body the undead had made a siege ramp of corpses
>Because we were engaged on all sides, we could not turn to deal with the breach

>>53336719
>Toshiro called up his avatar once more, and sent it in to stem the tide
>Several Kuni stepped up, and directed as much magic as they could at the zombies, desperately trying to stem the tide
>Ishigaki-sama! Go! We can handle things here yet!
>I did not hesitate, and rushed into the teeth of the Zombies
>And then a massive figure made of water rushed past me, to strike at the undead
>The crystalline avatar stomped and slammed, tearing the zombies to shreds
>The water avatar swept the undead aside with broad sweeps of it's liquid body
>I felt like a child in comparison to the two titans fighting beside me
>And then a horn sounded
>from outside the castle
>I battered my way up to the top of the wall and looked
>My life had taken many interesting turns, that I would one day be happy to see an army of Scorpion.
>I could see, here and there, deep blue mixed in with the red and black.
>Some of the Crabs from outside the castle had managed to survive as well.
>And in the center of the line, a figure in brown armor, carrying the banner of the Scorpion.
>Damn Monkey, that's one hell of an honor.
>What the hell did you do?
>Caught between the fresh army and the castle, the zombies were ground to dust.
>By some miracle, we had stopped this catastrpohy from engulfing even more of Rokugan.
>I sat down when it was all over.
>The battle haze lifting from my body
>Though I tried, I could not move
>I was too tired
>Too tired to even

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>>53336860
>I was too tired
>Too tired to even

and so am I. Goodnight everybody

>>53336886
>Naomi in the center, the largest
d'aww

>>53337243
>>53336886
Of course she is. She is the flower that blooms in the heart of our Stonewall

>>53336860
>Though I tried, I could not move
>I was too tired
>Too tired to even

Don't you dare die on me now Ishigaki-san!

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>>53336860
>Too tired to even

>>53336009
>>A zombie had crawled up to me, and sank it's tallons into my calf

This worries me.

>Bleeding from a bite on her arm, panting heavily, but still very much alive

As does this.

>Though I tried, I could not move
>I was too tired
>Too tired to even

This does too. He's tainted, isn't he?

>>53337787

I believe you can acquire a LITTLE taint without suffering the Taint. Something like "So long as it's less than half you Earth, you are fine."

This is to keep people (Namely dedicated Crabs) from gutting themselves after each bought with the undead. Most of these things grant 1-2 points out of the 10 needed per taint rank, sometimes with little to no ability to save, but unless you are really careless, or fight something that is in essence a taint elemental, you aren't going to be branded for the Damned legion after your first trip into the shadowlands.

>>53337869
You need 10 Taint points to acquire the first Taint Rank. As long as your Taint Rank is less then one, you're not considered tainted by any effects. In fact, this level of Taint is completely undetectable.
Taint is also resisted by Earth rolls, and Ishigaki-san seems to have high Earth.
So I have hope.

well, this has taken a turn for the interesting

definitely been an emotional journey for me, I must admit

time to really get my ass into 5th gear if i want to finish while these threads are still relevant

>>53337558

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWkTR4S25ro

>>53337935
Any amount of taint is still taint. Over a long enough timeline it will spread. It's just until then, as you said, it's undetectable.

So, while we wait for storytime to resume, I've got a question for you:
which monk order is the best for you?
Mechanical benefits aside, as a huge Crab fan, I'd say my favorite are the order of Osano-wo and the order of Tengoku's Fist.
What about you?

>>53293016

>The Ruby Champion was hesitant in letting me leave before my training was properly over
>So I was allowed to do so under the condition I come back as quickly as possible
>Thus, I set off to Kyuden Seppun, where a ship waited to take me to Second City
>A grand ship, the Iron Crysanthemum, captained by Yoritomo Matsuo
>One of the first ships of the new Imperial Navy
>Not bound to any one of the Clans, but directly to the Imperial Throne, much like the Imperial Legions
>While waiting on the docks to boar, I note a few other dignitaries that would be joining me
>A couple of Doji courtiers, no doubt to help boost our presence at court
>A Kitsuki called Mazamitsu, and an Utaku called Kimiono
>And a Dragon monk with Doji-white hair...
>"Togashi-san, a pleasure to see you in good health!"
>We bow
>"You as well, Kakita-san. I hope your training in the Ruby Dojo have been less stressful than my travels with my new sensei
>Who knew those of higher status had so much to do?"
>"The people with that status, no doubt"
>"Of course
>Looks like the ship is now ready for us"
>As we board, we hear a familiar voice, bellowing commands to the sailors
>We turn to see the first mate of this vessel is none other than Daidoji-san
>The Heavens must have arranged for us to rejoin before arriving in Second City
>Or, more likely, someone with certain strings to pull in court
>The story of our heroics, with certain unsavory elements redacted, had been spread far and wide in the Empire
>The two Doji definitely recognized me from that while already on the dock
>And were gossiping with the other two courtiers about these celebrities they were traveling with
>I was glad that we were all given our own bunks for this journey
>If only that they would not see how unwell I can be at sea
>I caught up with my former companions, marveling at our sudden fame, and wondering all the interesting things that might happen at Summer Court

This saga has been my greatest exposure to L5R, so forgive what might be a dumb question:

What's the likelihood of the other surviving Crabs (including Ishigaki) getting in trouble for having drunk the Jade Petal tea? IIRC others have mentioned that it's a highly-restricted substance, and the fact that they didn't know strikes me as being one of those things that the law doesn't care about, only that they've had some. Is this going to bite them in the ass once the screaming stops?

>>53338415
>What's the likelihood of the other surviving Crabs (including Ishigaki) getting in trouble for having drunk the Jade Petal tea?

Most likely none. It is illegal to possess unregulated supply, not just drink it, and this tea came from Touka's supply. Ishigaki himself had none, so nothing to accuse him off.
Plus his current actions show that he definitely was not in the loop of Touka's plans. So at worst they'll test him for taint after Touka's blend effect wears off to be absolutely sure, but it's unlikely they will hold anything else against him in that regard.

>>53338407
>which monk order is the best for you?
Firm favourite in the setting is the Order of Kaimetsu-Uo, though I do like the early info for Osano-wo monks, what with their ten years of initiation to join the order and not allowing magistrates to arrest a monk without first passing through the same ordeals.

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>>53338407
>huge Crab fan
>favorite is not Order of the Stone Crab

>>53338414

>One rumour I overheard from the Doji courtiers was that the famous duelist brothers Kakita Shinichi and Kakita Daitsu
>The were already the reason why Seiken-sama decided his as of yet unborn child would study in the Kakita Dueling Academy
>I cannot help but hope that they might teach me a thing or two that one as young as me has yet to learn of the art of dueling
>Another rumour would be that Kakita Iwari, the famous jester, would also be making an appearance
>This idle chatter turned out to be the only distraction we had while on a relatively uneventful journey
>Finally, we arrive in Second City, with ample time before the Summer Court would begin
>Tsuruchi-san greets us on the docks, now a proper Ivory Magistrate
>Offers to host us for a private dinner, at the Mantis Embassy
>He was staying there, and could easily get one of the smaller court rooms to host us
>It turns out to be a pleasant event, catching up and reminiscing
>Truly, the calm before the storm
>It already felt like this would be the last time we'd all meet in such private, intimate circumstances
>Was Summer Court really going to be such an impactful event in our lives?
>What am I thinking?
>Of course it will, especially for me
>Cranes live for court
>My legend has sprouted, and this would merely be an opportunity to solidify it
>The following days, we stay at each of our clans embassies, preparing ourselves
>Special, beautiful kimonos are made for us, more extravagant than any of us has ever had the chance to wear
>Mine carrying distinct jasmine floral patterns embroidered into it
>I look like the very epitome of a Crane now
>As befits me
>Our host, Doji Tatsuki, offers myself and Daidoji-san the aid of some lowly courtiers, to act as helpers in such a high-stakes court environment
>Given our backgrounds, we were most likely not prepared for something as grand as the Summer Court itself
>Daidoji-san gladly accepts the aid, being more of a bushi than anything else
>I decline

>>53339266
>I decline

We know how it will end...

>>53338626
http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Order_of_the_Stone_Crab

Restoh yuh famiry's honuh, anon.

>>53339342
>Were all dead from seppuku or shameful executions in a month's time
Seems like worst order to me.

>>53339266

>The only problem is that Otomo Suikihime, governor of Second City, has made a request
>That, as honoured guests of the Court, we are to remain together as much as possible, without any other courtiers, for the first two days of the 7 day Summer Court
>Suikihime-sama wants to show off the band of heroes that has gathered at her court
>This would make it a bit more difficult for the others, since they seem not to have paid that much attention regarding etiquette and courtier training
>Bushi are made for the battlefield, and monks care less than they should for such strict rules
>I would have to shield them from any that would come at them in the first few days of Court
>Feeling more confident thanks to my new kimono, I made it clear that it would be an easy task for me
>While preparing, we were told on how we are to approach the other clans, if at all
>Because of their in who they supported for heirs, the Crane and Scorpion had formed a tenuous alliance after the progressives failed in raising Iweko Shibatsu as the next heir to the throne
>Mostly in order to ensure both our clans would have the most power in the Court, which the Otomo family was currently attempting to undermine
>As for the Mantis, despite our recent colonial war, our alliance among the progressives before Seiken-sama's designation as heir brought us closer, so now we are to help form a proper alliance between our clans
>Similarly, we were to bring in closer ties to the Spider Clan
>I was not very fond of that idea, but the welfare of my clan was more important than my own prejudice
>And my time with Daigotsu Hotoke had had an influence on me
>The Cranes are currently on friendly terms with the Phoenix, so we are to curry and return favors with them, should the opportunity arise
>We were currently on neutral terms with the Unicorn, and the status quo there could be maintained

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>>53339498

>Similarly, the Lion were on neutral terms with us, but if they got in our way, we should treat them as a threat
>Recent actions in court have also made the Dragon a minor threat, to be attacked in court, as one does in court, if the opportunity presents itself
>Given our relation with Togashi-san, though, that would hopefully be avoided for us
>As for the Crab, well, court was the one battlefield they were ill suited for, so we might as well ignore them
>Our main objective as Cranes was to cut down the influence of the Otomo family on the courts of Rokugan
>As well as any others of the Imperial families that were helping the Otomo
>They had become greedy, practically trying to usurp our position as the Right Hand of the Emperor
>We could not let this stand, we had to show the Crane Clan was innately superior in all matters of court
>Knowing that the Scorpion would help us meant we had our backs clear, for now
>The Imperial families would be reminded that we serve not them, but the Emperor

pic related, a small graphic our GM gave us to more easily illustrate the inter-clan relations in 1200 summer court (green lines are alliances or friendships, and red lines are war, both political and military, though I did just notice no lines between crane and scorpion or crane and imperial, considering what me and Daidoji-san were told)

>>53339592
oh, and the "feeling more confident thanks to my new kimono" was because one of the houserules our GM uses is that the more expensive the kimono, it could give extra dice rolled to a social skill like courtier or etiquette (i think every 3 or 4 koku beyound base price gave +1k0, to basically simulate the influence fine clothing can have on both you and others)
and we were lent each a kimono that we could spread 5 rolled dice into those social skills
mine was +2k0 etiquette, +2k0 courtier, and +1k0 sincerity
This, as well as the low courtier NPC (court meatshields, basically gave a similarly small bonus to courtier and etiquette) were supposed to make it easier for us to survive the Summer Court, filled with R5 characters while we barely passed R3 just before we arrived

>>53339592
>Crap

>>53339724
Noticed that also. Figure that the Crab didn't send any Yasuki.

>>53339787
>Figure that the Crab didn't send any Yasuki
they did, that's just my Crane arrogance showing

want to stay in character for this, after all

that being said, Daikakita-san didn't have any run-ins with the Crab
Now that I think about it, nobody did, they just weren't very active this Summer Court, at least with regards to the party

>>53339592

>Finally, the first day arrives
>Most of the day isn't actually part of the Summer Court itself, allowing us some final hours of preparation
>In the evening, a grand opening of the court is held, at the great courtyard of the Imperial Palace
>Suikihime-sama herself holding a grand speech, speaking of court as a great battlefield, before declaring the Summer Court officially started
>A great feast was held, many foods from both home and the Colonies
>I made sure to keep myself to traditional meals, most of the unfamiliar was not really for me
>As the evening went on, and some few representatives of various clans had come to greet us out of formality, my troupe ended up facing Daigotsu Hotoke
>"Daigotsu-no-kimi, a pleasure to see you again
>I am glad to see all is well with you"
>We bow
>"And I am glad to see you all in good health
>The time spent with your four has definitely enriched my life
>As such, on behalf of myself and Kitsune Yoshioka-san, I would like to extend an invitation to our wedding
>It will be held on the day after the Summer Court is over, so I hope I can see you all one last time before we leave"
>"I think I speak for all of us when I say that it would be an honour and a pleasure to be there
>You have shown to me that the Spider can go against what everyone thinks of them, and be a truly honorable samurai
>If you or Kitsune-san have ever need of my aid, I promise that it will be granted swiftly and without hesitation"
>My orders regarding the Spider had been clear, after all
>"That... is a bit unexpected. But I thank you nonetheless for it, Kakita-san
>And offer the same in return, of course"
>Making such a statement in public seemed to have its intended effect, seeing as the courtiers witnessing this started their own murmurs
>Prejudice against the Spider was strong, and an honourable Crane pledging his aid to one he claims honourable would no doubt be on quite a few people's mind

>>53339592
Small note: I did the picture on paper, and Daidoji made the paint version, where slight mistakes happend, such as Unicorn and Scorpion being on bad terms and the Crap* spelling error.
Researching all that to stay in sync with the lore was a real pita...

>>53338386
At low levels, the check for it to spread on it's own is measured in months and nearly impossible for someone with good Earth to fail. Seeds of darkness are nothing for the average Crab.

>>53340008
That's assuming the taint tests your resolve when you are at your strongest, rather than when you are at your weakest. Jigoku is rarely so forbearing.

>>53340066
Taint spreading internally is a regular occurrence. It is constant, but very, very slow at the lowest level.
Mechanically, it's a very low TN Earth roll every once in a great while. Even with just 2 Earth, the chance of resisting is high.

>>53340066
At that level, it's unlikely that Jigoku is aware of the tiny spread of taint. There's just not enough traction for anything more than passive spread, which is no guarantee of anything. Someone who got a couple points of taint as a child might only gain a few more over their entire life from the passive spread.
It's when you reach the higher ranks that it starts to become an active threat that drills through you every single day until you can't resist.

>>53339867

>As the feast went on, we met with a few of the other clans, come to congratulate and laud us over our accomplishments
>Trivial formality, acknowledging what we had done for the Empire, but still
>It felt good to be praised like this
>My ambitions had brought me this far, so some reward as simple as this was of welcome
>The first day ended rather quickly, being only this opening ceremony and feast
>Tomorrow would be the first challenge

>The next day starts similarly to the Summer Court, with Suikihime-sama declaring it open for the day
>As much as I, like any Crane, live for the Court, with the exception of certain Iron Cranes
>I did not appreciate being put in place as a centrepiece
>Practically unmoving from my companions, there for Suikihime-sama to display us like our actions had been in her name
>Still, my face would remain unmoved until I could move about Court and act as a proper Crane, and actually be able to contribute properly
>Not long after the small daily opening ceremony, Suikihime-sama bids we approach, as she sits on the governor's throne, overseeing the Grand Courtroom of the Governor's Palace
>We prostrate ourselves before her, and she bids us rise
>"I would like to thank you all in person for the service you have rendered unto our Empire
>You truly are heroes, deserving of every honour that comes to you in this here Summer Court of mine
>I hope you will enjoy your stay here in Second City again"
>Before any of the others manage to put their foots in their mouths
>"We are but humble servants of the Empire
>There is no need for such high praise
>All we did was in service to the Emperor
>And the Law
>And Fortunes willing, we will continue to do so"
>She smiles
>"You may be humble servants of the Emperor and the Law, but you are deserving of praise
>And I do wish to praise you
>So take it, and go forth
>Show this room of court how real heroes behave themselves"

>>53340151
It's a monthly occurrence at Seed rank. No word of when in each month. Jigoku abides by no clock.
>>53340195
>Someone who got a couple points of taint as a child might only gain a few more over their entire life from the passive spread.
If they live a life of strict piety and moral purity, sure. Your version otherwise is just pulling the teeth and claws out of the taint.

>>53337787
>This does too. He's tainted, isn't he?
I'm sure Ishigaki is fine. He still had his finger of jade, and while he described it as sizzling and beginning to blacken when he dipped it in the blood, he didn't describe it as being completely corrupted.

Other folks on the other hand...

>>53340792
And what's the TN on that monthly check? I don't have the book to hand, but I know it is easily passed. Arbitrarily making it stronger than it should be is no good. Seeds of darkness are only a problem for Earth deficient and/or cursed people.

>>53340792
If they live a life of strict purity, they get a small bonus to resist. Just having a strong Earth is by far the best defence against the taint.

>>53341236
and by strong earth you mean 4 or more?

How about 3?

>>53341272
No, I mean 2. Seeds of darkness have a TN of 5, once per month. Someone rolling 2k2 has a 94% chance of success. Someone with 3k3 has a >99% chance of success. Jade petal tea is a further 2k2, and strict purity nets you 1k0 to 3k0. Earth 2 is enough the vast majority of the time, and Earth 3 is nearly a guarantee.

>>53341272
3 is honestly the bare minimum for bushings, given how lethal the game is. For those like Crab, who consistently encounter the Taunt, 4 is the lowest your Earth should be.

>>53341460
That's only for Seeds of Darkness though. Once you get a full rank of taint, the TN is high enough that Earth 2 is not going to cut it alone, and even Earth 3 only has a 92% success rate. Earth 4 can handle it with a >99% chance.

>>53340792
>It's a monthly occurrence at Seed rank. No word of when in each month. Jigoku abides by no clock.

Good thing it still abides to schedule by not doing this more than once per month, eh.
>>53341168
>And what's the TN on that monthly check?
10

>>53341519
10 is the TN when you have an entire (detectable) rank of taint. When you only have a few points, it's 5.

>>53341461
Damn spell check. Meant "bushi" and "Taint".

>>53341545
Even better.

The slow and easily resisted growth of taint isn't the problem. The problem is the *spread* of taint. Being injured by a tainted being is a TN 15 every time. Beatable, but there is a chance of not resisting.

File: MUP.png (607 KB, 615x553)

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>>53335682
>>53336009
>>53336164
>>53336417
https://youtu.be/4cPHKku21Ms

>>53340286
>Show this room of court how real heroes behave themselves
I got a bad feeling about this.

>>53338626
Are you aware that's not a monk order, but a bushi alternate path for samurai followers of Stone Crab?
>>53338407
I for one love the Order of Heroes, I find their concept hilarious, retarded and a just a tiny bit awesome.

Hello all, feel free to join the L5R Discord!

Permanent invite link >> https://discord.gg/nvVX9Wb

It's got RP,
It's got CCG/LCG/RPG discussion,
It's got LFG channels,

Join our Discord, Choose a Clan!

>>53343868
Calling it now, its gonna turn into Crab discord with a few Monkey buddies and a single Crane.

File: Spoiler Image (68 KB, 499x474)

68 KB JPG

>>53343868
>Discord

>>53344124

You'd be surprised, Crab is third place for clan rank in the server based on population.

>>53344124
Too many scorpions & Spiders for that

>>53344813
>Spiders
eww

Page 10 bump. Is um... Ishigaki died, right? This... this is the end? I... hoped for a tiny bit of closure.

>>53346595
Did he drop any good loot?

>>53340286

>If ever there was a way to show how one of the great court events can swing back and forth
>Today was the day to show it
>Not only were we forced to stay together, practically at the centre of the Grand Courtroom
>By Suikihime-sama's irrefutable request, of course
>We had to endure every single little admirer that chose to come up to us
>And it painted a massive target on us for any that didn't have our best interest at heart
>I could not wait for this day to be over
>Tomorrow I could move freely within the court, do as I please
>Find my moment to shine like any Crane should
>Unfortunately, time does not move at the pace I wish it
>One of those small admirers that did annoy me somewhat more than the others was a little monk
>Of some small, insignificant and relatively unknown order
>Still managed to get here, despite that
>What did she say her name was?
>Kuchiko?
>I barely paid attention, since all of hers went to Togashi-san
>Wishing to speak in private at her earliest convenience
>No doubt some incredibly spiritually deep conversation that would go right over my head
>The law, history, bushido, now those were things I could talk about at length
>This... Kuchiko took her leave early enough, as I saw a group of Phoenix approach us
>Led by a man I barely recognize from not having seen him in far too long
>Isawa Kinen, father of Isawa Kitao
>My would-be stepfather
>Oh no
>Was he going to blame me for not being able to save his daughter?
>Was he going to shame me for being the cause of her curse of neverwaking sleep?
>I steeled my will as we bowed in greeting
>"Kakita-san I have something quite important to say, regarding your betrothal to my daughter, Isawa Kitao"
>Was he going to disgrace me, cancelling the betrothal because of my incompetence?
>My face did not show the turmoil within
>I must remember to thank my old sensei for his lessons
>"Isawa-san, please, speak freely
>I trust my companions, they may hear anything I will"
>I'm glad they didn't leave

>>53346595
we are reading hida ishigaki`s journal, writen by him. no he didnt die.

>>53346712
oh, and just so you know
my GM tended to use a lot of carded characters, so, other than the obvious ones like Isawa Kinen here, if a name seems familiar, like Kuchiko here, it's because it is

since most of us were not too familiar with the setting outside of the core 4e rulebook, that meant a lot of interesting secrets

Me? Once we got started, I devoured the lore like any self-respecting lorenerd, so i knew most of the shitty stuff he was going to lay down on us

And I enjoyed every second of it

Plus, he knows and trusts me enough not to metagame, so there's that as well

>>53346595
Dude, he fought three days straight without rest-not even meditation. He likely passed out.

>>53346712

>"I wanted to thank you, Kakita-san, for everything you have done for my family"
>What
>"Personally slaying my daughters kidnapper
>Leading the investigation into undoing whatever curse afflicts both her and much of the Empire
>You are a paragon of justice among us"
>I did not quite expect this
>"Given your recent, and well-deserved, glory
>And given the condition of my dear daughter Kitao
>And that she has no sisters of marriageable age
>Well...
>It would simply not do for a hero as yourself not to leave a legacy
>And my family is currently ill suited for that for you
>I promise that we will harbor no ill will if you choose to break the betrothal"
>That... was unexpected
>Betrothals were rarely broken, and even more rarely without some fallout
>This seemed more like a fantasy rather than reality
>"Isawa-san, thank you for... this offer
>But I ask that you give me time to consider
>It is not a decision to take lightly
>As I'm sure it was not a light decision to give me this offer
>Please, if you will, allow me a few days"
>Isawa Kinen bowed in gratitude as he and his entourage left
>That went better than expected
>Maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after a-
>Wait
>Is that
>No
>Otomo Setsuko
>A short, vile little man
>Former contestant of the Topaz Championship
>That I beat every time we faced off
>As I recall, he did not enjoy my company by the end of that
>And now he's wandering over to us, with a smug Otomo smile
>No wonder Crane and Scorpion teamed up against them

>>53347153

>"Ah, Kakita-san, what a... pleasure to see you here
>I did not expect someone like you to end up in THE Summer Court"
>This is not going to be easy, is it
>Well, he better be able to take as good as he gives
>"Otomo-san, it has been too long
>When was it the last time we faced like this?
>Oh, I remember, the sumai challenge of the Topaz Championship"
>My victory over him then should be a stinging reminder
>"Yes, it was some time ago
>Though I can't imagine a Crane like you would get his kimono dirty, despite all the stories I've heard
>Must be why you are with these other 3 heroes"
>Did he just seriously imply what I think he implied?
>"Then you should have paid more attention earlier
>Did you not hear Suikihime-sama herself praise us as true heroes?"
>Setsuko just smiled
>"Well, heroes as honorable as you all will surely no doubt be fine if I had a word in more private with Kakita-san"
>"Otomo-san, anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my companions"
>The others bowed and went a few paces away
>Were they really that intimidated by him, of all people?
>Never before had I felt so betrayed
>"Well, I'm glad to see your friends know what is good for them
>And I do hope you will as well, Kakita-san"
>"You have your privacy, Otomo-san
>What is it you wish to speak to me?"
>"Well, as you may be aware, things aren't going so well between my family and your Clan
>And I've no doubt they plan to use you as a pawn against me
>But, you of all people must surely be honorable enough not to go against an Imperial family?"
>Did he just question my honor?
>MY HONOR?
>I remember sensei's teachings, how to calm myself before my hot blood acts too quickly
>"My loyalty lies with the Emperor and the Empire, Otomo-san"
>"Good. That is all I wanted to hear"
>Damn it
>I should've known better, but I did exactly what he wanted
>With a bow, still wearing that smug smile, he leaves, and the others come back
>"Friend of yours?"
>I glare at Tsuruchi-san

>>53339498
>closer ties to the Spider Clan
u wut

>>53341168
>Arbitrarily making it stronger than it should be is no good.
Who said anything about making it stronger? I just apply it when you're at your weakest. Wounds, inebriation, spiritual impurity, moral impropriety. Good times.

>>53347772
it's the whole progressive alliance thing where the mantis, crane, unicorn and scorpion tried to get shibatsu as designated heir

GM said that basically, because of that alliance, and because Crane were at a point they needed allies with more military strength than political, spider and mantis were the best two choices, since the alliance basically dissolved after Seiken was proclaimed heir

it's easier to set up alliances with people you're closer to

also, spider were at war with lions and crabs, and if a crane can fuck over a lion, he'll take that chance, because let's face it, they'll never really get along

Mind you, this was before Kanpeki went apeshit and conquered the Empire because story team

>>53348028
Most of those things do not negatively affect your automatic Earth roll.

Shit I missed like four threads. Thank god for archives.

>>53348196
>mantis, crane, unicorn and scorpion tried to get shibatsu as designated heir

This your GM's divergence? The WC4 Progressive Alliance was Crane,Unicorn, Mantis and Spider.

>>53348444
thy trips doth lie
http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Progressive
scorpions started out supporting seiken, and did so publicly, until 1199 the progressive alliance was publicly founded (note that the wiki page for the Traditionalist faction says the same of who the Scorpion sided with, although the alliance between scorpion and crane in our game was based on the common enemy of the Otomo, not the dissolved progressive alliance)

Spider weren't technically part of that alliance because Kanpeki didn't want Shibatsu on the throne, he wanted himself

granted, it's been ages since those particular sessions, and i've been plugging the holes in my memory with the wiki, which hasn't always been completely up to date, from what i've noticed (never mind the various articles written in broken english), so any particular error that pops up you'll have to chalk up to that

>>53348254
That's what you think.

>>53349298
The only one of those that would affect it negatively are wound penalties.
But since its a roll, someone can spend a void point to basically ignore that penalty on their once a month roll.

>>53349332
>The only one of those that would affect it negatively are wound penalties.
>Living a life of strict piety, meditation, and moral and physical purity can also make it easier to resist the Taint’s growth, awarding anywhere from a +1k0 to a +3k0 bonus to the Earth rolls, at the GM’s discretion.
GM's discretion is that doing the exact opposite of what gets you a bonus will get you a penalty.

>But since its a roll, someone can spend a void point to basically ignore that penalty on their once a month roll.
Assuming the PC has a free void point at the time.

>>53349434
>GM's discretion is that doing the exact opposite of what gets you a bonus will get you a penalty.
That's some nice homerules you got there, but its not actually how the system works.

>>53349524
Sure thing, bub. Brush up on your sudoku after reconsidering what 'GM discretion' means.

>>53349941
It says literally nothing about penalties, only bonuses. You are using houserules. That's fine and dandy, Rokugan your way and all that. But its not actually how the system works.

>>53350050
Apparently you're willing to just go around in circles indefinitely. Good luck with that.

Bumping bump with bumps
Not sagin or shitposting,
Haiku bumping bump

So, I want to get some friends into L5R 4e. However, I need to get them to learn the lore as well, and they are the kind of people who don't really like to read lore; they enjoy learning it as they go.

I've got their interest piqued, mostly through talking to them about the game and relaying the stories I see in here. What should I try to get them into next: reading the Core Rulebook, or figuring out which Clan sounds coolest to them and finding the 1E book for that clan?

>>53352066
Make them read Emerald Empire instead, then the Core Book. It's a good primer. The 1e books are only useful if you, as the GM, plan to use 1e era fluff. It's not super different, but it's different enough that making players read it and then running based mostly on 4e fluff will be a nasty disconnect.

>>53352113

Started reading Emerald Empire to see if it would be a good idea to use that instead, and I defintely agree with you now. Much better for getting people to understand the world and how to think like those who grew up in it.

>>53348444
Scorpions, as always, like to make things unnecessarily complicated. I was an avid follower of the events at that time, but when preparing for the campaign, it sure caused me some headaches.
Bloody Scorpion clan and their love for turning coats.

>>53352878
One of the things I most hated about Emperor/Ivory was the brand pretty much bolting the Scorpion onto the Crab with the Festering Pit.

>>53352920
It was a bit overdone, but the playerbase loved it and one of the more interesting shortstories resulted of it, where Crab and Scorpion clan champs have a "honest"* talk. *as honest as a Scorpion can be...
So, what was initially a heavy handed alliance resulted in a lot of happy people.
L5R story writers were always bad at writing politics anyway.

>>53352980
The alliance was fine. It was more that the Scorpion got treated as an extension of the Crab sometimes rather than them being allied with the Crab by necessity.

Bit of a newbie here looking to learn more about the setting. Are there any particular books that talk about the world?

Because for most of these threads I assumed everything that wasn't the empire lands was shadow lands, like the empire was the last untainted bastion or whatever. But then I heard mentions of foreign colonies and gaijiin lands.

>>53352066
>>53354385
Core is enough in my opinion, if the first three chapters (Books of Air, Earth and Fire) are read through properly
It's enough info there to get a good grasp of the setting, the mechanics, without going into the more complicated or the more minute and less significant stuff
Of course, if you wanna run the game, you have to read throught the rest
For more in depth info, check out Emerald Empire, great overview of more purely lore than Core
If you wanna go into specific periods, such as the ones including the Colonies or not, Imperial Histories is a must, also has some interesting alternate histories and timelines such as Togashi, not Hantei, becoming emperor, the second day of thunder failing, and the one I'd really love to play at some point: Rokugan IN SPACE!
IF you're looking for something specific, there's l5r.wikia.com that has basically everything from old-canon, 1st to 4th edition RPG and Clan War to Onyx edition CCG, everything lore, and some statblocks, either for generic monsters or important named characters
kazenoshiro.com is a repository of all fictions, use that to basically see the setting in action, and if you're running, let it inspire the story you're writing (and trust me, you'll want to spend a lot of time prepping the story if you wanna run L5R)

All other splatbooks are not needed, but can be useful for building both PCs and NPCs if you want to go for something specific

If you wanna run or play the game, keep it simple and stick to the Core book, maybe read Emerald Empire on the side

And if it's gonna be your first time, do the Topaz Championship, it's a pretty safe environment for the players to learn the importance of all the different skills and having a wide range of them, and experience the lethality of the combat without risking anything

>>53355396
bretty accurate

>>53354755
Gonna have to check it out later for sure!

i bump this thread
also, i am very drunk
refidgerator

>>53358047
crane is a seagull, accurate!

File: monkey miya crane.jpg (860 KB, 1600x1200)

860 KB JPG

I am reading the Emerald Empire
and now I have this picture
of some of the Major Clans such as the Crab, Lion, Mantis and Unicorn coming together for a matchmaking tournament
>oh, you want to marry best waifu? If you can beat all these other guys who want to marry her, you can
>do your best
>inb4 the Matsu do the same, just for best husbando

>>53360153
>fight between a Matsu, Moshi, and Utaku for the hand of a bishi Daidoji husbando
fund it.

>>53336860
>I remember dreaming, a bit
>I saw myself, much younger. I didn't have the scar on my face yet, and my eyes burned with the wild fury of youth.
>I saw a young Crab, drawing his blade in an iaijutsu strike, cutting a painting.
>Another Crab, bent over some papers. Drawings of seige engines, I think...
>A pretty young woman, whipping around a Dai Tsuchi, crushing goblins. There was an insect or bug of some sort on her shoulder
>and a young Kuni. Very thin, his cheeks were so sallow it was almost painfull to look at. He painted his face white, with red lines running down his face from his eyes, like tears.
>Then I saw Shoji, his face twisted up in the smug sneer I knew he wore in the inside.
>His flesh putrefied and fell off, his eyes boiled away, leaving only a skull with a few wisps of white hair
>What the hell...?
>I sat up as though a fire had been held to my bare ass, sweating.
>ouch.
>I ached all over.
>I held out my hand
>It was shaking visibly, and I could not stop it.
>I laid back down in the futon I was in
>been a long time since I'd pushed myself so hard.
>My age was starting to show, I think, if I'm still trembling after a good sleep.
>My stomach growled angrily, demanding food
>I glanced down, about to tell it to shut the hell up, and the words died in my thoat
>Naomi was curled up beside me, kneeling with her resting on my stomach
>Sound asleep.
>and drooling, just a bit.
>I held my breath, so as not to disturb her, while I seared this image into my mind forever.
>so damn cute I thought my heart would burst
>Or maybe it was beating so hard because I wasn't breathing...
>I finally let the air out in a whoosh and sucked in some fresh air
>Which was enough to wake Naomi
>uwah...?
>..ga..-kun?
>Ishigaki-kun?
>Naomi snapped fully awake, and pulled herself in so close our noses were almost touching
>she stared intently at me, eyes full of worry
>Ah! Hang on!
>She started to rummage about in her scroll satchel
>I place my hand on hers
>it's okay.

>>53362276
>It's just fatigue.
>All I need is rest.
>No need to bother the kami for something so simple
>I pulled her in to a hug before she could protest
>As I expected, the best way to win an argument with Naomi was to hug her
>I...I was worried, Ishigaki-kun.
>I'm sorry for worrying you. But I'm okay. A few hours of sleep and I'm already good as new!
>She stared at me
>...It has been a day and a half since you lost consciousness, Ishigaki-kun,
>My eyebrows shot up
>So long...?
>Hai.
>I must be getting old, if a little sleep deprivation can do that to me now...
>Well then, I guess you better had work a little magic on me.
>Naomi fished out a few scrolls and set to work easing my fatigue and closing my wounds
>Her self control showed, that she had waited until I was awake to do so.
>No doubt she had already exhausted much of her magic on those more seriously injured than I was.
>I sat up,
>Naomi went to stand up, but her legs tangled up with one another and she fell back on top of me
>Awk!
>She grabbed at one of her legs
>Ahchchchchchch...!
>Ah. Her legs had fallen asleep on her.
>I rubbed them, and she winced at the sting of blood flowing back into almost dead limbs
>After a time she nodded to me, and I stood up and helped her up as well
>Come, I will take you to where the others are
>We left the medical tent, which was full of both Scorpion and Crab, and headed outside into the courtyard
>All around the smoke from pyres still drifted into the air, as eta dragged the dead over and threw them in without preamble, armor and all.
>There were simply far to many corpses to do anything more
>Besides, the blood rain had scoured the flesh from most of the bodies that were now being burned, so it was impossible to identify all the dead.
>I stopped and stared
>My fault...
>I should have acted sooner
>I should have tried to find the proof we needed as soon as I suspected something
>How will I ever make up for this failure?

>>53347505

>Shortly thereafter, the first contest of the Summer Court would finally be held
>Haiku
>Finally, all my practice would bear fruit
>I hope
>Each contestant was to write on the topic of the Summer Court
>On the events, the place, the guests, the host
>Suikihime-sama no doubt trying to get some more praise and attention on herself
>And many would use this as an opportunity for secret messages and veiled attacks between each other
>While of course there would be quite a few who would use this moment to express hidden feelings
>Or even just express pure artistic intent
>The one thing that was definite was that Doji Tatsuki, being the Turquoise Champion, would be judging
>And that I would be participating, of course
>Art was one of the great pastimes of Kakita himself
>And though all art was commendable, as I had seen with my brother Hogai's ikebana skills
>The art of the haiku stood above all others
>That's why of all arts, this was the one shared the most among the clans
>No wonder it was the first contest of the Summer Court
>And with so many attendees, it would be the only contest of the day
>Togashi-san decided she would participate as well
>As did Daidoji-san
>Some of his Crane blood finally showing
>Tsuruchi-san said he prefers a different form of art
>"What, kyujutsu? You really are a bushi"
>"No, Daidoji-san
>Painting"
>Well, well, well
>A different wayto use the brush
>I couldn't help but wonder if we would see a painting contest as well
>Just to see Tsuruchi-san's skill
>But now, I had to decide what to write on
>I had to pick my words, the on, the kiraji
>Even the kigo would be difficult, since this Summer Court is being held in the last week of the month of the Monkey
>Hmmm...
>I think I've found it

>>53362643
>Naomi squeezed my hand
>Ishigaki-kun, this is no ones fault but the men who made it happen.
>I looked down at her
>Am I really so easy to read?
>She gave me a smile
>You do tend to wear your emotions openly, yes.
>I sighed.
>I thought I had gotten better at that
>You have!
>You've gotten much better compared to when we first met!
>But I'm still no good, huh?
>Well... I would say very young courtiers and children would have a hard time guessing what you're thinking.
>Oh, well at least I can still fool small children then.
>How fortunate most courtiers are beardless
>But how does that help against the women?
>Oh, I'm sure they're beardless too.
>ISHIGAKI!
>I chuckled as Naomi went red to the tips of her ears
>At least part of her embarrassment was due to the fact that Naomi only had thick hair on top of her head.
>Just as well, her skin was delicate, and did not like razors.
>We entered into the tent with the others
>Jun was there as well
>Oh hey, Look whose up and about!
>good to see you too Monkey.
>Now how about you explain how in the hell you got the Scorpion to let you carry their banner?
>He rubbed at the back of his head and grinned
>A Scorpion I didn't know answered
>Toku Satoshi slew the Bloodspeaker that had betrayed our Clan, and the Emperor.
>It was only right that he carry our honor into this battle, as it was only by his actions that we were given the chance to reclaim it.
>Damn. Wish I could have seen that.
>Monkey blushed at all the praise
>...And Touka?
>Toshiro grinned, and walked to the back of the tent.
>he grabed a tarp that was covering something
> it was jade statue of Touka.
>Or rather, it WAS Touka, turned into a jade statue.
>Jun nodded.
>The Crab and Scorpion have both managed to cleanse their shame in this affair
>It is my judgment that this war ended with neither victors or losers.
>Kistuki-san came up to me
>He held out a daisho
>I looked down, and recognized the saya on the Katana
>It was Jinzo's

>>53363215
>>It was Jinzo's
I'm sorry honorable Ishigaki-sama, but all I can think of is the Yugioh card. I must commit sudoku.

>>53363215
>I arched an eyebrow at Kitsuki-san
>How did he die?
>I knew that there was no way Kitsuki-san would be holding that blade if Hida Jinzo was still alive
>I had to kill him
>He did not believe that Touka was a bloodspeaker, right up until the end
>What happened?
>As near as we can tell, Touka was set up someplace safe for when the ritual was completed.
>Neither of the commanders actually finished the ritual. They must have had subordinates do it.
>And they likely didn't tell those subordinates they would be killed by the blood rain as well.
>I shook my head in disgust
>So when we finally caught up with Touka he insisted the number of Scorpion with us was proof it was the Scorpion who were behind the plot, and Jun was their ally.
>I faced Jinzo in a duel.
>I won.
>But, I think I should not be holding this blade any longer than I must
>I looked at Kitsuki-san
>Those eyes of yours are terrifying at times
>He rubbed at his side
>So is the technique of the Unbreakable Blade
>You are the most senior Hida bushi I know.
>I think it right that you return his Daisho to his sensei, who can pass it back to his family.
>Ordinarily, the one who slew a samurai or that samurai's superior should be the one returning a daisho
>But Jinzo had a Kaiu Blade. A weapon sacred to the Crab Clan
>And Jinzo's superior had been a bloodspeaker.
>I took the daisho
>I hoped his ancestors did not judge Jinzo too harshly
>Or his family, for that matter.
>It was a confusing mess out there
>I could not find it in my heart to hold it against him.
>Mantis-san spoke up
>Yeah, Touka had them all fooled. For that matter, he never used Maho.
>Toshiro nodded.
>He had inhuman endurance though.
>Safe to say the taint was giving him power
>I grunted.
>He kept it suppressed most of the time, but let his powers come back out during the battle
>So then, we need to take Jun-sama back to Toshi Ranbo?
>No, a detachment of the 21st Imperial Legion will be coming to collect me in a few days.

>>53362843

>The judging would take all afternoon
>Had to, when one judge had to read through several dozens of haiku to pick a single one as the victor
>The names were hidden, of course
>To avoid any favoritism
>Although I'm sure Doji-no-kimi would easily recognize the pencilstrokes of her own Clan
>The afternoon seemed to fly by, as minor courtiers of no note briefly came to speak to the group of heroes
>I was rather sure of my own skill
>But given how prone I was to fail miserably at haiku
>I was still worried that I would not be able to win this contest for my clan
>So I waited with great anticipation over Doji-no-kimi's judgement
>Finally, the winner's haiku was displayed in the Grand Courtroom
>Many of the more art savvy courtiers rushed to see who won
>As I slowly made my way to it, I could hear murmurs
>What might it mean?
>Was it a boast?
>A confession of forbidden love?
>A threat?
>Many were praising it, for being able to raise so many questions
>A haiku's purpose was to cause the reader to think, after all
>And all the Cranes I noticed were smiling rather smugly
>So it must have been one of our own
>No doubt one of the senior courtiers who've had twice as many years time to practice as I have
>But still, I was glad that my Clan had won the first contest of the Summer Court
>I finally made my way through the crowd of courtiers to see
>My haiku
>I had finally done it
>All these years of practice had finally come to fruition
>"Congratulations, Kakita-san, on your victory"
>The last time I felt such pride was when Kakita Ikura wrote a song on the biwa for me
>Except this was ten times stronger
>The Kakita School was well known for having its students become masters of both blade and brush
>And I had finally proven worthy of being trained there
>"It is not my victory, but a victory for the Crane
>There are reasons, after all, why all know what the Crane do best"
>I scanned the room, until I saw Otomo-san, very much displeased at my good fortune
>And I smiled

Crab is on page nine.
Look out, or you might fall off.
Up you go now crab.

>>53362276
Did Ishigaki just dream about his childrens' future?

>>53366978
doesn't add up, he has three kids, unless...

>>53367084
He mentioned how he'd love having more kids, why wouldn't he have more?

>>53367114
He doesn't want to kill his own wife and child, you know.
>Three.
>Three is enough.

>>53363688
>No, a detachment of the 21st Imperial Legion will be coming to collect me in a few days.
I can feel Ishigaki's relief

>>53367572
You never know what the future will hold...

>>53364000
>And I smiled

also
>checkd

I do not know what to make of this
>all Otomo are insufferable assholes
meme. Isn't this the Spider/Crab shtick?

>>53368133
The future will hold Ishigaki holding Naomi. It's just not possible to keep your hands off best waifu

>>53368239
Crab shtick is a "fight-loving taint-paranoid rubes who stomp around and jabbing each other with jade"

Spider on other hand is your "Just as planned" fuckers.

>>53368279
>Spider on other hand is your "Just as planned" fuckers.
Scorpion is the “Just According to Keikaku” clan.

Spider is the "We're only serving the empire because the script says so" clan.

>>53368239
No, it's pretty much cannon that Otomo are insufferable assholes. pg. 227 L5R Core 4th ed:

The Otomo name is often invoked with an undertone of fear, a sentiment easily understood in Rokugan. The Otomo are frightful predators of the Empire's courts, utilizing ever advantage of their rank to it's utmost potential. The Otomo are manipulative, fiendishly clever, and seem to have no remorse in verbally and politically devastating their foes. It is said that the court ia a battlefield deadlier than combat, an adage the Otomo seem to gleefully prove every day. Members of the royal family who do not ascend to the throne often renounce their family name and join the Oromo family.

>>53368239
my bad, I didn't mean Crab I meant Crane

>>53339963
>crap
the day we found that out we bursted

>>53368864
Crane are get the popular stereotype. They do everything well, but mostly because everything revolves around what they already do well. Their negative side is insufferably smug assholes, sure, but their positive is being the guy who always knows the right way to approach a problem or befriend someone.

>>53368864
Well, when you think about it every courtier school is an insuferble asshole in one way or anohter. Bayushi courtier's rank one technuiqe gives them bonuses in contested rolls based on how many points of disadvantages their oponent has, the Yasuki are literally the pushy merchent meme, the Yoritomo courtier focuses on deliberately threatining people...etc. etc.

Basically, in court, the biggest asshole wins.

>>53368398
This so much

The one thing I hate about my shitty memory and my GMs bricked hard drive is that the encounters with Otomo Setsuko during Summer Court were some of the most entertaining ones during that session, because he was the perfect way for my GM to try and trigger my Brash disadvantage, and neither of us can really remember the insults traded
The others also did some entertaining things, mind you, but I'll have to talk about them in sidebars like this

Actually, since they can't pop up due to storytelling reasons (for the most part), I'll bump the thread a bit with the shenanigans Daikakita-san couldn't experience for himself (at uni without my laptop, so none of my sparse notes to help me continue with green text)

>>53369070

First off, just to clarify, Otomo Setsuko didn't scare off the others, that was mostly the players wanting to see if he'd trigger my Brash and if I'd succeed in the encounter or not by myself, since I told them that until they got their courtier meatshield NPCs, I'd take that role

Tsuruchi-san did the least, honestly, especially later, but his early actions made everything a bit, well
You know how nobody likes acknowledging maho?
And how I initially described Tsuruchi-san with his Honest and Rumourmonger disadvantages?
Now consider that his main interactions at court were with a trio of gossip girls, as I recall, a Unicorn (probably Ide), a Doji, and a Yasuki, and he ended up spending a lot of his time gossiping with them, which is mostly why he didn't do much else

Later, he got the choice between 3 potential brides, Gossipdoji among them (with the other gossip girls playing matchmaker), and I wanna say a strong Hida waifu and maybe a Phoenix, though I can't quite remember

His choice was influenced by me, so I won't say who he picked

Anything else regarding him will be in the greentext, or has been lost to time

>>53369371
As for Daidoji-san, whoa boy, that was a ride I'd never forget

He got a similar choice between 3 potential brides to be, and though I won't spoil what I can say in the greentext later

He went for the sluttiest seeming one

Speaking of slurs, remember how back on our first visit to Second City he went to some cheap geisha for "fun"?

Now he's being blackmailed by his pregnant whore

And he couldn't deny parentage because she claimed only he was virile enough to do it

And he was too proud to admit otherwise, while risking exposure

So he paid some alimony, and started coming up with a way to deal with it that I'll get into that part during the epilogue

Most of his time was spent in the palace gardens next to a koi pond, even sitting there with his no-dachi to try and have it blessed by the water kami
Where he met a Moto priest of death
Who offered to help him, as a favour
Which Daidoji-san accepted
Yet to see that come back to bite his ass, though knowing my GM, whatever will happen will be just according to keikaku

Oh, and one evening at that same pond he met a loving couple who told him to go with his heart regarding his marriage prospects
Hence why he went for the slutty looking one

Again, anything else regarding him will be greentexted, or has been lost to time

>>53369460
Now, when it comes to Togashi-san, well

He checks in on the thread every once in a while, and our GM asked us not to read up on the carded characters he used in Summer Court, so as to avoid any metagaming (me being exempt because, as previously stated, I love lore and already had read up on most of the characters and events, and I'm good enough a role player not to metagame, though agonizing over dangling plotthreads is how my GM has the most fun with me OOC)

So try not to be too spoilery if you wanna theorycraft, since he's been a good boy and to this day (a good year later) hasn't read up on Kuchiko, M'rika and certain other interesting carded characters

And only knows that something is up due to my and GMs maniacal villainous cackling

Now, as to what happened to him

First, he meets with Kuchiko in private, who tells him the truth behind the magical tattoos (that they're actually made with the blood of one of the Kami) and that the Dragon are actually running out
Then tells Togashi-san that blood drawn with certain nerumanai can be magical enough to create more magical tattoos
Then shows her one, a dagger that hungers for blood
Togashi-san isn't horrified by this, but fascinated and interested

Later, thanks to Kuchiko Togashi-San gets some private lessons from M'rika
One of the initial questions was "What do you do when the Emperor tells you to execute an innocent man?"
And M'rika was pleased enough with Togashi-san's answer to give her some "tips" on courtly behaviour
Tips Togashi-san would end up using to try and convince a Scorpion to help her
To try and convince a heimin to confess to the Lion a falsehood
To stir up shit between Lion and Crab
Currently allied in a colonial war against the Spider

This attempt at acting like a Scorpion goes horribly wrong, and leads to an altercation between her and the Lion in court, which leads to a duel with Mirumoto Hikuryo defending her honour

Again, anything else will be greentexted or I forgot

>>53369858
I found the info on M'rika in the wiki, but there's nothing on Kuchiko.

>>53370532
togashi san here. for what I know, Kuchiko was created by the GM

>>53370544
And now I'm as much in the dark about your GM's insidious plans as you are.
Crane-san, please continue your tale soon.

>>53370532
Must be because I spelt the wrong name

It's kuchika

>>53369858
>and that the Dragon are actually running out
One of my least favourite plot points from the last of the AEG story.

>>53370685
It was a good hook for me to use, but I agree that it was a stupid thing.
Still doesn't beat the whole Moto/Phoenix bullcrap for me. That one made me go berserk by how retarded it was.

>>53370904
There's so much that I don't remember I've blocked all memory of, until I get onto a Mongolian crochet board or talk with someone running / starting an L5R game set after the clan wars.

>>53370904
I want the blood of my tattoos to be from the gods, DM sama

>>53371083
Thanks to FFG, all of it might never have happend!
And could end up as bad as the originial, maybe even Destroyer Wars level of bad, or imagine this:
MTG Jacestice league bad!

bump'd've

>>53372887
thanks

Music Bamp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONTIDCe0DeE

https://youtu.be/ce6Z0kE7uPg

Does anyone have an opening in their game/is planning to run one soon?
I have a craving. A craving that only a l5r game can satisfy.

https://youtu.be/veTnLnkW-oY

Thread at page seven
A shameful display for sure
Bump bump bump bump bump

So /tg/, tell me. Which story arc or character do you wish to see reappear in the new timeline? Or what do NOT whish to see make a comeback?
My personal wish is to keep the Hantei dynasty relevant either by keeping them on the throne or a hidden dynasty. Just not the Spider crap.

>>53377654
I want Toku to exist and I want the Mantis to be a great clan/major power. Burn everything else to the ground.

>>53377654
I don't hate the concept of tainted samurai calling themselves the "Spider" clan and saying that they're the descendants of a Kami so they count, but them actually being ACCEPTED by the rest of the empire was hot garbage.

I don't know that there's a good way to implement that into the card game so long as honor mechanics are still a thing.

>>53377779
If the spider should exist, they should either never get influence or be a lot less blatantly evil than they are now.
Like, it the Spider were like rokugani Grey Jedi, or they thought that being tainted wasn't so bad if you did it to help the emperor, then that would be cool.

>>53377841
The original implementation of the Spider was like that. Their first push for legitimacy was by sweeping through the Empire, recruiting Ronin and violently solving problems for isolated peasants. Many members were just Ronin who thought they had joined a big, heroic otodake. The evil acts were secret and generally purposeful.

>>53378058
Yeah, but that was just a trick: the higher-ups of the Spider were always evil assholes who wanted to overthrow the empire.

>>53378171

Open with 'Evil Spider Plot', make the first Spider event 'all your new Ronin dudes figured out what was up, murdered the dudes at the top, and are now 100% genuine about that Help the Peasants Through Violence thing'.

Bam.

>>53378171
Well yeah. They're all infused with the taint. There is the satsuma or whatever they're called. They don't even have the excuse of being tainted.

>>53378253
Tainted people should all just commit seppuku. or go to the monastery to live a life of seclusion drinking jade petal tea

>>53379143
Those with money and face-saving relatives get option C - be cloistered within your family's lands.

Also, option D theoretically exists - you're not tainted enough to be forced out of society, just marginalised.

>>53378253
The evil of taint is a lot less... directed than the evil of the spider.

Taiko bump,
https://youtu.be/ZagsLrNzg3I

bmup

File: pmdbz8B.gif (2.57 MB, 480x480)

2.57 MB GIF

PDF update soon. Then more editing I guess. So much editing to do.

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>ending the l5r game

>>53377654
I want the Monkey to be a great clan instead of the Mantis. I want Toku to actually become the shonen protagonist of L5R.

File: Monkey.jpg (9 KB, 200x233)

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>>53384820
Why? He already has his own show.

>>53377654
The Scorpion Coup - Clan War period of strife is nice. I want it to stay. Changing of a dynasty is fine too - without the support of tradition, any new dynasty is weaker and the political dynamic becomes more interesting. I like the Race for the Throne because of the same reasons. Less Edo, more Jidai Geki.
War against the Lying Darkness could stay as an opportunity to play a combat-heavy game when you get tired of gray morals and intrigue. It could be changed into a regular Shadowland invasion though.
The Sun and Moon being replaced is good as well.
The Colonies are nice for a change of scenery.

What I want to go:
Destroyer War (anything good it had you can fold into the Darkness War)
Spirit War
Crab alliance with the Shadowlands (Crab? Really?)
Monolithic Mantis Clan (I like an alliance of Minor Clans better)
The deal with Daigotsu
Large-scale Naga involvement
The Dragons kicking out the human Sun and Moon. If you don't want humans at those positions, just give them to Dragons in the first place.
Shinjo purge of the Kolat.
Probably Shinjo return at all. I'd like for her to return, but I don't know how it could be handled well (how it was handled in canon - almost as a footnote - wasn't well)

>>53378058
A conflict between idealistic rank-and-file and malicious elite could be a good source of samurai drama(tm), so I'm not against the Spider staying. Just without the crap where Daigotsu is the only one who can save Rokugan.

File: Memories of a Stone Wall (...).pdf (1.35 MB, PDF)

1.35 MB PDF

>>53383124
Had enough editing for tonight. Here's the latest PDF.

>>53384820
He is a Hero of many, many tales already. I mean, THE Original Monkey, that dirt-farmer who became bro with an Emperor and saved an Empire on many occasions. I wouldn't be surprised if many peasants (and samurai as well) plays somehow involving Monkey, as comic relief or main character.

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>>53385807
S H O U N E N

H

O

U

N

E

N

PROTAGONIST

>>53384820
>>53377730
>>53377654
Fuck creating more great clans.

Fuck it right up the arse.

Especially fuck it if that clan would be make of disparate minor clans who don't exactly see eye to eye, and one of them would win out in terms of overall clan theme.

Stick to bringing back the Minor Clan Alliance.

>>53386185
...I take it you're not fond of the Mantis.

>>53386318
No one likes Mantis, really.

>>53386419
I like them, mainly for the whole 7th sea-esque "do what you want 'cause a mantis is free" sorts styly. Though I will agree that it's a bit much making them a major clan.

>>53386318
I actually like the Mantis. I just happen to also like the other minor clans just as much, and never want to see any of them get thematically shafted the way the Fox/Centipede did (not so much the Wasp, but maybe that's a lack of attention?).

>>53386604
The Moshi were the ones that suffered the most from being absorbed. Both the Kitsune and the Tsuruchi managed to keep a bit of an independent identity after they joined. Distinct traits like animal spirits and bounty hunting archers will do that.

Pretty much every Moshi on the other hand could have been renamed Yoritomo with nothing changed.

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>>53386736
Why do tsuruchi have the cutest traps?

>>53387260
Because women is for children, and boipucci for fun.

>>53387595
And then you get an arrow to your dick.

>>53387902
This is why samurai should consider having codpieces
so they can bang boipussy all day everyday

>>53388708
Fingerbaning is for faggots though.

Question: Has someone made a 1d4chan page for this? I think someone should get on that.

>>53389443
crab stuff or crane-san stuff?

>>53389511
Both.

>>53389551
>>53389443
>Togashi-san potentially in 1d4chan
Ah, I made it.

>>53364000

>With the victory at the haiku contest came another boon from Suikihime-sama
>We would have the honour of being the only clan to host the hero guests for dinner
>Never mind that half of us were staying at the Crane embassy
>And that Togashi-san was born a Doji
>So the Crane already had the greatest connection to the heroes by default
>Doji-no-kimi of course accepted without hesitation
>Even if it did not add much, it served well to deny such a boon, such honour to the other Clans
>As usual with our graceful host, the dinner was sublime
>Some polite conversation, but nothing special
>The differences between our clan loyalties prevented anything more in depth
>Though I did subtly try to warn Tsuruchi-san and Togashi-san from the Otomo
>Mostly so I would not have to worry too much about Setsuko trying to turn them against me
>After the dinner, the two returned to their respective embassies
>And Doji-no-kimi debriefed us
>Most importantly what had happened to us
>To me
>I told her of Isawa Kinen, and the idea of breaking the betrothal
>Doji-no-kimi understood that I needed time
>It was a question of respecting tradition
>Or marrying someone influential
>I wondered to myself if Setsuko had a sister
>And if marrying her would anger him
>A ridiculous notion
>If he had a sister, it would be much worse for him to find her with a womanizing lecher
>Unfortunately, I doubt that Daidoji-san could be womanizing charming with an Otomo
>That business dealt with, I told her of my encounter with Otomo Setsuko
>How I had fallen into his courtly trap
>Asking that if she required my courtly aid, it be with the other Clans
>So that he would have no reason to try and target me with anything
>She agreed, telling me she'd have some of our top courtiers keeping him busy and out of my way
>As for the other Clans
>We would have free leave to act in court starting tomorrow
>When morning came, I could already see an opportunity
>As a group of Unicorn started arguing with some Phoenix

>>53363688
>The next few days were spent resting in the Crab camps while we waited to hand Jun off and officially finish our task
>Naomi and Toshiro, with a lot of help from Kitsuki-san, got to work writting up the reports that would be read by their seniors
>That person would take a bit of each report from each subbordinate, and place the large points into a singel report, which they would pass on to their superiors.
>The information Naomi and Toshiro had would be read, and edited, and then passed on several times before finally reaching the Jade Champion.
>I wondered how any he, or any of the highest ranked of the Kuge, managed to have even the slightest clue what was going on in the world with so many subordinates deciding on their own what is and what is not worth their time.
>I began to suspect that the truth was they did not, and that is the simple explanation why the Jade Champion, who should have had a much broader scope of knowledge on things than we did, was only just now realizing that the bloodspeaker cult had resurfaced
>I walked around the camp, reacquainting my body with a normal days exertions.
>My muscles wanted me to just lie about in bed all day, but I knew the danger of letting my body get stiff and lazy from too much bed rest, so I forced myself to remain active
>To my embarrassment, I found I had become something of a celebrity among the Crab.
>Stories were being told, and getting more ridiculous with each telling, of the part I played in the siege
>That was good; every samurai wanted to he a great hero with their name on everyone's lips.
>But it felt wrong to be recivig such praise for my modest efforts
>If anyone is to be praised for my role in the battle, it's my sensei for so expertly training my body that it could hold out for as long as it did.
>Monkey, Toshiro and Naomi were also the subject of much gossip
>Far more deserved of it then me
>Yes, even that idiot
>I found Mantis-san
>He brought out his go board, and we played

>>53391455
>Finally, the Legion arrived.
>Toshiro handed Otomo Jun off the the Taisa, and they headed off to Toshi Ranbo so she could make her report to the Emperor
>With that we were done, and made ready to head back to Ishigaki Mura.
>Naomi and I were both eager to retunr to our children
>As I was getting packed a I heard the tent flap open
>I looked up
>So...I was now alone in a tent with Bayushi Kentaro....
>I didn't allow myself to relax, even after I noticed he had left his katana behind.
>He stared at me for a time, taking my measure.
>he nodded at my gaurded stance
>Many subtlties are lost on most Crab, so I thought I would simply be blunt.
>...Your proposal is acceptable.
>You call THAT blunt/
>he sighed
>And stepped closer
>He whsipered softly
>Just you, Hida Ishigaki. Your wife and children will not be harmed.
>So long as YOU don't antagonize us any further.
>You Understand?
>I nodded.
>So, are you going to find a reason to duell me, or just have some Ninja's jump out of my rice ball when I'm not expecting it?
>a dumbstruck Scorpion is a very rare sight, and as deeply satisfying as you would expect
>...jump out...?
>he shook his head
>Ninja do not exist, Ishigaki.
>I scoffed
>Kentaro continued
>Besides, even if they did there really is no reason for me to tell you our plans for you.
>He looked me up and down
>Killing you is hard enough as is...
>He turned to go
>Scorpion!
>I tossed him a finger of jade
>He caught it, looked at it, then arched an eyebrow at me
>There are bloodspeakers everywhere these days.
>When you come for me, make sure it's not a Bloodspeaker giving you your orders.
>He clenched his fist around the jade and left
>We set out the next day

>>53392096
Nicely handled Ishigaki, you managed to confuse a Scorpion, for a bit.

>>53392128
Even managed to insult his clan on a completely legit pretense. Nice work.

>>53392096
>We arrived home with no difficulty, and I allowed Daiko and Tetsute to bowl me over as they charged out of the house
>Tetsute looked over at Naomi and held up his arms
>Without reservation, Naomi joined in on the hug pile
>Mantis-san shook his head
>You spoil them far too much, Ishigaki-san
>I ignored him. We were missing one, and I called out for him to be brought to us
>Akiko came out, bringing Tsuyosa with her
>There we go, now the family hug pile is complete
>Everyoe else filed in to my home, politely ignoring this public display
>ohh, I think he's gotten heavier!
>Naomi took Tsuyosa from me
>You're right!
>Diako grinned up at us
>I got to feed him!
>He's such a piggy!
>I gave her a little boop on the nose
>You were no better, at that age
>giggles from the kids, and a nostalgic smile from Naomi
>After some time we headed back inside
>Shino bowed to us
>And held out a letter
>Hooo? What's this now?
>I took the letter and unfolded it
>Artful calligraphy on fine quality rice paper, so thin you could almost see through it
>I rolled my eyes and handed it off to Naomi as soon as I saw all that frippery
>no doubt whatver was written there was in some courtly cipher I would never understand
>She chukled softly as she read the letter
>Oh my.
>It is a request and invitation to a Winter court.
>She looked up at me.
>From Kakita Ren.
>I searched my memory for a bit.
>Oh right. The little Crane Lord...
>We went and sat with the others, getting tea and a meal, while Naomi told everyone about the letter
>It seems the Emperor has put his foot down at last.
>In light of the Bloodspeaker threat he has declared all conflict between the Clans halt
>There will be peace next summer
>So the Clans will be negotiating the particulars of the various peace treaties this winter.
>Kakita Ren wants us to attend his court this year.
>In part because he fears the Bloodspeakers may try something.

>>53392096
>Ninjas doesn't exist
Riiight. Doesn't exist. Just like a Nezumi. That would be silly, after all.

>>53393143
Shinobi, on the other hand...

>>53393143
"Ninjas don't exist" is the best thing, because it can mean so many different things.
"Ninja" don't exist. Because we call them shinobi.
Ninja "don't" exist. Wink wink, nudge nudge.
Ninja don't "exist". Because the Emperor said so. Even if they did exist at one point, they don't anymore, so stop talking about them.

>>53393519
Or plot-twist: they don't really exist.

>>53394320
how to spot the Scorpion

>>53391455
so, look like that empty wall in the dojo with only ishigaki`s name on it gonna be filled up!

>>53395407
And holes will dig up again and again. Because mighty warriors needs to follow a footsteps of legends!

bump

>>53390128

>Not too long ago, the Phoenix clan had made some worrying discoveries
>Most notably, that the inclusion of gaijin elements in the Unicorn clan, most importantly the Moto family, had dire consequences
>Specifically, Ningen-do and Tengoku were drifting apart due to this
>And this being quite worrisome news, the Phoenix immediately had told everyone
>Before asking the Unicorn if they agreed that this information should be public
>As a result, the Unicorn were rather... angry, to say the least
>Any opportunity in the Summer Court they could find, they would take to attack the Phoenix
>As I approach, I notice Isawa Kinen among the Phoenix courtiers
>And I remember how we're on friendly terms with them
>Supposed to return favors, and curry more of them
>Having them feel indebted to us would indeed be a boon
>"Pray tell, what might be going on here?"
>I feign ignorance as I make my presence known
>One of the Unicorns replies to me
>"One of theirs tried justifying their clan's disrespect to the Clan of Shinjo!"
>"Disrespect you say?
>That's not quite what I've heard of it."
>That Unicorn I was talking to, a Moto, started becoming visibly angry at me
>"Excuse me?!"
>"Well,
>From what I've heard
>The Phoenix discovered something that would affect all Clans
>Then told all Clans of their discovery
>So that all Clans would be able to contribute in taking care of it
>Peacefully"
>"Affect all... This was none of their concern!"
>"Are you calling me, Kakita Tatsuya, a liar?
>I would have no choice but to respond to such an insult to my honor than by requesting Suikihime-sama for a duel
>That is, unless you are mistaken, Moto-san."
>The Unicorns looked at each other before the Moto replied to me
>"My apologies, Kakita-san.
>You are, of course, right.
>If you'll excuse us..."
>The Unicorn courtiers bow and leave, heated, whispered discussion once I am too far to hear
>The Phoenix bow in gratitude
>Isawa Kinen deeper than the others

>>53398599

>"Thank you for your aid, Kakita-san."
>"No need to thank me
>You are still the father of my betrothed
>And I am simply honoring the friendship between our clans
>Both Crane and Phoenix fly on their wings above the lands
>With only the Dragon attempting greater heights in their search for enlightenment"
>I bowed, and took my leave
>No doubt this would improve the relations between our clans
>Maybe the Doji and Ide would take note of this, and broker some new arrangements between us
>A favor like this had to be repaid somehow, after all
>And the other clans surely took note how one of the heroes of Rokugan sided with the Phoenix in this debate
>No doubt this would have repercussions in the near future
>For now, I had done a great deed
>As I make my way among the courtiers, holding empty small talk, I tried to listen to some of the rumours going about
>Apparently Togashi-san had gotten a private audience with Otomo M'rika
>A great honor, no doubt
>I wondered what might be spoken of between them
>And I couldn't help but become a bit jealous
>While thinking to myself, a group of assorted courtiers from all clans approached me
>Quietly talking amongst themselves
>An excited tension in the air
>"Excuse me, Kakita-san?"
>I turned to them, wondering what this might be about
>Some reaction to my earlier deed, perhaps?
>"We were just curious about something, a rumor we had overheard
>We did not want to assume anything, so we thought best to ask you ourselves..."
>They sure took their time asking
>"What is it, then? I am happy to dispel any malicious rumors anyone might be spreading about me"
>"Well, it's not exactly a malicious rumor
>We were just wondering, well...
>Is it true, Kakita-san, that you yourself slew a powerful maho-tsukai?"
>Damn it
>There is a great taboo regarding maho in the Emerald Empire
>To the point that the involvement thereof in my investigation was supposed to be kept quiet
>So as not to worry anybody unnecessarily
>But someone talked

>>53398879

>How was I going to get myself out of this?
>"Where, pray tell, did you hear this rumor?"
>"Well, many have talked at great lengths of the heroic deeds you and your companions have accomplished
>So, some of us wanted to hear from someone who was there
>To hear in great detail what you accomplished
>So... some people asked around
>Some saw that you were busy, and did not want to disturb you
>Togashi-san has been quite busy as well
>As has Daidoji-san, seeing as we could not find him in the court rooms
>Then, some people had apparently heard it from Tsuruchi-san
>And they've been telling others..."
>I could not help but become somewhat annoyed at this
>There was a reason his sensei warned me of his gossipy ways
>"Well?"
>"Well what?"
>"Is it true? What Tsuruchi-san said?
>That with one iai strike of your blade, you slew a maho-tsukai?"
>I furrowed my brow
>There was no way I could lie about it without causing a scene
>But I could not admit it so openly, either
>I at least had enough sense not to admit to something so controversial
>"All I did was do my duty in serving the Empire
>Nothing more, nothing less
>That is all I will say on this"
>The courtiers obviously took note that I did not deny a single word of Tsuruchi-san
>"Very well, Kakita-san
>We thank you for your time"
>They bow and leave, now even more agitated in their whispered gossip
>That turned a satisfactory morning somewhat more sour
>Soon after that, the morning court would be over, and we would all move on to the next great event of the Summer Court
>The Kyujutsu tournament

https://youtu.be/UajKUdALiLE

sure looks like everyone loves the taiko, no love for the koto or any other instrument?

>>53400614
I'm firmly a taiko man. If you like koto post koto.

Who /shamisen/ here?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8TmmM6L7l0

>>53401003
I'm more of an /erhu/ man myself

https://youtu.be/sUBc5ipfPIY

>>53401003
Awesome set there

>>53393049
>Naomi insisted everyone take some family time, what with both Mantis-san and Monkey expecting their third and second child respectively.
>Toshiro protested this though.
>Naomi-san, if you leave me with no assitants I can't work...
>I am aware Toshiro-san. That is another reason we must take time off: you have marrige interviews to attend.
>Actually, that's a very good reason why I should work until I drop.
>Naomi smiled at him
>I am certain it will not be as bad as you think.
>And I am certain you're just doing that whole propagate life thing the water kami love.
>There, you see? You DO want to get married after all.
>Already thinking ahead to children and you have yet to attend one interview!
>Toshiro, much to my surprise and amusement, had no retort to that.
>We spent the rest of the summer and fall tending to our homes and families
>Well, Kitsuki-san probbably didn't.
>Honestly, I'm not sure WHAT he did when the rest of us took time for these things
>Something to do with shipping, I'll bet.
>I played with Tetsute and Daiko as much as I could.
>I had less time with Daiko, as she was beginning her lessons in earnest under Naomi's guidance
>Quickly enough she grew very pouty when it was time to practice her calligprahy
>See, Tetsute? I told you you wouldn't really want one of those caligraphy sets
>he nodded somberly while Daiko tried to tell Naomi her wrist hurt too much for practice
>Naomi simply took hold of Daiko's wrist and chanted a quick prayer.
>A blue light envolped my daughters wrist
>There now, no more pain...right?
>...hai mother...
>Naomi smiled sweetly
>Good. Now pick up your brush dear
>...hai.
>I taught Daiko too, in my own way
>I played memory games with her
>Describing various oni and having her try to remember their names, or their weaknesses
>Especially their weaknesses
>When she was right, I gave her sweets to reward her
>Tetsute insisted on being allowed to join in on this game as well, so I allowed them to compete with one another

>>53403488
Daiko and Tetsute a cute! A CUTE!

>>53393282
Believe it.

>>53403488
>Toshiro stoped by after a month back at his place
>Three days later, the nakodo caught up with him
>I rolled my eyes as she introduced herself to me and explained why she was here
>He's back there, cowering
>Ah, I see. Thank you very much Hida-san.
>I heard a door open
>Then
>DAMN YOU ISHIGAKI!
>I yelled back
>Oh just get it over with!
>I heard Tsuyosa start to fuss, so I picked him up
>He settled down immediately.
>Ah, he just wanted some company.
>I took him out into the garden for some fresh air
>Naomi was tending to the flowers, adding in another patch of those blue ones she liked so much.
>I rocked Tsuyosa, but he squirmed so I stopped
>He was staring at my punching rock
>Thump
>drag
>thump
>drag
>Hey! How could you jus...
>I glanced up.
>Toshiro was staring at my punching rock
>Naomi-san... you should probably make another offering soon...
>Naomi looked up from the flowers
>Oh?
>She tilted her head, and looked over to the rock
>Oh you are right!
>Thank you Toshiro, I do not hear the earth kami as well as you do.
>Not a problem, it's only a slight grumble right now anyway.
>I looked down at Tsuyosa
>He was still staring intently at the punching rock
>I tried moving Tsuyosa
>H just turned his head, keeping his gaze fixed
>Umm...Toshiro...?
>Oh yeah, what's the big idea letting her in you traitor?
>Toshiro, look at this.
>I moved Tsuyosa again
>Toshiro blinked
>Give him here a moment...
>I did so
>Toshrio muttered some prayers, and laid a hand on my son's chest
>Then Toshiro walked around the garden holding Tsuyosa
>Naomi clapped her hands twice, finishing up the offering for...whichever spirit the shrine she had made out of my punching rock was for.
>Then she came over to me
>What is Toshiro doing?
>I dunno. Shugenja stuff, I think.
>Naomi looked at me, pursing her lips and pulling one side up in an almost smirk
>Well, that is very helpful Ishigaki-kun. Thank you for clearing that up for me.
>Tsuyosa was staring at the punching rock shrine thing
>Eh?

>>53403771
>Naomi...does that mean what I think it means?
>She shook her head
>That is just impossible, he is far to young to be...
>Toshiro thumpdragged up to us
>I know what you're about to say, but you're wrong, Naomi-san
>eh? EH? EEHHH?
>I was looking back and forth between the two, hoping someone would clarify for me
>Toshiro did
>You don't usually start seeing the signs that a child has an affiinity with the Kami until they're about Tetsute's age...
>But Tsuyosa is clearly sensitive to the earth kami.
>So, what? You're saying he's a genius at earth magic or something?
>Nothing of the sort, though it's likely he could be...
>Naomi spoke up
>Of course. While I am a water tensai, our family has produced many shugenja with an affinity for earth...
>I blinked.
>So you're saying that he's at least getting started early because of his ancestry?
>It seems that way...
>Perhaps a divination is in order, Naomi-san?
>She nodded and went over to the Koi pond
>Divination is a part of everyday life for the Rokugani
>All is according to heavens decree, and Heaven will leave clues for those that can decipher them
>I didn't personally place much stock in divination.
>Not that I doubted Heaven made it's will known.
>Rather I doubted most people who claimed to know what the signs meant.
>Naomi herself, a water tensai, was wary of over reliance on reading portents.
>Read the signs wrong, and you could be going against Heavens will
>And of course, there were plenty of stories about diviners trying to stop some calamity they foresaw only for their actions to bring about that very calamity
>But this was a simple matter; a yes or no question.
>Will Tsuyosa have an affinity for the earth kami?
>Naomi chanted her prayer, and asked her question
>She looked up at us both
>and nodded
>I looked up at Toshiro
>Well, how about that, Toshiro-sensei?
>I amazed at..waitwhat...
>sensei? ME?!
>Naomi smiled
>Yes, you. I can think of no one better.

>>53403969
>Toshiro sensei
Has a nice ring to it, really

>>53403969
i called iiiiiiit!!!

>>53403969
>inb4 Shoji tries to get his hands on the kid.

>>53404210
...don't even joke about that...

>>53404368
Oh come on now, what could POSSIBLY can go wrong?
Shoji probably forgot about us anyway.

>>53403688
>Monkey was really a ninja spy for the Scorpion clan the entire time
D E E P E S T L O R E

>>53403771
>>53403969
Tetsute has a talent for Earth Kami
>>53362276
>a young Kuni. Very thin, his cheeks were so sallow it was almost painfull to look at.
I fucking told you that Ishigaki was dreaming of his future children. All but confirmed that he's gonna have 2 more.

>>53404659
*Tsuyota

>>53404511
What're you-
I-
err...
...shit.

>>53404659
2 more? The vision only had 4 kids

>>53405180
The young Ishigaki is obviously one of his sons that looks a lot like him

>>53399845
>it wasn't a full house
wtf Japan?

>>53405289
Well, no. Stuff happens.

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This is so not a bump.

>>53403969
Crazy Kuni training time!

>>53403969
"C'mon, Toshiro, it'll help you pick up chicks."

>>53407940
Well, sensei title and kids for a "lone" fathers ARE chicks magnet.
He also got an estate and crazy ass powers.

>>53408155
His estate is a barren wasteland though so its not worth much

>>53405215
Nah I think this time it is what it appears to be just young ishigaki or its a bog witch disguised as young ishigaki because that hasn't happened for a while

>>53408265
I would rather not think about this bad situation

Just a random question: which clans have the most Fujoshi women?

>>53409653
Crane, but they'll never admit it.

>>53409721
Nah phoenix have the most fujoshi women cause they're nerds but crane fujoshis make the best smut

>>53409937
Among the crab many women will admit to liking homo smut as long as its bara, as it is seen as a joking way to male the men uncomfortable. The true fujoshi of the crab are those who like pretty boy yaoi with uke's fucking. They are looked down upon as disgusting as this is seen as being corrupted by the crane

>>53409653
Another random question: is Unicorn women into bestiality or a hardcore femdom?

>>53410608
The Utaku are likely into both. Shinjo and Moto not so much.

>>53410608
>>53410698
Not so much for the Ide, Iuchi and Horiuchi as well.

>>53410837
By the way, whose fucking idea was it to give the Unicorn six whole families?

>>53410917
What a difference between them anyway?

>>53410937
IIRC...
>Shinjo are the most rokugani of the Unicorn
>Moto are the most gaijin of the Unicorn
>Utaku are the most femenazi of the Unicorn
>Ide are the merchant/courtiers of the Unicorn
>Iuchi and Horiuchi are the shugenjas of the Unicorn

>>53410917
From what I understand the original families were:
Shinjo
Ide
Iuchi
Otaku (later renamed Utaku)

The Moto were the "lost" family and joined L5R when LBS stopped being produced.

Horiuchi was the result of a printing error in Imperial that added Hor to an Iuchi personality.

>>53411267
So... there is actually 5 families in Unicorn, right?

>>53412143
The Horiuchi family died out during an epidemic iirc, so yes. 5 families
Moto/Shinjo/Ide/Iuchi/Utaku

>>53411267
>The Moto were the "lost" family and joined L5R when LBS stopped being produced.

It wasn't so much that they were 'lost' as it was that they didn't really want to come into Rokugan. When the Unicorn returned the Daimyo of the Moto family, Moto Tsume tried to ride into the shadowlands and grab a bunch of glory, only to get most of the family killed. Thus the Dark Moto. So shame kept the Moto at the fringes of the Empire. But there was a much more mongol group of Moto left behind in LBS that came back to Rokugan after Utaku whatshername killed Tsume

>>53410917
The great Clan's actually have well over a dozen families at any given time, but nobody cares about the lesser vassals and they're all mechanically the same as whichever major family lords over them. The Crab have a couple vassal families that have been around since the founding of the clan.

>>53412283
"Off on the fringes" seems to have been the justification for the introduction of living Moto in Jade, but in Imperial the Moto were a "dead" family.

>>53412903
Specifically, the Kakeguchi (the fourth wheel on Hiruma, Kaiu, and Kuni's tricycle) and Raikuto (the original Crab courtiers) families are both 1st century founded.

>>53409653
phoenix

>>53410608
utaku are, not the rest of the unicorn

>>53413178
I bet the Moto get up to some freaky shit.

>>53413282
well, duh, they are now more like filthy gaijins after all.

page 8 bump

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needin a bump

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bampu