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Fu Leng Quest (L5R)

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Fu Leng Quest
Even demigods of evil have their off days…

Welcome to my new Quest, the latest...
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Introduction
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    • Maugan Ra

    Maugan Ra

    Councillor
    Location
    London, England


    Fu Leng Quest
    Even demigods of evil have their off days…​

    Welcome to my new Quest, the latest in an ongoing line of new ideas that I'm running through until I find something that my muse will allow me to stick to. The concept behind this one is several months old and has been stewing in the back of my mind ever since @Winged Knight and I had a discord conversation at some stupid time in the morning, so it's already got rather more momentum behind it than several other ideas I've been toying with lately.

    The basic premise of the Quest is as follows: you are Fu Leng, the Ninth Son of Lord Moon and Lady Sun, perhaps the most powerful of all the Kami and the closest thing the world of Rokugan has to a Satan-analogue. You made war on your siblings at the dawn of history, and after a long and bitter conflict you were eventually brought down and sealed away by a band of seven mortal heroes (and heroines) led by a mysterious monk-like figure.

    They divided your soul into pieces and locked you away inside twelve different magical scrolls, each of which would go on to become dark artifacts of terrible power. For a thousand years you were thus imprisoned, slowly plotting and working towards your release, until finally the day came when you were free once more. You escaped your prison, mustered your army of demons, called upon your dark power and stood ready to usher in a thousand years of darkness…

    …and then a mysterious monk gathered a band of seven mortal heroes and brought you down. Again.

    Never let it be said that the dark god Fu Leng lacks a basic sense of pattern recognition.

    Clearly, trying to conquer the world at the head of a demonic army just isn't working out all that well. The time has come to try something new, or at the very least to do some proper recon before attempt number three. The fact that you are currently dead and imprisoned in the afterlife is a minor obstacle.

    Well. Probably.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Character Sheet
  • Threadmarks
    • Character Sheet

    Name: Fu Leng, the Ninth Kami (mortal alias: Furumaro)

    Facts:
    • Fu Leng is the ninth son of Lady Sun and Lord Moon, and was raised in heaven as befitting of his lineage. He learned at the feet of Fortunes, and held a particular fascination for all things secret and forbidden.
    • After falling from the heavens, Fu Leng crashed into the dark land of Jigoku, where he was groomed by the Oni to serve as their champion. He became the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands, and led an army of monsters against the mortal realm.
    • Having been reincarnated as a mortal, he was raised by the monks of the Fist of Tengoku sect. They trained and educated him to be a warrior in service of heaven, which he finds bitterly amusing.

    A fact is a basic statement about your character's background, as well as the adventures they have been on. Whenever Fu Leng undertakes a task or challenge that might benefit from the knowledge or experience represented by a fact he generally succeeds automatically, or at the very least gains a substantial bonus on any relevant tests.

    You begin the quest with three facts, and gain more as you overcome challenges and increase in strength and experience.

    Resources

    Effort: 2

    Influence: 2

    Dominion: 0 (+1 per month)

    Wealth: 0

    Words of Creation

    Deception: The arts of Deception are those of stealth, illusion, and lies. A masterful trickster is skilled at detecting impositions as well as uttering them, and their miracles may have to do with revealing deceit as well as impressing it on the minds of others.

    Deceiver's Unblinking Eye(Constant) - You can always tell when someone's trying to lie to you or deceive you. You can see through mortal illusions and disguises. This gift does not affect other Godbound with the Deception Word.


    Liar's Flawless Grace (Constant) - Your lies can never be detected as such by magic or other special abilities, including those of the Deception Word. Lesser foes will always believe them unless they are completely implausible, emotionally intolerable, or would oblige them to self-harm.

    Sorcery: Sorcery is an unusual Word, one representing a bond with the fundamental laws of creation and the deep, subtle secrets of its operation. Sorcery has no native miracles and cannot be used by itself to create effects or mimic its gifts. Instead, mastery of its gifts allows a Godbound to wield the flexible and potent powers of theurgy. As an Instant ability, Fu Leng can Commit Effort for the scene to instantly negate any low magic spell being cast in their presence or banish or destroy any low magic construct or summoned entity.

    Adept of the Gate (Constant) - You have been initiated into the Gate, the humblest level of theurgy, albeit still one beyond all but the mightiest mortal wizards. You may choose four invocations of the Gate to master as part of this learning and may learn more as you find them.

    Perfection of Understanding (Constant) - You are a remarkably swift student of magic. You can learn any low magic path within a month, taking one week per level of initiation of your teacher, without requiring a Fact committed to it. You can learn theurgy spells at a vastly accelerated rate as well; one day for an invocation of any degree. You automatically understand any low magic or theurgy used against you or in your presence, knowing its function, limits, and degree of power. You can also recognize the author of a magical working if you've seen other examples of their work.

    Sword: The Word of the Sword is that of melee combat, of direct struggle between the Godbound and their foes. Miracles of the Sword involve unerring strokes, tremendous blows, or marvellous escapes from harm in battle. While potent, these miracles do not work at range.

    Heroes with the Sword Word treat their weapon or unarmed attacks as magical, cannot be disarmed, and can summon any melee weapon they've ever used immediately to hand as an Instant action.

    Contempt of Distance (Constant) - Your movement action can take you to any point in movement range, provided the path is unobstructed and there's a target to hit at the end of the move. A hero could thus dash straight to a rooftop or balcony without navigating the physical route there. Foes too far away to reach in one round can be pursued over multiple rounds, but they must be attacked once reached. This pursuit can even extend into the air, supporting the hero until they defeat their enemy or choose to disengage, whereupon they land safely at a point below.

    Steel Without End (Constant) - All your melee weapon attacks are treated as magic weapons and do at least as much damage as a no-dachi or tetsubo, including unarmed attacks.

    Sorcery/Kiho

    Sorcery is a slow and often delicate thing, more suited to carefully prepared rituals than the faster, more flexible miracles available to you as a child of heaven. By default, any given ritual will require upwards of an hour to invoke and the use of various specialised tools and ingredients.

    Low Magic is divided into a number of paths, each of which encompasses its own unique ways of doing things and individual approach to the wielding of the supernatural. Your skill in each path is listed in brackets, according to the following scale: Apprentice, Adept, Master, Archmage.

    Maho (Archmage) – This kind of magic is a forbidden art in Rokugan, in no small part because it is so irrevocably associated with you and your students. By making an offering of blood to the kansen (elemental kami corrupted by the shadowlands taint), you can inflict an astoundingly wide range of curses, diseases and other maledictions upon your target. The more blood spilled the more potent the curse, and if you have some kind of arcane connection to your target you can afflict them regardless of range.

    While not technically sorcery, the mystical arts of the monks are just as open to one of your gifts as the prayers of the shugenja. They are likewise divided up into paths, and ranked according to the same scale.

    Fist of Tengoku Style (Master) – This style is focused nigh-exclusively around blunt physical enhancement, using meditative techniques and intense physical conditioning to bolster the user's strength and render their skin as tough as a full suit of armour.

    Normally, these spells require an hour of careful focus and ritual motions to properly invoke. If you desire it, however, you can commit a point of effort until the end of the scene in order to shorten the casting time to a few seconds.

    Ranks of Pale Bone – Through careful invocation you can transform the bodies of the fallen into non-sentient undead under your control. Each casting of this spell creates up to half a dozen zombies or other creatures of similar power, which will persist until destroyed. There is no limit on the number of undead you may control at once, and they display absolute obedience to your orders or those of a designated lieutenant.

    Seal of Absolute Dominion – By weaving a powerful rune from lines of emerald light in front of your target, you subvert their will to your own. For as long as they remain so bound your target will comply with every order you give them, no matter how repugnant or suicidal. You may have only one thrall at a time at your current level, and worthy foes may be able to shake off the domination through an act of will, one made considerably easier by unacceptable orders.

    Summon Oni – Through little more than raw force of will you call forth one of the nameless spirits from the depths of Jigoku, binding them to absolute obedience. A summoned Oni must be anchored to the material realm by giving it a name, and most will demand further tribute to prevent near-constant efforts to defy or subvert your orders, but if you can secure or enforce their cooperation there are few things in the world more dangerous or capable.

    The Rite of Far Utterance – This invocation requires an arcane connection to the desired target, although close friends or family may be contacted without the benefit of such a link. When cast, the invocation summons a gauzy image of the target and a five-foot radius echo of their surroundings. A similar phantasm of the caster appears in the target's proximity. Caster and target may speak to each other through these phantasms, and a single inanimate object no more than ten pounds in weight may be passed between the two.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Basic Mechanics
  • Threadmarks
    • Mechanics​

    This is primarily a narrative quest - if you vote to attack an enemy, there will be no rolling to see how well you do. I will simply assess the situation and your capabilities and inform you of the result in the next update. That said, however, there are some basic mechanics in play here, which I will be using to model just what Fu Leng is capable of.

    These basic mechanics are largely lifted from the RPG Godbound, which I would recommend that you check out. As a basic summary, Fu Leng possesses the Words of Creation; abstract representations of his mastery over certain fundamental aspects of the world around him. If he wants to do something that falls within the purview of one of his Words, chances are he has the supernatural power and raw skill to succeed.

    Beyond that point, there are three resources that need to be tracked: Effort, Influence and Dominion, though the latter two only come into effect during downtime.

    Effort
    Effort is the divine power that flows through your veins, the raw spiritual might that you can bring to bear on your opponents. You start with two points of effort, and it cannot be gained or lost: instead, points are simply committed for varying lengths of time.

    For example, if something says 'Commit Effort', then so long as you dedicate one effort point to the power in question you will have access to the ability, and can freely remove the effort when you no longer have need of it. Sometimes, however, you will need to commit effort for a scene or even a full day in order to benefit from its effects. Doing so ties up the point even after you have ceased making use of the power in question; you are simply too tired by your exertions to muster your full power again until you have had a chance to rest.

    Effort can be used for three things:
    • Powering Gifts; specific powers available to you under each Word. Not all gifts require effort, but those that do tend to be notably more powerful or flexible in application.
    • Working Miracles; raw acts of divine power that do not fall within the boundaries of a simple gift. A full explanation of what this means can be found HERE, but duplicating a gift that you do not possess is always a valid choice. Miracles require you to commit a point of effort for the remainder of the day.
    • Resisting Harm. This is a rather broad effect, especially in a narrative quest, but as a general guideline anything which could be resisted by a saving throw in other games can be shrugged off by committing a point of effort for the rest of the day. For example, if someone poisons you, committing effort would allow you to automatically cleanse the toxins from your system.

    Influence
    Influence is an abstract representation of the time and work you put in during downtime, or during other activities not covered on-screen during the updates. Subverting the local magistrates, bending a criminal gang to your will or simply persuading the local daimyo to reduce the current tax rate are all applications of influence. As with effort, influence is committed, not spent.

    Dominion
    Dominion represents your ability to work dramatic changes on the world around you through acts of supernatural power and enlightened intellect. Do you want to bless a village to never again be struck by famine? Enlighten a breed of animals with human-level intelligence? Create a fountain of liquid gold within the town square? All of these things and more can be achieved by using Dominion.

    Unlike the other listed resources, Dominion points are spent when used, and only refresh at a set rate. This rate can be increased by founding a cult dedicated to your worship.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I - Escaping Meido
  • Threadmarks
    • Meido, the Realm of Waiting, is a very peaceful place.

    An endless plain of pale grey sand stretches to the far horizon, utterly uniform in shape and hue. Not even the smallest pebble is allowed to break the perfect smoothness of that ethereal plane, and even the keenest eye could not hope to find any flaw or imperfection in its perfectly ordered surface. The spirits of the dead tramp drift past in endless procession, bleached of color and bereft of energy, their minds adrift in blissful slumber as they wait their turn to be called forward and judged by the custodian of this realm. There is no sound, no light or shadow, no distinguishing features of any kind to be found on the landscape or the people.

    It is, in a word, boring.

    "Emma-O!" You roar, your voice equal to that of any dragon in volume and fury alike, echoing across the planes for uncounted miles. "Emma-O, you humourless fuck! Don't you ignore me like this!"

    You already know that he will not respond. You have seen the Fortune of the Dead precisely once since your arrival in this desolate place, and there is no reason to believe he will visit you again. Having graced you with his presence once, a visit just long enough to explain the full scope of your current situation, he likely sees no need to pay any further attention to you. You suppose you shouldn't really be surprised - Emma-O has always been thus, even before you fell from Heaven and waged war against your traitorous siblings. Loyal, dutiful, patient beyond all measure… yes, the lord of the dead makes for the perfect warden. Nothing you say or do is likely to draw any real response from one such as him, and without his aid the prospect of freedom is an unlikely thought at best.

    Dejected, you silence your cries and slump back down once more. The chains that bind you clink softly with your movements, the faint glow from their engraved runes the only source of real light in this land of endless gloom. Whoever forged them did a fine job indeed; even the most cursory of testing was enough to convince you of the futility of attempting to break free through brute force. If you had your tools and the freedom of movement to use them then breaking the spells involved would be child's play, but of course your captors are not nearly so foolish. You have just enough slack to sit or stand as the mood takes you, and not a hair's breadth more.

    It is humiliating.

    Your isolation is perhaps a blessing in disguise, by that measure. True, you are bound and restrained like a rabid beast, held all but immobile in a featureless wasteland, but at least none of your siblings can see you like this. Truth be told you're a little surprised; you would have thought that Togashi at least would come to gloat. You can only assume he decided that his destiny did not involve such things, and is therefore currently sitting up in Tengoku somewhere wrapped in a shroud of his own self-righteousness.

    The memory of his ribs splitting apart beneath your hands is a precious comfort in such trying times.

    Of course, you can hardly think of that without also considering what came after. Your beloved brother did not enter your presence alone, after all, but in the company of seven great heroes drawn from all across the mortal ranks of Hantei's precious Empire. You can picture their faces even now; the exiled prince, the tarnished priest, the vengeful empress… mortals, all, with mortal hearts and mortal strength, yet they stood against you still, even after you tore your brother's body in twain before their eyes. They stood against you… and triumphed.

    Truth be told you're still not entirely sure what to make of that fact. For a Kami, a divine being such as yourself, to fall at the hands of mortal warriors… for such a thing to happen twice, in fact, considering what happened the last time you warred against your kin… it defies comprehension. It should not have been possible, and yet here you sit, dead all the same.

    Slowly, your eyes narrow. Togashi… Togashi knew that the mortals would be able to defeat you. In fact, judging by some of the things he said over the course of your battle he'd been counting on it; never intending to take your life himself but merely to open the way for them to do so in his stead. That makes no sense to you but he did it even so, and while Togashi is many things he is not a complete idiot. The only reason he would believe in such a thing is if he had some kind of evidence to back it up, some information that you yet lack, a perspective from which he might see what you do not. The thought of such a thing intrigues and enrages you in equal measure, and in that moment you make a decision:

    You must find a way to study these mortals for yourself.

    There are certain problems with this plan, of course, the first of which is that you are dead and therefore not in much of a position to study anything at all, but these are minor obstacles to one of your enlightened intellect. The solution to that problem is, ironically enough, contained within the very nature of your prison itself. This is Meido, and you are a spirit. Without the chains that currently bind you, the will of this land would have overwhelmed you already and sent you tumbling back into the cycle of reincarnation. Emma-O is a hidebound fool at the best of times, but right now that inflexible attitude will actually work to your advantage; he will not, cannot refuse to reincarnate you once you meet all the requirements. All you need to do is shed these chains, and then… ah, of course…

    Thoughtfully, you stare down at your shackled hands, studying the worm-like veins that run through your sallow flesh. The blackened filth that serves in place of your blood is but the most obvious sign of the time that you spent within the festering pits of Jigoku; you are tainted, body and soul, and while the corruption of your form has granted you great power it has also created the most intractable obstacle to your current plan. Nothing so marked by the Realm of Evil would ever be allowed to reincarnate into the mortal realm, and while being banished back into the land over which you rule as Champion would not exactly be a failure, it is far from desired. So… if you are to reincarnate as a living man and learn what it is that allows mortals to cast down gods, you must first rid yourself of the taint.

    For most that would be an impossible task, but you are Fu Leng, and there are none who understand the workings of the taint better than you. It cannot be simply willed from the body, even by one of your prodigious might, but it can be focused, concentrated in a specific part of your divine anatomy. Were you still among the living you would need multiple treatments to exorcise the corruption from both body and soul, but again it almost seems as though the mortals did you a favour by slaying you, for as a spirit your malleable corpus is the entirety of your existence. Slowly, carefully, you focus your will, forcing the corruption in your body to gather in the palm of your left hand. Such a technique is normally used for empowering your spells or bolstering the strength of certain muscles, but you have always been gifted with a certain flair for improvisation.

    Now, what to use… ah, yes, there you are. Part of your prison is forged of jade, the elemental embodiment of purity. The material is not strong enough to resist your physical might by itself, but large stakes of it have been hammered into the ground around your bound form so as to deny you the full extent of your tainted power, and with a bit of effort you can reach out and grasp the nearest with your one tainted hand. This is going to hurt, but what kind of dark lord would you be if you allowed mere pain to stand in the way of your goals? Gritting your teeth in anticipation, you reach out and seize the brilliant green spear in one hand.

    You might as well have dipped your hand in acid.

    Screaming was not in the plan, but the pain forces a ragged howl from your throat even so. The agony is beyond anything you have encountered outside Jigoku, but you endured the cruel embrace of the Oni and you will endure this. Smoke rises from your hand as the pure touch of jade sears away the corrupted flesh that touches it, but you persist, glaring at the ugly black veins running through your arm as you force more and more of the taint into your outstretched limb. How long it takes you do not know, but eventually the smoking stops and the pain dies away, and you allow yourself to collapse at last.

    You hang there for a time, unthinking.

    Eventually, you drag yourself back to consciousness and turn your attention to the remainder of your chains, the last obstacle between you and your imprisonment. As you thought, they were made to hold the Champion of Jigoku; shorn of the majority of your taint (for no doubt some sliver of the corruption still resides in the depths of your soul), you now find yourself with a much greater freedom of movement. In a fit of optimism you strain your muscles and try to break free but… no, whoever built these chains was not quite that foolish. So long as you remain Fu Leng, the divine being, they will continue to bind you. Doubtless your jailer thought such a quality an excellent defensive measure, for if you must reduce yourself to mere mortality before you can slip free then the act of recapturing you would be simpler by far. Unfortunately for them, you are a genius.

    You will not be able to take all of your divine power back with you into the world of mortals, that much is clear, but by burying parts of it deep within your soul you can at least retain something of your true nature. Considering just how many enemies you will likely have hunting for you such a boon is not to be given up lightly, and from what you understand of the nature of souls this will also allow you to retain most of your memories. The only question, then, is this:

    Article:
    Which parts of your divine power do you choose to hang onto when the time comes to reincarnate into a 'mortal'?

    Choose three of the following options.

    [ ] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.

    [ ] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.

    [ ] Your divine authority as a Kami, by which you might command the obedience of mortals and bind their wills to your own. You rather enjoyed pretending to be an Emperor…

    [ ] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.

    [ ] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?

    [ ] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.

    [ ] Your sheer physical strength, sufficient to punch through a castle wall and carry the main keep back home with you. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.

    [ ] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [ ] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.


    Your decision made, you twist around in your chains until your right hand is resting upon the broad sweep of your chest. Gritting your teeth once more, you begin to claw, digging pale fingers into the raw substance of your spirit and tearing free lumps of divine flesh. It is a horrible, sickening and above all else disgusting process, but you hold back the pain and nausea with a will like iron. Slowly, methodically, you tear out the majority of your divine power, scattering it out upon the landscape in a burning torrent, until at last it is enough…

    You slip your chains with a triumphant roar and stand upon the plain of Meido, a free man once more. Already you can hear the sounds of alarm echoing across the barren plain, but the response is far too late - you can feel the tugging of the cycle suffusing your spirit, and with a vicious smile you surrender to it entirely.

    The cycle of reincarnation takes you, and with a joyous laugh you fall back towards the mortal realm, ready to begin your work and laying plans for what comes next.

    …

    Then you wake up as a newborn babe, and instantly regret everything.

    Article:
    Emma-O cannot stop you from reincarnating. He can, however, influence what exactly it is you reincarnate as, and while a son of heaven must become a human at the very least, that still offers surprising scope for an immortal's spite.

    What have you become?

    [ ] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.

    [ ] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.

    [ ] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Nice a dark god quest!

    Plan Priest of the dead
    [x] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
    [x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.







    [x] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.

    Alternative religion & revolution against the status quo, what more to ask for? Also I think peasants are more inconspicous than samurais or monks.
     
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    [x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [x] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.

    Tricky little ronin.
     
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    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.

    A way to survive, a skill to abuse, and a path to power. Also, a former demon-god raised by monks amuses me.
     
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    Plan Shogun of Sorrows

    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
    -[X] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
     
    [x] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
    [x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.

    SUPERPRIEST, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
     
    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
    [X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.

    [X] A samurai, technically, but also a ronin born of outcasts and criminals. You spend your youth being reminded of all the ways in which you were justified in killing these people.
     
    [X] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
     
    [x] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
    [x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [x] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
     
    A Fu Leng Quest?!!

    LET'S DO THIS!!!

    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.

    See...the Oni summoning, Undead raising Sorcerous Overlord Fu Leng has been tried. Twice. IT DIDN'T WORK. That's why he's dead and in Meido to begin with.

    The whole point of this exercise is to subtly study humans and learn their protagonist secrets. So why default right back to an already failed modus operandi?

    Also the fact that Fu's going to end up a monk (like Togashi) is just hilarious as Jigoku.
     
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    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.
     
    I must say, although I have only cursory knowledge of l5r, the first post had me hooked.

    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.

    Ok, as has been said, the evil overlord shtick failed, twice. Now it is time to pull an Annatar, to invoke another franchise.
    As technically skilled, shape-shifting master of darkness, uh, I mean as but a simple peasant.
     
    We can be the inverse of the farm boy hero! Also we are now a sauron expy.
    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.
     
    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.
     
    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your dominion over beasts, by which you might command the creatures of the earth and take their forms for your own. The ability to turn into a dragon is applicable in a surprising number of situations.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.
     
    @Maugan Ra Does the first sentence, about muse sticking around, imply that Bound by Fate is dead/on hiatus? Just asking to be sure :p

    [X] Your gift for artifice, by which you might forge all manner of terrible weapons and cursed artifacts. Or just a really nice kimono, depending.
    [X] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A peasant child, doomed to spend your youth laboring in the fields while you wait for your divine power to properly mature.
     
    There is only one true path.
    Plan Muscle Wizard
    [X] Your raw vitality, which allows you to survive blows that would slay any mortal and persist in the face of the most incredible harm. Not proof against a band of plucky heroes fighting for what they love, apparently.
    [X] Your sheer physical strength, sufficient to punch through a castle wall and carry the main keep back home with you. Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
     
    This seems interesting.

    Plan Sorcerous Monk
    [X] Your mastery over death, by which you might create or destroy undead and slay or preserve the living. That doing so spites Emma-O is just a bonus, really.
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
    [X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.
     
    Finally, it's time to begin this Quest!

    What better way to examine the mortals and learn about them then to get an idea of how they venerate the gods? After all, their piety is one of their few redeeming features. As well, monks can travel throughout the Empire without needing travel papers. It is likely the best pick in order to achieve our goals.

    It also gives us an opportunity to play the role better than Togashi ever did.

    [X] A babe without family, dumped at the entrance to a monastery for your new family to find. You are, it seems, a monk.

    [x] Your gift for deception, through which you can evade notice, fool the unwary and even conjure phantasms and other illusions. Why tell the truth when a lie will do?
    [X] Your capability for sorcery, by which you might command the elemental kami (or other, darker forces) with a greater ease and skill than any mortal priest.
    [X] Your prowess at close quarters combat, by which you might slaughter armies and harvest lives like grain. Sword or club or bare hand, it makes no difference to you, and you will inevitably encounter someone worth slaughtering.

    Why these three powers? Firstly, we need to not be recognized for who we are. The moment that happens is the moment our lives become very difficult. While superhuman strength and vitality would be nice, we've seen time and again that skill in magic and blade overcomes such things. Better to have that and endure the frailties of mortality than get ourselves beaten down by another group of plucky heroes.
     
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