Fu Leng Quest (L5R)

IT IS UPON US

ALL REJOICE!

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[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.

So as for the why:

1.) Monks are by far the most capable of travelling across Rokugan. Everyone else, including the samurai (not even ronin, proper Clan samurai) needs travel permits.
2.) This lets us do what Togashi did except do it better.
3.) Seriously, fuck Togashi.

All right peeps, I've got a plan.

[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.
First we need to get into the Topaz Championship, whoever wins this is set on a path for greatness, and while we already know we are its important to make sure other people know that we are as well. Its also associated with getting a magistrate position which is important for later in the plan.

[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?
As for actually winning it? Iajutusu and Trivia quizzes have one thing in common; they're nine tenths bluff.
Now that others are aware of our inherent glory we need to start building a legend so that we can go from magistrate to champion pretty fast.

[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.
Obviously the shortest way to do that is to create our own mysteries to solve.

This step is the most ingenious if I do say so myself.
[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.
Upon being made champion we 'reveal' ourselves to be a dragon and we tell the rokuganie that now is the time to destroy the shadowlands once and for all. We'll get them to gather up all the jade and crystal within easy reach and march into the shadowlands planting it as if it where rice.

The Rokugans have now gotten rid of their most potent weapon against the tainted and lost a massive amount of their population wandering around planting it. Not entirely by coincidence this also feeds our mighty army. Finally its time to conquer the Jade Empire.


Alternately the plan works exactly as expected, we banish much of our influence from this realm, feel extremely sheepish and are hailed as one of Rokugans greatest heroes for the rest of our life.

Plan Aspiring Shugenja.

The idea here is that for us to get back to power and ruling things, it's much easier to do so from within the existing power structure, than as some conquering warlord or bandit king. Now, given that Rokugani society isnt particularly flexible, the easiest way to get into the structure from outside is via sorcerous talent, as good shugenja are rare enough that no clan can afford to turn down the chance to get a strong shugenja into their ranks, which gives us our in into the existing structure.

Which brings us to our start-

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

We get this one because mnasteries are already somewhat linked to the clans as is, and it's the best place for our sorcerous talent to be noticed, giving us our in into the power structure. It might be at the bottom but the bottom of the pile is better than not being on the pile at all.

Now onto our powers that we need for this plan.


[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.

This one's a no-brainer; we did not carve out our taint and divinity just to die in a mundane manner, so if we're going to get ourselves going back to mortality, lets make sure we stay alive so we don't have to go back to square one and spend years as a baby again.

[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.

We can't get ourselves into being a shugenja without sorcery.

[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?

Because if we're going to try and get ourselves into being a shugenja, being very good at lying will help us deal with any scrutiny that may arise, especially as the idea is to get us into the existing clan structure.

[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.

[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.

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

We could start a peasant revolution, maybe?

[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.

This time, WE will be a mysterious monk leading a group of mortals to kill Kami.
Artifice to make/gift artifacts (only a little bit tainted), spells because Wizard, and vitality so we can endure whatever hellish training the Monks throw at us, and still have energy to start making our own kit.

Good to see a few ideas already floating around.

For the record, I'm going to be borrowing the basic structure of Godbound in order to properly model what Fu Leng is capable of, and under that system the word of Sorcery is just as applicable to the Kiho of the monks as it is to the prayers of a Shugenja.

I will, however, be stealing some of @Havocfett's ideas and making Shugenja more 'priests with specialized training' than 'wizards with silly hats'. The basic package of 'perceive and communicate with the kami' is likely to be universal, but everything else (including school techniques and individual spells) is going to be restricted to their individual school.

Maugan Ra said:

'wizards with silly hats'

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But you repeat yourself.

[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 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 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 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] 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] 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.

Fundamentally I am would like to be playing something closer to Aku, but @Cornuthaum made a very important point in his post.

This lets us out-Togashi Togashi.

And fuck Togashi.

@Jeboboid
You're going to want to see this...

[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.

[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.

[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.

This just sounds awesome, and I'd rather just come across as ludicrously talented rather than blatantly supernatural.

On the other hand, our soul is still tainted, and if anyone could pick up on that it'd be the monks.

[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 someoneworth slaughtering.

[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 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…

[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] 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.

chocolote12 said:

But you repeat yourself.

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Click to shrink...

On the contrary, some wizards have remarkably stylish hats!

Anyway, deception and Sorcery are currently in the lead, along with being born a monk. Interesting.

(Canonically Fu Leng actually did fake being a monk at one point and travelled around Rokugan gathering a bunch of likely heroes to help him take his job back, so bonus points there)

[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 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.

Many thanks to @Maugan Ra for allowing me to share the story I wrote that arguably helped kick this idea off.


Togashi Hoshi sat with his back straight and his arms at his sides as his guest entered the room. He bore no weapon, and was clad in fine green silk that well hid his muscled form. One could almost say he was making an attempt to not be threatening… If perhaps it were not for the fact that his lower body was that of a coiling red dragon.

He normally did not meet guests to the Clan in this manner, for many were unnerved by such an obvious sign of his relation to his father Togashi. Hoshi was not ashamed of his body, but for the sake of making a good impression sacrifices had to be made sometimes. Such was just the way of things, even for the Dragon Clan who focused so much on the pursuit of enlightenment rather than the material world.

But this time… This time was different. There was no need to hide his relation to his father with this guest, for he was already well aware. In fact, such a blatant attempt to draw attention away from that fact would do little more than insult him. And the last thing Hoshi wished was to raise this man's ire.

For Togashi Hoshi's guest was Fu Leng.

"Greetings, honored uncle," Hoshi said, rising to his feet and bowing deeply. "I hope you have been well."

"Well enough," Fu Leng grunted, giving only an incline of his head in response. "My work keeps me busy."

"So it would seem," Hoshi replied. He motioned to the table, where tea was steeping. "Please, would you join me?"

"If I must," Fu Leng said as he sat down, crossing his arms. He glowered at Hoshi, but from how easily the expression settled on his face it seemed he glowered at most things. "I did not come here to drink tea, however."

"Regardless, I am pleased you have come to visit me, honored uncle," Hoshi said, pouring two cups anyway and placing the other before Fu Leng. "I have heard much about your work, attempting to forge good relations with the Clans." He gave his uncle a small smile. "An arduous task by any measure, even for one so capable as yourself."

"My sibling's followers are as stubborn as they are and thus reluctant to accept my entreaties, save for Shinjo-chan's," Fu Leng replied, his deep voice rumbling like the beginning of an avalanche. Despite his words, however, his tone didn't hold any heat. "At least they're not attacking me outright, which is a blessing."

"Our Emperor is magnanimous," Hoshi replied. "I am glad he has given you the opportunity to make amends for… past issues."

"It's the least he could do after cutting off my head," Fu Leng grumbled. "And don't dance around the point, boy. He's giving me a chance to make up for the fact I nearly killed you all, twice."

"Yes, well," Hoshi said, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves in the face of his uncle's bluntness. "In the interest of acceding to your wishes, I suppose I shall be more forthright." He leaned forward. "If it is not too bold of me to ask, I suppose you are here now to make your case to the Dragon Clan to prove your goodwill?"

"No," Fu Leng said with all the finality of a gong being struck.

Hoshi blinked. "No? But… Why then, honored Uncle, have you come to me?"

"I came simply because I wanted to tell you that your father is an asshole," Fu Leng said, his expression completely flat, before downing his entire cup in one gulp. "Thank you for the tea."

And then Fu Leng stood up, bowed shallowly, and left.

[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.

Cornuthaum makes an excellent point.

I have mixed feelings about most of the clans as well as most of the characters, but towards Togashi? No such thing.

[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 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.