Remove ads

Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

Reader mode
[X] Martial Arts

Kung-Fu Emperor has a nice ring to it. Not only will the mountain not bow to the howling winds, but suplex the fuck outta them.

[X] I would like a woman that can help me in the courts.

So, wives. A bodyguard, I'd say is unnecessary when the Emperor is surrounded by the Seppun, so Fire is less important.

Everything else, we have the clans for on some level.

That choosing air gives us a Scorpion waifu has NO relevance to my decision-making, no sir.
 
...Toku Bride. We can do it through the Scorpion proxy if we have to, but dang it, let's see if we can put those impetuous monkeys one more branch up the tree.
 
Buddy.

Buddy.

BUDDY.

I see your argument, but...

Dat Scorpion waifu. As long as we get a pure Bayushi babe, we get the single most loyal honey in Rokugan.

Who is both sexy and probably a bushi, with the way the Scorpion are done in the 4e sourcebooks.
 
If she truly deserves Bayushi's name, the Emperor is the highest authority.

But yes, it's entirely possible that our particular Scorpion has forgotten that. That's a chance I'm willing to take. :p

In any case, it's entirely possible any potential bride is cray cray.

But as long as we don't get a Crane (fukken elf bastards), I'm more or less okay.
 
Taking a Minor Clan bride is going to need a fairly difficult roll to convince the Great Clans to go along with it. Still time for a tally. Looks like in general Hisao likes to practice Martial Arts, but he's not sure between a warrior queen or a magic queen Voting will remain open for another seven hours give or take.
Adhoc vote count started by gman391 on Jun 15, 2017 at 2:37 PM, finished with 25 posts and 12 votes.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
[X] Ikebana
[X] "I would like a woman who can help me with the Heavens and the Kami"
 
whydoyoubother said:
No love for the Mantis TotallynotaPirate-Queen we could get?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

gman391 said:
"Last but least in my opinion is that you could seek out a wife that assists you on matter of trade, and the lower classes, to make the Empire's population better through her wisdom...but I would not do this."
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

No
I will rather vote to Slaughter these scrubs before to give them anything else after they got apperently their own Fortune for throwIng a tantrum
Adhoc vote count started by sidestory on Jun 15, 2017 at 4:16 PM, finished with 29 posts and 14 votes.
Click to expand...
 
[X] Martial Arts
[X] "I would like a woman who can fight at my side and for me."

This probably means The Right Hand or the Left.
 
Guys, at this point I seriously fear us starting to be percieved as a momma's boy. That is not gonna do us any favors. We absolutely cannot pick a Crab bride, at any cost.
 
As an aside, the Mantis Clan has always been at least somewhat defined by ambition and its desire to stand on top of the mountain. That this can make them ungrateful bastards, but in general the drive to do more, see more, be more, is part of what makes the Mantis become a Great Clan. It also means that if you dangle a prize in front of them they can do, they'll go for it no matter the odds.

Still time for tally! By a narrow margin, Hisao decides he wants a warrior wife. By a somewhat less narrow margin he's always been into martial arts.
Adhoc vote count started by gman391 on Jun 15, 2017 at 11:02 PM, finished with 32 posts and 15 votes.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
So since warrior won & choosing a Crabs wife would actually be more a disadvantage then an advantage for us due our Background I suppose that means either a Lion, Unicorn oder Dragon wife
 

Yeah however I meant by stats
These three, aside from the Mantis, the Crab & the Scorpion, are the only ones that have fire either as 1 or 2 stat as stated by gman

And taking any less would probably be an insult to these clans
 
Last edited:
Remove ads
Year 1: Bridal Wars?
  • Threadmarks
    • You think for a long moment weighing the various options. You dismiss the idea of a wife like you almost immediately, while one for the people lingers, but in the end the choice for you comes down to a priestess or a bushi. There is a strong argument for a priestess, you are ultimately a worldly sort when you get down to it. Sensei made sure you understood the Fortunes, the Kami and the Nine Realms, but that had never been your passion, your joy...and your grandmother's mirror makes a very good point as to why that's important.

    Ultimately though, it is your mother's words that motivate you most, to have a wife that can fight at your side, and defend herself, that would be worth its weight in Jade when it came to your piece of mind. While you did not expect to love your wife, you did not hold her any ill will either, and having her killed to get to you, would weigh on your conscience.

    "I would like a woman who can fight by my side and for me, mother" You say at last.

    Your mother smiles. "I will begin looking at once for an appropriate bride. The marriage would be most suitable during the autumn going by your birth date. So you will have to make an announcement of which wife has been chosen for you by the start of summer. The Grand Tournament would be ideal."

    Grand? Oh She expects you to hold the tournament to determine your new Emerald and Jade Champions together. To a degree that makes sense, but you aren't sure about that. While it would be more frugal, half the point of a tournament is to make a spectacle to make the Empire feel great. You'll ask Kaneka first.

    "Well mother, I'm not sure whether we will have one or two tournaments, but I will take your wisdom under advisement."

    She frowns.
    "You wish to answer sooner then that." She says simply.

    You sigh a little, she always did know how to read her own work.

    You explain simply.
    "I cannot delay the decision on who my Imperial Advisor and Imperial Treasurer is until the summer. Yet my marriage announcement is meant to reassure people, how can that happen when it seems their Emperor is refusing to appoint his council until he has a 'hot babe' as Itsume-sensei described it."

    Mother frowns for a moment.
    "...I will have words with that Kenku...but I take your meaning. Then the Festival of Musubi-no-kami, that would also have the effect of invoking the Fortune of Marriage to bless things, not a bad idea neh?"

    You allow a ghost of a smile on your face.
    "No it would not be a bad thing."

    "Then by your leave my Emperor?" She asks.

    "Hai mother." You say.

    She bows, and leaves you in the garden alone.

    You sleep surprisingly well that night, and you turn out to need it as the next day starts just as early as the one previous. With you beginning your official duties in full. How Toshi Ranbo manages to have a thousand shrines in it's relatively narrow walls you will never know. Yet, you visited all of them , prayed at all of them, and spoke to each head monk or nun. Countless names and faces blurred together, even as you tried to remember as many as you could.

    The morning spent, your afternoon found you again in the Imperial Throne Room, receiving every member of the Imperial families and swearing them to your own family. Then came the Minor Clan Daimyo, small but proud, they too swore to your service, although in the grand scheme of things they are somewhat minor.

    Your body aches with fatigue as you put on yet another outfit to go out into Toshi Ranbo again. The finale of your first 'official day' as Emperor and to ring in the new year, is to lead a grand parade towards a cleared out promenade and then have a simply enormous party for literally everyone in the Toshi Ranbo.

    The parade does not go according to plan, you find yourself delayed for an hour. When you ask why, you find yourself grimacing....apparently somehow, Shahai the Dark Daughter of Fu Leng and Bride of Daigotsu had somehow managed to attack the city. A minor cult had tried to summon an oni to destroy you. It had been stopped by members of the Tessen Otodakate, but the Seppun wanted to make sure everything was safe.

    It was not only threats within that threatened your Empire, you would need to call council on this but tomorrow. For now...you had a parade to lead.

    The parade goes through without any fanfare, the earlier panic soon washed away by the sense of joy from your coronation. The free food and sake did not hurt you were sure. A part of you wonders if the teeming masses are really happy to see you take the throne...or are just looking for a reason to celebrate.

    You push the thoughts away as you settle in for the feast. You sit at one end of a low table alone, only someone you especially favour, or your wife would be allowed to sit beside you. However, down the table the other Clan Champions are seated largely at random, a tradition from your father, to avoid the appearance of bias, the order of who sits where is decided by a draw lot, after deciding the group who could sit at the same table as you naturally.

    Thus you find yourself sitting with Doji Domotai and Hida Kuon....the two do not like each other at all. Yet, they're willing to push that aside for the occasion. You hope they can keep that up as you make your speech.

    At this point, you've been awake for hmm you'd guess eight hours? Regardless, you manage to power through a prepared speech. (One you prepared before this all happened...you need to get an Imperial Advisor to do this for you at some point, or at least a secretary) Its filled with the usual niceties about how proud and happy you are, how honourable everyone is, yadda yadda. You haven't had tea since noon you are allowed to be a little surly. In the end you add on one small thunderbolt to the conversation.

    "...it is my hope that next year, when I sit before you all to see the start of the new year. I will be sitting with my wife. My mother is of course making sure the nakado get everything exactly right, even now, although I know not what bride they will find for me. I am sure she will be lovely. Now, itadakimasu!"

    Almost mechanically everyone begins to eat. You feel a little more relaxed to see it went over well. Still, you do note that you are being watched like a fox watches a chicken...the hunt is no doubt on. Seems your gamble was successful...still you feel like someone is watching you much more intently than anyone else, but looking around, you do not spot anything out of the ordinary. Must have been nothing...no it was something...this is going to ruin your mood. Clearly the solution is more sake.

    ------------------------------------------------------
    12th day of the Dragon, Year 1 of your reign.

    You crack your neck as you look up from the paperwork you'd been working on. It had been a little over a month and half since your coronation party and you became Emperor. Since then, you had thrown yourself into work with the stubbornness of both your parents. However, even if you could fill in for everyone on the Council, you know you are missing things...but one thing a time. The early reports on the rebuilding process are good. Supplies for construction are being laid, and it seems the bushi in your Empire are having a grand old time hunting out bandits.

    Still as the sun edges towards evening, you do wish that you had more time to train in your martial arts. The simple pleasures of punching a board into bits had been lost to you...such is life as the Emperor.

    "The Dowager Empress, wishes to present herself oh Mikado!" Miya Kanasuke calls out.

    Miya Kanasuke had quietly inserted himself as something of a gopher for you, slash personal herald. You could have done with out him, but it was still nice to have someone else to send all over the Imperial for some scroll or another.

    "Send her in Miya-san." You say.

    "At once my Emperor." He responds.

    You push aside your paperwork, and wait for your mother to come with some new complaint about the venerable Otomo Kasumi. The Nakado had been...remarkably patient, considering that your mother nitpicked everything she did. Should probably give her an increased stipend or something.

    Your mother comes in with a number of papers and portraits.
    "It is time my Emperor."

    "Time?"

    "For you to choose your bride...I have been informed...that for the best results, I can offer no guidance..." You could have sworn your heard mother's teeth grinding.

    "I see" You say quickly. "I assume the papers are reports on them and the portraits of them?"

    "Hai, Otomo-san has picked at least one candidate from each of the Great Clans, along with one from the Imperial Families." Your mother says.

    "I will review them and send word when I make a choice mother. Could you ask Miya-san to bring me more tea?" You ask.

    "Hai, my Emperor." Your mother hands over the portraits and the reports.

    She bows and then walks out, a little while later, Kanasuke gives you some green tea and you settle into read...whoever you choose will have consequences.
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    So before getting to the vote. You need to know the following. A wife will prevent her clan from having a lower opinion of you than 40 for two years, 30 for another year, 20 for another year. After four years opinion changes return to normal. However, every clan that is not chosen will feel somewhat disgruntled, and thus have a penalty of -5 to their clan rating.
    --------------------
    I thought for sometime my Emperor on how to present these to you, in essence I will go alphabetically and hope you receive them in that order. Any of these woman would make a fine Empress, and provide you several heirs. At present I do have preferences, but because of my devotion to Musubi-no-kami, I will seek a match that will make you happy as well as fulfil your duties. Thus I ask you to select one of these women so we may begin negotiations. I have written a short biography for each of them..
    -Your Servant Otomo Kasumi

    Character Profiles
    Hida Eijiko


    Hida Eikijo is a beautiful wild flower as they say. Others would call her Hida O-Ushi reborn. That is both true and untrue. Her military service is exemplary even if it is against the South. In terms of descent, she is Kuge being born to Hida Tsubei, daimyo of Garanto province. According to their family history they descend from the third son of Osano-wo no kami. If you desire a simple warrior, there would be few better. No matter who your foe is, she will not stop until they are destroyed. Yet, a simple warrior is all she is, quick to anger and quick to forgive, she is happiest in the field. I think she would serve well enough in the courts, she knows how, but it would never be her first love. Some would say that she is slow, but I would instead suggest she is wise enough to know her limits. How valuable that is to you I cannot say.
    Kakita Ayane


    It is said that silk covering steel is an ideal wife. In many ways Kakita Ayane embraces that, tracing descent from Kakita through his grandson, she is the daughter of Lady Kakita Miyako, ruler of Nanhan province. Although not the most beautiful woman that that Crane have ever produced, she is still a head turner, many thought that she would embrace the path of the Doji as the second daughter. However when her sister was injured during and ultimately minor skirmish with the Lion before the alliance, Ayane turned away from the courts to become a maiden of war. Something which she excelled at with an unlooked for ability. That ability however has come with a price, while she will undoubtedly do her duty to you, and be the most demure, most honourable wife you could ask for, she is unlikely to ever truly warm to you. She seeks to be the best, to be perfect above all else, and will dedicate her considerable talent to that. Yet, it may be that you need a wife beyond reproach, and she will be that.
    Mirumoto Nanami


    Where to begin with this one? While she is of course kuge by birth. Her family was amongst those who defected to the Phoenix nearly forty years ago. Thus most of her family lands were confiscated. Where some might be angry or resentful of this. Mirumoto-san decided that she would get it back, and has dedicated herself to this task with alacrity. As such she moved up through the ranks of the Dragon armies quickly being now considered a chui in their ranks. Considering that she was a mere hohei before the War of Silk and Steel, this speaks to her impressive drive and talent for warfare. However, while she is more than willing to do her duty, and perpetually cheerful, what is behind that cheerfulness is cause for wonder. While perhaps not the greatest warrior in this selection, she is capable and personable...within the confines of a military. Perhaps more telling is that while she is somewhat versed in the Tao, she is not as likely to use it for all things as other Dragon do.
    Ikoma Motoko


    I honestly expected that a Matsu would come through. Not to deingrate the Ikoma of course, but the Matsu samurai are famed for a reason. Regardless Ikoma-san comes well regarded, the tenth daughter of Ikoma Chiriku lord of Gisei province she could have in theory been anything. She chose the rather unusual path for an Ikoma to become a spear woman without peer. She mader her mark first in the war of Rich Frog, killing several Utaku Battlemaidens in single combat. Since then she has served well in whatever capacity that she has been assigned. While perhaps not quite as skilled in the courts as the Scorpion or Crane candidates, she can handle herself well, and make a very good speech. From my understanding, she doesn't quite know how to feel about this, it is a great honour of course, but she seems hesitant for some reason. No doubt she never expected an honour this high given her birth order. That said she would like the others be quite happy to be Empress, and do her duty to the best of her ability.
    Yoritomo Ikumi


    I admit, I do not know where they were hiding away this one. Yoritomo Ikumi has not yet made a name for herself...but that is largely because, she seems to be forbidden from joining the kobune crews like most Samurai. Bereft of that traditional past time, she went to the Moshi and served as a guard for them for a few years. Of note is that she has won several tournaments...her claim to kuge is somewhat weak, being reportedly descended from Yoritomo-no-kami's great uncle. However it is not enough to hold that against her. A gifted warrior, who yearns to see the world, she seems entranced with the idea of being empress. That said, she is considered a model Samurai by Mantis standards, take that as you will. I do wonder if her curiosity for foreign things is not a double edged sword though...
    Shiba Kaname


    Arguably the most beautiful woman on this list. Shiba-san is an odd woman, born with with an innate gifting towards weapons of all sorts, it was still self evident that she would be beautiful indeed. I am told her family struggled with decision of her schooling for quite some time before deciding she should be a bushi. That she was found beating up her seniors with a stick may have had something to do with it. The second daughter of Shiba Dosan, she is only barely Kuge as her family has only held Nejiro province for a mere three generations. However her noticeable ability and features made her the strongest candidate the Phoenix sent. Possessed of a strong sense of justice, and piety, she will undoubtedly wish you to pay attention to both...but that is not such a bad thing is it? Although she does seem to be as rigid as steel once convinced of her justice. She has chosen the somewhat unique Goemon-no-kami to pay particular reverence to. In terms of capability, she is indeed a strong warrior perhaps the only woman in the north who could challenge Ikoma-san with her spear, albeit with the naginata. Some what naive in the courtly realms despite her beauty, it is likely that she will rely on you heavily to guide her, but grow to support you in time.

    Bayushi Hoshi


    This one is a little different. While most of the Scorpion candidates begrudgingly removed their masks for the portrait when requested. Bayushi-san is the only one who did so without question. The niece of Bayushi Kambei, lord of Hizoku province, she may well have been heir before we came along. She is considered a prodigy of the Bayushi ryu and has made something of a habit of fighting Hida bushi field commanders at every opportunity. However it seems that she has missed her calling as it is in politics where she truly shines, at any court she goes to, she ends up de facto the advisor to the daimyo, if not the de jure one. While not Bayushi Kachiko-shiryo reborn, she is potent. However, she seems to be something of a cipher, what her true goals are beyond serving you and the Empire...I cannot say. I believe her loyal to you, but what she wants as Empress, eludes me.

    Shinjo Rena


    The mighty have fallen, but they may rise again. The cousin of Shinjo Shono, the old daimyo of the Shinjo family. Shinjo Rena-san's family was once in the halls of power amongst the Unicorn, only to be cast out when Shinjo-no-kami raised the Moto up. However, it seems that there are no hard feelings between the Moto and the Shinjo, as the Moto refused to give a candidate saying that none could compete with Rena. Like Ikoma-san she fought in the War of the Rich Frog, it's not reported if she met Ikoma-san there. Although her career has comfortably risen her to the rank of Gunso, it seems to be more from lack of motivation that she rises no harder than actual lack of ability. While of course thrilled to be one of the candidates, she is very humble, almost too humble...but perhaps she worries you'll hold the actions of her ancestors against her. While not the strongest warrior, or politician, she has shown considerable promise in both, managing to turn a Winter Court against the Crane in Kyuden Ikoma, and fight off several members of the Lion's Pride.


    So there are the candidates.
    [] Hida Eijiko
    [] Kakita Ayane
    [] Mirumoto Nanami
    [] Ikoma Motoko
    [] Yoritomo Hana
    [] Shiba Kaname
    [] Bayushi Hoshi
    [] Shinjo Rena

    Try to keep it civil.
    AN: You have no idea how hard it was to find artwork that would be appropriate in universe.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • For your sacrifice, I salute you.

    So, can I still swing you guys on the Bayushi? Or are we taking Eijiko?
     
    Chuckles said:
    For your sacrifice, I salute you.

    So, can I still swing you guys on the Bayushi? Or are we taking Eijiko?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Eijiko would be the worst option since it would confirm in the mind of the other clans that we are but a puppet to our mother and honestly she doesn't seem that useful.
    Personally I'm leaning towards Yoritomo, Kakita, Shinjor or Bayushi not entirely sure yet who exactly
     
    [X] Shiba Kaname

    Great fighter, good enough in court, virtuous enough not to make more trouble.
     
    Last edited:
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top