The year is 1115. For a time, Rokugan has known peace but now that time is coming to an end. Dark portents plague shugenja, crops fail across the south, and evil forces plot their next move.
Emperor Hantei Gosaku is not a ruler made for these trying times, but he is all Rokugan has left. His uncles and brothers have died or been disgraced over three generations of slow, accidental winnowing. His eldest son, the headstrong Hantei Jodan, died in a tragic training accident at fourteen. His youngest son, Hantei Daisetsu, died last year in a suspected attack by the Lost along the Yobanjin border. The Emperor's wife died with him. All other heirs are elderly distant relatives, unlikely to survive until Hantei's death, or have an at-best tenuous claim upon the throne.
This crisis, and the deep melancholy that has struck the Emperor in its wake, comes at the worst possible time. Kolat assassins plot against the throne, goblin legions test the Wall, dark omens, plague, and the ever-distant specter of foreign threats rear their heads. Rokugan enters the shadow of a great crisis, and it is the Clans, not the Emperor, who will have to shepherd it out.
Recent History
The previous Emperor was Hantei Yamamoto, the Emperor's mother is Hantei Bian (Formerly Akodo Bian). Yamamoto died of plague in 1090. The current Emperor is Hantei Gosaku, he was married to Hantei Hochiahime (Previously Doji Hochiahime. Died 1114, suspected Lost attack) and had two sons, Hantei Jodan (Died 1109, training accident) and Hantei Daisetsu (Died 1114, suspected Lost attack). There are no legitimate heirs at this time, Gosaku's younger brother was executed for Treason, his Sister is Tainted and in a monastery.
The Dragon learned of their population contraction around 1105, the Crop Blight began in 1112, while the Hejazi raiding kicked off in 1113.
The Lion have started two wars since the turn of the century, both under the leadership of Akodo Arasou. The first began in 1101 and ended in 1106, it involved simultaneous combat with the Scorpion, Phoenix, and Crane and resulted in the Lion retaking the Kintani valley but failing to take Toshi Ranbo, and being pushed back from Phoenix territory. The War of Arasou's Folly was from 1109-1112, was against the Unicorn, Crane, and Dragon, and saw the loss of the Kintani Valley to the Crane, Arasou's death at the walls of Toshi Ranbo, and the loss of Kaeru Toshi to the Unicorn.
Otherwise, the Moto have skirmished with the Mirumoto over who would keep villages taken from the Lion, the Crane and Phoenix have an ongoing dispute as to fishing rights off the coast of the Emerald Magistrate's territory, and the Daidoji, Bayushi, and Yasuki eye each other warily over potential jade seams around the southern reaches of the River of Gold.
The Crab have been blessed with a run of good luck, but now find that it is coming to an end. The Kuni purge of their lands has born fruit, not only is the taint gone but life has finally begun to return to the region. The new life is fragile, but concerted work could see the food output of the Crab clan greatly increased. Even better, success in Kuni lands indicates the possibility of reclaiming tainted territory beyond the wall. Recent dropoffs in attacks by the Lost and Oni also bode well, and the Crab might even be looking at a surplus in Jade that might allow for a push beyond the wall.
Unfortunately, not all goes well. A crop plague that started in Crane Lands has moved into the lands of the Yasuki, threatening failed harvests of tea and rice. Bakemono declare themselves lord, general, and daimyo south of the wall. Their legions are more lethal than ever and Lost mercenaries are in their employ.
The Crab game will involve trying to capitalize on these new opportunities while learning of and dealing with the new threat in the shadowlands. You can afford to only care about Court when it interests you, at least at first, so don't need to worry too much about your weakness there.
Expect combat, and you probably want to initiate some Great Works.
A few short years ago, things were going so well for the crane. The Emperor's wife was a doting Doji, the courts loved everything the Asahina produced or said, and the Daidoji and Kakita had beaten the lion in two wars and solidly captured Toshi Ranbo!
Then the Empress died, and with her the heir. The Empress' guard was humiliated and the Emperor would break into tears at the sight of a Doji. Blight hit the Asahina crops, a crisis that threatens you with unimaginable famine and death. And, atop it all, you must secure the future of the throne.
The Crane game will involve trying to navigate multiple crises larger than the Crane, ideally while accomplishing your own goals. You will have to deal with the brunt of the crop plague, avenge your dead relative, and handle the succession crisis all while fighting to maintain your stranglehold on the courts.
To Rokugan, the Scorpion appear to be doing very well for themselves. The scorpion lands are fat, happy, and peaceful and the plight of the crane has allowed them to make quite the nuisance of themselves in court.
Behind the scenes, the scorpion are in crisis. They have discovered a plot to kill the Emperor, and an organization, the Kolat, that wish to make it happen. The resulting fighting saved the Emperor's life but has gutted the Scorpions offensive espionage capability. Worse, their decision to clue in the Hare burned both of them, hard, and outbreaks of taint in the combat zone indicates that either the Kolat are tainted or there is some other force at work here.
The Scorpion game will involve trying to manipulate the courts and investigate the conspiracy while trying to recover from damage done and deal with the threat of the taint.
The twelfth century has been a string of disasters for the Lion. The previous champion, Akodo Arasou, lead the Lion into two disastrous wars against most of their neighbors simultaneously. He has seen them lose Toshi Ranbo and Toshi Kaeru, deep-seated rot take their officer corps, the Akodo lose much of their legitimacy as the rulers of the Lion Clan, and then died in the last battle of Toshi Ranbo. This has radicalized the Lion leadership and demoralized their base, the combative Matsu control many of the levers of power while the populace are disillusioned with their leadership.
Now the Matsu look to take the Championship from an unsteady Akodo. The Ikoma and Kitsu look to leverage their popularity into actual political gain. The Akodo look to shore up their reputation. And all the families look to rehabilitate the Lion's battered reputation.
The Lion game will be a mixture of trying to figure out the cause of your institutional rot, internal fighting for control of the Clan, and external fighting to reclaim your reputation on the Imperial stage.
The Unicorn had been looking at business as usual until very recently. The reclaiming of Kaeru Toshi was a pleasant feather in the cap of their military, but no grand victories or terrifying scandals had graced them of late. However, being stable isn't a bad thing, and the simple lack of scandal goes a long way towards ensuring smooth relations with an Empire that still views the Unicorn as foreign.
However, a new force has begun to interfere with trade in the Hejaz. Long-time allies report attacks on their holdings, while trade caravans disappear into the desert and mysterious raiders harry the borders. While not a pressing issue, events in Rokugan threaten to draw away the resources necessary to deal with the situation.
The Unicorn game will be a mixture of managing your foreign relations and foreign threats with an evolving domestic situation that you can't actually afford to ignore.
The founding of the Kitsuki family is an enormous boon to the dragon. They are the Clan's first outward facing family and have an uncanny ability to pick apart the intrigue that defines Rokugan. They've also brought an influx of new samurai, hundreds, thousands of young nobles who have married or adopted into the Clan.
This is critical, for the Dragon Clan is dying. The cause is unclear, but the Agasha and Mirumoto have both begun to shrink, and with them the Togashi monks lose their primary source of recruits. Each year more Samurai die with no-one to replace them, and each gempukku becomes a more joyous and desperate occasion, for even a single new blade is a beloved resource for the Clan. This does, however, mean that the culture shock of the new, vibrant Dragon family is particularly alien. Particularly dangerous to the cryptic isolation so beloved of the clan.
The Dragon game will be a mixture of managing wild social change, self-made existential crises, and being a cryptic jerk to all the other players. The Kitsuki want to learn about what's going on, and likely interact, while Togashi has his own motivations and the other families have little margin for failure.
Empress Hochiahime died in Phoenix territory and threw the clan into immediate crisis. She declined a Phoenix guard while performing pilgrimage to a northern shrine, and her party was ambushed and slaughtered in the mountain passes before they arrived. The Elemental Council blighted the Yobanjin with great hurricanes and began to muster their armies to avenge the slight, only to learn that the likely culprits were tainted Lost and that they had enraged the Yobanjin for nothing.
Now the Phoenix are faced with a series of grand humiliations. The people and the courts hate them, for the Empress died on their soil. The Elemental Council's legitimacy is very much in question, and the Isawa find themselves more hated than they have been for a long time. The Yobanjin feel that they have been slighted for the last time, and the possibility of some warlord mounting an invasion are all too real.
The Phoenix game will revolve around the utilization of the phenomenal cosmic power available to you and the fact that it doesn't actually solve any of your problems. The Elemental Council are more liability than asset when you need to deal with a delicate situation at court and profound humiliation while handling a very possible invasion from the north.
Sparrow life is hard, but Sparrow life is always hard. The Crop Blight afflicting Crane territory has driven some desperate peasants to attempt to trespass upon your charge, yet they are no match for well trained and well led Samurai. There are questions, as there always are, but for now they seem to be how much should the Sparrow risk themselves. How much are they obligated to help the peasants of other clans, who might otherwise starve so terribly they risk the Heaven's wrath? How much must they intervene in the affairs of Rokugan to ensure an honorable outcome?
The Sparrow game is relatively isolated. Barring the Crop Blight igniting a truly horrific famine or spreading to Sparrow territory, all of their threats can be handled internally. As such, it is up to the Sparrow player how much they want to act upon Rokugan as a whole, and how many of their precious resources they will risk in the process.
The Plague is bad, the Emperor's misery is bad, but the omens are worse. The spirits scream of death, of blood and blight and horror. Omens of disaster are recorded across the land, and the spirits are restless. The Fox may prefer the company of their spirits and the safety of the Emperor's word, but these omens cannot be ignored. Something terrible is going to happen, and they must act to stop it.
The Fox game is going to focus pretty aggressively on the metaplot. You know that something is wrong, but will have to figure out what and work with others to figure out what you can do about it.
The Wasp are a new clan. Vengeful, violent, and filled with glorious purpose. But revenge upon the Lion and Scorpion will have to wait, for you have been given many of the duties of the Emerald Magistrates, among them the investigation of the Empress' death. It is a grim task, but a worthy one, and perhaps even one that will see your enemies humiliated or dead.
The Wasp game will have an initial focus on the Empress' fate. Something terrible has happened here, and pulling on that thread is sure to reveal more secrets. You also have a vested interest in fucking with the Scorpion and Lion
The great foe of the Mantis isn't the other great clans, or the Langkasuka Kingdoms, or the dynasties to the north or south. The great foe of the Mantis is other Mantis. Since Gusai's name was removed there has been no legal basis for any of the governments that have ruled the Mantis Isles, and the result has been chaos. The Mantis have been a republic, monarchy, several feuding territories, theocracy, and a dozen other things in their quest to leverage massive resources and abundant territory to become the Great Clan they know that they can be. And always they have been sabotaged by their own disunity.
But finally, finally, things look to change. The current situation isn't...stable, but it's less volatile than it has been. The Mantis are drawn into roughly two factions with two competing views of the world, one looks inland, to become a Great Clan via alliance and politicking and absorption of other Minor clans. The other looks outwards, to become a Great Clan by gaining such power from outside of Rokugan that none within it can deny them their rightful place.
The Mantis game is a Fucking Experience. You have heavy isolation from the consequences of your actions on the mainland, an abundance of resources, and a free hand to draw up your own wildly dysfunctional political system. The main thing you will have to negotiate will be the other Family on the Mantis isles and the fact that your agendas are diametrically opposed. Well, and the zombie pirates.
The lot of the Hare is constant vigilance, and until recently their wages have been peace. Maho always rears its head, to be certain, and the Hare have always been there to crush it, and when the Scorpion, hated though they are, asked for help duty compelled the Hare to answer.
But it was not Maho that the Scorpion had found, not Bloodspeakers, but a well armed conspiracy. One that had forewarning that the Hare were here to help, knew how their men must enter the fight, and ambushed them with that knowledge. The fighting was bloodied, and many good men are dead, and all for a cause not the Hare's. The have a lead now, but new grudges as well. Against their old foe the Scorpion and their new enemies in the Kolat.
The Hare game, at least initially, will revolve around an investigation into the Kolat and the tainted forces involved in their war with the Scorpion. You've been burned pretty hard, so it may behoove you to seek out help but it's important to keep this on the downlow and you fucking hate the only people who already know what's going down.
Application Process
For each faction you apply for list the name and what you want to accomplish in the game as that faction.
You can apply for three factions, please list the priority of your claims.
If you're accepted you will need to make character sheets for your Thunder and Paragons. The template is as follows:
The system, as it currently exists, is available here and commenting rights are on.
This is a game with a deck and we're playing it with a diceroller. Fortunately, the system is easy enough to simulate. Each Clan should record what's in their hand and deck, ideally in their turnpost. When you need to draw, roll a dice with sides equal to the number of cards left in the deck, and count start from 1+.
In this example, I am rolling a d11 for Power, Passion, and Portents and a d10 for Peace. I skip over crossed out cards while counting, so a 9 on Peace gets me a 9 instead of an 8, and once I draw that 9 the next roll is a d9.
The Big Picture
This is a playtest for a system in development. Mechanics aren't finished. Text may be incomplete. Rules not necessary for running this game with these clans have not been completed and may well not be completed for the duration. Feedback on the system is not merely encouraged but expected, the doc has comments and I'm available in the thread and on discord.
It also means you are almost certainly going to run into weirdness playing the game. Mechanics will be half-baked, some subsystems are probably gonna break, and the ruleset will change partway through the game. This is annoying, but is a necessary step to getting this to being a completed game.
Because my goal here isn't just a successful L5R nationgame, but a system that can be used for nationgames in general. An arbiter that doesn't rely on players not deciding to kamikaze hundreds of biplanes into a hurricane and doesn't rely on GMs knowing that biplanes can't really fly attack runs in hurricanes. A system to manage, mechanize, reward, and punish the endless obsession with canals. That makes internal politics matter outside of when the GM decides it ought to, and that lets more people contribute to the writing of reports because all the results that go into that are available to the players they concern.
That system is currently called Widening Gyre. A general system for roleplaying as political factions in great nations that I am developing and, hopefully, eventually selling to people. The aim is to have a basic framework that handles actions, disasters, ideology, and economics with customizable Combat and Diplomacy subsystems to fit different settings or approaches to the game. The first setting I will be trying to complete will be Qaf Arisen, an interwar fantasy game that takes some inspiration from NSS.
That said, I'm employed full time for mediocre pay in Silicon Valley. Any cash you can pass my way helps make this thing happen and helps make continued development more economically viable for me. It's by no means a condition of me running the game, but anything you can shoot my way is greatly appreciated.
Daidoji: The path is twofold. Firstly, Iron Crane must remain the armor and spear of the heart of the Empire, protecting the beauty and grace that elevate all, and giving succor to our cousins to the south. Second, we must plant the standard of Daidjoi atop Shiro Matsu and make Beiden pass run with the blood of the Lion.
1. The Doji:
The higher the climb, the more terrible the fall. And we have climbed high indeed. Our enemies gather in the shadows, they slay our children and grandchildren, they seek to cast all of Rokugan back into the barbarity THE Lady Doji lifted it from.
Our enemies think us wounded and weak. They think that now is the time to strike. We shall teach them otherwise.
1. Unicorn / Shinjo - The Unicorn walks a tightrope, hoping to protect their valuable trade establishment without presenting a weak target for a vengeful Lion. Clearly, strong alliances within Rokugan will be needed to form a backstop that the Unicorn can rely upon, though this may draw them further into the affairs of other Clans then they would like. The Unicorn may be relative newcomers, but isolation is not an option in the coming troubles - we will stand with friends, old and new, or we shall not stand at all.
2. Mantis / Inazuma - Mantis is described as being a "Fucking Experience" which immediately piques my interest. Gameplay wise I'm inclined to try the more diplomatic route towards becoming a Great Clan, but clearly conflict is coming to the Mantis at some point, be it from other Clans, within the Clan, or zombie pirates, and the Mantis must be ready to face it. It's hard to be more specific than that without actually getting into the game and seeing what other people are doing, but it seems like a very engaging faction to play whatever happens.
3. Fox / Kitsune - I'm a little hesitant to play the Fox to be quite honest, as my knowledge of the L5R lore is a bit lacking. Despite this, I feel that having to investigate the metaplot of the setting will provide for some excellent fodder regarding diplomatic interactions and subterfuge, which is generally my preferred playstyle. I also feel like there are certain advantages to approaching the metaplot of the setting without much prior knowledge - it means that I won't have any preconceived notions about what it's intended to be.
1. The Kakita-One maintains grace when in crisis. When all panic, when for the moment to cut to the heart of the issue.
OOC: I ride with those who brought me.
2. The Shinjo-We rode west to secure the future of Rokugan before. We will do it again. No Gaijin will ever threaten the Empire.
3. Disciples of Kami-Kaze-So the Great Clans are falling into disarray? Perhaps the time has come to rise.
1. Suzume: none more so than the Sparrow knows of the people's suffering. Its lands, poor in soil yet rich in heart, is a speck of light in the sea of darkness. And, like all bright things, it attracts those that want it -- either to be protected by it or to exploit it. For the former, it shall be a harsh yet fair home. For the latter, it shall be their deaths.
2. Usagi: ours is the rage of the masses ready to wash over chaos.
3. Kitsune: the eyes of the fox are sharp. Wherever evil hides, they'll be dragged to the light and destroyed.
1) Scorpion/Bayushi - Elegant, well-dressed men and women with a gift for seductive grace and a mask-full of latent psychopathic tendencies? Yes, please, sign me up. I'm going to have so many people kill themselves in disgrace, its gonna be great.
2) Lion/Akodo - OK so clearly there's some housecleaning that needs to be done here, because hoo boy does this shit stink. Time to get in touch with our ancestors, figure out where everything went wrong, and step on some uppity Matsu before they lead us into another half dozen wars we're not prepared for.
3) Phoenix/Isawa - Fuck you I know exactly what I'm doing and it is, in fact, a marvellous idea.
1. Kakita: Beautiful, lethal, and deeply unstable (not necessarily in that order), I'm interested in the Kakita for the ability to play as the Crane's hatchetmen, with all that entails. People shaped by enormous external and internal pressures into a deadly killing edge, with an commensurate price to be paid in body, heart, and mind. Disciples of aesthetic and the arts, the people who pursue perfection but who are, in their own way, deeply fractured and flawed. Held together by their own rigidity and the genuine love they have for their family.
2. Fox: Spirit-allies, the ability to freely engage in the metaplot without having to necessarily balance a ton of other obligations, and a fairly free hand to write some solid j-horror inspired stuff makes the Fox a strong second choice.
1. The Kakita-One maintains grace when in crisis. When all panic, when for the moment to cut to the heart of the issue.
OOC: I ride with those who brought me.
2. The Shinjo-We rode west to secure the future of Rokugan before. We will do it again. No Gaijin will ever threaten the Empire.
3. The Mantis-So the Great Clans are falling into disarray? Perhaps the time has come to rise.
1. Dragon Mirumoto
The Mirumoto are my boys, always have been. That said, I would like to arrest the decline and perhaps take advantage of the Phoenix thrashing the Yobanjin to expand northward outside of the Empire
2. Unicorn Moto
While my favourite family of the Unicorn is the Shinjo, the Moto have an interesting game here of having to manage the foreign threats so the Shinjo can do the internal, in turn, there's a lot of space to explore, perhaps it is time for a Great Clan to remind the world that Rokugan is not weak.
3. Lion Ikoma
In many ways Ikoma is the social glue holding the Lion together, and the Matsu are going to fuck everything up. While I too want to find the source of the rot, I'm far more interested in learning to leverage our soft power to over take the other clans. The Lion are the Right Hand but a hand can be open or closed as the need takes it.
I'm not entirely sure that I get how the system works, but I'll give it a shot if accepted.
1) Crab/Hida
We are the Wall, weathered by time, scarred by our foes and...kindred within the Empire. We alone have the strength to turn back the tides of Shadow. We alone will safeguard the future, whether our neighbors too follow their duty to provide us what we require...or we make that choice for them.
2) The Wasp
Born from a betrayal by those who claimed to be defending their honor, we will bring Justice! By our blades and our bows, our duty remains clear. The Empress's fate will be discovered, no matter the cost and our debt of honor to the Emerald Throne paid, just as the debt of blood will be paid by our enemies in time....
3) Dragon/Togashi
What goals does a slumbering Dragon dream? What futures does it plan?
1: The Wasp , a precious newborn clan on the cusp of well, not greatness but significance who are both defined by their honour,and yet also by the rejection of elements of the code of courtly behaviour.
I want to help establish them further, solve weirdness with the magistrates and be a stumbling block in the lies and maschinations of those stronger then I.
2:Togashi , Ah to be Togashi, to have the knowledge to manipulate your siblings and enginier the shadowlands all in the quest to slay your father. How far can one go with him? And what is the price that Rokugan will pay for his interest as he proclaims that all is just as planed while doom shadows the sword that he holds against his brother.
1. The Shinjo We face troubles from all directions. Outside our borders, our allies are plagued by this new threat. Whether they are our enemies, or simply seek dominance over the Hejaz, this is something that cannot be ignored- for this new threat has already displayed hostility to us, and how much more if they end up in control of the lands to our west?
But my direct concerns are within Rokugan- for the Emperor is a broken man. Oh, I wish it were not so, but it is. We both know how love lost can break a man- and the Emperor must have loved his wife dearly. Compassion and duty demand we support him in any way we can. And if he cannot heal, as Uncle could not...
Then the Hejaz may be the least of our concerns. For now, I must entrust it to our Moto cousins and to you, dear sister. If you require my more direct aid, you need merely write and I will do what I can.
Your little sister,
Shinjo Zhihao
Daimyo of the Shinjo, Unicorn Clan Champion
2. The Utaku
Because I'm currently on a Unicorn kick and if I don't get the Champion I can settle for Best Unicorns.
3. Mantis (Disciples of Inazuma)
The Empire ignores what is outside its borders. In that, comes advantage. In that, comes strength they do not see because they choose not to see.
We will make them see the strength we take from the foreigners, and we will be recognised.
Arasou no Oni: 38 Upkeep (3 Koku)/ 15 Offense
Commander: Arasou no Oni
1x Arasou no Oni (In Command)
1x Lesser Oni
1x Tainted Poor Samurai
1x Tainted Berserkers
2x Hungry Dead
Wandering Corpses: 0 Upkeep (0 Koku)/ 0 Offense
Commander: Unknown Moto
1x Hungry Dead (In Command)
5x Hungry Dead
Gman, your current placement are due to lacking other people in the Dragon, if other people express first choice interest there or are interested in switching to it I'm up for rearranging things.
In other news, the Discord is here and the link is valid for 24 hours.
Recruitment is still open, but here are the claims I'm accepting so far. It will eventually double as a up-to-date player list.
Gman, your current placement are due to lacking other people in the Dragon, if other people express first choice interest there or are interested in switching to it I'm up for rearranging things.
In other news, the Discord is here and the link is valid for 24 hours.
That's fine, uh, I'm willing to just play Dragon if there's not enough interest in the other families. I just figured more people would want to play the Champion family so I picked the runner up.
To be honest I only signed up to work with Wade and Mina and since Tenfold took the Kakita and I fit with Imperial court protocol as well as a blue bull in a china shop I'm just going to go.
To be honest I only signed up to work with Wade and Mina and since Tenfold took the Kakita and I fit with Imperial court protocol as well as a blue bull in a china shop I'm just going to go.
I'd like to voice my interest in the Fox Clan, and the Scorpion Clan families of Soshi and Shoshuro. That said, I do need some more time to talk things out with people and narrow things down for my foremost preference.
Yogo Family - We must reverse the fortunes of the Scorpion and fend off the taint, but to be the Yogo is to act with caution and restraint. To do otherwise would be a betrayal of all we stand for. We absolutely must not take desperate measures. Definitely not.
Nagisa
Mantis Champion, Admiral of the First Storm, Governor of Inazuma Province, Thunder
[2 Passion, 3 Peace, 1 Power] Rule the Waves,Trendsetter,Clear Thinker
The Leader of the Inazuma faction, Nagisa was born to the Governor of Inazuma province, a position he took himself when he came of age. Similar to most children of Samurai-rank families in Mantis lands, he was trained in the arts of naval warfare, a task that he took to as seriously as he did everything else. Better at managing a navy than leading one, he is nonetheless a competent Admiral in combat and his logistical prowess ensures the ships of the First Storm are always well equipped and in top condition. Married Doji Kimigawarui, of the Crane Clan.
Daughter of Nagisa, Amaya was given a well rounded education that reflected her father's growing importance within the Mantis Clan, and proved to be especially adept at managing the affairs of court. Amaya had always been close to her Crane mother, and attended a Crane courtier school to complete her education. As she came of age, she was appointed governor of Gotei Province, a prominent role that the Inazuma faction lobbied hard for, and a test of her abilities. Married Sitting Sparrow, of the Sparrow Clan.
Taishiro
Commander of the Tempest corsairs, Paragon
[2 Passion, -1 Peace, 2 Power] Rule the Waves,I Cannot Die
The illegitimate brother of the current Champion, Nagisa, Taishiro took to the seas instead of trying to make it as a wandering Ronin and soon won his way into the ranks of the corsairs and privateers that ply the waters near Mantis clan territory. As a captain, he proved to be daring and extremely resilient, always found where the fighting was thickest. His reputation lead to him becoming the leader of a fleet of corsairs, and he was given official sanction as a privateer through the influence of his half-brother. Now he hunts for Rokugan's (nominal) enemies with the banners of the Mantis clan flying from his ships, and demonstrates the fury of the tempest.
