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Empire of the Emerald Stars (Legend of the Five Rings)

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Empire of the Emerald Stars



It is a time of miracles.

The year is 3121 by the Isawa...
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Introduction
  • Threadmarks
    • Maugan Ra

    Maugan Ra

    Councillor
    Location
    London, England
    Empire of the Emerald Stars

    ​

    It is a time of miracles.

    The year is 3121 by the Isawa Calendar, and the glorious Empire of Rokugan has spread to the stars. Using a unique blend of science and mysticism, the samurai of the Great Clans have developed tools and techniques unimaginable to their revered ancestors, and with them they have left behind their earthly cradle and walked among the heavens themselves. Guided by the immortal wisdom of their ancestors and three thousand years of unbroken tradition they have carried their art and civilization to even the most distant star.

    No less than fifty seven star systems now lie under the aegis of the Divine Emperor, Hantei CXII, ritually purified and accepted into the ever-growing Star Empire of Rokugan. Twice as many again are in the process of being claimed and colonized by his most dutiful servants among the Eight Great Clans, and with each passing year new discoveries and new conquests are reported back to the Imperial Court by exultant samurai, each one eager to earn glory among the stars and bring honour to their lords. Power and influence shifts by the day, each Clan driven to outdo their peers in a relentless contest of skill and daring, and every year the star-lanes and space-ports seem to explode in a tangled mess of violent conflict as ambitious rivals make war upon their peers.

    Now, all eyes turn to one Clan in particular, where a change in leadership has just occurred. An old Champion has fallen and a new one has risen, prompting friend and foe alike to examine the situation with the utmost care. In a society as bound by tradition and obligation as Rokugan, the every word and deed of a Clan Champion can cause ripples that affect the lives of billions of lesser mortals. It is a heavy weight to bear, and how well this new hero copes with their burden will go a long way towards deciding the fate of all Rokugan in years to come.

    This is their story...

    What is this madness?

    This, gentle reader, is another quest for Legend of the Five Rings. The last one I ran recently terminated in the unfortunate demise of the primary protagonist, but I still haven't quite got my fill of magical samurai and their varying struggles and successes in a massively dangerous world. So, I decided that I would take one of the more unusual ideas that I've had buzzing around in the back of my mind for a fair few weeks, and actually try and turn it into a proper Quest.

    The setting, as you might have guessed, is the Empire of Emerald Stars alternate timeline from the L5R sourcebook 'Imperial Histories 2'. Don't worry if you don't have access to it, as I'll be doing my best to help explain what exactly is going on as we progress through the storyline. Sufficed to say that it takes the default fantasy-Japan setting of canon L5R and accelerates it forwards two thousand years, until we reach a delightfully weird crossroads between High Fantasy and Science Fiction that appeals to me in a surprisingly fundamental way. A lot of the serious character drama of the original setting has been preserved, but it's presented in a context that is almost delightfully ridiculous in how ambitious and over-the-top it gets.

    Your main character has a magical neutronium power-katana, for example, and may be able to unleash orbital death rays of purifying jade light upon your enemies from your fleet of Tetsubo-class battleships.

    The quest is going to be a blend of character drama and empire management, where you assume leadership of one of the Great Clans of Rokugan and lead your armies of samurai into a glorious future among the stars. Or perhaps an ignominious defeat. There won't be a lot of number-crunching involved, as most conflict resolution will instead be handled by a relatively abstract system that I have cudgeled together out of the core rules and various pieces of inspiration lifted from other large-scale quests being run on this site. Your main decisions each turn will involve directing the efforts of your various subordinate daimyos and generals in order to best accomplish your intended goals, coupled with a number of unique 'events' which demand some form of response from you and your Clan.

    I will then take these decisions, and weave from them a story about cyborg samurai invading an asteroid-base filled with demons, or whatever other madness you decide to implement.

    The mechanics are explained in more detail below, while the overall plot is likely going to be highly dependent on what you the players want out of it. There will be individual plot lines and events, of course - the other Great Clans each have their own agendas, and that's without taking into account orders handed down from the Emperor himself - but in any given year you could potentially decide to up and invade another Clan for reasons of your own devising, and I would shape the ongoing story around that.

    So, with that said...
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Character Roster
  • Threadmarks
    • Character Roster​


    These are the most notable samurai currently pledged to your service, out of the millions who are pledged to your Clan. They are divided up according to their family and role, and currently have only a brief summary of their personality and skills available. More details will be added over time.

    The Shiba Family
    A family of warriors in a clan of pacifists, descendants of the god who knelt before a mortal man, the Shiba are the largest family in the Phoenix Clan and hold the bulk of their territory. In addition to their powerful and highly advanced military forces, the Shiba are also renowned for being artists and philosophers.

    Provinces Held: Six
    Bushi: 4
    Courtiers: 4
    Daimyo: 5
    Magistrates: 5
    Sages: 5

    Family Traits:
    - Air 4
    - Earth 5
    - Fire 5
    - Water 4
    - Void 5

    Clan Champion: Shiba Izumi
    Originally a minor daimyo, Izumi has been forced into a much more prominent role of late. Though not a shugenja, she often receives brief glimpses of the future in her dreams, and her understanding of Bushido is second to none.
    Glory: 3
    Aspects: Clan Champion, Daimyo, Paragon of Bushido, Prophet, Soul of Shiba.

    The Isawa Family
    The largest and most powerful Shugenja family in the Empire, the Isawa are the traditional rulers of the Phoenix Clan, and widely recognized as being the foremost experts on magic and divinely-empowered technology in the Empire.

    Provinces Held: Four
    Bushi: 4
    Courtiers: 4
    Daimyo: 5
    Magistrates: 5
    Sages: 5

    Family Traits:
    - Air 4
    - Earth 5
    - Fire 5
    - Water 4
    - Void 5

    Isawa Aiko, Master of Fire - An aggressive and passionate young woman, Aiko is known for being one of the more forceful members of the Elemental Council. She constantly pushes for the Phoenix to act rather than react, to seek new advantages and use those they currently possess to best effect.
    Glory: 4
    Aspects: Aggressive, Genius, Innovative, Master of Fire, Shugenja (Fire).

    Isawa Genji, Master of Air - A consummate politician, Genji most often calls upon the spirits of the air in courtly settings, lending him uncanny insight into the minds and moods of those around him.
    Glory: 4
    Aspects: Absolute Pacifist, Empathetic, Master of Air, Shugenja (Air)

    Isawa Hisana, Master of Void - Quiet and intense, Hisana is feared across the Empire for her immense power and her willingness to use it. Unusually militant for a Phoenix, Hisana has been known to argue that peace is best achieved through victory.
    Glory: 5
    Aspects: Master of Void, Militant, Peace through Power, Prodigy, Shugenja (Void)

    Isawa Tetsuo, Master of Earth - As steady as the mountains and almost as large in the eyes of those he deals with, Tetsuo is the unshakeable foundation of the council, and his words are treated with great respect by all samurai of the Empire.
    Glory: 4
    Aspects: Patient, Master of Earth, Shugenja (Earth), Wise Council

    Isawa Ujiko, Master of Water - New to her position, Ujiko often stays silent during council meetings, only offering her input when it is specifically asked for or when the time comes to make a final decision.
    Glory: 3
    Aspects: Insightful, Master of Water, Shugenja (Water), Reserved.

    The Asako Family
    Famed as the creators of the enlightenment techniques now taught in just about every Dojo in the Empire, the Asako family are largely a line of peaceful scholars and diplomats. They believe that knowledge is power, and go to great lengths to study and apply just about every kind of information available to them.

    Provinces Controlled: 3
    Bushi: 4
    Courtiers: 5
    Daimyo: 4
    Magistrates: 5
    Sages: 5

    Family traits:
    Air - 5
    Earth - 4
    Fire - 5
    Water - 4
    Void - 5
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Province List
  • Threadmarks
    • Lands of the Phoenix Clan​

    The Phoenix Clan is the smallest of the eight Great Clans of Rokugan, and controls only a relative handful of territories across the Empire. They once held more, but in the recent war with the Unicorn all but their core systems were lost to massive attack fleets and claimed by their victorious opponents.

    Core Worlds Region
    The Core Worlds is the name given to the area of space containing Rokugan proper and the first handful of star systems colonized by the Great Clans in their initial wave of expansion. Worlds here tend to be highly developed and extremely prosperous.

    The Homeworld. The Imperial Throne. The Land of Our Ancestors. Rokugan is known by many names across the length and breadth of the Empire, and the majority of samurai make a point of visiting at least once during their lives if at all possible. Every last Great Clan maintains holdings here, and it would be unusual indeed for the Emperor to permit any of them to be lost to any kind of conflict.


    The ancestral lands of the Phoenix consist of their original Clan territories, and extend up to encompass much of the land once held by the nations of the Yobanjin.

    Culture: 5, Law: 4, Learning: 5, Piety: 5, Prosperity: 4

    Aspects    : Ancestral Homeland, Blessed by the Fortunes, Land of a Thousand Temples, Sacrosanct.

    The Dreaming Sea Region
    One of the first regions colonized in the second wave of expansion, the Dreaming Sea is named for the spectacular multicolored nebula that dominates its central regions. The region is currently shared between many different clans, primarily the Phoenix and the Scorpion.

    This system is dominated by the ruddy glow of it's ancient star, and is a major holding of the Scorpion Clan. In a particularly unusual step, the children of Bayushi opened up one of the larger worlds in this system to colonization by other Clans, attracting settlers and investors alike with low taxes and other incentives. Heavily populated and extremely urbanized, the World of Dreams now has a solid claim on being the 'true' capital of the Empire.

    A planet as massively populated as the World of Dreams demands a mind-boggling amount of food and water on a daily basis, and Shujin province is there to meet that need. Consisting of a long trail of extremely fertile islands, much of the province is given over to vertical towers of rice paddies carefully tended to by Phoenix priests and technicians.

    Culture: 3, Law: 4, Learning: 4, Piety: 5, Prosperity: 5

    Aspects    : Agricultural Hub, Commercial Hub, Inari Seido.

    The core holding of the Phoenix Clan, this system is a masterpiece of elemental magic and stands as eternal testament to the glory and wonder of the Heavens. It holds four worlds and three moons, and each and every one is spiritually significant in some way.

    The innermost world of the Tadaka system, Tsuke's Anvil is a world of extremes. Tidally locked with one side always facing the burning wrath of the star, it is only in the eternal shadows on the far side of the world that life can survive. The Phoenix have many dojos dedicated to the study of fire here.

    Culture 2, Law 3, Learning 4, Piety 5, Prosperity 4

    Aspects    : Extensive Mines, World of Fire

    A small world just on the edge of the system's habitable zone, Gennai's Lesson is a rough and storm-wracked world frequently pummeled by furious storms.

    Established in the foothills of a major mountain range, this province is primarily famous as the home of the Asako Inquisitors, who maintain a large number of dojos and facilities for their elite operatives in the area.

    Culture 3, Law 5, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Asako Inquisitors.

    Frequently lashed by cold winds coming down from the northern pole, this province is known as the home of the Hurricane Legion, and is frequently used as a place for the Phoenix to train their Bushi how to resist hardship and elemental exposure.

    Culture 4, Law 3, Learning 5, Piety 4, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Hurricane Legion Headquarters, Infertile, Rich in Minerals

    This moon plays host to the Phoenix Clan's primary library - a collection of scrolls, data files and other mediums large enough to cover a significant percentage of the moon in question.

    Culture 4, Law 5, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 2

    Aspects: Asako Loremasters, Universal Archive

    The single richest source of magical materials in all of the Emerald Empire, Ujitmitsu is a world of glittering mountains, rolling plains and extreme elemental activity. It is most commonly associated with the Element of Earth.

    Named for it's most spectacular feature, this province extends across much of Ujimitsu and is the seat of the Isawa family, and thus much of the power in the Phoenix Clan.

    Culture 4, Law 5, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Blessed by the Fortunes, Mountains of Jade, Sacrosanct.

    Rolling plains cover much of Ujimitsu's mainland regions, interspaced with thick forests beloved of a wide variety of animal spirits and minor fortunes. The Golden Plains are amazingly fertile, and the Phoenix often benefit from a significant surplus each year.

    Culture 3, Law 3, Learning 4, Piety 4, Prosperity 5

    Aspects: Agricultural Hub, Extremely fertile.

    Bordering the edges of Ujimitsu's main ocean, this province is long and consists mainly of broken coastlines frequently pockmarked with violent geysers. It holds many shrines to the fortunes of sea and steam.

    Culture: 3, Law 3, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Abundant Fishing, Coastal Region

    This small moon in orbit around Ujimitsu is composed almost entirely of sacred crystal, and in the light of day often seems to shine like a second sun. The substance actually seems to regenerate slowly after being harvested.

    Culture 3, Law 4, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 5

    Aspects: Crystal Moon, Defense Lasers

    Somewhat ironically named, for the Fortune of the Sea is infamously merciless, this world on the outer edges of the system is covered in deep oceans.

    Based around the one major chain of islands that this planet possesses, Ice Wind Province is actually famous for it's high concentration of artists. Something about the endless rolling seascapes and numerous shrines seems to inspire artists on a regular basis.

    Culture 5, Law 4, Learning 5, Piety 4, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Exceptional Artists, Abundant Sealife

    The Phoenix have exploited their elemental magic to found numerous settlements on the sea floor of this world, where they can be forever surrounded by the dangerous majesty of the element. This is also where their Shugenja practice their more... disastrous techniques, far away from other settlements.

    Culture 4, Law 5, Learning 5, Piety 5, Prosperity 3

    Aspects: Aquatic Settlements, Hazardous Testing Facilities.

    This moon was chosen by the Shiba as an excellent place to site their primary defensive fortifications for the Tadaka System, for it is almost always between incoming travelers and the more vulnerable inner planets. Over time, it evolved into their effective capital.

    Culture 4, Law 5, Learning 5, Piety 4, Prosperity 4

    Aspects: Extensive Shipyards, Heavily Defended, Moon-Fortress, Multiple Dojos.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Quest Mechanics
  • Threadmarks
    • Mechanics

    ​

    As previously mentioned, a lot of the mechanical underpinnings of this Quest are designed to be fairly abstract. This makes it easy for players to see at a glance what it going on and what they can expect to happen, and it also makes it easier for me as the QM to keep track of everything. Well, that's the theory anyway.

    (Credit to @Omicron, whose Exalted quest mechanics formed the main foundation for this set of rules)

    The Core Mechanics

    Just like in the basic L5R game, this quest will rely on dice rolls in order to decide the outcome of contested events, specifically the roll and keep system - a certain number of d10 dice are rolled, and of those a certain number are kept, with the results on those individual kept dice added up to produce a total number.

    This total is then compared to a particular Target Number (TN) to determine whether the attempted action has succeeded or not. A TN of 5 is an almost trivially easy task, a TN of 20 represents a fairly challenging one, while a TN of 60 represents something that is technically possible but generally considered to be beyond the grasp of any save the divine.

    Please note that I will not be rolling for individual attacks or anything of that nature. Rather, a roll will generally represent a 'scene' of effort. In a fleet engagement, one roll might represent positioning your forces or the success of a particular tactic.

    In the base RPG you would derive your dice pool from your attributes and skills. Here, it is made up of your traits and aspects.

    Traits

    Traits are the basic, wide-ranging abilities of your forces and territories. Every unit or province has five of them, each rated from one to five, and they provide your 'kept' dice - the basic dice pool for any action taken in that province or by that unit. They are fairly broadly applicable, and the general intent here is that anything you want a unit or province to do would come under one of them in some way.

    The kind of traits that something possesses depends on whether or not it is a unit or a province (more on what those terms mean later).

    A province has the following traits:
    • Culture represents the social and political elements that bind a province together with its neighbors and its own populace. It is used for most diplomatic efforts, and also comes into play whenever you want to establish, alter or exploit a cultural trend in some way. (Air)
    • Law is how disciplined and orderly your province is, and is generally a fairly reactive trait, only rolled when actively combating some kind of illegal enterprise... or in avoiding a rebellion. (Earth)
    • Learning represents your province's educational and technological development. This is the trait rolled for all kinds of research and development, but it also plays a role in raising military units, who naturally have to be properly trained before they can be deployed. (Fire)
    • Piety is your reverence for and connection with the Celestial Heavens. It is only rarely rolled directly, but instead plays a supporting roll, being added directly to all other rolls undertaken by a province which do not conflict with the Celestial Hierarchy. (Void)
    • Prosperity is the basic economic climate of your province, taking into account production, development, income and trading routes. You use it for just about any kind of mercantile action, and it also plays a large role in your ability to sustain military forces. (Water)

    For a military unit, the traits are as follows:
    • Endurance represents the unit's ability to take punishment and keep on fighting, whether through resisting incoming attacks or pressing on in spite of them. It is generally rolled whenever your unit is found to be on the defense. (Earth)
    • Espionage is a combination of battlefield scouting, long-range scanners and, yes, covert elements among the enemy forces. It is used whenever you are scouting or standing watch in a particular area. (Air)
    • Honour is the unusual strength and determination that comes from a pure heart and adherence to Bushido. Much like Piety, it is added directly onto most other combat rolls, though only some forms of combat are acceptable to the honourable soul. (Void)
    • Mobility is how quickly and easily the unit can navigate the battlefield. It is used for positioning your forces effectively before an engagement, as well as breaking them off and retreating in good order where required. (Fire)
    • Power is raw offensive strength, and represents courage, firepower and the tactical education to make best use of both. It is rolled whenever your unit engages in a primarily offensive action. (Water)

    Aspects

    Aspects represent particular skills, specialities and circumstances, and pretty much exist to describe anything unique or interesting about a character, place or situation. For every aspect relevant to an attempted test, the character in question gains one extra rolled dice (not kept).

    Aspects might be anything from 'Masterful Poet' to 'Extensive supplies' to 'Surrounded by the enemy', and are the quickest and easiest way for me to represent any factor that might influence a particular roll. Negative aspects also exist, such as 'Blackmailed' or 'Short Temper', and where appropriate they instead subtract one rolled dice from the relevant pool.

    Article:
    You wish to attack an enemy outpost on the borders of your territory, perhaps as a show of strength to counter-act losses taken elsewhere. For this you employ the 1st Matsu Legion under the command of Matsu Itagi.

    This is a relatively straightforward roll of Unit Power against a TN of 20 - the base is reasonably well defended, but ultimately still designed for border security than resisting a fully fledged assault.

    The First Matsu Legion has a Power stat of 4, as they are specialized in offensive operations. The Legion also has the Aspect of 'Elite Shock Troops'. Their general, Matsu Itagi, has the Aspects 'Inspiring Leader', 'Siege Specialist' and 'Matsu Berzerker'. Thus you would roll 8k4, and if you succeed in passing the TN, would capture or destroy the outpost as you saw fit.
    Source: Example of PC action


    Characters

    This is a large-scale empire game in a science fantasy setting. As a result, I will be avoiding minutia and micro-managing as much as possible. You will only directly control a relative handful of characters - the heroes of your Clan, the legends who will shape the course of history.

    Characters are divided up into five 'roles':
    • Bushi are your warriors, your generals and your military champions. They are the ones responsible for any martial action, such as leading a fleet or defending your territory from attack. (Water)
    • Courtiers are your politicians, diplomats and spies. They handle everything related to social influence and intrigue with other factions or characters in the quest. (Air)
    • Daimyo are your governors, engineers and merchants. Broadly speaking, these are the characters in charge of some discrete place or task, be it management of a province or overseeing the Clan's trade networks. They are used for just about any administrative action, such as building new dojo to improve a province's Learning. (Earth)
    • Magistrates are the personal agents of the Clan Champion or other suitably important individual. Untethered to a specific role, they can generally be relied to go anywhere and do anything as best suits the needs of the moment. (Void)
    • Sages are your priests, researchers, scientists and sorcerers - the overlap is due to the unusual way in which Rokugani approach their advanced technology. They are used for any action that involves creating new units, technologies or magical techniques. (Fire)

    Characters can be transferred from one role to another, but that generally requires a full turn action dedicated to that and typically represents a major shift in their own lifestyle and story. The only trait that a particular character has is Glory, which is rated from 1-5 and is applied as a flat bonus to any roll that the character makes, representing the ability of important samurai to do damn near anything reasonably well. Beyond that, a character's main advantage is the easiest source of beneficial Aspects.

    The number of characters at your disposal is sharply limited. Each Family contributes a number of characters of each role equal to the associated family trait. If the Matsu family has a Water score of four, then they contribute four Bushi to your character roster.

    Families

    Rokugan is a feudal setting, and while certain social factors have forced a degree of alteration in how the Celestial Hierarchy is applied in practice, the ancient system of daimyo ruling their provinces is an ancient and well-respected one.

    Your Clan Families will have their own trait scores, which are derived from the corresponding scores of the province which holds their Family Capital. Consulting the above list will indicate that each trait is associated with a particular element - power and prosperity are both linked to the element of Water, for example, reflecting the raw economic and military might of the division in question. These trait scores are used for any action undertaken by a character from that family when they are acting independently of a province or unit.

    Each Family is also in charge of a number of provinces and units, and may have it's own special bonuses which apply to those territories or military forces under its command.

    Provinces

    Rokugan is a feudal society. All land belongs to the Emperor, and he assigns it to his Clans to manage and protect in his stead. Each of those Clans then assigns the lands to their families and vassals, who assign it to their individual daimyo and so on. As a result, all territory for the purposes of this quest is divided up into 'Provinces', each of which generally represents an area approximately the size of a continent, a moon or a particular large space station.

    Provinces have their own traits, as detailed above, and will almost certainly have their own Aspects which modify all appropriate aspects taken in or involving them. These traits contribute to your characters, your units and the traits of nearby provinces.

    Provincial traits can be improved by assigning either a Daimyo or a Magistrate to the province, and having them make a roll using the trait you wish to see improved. The TN for this action is provisionally set at (10 + (Desired trait x5)), and takes a number of years of continuous effort by that character equal to the desired rating of the trait. Please note that the roll is only made at the end of the requisite period.

    Article:
    The Akodo wish to improve Gold River Province, bringing it's prosperity from 2 to 3, so that they can add another Bushi to their character roll. They assign the Daimyo 'Akodo Dairyu' to the task, as he has three relevant aspects and a Glory score of 5. He needs to remain assigned to the province for three years, at the end of which time he makes a roll of 5k2+5. If he manages to beat a TN of 25, then the trait will increase appropriately.


    Units

    When the Great Clans go to war with one another, they fight on an apocalyptic scale. Entire fleets of battleships clash in the cold void between the stars, while on the worlds below endless millions of samurai lock themselves in bloody combat.

    To better represent this, the smallest military unit you will command in this Quest is equivalent to a Legion of ground troops or a Squadron of void ships. Each Unit has it's own traits, as mentioned above, as well as a number of aspects that serve to distinguish them from any other unit with the same basic traits.

    Broadly speaking, a unit falls into one of four 'Tiers'.
    • Tier One forces are the rank and file, the Ashigaru. Formed of well trained but unaugmented peasants, these units are typically reliant upon massed numbers and discipline to win their battles. They might have a few samurai squad leaders scattered through their ranks, but none of high standing in their Clan.
    • Tier Two forces are the standard against which all others are measured. These units are exclusively formed of samurai, and will have been trained and equipped as best suits their Clan's basic martial philosophy.
    • Tier Three forces are the specialists, those trained and experienced at accomplishing one particular role, such as the Hida Heavy Siege Units or the Tsuruchi Carrier Wings. They are generally the equal to the lower tiers in most areas, but utterly crush them within their particular specialities.
    • Tier Four forces are the true elites, the very pinnacle of martial skill. The Matsu Lion's Pride, the Hida Defenders, and the Imperial Legions all fall under this banner.

    The number of units that your Clan can support is determined by your Families and the Provinces under their control. Each Family can contribute a number of Units equal to their (Capital Prosperity +number of secondary provinces). However, a family can only maintain a number of units of a given Tier equal to the number of their provinces with a learning trait of at least (Tier+1).

    Article:
    The Shiba family have five provinces under their control, one of which is their family capital and has a prosperity of four. Thus, they can maintain eight units.

    However, those provinces have learning traits of five, four, four, three, and one respectively. Thus, the Shiba can only maintain a maximum of one T4 unit, three T3s, four T2s and four T1s. They simply don't have enough Dojos to make their entire army out of elite troops.
    Source: Raising units example


    Raising a new unit requires sending a Bushi, Artisan or Monk to a given province and keeping them there for a number of years equal to the Tier of the unit in question. At that point they roll against the Learning of the province with a TN of (10+(5 x Tier)) in order to successfully recruit the Unit in question.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Choose your Clan
  • Threadmarks
    • Choose your Clan

    The Great Clans of Rokugan are ancient institutions, each boasting millennia of history and tens of millions of loyal samurai at the least. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of which one this Quest focuses on will greatly influence the nature of the story being told.

    Which Clan do you command?

    After the Festering Pit of Fu Leng was closed, the Crab Clan endured a spiritual crisis of sorts, having lost the primary focus of its existence. Soon, however, the children of Hida proved as pragmatic as ever, reorganizing around two areas of focus. First, with the growing importance of science and technology, the Kaiu family became an important part of Rokugan's development, and much greater resources were allocated to them in order to expand their operations, in mining and engineering particularly. Secondly, the opening of space exploration revealed many planets inhabited by strange and often hostile life-forms influenced by the more dangerous Spirit Realms, occasionally including Jigoku.

    This gave renewed purpose to the Crab, who took to the stars to fight against the most dangerous and inhuman species, as well as establishing gigantic mining and construction operations for weapons and defense development. Long used to hardship and difficult conditions, the Crab adapted very well to exploring strange new environments, and became a force to be reckoned with in the Empire of Emerald Stars.

    + Strong engineering and mercantile focus, leading to high Prosperity.
    + The best, bar none, at defensive warfare and fortifications.
    + Particularly good at overcoming supernatural challenges through martial might.

    - Low mobility forces, will frequently be outmaneuvered.
    - Boorish demeanor makes courtly goals difficult to achieve.
    - Territory tends to be horrifically dangerous in some fashion.

    The sons and daughters of Doji have taken to the stars, but not in the same numbers as their rivals. Of all the clans, the Crane probably retain the greatest influence on Rokugan proper, staying close to the seat of power and letting other clans get the larger share of new land
    and new worlds while the Crane fill the void they are gradually leaving behind. This is not to say they have not explored space at all; they simply have done so more carefully and to a more modest extant. The Crane are also the first to develop a real tourism industry, a natural outgrowth of their splendid palaces and beautiful lands; they have seized some of the
    most beautiful (and safe) worlds in the galaxy, where they build extensive resorts. While more warlike clans like the Crab and the Lion still mock the Crane for their 'softer' ways, the truth is everybody appreciates a beautiful sunset on a tropical beach, a concert from a popular band, or a delicious exotic drink, so the Crane still command a lot of power – albeit of a subtle kind.

    Those who believe the Crane are truly weak can be in for a surprise, since the Daidoji still provide the Crane with their military defenses and have become quite skilled in precision ship-to-ship boarding actions.

    + Starting Provinces are highly developed and well protected
    + Very strong social influence, leading to easier and more effective court-based rolls
    + Exceptionally wealthy

    - Limited 'overt' power, Units tend to be smaller and more specialized.
    - Limited room for expansion due to nearby territories already being claimed.
    - Heavily bound by tradition and Imperial command.

    Having long lost the guidance of the Kami Togashi, the Dragon in the Empire of the Emerald Stars have managed to prosper, unshaken by the developments of technology and content in their faith in both the Tao and the Hantei dynasty. They still maintain a close relationship with the Throne and are the favored vassals when a dangerous duty can be trusted to no one else. The strangest and most mysterious of the early planets were often conquered by the Dragon or even directly allocated to them by Imperial order. Many of these worlds are off-limits to the other clans, leading to many discussions of what secrets they may hold; however, the fleets of the Mirumoto are powerful and well armed. These worlds certainly do not hold many resources, since the Dragon remain one of the poorest clans of the Empire, heavily depending on Imperial subsidies.

    + Favored servants of the Throne, protected from many negative consequences by Imperial patronage.
    + Long term relationship with the Brotherhood of Shinsei gives you great spiritual influence.
    + Characters tend to be more well-rounded, and can perform tasks outside of their set roles.

    - Starting provinces hold limited resources, leading to low Prosperity and negative Aspects.
    - Find it difficult to exert non-spiritual influence due to unconventional attitudes.
    - Officially appointed duties are less flexible than those of many other Clans.

    Expanding the reach of Rokugan to the stars also expanded the need for military protection of its assets and citizens. The Empire of the Emerald Stars is far from safe, given clan rivalries, pirates, and innumerable strange creatures on alien worlds. For the Lion this has often meant war on a heretofore unknown scale, and they would not have it any other way. More than any other clan, the Lion have had difficulty adapting over the centuries to the changes in society and technology, their traditional warrior mindset chafing at every new idea or disruptive invention. But the exploration of the galaxy has given them renewed purpose, and the other clans were surprised at how aggressively the Lion took to settling on new planets.

    It heralded a new era for the Lion, a time of glorious battles between the stars and across the surfaces of whole planets. In fact, the Lion are so busy fighting enemies of the Empire on various systems that they are no longer as aggressive toward the other clans as they often were in the past. Still, friction happens, and when it does the vast, near-endless fleets of the Lion answer.

    + Largest, most skilled and adaptable military of all the Great Clans
    + At the forefront of any Imperially-mandated conquests, which is the easiest way to secure new territory.
    + Units tend to have very high Honour scores, and provinces benefit from increased Law as a result.

    - Peaceful diplomatic efforts are difficult at best, sometimes nigh-impossible.
    - Hidebound and traditional, making it much harder to introduce entirely new ways of doing things.
    - Characters more likely to commit seppuku upon failure.

    The age of space exploration is, in many ways, the age of the Mantis. The clan's audacity, resourcefulness, and economic acumen ensured it was among the first to explore the galaxy and reap the profits of doing so. The Mantis Clan's initial strategy was simple: race to a new system, establish a base regardless of initial appeal, and then defend it tooth and nail. This proved effective, if costly – the Mantis control more systems than any other Great Clan, many of them of little value but others with numerous planets and resources to be exploited. The Mantis economy reaches into almost every market, but is most famous for rare and exotic materials and goods.

    + Extremely wealthy, with high prosperity.
    + Large territory with lots of room for expansion.
    + Most powerful and numerous fleet units of all the Great Clans.

    - Existing territories are often under-developed
    - Position on the frontier makes hostile encounters from non-human forces much more likely
    - Legacy of piracy and 'mongrel blood' imposes diplomatic penalties.

    Space exploration only became possible through the efforts of the Phoenix Clan, who not only pioneered the ritual which allows faster-than-light travel but also discovered radiant energy and many other forms of technology which combine esoteric knowledge with mundane aspects. While Phoenix Clan samurai are not the richest or the most numerous, their equipment is quite often the best, and this gives them an edge in many confrontations.

    True to their nature, the Phoenix try to approach both alien animals and the far rarer sentient beings as peacefully as possible, assisted by the extensive use of magic. When peace fails, the Shiba step in with their small but powerful fleet and army, able to use radiant energy as a hammer or a scalpel depending on the need. The Phoenix seem content with exploring the galaxy and further advancing their technological and magical prowess for the good of their vassals.

    + Most technologically advanced of all the Great Clans
    + Greatest proportion of Shugenja in the empire, leading to vastly increased magical might.
    + Provinces tend to be very well developed, especially in Learning and Piety.

    - Smallest of the Great Clans, in both population and territory.
    - Pacifistic nature makes aggressive military ventures much harder.
    - Champion has less direct authority than in other Clans.

    Rokugan's great lights blaze brighter than ever before, but so too does its shadows lengthen. Crime and the underworld have expanded to levels unheard of in previous years, and the Scorpion have expanded with them. Wielding the power and influence of a Great Clan, the Scorpion have infiltrated, co-opted or outright absorbed a vast majority of Rokugan's underworld, and that gives them great power indeed.

    Although apparently lacking in obvious strength, the Scorpion remain the masters of unconventional warfare, both on the battlefield and in the courts. Few are willing to be their friends, but fewer still are their enemies, and that is as it should be.

    + Exceptional underworld ties bring great wealth and covert influence
    + Unparalleled stealth technology expands all the way up to invisible battle-cruisers.
    + Highly skilled at assassinating or ruining the characters of other Clans.

    - Dishonorable nature brings few friends
    - Limited ability to leverage direct military force.
    - Criminal influence is not entirely one way...

    Exploration is what the Unicorn have always done, and after the Empire of Rokugan extended to cover the whole planet they were eagerly waiting for some new frontier to seek. The idea of exploring entire star systems could not help but attract them, especially coupled with their love for speed and travel, and the Unicorn were among the first in the race to the stars. At the dawn of the fourth millennium they maintain only a token presence on Rokugan itself, the vast majority of the clan having resettled on other planets or being permanently on the move.

    The Unicorn are one of the few clans (along with the Phoenix) who first try communication with alien cultures, resorting to violence only when that fails. They sponsored the relocation of the last gaijin nations from Rokugan to their own worlds, and maintain extensive contact with them. Much like when they first returned to the Empire in the early ninth century, their culture in the fourth millennium is a mix of the domestic and the foreign; where once a traditionalist might have been disgusted at a Unicorn samurai wearing fur, now he must also wonder what kind of creatures the fur could have come from.

    + Finest pilots among all the Great Clans provides highly mobile armies.
    + Extensive contact with non-Rokugani elements provide unconventional resources and influence.
    + Possess mobile Provinces in the form of nomadic fleets

    - Limited social influence within Rokugan, especially close to the centre of power
    - Exploring the galaxy is a dangerous job...
    - Highly disadvantaged in a defensive war.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] The Phoenix Clan

    Eh. I would rather have Crab, but we have Knight for that, and Space Age Magic sounds fun.
     
    Okay, given that not only this is a quest, and thus, depend on voting, but also an empire building quest, let's keep away from the intrigue or diplomacy heavy clans. Trying to handle delicate planning and careful plotting through the quest format is not the best of times. Maybe space-crab? Or Space-Phoenix sounds fun too, for "aloof, isolated space-magic". Due to isolation, Space-Dragon could also be a possibility, and if we turn out to be incredibly inconsistent and wish-washy we can pass it as being cryptic and weird. :p

    [X] The Phoenix Clan

    Mostly because people don't seem to want two crab quests, although honestly I'd rather go with Space-Crab. They sound like Dwarves, except 6 feet tall and without obligatory massive beards. :p
     
    Last edited:
    [X] The Phoenix Clan

    Didn't get the chance to get involved in your other lr5 quest before it and ended, and this looks amazing. Let's explore the wonders of hilarious sci-fi magitech, while having to deal with the fact SV is playing a bunch of pacifists.
     
    Karugus said:
    [X] The Phoenix Clan

    Didn't get the chance to get involved in your other lr5 quest before it and ended, and this looks amazing. Let's explore the wonders of hilarious sci-fi magitech, while having to deal with the fact SV is playing a bunch of pacifists.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    We will peacefully self defend our enemies into extermination. Our policing and peaceful exploration fleets shall be the mightiest in all of the stars. :p
     
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