Killing with Silence
A Legend of the Five Rings / Exalted Quest
Rokugan is the land of a...
A Legend of the Five Rings / Exalted Quest
Rokugan is the land of a...
Killing with Silence (L5R/Exalted)
- Thread starter Maugan Ra
- Start date
- Crossover
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Character Creation Pt.1
- Location
- London, England
Killing with Silence
A Legend of the Five Rings / Exalted Quest
Rokugan is the land of a thousand gods. Every stone has a spirit, every river a patron, and the people who dwell among them pay homage to each in turn. They honour them with sacrifice and praise them with grand celebrations, they pay heed to the monks and follow the dictates of the priests, for they live in a land blessed by heaven and they have much to be thankful for. So pious are they that the very structure of their society has become intertwined with their faith, with divinely ordained castes unified in service to a divine Emperor, the Son of Heaven. Treachery is blasphemy, filial piety a sacred duty, the passage of time marked by feast days and holy rites.
There is one exception.
Onnotangu, Lord Moon, Father of the Kami and Highest of the Gods, is not worshipped. There are no shrines in his honour, no priests that serve in his name, no sacred rites that the peasantry must observe to pay him due honour. There is but one day accorded to him in the theological calendar, a single night in the very depths of winter, and it is a time for silence and thoughtful contemplation in place of anything that might draw his wrath. To earn the attention of Lord Moon is to be cursed with madness, to bear his mark is to be shunned by all of civilised society, to actively invoke his name the act of a fool one step short of suicide. Lord Moon disdains the world his children built, finds their honour and their civility amusing when it is not insulting, and favours only those who would tear it down with tooth and claw.
He is the god of madness, iconoclasm and the outcast... and he has chosen you.
-/-
Welcome to my latest quest, a crossover work between the worlds of Legend of the Five Rings and Exalted. You play one of the Lunar Exalted, divinely chosen champion of the most feared and respected of all of Rokugan's Gods. The setting is Rokugan, but it is my intent to make the quest easy to follow and understand even if you only know about Creation... or, for that matter, if you know little about either! If you are new to Exalted in particular, the two things worth knowing about the protagonist's capabilities are these:
- Lunar Exalted are superhuman demigods, blessed with physical and mental prowess that can place them head and shoulders over merely human peers. Their gifts tend to take the form of raw power rather than skill or particular insight: a Lunar warrior might be strong enough to punch through a brick wall or fast enough to dodge falling raindrops, but in terms of actual knowledge and technique their understanding of the martial arts may very well be the same or inferior as a purely mortal combatant.
- Lunar Exalted are shapeshifters, capable of claiming the form of any human or beast they have specifically hunted and overcome for that purpose. Upon claiming a shape (which might involve killing the target), they gain the ability to mould themselves into a perfect copy thereof, and may also steal a portion of the target's memories or acquired skills into the bargain. They also have a more flexible form of shapeshifting by default, able to alter minor details of their appearance such as height, weight, hair colour and sex pretty much at all.
There are nine options below: this first round operates via APPROVAL VOTING - choose as many as you would like, and the three most popular will go forth to a second, more traditional round of voting.
-/-
Who are you?
[ ] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[ ] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
[ ] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[ ] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[ ] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
[ ] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[ ] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[ ] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
[ ] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
-/-
Remember - round one of character creation works on APPROVAL VOTING. Choose as many from the above as you like, and I will take the most popular options and make them into a second round of elimination voting.
Style, Panoply and Form Mechanics
- Location
- London, England
MECHANICS
(parts of the below write-up have been cribbed from @EarthScorpion, but he stole them from me in the first place so it's ok)
Experience (XP)
As is typical for the SV Exalted Questing Universe, this is a narrative quest, where the mechanics serve to quantify and define story variables.
Improving your capabilities will depend on the allocation of XP, which can be obtained in three primary ways:
There are therefore three broad categories of things XP can be spent upon:
Styles
As Exalted as a setting draws heavily from wuxia, rather than having distinct "traditional" skills, your talents are instead represented as Styles - broad, "job-like" descriptions of the character's talent. L5R tends to represent these as 'schools' - a student at Kyuden Bayushi might be taught the Crimson Falling Leaves style, that combines martial excellence with courtly etiquette and an understanding of blackmail, for example.
Note that skills mechanised as styles are things that have narrative weight. If you're fond of tea, you don't need to put XP in a Style to know how to brew a good cup of tea - but if you know how to brew certain herbs into something that can cure sickness or help a man recover from poison, then this would be mechanised here. You begin with a handful of skills representative of what you learned in your mortal life, and will almost certainly acquire new ones as the quest progresses.
Charms are what supernatural beings develop as their essential nature shapes how their talents manifest. As a Lunar, your Charms are rooted in both your Styles and your Forms (see below), and will tend to be themed around mercurial prowess, maddened insight and bestial instinct. Later Charms will tend to build on the initial themes, whether directly or within the same conceptual space.
You acquire a new Charm at a rank of Disciple, and for every rank past that. If the Style is associated with your Caste, you instead gain your first Charm at Initiate. Such caste-appropriate Styles (for example, a manipulative social style for a Changing Moon or a flexible duelling style for a Full Moon) will be marked.
The XP cost is the amount of XP that must be spent to reach that level.
Panoply
You are a hero out of legend, a monster from the darkest of children's tales, and such beings are invariably possessed of more than just their skin and native talents. They might wield a sword that brings hurricanes, invoke pacts to bring the honoured dead into battle on their side, or wear masks that strike dead any who dare look upon them. Such things are represented in this quest as parts of your Panoply, and will largely be handled on a case by case basis.
As a general rule, mastering a specific power from an artefact in your possession costs 400xp - such possessions will have the list of possible powers noted alongside them on your character sheet, but are also fertile ground for homebrew and reader suggestions.
(Note - Sorcery and other forms of structured magic will be learned through styles, with charms generally representing complimentary abilities and particular insight rather than a distinct spell. New spells can be learned for 400xp each, provided they are in-theme for the occult style in question).
Forms
Forms represent the various shapes you have learned to take, generally through killing something appropriate and eating its heart, and are mechanically represented as Styles by another name. You start with one Form, that most closely associated with your spirit and self-image, and will doubtlessly obtain others throughout the quest. Note that human forms simply grant conventional styles rather than a Form, and that holding multiple different shapes associated with a given species will still result in a singular form... albeit with more experience. Killing five wolves will grant you the ability to look like any of them, but only one "Wolf Form".
Charms associated with your Forms can be used in any shape, and more importantly are associated with the idealised legend of the shape in question rather than any physical capabilities the mortal beast might possess. A Lunar who raises Shark Form to Master rank might learn to pick a murderer out of a crowd by the smell of blood on their hands, for example, even if the deed was committed years ago.
(parts of the below write-up have been cribbed from @EarthScorpion, but he stole them from me in the first place so it's ok)
Experience (XP)
As is typical for the SV Exalted Questing Universe, this is a narrative quest, where the mechanics serve to quantify and define story variables.
Improving your capabilities will depend on the allocation of XP, which can be obtained in three primary ways:
- Achieving story-based goals and objectives, generally to do with overcoming a particular foe or realising a particular ambition. This xp will be given at the end of an update and will be assigned via plan-based voting.
- Writing omakes, drawing fan-art, making particularly useful/insightful posts and generally making the thread more interesting to visit for me as an author. This xp will be given directly to the poster responsible, and allocated as they desire.
- Murder. You are a face-stealing demon, and that has certain advantages. If you hunt down a slay a duellist from the Kakita school, in addition to his face and a handful of memories you will also gain some understanding of his signature iaijutsu style, represented by xp. Similarly, hunting wolves in the woods will make you a better tracker and pack-based hunter.
There are therefore three broad categories of things XP can be spent upon:
Styles
As Exalted as a setting draws heavily from wuxia, rather than having distinct "traditional" skills, your talents are instead represented as Styles - broad, "job-like" descriptions of the character's talent. L5R tends to represent these as 'schools' - a student at Kyuden Bayushi might be taught the Crimson Falling Leaves style, that combines martial excellence with courtly etiquette and an understanding of blackmail, for example.
Note that skills mechanised as styles are things that have narrative weight. If you're fond of tea, you don't need to put XP in a Style to know how to brew a good cup of tea - but if you know how to brew certain herbs into something that can cure sickness or help a man recover from poison, then this would be mechanised here. You begin with a handful of skills representative of what you learned in your mortal life, and will almost certainly acquire new ones as the quest progresses.
Charms are what supernatural beings develop as their essential nature shapes how their talents manifest. As a Lunar, your Charms are rooted in both your Styles and your Forms (see below), and will tend to be themed around mercurial prowess, maddened insight and bestial instinct. Later Charms will tend to build on the initial themes, whether directly or within the same conceptual space.
You acquire a new Charm at a rank of Disciple, and for every rank past that. If the Style is associated with your Caste, you instead gain your first Charm at Initiate. Such caste-appropriate Styles (for example, a manipulative social style for a Changing Moon or a flexible duelling style for a Full Moon) will be marked.
The XP cost is the amount of XP that must be spent to reach that level.
- Untrained (N/A) - You may have some basic or impromptu knowledge of the techniques, but nothing that can be counted reliably in your skillsets.
- Student (100xp) - You are the rankest amateur - a novice, nothing more. There are people at this level of this skill who are quite unaware of how much they have left to learn, but that's just a sign of their ignorance.
- Initiate (200xp)- This is the level of skill common among mortals in their wage-earning profession. Suitable for them - but for one of the Exalted, it is the mark of a dabbler.
- At this level, you acquire your first Charm for Styles aligned with your Caste.
- Disciple (400xp) - The basic understanding imparted by training has been reinforced by practical experience and personal specialisation, allowing you to use the skill absent error even under pressure or outright attack.
- At this level, you acquire your first Charm for Styles which are not aligned with your Caste.
- Adept (800xp) - Your technique has been refined to a point beyond simple training, including the personalised moves and individual techniques that mark your Lunar Charms.
- Master (1600xp) - For a human to reach such a level of skill, they must open their chakras and reach enlightenment, developing their own Charms. Such exceptional beings might even be the peers of a Chosen - at least in that one singular field.
- Grandmaster (2400xp) - Your students speak your name with pride, gods nod in acknowledgement and the common folk look up at you with awe... or possibly fear. Most spirits will struggle to break this boundary.
- Heroic (3600xp) - You have risen beyond the level of what any mortal could do, and tales of your prowess are spoken by hushed voices in teahouses and shared by idle peasants in the fields. Even among the gods, one with skills at this level is worthy of respect and a healthy degree of caution.
- Champion (5400xp) - Even your enemies grudgingly attest to your prowess, and even among the legends of Rokugan there are few who can hope to call themselves your superior. You stand out among the monsters of history as an exceptional specimen.
- Infamous (7500xp) - If it can be done, you have done it; if you cannot do it, it cannot be done. You are the master of this style, and the meeting of two such exemplars in battle is something more akin to a natural disaster in motion than anything resembling an actual fight. The Five Elemental Masters and the proudest among the Honoured Dead might have mastered their signature style to this level.
- Rumour exists of greater prowess still, almost certainly beyond the scope of this chronicle...
Panoply
You are a hero out of legend, a monster from the darkest of children's tales, and such beings are invariably possessed of more than just their skin and native talents. They might wield a sword that brings hurricanes, invoke pacts to bring the honoured dead into battle on their side, or wear masks that strike dead any who dare look upon them. Such things are represented in this quest as parts of your Panoply, and will largely be handled on a case by case basis.
As a general rule, mastering a specific power from an artefact in your possession costs 400xp - such possessions will have the list of possible powers noted alongside them on your character sheet, but are also fertile ground for homebrew and reader suggestions.
(Note - Sorcery and other forms of structured magic will be learned through styles, with charms generally representing complimentary abilities and particular insight rather than a distinct spell. New spells can be learned for 400xp each, provided they are in-theme for the occult style in question).
Forms
Forms represent the various shapes you have learned to take, generally through killing something appropriate and eating its heart, and are mechanically represented as Styles by another name. You start with one Form, that most closely associated with your spirit and self-image, and will doubtlessly obtain others throughout the quest. Note that human forms simply grant conventional styles rather than a Form, and that holding multiple different shapes associated with a given species will still result in a singular form... albeit with more experience. Killing five wolves will grant you the ability to look like any of them, but only one "Wolf Form".
Charms associated with your Forms can be used in any shape, and more importantly are associated with the idealised legend of the shape in question rather than any physical capabilities the mortal beast might possess. A Lunar who raises Shark Form to Master rank might learn to pick a murderer out of a crowd by the smell of blood on their hands, for example, even if the deed was committed years ago.
- Location
- London, England
Name: Yasu, called 'The Wanderer'
Caste: Lunar No-Moon
Style Summary
Dancing Wind Style - Disciple (0/800xp)
Humble Pilgrim Style - Disciple (0/800xp)
Backwoods Healer Style - Initiate (0/300xp)
Patchwork Heretic Style - Disciple (0/600xp)
Crow Form - Initiate (0/300xp)
Caste: Lunar No-Moon
Style Summary
Dancing Wind Style - Disciple (0/800xp)
Humble Pilgrim Style - Disciple (0/800xp)
Backwoods Healer Style - Initiate (0/300xp)
Patchwork Heretic Style - Disciple (0/600xp)
Crow Form - Initiate (0/300xp)
- Styles
- Panoply
- Forms
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ConfusedCanuck
Where did it all go wrong?
- Location
- Neverland
[X] The Bandit Chief
[X] The Ronin
[X] The Broker
[X] The Merchant
Another quest by Maugan? I'll give it a shot!
[X] The Ronin
[X] The Broker
[X] The Merchant
Another quest by Maugan? I'll give it a shot!
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
Ordered in rough order of preference, with justifications.
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
Oh my, what's this? Could it be a dead-talking borderline-unacceptable shrine-maiden like character, possibly from the era when they were driven from their shrines by the elite and led an existence as common entertainers? Hopefully with some J-horror interactions with the ghosts.
(go J-horror ghosts go!)
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
But of course we want to play the man (or woman) with Noh face.
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
Werewolf Ronin Robin Hood? Werewolf Ronin Robin Hood!
Technically part of them, I stole from @Omicron who stole them from you. Other parts were just from you.
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
Oh my, what's this? Could it be a dead-talking borderline-unacceptable shrine-maiden like character, possibly from the era when they were driven from their shrines by the elite and led an existence as common entertainers? Hopefully with some J-horror interactions with the ghosts.
(go J-horror ghosts go!)
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
But of course we want to play the man (or woman) with Noh face.
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
Werewolf Ronin Robin Hood? Werewolf Ronin Robin Hood!
Technically part of them, I stole from @Omicron who stole them from you. Other parts were just from you.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
With a preference for the Geisha, I suppose.
Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
With a preference for the Geisha, I suppose.
Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!
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- Location
- Lithuania
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
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- Location
- London, England
Technically part of them, I stole from @Omicron who stole them from you. Other parts were just from you.
It's the circle of life, really.
Or theft. Circle of theft. One of those two.
- Location
- U.S.
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
Because making the Scorpion sad and paranoid is fun.
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
Because making the Crane look inelegant is fun.
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
You are offering a proper No-Moon intercesatory role? All of my yes.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
Let's play with the interesting spiritual politics of Rokugan! As a Lunar! Fuck yes.
Because making the Scorpion sad and paranoid is fun.
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
Because making the Crane look inelegant is fun.
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
You are offering a proper No-Moon intercesatory role? All of my yes.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
Let's play with the interesting spiritual politics of Rokugan! As a Lunar! Fuck yes.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
Yeah, soft power and social pull is entirely my jam, and the possibilities for gathering and abusing dirty laundry this gives makes it far and away my favourite - not least because it seems the most likely to get characterisation on our antagonists, which is always the most fun.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
This one, by contrast, I like for the personal characterisation and the battle of personal religion it offers, as well as the spiritual stuff involved. Also "can it truly be holy to bow before the sword?" is #bigmood.
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
These two, by contrast, are ones I'd be perfectly happy with for the stealthy Lunar game they offer, but which don't grab me by the throat and squee like the Geisha and the Monk do.
Yeah, soft power and social pull is entirely my jam, and the possibilities for gathering and abusing dirty laundry this gives makes it far and away my favourite - not least because it seems the most likely to get characterisation on our antagonists, which is always the most fun.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
This one, by contrast, I like for the personal characterisation and the battle of personal religion it offers, as well as the spiritual stuff involved. Also "can it truly be holy to bow before the sword?" is #bigmood.
[X] The Actor. The greatest playwrights are samurai, the leading roles in any production given to those nobles who seek mastery of the art, but then there are people like you. Unnoticed, unremarked, capable of taking a hundred different roles and wearing a thousand different faces, and never once showing the truth within your heart to any save the silent Moon above. Not so silent now, it seems... (Changing Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
These two, by contrast, are ones I'd be perfectly happy with for the stealthy Lunar game they offer, but which don't grab me by the throat and squee like the Geisha and the Monk do.
Emy
Artificial Defender
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
I am most keenly interested in the character concepts that delve into the religious side of Rokugani life, particularly where it conflicts with established norms.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
Basically the same reasoning as the Speaker, but I'm less interested in it. Still voting for approval.
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
There is extremely fertile metaphorical territory for a Lunar being a wave-man. Also pun territory.
I am most keenly interested in the character concepts that delve into the religious side of Rokugani life, particularly where it conflicts with established norms.
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
Basically the same reasoning as the Speaker, but I'm less interested in it. Still voting for approval.
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
There is extremely fertile metaphorical territory for a Lunar being a wave-man. Also pun territory.
Undead-Spaceman
Skeleton Supreme
- Location
- Somewhere in Orbit
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Monk. Born a peasant, you were given to the monastery at a young age, and though you walk the land and tend to the spiritual needs of the people you find yourself increasingly doubting the wisdom of what you teach. Can it truly be holy, to bow before the sword? Can there be anything sacred in upholding an order that cares more for birth than virtue? And if not... what are you going to do about it? (No Moon)
NonSequtur
a body
[x] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
The Geisha, by not being obviously confrontational, seems best suited to repeatedly running into and hearing about the hypocrisies of the warrior aristocracy - pillow talk is a great exposition tool.
The Geisha, by not being obviously confrontational, seems best suited to repeatedly running into and hearing about the hypocrisies of the warrior aristocracy - pillow talk is a great exposition tool.
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Shinobi. For a peasant to strike down a samurai means death for that peasant's entire family. But when a shinobi does it, what evidence is left? When a ghost slips into town and cuts the throat of a corrupt magistrate, or burns the home of a cruel lord, or reclaims the tax shipment that a village needs to survive, who do you blame? Ninja, after all, do not exist. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
Revlid
blob of bugs
- Location
- England
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
let's do it
let's be a criminal ox
let's be a bovine yakuza
let's be a yak yak
let's do it
let's be a criminal ox
let's be a bovine yakuza
let's be a yak yak
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- Location
- Southern Virginia
If you're going to go for the traditional and most direct victory of "overthrow the oppressive system with violence" when the most promising options seem to be the Bandit Chief and the Merchant. The first because you already have at least some presumably trustworthy lieutenants and the nucleus of a peasant revolt, and the second because funds and resources are the lifeblood of an army. Also maybe the merchant, if in Clan Mantis lands, might be able to get some Gaijin firearms and we start going all Demon King of the Sixth Heaven on everyone. I'll try not to complain about not being able to build a proper Nobunaga expy....
The Geisha completes the caste options and offers an interesting departure from straight up violence in favor of intrigue and influence as a vector for collapsing Rokugan, like some Maoist Daiji or what have you.
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
The Geisha completes the caste options and offers an interesting departure from straight up violence in favor of intrigue and influence as a vector for collapsing Rokugan, like some Maoist Daiji or what have you.
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
- Location
- Brittany, France
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
if you fuckers don't give me my iaijutsu Quest at long last i am burning this place to the ground
if you fuckers don't give me my iaijutsu Quest at long last i am burning this place to the ground
Macros
omnisciently vague councilman
- Location
- Dirac Sea
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
- Location
- Britain
Fuck Rokugan
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Speaker. The dead are no strangers to you, for you see them whenever you close your eyes. They tell you their secrets, teach you their magic, protect you from your foes. In exchange, you pass on their wishes to the living and tend to the places where they died. It is blasphemy for any not of the samurai caste to do as you do, but what of it? You will not let the law stand in the way of what is right. (No Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The one thing about L5R stuff that has always annoyed me here, there, everywhere is how badly geisha are handled, portrayed, and meme'd about. The other thing I'd probably want to see is aggressively hostile and empire destroying accountancy wrapped in espionage and influence (I blame you @Gargulec, it is your fault I'm like this now).
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
[X] The Geisha. By law and custom, you do not exist, a non-person who simply happens to talk and think. Because you are not real, it is no disgrace for a samurai to display emotion in your presence, to take delight in your music and admire your beauty... to confide in your their fears. It is a fragile kind of power, but it is yours, and it is all that you have. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
- Location
- Chicago
No theme or grand thoughts. Just picking what first struck me as interesting.
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)
[X] The Bandit Chief - They made you who you are. When the great armies of the Clans marched to war, when they spilled each other's blood for honour and glory, it was your people who paid the price. Your children conscripted, your harvest stolen, your village sacked and burned. You turned to banditry to survive, but it is the thought of revenge that keeps you warm at night. Now you have the chance to seize it. (Full Moon)
[X] The Ronin. You are a samurai without a lord, a contradiction that many see as a violation of the natural order. The nobles of the Clans see you as little better than dirt, the farmers fear you have come to take what they have made, the merchants hand you filthy coin and revel in their power, but you... you are free, as no one else can be, and you will never give it up. (Full Moon)
[X] The Broker. No one notices the servant cleaning halls, the gardener pruning flowers, the farmer planting rice. The common folk see much and hear more, and in the quiet hours they pass what they know to you, in exchange for coin and what protection you have it within your power to give. You will keep them safe, all of them, for as long as you can... even if you have to bleed every samurai in Rokugan to see it done. (Changing Moon)
[X] The Merchant. Money is filthy in the eyes of samurai, commerce a wretched necessity best left to peasants. They do not see what you see, as you travel across the land. They do not know what you know, gleaned from friends and debtors in a hundred minor towns. They do not hear the people weep, safe in their perfumed castles as they are, but you do... and you intend to do something about it. (No Moon)