Winds of Calamity - L5R GSRP

[Maugan Ra]

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Disaster has befallen the Emerald Empire.

The Imperial Palace, seat of the Hantei Emperors for a thousand years or more, has been destroyed. Witness reports speak of a great but impossibly localised earthquake, a calamity that split the land and sundered the impenetrable walls, dropping the entire edifice into the Bay of the Sun without so much as disturbing the lowliest hovel in the surrounding city.

The Emperor is believed to have perished in the disaster, last seen desperately entreating Lady Amaterasu for mercy as the Palace collapsed around him. The Empire is leaderless. In normal times the throne would pass to one of the Emperor's children or relatives, for the Hantei line is as a great tree with a thousand fertile branches, but these are no ordinary times. The Emperor's oldest child was never legitimised, and the mere fact that such a thing could happen has shaken confidence and tarnished the legitimacy of anyone too close to the Throne.

The Emperor is responsible for the spiritual health and prosperity of Rokugan, the Thousand Fortunes were his councillors and servants. For his palace to be destroyed, for his life to be snuffed out with such undeniable emphasis, must surely indicate that the Celestial Heavens have turned their back and rescinded their blessings, and that casts the legitimacy of the entire Imperial line into doubt. No one knows what will happen now. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

Across the Empire, Champions are being woken from their slumber and lords summoned to their courts. The atmosphere is one of stunned bafflement and horror, for the very foundations of the world have shifted beneath one's feet, but for even the most steadfast and honourable there is the impetus to act. Already the Emperor's children are stepping forwards to claim their inheritance and offer explanation or cast blame for the disaster, no two the same, and already those who believe one claimant or another are hailing their chosen as the next Son or Daughter of Heaven.

Heaven's judgement has fallen upon the land, and now it falls to the righteous to act, to right the course of the Empire and regain the favour of the Gods. And for those who caused this disaster, whose impious and dishonourable actions caused Heaven to turn its back on them, well. The sword of justice awaits.

Mechanics

Winds of Calamity will take place over a series of turns, each covering half a year. Winters in Rokugan are long and often harsh, a tendency that has led to the establishment of a seasonal calendar that informs all aspects of public life. Summer turns are for construction, resource gathering and war, while Winter turns are reserved for politics and diplomacy.

During each turn players negotiate with each other and write plans on how to make use of the various assets they have at their disposal, which must be submitted via a PM on Sufficient Velocity to me. There will be a deadline for each turn, after which point orders will no longer be accepted and some manner of plot contrivance will be devised to explain why your Clan stalls out in some critical but temporary fashion. Extensions to the deadline can be offered, either for the game as a whole or for individual players, but must be specifically requested in advance.

Reports will be written by me and a group of volunteer report writers, whose work will also be double-checked and approved by me. If you wish to volunteer to help write reports please let me know, but understand I will be expecting you to write at least one reasonably sized report per turn and that I will be keeping a close eye on things to make sure you don't abuse the OoC knowledge your position may obtain.

 

[Maugan Ra]

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Core Rules - The Asset System

The Great Clans of Rokugan each consist of several dozen noble bloodlines and thousands of lesser samurai all sworn in service to a Champion, who in turn administers a portion of Rokugan in the Emperor's name. Legally speaking the Emperor owns every coin, person and blade of grass within the Empire's borders, but in practice the Great Clans are feudal lords and local rulers in their own right. Since tracking the full scope of their domains and resources would be an exercise in madness, we will instead be using a system of Assets.

Assets are what make your Clan something worthy of respect, or at least acknowledgement, in the nation of Rokugan. True samurai care nothing for wealth and leave material concerns to peasants, but take great pride in their Clan's possession of the "Cherry Blossom Brewery" or will fight to defend the honour of the "Ruby Champion". Leveraging these assets is how you take and empower actions each turn, and proper use of them will be the key to eventual victory or ignominious defeat.

Each Asset is defined as either Major or Minor, and furthermore is geographically located within a given Province (see the rules for territory later), only capable of supporting actions taken in or near that Province. Having the famed ronin swordsman Drifting Leaf in your service is no good if he is on the other end of the Empire from where you want to use him, after all! Some assets can move, while others are immobile.

Additionally, each asset may have a number of tags, which help to distinguish it from its peers. A tag might represent a personality trait, a unique relic, a particular skill set or any number of other things under the sun, but all follow the same mechanical framework (see the 'taking actions' section for details). A character with the 'pious' tag will have an easier time swaying a monastery of monks to their aid, but would be reluctant to harm a priest even if it serves their political aims.

(Note that this also works for other factions - if you have a character with the 'heavy drinker' trait, attempts to make them embarrass themselves at a diplomatic function will be significantly easier to arrange)

There are 5 types of asset:

• Characters are the heroes and villains that represent the public face of your Clan, the movers and shakers who will inevitably appear in the blood-soaked pages of history.
  • Characters may move freely within your territory, taking or supporting actions as desired. However they may only move into the territory of another player if specifically invited, or if they are supporting the actions of a Covert or Military unit.
  • Characters have additional rules and guidelines governing their creation, see the 'Characters and Factions' post below.
  • Major characters are allowed to share a province with those of other Clan. Indeed, Winter Court often sees the most powerful samurai in the Empire all gathered in one location.
• Cultural Assets are ambassadors, artisans, duellists and other fixtures of the court, responsible for protecting and advancing the Clan's political interests. Rokugan is an intensely courtly culture, and to be uncultured is considered among the gravest sins.
  • Cultural Assets cannot move.
  • Cultural Assets can support actions in other provinces, given proper rationale - a famous poet might aid a character's diplomatic mission by crafting flattering poems about the target, for example. However, only one such "distant" cultural asset can support a given action.
  • Cultural assets may be created and maintained in foreign provinces, but only with the permission of the province owner.
• Covert Assets are how you do things on the sly, and represent everything from elite kill-squads of highly trained ninja to folios filled with blackmail material. Use of these assets is generally considered dishonourable within Rokugan, but every Clan maintains at least a few anyway.
  • Covert assets are not public; only you know what Covert assets your Clan has. They can still be targeted or removed by enemy actions, if the enemy is willing to commit such resources based on guesswork or the implications of a prior report.
  • Covert assets cannot move, but can be established and maintained in hostile territory without the permission of the province owner.
• Imperial Assets represent legal authority and practical control over a given province or jurisdiction, along with the civilian manpower and material resources at their command. A Major Imperial asset generally represents the local Daimyo or Governor, while Minor assets might represent a Clan Magistrate or other public official.
  • Imperial Assets cannot move. For roleplay purposes it is possible for a provincial daimyo to visit a neighbour's land, but he will not be able to act with authority or access his resources there, and so will not be a true Asset.
  • Minor imperial assets can only be created with the permission of the player who owns the local Major imperial asset. Major Imperial assets cannot be legally created at all - a slain Daimyo can officially only be replaced by the Emperor, though desperate times might give a player cause to bend this rule.
  • Control of the Major Imperial Asset in a given province grants the controlling player ownership of the province.
• Military Assets are the final argument you have at your disposal, covering both field armies and the collection of specialists, paramilitaries and mercenaries that every Great Clan employs.
  • Military assets may move to a directly adjacent province once per turn. They can move twice with the permission of the owner of their destination province. They cannot move during a Winter turn.
  • Military assets may move across any number of ocean provinces in a turn, constructing transports or conscripting civilian vessels. They cannot fight on the water, nor may they disembark into provinces containing a hostile Major Military Asset.
  • The Crab and Mantis Clans have Fleet assets. Fleet assets automatically win any conflict with non-fleet assets on the water, and may attack hostile assets in adjacent coastal provinces, but cannot move onto land provinces.
  • Castles are a special kind of immobile military asset, representing both fortress and garrison. They impose a -2 penalty on hostile actions taken by other military assets against them, but can be captured rather than destroyed without the usual penalty.

There can only be one Major asset of a given type in a region at a time, regardless of who controls it. If two or more Major assets of the same type try to occupy a province at once - say, Army assets from two clans are both deployed to Beiden Pass - then a conflict will be resolved to either remove or reduce one until only one remains. Note that this only applies to assets of the same type - it is entirely possible to have a Major Cultural Asset and a Major Military Asset in the same province, controlled by the same or different players. There is no limit on the number of Minor assets in a given province.

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Core Rules - Orders

Each turn, a player may issue a maximum of THREE ORDERS.

An order may consist of any number of related 'actions', which can effectively be thought of as sub-orders. For example, a Lion player might send in an Order entitled "Make War on the Crane", which could include moving his armies into Crane provinces, having his diplomats legitimise the move in the courts, and sending covert assets to sabotage Crane defences and hinder their forces. He could not, however, include a pilgrimage to a local monastery to consult the family archives.

Any given action must be performed by an asset - if you have no suitable assets, then you cannot take the action.The process goes as follows:

1. Specify the goal of your action. What are you hoping to achieve? What is your ideal end state, and what are you willing to settle for? This will be used when generating results, particularly when it comes to decide what appropriate complications, consolations or bonuses a particular result will carry with it.
2. Choose an asset to carry out the action, referred to as the 'primary' asset, and specify the intended goal of the action.
   1. There must be a clear connection between the chosen asset and the intended action. 'Blackmailed magistrates' can easily be used to harass your political opponents, but will have a rather harder time constructing a farm.
   2. The primary asset must be located in the same province as the intended target (after any moves, as appropriate).
3. Choose any other assets that you want to support the action, which must be located in the same province as the primary asset. These are referred to as 'secondary' assets.
   1. The connection between a secondary asset and the goal is allowed to be more flexible. 'Blackmailed magistrates' could be used as a secondary asset for a construction project if you explain how you want to use them to suppress local protestors or uncooperative landowners.
4. Summarise all tags possessed by primary and secondary assets that could be applied to the action; these modify the result of any dice roll made to resolve an action.
   1. An action may benefit from any number of relevant tags on its primary asset. Only one tag per secondary asset will be counted.
   2. The GM may assign additional modifiers as appropriate, given the scope of a given action or environmental circumstances. In particular, the Honour of a Character Asset will usually be applied to the resolution of an action.

The success or failure of a given action is determined by two things - the opposition, and the resolution dice roll.

Unopposed actions succeed automatically and in full, without a roll. Generally this means actions taken in your own territory and not affecting other players, but it can also be the result of a significant mismatch in capabilities - if you send an Army to burn down a monastery, then any cultural asset there will be automatically destroyed… unless of course your asset is particularly honourable, in which case it might refuse to act or allow the civilians to escape without pursuit.

Opposed actions, those taken against other players or NPCs capable of resistance, are resolved with a dice roll. The roll is a d20, with the following modifiers applied to the result:

• Attacker is a major asset = +5
• Defender is a major asset = -5
• Every relevant tag on primary asset = +/- 1
• Each supporting asset = +1
• Relevant tags on supporting assets = +/- 1, max 1 per supporting asset
• Every relevant tag on target asset, or defending assets supporting the target = -1
• Honour of character asset = +/- 1-10

Any situational or circumstantial modifiers, such as attacking a castle or being surprised by unexpected foes, will be applied at the GM's discretion. The GM will be the one who rolls the dice, but to simplify the process all orders must contain a summary of the above steps in order to help the GM calculate the result.

The result of the dice roll is then recorded and used to determine the effectiveness of your intended action.

• 1 to 4 = Defender Triumphs. Defender achieves goal, with bonus. Attacker suffers a complication.
• 5 to 8 = Defender Succeeds. Defender achieves goal. Attacker receives a consolation.
• 9 to 12 = Stalemate. Neither side achieves a goal, both sides are offered consolation or bonus.
• 13 to 16 = Attacker Succeeds. Attacker achieves goal. Defender receives consolation.
• 17 to 20+ = Attacker Triumphs. Attacker achieves goal, with bonus. Defender suffers a complication.

It may be that the calculations for one action are dependent on the result of another. For example, if you send a character with your army and instruct them to duel the enemy general before battle, the clash of armies will be heavily influenced by whether that general lives or dies. Where possible, the order of actions will follow the player's stated intent. Where the order of events is ambiguous or contested (say, two players have submitted conflicting orders), the GM will flip a coin to determine who takes the initiative and/or acts as the attacker.

In the interests of transparency, all reports will include a mechanical breakdown of the rolls and results in a spoiler box at the end.

Destroying and Creating Assets

Target assets can be destroyed if such is the goal of a given action or order, though Major assets are almost always going to be downgraded to Minor first and will require an extra action to then finish off. Complications and the like might resolve themselves by "damaging" an asset involved in the conflict, represented by one or more temporary tags that will apply penalties to most actions until cleared.

It is possible to seize a target asset for your own, but attempting to do so is usually harder than simply destroying it. As a general rule of thumb, this imposes a -2 modifier on your dice roll, but if you achieve your goal then the asset is preserved and changes owner as desired. Castles can be captured without this penalty.

Assets can be created with Orders, with each asset generated requiring an action to produce. As with all other actions, creating an asset therefore requires the existence of an appropriate asset to take the necessary action. Only one Major Asset can be generated by any given order, but there is no limit on minor assets.

 

[Maugan Ra]

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Characters

Plans aren't put into motion by perfectly spherical blobs in a vacuum. They are put into place by people. Bureaucrats, commanders, ambassadors, heroes and villains. Ones with their own strengths and weaknesses. Rokugan is a land obsessed with glory and the achievements of one's ancestors, and therefore prone to what we might call "Great Man Theory", attributing the success of an entire military campaign to the general who won it and perhaps the odd hero who achieved a particularly dramatic battlefield success or won a famous duel.

In-game, these are represented by Character Assets. Your Clan Champion will be one, typically your Major character, and each faction will start with two more minor characters. Mechanically, characters are assets like any other, obeying the rules given earlier, but given how much of the game is likely to revolve around their dramatic undertakings they are covered in more detail here.

Every character has a character sheet that covers the relevant values and abilities of that character. Quick breakdown of each section:

Character Overview

• Name: The name of the character.
• Rank: If they are a Major or Minor character. Each Clan can only have one Major character.
• Background: The School that the character attended; each Clan has several schools that exist to train its samurai in the Clan's traditions, which will be listed in the "available Clans" section.
  • Sometimes, samurai attend a school that is not of their current Clan, due to marriage or political agreement. You may choose an out-of-Clan school for your character with the permission of the Player who owns the school in question.
• Honour: A score listed between 1-10, and applied as a bonus to all honourable actions that the character undertakes, or as a penalty on dishonourable actions.
  • A character's honour score also applies defensively, both as a bonus and a penalty - it is very hard to sway an honourable samurai into betraying her duty, but relatively easy to persuade her to make a politically inconvenient stand on principle.
• Quirks: The character's inherent advantages, disadvantages and other personal quirks. Every character starts with three, two generally positive and one generally negative.

Each Quirk functions as a tag for the character when employed as an asset, as explained previously, as does their School.

Honour can be an extremely powerful trait, but is also very restrictive, especially as a character's honour increases. It is not enough to simply "not be dishonourable" to get the bonus on an action - the character must specifically act in accordance with a samurai's virtues. The higher a character's honour, the more likely they will simply refuse to perform orders that are insufficiently virtuous, or act on their own initiative to uphold their honour no matter how inconvenient it may be. That said, an honourable samurai acting in pursuit of a righteous cause is capable of feats straight out of legend.

Honour in Rokugan

In Rokugan, Honour is defined as acting in accordance with the Code of Bushido, as taught to man by the Kami Akodo (founder of the Lion Clan) at the dawn of history. It is difficult to understate just how important this code is considered by most samurai - ritual suicide is widely considered preferable to dishonourable action, and may be commanded by one's lord at need.

The Code rests on the following tenets:

• Compassion. Protect the weak, aid those in need, and use your power and skills for the good of all.
• Courage: Fight without fear, hold to virtue without hesitation, do not be dismayed by the mightiest of foes. Everyone dies, so seek a death with meaning.
• Courtesy: Be polite, uphold social convention and show even your worst enemy proper respect and hospitality.
• Duty: Obey your lord, your family and your ancestors. Your life does not belong to you, it belongs to those who are owed your loyalty.
• Honour: Only you can judge your own heart. It is not enough to merely do "what is expected". You must act because you believe it is right.
• Righteousness. There are no shades of grey, only good and evil, right and wrong. Never act unjustly, nor allow injustice to pass unchallenged.
• Sincerity. Your word is your bond. Do not promise or swear or make a vow - your word alone should be greater than all of those.

Naturally, every Clan has a different interpretation of the best way to uphold Bushido, and values each tenet to a different extent. The Lion are staunch and inflexibly orthodox, while the Scorpion disdain every virtue save Duty, while the other Clans tend to fall somewhere in between.

 

[Maugan Ra]

Claimants​

The future of Rokugan is vague and uncertain, but there is certainly no shortage of possible answers. All agree that someone must rise to sit upon the Chrysanthemum Throne, but who? Some insist that the closest blood relative to the fallen Hantei Emperor must be elevated to the throne, others back more virtuous or convenient candidates, and still others suggest that such a sign of Heaven's displeasure must be met with more radical changes. Perhaps the Throne should be contested in a duel, as the Kami once did, or perhaps one Clan should rise to rule over the others. At a basic level, answering this question and determining the future of Rokugan is what this game is focused upon. When the answer is clear and the shape of the country's future leadership apparent, the game will end.

Each competing candidate or answer is hereby referred to as a Claimant. There will be four Claimants at the start of the game, while others may be proposed by players either immediately or in response to in-game events, and a few will arise organically over the course of the game.

Claimants have three stats - Legitimacy, Support and Policies.

A claimant's Legitimacy is a universal measurement of how powerful and widely accepted they are, and will generally be expressed as a numerical value from 1 to 100. Player actions and circumstantial events may increase or decrease legitimacy, even if that was not intended - the death of a particular candidate for the throne might be a devastating blow if it was a cult of personality, or a moderate setback if there is another candidate ready to take up the banner. Should a Claimant reach 100 legitimacy, then they have solidified their claim and the game ends with them victorious - other high-legitimacy claimants will often be incorporated into the new power structure if they are compatible, while those opposed to the winner will likely be slain or forced into exile.

A Claimant's Support is a mechanical representation of the incentives and benefits offered to those Clans who agree with their goals and pursue their aims. There are three ranks of support: Token, Significant, and Total. Each tier will specify a mechanical benefit, and then list any Clans or other player groups that currently exist at that support rank. At game start, no Claimant has any support.

Every turn, a Claimant will announce their Policies, goals they want to achieve and actions they believe should be taken. Players who issue orders in line with these policies will increase the Claimant's legitimacy, and also increase their Support for the Claimant by one rank. Thus, it takes three turns of consistent actions to reach Total Support.

(Naturally, actions taken to oppose claimant policies will decrease their legitimacy and reduce any support that the responsible Clan has for them.)

Starting Claimants

Seppun Jinryu - The Pious
The former Emperor's older brother and a trained shugenja, Jinryu renounced his inheritance in order to focus on his spiritual studies, and while rumours swirled as to the 'true' reason the decision was never officially challenged. Now Seppun Jinryu seeks to undo his "youthful folly", arguing that as a priest-Emperor he is best suited to address the heaven's clear displeasure. Propriety sees him stop short of condemning his fallen brother as wicked or impure, but neither does he silence others who speculate in his presence.

Hantei Daisuke - The Paragon
Son of the previous Emperor and a concubine, Daisuke is in many ways the ideal of the Hantei line. He is tall and handsome, having recently graduated top of his class from the Kakita Duelling Academy with a litany of martial and artistic exploits, and his grasp of rhetoric and culture make him a hit everywhere from army barrack-tents to high society poetry recitals. He's also killed half a dozen other samurai in lethal duels since news of the Emperor's second marriage and the Empress' impending pregnancy were announced, and with it his own transfer to some quiet backwater.

Matsu Hitomi - The Valiant
A passionate winter affair in the Emperor's youth saw the youngest daughter of the Matsu daimyo fall pregnant. Though the Emperor acknowledged the child as his own, he never offered to adopt her, leaving his only known child to be raised as a Lion. Now in her late 20s, Matsu Hitomi is a decorated general and fearsome warrior famed for her ironclad honour and martial skill, qualities that many believe will compensate for limited courtly experience.

Hantei nee Doji Sakura - The Innocent
The Emperor's first wife died five years ago, taken by a sudden illness after her second failed pregnancy. After a suitable mourning period he married the woman's younger sister, also a member of the Crane's ruling family, a soft and gracious woman with a gift for making friends wherever she went. Sakura was announced to be pregnant just three months ago, making her child the trueborn heir to the now-destroyed throne.

 

[Maugan Ra]

Available Factions​

The Great Clans

Once, long ago, Lady Sun and Lord Moon fell in love and bore nine children, and for an age they lived together in the heavens. Yet Lord Moon grew jealous upon seeing his wife's affection for their children, and so set about devouring them, a fate that only the child Hantei was spared. The young god struck back against his father, and though he managed to free his siblings from the Moon's terrible grasp, all were cast out of heaven as a result. Descending to the mortal world, and encountering the humans that lived there, these fallen gods decided they would create a new home in this strange land, and in a ritual duel elected Hantei to rule over them. Thus was the Empire of Rokugan born.

(The ninth child, Fu Leng, became Dark Lord of the Shadowlands and eternal enemy of Rokugan. Of him, not much is willingly said.)

Today, each of the Seven Great Clans traces its heritage back to one of those founding deities, the Kami, and to the first coterie of mortal servants and followers each gathered around themselves. Each consists of thousands of samurai, organised into main family lines and numerous vassal families, with martial traditions and cultural institutions stretching back centuries into Rokugan's glorious past, and they guard their privileges and their power zealously.

Conflict and war between the Clans is common, and every major family holds at least one grudge or vendetta against the samurai of a neighbouring Clan, but Imperial authority always kept the conflicts limited and localised. Now the Emperor is dead and the favour of Heaven withdrawn, and the risk of a true Clan War grows higher with every passing day.


Crab Clan - Courage and Sacrifice
The Crab stand out in any gathering of samurai, given a wide berth both for their stature and for their gruff, brusque manners. The defenders of the Empire have little time or inclination to practice social niceties; they stand guard upon the Kaiu Wall, an enduring symbol of tenacity against the horrors of the Shadowlands. Often, the members of this clan grumble that their duty is taken for granted, that their fine and honourable samurai succumb to the horrifying Taint while the effete and the careless play at games in an Empire kept safe by the spilled blood of the Crab.

• We Are The Wall - All characters and military assets gain one tag based on their unyielding fortitude, such as "Implacable" or "Heavily Fortified", and all hostile actions taken against your assets suffer a -2 penalty. You can raise Fleet assets.
• Warden of the Foul - You may issue an extra Order each turn, provided it is concerned with opposing the Shadowlands or hunting its agents. Hostile actions you take against assets known to be tainted or otherwise compromised gain a +2 bonus.
• Unending Duty - Every turn, a variable number of hostile Shadowlands military assets will be generated in your border provinces. A smaller number of Shadowlands covert assets may be generated in other Rokugani provinces. All will seek to attack and oppose you and your allies.

Crane Clan - Seeking Perfection
The Crane are the Left Hand of the Emperor, in service as the political aides to the throne. It's traditional for the Hantei to choose a samurai from the Doji family as their spouse, more Emerald Champions have been Kakita than any other family, and the samurai of the Daidoji family serve as some of the finest shock troops in the Emerald Empire. Yet the Crane make their greatest contributions in culture: many of the finest poets and craftspeople hail from their academies, and their duelists have few rivals. The Crane are the masters of court, with the wealth and status to prove it.

• A Crane in Every Court - You may issue an additional Order each turn, focused on political influence or cultural pursuits. You are treated as having a minor cultural asset of "Crane Courtiers" in every province, with the tags "well connected" and "expert courtiers". All other Character and Cultural assets gain a free tag based on their artistic or cultural pursuits, such as "Famed Duelist" or "Insightful Poet".
• Left Hand of Peace - When your actions modify a claimant's legitimacy, increase the amount by 3. Once per turn, you may treat any asset belonging to the Imperial Families or Bureaucracy as if it were under your control.
• Tarnished Name - Your close ties to the line of Hantei have raised questions of your culpability and standing in the eyes of Heaven. Any action taken to slander your name, impugn your motives or tarnish your honour in the eyes of wider society may roll twice and keep the better result.

Dragon Clan - Enigmatic Watchers
For a thousand years, the Dragon Clan has watched over the others, recording the history of Rokugan. Aloof and enigmatic, the armies of the Dragon march only rarely, intervening in the clashes of the Great Clans for seemingly inscrutable reasons. From the strange and powerful Tattooed Monks of Togashi to the investigators who challenge the system of justice in the Empire, the Dragon seek to ensure the Empire does not become too self-focused and solipsistic. It falls to them to ensure that the future of the Empire transpires in an orderly and elegant manner.

• A Thousand Paths - Every asset you control starts with one additional tag reflecting their esoteric or unconventional background, such as "living tattoos" or "blade-dancer vanguard". Once per turn, you may treat any asset belonging to the Brotherhood of Shinsei as if it were under your control.
• Right Time, Right Place - Your covert and military assets can support "distant" actions in the same way as cultural assets, though only one distant asset of any type may support a given action. Your characters do not need permission to move into other players' provinces.
• Enigmatic - Your Clan Champion is a character asset under GM control. Every turn he will issue three policies like a claimant, at least one of which you must attempt to fulfil with your Orders that turn.

Lion Clan - For our Ancestors
To be a samurai is to live and breathe Bushidō, but to be a Lion is to exemplify it to all others. The Lion's roar heralds the call to battle and honour. For centuries, the Lion have dominated the military tactics and strategy of the Empire, pioneering new techniques and battle methods that other clans take years to adopt. Now, this clan's samurai seek to apply the wisdom of their ancestors to the trials of the modern era.

• Fury of the Lion - You may issue an additional order each turn, concerned with military affairs or warfare. When taking a hostile action with a military asset, you gain a +2 modifier. When characters take actions for which they would normally benefit from their honour modifier, they may roll twice and take the higher result.
• Soul of Bushido - Your military, cultural and imperial assets have an Honour score of 4, which applies as a bonus or penalty on all relevant actions as normal. All Characters and Military assets gain an additional tag reflecting their adherence to a chosen tenet of Bushido, such as "Compassionate" or "Paragon of Courage".
• Words are Deeds - Once you reach Total Support with a candidate, you can no longer take actions that would lower that support. If you commit to a course of action, in a public post or in private correspondence with another player, you cannot break your word. Should you fail to follow through in your orders, your own assets will act to fulfil the promise instead.

Phoenix Clan - Masters of the Elements
Other clans guard the Empire's borders, even the Empire's future, but the Phoenix guard the Empire's soul. It is the duty of the Phoenix to keep safe the myriad religious paths of the Empire, defining them and arbitrating their differences. Scholars of the Tao and servants of the spirits are found among the Phoenix's ranks more than in any other clan; the wisdom the Phoenix have gleaned from both traditions has led them to foster peace and understanding among the other clans, even if it means sacrificing themselves in the process.

• First Among Equals- Each turn, choose and publicly announce one Element to take primacy in your Clan. When taking actions that resonate with the chosen element, you may roll twice and keep the better result. You cannot choose the same element twice in a row.
  • Earth is enduring, patient and purifying. Water is powerful, adaptable and mobile. Fire is brilliant, inspiring and destructive. Air is subtle, observant and omnipresent. Void is enigmatic, unifying and enlightened.
• Scholars of Divinity - All characters and cultural assets gain an additional tag reflecting spiritual pursuits or scholarly insight. Each turn, you can ask the Heavens up to three questions, to which the GM will provide answers. The Fortunes will be honest and well intentioned, but not unbiased.
• Pacifists - You cannot take hostile actions against another Clan unless they have declared war on you or otherwise begun hostilities. If anyone you are in conflict with extends an offer of peace, you must negotiate in good faith and accept if it is genuine.

Scorpion Clan - Loyal Villains
From behind their masks and veils, the Scorpion smile grimly at the performance of their duty, for it is their sacrifice to be hated even as they execute it perfectly. What other clan could perform the role of loyal villain? It was the Scorpion Kami's contention that enemies need not be external to the Empire, and thus, the Scorpion fight fire with fire. They keep all clans united in hatred against them, yet divided so that no one clan can challenge the line to whom they owe undying loyalty: the Hantei.

• A Scorpion In Every Shadow - You may issue an extra order each turn, focused on espionage and covert action. You are treated as having a minor covert asset of "Scorpion Spies" in every province, with the tags "elite operatives" and "suborned locals". All assets gain a tag representing their covert connections, unsavoury knowledge or forbidden tactics, such as "ninja saboteurs" or "folio of blackmail".
• Duty Before All - The honour score of your characters is never applied as a penalty. When taking an action, you may choose to sacrifice your agents in order to roll twice and take the better result. If you do, after the action is resolved one Scorpion asset of your choice is removed from the game.
• Villains of Every Story - A candidate's legitimacy cannot be increased as a result of your non-covert actions. When you take actions that would be in line with any Bushido tenet except Duty, you take a -2 penalty to your roll.

Unicorn Clan - Children of the Wind
The Clan of the Wind spent hundreds of years outside the Empire, returning in a glorious cavalry charge that shook the other clans to their core. The barbaric ways they adopted in their exile continue to shock and disgust the other clans, yet the Unicorn remain fierce in their duty and unwavering in their honour. Of all the clans, they are best suited to uncovering foreign manipulation and infiltration, for they faced innumerable horrors and traitors in their wandering years.

• Born to the Saddle - Your military assets can move one additional time per turn. Your cultural and covert assets can move to an adjacent province once per turn, as can minor Imperial assets.
• Friends near and Far - All characters and cultural assets gain a tag representing their foreign experiences or unconventional methods, such as "Ujik Bodyguard" or "Pious Astronomer". Once per turn you may generate a minor cultural or military asset in any province, with two tags of your choice, which may take actions as normal. The asset disappears at the end of the turn.
• Barbarians - When you take an action that relies on the acceptance or goodwill of non-Unicorn samurai, or which seeks to use the social institutions of Rokugan against a non-Unicorn, you must roll twice and choose the lower result.

Mantis Clan - Roar like Thunder
Descended from the unfavoured child of the kami Hida, the Mantis spent several centuries as a band of pirates and outcasts, ascending to the position of Minor Clan by quite literally holding a knife to the Emperor's throat. Holding the tropical Isles of Silk and Spice as their domain, the Mantis of today are sailors, explorers, pirates and merchants, rich in wealth and foreign friends but ever denied the recognition and glory they believe their birthright.

• Sons of the Storm - All characters and cultural assets gain one additional tag reflecting their nautical and foreign/disreputable connections, such as "Priest of the Storm" or "Black Market Fence". You may raise fleet assets, and your fleets gain a +2 bonus when resolving hostile actions.
• Audacious - When taking an action, you may opt to roll twice and take the better result. However, any such enhanced action will generate an additional complication or drawback for your Clan, stacking with any that result from the normal roll result.
• Nameless - You are legally a Minor Clan, and have no recognised family name. You cannot form or claim Imperial assets on mainland Rokugan, your actions cannot increase a claimant's legitimacy, and actions that rely on the legal systems of Rokugan suffer a -2 penalty.

The Minor Clans

The Seven Great Clans are far from the only lords and nobles in Rokugan. History has recorded the rise, fall and continued legacy of dozens of Minor Clans, each individually smaller and weaker than their cousins but no less valiant or virtuous. Some were founded by great heroes given the right to pass on their names, others were created by a past Emperor to serve a specific political or strategic goal. The Mantis are the most infamous, rising in strength and influence to rival some of the Great Clans within their field, but they are far from the only example of their kind.

If you wish to play a Minor Clan, you may apply for one and tell me why you want to play that Clan and how they would fit into the broader plot of the game. If I agree, we can then hammer out your Clan Traits and starting assets. You will have considerably fewer assets than any Great Clan does.

Note - it is illegal for a Great Clan to declare war upon a Minor Clan. The reverse is technically permissible, but has never been done, since it is generally considered suicidal.

You may invent a Minor Clan of your own, or you may take one of the following canonical Minor Clans as a guide.

• Boar - Smiths and mountaineers, split off from the Crab to guard their barren flanks.
• Centipede - Matriarchal priestesses of the sun goddess Amaterasu.
• Dragonfly - Gatekeepers of the Dragon, not-quite-vassals born of an ill-fated romance.
• Fox - First minor clan, woodsmen and spiritualists beloved of the mischievous kitsune.
• Hare - Scouts and couriers, experts in uncovering and destroying blood mages.
• Sparrow - Storytellers and farmers, bound by a vow of poverty to live alongside peasants
• Tortoise - Officially custodians of the Imperial City, in reality spies and smugglers for the Emperor.
• Wasp - Betrayed children of the Scorpion and Lion, now famed archers who reject bushido and work as magistrates and bounty hunters.

 

[Maugan Ra]

(Open as a new image to get a much larger version)
​

Provinces

As stated in the rules, Rokugan is divided up into a number of Provinces, each of which is ruled and administered by the samurai of a specific Clan. The above map comes from the Atlas of Rokugan, a sourcebook made for the 4th edition of the RPG. It is not entirely accurate, representing as it does a different metaplot and timeline, but the provinces are at least all in the same place and so can be referenced when planning orders.

For the purposes of this game, certain major cities and other landmarks will be considered a "province" in their own right, but otherwise they obey all the same rules as normal provinces. Every asset under your command will be located in a specific province.

Lands of the Crab Clan

The lands Hida and his followers claimed at the dawn of the Empire are not by any means the most beautiful in Rokugan, nor are they the most fertile or resource-rich. Hida did not choose these lands for their value but for their proximity to the Shadowlands. As a result, the lands of the Crab are a hodgepodge of terrains and conditions, with the only unifying factor being their inhabitants.

Taken as a whole, the lands of the Crab are not particularly fertile. There are portions of the lands where productive farming is indeed possible, but in many provinces the villages are barely able to grow enough to sustain themselves. One food the Crab do have is plenty of fish, thanks to their proximity to Earthquake Fish Bay, and much of the food eaten by the Crab armies is dried or pickled fish.

Much of the Crab territory is a patchwork of forests, mountains, plains, and barren rocky uplands. There are a few places in the Crab lands where cherry blossom trees grow, where spring sees the hills covered in beautiful arrays of white and pink, but these are far more the exception than the rule. And there are some places so barren that all that grows there are stunted thorn bushes and brown weeds… not to mention the Kuni wastelands, where all forms of natural life have been purged, or the Tainted lands which have fallen to the Shadowlands over the centuries.


Lands of the Crane Clan

The lands of the Crane are a testament to the beauty and geographic diversity found within the Emerald Empire. Fertile plains, flowing rivers, lush forests, and wetlands teeming with life all extend inland from the single longest coastline in Rokugan. That coastline includes serene beaches, sheer cliffs, countless small islands, and many prosperous ports. Where other clans are defined by the singular nature of their domain, the Crane are a clan of diversity, born from the land itself.

If any single geographic feature could be said to define the Crane, it must be their coastline. The Crane control the coast of the Empire from Otosan Uchi all the way down to the Yasuki territory in the far south. Not even the island-bound Mantis possesses as much oceanfront land as the Crane. Marshes are common in the farthest south, and rainfall is abundant throughout the region; summers are humid, spring short but verdant, and the coast remains warm through most of the year.

Further inland, the fertile plains of the Crane boast fields more productive than any other clan. Rice, cotton, and wheat are supplemented by millet, rapeseed, silk, maize, and sorghum. In spring, an infinite array of flowers blossom in these fields, turning the ordinary farmland into an artist's paradise, a riot of colour and beauty. Nor is this farming bounty the only resource of these lands – streams and small rivers, lakes and ponds all provide an inexhaustible supply of fish, shrimp, water chestnuts, lotus seeds, and other resources. Although the Crane lands have many farms and settled regions, there are also relatively unused regions which are home to abundant wild game. Forests and open pastures alike are home to rodents, deer, and even wild horses. Predators include foxes, cougars, lynx, and occasionally wolves or lions.


Lands of the Dragon Clan

The Dragon lands are by far the most inhospitable of the Empire: colder than the Phoenix or Unicorn lands, more mountainous than the Crab territories. Merely visiting the home of the Dragon takes tremendous time and effort, and most Rokugani cannot even fathom the idea of living there.

Like the rest of the Great Wall of the North, from which they are essentially a huge spur, the Dragon Mountains are among the steepest and highest in Rokugan, splitting the Dragon lands into dozens of small valleys. However, those valleys are surprisingly suitable for settlements, with many lakes, streams, and forests providing materials and making irrigation (especially rice paddies) possible despite the difficult landscape. The stereotypical Dragon village is perched on the lower side of a mountain, with terraced rice paddies crowding every slope that will allow it.

The redeeming feature of those mountains, however, is their wealth in minerals. Iron from them has a high level of carbon, making it superb for steel in armour and weapons. However, the Dragon Mountains are most famous for their extensive gold mines. The fact that the clan least interested in material wealth has access to the largest reserves of gold in the Empire has often been taken as a sign that the Fortunes have a sense of humour. However little interest the Dragon may have in gold, they still mine it to trade it with other clans – overwhelmingly for food, since the clan finds it almost impossible to feed itself even in years of good harvest.

Lands of the Lion Clan

To an outside observer, the provinces of the Lion share such similarity with one another that it can be difficult to tell when one has crossed from eastern to western lands. A thousand years of land management and troop drill means little in the way of true wilderness still exists. The endless rolling plains have nearly all been transformed into rice paddies or fields of buckwheat and barley. There are no major mountains or forests, few major waterways, and the weather is temperate with frequent rainfall.

Lion lands are not known for their variety of flora or fauna, but there is more to the open plains than grass. Small shrubs, stout trees, and a dizzying array of flowers sprout across the land thanks to regular rainfall and temperate climate. In the plains, herd animals such as deer, horses, and oxen are at least moderately plentiful, and this region is also home to wild lions – predators which would be hunted elsewhere, but here are tolerated (and occasionally domesticated) as the physical symbols of the clan. Near the waterways and at the edges of the Spine of the World Mountains, the animal and plant life becomes more abundant and varied; wild cougars, wolves, and bears prey on goats, stags, and various small game.


Lands of the Mantis Clan

The volcanic island chain known as the Islands of Silk and Spice appear to be a continuation, beneath the ocean, of the Spine of the World Mountains, the range that divides Rokugan into its northern and southern halves. This island archipelago stands apart from mainland Rokugan not only geographically, but also has a substantially different climate. While the mainland is generally temperate, with seasons defined by hot summers and cold, harsh winters, the Islands of Silk and Spice are semi-tropical. This warm character is further enhanced by the emanations of volcanic heat from their bedrock.

As a result, these rugged islands are largely covered in exotic forests – rainforests near the coasts, giving way to thick jungle in the interior regions, traversed by many small winding rivers. The lush vegetation is thick with exotic flowering plants and alive with the chatter of colourful birds and strange animals. True to the islands' volcanic nature, their beaches are often covered with thick black sands, while hot springs and volcanic fumaroles bubble on the surface. Earthquakes and even volcanic eruptions, while not common, are frequent enough that the inhabitants of the archipelago have learned to remain wary of even small tremors, keeping watch for the possibility of landslides, damaging tsunami, or even lava flows.


Lands of the Phoenix Clan

The Phoenix lands are primarily plains, with only a rare few hills to break their monotony. The vast majority of the major Phoenix settlements can be found on these plains, along with most of the population, who follow the traditional Rokugani model of small agricultural villages cultivating the land. However, the sameness of the Phoenix lands does have one very large interruption: the Mori Isawa, easily the second largest forest in the Empire (exceeded only by the Shinomen itself). The Isawa Mori is dominated by evergreens, retaining thick foliage all year long despite the bitter winters. While not as mysterious or dangerous as the Shinomen Mori, Isawa Mori is nonetheless known as a place of tremendous spiritual power and corresponding enigma, home to many otherworldly beings and peculiar legends.

Two mountain ranges also define the Phoenix landscape; the Great Wall of the North closes off the northern border of the clan's territory, but an offshoot of that range extends south within the Phoenix borders, forming a barrier between their lands and the near-vacant Dragon Heart Plain. Although sparsely populated, these Phoenix Mountains are popular with several monastic orders and are home to many shrines and temples, as well as a few lesser clan holdings. On the other hand, the small mountain chain known as the Mountains of Regret which forms the clan's southern border is avoided by most, for it is both treacherous and populated by many dangerous beasts.

Due to the mountains that surround them on several sides, the Phoenix provinces are accessed by only a handful of roads; this gives the Phoenix considerable control over movement of both trade and troops into their borders. The Phoenix are one of three clans with an extensive coastline. However, much of it – particularly in the northern regions – consists of jagged rocks and cliffs, inhospitable to settlement. Still, the Phoenix made the most of what they have, and fishing villages can be found in all of the rare spots where openings appear in the cliffs, as well as in the more hospitable southern portion of the coast. Overall, the coast sees only modest commercial traffic, especially when compared to the Imperial and Crane lands further to the south.


Lands of the Scorpion Clan

The boundaries of the Scorpion Clan are traditionally well defined, being set by the Seikitsu Mountains to the north and east and the River of Gold to the west. The vast majority of the Scorpion lands are a mixture of largely featureless plains and low, rolling hills; everywhere one encounters small farming villagers, contoured slopes, rice paddies and crop fields. The overall tone is of a land carefully supervised and manicured by the clan who rules it. The saying that the land feels almost 'too quiet' is not uncommon among visitors, often accompanied by the suggestion that the very hills and plains have eyes that watch a traveller every step of the way.

Wildlife and game are present, but larger animals are fairly rare (small game and rodents can be found in plenty). Likewise, very few large natural predators are encountered, aside from occasional foxes that rove north from other territories. This changes as one approaches the foothills of the Seikitsu range, especially in the more sparsely populated provinces of the Soshi and Yogo; there one can encounter fair numbers of deer (who are believed to be sacred to Jurojin, Fortune of Longevity) and occasional predatory animals such as wolves or cougars. These foothills are far more rocky and craggy than the majority of the clan's holdings, and also fairly heavily forested.

One last matter of note on the Scorpion lands is that while they possess enough food production to ensure the clan is self-sufficient, there is a lack of many specialised resources. Iron, gold, silver, jade, rare woods, spices and the like are found in only very low quantities in these territories, and those which do exist are often sneered at by other clans as being of inferior quality. Thus for most of their history the Scorpion are not known for being a particularly wealthy clan. That changes in the ninth century, when the Unicorn Clan brings back a plant called "poppy" and reveals that it can be refined into the drug known as opium. The Scorpion are granted the right to grow and process opium for medicinal purposes, and the lands around the city of Ryoko Owari are soon filled with poppy fields. Officially, the medicinal opium trade is modest, producing only limited income… but an amazing amount of the drug is smuggled illicitly into other clan territories, at immense profit.

Lands of the Unicorn Clan

Most of the Unicorn territory is a vast expanse of grasslands, rolling plains, and gentle hills, interrupted by three great lakes. From north to south, the Dragon Lake, Chrysanthemum Petal Lake, and White Shore Lake provide water and fresh fish for the clan. The clan's borders with the rest of the Empire are partly defined by two major rivers, the River of the Lost Valley to the north and the Firefly River to the east. Meanwhile, the Great Wall of the North mountains define the clan's northern border. To the southwest, the Unicorn border on the vast expanse of the Shinomen Forest, while to the west they touch on the edges of the Burning Sands.

A sizable number of Unicorn – at least a third, and perhaps as much as half – keep to the nomadic traditions developed during their eight centuries of travel beyond the Empire: living in tents, herding flocks of animals across the wide plains, and only gathering together for festivals or when summoned by their daimyo. Visitors to the Unicorn lands often find it a disorienting experience, since once away from the major holdings and river valleys there are no standard villages surrounded by rice paddies, no roads, and very few permanent structures of any kind. To the Unicorn this means the freedom of wide-open spaces to travel across, but other Rokugani see only an untamed and empty wilderness.

The Unicorn lands are further noted for their lack of forestation. The few modest forests within their borders either have spiritual significance or are specifically maintained as sources of wood for crafts and construction. The peasants do grow rice in their fertile riverlands, as well as fields of barley, millet and oats, and even rye in the northernmost regions. These grains are grown almost entirely for internal consumption and payment of taxes, with little to no exports. However, the Unicorn (alone among all the Great Clans) also use animal herding as a major source of food and other resources, most of which will never leave their lands. Even in modern times, animal products such as leather or cloth woven from animal hairs are seen as distasteful to samurai and only slowly growing in acceptance among the lower castes.

 

[Maugan Ra]

Ok! This game is now open for recruitment. I am looking for at least eight players, one for each of the Great Clans (well, the Seven Great Clans and the Mantis, who get an honourable mention). I am also accepting Minor Clan applications. I will not be accepting players as direct vassals of other players - allies certainly, but each Clan gets one player.

If you want to apply, let me know which Clan you'd like, and sketch out who your Clan Champion is and what their goals/personality are. Doesn't have to be a whole biography, just enough so I can see what sort of story and arc we'd get to see if I assigned that Clan to you.

 

[KreenWarrior]

I'm interested, assuming this game won't require a lot of in-depth knowledge of the canonical timeline.

Crab Champion: Hida Hiroto

The motto of the Hida is "I will not fail." No matter what horrors the Shadowlands spill forth, no matter what tests the Empire throws at its most under-appreciated defenders, the Hida endure.

Hiroto is old, his physical strength beginning to fail him. The Shadow has devoured his three sons, and bitterness gnaws at his heart. Old wounds and older bones ache more deeply with the coming of each winter. But he has commanded the Crab for thirty-five years, and has accumulated experience in statecraft and siege warfare, and though agents and monsters occasionally make their way across, there has not been a successful major incursion while he held his position, not since he rallied the defenders against the invasion that killed his father. In the eyes of the Crab, Hiroto, also called "The Tower" has started to become synonymous with the Wall itself.

And he will not fail.

Goals:
* Find a worthy successor
* Do whatever is necessary to hold back the Shadow

 

[Who?]

I would like to pitch for Crane first, though I would be happy to take any other Clan if we end up short. It's my first time in a GSRP, so I may fuck up in a few places, sorry in advance.


"The capital's roads
Full of carts, rich with life
Stand empty, leaves deep
The sun is high, but I see stars
The crane takes wing from the river"
- Taira Doji, "Upon Receiving News from the Capital", never published

Taira Doji is a young man - in his early 20s, there are many among the Crane who would argue that he is too young to be Champion, even if he did not have a reputation for a certain hotheadedness that does not fit the cool and calm the Doji pride themselves on. But his father died on the spot after hearing of what happened in Otosan Uchi, and with rumours swirling of the reason behind the fall of the Palace, it was agreed that a young man with no rumours or history clouding his past was a fitting choice, especially as it was widely known that he and his cousin - the Empress - had practically been siblings.

Taira himself rather wishes it was that simple. As a child, and then a teenager, in Otosan Uchi, he developed a close friendship with Hantei Daisuke. Though he saw some signs of the behaviour Daisuke would later exhibit, he found Daisuke just as friendly and charming as he is now. And with the fervour of a young man with no idea of the future, he and Daisuke swore an oath of brotherhood. It was not touted aloud, but Taira knows it, and Daisuke knows it.

Taira wants, more then anything, for a peaceful succession of power, even if he is unsure exactly who should ascend to the Chrysantheum Throne. But the stress of the position he now finds himself in, the strain of his competing obligations, and the rumours of the sins of the Hantei, and how the Crane must be entangled with them - well, for any man, they would be a heavy strain. He has so far not issued an open challenge against anyone who suggest the Crane's malfeasance, but every day that spies and couriers report such matters to him, the more he considers it, even as he knows it is a terrible idea.

 

[horngeek]

Hrmmmm.

I am tentatively stepping away from my normal Crane stomping grounds and declaring interest in the Unicorn, with the caveat that, well, as @Maugan Ra knows I am currently very much not where I am blessed with an abundance of time or good internet to write up a full claim.

I have a potential Clan Champion in mind- Maugan, would a Unicorn Khan who is currently *not* a Shinjo be acceptable? And what potential things in your opinion might cause such a thing?

 

[Etranger]

The Scorpion Clan
Clan Champion: Bayushi Atsuko

Background: A warrior in a clan of spies, Bayushi Atsuko has achieved the loyalty of her clan not through personal subtlety or wicked scheming, but rather intense dedication and an unbending willingness to advocate for Scorpion interests amidst a torrent of slander. She is the wall of respectability and bland denials standing between censorious Rokugani society and her clan's performance of the dark deeds that must be done for the Empire. Despite not being directly involved in the minutiae of the vast Scorpion spy network, she nevertheless sets broad Clan policy and directs its assets, often with a surprisingly deft touch. Her policy is simple, echoing that of her ancestor and Clan founder: Uphold the Hantei, no matter the cost.

Backup submission!

The Wasp Clan
Clan Champion: Tsuruchi Hirohide

Grandson of the great Tsuruchi himself, Hirohide has been lauded as his reincarnation due to his physical resemblance, peerless skill with the bow, and dedication to the Wasp Code. It was upon his accession as Clan Champion that he formally petitioned the Emperor to change his family name to that of his famous ancestor, cementing the spiritual tie between himself and the grandfather he never knew. Now, with the death of that emperor in a horrible disaster, Hirohide must guide his small clan through the avalanche to safer ground without tumbling to the rocks below. He intends to accomplish this with his strong, independent nature, pragmatic decision-making, and expertise in both evading and finding prey.

 

[TenfoldShields]

I'd like to put my name in for the Mantis!

I'm not as sharp on the setting as I'd like to be so I'll have to probably bother people to help me fill in details as the game goes on, and work on setting assumptions and shit, but I know that the Mantis are just like- this weird heterogenous melting pot of regional cultures and interests, living at the edges and margins of Rokugan (and the world as Rokugan sees it), with one eye on the mainland that doesn't even know Half the things they do and one eye turned Out There. Out to the sea and everything beyond, where they live the rest of their lives. I'd like to really lean into that, a faction that's done real well for themselves by bucking the Rokugani trend of glorious xenophobic isolation. By establishing a quiet monopoly on all these things that are seen as uncouth, taboo, garish, vulgar, or actively illegal but still capture their homeland's curiosity and appetite. And this faction which has thrived on ambiguity, suspicion, guilty pleasure and disinterest now being roped into the spotlight, forced to make all these kinds of concrete stands and compromises to keep what they've got going.

Also the idea of them having to just lie wildly to all these foreigners they're friendly with, about how things are going back home is just enormously funny to me.

I think the Clan Champion that would work best for this would be- not Yoritomo, but this middle aged lady who's one part Pirate Queen to one part Yakuza Auntie. This fondly overbearing lady who's made your business her business, who knows everyone else's business besides. Who worries about her idiot kids and the trouble they get themselves into, who can gut a fish or slit a throat with about the same workmanlike indifference and who collects pinky fingers instead of apologies. And she's just kept this whole extended syndicate, this family business going for a generation and she'll be damned if some mainland bullshit drags them all down now.

 

[horngeek]

My character idea is an Utaku Battle Maiden Daimyo, thrust into the position of both Daimyo and Champion after… some sorta disaster to the Shinjo, I'm not certain what. She doesn't quite have a firm idea of who she wants to be as the new Emperor, but she *does* know that the Crane helped her Clan find acceptance in Rokugan when the children of Shinjo were returning to the Emerald Empire, and they don't deserve to be tarred by association with this disaster.

 

[Crilltic]

I'm working on something for Crab, just need to narrow down a concept

 

[Shebe Zuu]

I'm pleasantly surprised to see Rokugan make it's return to GSRP, especially now that I know a bit more about the setting.

Primary Application:
The Unicorn Clan
Clan Champion: Shinjo Sidurga
Background: Being the third child of Shinjo Hiroki, the previous Daimyo, Shinjo Sidurga was given sufficient leeway to take up the occupation of courier, a duty which he took great pride and pleasure in. It was a natural fit for the outgoing and adventurous young man, who took the opportunity to travel all over Rokugan, drinking in sights like Kyuuden Doji, the Carpenter Wall, and the City of the Rich Frog, all so different to his homeland. Though his sometimes off-putting (by Rokugani standards) gregariousness was not always an asset in the Courts of Rokugan it nonetheless won him many friends, who would be greatly helpful in what would become the next phase of his life. As he turned 25 he received word that he must return to Shiro Shinjo at once - his elder sister and brother were both dead, and his mother was ailing. Evidently, they had been slain by bandits in the steppes while traveling for a visit to Shiro Utaku Shojo. His mother would pass shortly after, leaving him the Daimyo of the Shinjo Family and, with the support of some of the contacts he had made in his travels, Unicorn Champion. Sidurga himself found no joy in his elevation. He did not truly believe the explanations given as to the demise of his siblings and suspected something darker was afoot, a suspicion that only deepened when the tragedy of Otosan Uchi became known. Could he possibly untangle the truth, or would it forever evade both him and Rokugan?

Secondary Application:
The Mantis Clan
Clan Champion: Nagisa
Background: Nagisa is ultimately what could be described as a "compromise candidate". The sometimes byzantine, sometimes cutthroat, and always lively politics of the Mantis have given rise to two general camps - the Disciples of Kami-Kaze, who desire to leverage the minor clans of Rokugan to force the issue of great clan status, and the Disciples of Inazuma, who advocate exploiting the Mantis' connections with the outside world to demonstrate their value. Though understood to be a member of the Inazuma faction Nagisa has been careful to cultivate connections with Rokugan, using his previous position as Governor of Toshi-no-Inazuma to establish strong trade relations with several clans. This along with what even the Mantis considered to be a brazen assassination attempt by the then-head of the Kami-Kaze faction helped secure him the championship with a degree of cross-sectional support, which has brought a degree of much needed unity to the Mantis as they prepare to navigate the uncertain ground all of Rokugan now stands on. But how long can this last, and how far is Nagisa truly willing to go for the ambitions of the Mantis?

Minor Clan Application:
The Cat Clan
Clan Champion: Nekoma Yumi
Background: Nekoma Yumi is not a name widely known in Rokugan, which is exactly how she and her clan like it. Nestled away in a small island off the Phoenix coast, the Nekoma Family and the Cat Clan in general - publicly known as a somewhat eccentric association of entertainers, poets, and playwrights - are in fact a family of mercenary Shinobi, operating in the shadows throughout Rokugan under the guise of travelling performers. Every bit as ruthless as the Scorpion but with much less notoriety, the Cat pride themselves as the true masters of the night. But in the wake of the destruction of Otosan Uchi, suddenly the game has changed. Ought the Cat to take sides in this conflict, hoping to rise along with the fortunes of their chosen claimant? Or should they remain scrupulously neutral, taking jobs from all comers, which will surely be in abundance? Or maybe, Yumi considers, the Cat should follow their own agenda. Though if their true nature were ever to be discovered the rest of Rokugan would consider them honorless scum, the Cat were founded for a reason: sometimes a task must be performed that even the Underhand of the Emperor can have no association with, and the Cat have always answered the call. With the Emperor now dead and Otosan Uchi in ruins, there may be one task yet remaining to the Clan: discover who is responsible. And kill every last one of them.

I'll put in some more detail on the secondary apps in a second.
Done!

 

[Gargulec]

Putting in my application for the Phoenix. I will work on it over the next few days, but until then I can only promise that I will be the Ultimate Isawa, remind everyone that Iuchiban has done nothing wrong, when in doubt, resort to maho, and if maho doesn't work clearly you are not trying hard enough.

 

[Carol]

天生萬物以養人
人無一善以報天
殺殺殺殺殺殺殺
Zhang Xianzhong​

​

THE UNICORN CLAN
CLAN CHAMPION: MOTO ALUN​

​

HARK, MISFORTUNATE ONE. 'TIS THE HOUR OF THE NATION'S DISCONTENT. OUR LORD WAS STRUCK DOWN FOR REASONS UNKNOWN TO EVEN I, MOTO ALUN, WHO HAS RULED HER HOUSE FOR EIGHT WINTERS, WHO HAS RIDDEN ON THE GRASS OF EVERY DIRECTION AS A VINDICATOR, WHO HAS NEVER FORSAKEN AN OATH ON THE PAIN OF DEATH. THOSE BEYOND THE INLAND SEA SAY THE EMPEROR WAS A PROFLIGATE WHO LOST THE FAVOR OF HEAVEN FOR IT. PERHAPS. BUT A FOUL PLOT IS UNDERWAY NONETHELESS. PUT IT DOWN THAT I HAVE FELT IT IN MY BONES THAT THERE IS A HIDDEN SICKNESS IN THE BODY OF OUR EMPIRE. THERE ARE ALWAYS VILLAINS WHO FLY OVER A CORPSE. LET MEMORY RECALL THE KHAN'S PLEDGE HENCEFORTH TO FIND THEM AND CLEANSE OUR LAND ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.​

 

[Nemesis_Scar]

Primary Application -

The Crab Clan



Clan Champion:

Hida Rishu​

"The sword is sharp, my spear is long, and of course, the wall is strong. But walls can fail us - we must see to their surety."

Rishu is a rough-around-the-edges, hardened warrior - an implacable defender. As Daimyō, his eyes have been largely turned from the Imperial Court, and towards the Shadowlands to the southwest. With the sudden death of the Emperor, however, he worries for the safety of Rokugan. If the center cannot hold, what hope does the periphery in the Hida's lands have? Keeping this in mind, Hida Rishu has kept tabs on the candidates and other personages of note. Which, if any, can protect Rokugan?

Secondary Application -

Akodo Yumi

"Lightning strikes as I do."

The art of iaijutsu is a respected one. The flash of the blade during nukitsuke is like lightning, the flash of sudden death, the thunderclap of victory. Thus, to bisect in a single stroke is the highest goal of swordsmanship. At least, it is to Akodo Yumi of the Lion Clan, secondborn child of the Clan Daimyō. A skilled swordswoman, Yumi leads her men from the front, striking hard, striking first. She leaves nothing to chance, moving to strike only when victory is already assured.

With the death of the Emperor, the Clan Champion finds herself in an unusual position. She is a relative stranger to the politics of the imperial succession, being on the younger side. Yet her ancestors' charge must be obeyed. Rokugan must be preserved, no matter the cost.

 

[DanBaque]

Sparrow Clan
Clan Champion-
Harmony is the first goal of man. Seek honour in knowledge and duty. Our clan champion is aged yet, like the reed, he may bend without breaking. He wishes to see tranquility and righteous rule, and holds no more ambition than to be left to work in peace, end a lifetime of struggle at home. Nevertheless, there is one war left within the man, one last battle to be fought if necessary- sacrifice is nothing before honour.

will add more to this signup later

 

[DeMarcheese]

Very interested.
Is there a deadline for presenting player apps?

 

[horngeek]

My secondary idea is a Lion Clan Champion who is, of course, supporting the only legitimate heir to the throne.

Or rather, is supporting their mother, Hantei Sakura. The Matsu claimant? Never officially acknowledged, don't be *ridiculous*.

 

[Nerdorama]

The Lion Clan needs a stodgy old campaigner to make sure the throne is in the hands of a capable warrior who happens to be a Matsu

I'll work on an app, but for a placeholder have a name

Lion Champion: Akodo Akira
Background:

I'll go ahead and commit to the Hare Clan as a secondary app as well, but no details here yet.

EDIT: horngeek, my man. You keep beating me to character ideas, although I suppose our Lions would disagree on whether legitimacy is more important than honor.

 

[horngeek]

The Lion Clan needs a stodgy old campaigner to make sure the throne is in the hands of a capable warrior who happens to be a Matsu

I'll work on an app, but for a placeholder have a name

Lion Champion: Akodo Akira
Background:

I'll go ahead and commit to the Hare Clan as a secondary app as well, but no details here yet.

EDIT: horngeek, my man. You keep beating me to character ideas, although I suppose our Lions would disagree on whether legitimacy is more important than honor.

Click to shrink...

Honestly I'll submit both my Unicorn and Lion ideas and let @Maugan Ra decide- the Lion idea literally came to me in a spark of inspiration whole showering.

The Lion idea is also incredibly likely to trigger a Lion civil war at some point, shortly after my Champion tells Matsu Hitomi to withdraw her claim or be made ronin. :3

(Which will happen shortly after I've locked myself into supporting Hantei Sakura)

 

[KreenWarrior]

Some theorycrafting:

Seppun Jinryu - The Pious
The former Emperor's older brother and a trained shugenja, Jinryu renounced his inheritance in order to focus on his spiritual studies, and while rumours swirled as to the 'true' reason the decision was never officially challenged. Now Seppun Jinryu seeks to undo his "youthful folly", arguing that as a priest-Emperor he is best suited to address the heaven's clear displeasure. Propriety sees him stop short of condemning his fallen brother as wicked or impure, but neither does he silence others who speculate in his presence.

Click to shrink...

This guy raises my antennae. A dollop of Taint could explain his sudden withdrawal into seclusion and his re-emergence just after a (magically induced?) catastrophe. I suggest whoever our Scorpion champion is look hard into the "true" reason for his seclusion was. Even if he's entirely on the up-and-up, I'm not sure a spiritual recluse is the right call for this tumultuous time.

Hantei Daisuke - The Paragon
Son of the previous Emperor and a concubine, Daisuke is in many ways the ideal of the Hantei line. He is tall and handsome, having recently graduated top of his class from the Kakita Duelling Academy with a litany of martial and artistic exploits, and his grasp of rhetoric and culture make him a hit everywhere from army barrack-tents to high society poetry recitals. He's also killed half a dozen other samurai in lethal duels since news of the Emperor's second marriage and the Empress' impending pregnancy were announced, and with it his own transfer to some quiet backwater.

Click to shrink...

Honestly a top contender save for his unfortunate support of the decadent Crane. That said, an Emperor who cannot control his anger could lead to dark days indeed.

Matsu Hitomi - The Valiant
A passionate winter affair in the Emperor's youth saw the youngest daughter of the Matsu daimyo fall pregnant. Though the Emperor acknowledged the child as his own, he never offered to adopt her, leaving his only known child to be raised as a Lion. Now in her late 20s, Matsu Hitomi is a decorated general and fearsome warrior famed for her ironclad honour and martial skill, qualities that many believe will compensate for limited courtly experience.

Click to shrink...

Another top contender. The only real problem is the technicality of legitimacy, and the fact that any Clan who doesn't like the Lion probably won't like her, and lack of diplomatic skills won't help with that.

Hantei nee Doji Sakura - The Innocent
The Emperor's first wife died five years ago, taken by a sudden illness after her second failed pregnancy. After a suitable mourning period he married the woman's younger sister, also a member of the Crane's ruling family, a soft and gracious woman with a gift for making friends wherever she went. Sakura was announced to be pregnant just three months ago, making her child the trueborn heir to the now-destroyed throne.

Click to shrink...

Well, the greatest "legitimacy" is a fetus. So basically this is a vote for many years of regency. Entirely depends on who can successfully make the play for Regent I suppose.


Matsu Hitomi is probably the "safest" bet, even without the Hantei name. There's a good chance she gets outmaneuvered, though...

 

[Shebe Zuu]

It kinda feels to me like Daisuke could be a surprisingly strong candidate (at least for those who aren't deliberately angling for a regency, anyway). Matsu Hitomi isn't just a poor diplomat but also a Lion, which, given the Lion's habit of warring with their neighbors, may not leave the rest of Rokugan well disposed towards her claim. The true legitimists will of course support Hantei Sakura's child but for those who are more interested in stability the already of age Hantei Daisuke must seem a fairly attractive option and I don't think his Crane heritage is quite the same liability that Hitomi's Lion heritage is, though of course the Crane do have their own resenters. Seppun Jinryu seems to be in a relatively weak position at least from what it looks like to me, though it ought to be considered that appeals to piety may play better with the general population than with the high-level movers and shakers of Rokugan. After all, the displeasure of Heaven would be most keenly felt by those who can ill-afford to suffer a famine or drought brought on by an impious ruler.