L5R Storytime thread: A Stonewall feels no pain, and an Island never cries edition

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>The thechniques samurai used in combat did not come into being of their own accord, nor were they all gifts imparted to mankind by the Kami
>It was a long process of study, testing in combat, and refinement over the course of decades, even centuries
>It begins with basic knowledge of how to use a weapon.
>Very basic
>The first techniques you learn are equally applicable with Katana, wakizashi, or no-dachi.
>They were then refined to work only with a single type of weapon.
>Some of the things you could with a no-dachi you could not do with a katana
>In their quest to master the blade, great swordsmen went even further.
>They combined several techniques into kata
>The elemental stances were the first Kata, and now form the basis for all forms of combat, and are taught in every dojo in the Empire
>It was only by combining several Kata that the highest techniques used by the great clans were born.
>The Kensai of the Lion clan studied Kata deeply, ingraining them so thourughly that they could shift from stance to stance and form to form without effort.
>It is said that only the Kenku were better with the sword, and indeed, it was a Kenku who taught the first Kensai.
>Given that Kensai were taught to master the step between basic ability and high technique, which were still being created at the dawn of the Empire when the older races had more contact with humanity, I could believe that.
>A Shiba bushi was hardly inflexible though.
>A Mirumoto or Kakita seeks to understand the world through mastery of their blade.
>From one thing, know ten thousand things,
>A Shiba approaches the world with a broad mind, seeking to understand the unity of all
>From ten thousand things, know one thing
>No one said anything, all were too focused on this bout
>The two warrirors faced one another.
>The Shiba shifted his stance first.
>The Lion followed suit
>step and shift
>counter step, shift
>step and shift
>counter step, shift
>KIAI

Oooh yeah! Welcome back Ishigaki-san!

>Akodo Yoshi struck as Shiba Asahi was mid step, closing the distance between the two faster than should have been possible
>If Asahi was caught off gaurd he did not show it, his face calm and passive as he shifted mid step and leapt back out of Yoshi's reach.
>Shiba's movement was natural, practiced
>So this then was the advanced stepping of the Shiba School. I began to realize I undervalued such a simple thing.
>Yoshi calmly returned his sword to a neutral position, taking a new stance
>This time he held his blade high, above his shoulder, edge to the heavens and tip pointint at Asahi
>The Shiba fell into a stance as he landed, but upon seeing the Lion's stance he began to shift again
>KIAI
>again Yoshi struck while the Shiba was in mid movement
>Two blindingly fast thrusts came at Asahi, who sidestepped and tried to deflect
>Though out of position he reacted with astonishing speed, a smoothness I recognized from all the times Naomi's Yojimbo had done so.
>Yet, for all that speed the Lion's focused precision won out, his bokken finding Asahi's shoulder
>Asahi was pushed by the thrust, and pivoted his hips to turn with the blow, slowing int to glance off his shoulder instead of dislocating it
>I could tell the Shiba was swimming deep in the void now.
>How long could he touch the space between all things I wondered?
>Everyone could find those moments of perfect clarity, where thought and action became one
>Monks said this was the ideal state of living, that the Enlightened were as one with all things at all times, and pursued it their whole lives.
>So did the finest warriors, whose skill transcended the physical and entered into a spiritual realm.
>But a person who had achieved Enlightenment was a very rare thing.
>Someone so in tune with the world would appear less then once in several centuries.

>Eventually, Asahi's concentration would slip
>Even as he fell back from the Lion's thrust, Asahi finaly made his own move, sweeping low to high and then back down in a single motion
>Yoshi stepped to the side of the first strike, deflected the second off of his blade
>And snapped a strike at the top of Asahi's head.
>The Shiba interposed his blade, but Yoshi adjusted his strike and hit his wrists instead
>Asahi managed to hold onto his blade, and countered
>Only for the Lion to not be where he was aiming
>Instead the Lion had fallen to knee, and spun striking the Shiba in the knee, taking his leg out form under him
>Asahi fell
>The Kensai had won.

Crab-sama, please, never stop, I need you in my life.

>Shoji was not pleased with that.
>The Karo was sweating a bit as he confirmed the lineup for the next days events
>Doji Rei vs Kitsuki Takeshi
>Hida Ishigaki vs Shiba Hotaru
>Toku Satoshi vs Kakita Sakurada
>Moto Li-Ta vs Akodo Yoshi
>We ate dinner amongst the courtiers, because of three of our group had advanced to the second round
>Aoi was unable to sit beside Kitsuki-san, so she settled for sitting across from him instead
>Everyone was discussing the days displays loudly, many bringing up the differences between a spar like this and a battlefield
>I was not the only one who was certain that Matsu Keiji would have slain me in a real fight
>I did notice most of those who said so wore red, orange and yellow.
>The other topic most discussed, but in hushed tones to those nearest the speaker, was the animosity between the host and my own group
>Of course it had not gone unnoticed
>...is his daughter?
>...accusations...
>...emerald...jade...
>...bushi...
>...very upset...
>well.
>I did my best to ignore the gossip
>Though I could feel many eyes on me.
>Word was getting around, though neither Shoji nor I acknowledged the relationship, that he was my father in law.
>I caught one Asahina giving Naomi a disproving stare over her sleeve.
>I stared at her until she noticed me
>Her fan fluttered as she dropped her gaze
>The Ikoma beside her hid his mouth behind his sleeve, but I saw his eyes crinkle up.
>They way they would if one were smiling
>Fine, let them share a joke at my expense. But not at Naomi's.
>Kitsuki-san leaned over, hiding his mouth with his hand as though he were chewing food
>They are hoping to bait you into a rude display
>I can tell that.
>I didn't bother to hide my response
>In fact, I spoke just loudly enough that some around us could hear
>They should be careful what they wish for
>The whispering nearest us died down a bit, as cold eyes appraised me.
>I calmly ate some more rice

Always gossiping and prattling away. What a bore, these courtiers.

>Oops
>embarrassed giggle
>How clumsy
>I glance over
>Aoi had dropped a piece of shrimp
>right into her cleavage
>This got a lot of attention, needless to say
>She fished the shrimp out with her chopsticks set in on a plate, and handed it off to a servant
>Then wiped herself clean
>She now had the undivided attention of the entire table
>I wasn't sure if she was trying to defuse the subtle tension in the air, or just trying to seduce Kitsuki-san
>Likely both.
>I glanced towards Naomi out of the corner of my eye
>She was looking at me
>I smiled, with my eyes closed and whipsered just loud enough for her to hear
>I was just reminded of my favorite sake cup
>Naomi tilted her head, then her eyes widened as she realized what I had been talking about.
>She had to look away, going very very red.
>But she squeezed my hand under the table
>Once diner was over we took our baths and returned to our rooms
>I had had Daiko and Tetsute brought to our rooms from where the children usually slept.
>I would not underestimate Shoji again.
>Naomi gave me sad look as she saw them here.
>You really think he would do such a thing, Ishigaki-kun?
>I could tell her sadness came from the fact that she was no longer certain that he would not
>I think I will not take that chance
>Naomi looked down.
>Hai. That is reasonable
>The children were looking at us both. They could sense their mothers mood
>Help me, Naomi?
>With what?
>I moved over to the stand where my armor rested
>...oh.
>Naomi told the children to sit still
>She had a tone she could use with them that conveyed seriousness, without any hint of anger or disapproval, that got their immediate attention nonetheless.
>They both sat quietly. Not formally, but quietly.
>I could see thier eyes widen bit by bit as Naomi helped me into my armor
>They had seen me in my armor a few times when I would return home; they had never seen me put it on before

As someone who wants to get into L5R
A-Are these just fanfic threads? Seems comfy

Crab-user and Crane-user are recounting past games, likely with a fair bit of embellishment and artistic license so as to cover any lapses in memory and also because simply sharing what happened at your game table is probably going to take way too much time and have stuff like, "we couldn't remember what the rule was so we made up some other one" or "we then spent half an hour looking for the one rule because otherwise it would niggle at the back of our brains until it was all we could focus on".
And also there's sometimes stuff that is far more obvious to players than to characters, and it's up to the storyteller/poster to decide what and how much information they share.

>tl;dr:
One dude's telling us what happened in character at his game, with another user doing the same during lulls in the 1st story.

Also, please don't stutter-post.

I'm pretty sure Crane-user is detailing what happened before his character met Ishigaki, but I might be misremembering.

>I could do it myself, all Crabs could don their armor unaided
>But it was a tricky thing to do. There were many laces to be tied. Most samurai needed several servants to don a full suit of armor
>Bit by bit I readied my spirit as I donned my armor
>The ritual to don ones armor brought forth their full warrior spirit,
>Preparing you to kill, to be killed
>That is part of the reason it is taboo to wear ones armor in another clan's territory
>Even traveling through bandit infested lands, the act of donning your armor was declaring your intent to do battle
>In extreme cases, even one armored samurai could be seen as a declaration of war
>Daiko and Tetsute were both staring open mouthed now
>For a Hida bushi, their armor is like a second skin
>We train in it. We even sleep in it
>And we know every shortcut to donning it, so that we can put it on without aid faster than anyone else
>As such we are better able to call up our marital spirit
>we can go from relaxed to unrestrained violence in an instant
>or vice verca
>As such, while my children had seen me in armor, this was the first time they had been exposed to my killing intent, even though it was not directed at anything as of yet.
>They bore it well.
>Daiko scootched across the floor when I was done dressing, and reached up to touch my suneate
>She smiled
>Tetsute then followed his sisters lead
>Naomi got the children dressed for bed
>She curled up with one on either arm and slept
>I sat beside the door to our room, ankles crossed, with my tetsubo resting across my knees
>Nothing and no one would harm them while they slept.
>I would see to that.
>I emptied my mind, meditating, and kept watch over my family.

Crane-san's story is unrelated to Ishigaki.

Ooooooh shit.
Taking all bets, who's the cowardly bird gonna go after next?
Wait.. is this really Crane v. Phoenix with the Mantis as a proxy? Or am I actually nuts?

Anyway, I think that Monkey gonna get it. He's the one who most directly insulted Shoji's clan and isn't wearing heavy armour in his family's room. That, or the children's room is about to get FUCKED UP.

No, I don't believe I've met Daikakita Tatsuya. Seems a decent enough fellow, for a Crane pretty boy.

>They genderbent Hoturi into Hotaru
So Hoturi has a vag. How is that different from the original timeline, again?

Never mind, guess I was mistaken.

Speaking off, I'm gonna grab some lunch. Here's a pic of Hida Kissada. This is when he returned to the mortal realm to bitch slap Iuchiban, so while he's not wearing Ketsuen, it is a divinely made replica that looks exactly like it.

In other words, most Crab Clan Champions are going to look similar to this pic

And you're surprisingly well-adapted to courtly life for a brute

I would probably make some joke about her having you on a shorter leash than you might realize
Not Daikakita-san, though
He'd be too polite to
And too busy writing haiku glorifying your True Love

Anyways, will be getting a bit busier in the near time, so probably will only be able to bump Crab-san's lunch time, which is about 8 in the evening for me, maybe write up an extra post to bump the thread in my morning while he's dreaming of making more crab-babies with Naomi

Now, where was I...
Ah, yes, my arrival at the Black Mantis

Because Bayushi Kachiko bore the child of Doji Hoturi. She didn't tell him though(She did tell her husband, who accepted the boy. Scorpions, amiright?), and Hoturi later unknowingly killed his son during the Coup. Kachicko then kidnapped Hoturi and made an evil replacement to fuck up the Crane in revenge for the killing of the boy he didn't know was his son. (Again, Scorpions.)

So if Hotaru has incompatible bits, that storyline is automatically altered significantly. In the time that the new CG is set Bayushi Dairu should already be close to gempukku age, if he exists.

>The Kakita mon is quite distinct and easily recognizable by the Clans
>A Crane holding a katana, showing their innate mastery of iaijutsu
>The Daikakita mon is almost identical, save one detail that many miss, especially those outside the Clan
>The Crane is holding a jitte
>To symbolize our family's Duty as magistrates protecting Kakita lands from lawbreakers
>The Hogosha's eyes, dimmed by many years on the seas of Rokugan, does quite obviously not notice the difference
>"Moshi Nokodo-sama is currently on the bridge, looking out over the waters, having given us our orders
>What are you investigating?"
>The bluntness of his question almost takes me off-guard
>I had often heard of the lack of Polite Courtesy shown by the Mantis outside of the court
>But never before truly experienced it
>My limited interactions with the Mantis delegation to the Topaz Championship was not enough to prepare me for this
>"We are investigating a smuggling ring responsible for several crates of contraband, including the banned drug Sweet Dreams.
>The smuggling ring, made of Colonial sailors, has been summarily executed upon daring to attack my person, as well as one of my yoriki.
>By their own admission sailors of this ship."
>The Hogosha stares at me with surprise for a moment
>"Was one of them by any chance named Hon?"
>"Yes, Yoritomo-san."
>His face goes as red as a Scorpion banner
>Another new thing I learned about the Mantis
>He bursts out a string of curses, the sort that should not be put to paper
>"I knew that asshole couldn't be trusted! We never should have let him on!"
>We see a Moshi appear over the bridge railing, lured by the shouting
>"What's going, Satoshi-san?"
>"You're gonna wanna come down here, captain!
>Turns out I was right about Hon.
>This Kakita boy says he's a magistrate, killed Hon after he and a few others assaulted him
>Hon's been smuggling that drug, Sweet Dreams."
>I barely contain my rage at the Hogosha's unbelievably impolite lack of honorifics

Look, all I'm saying is Hoturi was always a little girl. Fu Leng gave him quite the fisting, in fact. Dark God was elbow deep in that Crane, you know?

A salted river,
Ruined eye and honor,
A Phoenix burns.

Crab and Phoenix,
Fighting over dishonor,
Only Mantis wins.

A little Crab feels,
No fear and no pain,
Crushing sea waves.

Crab and phoenix glare
How will mantis calm tempers?
Delicious oppai!

I believe someone in the last thread asked for Kitsuki art. Here's some line art of our favorite Dragon investigator, no doubt after someone has fallen into one of his courtly traps.

The new scanner at work was sent back for some reason or another, so had to use the old one and turn the contrast up, so just doing basic line art. I'll try to do more detailed pictures in the future.

Moshi Aoi has good taste.

Huh, I always guessed that Kitsuki would be a lot more stonefaced than that.
Also your art's very good (especially the perspectives) and you should do more.

that's good

Normally his is, but I just really wanted to draw him with a smug expression having sprung a trap on someone in court, even though it's a bit out of character. An "All according to kekaku." moment if you will.

"Normally he is" and "after having sprung" are what a ment.

I see you too write as a crab holding a brush.

Question: if I have Ring Earth 2, that means that I have 38 wounds on me. If an enemy deals 48 wounds to me, not all in one moment, is my character Dead or Unconscious?

As in: he deals 20 damage on one round and then 28 on the next.

Sorry for not saying first

at down you cannot move without spending a void, at out your unconcious, once your dead rank is filled you're dead.

So, at 48 earth ring two your having tea with grandpa while he judges how many times you fapped to your cousin.

I guess so... well, in that case I will use my void to avoid too much dmg in the future

Just remember that you can only do that once per round. If you're out numbered, it's probably better to spend the void point to raise your TN by 10 for the round.

You're right. Thanks man, I will keep that in mind for the next time I find myself in such a situation!

It's because I'm trying to reply with my phone. I make few typos on an actual keyboard, honest!

No problem, Shiba-kun! May you have a long, glorious career that brings honor to our clan!

A samurai can tell a peasant to become an eta in order for them to carry the head of a monster for them to a damyo as proof, right?

An earth ring of three is something you should aim for ASAP if your any kind of bushi

Don't underestimate defense and full defense stances, if you can goad a foe into full attack, defend and wreck them. If they go before you in the initative pass, you can use your void to boost your initiative by 10 or to switch places with another willing person

If you're facing multiple enemies try and use terrain to limit the number of attacks you're facing. Aside from the TN booster you can also make use of movement. It takes a simple a simple action to rise from prone, so they're not attacking on their next turn unless you're dealing with people who attack as simple. Also terrain features keeping people from coming at you from one or more sides help

Lastly, don't forget your schools kata.

As you rise in insight your options become more open, and heavy armor can help quite a bit once you convince your lord you need some (and have the agility and skill to still hit things while wearing it.) Surviving past rank 1 is tough, but once you do your odds of getting killed go down drastically.

Eta are their own category, they are even less than peasants. So if you need an eta to do something for you and one isn't around, you'll tell a nearby peasant to "fetch an eta for x task" or more likely just say "have x task performed."

Also note, a samurai should not address an eta directly. You should do your best to ignore them. Make your desires known to the people in charge of such lowly creatures and leave the matter at that.

Lil' off topic but I have a question about the different schools advantage. Who do you owe your allegiance to? To my knowledge the "scale" of loyalty/duty goes something like immediate family>sensei>clan>empire right? so if you are trained, housed, and fed within a different clan who would a character have the strongest sense of duty to(in terms of the Rokugan political structure and minus emperor of course)? Also ive read about a couple instances of characters in Rokugan being adopted into a clan how does this work?

There is an item specifically made for carrying heads around in. Kakita used it when picking up the head of the Maho user.

It's all about DIRECT contact with the dead flesh. Using an over sized pair of chopsticks and a burlap/net sack to haul the head around in is a perfectly acceptable method.

If the head is too large to carry, you could use ropes and hooks to secure it and drag it along behind you.

While using an eta is the preferred method of hauling death things around, there are ways around it. The key focus is never directly touching the dead thing.

Everyone says their first loyalty is to the Emperor. Really your list is about right, however there are some who do mean it when they say their duty is to the empire as a whole. The Grey Crane, Kakita Toshimoko tried to cut his politcoal ties to the Crane Clane upon becoming the Emerald Champion during the Clan War as one example. And you can expect quite a few imperial legionaries would fight against their own clan if it came down to it,

Sensei though, really occupy a strange place as far as loyalty goes, in that it is very specific how the relationship works. You'll be expected to do chores at the dojo, but sensei ISN'T going to be having you fix the roof of his own house. You will be expected to keep the techniques you learn a secret form everyone, until you yourself become a sensei. That means a Lion that studies at the Kakita school isn't going to suddenly start teaching Katkita techniques to other Lions so they keep the Crane duelists in check in the next war. If a war does break out, you can bet that you'll get used however your clan thinks best, say that Kakita Trained Lion will likely Yojimbo for a general to keep the Kenzishen (super duelist advanced school) from just cutting off his head and winning the battle that way, but Sensei is unlikely to withold training from you, and you'll be permitted to return to your clan if your in the territory when the declaration is made. Under escort of course, but unharmed unless you start shit on your own.

This CAN vary quite a bit depending on individual sensei, and none of the above really applies to scorpion, but sensei is generally not a quest giver in the classic sense, mostly bonus side quests to specifically further your training.

That's part of why different school is so expensive, it represents the cost of convincing a clan that you don't belong to that you're trustworthy and won't betray them.

okay, thanks
An additional question if I may; have there been instances in the lore (that you know of) of people choosing the clan/family/school they trained with/in over the clan they were originally from? Is that considered a hugely dishonorable move?

How do you guys name your characters?
I've never been great at it, I usually just scroll through a name generator for a few, and if I have time I'll look 'em up to see if they mean anything interesting.

Oh yeah, that happens from time to time. Not JUST because you trained with this or that clan, mind you, but complex reasons can lead to some allegince shifts. As an example Hitomi, the Dragon Clan Thunder, beat up dudes, put tattoos on them and then forced them to join her clan after the second day of thunder. One guy who became well known because of that was Doji Reju (though he eventually rejoined the Crane Clan, mystic tattoos and all)

Then there was the guy who lead the Mantis Clan durring the four winds era. He was the son of the brother of Bayushi Shoju, the guy that strarted the Scorpion Clan coup.

Hell, enire FAMILIES have jumped ship before, both the Agasha and the Yasuki left their original clan, taking their school with them.

During the Clan Wars, every Clan got their "bad guy" side to show, if only a little bit, and plenty of people have decided they couldn't serve their clan anymore. Going to the Clan you trained with is fine. You just need to figure out what prompted you to make that move in the first place. Some people WILL talk shit about though, you'll be a controversial figure, and your old clan will want to kill you (seriously, don't do this if you were born a scorpion. They WILL kill you, and if you're REALLY lucky that's all they'll do) but it's not without precedent.

I am loyal to my Family, Clan, Emperor, and the Gods, in that order.

was for

I'll look up important people from Japanese history when I want to make characters I care about. But I mostly make joke characters, so I just base them off names from anime.

For example, the Kakita Bushi I'm currently playing is called Daidoji Kirito. He's an insufferably good duelist who believes that skill and hard work are unimportant, and what really matters is spirit and determination.

>I got out of my armor and returned it to it's stand once the children decided they were hungry and woke Naomi up.
>Then we all went down to breakfast.
>Four matches today. Two in the morning, two in the afternoon
>We were joined by Amano-san, Aoi-san, and Ayame-san.
>Ayame know wore a simple strip of black silk to cover her eye
>While I pondered the spiritual significance of the arrival of the triple A-team the others engaged in the far less important task of discussing the coming bouts.
>Aoi was certain of Kitsuki-san's victory
>After all, that Rei woman is an archer, not a swordswoman.
>She only won her first match because he opponent let his guard down
>Manits disagreed
>She's still a bushi, And Kitsuki-san is still a courtier.
>But Takeshi-san is well trained, she stands no chance!
>Did that woman just call Kitsuki-san by his first name?
>Everyone caught that.
>Kitsuki-san sighed.
>Please do not be so familiar with me, Moshi-san
>Oh, Kistuki-kun! Why are you being so cold!
>She leaned in and looked at him, fake hurt in her eyes
>I chuckled
>Yeah, Kistuki-KUN, you should be nicer to our new friend.
>Kitsuki-san tried to light my beard on fire with his stare
>I didn't work out for him.
>Besides
>I continued
>It doesn't really mater who wins this next match because neither of those two can beat me.
>Manits-san scoffed.
>Getting a little ahead of yourself there?
>That Shiba was better than Ayame, but not up to calibre of the other contestants. I may as well have a bye.
>Monkey nodded
>Ishigaki-san's right about that much at least.
>Only way the Shiba advances is if Ishigaki gets disqualified for accidentally killing him.
>But then he wouldn't be able to put up much of fight in the next round, y'know?
>Eyes were closed. Nose bridges were pinched. Temples were rubbed.
>Mantis-san growled.
>One day Monkey, I'm going to hurt you the way you hurt me.
>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>Big Ass Monkey Grin

>>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>>Big Ass Monkey Grin

Monkey, oh monkey.

I laughed out loud.

>>Maybe, but it won't be in this tournament!
>>Big Ass Monkey Grin

Don't tempt fate, monkey
Or your face may look more like
Shoji's than your own

f5

>The first match of the Second round began
>Kitsuki-san took his stance, one foot forward, front knee bent, sword gripped at waist height, point aimed at his opponent
>It doesn't get more basic than that.
>Rei mirrored his stance
>To my surprise neither of them shifted stances
>I glanced over to Aoi-san
>She had gotten changed right before the match and came back in something...normal.
>The disappointment was palpable.
>The fact that is was brought out a few scowls from some of the ladies of the court.
>Rei was one
>Finaly, Rei stepped in to strike
>Kitsuki-san did the same
>Rei checked her blow and leapt back.
>Monkey whispered
>did you guys see that?
>Of course we did.
>But, just to be sure we all saw the same thing what did you see, Monkey?
>It looked to me like Kitsuki-san moved the same way she did, at the same time.
>Bullshit.
>Aoi shook her head.
>it's not. His memory is flawless, after all.
>He's exploiting the limits of her Daidoji style
>hah?
>She stepped to his side, and he mirrored her again. I saw only a slight delay certainly not long enough for ME to have recognized what she was doing and copy it
>I see
>Amano joined in
>Yes, in a one on one situation like this her technique is limited to mostly basics that are taught in all dojo's. In other words, there is no move she can make that he cannot already replicate.
>Aoi nodded.
>And since he had time to study her before he can spot her tells easily.
>Rei began to shift her stance, and Kitsuki-san followed her.
>If I wasn't seeing him do it with my own eyes I would have said this was impossible.
>Rei had enough, with a snarl of rage she rushed in a attacked
>Too reckless, by far
>Kitsuki-san deflected both her strikes then brought the pommel of his bokken at her face
>As she recoiled he stopped than quickly struck her wrist
>A loud crack announced he had broken it.
>Doji Rei fell to her knees, clutching her wrist and biting her lip

......is kitsuki-san the student of a kenku? that mirroring tech thing is from the kenku school i think

>Kitsuki-san waited until a shugenja had tended to her, then exchanged bows and returned to us
>Did you seriously do what it looked like you were doing out there?!
>Yes, I did.
>Toshiro looked at him
>So why don't you do that more often?
>I would need to know an opponent thoroughly, for starters to guess what they will do that fast.
>I would also need an opponent who only knows techniques I do.
>I cannot learn new movements just by watching them, I would have to practice to ingrain them into myself.
>And if those movements are not taught by my school, it would be detrimental to learn them to that extant.
>Lastly, it only works if my opponent allows themselves to be goaded by that.
>How did you know Rei would?
>I didn't. I took a gamble
>huh. Well then.
>I left to prepare myself for my match
>Shiba Ayame intruded upon my meditation
>Hida Ishigaki-sama?
>Very formal.
>Yes?
>I just wanted to make sure you remembered your promise...
>I opened my eyes and looked at her.
>Is it because you want to take revenge yourself?
>She looked away.
>Is that wrong.
>Not at all.
>She looked back at me, surprised
>Naomi is the kind of person who would say revenge only begets more revenge, or something like that.
>Personally, I think you have every right to look him in the eyes as you extinguish their light.
>So long as you aren't planning anything stupid.
>Uh, no. I mean, I don't really know what I'm planning...
>I folded my arms.
>I can't believe I'm about to say this, but...
>I think you should speak to Bayushi Amano-san
>Huh?!
>No one does revenge like the Scorpion.
>Obviously you don't want him to handle it for you, but he can at least advise you on the best ways to get your former Gunso into a duel.
>That IS what you want right? To best him in a fair fight?
>Otherwise there really isn't any point in me holding back.
>Yes, that is what I want.

Nah, it's just perfect memory and knowing the same basic moves. He's seen her fight before, so he can see her body's tells when she's going to sidestep or swing. Most likely, he made some sort of taunt roll in the defense stance and this is how it was described in character

>Alright then. Go to Amano. Tell him to give you the Ishigaki discount on his advice.
>What's the Ishigaki discount?
>The discount Scorpions give out when they don't want a Crab pissed off at them for taking advantage of someone that Crab likes.
>She smiled at me.
>Thank you, Hida Ishigaki-sama
>you don't have to be so formal with me, you know?
>As you wish, Ishigaki-sama
>I still didn't feel right, hearing her address me as -sama, but I guess it was true that I outranked her.
>For that matter, I always felt a little odd whenever ANYONE addressed me as -sama.
>Of all the things in court life I had gotten used to, outranking people was the one thing I could never get a hold on.
>I had never desired promotions before, nor holdings.
>I had never expected to live long enough to attain any rank worth mentioning.
>how a simple warrior such as myself found himself rubbing shoulders with the movers and shakers of the empire, I will never understand.
>Let the philosophers and sages argue about it, if they want.
>I had heads that needed a good cracking.

Little Phoenix,
Who only knew sufferings,
Got a hard crab shell.

>I entered the arena
>Shiba Hotaru faced me calmly
>I had promised I wouldn't to anything permanent
>But I'll be damned if I don't make him pay in some way
>I pulled my arms inside my kimono, and thrust them up through the opening in it's front, reminding the Shiba he was now facing a large, scarred wall of muscle.
>An ANGRY, large, scarred wall of muscle
>I saw the corner of his eye twitch, just a little
>He bowed.
>I just took my stance
>He stood for a moment, then rushed at me, trying to knock the boken from my hand.
>I held my grip, locked up our blades and shoved him back
>Hotaru backpedaled, but kept to his feet.
>Good. I didn't want this to end too quickly.
>I began to stalk him, walking instead of stepping.
>My sword resting on my shoulder
>Showing utter contempt for his skill
>He tried to make me pay for that by thrusting at my chest.
>I didn't even bother trying to avoid it.
>He looked at me in horror, as I swung my own bokken at his side, hard.
>He managed to deflect it.
>So I swung again, at the same spot
>Of course he deflected that one as well.
>But I knew his palms were stinging when he re-tightened his grip.
>I knew I was getting to him.
>So I spread my arms wide apart, offering him a free shot.
>he stared, incredulously.
>And took it.
>I didn't so much as flinch as his bokken slammed into my chest.
>Nor did I attack him.
>I just scratched at my chest
>Is that all?
>I stared into his eyes
>He dropped his gaze
>then his bokken
>hai. I surrender
>I slid my kimono back on and left

Elimination by emasculation. Ishigaki sure knows how to destroy people. I absolutely love his style.

"Look man, you're rolling what? 4K1 with that bokken? I have a minimum of TWELVE Reduction when I'm standing here. You wanna call it a day?"

Lol

...

>There was a break for lunch in between the first two bouts and the last two
>Katsuie-sama asked me, Toshiro and Naomi to join him for a private lunch
>First, I should congratulate you, Ishigaki-san.
>I do not know quite how I feel about the way you disrespected your oponent in your last match, but I must admit making him admit defeat was impressive.
>I opened my mouth to explain myself, but he held up a hand
>No. I know full well why you did what you did. Everyone does. Which is why I said I do not know quite how I feel.
>If you had done that to any of the other contestants, I would be very upset with you.
>There was just a tiny hint of warning in Katsuie-sama's tone.
>I understand Hida Katsuie-sama.
>Good, good.
>He poured me a fresh cup of tea, silently declaring he considered the matter dropped
>I suppose it is all well and good that you so humiliated the only Phoenix to advance to the second round
>Oh. Oh shit.
>Toshiro spoke
>So, it's official then, Katsuie-sama?
>hai. I do not like it, but Yasuki-san assures me that the deal is very good for our clan.
>He spoke at some length about return on investment, market forces, other things I do not understand, nor would I care to.
>Suffice to say that in the worst case, even with the value of the Crane rice increased we will still see no loss on our own dealings
>And we most likely will come out ahead this year.
>If we do well, we may even have some grain left over for next year.
>Toshiro and I were shocked at that.
>Most every Crab soldier had, at some point or another, been feed lesser grains like millet.
>The Yasuki did there best, but some times there just wasn't enough rice to feed the Clan for the year.
>An actual surplus? Just the possibility of one would get the Clan's undivided attention.
>Will you be able to endure this, Hida Naomi-san?
>Naomi looked Katsuie-sama in the eyes.
>Hai. I am Crab now. My children are Crab.
>I will do what is best for my Clan.

Ishigaki theme youtube.com/watch?v=aWxBrI0g1kE

>I understand this is a difficult time for you, and i want you to know the Clan appreciates your efforts.
>Please, Katsuie-sama, this much is expected, is it not?
>True, yet I would be remiss if I were to ignore the position you are in.
>I am not so heartless.
>Here, I want you to have this.
>he pushed over a bag
>Naomi bowed
>Please Katsuie-sama, I am not doing anything praisworthy! When I took my marrige vows I knew I was leaving my old Clan behind!
>Yet your family will always be your family, and now we do battle against them. Your heart carries a great burden
>My family are also Crab, my children are Crab! They need this rice as well!
>You are a fine person Naomi-san. Loyaly, compassionate, with strong magic and a gift for healing. Though you detest war you set aside your feelings for the good of the Clan. For this I, at the very least, must thank you.
>Very well, Katsuie-sama
>Naomi accepted the bag he had offered.
>She did not open it, it was rude to open a gift in front of the giver.
>We did not speak of anything else heavy during lunch, instead Katsuie-sama gave a lengthy discourse on the cultivation of tea leaves.
>When lunch was over we returned to our rooms
>The others were there already.
>Amano greeted me first
>The 'Ishigaki discount'?
>he smirked a bit.
>I hope you aren't planning on handing that out willy nilly.
>Nah. In the first place it's a small miracle I recommended you at all.
>True. Still it is a marked improvement in our relationship, and I will treasure this moment my entire life.
>To my surprise, I couldn't detect even a trace of sarcasm.
>He couldn't really mean that, could he?
>No Ishigaki, of course not, That's just how the Scorpion lure you in
>Naomi opened Katsuie-sama's gift then
>Seeds.
>What are these?
>Oh! Kitsuki-san, are these...?
>Seeds for tea leaves, yes,
>So that's why he had gone on and on about growing tea leaves.
>I wonder if these are from his own crop?
>Toshiro looked at the seeds
>Most likely, Ishigaki-san.

A loud wind blows
Can't move stone in wall
Battle has been won

>Wow, that's neat!
>Monkey looked at the seeds
>So, what did you do to earn that reward?
>Everyone looked at him
>Huh? What did I say?
>Kitsuki-san shook his head
>Even Mantis-san knows, Monkey.
>How can you be so oblivious
>Hey! 'Even Mantis-san'?!
>Kitsuki-san ignored Mantis-san's protest
>Monkey just looked around.
>Okay, fine I get it. I'm dense. Will someone just spell it out for me?
>Amano answered him
>The Crab have accepted the deal, and now support war between the Mantis and Phoenix
>Monkey's face fell like a Oni no Tsubaru shoved off the south side of the wall
>oh
>im sorry, Naomi-sama
>I have been hearing that a lot. I am fine, really. There is no
>She broke off into a coughing fit.
>I caught her, Toshiro called forth some fire kami to get the tea going, Kitsuki-san produced her medicine, and Monkey got the tea set.
>Daiko handed him the cup herself
>So, she has begun to understand about her mother's illness
>Tetsute just chewed on his knuckles looking confused, but knowing something was wrong
>Mantis-san knelt beside him, and patted his head to sooth him
>Once the fit had passed, and Naomi had rinsed out her mouth, she sipped at her tea.
>It had not been very bad, comparatively, She was able to hold her own cup and drink without help.
>After a few minutes she spoke
>Like I was saying, I am fine.
>The Crab clan needs that rice. My children need that rice.
>everyone nodded and let the matter drop.
>No sense bringing it up over and over again.
>That would only make it harder on her.
>Monkey changed the subject
>So, any tips for me in my match?
>No, I can't think of anything.
>You SHOULD by all rights, loose handily.
>Which means you'll win.
>Monkey blinked
>hah?
>Mantis-san agreed with me
>It's just what you do, Monkey.
>Kitsuki-san nodded firmly.
>We've all come to accept that fact now.
>Um. Thanks for the vote of confidence guys. I think...

>shonen protagonism intensifies

three thirty in the morning here. Tomorrow will pick up with Monkey vs Kenshinzen!

Over here, it is
Nine-thirty, fuck time travel
I can't read the next

Sleepy-chan needs to switch to another clan.
Does she have any options for that outside marriage?

I want to see this animated.

So, I have a question about CCG - how is it different from MTG? Can I describe it for some hardcore mtg grognards and make them interested to cash in?
I'm from small city, where there is only MTG with OCCASIONAL Pokémon matches. And really don't like mtg for its "arms race decks" policy.

the ccg is dead, fantasy flight now holds the liscence and is making an LCG. we've seen about 30 or so cards and have gotten a general rules breakdown, but that's about it.

tea from an old veteran? iroh? you in here?

Dead, huh? That's a shame.
And I heard there is several editions for a l5r rpg. What is best for a novice and for fluff?

become ronin and get adopted into another clan
very rare and veeeeeery shameful

general consensus is:
4th, 1st, 3rd,2nd,.....................................d20

There's a shitton of fluff you need to read to get into it. Because to RP properly you need a solid grasp of Rokugani culture. heavily japan, but not exactly japan.

Fourth ed is the best to actually play. first ed was sound, but it suffered from power creep and, in comparison anyway, limitted school choices. 2nd ed was an attempt to address the power creep and fiddle with the mechanics a bit that turned into a 98 train pile up with a sarin gas topping. Third ed's biggest selling point was that it was not second ed. Fourth ed takes all the lessons learned up to that point, rebalances the game nicely AND does not assume a set time so you can play whenever you want.

For fluff you'll want Way of [clan] first ed, sword and fan and the Book of [Element] from fourth ed. Those will give you enough understanding of both your clan and society that you can engage in in char diolouge and think the way your char thinks. Emerald Empire and Great Clans, both fourth ed books can add just little more depth but aren't really necessary

DMing this for a new players sounds like quite pain in the ass. Got any tips?

Seconding this question, but expanding on it slightly, any tips for a GM relatively new to the setting and system, (got all the books while reading Ishigaki's tale) and introducing it to my players. They are mostly familiar with Warhammer (40k and fantasy) so after our current campaign of WFRP is over was thinking of playing L5R, starting them on the Wall fighting the shadowlands before having the winter court take place in crab lands and them ending up there.
In short, how to introduce Warhammer fans to L5R

But what about hitting the enemy until they stop moving? As the saying goes: the best defense is a good offense. I should just post the pdf here...

Ishigaki-san reminds me of Hector. Best lord in any Fire Emblem.

I am still new in l5r, so I wanted to ask if there are random encounter tables the GMs use?

I believe Enemies of the Empire has a few, but generally combat tends to be very plot driven. You aren't going to have a fight unless you are looking for one or someone wants you dead.

Here's my current character: what do you elegan/tg/entlemen think? I focused on Bugei skills because I am a Bushi...

Here's what I have as skills, since it might not show:
>Kenjutsu 1 (5k4)
>Spears 1 (5k4)
>Perform 1 (drums)(5k4)
>Poleams 3 (Emphasis: Bisento)(7k4)
>Etiquette 2 (4k2)
>Lore: Theology 1 (3k2)
>Investigation 1 (4k3)
>Kyujutsu 1 (4k3)
>Defense 3 (6k3)
>Iaijutsu 3 (6k3)
>Athletics 1 (3k2)
>Meditation 2 (5k3)

How bad did I mess up?

I think it's a wonderful idea: they are fresh out of WH and they have to fight "Chaos" (as in Shadowspawn) immediately after: it will probably help them understand what the shadowlands are and why they're bad mmkay?

Well, mechanically you'd be better off skipping all the extra bugei weapon skills and going with Crab Hands while piling xp into Kenjutsu and wielding a no-dachi. Together with your high Agility, Crab Hands brings you up to par with any weapon you might have occasion to use.

>Your School Outfi t includes only weapons, armor, clothing, necessary tools of the trade for your profession (such as a scroll satchel for shugenja), and nothing else.
No travelling pack or koku with Ascetic. It is a hardcore choice and will fuck you up unless you can rely on the benevolence of other samurai at all times. Which is itself a giri trap.

What's your Bad Fortune?

What's your Great Potential?

Brash and Idealistic are not a good combo. You will insult someone by pointing out how they could have been more honourable, and then you will end up in a fight.

10/10 for effort in playing to samurai concepts, but -5 for doing it with a Shiba Bushi, -3 for not filling out all the details, -1 for appending a skill list when there's room for skills on the first page, and -1 for focusing on another weapon in katana edition.

(though if you do want to go with a spear or polearm, seriously, get Air 4 instead of Agility 4, and take Iron Forest Style)

So... More shitty haikus or not?

>You aren't going to have a fight unless you are looking for one or someone wants you dead.
That's not true; there's plenty of reason to hold non-lethal (or less lethal) fights in Rokugan.

Bad fortune is Evil eye and Great potential is Polearms. I like polearms.

There's only so much L5RCM can do when printing out a PDF, mind. Also, what's wrong with Shiba? They're a chill group.

Not my fault there's two skill lists: I blame it on L5RCM.

I will take that -1 for focusing on polearms, because I love polearms.

Don't worry to much your build is ok.
Yeah your probably going to get into a number of duels but you've got decent Iaijutsu and that extra Void from Shiba school should help you handle those. I might change up Ascetic for something else but in the end it's your choice have fun^^

Nothing wrong with Shiba. They are a chill group, and I like their schools.

Your brash, idealistic, very bugei focused samurai with an evil eye isn't *exactly* the chillest example. In a heavily spiritual clan, who appreciate a sense of pacifism in their warriors this guy obviously hasn't found, while at the same time he shows signs of being obviously cursed and a lodestone for evil spirits.

Having said that; sometimes it just doesn't matter, and you can get away with w/e in the right group.

Are you in the right group?

My waka is shit
And my haikai no renga
But at least I tried
Tanka is fun, as are most
forms of restrictive poem

Sea churns, a Crab learns
She releases old plumage
A phoenix reborn