Havocprince |
It is going to be interesting. When I started working on him I was going with a shugi that had grown up his whole life training to be a swordsman and then suddenly had the kami start talking to him. But noooo... mister Miyumoto Katsuyoshi had to go and spoil it.
Katsuyoshi is a distinctive man, yes distinctive is a good word for it. Long hair has been allowed to flow freely where it may, kimono being of the least quality acceptable worn in such a way as to allow maximum maneuverability. Most distinctive of all is the daisho worn at his side or more importantly the second katana with the kakita Mon resting with the scroll case on his other hip.
GM Onnotangu |
knowledge of the law is an important ingredient to those who wish to break it without getting caught.
Most criminal bosses "get away with it" without benefit of a nuanced understanding of the law.. they just rely on the basic rules of testimony and evidence: If the testimony in their favor comes from a samurai that outranks the accusers, then that's generally all it takes to win in court. Don't need a fancy schmancy defense lawyer in Rokugan.. just a sufficiently powerful patron for top-cover!
That's how a Kitsuki (or any suitably skilled social type) would be useful: If you survive an attack from assassins, maybe you don't care whether you can pin the attempted murder on the mastermind of the deed. Maybe you just want to know who sent the ninjas, even if your evidence is not admissible in Rokugani courts. If you have someone willing to take the honor hit, you can get some back-alley justice on your own...
Duellists, btw, are a great counter for the corrupt samurai that's getting his mook underlings off your charges scot-free. If he's slick, you'll probably have nothing on him that will stick in court. Wise "merchant patrons" maintain a certain distance from their underworld minions, afterall. But you may be able to find a way to provoke a duel and get satisfaction outside the courts...
GunMetalDrac |
Hello! I'm interested in applying but I'm sort of new to the system and setting. I'm currently thinking of playing a monk(already talked with DM about it), one who was disgraced and forced to retire from his previous life.
I'm still working through ideas but wanted to ask you guys about a rule question.
Since I plan on picking up the Forced Retirement disadvantage, do I choose a family, choose a school, take the disadvantage and then next rank I choose the monk temple? Or do I just choose a family, choose a monk temple, take the disadvantage and run with that? Can either be done? I think it's the second option and it's my preferred option. I want to make sure though so I have everything in line.
And from a background point of view, Forced Retirement says "You are no longer a member of your clan." Does that mean the Clan burns ties with you? If you had a family, do you lose contact with them? I guess I'm mostly looking for some insight from those who know the setting better.
Fiendish Zen |
@GunMetalDrac: The following is just my two zeni, GM Onnotangu may have a different take on all this!
Forced Retirement
"...You may not advance any further in your School. When you gain a new insight rank, you must instead begin taking ranks of an unaligned Monk School..."
So I'm afraid I'd say your first scenario is correct: pick clan, pick family, pick school, get disadvantage and become a monk, then at next insight rank pick rank 1 of an unaligned monk school.
As regards no longer being a member of your clan, monks leave their old lives behind completely when they join an order, and take a new name to reflect this. If they meet someone they used to know in the street they are likely to ignore each other, as it is the polite thing to do and the 'new monk' does not know that person. So no allies or letters to and from family I'm afraid :/
In other news, whilst they are very cool and can be a great addition to a party, monks are sometimes a headache for GMs, and are complicated to play compared to a bushi or courtier. Also, if the party are to become magistrates, it might be an idea to have something in mind as to why your monk would be following the party around as they aren't typically anything to do with the law in Rokugan. I'm not saying you shouldn't, but I would be wary of picking that path if it's your first outing!
Happy to help with any other questions you might have :)
GM Onnotangu |
Here is some more great info about how Monks fit into Rokugan.
As for fitting into my campaign: Yes, it's true a monk won't become a magistrate because they don't perform the duties of samurai. They're "not of that part of the world", in a sense. However, virtually all samurai revere the wisdom of monks; even magistrates. A monk PC could stick around in the campaign as a sort of mentor figure. He'd also make the samurai PCs look pious for having a monk advisor.
EDIT: I thought I'd consolidate what we have so far.. since we have just under a week to go before I take this to the next level and settle on a party, here's what we have for submissions thus far:
Nohwear: expressed interest in Matsu Beastmaster
Ionek: expressed interest in Kitsuki Courtier or Shosuro Ninja
Havocprince: Mirumoto Katsuyoshi, Dragon bushi (partial background thus far)
Radavel: Soshi Konming, Scorpion Shugenja (partial background thus far)
Fiendish Zen: Shinjo Xiaoxing, Unicorn Bushi (complete submission)
Derz: expressed interest in Kitsuki Courtier or Togashi Monk
Olmek: expressed interest in an Akodo bushi
GunMetalDrac: expressed interest in a Monk or Togashi Monk
Havocprince |
Radavel, Ikebana is flower arrangement.
Connections: Kongming is a tenuous connection at best, though neither is aware of it. Unbeknownst to either, Agasha Yu is the greatgrandson of Agasha Yuna the woman who taught Katsuyoshi to respect the kami and the ways of the shugenja... as much as Katsuyoshi can manage said respect.
Xiaoxing, the connection goes deeper. Three times they have met. Once at Kyuden kakita, where they passed each other in the halls. Gemi was there as he was ordered to bring his fathers sword to the court and appear before the daimyo of the Kakita. Gem I did as he was commanded but did not hand over the blade. His duty was discharged the moment he walked in to the hall and he argued his case with superior knowledge of precedent. To argue a ruling made by an Emporer many generations gone would have been a loss of such face, especially to argue against such a boy. The blade has remained bound to its saya since, a new peace ribbon added to the binding every year on his mothers death day.
The second time he met her was after his gempuku. He chanced upon a young woman bathing in a pond and though she did not get a good look at him he stood there long enough to get a good view of her. So on their third meeting he remained silent out of embarrassment and was more than happy to cover it with talk of many subjects.
How long ago would Kyuden Kakita have been and how old is Xiaoxing so I can set Katsuyoshi's age. And is the use of the second meeting OK by you. Otherwise it can be removed.
GunMetalDrac |
Hmm thanks for the input @Fiendish Zen or should I refer to you as Shinjo Xiaoxing :D
I guess one question though with what you said in mind:
If the order is Family -> School -> Disadvantage -> IR2 -> Monk Temple, I'm wondering why the Disadvantage exists. From the rules (again, new to this and may be missing something) disadvantages may only be gained at character creation. Forced Retirement specifically mentions that monk characters get more experience for it. So, it's implied that a monk can start with it. If at character creation, I am only a Bushi with that disadvantage, that means I'm not a monk and therefor do not get the extra experience. Does that mean that a monk character needs to somehow reach IR2 at character creation? I'm lead to believe that it is possible though difficult to do such a thing. In that case, how does that work with the idea that monks start with a void ring of three? Does that mean I work with the idea that Void == 3 and just make sure at the end of character creation I end up at IR2?
I'm sorry if this sounds confrontational in any way. I don't want to always counter with "But the rules say..." I'm trying to figure out the rules as a newbie :) This may very much be more a question toward the GM at the end of the day!
I can see the point that monks are a bit of a sticky situation, both mechanically and setting wise. If it would be preferred, I could work on a second character, leading with the monk but creating something else as a fall back. No one so far has expressed too much in a ranged bushi and I could go for a Wasp or some other ranged focused bushi if that is preferrable.
GM Onnotangu |
Perhaps it makes more sense after it's clarified that you very much can gain (or lose) advantages and disadvantages during play. Additionally, games might start with way more than 40 points.. sometimes even enough to begin play higher than rank 1!
Why Forced Retirement is a disadvantage is a bit of a nuanced question. Mechanically, it's basically the same thing as Multiple Schools, which is an advantage. And an expensive one, at that.
Mechanically, you'd be playing a monk that didn't get the +1 void for free. Void is the most expensive thing to advance, so despite having the advantage of a bushi school technique you're behind "normal" monks on Void, and for them that's no small thing.
In the standard 40 point buy, like this game, a monk with the forced retirement is still playing a monk but without the temple advantages (yet). Whenever you gain enough insight for rank 2, it'll be in whichever temple you pick.
But, L5R isn't as much about mechanics as most RPGs. The roleplaying and fluff is usually more important, and the roleplaying fluff of being forced to retire certainly sounds like something bad happened ;)
GunMetalDrac |
Alrighty, thanks for the clarification :)
Then, I will be planning on going with the idea that the person has been forced into retirement and is currently completing his training as a monk at a temple in Ryoko Owari Toshi. I'm not sure if, socially, a monk-in-training would have the same privileges as a full monk nor if he would be outside of the temple often, but as long as this is acceptable for the GM, I can work within these bounds.
Mechanically, I will build the character as I would right before taking Forced Retirement. Assuming he lives to IR2, he will take the monk school at that point.
Is the above an acceptable way to approach this?
Fiendish Zen |
@GunMetalDrac: Don't worry about confrontation, how are we to learn without challenging our assumptions and asking questions!?
I echo what GM Onnotangu has said, If you started as a normal monk without that disadvantage, you'd have +1 void instead of a family trait bonus, but more importantly you'd have your monk technique plus kiho, which as a forceably retired ex-samurai, you don't have yet (and won't until you hit IR2). So it's a disadvantage as you suffer the lower status etc without enjoying any of the mechanical benefits of monkness!
I'm all for a monk in the party, just wanted you to know what you were getting in to from an rp perspective, don't want you to feel left out!
@Havocprince: That's certainly a humorous suggestion that might have explained why Katsuyoshi finds it difficult to speak to her, however Xiaoxing is a proper samurai-ko and as such visits bath houses and hot springs, she does not bathe in a pond like a filthy ronin!
The winter at Kyuden Kakita would have been a year or two ago. Xiaoxing is in her early 20s.
GM Onnotangu |
Is the above an acceptable way to approach this?
With the Forced Retirement, it doesn't have to mean you haven't been a monk for a few months/years already. You're still building a "monk" PC, so you can pick "monk-y" skills and advantages still. You can even buy some kiho you qualify for.. but there may not be too many you qualify for without an Insight Rank in a monk temple yet!
Another thought: It doesn't have to be a bushi school you were forcibly retired from; your rank 1 school could be anything. Bushi, Courtier, or even Shugenja.
One possible hiccup for you is difficulty in forging links with other PCs. Once you become a monk, the "old you" is basically considered (honorably) dead. You take a new name and everything when you become a monk. So, any background links you forge with the other PCs should be things that happened since your retirement. Luckily, there are major temples in Ryoko Owari and there are some PCs that are regulars there, so it's still quite possible that you know SOMEONE in some way despite being a monk.
GM, whats the year of the campaign? 1118?
The City of Lies box is set in the year 1122 iirc. Pretty much on the cusp of the Scorpion Clan Coup.
I don't plan on going there in the campaign. For one, it'd destroy a pan-clan party. Especially one with Scorpions. For two, if I were to run a Scorpion Coup campaign, I'd do it out of the Otosan Uchi box (which I also own.. :) Perhaps a Coup/Clan War could be a future campaign, but this one won't be it.
So I don't want to peg myself to an exact year, and even if I did, I'd just decree "the coup doesn't happen in my timeline" if we reach that year. If it's necessary to pin an exact year for this game, 1118 works. That should give more than ample playing space before the question of the Coup comes up. In my mind, I was just operating as "early 12th century".
GunMetalDrac |
@Fiendish Zen, thanks for the word of warning. I realize, especially after talking it through, that it may be a bit of a monumental task for one new to the setting and the system to take on and play as a monk. I plan to read up on lore over the next week to properly prepare myself but I know it can be a risk (both socially and in combat! )
However, I like the pretty big potential here for RP. Taking the Forced Retirement disadvantage has a lot of fun chances in it. For instance, what if my character was a Shinjo(or just a Unicorn in general) before his retirement? What if Shinjo Xiaoxing knew him/her before the retirement? What if the retiree was a mentor? Friend? Enemy? I guess this may be a bit obvious as a tie in for characters but I like it!
Also, mechanically, I've always sorta liked monks and I like to play people of the "People who punch other people during a fight" variety :)
Havocprince |
Zen, so that puts me at.... math... OK 7 winter court 8 gempuku 9 the youngest anyone has seen in a generation. Age 10... let us say the birthdays fall in such a way as to put the boy at 11 and just tall enough not to be small. And he had seen the lady bathing in the purest waterfall of clear clean mountain water, raining down like the pure tears of lady Doji herself.
Olmek |
Here is the first of my possible characters: Akodo Ryuku, a Seppun-trained Lion. GM Onnotangu, if you have any questions, let me know. :)
CLAN: Lion
SCHOOL: Seppun Guardsman
RANK: 1
Age: 18 Sex: Female Height: 5'9"
Description: Unusually tall, with a steady, attentive gaze (trained herself out of blinking). She never sits except crouched on the balls of her feet. Hair tied into a maiden’s ponytail.
FIRE 2 (Agility 3; Intelligence 2)
AIR 2 (Reflexes 3; Awareness 2)
EARTH 2 (Willpower 2; Stamina 2)
WATER 3 (Perception 3; Strength 3)
VOID 2
GLORY 1
HONOR 6.5 (7.5 with Akodo Blade)
STATUS 1
INSIGHT 124
INITIATIVE 4k3
TN TO BE HIT: 20 (25 in armor)
Armor Reduction: 3
Health/Wounds x2
Healthy (+0) 10
Nicked (+0) 14
Grazed (+2) 18
Hurt (+7) 22
Injured (+12) 26
Crippled (+17) 30
Down (+37) 34
Out 38
TECHNIQUES
Never in Darkness: Any time you are rolling to resist a Social Skill roll which could tempt or lead you away from your duty - such as Temptation, Intimidation, or even Courtier - you roll additional unkept dice equal to your School Rank. You gain a +1k1 bonus to any time you are making an Investigation roll to detect an ambush or surprise attack.
ADVANTAGES
Clear Thinker, Different School, Sacred Weapon (Akodo Blade)
DISADVANTAGES
Compulsion (Rank 2; to protect her ward’s honor), Dependent (Seppun Ichiko), Lost Love (Grand Master Seppun Oyama)
SKILLS
Athletics 1
Battle 1
Defense 2
Etiquette 1
Iaijutsu 1
Investigation 1
Kenjutsu (katana) 3
Kyujutsu 1
Lore: Bushido 2
Lore: Theology 1
EQUIPMENT
Akodo Blade, wakizashi, yumi w/ 10 willow leaf arrows, aiguchi & tanto, light armor, sturdy clothing, traveling pack containing a blanket, chopsticks, a daisho stand, a miniature go set, a personal chop, a small tent, three fine kimonos, a pair of sandals, a tatami mat, and a week’s rations. 3 koku, 4 bu, 8 zeni.
Excuses are the bane of justice.
--The Lady Seppun
HISTORY
Ryuku’s Family
Ryuku was a gift to her parents, and that is most noble thing she will say of them when asked. Her father was a loyal Akodo who served in the Emerald Legions in order to avoid petty Clan politics, but Ryuku and generations of her ancestors know that Clan disputes are anything but petty. Just as a samurai's words are his actions, a daimyo's command is a statement meant to live up to his ancestors and the thousands more of each samurai under him. Every war, every declaration, serves its place as an instrument of celestial destiny.
Ryuku’s mother was hesitant when her father's valor earned him a rare honor -- his next son would be welcomed at the Seppun's own school of Imperial Guards. The midwives had warned that another child could kill her, for giving birth to Ryuku’s sisters Kyoko and Giriko had been difficult. Ryuku remembers her sacrifice on the first of every month when she burns incense and offerings.
Ryuku’s father was aghast when she was only another girl, but once she realized the problem, she solved it simply. If what was needed was a son, Ryuku would be his son. When he said that was against tradition, she pointed out that by Akodo's own words, Ryuku was already his doshi -- his brother.
Ryuku’s Training
In her early years at the Akodo-ryu, the sensei sometimes beat Ryuku, but she knew that the soul of a samurai must be pounded in fire thousands of times to be forged correctly. She kept count of the number of times she was hit from the time she was five to when she was eleven: 1,533.
Before Ryuku’s gempukku, she was lined up with a half-dozen other Akodo to perform her kata before Sensei Seppun Toshifumi. All executed the moves with precision, but when questioned about bushido, about ethics and honor, about duty to the Empire, none but Ryuku considered their answers carefully. Most were bored by hours of lecturing, even on the most sacred of subjects. Ryuku was worthy of the honor her father had earned, he declared, and performed her gempukku himself, on the stairs of Seppun-ryu, under the watchful eyes of grandmaster Oyama.
But there were delays before she could train in earnest. The Akodo warred with the Matsu, and Ryuku’s birth and position required her to serve as a lieutenant, though she was only thirteen. Eager to lead with only minimal advice, she acquitted herself honorably for her age... but she will always remember the three hundred men who died in Toshi no Senchi. The Lion congratulated her, but Ryuku’s arrival at Seppun-ryu felt oddly hollow.
Ryuku is forbidden to speak of the techniques of the Seppun, but she doesn't mind saying that working until she vomited was considered a compliment to the sensei. She trained from the time she woke to the time she slept, and often students were attacked with shinai in the night. Oyama watched her practice and said that her body type (tall, with flexible wrists) was best for the Osaboro kata. It is her duty to practice it until perfection or her death. It was quite a compliment: Osaboro is difficult, and requires Ryuku to practice with three other people: one to be the target, and two to shoot the arrows at her. Trust is...important.
Ichiko
Ryuku’s time was so taken with training, that it was not until he fell ill that she learned Oyama-sama's interest in her came in part because he was her grand-uncle. He had been Ryuku’s guiding force in the school; it seemed impossible that he could waste away in his bed while surrounded by men who would give their lives for him. In the dojo, the old light would still come into his eyes and he would throw off the yojimbo helping him walk, or move a paving stone Ryuku could not lift. But when alone, at the end, he would ask her to fetch him water, when it was too much.
His last request was that Ryuku care for his nine year-old granddaughter, Seppun Ichiko, whose parents were in Violence Behind Courtliness City, a Crane holding which has been besieged by the Lion since the spring. If Ichiko's parents were alive, they would have been released by now. She is a Seppun child: obedient, cultured, and capable of withstanding more than most adults think possible. She bores easily, and Ryuku is trying to teach her to retreat sideways from a situation, rather than in straight lines. She often chooses not to listen, and claims to want to attend a courtier school, but that path lacks purity, and Ryuku is certain she will grow out of it.
Ichiko has recently expressed an interest in visiting Ryoko Owari for their famed Bon Festival. Reluctantly, Ryuku petitioned for, and received, permission to undertake a pilgrimage to the City of Lies.
HER DAISHO
Ryuku's katana is more glorious than Ryuku. Shobatsu ("Rewards and Punishments") took the swordsmith Yajishi four years and nine thousand folds to create. It was immortalized in an Ikoma play, "The Shouts of the Sun," though few people remember its name. It dates back to Hantei Yugozohime (Hantei VII), an Empress born in a time when the Phoenix, Crane, and Scorpion tried to keep her isolated on the throne from birth. Yugozohime challenged them, choosing Seppun Mizato to defend her honor. He came to the duel with the still red-hot Shobatsu as a political statement -- at that time, it was believed swords were best quenched in the blood of convicted criminals. Shobatsu passed through 28 generations of Seppun since, including Oyama-sama's wife Narumi, who died at the Battle of Kyuden Kitsune.
Shobatsu's saya is velvet-lined teak, its tsuba mirrored chrysanthemums beneath a silver filigreed Lady Sun (rare art, since such depictions were outlawed in 606). Its hilt wrap is made from the under-tail skin of three albino manta rays called from the sea by Imperial shugenja.
Its mated wakizashi was used for seppuku once, so its new companion, Hittan ("Brush Tip") was named to honor such the decision. In calligraphy, each stroke is final and indelible, showing every success and error without going back; swords are the same.
Fiendish Zen |
@GunMetalDrac: All good :D And the hook works for me! Would prefer uncle or family friend as the connection if that's ok with you, perhaps even jiujutsu instructor if he liked his fists and feet that much to have been interested before he honorably 'died' ;)
@Havocprince: This would be easier to judge if this was face to face and I knew you... Ok, the age of your character and the poetic twist of description make me a little more comfortable, so you have tentative permission for your waterfall. As a concept I'm ok with a 'chaste love from afar that is secretly doomed from the start' sort of thing :) However I do reserve the right to retcon it out of existence as some fevered dream of Katsuyoshi if you turn in to "that guy"!
Havocprince |
Lol, the kid is 11. He is just starting to figure out women and has no social skills as the only people he has had to talk to his whole life are a perpetually drunk mother and the kami. He has devoured books page after page, but lacks the depth of knowledge on any one subject. It isn't even love, he is just embarrassed and confused about what the proper course of action he should take is. He is woefully unprepared for people, and he realizes he has this habit of offending every person he comes in to contact with. Xiaoxing not only listened to what he thought, she actually thought about it. So now you have the twin issues of little boy saw naked lady and doesn't know emotionally what to do with this and lady he saw naked is twice his age and talks to him with some respect, like only his mother and his replacement mother figure have done... he must now reconcile these facts with the fact that he is betrothed to another who he has met and does have strong feelings of duty and some like for.
And now failing of Bushido courtesy and a betrothal have been added to this character. :) Group discussion and bounced ideas.
I can not for the life of me think of a tie for Ryukyu.
Olmek |
Ryuku is potentially difficult to have ties to. She's a Lion maiden that has spent the majority of her life training with the Akodo, warring against the Matsu, and then training with the Seppun.
A possible match would need some sort of connection to the Lion or an Imperial family. There's potential for a connection to Ryuku's dependant, Seppun Ichiko, as well. Although she's only 9 years old.
GM Onnotangu |
My thoughts on Akodo Ryuku:
I worry that you'll never get use out of Never in Darkness.
No wait, the opposite of that ;) It's such a perfect fit for the City of Lies I actually laughed out loud. Your Doji Courtier is going to have to be spectacular to outdo this one.. I'm already making plans for wee Ichiko...
A possible match would need some sort of connection to the Lion or an Imperial family.
Another spitball I could throw is since she's just traveled to the City of Lies, she could easily have met up with another PC on the road on the way there. Maybe there's not alot of time to get to know one another, but even a few days of sharing the road and ryokans will certainly foster a sort of a shared group-identity between the travelers. Surely it's completely within reason you share sake or tea together "one last time" once you finally arrived...
On a different tack:
Fiendish Zen brought up a topic that I'd like to touch on in a broad sense. You can't fully separate tragedy from samurai drama, but I don't want there to be miscommunication between players. Miscommunication between characters is provisionally fine, but let's keep things crystal clear OOCly between players. I think we're on the right track and just want to stress I hope we keep it that way.
Public service announcement out of the way, I pass the forum back to you players to work out ideas. Remember, you don't have to know everyone. Having a stranger to get to know still makes for great roleplay.
Derz |
Finally got this to a point where I like it. Ladies and germs: my utterly noncombative blind Kitsuki:
I am going to put the more detailed fluffy bits up later today.
NAME: Kitsuki no Katsurou
CLAN: Dragon
SCHOOL: Kitsuki Investigator
RANK: 1
Age: 24 Sex: Male Height: 5'7"
Description: He's short and slightly built, with features that many would probably describe as attractive, or even pretty if it weren't for the obvious burns and scars across the upper-middle quarter of his face, only partially covered by his green silk blindfold. His kimono is also green and he wears his hair in a fashionably neutral style.
FIRE 2 (Agility 2; Intelligence 2)
AIR 2 (Reflexes 2; Awareness 3)
EARTH 2 (Willpower 2; Stamina 2)
WATER 3 (Perception 3; Strength 3)
VOID 2
GLORY 1
HONOR 5.5
STATUS 1
INSIGHT 129
INITIATIVE 3k2
TN TO BE HIT: 23
Armor Reduction: n/a
Health/Wounds x2
Healthy (+0) 10
Nicked (+0) 14
Grazed (+2) 18
Hurt (+7) 22
Injured (+12) 26
Crippled (+17) 30
Down (+37) 34
Out 38
TECHNIQUES
The Kitsuki are masters of investigation and perception,
noticing the most minute and telling details with merely a
glance. You gain a Free Raise on all your Investigation Skill
Rolls. However, while the Kitsuki are trained for investigation
and diplomacy, unlike other courtiers they do not wholly
neglect the ways of the warrior. In a skirmish, you add your
Perception Trait Rank to your Armor TN.
ADVANTAGES
Higher Purpose - Jurisdiction without Deception, Blissful Betrothal, Wealthy (rank 4, cost 2 because of Blissful Betrothal)
DISADVANTAGES
Bad Health, Blind
SKILLS
Courtier (Manipulation, Rhetoric) 3
Etiquette (Courtesy) (Bureaucracy) 3
Investigation (Interrogation) (Search) 3
Kenjutsu (katana) 1
Lore: Bushido 2
Meditation (Fasting) (Void Recovery) 3
Sincerity (Honesty) 3
EQUIPMENT
Traditional Clothing, Wakizashi, Knife, Calligraphy
Set, Bottle of Shochu, Walking Stick, Straw Cloak, Tea Set, Lucky Cricket, Incense Brazier, Chopsticks, Pillow Book, Sweets, Sake Cup, 13 koku.
As every man has his own path to enlightenment, so too does every man have a means of success.
--Lord Kitsuki, on Katsurou's Blindness.
Kitsuki no Katsurou |
SO I have decided to build him as almost a benevolent cult leader in the making. This is going to be weird.
Katsurou was never going to be a warrior of legend, but his chances of even being a warrior of note went up in smoke as his eyes were burned almost to the point of being completely destroyed in an attack by members of the spider clan's mysterious Spider Order. Of course, that has not been conclusively proven, since Katsurou can not testify about seeing anyone there anymore and his parents were killed in the blaze.
Katsurou has not gone into seeking vengeance, however. He's not the sort to demean himself with senseless violence. Rather than destroy those who have wronged him he would build a society where the political machinations that led to that tragedy are unwanted and unneeded. He has taken it upon himself to build a place where people do not have to live in fear of a blade in the night or being tricked into a corner where seppuku is the only way out.
Fortunately for him, Katsurou's physical deficiencies have not been too problematic for his ambitions. He was more or less dumped into a marriage with one Kakita Yukari, one of the few cranes not known for her aloof beauty. Yukari's father Youhei and Katsurou's uncle Ken agreed to an alliance and cemented it by marrying the two completely unbeknownst to them. Surprisingly enough, the couple have become quite fond of each other, with Yukari's love of dueling and sympathy for the peasantry complementing Katsurou's ambitions of a straightforward, lawful, and logical society.
Katsurou was not going to get to such a place staying in his own family's estate, however, and he had been trained in the arts of intrigue and recently acquired the loyalty of one of the best-trained duelists in the land, so he asked for a placement as a representative of his clan. He pondered where exactly would be best for his plans. He needed a city where there were many people of all the clans coming and going, but somewhere far enough out of the main games of power and domination that a radical like himself would be able to build power and support while still remaining unnoticed until he was ready. There was only one place he could think of that fit all of these criteria: Ryoko Owari. It fit perfectly, and the Bon festival was coming up, so he decided to leave to his post a little early.
Katsurou's wife could be related to Ichiko by marriage (Cranes are easy), which would tie Katsurou to both Ryuku and Katsuroshi. He probably met Roshi when the engagement was broken to the happy couple, and given the archetypal reaction to arranged marriage was probably supporting him with a bit of a "Dude I've been there and know exactly what you're going through" role and he probably made small talk with and took note of Ryuku. She's a formidable samurai and also one who has spent time across clans, something Katsurou would be on the lookout for since he plans to more or less build his power base out of outcasts.
GM Onnotangu |
Thanks to everyone who's been working up characters! There's still plenty of time left, so if you're interested in the game but haven't submitted anything yet it's not too late.
I do have a couple of questions that I'd like to see answered by the time the characters are ready for consideration:
Havocprince: Your character, Mirumoto Katsuyoshi, appears to be carrying around his hated, dead father's katana in addition to his mother's. I'm curious why you want to be carrying two katanas.. especially since one of them represents the legacy of a man he despises. What are you trying to accomplish by saying Katsuyoshi keeps the sword?
I ask because the problem with keeping it when he uses his mother's katana is it's an ongoing insult to the Crane Clan... an insult of sufficient magnitude that it'd be grounds for an ongoing vendetta/blood feud. If you're fine with that, ok. I just want to be sure it's not a case of you and me not being on the same page.
Derz: Your character, Kitsuki Katsurou, has some weird motivations that I'll want more fully fleshed out. I look at your background and I see "Kolat conspirator" written all over it. I'm not sure that's the direction you meant to be taking. Additionally, a very minor thing but potentially impactful on expanding Katsurou's motivations: Spider Clan isn't around in this timeline to be baddies in your background. But, there's certainly no lack of substitute baddies you could pick. Shosuro Ninjas, the Lying Darkness, Bloodspeakers, Ronin, etc.
Havocprince |
OK, I think I have bounced ideas around enough. Time to bight the bullet and finish this writeup.
Name: Mirumoto Katsuyoshi
Clan: Dragon (duh)
School: Agasha Shugenja rank 1
Insight:134
Affinity / Deficiency: Fire / Water
Technique: Elements of All Things - The Agasha understand the interactions of the elements more so than perhaps any other family. When casting a spell, you may spend a Void Point to use a different Ring of your choosing rather than the appropriate Ring for that spell. this spell uses a spell slot for the Ring used to actually cast the spell. You also gain a Free Raise on any spell with the Craft keyword.
Earth 2
Air 2
Water 2
Fire 3
Void 3
Honor 4.5
Status 1
Glory 1
Skills
Calligraphy 1 (cipher)
Craft:Weaponsmithing 1
Defense 1
Etiquette 1
Lore:Theology 1
Spellcraft 1
Kenjutsu 3
Iajutsu 5
Advantages
Sacred blades Twin sisters
Sage
Heart of vengeance(crane)
Disadvantages
Missing limb (Left arm)
Failure if Bushido (courtesy)
Spells
Sense, commune, summon
Fire
Katana of fire(innate), raging forge, mending forge
Earth
Minor bindings, Iurojin's balm
Air
Legacy of kaze no kami
Outfit: Twin sisters, Father's Katana and Wakizashi, Scroll Satchel, 5 koku
Traveling pack:blanket, chop sticks, coin purse, sake cup, sumi-e, small knife, whet stone, week's rations, pillow book(journal he is writing in... half full), straw hat.
Looks: Katsuyoshi is a rather nondescript young boy. If he was not already carrying the mons and trappings of a Samurai one would think he was just a local child in his schooling. The lack of a left arm, the scar a crossed his left eye, and the multiple scars hidden beneath the left side of his kimono tell a different story. In fact, if it was not for the scroll case on his hip one could be forgiven for thinking this boy was just another bushi. Appearances are the first lie that the eyes believe. Black hair, brown eyes, hard expressions that scream annoyance.
Youth: The boy Gemi grew up without a father and with a strange relationship with his mother. She was given a shack about a mile from town and this is where Gemi was raised. Miyumoto Eri, his mother, had been a duelist of some skill in her day. She had traveled Rokugon bringing honor to Ninten style and her school. Then, mysteriously, she returned to her home and locked herself in an epic struggle with a constant supply of sochu. Only her daimyo knew that she had been taken against her will by a Kakita duelist whom she had bested before. This act broke her, and the resulting child that she had tried to slay while he was inside of her did not help her sanity. She forbid Gemi from speaking to others and raised him on a steady stream of books and the art of the sword.
Post the duel and Kayuden Kakita: Gemi spent the year after his upset of the winter court in the care of Agasha Yuna. The old women spent a year trying to shore up the weaknesses in the boys learning, and he was an apt pupil. With no distractions, and a lifetime of dedication to his art already in hand, Gemi blossomed into a young samurai. At the end of that year, and at the end of an argument that had gone on since breakfast, Sensei Yuna shouted that she could teach the boy nothing more. Gemi shouted back "Then why not give me my test" just then a tattooed man entered and handed Gemi his mother's swords, not a word was spoken and neither the boy or his sensei moved as the man walked right back out as if nothing had happened. Two days later Katsuyoshi's daimyo sent for him and his first assignment was given to him.
The last year: Katsuyoshi has been trying to keep up with his duty as a shugenja and as a duelist. He has been assigned to three tasks over the year and they have all ended in duels with one crane or another. He has picked up a nasty scar over his left eye and the blood of three more men on his hands. His hatred for the Kakita has been stoked in to a raging disgust for all crane. When he came home from his last assignment he was told he would be wed, maybe they hoped duty to a spouse might help control the wild fire and form a useful forge.
That is half of the reason he refuses to let it go. He plans on giving it to the first crane who defeats him yet shows true qualities of Bushido. He does not believe this will ever happen though, the crane have shown that they do not understand duty in his eyes. And on that day he meets that samurai, he will break the peace bindings and use the blade... and probably die on that field and know that it was a good death. His duty discharged, his shame cleared, and the shame he saw as the failing of the crane wiped clean from the books.
Olmek |
Here is my second submission: Doji Himeko.
I might be overstepping my boundaries her by assuming that we could start as an Emerald Magistrate. If required, her backstory could be altered to cast her as an assistant magistrate or something. Tell me what you think!
CLAN: Crane
SCHOOL: Doji Courtier
RANK: 1
Age: 18 Sex: Female Height: 5'2"
Description: Simple, wholesome but not stunning features, self-confident pose and voice but not of attention-getting stature; think of Jodie Foster in Contact.
FIRE 2 (Agility 2; Intelligence 2)
AIR 3 (Reflexes 3; Awareness 4)
EARTH 2 (Willpower 2; Stamina 2)
WATER 2 (Perception 3; Strength 2)
VOID 2
GLORY 1
HONOR 6.5
STATUS 1
INSIGHT 124
INITIATIVE 4k3
TN TO BE HIT: 20
Health/Wounds x2
Healthy (+0) 10
Nicked (+0) 14
Grazed (+2) 18
Hurt (+7) 22
Injured (+12) 26
Crippled (+17) 30
Down (+37) 34
Out 38
TECHNIQUES
The Soul of Honor: So long as you maintain your Honor Rank at 6.0 or better, you gain a Free Raise on all Courtier, Sincerity, and Etiquette rolls. Also, by conversing with another person for a few minutes, you can make a Contested Roll of Courtier (Manipulation) / Awareness against the target’s Etiquette / Awareness to learn whether they are in need of favors or assistance.
ADVANTAGES
Ancestor: Doji, Servant (Artisan)
DISADVANTAGES
Sworn Enemy (Mirumoto Tobezu), Sworn Enemy (Soshi Yasamari), Unlucky (Rank 2)
SKILLS
Calligraphy 1
Commerce 1
Courtier (Manipulation) 3
Etiquette 2
Investigation 1
Jiujutsu 1
Lore: Heraldry 1
Lore: History 1
Lore: Law 1
Perform: Oratory 1
Perform: Storytelling 1
Sincerity 2
Tea Ceremony 1
EQUIPMENT
One life can make the difference.
-- Kakita
HISTORY
Himeko’s Family
Himeko’s father Giichin had her late in life, and that is perhaps the saving grace of her dealings with him. He was a courtier who specialized in inheritance law, and was understandably acid-tongued. Not that he was unkind to Himeko, but he was not easily impressed. And when she turned out to be his only child, and a daughter at that, it made for some rough nights.
To top it off, Himeko was not a stunning beauty, and the Crane practically have a cult around pretty faces, which disgusted her. All the boys were training to be bushi like the world depended on them. And the girls? Giggling fools. It seemed crazy. But Himeko’s ninth and thirteenth winters at the Bayushi court brought it all together. The world did depend on her; it was her peers who did not realize the responsibility of privilege.
Just before Himeko’s gempukku, her father retired, leaving her mother to arrange her acceptance to the Doji Courtier school, something that would give Himeko a chance for a life that is not dependent on the man she might marry. When put against that alternative, she was happy to go. The school was almost nauseatingly polite; Himeko soon realized it was a test to see how much dross she could move aside and manipulate to get to the real political action underneath. Through mizu-do, she trained herself not to panic under stress and learned that the competition and give-and-take exhilarated her in a way nothing ever had. The martial training also taught Himeko to maintain her authority in the face of death, and she soon found out how important that would be.
Becoming a Magistrate
At the School, Emerald Magistrate positions were given according to who your father was, or by establishing and maintaining a reputation even through the constant turn-around and fresh faces of the week. Getting an appointment was not as difficult as Himeko imagined, but that was only because of the location of her first job: Ryoko Owari. The "City of Lies" didn't bother her...it was that the place should have been called "City of Cheap, Available Assassins." Every smuggler she busted had a boss, every Scorpion she manipulated came back in the form of a dozen stalkers. Himeko made heaps of enemies in the process. In her first months on the job, she unearthed an opium smuggling ring with ties to the Soshi family. Soshi Yasamari, a hulking brute of a courtier, covered the whole thing up, including the indirect involvement of Soshi Bantaro, the daimyo of the family, and he despises Himeko for it. She can’t prove it, but Yasamari is also responsible for the death of one of Himeko’s associates: Ide Meiko.
Another notable enemy is Mirumoto Tobezu, a taisa of the Mirumoto peacekeepers. A temperamental and ill-mannered man with wanted to duel Himeko’s cousin, Doji Satoshi, who traveled to Ryoko Owari for help. Himeko refused to sanction the fight: Tobezu had just come from a war, and considering his reputation, she had no reason to believe that the Dragon would stop at first blood. She suggested that Tobezu take a cooling-off period where he trained in control. He claimed that Himeko had insulted him, caused a physical alteration, and was jailed by the Scorpion for a week. After his release, Tobezu headed north and Himeko hasn’t heard from him since.
GM Onnotangu |
Here is my second submission: Doji Himeko.
I might be overstepping my boundaries her by assuming that we could start as an Emerald Magistrate. If required, her backstory could be altered to cast her as an assistant magistrate or something. Tell me what you think!
** spoiler omitted **...
Well the elephant in the room is Havocprince's submitted character, Mirumoto Katsuyoshi, is a rabid Crane-hater. I'm not keen on setting up PvP, which seems inevitable if you play Doji Himeko w/o some accomodation. His character is the one who hates Cranes so most of the onus is on him, yes, but you may be able to help him come up with reasons why he doesn't hate this particular Crane.
As for starting as magistrate status: I was going to leave that for the post-acceptance fine tuning, but I'll give you a heads up since Radvel is in the same situation with his character, Soshi Konming. Magistrates are pretty high and mighty in the social order, so the answer to the question "Can I begin as a magistrate?" begins with "Not at Status 1, you can't."
"Clan Magistrates" have the suggested status rank of 4, which costs 18 points to attain and thus is prohibitively expensive for 40 point characters. My mind isn't concrete yet, but this is where I'm leaning: If you start as status 1 or 2, you can be a yoriki. If you pay for status 3, I'll think about allowing that to be sufficient to be a brand-spanking new magistrate of suspect experience/capability. And of course, Emerald Magistrate is right off the table as a starting status, but we'll see where the campaign goes ;) The Crane do indeed maintain clan magistrates in Ryoko Owari. For some reason, they don't trust the local Scorpion magistrates to investigate crimes against Crane interests to the utmost ability. So, Doji Himeko could very easily be a yoriki to one the Ryoko Owari magistrates answering to the Crane rather than the Scorpion.
Derz |
Agh. Timelines! My one true weakness!
Kolat huh? I guess I see where you might get that but I don't anticipate Katsurou having issues with the Kami or Imperial family or anything like that, he just hates the Machiavellian nature of the empire and wants to build a place where people don't have to worry about that. In re: Spiders, I guess I can come up with something else. I'll put it together this evening.
GM Onnotangu |
Agh. Timelines! My one true weakness!
Kolat huh? I guess I see where you might get that but I don't anticipate Katsurou having issues with the Kami or Imperial family or anything like that, he just hates the Machiavellian nature of the empire and wants to build a place where people don't have to worry about that. In re: Spiders, I guess I can come up with something else. I'll put it together this evening.
Ok, I see where you were coming from then. I was wondering if he was truly trying to overthrow the entire social order. Simply wanting better/fairer application of justice is a fine and completely workable idea.
If you want to leave the identity of the baddies vague, that works too. I have no problems making those baddies a recurring villain I have planned for the campaign...
Derz |
It doesn't help that I haven't played much L5R and not in a while. :/ oh well.
If you want to leave the identity of the baddies vague, that works too. I have no problems making those baddies a recurring villain I have planned for the campaign...
That sounds cool, actually. Make it a secondary motive to come down the mountain and into the rest of the world. He wants to investigate who's behind his disfigurement and orphan-izing.
Radavel |
Soshi Kongming Stats
Soshi Kongming
Rank 1 Soshi Shugenja
Air: 3 (Reflexes 3 and Awareness 3) (12)
Earth: 2 (Stamina 2 and Willpower 2)
Fire: 3 (Agility 3 and Intelligence 3) (12)
Water: 2 (Strength 2 and Perception 2)
Void 2
Skills:
*Calligraphy (Cipher) 1
*Courtier 3 (5)
*Etiquette 1
Iaijutsu 1 (1)
Kenjutsu 1 (1)
Lore: Law 1 (1)
Lore: Maho 1 (1)
Lore: Shadowlands 1 (1)
*Lore: Theology 1
*Medicine 1
Sincerity 3 (6)
*Spellcraft 1
*Stealth 3 (5)
Insight: 120 (rings) + 23 (skills) = 143
Health/Wounds x2
Healthy (+0) 10
Nicked (+0) 14
Grazed (+2) 18
Hurt (+7) 22
Injured (+12) 26
Crippled (+17) 30
Down (+37) 34
Out 38
Advantages
Crafty (2)
Disadvantages
Bad Fortune: Yogo Curse (4)
Driven (Discover Mother’s Fate) (2)
Insensitive (3)
Honor: 2.5
Status: 1
Outfit: Robes, Wakizashi, Knife, Scroll Satchel, Traveling Pack, 5 koku
Affinity/Deficiency: Air / Earth
Technique: The Kami’s Whisper -- the Soshi cast their spells as quietly as the kami themselves. You may sacrifice an additional spell slot (of the same Element) when casting any spell with no potential to inflict damage in order to eliminate all visible signs of the spell having been cast. All spell effects take place normally; there is simply no outward sign of what has happened. You may also gain a Free Raise on any spell with the Illusion keyword.
Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, By the Light of the Moon, Cloak of Night [Illusion], To Seek the Truth, Extinguish, Fires of Purity, Path to Inner Peace
Kongming wears a dragon mask that obscures his features.
Radavel |
Background
Genealogical records were lost sometime in the Ninth Century, so Kongming's descent from Yogo was never discovered (Yogo Curse).
As part of the long-standing alliance between the Scorpion and the Dragon, the marriage of Soshi Aya and Agasha Yu was arranged.
In 1100, Soshi Kongming was born.
Two years before starting his formal study as a shugenja, Soshi Aya disappeared while travelling in Ryoko Owari (Driven to Discover Mother's Fate).
One year after Aya's disappearance, Kongming and his father traveled to Dragon lands, where Kongming learned the basics of swordsmanship (Kenjustus and Iaijutsu skills). This is probably also the time he met Mirumoto Katsuyoshi.
Thereafter, his father shaved his head and joined the Brotherhood.
Kongming entered the shugenja school at Shiro no Soshi.
A day before his graduation, Kongming received a packaged containing scrolls in the handwriting of his mother which discussed the disturbing subjects of maho and the Shadowlands (Lore: Maho and Shadowlands). He burned those scrolls after learning all he can. But this only served to fuel his obsession to find his mother.
Kongming used his skills to sway the powers that be to assign him to Ryoko Owari (Blackmail and other stuff, I suppose, which are now considered repaid, an exhibition of Kongming being Crafty). He is not above using trumped up evidence to compel the obedience of someone he wished to leverage.
Chinatsu |
Hello!
This is GunMetalDrac's character.
I haven't quite figured out connections with everyone but I did find something with Xiaoxing:
Shinjo Xiaoxing: Met on her travels across Rokugan while traveling toward a new temple to train under. Still only a neophyte, Chinatsu denomination was not readily apparent though his garbed made him out to be a monk. The two would travel along the way, until their paths diverged. They kept each other company well enough and even spared a bit in hand to hand combat. While Chinatsu would ultimately win the match, Xiaoxing gave well enough that they ended their match between friends at a healthy 3-2.
GM Onnotangu |
Ok, it's friday night, I have 6 submissions, I don't see any reason to cut any submitted characters.. so:
Shinjo Xiaoxing
Soshi Konming
Mirumoto Katsuyoshi
Kitsuki Katsurou
Chinatsu
Come on down to the Discussion thread!
Olmek, I like both of your characters. If you haven't come up with a preference of your own yet, I think Doji Himeko will bring more options to the party than Akodo Ryuku would. But if you play Ryuku instead, my evil plans for Ichiko won't have to go to waste ;)
To those who have not yet submitted characters:
Recruitment is not closed. If you're still interested, I'll make room for you if I like your submission. Getting onboard early is better than waiting until after the campaign begins rolling, as it'd be easier to explain the "Hi, I'm New!" samurai.
Mardavig |
A bushi in simple ashigaru armour, in the colours of Hiruma, appears before the assembled lords. He presents his daisho with ceremonial reverence. His hair is long and uncut and hangs over the right side of his face. This barbarous hairstyle does little to conceal a barnacle-like disfigurement across his cheek. He kneels and bows his head to the tatami before speaking.
"This one humbly present himself, upon the recommendation of Shinjo Xiaoxing. His History is humble, but his spirit is strong. Where his sword is needed it will be found."
GM Onnotangu |
A bushi in simple ashigaru armour, in the colours of Hiruma, appears before the assembled lords. He presents his daisho with ceremonial reverence. His hair is long and uncut and hangs over the right side of his face. This barbarous hairstyle does little to conceal a barnacle-like disfigurement across his cheek. He kneels and bows his head to the tatami before speaking.
"This one humbly present himself, upon the recommendation of Shinjo Xiaoxing. His History is humble, but his spirit is strong. Where his sword is needed it will be found."
I'm glad that you're interested!
I assume you're looking at playing a Hiruma bushi? The party doesn't yet have any sneaky types, so that'd be a great fit.
Did you already make a character sheet and background story? If not, I'd be happy to help you through it.
Hiruma Kuro |
Humblest apologies.
A bushi in simple ashigaru armour, in the colours of Hiruma, appears before the assembled lords. He presents his daisho with ceremonial reverence. His hair is long and uncut and hangs over the right side of his face. This barbarous hairstyle does little to conceal a barnacle-like disfigurement across his cheek. He kneels and bows his head to the tatami before speaking.
"This one humbly present himself, upon the recommendation of Shinjo Xiaoxing. His History is humble, but his spirit is strong. Where his sword is needed it will be found."