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any fans here? I wrote up a pc this afternoon (scorpian courtier) and wanted to hear advice/comments.

Enforcer Talen wrote:any fans here? I wrote up a pc this afternoon (scorpian courtier) and wanted to hear advice/comments.

I play the CCG...

play the card game. Not as often as I used to but thats because my group couldn't find a good time to get together. That should be fixed soon i hope.

Been about six years since I had anything to do with it, but I loved L5R back in the day. Sure, run it by me.

I'm playing in a few L5R campaigns at the moment - post the stats and I'll have a look.

Oh - is it D20?

d10. you have traits and skills - add them together, roll that many 10s, keep the trait number of dice. if you beat the target number, you suceeded.

name: shosuro gyokusai
clan: scorpian
profession: bushi courtier
agility 2
intelligence 3
reflexes 2
awarenes 4
stamina 2
willpower 2
str 2
perception 2

technique: weakness is my str
school: bayhushii courtier

advantages:
dangerous beauty (1)
clear thinker (2)
crafty (3)
heartless (2)
disadvantages:
small (-3)
true love, kakita nikiko, crane (-3)

background:
criminal ally, crane
deep secret, murder, rank 3
ear of the emperor

good fortune:
1 minor ally, crane

skills
courtier 3
ettiquette 3
investigation 1
law 1
sincerity 3
seduction 6
forgery 3
athletics 1
gambling 1
posion 2
stealth 1
torture 1
kenjutsu 1
kuenai 1
hisomu 1


glory 1
honor 1 (+3 pts)

Enforcer Talen wrote:d10. you have traits and skills - add them together, roll that many 10s, keep the trait number of dice. if you beat the target number, you suceeded.

GOOD! Thats the REAL system, not that d20 "eastern" spin-off. Its fantastic, play it all the time...

My only real recommendations - move a point from awareness to perception - but this mightn't apply depending on the character concept...

Try and find a few more points to raise skills - as 1 point just ain't going to cut it with most of those especially in a "court" situation.

Ah, I thought you meant biographical info. I suck at analyzing stats... always preferred freeform game systems, myself.

I do like the Crane ties, though.

ja, scorpian is going to be purged soon, and he'll hook into crane. .

Im enjoying the awareness 4, as it helps his main skills - seduction, courtier, and sincerity.

all the pay 1 skills are from crafty - freebies, if you will. with their base trait at 3 or 4, it still plays out nicely. as well, the one pointers arent a court situation - torture and the like.

this is just the pregame pc - hes getting soem exp cuz the rest of the party has been gaming for a while.

Ah, so you know the Scorpion Clan Coup is coming soon in the game storyline? Cool.

in game, I dunno- the party has been going for a while, and Im just starting up.

however, paranoia is a survival trait, and his lady love is crane, so

I like. The thing that caught my attention was the flaw/negative trait Dark Secret: Murder (-3 points).

You said Scorpion is being purged soon..does that mean you're playing Pre-coup timeline (The best and only real L5R storyline along with the Clan war..everything else was crap)? You're bound to have a great time, my friend.

Your GM should play that timeline to the hilt, along with your flaw...which may very well leak into the open once all hell breaks loose (after the Scorpion are crushed by the combined might of the clans, backed by Hida Kisada of course).

I haven't given L5R RPG some thought in quit a while. I'm eager to hear more about your campaign.

As you can see in my sig, I'm also a fan. I'll post my RPG stats if I can find them. I also played another character (A Lion Clan Matsu Bushi who was related to my Scorpion Character. Very awesome stuff.).

I couldn't find my old sheets just yet, but this is an introductory story for my Lion Character Matsu Deihan. It details some of his flaws and other attributes (Inheritance: Copper Mine, Haunted, Dark Secret: Visits corrupt geisha houses (-3 points..it's an unclean cultural stigma), Nemesis-1 point, but she progressed along with me...and finally Great Destiny. With all that crap, plus the following story, my GM felt like I had earned it.

I forgot to mention also: He had the flaw from the 1st edition Phoenix clanbook where your ancestors do not speak to you, which is something terrible for a Lion. Which is why Mashita (My Scorpion Character) is haunting him.

Deihan was also part of the "Matsu Death Squads"; his task was to hunt down exiled Scorpion and murder them during the purge that happened after the Scorpion Clan Coup. Nice thing to have on your resume'.

Anyway, I apologize in advance to moderators if this is not the appropriate forum for this following piece. As stated above in the subject line, it's rated R for violence.

R for Violence.

One more time.

R rated material coming up:

here goes:

-------

Hametsu had a decision to make. About a problem similar to the one named Bayushi Uchinore, many years ago, but the scope was nowhere near as large. Still, it could be a future concern and a man in his position could afford no mistakes, because the responsibility ultimately lay on him. There was no way anyone could have predicted the outcome of Shosuro Kaji's marriage to a Lion. But since things turned out the way that they did, there was only one course of action to take. The question was who was the right one for the job?

As Hametsu calmly sipped some lightly sweetened hot tea, he set his mind to the task...
-------
Shosuro Kaji, eldest son of Shosuro Kashi and brother to Shosuro Mashita, was reputed as having as harsh and rigid demeanor as his father. He was an accomplished stage performer, but living in the shadow of his younger brother shamed him to the point of drastic action. His father had arranged a marriage to a Lion Samurai-ko by the name of Matsu Shizuko. Not the greatest catch by most courtly standards, but she afforded her husband two things. Marriage into the Lion Clan meant a new contact for future generations. Secondly, her family was financially well off because she was connected to a copper mine somewhere in Lion territory. These were the reasons presented to Lord Hamestsu to consider when father and son asked their Daimyo to sanction the marriage.

"There is quite a lot to gain, Kaji-san, but have you considered how much we can lose?"

"Yes, my Lord. I am willing to give up my name for it."

"How about your life?"

"My Lord," Kashi began, "Forgive me, let my many years of service excuse me for speaking out of line. I do not understand..."

Hametsu held up his hand. "You don't have to, Kashi-san. It is Kaji's decision to make. And he alone must understand the consequences."

Both sets of eyes turned to look at Shosuro Kaji, soon to be Matsu Kaji.

"I do."
-------

The marriage was not overly festive. It just wasn't the Matsu way. Matsu Kaji's parents were in attendance as well as the parents of the bride. A few close friends on the Scorpion side, but on the Matsu side, there were men in uniform; a real military demeanor. The Matsu were hosting the wedding celebration so this type of atmosphere was to be expected. So was the absence of Shosuro Mashita, the brother of the groom.

A few years went by and the worst case scenario happened. The marriage was falling apart and a child was involved. From what the Scorpion spy network had gathered, Matsu Kaji took out his neurotic beliefs on his son, Matsu Deihan. He disallowed his son to pursue his Scorpion heritage, and he eventually lapsed into the role of a Matsu husband, abandoning his theater career altogether. He 'encouraged' his son to excel in the Matsu Bushi School, and soon the young Deihan became a product of his upbringing.

Because of his Scorpion blood, Deihan was ridiculed time and again, and he "developed the famous Matsu battle rage early," his mother would casually joke. But the constant war with his classmates affected his swordsmanship. At the rate he was going, it was clear after his gempukku, Deihan would not advance much beyond a foot soldier, maybe he would be a non-commissoned officer if he was lucky.

All of this was taken into account by Shosuro Hametsu as he motioned to his guard to summon the right person he had been carefully considering for many hours.

-------

Shosuro Mashita had waited for many hours in her sister in law's common room, patiently sipping cold bitter tea. She had read the "glorious" deeds of Matsu Shizuko's ancestors on hanging wall scrolls. Most of them were about various men and women moments before they came to a grisly end in some overly poetic descripion of a border patrol gone bad.

Finally, Matsu Kaji showed himself. Abandoning all courtesy, he barked

"Well, if it isn't my little sister. What do you want?"

"I came to see my nephew."

"His mother is drilling him. Come back tomorrow."

"I see. I guess that's her job isn't it?"

"Are you implying I can't raise my own son?" Kaji erupted.

"I said nothing of the sort. But he should not be ashamed of his blood."

"He isn't ashamed of anything."

"Are you?"

Kaji clenched his fists together. "The only thing I am ashamed of is that I had to give up my name in order to teach my son how to be a man. Because you are a stain on the family, and I wanted to keep my son as far away from you as I could, you okama freak."

Mashita extrapolated the rest for herself; this wasn't the first confrontation of this nature between she and Kaji. She motioned to herself, displaying her impressive feminine looking physique and indicating her styled face and hair. "This isn't why. It's because you're not number one. Father always hated me and I surpassed both of you."

"That's right, and you violated the most honored traditions of kabuki to do so. You're no better than the prostitutes who whored themselves out centuries ago. You're not the son he wanted."

Mashita let that sink in. Despite her feelings about the matter, she calmly stabbed back, "Neither are you. Father wanted each of us to be 'A Man Among Men' and quite frankly, I think I'm more qualified."

Kaji dismissed his brother's sarcastic criticism. "We'll see. When they speak of Deihan's heroic deeds, then we'll see."

"Speaking of my nephew, I said I wanted to check on him. For fortunes sake those other boys couldn't have hurt him that badly."

Kaji got defensive. "That's how Lion boys play. What would you know about that?"

Mashita reached into her kimono and produced a small cotton pouch. She tossed it at Kaji.

The confused Kaji opened the small package revealing small shards of porcelain. He inspected them, wondering what it used to be. An eye, the paint worn thin, but clearly soemthing resembling an eye. And a mouth. Bright red lips puckered into a cute smile. The remains of a doll.
Recognition crossed Kaji's features as he looked back to Mashita, who glared back at her older brother with such hatred, such rage, it was almost tangible.

"If you ever hurt that boy, Shosuro and Bayushi help me I will make you pay." Mashita stood and showed herself out of her brother's home. As she left, she heard the repetitive drills going on in the family dojo. She wept silent tears for she knew her threat, without the approval of her superiors, was an empty one.

-------

As Mashita wiped a tear away from her eye, she donned the proper kimono for a summons by her Daimyo, Lord Shosuro Hametsu.

-------

Kaji was getting ready for the night. His wife was on border patrol and he spent the night putting down a sake jar into his stomach. His son's constant trouble despite his wife's best efforts to correct his behavior with a strict military regimen was becoming intolerable. His only outlet was to seek company in the arms of a geisha, sometimes two or even three, depending on how much copper was harvested from the earth.

Deihan was confined to his quarters. Someday he would be old enough to appreciate the comforts that geisha provide, but he was still a child. So the best thing to do would be to quietly put him away. If he was a problem, Kaji could always lash the boy to a training dummy in the dojo and teach him something about endurance, just like father taught his two sons.

Kaji applied some powdered rouge to his cheeks as he thought of the last minute preparations for his evening with Fujiko. But the last thing that would ever go through his mind was Mashita's last words to him.

A messenger came to Kaji's home and went, bearing a scroll with no markings, no mon.

It read. "Warmest regards, Little Sister."

The thin rope slithered down and around Matsu Kaji's neck before he could react, and suddenly he was lifted off the floor. He gasped for air and he lunged at the cord around his neck. Before he expired, Kaji felt small droplets of water hit his face.

The assassin revealed herself from the shadows, dropping down from the rafters. She was already removing dark gloves and hiding equipment under the folds of her kimono, a common looking adornment. Her face, as white as the next geisha always coming in and out of the home of Matsu Shizuko and Matsu Kaji was all the cover she would need.

Mashita whirled around, brandishing a blade. She had heard a noise, but was disciplined enough to assess her target before striking.

It was Deihan.

The note had found its way into the boy's hands. He read it's plain message and then he gazed at the face of his father's killer. Never before had little Deihan laid eyes on his uncle. This was the person who ruined his father.
This was the blight on his family. This is the person who killed him.

Before this night 'okama' was just a word. Shosuro Mashita was an outcast relative. New definitons and judgments quickly formed in the little boy's shattered mind, and it was too much for him to handle.

Mashita had never counted on this. But her heart went out to her nephew.

"I'll come back for you one day, Matsu Deihan." Anything else Mashita had to say after that was drowned out by the boy's piercing cries. Already he searched for the nearest weapon, but by the time he found one, he was all alone.

-------

Matsu Deihan entered the questionable establishment. It didn't even have a name anymore; the sign had broken many years ago and no one bothered to repair it. 'The House of' something or other was simply known in the underground element of Rokugan as The House.

Being a frequent visitor to The House, Deihan didn't pay attention to the carnal displays around him, plain as day for anyone to see. Open mouthed kissing, breasts hanging open for every man in the room to paw, and even unladylike displays of missing undergarments were shocking to most, but not to The House's most profitable clientele.

The okasan of The House, Kuruko, a former Scorpion opium dealer, happily greeted Deihan and cheerfully took his money, as she led him to the back room of the place. As they agreed, his particular tastes were always met with the utmost degree of secrecy.

A trapdoor in the back led to the basement. Once a storage area for contraband, the okasan of The House converted it into what could only be described as a torture chamber, since that was legitimate cover for the corrupt geisha house's true purpose.

Deihan looked at the girl chained to the wall. He didn't know how they found them, but he specifically requested a Scorpion samurai-ko to have his way with. Most were outcast as ronin. Some of the ones too weak to fight ended up at The House or a place just like it. And now that the Scorpion Clan threw the empire into civil war, ronin samurai-ko were getting cheaper all the time. Especially Scorpions.

Deihan began to prepare. He downed a jar of sake and smoked an opium pipe after removing his kimono, leaving only his hakama.

He grabbed the samurai-ko by the hair. She herself was drugged, barely aware of what was happening. He liked them to not feel it at first, but as the time passed, she would awaken in a world of pain. With a dull thud, he threw her head back against the wall. "Bitch." he panted.

A Crab Taskmaster's whip was his preferred implement of choice, because it caused tremendous pain but had a lower risk of fatal injury. Deihan saved the death he wanted to dish out to the men who opposed him on the battlefield. Let the women of this world continue to suffer.

Deihan gave the whip a test swing. The impact of leather on skin echoed in the torchlit chamber with a resounding crack, which was music to his ears. The beating was about to begin in earnest.

A cold chill ran up the Lion's spine. The basement was usually cool, but not this cold. Not cold enough to see his own breath.

"Kuruko! Get down here. It's cold. Light another torch or something."

No answer.

“Dammit! I said come down here!” Deihan stopped shouting to the okasan when he saw the impossible. The torches began to flicker, then blow themselves out. The Matsu had spent spent many hours of his life in a solitary conifinement box for one offense or another, and for the first time in a long time, the Lion felt afraid of being trapped.

The ex-scorpion ronin woman began to laugh. A slight chuckle at first, then an eerie giggle, much like that of a young girl. The only audible sound in the pitch black chamber.

“Shut up!” He cracked the whip in the direction of the laughing, which only served to amuse her more.

“What’s going on here? I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” The crazed Deihan lunged blindly in the dark, dead set on strangling the woman who was agonizing him with her incessant laughter. His hands found his way to the woman’s throat, and he squeezed depserately to silence her inhuman cackling.

Her eyes opened, illuminating the room in a soft blue glow. She stared into his eyes and opened her mouth, more light spilling into the room. Multiple voices, screaming in a dissonant chorus called aloud. “Matsu Deihan, son of Matsu Kaji, grandson of Shosuro Kashi. You will stand in judgment!”

Deihan fled to the other side of the room, trying to push the trapdoor to the basement from up below. By the fortunes, it was a gaki or something worse, come here to take him to jigoku or turn him into one of them. He cowered in terror, hunching into fetal position, ready for whatever fate awited him.

“Is this how a Lion faces death?”

The voice was somehow familiar. Cautiously, Deihan looked to the woman hanging limply on the wall. She had not spoken, and as quickly as she had animated herself, she lapsed back into semi-consciousness, the light within her fading out the room to black once more. “Who are you?”

“That is what I came here to ask you, Matsu Deihan.”

The torches lit themselves once again. As Deihan readjusted his eyes to the lighting, he recognized a familiar face. One he had not seen since the death of his father.

“YOU!” he growled. “How can this be? You’re dead!”

“I am of no consequnce, Matsu Deihan. Like all things in this world, I am nothing. But you have many crimes to answer for. And I will no longer allow you to blindly slay your Scorpion kinsmen to satisfy your twisted sense of honor.”

“What the hell do you know? You okama freak! You killed my father to satisfy your sense of revenge!”

“I killed him because he was killing our clan. Take a look at yourself. He’s still killing us. Killng you.”

“You spineless okama! You have no honor.”

The spectre floated closer to Deihan, who shirked back, almost staggering over his own feet. An ominous howl came from nowhere as an impossible breeze rushed past the Lion samurai. He grew cold and afraid as the ghost of Shosuro Mashita incurred her wrath.

“YOU KNOW NOTHING OF HONOR!!! I HAVE STARED EVIL IN ITS VERY EYE AND TURNED IT AWAY FROM THE FACE OF ROKUGAN! I HAVE MADE SACRIFICES BEYOND THE SCOPE OF YOUR COMPREHENSION! I STAND BEFORE YOU NOW IN THE NAME OF HONOR!”

Deihan cowered once more. He peeked out fearfully as the apparition calmed itself.

“I would sooner see you at the end of a Scorpion Blade than to allow a naive little boy who thinks he’s a man to trifle with the honor of Bayushi and Shosuro.”

“I AM a man. Which is more than what I can say for you, OKAMA!” Deihan hissed.

“You think you’re a man? You think your father was a man? You have no idea because your father and your father’s father have poisoned you. You have suffered because of their mistakes. And now others are suffering for it. Others who don’t deserve it.” Mashita stared at the shackled woman, hanging limply, a thread away from death.

“She’s the enemy. The enemy must suffer.”

Mashita knew how to respond to his Lion rhetoric. “Whose enemy? The Lion or yours?”

“Does it matter? You okama freak, let me out of here!!”

“I can’t do that. Only you can free Matsu Deihan.”

“I’ve had enough of your riddles!” Deihan got to his feet, picked up the Crab whip and wrapped it around the Scorpion woman’s throat.

Powerless to intervene, Mashita cried, “STOP!! You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“You want to talk about the enemy?!?” Deihan tightened the whip around her throat, making her gasp for air. “She betrayed the Empire!”

Mashita turned away, the horrific scene before her too painful to watch.

“LOOK AT ME!!” Deihan roared.

Fearing for the girl’s life, Mashita looked back.

“You want to talk about being a man?!? Men don't allow women to control them. Men don't allow the problems of women to taint them."

"For Bayushi's sake, listen to yourself...you're not even making sense..."

"Men don't allow women to make them suffer! You and every Scorpion like you have sold out your honor, your manhood, and everything you claim to believe in. A clan run by women with men who even act like women. You make me sick you freak! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!!"

"Be careful what you ask of me, Matsu Deihan, for I may very well grant you your wish. And I cannot stop the future from happening."

This piqued the Lion's curiosity. "What future?"

"A time of judgment is upon you, upon all in the Empire, and the decisions you make from now on will affect you in ways you cannot yet comprehend."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?"

"The question is, what do you want from yourself? It's not too late. For you. And her."

Deihan looked back at the pathetic figure before him. By many standards, she would be considered beautiful, were it not for her battered condition.

"Why should I let her live?"

"Because you're not a killer, Deihan. You think you are, but you're not."

"Oh, I'm not a killer? I'm not a killer? I could water your so-called Traitor's Grove many times over with the blood of every Scorpion man, woman and child that has fallen under my blade. I'll add this traitorous bitch to my list."

Mashita paused. Deihan tightened his grip on the leather cord once more, choking off the samurai-ko's air.

"Well, what are you waiting for Deihan? Show me your honor. Show me how much of a man you are."

The Lion tightened the cord further. He grunted with the effort. The girl choked and flailed her chained arms about weakly. But despite his best efforts, she continued to breathe. Deihan couldn't do it. He collapsed on the floor, sobbing like a child.

"Matsu Deihan, a time of judgment is upon you. You feel utterly alone but you are not." With that, the apparition Shosuro Mashita stared into the eyes of her nephew and proved it.

-------
Deihan was no longer in the dungeon of The House. He was standing in an alley, which he quickly recognized as being in the village near his paternal grandfather's ancestral home. A trio of boys surrounded him, and as he looked down, he found he was a boy himself, carrying a porcelain doll in place of a sword. He quickly realized that through some magic, dark or not he had no idea, he was seeing life through the eyes of his uncle.

Words that weren't his own and actions that he didn't initaite couldn't be stopped.

Mashita pleaded to his older brother. “Give it back...if I lose her, I’m going to be in big trouble.”

Kaji held the porcelain doll high over his head, way out of Mashita’s reach. He towered over his younger brother by at least two heads, bursting into manhood quickly, while Mashita remained waifish and undeveloped. “What do you mean ‘her’? It’s a doll and dolls are for girls, not for boys! What are you, my little sister?”

The other two boys, both adorned in Lion garb accompanying Kaji taunted Mashita, calling him names like “doll-boy”, “sissy girl”, and “girly-boy.”
Mashita threw a punch to Kaji’s exposed ribs, but he lacked the strength to do any real damage, let alone knock the wind out of Kaji. The three boys took turns hitting Mashita, two of them holding the effeminate boy steady while the third precisely beat him as to leave no marks. In an ugly finale of rage, Kaji swung the porcelain doll at Mashita’s head in a viscious arc, hitting him square in the temple, knocking him to the ground.

"You tell father about this, and this beating will seem like kisses from mommy." Facing his two companions, the mean spirited elder brother said

“C’mon guys. This is getting old. Let’s go watch the sumai.”

The trio left the alley, leaving Mashita/Deihan behind all alone, face down in the dirt with a small puddle of blood forming beneath his head. Shattered porcelain lay everywhere, like spilt rice. But the worst was yet to come.

The young Mashita/Deihan knelt before his father, who paced the room. Shosuro Kashi was not at all pleased with his son. “After making a promise to deliver someone elses property safely and then failing to do so, you have brought shame upon this house. Not only did I have to apologize for your ineptness, I also had to commission a Kakita Artisan to replace what you broke. Do you think for even one moment about what you do will affect the rest of this family? What will you do when you’re past gempukku and do the same thing? Do you get to hide behind Daddy’s honor and money anymore?”

Mashita knew better than to talk back or to cry in front of his father. The last time Mashita shed so much as a tear, Kashi beat him to within an inch of his life. He merely sat there and silently allowed his father’s abuse to continue.

"You should be more like your brother. History will show that Kaji did great things for the Scorpion, while for you...they don't record the history of little mama's boys who want to grow up and be little girls. You embarrass me, Mashita. You have shamed me publicly and I have also lost a considerable amount of gold because the fact of the matter is that you're more girl than boy. And for that I will punish you for it. And you WILL take it like a man."

As the lash was applied, sitting in the corner quietly was Shosuro Kaji, the perfect son of Shosuro Kashi, who smiled to himself, relishing the cries of his 'little sister'.

-------
"Matsu Deihan, a time of judgment is upon you. You feel utterly alone but you are not." Those words echoed in his mind as he got to his feet. He had passed out in the basement of The House. What in the name of Lady Matsu happened? Was it all some horrific dream?

The more he moved, the more his body ached. Bruises covered his body, not too dissimilar to the kind of beatings he would inflict on samurai-ko and other women he vented himself on. The most frightening discovery was a fresh gash on the side of his head, and shards of porcelain lying on the floor.

"I've got to get out of here." Deihan began to retie his kimono, when he remembered the Scorpion samurai-ko in the chamber with him.

He thought carefully. For the first time in ages, Deihan felt pity. He felt guilt. And for the first time in his entire life, he felt true fear. Not mortal fear. He had been trained to die many times for the Clan. No, Deihan was more afraid to live now. Shosuro Mashita was apparently real, and maybe, just maybe, it would be wise to listen to her. Him. It was confusing.

The keys to the Scorpion's bonds were hanging on the wall nearby. Maybe this is what uncle was talking about, he thought to himself as he inserted the key to the locks. Suddenly, the samurai-ko clamped her hand around Deihan's neck, ready to tear out his throat. As he fought to loosen her grip, she spoke to him for the first time.

"I could water your so-called Traitor's Grove many times over with the blood of every Scorpion man, woman and child that has fallen under my blade." She delivered a carefully placed headbutt to the bridge of his nose, sending the Lion back to the land of dreams.

When he awoke, the Lion wished to himself the Scorpion girl had killed him. Later, Deihan claimed that she had broken loose, and he had the wounds to prove it. But a pissed off okasan and her doorman were the least of Matsu Deihan's concerns now.

-fin

One more thing..I don't know what rulebook you're going by, but I notice you have a skill that is rank 6. IIRC, no character can have a skill above 5 without having at least a 3 in Shintao.

Other than that, I don't see anything else wrong!

Here was a version of my sheet from later adventures. I had the points to get a higher rank, but my GM (who NPC'ed my sensei as well as Kakita Yoshi) would not allow him to progress unless he was ready.

My connection to Yoshi (and consequently Yoshi's nephew Ichiro, who I made an enemy of, naturally) was established by my previous Character, Mashita, who was Kakita Yoshi's...uh, lover. Yes. I played on the running gag that circulated among the CCG'ers that Yoshi was gay because his ability was "Bow to take the Imperial Favor."

Oddly enough, I got e-mail from Ree Soesbee (I used to have a site that played on the Yoshi/Mashita thing...funny as hell), and she had officially made me, yes ME, Kakita Yoshi's...uh, lover.

Anyway, I'm getting off track. Here is Deihan's old character sheet. Note how heavy it is with High Skills- we played in a court campaign, which was far more entertaining than a hack-n-slash campaign.


Matsu Deihan
Rank 2 Ikoma Omidasu (Bard)
Rank 1 Matsu Bushi

AIR: 4
Awareness: 4
Reflexes: 4
EARTH: 3
Stamina: 3
Willpower: 3
FIRE: 4
Agility: 4
Intelligence: 4
WATER: 3
Strength: 3
Perception: 3
VOID: 3

School/Rank: Matsu Bushi 1, Ikoma Omidasu (Bard) 2

Skills:
Intimidation 4
Sincerity 4
Bard 4
History 4
Poetry 4

Athletics 3
Battle 3
Calligraphy 3
Defense 3
Etiquette 3
Horsemanship 3
Heraldry 3
Hunting 3
Iaijutsu 3
Investigation 3
Kenjutsu 3
Lore: Lion Clan 3
Lore: Scorpion Clan 3
Tea Ceremony 3
Shintao 3

Yarijutsu (Polearms) 2
Jiujutsu (Wrestling) 3
Kyujutsu (Archery) 2
Medicine 2
Tantojutsu (Knife/Aiguchi) 2
Torture 2
Gambling 2 (Low)

Nofojutsu (Peasant Weapons) 1(Low)

Honor: 3.0

Glory: 3.5

Advantages: Great Destiny, Gentry (copper mine 2 point, Minor Holding), Major Ally (4, Kakita Yoshi), Death Trance, True Friend (Kakita Amakusa)

Disadvantages: Haunted (3 point), Black Sheep, Momoku, Sworn Enemy (5, Soshi Kotiro), Sworn Enemy (2, Kakita Ichiro)

Last piece...this is a short story I wrote to fill in some of the back story on Soshi Kotiro, the girl that Deihan had beaten in "The House."

The scariest thing for my Lion guy was the Scorpion tradition that they all wear masks (for the most part). Deihan had seen this girl's face....and ever since then, he was very leery of masked women...any of them could have been Kotiro. Nice feeling to constantly have to look over one's shoulder.

---------------

Armed with only the Taskmaster's whip, Soshi Kotiro ran with a determination the likes of which she hadn't felt since her gempukku. The Bayushi Bushi school was just as demanding as her family's shugenja school, but her inability to tune in to the elements had forced her along the way of the samurai.

Now she was thankful for the bugei level training, as she utilized every skill she knew to stay alive. Bandit traders were still running amok in the Lion/Scorpion region, since the former were gearing all their forces for conquest, and the latter were scattered to the four winds it seemed.

Kotiro eluded her former captors and her likely pursuers; the aforementioned bandits, the honorless scum that 'bought' and pimped her out like her like a common street whore, and then that sick Lion dog that brutalized her. There was another. She didn't know who it was...a man or a woman? Probably another one of Matsu Deihan's victims.

No, it was someone else. She couldn't recall. All that she could recall was that she felt a blow to her head, then she had a blackout. He must not have liked it, because the next thing she could remember was that he was choking her with a whip. The very whip she carried. Kotiro promised to return it to him by wrapping it around his throat.

Her first priority was to get to somewhere friendly. But for now, she decided to hide herself in Lion territory until she could get back across the border. There was a poorly guarded mining village not too far from where she hid in the woodland Lion hills. She could pilfer what she needed and then continue from there first to her home in the next province across the border. Once prepared, she decided to reunite with her kinsmen, wherever they could be hiding, and then she could decide how to deal with Matsu Deihan when she recovered fully from her ordeal.

Soshi Kotiro promised to herself once again she would make him pay.

----------

A flock of birds scattered in all directions as Kotiro emptied the contents of her stomach, mere bits of wild nuts and berries (game was very slim and she had yet to acquire a blade) onto the forest floor. She had hunkered down at the base of a pine tree, well hidden from any local prying eyes. She covered her sickness with scattered leaves and twigs, hoping to elude any seach parties, or worse any Matsu Death Squads still searching for rogue Scorpion.

It took Kotiro days to make her way into the small mining village from the north, longer than she had anticipated. She was resolved to taking down any opposition to her goal, the secluded house away from the main hub of the village. The village seemed eerily deserted, but that didn't mean there were no samurai present. A small holding like this one, abandoned as it may appear, was still a holding of the Emperor and there would still more than likely be at least one samurai to tend to the domain while the master was away.

As she approached her target under cover of darkness, she noticed signs hanging around the village. They read:

"Under the authority of Matsu Gohei and pursuant to the laws of the Emperor and the Office of the Emerald champion, this village is hereby annexed by the Matsu Army until further notice."

That would explain the condition of the village. The wars going on all around the empire probably sucked the resources of this area dry. A minimal guard to keep an eye on the place was standard deployment if a mine was tapped out. She expected two, possibly three guards at the most.

Her previous location had given her an aerial view of the vicinity, which she memorized while hiding during the day. There was a seven foot wall surrounding the perimeter of the home, which also contained a small dojo and a courtyard. There was only one way in without the aid of climbing gear. Kotiro could normally take a wall this height with a good running start, but there was no way she could do it in her weakened state.

She stealthily crept in the shadows, drawing nearer to the residence. A single guard was posted at the main entry. He seemed oblivious to her presence, but at least he was armed where she was not. Kotiro carefully thought of a plan to overcome him, and in her sickly condition, there was only one way she could think of pulling it off...


Matsu Choukei stood the way a cow slept. He wasn't asleep, but he wasn't fully awake either. However, he was roused to full attention with the approach of what appeared to be a scantily clad woman. She was fair looking, but she looked pale and thin, sickly even. She shuffled her feet erratically, her gait uneven and shaky.

Choukei raised his naginata and pointed it at her, even though he couldn't see the whites of the intruder's eyes yet. "Stop! Who goes there! Identify yourself!"

Kotiro tilted her head to the left a little and extended her left arm. "PLAGUE!!" She cried. "GET BACK!"

The sentry paused for a moment. Plague? By the fortunes, he had no idea The Wasting Disease had made it way to these parts. She was thrity feet away now. And still coming toward him. "I said STOP! Don't come any closer!"

Damn, Kotiro cursed inwardly, it wasn't working. She thought she felt the Lion's battle aura and felt nauseated. He was going to kill her. She was going to be denied her revenge.

"Choukei-san, what is going on?" A second guard called. The new arrival drew his katana as he stood by his clanmate, ready to take on...whoever or whatever was coming at them.

Kotiro couldn't hold it in any longer and collapsed to her knees. She spasmed a couple of times before vomiting again, painfully and loudly. What a horrible way to die. She rolled to the side and fell on her back, not moving.

"Let's get her!" Choukei said.

"Hold on a minute," his companion clasped his shoulder. "Did she say she had the Plague?"

Choukei nooded. "Yeah, Hachi-san, so we better do her before she gives it to anybody else."

Hachi sheathed his blade. "We better get out of here. Now."

"What? Come on, we have our orders."

"Can't you see? She's dead already! If you want to get the Wasting Disease from guarding a used up copper mine, then you go do that. I plan on dying in a more honorable fashion." Hachi ran off on foot in the other direction, toward the nearby village stable.

The Lion paused in crucial thought. "Wait! Come back! Wait for me!" Choukei shifted his naginata to his left hand, running after his companion.

Am I dead? Kotiro asked herself.

She opened her eyes. The sky was still dark, but the sun was coming over the horizon. The villa was nearby, but the guards were not. Did they leave her to die?

Kotiro approached the entryway. Two reasonably fresh pairs of tracks were on the ground, leading away from here. By the fortunes her trick worked. But with the way she felt at this point, she felt like she could have had the plague for real. Would it be all for nothing?

The home was a humble abode, about average for a low ranking samurai. Examing the main room of the home, she saw various wall scrolls of assorted Matsu ancestors. Not many were overly distinguished, but they died honorably enough in their mediocre duties as border watchdogs and sentinels marching around on some general's map. That's about all Kotiro ascertained from a brief glance, willing herself to explore other parts of the home.

A faint odor wafting in the air got the ronin's attention. She cautiously entered the kitchen (if it could be called that), and saw that the two Lions had previously eaten. As a pang of hunger broke the eerie silence, she looked in the kettle that hung over the dead fire. Empty. The simple miso soup that was inside had dried up a long time ago, leaving a thin layer that was both charred and inedible.

Kotiro searched ceramic pots, small cupboards, and even tapped the floor for anything that might have food. She wailed in frustration, finding nothing. Wait...behind the empty sake jars, there was a large clay jug that was half-filled. Abandoning all her Scorpion instincts, she stuck her hands in it, greedily slurping handfuls of the fresh, clean water. At least her thirst was quenched, but she had to find something.

She felt dizzy again, and headed for the nearest room with a tatami. The nightingale floors creaked loudly as Kotiro stumbled across the hall, desperately fighting unconciousness long enough to hit a soft surface. The impact of her head on cushioned white cotton confirmed she had made it, and she finally succumbed to blackness once more.


The Scorpion samurai-ko awoke. She still felt weak, but the water and rest did her some good. First priority was to find something decent to travel in, then acquire a blade so she could get some food. Kotiro found an assortment of basic clothing in a chest. Most of it was marked in one way or another with either Matsu colors or the mons of the Lion, but she did find one plain looking light brown kimono. She tore away a piece of the kimono that wouldn't be seen when it was folded.

Kotiro let the chest remain while she returned to the kitchen. She opened the pantry and retrieved an empty sake jar, then dunked it in the water jug, filling the smaller vessel. She returned and used the scrap of fabric as a makeshift wash rag. Dropping the tattered looking 'night girl' robe from her body, she wiped away blood and grime and sweat. It was no bath, but the feel of cool water on her skin was the most revitalizing and refreshing thing she had done yet.

Going back to the room, Kotiro got dressed in the light brown kimono. She studied the room more closely with the aid of the setting sun. The setting sun? By the fortunes! Kotiro had slept a lot longer than she had thought, recalling that she had passed out sometime around sunrise. Getting her mind back on track, she instinctively focused her eyes and slowly paced the room. She reached out to touch walls searching for cracks that concealed secret doors.

A large gaijin mir-or glass hung on the wall. She tried not to look into it, knowing that mir-or glass was much more than a fascinating surface with the ability to reflect like the clearest water. They were also gateways to other realms. She was sure that every time she looked into one, she was seeing more than what others would see, a mere reflection. Once, Kotiro saw...she didn't know what it was, and it tried to touch her....

*knock*

Kotiro stopped her investigation. A panel on the floor of the closet. Well made, but slightly warped over time. A good panel made no hollow noise when tapped; the best ones were Scorpion engineered, this one was not.

There was a wakizashi that was clearly of Scorpion design. And a lightweight kimono, which was black with highlights of red and white trim. Nothing terribly fancy, it was dressy looking enough in its simplicity, but could also be functional.

She collected the kimono and packaged it in a tight bundle, concealing the compressed package in the folds of her own clothing. Since she was a lot thinner than normal, the extra bulk did not stick out. Kotiro carefully put away the rest of the belongings and then left everything as it was, paranoia creeping up on her. That mir-or glass, yes that was it. Doing as she was trained, she picked a point on the wall away from the mirror and slowly walked away, staring at her point.

Kotiro decided to get out of the house and wanted to explore the interior of the small compound, first to secure the area, secondly to satisfy her own curiosity. There had to be a strange reason why she had found those Scorpion things concealed in a Lion home.

She crossed the rear yard of the residence, noticing a cell in the center. What a strange thing to see. These were Lions and to them discipline was everything, but even that was a bit extreme. There were a set of steps that led to the second outbuilding, presumably a family dojo.

There was enough daylight to pour in through the slots in the walls near the ceiling, so lighting a torch was not an issue. The hard wooden floor creaked under the strain of weight it had not felt in years. The once polished floor now looked neglected, having lost its luster long ago. As was the case in every Lion dojo, there was a copy of the Tao sitting on a pedestal. It was closed, but Kotiro had noticed the original seal on it had been broken. She looked at the floor around the pedestal and saw spotty stains in the wood...that could only be...

She stepped away, and noticed another stain. Then another and another. It was almost if if the room was filled with lethal traps and Kotiro sidestepped and delicately walked around them, careful not to let herself become unclean. There was nothing in here. All the weapons had been taken, and there was nothing of value to her here. The samurai-ko steeled her nerves and left this awful place.

Kotiro gripped the handle of the wakizashi and explored the perimeter. Not a soul within sight. She went back inside the home to collect the water inside and leave. She rummaged through the cupboard and found a small canteen inside a traveling pack. Perfect.

Up until this point, Kotiro had not gone into the room down the hall. That was the last place that she needed to check out. Her mind was unfocused and scattered. Why had she not checked it out before, she asked herself. Drawing her blade, she cautiously slid open the rice paper door and stepped inside.

It was a spartan looking chamber, and compared to the rest of the household, it looked the most lived in. On display for an entering person was a stylized mon of the Matsu family. Next to it were more wall scrolls, only these were...poetry? All of them were written with the grace of a Kakita poet, from the calligraphy to the poems themselves.

One poem stood out from the rest. That was because it bore a signature.

Matsu Deihan.

All rational thought fled Kotiro's mind as she found herself inside of The House again.

*HELP ME!!*

Gripping her wakizashi tightly, she remembered where she really was and what she had to do.

For the love of Lady Shosuro, Kotiro had come so very, very close to being violated by this twisted Lion freak and fortune would have it that she end up in his home. Evil...she felt nothing but absolute evil in this place. It would be easier to shake everything off once she had some food in her.

She left the bedchamber of her tormentor and walked back down the main hall to...wait a minute. There was a light coming from the room she had originally slept in. She was absolutely certain she did not light a candle, and yet she saw the definite flicker of candlelight.

Was it a trap? And where did they come from, whoever had set it up? That was her only explanation, but as she was formulating all this in her mind, she was subconciously drawn to it. She looked right at the candle when she walked in, but then shut her eyes and stayed at the other side of the entryway, It was sitting right underneath that gaijin mir-or glass. The light bounced off it and illuminated the house enough for a scout on the hillside to see that the dwelling was occupied.

Kotiro prayed silently to herself, calling upon her ancestors to protect her. She had no choice but to blow out the candle, and she would be so close to that glass. "Please, help me," she whispered to herself as she walked in, this time blade drawn and looking at the candle. Her eyes darted to the mirror as she got closer, and so far nothing was happening.

She was there. Kotiro crouched on the floor, keeping her line of sight on the candle sitting on the small pedestal. Gently, she pulled in her breath, then released, blowing the candle and its light out.

"That wasn't so hard," Kotiro sighed.

Suddenly, she felt an icy hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she followed the arm it was attached to, and then to the face that was as white as Kotiro's had become.

"GAKI !!" Kotiro cried as she jumped to her feet. She arced her blade at the apparition, but it was futile; the steel blade only sliced air.

"Kotiro-chan," the ghostly reflection whispered.

"How do you know my name?" Kotiro held the blade at the mirror.

"Think back...you know who I am."

Kotiro could only recall fragments of the dungeon. She was so drugged and weary. Still, that voice...that face...

She heard a chorus of voices coming from the mirror. Disjointed pieces of conversations she could not fully remember or comprehend. Laughter, then the crack of a whip.

“Is this how a Lion faces death?”
“She’s the enemy. The enemy must suffer.”
“YOU KNOW NOTHING OF HONOR!!!"
“She betrayed the Empire!”
"Because you're not a killer, Deihan."

"NO!!" Kotiro cried. She covered her ears with her hands, but the chorus continued in her mind.

"Look at me my son."
"My blood is on your hands."
"Do as your father tells you!"
“You spineless okama! You have no honor.”
"It's not too late. For you. And her."

The spectre reached out to Kotiro, weeping tears of sorrow.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Kotiro stabbed at the mirror in a frenzy, but stopped mere centimeters short of striking the surface. Nothing but her reflection looked back at her now. The scorpion fled as fast as her feet could carry her. Thinking back, she felt some kind of...compassion from the spirit. But everything else was as horrifying to her as The House had been. In some ways worse. She couldn't explain why. Perhaps that's what this was all about... that spirit was connected to the Lion somehow.

All of her conjecture faded to thoughts of survival once again. She sheathed the blade, hiding its red and black handle, mentally noting to herself to find some leather cord and wrap the handle. As Kotiro put more distance between herself and that forsaken house, she started to concoct a story in her mind in case she were to encounter a Lion patrol. She made her way into the tree covered mountains, drawing nearer and nearer to the border.

Food was scarce along the way and soon Kotiro fell to sickness and starvation once more. When she passed out somewhere in the mountains, she clung desperately to the base of a pine tree for warmth, praying for help, praying for revenge.

"Sleep, Kotiro-chan...destiny is coming..."

Mario1470 wrote:One more thing..I don't know what rulebook you're going by, but I notice you have a skill that is rank 6. IIRC, no character can have a skill above 5 without having at least a 3 in Shintao.

Other than that, I don't see anything else wrong!

ja, I hooked that up cuz of the +3 from dangerous beauty.

Ive only put one skill point into it, the other two come from crafty and his class.

Enforcer Talen wrote:

Mario1470 wrote:One more thing..I don't know what rulebook you're going by, but I notice you have a skill that is rank 6. IIRC, no character can have a skill above 5 without having at least a 3 in Shintao.

Other than that, I don't see anything else wrong!

ja, I hooked that up cuz of the +3 from dangerous beauty.

Ive only put one skill point into it, the other two come from crafty and his class.

If that's the case, then it would be a five.

IIRC, Crafty gives you 1 point in a plethora of low skills that you have zero points in. However, once you actually throw experience points into buying actual points for a particular skill (let's use gambling as an example), then you no longer get the bonus to that skill. So when you buy your first real point of gambling, you're still adding only one die to the relavent trait.

I think these are the default rules and your GM may play it differently.

I currently only play the CCG, but I may try to get a group together this summer, after the 3rd edition of the d10 rules are released.

wow...I've been out of the loop for so long I didn't know there was going to be a third edition. I need to get out more...

Mario1470 wrote:

Enforcer Talen wrote:

Mario1470 wrote:One more thing..I don't know what rulebook you're going by, but I notice you have a skill that is rank 6. IIRC, no character can have a skill above 5 without having at least a 3 in Shintao.

Other than that, I don't see anything else wrong!

ja, I hooked that up cuz of the +3 from dangerous beauty.

Ive only put one skill point into it, the other two come from crafty and his class.

If that's the case, then it would be a five.

IIRC, Crafty gives you 1 point in a plethora of low skills that you have zero points in. However, once you actually throw experience points into buying actual points for a particular skill (let's use gambling as an example), then you no longer get the bonus to that skill. So when you buy your first real point of gambling, you're still adding only one die to the relavent trait.

I think these are the default rules and your GM may play it differently.

possibly. I just opened the book, so. . .

This is another fan story I wrote, which takes place early in the Gold Edition storyline. I had an idea to do a Gold Edition Character, so I ran with the descendent idea again. Also, I wanted some real closure with Kakita Yoshi, because in the canon storyline, they never really said what really happened to him, but he is established as deceased by the card "Yoshi's Fan."

Without further ado, here goes nothing....

White hair, not from dye, but from old age, fell into the old courtier's eyes. He brushed it away to clear his vision. "Damn servants," he muttered. His unkempt hair was one of the many annoyances he had with his caretakers. If it had been fifty years ago, he would have waved a fan and replaced such careless subordinates with all haste. Now he was barely able to even hold a fan. His hands, once sleek and beautiful, trembled with effort when performing the simplest of tasks. Wrinkles were very prominent in his face, especially when he tried to read or see anything far away.

With tremendous effort, the former courtier known as Kakita Yoshi rose from his bed and hobbled across his spartan little chamber, clutching a walking stick to keep himself upright.

"How did it ever come to this?" Under Doji Kurohito's leadership, the standards of the Crane fell into decline. Gone were the days of splendor and extravagance. Now, all Yoshi ever heard about was war. War with the Yasuki. War with the Crab. War with the Imperial court who fought like Ratlings to make sure their chosen successor, one of Emperor Toturi's four surviving children, ascended to the steel throne.

None of this mattered to Yoshi now. He had done the work of a hundred courtiers over the course of two lifetimes. Doji Tanitsu, the Crane Clan's strongest negotiator, took up most of the burden of keeping the Crane's political enemies at bay now. What mattered to Yoshi was that he hadn't had a shave for three days and a haircut for over a month.

The nightingale floors creaked as much as Yoshi's aging body. Every step was an enormous feat, but with the same determination he had used to hold his Clan together, he made it to his destination; the guard post at the end of the hall.

A single Daidoji guard (back in Yoshi's day, he had many more) stood at attention upon the elderly man's approach. "Sir!" he barked.

Yoshi cringed upon hearing the guard "greet" him with such...Lion-like gusto. Unfortunately, this was all too common anymore, because this new generation was so misguided. By traditional Crane standards of course.

"I need a servant. Send someone up here to take care of me now, please."

"I'm sorry, sir. I have orders not to leave my post."

Yoshi rolled his eyes. Between the warmongering and the negligence to the Crane Clan's origins, he had just about all the new Crane Clan he could stomach. But he tried to reason with him. "If it's an assassination attempt you're worried about, I can assure you that the ONLY person who could have done that..." He stopped himself. A pang of regret.

"Are you okay sir? Perhaps you would like to lie down?"

"No, I would not like to lie down! I've been lying down for the past three days!"

The guard actually looked scared as Yoshi's hunched form straightened slightly. Gone was all manner of decorum and etiquette, as the old man laid into the Daidoji with a verbal assault the likes of which had not been seen since the days of Satsume.

Yoshi continued. "Look at me!" He hoisted his cane, but only managed to lift it a few inches off the ground. Smacking the guard in the leg, he rasped in a gravelly voice, "My hair is a nightmare, even for a woman! No one has taken care of me at all!" He stuck his neck out to accentuate the buildup of stubble on his chin and face. "I don't know what's going on, but I don't care. This is no way to treat a courtier!"

The Daidoji sentinel shifted his weight. "We've been very short of personnel sir. The Yasuki war has left us with little resources. I'm afraid you might have to wait, as there are some priorities we must handle first."

Yoshi was clearly incensed. He was technically retired now, and therefore had little to no authority in this new military hierarchy now pervading the ranks of the Crane. But he was beyond reproach for mouthing off to a lowly security guard, so Yoshi just sighed as he said, "You're a moron."

The guard had been alerted as to Yoshi's...eccentricity. So he took it all in stride as he replied, "I'm afraid I'll have to take you back to your room sir. You should get some rest."

Yoshi just hobbled off to his chamber, separating himself from this total idiocy. A tear formed in his eye as he realized once more that he was just a useless old man now. He was sure they called him crazy behind his back. Sure, he was much better off than many in the Empire, but sometimes Yoshi wished he were dead. He had no future. He had no one left. Just a lonely, washed up, ex-courtier with nothing.

Yoshi sat down in a strange kind of chair, called a rocker. It was one of the few material things he had left from the days of being the Imperial Advisor. A gaijin gift from a cunning Dragon/Unicorn half breed adversary who once wore a mask. A veil. What was her name? "Damn," he cursed as Yoshi tried to recall a long forgotten name from his failing memory.

"Mayiu, that's it." He rocked back and forth, trying to remember all he could. "Never thought I would outlive her."

(NOTE: that is a reference to another character in one of my old campaigns I played in.)

A knock roused Yoshi from his reverie. That was certainly unexpected considering what had transpired in the hall moments earlier. Still, he was just glad that someone was entering his chamber. "Enter."

The sliding doors leading into Yoshi's room parted to reveal an old woman carrying a pail of warm water and a simple tea service. She was hunched over, eyes and face unseen as she dutifully bowed and slid the door to his chamber closed. She made her way over to Yoshi's chair and stood behind him.

"It's about time someone came in here and cut my hair." The servant said nothing as she handed Yoshi a fresh cup of tea. As he savored it's bittersweet flavor, she produced a gaijin instrument, which were more common these days, called a sis-or, or something like that. She began to cut his hair, which flowed like rain, unlike many others who either went bald or shaved their heads. Not Yoshi. He knew he had a streak of vanity, but not as much as in his younger days.

After a few minutes, Yoshi felt the woman press a warm cloth to his face to soften his beard, then a blade being pressed against his neck. The metal slowly traveled the length of his neck downward, then back up toward his chin. The servant worked the blade toward the middle, then on the other side.

When she started on his face, Yoshi closed his eyes. A scrape here under his nose. Ow, that hurt. The sides of his face came next and finally around his mouth. The servant wiped his face with the wet cloth and dried his now clean shaven face.

"Thank you." Yoshi said. "You're dismissed."

"Forgive me, Kakita-sama. I am not yet finished."

Yoshi lay back in the rocker as the servant titled his head back slightly, so he was facing upward. He closed his eyes, feeling totally relaxed. These haircutting sessions were hard for Yoshi to endure, since he hated being dependent on someone else for...just about everything.

He felt the blade being pressed against his forehead, then a tug and slight sting above his eyes. By Amaterasu (Lord Sun was not the same), she was actually plucking his eyebrows. Old age had grown Yoshi's brows to Crab-like proportions. He would make sure to reward this servant generously, or rather as generously as he could afford to. After a short nap, because this was taking forever....

Yoshi awakened in his bed. He was still in his room. Looking down, he saw he was dressed in his nicest, most regal kimono. It once fitted him well, but now his kimono fit loosely over his aged frame. What was going on?

The servant was kneeling in the corner now. Her back was turned to him; she was completely silent.

The old man propped himself on his elbows. "Why am I dressed like this? What's going on? I demand an explanation!"

Slowly, the old woman stood, then she loosened her obi and let it fall to the floor. Underneath was another kimono. A red and black kimono. She turned so that Yoshi could see her face.

Her white painted face.

Now, Yoshi was convinced he really was crazy. Sure he was senile, but now he was seeing ghosts. He was shocked to the point of slackjawed amazement, his mouth almost hanging open.

"No, it can't be...You're dead!"

"I WAS dead Yoshi. And now I'm alive. Is that really so hard to believe?"

Yoshi squinted his eyes, still in disbelief. Slowly, he had a look of recognition, then he put all the pieces together. She was definitely older, but the makeup hid most of that fact. "Mashita..."

"Yes, my love. I'm here. I'm back for you."

"How is this possible? Where have you been? Am I dreaming?" Yoshi began to rattle off a million questions.

"You're not dreaming, Yoshi-san. And let me explain. Yes, I did die. I waited for you in Jigoku, and you came to me...we were finally together, happy at last in the afterlife, until the War of the Spirits. Surely you remember?"

"I was killed, then...I came back. I had to. The Empire needed me."

And I followed you out of the gates. But we weren't meant to be together.

"So where were you?"

Mashita sat next to Yoshi on the floor next to his tatami. "During the War of the Spirits, I had to finish my duty to my clan. Long ago, I was dispatched by my superiors for reasons I now understand. But when I crossed back over, I had one final duty to perform. Since my death had already served its purpose, I had to make sure my life...my new life served its purpose as well. I am the only living son of Shosuro Kashi and Shosuro Shiseiko. I cannot let my family die. So I no longer practiced Kabuki or any other Scorpion arts...except to train my son."

Yoshi was dumbfounded. "You have a son?"

"Yes," Mashita said with pride. "His name is Shosuro Yoshi."

"By Amaterasu...tell me more."

"To tell the truth, he's a lot like you. He's just as vain, just as arrogant, and just as prideful. But he has honor. And a good heart. Just like my one true love."

Mashita took Yoshi's hand as he wept. "Mashita...I've missed you so much. I'm so glad you're here. I want to go home."

She leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "And home is where we shall be."

Suddenly, Mashita produced the blade she had used to shave her lover's face. True to her other school, the Shosuro Assassin school, neither she, nor Yoshi felt a thing.


Cold of Winter falls
Death by her loving embrace
Spring has come once more

Kakita Yoshi

I've played L5R rpg and CCG in my time. I liked the RPG, but hated the system. Hopefully this 3rd ed. fixes things. Maybe I'll check it out.

Our L5R campaign was one of the longest running games I've ever taken part in, running for almost 5 years.
Was fun while it lasted, haven't played for years now.

Talen, what Mario wrote about craftiness is correct, it only gives the 1st rank in any low skill, if you put 1 point into said skill it's still rank 1.

Yeah, I played a honorable but crafty scorpion bushi for that 5 years.

-Gunhead

I like the version of the rules where it's Roll trait + skill and keep trait, versus Roll trait + skill and keep skill. To some people it makes more sense that way, but for gameplay purposes it really blows.

Also, I like the wound penalty modifiers that take dice from you rather than add to the difficulty number. I've seen too many 10's explode in my lifetime and fights become unrealistic using the latter method.

When it comes to having certain traits/advantages (like Great Destiny, combat reflexes, etc.) I prefer to have a legitimate reason that people have those traits rather than just minimaxing a character.

Most importantly, I think it is the negative attributes that truly define a character. As you can tell from above, my character Matsu Deihan has everything in the world working against him; a black sheep of his own family because he is half-scorpion, horribly abused by his parents, haunted by his transsexual uncle who was Scorpion, his Lion ancestors do not speak to him, he loves to torture women, he's an opium addict, and he has not one, but two Nemeses.

The first is a Scorpion woman he hasn't seen in years...he knows her face, but they hide behind masks. She knows what he did during the purge. Then there's Kakita Ichiro, Yoshi's nephew who is deathly curious as to why Kakita Yoshi took a young Lion Bard under his wing. And he is insanely jealous of the attention he is getting, not only from his Uncle, but from the Imperial court. It's only a matter of time before Ichiro knows what Soshi Kotiro knows. (Sorry, I keep changing tense)

I first thought to myself how truly fucked I was. But then pieces started coming together. Mashita was saving Deihan from himself and of course he was his uncle's lifeline to his lover who was still in the mortal realm. In time, my character managed to make amends to the Scorpion while still managing to live. He even kicked his opium habit and got his soul cleansed after all the sessions at "The House." And depending on what campaign you're looking at, in one he meets an untimely demise (which was still cool) and in another, he changes the face of the Empire forever...

God, I'm on a roll. I apologize if I am hogging this thread. I'm, just so passionate about Legends. I hope you have as much fun playing as I did.

-M

What I mean by that is this: when a person makes a character and then he takes as many points of disadvantages as he can that don't sound too bad (like Lost Love...I see that one a lot) and then buys a bunch of shit like combat reflexes, speed, and he's a rank 1 Scorpion Bushi meaning he more than likely will ALWAYS have inititative.

To counter mini-maxing, GM's have do either A) do what my GM did and make us come up with short stories as to why we have the things we have or B) let them do it, but then make their lives hell.

In the above example, you drop a little cockbite like that in Otosan Uchi and see how long he lasts. Minimaxed characters are always lopsided (usually for combat) so putting them in a Court type situation is the perfect thing to remedy that.

For the lost lovers...well, let's just say that your Lost Love had a brother named Denschichiro. Who carries a very large No-Dachi and thinks you're responsible for her death. GM's are well within their rights to drop an extra disadvantage on you with or without notice. That's how I got a second, but lesser nemesis...through storyline and gameplay.