Hello there everyone it's your pal Razz-to the-Razzy Razzman here once with another session report, this time we are donning our kimonos and unsheathing our katanas coz we're going to Rokugan, it's L5R time! This was the game run by my old pal Carlos Yan and would be my 2nd foray into the lands of Rokugan. Now at first we decided to play this game using D&D 3.0 rules with the Oriental Adventures supplement but when we got so immersed in the lore of L5R and enthusiastic about our clans and stuff we decided to fully commit by playing with proper L5R rules opting for the more simple 1st edition of L5R.
Now, Legend of the 5 Rings or L5R as it's commonly called is the definitive "Samurai" RPG where players play as noble samurai from one of the 5 great clans of Rokugan. Unlike typical RPGs where the object of the game to kill monsters and loot stuff, L5R places more emphasis on roleplay and social combat while having specialized rules for ritualistic duels between Samurai known as Iaijutsu duels.
In this game being a member of a clan influences your world view and how you treat others in the game. In essence being a member of clan makes you a hardcore fanboy of that clan, you adhere fully to your clans views and believe that your clan is superior to the others. For example, the Crab Clan are staunch defenders of the Carpenter Wall and they fight daily against the threat of the Shadowlands. They consider themselves the true defenders of the Empire and as such see clans like the Crane and Scorpion clan as weaklings that hide behind politics and intrigue unworthy of their lofty positions in society. Likewise a member of the Crane Clan would see the Crab as brutish louts with no place in proper civilized society. Each clan has a certain stereotype and have different views on the other clans but they all serve dutifully as Samurai before the Emperor and their respective Clan Daimyos.
GM - Played by Carlos Yan
Daidoji Hisoka the Crane Bushi - Played by Razzman Khaliff
Doji Kaien the Crane Bushi - Played by Navin Nathaniel Innasi
Rinsho the Shinsei Monk - Played by Khi-Jon Chua
Isawa Shuto the Phoenix Shugenja - Played by Sharvan Bhojwani
Akodo Soju the Lion Bushi - Played by Yip Weng San
Shosuro Shinji the Scorpion Ninja - Played by Jonathan Naun
GM - Played by Carlos Yan
Daidoji Hisoka the Crane Bushi - Played by Razzman Khaliff
Doji Kaien the Crane Bushi - Played by Navin Nathaniel Innasi
Rinsho the Shinsei Monk - Played by Khi-Jon Chua
Isawa Shuto the Phoenix Shugenja - Played by Sharvan Bhojwani
Akodo Soju the Lion Bushi - Played by Yip Weng San
Shosuro Shinji the Scorpion Ninja - Played by Jonathan Naun
Our story begins with our heroes in the lands of the reclusive Dragon Clan where a Yakuza syndicate is at large oppressing the commonfolk all the while being ruled the acting Daimyo Lord Akashi. The Daimyo Lord Kumenera, Akashi's father is too old and weary of the daily politics and has since3 years ago decided to seclude himself in the mountains and become a monk or at least that is what everybody is led to believe.
Our heroes are received well as guests of the Dragon Clan and even got to befriend some of the samurai there such as Doji Kaien befriending Naruhiko Mirumoto after a friendly Iaijutsu duel. Daidoji Hisoka meanwhile became acquainted with Lady Tomoyo Mirumoto after the former presented the Lady with a painting of the gardens as a gift to the gracious Dragon hosts. However, Akodo Soju was so incensed of the Yakuza's oppression of the people that he decided to storm off and lead a peasant revolution against the Yakuza.
All seemed well until it came time for dinner when Lord Akashi was seen talking favourably with someone proclaiming himself as Lord Shoto Kami although he was no Samurai just a Lord in name and to make matters worse a surprise arrival of Lord Kumenera himself shocked everyone as the Daimyo had not been seen in years and all the while looking alot worse for wear as if he had been stricken with some illness. While the proceedings of dinner tried to commence as usual there was a palpable sense of foreboding and that was proven true when a herald announced that the Daimyo's Daisho (Set of samurai swords) had been stolen and that the prime suspect was Naruhiko, the Lord's own samurai and new friend of Doji Kaien who had left the ceremony some before the dinner. The loss of one's Daisho is a great dishonor to any samurai and the loss of a Daimyo's ancestral daisho was an even greater insult to the clan and family. In a fit of rage filled shame Lord Akashi tore off his kimono and proclaimed that the only way for his father to salvage his honor was to commit seppuku (ritualistic suicide). Doji Kaien decided to slip away during this whole commotion to find Naruhiko and find out what was going on. Daidoji Hisoka however managed to stop the situation from getting worse by volunteering to find the Daimyo's Daisho and swearing to regain Lord Kumenera's honor before word got out to the other clans.
Meanwhile Doji Kaien had managed to get to the stables and soon after pursued a carriage flying Dragon colors riding post haste out of the city. Daidoji Hisoka came by minutes later trying to follow tracks of the horses leaving but found it hard with it being night and all. Rinsho the Shinsei monk who had been outside all this while caught up to Doji Kaien and even managed to stop the carriage only to find that it was decoy with a fake Naruhiko stand in wearing the green robes of the Dragon clan along with a mouthy Nezumi (Ratfolk) who seemed to know the whole plot between Lord Akashi and Shoto Kami who had conspired together to overthrow Lord Kumenera and have Akashi ascend the throne. They intended to have Kumenera's daisho stolen and pin the crime on Naruhiko whom they abducted shortly before the dinner began, with the loss of the Daisho they had hoped of forcing Lord Kumenera to commit seppuku in order to regain his honor in death thus securing Akashi's ascension.
However despite this revelation our heroes could not confront the traitorous Lord Akashi just yet, they still needed proof and there was only one place to get it... Lord Shoto Kami's fortress which was not far away from the Dragon City. Donning yakuza disguises our heroes slipped into the fortress and even managed to enter Lord Shoto Kami's inner sanctum. While seemingly recounting his brilliant plan to his "followers", Doji Kaien skilled in the Kakita school of Iaijutsu managed to kill the pretentious Lord Shoto Kami. Soon after yakuza guards poured out and our heroes were forced to fight the attackers but being true Samurai dispatched of the filthy criminals easily.
However despite this revelation our heroes could not confront the traitorous Lord Akashi just yet, they still needed proof and there was only one place to get it... Lord Shoto Kami's fortress which was not far away from the Dragon City. Donning yakuza disguises our heroes slipped into the fortress and even managed to enter Lord Shoto Kami's inner sanctum. While seemingly recounting his brilliant plan to his "followers", Doji Kaien skilled in the Kakita school of Iaijutsu managed to kill the pretentious Lord Shoto Kami. Soon after yakuza guards poured out and our heroes were forced to fight the attackers but being true Samurai dispatched of the filthy criminals easily.
Searching the fortress for the missing Daisho our heroes also managed to find Naruhiko who was kidnapped by the yakuza. With the Ancestral Daisho recovered and Naruhiko accounted for the time came to confront Akashi but our heroes needed a plan because they could not simply lay all these accusation before Lord Akashi being only guests of the Dragon clan, they needed someone of Dragon descent who was free of suspicion to back up their claim. The only candidate lied in Lady Tomoyo who was not only an honorable samurai but Kumenera's daughter and Akashi sister. In secret our heroes sent word out to meet Lady Tomoyo outside the castle and telling her everything. The nezumi captured earlier proved a valuable witness who was able to reveal that Lord Kumenera had been poisoned all this while by his own son to ensure that his father was too weak to oppose him. Rinsho along with the Shugenja Isawa Shuto were able to verify this and even determine the poison to be Black Lotus extract, a type of poison found only in the Shadowlands. Now with the full extent of Akashi treachery known, there was only one thing to do... confront him the very next morning.
The next morning sometime after breakfast, Lady Tomoyo along with her entourage confronted Akashi and asked him to face justice for all that he has done before all the other Dragon lords present. Our heroes corroborated her story and presented proof of his misdeeds. With all these accusations thrown at him Akashi had only one route of escape and that was to challenge his own sister to an Iaijutsu duel to let the Kami decide who is their favoured.
The next morning sometime after breakfast, Lady Tomoyo along with her entourage confronted Akashi and asked him to face justice for all that he has done before all the other Dragon lords present. Our heroes corroborated her story and presented proof of his misdeeds. With all these accusations thrown at him Akashi had only one route of escape and that was to challenge his own sister to an Iaijutsu duel to let the Kami decide who is their favoured.
Preparations were made soon after for this most official of ceremonies gathering all the lords of the Dragon lands to witness the duel. With Lady Tomoyo's prowess as Samurai widely known it was the shared opinion of many that she would win but Lord Akashi was no slouch either having trained in the same Niten technique as his sister.
The duel proceeded with both opponent assessing each other's abilities for in an Iaijustu duel it was not the strongest who would win but the fastest. Both duelists were allowed to back out honorably at this point for there was no shame for recognizing a skilled opponents ability but neither would back down. Lady Tomoyo and Lord Akashi then eyed each other intently awaiting for the best moment to strike.
The duel proceeded with both opponent assessing each other's abilities for in an Iaijustu duel it was not the strongest who would win but the fastest. Both duelists were allowed to back out honorably at this point for there was no shame for recognizing a skilled opponents ability but neither would back down. Lady Tomoyo and Lord Akashi then eyed each other intently awaiting for the best moment to strike.
But when the time came to strike it was Lord Akashi who drew first and with lightning speed struck down Tomoyo before she could draw her katana. Lady Tomoyo crashed to the ground much to the agony of Daidoji Hisoka whom had carried an affection for her after their encounter in the gardens. Lord Akashi had won and it was clear to all that he was the favored of the Kami. With his victory all the accusations against him were rendered null and void, to make matters worse with this he was vindicated and was properly recognized as Daimyo of the Dragon lands finally succeeding his father. It would seem that all of this was just part of Akashi's plan...
As for heroes they had to depart in shame and were banished from the Dragon lands and were told never to return under pain of death. Naruhiko was forced to be stripped of his title as samurai and forced to wander the lands as a Ronin donning a hood in shame as he left...
As for heroes they had to depart in shame and were banished from the Dragon lands and were told never to return under pain of death. Naruhiko was forced to be stripped of his title as samurai and forced to wander the lands as a Ronin donning a hood in shame as he left...
Daidoji Hisoka saddened by the loss of his one chance at marriage with Lady Tomoyo reconsidered his quest and after receiving a missive from his lands that war had broke out and that his whole entire family was killed was left with no choice but to leave the party and travel back to his lands to grieve for his loss.
The rest of party then set off for a soon to be determined destination to continue their original quest of investigating reports of nezumi attacks, unfortunately their nezumi captive from the night before had managed to escape, biting through it's bonds. And so the adventure continues...
As the sun looms over the horizon, a rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance... far in the heart of the Shadowlands... The Day of Thunder was fast approaching...
The rest of party then set off for a soon to be determined destination to continue their original quest of investigating reports of nezumi attacks, unfortunately their nezumi captive from the night before had managed to escape, biting through it's bonds. And so the adventure continues...
As the sun looms over the horizon, a rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance... far in the heart of the Shadowlands... The Day of Thunder was fast approaching...
TO BE CONTINUED...
Alright you guys there you go my session report for L5R I had alot of fun playing this game with the Gentlemen we all seem to have a similar mindset on how to play this game our way. Previously I had played L5R under a different DM but it wasn't quite to my tastes and interests and decided to bow out. For some time I believed that L5R was a game I could never understand but I guess with the right group any game can be fun.
So I hope you guys enjoyed my report and I'll see you guys next time!
Alright you guys there you go my session report for L5R I had alot of fun playing this game with the Gentlemen we all seem to have a similar mindset on how to play this game our way. Previously I had played L5R under a different DM but it wasn't quite to my tastes and interests and decided to bow out. For some time I believed that L5R was a game I could never understand but I guess with the right group any game can be fun.
So I hope you guys enjoyed my report and I'll see you guys next time!