Samurai of a lost clan [Archive] - Wizards Community

Samurai of a lost clan [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tasaleen
07-30-04, 04:07 PM Ok so my DM told me come up with a background and he would work it into his OA game. So I came up with the Wolf Clan now defeated for over 200 years on an island rich with silk. The remnants of the clan have lost most records of who they were and the philosophy of their clan. They now have resigned theirselves to work the silk trade to support its few small villages. The scopion clan has supressed this ability by taking over the island and allowing the Wolf Clan to live freely except for taking most of the silk and profits for themselves. They have also taken advantage of the lost Samurai class of the Wolf Clan perverting the code of the young Samurai and turning them into emotionless Man Slayers. The true nature of the Wolf Clans code is known to a few of the Scorpion and they have used pieces of the code to build a small group of Wolf Clan Samurai that they can send out to face down any of those who appose the will of the Empire as well as the motives of the Scorpion Clan. Many clans use the services of the Man Slayers apposed to the normal offerings of the Scorpion Clan. These Clans appreciate that the Man Slayers face their targets without masks and still allow for an honorable dual or ritual suicide. This is easier on the conscience of these Clans then the normal tendency of the Scorpions to hide in the shadows waiting to assassinate.

The true code of the Wolf Clan is one must perfect their skill to the upmost inorder to never use it and perfection is only reach thru the restraint of these skills. You must be ready to defend ones honor at all times but your skill above all else should be a deterrent to your enemies and not a means by which to indiscriminately dispatch those who do not walk the same path. Their will be those who mock you for your restraint and say that you are a coward but when the time comes your skill will meet their bravado and they shall fall at your feet.

So my PC is one of these Man Slayers as is his best friend. The Scorpions find out that his best friend has come into possesion of some of the lost scrolls of the Wolf Clan which is bad news. He aquired them from his new wife's father and wants to brake free of the Scorpions to revive the Wolf Clan. So I am sent to kill my best friend and retrieve these documents ( I have no clue what they are) and to bring his wife and father to the Scopions. The Man Slayers training stresses that emotion is weakness and friendship is nothing in the face of the Empire. So we actually roll played the fight with my friend and I won. but before and during the fight he pleaded with me to look at the scrolls, I would not. Before he died he asked me out of respect for our friendship to read the scrolls and then decide what to do next in regaurds to his wife and her father. I promised and did just that.

So I just killed my best friend and I am suppose to bring his wife and her father back to the Scorpions after finding out everything I thought of as my code was the complete opposite. I then went back to the Scorpion and told them that the documents were not on his person and his family must be in hiding because I could not find them. They said that I had another duty to attend to and that upon my return I can take all the time I need to find them. So off I go to a large meeting between all the Clans in the capitol as a glorified body gaurd. When I get aboard our ship I do a search and find a stow away. He is the other player and is trying to get to the Capitol and the meeting inorder to try and reinstate our clan. I am torn between duty to my recent training and the decision to help. I tell him about the scrolls and how to get off the ship once we drop anchor but other then that I cannot help, but to look for me in a certain bar in town the night after we land.

So thats where we left off and my character is supposed to be torn on what to do. For one thing he is trained to be unemotional but i think his emotions are probly on overdrive right now.

How would you play it when you are standing in this meeting and your friend stands up and calls for the reinstatement of the WOLF CLAN.
Undercover
07-30-04, 05:19 PM :OMG! ... take everything I say about this with a grain of salt since I've never even looked upon OA book, but played L5R...

Is the Scorpion clan evil in D&D???? Please tell me they aren't. Dishonorable yes, evil no. As far as I can remember they lost their honor to save the Empire, I kinda respect them.

Your question... whatever you do, don't let anyone know about it if you hope to reinstate the Wolf clan. As a ronin (for what I understood you're one) you could betray a code because ronins aren't known for following one, but that may get in the way of your ideal. And even if the scroll bearer get's to the Capitol, how do you plan to get into sacred ground (within the walls of the castle)? You're just a bodyguard and inside the castle such precautions are not necessary, you'll probably be left at the city sitting for a while.
But there may be several ways to get to the emperor's ears. Like having the favor of a daimyo or the emerald champion's. Conections, skills (courtier, etiquette, bushido & sincerity comes to mind) and, of course, getta be high on Glory.
As for the reinstatement itself, it depends largely on what made it disapear. If it was a normal war between clans or against the shadowlands, I doubt anyone would ever succeed. Now, if there's a way to make it look their disappearance is against the bushido and their coming back in the best interest of the Empire, there's a chance. Are there descendants of the original family that recieved the island for themselves? And did not get into another clan?
How would I play it? By the book (of Akodo). If there's anything you can do and you know how to do it, then do it. But if your skills are low, keep to yourself, the court is no place to try something new.

Akodo, Miyoshi. Troop leader. Last sighting: Shadowlands. Status: MIA.
Tasaleen
07-30-04, 06:28 PM Thanks for the reply Undercover (You hiding from someone) I want to say that the Scorpion clan is LE in D&D but don't quote me its my first time in this setting. My DM is a oriental freak and is loving the setting. He and I see the Scorpion as a necessary evil in the world. Someone has to do what they do and they are in a position to do it for all the clans.

First and for most the Scorpions haven't enslaved the island it just, from my understanding, falls under their territory. They let it run itself however the duty they call for is to high and the people are suffering.

I have no clue why the Wolf Clan fell or how. I figure from the Scorpions control of the area that they had something to do with it and may have a reason to keep the Wolf Clan down. This info was all worked out by the DM. Which I like because our PC shouldn't know why.

The other PC is part of the old ruling family and is the leading diplomat. He heads up dicussions with the Scorpions whenever need be. He has heard that in the main hall where the Clans meet that the seat once held by the Wolf Clan is still open. I think its something along the lines of big stone chairs with the clan emblem on them. He hopes to get into the hall and claim that seat.

My guy will be present as a threat of "agressive negotiations" as we are sent to face down those who do not fall into line. I have some pull in the Scorpion Clan and wear their colors. I am a full Samurai and I can freely speak and do not have to wear the mask. I think if I side with the other PC right of I will then go Ronin. I don't know until I get their.
Undercover
07-31-04, 07:42 AM Scorpions LE... unbelievable. Scorpions fell from grace to save all Samurais, I would never translate that to evil. Long time ago a powerful Daimyo Bayushi Sojo (Scorpion) knew through a vision that the last of the Hantei (Imperial dynasty) would bring destruction to all Rokugan. He went to the Dragon Daimyo, the last Clan-God still living, for advice. The Dragon god told him to do what he thought fit, Dragon clan would not interfere. To stop it from happening he devised a plan to kill the emperor and his son. The Forbidden City (where the imperial castle is) would not be a problem since it were the Crabs who made the structure, Phoenix ensorceled it (even with things like perpetual cherry flower scent upon the place) and the Scorpions made the secret passages. But he had a problem, Akodo Toturi was the protector of the dynasty. So he poisoned Toturi, killed his targets in the night and framed Toturi. Akodo family was in disgrace and declared non-existant. But the poison didn't kill Toturi, and not all clans bought the betrayal of the Lions. In the end Lions summoned their army and, allied with Crab, Crane and Unicorn, invaded the Forbidden City. Toturi sat at the Celestial Throne and restablished his family, and brought disgrace upon the Scorpions.

For most clans the Emperor comes first, for Scorpions, Rokugan comes first.

I guess the 'Wolf' clan is not extinct afterall, but rather a vassal of the Scorpions. To regain sovereignty, it could involve dealings exclusively with the Scorpion or an imperial decree. There are three families who dominate the court, the Bayushi (Scorpion), the Doji (Crane) and the Otomo (Imperial). It'd be wise to have the support of one of them, if not absolutely necessary.

I find it interesting your clan is named Wolf, because that's the symbol of the ronins...

I say it all for a simple reason, if the wolf clan still exists but is a vassal to another clan, you're a Wolf Samurai and the meeting is ok. But if the clan is non-existant, you're already a ronin and as such just entering the Fobidden City is an extremely difficult task, furthermore no ronin will ever speak directly to the Emperor... there's no DC for it, it's just impossible. You will find it easy to enter Otosanuchi (the Imperial City, Forbidden City is a city inside Otosanuchi) if you're Samurai, but a ronin will have trouble. In the other hand it seems you're a Scorpion Samurai and indeed will go ronin if you act openly against the Scorpions.

Also, any act of violence inside the Forbidden City warrants instant death penalty carried out by the Seppun (imperial guard), unless, of course, it's a duel. (Duels bring me good memories)

If only the Daimyos are meeting, indeed it can be a place such as you described. If the Emperor is present, however, expect to stay knelt and facing the floor all the time, unless he gives you permission to talk.

And it all can be untrue because your GM designed his version of Rokugan...:D

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tasaleen 07-30-04, 04:07 PM	Ok so my DM told me come up with a background and he would work it into his OA game. So I came up with the Wolf Clan now defeated for over 200 years on an island rich with silk. The remnants of the clan have lost most records of who they were and the philosophy of their clan. They now have resigned theirselves to work the silk trade to support its few small villages. The scopion clan has supressed this ability by taking over the island and allowing the Wolf Clan to live freely except for taking most of the silk and profits for themselves. They have also taken advantage of the lost Samurai class of the Wolf Clan perverting the code of the young Samurai and turning them into emotionless Man Slayers. The true nature of the Wolf Clans code is known to a few of the Scorpion and they have used pieces of the code to build a small group of Wolf Clan Samurai that they can send out to face down any of those who appose the will of the Empire as well as the motives of the Scorpion Clan. Many clans use the services of the Man Slayers apposed to the normal offerings of the Scorpion Clan. These Clans appreciate that the Man Slayers face their targets without masks and still allow for an honorable dual or ritual suicide. This is easier on the conscience of these Clans then the normal tendency of the Scorpions to hide in the shadows waiting to assassinate. The true code of the Wolf Clan is one must perfect their skill to the upmost inorder to never use it and perfection is only reach thru the restraint of these skills. You must be ready to defend ones honor at all times but your skill above all else should be a deterrent to your enemies and not a means by which to indiscriminately dispatch those who do not walk the same path. Their will be those who mock you for your restraint and say that you are a coward but when the time comes your skill will meet their bravado and they shall fall at your feet. So my PC is one of these Man Slayers as is his best friend. The Scorpions find out that his best friend has come into possesion of some of the lost scrolls of the Wolf Clan which is bad news. He aquired them from his new wife's father and wants to brake free of the Scorpions to revive the Wolf Clan. So I am sent to kill my best friend and retrieve these documents ( I have no clue what they are) and to bring his wife and father to the Scopions. The Man Slayers training stresses that emotion is weakness and friendship is nothing in the face of the Empire. So we actually roll played the fight with my friend and I won. but before and during the fight he pleaded with me to look at the scrolls, I would not. Before he died he asked me out of respect for our friendship to read the scrolls and then decide what to do next in regaurds to his wife and her father. I promised and did just that. So I just killed my best friend and I am suppose to bring his wife and her father back to the Scorpions after finding out everything I thought of as my code was the complete opposite. I then went back to the Scorpion and told them that the documents were not on his person and his family must be in hiding because I could not find them. They said that I had another duty to attend to and that upon my return I can take all the time I need to find them. So off I go to a large meeting between all the Clans in the capitol as a glorified body gaurd. When I get aboard our ship I do a search and find a stow away. He is the other player and is trying to get to the Capitol and the meeting inorder to try and reinstate our clan. I am torn between duty to my recent training and the decision to help. I tell him about the scrolls and how to get off the ship once we drop anchor but other then that I cannot help, but to look for me in a certain bar in town the night after we land. So thats where we left off and my character is supposed to be torn on what to do. For one thing he is trained to be unemotional but i think his emotions are probly on overdrive right now. How would you play it when you are standing in this meeting and your friend stands up and calls for the reinstatement of the WOLF CLAN.
Undercover 07-30-04, 05:19 PM	:OMG! ... take everything I say about this with a grain of salt since I've never even looked upon OA book, but played L5R... Is the Scorpion clan evil in D&D???? Please tell me they aren't. Dishonorable yes, evil no. As far as I can remember they lost their honor to save the Empire, I kinda respect them. Your question... whatever you do, don't let anyone know about it if you hope to reinstate the Wolf clan. As a ronin (for what I understood you're one) you could betray a code because ronins aren't known for following one, but that may get in the way of your ideal. And even if the scroll bearer get's to the Capitol, how do you plan to get into sacred ground (within the walls of the castle)? You're just a bodyguard and inside the castle such precautions are not necessary, you'll probably be left at the city sitting for a while. But there may be several ways to get to the emperor's ears. Like having the favor of a daimyo or the emerald champion's. Conections, skills (courtier, etiquette, bushido & sincerity comes to mind) and, of course, getta be high on Glory. As for the reinstatement itself, it depends largely on what made it disapear. If it was a normal war between clans or against the shadowlands, I doubt anyone would ever succeed. Now, if there's a way to make it look their disappearance is against the bushido and their coming back in the best interest of the Empire, there's a chance. Are there descendants of the original family that recieved the island for themselves? And did not get into another clan? How would I play it? By the book (of Akodo). If there's anything you can do and you know how to do it, then do it. But if your skills are low, keep to yourself, the court is no place to try something new. Akodo, Miyoshi. Troop leader. Last sighting: Shadowlands. Status: MIA.
Tasaleen 07-30-04, 06:28 PM	Thanks for the reply Undercover (You hiding from someone) I want to say that the Scorpion clan is LE in D&D but don't quote me its my first time in this setting. My DM is a oriental freak and is loving the setting. He and I see the Scorpion as a necessary evil in the world. Someone has to do what they do and they are in a position to do it for all the clans. First and for most the Scorpions haven't enslaved the island it just, from my understanding, falls under their territory. They let it run itself however the duty they call for is to high and the people are suffering. I have no clue why the Wolf Clan fell or how. I figure from the Scorpions control of the area that they had something to do with it and may have a reason to keep the Wolf Clan down. This info was all worked out by the DM. Which I like because our PC shouldn't know why. The other PC is part of the old ruling family and is the leading diplomat. He heads up dicussions with the Scorpions whenever need be. He has heard that in the main hall where the Clans meet that the seat once held by the Wolf Clan is still open. I think its something along the lines of big stone chairs with the clan emblem on them. He hopes to get into the hall and claim that seat. My guy will be present as a threat of "agressive negotiations" as we are sent to face down those who do not fall into line. I have some pull in the Scorpion Clan and wear their colors. I am a full Samurai and I can freely speak and do not have to wear the mask. I think if I side with the other PC right of I will then go Ronin. I don't know until I get their.
Undercover 07-31-04, 07:42 AM	Scorpions LE... unbelievable. Scorpions fell from grace to save all Samurais, I would never translate that to evil. Long time ago a powerful Daimyo Bayushi Sojo (Scorpion) knew through a vision that the last of the Hantei (Imperial dynasty) would bring destruction to all Rokugan. He went to the Dragon Daimyo, the last Clan-God still living, for advice. The Dragon god told him to do what he thought fit, Dragon clan would not interfere. To stop it from happening he devised a plan to kill the emperor and his son. The Forbidden City (where the imperial castle is) would not be a problem since it were the Crabs who made the structure, Phoenix ensorceled it (even with things like perpetual cherry flower scent upon the place) and the Scorpions made the secret passages. But he had a problem, Akodo Toturi was the protector of the dynasty. So he poisoned Toturi, killed his targets in the night and framed Toturi. Akodo family was in disgrace and declared non-existant. But the poison didn't kill Toturi, and not all clans bought the betrayal of the Lions. In the end Lions summoned their army and, allied with Crab, Crane and Unicorn, invaded the Forbidden City. Toturi sat at the Celestial Throne and restablished his family, and brought disgrace upon the Scorpions. For most clans the Emperor comes first, for Scorpions, Rokugan comes first. I guess the 'Wolf' clan is not extinct afterall, but rather a vassal of the Scorpions. To regain sovereignty, it could involve dealings exclusively with the Scorpion or an imperial decree. There are three families who dominate the court, the Bayushi (Scorpion), the Doji (Crane) and the Otomo (Imperial). It'd be wise to have the support of one of them, if not absolutely necessary. I find it interesting your clan is named Wolf, because that's the symbol of the ronins... I say it all for a simple reason, if the wolf clan still exists but is a vassal to another clan, you're a Wolf Samurai and the meeting is ok. But if the clan is non-existant, you're already a ronin and as such just entering the Fobidden City is an extremely difficult task, furthermore no ronin will ever speak directly to the Emperor... there's no DC for it, it's just impossible. You will find it easy to enter Otosanuchi (the Imperial City, Forbidden City is a city inside Otosanuchi) if you're Samurai, but a ronin will have trouble. In the other hand it seems you're a Scorpion Samurai and indeed will go ronin if you act openly against the Scorpions. Also, any act of violence inside the Forbidden City warrants instant death penalty carried out by the Seppun (imperial guard), unless, of course, it's a duel. (Duels bring me good memories) If only the Daimyos are meeting, indeed it can be a place such as you described. If the Emperor is present, however, expect to stay knelt and facing the floor all the time, unless he gives you permission to talk. And it all can be untrue because your GM designed his version of Rokugan...:D