So, out of curiosity: what were your favorite Shadowlands moments and/or stories? Personally, I'm a big fan of Daigotsu Rekai's story, of how she embraced the taint to protect her son from the Rain of Blood.

Also, I'm hoping to have cielago pay me dinner, so let's keep this thread Spider-lamentation free

i'll buy dinner at the the next gencon for anyone who can find me a thread about the shadowlands that doesn't end up, regardless of whether or not i show up to lament its inevitability, involve a modicum of bitching about the spider.

I basicly loved pretty much of the stories which involved Daigotsu, Iuchiban the Onisu and or Yaijinden. I just like the characters so I really enjoy most of the stories with them.

Everything involving Omoni was excellent. This story comes to mind, for the way it humanises Omoni (and the others), even while (admittedly somewhat heavy-handedly) recognising their utter inhumanity.

Also, I love the Tsuno forever and ever, but they probably don't count as 'Shadowlands', per se.

I'm thinking about saying something bad against the Spider just to save Cielago from buying you diner. You know, Spider buddies should look out for each others.

Back on topic, I'm a big fan of Daigotsu's origin stories and how it is linked with the Hantei line, the Yotsu and Omoni, as well as the scorpion clan coup and its aftermath, namely the corruption of Yogo Junzo.

I liked the story that involved Iuchi Karasu witnessing the fight between Hida and his fallen Son, the original Crab Clan Thunder. I also like how Hida erected a shrine to the Thunders aftrwards, and it became one of the stable, fertile places of the Shadowlands. The Light is not without its heroes, and weapons. I have heard it said a good story needs a good villian. I think good stories also need heroes, need to show both sides of the coin. Then let people chose whom they will follow.

As for the above fight one question was never answered in the fiction. Did Karasu spirit journey back in time? Or did Hida and his Son fight for over 800 years? Either has impressive conotations.

Shinjo Yosama

Bearers of Jade, to me, is the definitive resource on how the Shadowlands 'should' be.

When I think of the Shadowlands, I think of that book.

I have not read Bearers of Jade, maybe I will check it out. If anyone is familiar with Elric of Melnibone (Stormbringer Series) I see those who embrace the power of Jigoku much like Elric's cousin Yyrkoon (Edited thanks to MaxKilljoy correction. Memory failed me. Read the books in the 80's) and those who are tainted but still strive for honor to be more like Elric.

Or to use more D&D terms the Shadowlands is like a trip through Limbo on the way towards the Lower Abyss. (Bad analogy because I consider Rokugan more refined than that of the cosmology of the planes of D&D. ) Then add to that the living sentient will of Jigoku itself wanting to pull everything down to its level of despair, fear, hate, wrath, deceit. This sentient will is what I consider is the Taint.

Shinjo Yosama

Bearers of Jade is an excellent counterpoint to what has become tendancy in the fan base to associate corrupted beings with being mindless monsters, such as the belief that the pro-jigoku side of the Spider Clan vote meaning that the Clan would revert to some sort of monster horde. It is disturbing, debauched, and deeply horrific, but it is far, far, from mindless.

Everything involving Omoni was excellent. This story comes to mind, for the way it humanises Omoni (and the others), even while (admittedly somewhat heavy-handedly) recognising their utter inhumanity.

Also, I love the Tsuno forever and ever, but they probably don't count as 'Shadowlands', per se.

I wasn't around much for the Tsuno... care to point me to a few good stories about them and their origin?

I have not read Bearers of Jade, maybe I will check it out. If anyone is familiar with Elric of Melnibone (Stormbringer Series) I see those who embrace the power of Jigoku much like Elric's cousin Arioch (I think, going on memory for these. Read the books in the 80's) and those who are tainted but still strive for honor to be more like Elric.

Arioch was the bloody god of chaos.

Yyrkoon was Elric's cousin.

To get on the Kirasu band-wagon just a little here, I enjoyed the stories centered on Shahai and how everybody kind of knew she wasn't right in the head, but ignored her until it was way too late. Also, Bonus bizarro cool points for carrying around a skull possesed by the corrupted soul of Yogo Junzo and affectionately calling it "Grandfather". Shahai was a sexy blood speaker, BEFORE it was cool to be a sexy bloodspeaker... just saying!

The Bad Death of Hida Amoro.

Most of the time, I find the Shadowlands, Taint, Maho, all of it, narratively lazy in the extreme. "I'm Evil because Eviland is Evilling me. Evil."

But in measured doses, it can be great, and the fact that Amoro was just a killing machine without much in the way of redeeming features BEFORE he got his zombie army made this less a tale about how the Shadowlands can corrupt anyone and more about the consequences of calling upon its power.

I wasn't around much for the Tsuno... care to point me to a few good stories about them and their origin?

Their origin, unfortunately, is mostly in a combination of RPG book write-ups and flavour text. In terms of actual fictions, the first two that come to mind are Honor's Grave (at the end), and A Lion's Honor (which everyone should know already). They also show up in Dark Secrets , among other places, albeit more briefly.

Also, on the subject of Shahai and Grandfather, I was always sad that Moshi Amarante 's story was never explored.

Well, I have to go with Kuni Yori's Faustian temptation out of the original Winter Court Book (least I think that's where it's from)--the one where he knows it's a bad idea, but he just can't resist the temptation to LEARN more about the taint.

Arioch was the bloody god of chaos.

Yyrkoon was Elric's cousin.

Thanks for the correction, been way too long since I read those novels.

Gonna echo anything with Yajinden. Dude's A#1 BAMF. Also Kinuye, Goju Kyoden and all the Dark Moto. Daigotsu was pretty cool too when it was just him and his boys out in the City of the Lost.

Arioch was the bloody god of chaos.

Yyrkoon was Elric's cousin.

Thanks for the correction, been way too long since I read those novels.

Friend of mine is a fan of those books, and certain situations will prompt to say "Blood and souls for Arioch!" for comedic effect. It's hard to forget who Arioch is when you're reminded once or twice a month.

I enjoy the kyd stories, especially when Bayushi Aramoro meets with Yogo Junzo and accepts the taint. I also enjoy any story with Katsu. He tried so hard. For pure evil I like the story of Shokansuru.

Bearers of Jade, to me, is the definitive resource on how the Shadowlands 'should' be.

When I think of the Shadowlands, I think of that book.

Came in here to say, basically, this.

The stories of..

Kitsune Gohei (impartial since I love kitsune)

Iuchi Shahai

Hida Sukune

Hida Yakamo

I'm thinking about saying something bad against the Spider just to save Cielago from buying you diner. You know, Spider buddies should look out for each others.

Back on topic, I'm a big fan of Daigotsu's origin stories and how it is linked with the Hantei line, the Yotsu and Omoni, as well as the scorpion clan coup and its aftermath, namely the corruption of Yogo Junzo.

its a price i'll happily pay, trust me.

i love the idea of that story, and the stuff in it, but i actually hate the story itself. Daigotsu's origin is epic, but to have it presented basically as Daigotsu chatting casually during a hike kinda irks me. and by "kinda irks", you can read "provokes a frothing fury". as much as i love the weekly fiction system, the result is often a lack of a coherent narrative to things, an in this case it deprives us of what should be a really epic moment.

edit: i just reread this and realized i was speaking in the present tense about the weekly fictions... sad face. past tense...

I must admit I never read the specific story about that moment, only the retelling in the various RPG supplements, so I never knew about that.

Gonna echo anything with Yajinden. Dude's A#1 BAMF. Also Kinuye, Goju Kyoden and all the Dark Moto. Daigotsu was pretty cool too when it was just him and his boys out in the City of the Lost.

Yajinden was a pretty cool guy. (Eh makes Bloodswords and doesn't afraid of anything.)

He was cool for the same reason Daigotsu was: he was evil as hell but had all sorts of other traits and values that we normally think of as "good", but never conflicted with him being evil as hell. Yajinden cared about art, about perfecting his crafts. And all the horrible evil he perpetrated was motivated by his dedication to perfect his craft, not because he's saying "well this is bad but Art is worth it", but "The rules of good and evil aren't directly about perfecting my art, so I don't care about them."

There's a scene in a fiction -- I wish I could recall the name -- that shows him at work on his latest project, working his body to the brink of death by exhaustion and then body-swapping into a new, fresh one just so he never had to interrupt himself. He's murdering this whole succession of prisoners just so he doesn't have to inconvenience himself by sleeping . Now THAT's a memorable character moment.