Also known as "Why Endwaar Likes All of the Clans" I guess...

Hello everyone! For those of you who were regulars back on the AEG forums, you might recall that I (using the same name as I do here) occasionally would take it to my head to write up long monologues expressing how I saw certain setting elements. I did one on Fudo, one on the Arrogance of the Phoenix, and a third on the Lion, as I recall.

It's been awhile, but I've finally thought about it and been inspired to put together a series of thoughts as to why I enjoy the various Clans in the setting. That is to say, I've put together a list of stories I think that the Clans of Rokugan, Great and Minor, are well suited to telling, that I would also find interesting. This may be helpful for those of you who read it to open up your minds to how the Clans can be used, providing jumping off points to help solidify plots.

The other big reason I wanted to write up this post was to ask you fine people what your feelings were on the various Clans - That is, what you like about a given Clan, and how you use them to tell stories. Alternately, I'd love to hear what stories you could tell with Y faction that you cannot tell now that they are X Clan, if that applies.

At any rate, shall we begin?

Great Clans

Crab

The Crab are, to me, the ultimate way to demonstrate all of the bad things that happen to people who wage war for a living - the amounts of trauma that the Crab undergo on a regular basis that no one else in the Empire is willing to even acknowledge happening strikes me as fertile ground for stories to tell. The inherent culture conflict between the Crab and the rest of the Empire is intriguing to me, and it's all about the consequences of trying to live their lives in an eternal war that no one else wants to admit is happening. I also enjoy the thought of seeing how these broken individuals can somehow manage to pull themselves into people who can be said to be healthy and sane, as it were, if indeed they can do so without help from others.

Less interesting to me is the actual grind of the Crab's eternal war, though I think I could still spin a story to be interesting enough to me by showing how incredibly ground down the Crab as individuals become.

Crane

Ah, the Crane. In many ways, the Crane are the paradigmatic samurai of the samurai films that inspired the setting of Rokugan - though not in every way, for the Lion are equally representative. It's kind of telling that I had to reopen my notes to write this part of the post, I guess, because the Crane are, to me, one of the less interesting Clans with regards to the sorts of stories I'd tell. However, I do still have a couple of ways of looking at the Crane that definitely strike me as interesting stories to tell.

For instance, the Crane are pushed to always be striving for perfection, if not outright achieving perfection. One need only look at the consequences this sort of attitude has in real life to realize that it makes for a really stressful experience. It would be interesting to me to tell a story about how all this pressure affects the artists, duelists, and courtiers, especially when they're only in their teens.

Another intriguing aspect of the Crane to me is that they are the masters of Rokugani manners and court. These two things are big reasons why I'm drawn to the setting of Rokugan - because it is just so different in its complex society and etiquette from both my life and other RPGs. So playing the courts as a Crane can be an intriguing experience to me.

Finally, the Crane are the ultimate romantics of the Empire - but are equally insistent on their honor and duty to marry well for the Clan. I would say that the doomed romance is a big theme for the Crane, and a story that they're remarkably good at telling. This isn't to say that having happily married Crane is wrong, mind, only that I'd like to explore doomed romance as a Crane, most likely.

Dragon

Okay, this is a fun one. I love the Dragon, honestly, and the stories you can tell with them are typically quite appealing. To me, the Dragon take a lot of inspiration from Zen (or Chan) Buddhism, with its koans (gung'ans) and sudden enlightenment. This means that the Dragon often act in ways that appear random, or mysterious, to open their minds to greater truths. Togashi (a figure I wrote another monologue on, in my first ever post to the AEG forums) also provides great and interesting fodder for stories.

So, what sort of stories would I tell with the Dragon? Well, I enjoy delving into the idea of enlightenment and general sense of mysticism in Rokugan in general, and the Dragon are the best suited to exploring these sorts of themes. The Dragon can also provide a sort of mysterious element to the story - why does that tattooed monk say these specific riddles at this point in time? What does it mean that this woman sees significance in the patterns of the backs of butterfly wings?

Too, the Dragon also are a way to play against the cultural stereotype of Rokugan, within reason. The fact that they put a great deal of emphasis on the spiritual elevation and enlightenment of the individual means that a great deal of eccentricity is tolerated where in other Clans it would be stamped out. This means a character can experiment with their right path until they find what is the correct place for them. This is not the iconoclasm of the Mantis of the era of Naizen, mind - which seems to me to be defying convention solely for the sake of defying convention - but rather an attempt to open the mind to new truth and mystery that could otherwise not be experienced.

Finally, the Dragon have the Kitsuki - thus, mysteries of a more prosaic sort are something that the Dragon often can thrive upon (if you can plot it out right as a GM, because otherwise their techniques might just break the mystery early). Generally, this is something that appeals to me as well.

Lion

So, remember when I wrote above about how in some ways the Crane struck me as a paradigmatic element of the samurai films that inspired L5R? Well, the tropes they don't hit, the Lion do. This is not to say that I embrace those themes, but more of a general commentary on the nature of the inspirations of the Lion as I understand them.

To me, being a Lion is all about knowing that you are nowhere near as wise as your ancestors, and ought to follow in their footsteps as closely as possible. Akodo, after all, was a god, and he set down the rules of Bushido. Thus, each generation since him has had less direct knowledge than those previous - or at least, such would be the case without the Kitsu sodan-senzo, and (to a lesser extent) the Ikoma record keepers.

To be a Lion is to know your family and Clan's history, and to follow the example of your ancestors. It is to hold yourself to impossibly high standards and to struggle with the fact that as a human, you simply cannot fulfill all of the demands of Bushido - not that you would ever, ever say such a thing to anyone. Your fellow Lion know it, and support you when you fail (so long as the failure is not excessively egregious), and that is enough.

Lion, like Crab, can also be immensely good demonstrations of the consequences of frequent war - shell-shocked veterans or others. One archetype that's appealed to me in the past is a grizzled Akodo veteran who firmly disabuses the younger samurai's notions of a glorious death on the battlefield.

Mantis

Okay, so this one is a little difficult for me. I generally dislike the most common portrayal of the Mantis in recent years, or at least the common perception thereof. The early Mantis, under Yoritomo and Arasou, especially, are about being the underdogs, about defying what others call destiny and showing them that mortals can make their own, at least as I see it. To be a Mantis in this era is to be a person of incredible willpower and firm belief in oneself. You are most likely afflicted with a sense of ​momento mori, and are driven to make your mark on the world before you die. You are surrounded by disbelievers who think you absurd to strive to better yourself, to leave your mark on the world - you'll show them.

When, after a generation, the Mantis have gotten more firm in their position of the new Great Clan, this sense falls to the background, but remains a very deep and underlying fear that motivates the Mantis. They know that their position rests on the great deeds that defied convention and common wisdom a generation (or two) before, and are thus incredibly defensive about it... but it also means that there is a rising tendency to do incredibly foolish and outright slimy things to defy convention, as though somehow convention is an oppressor that must be thwarted as often as possible. Greed, intimidation, general thuggishness, and fairly insane ambition, all backed by an over-reactionary arrogance meant as a defense mechanism against those who would claim you are not worthy of being who you are define this sort of Mantis, to me.

While I've talked about the two as though they are distinct eras, it's much more that they are two genres of Mantis, two faces, if you will. They can coexist with one another, with various faces being primary in different eras, or with both sharing an equal play time in a given time period. Then you have the Mantis mercenaries and pirates, of course, of earlier eras, which is somewhere in between.

Mind, the above is mostly focused on the Yoritomo, and falls into the fallacy that I dislike in most recent depictions of the Mantis - the assumption that they are defined by their ruling family the way the other Clans are. They aren't. So, having gotten that out of the way, I'm going to discuss the stories I would use with the Mantis on a level divided by family, both because it seems more suitable and because it allows for a certain level of timeline neutrality.

Yoritomo

The Yoritomo, as I've discussed above, are driven by a need to demonstrate that humanity can make their own fate. Tetsuken, from the Great Famine era of Imperial Histories is a fantastic example of the sorts of Yoritomo stories I would be most interested in - where a character will do almost anything necessary (not necessarily anything necessary, though) to achieve a great, heroic task. In a way, these sorts of stories are inspired by the Greek legends of great heroes more than anything particularly to do with samurai, at least so far as I can tell.

Of course, the other face of the Yoritomo I've discussed above is intriguing to me, albeit a tale I'd be less keen to work on than the former. It seems to me that in realizing all of those complex motivations, I've given myself a reason to play a Yoritomo of this other face, or at least a reason to tell this sort of story with a Yoritomo involved.

Also, if you're in a game running before the Clan Wars, just replace Mantis with the mention of the Yoritomo - I'm sure it'll work out fine.

Tsuruchi

Ah, the Wasp. I enjoy the Wasp to no small extent, largely because they reject the hypocrisy of the samurai code in favor of their own Code - that of the Wasp. Furthermore, they reject the self-identification as samurai - they are Wasp, not those hypocrites who claim moral righteousness whilst doing false courtesy to one another. When the Wasp are dissolved and folded into the Mantis, this becomes less publicly apparent, but I tend to run it as still being very present nonetheless.

The Tsuruchi are all about mocking the absurd hypocrisy of Bushido whilst also hunting down and bringing their own form of vengeance justice to those they deem evil or unjust. While I think that I would enjoy demonstrating the consequences of this as a GM or a player, I still do like the idea of pretending, at least briefly, that this somehow is a right thing to do. Especially the sword stomping thing. That's fun.

The Tsuruchi are also interesting because (as an amateur archer myself) I am very aware of how firing a bow can be a sort of meditation. The reflections on this appeal to me.

Moshi

The Centipede are intriguing to me. The fact that for generations, they exist as a matriarchal family in a more generally patriarchal society appeals to me in no small part, as does the deep reverence for a single deity - Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. The Moshi are the paramount worshippers of Lady Sun in Rokugan, and it appeals to me that they are so devoted. It allows me the same sorts of opportunities that I'll discuss under the Phoenix, only more focused. Theological thought experiments within the setting of Rokugan definitely appeal to me, and that's another reason I enjoy the Moshi.

Kitsune

Ah, the underutilized family of the Mantis. The Kitsune would be the most forgotten family of any Great Clan ever, if not for the fact that the Crab have the Toritaka under their hood from 1125 onwards (Crab: Eating Minor Clans before it became cool). Did you remember the Toritaka? I know I rarely do. Anyways, this is about the Kitsune.

The Kitsune appeal to me because of their nature-based focus - they are descendants of the spirits of foxes (and more broadly, the Realm of Animals). This means you can tell stories about the kitsune spirits, or their children, or the like, with the Kitsune/Fox Clan. They also have, in the time of the Colonies, picked up a delightfully environmentalist tendency, which has brought them nicely back to the forefront when they so long lingered in the shadows of their forest home.

I like the Kitsune, and as you might be able to tell, I'm not too troubled whether they're a part of the Mantis or not. They are who they are, and the Yoritomo don't really intrude on their stories by virtue of existing.

The Phoenix

Ooh, my co-favorite Clan already? Delightful. Settle down folks, this might be a long one.

The Phoenix are the pacifists, the scholars, and the primary theologians of the Empire. As might be deduced by my prior statements in this post and choice of forum avatar, all of these things are things that greatly appeal to me. I'm just going to jump right into the sorts of stories I'd tell with the Phoenix, because I think that that will demonstrate how I see them quite adequately.

I love the story of a person or group who sees destruction being wrought by two opposing parties being at war, and goes through great trials and do great things to prove that that is so. Shiba Toriiko and the Battle of the Broken Daisho are, of course, emblematic of this sort of story, but there is room for other, similar stories that don't necessarily have the same format as "march up to a battle, stand between two armies, and die." The tale of an individual mediator, doing his or her best to persuade and make things well between two feuding groups is equally compelling to me. Heck, the original portrayal of Asahina Shigemitsu, who went to both the Phoenix and the Scorpion to ensure that both could receive humanitarian aid, even though they were at war with each other, strikes me as a story that is far more appropriate for the Phoenix (though I'm not saying the Crane were the wrong choice - they definitely have that aspect to them, as well), and a worthy one indeed.

Another big draw for me about the Phoenix is that they are collectively the most knowledgeable of all the Clans. Yes, the Ikoma are better historians, while the Shosuro might know the most herbalism and the Kuni know the most about the human (and non-human) body and anatomy... but the Asako know a great deal about all of those things, and can make connections that reveal the bigger picture in a way the other groups cannot. If you absolutely must know something, chances are that there's a Phoenix who knows it and might be able to tell you... if you can find them, and persuade them to do so.

The third major appeal of the Phoenix is that they are also a Clan of priests, of intermediaries between the human and the divine. As with the purely scholastic knowledge, while other Clans might have more knowledge about how to talk with the kami subtly, how to use wards, how to deal with the Taint, or how to commune with other Spirit Realms, the Isawa know the most about the kami in general, and know the Heavens the best, collectively. Why is this? This is because the Isawa are the leaders of their Clan - they define what their Clan does with the resources it has. Where all of the other shugenja families are bound to their ruling families' purposes, the Isawa bind the rest of the Phoenix to their purpose - study, especially of magic and the spiritual/supernatural world.

What about the Dragon, then? Why are the Phoenix different than the Dragon, and how do they overlap, or don't they overlap? To me, if the Dragon are Zen (Chan) Buddhism inspired, the Phoenix are more Shinto inspired, though both borrow from the other's inspiration in some measure. The Dragon are about the individual's journey to Enlightenment, while the Phoenix are more about ensuring that everyone's spiritual needs are met (admittedly, as they think they need to be met, but the point stands). The Phoenix are also more theologians than the Dragon - The Phoenix might debate whether a Fortune is present before being elevated by the Emperor, and have discussions on the nature of time as it relates to the Heavens and the divine. The Dragon would most likely look at the very debate as meaningless - the Fortune has been elevated now, haven't they? At least, that is how I tend to look at the two of them. Admittedly, that example is very much a "stereotypical" reaction of the two Clans, and there's much more room to wiggle with individual characters.

The other major difference that I see between the Phoenix and the Dragon is perhaps best illustrated by this example - the Soul of Shiba reincarnates from the time of his death until the modern day (with some minor snafus in between), taking its place in each Champion of the Phoenix. Togashi (if we choose to disregard the whole tamashii thing, as I generally do), by contrast... endured. He was. He did not die and thus he was not reborn. Thus, the Phoenix are much more invested in the cycle of rebirth, as I see it, than the Dragon are. The Dragon might say "it is possible for all people to realize enlightenment in this life." The Phoenix might respond "but it is more important to help them ascend the Celestial Order." Again, these are stereotypes, not firm characterizations.

Whew. I think I may have shared my view on the Phoenix well enough. What say you we move on?

Scorpion

Ah, and having finished with the Clan of Shiba (and Isawa) now we move to the Clan of his twin. In some ways, I see the Scorpion as sort of a foil to the Phoenix. The Scorpion, too, are fascinated by knowledge, and like the Phoenix, do a great deal to collect it. While the Phoenix are generally most interested in knowledge of spiritual and supernatural sort, the Scorpion like secrets. They feel it is their duty to ensure that the darker side of human nature, which cannot be publicly spoken of, is known to them, such that they have some sort of lever to use with those who might threaten the Empire. Much like the Phoenix feel they need to have a lever (their knowledge of the spiritual/supernatural world) to potentially defend against threats of that nature.

The other big foil to the Scorpion as I see it is the Crane. Like the Crane, the Scorpion use the social mores and rules of Rokugan as a weapon, after a fashion. They lack the military might of the Crab, Lion, or Unicorn, for instance, but while they are no true masters of the societal rules and the like, they are certainly adept enough to use it as a weapon against those whose weaknesses they grasp. Unlike the Crane, however, the Scorpion has no code of honor to bind them from certain types of behavior (assassinations, poisoning dueling katana, poisons in general, blackmail, etc.). Thus, while the Crane are probably more adept at using the courts and such, the Scorpion have advantages that allow them to act in ways no one else acts.

What sort of stories, then, do I find the Scorpion most useful and interesting for? Well, interestingly enough - mysteries, much like the Dragon. The Scorpion are all about finding out secrets, and what are mysteries if not another shape of secrets?

Another reason to play a Scorpion is to be able to act more freely when duty and loyalty (your liege, most often) demand that you do so. Most of the time, the average Scorpion is not doing assassinations or blackmail or any of those exciting things - they're doing much the same sorts of duties that the other Clans have their samurai do. However, the Scorpion are trained to be observant and constantly keep their eyes open for information that other Clans would, for politeness' sake, ignore. They look to weakness, as the Bayushi Courtier's first technique says, and use those weaknesses to manipulate others.

Spider

... And having read this, a large group of people pointed and laughed, and promptly turned around and left the thread. I jest, but I'm fully aware that including this Clan in the list of Great Clans proper is a potentially controversial decision. A lot of people are diehard fans of the Spider in various incarnations, and a lot of people hate anything after their favorite incarnation. Others hate the whole idea of the Spider more generally, and will shout loudly and cover their ears when I say "Spider Clan" (an exaggeration for the purposes of comedy). The big thing here I want to make clear is that I personally believe the Spider have worthy stories to tell, whether as a Great Clan Tainted or not, a pure Minor Clan, a Tainted group of infiltrators, or even a group of Lost who have finally made a City. At any rate, I really, really don't want to make this thread another Spider thread (there are lots of them already in existence), so please try to moderate yourselves in debate with this group.

... Also, I probably won't please any of the groups who have passionate feelings on the matter of the Spider, as a forewarning.

Here's the big thing I like about the Spider: They reinforce my own interpretation of Jigoku, which is explicitly different than the canon one. So, in this non-canon Rokugan, Jigoku is the Realm of Suffering, not of Evil. Evil is a problematic term to me, which makes any group associated with it highly controversial, but I am not going to go into that in detail here, because it will encourage a debate better held elsewhere. In short, the Realm of Suffering is caught in endless cycles of suffering - it is aware that other Realms suffer less than it, and is reasonably close to at least some of them. It thinks (insofar as a Realm can be said to think) that the other Realms, because they suffer less, force it to suffer more, solely so they do not need to. It sees Tengoku as a hypocritical realm, claiming to represent Order, yet giving Jigoku no role other than that of the enemy. The samurai of Rokugan still believe Jigoku to be a Realm of Evil, and treat much as in canon, but it is solely their perception that this is the case.

Those who are Tainted by Jigoku are afflicted with a portion of the Realm's suffering, and are more likely to react with violence in situations where others might simply become angry. Furthermore, this suffering never goes away, not really, but if a Tainted individual hurts someone else somehow, it recedes for a time.

With all that in mind, what sort of stories would I tell with the Spider?

Well, in their phase at the City of the Lost, Daigotsu has given the Lost a reason to live again, to become a part of something greater in some sense. He has shown the Lost that they are not alone, even if that was not his goal, and it is for this reason they unify behind his vision. That they begin to build their own society, their own Empire, as it were, even though it is a dark reflection of Rokugan proper, speaks to me of the drive to create, to be, at least in some small way, human again. They still blame the Empire for ostracizing them, for hunting them, for not accepting them, and, though few would admit it, for not helping them. They were told that the Clans were their families, their homes, and they were nonetheless cast out. They'll prove those bastards wrong to do so... In this phase, they are the disturbing adversary to the rest of Rokugan - why have the Lost suddenly started imitating the Empire? How can this be explained?

In the next phase, as infiltrators and spies into the Empire, the Spider begin to reintegrate into Rokugani society, even if it is only in order to tear it down from within. At this point, the Spider themselves begin to realize that, in some small way, the Clans are still a place that could be home to them again. They see the actions of the Clans (even as they incite deceit and hate between them), and in some way grow to desire that existence again. To be a part of something more. That is why they continue to serve Daigotsu loyally, in some part, while in others it is because admitting it would see them executed, and life, even the life they have, is something they remain attached to quite strongly. At this point, I would begin to demonstrate how the Spider, even the Tainted ones, are still quite human, taking inspiration from the amazing performance of many of the Spider at Winter Court IV. Show them with their children, as a friend, as an ally, or, heck, even as a lover or a spouse. They are still distinctly lacking a strong moral center, of course, but they are people, people who are suffering deeply.

After the Destroyer War, and their realization as a Great Clan, the Spider have become a part of the Empire once more, albeit a despised and hated part. In Iweko, at last, there is a visionary who realizes that the war between Tengoku and Jigoku is absurd. As the representative of the Heavens and the recipient of their wisdom, combined with her training as a Kitsuki and own nature as a mortal, she realized exactly what the anger of Jigoku was, and through the intermediaries of Susumu and Daigotsu, she negotiated the first ceasefire, taking the first fragile steps towards a genuine peace between the two realms. Her own Clan of birth, she appoints as wardens and guides to the Spider, because the Dragon's path to enlightenment brings a cessation of suffering. I would use the Spider in this era to tell two different sorts of tales - one where the bonds of the previous era are tested ("That mother who acted as an older sister to your character is in fact a Spider. What do you do?") and the other where the Spider attempt to find their feet, so to speak - they attempt to free themselves from their own suffering, while also finding opposition in the Lion, the Crab, and the Scorpion, such that although they seek some measure of inner peace, they are often hunted and ignored.

In a sense, the Great Clan Spider of my Rokugan are foils for the Crab, Scorpion, and Lion, come to think of it. They are a dark reflection of the Crab, whose obsession with strength made Kisada I ally with the Shadowlands during the Clan Wars, defined in many ways by an eternal war that has only just begun to die, and rejected by society as a whole. Like the Crab, the Spider are derided, sneered at, and feared.

They are the martial answer to the Scorpion - in that where the Scorpion reflect the more peaceful Clans with an extremely different sense of morality, the Spider are a response to the two most warlike Clans of the Empire, only with an extremely different moral compass. Like the Scorpion, the Spider are a nominally villainous faction that are distrusted (with fair reason), hated, and feared. They lack the power in the Courts, unlike the Scorpion, but have a much more vicious and rather larger military.

The Great Clan Spider of my Rokugan are also in some ways a foil to the Lion. There's the obvious warrior nature of the two Clans, and their lack of power in courts, as already described, but the Spider are also the creators of Shourido, a code that is in some way a reflection of Bushido, while the Lion originated that more prestigious Code. The Lion are ancient, and have been contiguous since the earliest days of the Empire, while the Spider are a recent arising, a new wave of change. Finally, the Lion represent the delusion that their view of the Empire can be maintained for eternity - they cling to a past that never truly was, refusing to learn except what lessons they choose to accept. The Spider are an explicit defiance of this idea, and seek to establish themselves as a new part of the Empire.

... You know, I said I didn't want this to turn into a Spider thread, then made a huge part of this post about the Spider. While I maintain that this should be a thread for discussion of all Clans, I really cannot throw stones, you know?

Unicorn

I'm going to be honest here. It took me a fairly long time to develop an understanding of how I found the Unicorn interesting - through no fault of their own, I might add. It's only because I have only run games where the Unicorn are not terribly important, and I've never really developed who they are to me, and therefore why they are interesting to me.

Ultimately, I settled mostly on this. The Unicorn were gone from the Empire for most of their existence as a Clan. While the Lion might remember their ancestor who perished in X battle in Y year with the Crane, and swear to avenge them, or something, the Unicorn's ancestors were in foreign lands, meeting foreign peoples (and often killing them, or marrying them, or whatever). This difference is something I'd really play up in stories about the Unicorn.

Put simply, the Unicorn, despite all of their efforts and time in the Empire... just don't quite fit in. They eat weird foods, wear impure fabrics, use names that sound ugly to the ear of the average samurai, and so on. This is exacerbated after the War with the Darkness, which sees not only the most foreign of the families put in charge, but an out and out foreigner, who had never been inside of Rokugan before. Moto Gaheris and his successors move the Unicorn away from the more traditional ways of Rokugan at large, in a way reasserting their identity as Unicorn, rather than as some Clan that is not them.

It is this that I'd stress most often in a story using Unicorn. The handshaking, the weird food and drink, the obsession with horses...

The other big thing I would say about the Unicorn is their traditional Compassion - they act more compassionately unconsciously than many other samurai do deliberately. I think the Ide can also be used to tell stories similar to the first sort of stories I described with the Phoenix, of peaceful people doing great deeds to halt a war. However, unlike the Phoenix, the Ide are a) ruled by a family primarily focused on bushi (whether the Shinjo, who are generally more tolerant of peacemaking, or the Moto, who tend to be less), and b) are part of a Clan that has not one, not two, but three bushi families. That is a lot of people who are trained to treasure honor over someone else's life, and to take that someone else's life if their honor is questioned. This can provide interesting story fodder, of course.

Also, you can hug your spouse in public! Yay!

... You know, I really should conclude this post here and now. I've covered the Great Clans, and that's good enough right?

Wrong.

Well, I'll end this post, then it's on to the Minor Clans!

Minor Clans

Ah, the Minor Clans are nearest and dearest to my heart. I love these little guys, and am going to do my best with what I've got (it's not a lot in the case of some of the Clans, I'll be honest).

Badger

While my initial reaction to the Badger was a sort of dismissal of them as a group of jocks who aren't terribly interesting, I've since reconsidered. The Badger are a rigidly traditionalist and isolated group that most of the Empire has forgotten. They stand alone, firm in their belief that their strength can resolve whatever difficulty may arise (something that has been disproven in recent Rokugani history). The Badger, then, are a throwback to the days of their founding, an incredibly old Clan that the Empire has forgotten. As stories go, I would quite happily use the Badger as a sort of... wandering samurai who has only heard of Rokugan proper in ancient tales, and who has come forth for his or her duty. Now, in an Empire that claims to idolize the past, a throwback to that very past has appeared, and yet... is not at all what they want. The past should remain the past, most likely. There's a fair amount to do with their obsession with strength, their dismissal of shugenja, and so on, as well, but I find their isolation and resolute dismissal of other ways to be what struck me first.

Bat

While the Bat originally struck me as a Clan whose identity was a lack of identity, and whose major focus was purely acting as telephones for the rest of the Empire. I've since revised that impression, and looked more at the nature of the koumori spirits that spawned Komori himself. Setting aside the discussion of how a spirit whose primary duties focus on Meido, the Realm where apathy rules, could possibly become enamored of a human in any way that could possibly result in a son, the koumori are something of guardians between Spirit Realms, as I understand it, and that is what sorts of stories I'd tell with the Bat. While the Kitsu are most attuned to Yomi and the shiryo there, the Kitsune are practically part of Chikushudo, the Realm of Animals, and the Kuni are really the ones you want to call in the event of an outbreak of Jigoku, the Komori are the ones who can find their way around other Realms with the most ease, and who can deal with infestations from those Realms with the knowledge of their Clan, to an extent.

The biggest story I'd probably do with the Bat would either be a search for identity sort of story, where the actions of the Bat characters help to define who the Bat are as a whole. It's not terribly specific, but that's really an interesting aspect to explore with them.

The other story would be about a Bat exploring various different difficulties in the Spirit Realms, rather like the fiction before the Bat Clan in Secrets of the Empire does. It's nowhere near a typical game of L5R, but it might be an interesting episode in a large campaign - an intrusion of Sakkaku into a certain village sees the samurai PCs struggle to restore order, only to have a helpful wandering Bat step in and help.

Boar

... Hoo-boy. I am going to make some folks upset with this, but I am so sorry for my role (small as it was) in bringing these jerks back. Like, how much I struggled to find something to like about the Badger? How long it took me to think of how interesting I could make the Unicorn? Nothing compared to these guys. I really do not particularly care for the Boar. However, in the interests of timeline neutrality and for the sake of completeness, I'll give an example of what I would do to make the Boar an interesting plot hook that actually involves living Boar (because the ruins of Shiro Heichi? Fantastic plot hook, you know?)

I would try my level best to ignore the majority of the Boar's traditions and focus mostly on the mysterious spirit the Shakoki Dogu (not to be confused with the Shuten Doji) and their relationship thereto. It would probably involve some other Clan moving in on their territory in some way that disrupted the Shakoki Dogu, or more likely just a disruption to the spiritual elements of the Empire that caused the Shakoki Dogu distress, and required that the Boar go out and do something about it. Almost inevitably, this would result in petty violence and general crudity and thankgodi'mdonewiththat.

Moving on. Please.

Dragonfly

Thank goodness. We move from my least favorite Minor Clan to my favorite Clan overall. The Dragonfly combine what I love about the Phoenix and the Dragon, and my read on them is generally inspired by such Buddhist writings as those of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism's luminary Nagarjuna.

The Dragonfly are appealing to me for a whole bunch of reasons. Firstly, let's talk about their philosophy. Everything changes. At their heart, no one thing is eternal. This is absolutely a key part of Nagarjuna's writings about the concept of sunayata (emptiness) in regards to Buddhism. Sunyata, which is translated to Japanes as Kū (空), which in turn is translated into L5R as... Void.

At any rate, this philosophy flies in the face of much of Rokugani tradition, much like many other things about the Dragonfly. The idea that everything changes means that traditions are not necessarily helpful - because if those traditions were established in a world very different to the one that exists today, that would render the superiority of the traditions meaningless. This is pretty fun to me just because I have a personal dislike for the idea of doing something without thinking based on someone else having done it (which is probably not unique to me). Furthermore, as a budding Buddhist, I just like the idea of being able to share this belief in a game. I love being able to help other characters grow and change with the Dragonfly's philosophy, because it really brings the L5R universe alive for me, and because it makes me feel good.

Then the next thing about the Dragonfly is their resolute devotion to non-harm. This ties to the sort of stories I mentioned enjoying about the Phoenix, of people who do great things in order to help create peace, but it becomes more poignant for me, in a way, because the Dragonfly are such a Minor Clan, and have such a great deal to lose. Rather than acting so obviously, then, the Dragonfly work more on an individual basis, helping each individual realize their own suffering, and trying to help them transform their suffering into peace. In time, this may create great peace.

The other big thing is the simple fact that the Dragonfly are allowed (and indeed encouraged) to marry for love, which is a small thing when you get right down to it, but provides an emotional attachment to the character for me that is not quite so intimate, I guess, when your character does not love or is not with the one they love.

Finally, on some level, the Dragonfly appeal to me for their sheer iconoclasm. They do not fit into Rokugani society easily... except that they do, because they do not justify their own destruction by being in any way aggressive.

I think the Dragonfly are good for personal stories of journeys to enlightenment, of character development, and personal growth. In a sense, I guess this is why I love them so. I grow alongside my character (and those around him or her) as the game continues.

Falcon

Ah, the Falcon. Is there any Minor Clan more forgotten? I mentioned in my description of the Kitsune family that the Toritaka are by far the most forgotten family in Rokugan. As a friend of mine said to me on the topic, paraphrased "In the Crab, you have the Kaiu, who built the Wall! The Hida, who man the Wall! The Hiruma, who scout past the Wall! The Yasuki, who ensure that the Wall is supplied! The Kuni, who makes sure that anything coming back through the Wall is safe! The Toritaka who... oh."

I'm not quite certain why the Falcon even stayed in the Crab, to be fully honest. I can easily have seen them going "Wait, we joined the Crab (in 1125) only to immediately see them abandon the most important duty in the whole Empire, arguably. Maybe this is a statement by the Heavens saying that joining the Crab is a bad idea."

At any rate, the Falcon are definitely different enough from the rest of the Crab that I feel I ought to include them in the Minor Clans section. Anyways, the Falcon strike me as the sort of Clan that I'd use for (funnily enough) ghost stories, and mysteries involving ghosts. The haunted village of the post Clan War Rokugan, abandoned by all save the ghosts of its inhabitants... the estate that has a wrathful ancestor walking its halls, for they were murdered unjustly... and so on.

Hare

My goodness, this is taking longer than expected.

So, yes, Hare.

I was going to make a joke about their perpetual persecution by the rest of the Empire, but I'm getting kind of tired, so I'll skip that. The Hare are, to me, kind of like the Tsuruchi, only with plain ol' practicality in place of the Code of the Wasp. They hunt down dissidents and whatnot, to preserve the Empire, but do so in a way that the Scorpion would be proud of, if only it didn't end up disrupting their schemes so gorram often.

I'd probably play them while demonstrating the consequences of both their practicality and of the rigidity of Bushido. Demonstrating that both ways have their negative aspects, I guess.

Monkey

The Monkey! Those who follow the walking, talking, violation of the Celestial Order that is Toku! The second happiest Clan in Rokugan, and probably most irrationally happy!

I guess with that out of the way, I should probably go into what sorts of stories I'd tell with the Monkey. Mostly, I would probably pull on the whole "Toku was a peasant who became a samurai," I think, and really emphasize what that means for the Celestial Order, if indeed it means anything. I'd like to do some serious exploration of the implications of changing Toku from peasant to Samurai - I might even plot a campaign on it - perhaps that was the moment Toturi and his dynasty lost the favor of Heaven, or the like.

It'd be an interesting thing to explore, I think.

That's not to say that I object to the Monkey in general as they are portrayed, just that I feel like that would be one way to explore them in a unique manner.

Oriole

Yeah, I haven't got a whole lot to say about these guys. I mean, there's something to be said for playing an Oriole who doesn't smith, who but who does something else essential to the Clan... But you could do the same sort of stories with Isawa who cannot hear the kami, or sickly Hida, or so on.

I think doing something with the ronin Tsi would be either more or less interesting. More because on one hand, the Oriole are so new and so... vague that they may well not exist. I feel like the creation of the Clan smacks of symmetry for the sake thereof, but I may be biased. Less, because really, most games don't do much with crafters. I mean, you could do something about gathering materials to forge an amazing sword, but I honestly don't find it that interesting.

That said, however, I think that the Oriole have the potential to be interesting - they can be used to tell the same sort of identity-finding stories as the Bat... and they also can explore what it means to suddenly no longer need Imperial permission to forge swords. Like, I understand that the Clan is set up as a swordsmith-centric culture, but keep in mind that they were forbidden for years to actually make swords without Imperial permission. The implications of this could be explored.

Ox

The Ox are, at least to me, a difficult thing to decide on the nature of their stories. I initially dismiss anything to do with the Kolat, because I don't use the Kolat in the same way as canon. Then what's left is a bunch of less idealistic, less compassionate Unicorn, which is kind of bland, to my mind. Thus, when one of my friends mentioned that they could play the role of the underdog who define their own destinies as the Yoritomo by the time of their founding had already succeeded, and that seems as reasonable an angle as any.

Snake

Okay, firstly, I want to register a complaint about these guys. Why the heck did we get the Boar in ​Secrets of the Empire but not the pure Snake? This is silliness!

More seriously, the Snake are kind of like a Clan of Inquisitors, hunting down maho-tsukai. I mean, while that can be an interesting story, it doesn't have the same impact the other stories I've thought about have on me. At any rate, I cannot make the same deeply contextualized story about the pure Snake, because there's just not enough information out there for me to find, I think. Not enough stories about what made them distinct from the Isawa, and so on.

Sparrow

Also known as "the original gross violation of the Celestial Order, Minor Clan style," I really like the idea of the Sparrow. Finally, a group who sees the Celestial Order for the nonsense it is! Marry a peasant? Sure, why not!

The Sparrow are fascinating to me in the whole "bring them to court, watch them react" kind of way. Perhaps the best intentioned Clan of the MCA, the simple fact that they have so little puts a lot of things in perspective, yet they somehow manage to remain incredibly honorable. I would use them to tell the stories about simple, yet honorable sorts who see the morass of the court and navigate it solely based on courtesy, perhaps oblivious to the goings on, or perhaps simply choosing not to engage very deeply in them.

Tortoise

The Tortoise, also known as "the second gross violation of the Celestial Order, Minor Clan style (take that, Toku!)" (seriously, I love the Monkey, but I've been having a long day and am having trouble controlling my urge to mock them).

The Tortoise are everything the Empire hates, protecting them from everything that they do not wish to know about. I'd probably spin them as that image decides - they're widely despised, but also utterly essential. It's an interesting position to be in, I think. It's also getting late and I'm tired, so forgive me if I end it off with that.

Welcome back, Endwaar! Excessively long posts about why we love Rokugan are the best (and I mean that sincerely- for an outsider looking in, few things can provide more incentive to get involved in a setting or activity than seeing just how enthusiastic people already are about it, even if it can be a little daunting). Anyway, my post will be substantially shorter than yours, but here goes:

(Disclaimer: All opinions below are entirely subjective. I do not claim them as superior to anyone else's, nor am I trying to insult anyone else's favoured Clans. When it comes to fictional settings, all opinions are equally valid, and all love for any aspect of the setting, however different it may be from my own, is to be encouraged. In the spirit of the thread, I am only stating what I, personally, think about them.)

Crab

I frankly find them boring. That isn't entirely the fault of the Clan themselves- as you say, delving into their truly horrific levels of PTSD can be interesting, and any Clan that comes up with a term like maru has some serious issues to be explored. The fact that the Crab themselves recognise this, with the Kuni acting as 'counsellors' for people who go off the deep end, does raise potential. Unfortunately, my strongest impression of the Crab runs along the lines of, "Hold this club. Stand on this wall. Club everything that comes over it until you die, and hope you don't come back." For people who like treating L5R as a combat-RPG with samurai aesthetics, the Crab are ideal. I am not one of those people, so I don't particularly like the Crab.

Crane

I like the Crane. Whether the Kakita striving for perfection of their chosen art in the face of a messy and stubbornly imperfect world, the Doji trying to leverage all their cultural cachet and eloquence to counterbalance the sheer weight of arms their enemies can bring to bear, the Asahina doing their best to create at least some little pocket of peace and harmony as a shelter for the soul against the rage and discordance of the outside world, or the Daidoji simply keeping everyone else alive, all the Families of the Crane have distinctive, and equally compelling, stories to tell. In large part, the most interesting aspect of the Crane for me is their conviction that beauty - whether defined as aesthetic value, proximity to perfection, or peace and harmony - has genuine value in the world, and that it is worth working towards and protecting, however hopelessly idealistic that might seem to everyone else. That is a story worth telling.

Dragon

In theory, they should be interesting. The monks add a distinctive dash of flavour to the setting, the Mirumoto are cool (more for their devotion to their own unique traditions of spirituality and service to their monks and shugenja than for their dual-wielding), the Kitsuki provide a constant source of tension with traditional forms of justice in Rokugan, and the Tamori provide a very different vision of what shugenja can be. All the same, I find little within them compelling enough to make me ever want to play one, or tell a story about them. I am grateful for their presence in the setting, and they certainly can make other stories more interesting by acting as foils, but in themselves, I just can't get excited about them.

Lion

Clearly the greatest Clan. What more need be said? I have already spoken at some length in various places about why I find the Lion so compelling, so to restate more briefly- no other Clan in Rokugan can provide the tension between ideal and reality that the Lion do. The combination of hyper-awareness of their obligations, impossibly high standards, and knowledge of their own imperfections, makes for a touchingly human story. That they often try to compensate for their own imperfections through arrogance, belligerence, and taking solace in the knowledge that others can only fall further from the ideal than they do themselves, doesn't detract from - and only draws attention to - their own deep fragility as people. The most important thing is to remember that their militarism stems from their tradition, devotion, and insecurity, rather than being a goal in and of itself. Love 'em.

Mantis

I hate the Yoritomo. I find virtually no redeeming features in them, nor any motivation to play them. The Tsuruchi are interesting, for all the reasons Endwaar described- and all the more so for the fact that they have subsequently faced an increasing loss of identity, with more and more Tsuruchi keeping their swords unbroken, accepting the name of samurai, and adhering (or at least paying lip-service to) Bushido. That is a deep threat to their core identity, and is much more interesting as a story than "pew pew pew our archers are the best" (even if I find their continued existence more than a little dubious- with the two most ruthless Clans as blood-enemies, isolated from any form of useful support, they shouldn't have lasted more than a year or two after the Crane and Emerald Champion withdrew their support). The Moshi are much more interesting to me following the fall of Amaterasu- torn between keeping the glory of Lady Sun shining, and trying to find a new calling against centuries of tradition, deeply conservative and 'honourable' in the way that the other Mantis are absolutely not, they occupy a no-man's-land, and finding one's place is always a good story. The Kitsune are not actively objectionable, but I don't find them particularly interesting, either.

Phoenix

Again like the Crane and the Lion, we have a faction that remains deeply devoted to an ideal despite all circumstances militating (literally) against it. The twin tragedies of the Isawa (blessed with knowledge beyond measure, lacking only the wisdom of how to use it) and the Shiba (more devoted than their masters deserve, always the first to suffer the consequences and the ones responsible for cleaning up the mess) are engaging enough, if they can be treated effectively. Sadly, as with the Crab, the Phoenix often seem to fall into the trap of either being little more than super-magi, or being sidelined into irrelevance until their knowledge becomes useful as a deus ex machina. More damningly, the Phoenix often seem to lack - to me, at least - the core vulnerability of the Lion, or the forlorn hopefulness of the Crane, which makes them seem less human, and less interesting. At their best, the Phoenix can provide a wonderful storytelling vehicle. Most of the time, sadly, the Lion and/or Crane can do the same thing better.

Scorpion

I don't like them. Their best characters (Yojiro!) are those who run against what it means to be Scorpion, and that says nothing good about the Clan overall. More generally, I don't like the 'antihero working in the shadows because nobody else will, and doing terrible things because they have no choice' schtick wherever it appears. Can there be interesting Scorpion characters? Yes. Can interesting stories be told of and/or among the Scorpion? Of course. I just don't like them myself.

Spider

Not touching this with a barge-pole.

Unicorn

I love Central Asia. My Masters was in Central Eurasian Studies, I speak good Turkish, Kazakh, and Uzbek, and passable Mongolian. On paper, I should be all over the Unicorn. The problem is that the classic Central Asian stories (Manas, Alpamys Batyr, Korgol, etc.) are fundamentally not suited to Rokugan, and Rokugani narrative sensibilities don't transfer at all well to Central Asia, either. The best Unicorn stories, to me, are those that are either told entirely outside Rokugan (so, steppe epics), or among the less-'barbarian' Unicorn. The Utaku, in particular, occupy a place very similar to the Moshi within the Mantis- honourable, conservative, more at home among wider society than as part of their own Clan, yet loyal to their Clan of outsiders, and determinedly nonconformist - and as such provide room for interesting stories to be told there, as well.

Minor Clans

I am largely apathetic to the Minor Clans, excepting the Monkey, whom I strongly dislike. That's probably all that needs to be said.

Ok here goes, I am only going to focus on the six great clans that existed when I first started playing Legend of the Five Rings. I just do not feel I can give proper representation if those clans, and factions that followed thereafter due to my lack of experience and knowledge with those clans. These are my views of the clans as we an empire saw a dark shadow looming on the horizon heralding what would be called the Clan Wars.

Crab:

Pragmatic, and down to earth, but they have forsaken their duty to the Empire. They have made a pact with the very monsters of the Shadowlands they swore to protect us against. Their massive armies now march to divide the Empire in half unless we do something about it. (This was the Crab at the start of Clan War, and to no fault of the Crab, or its players. This is just where the Crab began in the CCG). The Crab redeemed their clan by deed, and have held to their duty protecting the Empire by the blood of Crab samurai on the wall ever since. I would like to do a story about a crab hero who by no fault of his own becomes tainted. He asks for permission to seek out the Shrine of the Thunders as his dying wish. Then against all odds, and with the taint running in his blood he does find the shrine that Hida built deep in the Shadowlands, and finds redemption, and acceptance from a vision of Hida himself. Then he is given a choice to return to Rokugan, or become Guardian of the Shrine of the Thunders.

Crane:

The Clan of our Sister, and first to acknowledge us with open arms as we returned from our long sojourn. Lady Doji, and Lady Shinjo were very close as siblings, and a bond still holds our Great Clans together. Though they sit sipping tea, and spouting out rhetoric, I say to each his own. The Crane have their path, and we have our own to walk. The Kakita duelist are somewhat interesting, and could make for a neat story about a wandering duelist seeking to prove himself. Yet in the meantime he continually stumbles into trouble, and has to find a way to deal with his situation. This could lead to all sorts of stories. Then again I steered away from Crane, Lion, and Phoenix because I am gaijin, and do not consider myself honorable enough to do these clans justice by representing them. I thus also leave stories centered around these clans for someone else to tell.

Dragon:

Mysterious and aloof, their thirst for enlightment is the only endearing quality about this clan I can find other than their niten style, and its obvious connection with Musashi. I am too much an open book to effectively portray this clan of mystery.

Lion:

Hypocrits! These pious zealots place heavy burdens upon others, that they themselves are incapable of carrying. They have never accepted us. They continually look for any excuse to go to war with us. One day their so called honour will be their undoing. (I also have a personal vendetta against Lion, and is the reason I will never play a Lion ever). They say you never get a second chance to make that valuable first impression. Most of the time this is true, and it is certainly true of my perspective of the Lion. Early on I was told the story about how Otaku Kamoko took her name. Seeing that Kamoko was her Mother's name.

Otaku Kamoko was given the task of dealing with a band of bandits in the southern provinces of the Unicorn. She managed to track them down, and her patrol of Shiotome dispatched them. Then she saw a war party of Lion below the hills on Unicorn plains. She sent one battle maiden back to report, and she and the rest of her Shiotome went down to converse with the Lion. Matsu Agetoki led thirty lion bushi, and he did not even give Kamoko a chance to speak. He and his men cut down the Shiotome who had come under banner of peace to speak. Kamoko though managed to rip an insignia from him that identified his presence at the slaughter. When the one battle maiden returned with a Shinjo detachment, the others were found dead, and Agetoki's insignia clutched in Kamoko's hand. When confronted about this, Agetoki dismissed it as he thought they were the bandits. Kamoko's daughter then took her Mother's name, and swore vengeance upon Agetoki. This among other reasons is why I have such disdain for the Lion.

Phoenix:

Stoic scholars who spend too much time studying tomes, and not enough time in the world at large. Truthfully I just find them boring. The way they think is as dusty, and full if cobwebs as the shelves that hold those old tomes they pour over, then try and tell others how to live their lives. Bah get out of your study and live a little before trying to police the life of others. That is about all I can come up with for Phoenix.

Unicorn:

Now we get to my favorite clan, and the clan of my affiliation. I am sure by now that is glaringly obvious. The Unicorn were really blessed with an awesome Kami in Lady Shinjo. Shinjo truly cares for all those who are in her charge. She teaches us to also do likewise, that samurai, merchant, and farmer are all equally important in the maintaining of a clan. All life is sacred, and we all need one another. The strong should protect the weak is our pledge. Thus we hold the lives of our heimin in high regard, for we have sworn to protect them. That is our duty to our Lady Kami Shinjo. Another of Shinjo's laws is we are not allowed to spill our own kin's blood. Doing so is punished by exile from the clan, or by death depending upon the severity of the infraction. Now for this reason is why we do not practice the art of dueling as the rest of Rokugan. Instead differances among the Unicorn are often settled by a show if horsemanship. Be that archery, race, or obstacle course designed to accomadate both horse and rider, or a combination of the three formerly mentioned test.

Shinjo Family:
The ruling family of the Unicorn, and our Champion Shinjo Yokatsu is the first to accomplish the title Master of the Four Winds since Shinjo herself led the clan. He is a benevolent, and wise leader even if he is soft spoken, and disdains court. He leads by example more than word, and shows he is fit to lead because we can see his actions there before us. He lives in this world, not some musty tome, or ancient ideal.

Ide Family:
These are our merchants, and diplomats. Ide assigned members of his family to remain at each outpost, or settlement among allies we made during our sojourn. These later set up our trade routes, and embassies among the gaijin. They help keep our relations with outside people in good terms, and serve as a network of information about developing events in foreign nations. The Ide truly understand the economics behind a clan, and ensure we do not falter in that arena. They also have a great deal of adaptablity, and sense for diplomacy that keeps our allies at peace with us. This could open up a venue for many stories, both in and out of Rokugan.

Otaku(Utaku) Family:
The Battle Maidens swore the highest oath of fealty of all the families to Lady Shinjo, as was shown by Otaku when Shinjo was asked to present a mortal as a thunder by Shinsei. Otaku was on her horse first and stepped forward without a word spoken between either of them, just a nod of Shinjo's head to confirm the choice. Otaku Shiko, Otaku's daughter, is responsable for the formation of the Battle Maiden School. They continually strive for pushing the bar of their horsemanship to higher, and higher limits. No one, not even a Tsuruchi is a better horsearcher than a Shiotome. I would tell stories about battle maidens striving to continually improve not only their horsemanship, but also their other interests as well. Each Battle Maiden is encouraged to take up one of the arts, acting, acrobatics, dancing, playing instrument, poetry, singing, storytelling, so forth. Some take up more than one art. This art is to help them understand themselves so that they can better improve themselves.

Iuchi Family:
These are our priiests, and our sorcerors. You see we learned the art of Meishodo in our sojourn. Meishodo being the western art of spellcasting that does not require blood as Isawa did, nor does it rely upon Kami as Rokugani Priest do. Meishodo teaches us to listen, watch, and carefully perceive the world around us. We can sense the ebb and flow of the life of the planet itself. We can borrow from the planet's energy, or our own to make the supernatural possible by exaggerating the natural that was already there. Iuchi due to our long sojourn, and our exposure to western archery, and muskets learned some rather intersting tricks with movement, speed, and ranged weapon protection, or shielding spells. Iuchi can enhance the performance of our archers, or hinder the performance of enemy archers. This is very valuable upon the field of battle.


Whew I have rambled on longer than I expected trying to shed some light upon my clan, and my perspective of the Unicorn as it was during my fondest memories of the clan before in my opinion all sorts of hogwash began tearing it apart post Clan War.

I have nothing to add about minor clans, or clans or factions that were added during Clan War, or afterwards. I just wanted to shed some persoective from an older point of view. Please keep in mind all of this was written from the Unicorn perspective, and is based upon opinions, and stories told that were not necessarily cannon, but did build my outlook on things.

Lion:

Hypocrits! These pious zealots place heavy burdens upon others, that they themselves are incapable of carrying. They have never accepted us. They continually look for any excuse to go to war with us. One day their so called honour will be their undoing. (I also have a personal vendetta against Lion, and is the reason I will never play a Lion ever). They say you never get a second chance to make that valuable first impression. Most of the time this is true, and it is certainly true of my perspective of the Lion. Early on I was told the story about how Otaku Kamoko took her name. Seeing that Kamoko was her Mother's name.

Otaku Kamoko was given the task of dealing with a band of bandits in the southern provinces of the Unicorn. She managed to track them down, and her patrol of Shiotome dispatched them. Then she saw a war party of Lion below the hills on Unicorn plains. She sent one battle maiden back to report, and she and the rest of her Shiotome went down to converse with the Lion. Matsu Agetoki led thirty lion bushi, and he did not even give Kamoko a chance to speak. He and his men cut down the Shiotome who had come under banner of peace to speak. Kamoko though managed to rip an insignia from him that identified his presence at the slaughter. When the one battle maiden returned with a Shinjo detachment, the others were found dead, and Agetoki's insignia clutched in Kamoko's hand. When confronted about this, Agetoki dismissed it as he thought they were the bandits. Kamoko's daughter then took her Mother's name, and swore vengeance upon Agetoki. This among other reasons is why I have such disdain for the Lion.

Okay, on the one hand, this is really, really silly: this is a thread about how to tell good stories in each Clan, it's totally missing the point to boo one of them because of in-character, in-setting events that were mean to the Clan you like.

On the other hand, this is why I have disdain for the Lion too. Not because it was mean to the Unicorn: because this whole story is stupid as hell. How is anyone supposed to support the Lion side of that? How is it interesting? How is it relatable? Why should I care about people that do things like this, how can people who do things like this warrant being a major faction instead of chumps who the main characters are dispatching when the interesting events start happening, like Rhino is to Spider-Man? Pride and hubris lead to tragedy in ways we care about, but this isn't pride and hubris, this is being a jackhole.

You weren't supposed to support the Lion side of that, Agetoki was just a jackhole. I don't see that as a problem, not every villain needs to be scenery-chewing EEVIIIIL. Sometimes people are just jerks, which is good (in fiction), since it creates conflict.

Now, admittedly Lion tend to draw the "Designated Jerk" card more often than most other clans, which is a problem. The story team should have tried to spread those around more evenly. But it's okay for the Lion (or any normally-honorable) clan to be the bad guys sometimes.

You weren't supposed to support the Lion side of that, Agetoki was just a jackhole. I don't see that as a problem, not every villain needs to be scenery-chewing EEVIIIIL. Sometimes people are just jerks, which is good (in fiction), since it creates conflict.

Now, admittedly Lion tend to draw the "Designated Jerk" card more often than most other clans, which is a problem. The story team should have tried to spread those around more evenly. But it's okay for the Lion (or any normally-honorable) clan to be the bad guys sometimes.

Well, the "designated jerk" card going to them too often was kind of what I was pointing to.

And yes, some people are just jerks. But that doesn't make it okay to just throw in jerks wherever. You wanna start a fight between player factions, you gotta make it feel like it mattered or was interesting.

To be fair, Agetoki had been forced into the Kolat at that point, had been forced to kill Kamoko by them, and felt terrible about it afterwards... but let's not pull this thread too far off-track, shall we?

So I had this long post well over half-done when my browser crashed. Argh.

So. Here we go again, but less awesome.

Crab

I'd focus on "peacetime"Crab- the Crab who come into adulthood and live during one of the long lulls in activity along the wall. You've trained your entire life to fight monsters your old Gunso still talks about with a stutter, but you've never seen anything nastier than a goblin. Everyone around you goes,"be ready, always be ready," but you live most of your life facing NONE of the enemies you have been trained to face.

What is a Crab without their eternal war?

Crane

The powder-blue parakeets hogged a LOT of story time, to the point where I'm largely out of stories I want to see about them. We've had ninja Crane, duelist Crane, artist Crane, hero Crane,villain Crane... Feh.

About all I would do is something similar to the Crab... "tepid" Crane. In a clan where Excellence is everything, what about a guy who's just uninspiring but competent? Kakita Bill: He does all right.

Dragon

Some of the best stuff I lost was about the Dragon. Tied with the Scorpion for my second-favorite Great Clan and all that.

For all of their alien nature, the Dragon spent the bulk of their history under incredibly rigid control-part of why they put up with Hitomi, in my opinion. Dragon were accustomed to following orders, however insane, because Togashi Had A Plan.

After his departure, what were the Dragon to do? The long game they'd been pawns in was over.

Once again- take away their gimmick, and what do the Dragon leave you with?

Lion

Lost some good stuff here too...

I would explore the Lion's emotional landscape.

The Ikoma bards can drop their On... but only when talking about someone else.

The Matsu are full of fiery passion... and allowed to express only rage much of the time.

The Kitsu have a veritable chorus of ancestors reminding them of how Things Should Be.

The Akodo are supposed to be cerebral and reserved.

And they're all human.

An example of a Lion story I really liked was one I was part of- in Winter Court III, Idanthrysus ably played Akodo Toshigure- a man who was often jokingly described as an emotionally stunted bushido-bot. I played Tonbo Taira, a Shiba-trained Dragonfly with a nasty habit of falling love every five minutes or so.

They ended up friends by the conclusion of court.

They never went carousing.

They never talked about the women in their lives (beyond Taira's betrothal to Kitsuki Ekeyu, a love match which pleased him a great, great deal- but the marriage, not the romance, was the focus of his talks with Toshigure.)

They definitely didn't do a lot of casual hanging out.

But on the last day of Court, they sat in companionable silence sipping tea for a good long while- a Tonbo and an Akodo.

I liked that, because Toshigure never formally said "hey, the Dragonfly are all right," and Taira never did something as sniveling as apologizing for his origins. They just shared an appreciation for honor, and a mutual respect.

Mantis

I'm sick to death of the Yoritomo, so the story I'd tell? The Tsuruchi, Moshi, and Kitsune get together and go, "you know, for guys all about doing things your own way you're awful at letting others do the same. A Clan is not a Kobune, and if all you want are more kama-slinging sailors, why do you keep us around?"

I might also play with the insecurity underpinning the Yoritomo's tiresome swagger.

Phoenix

I lost an epic here.

In essence, though, the Phoenix, my favorite Great Clan, are defined by contradictions- Serene and wise in the ways of the spiritual world, arrogant and dismissive with their mortal peers. Valuing life intrinsically, but leveling Shutai during their war with the Scorpion. Dedicated to peaceful discourse, but incapable of sorting out their internal bickering. Passionately responsible for the Empire's spiritual well-being to the point where they do things they know they shouldn't in their efforts to defend it.

I like to play with those tensions- do they tear samurai apart, or do they forge them into stronger people than they were before?

A Shiba who is without peer on the battlefield, but loathes the violence he does.

A burn-scarred monster-hunting Isawa moved by a sob story.

A pacifist Asako Courtier moving heaven and earth to secure military allies for a war.

An Isawa who cannot speak to the kami (and who therefore catches a lot of hell from his own family) defending the veracity of the spiritual insights even though he can't really understand them.

Scorpion

Ohhhh, so much good stuff gone... *sigh*

I would play with the Scorpion's belief that they're doing the right thing.

In many ways, they have an even harder row to hoe than a Lion or Crane- while the latter two adhere to impossible standards, at least those standards are ones that the wider society upholds.

The Scorpion adhere to impossible standards that everyone utterly despises.

Is it any wonder they throw killer parties whenever someone marries in?

Also: While the masks are reminders that a Scorpion is probably lying, they're also a statement of vulnerability. They can't trust their own faces not to betray them. They're wonderfully tormented little bugs.

Spider

While Kanpeki's power-grab more or less sums up the overall story of the Spider (a viper the Empire foolishly clutched to their bosom),there are good stories to be told...with those Spider born into the Clan during their time in service to Rokugan. Their ancestors are criminals and heretics, their gods are the avowed enemies of the empire they nominally serve, and they have Dragon Clan teachers informing them of all of this.

Who are these people? And when Kanpeki makes his move, where do they go?

Unicorn

Never got this far, so this is the only entry where I lose nothing! Ha-HA!

The Unicorn are clearly oddballs... a gigantic pile of outside culture in an Empire that loathes it. They eat red meat, wear weird stuff,worship foreign gods, all of that. (And it's more pronounced since the Moto took over)

So they're a good way to show off honor taking many forms. Moto Bob may be uncouth, smell funny, and spend entirely too much time with his horse, but when the time comes, he will die as well as any Matsu. Ide Joe will try and shake your hand if he forgets himself, but he speaks your language and understands your customs.

Where the Dragon are self-consciously weird, and the Mantis thump their chests about how different and special they are, the Unicorn quietly honor their founder and just do their thing.

I was talking about this recently with one of my players. I don't necessarily approach it from the angle of "what kind of story would I tell," but if I go looking for the core of what makes each clan interesting to me, it's the tension between their ideal mode and their failure mode.

Crab: ideal mode is that they are the ones who will put their bodies on the line so that other people won't have to deal with the horrors they see every day. Failure mode is that after a while, those horrors are *all* they can see, and they forget what it is they're fighting to protect.

Crane: ideal mode is the conviction that human beings can and should do more than just live; they should create beauty and elegance in the world around them. In their failure mode, they're the dysfunctional family where talking about the fact that Uncle Hajime abuses his children is a worse crime than the abuse, because you're disrupting the facade of serenity and happiness.

Dragon: ideal mode is the willingness to look beyond tradition and conformity, which can lead to innovation and new discoveries. Of course, the inevitable failure mode is that some of those innovations and new discoveries will be bad; also, if you're busy pursuing your own path, you aren't paying much attention to anybody else.

Lion: the opposite of the Dragon in many ways, since their ideal mode is a strong sense of community and tradition and excelling at society's standards, but their failure mode is rigidity, stagnation, and an unwillingness to tolerate weakness or deviation.

Mantis: they're tough for me to get this kind of handle on, in part because they're made up of such disparate groups. Inasmuch as I can talk about anybody's ideal or failure modes, it's the Yoritomo, not the Tsuruchi or the Kitsune or the Moshi. Their ambition can achieve some truly stupendous things; it can also be astoundingly selfish.

Phoenix: at their best, they're knowledgeable and wise. But they can also fall prey to the Smart Kid problem, where they don't realize their knowledge is all theoretical, and maybe won't work out the way they expect it to, and also people don't like it when you lecture them or play the "I know more than you do" card.

Scorpion: I think it's easy to do these guys badly, but done well, I love 'em. Ideal mode is the understanding that sometimes, preserving your honor is a selfish act, and it's better to compromise for the greater good. Failure mode is their readiness to take the easy way out, even when it isn't necessary (or even desirable).

Unicorn: much as with the Mantis, I have the hardest time thinking of the Unicorn in these terms. But not because they're stapled together from some very different groups; it's just that their core identity encompasses a couple of unrelated ideas (foreign stuff! also compassion! but the kind of compassion that comes with a kickass military!) There's no single thing I can really point to and say "here is what the rest of the Empire should admire or at least respect, and here is how that same thing can and sometimes does turn to poison."

So if I were to run a campaign or at least a major plot about one of these clans, I'd look for something that shows the tension between those two extremes: situations where the characters (PC or NPC) can sink to their worst selves, or rise above it and demonstrate what is good about their way.

Lots of interesting responses so far. I definitely like what I'm seeing, even if I don't agree with all of it.

Crab: ideal mode is that they are the ones who will put their bodies on the line so that other people won't have to deal with the horrors they see every day. Failure mode is that after a while, those horrors are *all* they can see, and they forget what it is they're fighting to protect.

Dagnabbit, Kinzen! Why must you always be giving me character ideas with your comments?

Crab: Underappreciated for the eternal war they fight.

For much of the Empire, the Crab fall under two categories: Uncouth Louts when they are successfully defending the Wall, or Brave Failures when a Shadowlands assault manages to push past the Wall and threaten normal folks. For me, Crab stories often focus around opening the eyes of the rest of the Empire to the horrors the Crab face on a daily basis.

Crane: Perfectionists who create an art out of everything they do.

The Crane are artisans, creating masterpieces in their chosen field, be it court, the duel, or one of the artisan skills. For me, Crane stories focus on the pursuit of the perfection of their chosen art, and the struggles to live up to the expectations on the world around them.

Dragon: Waiting, Watching, and Acting at the perfect moment to change the course of history.

The Dragon are the patient, wise master on the mountain. To me, Dragon stories are all about the small actions needed to change the world, regardless of their cost to you. Dragon stories are about self sacrifice in the name of a great plan, of acting in ways that show little rhyme or reason, but knowing with absolute surity that doing so will bring about the very results needed.

Lion: The Epitome of a bushi.

The Lion represent what it means to be an honorable bushi. For me, Lion stories are much like those of Crane. They are stories of the pursuit of perfection on the battlefield, and the struggles to live up to the standards set by your Ancestors.

Mantis: Arrogant drive to succeed.

The Mantis are merchants, pirates, and a haven for everyone who wants to claim the samurai title, but doesn't know how to act as a samurai. They are brave, reckless, and utterly terrifying to those who rely on Tradition and Bushido to guide behavior. to me, Mantis stories are about the great heights ambition can raise you to, as well as the terrible falls that can result.

Phoenix: Powerful, prideful pacifists.

The Phoenix are the masters of magic, devoted to peace. Their leadership is made up of some of the most knowledgable people in the Empire, and they know it. To me, Phoenix stories are focused around exploring being the smartest person in the room, the consequences of pride (both theirs and those around them), and exploring how far a Phoenix is willing to go to see peace.

Scorpion: Loyal, ruthless, and pragmatic.

The Scorpion are my favorite clan, with the Dragon a close second. The Scorpion are incredibly loyal to their friends, and are willing to take the biggest risks to see their goals accomplished. Where another Clan might see kanshi in response to questionable orders, the Scorpion always have an agent willing to step up. To me, Scorpion stories are all about the balancing act between doing what has to be done and maintaining companionable relations with the more honorable clans.

Unicorn: Outsiders in their homeland

The Unicorn have spent centuries exploring the world beyond the Empire. It's inevitable that, when they returned, they were almost unrecognizable to those they had left behind. Those differences have continued to the current timeline. To me, Unicorn stories are all about being the alien in your native land, and exploring how those differences affected those around you. How does the lonely Crane respond when the nicest person in the room is a weirdo?

Spider: Tainted goods

The Spider are hated, disliked, and generally disdained. In my stories, they fulfill one of three roles: either they're genuinely good people trying to push past their evil reputation, they are temptors and corruptors, or they are monsters. Their stories can be about the struggle of overcoming their nature or reputation.

MCA: minor characters in a Great Clan's game.

The MCA have lots of character. There's a lot you can do with them. But they're small, they're few in number, and they can't really play on the same level as the Great Clans. In my stories, minor clans play one of two roles: either they are supporting characters in a Great Clan story, or they are the scene for a Great Clan story.

A bonus:
Ronin: Freedom has its costs.

Ronin have some of the greatest freedom any samurai can claim, but they also have the weakest support systems. A ronin answers to nobody but those who can force their compliance. However, a ronin must also find ways to feed himself, and has nobody's name to fall back on in case of troubles. A ronin lives, thrives, or dies based on his own cunning and strength of arms. A ronin's story explores the themes of freedom and the dangers of being completely alone in an incredibly cruel world.

Well I gave a shot at the old Imperial Edition outlook, now I will attempt a more contemporary look at the clans, and what kind of stories I would want to tell.

Crab:

I think I would focus on their sorrow. They for so long protected us against the monsters of the Shadowlands. Now that it has been so long since such beasts have been seen, people are beginning to think they never existed in the first place, but ther are still old grizzled veterans of the wall who remember well first hand. They are still pragmatic, and down to earth dispite the horrors they have faced, and known. Yet hardly ever recognized, or thanked. That seems like it might brew sorrow, and resentment towards the rest of an Empire that choses to turn a blind eye to their plight.

Crane:

They wear masks in their dealings with others. Polite little masks of smiles with kind words. Words that carry more weight than the blade worn beside their duelists' obi. I would tell stories about Crane who have mastered the techniques of a gentle push in court is more valuable than one hundred bushi on the field of battle. How they can win a war, or broker peace without ever stepping foot out of the courtroom.

Dragon:

The wise man on the mointain. The stoic scholar in pursuit of enlightenment. Perhaps even moreso the monk who has precognitive dreams, experiences deja vu moments, then finds enlightenment by helping others he meets first in dream, then later in person.

Lion:

The Noble Samurai, the Paragon of Bushido, the Undefeated General. I may tell stories of this sort of Lion, prideful and mighty. Perhaps he would actually have a touch of humility and kindness towards those who are under his command. Perhaps he would be egotistical and harsh to those who did not meet his standard. Perhaps you could have both arguing the proper tenets of bushido while playing a game of Go.

Mantis:

A clan of misfits, and sailors. Their survival upon the islands and coastlines of the Colonies makes them harsh. They at least seem harsh, and judgemental of others who are not Mantis. Running around with chips on their shoulders daring others to try and knock them off. I for one would lke to tell a story of a Tsuruchi who lost an archery contest to someone outside of his clan. He spends the story trying to determine what caused his failure. I think I would make a Kitsune instrumental in his discovery of his introspection. Then have the story end at next years archery contest that he wins, yet sees the value of his competitors. Even learns something more about archery from each of his opponents.

Phoenix:

I still find them boring. Maybe it is because I just simply do not know enough about them. Maybe it is because of their cloistered nature that just puts me off. I would rather learn first hand. Maybe there is a story in that itself. You could tell the story of a Phoenix that gets tired of the "classroom" and wanders abroad to experience the things he has read about first hand. After a long while he begins to miss those halls he called home. Then on his way home he has to apply the knowledge he learned from bith the tomes, and his life experience. Only to die in the crucible of battle just before making it back home. Then perhaps as a ghost he helps guide another into the pathways of knowledge he had aquired. Finally he is risen by Shiba to have a second chance.

Scorpion:

Honestly I draw an entire blank on Scorpion. They seem like the kind of people that smile to your face, and assure you all is fine only to stab you as soon as your back is turned. They are the only clan I have seen that their Champion has the word sociopath in association. Like I said, I just do not understand a Scorpion's point of view, and think they could always find a better way to serve the Empire than the path they usually tend to choose.

Spider:

I simply will not touch this one.

Unicorn:

A clan that in my opinion is currently broken.

Shinjo Family:
Once the leaders of the clan, and most respected family. Now we fill the roll of the least among our brethren. We are born to serve and die. We are cavalry,scouts, and infantry support . We are the bulk of the Unicorn armies. We shall do as we are asked without question, and hope for glorious death. We are still the most feared cavalry in Rokugan, and our Khol Regulars have no peers other than the Shiotome when it comes to horse achery.

Ide Family:
Perhaps they are the reason we have not entirely faced exile from the Empire we serve. They have so focused on inner Empire relations for generations now, that our gaijin relations have suffered. Still they are our life line in the courts, with foreign kingdoms, and in the arena of economics. Their talents keep us alive as a great clan.

Iuchi Family:
Our priests who have of recent generations turned more fully toward worship of the Kami of Rokugan. Few still retain the knowledge of meishodo. Many of our own have even turned from their guidance, and begun following the direction of the death priest. Even our priestly family has in part followed the worship of the foreign gods introduced to us by the Moto. Perhaps you could tell stories about this splt in faith among our priests, and how it reflects a division of loyalties within the families of our clan. Three focuses of supernatural among the Iuchi, and thusly the clan; worship of Shinjo, worship of the Shai-Ten Yen-Wong, and also the practioneers of meishodo.

Utaku Family:
Our most elite cavalry, and those who still hold to the oldest teachings of the original Ki-Rin clan upholding the oath of fealty as given by our founder Otaku, and demonstrated through her daughter Otaku Shiko. Perfection and harmony of Body, Mind, and Soul through both the arts martial, social, and obedience to or supernatural pledge to Shinjo. Many stories even stories of romance could be woven with Shiotome as main characters.

Moto Family:
Currently rule the clan and as such have accomplished their initial goals. They are Qolat as far as I am concerned and have accomplshed supplanting the Ki-Rin Clan that they once tried to ambush, and assassinate. They have destroyed us from within. They are truly our enemy, yet we fight beside them. Shed our blood for them. Hopefully to one day redeem them. Our chosen path to redeem our adopted desert brothers is not an easy one, but will fullfill our oaths to Shinjo, and respect her laws in a way that no other path open to us can. Maybe to tell the story of this path of redemption, and restoring the Unicorn Clan to once again be whole could make for something epic.

Minor Clans, Naga, Nezumi, Shadowlands stories just not going to go there.

Peace, and safe journeys with the wind blowing at your back.

Hmmm... Let's see... In my gaming club, we have stories like:

Crab: You bring the pain and take it like a boss. A day without fighting something big and mean (bigger and meaner is always better) is a day wasted. Quantity not necessary compensates quality, but if the big beating is there then it is as good as anything else. If you have nothing to pick a fight with, then you should look for the trouble yourself, even if it means that your fellow Crab neighbor has to experience the hardness of your knuckles (he is probably just as bored as you, so it is OK). As a Hiruma, you are way more conservative with your dealings, though you wouldn't miss a good fight if you had the chance.

Crane: Nice people doing nice things. Everything is pink (uhmmm... teal?), pretty, fair, dreamy and kind, and if it isn't, then you will make it so. It is, like, nothing wrong can come from you, only good things that will make everything around you good. Some might find your niceness somewhat disturbing and your intents to turn things nice importunate, but you can't help it - that's what you are. This in turn will most likely get you into all sorts of trouble, but it is usually nothing a few kind words and/or a perfectly executed strike can't solve. As a Daidoji, your methods tend to be noticeably less nice, but a man has to do what he has to do.

Dragon: For you, the journey is more important than the destination. What we learn through our life, how our struggles shape us, and the lessons we discover are the things you consider your true reward and not what waits you at the end. Understanding is better than merely experiencing, and going down in the rabbit hole is more interesting than simply running around a hill. Unfortunately, only a few non-Dragon see the world as you do, and you either miss all those hidden wonders in the haste or you risk confrontation with others (that can be just as counterproductive). As a Mirumoto, you are a bit more pragmatic... but also pick confrontation more eagerly.

Lion: Sober and just... stern and passionless. Like the steel of your katana, you are cold and unyielding. You are a living embodiment of Bushido, and that is all you ever will be - or want to be for that matter. Honor is not your way of life, it is an imperative you must uphold, and no man or god shall escape you if they are found wanting. Those with darkness in their hearts will give you a wide berth, but they only delay the inevitable: none can escape righteous judgement, and when the time comes, you will be there, rooting out wickedness with methodical precision. As an Ikoma, you are the lonely bonfire in the endless fields of ice, but it doesn't mean that your warmth can't burn.

Phoenix: You see, you love boxes. You love thinking outside of these boxes. But what you love most is to turn the boxes into something different and just enjoy the thrill of the endeavor, to taste something new and thrilling, discover radical and unconventional ideas, then do something nobody has done before. It doesn't matter if it explodes right into your face: as long as you know what you were doing, you can just stand up, dust yourself, and try again! You don't really look for adventure as much as the adventure finds you because you are so in-line with a life of boundless excitement. It is a blast to have you around... often quite literally. Your enthusiasm will also unnerve people and thus cause a lot of problems for you. As an Asako, you like the "know what you are doing" part better than the others, and as such, the unintentional hilarity factor is lower around your methods.

Scorpion: We could provide all sorts of excuses for the contrary, but there is really no way around it: you are a villain. Not the villain, but one of those guys nevertheless. You can deny and reject your true nature, but that would be only a waste of your talents. The others, the so-called "heroes" are all self-important children who usually can't tell their heads apart from their *sses, and it just so easy and satisfying to play with them like they were just mere puppets in your hands. And since tragedies tend to be the most interesting stories... well, you can guess the rest. Malicious pleasure is the most beautiful pleasure, after all. Just keep in mind that the other Scorpions around you think the same, and there are exceptional individuals who might give you a run for your money... so know your limits. As a Soshi, you are supposed to use your... hmmm... extraordinary abilities to make the world a better place, but don't worry, it won't make you a better person (only an *sshole with a sense of justice).

Unicorn: Normally, it can be said that spirited people have a certain "pond" of energy and vigor that keeps them going onward... well, you have a whole ocean of that stuff in your heart. You are always on the move, always high-spirited, always positive. The world is a big place filled with amazing things, and you want to see them all. Sadly, you really just want to "see" and your attention spam is unhealthily low, so your adventures tend to be rather... shallow. You ride around, enjoy the wind in your hair and the gentle sunlight on your face, then -bang- a beautiful mountain! You cheer, your eyes glance through the beautiful mountain, you proclaim that this is a beautiful mountain... then you kick your horse and move on without giving it a second thought.

As an Otaku, you are so special that it deserves its own paragraph. You probably get embarrassed a lot as people mistake you with a Lion, as you only possess a small trickle of the Unicorn aptitude and otherwise wouldn't stand out from the Lion Clan at all.

Note: I base this on our alternate setting, as my experiences with the canon setting are somewhat... lackluster. In this setting, the Matsu is not with the Lion (and the Lion is called Tiger, but that's another story), the Isawa is not with the Phoenix, the Kaiu is not with the Crab, and the Moto is not with the Unicorn. I don't think that these would make much difference, though. Maybe the Matsu, but screw it.

I keep agitating for a reboot, so that is what I will go from the perspective of. None of this is about their history, but about what they should be distilled to their core. Also, forget the Moto, and the Dragon and Phoenix are merged.

Crab: Horror stories where the real monster is not Man and tales of courage. Being the thin blue line between civilization and annihilation, however well or poorly that may go.

Crane: Political thrillers and tales of romance. A courtly, cultured world of intelligence and restrained passion.

Dragon/Phoenix: Journeys of wisdom and weird tales to astonish. Uncovering the truth of things, whether it be mystically enlightening or bizarre and otherworldly.

Lion: Military fiction and "traditional" samurai tragedies. The fragility of human life, whether the life part be endangered by war or the human part by The System, and why it matters nonetheless.

Mantis: Heist movies, with or without an actual crime. Tales of ambition and audacity, of people who see what they want and stop at nothing to have it, whether that ends up like "Gurren Lagann" or "A Simple Plan".

Scorpion: Spy thrillers and tales of intrigue and danger. People caught up in and navigating a dangerous world of secrets that superficially resembles the normal one, but where any slip or weakness could mean their doom.

Spider: Horror stories where it turns out the real monster is Man and Greek-style tragedies. People who become monsters, and why they keep doing it.

Unicorn: Adventure stories, tales of passion and discovery. Embodying hope for tomorrow and the promise of the horizon, showing the power of virtue and compassion, as well as their difficulty.

Unicorn:

A clan that in my opinion is currently broken. Whoever it was that made Shinjo Yokatsu a kolat agent, that was just the beginning of cutting the head off the clan. I am not a fan of kolat at all, nor am I a fan of the Moto or the Shai-Ten Yen-Wong and their death priest. All that mess could have remained in the Burning Sands, but it did not. Now we have Moto Curse, and all sorts of other messes to clean up, in order to bring healing to this broken clan.

You keep saying true things about the Unicorn and then justifying them with these absurd, irrelevant IC narratives.

The Unicorn ARE broken, but it has nothing to do with the Shinjo losing their honor. The Death Priests and the Kolat are symptoms, not the cause -- their fundamental identity was undermined and self-contradictory, so writers kept throwing other junk in there. The whole Clan went out to explore the entire world -- all of them, why? -- but by the time the game started, they had come back and settled in, and knew next to nothing about the outside world, and had barely changed at all despite being immersed in foreign cultures for centuries. Except for when they had changed! And they were dishonorable and uncouth and nobody liked them because they were foreign, only also they were honorable and generous and compassionate and everybody liked them because they were the kind of people who go out and make friends with foreigners.

Don't build the Clan's identity around the Moto! The Mantis are better at doing everything they bring to the table. Build the clan around Shinjo. Have her and a cadre of people go off to explore the world and invite people back to their home, but keep most of the Clan in Rokugan -- just make them a Clan of people who are like that, and value those things, and behave that way! Who are optimistic, value compassion, itch for adventure, and believe in always doing your best to make everything turn out okay!

You had a Clan founded by Usagi Tuskino on a horse and you chose to focus on Mongolian Khan-ness and being an uncouth outsider, what is wrong with you?

Mongolian Khan-ness is the general perception of almost all Legend of the Five Rings players in my area. They continually harass me about my choice of Unicorn, and more specifically Shinjo Family. Always telling me the only interesting thing about Unicorn are the Moto, and their Death Priest. I suppose that my long fight to dispel that view has even tainted my own view. However I would not compare Shinjo to Usagi Tsukino, she is actually even better than that in my opinion, and my acceptance of the Moto as part of our clan comes from Moto Naleesh. I would love to see the Shinjo House restored to honour, and once again leading the clan. I would want to see it done properly though in a way that honours Shinjo our founder. The Phoenix solution of kill all the Moto and let heaven sort them out is just plain bad. There is a better way, and Shinjo started us down that path long ago.

Now for what I believe about the Shinjo. We followed our Lady Kami Shinjo out beyond the borders. There we learned various new twist on skills we already employed, horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, tactics, and how to utilize these skills in combination with one another. This is only a little of what we brought back with us. We also brought foreign people, and foreign goods, the establishment of trade routes, and diplomatic relations from foreign nations. We have seen the value in gaijins, and other cultures. Yet our Rokugan brothers, and sisters are not so welcoming of these new cultures, and wares. Yet how much of this have we seen represented within our clan, and our stories? There was some mention of such things during Clan War, and less and less as time passed post Clan War.

You mentioned that the Mantis do some of the things we do, only that they are better at it. The Unicorn did those things, and do those things. They have been played down in our clan since the Second Day of Thunder when they needed reasons for the Mantis to be considered a great clan. Unicorn are still the most feared horsearchers, and cavalry in Rokugan, but we were also once known for the archery we brought back with us from our sojourn to the west. I have always disliked the Mantis for that very reason we lost part of our identity to them, so they would have their claim to fame. Yet that left us as simply the horse clan with little to no other reasons why we are a great clan, other than our compassion.

Edited my earlier post to hopefully to clarify what I was attempting to say in the first place. I apologize if it offended you in any way, that was not my intention.

Mongolian Khan-ness is the general perception of almost all Legend of the Five Rings players in my area. They continually harass me about my choice of Unicorn, and more specifically Shinjo Family. Always telling me the only interesting thing about Unicorn are the Moto, and their Death Priest. I suppose that my long fight to dispel that view has even tainted my own view. However I would not compare Shinjo to Usagi Tsukino, she is actually even better than that in my opinion, and my acceptance of the Moto as part of our clan comes from Moto Naleesh. I would love to see the Shinjo House restored to honour, and once again leading the clan. I would want to see it done properly though in a way that honours Shinjo our founder. The Phoenix solution of kill all the Moto and let heaven sort them out is just plain bad. There is a better way, and Shinjo started us down that path long ago.

Now for what I believe about the Shinjo. We followed our Lady Kami Shinjo out beyond the borders. There we learned various new twist on skills we already employed, horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, tactics, and how to utilize these skills in combination with one another. This is only a little of what we brought back with us. We also brought foreign people, and foreign goods, the establishment of trade routes, and diplomatic relations from foreign nations. We have seen the value in gaijins, and other cultures. Yet our Rokugan brothers, and sisters are not so welcoming of these new cultures, and wares. Yet how much of this have we seen represented within our clan, and our stories? There was some mention of such things during Clan War, and less and less as time passed post Clan War.

You mentioned that the Mantis do some of the things we do, only that they are better at it. The Unicorn did those things, and do those things. They have been played down in our clan since the Second Day of Thunder when they needed reasons for the Mantis to be considered a great clan. Unicorn are still the most feared horsearchers, and cavalry in Rokugan, but we were also once known for the archery we brought back with us from our sojourn to the west. I have always disliked the Mantis for that very reason we lost part of our identity to them, so they would have their claim to fame. Yet that left us as simply the horse clan with little to no other reasons why we are a great clan, other than our compassion.

Edited my earlier post to hopefully to clarify what I was attempting to say in the first place. I apologize if it offended you in any way, that was not my intention.

Sorry, when i said "you had..." I meant the creators. YOU, personally, didn't make the Unicorn, and so could not have focused on or ignored anything.

"Compassion" is a great identity, if they'd actually play it up, instead of going "well, let's make them the clan of foreigners, except not really." When we get to the conceptual level, it doesn't matter who ahs the archers, because "the good archers" are not part of the core identity.

The setting told us that the Unicorn brought all this cool stuff from foreign lands, but didn't show it -- Rokugan stayed the same, and they were very recognizably "Rokugan, but more Mongolianey". The impression was very much that they traveled the entire world and learned almost nothing, because of the branding decision to keep the game focused on Rokugan, the Unicorn can't change things with outside information, or know about outside cultures. By all rights, Rokugan should have undergone a massive culture shock that shook it to the foundation once the Unicorn came back, because they would come back with a new EVERYTHING. But little changed. And the Unicorn's own culture should have been almost unrecognizably different to that of Rokugan because of the generations upon generations spent abroad in contact with other cultures -- but instead, it appears the only culture to have ANY impact on them were the first ones they met, and they just stopped paying attention after that, so they're "Like Rokugan except more Mongolianey only not really."

The description and identity of the Unicorn, in AEG's game, is full of contradictions between what we're told and what we're shown, and lots of "except not really"s.