Celestial Order:

Samurai - warriors, nobles, rulers (bushi, courtiers, diplomats, artisans,...)

Clergy - shugenja - priests for weddings, speaking with spirits and doing magical feats a la D&D when needed; most usually noble origins too (aka samurai )

Bonge - those who work (peasants, merchants, craftmen). Usually called heimin (half-people) and under the samurai caste.

Hinin - non people like geisha , criminals, entertainers, ninja .. Eta are subtype even lower than the regular hinin.

1 minute ago, Mirith said:

We are all probably doing this instead of something useful.

We are banishing ignorance in (or bringing enlightment to?) this forum. One post at a time.

1 minute ago, Wintersong said:

Celestial Order:

Samurai - warriors, nobles, rulers (bushi, courtiers, diplomats, artisans,...)

Clergy - shugenja - priests for weddings, speaking with spirits and doing magical feats a la D&D when needed; most usually noble origins too (aka samurai )

Bonge - those who work (peasants, merchants, craftmen). Usually called heimin (half-people) and under the samurai caste.

Hinin - non people like geisha , criminals, entertainers, ninja .. Eta are subtype even lower than the regular hinin.

We are banishing ignorance in (or bringing enlightment to?) this forum. One post at a time.

Are merchants really lumped together with peasants and craftsmen? At least historically, I thought they were something of an oddball, as they were considered less honorable than the former (since peasants and craftsmen actually worked and contributed to society, whereas a merchant makes his living on other folks' work), but their wealth gave them considerably more influence. Though, it could be different in Rokugan, of course.

1 minute ago, JJ48 said:

Are merchants really lumped together with peasants and craftsmen? At least historically, I thought they were something of an oddball, as they were considered less honorable than the former (since peasants and craftsmen actually worked and contributed to society, whereas a merchant makes his living on other folks' work), but their wealth gave them considerably more influence. Though, it could be different in Rokugan, of course.

I seem to remember that being accurate as well.

Merchants are absolutely lumped in with heimin, but not with hinin. They just tend to be well-fed,well-spoken, and have resources on hand. Samurai cannot formally be merchants, they have to be something called a"mechant patron." It's very, very weird.

Just now, Shiba Gunichi said:

Merchants are absolutely lumped in with heimin, but not with hinin. They just tend to be well-fed,well-spoken, and have resources on hand. Samurai cannot formally be merchants, they have to be something called a"mechant patron." It's very, very weird.

I guess "less honorable" could be relative within the caste (even a merchant is still far above a criminal, even if his customers think otherwise!)

1 minute ago, JJ48 said:

Are merchants really lumped together with peasants and craftsmen? At least historically, I thought they were something of an oddball, as they were considered less honorable than the former (since peasants and craftsmen actually worked and contributed to society, whereas a merchant makes his living on other folks' work), but their wealth gave them considerably more influence. Though, it could be different in Rokugan, of course.

The traditional Japanese social order (士農工商) is pretty different from the Rokugani one; it went samurai/noble > peasant > artisans/craftsmen > merchant.

Of course, the Rokugani social order kind of falls apart if you poke at it too much, given that we have had samurai merchants, samurai artisans, samurai craftsmen, samurai monks, etc., appear in the past. Not to mention the whole Sparrow samurai peasant thing.

Just now, Yoritomo Reiu said:

The traditional Japanese social order (士農工商) is pretty different from the Rokugani one; it went samurai/noble > peasant > artisans/craftsmen > merchant.

Of course, the Rokugani social order kind of falls apart if you poke at it too much, given that we have had samurai merchants, samurai artisans, samurai craftsmen, samurai monks, etc., appear in the past. Not to mention the whole Sparrow samurai peasant thing.

Now I kind of want to find an RPG group, just so I can make a samurai criminal who presides over religious functions and trades in temple goods.

7 minutes ago, JJ48 said:

Now I kind of want to find an RPG group, just so I can make a samurai criminal who presides over religious functions and trades in temple goods.

Well... you ARE a Mantis fan...

2 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Well... you ARE a Mantis fan...

Oh, right. I'll also be wielding a yumi.

Back on topic...

Yumi - A bow. Usually, an asymmetric bow held about 1/3 of the way up rather than at the midpoint. See also Tsuruchi.

5 minutes ago, JJ48 said:

Oh, right. I'll also be wielding a yumi.

Back on topic...

Yumi - A bow. Usually, an asymmetric bow held about 1/3 of the way up rather than at the midpoint. See also Tsuruchi.

Fun note, in traditional Rokugani Archery, you didn't "aim" like you would in the West. It was more a matter of reflexes and 'becoming one with the target'.

The Unicorn, in their barbarian ways, brought back this concept of trying to aim your bow.

11 minutes ago, Mirith said:

Fun note, in traditional Rokugani Archery, you didn't "aim" like you would in the West. It was more a matter of reflexes and 'becoming one with the target'.

The Unicorn, in their barbarian ways, brought back this concept of trying to aim your bow.

Cause we're awesome

Some more oddball terms-

Shiotome- In L5R, this specifically refers to the Utaku Battle Maidens of the Unicorn Clan.

Niten- Both a book and a style of swordsmanship, where a katana and wakizashi are employed simultaneously. Generally only common among the Dragon.

Kanshi- Seppuku performed as a means of registering opposition to a lord's orders.

Iaijutsu- Iaido, Rokuganized.

Kenshinzen- A super amazing awesome Iaijutsu duelist. Usually Crane, and therefore SCUM! SCUM, I TELL YOU!

Tensai- In L5R, a Tensai is a shugenja trained by the Isawa for a near-exclusive focus on a single Element.

Taryu-Jiai- A form of magical duel where the shugenja involved obligingly stand still, charge up, and fry one another with raw elemental power.

13 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Kenshinzen- A super amazing awesome Iaijutsu duelist. Usually Crane, and therefore SCUM! SCUM, I TELL YOU!

Oops, you spelled BADASS wrong!

4 minutes ago, Doji Makoto said:

Oops, you spelled BADASS wrong!

You spelled Yoritomo wrong.

1 minute ago, Wintersong said:

You spelled Yoritomo wrong.

You spelled "opportunistic pirate scumbag" wrong.

2 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

You spelled "opportunistic pirate scumbag" wrong.

Now, now, that's just not right.

He was an opportunistic, mercenary scumbag.

3 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

You spelled "opportunistic pirate scumbag" wrong.

You mean "Successful Mantis Entrepreneur"?

2 minutes ago, Wintersong said:

You mean "Successful Mantis Entrepreneur"?

To-may-to, to-mah-to.

3 minutes ago, Yoritomo Reiu said:

Now, now, that's just not right.

He was an opportunistic, mercenary scumbag.

TRAITOROUS LOWLIFE CRIMINAL.

Just now, Kakita Shiro said:

TRAITOROUS LOWLIFE CRIMINAL.

Really, you guys only have yourselves to blame...

1 minute ago, Yoritomo Reiu said:

Really, you guys only have yourselves to blame...

For being an uppity Minor Clan? Extorting the Empire for recognition? He deserves a beheading.

A couple more:

Shadowlands: A wasteland filled with terrible creatures (oni) that want to kill you - influenced by jigoku [Crab protect the empire from the shadowlands]

Jigoku: Realm of Evil

Oni: Demonic evil beasts

Tengoku: L5R heaven

kami (little k): Elemental Spirits

Kami (big K): Children on the sun and moon, founders of the clans [Shiba, Bayushi, Hantei, Fu Leng, Hida, Shinjo, Akodo, Togashi, Doji]

Nezumi - Ratlings

Just now, Kakita Shiro said:

For being an uppity Minor Clan? Extorting the Empire for recognition? He deserves a beheading.

I was more thinking for providing him with the funds that enabled him to do the above, but that works too.

Just now, YasukiKaito said:

A couple more:

Shadowlands: A wasteland filled with terrible creatures (oni) that want to kill you - influenced by jigoku [Crab protect the empire from the shadowlands]

Jigoku: Realm of Evil

Oni: Demonic evil beasts

Tengoku: L5R heaven

kami (little k): Elemental Spirits

Kami (big K): Children on the sun and moon, founders of the clans [Shiba, Bayushi, Hantei, Fu Leng, Hida, Shinjo, Akodo, Togashi, Doji]

Nezumi - Ratlings

Note the Shadowlands came about because Fu Leng missed his landing and threw a tantrum. And the kami reflect the Shinto-esque belief of a spirit in everything.

Just now, YasukiKaito said:

Shadowlands: A wasteland filled with terrible creatures (oni) that want to kill you - influenced by jigoku [Crab protect the empire from the shadowlands]

Nononononononono. You are painting it like if it was Hello Kitty-chan's home. The Shadowlands, with a Festering Pit of Fu Leng connecting Ningendo with Jigoku, is infested with Onis, goblins, undead, bloodspeakers, deadly frakking flora and a long list of other threats. And if that was not enough, and even if you managed to avoid all of the other threats, if you run out of Jade in your journey? Get Shadowlands Taint and a probable place in some Crab legion of damned. If you managed to go back to the wall in one piece (mentally and physically).