1 hour ago, Coyote Walks said:

Crab wearing leather. Was that a thing?

Other people covered it - but yeah. Original L5R research for leather was kinda like their research for "how fast do you die if I cut you." They saw something interesting, and took it way too far. Leather working is definitely eta work, and there are wood, metal, and silk components but also leather. Rokugan doesn't have massive herds of cattle (or I could say Japan didn't) so leather isn't a prominent component, but it is there.

29 minutes ago, Ishi Tonu said:

Turning over your captured ogres and goblins to Kuni Yori seems like a good idea to me...........

Definitely the best move - it's like selling secrets to the Scorpion. If we don't do it the story just won't be as fun :\

4 minutes ago, llamaman88 said:

wait... do other people not have friends with daisho?

Just now, Cold Iron1 said:

You mean you guys don't to tournaments dressed in your clans armor?

I think it's perfectly acceptable to own a daisho. I hope it's acceptable to wear a mask to the tournament... I have the worst poker face, so it helps me keep my plans private if my face is concealed. Playing Scorpion is a great excuse lol

38 minutes ago, shineyorkboy said:

Well I feel that was certainly well worth the wait. Old Man Kisada was awesome. A few things...

If the Wall was now built in the wake of the First War I'm guessing there was no Maw attack and the Hiruma and Kuni lands are now north of it.

Not necesarily. There was supposed to be a Wall since after the first War. Only after the Maw thing, it was seriously upgraded. Notice Kuni Osaku was mentioned.

38 minutes ago, shineyorkboy said:

Yakamo came off as rather more of a brute that I tend to imagine him, but I suppose he needs age to forge him into the Sun we all know and revere.

Yay for nezumi confirmation.

I missed that... where is that confirmation?

Top of page 8. They were digging pit traps it seems to help with the fortifications.

13 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

You need to stop spending so much time playing with your 'Black Scroll', and do something useful. Like persecuting the Unicorn.

They say if you play with your black scroll too much you go blind or your limbs fall off. I can never remember. As for persecuting Unicorns. Well, those widows the Dragon are taking in are coming from somewhere.

3 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

Not necesarily. There was supposed to be a Wall since after the first War. Only after the Maw thing, it was seriously upgraded. Notice Kuni Osaku was mentioned.

They had fortifications early on but no Kaiu Wall til later

http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Kaiu_Kabe

4 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Kaiu_Kabe

Ah, hmm. Well alright then.

1 hour ago, Mirith said:

You bring up a good point. I thought they considered leather taboo for the same reason as meat. Mostly it was Metal, Wood, and rope/cloth I think?

The meat taboo seems to have been far more complex than "you can only eat fish."

It seems that during one period it was a punishable crime to eat cattle, horse, monkey, dog and chicken meat during a six month period each year. Deer and wild boar were not prohibited and were likely dietary staples away from the coasts. During another time government officials and nobility were considered unclean for a 3 day period after eating meat and could not participate in Shinto rituals at the Imperial court.

9 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Kaiu_Kabe

I stand corrected. (and a little embarrased)

On the upside it eliminates the 'problem' between the intro and the fiction.

So thank you for that

I'm guessing Hiruma Yoshino is analogues to Hiruma Yoshi from the original. Yoshi was a cool character so nice to see a return. I'm hoping we get some Hiruma centric fiction.

1 minute ago, phillos said:

I'm guessing Hiruma Yoshino is analogues to Hiruma Yoshi from the original. Yoshi was a cool character. I'm hoping we get some Hiruma centric fiction.

I though Hiruma Kage was the 'original' Hiruma daimyo?

4 minutes ago, shineyorkboy said:

Ah, hmm. Well alright then.

Consider that the concept of the Wall has changed over time. In fact, in the original sets of the CCG it wasn't there... you won't be able to find a quote about it the first few sets. The Shadowlands wasn't supposed to be an actual physcial region and the set was supposed to be called the Underworld IIRC, then there was some conflict with similar concepts in the Shadowfist game, so they decided to make it an actual territory bordering the Crab. I'm not sure when the Wall was "born" (in the Way of the Crab book, it was there for sure) but when it was, it had been always there. In fact, more or less around then Crab was retconned as the Shadowlands fighters. At the beginning, they had been the low honor, military Clan with bonus to the defense, where the Lion were the high honor, military Clan with bonus on the attack,

Later came the Maw thing which was a retcon... unlike AEG (that made it up as they went) FFG has the advantage to be able the choose the story they want from the beginning.

8 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

Consider that the concept of the Wall has changed over time. In fact, in the original sets of the CCG it wasn't there... you won't be able to find a quote about it the first few sets. The Shadowlands wasn't supposed to be an actual physcial region and the set was supposed to be called the Underworld IIRC, then there was some conflict with similar concepts in the Shadowfist game, so they decided to make it an actual territory bordering the Crab. I'm not sure when the Wall was "born" (in the Way of the Crab book, it was there for sure) but when it was, it had been always there. In fact, more or less around then Crab was retconned as the Shadowlands fighters. At the beginning, they had been the low honor, military Clan with bonus to the defense, where the Lion were the high honor, military Clan with bonus on the attack,

Later came the Maw thing which was a retcon... unlike AEG (that made it up as they went) FFG has the advantage to be able the choose the story they want from the beginning.

The maw came up in Way of the Crab.

12 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

I though Hiruma Kage was the 'original' Hiruma daimyo?

I don't recall if Yoshi or Kage was the "original", but I always liked Yoshi. They both were clan wars personalities though and I think in this timeframe it's correct for Yoshi to be Daimyo. I didn't get a read on how old Yoshino is suppose to be in the story. I'll be curious to see if we get a similar outcome for Yoshino and Kage.

Big fan of this fiction.

Seems to me, from what I've read on Kisada that they're possibly going in a new direction here regarding Sukune and the Standard and all that jazz. He doesnt seem hot headed. He seems tired, cautious, and a true noble carrying a dreadful weight with the responsibility it deserves.

Something tells me that Hida Kisada will not be as long running a character as he was in O5R. Something tells me that he's going to die and his hot headed older son will do something drastic and terrible with the weak son that he doesn't get on with in the name of trying to fill some seriously big shoes.

Killing off Kisada early would certainly be an interesting twist considering the disunity between his children. I can see that happening considering how they played up the "old man" stuff with Kisada and really leaned into Yakamo being a hot head. I can see this depiction of Yakamo being easy for someone like Yori to manipulate. We didn't get any feel for Yori in this story so who knows where they are going with that character.

10 minutes ago, Daigotsu Steve said:

Big fan of that.

Seems to me, from what I've read on Kisada that they're possibly going in a new direction here regarding Sukune and the Standard and all that jazz. He doesnt seem hot headed. He seems tired, cautious, and a true noble carrying a dreadful weight with the responsibility it deserves.

Something tells me that Hida Kisada will not be as long running a character as he was in O5R. Something tells me that he's going to die and his hot headed older son will do something drastic and terrible with the weak son that he doesn't get on with in the name of trying to fill some seriously big shoes.

I think Sukune becomeing champion would make for a great story

1 hour ago, Isawa Omi said:

I am glad to see that Yori will not be retconned away from being the visionary that he was in the oLd5R. Unlocking the taint and the power it can lend to the feeble prayers of more traditional shugenja is second only to the understanding the intricacies of Maho. I know it is frowned on by the more recreant samurai but I for one look forward to the discoveries of the honorable Kuni daimyo.

I see that you haven't touch your Jade Petal Tea..and it has gone cold.

would you like a new one?

2 hours ago, Coyote Walks said:

Crab wearing leather. Was that a thing?

Crabs and BDSM has a long history..

1 minute ago, Bayushi Bajie said:

Crabs and BDSM has a long history..

I think you may be projecting Mr. Mask.

2 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

I think Sukune becomeing champion would make for a great story

Yeah, or maybe Sukune and Yakamo can overcome themselves and work together and then O-Ushi can be champion guided by her brothers? And they can be like a trifecta, Kisadas three children working together to replace Kisada himself. Because another thing I realised they make very clear in the fiction is just how good Kisada is at being himself. A master tactician, who cares for his people on an individual level, and a warrior strong enough to go toe to toe with a serious Oni with only a single young samurai for help? Beast.

Maybe a little too much of a beast. Maybe it'd make for a really interesting story if such a complete beast were to die WAAAAAAY ahead of 'schedule'.

1 minute ago, Daigotsu Steve said:

Yeah, or maybe Sukune and Yakamo can overcome themselves and work together and then O-Ushi can be champion guided by her brothers? And they can be like a trifecta, Kisadas three children working together to replace Kisada himself. Because another thing I realised they make very clear in the fiction is just how good Kisada is at being himself. A master tactician, who cares for his people on an individual level, and a warrior strong enough to go toe to toe with a serious Oni with only a single young samurai for help? Beast.

Maybe a little too much of a beast. Maybe it'd make for a really interesting story if such a complete beast were to die WAAAAAAY ahead of 'schedule'.

He could just end up 'hurt' like last time, leading to the trifecta idea.

4 minutes ago, Daigotsu Steve said:

Maybe a little too much of a beast. Maybe it'd make for a really interesting story if such a complete beast were to die WAAAAAAY ahead of 'schedule'.

I think at the end of the first major story arc, he'll be beheaded at court, after revealing the young Hantei is actually the child of the emperors wife and brother-in-law, and being promised that his only punishment will be that he'll have to return to the wall.

Plot twist, Kisada has been dead for years, its just his three children in an overcoat passing off as him to make appearances while Yori works on the "Totally not Maho Guys," solution.

31 minutes ago, Daigotsu Steve said:

Something tells me that Hida Kisada will not be as long running a character as he was in O5R. Something tells me that he's going to die and his hot headed older son will do something drastic and terrible with the weak son that he doesn't get on with in the name of trying to fill some seriously big shoes.

Maybe this potential future is what triggered Yokuni's vision and prompted him to march the Dragon ASAP...he foresees Kisada's untimely death and the hot-headed reaction of his eldest son seeking revenge and glory.