But Junzo's skull was not smashed. In fact, I think it was used by Moto Tsume or something.... In any case, Junzo was not any regular undead zombie; he was a poweful maho-tsukai turned by a Black Scroll, with enough autonomy of will to command the Horde with several other "generals" serving under him, like the necromancer Isawa Tanayama, Moto Tsume and others. So, he was no Daigotsu, but he was no mindless random zombie #1 either.

You know, thinking about it, removing the taint (in the form of zombie radiation) wouldn't disturb the setting at all, really. It's not a terribly important aspect of the Shadowlands threat.

10 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

But Junzo's skull was not smashed. In fact, I think it was used by Moto Tsume or something.... In any case, Junzo was not any regular undead zombie; he was a poweful maho-tsukai turned by a Black Scroll, with enough autonomy of will to command the Horde with several other "generals" serving under him, like the necromancer Isawa Tanayama, Moto Tsume and others. So, he was no Daigotsu, but he was no mindless random zombie #1 either.

Huh

In the Lion clan novel he got run over by Kamoko and his head came apart like a melon at a Gallagher show.

if there are other versions ,I haven't read them

44 minutes ago, player2636234 said:

You know, thinking about it, removing the taint (in the form of zombie radiation) wouldn't disturb the setting at all, really. It's not a terribly important aspect of the Shadowlands threat.

It does do a good job of representing Jigoku's possessive intent of bringing all of Ningen-do under its sway, however. If all the oni are doing is killing people, with no impact on the destination of their souls, what's the point, really?

EDIT: Furthermore, samurai are taught not to fear death. Without the existence of the taint, how is the Crab's sacrifice in any way special among the clans?

50 minutes ago, player2636234 said:

You know, thinking about it, removing the taint (in the form of zombie radiation) wouldn't disturb the setting at all, really. It's not a terribly important aspect of the Shadowlands threat.

you're either trolling or new, but you're definitely wrong.

it was so fundamentally important to the shadowlands threat that Iweko bargained amnesty for the entire spider clan to change it. getting corrupted by it has been a major plot point in dozens of characters backstories.

i don't even know why i'm responding, you have to be a troll. its a completely absurd assertion.

1 hour ago, Mon no Oni said:

But Junzo's skull was not smashed. In fact, I think it was used by Moto Tsume or something.... In any case, Junzo was not any regular undead zombie; he was a poweful maho-tsukai turned by a Black Scroll, with enough autonomy of will to command the Horde with several other "generals" serving under him, like the necromancer Isawa Tanayama, Moto Tsume and others. So, he was no Daigotsu, but he was no mindless random zombie #1 either.

You're thinking of Fu Leng's skull. Junzo got curbstomped, but Kuni Yori stole Fu Leng's skull in the aftermath of the Day of Thunder, using it to resurrect Moto Tsume.

As far as Junzo's concerned, he was implied to be an exceptionally powerful tsukai after his fall, but a near-complete lack of stories featuring him in this state, as well as Fu Leng's own prominent role in the latter days of the Clan Wars, led to Junzo being more or less sidelined in the story.

Isn't the shadowlands, oni, and other monsters existing, and the carnage and disorder they represent threat enough? Why does the taint need to be carried by every shadowlands creature no matter how lowly?

4 minutes ago, SirEuain said:

You're thinking of Fu Leng's skull. Junzo got curbstomped, but Kuni Yori stole Fu Leng's skull in the aftermath of the Day of Thunder, using it to resurrect Moto Tsume.

Ah! You're quite right. It was the skull of the possessed Hantei.

4 minutes ago, SirEuain said:

As far as Junzo's concerned, he was implied to be an exceptionally powerful tsukai after his fall, but a near-complete lack of stories featuring him in this state, as well as Fu Leng's own prominent role in the latter days of the Clan Wars, led to Junzo being more or less sidelined in the story.

Well, that part of the story was sparsely told. Many people look back to the Clan Wars as the golden age of storytelling, but it seems to my all the stories from that period can be told with the fingers of both hands... and you'll have spare fingers. Later writers, starting with Ree Soesbee filled a lot of blanks after the fact. However, as you say, Junzo was not developed. Let's hope this time he is!

1 hour ago, player2636234 said:

Isn't the shadowlands, oni, and other monsters existing, and the carnage and disorder they represent threat enough? Why does the taint need to be carried by every shadowlands creature no matter how lowly?

Cuz it Taint no fuuuuun

If the Oni can haaave none

7 hours ago, player2636234 said:

Isn't the shadowlands, oni, and other monsters existing, and the carnage and disorder they represent threat enough? Why does the taint need to be carried by every shadowlands creature no matter how lowly?

Why does it bother you so much that it is this way?

9 hours ago, cielago said:

i don't even know why i'm responding, you have to be a troll. its a completely absurd assertion.

Pretty needlessly harsh words for a storyline that is no longer true.

If you don't know why you are responding to someone you feel isn't worth responding to, perhaps your time would be better spent not accusing people whose only crime is making a reasonable supposition about a rebooted setting which is already different from the original that you disagree with.

Because it's pretty bad pool to claim that a certain story element is fundamental to the setting when the stories that element appears in literally do not happen in that settting, let alone then insult someone multiple times for wondering how this new setting might continue to be different under a totally different design philosophy and team.

10 hours ago, player2636234 said:

Isn't the shadowlands, oni, and other monsters existing, and the carnage and disorder they represent threat enough? Why does the taint need to be carried by every shadowlands creature no matter how lowly?

The taint needs to exist to explain why the Crab don't just march into the Shadowlands and kill all the monsters. Just venturing in there leads to soldiers becoming the enemy, so best to stay on top of a nice, safe wall and kill anything that approaches it. Until the end of time.

14 minutes ago, Laurence J Sinclair said:

The taint needs to exist to explain why the Crab don't just march into the Shadowlands and kill all the monsters. Just venturing in there leads to soldiers becoming the enemy, so best to stay on top of a nice, safe wall and kill anything that approaches it. Until the end of time.

Or technology has become sufficiently advanced to seal the Festering Pit, like in Rokugan 2000.

1 minute ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Or technology has become sufficiently advanced to seal the Festering Pit, like in Rokugan 2000.

Pff, technology trumping a festering pit into the depths of ****: bah!

16 minutes ago, Laurence J Sinclair said:

Pff, technology trumping a festering pit into the depths of ****: bah!

Yeah, well, it doesn't turn out so good, once you read through the story that's been done so far. Unfortunately, R2K is unfinished, and looks unlikely to ever be unless someone persuades Rich to re-start it...

52 minutes ago, Laurence J Sinclair said:

The taint needs to exist to explain why the Crab don't just march into the Shadowlands and kill all the monsters.

I think this topic was up in the air in Old5R, and the implication was that if the Crab defeats the Shadowlands for good, then the clan will lose its whole purpose and most of its identity, at which point they wouldn't be better off than doing the exact opposite and letting the Shadowlands win.

2 hours ago, AtoMaki said:

I think this topic was up in the air in Old5R, and the implication was that if the Crab defeats the Shadowlands for good, then the clan will lose its whole purpose and most of its identity, at which point they wouldn't be better off than doing the exact opposite and letting the Shadowlands win.

They could seek a new role. Welcome to Unicorn territory. Quite sure the Lion would love competition for Right Hand.

4 hours ago, Wintersong said:

They could seek a new role. Welcome to Unicorn territory.

Unicorn... post-Day of Thunder Dragon... Mantis, really, 'cause it's not like their formal "duty" ever really made sense... Phoenix, given that the Jade Magistrates came back and never went away...

5 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Unicorn... post-Day of Thunder Dragon... Mantis, really, 'cause it's not like their formal "duty" ever really made sense... Phoenix, given that the Jade Magistrates came back and never went away...

Feels good to be a Crab ??

Clearly, the best thing to do would be to dissolve all the other clans, and have their families join the Lion.

7 minutes ago, Kitsu Seinosuke said:

Clearly, the best thing to do would be to dissolve all the other clans, and have their families join the Lion.

............not that you're biased or anything ??

3 hours ago, Kitsu Seinosuke said:

Clearly, the best thing to do would be to dissolve all the other clans, and have their families join the Phoenix .

It could work. We'll begin accepting applications after our victory at Gencon.

2 hours ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

It could work. We'll begin accepting applications after our victory at Gencon.

Pacifism and rule by committee ?........pass.??

8 hours ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

11 hours ago, Kitsu Seinosuke said:

Clearly, the best thing to do would be to dissolve all the other clans, and have their families join the Phoenix .

We of the Spider Clan would like to take this moment to remind you that we are equal-opportunity employers , from goblins to Crab champions and Phoenix overlords , our doors are open to all Clans for membership into our wonderful enterprise. Thank you, and have a Taint day!

10 hours ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

It could work. We'll begin accepting applications after our victory at Gencon.

It's worked before!