4 hours ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

I tend to disagree here a little, but I don't want seem needlessly argumentative.

but if you want me go to go into it I can

I'd be interested to hear it. I'm sure we can enlighten all around us with reasoned discussion; and if not, then iaijutsu also works

16 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

Yasuki Family

• Yasuki Oguri - Daimyo's child - new character - story

Yasuki Oguri is not a new character. He existed in the old canon as Yasuki Taka's son, and played a role in the War of Spirits. Spoilery information behind this link: http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Yasuki_Oguri

8 hours ago, Kitsu Seinosuke said:

I've made several estimates of population numbers for RPG campaigns over the years. However, those are contradicted by canon in many places.

The population numbers that Kuni Katsuyoshi are the canon ones (credit to your scholarship, Kuni-san) but they're hard to reconcile with a plausible world. For example: the Crane possess large fertile coastal lands including numerous trading cities. The Crab do not. It seems odd that the Crane have a smaller peasant population than the Crab. Even the Scorpion, who dwell in the floodplain of a major alluvial river, should have a larger peasant population than the Crab.

I understand why it's done that way. It's "rule of cool" demographics, relying on the awesome clan schticks and glossing over the worldbuilding. This is probably the right decision, since people like me (who care about it) are in the minority.

In the books it say the Scorpion lands aren't all that arable except right around the river. The Scorpion make enogh to feed themselves with occasional surplus.

The Crab have Earthquake fish bay, and Southerly croplands which allow for a year round growing/fishing seasons. An absolute necessity when supporting 4 active armies. The Crab also have a greater need for (semi) skilled peasant labor. Even with all that, they often require certain imports.

So the numbers are arbitrary and fungible, but there is more behind them than 'just because'

11 hours ago, Kinzen said:

On an OOC level, "otaku" is a Japanese word that has several connotations, but the one most familiar to English speakers is its use for non-Japanese fans of anime and other Japanese things. So calling an entire family of the Unicorn "Otaku" was like calling them the Fanboy Family (or rather, given their matriarchal ways, Fangirl Family). I've always suspected the in-world decision to rename the family was because somebody at AEG finally couldn't take it anymore -- and that's why I'm glad FFG decided to make them Utaku from the start, to avoid the problem.

(L5R has several relics of this type, actually, where somebody -- usually John Wick, I think -- decided to slip a "funny" joke into the names. Otosan Uchi can be loosely translated to "Father's House" and Jama Suru, Iuchiban's right-hand man, has a name that more or less means "I'm being annoying.")

A couple more:

Kamoko means 'little duck'.

Seppun Baka (he was an 'Unaligned Sycophant' in the CCG). Baka means "idiot", basically.

The craziest 'hidden message' in L5R is probably the art for Bayushi Kachiko 'xp2', by Matt Wilson. There are kanji on the doors she's opening. When the card was originally printed, no one caught that Matt Wilson had written a message in those kanji. Wilson had been very enamored of a woman that worked at AEG, and apparently everyone knew it. John Wick was interested in her as well, and she returned his interest - they eventually married. Matt Wilson felt that Wick "stole" the lady in question. So, there original version of the kanji in this picture:

Originally said "John Wick is an A***ole", more or less.

Either way it was still many people's favorite image of Kachiko. Mine's always been this one, due to the great story that went with it:

25 minutes ago, Togashi Gao Shan said:

Kamoko means 'little duck'.

I wouldn't count that one, simply because many names have similar constructions: Yukiko is "little snow," Hanako is "little flower," etc. Choosing a duck for the noun is a little odd, but not exceptionally so (especially when in India, "a voice like a duck" is actually a way of praising a woman's beauty).

26 minutes ago, Togashi Gao Shan said:

The craziest 'hidden message' in L5R is probably the art for Bayushi Kachiko 'xp2', by Matt Wilson. There are kanji on the doors she's opening. When the card was originally printed, no one caught that Matt Wilson had written a message in those kanji. Wilson had been very enamored of a woman that worked at AEG, and apparently everyone knew it. John Wick was interested in her as well, and she returned his interest - they eventually married. Matt Wilson felt that Wick "stole" the lady in question. So, there original version of the kanji in this picture:

Dear lord. It's kana, not kanji, but . . . yeah, that says "Uikku wa asu o kamu." Which is "Wick bites a$$."

(The "mu" is actually mis-drawn, but I presume it was intended.)

15 minutes ago, Kinzen said:

Dear lord. It's kana, not kanji, but . . . yeah, that says "Uikku wa asu o kamu." Which is "Wick bites a$$."

(The "mu" is actually mis-drawn, but I presume it was intended.)

Uh-oh. I mixed up kana and kanji. Time to revoke my membership card.

12 minutes ago, Togashi Gao Shan said:

Uh-oh. I mixed up kana and kanji. Time to revoke my membership card.

But you still hold the record for being the only person, in my personal expirience to say anything even remotely nice about John Wick.

So chin up! You're still #1.

17 minutes ago, Togashi Gao Shan said:

Uh-oh. I mixed up kana and kanji. Time to revoke my membership card.

For shame! Better plan to be reincarnated as a peasant.

45 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

But you still hold the record for being the only person, in my personal expirience to say anything even remotely nice about John Wick.

So chin up! You're still #1.

Wick is certainly too into the "temperamental artist" shtick, but he was / is solid writer and *great* storyteller. Aside from the ccg, he did great work on the rpg. 7th Sea was excellent in many ways, and Orcworld is still one of the most creative rpg settings ever published.

It's even better when you know that Kachiko was Wick's insert of that woman both him and Wilson were interested in...

I have updated the census with the characters from the Phoenix fiction.

IIRC, Rujo was Tadaka's sensei before, but we never had a card for him.

@Tonbo Karasu

Love the census, but any chance you could add gender? With all the changes, it's a little hard to keep up. Thank you.

As requested, genders added. I have gone with traditional binary, because we have nothing that suggests this is not the norm within Rokugan.

There are a couple of ?s in there, because I am unsure whether they were ever identified one way or the other. If anyone can give me evidence from this timeline, I'll update as appropriate.

Bonjur de l' Armorique. The weather between Devon and Brittany is pleasant.

Unicorn, Lion and Phoenix added from the story yesterday. I've put Akari in both the Asako and Ikoma families, unless someone can think of a better idea.

I have updated this with the various characters introduced in the Gencon fiction.

Thanks for the work. Some feedback:

- Kakita Asami, Kakita Kaezin, Kakita Yuri (Asami's father and a courtier at the capital), Ikoma Eiji and Matsu Beiona appear in the learn to play rulebook story.

- There are typo at least on Kuwanan and Beiona's names.

- Iuchi Daiyu is the Iuchi family daimyo.

Great thread!

From the Scorpion fiction:

Bayushi Yukano (f) a candidate for the position of command position of the Bayushi Elite Guard

(Bayushi) Dairu (m): Son of Bayushi Shoju

Soshi Shiori (?): Soshi Daimyo

Yogo Junzo (?): Yogo Daimyo

Bayushi Ogoe (m): Scorpion Clan Champion of yore.

(Bayushi) Aramoro: (m) Brother of Shoju

Kakita Yoshi (m): Imperial Chancellor

@KerenRhys and @Mon no Oni

Thank you for the feedback, the census has been updated accordingly.

Just to fill in one of your ?'s...Soshi Shiori is female, and daimyo of the Soshi family.

7 minutes ago, DGLaderoute said:

Just to fill in one of your ?'s...Soshi Shiori is female, and daimyo of the Soshi family.

Thank you. Updated.

Just a small typo in the name of the Unicorn Champion: Shinjo Altansarnai.

1 hour ago, Mirumoto Kuroniten said:

Just a small typo in the name of the Unicorn Champion: Shinjo Altansarnai.

I believe the correct spelling is Shinjo Alterleaver

2 minutes ago, shosuko said:

I believe the correct spelling is Shinjo Alterleaver

I think it's actually Shinjo Albatross ??

15 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

I think it's actually Shinjo Albatross ??

Its Shin joo MAMA!

1 minute ago, shosuko said:

Its Shin joo MAMA!

Don't you be talking about my mama.????

*Like*

how about Shinjo Alcatraz ??