So let's just say my brain decided to go wild and came up with this idea. I'm just sharing this for fun, since I don't even know how this could be implemented in the RPG anyway and it's a lot wilder than usual. For the elevator pitch version, let's say it's Civilization meets L5R with a heavy dose of ''inside a video game'' tropes.
Twenty Emperors
Pekkles are shapeshifting spirits from the Spirit Realm of Mischiefs, and most of the time only a distracting nuisance. A handful of them, however, found their way into Yume-Do, the Realm of Dreams and grew in strength exponentially by stealing the dreams and experiences of mortals. Soon drunk with power, they decided to invade Ningen-do, the Realm of Mortals.
Lacking an army, they stole impressive dreamscapes made from the dreams of Gods, essentially worlds that could have been, and shaped them to their liking. Still learning the craft of war, the Pekkles made these realities fight one another again and again, learning everything they can in the process. Soon, they would be ready to unleash these dream armies and create havoc among Rokugan. Mortals have no way of knowing what is about to hit them, but salvation may come from the most unexpected source. The Pekkles have 20 dreamscapes in their possessions, all with a different Rokugan; Rokugans that could have been. The inhabitants of these dreamscapes are spirits themselves, but the constant war against other dimensions have made them realize there is someone pulling the strings.
Each 'scenarios'' consist of a few Dream Emperors selected and brought into a specially crafted dreamscapes where they raise armies and try to annihilate the others. When one of them wins (a process that usually takes years if not decades, but time goes by a lot faster in dreams), the Pekkles erase everything and start again. However, after dozens of scenarios, some people are starting to have flashes of erased memories from past scenarios. Mystics and diviners are starting to realize the stars are not right, and the Emperors are starting to grow in power as well. Centuries of simulated fighting, even with their memories erased, have left a mark and they might one day be able to usurp the Pekkles and start an invasion of their own, this time for real.
It's now a race for survival (they are at war against other realities after all), but also a race for the truth and a mean to keep their memories after the scenario is over, or even break the cycle completly.
Each of the 20 dreamscapes are alternate realities of Rokugan, summarized below using their respective emperors (Some of them heavily references actual events from the O5R, so I apologize if some of you do not understand them completly). Im still missing a few. Ill add them as I finish them.
Hantei XXXVIII (Vanilla Rokugan, FFG era)
Toturi X (From the Heroes of Rokugan RPG Campaign)
Iweko II (A Rokugan where Iweko Seiken ascended the throne, but unbeknowst to everyone, he was corrupted by the mad dragon Pan'ku. He started by annihilating the Spider Clan, but his mind was broken by hatred andcontinued his hunt and ''found'' maho-tsukai and other heretics where there was none. Thus he became known as Iweko the mad, and his reign is one of terror and where every crime and perceived slight is punishable by death, usually a messy and painful one)
Hantei XL (Daigotsu Kanpeki invaded Rokugan and was crowned Emperor. This is a world where the corruption of Jigoku is everywhere, and only the strong survives)
Chuda (In the fifth century, a powerful spirit called a Shuten Doji corrupted the small Snake Clan, basically turning them into one big hive mind. In this reality, however, the spirit wasn't stopped and managed to take control of Rokugan in its entirety. It is now a ''perfect'' world, where all its inhabitants share by one mind, all obeying the will of Chuda, the almight Emperor)
Togashi III (This is the alternate reality depicted in Imperial Histories, where Togashi became Emperor instead of Hantei)
Shoju I (Bayushi Shoju killed the Emperor and took its place. Some say it was to prevent a terrible prophecy, others say it was because he is now under the influence of the Bloodsword Ambition, a dangerous magical artifact. Needless to say, under the rule of the Scorpion Clan, Rokugan became of much more treacherous place, where the courts are deadlier than the battlefield.)
Hantei XXXIX (This is the reality depicted called a Thousand Years of Darkness, depicted in Imperial Histories, where Fu Leng took control of the rigtheous Emperor)
The Khan (The throne stood empty and nobody of value wanted to claim it, so Moto Chagatai did what was necessary. He took it by force. With his allies the Mantis, he used magic unheard before to take the rest of Rokugan by surprise and managed to hold the capital long enough to convince enough Great Clans he is the best one for the job. He has now opened a new era of exploration and trade with the neighbouring nations, but the Khan will not be satistied until everything under the sun kneels before him)
Akodo XXVI (When the Kami fell from the sky, they fought one another to decide who will rule Rokugan. In this reality, Akodo won by killing Hantei. Akodo only realized after the killing blow the only reason he was able to win was that Hantei was holding back as to not injure or kill his brother. Heartbroken with this realization, he took the throne and swore an oath never to attack unless attacked first, and to only use non-deadly attacks. His Empire is still an impressive military power, but with a much stronger emphasis on defense. Among other things, it means the Kitsu (the sentient lion people) were never massacred but instead integrated into Rokugan and warfare against the Clans is much harder to justify)
Himedoji VII (Hantei Kusada had a beautiful wife, and very little political power. Everything was controlled by a select few called the Gozoku. The Crane were unhappy with this arrangement, because they had to share power with other Great Clans, and for years manipulated events that would result in the downfall of the Gozoku, but also the death of Hantei Kusada, without an heir. Using their immense political Clout, they named Kusada's wife Empress and she remarried with a Crane, starting a new dynasty. Sure, some people where unhappy, but the Crane's control of the courts was absolute, and they either changed opinion or disappeared. This is a really pretty similar to vanilla Rokugan, but where the Cranes have almost absolute authority)
The Council (After the Toturi dynasty, a tournament sponsored by the Heavens was created to find someone worthy of the title of Emperor. The Sun and Moon watched how everything unfolded and had no choice but to name Shiba Ningen as the new Emperor of Rokugan. However, instead of claiming the title alone, the shugenja decided the Elemental Council was better suited than a single mind. The Elemental Masters abdicated all powers they had over the Phoenix Clan and instead proclaimed mastery over all Rokugan. Rokugan is now a very specific Meritocracy, where the five most powerful and respected shugenjas from any clans (but mostly Phoenix) decide the fate of the land. Unsurprisingly, magic and spirits have a much higher importance in this reality)
Yoritomo I (The world is burning under the leadership of Fu Leng, who possessed the body of Hantei XXXIX. A group of Heroes are assembled, ready to take back the capital and kill the Dark Lord of Jigoku, but one of them is crucial to the operation. Yoritomo, the Champion of the minor Mantis Clan has the boats required for the invasion, and will not use them unless he is crowned Emperor once this is all finished. Forced to make a choice between annihilation and obedience, they accepted and Yoritomo became the most powerful man of Rokugan. Under his leadership, the celestial order is much less strict (at least between samurais), status is determined by talent (at least theorically) instead of birth)
Edited by Tetsuhiko