2 hours ago, RandomJC said:

I'm sorry, when did that happen?

From what I can tell, The crab have been completely ignored by the Empire, and the only other people who have done anything against the Shadowlands are those who actually rode through them.

Funny, then, that the fiction refers to the Unicorn as the Crab's "old enemy," no?

2 hours ago, RandomJC said:

Our clan went through the Shadowlands. That trumps your one Isawa.

Part of your clan went through. The rest... stayed to reinforce it.

26 minutes ago, SHARKOSAURUS said:

Oh shoot, I've done with Gunichi usually does.

(Speaking of narratively lazy cop-outs...)

So. I like the story- gives some oomph to the Phoenix's worries beyond, "it's weird and foreign and we don't like it," shows Kaede going to the right people (the Seppun), couches the "share" option for the Unicorn as "share with the Hidden Guard," instead of "share with literally everyone," leaving plenty of room for that to backfire if meishodo really IS dangerous, and gives the Dragon a chance to do that annoying, "we know what's going on, but telling everybody would make too much sense" thing they seem so fond of. And I love me some Ishiken.

Downside: I am really not thrilled that the supposed root cause of the Unicorn/Phoenix friction, the thing that's supposed to drive conflict and keep these two historically under-served clans involved in the narrative on a basic level, is up for a friggin' vote in the first stinkin' tournament before the friction has even had a chance to properly come to a boil.

2 minutes ago, Doji Tori said:

Reasonable assumption yes, I didn't take that into account. However, one important thing is that, even if that school exists, it hasn't overshadowed meishōdō yet, which seemed to happen in the old setting.

To be fair, I didn't get a particularly strong feeling of uniqueness from the extras other clan shugenja families have either, so maybe I just want to feel more shugenja flavours than "Phoenix" and "Phoenix but worse". (The family specialties were cool but they felt kind of minor).

They were minor. Just a little bit of extra flavor for the clans.

In the Unicorns own lands, I would expect meshugga (or whatever ) to be in evidence. In other places you would think they'd tone it down for fear of offending.

I did really like Ishikawa showing up and loved having the Seppun in it. I don't have a good reason for it, but I've always really liked that family.

5 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

So. I like the story- gives some oomph to the Phoenix's worries beyond, "it's weird and foreign and we don't like it," shows Kaede going to the right people (the Seppun), couches the "share" option for the Unicorn as "share with the Hidden Guard," instead of "share with literally everyone," leaving plenty of room for that to backfire if meishodo really IS dangerous, and gives the Dragon a chance to do that annoying, "we know what's going on, but telling everybody would make too much sense" thing they seem so fond of. And I love me some Ishiken.

It seems the Dragon are business as usual, then.

6 minutes ago, SHARKOSAURUS said:

It seems the Dragon are business as usual, then.

Seems like it, from the very last bit of the new story:

Quote

Only the Dragon remained. Ambassador Kitsuki Yaruma and his meager delegation marched in silence. The ambassador turned and looked upon Kaede with a cold, knowing stare. She could not fathom why.

Creepy Dragon is creepy.

1 minute ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

Seems like it, from the very last bit of the new story:

Creepy Dragon is creepy.

Maybe he's secretly in love with Toturi ! ???

Just now, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

Maybe he's secretly in love with Toturi ! ???

Or maybe he just has a staring problem and this version of Kaede is super rude to make a deal out of it.

1 minute ago, SHARKOSAURUS said:

Or maybe he just has a staring problem and this version of Kaede is super rude to make a deal out of it.

Well the Kitsuki ARE a little weird??

1 minute ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

Well the Kitsuki ARE a little weird??

"Uh excuse me, I know that irreproachable guy says he didn't do it, but I believe you'll find this bloody knife as proof against his testimony?"

Also one of their cards in Emperor Edition had a guy studying a deer that got shot. Ain't nobody got time for that!

I suppose I could pull out my theorycrafting brush here and calligraphicate some thoughts...

- Though not yet revealed to the players, the Dragon Clan is intending to keep their current alliance with the Unicorn, rejecting the possibility of aligning themselves with Phoenix instead. Gotta keep those widows coming for the baby boom.

- The Dragon ambassador noticed what happened to Kaede and, being aware of her power/trouble, the "cold, knowing" aspects of his stare are a discreet sign of disapproval.

- The Dragon ambassador, being a Kitsuki, is similarly burdened, having uncovered some terrible secret of his own (maybe even the same one) and is silently acknowledging their shared struggle against the perils threatening the security of the empire and the imperial family.

1 minute ago, Zesu Shadaban said:

I suppose I could pull out my theorycrafting brush here and calligraphicate some thoughts...

- Though not yet revealed to the players, the Dragon Clan is intending to keep their current alliance with the Unicorn, rejecting the possibility of aligning themselves with Phoenix instead. Gotta keep those widows coming for the baby boom.

- The Dragon ambassador noticed what happened to Kaede and, being aware of her power/trouble, the "cold, knowing" aspects of his stare are a discreet sign of disapproval.

- The Dragon ambassador, being a Kitsuki, is similarly burdened, having uncovered some terrible secret of his own (maybe even the same one) and is silently acknowledging their shared struggle against the perils threatening the security of the empire and the imperial family.

You left out;

Yaruma is in love with Suppun Ishikawa and thinks Kaede is putting the moves on his sweet baboo??

Yokuni could be a fakeout and it's possible that Yaruma is Togashi.

28 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Part of your clan went through. The rest... stayed to reinforce it.

And where is your proof of this?

Just now, RandomJC said:

And where is your proof of this?

It's coming...just wait ??

*crosses fingers *

2 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

It's coming...just wait ??

*crosses fingers *

Hows that clan champ's son on that flag pool doing?

It's a shame when a good thread devolves into old fans arguing about the old lore.

Just now, RandomJC said:

Hows that clan champ's son on that flag pool doing?

70/30 against. 5$ gets you in

*like*

Just now, player2636234 said:

It's a shame when a good thread devolves into old fans arguing about the old lore.

Since the only new lore we've seen is the same as the old lore I don't feel chastened at all??

Anyone else notice that one of Kaede's worries was about the princes?

Looks like Hantei XXIX and Daigotsu both grew up with their parents.

1 hour ago, SHARKOSAURUS said:

Voids our schtick, nobody bring that up.

I remember a few Agasha having void in Ivory. Did they ever have any before they left to become more boring Isawa?

3 minutes ago, Ultimatecalibur said:

Anyone else notice that one of Kaede's worries was about the princes?

Looks like Hantei XXIX and Daigotsu both grew up with their parents.

Can you say succession crises....whoops too late?

1 minute ago, Devin-the-Poet said:

I remember a few Agasha having void in Ivory. Did they ever have any before they left to become more boring Isawa?

I don't believe so. Void outside of Phoenix was rare adjacent, though.

2 minutes ago, SHARKOSAURUS said:

I don't believe so. Void outside of Phoenix was rare adjacent, though.

Outside of the Phoenix, an ishiken talent would probably go unrecognized and they'd probably kill themselves accidentally or go insane

10 minutes ago, Kuni Katsuyoshi said:

Outside of the Phoenix, an ishiken talent would probably go unrecognized and they'd probably kill themselves accidentally or go insane

Moto Nergui begs to differ...

(Despite the pile of dead Shiba at her feet I always liked her for the callback to the Nameless Ones)

27 minutes ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Moto Nergui begs to differ...

(Despite the pile of dead Shiba at her feet I always liked her for the callback to the Nameless Ones)

This is why the Death Priests need to stay....well....dead☠️☠️☠️

I'm in favour of breaking the Phoenix monopoly in Void shugenjas.