Yay new stuff. Things were beginning to feel a little stagnant....

https://www.fantasyflightgames.com/en/news/2018/2/7/the-specters-of-war/

Love the new story. I'm really enjoying this depiction of Toturi. That said, for all their talk about earning Glory Points it would be nice if they updated the Clan Standings page.

the story isn't bad, but a bit long, and no much really happens.

let's hope next story is more eventful, and shows up before another month.

11 minutes ago, Nitenman said:

the story isn't bad, but a bit long, and no much really happens.

let's hope next story is more eventful, and shows up before another month.

Really this the final set the stage story. I see it as the culmination up of the Imperial Cycle, all our pieces are in place and now its time to kick the anthill and see what happens.

That cliffhanger ending though... how long before we find out who, if anyone, is heading towards Toshi Ranbo?

11 minutes ago, Schmoozies said:

Really this the final set the stage story. I see it as the culmination up of the Imperial Cycle, all our pieces are in place and now its time to kick the anthill and see what happens.

I think we will finally start seeing our story decisions showing up. Hopefully the next story will delve into movers actually making moves, not just more set up.

Side note: I like how Toturi is still seen in a bad light from other samurai due to his "slow" actions.

"Nighttime"

"Emerald Champion"

"Toshi Ranbo"

The art is so awesome! Here's to hoping we get a neutral Emerald Champ Toturi next Cycle.

The length of this story is most welcome.

I'm glad to see the tenderness between Kaede and Toturi has blossomed into mutual trust. Rejecting the Phoenix petition to send a delegation of Shugenja to Toshi Ranbo is one thing; the Emerald Champion personally investigating is quite another. Toturi very wisely balanced the needs of his heart and his office there. The Phoenix cannot conclude he doesn't take their concern seriously. However, did he find any evidence corroborating said concerns? Is the face from Kaede's vision the same one Kitsuki Kagi will find in the bushes?

Sumiko comes across again as a bit denser than I'd expect. Why doesn't she see that the Emerald Champion cannot act against the wishes of the Emperor? Why does she think Toturi would be fool enough to ride up to Toshi Ranbo as the Lion Clan Champion? It's plain that she doesn'ta gree with him - but to mistrust him so far as to assume he will himself force a Crane-Lion war ...

I would really like to know who the Dragon candidate was in the Emerald Tournament.

I'd also love to know what petition the Dragon Clan brought to court that time the Emperor pre-empted the Unicorn petition. Interesting that Toturi calculates seizing Toshi Ranbo as an Imperial possession would enhance Scorpion influence.

11 minutes ago, Manchu said:

Sumiko comes across again as a bit denser than I'd expect. Why doesn't she see that the Emerald Champion cannot act against the wishes of the Emperor? Why does she think Toturi would be fool enough to ride up to Toshi Ranbo as the Lion Clan Champion? It's plain that she doesn'ta gree with him - but to mistrust him so far as to assume he will himself force a Crane-Lion war ...

Well, he is a Lion. We, the audience, know that Toturi doesn't have any ulterior motives, but Sumiko doesn't have our insight, so it's not a stretch to assume she's suspicious of his intentions. Inaction in claiming Toshi Ranbo for the Empire could be taken as him favoring his clansmen's claim for the city. Even we only know the Emperor told him not to act on Toshi Ranbo, but not when and where that happened, and Sumiko could not have been present for that either; a case of "well, you say that, but is it really so?" The audience has no reason to believe Toturi's lying, but what evidence does he have to back it up?

Also, I have a feeling everybody is used to the Emperor being really, really passive, with everyone doing what they want with very little input from the throne . Sumiko may just be of the mindset that the Emerald Champion does his job and as long as he claims "for the glory of the Emperor!" everything is fine, and taking a direct order is unusual.

Or for her (consciously or subconsciously) loyalty to the Empire does not assume loyalty the Emperor, and to Toturi it does mean that.

Did you notice that Toturi described his wife's health as 'delicate'? That's sometimes been used as a euphemism for pregnancy. Tsudao?

It is common knowledge that Arasou led Lion forces against Hotaru at Toshi Ranbo and fell there. In the interim, Toturi did not attack the city again despite pressure within his clan to do so (which any halfway competent spy network would know). Am I supposed to conclude that Sumiko suspects Toturi was waiting to become Emerald Champion before redoubling Lion efforts against the Crane? It seems more like Sumiko is impatient with Toturi's signature restraint. The question is, does she really believe he's holding back from bringing Toshi Ranbo under Imperial administration to further Lion goals? Presumably, she could think so because Unicorn sought to petition the Court to this effect but was preempted by the Emperor's ban on legislation pending the Emerald Tournament. It seems Unicorn has renewed the petition - but to the Emerald Champion now or the Court again? If to the Court, and the Emperor rejected it, how then is Toturi in a position to grant Unicorn's request? Or is Toturi merely assuming that the Emperor disapproves because he preempted the pre-Tournament petition with his own legislation ban?

Ohhhhh, Kaagi, if you're here... and Doji Ninube's daughter is here...

Good build.

Wonder how Uji would have reacted to an Emerald Champion who wasn't a Lion paying him a call...

Evidence of what can be considered common knowledge is a bit thin (it's not like Rokugan has the evening news), but even that is 'what', not 'why'. We know why, but not everybody in the story knows why Toturi did what he did. Prejudices being what they are, it's easier for people to think and assume that, as a Lion and the active Clan Champion, he's just as willing to put his own people ahead and use his new position off authority to do so. With the position he's in, nowadays we would call it a conflict of interest. It doesn't matter that the Emerald Champion title is incidental to the conflict, but the perception of how things are playing out.

This is all hypothetical to how things are going on. Personally, it looks like the conflict between Sumiko and Toturi is more one of priorities, unfamiliarity, and trust. I still think most of Empire is used to the Emperor not doing anything, considering how Yoshi was so surprised by Emperor's previous declaration. Sumiko is likely used to the Emerald Champion taking action, and sitting around on his thumbs at the Emperor's command is irksome and unusual.

I didn't think I would need to clarify that "common knowledge" in this case means common to a few hundred indviduals who make up the ruling elite of the Empire, whose lives depend on this knowledge and who continually spy on one another.

Sumiko, as Ruby Champion, would be very much aware that Arasou fell to Hotaru at the gates of Toshi Ranbo and the resulting conflict within the Lion Clan attendant to the rise of Toturi first as Clan Champion and then as Emerald Champion.

Based on this story and Wildcats and Dragon Teeth , I don't think Sumiko is what you'd call a natural at judging character or "counting out" political schemes. In simpler and nobler times, she would be a perfectly solid ally to a good man like Toturi. In these dangerous times, everything is clouded and only keen minds can pierce the corruption.

8 hours ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Ohhhhh, Kaagi, if you're here... and Doji Ninube's daughter is here...

Good build.

That opening paragraph did have me picturing shadowspawn...

On an unrelated note, there's jade in them there hills! It is obviously imperative that the Crab be granted stewardship of Toshi Ranbo. It'll be just like the good old times when we conquered Ryoko Owari except without the extensive criminal element to make the occupation a pain. Plus it'll give the Yasuki a nice northern staging area from which to ply their wares.

Fox plan for the area: Forest. Forest Everywhere.

24 minutes ago, shineyorkboy said:

On an unrelated note, there's jade in them there hills! It is obviously imperative that the Crab be granted stewardship of Toshi Ranbo.

Since the Mantis/MCA aren't allowed to have a shot at it, you lot might as well. Dragon are an acceptable lesser option.

I am really hoping for the first Uji card now. I dont care how inefficient that deck might be it will be played!

An interesting point to bear in mind when judging Sumiko's reaction to Toturi is that her previous experience was reporting to Doji Satsume. As per the previous incarnation, Satsume absolutely used the Emerald Championship to bias things in favour of the Crane. Including, IIRC, thwarting a Lion attempt to annex the area around Toshi Ranbo. If this is the history that Sumiko has with the Emerald Champion, acting the way she does is entirely reasonable.

I like the depiction of Toturi's inner thoughts in this one. The Crab being shoehorned in really let this down for me. 6 Clans have thought out motivations and then there is the Crab who continue to have a shoulder shrug and "I dunno, jade?" as the reason for any of their actions.

Why doesn't Kisada just openly declare "right - whichever of you goobers wins the rights over this jerktown, give us the jade in that there mine or else everything you ever know or loved will be overrun with Oni when we are unable to do our jobs. I am going to go back to ordering Code Reds on cadets, you go back to arguing over who gets the laciest cushion or whatever the **** you paper bushi do when you are not actively being a drain on my war effort."

33 minutes ago, DarkHorse said:

I like the depiction of Toturi's inner thoughts in this one. The Crab being shoehorned in really let this down for me. 6 Clans have thought out motivations and then there is the Crab who continue to have a shoulder shrug and "I dunno, jade?" as the reason for any of their actions.

Why doesn't Kisada just openly declare "right - whichever of you goobers wins the rights over this jerktown, give us the jade in that there mine or else everything you ever know or loved will be overrun with Oni when we are unable to do our jobs. I am going to go back to ordering Code Reds on cadets, you go back to arguing over who gets the laciest cushion or whatever the **** you paper bushi do when you are not actively being a drain on my war effort."

Probably a Yasuki thing.

Because, as we saw in Yasuki Taka’s fiction, all Rokugan is tired of Crab always crying wolf.

The other clans are so used to the old “we protect your asses, gimme weapons and men and Jade” song that they don’t pay attention to it anymore.

One of the problems with the Crab is that they do their job so good that there hasn’t been any real treat for the other clans from the Shadowlands in the last, I dunno, thousand years? So for the rest of the Empire, the mighty and bloodlust of the Shadowlands’ army is just a tale. I mean, if a bunch of savages that don’t even know how to properly behave like educated Samurai can keep them at bay for so long, are they really that great of a treat?

That’s always have been the dichotomy of the Crab: protect an Empire that underestimate them.

So in this case, if the Crab says “gimme the Jade or the Oni will come”, the clan that owns Toshi Ranbo just will laugh it off and say “The same that you always say, but they never come. And if they do, ok, let them come, we’ll deal with them once and for all.”

1 hour ago, Tabris2k said:

Because, as we saw in Yasuki Taka’s fiction, all Rokugan is tired of Crab always crying wolf.

The other clans are so used to the old “we protect your asses, gimme weapons and men and Jade” song that they don’t pay attention to it anymore.

One of the problems with the Crab is that they do their job so good that there hasn’t been any real treat for the other clans from the Shadowlands in the last, I dunno, thousand years? So for the rest of the Empire, the mighty and bloodlust of the Shadowlands’ army is just a tale. I mean, if a bunch of savages that don’t even know how to properly behave like educated Samurai can keep them at bay for so long, are they really that great of a treat?

That’s always have been the dichotomy of the Crab: protect an Empire that underestimate them.

So in this case, if the Crab says “gimme the Jade or the Oni will come”, the clan that owns Toshi Ranbo just will laugh it off and say “The same that you always say, but they never come. And if they do, ok, let them come, we’ll deal with them once and for all.”

Good points but I don't see it is worth the Crab splitting their already stretched thin assets to also then try to run a northern city under constant threat from envious samurai neighbors. (If the other clans don't buy that the threat is real, I wish somebody would straight up just say "they keep asking us for jade, what do they do with it? Eat it?" and somehow advanced this plot stalemate in one direction or the other. Then again, the plot advancement seems to be "Do you *want* Mantis? Because this is how you get Mantis".)

Then again this Toshi Ranbo stuff is all from Toturi's perspective and he hasn't always been the best judge of motive.

That's why Hida should have pressed his claim for the throne as Hantei's brother back in the day. This sort of thing wouldn't happen if we were in charge.

Although the city going to the Crab might be a good excuse to keep the Crab involved in the overall narrative if they want to avoid having a new big bad of the Shadowlands popping up every 2-3 years. Suddenly the Lion and Crane have to decide if it's more important that they get it or the other one doesn't. And neither of them can attack the Crab to capture it without risking the other getting involved to deny them and end up fighting two Clans at once.

I think the big stretch in the story is the Dragon, more than the Crab.

I mean, why they’re supposed to be so interested in the city? Sure, they always have the old “Because Yokuni saw it in a prophetic vision” excuse, but that gets old pretty quick, and they have to justify their claim to the other clans and in court.