Thought it might be helpful to start a separate thread for the Phoenix novella to discuss (and keep separate) potential spoilers for the rest of the community. So without further ado...

Holy wow, there's so much going on in this story. I'm really hoping this means we might be getting some Asako Inquisitors in the near future. I would particularly enjoy seeing a card for Isawa Maezawa. I'm also curious to see what comes from this bit about Tsukune now having a piece of Toshigoku in her (I'm assuming referring to her eye)...and how that will play out in the game itself.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. I liked Tsukune and Kosori in particular. The lore about the Kaito was interesting. The section in the back covering the Kaito family was a pleasant surprise, and felt like a write-up in an RPG supplement. I actually expected to find a stat block in there.

Is it just me, or does the description of Kosori in the book not really match either piece of art for her?

8 hours ago, HamHamJ2 said:

Is it just me, or does the description of Kosori in the book not really match either piece of art for her?

It's not just you. The description mostly matches, but the art definitely lacks the frequently mentioned splotchy birthmark on her face. Probably a matter of the art and story being commissioned independently with just a general description provided for each artist/ writer to interpret as they will.

7 hours ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

It's not just you. The description mostly matches, but the art definitely lacks the frequently mentioned splotchy birthmark on her face. Probably a matter of the art and story being commissioned independently with just a general description provided for each artist/ writer to interpret as they will.

It will definitely happen that the art and text won't match, for all kinds of reasons. Heck, some of it is just that the card art has to be legible at pretty small size; there's a limited amount of detail you can cram in there without it looking clunky in the end.

Also, poor Kosori.

34 minutes ago, Swordbreaker said:

Also, poor Kosori.

No kidding. I was so close to throwing the book when I thought she'd been killed. And then when Maezawa was asking if it had touched her throat, I had that horrible feeling in my gut she was going to lose her voice.

I've never been a fan of the Phoenix. But I can't wait to play a Kaito in the RP! This story was awesome. Loved the characters, loved the plot and somehow loved a book about my least favorite aspect of the setting: supernatural stuff.

Was Shiba always married to a ningyo with a water breathing sword or is that new? Also explains why Phoenix are getting a ningyo

3 hours ago, llamaman88 said:

I've never been a fan of the Phoenix. But I can't wait to play a Kaito in the RP! This story was awesome. Loved the characters, loved the plot and somehow loved a book about my least favorite aspect of the setting: supernatural stuff.

Was Shiba always married to a ningyo with a water breathing sword or is that new? Also explains why Phoenix are getting a ningyo

From what I've been told, yes Shiba was always married to a ningyo. L5R wiki also confirms that it was indeed forged by his wife and granted the wielder the ability to breathe underwater.

There are other aspects which have not (at least so far) been confirmed in new5R.

Quote

Ofushikai could only be wielded by the Phoenix Clan Champion; for anyone else, the sword would twist itself from their grip. The true owner of the sword could summon it to them at any time.Wherever the sword might be, it appeared moments later unsheathed and readied in the Champion's hand...The sword also [allowed] its wielder to channel their chi to stop all violence within twenty feet. Those within the range of the effect would be unable to attack, use offensive magic, or be otherwise aggressive.

From what we've seen so far, it does sound like Tsukune is still learning to wield the sword and understand it...so it's possible some of these effects will be "unlocked" as she gains mastery of the sword. I do find it interesting that Ofushikai's card ability (when wielded by a Champion ) is to move a character home and block it from being an attacker for the phase. This certainly fits thematically with the idea of the sword wielder being able to create at least a targeted "non-aggression" effect.

Omg, Shiba Tsukune’s eye...

On 6/4/2018 at 5:40 PM, llamaman88 said:

Was Shiba always married to a ningyo with a water breathing sword

Yep!

Ohhhhh I loved this story. SO friggin' PHOENIX. And as a guy whose forum signature over on AEG's boards included "Yobanjin Obessionado," not only did I call the Kaito's origins from the moment they mentioned Yobanjin and commented on their features, but I embrace and adore Tsukune's treatment of the ancestors. Yobanjin in Yomi: Good.

I also like that the backmatter mentions shamanism rather than blood sorcery as the traditions the Isawa recognized when discussing the Kaito becoming their own thing. Yobanjin shamanism is cool. Blood sorcery is something I can get quite tiresome about (no, not "tired of," "tiresome about.").

Tsukune having a Toshigoku eye is the kind of cool thematic scarring with potential dire consequences I enjoy in my L5R stories.

I am most seriously pleased, both with how the supernatural elements were treated, with how the Phoenix were portrayed, and with how the Isawa didn't run away with the narrative focus as they so often did in the AEG days.

1 hour ago, Shiba Gunichi said:

Ohhhhh I loved this story. SO friggin' PHOENIX. And as a guy whose forum signature over on AEG's boards included "Yobanjin Obessionado," not only did I call the Kaito's origins from the moment they mentioned Yobanjin and commented on their features, but I embrace and adore Tsukune's treatment of the ancestors. Yobanjin in Yomi: Good.

That part reminded me somewhat f the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang (the ancestral Ujik-hai Death Gods of the old lore) being "adopted" in Rokugan's cosmology back then.

As for the Yobanjin, I found interesting that the tribes of Isawa and Hyoketsu had a feud dating back before the Fall of the Kami.

9 minutes ago, Mon no Oni said:

As for the Yobanjin, I found interesting that the tribes of Isawa and Hyoketsu had a feud dating back before the Fall of the Kami.

Have you MET the Isawa? I'd be more surprised if there was anyone they DIDN'T have a feud with.

I want to read more about our new Master of Water. What little we got made her seem like an interesting character.

On 6/5/2018 at 6:02 AM, Kaito Kikaze said:

From what I've been told, yes Shiba was always married to a ningyo. L5R wiki also confirms that it was indeed forged by his wife and granted the wielder the ability to breathe underwater.

There are other aspects which have not (at least so far) been confirmed in new5R.

From what we've seen so far, it does sound like Tsukune is still learning to wield the sword and understand it...so it's possible some of these effects will be "unlocked" as she gains mastery of the sword. I do find it interesting that Ofushikai's card ability (when wielded by a Champion ) is to move a character home and block it from being an attacker for the phase. This certainly fits thematically with the idea of the sword wielder being able to create at least a targeted "non-aggression" effect.

I'm pretty sure that there was a bit where Ofushikai was just in her hand and so she's unlocked the 'summon to hand' bit, even if it is unconsciously.

On 6/6/2018 at 1:59 PM, ShibaOfPhoenix said:

Omg, Shiba Tsukune’s eye...

Yeah, that's new. Interestingly, there was a 1E rpg module about Toshigoku seeping out on the Plains of Battle.

1 hour ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

I want to read more about our new Master of Water. What little we got made her seem like an interesting character.

I'm pretty sure that there was a bit where Ofushikai was just in her hand and so she's unlocked the 'summon to hand' bit, even if it is unconsciously.

That's true. She just wrote it off as having grabbed it in her sleep, but it's quite possible she summoned it instead. Could make things very interesting if that's the case.

On 6/5/2018 at 1:02 AM, Kaito Kikaze said:

The true ow  ner of the sword could summon it to them at any time.Wherever the sword might be, it appeared moments later unsheathed and readied in the Champion's hand

I so want to see this in action in some future story. Can you imagine it? Shiba Tsukune alone, unarmed and surrounded by foes. She holds up her arm and shouts "Sword of the Phoenix, come to my hand!"

The only other thing the sword needs is Sight Beyond Sight

8 hours ago, Eisenmerc said:

Can you imagine it? Shiba Tsukune alone, unarmed and surrounded by foes.

"Perfect, there's no way they can escape me now!"

This book was great. A great start to kick off the series of novellas. Hopefully they all measure up to this standard. I really liked the relationship between Tsukune and Tadaka in this book. I think it really worked. It's hard not to love and feel real sorry for Kaito Kosori. That was a strong introduction for a new family. We got a ton of time showing us what Ofushikai can do in new5R. I totally want to see more stuff with Tsukune as the protagonist now. I'm kinda sad that I already finished the book because now I gotta wait for the chance for her to appear in one of the regular fictions

FWIW Spooky has spoken quite highly of the author for the Scorpion novella, so I think we can safely expect the next one at least to bring us some quality scorpion flavor.

She wrote the first Yojiro fiction and I think she did a good job capturing that character so that makes me feel good about the next novella. I wish the wait wasn't so long between these novellas, but I guess we do have the next cycle coming up so that should be a flurry of new fiction activity in the gap (as well as the RPG materials coming out some time in the fall).

I wonder if we can use the fictions to predict the authors and main characters of the upcoming novels.

Regarding Mari, she is a solid author and a pretty cool person from my conversations with her. I am confident in her ability to write an awesome novella.

10 minutes ago, sndwurks said:

I wonder if we can use the fictions to predict the authors and main characters of the upcoming novels.

Regarding Mari, she is a solid author and a pretty cool person from my conversations with her. I am confident in her ability to write an awesome novella.

From that, I expect Marie for the Dragon...

Just now, Tonbo Karasu said:

From that, I expect Marie for the Dragon...

Honestly I'd be disappointed if anyone other than Marie was picked for Dragon. But I suspect you're right.

18 minutes ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

From that, I expect Marie for the Dragon...

Marie Brennan would be an awesome choice. And I expect we have DG Laderoute working on a Crane Clan novella as we speak, featuring Doji Hotaru and likely Doji Kuwanan, directly influenced by the outcome of the World's Championship decision.

Annie Vandermeer Mitsoda did the intro Crab fiction and the two Yasuki Taka fictions. If we are gonna make an educated Crab guess I'd say she's writing the Crab novella about Taka. If both of those things were true I'd be perfectly happy.

She also did the two Matsu Tsuko stories and I'd also be perfectly happy to see her write a Lion novella about Tsuko.

I'd like to take a guess at the subject matter for both novels, but considering how long we have to wait for the Scorpion novel these won't be coming for a long time (I so wish that wasn't true). I wish they came out at the frequency the Arkham Horror novels did and they weren't locked to the clan packs between each cycle.