Been going over the (new) lore. Trying to get a better understanding of the new FFG timeline. Now the novel "The Sword and the Spirits" is an important part of it all from what I understand. But when looking up that novel on amazon I was referred to a FFG L5R novel called "Whispers of Shadow and Steel" . I never seen it mentioned in the threads about the written fluff pieces before and it isn't included in any chronological listing of the short stories and other background pieces. Also its title explicitly says LCG in referents to the card game, unlike "The sword and the spirits".

Anyone know anything about this Shadow and steel book and how it fits in with the role-playing game and the fluff?

Link to the book on amazon uk

I haven't read Shadow and Steel yet but the main protagonist is the Honest Scorpion. The CCG Lore forum have some diussions about all the short stories, maybe check that out.

All the novellas are as good for the LCG and the RPG. Both are following the same major storyline.

To be fully enjoyed, you should also read the LCG fiction in chronological order.

Basically, even if you do not play the card game, it is good to follow up on stories of the card game as it is basically the living story for the RPG too.

It's good. I recommend it.

I read and liked the Sword and the Spirits. I thought it was good. But when I read Whispers of Shadow and Steel I thought it was Great. And it made we want to start a campaign in the City of Lies.

It involves the "Honest Scorpion" and the trouble faces within the family. As punishment for not fixing the Tournament of the Emerald Champion to produce a Scorpion champion, he gets sent as an Emerald Magistrate to investigate a politically "problematic" crime .... in the City of Lies. Involving Bayushi Aramoro, who maybe is just the smallest bit upset with him. Along the way to finding out the truth he has to deal with a paranoid supervisor who doesn't trust him, a dragon investigator also working the case...who doesn't trust him. And elements of the Shosuro and Yoshi families. ...Who don't trust him! Also - Hidden secrets from a cult of Lord Onnatangu! The totally not on the take Thunder Guard! And cries of Fire, Shinobi and Ninja in the night.

32 minutes ago, Avatar111 said:

All the novellas are as good for the LCG and the RPG. Both are following the same major storyline.

To be fully enjoyed, you should also read the LCG fiction in chronological order.

Basically, even if you do not play the card game, it is good to follow up on stories of the card game as it is basically the living story for the RPG too.

That was what I was doing and I had gotten as far as the novel. But the whispers of shadow and steel wasn't listed. Hence my confusion.

31 minutes ago, Void Crane said:

It's good. I recommend it.

I read and liked the Sword and the Spirits. I thought it was good. But when I read Whispers of Shadow and Steel I thought it was Great. And it made we want to start a campaign in the City of Lies.

It involves the "Honest Scorpion" and the trouble faces within the family. As punishment for not fixing the Tournament of the Emerald Champion to produce a Scorpion champion, he gets sent as an Emerald Magistrate to investigate a politically "problematic" crime .... in the City of Lies. Involving Bayushi Aramoro, who maybe is just the smallest bit upset with him. Along the way to finding out the truth he has to deal with a paranoid supervisor who doesn't trust him, a dragon investigator also working the case...who doesn't trust him. And elements of the Shosuro and Yoshi families. ...Who don't trust him! Also - Hidden secrets from a cult of Lord Onnatangu! The totally not on the take Thunder Guard! And cries of Fire, Shinobi and Ninja in the night.

Cool. Have to pick it up then.

Anyone know about where in the chronology the Whispers of shadow and steel takes place?

29 minutes ago, Chryckan said:

Anyone know about where in the chronology the Whispers of shadow and steel takes place?

Soon after the Emerald Champion tournament. Just check the scorpion fiction around that time, it is about there I think.

On 7/16/2019 at 2:34 PM, Avatar111 said:

Soon after the Emerald Champion tournament. Just check the scorpion fiction around that time, it is about there I think.

That would mean both novels takes place about at the same time? Is that's correct?

Whispers of Steel and Secrets happens after the Emerald Champion Tournament. Read "Fate Has No Secrets" TCG expansion short story "The Bright Flame of the World's Glory" before you read the Scorpion Novella. It puts much of Bayushi Yojiro's personal conflict with Aramoro and Kachico into perspective.

Before reading "Acroos the Burning Sands, you should read "Into the Forbidden City" TCG expansion short story "Family Duty" followed by "Elements Unbound" expansion short story "A Swift End" in that order. It puts Shono's personal demons into perspective as well. I was fortunate to have read the short stories before the novels. If you have not, then you might get a little confused by the references without any context.

For my own part I liked "The Sword and the Spirits" the best followed by "Across the Burning Sands". While all three novels can be described at minimum as Greek tragedies, the Scorpion story is better described as a Shakespearian Drama. Maybe that is why I was not as impressed with it. Of course, knowing the crafty Scorpion clan, I suspect a certain character's death was nominally faked. I can totally see them declaring an "official execution" while secretly pulling a bait and switch. Said character's talents are just too useful to the clan to simply dispose of casually. I think that character has begun a "second life" under an assumed name. Would not be the first time the clan of secrets has played people, particularly the Emerald Magistrates, or even their own, for fools.

Here's the timeline for New L5R (5th Edition) including the packs and novels.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wEhIccleYFIsL_C0zKAV3gk4U7XIcjNXokEsuMBbBZM/edit#gid=0

The LCG Lore forum is a better place to find info about the fictions. Sadly the two lore forums aren't linked even though the RPG and the card game are following the same narrative continuity. To get the whole story you kinda need to be following the card game fictions, the novellas and the stuff that's going on in the RPG modules.

All the novellas have been great so far, but I don't know how well they work as a standalone experience since I've been reading along with the card game fictions. Hopefully they do a decent job of catching a casual reader up on the characters and their situations. I feel the Phoenix book had the easiest time of this considering it was released so early in the timeline.

12 hours ago, phillos said:

All the novellas have been great so far, but I don't know how well they work as a standalone experience since I've been reading along with the card game fictions. Hopefully they do a decent job of catching a casual reader up on the characters and their situations. I feel the Phoenix book had the easiest time of this considering it was released so early in the timeline.

I read the Phoenix novella before reading the card game expansions. I read the Scorpion and Unicorn novellas after reading most if not all of the short stories in the expansions. The only online fictions I have read were the winter court letters.

I agree that the Phoenix novella can easily stand alone. The other two really need specific card pack expansions before reading them, as I listed above as they give context. I would like to read the online fictions, but I might need to download all of them an print them out since I find it easier turning pages on a book than I do scrolling down on a screen. Sorry, I am just old school in that I prefer reading from a physical book in my hands.

Most of the online fiction is only 5 . 7 pages long, a few is maybe 12 pages.

They collected a bunch of them already in PFD form. Hopefully they do another round of that. Would be easier to get one big PFD printed than a bunch of small files. I was kinda hoping Drivethru would give you the option to do a print on demand of that story collection. So far they haven't.

I'd offer that the novellas are meant to be sort of "side quests" from the main story line of the L5R narrative. They take a character who is important in their clan in some fashion, but about whom we don't really know much, have them kinda "branch away" from the main story's through-line, do something interesting, then converge back into the main story at the end. For instance, the Phoenix novella deals with the Kaito and Isawa Tadaka as a separate, standalone narrative completely independent from the greater goings-on in the Empire, then brings them both back into the main story as it closes. It's a cool way of telling more about different people, showing off some different settings in the Empire that otherwise wouldn't get much air time, while making incremental (or setting up potentially major) movements in the main plot.

13 hours ago, DGLaderoute said:

I'd offer that the novellas are meant to be sort of "side quests" from the main story line of the L5R narrative. They take a character who is important in their clan in some fashion, but about whom we don't really know much, have them kinda "branch away" from the main story's through-line, do something interesting, then converge back into the main story at the end. For instance, the Phoenix novella deals with the Kaito and Isawa Tadaka as a separate, standalone narrative completely independent from the greater goings-on in the Empire, then brings them both back into the main story as it closes. It's a cool way of telling more about different people, showing off some different settings in the Empire that otherwise wouldn't get much air time, while making incremental (or setting up potentially major) movements in the main plot.

Indeed. And in all three, characters in the card game show up.

For the Scorpion, Soshi Aoi, Soshuro Takao, Shoshuro Hyobu, Bayushi Dairu, and Bayushi Aramoro all make an appearance alongside the main character Bayushi Yojiro.

In the Phoenix, In addition to the main characters Shiba Tsukune and Isawa Tadaka, Kaito Kosori, Kaito Nobukai, Asako Maezawa play a role with Isawa Ujina making a cameo and Asako Azunami being mentioned.

In the Unicorn Shinjo Shono is accompanied by Utaku Yumino. Moto Chagatai and Saadiyah al-Mozedu make an appearance, while the Clan champion Altansarnai appears in flashbacks.

Much as stated above, this fleshes out the named characters in the card game and gives some background to their motivations.