Here we go!

Behind The Empty Throne

Begun, the Clan War has.

Yup, they even call this the first Clan Wars fiction if you download it

So I gotta ask this since we have a body double prominently featured in the story. Is that Asami or Kachiko that stayed behind in the capital? Is Shoju good enough to know the difference? I mentioned that because it feels like he is really underestimating Kachiko in this story. I like that Shoju's first act a regent appears to be giving the Crab the jade mine in Toshi Ranbo. It seems like such an obvious move to appease Kisada who felt like he was on the edge of rebellion in his fiction all the way back at the game's release.

It was a good story, but it did very much feel like an epilogue.

………...go on...…….then what?

While I am extremely grateful for this content, the general silence about all things L5R recently leaves me wanting this part of the arc to just wrap things up and move on to the part where I get more Oni.

Sure my bias is obvious to everyone, but, I've been completely content on waiting this out. I was really enjoying getting to relive the clan wars and "coup" storylines with a new spin and more detail. The rate at which these stories are being released is however, testing my patience. I can only keep the shadows at bay for so long.

Don’t worry, Ishi Tonu, surely a Denton tale is on the way given the season.

Feels like a closing to a long lasting couple of days though.

Kachiko's ambitions have failed.

Toturi and Kaede and Shaisetsu and Mitsu are on the loose.

Dragon has military presence in the capitol with the Army of the rising wave almost popping out of the blue.

Shoju exiles Kachiko and ascend to the throne by interim

Sumiko supports Shoju

Yoshi is a fool 😛

Sotorii is supposed to retire soon.

So couple of threads closing.

Leave to know, from the main actors, what will Satoshi do, will Sotorii behave, will Kachiko fight back?

And then of course, all the clans will make a mess of the situation.

With the state of the card game, I hope no one will attack Otosan Uchi as bottom tier Dragon will just show an heroic defense 😢 .

1 hour ago, Nitenman said:

Yoshi is a fool 😛

As someone who generally champions this statement... In this story, no more than anyone else

If anything- and I appreciate this- we see Shoju coming to terms with his own folly- of having seen Kachiko's ambition, but of having still extended her trust.

But yeah... we all knew that things were going to shake out dangerously. And poor Shoju- really, the best of Scorpion when it comes to his understanding of his place in the Empire- is fated for tragedy.

I did wonder who Kitsuki Yuikimi was when she popped up in the dynasty pack. Hopefully we'll get to see now.

edit: Interesting that Shoju's first move is to placate the Crab; to me it seems like a good one. I agree though, poor Shoju. He is what the Scorpion should be.

Yuikimi is the previous Topaz Champion, as seen in the RPG Beginner Game , hence the Champion trait.

Oh, fair enough. I did wonder about the Champion trait as well, but I haven't looked into the rpg much yet.

Oh, boy. The Lion...

All of a sudden they will most likely forget that they don't even like Toturi that much...

2 minutes ago, Suzume Chikahisa said:

All of a sudden they will most likely forget that they don't even like Toturi that much...

A pretext is a pretext!

This is the suijindai. The Empire of this era does not deserve Shoju.

It's over Kachiko, I have the moral high ground!

You underestimate my ambition!

8 hours ago, UnitOmega said:

Yuikimi is the previous Topaz Champion, as seen in the RPG Beginner Game , hence the Champion trait.

Indeed. She's supposed to be a particularly noble and promising young samurai.

If we didn't already have Togashi junior in the group of youngsters running around in the wilds she'd not be a totally off-the-wall choice for dragon thunder.

12 hours ago, phillos said:

Is that Asami or Kachiko that stayed behind in the capital? Is Shoju good enough to know the difference?

Aramoro can definitely tell the difference in his story. I suspect assuming Shoju can't is instead underestimating him. The first - most important - secret, which he's already privy to, is knowing Kachiko has a body double in the first place .

12 hours ago, Manchu said:

Don’t worry, Ishi Tonu, surely a Denton tale is on the way given the season.

Indeed. I'll be interested to see what they bring out this time. We've not seen - I don't think? - any outcome from the "a watchtower isn't answering" story decision, so this year's Halloween fiction might be something rather more important than just a flashback or one-shot..

6 hours ago, Suzume Chikahisa said:

All of a sudden they will most likely forget that they don't even like Toturi that much...

They wanted him to be Emerald Champion in the hopes of minimising his meddling in the clan families doing what they want. That's not mutually exclusive with being unhappy that 'their' emerald champion is nowhere to be seen at a pretty critical point in time!

5 hours ago, Manchu said:

The Empire of this era does not deserve Shoju.

We'll have to wait and see what happens, but I will give Shoju (and Sumiko) the credit that whilst I'm sure stuff is going to go catastrophically wrong (as @Schmoozies points out, " Clan_War_1 " being the obvious clue!) it won't be for lack of those two trying to do the right thing.

I find it hilarious that Sumiko is all, "Oh, you're sending a Scorpion to do a thing? Lemme send a Dragon to keep an eye on them uhhhh I mean help out." Man, we're getting allllllll up in Rokugan's business right now.

Say one thing, Shoju's tragedy is more universal in this edition than it was last time... like, yeah, last time we know he had only the best intentions, but he still made the bed he ended up lying in.

This time around... it's his virtues that will destroy him, not half-baked incomplete Togashi intel and a Bloodsword (at least not yet). His earnest desire to fulfill his Emperor- and friend's- last wishes will not be seen that way by the Empire as a whole, and at the same time... what else is he supposed to do?

Tasty, tasty tragedy.

1 hour ago, Kinzen said:

I find it hilarious that Sumiko is all, "Oh, you're sending a Scorpion to do a thing? Lemme send a Dragon to keep an eye on them uhhhh I mean help out." Man, we're getting allllllll up in Rokugan's business right now.

She's the Ruby (slash-acting-Emerald) champion and the recent subject of an attempted assassination herself , shortly after the successful assassination of her former lord and the disappearance-slash-potential-assassination of her current lord, discussing searching for the also-disappeared CURRENT EMPEROR with his 'regent' when yesterday no-one knew there was even going to be a regency because someone else was supposed to be the heir.

A bit of constructive paranoia is not entirely unjustified here!

Talking about the 'kids' - it's perhaps worth noting: Mitsu is here to 'aid the prince'.

No-one said the Army of the Rising Wave was in any way here to 'keep the peace'.

Togashi Yokuni's vision:

Quote

“I see a wave,” he said, his voice barely audible over the wind. “A great wave, rising up to strike the land.”

“Where it strikes…” Yokuni’s voice faded, then returned. “Devastation. Otosan Uchi laid waste; countless lives lost.”

“Stripped by the wave, the wasteland becomes a battlefield. On its barren plain there is nowhere for the enemy to hide, no shelter to protect them from the Empire’s might. It…”

“It must be so,” Yokuni murmured. “If the battle must come, then let it be on the barren plain. Only there can we prevail.”

Note that Togashi Mitsu was there at the time and is hence fully aware of this: the 'necessary destiny' the Dragon are chasing isn't to prevent the Clan War. The Clan War is supposed to happen, and the Capital is supposed to burn. Because in the process, or perhaps the aftermath, something is going to be exposed and unable to hide when the war hits the capital.

And finding that something before it's too late is somehow critical to something greater - presumably the Second Day Of Thunder.

What I like is they left us in a great spot for potential story choice options for Worlds. I think this is exactly the right spot to pause and ask the reader which way they'd like to go.

I'm absolutely sure Satoshii will just go gently to that good monastery, Kachiko will love an extended spa-cation stay in Toshi Ranbo, and as soon as Daisetsu turns up Shoju will be finally be Regent to more than an empty chair and the Empire will be fine. This isn't going to blow up in his face at all .....

Sotorii , rather than Satoshi . Though ironically that's also a name which is equally likely to cause a deluge of trouble.

Also note that Agasha Sumiko knows - whatever public knowledge may be - that someone who knew about the regency plan:

1. Is Kolat
2. Murdered Doji Satsume
3. Came within inches of murdering her too

It'll be interesting to see what happens if she and Doji Kunawan bump into one another. Kitsuki Kage is supposedly working with Doji Kunawan on Akodo Toturi's instructions, but he's not around and she's now in charge.

Yes, she decided to suppress the truth in favour of 'natural causes', but if 'natural causes' is going out the window and it's a choice between the truth and a Crane Clan civil war that's likely drop collateral splash on the Regent's clan at the same time......secrecy may no longer be in everyone's best interests. Even if it's "I can tell you the truth, on the condition that you're sworn to silence."

6 hours ago, Magnus Grendel said:

She's the Ruby (slash-acting-Emerald) champion and the recent subject of an attempted assassination herself , shortly after the successful assassination of her former lord and the disappearance-slash-potential-assassination of her current lord, discussing searching for the also-disappeared CURRENT EMPEROR with his 'regent' when yesterday no-one knew there was even going to be a regency because someone else was supposed to be the heir.

A bit of constructive paranoia is not entirely unjustified here!

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with Sumiko's decision at all. I'm just amused by the sudden shift to "a Dragon in every plot." 😄

8 hours ago, Kinzen said:

Man, we're getting allllllll up in Rokugan's business right now.

Scorpion and Dragon in power at the capital, both clans in a position contrary to their purposes and cultures. This will not go well for either.