PBP is fine with me. I'm US EDT (UTC - 4)

Okay, looking at responses to figure out who is interested and who was just commenting ideas.

Von, Masakiyo, Ruffles, and Harzerkaze all said they were interested. Nheko and Neilcell, just commenting?

Will love to play but work schedule is killing me atm. I will sit down for this one 😭

I'm in, provided we have a bit of lead time to roll up PCs. I'm away from home until June 10 so I don't have all my books.

Im in! will be slightly slower though as school has started. Will do my best to be on as often! though sometimes if i miss anything, just ping me and i’ll come asap!

I'm good with giving a bit of time before we get started.

As I mentioned above, I'm going to set this in the Dawn of the Empire/Reign of the Shining Prince era. Year 44 Winter Court, probably Kyuden Asako. If you're concerned that your family/school/thing isn't available in this timeline, message me and we'll talk about it.

Going with a Fate of The Realm playstyle, so I'm adding these:

Question 21: What role did you in the War Against Fu Leng? Where did you serve? After answering this question, give yourself 30 experience representing how you grew to face the challenges leading up to the Day of Thunder.

Question 22: What item saved your life - or maybe even your soul? There came a moment in the War - in a battle, during a strategy meeting, in keeping your focus against the dark whispers promising you victory if you just give it a name - that one thing you had is the only reason you still stand free and pure today. That item has begun to awaken to your destiny. Talk with me to design your nemuranai.

Out of curiosity are there any changes to the Clan schools?

21 hours ago, Nheko said:

Out of curiosity are there any changes to the Clan schools?

That's a fairly broad question. If there's any you're specifically curious about, let me know and we can work on it.

Generally, no, though.

So a few setting-specific things, though:

1) Human smiths have yet to unlock all the secrets required to replicate the heavenly art of crafting katana. You have either a Dao or Chokuto in place of a katana.

2) Additional faction of Hida's Legion. It was fairly well established that Hida didn't found the other families of the Crab until after the War. So Hiruma, Kaiu, and Kuni families are just a couple years old at this point. Because he didn't have all this clan infrastructure in place, he had a legion of warriors that served on the lines with him. This Legion consists of warriors from all across the Empire that did not choose to join the Kami but recognized the threat that Fu Leng posed nonetheless.

Most of these people would end up joining the Crab after the War and become the bulk of the Crab Clan.

So we have 30 xp to add to rings, skills, etc.? But no katana and some possible tweaks with the Crab clan? I've got a couple possible character ideas, but I want to read up on the lore a bit, which I can do next week when I get home. But I'm leaning towards a dragon clan PC, if that helps others with their choices.

4 hours ago, Hida Jitenno said:

So a few setting-specific things, though:

1) Human smiths have yet to unlock all the secrets required to replicate the heavenly art of crafting katana. You have either a Dao or Chokuto in place of a katana.

2) Additional faction of Hida's Legion. It was fairly well established that Hida didn't found the other families of the Crab until after the War. So Hiruma, Kaiu, and Kuni families are just a couple years old at this point. Because he didn't have all this clan infrastructure in place, he had a legion of warriors that served on the lines with him. This Legion consists of warriors from all across the Empire that did not choose to join the Kami but recognized the threat that Fu Leng posed nonetheless.

Most of these people would end up joining the Crab after the War and become the bulk of the Crab Clan.

If our school outfit comes with "Any weapon of rarity 8 or lower" could we have a katana?

I’m thinking of doing bayushi deathdealer, anyone doing it alr?

On 6/3/2020 at 10:51 PM, Ruffles240 said:

If our school outfit comes with "Any weapon of rarity 8 or lower" could we have a katana?

Nope. There are extremely few katana in the Empire. The Kami, their family daimyo maybe , the Emerald Champion. Might be one or two others.

How about wakizashi or nodashi?

And can katana be created with e.g. the Katana of Fire invocation?

4 hours ago, Harzerkatze said:

How about wakizashi or nodashi?

And can katana be created with e.g. the Katana of Fire invocation?

Given that those are made from similar techniques (the nodachi being even more difficult due to folding along the greater length), I'd say no.

Comparing chokuto and dao to katana, I'd say we could do a two-handed version of either one, +1dmg, +1 dls, and the range becoming 1-2. Razor-edged for daichokuto. I'll give on the wakizashi, though. A veteran status symbol given to the survivors of the War.

Also a quick amend to previously, the Jian is also an option for the "instead of katana."

As spells draw on the kam i , they draw from the Heavens and a katana of fire is going to properly make a katana. It doesn't rely on human smithing skills.

Hey, throwing one more question at you guys:

Question 23: What Title does your character wish to achieve? During or since the War, you have learned the calling of your heart. On the way to Kyuden Asako, you realize that this is the place to be making alliances and seeking progress in your life. How does this relate to your Quest (question 5)? Does this personal goal align with it, or are their times you may have to choose between the two?

To be clear: you aren't starting with a title. This will let me as GM know something that your character wants to achieve so I can place appropriate NPCs and offer opportunities to you.

20 hours ago, Hida Jitenno said:

Nope. There are extremely few katana in the Empire. The Kami, their family daimyo maybe , the Emerald Champion. Might be one or two others.

What about a Zanbato? They're like big meat cleavers so they don't rely as much on katana folding techniques.

2 hours ago, Ruffles240 said:

What about a Zanbato? They're like big meat cleavers so they don't rely as much on katana folding techniques.

Sure. It's a fairly rare weapon as an anti-cavalry one, but maybe you fought large four-legged Oni during the War?

No idea about my weapon yet, though since I'm leaning towards a tattooed monk, my fists will be deadly weapons as they say. I do have a pretty interesting idea for my nemuranai, though. I will be home with access to my books by Monday so I'll finally be able to do some research and get into our 23 questions...and counting.:)

I have a Kuni Purifier planned.

8 hours ago, Hida Jitenno said:

Sure. It's a fairly rare weapon as an anti-cavalry one, but maybe you fought large four-legged Oni during the War?

Yeah that is true. What about stuff like Talwars?

Im doing a bayushi deathdealer!

13 hours ago, Ruffles240 said:

Yeah that is true. What about stuff like Talwars?

Can you come up with a reason how you got it from the Ivory Kingdoms?

I am going with a Tattooed Monk, named Jinyo (燼余), which means "embers" or "survival." I've got a basic idea for his backstory and activities in the war, but I was wondering if the Bloodspeakers existed this early or only emerged later?

3 hours ago, Masakiyo said:

I am going with a Tattooed Monk, named Jinyo (燼余), which means "embers" or "survival." I've got a basic idea for his backstory and activities in the war, but I was wondering if the Bloodspeakers existed this early or only emerged later?

The cult literally named Bloodspeakers only arose 400 years later with Iuchiban. But Maho probably existed as soon as Fu Leng fell into Jigoko, so bloodspeakers probably existed in all but name.
It's interesting that we play so very early in the history, because so many things have not been established yet. Not only is there no wall - 5 years ago, the people later becoming the Crab clan didn't even have the enemy to the south yet. The Shadowlands probably started to exist since the moment Fu Leng fell through the earth. But is was just a monster-infested backland.
My Kuni Purifier, thus, grew up in peaceful surroundings and had a harmonious education of learning to deal with the glorious kami. Only shortly after her gempuku did the war start, and suddenly she was cast into a tainted hellscape and had to learn on the fly how to combat the Tainted, Maho, Oni, undead, just as her whole family had to.
The war lasted just three years and is just two years ago, so many are still thinking that they live in the age that was before the war. And with the war won as far as all know, it was only a terrible but brief interlude, a one-time catastrophe, ended with heavenly help.

Oh, sweet children of Summer...