The Ikoma Library

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 5:36 pm

The Emerald Empire of Rokugan. It is a land upheld by honor, guided by fate, ruled by destiny. The Great Clans each support the Emperor, but inter-clan conflict is inevitable—both in the Emperor’s courts and on the battlefield. In the midst of danger and turmoil, honor must be your sword and your armor.

From the Shadowlands in the south to the Burning Sands in the north, from the Twilight Mountains in the west to the Islands of Spice and Silk in the east, Rokugan, the Emerald Empire, has stood for over one thousand years thanks to the seven Great Clans who serve the Emperor. As guardians and politicians, each clan fulfills their role in society and are as varied as they are powerful. But all are bound by the same code of honor, the way of the warrior, the code of Bushido. Honor is valued above all else, and a misspoken remark can be just as fatal as an enemy’s blade.

It is in this context that the clans battle. From the ancient rivalry of the Crane and Lion to the Crab’s daily skirmishes with the Shadowland forces always threatening to extend their reach into Rokugan, the clash of swords and pull of politics is a daily occurrence.

But while conflict between the clans has dominated Rokugan for over one thousand years, the true threats await in the dark, known only to a few. The five elements of Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Void are in a precarious balance, and the land of Rokugan teeters on the brink of chaos.

The Story So Far…

It is an era of sudden change and upheaval in the Emerald Empire. Mortal schemes, elemental imbalances, and celestial turmoil have disrupted the political, military, and spiritual equilibrium of Rokugan. Long-simmering rivalries and fresh betrayals ripple through the courts and on the battlefield. The Chrysanthemum Throne is beset by threats from without and within, and the honor of the seven Great Clans shall be put to the test.

After a devastating tsunami strikes their coastal farmland, the Crane Clan balances on the precipice of famine and war. Doji Hotaru—the young Crane Clan Champion who grew up in the shadow of her father, the legendary Emerald Champion Doji Satsume—must defend her clan’s artistic legacy, political clout, and extensive borders with honor alone.

While the Crane have been laid low, the Scorpion Clan has ascended to the height of glory. The clan serves Emperor Hantei XXXVIII well: Bayushi Shoju as a trusted friend and his impossibly beautiful wife Kachiko, as Imperial Advisor. No word is whispered in the Imperial Capital that escapes the Scorpion Clan’s ears, and no plot is hatched that evades the notice of its agents.

The Scorpion maintain a tenuous alliance with the Lion Clan’s leader, Akodo Arasou, who seeks to carry out an age-old vendetta against the Crane at the side of his beloved, the warrior Matsu Tsuko. No army can withstand the ferocity and tenacity of the Lion’s warriors or the stratagems of the clan’s brilliant new general, Akodo Toturi.

The Lion’s unconventional neighbors, the Unicorn Clan, struggle to reconcile their foreign customs with the laws and traditions of Rokugan. Shinjo Altansarnai believes she has brokered a peace with the Lion Clan at last, but the fiery Utaku Kamoko may not be able to leash her hatred for the Lion, whom she believes murdered her mother.

The Phoenix Clan cast a wary eye on meishōdō, the talismanic name magic practiced by the Unicorn, and fear the imbalance that foreign sorcery has wrought among the spirits. Phoenix Clan Champion Shiba Ujimitsu must prepare to defend his clan’s borders while the prayers of the Phoenix’s mystical shugenja go awry. The Council of Elemental Masters cannot explain the disquiet affecting the elemental kami, and so they turn to forgotten or forbidden lore for answers.

In the secluded mountains of the far north, the Dragon Clan—beset by a failing birthrate and the surging popularity of a potentially dangerous and heretical sect of Shinseism—looks to the guidance of its enigmatic champion, Togashi Yokuni, to restore the clan’s enlightened way of life.

Amid this infighting, the largest and most dangerous Shadowlands army ever recorded marches on the great Carpenter Wall in the south. A combined force of goblins, ogres, undead, and legendary demons known as oni threaten to spread their darkness and destroy civilization in the name of Fu Leng, the fallen Kami. Hida Kisada of the Crab Clan and his children must gain the support of the entire Empire to turn back the tide of destruction or risk being broken beneath the evil Shadowlands onslaught.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 5:42 pm

The Great Clans

The Emerald Empire of Rokugan. It is a land upheld by honor, guided by fate, ruled by destiny. The Great Clans each support the Emperor, but inter-clan conflict is inevitable—both in the Emperor’s courts and on the battlefield. In the midst of danger and turmoil, honor must be your sword and your armor.

For over 1,000 years, the Great Clans have served the Chrysanthemum Throne according to their unique strengths and weaknesses.

A thousand years ago, the Ki-Rin Clan rode out of Rokugan, seeking to discover enemies hiding beyond the Emerald Empire’s borders.

Their journey was arduous, and they found many strange and powerful threats. In defeating each one, the clan learned. They changed their fighting styles, magical practices, and even philosophy. To survive, the clan was forced to adapt—and overcome. After eight centuries of wandering, the Clan of the Wind returned to the Empire as the Unicorn Clan. Their hordes entered Rokugan through the Shadowlands, punching a hole through Crab defenses and making their way past the Kaiu Wall into the heart of the Empire itself.

Even with proof of their heritage, the Unicorn were greeted as barbarian invaders, not returning heroes. They charged past the defenses of the Crab and then overcame the resistance mounted by the Lion, leaving both clans scattered in the wake of Unicorn cavalry. Reintegrating into Imperial society has been a challenge—and a deadly one at that. Still, there are lights in the darkness. An ancient treaty with the Crane was honored, providing the Unicorn a strong ally within the Empire. The Phoenix watch Unicorn magic with equal parts interest and concern. The Dragon perceive the wisdom of Shinjo’s children, and the Scorpion see the advantage in a pliable ally. Yet, all of Rokugan marvels at the speed and might of their magnificent steeds. Perhaps they are, finally, where they belong.

The world has so much to teach us, and we have so much to teach the world.

For 800 years, the Ki-Rin Clan journeyed beyond Rokugan’s borders, in search of external threats to the Emerald Empire. In these foreign lands, the clan learned to adapt, to do whatever it took to survive. The clan eventually returned to Rokugan, rechristened as the Unicorn Clan, its members speaking foreign tongues, wielding strange weapons, and drawing upon the kami using sorcery known as meishōdō.

The Unicorn’s return was greeted as a barbarian invasion, carving a place in Rokugani society by breaking through the defenses mounted by the Crab and Lion clans. Reintegration has not been without difficulty, but there are lights in the darkness. An ancient treaty with the Crane was honored, providing the Unicorn a strong ally within the Empire. The Phoenix watch Unicorn magic with equal parts interest and concern. The Dragon perceive the wisdom of Shinjo’s children, the Scorpion see the advantage in a pliable ally, and all Rokugan marvels at the speed and might of their magnificent steeds. Perhaps they are, finally, where they belong.

The Unicorn are an aggressive, practical, and nomadic clan that has mastered the arts of mobility and warfare.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 5:50 pm

There are several wonderful repositories of knowledge throughout the Empire. If you seek knowledge honorable samurai, I suggest you travel to these far off locales and study from among their resources.

Kaze no Shiro - https://kazenoshiro63445525.wordpress.com/
Kaze no Shiro is a run down, ‘scribe friendly’ holding in the Emperor’s shining hills. Within these halls is a public archive of the mysterious and wondrous knowledge of the Emerald Empire.

The Imperial Advisor - https://imperialadvisor.com/the-l5r-story/
The Miya catalog and record everything that takes place within Rokugan.

Kabuki Theater Troupe - https://youtu.be/MgprNelqdB0
This Dice Head Production of classic tales is a wonderful place to relax and listen to the history of Rokugan.

The Table is Yours - https://the-table-is-yours.pinecast.co/
A dramatic reading pinecast where they read the fictions

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 6:00 pm

City of Lightning on the Isle of Spice and Silk - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

The pirates of the so called Mantis Clan have stolen a great many relics and pieces of lore. If you care to stoop to such dishonorable tactics you may find what you are looking for among them.

The Trove - https://thetrove.net/Books/Legend%20of% ... index.html

A treasure trove of things the Mantis have collected over the many years of Rokugan.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 6:11 pm

A New Wind Blowing (815 IC–1123 IC) Part 1

The return of the much-changed Ki-Rin Clan to Rokugan began a time of great change and social upheaval within the Emerald Empire. For the first time since the founding of the Empire, Great Clans nearly came to true war against one another. Gaijin goods and people entered the Emerald Empire in numbers unseen since the Battle of White Stag. Some scholars wonder if these great changes are the cause of the current elemental imbalance observed by shugenja and demonstrated in the cataclysmic earthquake and tsunami of 1120.

In the year 815, the children of Shinjo returned from their wandering in a highly dramatic fashion. Due to a peculiar set of circumstances involving gaijin magic, they found themselves within the northern edges of the Shadowlands. In their haste to escape that Tainted wasteland, they ignored diplomacy and simply used their powerful cavalry to overrun the Crab defensive lines. The Empire was thrown into an uproar, for at first first, its people did not recognize the Ki-Rin as Shinjo’s clan. Along their journey, they had changed their name to Unicorn, and had adopted bizarre clothing and customs.Their language had also degraded away from pure classical Rokugani, even as the language within the Empire had developed over the centuries. Their horses, however, were a wonder to behold: large, well formed, and swift. When the Scorpion armies attacked them, the Unicorn cavalry employed tactics never before seen in the Empire, crushing their opponents.

As the Unicorn hordes slowly made their way across the Spine of the World Mountains, the Lion Clan mobilized their armies. However, with the winter snows halting the imminent clash of armies, representatives of the Unicorn were able to make contact with the Crane. One of the treasures they bore was an ancient fan that they said had been Shinjo’s. The Crane declared that it was the fan that Lady Doji had given her sister and that the intruders were in fact Shinjo’s clan. The Emperor accepted this and forbade the Lion from attacking them. He also gave the Unicorn Clan the old lands of the Ki-Rin to settle upon. This created some animosity on the part of the Lion, as they had been given stewardship of the Ki-Rin lands, and this represented a considerable loss of fertile farmland. They were, however, obedient to the Emperor’s command and allowed the Unicorn to travel to their lands unhindered.

Despite the testimony of the Crane, at first, many in Rokugan regarded the Unicorn as little more than gaijin. They had odd names, unpleasant-tasting food, uncouth manners, and garish fashions. To make things worse, during their journey they had acquired a new family, the Moto, who were kin to the Ujik tribes of the western wastes. Some courtiers suggested that the Moto family should be expelled in accordance with the law forbidding gaijin, but the Unicorn Clan Champion appealed to the Emperor on their behalf. The ancestors of the Moto family had been adopted into the clan by command of Shinjo herself, he said, making them Rokugani. The Emperor agreed that a Kami’s authority could not be denied, and the Moto remained.

The Crane undertook the task of making the Unicorn more civilized, with mixed results. Shinjo’s children enthusiastically adopted theater (especially Nō), the tea ceremony, current teachings of the Tao and the elements, Rokugani cuisine, and incense appreciation. They refused to give up their foreign names, their own food, their clothing styles, or their custom of shaking hands as a greeting. When traveling outside of their lands, their courtiers and emissaries began to behave as proper Rokugani, but even today, to visit Unicorn territory is to travel into a foreign land.

Nevertheless, the Unicorn entered the life of the Empire. While at first, their political sway was nonexistent, they had a powerful effect on the economy. They brought with them new techniques of metalworking, leatherworking, and fabric dying. Along with fast, powerful horses the likes of which Rokugan had never seen, the Unicorn brought stirrups and advanced riding techniques. Soon, Unicorn horses were in demand throughout the Empire, though the clan parts only with geldings and the occasional mare, which ensures their control of the supply. Their travels gave them contacts with countries outside of the Empire, which they proceeded to develop in order to establish profitable trade routes. It was not long before ivory, rare woods, jewels, and costly herbs and spices were pouring through Unicorn hands and into the Empire.

Perhaps most importantly, the Unicorn brought with them the practice of meishōdō. Using this name magic, the Unicorn shugenja bind spirits within talismans, achieving similar effects to those that other clans obtain through making offerings to and beseeching the kami. To many shugenja and other priests, meishōdō is a blasphemous gaijin practice.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 6:15 pm

A New Wind Blowing (815 IC–1123 IC) Part 2

The tenth and eleventh centuries saw the biggest expansion of urban areas since the early days of the Empire. A number of factors contributed to this growth, including the many innovations brought by the Unicorn Clan. The renewed popularity of horses increased overland travel between the various provinces and cities, much to the consternation of the lords responsible for the upkeep of the Empire’s roads.

A number of advances in agricultural techniques and tools improved crop yields, allowing villages to meet the demands of the tax assessors even as youths left for the cities in greater numbers. The harnesses and yokes brought by the Unicorn made oxen and other beasts significantly more useful, while improvements in hand-operated pumps allowed for more efficient irrigation of fields. Some farmers began to trade their own goods in neighboring towns and cities, becoming merchants themselves.

To some traditional samurai, the upward mobility of the peasant merchants continues to represent an offense against the Celestial Order, yet to even speak of such matters is often seen as improper. The samurai of the Lion Clan fought strongly against these changes, visiting harsh punishments upon peasants who attempted to abandon their ancestral village for a new life in the city. Farmers who traded their own produce were accused of stealing from their lord and were treated accordingly.

After four centuries of Imperial isolation from gaijin, the importance of the Unicorn city of Khanbulak demonstrates that outsider influence is still on the rise in Rokugan. Encouraged by the Unicorn’s trading success, the Mantis Clan increased their own trade in gaijin goods with the Rokugani mainland. The official acceptance of the Unicorn back into the Empire was seen, in a way, to condone the gaijin practices and bloodlines they brought with them. As a result, gaijin goods, practices, and even travelers have slowly begun to meet with greater acceptance—or at least weaker resistance—in trading ports and even inland cities throughout the Empire. Once-small coastal communities such as Clear Water Village and Lonely Shore City grew tremendously during this time.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 6:19 pm

A New Wind Blowing (815 IC–1123 IC) Part 3

In the late ninth century, a young monk of the Shrine of the Seven Thunders formulated the controversial doctrine that gave rise to the Perfect Land Sect. Yuzue believed that the conversation between Shinsei and Hantei had initiated an Age of Celestial Virtue that lasted eight-hundred years—a century for each Kami who heard Shinsei’s teachings—and that the ninth century began the Age of Declining Virtue, marked by corruption and difficulty in following the Tao. To beseech Shinsei to return, the monk ceaselessly chanted the mantra Shoshi ni kie (“devotion to the Little Teacher” or “absolute trust in the Little Teacher”). Yuzue came to believe that if enough people chanted this mantra with sincerity, Shinsei would return to usher in a new Age of Celestial Virtue.

Yuzue’s student Gatai founded the Perfect Land Sect following Yuzue’s death, based on a sutra she had written shortly before her passing. This scroll claimed that Shinsei did not return to the Void when he departed from Ningen-dō, but instead dwelt in a Perfect Land within Tengoku, the Celestial Heavens. The Perfect Land Sect believes that those who chant the kie, as Yuzue’s mantra became known, can join Shinsei in the Perfect Land upon their death, rather than face judgment in Meido and rebirth based on their karma. In the Perfect Land, under the tutelage of the Little Teacher himself, the faithful can achieve Enlightenment without suffering on the wheel of rebirth. To many in the Brotherhood of Shinsei, these beliefs are heresy, defying Shinsei’s own Tao and the Celestial Order. The Perfect Land Sect quickly gained popularity among the peasantry, as it offered something previously unknown: freedom from the trials of this mortal life, and the next. Many heimin believed the Age of Declining Virtue was a reference to corruption among the samurai class. This belief led many samurai to further denounce the sect. By the middle of the tenth century, the Perfect Land Sect was outlawed in Phoenix lands, driving many believers to seek safety and isolation in the Dragon mountains.

The arrival of the Unicorn also had a profound effect on the arts of the Empire, enriching it with new techniques and materials. Since that time. some Rokugani have decried the effect of “gaijin pollution,” and some artisans have been overly enthusiastic in incorporating the new techniques, but the reasonable critic must admit that the overall effect has been positive. It is a fact that by the eighth century, most of the artists of the Empire had stopped copying the classics and started copying each other, with lamentable outcomes. Of that era only The Days of Salt and Sun, the journal that the duelist Ikoma Honzo kept of his warrior’s journey, displays any real merit. Honzo’s brushwork is deficient in several technical areas, but his sense of composition was flawless, and he had a real talent for capturing his subjects in midmotion. His wry humor was a brilliant match for the art. A lesser talent would have made the account of the two peasants, the wine jug, and the trout a matter of farce, but in Honzo’s hands, it is a delicate and sparkling bit of humor. Only Kakita Ayano’s poetry journals, filled with wan desire and sensitive descriptions of the passing seasons, comes close in quality. There is no third.

All of that changed in the ninth century. Whether an artist chose to embrace the new ideas brought by the Unicorn or to reject them, they were forced to look at the world as if it were new. Kakita Ume’s screen paintings for Kyūden Doji incorporated some of the new perspective techniques into classical subjects, showing how the new need not destroy the old. Many painters followed where she led. Shiba Kanko’s Plum Blossoms at Dusk and Doji Suko’s Red Steel inspired new interest in novels, and the recent publication of Kakita Ryoku’s brilliant novel Winter shows that the quality of the art has yet to wane. Also in this time, Bayushi Kiko and Kakita Mako began their long poetry competition, bringing both delicate insight and biting wit to the form. A scroll could be filled with further examples.

Unfolding of Glorious Promise
And so ran the first thousand years of our Empire, a land resplendent with honor and courage. We have entered days in which the favor of Lady Sun shines down upon the Hantei and our lands bask in the peace, prosperity, and justice of the Emperor’s rule.

Post by **Vardaen** » Tue May 14, 2019 6:57 pm

Imperial Census - https://community.fantasyflightgames.co ... ei-castle/
Here are the complied and known personalities of Rokugan.

Imperial Calendar - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... edit#gid=0 and https://community.fantasyflightgames.co ... ns-so-far/
Broad pen strokes and fallen cherry blossoms pass the time.

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