Legend of the Five Rings (4e) - A duo game
All right. After a recent binge of reading up on a (relatively small) bit of the expansive lore surrounding this game, I've been growing increasingly eager to explore this world. The detailed setting, political interplay of the clans (as well as the limits the code of bushido places on proper action), and the natural and unholy threats that surround the kingdom on all sides has me itching to explore the world as a samurai of rokugan.
All that said, I don't think I'd like to embark on this sort of story alone. At the same time, a large group isn't really what I'm after, either. After much of my reading, I think the idea that resonates with me the most is the story of a Yojimbo and their charge, braving the vipers nest that is court, traveling the countryside, and facing whatever evils lurk in the shadows. There's something appealing about the story of an unlikely pair of samurai, bound together by honor, duty, dependence (and perhaps an eventual growing affection) that I find really intriguing.
I'd be willing to play either side of the pairing, so what I'm mostly looking for is another player willing to collaborate on two characters who could create some interesting drama between them and, of course, a gm to help us tell a story in the mystical world of Rokugan.
Thanks,
-Norwood
NEWS AND UPDATES
A partner and I got to talking and have started developing a slightly different, but very detailed Five Rings story that we'd like to pursue. Ideally, we'd like to find an ST who shares our interest in this personal, character driven story and is ready to work with us to make something unique.
This is the story of a newly married couple. The husband is an upstanding member of Crane. His new bride, however, is a beautiful Scorpion . . . one that gives every appearance of being a dutiful wife to her new husband and clan. Despite appearances, however, she remains a scorpion born and raised, and in fact was trained by her clan to serve more shadowy purposes.
Her devotion to her new husband, however, is genuine, which leads to her managing his household and working behind the scenes to insure his safety and the advancement of his goals. Dishonorable deals are made behind closed doors, using whatever means necessary. Threats to his person or agendas are dealt with quickly and efficiently, his enemies occasionally turning up dead or simply disappearing altogether.
Always, however, his wife maintains appearances. She no longer wears the mask traditional to members of her former clans. As she often reminds him, however, "there are many masks a scorpion might wear, and they are never without at least one."
* * * *
This is obviously a slightly unusual premise for a Five Rings game. Rather than two samurai able to travel freely, this story would necessitate a largely confined setting. The couple is the centerpiece, and so their home and the personages there are important. The station of the husband, however, is also important. His role at court and the esteemed but scheming personages there are every bit as essential.
Though their conflicts might seem largely separate, they are, in fact, two sides of the same coin, joined through their marriage. Their stories are intertwined. I'm picturing lots of little scenes of them speaking in private, the Crane asking vague but pointed questions about the mysterious events around court. All the while, the scorpion deftly evades the truth, speaking in circles. Perhaps he knows what is happening, but honor keeps him from saying anything. Perhaps not.
This might (rightly so) sound like a lot of work, but while I can't speak for my partner, I can promise any prospective ST that I will be only too happy to furnish them with plenty of character information (including some NPCs and plot hooks) to fill out this world. It's not right for you to have to cut such a personal world from whole cloth, after all.
If you have any questions about this, I'd love to answer them to the best of my ability over rmail. I'm far more likely to notice that in a timely fashion than I am a post to this thread.
This message was last edited by the user at 12:44, Wed 07 Oct 2015.