Post by Rakugo on Feb 10, 2018 15:05:19 GMT
Introduction to Legend of the Five Rings
In the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game (L5R), players take on the role of individual heroes whose honor and loyalty will be put to the test. These heroes are members of the noble class called “samurai” – which literally means “to serve” – and carry out their duty as warriors, courtiers, priests, or monks defending the Emperor’s interests. Bushidō, a code that demands that samurai ignore their own desires in favor of duty and honor, is the centerpiece of L5R. It is, ultimately, what sets this game apart from every other RPG. Bushido is the moral code, the “way of the warrior,” that informs the behavior of every samurai. It is a double-sided blade of conviction and narrow-mindedness. It is a culture of obedience and tradition. It is the path of the honorable and courageous. It should be noted that L5R is not about playing a real-world samurai, but rather about the romanticized vision of samurai found in stories and film, a vision in which Honor and Bushido have real meaning and force. Players are creating the mythical and legendary tales of samurai who excel in their station.
The primary struggle that samurai face in the game is an internal one: what do you do when your personal feelings conflict with your duty? What desires will your character sacrifice to uphold their ideals? What do you do when two tenets of Bushidō are in opposition, or when your loyalty to the Emperor demands that you commit a dishonorable act? A samurai must choose. Adventures in theLegend of the Five Ringstake their cue from eastern storytelling, which valorizes individuals sacrificing themselves to maintain societal harmony, as opposed to western narratives that reward heroes for defying society; however, ideals and human emotions cannot easily be put aside even by the greatest of samurai, and this inner conflict drives the samurai drama that is the Legend of the Five Rings.
Legend of the Five Rings is set in the world of Rokugan. The territories of Rokugan that are controlled by the seven Great Clans are collectively referred to as the Emerald Empire, where long-simmering rivalries and fresh betrayals between the Great Clans ripple through the courts and on the battlefield, in a constant struggle for power. Each clan serves the Emperor in different ways, from the diplomatic machinations of the Crane Clan, the devious manipulations of the Scorpion Clan, to the militant vigilance of the Lion. But the Emerald Empire is beset by threats from without as well as within. The Shadowlands is host to an unimaginable evil beyond the Empire’s Southern wall that is tenuously held by the Crab Clan through great sacrifice. There are those few in Rokugan who have ability to harness magic, a rare gift, which can make it a dangerous threat or a powerful weapon.
The Emerald Magistrates serve the Emperor across Rokugan as investigators, judges, and executioners. You will begin this new chapter of life as a noble samurai who previously served your Clan with distinction, and was recently commissioned into the service of the Emerald Magistrates to dispense the Emperor’s justice across the land.
It is this world that you are tasked to bring order and justice, while maintaining your honor.
Social Expectations and Tips for New Players
The ancient culture of feudal Japan is very different from modern Western cultures, and is used as an analog for Rokugani culture; therefore, Legend of the Five Rings plays very differently from other high-fantasy roleplaying games. The following are social guidelines and expectations for Characters in Rokugan, if not even the written or unwritten law in some provinces and territories of The Emerald Empire. While this list grossly simplifies the complexities of social interactions, they offer a quick-reference to some of what’s detailed further in the Legend of the Five Rings source books for an Emerald Magistrate campaign:
• I am not important, except insofar as I serve the Emperor.
• Honor and duty are more important than a samurai’s feelings or inner desires.
• The emperor, a living god who is the embodiment of heaven, is the most important of all.
• Being dishonest is bad, but appearing insincere when lying is even worse.
• The seven Virtues of Bushidō should guide your life: Honesty, Honor, Duty, Sincerity, Compassion, Courage, and Courtesy. Each Clan prioritizes and values these Virtues differently.
• Courtesy and Politeness is expected – Good form and proper etiquette in all acts.
• Money and possessions are not a samurai’s concern. Your Lord will provide what is necessary.
• Gift-giving is part of the Rokugani culture. Always refuse a gift twice (and expect others to do the same), showing greater sincerity with each offer/refusal.
• Most of the Great Clans do not like each other, and are even hostile, but rarely overtly so.
• Always bow in greeting. Bow lower with those who have higher status, lower still to your lord, lowest with the Emperor.
• Bowing is a show of trust and acknowledgement that, as your superior, that person can take your head if they have reason to.
• Testimony holds more weight than evidence during an investigation. The word of a samurai has more value than any circumstantial evidence.
• A samurai cannot be found guilty of a crime unless they confess... though a confession can be tortured out of them if it's warranted.
• The position of Emerald Magistrate is handed out by the Emperor and the Emerald Champion, and is a position of great power and equally great responsibility. But the appointment need not have anything to do with a samurai’s proven ability to solve crimes – it’s a political appointment.
In the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game (L5R), players take on the role of individual heroes whose honor and loyalty will be put to the test. These heroes are members of the noble class called “samurai” – which literally means “to serve” – and carry out their duty as warriors, courtiers, priests, or monks defending the Emperor’s interests. Bushidō, a code that demands that samurai ignore their own desires in favor of duty and honor, is the centerpiece of L5R. It is, ultimately, what sets this game apart from every other RPG. Bushido is the moral code, the “way of the warrior,” that informs the behavior of every samurai. It is a double-sided blade of conviction and narrow-mindedness. It is a culture of obedience and tradition. It is the path of the honorable and courageous. It should be noted that L5R is not about playing a real-world samurai, but rather about the romanticized vision of samurai found in stories and film, a vision in which Honor and Bushido have real meaning and force. Players are creating the mythical and legendary tales of samurai who excel in their station.
The primary struggle that samurai face in the game is an internal one: what do you do when your personal feelings conflict with your duty? What desires will your character sacrifice to uphold their ideals? What do you do when two tenets of Bushidō are in opposition, or when your loyalty to the Emperor demands that you commit a dishonorable act? A samurai must choose. Adventures in theLegend of the Five Ringstake their cue from eastern storytelling, which valorizes individuals sacrificing themselves to maintain societal harmony, as opposed to western narratives that reward heroes for defying society; however, ideals and human emotions cannot easily be put aside even by the greatest of samurai, and this inner conflict drives the samurai drama that is the Legend of the Five Rings.
Legend of the Five Rings is set in the world of Rokugan. The territories of Rokugan that are controlled by the seven Great Clans are collectively referred to as the Emerald Empire, where long-simmering rivalries and fresh betrayals between the Great Clans ripple through the courts and on the battlefield, in a constant struggle for power. Each clan serves the Emperor in different ways, from the diplomatic machinations of the Crane Clan, the devious manipulations of the Scorpion Clan, to the militant vigilance of the Lion. But the Emerald Empire is beset by threats from without as well as within. The Shadowlands is host to an unimaginable evil beyond the Empire’s Southern wall that is tenuously held by the Crab Clan through great sacrifice. There are those few in Rokugan who have ability to harness magic, a rare gift, which can make it a dangerous threat or a powerful weapon.
The Emerald Magistrates serve the Emperor across Rokugan as investigators, judges, and executioners. You will begin this new chapter of life as a noble samurai who previously served your Clan with distinction, and was recently commissioned into the service of the Emerald Magistrates to dispense the Emperor’s justice across the land.
It is this world that you are tasked to bring order and justice, while maintaining your honor.
Social Expectations and Tips for New Players
The ancient culture of feudal Japan is very different from modern Western cultures, and is used as an analog for Rokugani culture; therefore, Legend of the Five Rings plays very differently from other high-fantasy roleplaying games. The following are social guidelines and expectations for Characters in Rokugan, if not even the written or unwritten law in some provinces and territories of The Emerald Empire. While this list grossly simplifies the complexities of social interactions, they offer a quick-reference to some of what’s detailed further in the Legend of the Five Rings source books for an Emerald Magistrate campaign:
• I am not important, except insofar as I serve the Emperor.
• Honor and duty are more important than a samurai’s feelings or inner desires.
• The emperor, a living god who is the embodiment of heaven, is the most important of all.
• Being dishonest is bad, but appearing insincere when lying is even worse.
• The seven Virtues of Bushidō should guide your life: Honesty, Honor, Duty, Sincerity, Compassion, Courage, and Courtesy. Each Clan prioritizes and values these Virtues differently.
• Courtesy and Politeness is expected – Good form and proper etiquette in all acts.
• Money and possessions are not a samurai’s concern. Your Lord will provide what is necessary.
• Gift-giving is part of the Rokugani culture. Always refuse a gift twice (and expect others to do the same), showing greater sincerity with each offer/refusal.
• Most of the Great Clans do not like each other, and are even hostile, but rarely overtly so.
• Always bow in greeting. Bow lower with those who have higher status, lower still to your lord, lowest with the Emperor.
• Bowing is a show of trust and acknowledgement that, as your superior, that person can take your head if they have reason to.
• Testimony holds more weight than evidence during an investigation. The word of a samurai has more value than any circumstantial evidence.
• A samurai cannot be found guilty of a crime unless they confess... though a confession can be tortured out of them if it's warranted.
• The position of Emerald Magistrate is handed out by the Emperor and the Emerald Champion, and is a position of great power and equally great responsibility. But the appointment need not have anything to do with a samurai’s proven ability to solve crimes – it’s a political appointment.