Icosaheathens

Into the thick of it

The news that the big Unicorn/Lion alliance was OFF was big. The wedding of Shinjo Altansarnai and Ikoma Anakazu (the Khan of Khans/Champion of the Unicorn and the Ikoma Daimyo, respectively) would settle the remaining tension regarding the Unicorn’s re-claiming of the Kirin Clan’s ancestral lands. For the Unicorn, a massive step forward in their normalization and legitimization as Rokugani. For the Lion, a massive land border sewn up amicably so that they could turn their attention to bullying everyone else, the way they used to before the Unicorn showed up and spoiled it. In addition, cavalry-heavy allies? Yes please! The Lion would be able to throw their considerable bulk against the northern-most holdings of the Crane, like that pesky Toshi Ranbo.

So our two Lion, one Crane, one Unicorn (and one deeply uninterested in clan conflict Crab) yoriki made their way north back to Shiro Yogasha which is concidentally very close to the area the Crane and Lion are squabbling over.

And on the way, even graver news assailed them. The Lion (not put off by the Unicorn fickleness) launched an assault against Toshi Ranbo, trying to retake the city from the Crane. But you’ll recall that Doji Hotaru was passing through Shiro Yogasha a few weeks ago as the yoriki tied up the loose ends of her father’s death, and she was on her way to Toshi Ranbo to inspect the garrison there.

We had the best time at your party

Fortuitously, I’d had the idea for the Moon Viewing as a way of interacting with the Tortoise Clan a mere week before the excellent article Running an Intrigue appeared on Jeanne Kalvar’s excellent L5R-fan website (https://craneclan.weebly.com/running-an-intrigue.html). I wanted to try an Intrigue, which a set-piece for social interaction in much the same way that a Skirmish is a set-piece for combat skills, but didn’t have much time to think about setting one up. It is a good read and should give courtier characters a good idea of their possibilities.

Now that I’ve read the article (and I’ll have to reread it) I see that there is only so much set-up you could do: the Intrigue involves a great deal of player input to get its structure. The players set their own goals; they could have done a bunch of stuff… anything really. I half expected them to take the opportunity to dress down the Tortoise or to dig deeper into the conspiracy that ended with Kasuga Yumiko’s beheading. Or try to get them to stomp out the opium dealers or at least kick out the gaijin. A less scrupulous band could have used the opportunity for personal gain too. (Save that note for a Ronin campaign…)

As it was they focused on two tasks: MEN FOR THE WALL and delivering a stern hint to tidy their shit up.

For the first, they actually benefited from the Tortoise Clan’s manipulations: they’d asked Hida Sugi to show up in her ceremonial Topaz Champion armour, in all probability to eat up the group’s time getting it ready and making Sugi uncomfortable in a courtly setting. More fool them, Sugi was very comfortable in her armour, especially since it had been fitted for comfort by the Geisha they had visited. Also, Sugi is just real comfortable in armour.

They even asked Sugi to demonstrate a Kata or two as part of the night’s entertainment. While this is a chance to embarrass oneself, Sugi did not, aceing the Kata and winning approval from several young and enthusiastic Tortoise Clan samurai. Sugi talked with them when she was able, emphasizing the importance of the Crab’s work and the role of visiting samurai and the benefits of this glorious service to the Tortoise with regards to esteem and trade contacts.

Meanwhile, once Sugi had moved on, Koji moved in and extolled the virtues of the Topaz Champion personally. Such discipline, such resilience, such skill! These hardy attributes born abreast the Kaiu wall were the making of the Topaz Champion and could be the making of any samurai exemplar who committed themselves. By the end of this recruiting effort by the Crab and Crane yoriki, four young, impressionable samurai had committed to travelling south before winter to spend a season on the wall, bringing their own retainers and supplies. They were pretty fired up and it was the kind of public declaration that is very difficult to walk back. (“Sorry, I can’t come defend the Wall from waves of hell-driven monsters, I have Inventory that day.”)