How to 'go with the flow' right into terrorism
Jun 15, 2015 23:55:19 GMT -8
Post by lowkeyoh on Jun 15, 2015 23:55:19 GMT -8
I started an L5R game with two new players (Blue and Pink) and one character from my normal game (Red). It’s set in the Asai Valley with the Inukai holding winter court. Because we’re all unfamiliar with the setting I figured I’d place us in a corner of Rokugan that I’m familiar with and has a bit of history.
Session 0 involved Red rolling up a Kuni family trained at the Hida Bushi School who came to the valley a little early. The idea is that Daimyo Nikoma invited certain families that have diplomatic relations with the Inukai to hang out before court actually start and party for a few weeks. Due to the shadowland taint in the valley I figured Kuni and the Inukai have stayed on pretty good terms. So Kuni Rojo and Inukai One and Two went patroling for taint and found some zombies which they dispatched. Evil thwarted and good saves the day.
Session 1 involved Red playing Matsu Berzerker, Blue playing a Mirumoto Bushi, and Pink playing a Bayushi Bushi. We discussed why everyone was at court, what everyone was trying to get from court, and it was a slight setting dump. Peasants reported shifty shiftiness outside the valley walls and suspected banditry. Lion, Scorpion, and Dragon were tasked with going with Inukai Yusuki to investigate. Banditry was indeed afoot! The vile Violet Nightfall was back! Or so it seemed on the surface. It turns out some of these bandits had the mark of the Violet Nightfall but some didn’t. But every one of them had a mysterous Spider Brand on them. The foes were routed. The leader and a kid were hiding in a cave and were captured and brought before Nikoma. The leader was the kid from session one of Saga of the Inukai and was finally killed. The kid was sent to a room to be held. Session ends on a high note.
Session 2 is where things went fucking nuts. So the party decides to question the kid. He seemed unconcerned with the fact he was captured. He spoke of hatred for the emperor and empire and blamed samurai everywhere for the death of his family. He vowed revenge. He lived as a ronin and was picked up by warriors that gave him the chance to be part of something bigger. He made some vague threats such as ‘the emperor and the might of all the clans won’t be able to save you from the storm that’s coming to destroy you all” and various other threats. Well I oversold how interersting he was. They demanded the location of his base of operations, and he told them he couldn’t tell them where it was. But he could take them there. I think they wanted to learn more so they could report to their superiors and stop the dangerous Spider threat.
So they break him out of prison, steal some horses, and start riding south. This fortress was in the Shadowlands. A week out they find out that Yusuki was following them. They welcome her into the party and they head into Hare lands. Winter was starting and the rains were starting to pour. It was going to take forever to get to the wall. They enter a Hare Town, lie to the Daimyo about the nature of their visit and he grants them passage though their lands. They catch a boat from a city to sail down a river to the sea and down the sea to the Crab lands. I figured that the Crab port city on the sea would be a thriving city as it would be the primary port for the importing of goods. They describe the situation. This criminal was evil bad and terrible and was so repentive that he was willing to betray his other evil doers before dying. The Crab Daimyo said this was noble and posted two bushi, a shugenga, and a scout to escort us to the fortress, and then we were to kill the prisoner and return so that we could lead a Crab attack. They had two days to prepare for the advance into the shadowlands. The Lion would not leave the prisoner and guarded him day and night. The prisoner convinced him that the Crab were going to lead them into the shadowlands and execute them all. The Scorpion seduced the quartermaster and convinced him to give them all Jade Fingers. The Dragon learned rumors and information.
So they all leave to travel into the shadowlands. Once they were far enough into the Shadowlands, Prisoner, who was never truly bound, pulls a knife and stabs the Shugenja in the back. The three crab turn to kill him. That’s when the party drew weapons on the crab and cut them down. Then the scorpion looted their bodies for jade fingers. Yusuki refused to involve herself in this dishonor and did not fight. Prisoner got in touch with his Nezumi contacts who took them through a maze of mist and shadows to a hidden temple where they found a bunch of bad guys who showed them ‘the truth’
Here’s my problem. There’s no going back from here, I’m assuming. I’m not sure how they’d make it out of Crab lands, but even if they made it back to their homes they are still on the hook for breaking the prisoner out of jail. I have no idea who these people are, so I just figure I’d make them Kolat and that the party is going to join them. But then how do I reintegrate them back into society? Or are they ronin? Should be be learning from ronin schools instead of Clan Schools? I have no idea how I can pull off more sessions that don’t just end with “and then you all were killed by the Crab Clan”
Session 0 involved Red rolling up a Kuni family trained at the Hida Bushi School who came to the valley a little early. The idea is that Daimyo Nikoma invited certain families that have diplomatic relations with the Inukai to hang out before court actually start and party for a few weeks. Due to the shadowland taint in the valley I figured Kuni and the Inukai have stayed on pretty good terms. So Kuni Rojo and Inukai One and Two went patroling for taint and found some zombies which they dispatched. Evil thwarted and good saves the day.
Session 1 involved Red playing Matsu Berzerker, Blue playing a Mirumoto Bushi, and Pink playing a Bayushi Bushi. We discussed why everyone was at court, what everyone was trying to get from court, and it was a slight setting dump. Peasants reported shifty shiftiness outside the valley walls and suspected banditry. Lion, Scorpion, and Dragon were tasked with going with Inukai Yusuki to investigate. Banditry was indeed afoot! The vile Violet Nightfall was back! Or so it seemed on the surface. It turns out some of these bandits had the mark of the Violet Nightfall but some didn’t. But every one of them had a mysterous Spider Brand on them. The foes were routed. The leader and a kid were hiding in a cave and were captured and brought before Nikoma. The leader was the kid from session one of Saga of the Inukai and was finally killed. The kid was sent to a room to be held. Session ends on a high note.
Session 2 is where things went fucking nuts. So the party decides to question the kid. He seemed unconcerned with the fact he was captured. He spoke of hatred for the emperor and empire and blamed samurai everywhere for the death of his family. He vowed revenge. He lived as a ronin and was picked up by warriors that gave him the chance to be part of something bigger. He made some vague threats such as ‘the emperor and the might of all the clans won’t be able to save you from the storm that’s coming to destroy you all” and various other threats. Well I oversold how interersting he was. They demanded the location of his base of operations, and he told them he couldn’t tell them where it was. But he could take them there. I think they wanted to learn more so they could report to their superiors and stop the dangerous Spider threat.
So they break him out of prison, steal some horses, and start riding south. This fortress was in the Shadowlands. A week out they find out that Yusuki was following them. They welcome her into the party and they head into Hare lands. Winter was starting and the rains were starting to pour. It was going to take forever to get to the wall. They enter a Hare Town, lie to the Daimyo about the nature of their visit and he grants them passage though their lands. They catch a boat from a city to sail down a river to the sea and down the sea to the Crab lands. I figured that the Crab port city on the sea would be a thriving city as it would be the primary port for the importing of goods. They describe the situation. This criminal was evil bad and terrible and was so repentive that he was willing to betray his other evil doers before dying. The Crab Daimyo said this was noble and posted two bushi, a shugenga, and a scout to escort us to the fortress, and then we were to kill the prisoner and return so that we could lead a Crab attack. They had two days to prepare for the advance into the shadowlands. The Lion would not leave the prisoner and guarded him day and night. The prisoner convinced him that the Crab were going to lead them into the shadowlands and execute them all. The Scorpion seduced the quartermaster and convinced him to give them all Jade Fingers. The Dragon learned rumors and information.
So they all leave to travel into the shadowlands. Once they were far enough into the Shadowlands, Prisoner, who was never truly bound, pulls a knife and stabs the Shugenja in the back. The three crab turn to kill him. That’s when the party drew weapons on the crab and cut them down. Then the scorpion looted their bodies for jade fingers. Yusuki refused to involve herself in this dishonor and did not fight. Prisoner got in touch with his Nezumi contacts who took them through a maze of mist and shadows to a hidden temple where they found a bunch of bad guys who showed them ‘the truth’
Here’s my problem. There’s no going back from here, I’m assuming. I’m not sure how they’d make it out of Crab lands, but even if they made it back to their homes they are still on the hook for breaking the prisoner out of jail. I have no idea who these people are, so I just figure I’d make them Kolat and that the party is going to join them. But then how do I reintegrate them back into society? Or are they ronin? Should be be learning from ronin schools instead of Clan Schools? I have no idea how I can pull off more sessions that don’t just end with “and then you all were killed by the Crab Clan”