OOC Pregame Thread

[Shinjo Jingyi]

Good to know. I considered playing a Tsuruchi, but wasn't sure of their status.

[Shiba Jiro]

Haven't they had really strange wars in the past where the enemies didn't really share any borders?

[Ide Yizhak]

Crab vs Dragon, oh yeah

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Mostly because if you don't ignore geography with reckless abandon, Rokugan actually has pretty limited arenas for inter-clan martial conflict- the same options, drearily present throughout the timeline.

[Shiba Jiro]

It's a crazy thing they do. Having it so that the clans are always at war with each other, but never moving the borders permanent. It's madness.

[Shosuro Kaoru]

Status quo is the true supreme god of Rokugan.

[Seppun Urusai]

No.

It is clearly the Fortune of Dung.

[Kakita Yuji]

Biggest border changes:

1) Shadowlands takes Hiruma lands from the Crab.
2) Lion clan takes Ki-Rin lands when they leave the Empire, kicking their remnants into the Shinomen Forest
3) Various minor clans rise and fall.
4) Scorpion getting kicked out of the Empire for the Scorpion Clan Coup (Not happening in this timeline)
5) Mantis absorb minor clans.
6) Spider clan infiltration of the Sparrow
7) Assimilation of Ivory Kingdoms.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

I've always liked the Wasp more than the Mantis personally, Tsuruchi is a badass.

Honestly the whole Mantis great clan suffered from the fact the other clans that made the alliance were cooler. I mean, you could praise the sun as a Moshi, mess with people as kitsune shapeshifters, or be the cool as hell Wasp, or you can be pirates in a world where not that many high seas adventures take place.

Super this. And then, for whatever maddening reason(s), the great clan became all about the bullshit pirate theme. I'll withhold the rant, as most of you have heard it at least once on Discord, but boy do I wish the alliance/amalgamation/confederation/umbrella concept had survived, or at least meant that those Moshi, Tsuruchi, etc. traditions had survived in a meaningful way. Sigh.

[Shiba Haru]

We're all going to be eating or words when the new design team turns them from pirates into navy seals. Super honorable, dutiful, loyal badasses who sail up rivers to war with the Scorpion, Unicorn and Dragon.

[Kaeru Kaori]

Huh, random thought, but if Mantis would do something similar, I think it could be fun to have an Elemental Council like-deal, with the heads of all the families serving on the Council or something, and having equal vote.

[Ide Yizhak]

Pirates can't have democracy, everyone would just vote for themselves! /s

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Super this. And then, for whatever maddening reason(s), the great clan became all about the bullshit pirate theme. I'll withhold the rant, as most of you have heard it at least once on Discord, but boy do I wish the alliance/amalgamation/confederation/umbrella concept had survived, or at least meant that those Moshi, Tsuruchi, etc. traditions had survived in a meaningful way. Sigh.

My language!

YOU SPEAK IT!

But yeah, part of why I became such a hardcore Minor Clan Alliance fan? Anti-Borgitomo hopes.

Because the Moshi and Tsuruchi and absolutely the Kitsune ended up having less of their own feel within the clan than the Ikoma, or Asako, or Kuni, or Daidoji did.

The only comparable flavor-wash was the Motofication of the Unicorn after Shinjo put them in charge.

[Kuni Mitsuko]

Super this. And then, for whatever maddening reason(s), the great clan became all about the bullshit pirate theme. I'll withhold the rant, as most of you have heard it at least once on Discord, but boy do I wish the alliance/amalgamation/confederation/umbrella concept had survived, or at least meant that those Moshi, Tsuruchi, etc. traditions had survived in a meaningful way. Sigh.

My language!

YOU SPEAK IT!

But yeah, part of why I became such a hardcore Minor Clan Alliance fan? Anti-Borgitomo hopes.

Because the Moshi and Tsuruchi and absolutely the Kitsune ended up having less of their own feel within the clan than the Ikoma, or Asako, or Kuni, or Daidoji did.

The only comparable flavor-wash was the Motofication of the Unicorn after Shinjo put them in charge.

Truly, we are of one mind. Because yeah, the Motofication (great word choice!) is gross, but def not as gross as the Moshi turning completely into Yoritomo Shugenja. Which was actually unfair to the poor Yoritomo shugenja line too, but, anyway.

NGL, I now want to run a 5e game that sort of explores the more coalition/confederation/council (hat-tip to the Kaeru Shark) future of a "Mantis" "great Clan." Oh, the glorious possibilities...

[Seppun Urusai]

NGL, I now want to run a 5e game that sort of explores the more coalition/confederation/council (hat-tip to the Kaeru Shark) future of a "Mantis" "great Clan." Oh, the glorious possibilities...

...when is it?

[Kuni Mitsuko]

NGL, I now want to run a 5e game that sort of explores the more coalition/confederation/council (hat-tip to the Kaeru Shark) future of a "Mantis" "great Clan." Oh, the glorious possibilities...

...when is it?

Brother, I love you, but there's no earthly way it's any time in the foreseeable future. I've got... Yeah. Too many non gaming things standing in the way.

[Seppun Urusai]

I understand.

And I love you, too.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

NGL, I now want to run a 5e game that sort of explores the more coalition/confederation/council (hat-tip to the Kaeru Shark) future of a "Mantis" "great Clan." Oh, the glorious possibilities...

The interesting thing is that the FFG plotline had the Mantis angling for it on their own- no family name and all!

[Kaeru Kaori]

My language!

YOU SPEAK IT!

But yeah, part of why I became such a hardcore Minor Clan Alliance fan? Anti-Borgitomo hopes.

Because the Moshi and Tsuruchi and absolutely the Kitsune ended up having less of their own feel within the clan than the Ikoma, or Asako, or Kuni, or Daidoji did.

Truly, we are of one mind. Because yeah, the Motofication (great word choice!) is gross, but def not as gross as the Moshi turning completely into Yoritomo Shugenja. Which was actually unfair to the poor Yoritomo shugenja line too, but, anyway.

NGL, I now want to run a 5e game that sort of explores the more coalition/confederation/council (hat-tip to the Kaeru Shark) future of a "Mantis" "great Clan." Oh, the glorious possibilities...

You know, the more I think about it, the more fun this game could be...the Council of Champions (cause every technically is one here) sits down to discuss the arrangements...is it an alliance? minor clan? great clan? Another arm of the brotherhood? Yes! All that and more! Or less!

Cause this thing is kinda new, and hte Elemental Council, is kinda set, with the Phoenix Champ figure head.

Meanwhile becoming a Great Clan is a legal matter, no matter how rich and powerful you are. So the Council needs to decide if they wanna be one clan, and if yes, how it would look, and who would petition the Empire and with what reason.

All these decisions should be made on an island, probably. Maybe the Mantis are hosting it. Or the cats!

Or just have the Hare host it in the Shinnomen, nothing will go wrong.

[Seppun Urusai]

Perhaps some eccentric Imperial offers to host the summit...