Onyx Empire - Background, Characters, and First Game

[KakitaKaori]

So, it's going to be a long two years, and I don't want the Crane or this small devoted piece of it to die out due to lack of entertainment, so I thought I would take the time to write up the game that my husband, who's an awesome GM, has put together. I had the original concept for the game, but the players who had voiced interest in having me GM no longer were interested, and our regular gaming group, which my husband runs, caught wind that I'd put together some 'tasty tasty candy' in terms of an L5R campaign and they wanted in. He offered to write up custom rules for Heroic-style L5R, and by the time he was done, he'd decided he just had to run an Onyx Empire game himself. One of our players is Brent Keith, who was one of the lead designers for the game for a while. I don't know what my beloved is going to have happen, but I'll share the game with you. You weren't doing anything else here, were you?
In this thread, I'll post the background, the characters, and the first session writeup. I'll add new threads or keep this one going as we continue the game.

[KakitaKaori]

(I had written this for my original campaign, but it still mostly applies).

One hundred years. It has been one hundred years since the Celestial Court, given voice by the Jade Dragon and the Obsidian Dragon, declared the Celestial Tournament to determine who among mortals would be granted ascension to the Throne of the Empire. The world of mortals must always be ruled by the life divine...living mortal and yet delegate of the Celestial Court. For too long had the throne been vacant of such an Emperor. Toturi had claimed the throne after striking down the last Emperor, had lived and died and lived again as shadow-stolen, the lying darkness a symptom of the chaos caused by a less than worthy mortal upon the Throne.

Perhaps the delay of the heavens was understandable. For a young prince to declare war upon his parents, to overturn the celestial order in his tantrum and claim the previous line of the blessed, to require new voices of the court, Jade Hand and Obsidian Hand, tested and prove insufficient...then have them be replaced...it was bound to cause a delay and chaos in the mortal realm. But those stories, if what the shugenja used to say were in fact true, all happened a hundred years ago. The tournament was called, and the Jade and Obsidian dragon called representatives of each known great clan, and one other that had been unknown, the self-styled, Spider Clan, to compete in the tournament. It was then that the Dragon samurai-ko, Kitsuki Iweko, cast aside the weaker trappings of her mortality to ascend to the Throne that stood between heaven and earth and became Iweko 1, the Celestial Empress. All clans, including the Spider Clan, gave her honor and the Spider Clan seemed determined to politely return to obscurity. However, the new Empress chose Susumu, a courtier from the Spider Clan, as Imperial Advisor, so the minor clan would not become so forgotten again. The Empress has ruled for 100 years.

During those years, the Empire has grown and expanded, rising in glory and influence. It grew eagerly, expanding by ship and overland across the wastes beyond the Unicorn territories into the Colonies, these colonies returning wealth in ivory and gemstones to the ancient empire. A difficult period occurred after the Empress had ruled for 25 years. A foreign goddess, forever exiled from the Celestial Court but eager to usurp it, attacked the Empire in revenge for the rise of the power of the Rokugani throne. This goddess, Kali Ma, lead an army of of a strange kind of thing, part oni, part machine, called the Destroyers, against the Colonies. But the Samurai of the Empire, and particularly the heroism of certain members of the Spider Clan, led to the defeat of Kali-Ma, and the Empire returned to an extended period of peace and celebration. In return for their heroics against Kali-Ma, the Empress elevated the Spider Clan to the status of a Great Clan, and it grew in power and strength. The Empress charged the Spider with defending the Empire against enemies from outside of Rokugan, and so it has done.

Not all felt sure of the Spider Clan. There were many that wondered about where it had come from, and why it had been permitted in the Celestial Tournament. Rumors said that it was because it was founded, as the other great clans were, by the will of a Prince of the Celestial Court, a Prince that had been beaten as usurper many years before...Fu Leng. Certainly, at first there were tainted members of the Spider Clan, and they were driven out or put to the sword. There were rumors of bloodspeakers and oni and unspeakable darkness around the clan. Many members of the Lion Clan committed seppuku to protest the Empress's decision. But none could deny the peace and prosperity the Empire was experiencing. The Spider passed every test any Shugenja could devise for purity against the touch of Jigoku. The Dragon Clan, to reassure the restless, were granted the duty of overseeing the operations of the Spider to confirm that all due propriety was being followed. They reassured all the clans that all was as it should be. Distrust continued in the Crab, who were suspicious of everyone when it came to evil and oni, and among the Crane, though most thought the Crane's distrust was primarily because the Crane found themselves pushed out of every position of power in Iweko's new court even as the Spider's star was rising. It mattered little. The years passed. The Empress married Akodo Setai. She bore two sons, Iweko Seiken and Iweko Shibatsu, and a daughter, Iweko Miaka. New advisors and champions took the place of old, and the Empress aged slowly, yet lived on. The rice fields prospered, and, despite minor wars, there was little conflict, especially little effecting the center of the Empire.

Until...

As the end of 100 years approached, the Empress announced to all that she would be retiring on the 100th anniversary of her ascension, and leave the Throne to her eldest son, Iweko Seikan, who was known in particular for his distrust of the Spider and his clearly honorable and Lion-like nature. The Empress would then go into seclusion and meditation as she prepared to ascend and take her place in the Celestial Court.

Something went wrong. On the very day of Seikan's coronation, the Empress disappeared. Her Voice and attendants were found slaughtered in gruesome fashion. A furious search was made, but the Empress was not found. Seikan, seeing the need for immediate action, coronated himself as Emperor and immediately blamed the Spider Clan for the kidnapping or murder of the Empress and ordered that they all be rounded up and questioned or put to the sword immediately. Those Spider that survived his first fury fled the capital and disappeared like shadows into the Shinomen forest, but not before the Clan Leaders heard the Spider Clan Champion, Daigotsu Kanpeki, swear vengeance for being grievously wronged.

Months passed, but the Spider did not emerge and could not be found in order to be attacked. Neither could be found the Empress. However, a strange illness began to befall the shugenja of the Empire. It was a form of madness. Some would go into insane rages, burning and destroying whole villages over meaningless slights. Some would become as small children, suggestible to the point of of emptiness for any action. Others would be so fickle, they would follow one whim or the next, heedless of the events around them, while others would fall into a deep stupor, unresponsive to anything around them. Unfortunately, those best suited for studying the illness quickly succumbed to it themselves, and it spread throughout the empire. A huge tsunami swept across the Mantis islands, burying all but the highest mountaintops in water and washing away all the Mantis and Crane coastal holdings. It left nothing but salt and ruin and multitudes of the dead behind it. With the loss of the Mantis fleets and all the ocean-going vessels of the Daidoji and Yasuki, most of the communication and trade with the colonies dried up.

It was then, at the lowest point, as the coast-bound clans reeled from their losses, the Spider Clan struck back. Armies erupted from the dark heart of the Shinomen, wave upon wave of tainted madmen, goblins and mahotsukai, monstrous oni, and faceless ninja. Their shugenja suffered no illness and were able to wield their full power to devastating effect. The coastal clans, Crane and Mantis, had lost large numbers in the tsunami, but they had had the largest forces committed to the defense of the colonies also, so were not well defended against such an attack. The Phoenix, suffering greatly from the illness afflicting their shugenja, were barely able to offer any help. The Dragon seemed to completely surrender the field, ascending high into the mountains before the Spider forces and turning the Spider armies aside, but not striking against them. The Lion fought with desperation, side by side with the Scorpion, but were slaughtered when the Scorpion turned on them and offered to follow the Spider Clan Champion as enemy of Rokugan. The Unicorn retreated, though they made frequent sorties against the Spider, while the Crab came under an endless siege of years, assaulted by the Spider on the north side of the wall, and by renewed forces from the Shadowlands on the south.

Kanpeki declared himself Emperor, and no proclamation has been posted countering him, though there are rumors that the children of Iweko still live out in the colonies. There has been no communication with the colonies for at least 3 years. Communication within the Empire comes in the form of propaganda from the Scorpion, praising the Spider for being merciful to the hemin and declaring the near inevitable complete victory of Daigotsu Kanpeki, who will treat the people with kindness as long as the samurai like the Scorpion support him. Still, pockets of samurai resist, and live, and wait for the day when they will arise again, swords of the Celestial heavens, to strike a blow for bushido in the face of incredible odds.

This is the Onyx Empire. It was born in water and blood ten years ago. How it will end...is up to you.

[KakitaKaori]

A few other things have happened not in the initial background to bring all events to current:

1) Known only to the Unicorn players, the clan is being led by Moto priests of the Death Gods who believe that the chaos is a sign that their gods are ascendant and will eventually control the whole Empire. They don't ally with the Spider (we don't think...they may), but they're not exactly nice. The other Unicorn houses are silent in the heart of the Empire, the Utaku having sacrificed themselves almost to a woman to rescue the Emperor and bring him to shelter in the colonies.
2) The Scorpion family seem to be almost completely absorbed into the Spider, even taking the Spider mon and abandoning the traditional Scorpion family names. And if you don't believe me, I'm certain a Scorpion would be very, very happy to convince you that of course they follow the Spider completely and would never think of going back to their Scorpion-ish ways. Obviously. You can guess why they're doing this...they are, after all, Scorpion. Most believe that this alliance is the main reason the peasantry has been spared the devastation of the oni's wrath.
3) The Dragon technically follow Emperor Kanpeki. Which is fine...as long as he never actually asks them to do anything or insists on asking too strongly. They usually turn away even refugees from the borders of their land. Known only to the Dragon players, the reason the Dragon are doing so is to provide the Kami, who are going insane, a place of sanity and respite. If they fail to provide such shelter from the 'troubles' of the world, they fear all the kami will go insane and destroy the world.
4) The Phoenix have no real leadership left...the remaining member of the elemental council who signed the surrender to the Spider returned to playing with her dolls and asking for sweets shortly after. The spider run roughshod over the lands. Isawa's magic is the one most strongly effected by the Kami. The magic schools of the other clans that are not specific to the Isawa style have much lesser effects, but that means that the Isawa are the most hurt by the insanity of the kami.
5) The Crane have not officially surrendered, but their few remaining leaders are not in the empire and haven't been heard from. Generally Crane samurai are killed or enslaved whenever found, though some live as ronin.
6) The Lion still have camps and villages and remnants of armies. They try to keep fighting, but there aren't many left. The Kitsu, in particular, are almost completely gone.
7) I don't know the status of the Mantis, but there's no leadership and no homelands left. There may be some Moshi or Kitsune. They are probably being practical.
8) The Yasuki fleets are destroyed and almost all the Crab lands are captured. The wall still stands. But not much else does.

[KakitaKaori]

Daidoji Shourai: Rank 2 Daidoji Iron Warrior.
Very practical and cheerful despite all the odds being against her and everything going completely fubar in her life. She lived in a village that was destroyed by the tsunami, but managed to warn others and survive the storm with her Grandfather and younger brother. Her grandfather trained and raised her on the road while they searched for other members of the family that had become scattered by the storm but that they have reason to believe did survive it. Her grandfather was killed by a pack of tainted hounds on the outskirts of traditionally Lion lands. That event nearly killed her too, but she was saved by a young Lion shugenja and her family, to whom she has offered loyalty and protection in return for protection for herself and her younger brother. Her ancestor is Daidoji Chiroku, who offers her a gift of vision.

[KakitaKaori]

Kitsu Chiyori: Rank 2 Kitsu Shugenja
Chiyori is young, and has been raised in a small, hidden, and sheltered compound with her parents, learning the ways of the Shugenja. She knows of the world, but has been protected from it. She is particularly partial to the way of the Tea Ceremony, and in a different time, she might have become a master of that art. She hardly ever dares use the magic of Isawa, focusing on the traditions of her people's ancestor worship. She is very earnest.

[KakitaKaori]

Togashi Nao: Rank 2 Togashi Ise Zume
Nao is a 30 year old woman, afire with passion. She is the daughter of a Kitsuki magistrate and a Tamori shugenja. Her early life was happy but just as she was approaching her gimpuku, her life was changed forever. Her mother, who had returned to the way of the alchemist when the Kami became unstable, was asked to help a band of refugees, fleeing to Dragon Lands from the corruption spread by the Spider. Unfortunately, they brought plague with them and it killed her mother and the others trying to help. It was at this moment that the young woman realized what effect the state of the Celestial Order was having not only on her people but on all of Rokugon. Instead of following her father's path into the ranks of the Magistrates, she left her birth name and family behind to Climb the Mountain and serve the Celestial Order as a Monk, to heal where she can, to fight where she must and to do her part in returning the Empire to balance with the Heavens. She took the name Nao, which means "right or honest" and her first tattoo is Arrowroot, in honor of her mother and her own promise to heal the Celestial Order. Nao has been sent into the World and hopes to do some Ass Kicking for Justice along the way.

[KakitaKaori]

Kitsuki Gaman: Rank 2 Mirumoto Bushi
Kitsuki Gaman has had a trying life so far.  His father, a Kistuki magistrate, was posthumously dishonored by his political enemies when he gave his life to protect a group of refugees travelling through a village he happened to be passing through.  With his last words, he directed his lieutenant to escort the refugees to the safety of his brother, another magistrate and his Tamori wife.  Unfortunately, the refugees carried plague with them, and it ravaged the area.  The political enemies seized the opportunity and tarnished the Kitsuki’s honor.   The boy who would become Gaman, who was years away from his gempukku , was adopted by Mirumoto Senji, an old and dear friend of his father.

While Senji was caring, the rest of the family was not.  His wife Mihoshi saw the boy as another burden that the often absent Senji left at her feet. Her son Genshu always saw him as a rival, never as a brother.  Combined, Gaman’s days were filled with derision and disdain when not outright ignored and forgotten.   He never felt ill will towards this adoptive family, but kept his head down and soldiered on.  At his gempukku, he chose the name Gaman as a reflection of his place in the Celestial Order; to endure under times of stress, to persevere.

Gaman has ventured into the world to try in some way to restore his father’s name, whether by confronting those who besmirched him or by gaining honor through his own actions.   He’s a fairly ascetic person, keeping few personal effects and fewer attachments.  The few items he holds dear are a lock of his father’s hair in a small ebony box he wears as a pendant, given to him by Mirumoto Senji at his gempukku ceremony (they had exchanged tokens as children), the tsuba of his mother’s wakizashi, and a faded, worn manuscript with the beginning teachings of Niten .

[KakitaKaori]

Shosoro Ichiro (Sashimasu): Rank 2 Bayushi Bushi
Otsuka Ichiro is the eldest son of Scorpions who publicly support the Spider. When he was young, they were visited by Spider monks, who informed them of a "great opportunity": Ichiro was to become a guest of the monks, who would teach him their ways. Before he was taken away, his parents told him his true family name is Bayushi, that he should keep it secret, and reminded him that no matter what happens in the Spider's web he is a Scorpion. In his time there he learned many things: how to separate his inner face from his public face, how to pass as a Spider monk, how to use a polearm, and the core concepts of Shourido. In this time he also learned never to say anything he knew to be false, thanks to the ministrations of the abbot who had special views about his Scorpion "guests" - and an uncanny knack for detecting any false statement.

Days before Ichiro would have been forced to choose between taking vows to officially join the order or face a series of creative consequences, another sect of Spider monks attacked, killed all they could find, and destroyed the monastery. The reason was not clear, but he did hear shouts of "heresy" and "apostate". The timing could be coincidence, or not - he doesn't know. Regardless, he successfully hid and escaped with a polearm, a suit of the robes and light armor used by the monks, and his life. Alive, he is still leverage which can be used against his family. Presumed dead, not only is the leverage gone, but his family can use it politically against his "host" who failed to keep him safe. Thus, he has discarded his childhood name and calls himself Sashimasu.

As is traditional among the Scorpion, he wears a mask - which just happens to be the typical face covering used by the Spider monks. For now, he wears the garb, carries the traditional equipment, fails to mention his family name, and criticizes others on their weakness in one or more aspects of Shourido - especially Spiders. If it is convenient to do so, he then leaves the Spiders in a lot of pain - with dead as a possible end point. He intends to make use of this guise precisely as long as the usefulness outweighs the liability - and then move to a new guise, depending on the new circumstances.

His ancestor is Shosoro Hametsu, who offers him a gift of poison.

[KakitaKaori]

In our first session the following things happened.

1) One of the sensei of the Ise Zume, sometimes known as Crane-sama, came to Nao and told her she had to go rescue the Last Kitsu and the Kirin's daughter to preserve the Eighth Seal or all would be lost. Being a dragon, she didn't question, really, deciding she'd figure it out as she went and started her descent from the High House of Light.
2) The same sensei appeared to Gaman, telling him that without him the Heart of the Mountain would die. Eventually Gaman determined out which direction the sensei wanted him to go and headed out to the road to find the Heart of the Mountain. He was surprised to instead meet his older cousin, Nao, on the road. Just as they were about to cross a bridge to continue their journey south, they were met by a higher ranked Daigotsu samurai and skilled duelist who insisted that he had to escort them to an unknown destination. Intelligently, they agreed to go. They were met by ronin and ponies and preparations for a long journey without a specified destination. The ronin seemed to think that bindings might be necessary, but the Daigotsu assured them that they were not and the two Dragon at least temporarily agreed.
3) Shourai and Chiyori were asleep in her family compound when they woke to the smell of smoke. They quickly left, Shourai pulling on her armor, fully expecting that they were under an attack. Shourai located her brother, and Chiyori found that her father had been at least knocked unconcious, if not dead, and her mother was on the ground next to him. They were under attack by a group of samurai in white with skull mons, riding the largest horses they had ever seen. Though they fought, there was little they could do and Shourai's bow shots were wild. The samurai bore nets, and caught up Chiyori, and Shourai with her, which seemed to be their main intention. 57 unsuccessful escape attempts later, the two are still captured and flung over the backs of some very big horses.
4) Sashimasu, in his guise as a traveling Spider monk, is sleeping under a tree when he awakens to see a black-clad, masked woman looking down on him and greeting him cheerfully. After a few attempts at cryptic posturing, it becomes clear that she was his betrothed, back when they were children and before he was taken to the monastery, and she expects him to resume his duties to the Scorpion...not the Spider. She tells him that he needs to go rescue the Last Kitsu from the edge of Monkey lands. Not really having anything better to do, and feeling like it's always good to stick it to the Spider, he agrees to go, and travels to the lands. As he rests in the twilight one evening, an indistinguishable fixture on the side of the road...a Daigotsu samurai, two Dragon, and 20 ronin ride by, ignoring him. They meet a mid-sized group of white-clad samurai on enormous horses bearing skull mons, confer briefly with clear knowledge of each other and each others' mission, and agree to camp together. They settle in for the night...

To be continued...probably in 2 weeks. Enjoy!

[Kakita Shiro]

So far so good!