Legend of the Five Rings: Masks and Lies
 

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Every bright star and Sun must cast a shadow somewhere. When Hantei brought the light of his rule to the people of Rokugan, he commanded Bayushi to stand in the shadows of his Empire and destroy those that would strike at the Emperor or Empire from the darkness. Bayushi’s duty was to protect the Empire, no matter the cost. He knew it would stain both himself and his followers to obey Hantei’s command, but he did not flinch. Since that day, the Scorpion have become aware of, or involved in every shadowy deal inside the borders of the Empire, and several outside. Some Scorpion samurai see the tasks they must perform as necessary duties for the good of the Empire. Others find the resources of their clan to be avenues to personal power. Some see no difference between the two.

Many Scorpion are among the most cheerful and inviting people in Rokugan. With their reputation as back-stabbers, thieves, liars, and slanderers preceding them, most Scorpion do not bother to intimidate each person they meet. Scorpion are intelligent and crafty, excellent friends and deadly enemies. A Scorpion’s loyalty can be counted on once earned — the clan has no need for a Scorpion who cannot remain true to those worthy of their trust. Once you can count one Scorpion among your true allies, it’s not a far stretch to say that the whole clan is your ally. Of course, knowing whether or not a Scorpion’s smile is true is another matter completely. Every Scorpion can turn just as menacing as they are welcoming, and a Scorpion’s anger can lead to the dishonorable deaths of entire families.

Every Scorpion worth his family name remembers Bayushi’s promise to Hantei, the first emperor: protect the Empire, no matter the cost to self, clan, or honor. Though all the clans claim that they would give their lives for the Empire, none but the Scorpion openly proclaim that they will throw away their honor at a moment’s notice should it benefit Rokugan. A Scorpion deals in secrets, lies, and truths, peddling the first two and keeping the last. No matter how well you believe your darkest secret kept, never doubt that some Scorpion has already learned it.

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The Families of the Scorpion
Bayushi -The Bayushi family was founded by the Kami Bayushi. The daimyo of this family are also the Scorpion Clan Champions. The Bayushi are probably the most well-rounded of the Scorpion, often possessing great wit as well as talent with fencing. It is for this reason that the Bayushi are often the public face and leaders of the Scorpion clan.

Shosuro - The Shosuro family was founded by Bayushi's first follower, Shosuro. Shosuro excelled in acting, drama, treachery, and the arts, as her followers do today. The Shosuro are excellent spies and courtiers, as well as assassins.

Soshi - The Soshi family was founded by Soshi, said alternately to be the son of Shosuro, Bayushi, the child of the two, or to be Shosuro herself. The Soshi family is the third largest family within the Scorpion Clan. They are led by shugenja, but most Soshi follow other professions. They are associated with the Tejina studies as well as Shadow magic.

Yogo - The Yogo family was founded by the shugenja Yogo, the husband of Asako who was cursed during the War Against Fu Leng and lured to the Scorpion Clan by Bayushi. His curse still manifests itself among his descendants. All Yogo are cursed to betray the one they love most.
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You have just passed your Gempukku, and are now an adult in service to the scorpion clan. Because you showed promise, you will be put to the test, to see if you are worth the investment the clan has put into your training.

Your unit is a mixed skills unit assigned to Shosuro Jiroko, Govenor of Ryoko Owari Toshi(Journey's end city),The largest city in the empire, also known as the City of Lies. Your Daimyo, Jiroko is one of Bayushi Kaukatsu's most talented students. With Kaukatsu, the Imperial Chancellor in Toshi Ranbo, Jiroko has been left to handle all his affairs in Ryoko Owari.

Jiroko is perhaps one of the empires most ruthless manipulators. She dominates the cities courts with the sheer weight of her presence and the quiet threat she often represent. Almost everyone fears her, yet no one can bear to bar her from their courth gatherings. There is very little that occurs in Ryoko Owari that she is not aware of.

While control of the city has changed hands several times, Ryoko Owari has retained its reputation for being a hotbed of criminal activity. Its involvement in the opium trade (both legal and illegal) makes the city very profitable for its rulers. Poppies are grown in vast fields that surround the city. The city maintains a mask of legitimacy as Rokugan's center of medicinal opium trade.
The Unicorn Clan retained control over the city for a number of years, but the Scorpion have in recent times managed to negotiate its return. The Scorpion were unsurprised to discover the Unicorn had little luck reducing the crime in the city.

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Character sheet:
Name: Select one of the four families above, and a japanese name. That is your character's name.
Age: between 16-20 would be appropriate.
School: Pick one of the following: Bayushi courtiers; Bayushi Bushi; Bayushi Saboteurs; Shosuro Actors; Shosuro Shinobi; Soshi Shugenja; Yogo shugenja
Skills: Once you pick a school, I will inform you what skills they teach. You may pick up to another 3 skills to be proficient at.
Equipment: I'll tell you your starting equipment based on your school, you will also get another item or two of your choosing
special techniques: these are dependant on your school, spells you knw for Shugenja, and kata you know for bushi.
Apperance: What do you look like, and how do you dress?
Mask appearance: All scorpions wear a mask, unless it serves them better not to. What does yours look like? Do you have multiple masks?
Advantages: Social connections, Divine blessings, physical strengths, blackmail, etc. No more than 3.
Disadvantages: Weaknesses, dark secrets, loves of your life, sworn enemies, curses, etc.
Bio: Where do you come from? where are you going? how do you define busido? what is your philosophy? who are you loyal to?
Extra: anything you want to add.

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My character
Name: Bayushi Hanzo
Age: 18
School:Bayushi courtier
Skills: Calligraphy, Courtier, Seduction, Ettiquette, Interrogation, Games, Sleight of hand, Tea Ceremony, Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu
Equipment: Katana, wakizashi, tanto, courtly dress, kimono, sandals, Tatami mat, Personal chop, 10 pieces of parchment, 10 sticks of charcoal, Sumi-e Kit, smoking pipe, courtiers fan, personal mask, coin purse, lantern, tea set, go set, sake cup, and 15 koku
special techniques: Weakness is my Strength - The bayushi courtier instinctively senses the failures and weakness of others and thrives upon it. When interacting with someone you quickly learn what buttons to push to manipulate them to your will, you learn their dark secrets, their hidden weaknesses, their nightmares.
Apperance: Hanzo usualy wears a fine Kamishimo, consisting of a red Kimono tucked into a black hakama, with a black surcoat over the top. He usualy carried his simple, but elegant black laquered Daisho in his Obi. Along the Say and hilt of the black laquered wood are a series of elegant green vines and cherry blossoms. The Tsubasa is laquered black and has a scorpion on it. Hanzo has his black hair tied into a top knot. He has an extremely handsome face, and he keeps himself in good condition, He is reedy in appearance.
Mask appearance: Hanzo wears a laquered wooden Noh mask, in the Chu-jyo style. He had the mask modeled on his own face. The mask looks very kind.
Advantages: Dangerous Beauty, Benten's blessing, and Heartless
Disadvantages: Overconfident, and addicted to opium
Bio: Hanzo's parents, a Bayushi bushi and a Shosuro courtier, were killed when he was young in front of him by agents of the Shadowed Tower. He was fostered to Kyuden Bayushi for training. Initialy trained to be a bushi like his father, he wanted revenge on his parents killers, but the Shadowed Tower fell, He kept with his training, but his sensei noticed that he also had a very keen mind for politics, and manipulation. when he was a teen he was sent to Ryoko Owari, and his new sensei began to teach him how to properly manipulate people. Hanzo became one of the finest students of the courtier school, a natural manipulator, using his looks and charm to win people to his side. However he suffered from anxiety, so he took to medicating himself one way he knew how, with opium. He passed his gempukku and was assigned to Ryoko Owari for the time being.

He is loyal to the Scorpion clan above all else, and will gladly sacrifice his name, honor, and life to benefit the clan.
Extra:

is there anywhere that we can view the available advantages? Do we need to go pick up a book to get those, or are they more freeform than that?

I'm allowing more free form this time. So feel free to make one up. Just to let you know Rokugan at this time is very similar to the Edo period in terms of culture. However in my previous l5r rps there should be a list of advantages and disadvantages.

Here's one of the previous stat based rps http://www.nuklearforums.com/showthread.php?t=5214

Now again we are not stat using, and I'm trusting you to not god mod and keep it reasonable based on your skills.

i take it we must stay with the specific advantages provided by our way, or will circumstances allow for other advantages to be taken? like say, I saw an advantage that said "way of the crane" on it, but feel it would be appropriate?

some advantages can only be taken at character creation, others will be thrust upon you as you take opportunities, and roleplay well. Same with disadvantages.

Let's say due to your actions you find someone's dark secret, you gain the blackmail advantage over them. Or you save a prominent character's life. You will gain an ally advantage. by that same stance, you could anger a god, and gain their curse. You could expose someone's secret and gain a sworn enemy. You could lose a limb in a duel.

As you progress through the story you'll get new skills, new techniques, new abilities, new advantages, and new disadvantages.

Let's say my character goes through detox and quits oppium, if I play it well I could lose my addiction disadvantage.

ok, i was thinking of a starting advantage, i'l post up my character idea/sheet in a little bit and see what you think

If it's reasonable I'll let it go, however if it falls under the heading of an existing advantage I'll let you know.

Character sheet:
Name: Soshi Sasuke
Age: 19
School: Soshi Shugenja

Skills: Calligraphy, Courtier, Etiquette, Meditation, Spellcraft, Stealth, and Theology
"Other" skills: Cooking, Chemistry, Knowledge: Shadowlands

Equipment: 1 wakizashi, 1 Tanto, Undyed silk kimono, pair of sandals, Scroll Satchel, 7 koku, Glass Eye
Other Gear:Basket, cooking pot, Chopsticks, Divination kit, Incense Brazier, folding chair, Mortar and pestle, small knife
(cooking), spices, 10 pieces of parchment, 10 sticks of charcoal
Other Gear: Chemistry set (non-portable)

special techniques: Soshi's whisper. You can cast spells useful for spying with ease, and are adept at casting them without notice. You are taught Secrets on the wind as part of your strict education. However fire magics are your weakest.
Secrets on the wind - If you spend 10 minutes communing with the air kami, you can enter into a pact that will allow you to
hear anything said in that area for 48 hours. if you are within at least 50' of the location or at the very most a mile away., Spell Casting

Apperance: Sasuke is taller than the average Rokuganite at 6'1", but slender to the point of gauntness, literally skin over
whipcord and bone, he prefers wearing simple, loose fitting robes with wide sleeves, His "favorite" robe being of simple
undyed silk. few remember his true appearance, as the mask he wears covers most of his face and hair.
Mask appearance: his mask covers his face to just above his mouthand back over his head covering his hair, with beads alternating in red and black hanging down below his chin, there is only a single opening for his left eye, with an inlay of black jade where his right eye should be, otherwise the rest of the mask is featureless red enamel

Advantages: Inner Gift: precognition (He sometimes is given glimpses of possible futures due to the ceremony in which he
sacrificed his eye.) also Death Trance (due to parts of his studies, he knows there are worse things than death)

Disadvantages: permanant wound-(He sacrificed his right eye in the pursuit of his art in a ceremony that resulted in hs
"gift") and Bentons Curse

Bio: Where do you come from?
Born into a minor branch of house Soshi, Sasuke was turned over to the Shugenja at an early age, his training began when many others are learning to talk and walk, his fellow students often referring to him as "that peasant" many of these . This
early beginning drew him up with a inborn desire to know and learn everything he could to better himself. He became known as an experimenter, often preferring the company of his books and chemicals than people. This has lead to a somewhat acidic temper, and a lack of patience with the intellectual gifts (or lack thereof) of those around him.


(more to come soon)

a good start, flesh it out and I'll give you your information. Also there is a missing eye disadvantage that is seperate than permanent wound, you can have both if you want.

EDIT: Supplied skills, equipment, and special technique added in.

Name: Shosuro Chimaki
Age: 19
School: Shosuro Shinobi
Skills: Athletics, Deceipt, Defense, Kenjutsu (swordplay), Ninja ranged weapons, Stealth and Underworld
Other Skills: Kusarigamajutsu, Calligraphy, and Etiquette
Equipment: Wakizashi, Ninja-to, Shuriken x10, Kusarigama, Set of Ashigaru Armor, Set of Dark Clothing, Kimono, Pair of Sandals, Bottle of Water, Coin Purse, Cooking Pot, Fan, Grapple Hook, Kubi Bukuro, Rope, Small Knife (cooking), Spare Kimono and Sandals, Whetstone and 10 koku
Special Techniques: The Shadow Has No Mask - You are so used to infiltration that stealth and defense come natural to you. Without, magical, or a very perceptive person it is almost impossible to notice you unless you are not trying to be stealthy.
Appearance: Wears her hair in a thin ponytail that extends to the collarbone. Has a black kimono with matching obi and a red nagajuban. A small red comb kanzashi is worn just at the start of the ponytail. Also wears black leather zori and red tabi.
Mask Appearance: Black in color that fits over the mouth and nose and ends just under the chin. A red scorpion design is on the mouth.
Advantages: Absolute Direction, Dangerous Beauty and Heartless
Disadvantages: Mute, Obtuse and Antisocial
Bio: Trained as a shinobi from an early age, Chimaki can only recall the faces and names of her parents, and has had the bare minimum contact with them since passing her gempukku. To her, life is a day-to-day experience and she has no clear goals in life except to do what she's told in the name of her clan. Her name means little to her, she gives no thought to her own honor, and she lives only to discover what role fate may have planned for her. If she is to die for the honor of the clan, then it was clearly her fate to do so and she won't run away from it.