The level of response I got about whether I run L5R or my wife runs SIF this week was… underwhelming. I got two responses. One was happy to play either game, the other, from someone who doesn’t play in the SIF game, said that we should run SIF.

So, it is with heavy heart that I lay down the rulebook and slowly back away.

This campaign may or may not be picked up again. Right now, we’ll just say it’s on hiatus. What I can guarantee with almost complete certainty, is that this is not the end of the Legend of the Five Rings for me. Whether this campaign or another, whether I run or someone else does, I love this setting too much to leave it for good.

Be there!

But the biweekly schedule started to give me a little more time to prep (for when I have busy work weeks) and allowed Beth to start her Song of Ice and Fire game. She offered to let us do L5R this week, but I think that’s unfair to the players of SIF that are not part of L5R. I’m not going to disrupt their momentum. So here’s what the next few Saturdays look like:

7/18: SIF

7/25: Stephen’s housewarming party

8/1: SIF

8/8: Beth and I are out of town

8/15: The next possible date for L5R

This means that it will be close to a year since the game began. Needless to say, things are quite behind where I expected them to be by this point. There were four stops to make in Phoenix lands, with two or three sessions of travel and other shenanigans for each. We’ve just wrapped up the third stop.

On this blog, you can read summaries of what’s happened so far. I started this site several sessions after we started playing. The first five chapters represent that time, and do not necessarily reflect one session = one post. Beyond that, the formula works. So, in other words, since I established that site, we’ve run four sessions (chapters 6-9). Each post was put up generally within a week of the session, so you can get a rough idea of when we played each of those sessions. The dates of those four posts are 12/20, 1/19, 4/27, and 6/1. And the next one will be after 8/15. That’s right. We’ve only played three sessions in the first seven months of 2009.

I get excited to play. And it’s a big downer when we can’t, or don’t. Especially when I don’t know that’s the case until the day of, which has been the case many times.

I’ve been looking at this info for the last 24 hours or so, and I keep going back and forth as to whether I want to continue L5R in spite of all this. I want to continue because I enjoy it. I think we’ve got a pretty good story going (especially with everything you all keep bringing to the table). And I’ve got some big plans about where we’re going. Exciting things. I don’t want to continue because the way things are going, this “introductory” tour of Rokugan won’t reach its conclusion until 2015. It’s hard for me to get excited about the next session when it’s been two months since the last time (and harder still when it falls through). My own ambitions of writing and designing my own game also keep me thinking about other games and systems I want to try out to see how they work. I can’t do that when my only gaming time is on Saturdays, and half of those are as player (which I really don’t want to give up!).

So I’ve been thinking of options for what would happen if I ditched L5R. SIF could start to be played every week (if Beth is up to it), but then there are several friends that I don’t see enough as it is, that I won’t see pretty much at all. I could (with a bit of a break) start up the Unknown Armies campaign I’ve been planning off and on for several years now. We could set up one or two of the other games I want to try, and keep them to one-shots or very short adventures, without much long-term gaming. Or I could open up the floor to anyone else who’d like to run something.

At this point, it’s a big “I don’t know.” There’s no clear answer I can see. I want to hear all of your thoughts.

Standing in the center of the room is another such bushi, without a naginata, who approaches. “Otomo-sama,” she says, bowing low. Kambei bows in response. The Phoenix continues, “You and your party are expected.” She turns to each of them in turn, bowing as she speaks their name. “Asahaina-san. Mirumoto-san. Soshi-san. Otaku-san. Akodo-san. And of course, Yomitsu-san.” She bows a little lower to the Phoenix. “I am Shiba Akane. On behalf of the Phoenix Clan, I hope your stay so far has been hospitable.”

Otomo Kambei nods. “The Phoenix have been most generous in the lodgings and food made available.”

“Good,” says Akane. “Please wait here.” With that, and a quick bow to Kambei, she turns toward the great door behind her and slips through.

After what seems to be a long time, Akane returns. “Otomo Kambei, and party,” she calls. “Please enter.” She stands by the open door as they all file into the room.

The chamber is pentagonal in shape, with a door like the one through which everyone enters in the middle of each wall. Painted along the wall is a depiction of Shiba kneeling before Isawa, with Isawa’s five siblings watching on from the other side of the room. Each corner has a dais, over which a small banner with the kanji for one of the five elements hangs. Three of the five platforms are occupied. Judging by the kanji behind them, these would seem to be the Masters of Fire, Water, and Air. The positions of Earth and Void are vacant. No guards are in this room.

Shiba Akane follows you in and walks to the Air dais, to the party’s right. “Isawa Uona, Acolyte of Air,” she intones. A young woman of about 18 or 20 bows formally. She has long flowing hair, and blue eyes. Her robes are in the traditional style of a shugenja, though still in the burning colors of the Phoenix.

“Isawa Tomo, Master of Water,” Akane speaks as she moves to the next platform. Isawa Tomo is a tall man of about 30. The reds and yellows of his clothing, which resemble a monk’s clothes in all but color and quality, are accented with blue. His head is shaven, except for a long thin mustache which hangs to his chin. His eyes twinkle as he bows to the group as one.

Akane passes the empty Void platform, and then the empty Earth one, making a full circle. As he moves on to the next, he calls out, “Isawa Tsuke, Master of Fire.” Tsuke stands proud and stern in a standard kimono of the brightest reds, with the kanji of Fire embroidered in gold throughout. His thick eyebrows are the only hair on his head. Most notably, he wears a katana at his side. He bows shallowly.

Completing the circle, Shiba Akane walks back to the door he entered from, and leaves, closing the door behind her. The party remains in a group, somewhat surrounded by three of the most powerful people in the Empire.

There is a moment of palpable silence. Then Otomo Kambei speaks up in a clear voice that rings off the walls. “My lords,” he says, bowing low, “I am Otomo-”

“We know who you are, Otomo-san,” interrupts the Master of Fire. “You and your companions.”

The young Acolyte of Air speaks up, a little stiffly. “Tsuke-san, there is no need for rudeness. Introductions are to be expected from supplicants.”

“I have little enough time for minor bureaucrats, without having to listen to information I already know.”

A soothing, flowing voice says, “You must forgive him his disposition.” Isawa Tomo smiles gently. “But I tend to agree. Formalities can be done away with, to some extent. You know who we are, we know who you are. You must also forgive my father and brother for their absence. They both have business elsewhere. Let us move on to the matters at hand.”

As one, all three Masters turn to the Lion. “Akodo Takahiro,” says Tsuke. “What do you ask of the Elemental Council?”

Takahiro pulls forth several small black boxes. The cover of each box features a painting that depicts a scene of one element. He places a box on the dais of each of the absent Masters, and presents the others to Tomo, Tsuke, and Uona. He then respectfully makes a plea to be allowed to study in the libraries of the Phoenix.

Without speaking as to whether the request would be filled or not, the three Masters look at the Crane. It is Uona who speaks this time. “Asahina Airi, what would you ask of us?”

Airi steps forward and begins a performance, telling the story of a Phoenix samurai-ko on a quest. It ends with the samurai-ko discovering a treasure, which Airi offers the Masters in an ornate case. Within are sweets from the Islands of Silk and Spice. She then echoes Akodo Takahiro with a request for access to the Isawa libraries.

“Otomo Kambei, these two are recent additions to your party, yes?” asks Tsuke. Kambei agrees. Tsuke continues, “Then we have no further need of them. Akodo-san, Asahina-san, you are dismissed.”

The door between the Fire and Earth platforms opens, and Shiba Akane steps through, as if she’d been waiting for the cue. This is not the door the group entered through.

After Takahiro and Airi exit, they turn to the Scorpion. The Master of Water speaks. “Soshi Kimura, what can the Council do for you?”

Kimura bows low. “You honor me with your attention, lords.” He rises and produces five small colored cases from his scroll satchel. He presents the yellow one to Isawa Uona.

She opens the box and looks, then looks at Kimura. “A haiku,” she says.

“Written by my own hand. I’m no great poet, but it is something written from my soul.” After the formalities of sincerity, Uona slips the small box into her obi.

Kimura then presents a slightly larger blue box to Isawa Tomo. Upon opening the box, Kimura elaborates. “I took a rock from each river that I have crossed on my journeys since I received Otomo-sama’s summons. I present them to you for your garden.”

Finally, to Isawa Tsuke, Kimura hands a long slender red box. Tsuke opens it and smiles. Kimura does not elaborate on this gift, as Tsuke seems to recognize it.

Kimura places a green box on the Earth dais, and a white one on Void.

Finally, Kimura bows low again to each of the Masters in turn. “As for what I would ask of you, your exquisite hospitality has left me nothing of which to ask. If a request I make would even matter to those such as yourself, then all I would ask is for you to grant Otomo Kambei access to whatever records in your incomparable libraries he requires.”

Three pairs of eyes turn to the Dragon. “Mirumoto Saburo,” begins Tomo, “Is there anything you would ask of us?”

Saburo plays a performance on his drum – one that shows considerable improvement with the instrument since he began this journey. He requests nothing of the Masters.

The Master of Fire raises his voice. “Now tell us, if you would of the oni you all faced, not far from here.”

Yomitsu takes the lead in recounting the story, letting others fill in details as needed.

Kimura concludes by saying, “So Mirumoto-san stayed behind to rest and guard Otomo-sama, and I was sent ahead here to prepare the way. Hemakshi-san and Yomitsu-san accompanied Shiba Tsukune in the hunt.”

“Then I believe we are done with you, Soshi-san. And you, Mirumoto-san, says Tsuke. The door between the Earth and Void opens, again by Akane.

Tomo says, “You all have our thanks for the parts you played in this venture.” Kimura bows yet again, and leaves, alongside Saburo.

“Otaku Hemakshi,” the Master of Air calls to the Unicorn, your name obviously odd off her tongue, “what would you request of the Elemental Council?”

Hemakshi presents each of the Masters with a small vial of spice, a different one for each Master – saffron for Air, oregano for Earth, cinnamon for Fire, vanilla for Void, and salt for Water. She repeats Kimura’s request for Kambei to be allowed the information he seeks.

Tsuke turns his gaze to the Phoenix. “And what would Shiba Yomitsu ask of his Council?”

Yomitsu presents the Council with a demonstration of his mastery of a kiho, during which he also produces a sheet of paper from his sleeve. He unrolls it and reads a haiku he has written:

After reading the poem, Yomitsu respectfully places it on the empty Void dais.

“So tell us, if you would,” grates Isawa Tsuke’s voice, “about the events after Kimura-san’s departure.”

Yomitsu again takes the lead and tells of the maho-tsukai and the scrolls taken from their cave.

Tsuke’s eyes almost seem to burn as he asks, “And where are these scrolls now?”

Kambei steps forward. “I have them here, ready to turn over to the illustrious Council.” He reaches into his satchel and pulls out two scrolls.

“Have you examined them?” asks Isawa Uona.

“I have not,” says Kambei. “Their contents are clearly not for the eyes of a humble scribe like myself. They are much better suited for those with the knowledge to comprehend them without danger of temptation.”

“Leave the scrolls before us,” says the Master of Water. Kambei abides, gingerly setting the scrolls down on the floor in the center of the chamber.

The Acolyte of Air speaks again in her soothing voice. “We commend you in your service to our Clan, both of you.”

“Now onto the real business-at-hand,” says the Master of Fire as he turns toward Kambei.

Tomo speaks to the two of others. “You two may go now.” And again, as if on cue, the doorway between Void and Water opens and Akane appears to escort Yomitsu and Hemakshi out.

Meanwhile, Takahiro and Airi were led by Shiba Akane through a maze of corridors to an enclosed courtyard. Within is a beautiful garden, filled with trees covered with blossoms, a stream quietly trickling along its path, flowers of every color, and even a small rock garden in the center. “When you are ready, please exit through the western door,” Akane says while gesturing toward a doorway. Then she turns back the way she came.

Airi asks Takahiro what his gifts to the Council were. Takahiro reveals that he gave them each a lucky cricket. He then asks Airi if she has anymore sweets. The conversation awkwardly dies.

Soon, Saburo and Kimura are led to the garden. Saburo, Airi, and Takahiro decide to continue to wait for their other companions. Soshi Kimura, however, claims he has other business to attend to and leaves.

After Hemakshi and Yomitsu arrive, they all go their separate ways. Yomitsu offers to take his Lion companion to check out the dojo, and maybe spar. Saburo joins them. At the dojo, they interrupt a class of young Shiba bushi, whose sensei decides that this sparring session could teach some lessons to the class. Yomitsu wields a wooden bokken. Takahiro does so as well, but also holds his tessen in his off-hand. The fight seems evenly matched for a time, but Yomitsu eventually defeats his opponent, knocking the Lion unconscious.

Airi is summoned to Takahiro’s room, only being told that Takahiro requested her. She enters to find him unconscious and beaten. She reads a prayer to the water kami from a scroll, and his wounds seem to heal somewhat. Before he awakens, she leaves a sweet for him.

The next day, Otomo Kambei gathers Akodo Takahiro and Asahina Airi to go to the library. Guards outside stop them and demand their names and business. Kambei states that they were presented to the Elemental Council and should be allowed to enter. The guards state that Kambei has been granted access, but the others have not. Kambei restates his case, a little stronger. One of the guards goes to get a superior.

When the guard and his superior return, Kambei is forced to repeat his request. The superior says, “Of course, the esteemed Otomo Kambei has been granted access to these halls. Asahina Airi, your clan and ours have always been close. Feel free to accompany your liege. Akodo Takahiro, perhaps you would like to peruse our map room.”

Kambei quietly tells Takahiro that it would probably be best to heed the guards. Dejected, Takahiro goes to the map room and begins to study Phoenix and Dragon territories, while Airi accompanies Kambei into the restricted libraries.

Amidst all this, a letter is delivered to Otaku Hemakshi.

Upon completion of the tale, Yomitsu laid the confiscated scrolls on the floor before Kambei. The Otomo congratulated the samurai, telling them to leave the scrolls and let him continue his rest. Hemakshi and Yomitsu were a little uneasy about leaving the Bloodspeakers’ scrolls with Kambei, but they obliged.

The next day, Tsukune awakened and asked for an audience with Kambei. He met with her privately in the monk’s dwelling. When he exited, he told his three retainers to be ready to leave in the morning.

Only a couple days of travel passed before they approached Kyuden Isawa. The cherry blossoms were blooming in the spring air. They all felt a strange tranquility pass over them, brought on by the serene nature of their surroundings.

Soshi Kimura was waiting for them at the gates, and led them to their rooms within the palace itself. Yomitsu took advantage of the few hours they had before dinner to do some research in the Isawa libraries. Knowing he wouldn’t be allowed into the more sensitive or magical-leaning libraries, he sought access to geneologies, to find what he could about Matsu Tsuriko, the Lion who led the attack on his village. Satisfied with her birth year and province, he left for dinner.

At dinner, Kambei had a surprise for his retainers. He had arranged for two more young samurai to join their party and meet them at Kyuden Isawa. A beautiful Crane shugenja named Asahina Airi sat next to a Lion bushi named Akodo Takahiro. The Akodo seemed quite nervous, telling Hemakshi “You’re very tall,” and Airi, “You’re very pretty.” He was the only one at the table wearing armor, fine though it was.

After dinner, Kambei told another tale, this one about how the great Kami Shiba swallowed his pride for the good of the Empire, and knelt in service before the mortal Isawa. Kambei retired after the story.

Yomitsu, eager to play against another Lion (and at Hemakshi’s urging), challenged Takahiro to a game of go. Airi felt that Takahiro was being unfairly picked on, cast a spell to help him out. Even with the benefits of the spell, Yomitsu still won due to unintentionally dropping a piece in a key position.

Soon after, everyone else retired for the evening. Each was awakened very early in the morning, and told to get themselves ready to meet with the Elemental Council. Most of them scrambled to make themselves presentable and prepare gifts. Yomitsu hurried to the library he had studied in the day before, and, worried that the powerful Masters would be able to sense it, hid his Egg on the shelves.

Hemakshi is able to find the trail easily, and the small party of three heads into Isawa Mori. About half a day’s journey into the forest, they come across a rocky outcropping that seems to be the source of the oni. They dismount and head into the cave.

Spotting light ahead, the group stops. Tsukune orders Yomitsu to scout ahead. He does so, and sees three men. Two of them are in meditative positions, and the other is reading a scroll over a rocky altar that is absolutely covered in blood. He quickly returns and makes his report. Tsukune tells both of them to have their bows ready, and they advance.

At the entrance to the larger room, Tsukune announces herself, saying, “I am Shiba Tsukune, daughter of Shiba Jimen, student of Akodo Ingen, and yojimbo to Isawa Tadaka, the Master of Earth! In the name of the Phoenix clan and the family of Shiba, I demand your surrender!”

After a moment’s hesitation, one of the men rushes toward Tsukune, wielding a wicked dagger. Yomitsu quickly looses an arrow which drops the man to his knees. “You fools,” he shouts to his companions. “Do you think they’ll let you live if you surrender?” Hearing this, the man at the altar cuts his arm and begins to chant, and the other draws a dagger and takes cover behind a large rock.

“So be it,” Tsukune says, slowly advancing on the chanter, taking a moment to behead the one already shot by Yomitsu. Hemakshi and Yomitsu both fire another arrow, each wounding one of the two remaining Bloodspeakers. Yomitsu advances on the one behind the rock.

The chanter finishes his spell, and blood spills from the wound in his arm and covers him from head to toe. Hemakshi shoots him again, but notices that when her arrow hits, Tsukune grunts in pain and stops her advance. Yomitsu dispatches the other maho-tsukai.

It is soon apparant that any wounds inflicted on the  remaining Bloodspeaker also affects Tsukune. The maho-tsukai declares that Tsukune will die if they try to kill him, and orders everyone to back down as he starts moving toward the entrance. Tsukune repeats his order to back down. Hemakshi lowers her bow, but not her guard, and also moves toward the entrance to block his way. Yomitsu decides to test the limits of the spell, and hits the Bloodspeaker with his sword’s saya. Tsukune coughs up some blood.

The Bloodspeaker repeats his order, holding his dagger to his own throat. Yomitsu attacks with his sheathed blade again, knocking the arm with the dagger away from the man. Tsukune acts and takes the Bloodspeaker’s head in a single blow, then collapses.

Hemakshi and Yomitsu confirm that Tsukune is still alive, just unconscious, then douse the entire place in lamp oil. Yomitsu takes two scrolls and, careful not to even look at them, stores them away. Then Yomitsu lifts Tsukune and carries her out of the cavern. Hemakshi waits for them to leave, then lights the oil, burning everything inside.

They ride back to town, arriving after sunset, and bring Tsukune to the humble dwelling of a monk that lives in the village.

Determined that Saburo not return empty-handed, Yomitsu swam into the freezing water with a fish caught by Hemakshi in a net she had borrowed from a peasant. His goal was to put it on the end of Saburo’s line, so he’d think he caught it. Yomitsu was surprised to find a fish already on the line, but switched it out with the one he brought anyway because it was bigger.

It was late, and they decided to call it a night. As they made their way back to the inn, they heard a scream. At the far end of the village, they could see a fire. Hemakshi ran back to the inn to drop off everything and get her horse. The others made straight for the fire.

When they got there, they realized that the fire was the least of their problems. A large oni with a gaping maw had just torn a peasant in half. Kimura, not being a fighter, set about doing what he could to control the fire. Yomitsu and Saburo attacked the oni, with Yomitsu trying to keep its attention and Saburo flanking it. The beast put up an intense fight, seeming to take whatever the two samurai could dish out to it. Yomitsu took a hard hit, knocking him down and to the verge of blacking out.

Hemakshi arrived to see only Saburo remaining to fight the monster. She kicked her horse into a gallop and attacked, wheeling around to attack again. The beast still wouldn’t go down. It landed a blow on Saburo that sent him flying into a wall, knocking him out.

Focusing his will, Yomitsu stood and lifted his blade for one final attack. He was too weakened to hit, however, and the oni turned its attention to Hemakshi.

Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and spikes of stone shot up out of the dirt beneath the oni, piercing it. It let out a howl unlike anything they’d heard before. Standing on a low wall was a shugenja, already preparing another spell. The oni attacked him, and almost out of nowhere, a female bushi appeared between it and the shugenja, knocking the beast’s blow aside with her blade. The shugenja completed his spell, and jade crept up out of the ground, encasing the oni.

In the aftermath, the two new arrivals introduced themselves. The shugenja was none other than Isawa Tadaka, Master of Earth, and the bushi was his yojimbo, Shiba Tsukune. Tadaka examined the oni while Tsukune, Hemakshi, and a recently returned Kimura saw to the others. Tadaka told Tsukune that she would remain behind and help the party track down where the oni came from, while he continued on his journey. This did not please Tsukune at all.

They brought the unconscious Saburo and the barely conscious Yomitsu back to the inn. Tsukune, recognizing that Hemakshi was a Battle Maiden, asked if she could track and told her to see if she could pick up the oni’s trail back to where it came from. Hemakshi was easily able to do this.

Otomo Kambei was hesitant to hold off on his journey, but recognized the importance of tracking down whoever summoned the oni. He was also keenly aware of the influence that doing this favor for a member of the Elemental Council would lend him, especially seeing that his next destination was Kyuden Isawa.

Maybe next week.