Island of Lies
Clan Strife Campaign 2014
Sea of Lord Sun, 1170-1199 (Isawa Calendar)
Yogo Satsu was a unique leader among the Scorpion Clan. He chose life at sea instead of the shadowy intrigue of the mainland, and soon many bushi from several clans joined the crew of his ship, Tatsuharu. Over the last half of the 12th century, he plied the Umi Yakamo (Sea of Lord Sun) traveling far and wide to bring much needed trade to the lands of the Scorpion.
Satsu had two sons - one by a Scorpion woman, one by a Lion. His first son, Yogo Teratsu, grew up in the lands of the Scorpion in the house of his grandfather. Teratsu's mother died when he was very young, and soon after he learned of her death, Satsu took another wife as he traveled through Lion lands. Ikoma Jensei was Satsu's son, though he (like his unknown brother Teratsu) grew up in the house of his grandfather in Lion lands as his father traveled Rokugan and beyond. The brothers lived their lives never knowing of the other.
Then came the Destroyer War. Yogo Satsu built a warfleet of kobune to aid in the reconstuction of the Ruined Kingdoms and build stronger clan relations with the Mantis. To this end, for the first time he gathered his two sons in one place and they swore fealty to him. By this time, Jinsei and Teratsu were accomplished bushi with great honor, and had gathered many followers themselves.
As they sailed for the Ruined Kingdoms of the Ivory Coast, disaster struck. The fleet was blown off course by a powerful storm from the Shadowlands, and was nearly destroyed before landing on a peculiar island somewhere in the Umi Yakomo. It was large, fertile and seemed as if no man had ever set foot upon it. They would soon find that their island was south of the Ruined Kingdoms, and Satsu set about creating the first Rokugani settlement upon the island.
Under Satsu's guidance, the fleet was repaired. However, he wanted to keep a garrison at his new settlement, so could not set sail to the north to find the mainland with all of them. To this end, he appointed Teratsu as overseer of his coastal camp. Satsu intended to return to the mainland to consolidate sea routes to the island, and knew that time was of the essence.
On the eve of his voyage, he brought together his two sons to speak of life, and of death. He bade them keep watch over the island, so increase their efforts so their settlement could grow to be useful to the Empress. He also spoke of their inheritances, including his possession of a powerful nemuranai called the Golden Kabuto. They spoke long into the night, eventually deciding what would happen next. Jinsei would accompany their father north, and Teratsu would stay on the island to develop the settlement.
The voyage north was a fateful one. A storm once again brewed on the sea, and with it came bune filled with oni. Jinsei was separated from his father during the tumult as the bune began to drift apart in the storm. When he hacked the last of the monstrous oni from his deck, Jinsei learned they had lost half the fleet. He continued north, and found the mainland of the Ivory Coast. Though he tried, he could not find Satsu. He completed his father's business, as discussed, and then returned to the island.
Teratsu was enraged when he learned of what he considered to be gross negligence in the case of his father's death. With this news came Jinsei's assertion of Lion dominance on the island, which pushed Teratsu over the edge. He declared that the island was the domain of the Scorpion Clan and it's allies exclusively. Jinsei was rebuffed, and gathered his men and moved to the north shore of the island. There, he established a settlement and began to reach out to the mainland.
Hanakawa is the Lion alliance settlement on the island. The Phoenix, Crane and Dragon all have representatives here. Jinsei is focusing on bringing military might to the island in an effort to crush out his older brother, and soon the brothers (along with their allies) will come to blows over control of the island. In Hanakawa, a large naval port is being built with the intention of controlling the sea south of the Ruined Kingdoms.
The original settlement is much quieter and more peaceful. Now called Satsu-ji, the settlement is growing in stature and power. Shrines to the Fortunes, Kami and all manner of spirits dot the idyllic landscape. The Crab, Unicorn and Mantis all have representatives here as well. Teratsu has built a mighty fortress, and has many disciples of the spirits in his settlement. Some few of those shugenja are beginning to suspect there may be more to the island than they suspect.
Every day, knowledge of the existence of the island spreads across Rokugan by agents of both sides. Spring Dragon Island, as it is now called, will be the focal point of an internecine conflict between the clans. Even now, the enmity between the half-brothers grows to a point of murderous rage. The singing of blades draws near...
Campaign Rules
The campaign will be decided by each Clan's Honor score at the end of the campaign, which is calculated from participating in battles. The highest Clan Honor will be the overall victor of the campaign. The highest alliance Honor (sum of Honor scores in each alliance) will determine which alliance holds sway on the Island of Lies!
In addition, experience will be gained as in the Ronin rulebook. No additional special rules are required this game, as this is the first campaign we've used this system with. We're going to put it through it's paces!
Team games are encouraged where multiple clans take part. For each of these, count the rival buntai as separate engagements on the battle record. However, your fates are bound to one another, so the loss is counted toward both clans!
Campaign Updates
- (4/27/14) - Hostilities between the Scorpion and the Phoenix finally come to blows in a slaughter near one of the shrines along the southern shore, which ran slick with Phoenix blood. Thereafter, the Unicorn and Lion fell upon one another, resulting in a bloody stalemate after a day of carnage.
- (5/25/14) - Yogo Teratsu's forces attack Ikoma Jensei's in force. After a bitter fight in the woods near the Shrine of the Mended Knee, the Scorpions were driven back to Satsu-ji.
The campaign is a draw! Neither alliance managed to get the better of the other in the long term. However, Ikoma Jensei secured much honor in the name of his Clan...and Dirty Greg is easily this year's Warden of the Empire with 8 points! Congratulations to Greg, who will be reaping the benefits of those honor points with some nifty perks here at the Wargate.
All is quiet on the Island of Lies, thanks to Ikoma Jensei's vigilance. When next we return to Rokugan, we'll have a longer and more in-depth, multi-level campaign for you. We will continue to develop the Clan Strife blog and add new units for our games. This weekend will see the en-action of a new schedule for us, which will put several layers on each campaign going forward. Ronin: Clan Strife and Legend of the Five Rings are foremost in these designs and will be with us for the next several years.
Thanks to everyone who helped out with the samurai flavor: Skim, Captain Video, Dirty Greg, Jerry Wargate and Joe Kool. You guys were great, and until next campaign the Lion will have it's share!