Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
Well, posting up a topic for my new project 
As the title says, said project is a scenario based on the Legend of the Five Rings world, aka Rokugan.
For anyone who might not know, Rokugan is a fantasy world based on asia (and primarily japan - ie, samurai et al, though it's *not* japan, so there may be differences). It is greatly inspired (and in fact, the games - RPG, card game - built on Rokugan takes their name from) Miyamoto Musashi's Book of the Five Rings.
This scenario depict the Clan War era of the L5R storyline. During this era, the six great clans of the empire (and a variety of other factions) vied for control of the Empire of Rokugan, while the emperor fell slowly to a strange disease no one seemed able to counteract...
One last note : I am NOT responsible for what the names are like. I did not invent them ; they are taken straight from the RPG sourcebooks.
The clans (which are the playable factions in this scenario) are (the wonders have been set to "nil" for obsolencence, btw) :
The Crab Clan.
Daimyo : Hida Kisada
Capital : Kyuden Hida
The Crab Clan are the defenders of Rokugan's southern border. That border is of particular importance, as to the south of the empire lies the dark territories of the Shadowlands, a blighted land home to foul onis, trolls and goblins - a land where none stay dead.
For centuries, it has been the Crab Clan's duty to guard the empire against the horrors fo the Shadowlands. The result are masters of defensive warfare and engineering. They also are known for their berserkers - for sometime, the strength of those warriors is all that can repel an attacking oni. They have little use for the way of the court, and the only point they see in trade is to keep a constant supply of iron and jade - the only substance known to ward off the corrupting touch of the shadowlands - coming to the wall.
The Crab Clan control the Great Wall wonder at the beginning of the game.
The Crane Clan
Daimyo : Doji Hoturi
Capital : Kyuden Doji
The Crane are about as militaristic as the Crabs are diplomatic. Their strenght lies in other areas - the court, and the economy. It is their founder who is said to have created the rules of Rokugani society, and today, they are masters of those rules.
This is not to say that the Crane do not know how to fight. The courts are, after all, fraught with the periles of duels, and the Crane have long since mastered that art, as they have mastered all the other arts they have brought their interest on. Their swordmasters, the kenshinzen, are famed throughout Rokugan.
In game term, the Crane Clan's mastery of economy gives them control of the Smith Trading co at the beginning of the game.
The Dragon Clan
Daimyo : Togashi Yokuni
Capital : Kyuden Togashi (yes, there is a pattern. Though there are a few "Shiro")
High in the mountains of northern Rokugan lives the Dragon clan - the most mysterious clan of Rokugan. They have long since studied the founding work of Rokugani philosophy - the Tao of Shinsei - but there is little else that is known about them.
Except, of course, for two things they are famed for. First is their mystical tatooed men - Ise Zumi. Through unknown means, the tatoo they bear give them great powers (firebreathing, extreme longevity, the power to heal themselves or others, etc), and they have long since become the stuff of legend. The second is the distinctive dragon clan's two-sword style. Where most clans use only a single blade at a time (the katana), the dragon insist on using both their katana and wakizashi at once.
In game terms, the mysterious ways of the dragon helps them deal with unrest by giving them the Hanging Gardens.
The Lion Clan
Daimyo : Matsu Tsuko
Capital : Shiro Matsu
The Lion are known as the sword of the emperor - and the defenders of the empire. Where the Crab are Rokugan's shield against the Shadowlands, the Lion are the sword - they destroy the emperor's enemy. Or, of course, their own enemies - such as the Crane Clan, whom they see as "weaklings hiding behind the emperor's throne and their gold."
The Lions are masters of tactics, and they also strive to be the masters of Bushido, the way of the warrior. Their Deathseekers are fearsome warriors who seek only death on the battlefield to atone for their failures.
The Lion's mastery of tactical warfare earn them - of course - the Sun Tzu war academy.
The Phoenix Clan
Daimyo : Shiba Ujimitsu
Capital : Kyuden Isawa
The Phoenix Clan are an oddity in regard to the other clans of Rokugan - their Daimyo is not the supreme authority in the clan. In fact, while the ruling family (technically) is the Shiba family, it is actually the Isawa family that controls the destiny of the clan. The Isawa have power to back this - they are, after all, the preeminent shugenja (wizards) of Rokugan. It is their council of the five elemental masters that in truth hold the destiny of the clan in their hands (and yes, that means that the Phoenix starts out as a senate-plagued republic).
The tribe of Isawa - the founder of the family - were practicioners of magic before the great clans were even founded. They know secrets the rest of Rokugan couldn't even begin to dream of - and if there is any magical knowledge the other clans have, the Phoenix are likely to have it too. The Phoenix are the only clan with any degree of control over the magic of the mysterious fifth element - void. And the last family of the Phoenix, the Asako, have taken another path : the path of man, which - they claim - would allow a man to become nearly divine in power.
The Phoenix's great knowledge translates in control of the Great Library. (which might be changed to control of SETI)
The Unicorn Clan
Daimyo : Shinjo Yokatsu
Capital : Shiro Shinjo
The Unicorn are strange by many norms of Rokugan. At the dawn of the empire, the clan of the Ki-Rin rode out of Rokugan to explore the vast world. For eight hundred years, they wandered outside the empire.
Then, two hundred years ago, they returned. They were no longer the Ki-Rin clan but the Unicorn, and they had adapted many ways that are strange to others in Rokugan. But by far, the most impressive thing they had brought back from their wandering were the mighty warhorses they had found in outside land, far stronger than the ponies of Rokugan. Their cavalry is one of the most fearsome force in the empire.
In game terms, the Unicorn, who controls the vast northern fields of Rokugan, gains the Pyramids.
I'm currently doing the early playtesting, and I'll post some screenshots soon.
Here are some other facts :
-for those of you who like a scenario with some research, there are 50+ new techs. Of course, some of them are known to most factions if not all (and are in the game just to keep the unplayable factions from gaining access to what it's not meant to build - such as diplomats or settlers), but there should easily be 25+ techs available for research, each of them having some form of game effect.
-diplomacy and spies are going to be very important here. It's probably one of the best way to gain control of some of the neutral cities (though of course you could invade...but diplomacy gains you the help of the locals, who will defend their town for you)...not to mention the fast track to going up the tech tree. And yes, the game is meant so that you can eventually gain access to the various clan's specific units, even without espionnage, so that's no problem on that side.
-Impassable terrain (using, with credits given, Favored Flight's wonderful set of big mountains) will of course be involved...making for highly tactical locations, such as mountains pass.
-Air units will be used to represent two things :
1 : Berserkers who must return home by the end of turn or be caught in the open (and killed) - when their rage die out, so do they, if they are not protected.
2 : Similar units with high attack, but not meant to be able to take cities - specialist of ambush tactics, guerilla warfare and the like.
As the title says, said project is a scenario based on the Legend of the Five Rings world, aka Rokugan.
For anyone who might not know, Rokugan is a fantasy world based on asia (and primarily japan - ie, samurai et al, though it's *not* japan, so there may be differences). It is greatly inspired (and in fact, the games - RPG, card game - built on Rokugan takes their name from) Miyamoto Musashi's Book of the Five Rings.
This scenario depict the Clan War era of the L5R storyline. During this era, the six great clans of the empire (and a variety of other factions) vied for control of the Empire of Rokugan, while the emperor fell slowly to a strange disease no one seemed able to counteract...
One last note : I am NOT responsible for what the names are like. I did not invent them ; they are taken straight from the RPG sourcebooks.
The clans (which are the playable factions in this scenario) are (the wonders have been set to "nil" for obsolencence, btw) :
The Crab Clan.
Daimyo : Hida Kisada
Capital : Kyuden Hida
The Crab Clan are the defenders of Rokugan's southern border. That border is of particular importance, as to the south of the empire lies the dark territories of the Shadowlands, a blighted land home to foul onis, trolls and goblins - a land where none stay dead.
For centuries, it has been the Crab Clan's duty to guard the empire against the horrors fo the Shadowlands. The result are masters of defensive warfare and engineering. They also are known for their berserkers - for sometime, the strength of those warriors is all that can repel an attacking oni. They have little use for the way of the court, and the only point they see in trade is to keep a constant supply of iron and jade - the only substance known to ward off the corrupting touch of the shadowlands - coming to the wall.
The Crab Clan control the Great Wall wonder at the beginning of the game.
The Crane Clan
Daimyo : Doji Hoturi
Capital : Kyuden Doji
The Crane are about as militaristic as the Crabs are diplomatic. Their strenght lies in other areas - the court, and the economy. It is their founder who is said to have created the rules of Rokugani society, and today, they are masters of those rules.
This is not to say that the Crane do not know how to fight. The courts are, after all, fraught with the periles of duels, and the Crane have long since mastered that art, as they have mastered all the other arts they have brought their interest on. Their swordmasters, the kenshinzen, are famed throughout Rokugan.
In game term, the Crane Clan's mastery of economy gives them control of the Smith Trading co at the beginning of the game.
The Dragon Clan
Daimyo : Togashi Yokuni
Capital : Kyuden Togashi (yes, there is a pattern. Though there are a few "Shiro")
High in the mountains of northern Rokugan lives the Dragon clan - the most mysterious clan of Rokugan. They have long since studied the founding work of Rokugani philosophy - the Tao of Shinsei - but there is little else that is known about them.
Except, of course, for two things they are famed for. First is their mystical tatooed men - Ise Zumi. Through unknown means, the tatoo they bear give them great powers (firebreathing, extreme longevity, the power to heal themselves or others, etc), and they have long since become the stuff of legend. The second is the distinctive dragon clan's two-sword style. Where most clans use only a single blade at a time (the katana), the dragon insist on using both their katana and wakizashi at once.
In game terms, the mysterious ways of the dragon helps them deal with unrest by giving them the Hanging Gardens.
The Lion Clan
Daimyo : Matsu Tsuko
Capital : Shiro Matsu
The Lion are known as the sword of the emperor - and the defenders of the empire. Where the Crab are Rokugan's shield against the Shadowlands, the Lion are the sword - they destroy the emperor's enemy. Or, of course, their own enemies - such as the Crane Clan, whom they see as "weaklings hiding behind the emperor's throne and their gold."
The Lions are masters of tactics, and they also strive to be the masters of Bushido, the way of the warrior. Their Deathseekers are fearsome warriors who seek only death on the battlefield to atone for their failures.
The Lion's mastery of tactical warfare earn them - of course - the Sun Tzu war academy.
The Phoenix Clan
Daimyo : Shiba Ujimitsu
Capital : Kyuden Isawa
The Phoenix Clan are an oddity in regard to the other clans of Rokugan - their Daimyo is not the supreme authority in the clan. In fact, while the ruling family (technically) is the Shiba family, it is actually the Isawa family that controls the destiny of the clan. The Isawa have power to back this - they are, after all, the preeminent shugenja (wizards) of Rokugan. It is their council of the five elemental masters that in truth hold the destiny of the clan in their hands (and yes, that means that the Phoenix starts out as a senate-plagued republic).
The tribe of Isawa - the founder of the family - were practicioners of magic before the great clans were even founded. They know secrets the rest of Rokugan couldn't even begin to dream of - and if there is any magical knowledge the other clans have, the Phoenix are likely to have it too. The Phoenix are the only clan with any degree of control over the magic of the mysterious fifth element - void. And the last family of the Phoenix, the Asako, have taken another path : the path of man, which - they claim - would allow a man to become nearly divine in power.
The Phoenix's great knowledge translates in control of the Great Library. (which might be changed to control of SETI)
The Unicorn Clan
Daimyo : Shinjo Yokatsu
Capital : Shiro Shinjo
The Unicorn are strange by many norms of Rokugan. At the dawn of the empire, the clan of the Ki-Rin rode out of Rokugan to explore the vast world. For eight hundred years, they wandered outside the empire.
Then, two hundred years ago, they returned. They were no longer the Ki-Rin clan but the Unicorn, and they had adapted many ways that are strange to others in Rokugan. But by far, the most impressive thing they had brought back from their wandering were the mighty warhorses they had found in outside land, far stronger than the ponies of Rokugan. Their cavalry is one of the most fearsome force in the empire.
In game terms, the Unicorn, who controls the vast northern fields of Rokugan, gains the Pyramids.
I'm currently doing the early playtesting, and I'll post some screenshots soon.
Here are some other facts :
-for those of you who like a scenario with some research, there are 50+ new techs. Of course, some of them are known to most factions if not all (and are in the game just to keep the unplayable factions from gaining access to what it's not meant to build - such as diplomats or settlers), but there should easily be 25+ techs available for research, each of them having some form of game effect.
-diplomacy and spies are going to be very important here. It's probably one of the best way to gain control of some of the neutral cities (though of course you could invade...but diplomacy gains you the help of the locals, who will defend their town for you)...not to mention the fast track to going up the tech tree. And yes, the game is meant so that you can eventually gain access to the various clan's specific units, even without espionnage, so that's no problem on that side.
-Impassable terrain (using, with credits given, Favored Flight's wonderful set of big mountains) will of course be involved...making for highly tactical locations, such as mountains pass.
-Air units will be used to represent two things :
1 : Berserkers who must return home by the end of turn or be caught in the open (and killed) - when their rage die out, so do they, if they are not protected.
2 : Similar units with high attack, but not meant to be able to take cities - specialist of ambush tactics, guerilla warfare and the like.
plz plz plz! pm me if it's okay.. 
