An Overview of Imperial Herald Issue #13 (Legends of the Five Rings section)
* The Yak is Back! Hida Yakamo appears on the cover page with his jade green left hand and green in his eyes. He now has duel alignment - Crab and Creature. The great Naga shugenja Shashakar resurrected him to be used as their ultimate weapon against the Shadowlands.
By using the Black Pearl, Shashakar traded places with Yakamo in the Akasha (Naga group consciousness). This sacrifice cost Shashakar both his life and soul - he died but his soul can never again be part of the Akasha. But keep in mind the quote from the "Doom of the Naga":
They believe they have come to the Empire to assist against the Shadowlands, but it shall be this very action that will be their doom.
- The Prophesies of Uikku
* The Siege of Sleeping Mountain, Honor Bound and Ambition's Debt Sold Out??!!! Some retail stores and customers in southeast Pennsylvania are feeling short changed because they could not get their requested quantities of Ambition's Debt - but could get as much Pokemon(!) as they wanted. Local distributor problems versus actual shortage, what's the truth? Is this a return to "ordering 1 box from 3 stores to make sure that you can get the 1 box that you really wanted"?
* Andy Heckt gave an explanation of the DCI ranking system in "The Tao of the DCI":
- DCI (Duelist Convocation International)
- L5R Floor Rules
* Key Contacts in the L5R Community (from Imperial Herald #13, page 20):
* The Imperial Favor Award for best Magistrate went to the Dragon's Kagetora - congratulations Joe!
* Zen Faulkes has an article on L5R in Australia. A list of Stronghold stores is also given.
* The background information to "Strike at Midnight" was finally officially published. It completes Hitomi's story after the "War in the Heavens". The tone is low key, sounding like a quiet beginning to a movie before the start of the main storyline. Adequate information is given for the "Strike at Midnight" tournament but the mood seems disappointingly mundane. There is a scarcity of descriptive information on what Hitomi's deeds have meant to the Empire. Except for Hoshi, the major clan leaders were not mentioned. Did they know what has happened? Do they even care? Only some peasants wonder "... if Hitomi searches for hope - or looks to destroy it." Were people grateful for Hitomi's actions? Are they scared that the sun goddess has turned the sky blood red for 27 days?
Just prior to "Strike at Midnight", a momentous change in the Natural Order took place. Man has triumphed over Nature against fantastic odds. So why is it being reported like a minor news event? Where is the suspense, the anticipation, the build up, the hype for Strike at Midnight? The problem is that there's no storyline reason for any clan except the Dragon to show up for "Strike at Midnight". The tournament doesn't have a significant benefit on any other clan no matter who wins.
Contrast this with the the "Day of Thunder". If Rokugan lost, All clans would would then be subject to an eternity of darkness and enslavement by the Shadowlands. Every clan had a stake in the outcome. This added to the anticipation, suspense and need that people experienced. Tournaments mean more when there's conflict and something meaningful at stake. Would the "Day of Thunder" be as exciting if Fu Leng died quietly of old age after the 12th Black Scroll was opened? Of course not! Failure at the "Strike at Midnight" carries the penalty of an "evil portent for the Empire." Not particularly scary.
What's in the storyline for the other clans? How will they benefit or be hurt by this tournament? Does it matter to the Crab Clan who do daily battle against the Shadowlands? No. The Lion Clan doesn't have time to care. They're currently fighting wars on 2 fronts - first against the Shadowlands with their Crab allies and second defending their home against the Unicorn. Does it matter to the Crane or Phoenix Clans? No. Yoritomo? He would laugh in your face and call you a superstitious fool if you mentioned "evil portents." These examples show that there really isn't a good storyline reason for the other clans to participate in "Strike at Midnight". Look at the other clan websites - the only mention of "Strike at Midnight" are on the Dragon and some Scorpion websites (in gratitude for helping recover their lands in "Gift of the Emperor").
What's also left unconfirmed is the rumor that the winning clan will lose a personality for winning the tournament. What a dubious honor. Supposedly, the winning personality will ascend be a minor star(!) while Hitomi assumes the mantle of being the new moon. So the winning clan gets no storyline benefits and the potential loss of a personality in the collectable card game (CCG). Some inducement to participate, eh? :)
If the comments seem a little shrill, it's because this Dragon clan site cares a lot for Hitomi's legacy and is puzzled why a private matter such as seppuku should be made into a public event. Kakita Toshimoko was allowed privacy for his seppuku, even though it was faked for noble reasons. During the year of The Hidden Emperor he went searching for the true Tao that the Kolat had stolen instead of looking for Emperor Toturi. Toshimoko felt that Rokugan can always find a new Emperor but that Rokugan couldn't survive without the true Tao. In summary, a valid storyline reason for this tournament hasn't been shown and wild speculation would say that the contest is being contrived just because Hitomi is an interesting, controversial character that would attract people just to gawk.
* Edward Bolme has a nice article on "The Naga". An open format Naga deck is listed along with how to use it.
* Ree Soesbee writes about Kitsune Ryosei's "Nightmares" - a childhood memory concerning her father and how it affects her current motivations. An introduction to the Fox Clan follows. According to the latest official reports, the Fox Clan did not split off from Yoritomo's Alliance to join the Crane. A shame. It would have made the Crane stronger and provided some internal friction in Yoritomo's Alliance, in addition to being able to spin off plot twists in inter and intra clan relationships.
* There's Zen's usual Card Focus article, this issue centering on Kage Sensei.
* No more Ancestral Katanas from Taka :( but there are Personalized Clan Honor Counters from Flying Tricycle that will put your DCI number on the baseplate! :)
* Controversy Time - "Know the School"
* Edward Bolme wrote another nice article explaining the Lion Clan along with a sample Lion deck using the Kitsu Tombs.
* The "Clan of the Ki-Rin" describes the Unicorn Clan's travels in the lands of the Burning Sands. It also chronicles the start of the Moto Clan, a hybrid between the Ujik-hai and the Unicorn. It is said that the kami Shinjo had promised always to return to the lands of the Burning Sands...
* There is a listing of the Legends of the Five Rings DCI Floor Rules (Code of Bushido) for the 1999 - 2000 Tournament Season. Effective October 1, 1999.
* And finally, there is a list of banned cards that may not be used in an Extended Jade Tournament.
Promotional Cards in Imperial Herald #13
Legend of the Burning Sands
Legends of the Five Rings (Mon Backed Stronghold Cards)
Legends of the Five Rings CCG and the names of some characters are copyright of the Five Rings Publishing Group and Wizards of the Coast. Artwork is copyright by various artists whom illustrated cards for Wizards of the Coast. Other names, stories and ideas are copyright MountainView. Dragon logo by R. Stier.
