Dragon L5R Campaign
This selection of stories were written by the players and the GM of an L5R (Legends of the 5 Rings) campaign in which all of the original characters are from the Dragon Clan. Each player that wished to participate in the story writing portion of this campaign was to write up the sessions adventure in the perspective of their character. As a result there is much overlap in the stories and quite a few holes as well. Hopefully this will give the reader a perspective of each of the characters and their corresponding players
Enjoy!
Backgrounds/Intros
Backgrounds and introductory stories to introduce our intrepid heros!
Intro: Tomari Takezo
A shugenja clad in green walks through a village. Children are playing and there is an air of the normal chaos of life. Less than five paces behind the lone mystic is an unremarkable looking dog, medium in size and brown of fur. The shugenja stops at a merchant's stall and purchases a rice cake. As he goes to bite into the treat the dog looks up at him expectantly. Then barks.
The man sighs, "Very well" he says seemingly to no one in particular. Then to the merchant he says, "Make that two cakes."
After paying the merchant the shugenja tosses the second rice cake to the dog.
A young boy watching this approaches the shugenja and asks, "Is that your dog, Dragon-san?"
Again the Shugenja pauses in the act of biting into the rice cake, and looks at the boy curiously, "Why do you ask young one?"
"He follows you around," the boy answers.
A smile creeps around the corners of the shugenja's mouth. He motions to the breeze picking at the boys clothes, "Is that your wind?"
The boy looks around confusedly, "No."
"But it follows you around so."
The boy's confusion still doesn't fade, and the shugenja sighs yet again. He tosses his uneaten rice cake to the boy, "Thank you for the lesson young one. I hope a rice cake is sufficient payment for it."
The Dragon shugenja buys another rice cake from the merchant and walks on. Leaving the young boy confused but one rice cake richer.
"What a waste of a perfectly good rice cake."
"Perhaps, Inu. But I thought the boy might understand. Children are better suited for understanding these things."
"There are few in this world that see things the way you do. That is why I'm observing you, Takezo."
"And why I observe you. There is much to be learned from you and yours."
"And I from you. But the rice cake was wasted. The boy will forget the rice cake and in time never think of it again. Had you given it to a dog, they would never have forgotten it. This is the essential difference between man and dog."
"I fear you are right, Inu. But I have hope that man will learn in time. We may never know the outcome of the gift of that rice cake. But was it not you who taught me that things are best learned through positive reinforcement? I believe your saying was 'A treat for success, nothing for failure, tantalize to start.' I believe it may tantalize the boy and start him in the right direction."
A long silence.
"Just when I think I have you two-legs figured out...you may be right after all, Takezo."
To an outside observer it would appear as if the dog and man are growling and barking at each other as they walk down the unoccupied road. Curious behaviour until one realizes the kimono the man is wearing is green.