Exploring the nooks and crannies of Rokugan - IR #26 | Emerald Empire (4th Edition)

Jaime Lawrence

(Hida Mann)

Australia
Sydney
New South Wales

See Below.

Evil Bob: Lawful good since 2038!

If you’ve read this, this, this, this or this, you’ve probably got some idea of the respect I have for the quality of Legend of the Five Rings (4th Edition). Great pains have been taken in the construction of the game to ensure that despite the ‘time-neutral’ approach in the game, every aspect of it is fully fleshed out and has suitable depth for players and GMs alike to explore it in a wider context. Between those books, you’d think it was mostly covered, but Emerald Empire begs to differ – less a rules supplement and more a travelogue and anthropological critique of the Rokugani society, it examines the makeup of the socio-political world of the Empire from the bottom up. Before I even get into the review, I’ll give you the short version; this is a supplement for those who want detail in their campaigns, who like to read and who have an interest in world-building.

The best way to approach Emerald Empire is to look at the other books in the series:

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Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition RPG gives you the rules and a brief sampling of the world.
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The Great Clans tells you about the Clans, their hierarchies, structure and history.
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Enemies of the Empire tells you about the threats to life in the Empire, both mundane and supernatural

Emerald Empire tells you about everything else. It’s a detailed examination of life in the Empire for everyone, from the lowliest eta to the mightiest daimyo. This makes the book invaluable to those who seek verisimilitude in their game. What tea blend is the key NPC’s favourite? How many henshin will be in that village? What is the peasant doing when the Samurai go to find him in the evening? This book helps to make Rokugan into a real place, examining the cultures, traditions and history of life in the Empire.

As always, the production values on this hardback tome are way up, with every page lavishly illustrated on heavy grade paper. This is not a GURPS book, where you’ll be sticking pages back in with sticky tape after your first reading. The book is laden with adventure hooks and includes a few new schools and paths as character options, but the focus is firmly on the story, not the mechanics.

So, what’s in it? Each of the following gets a chapter:

Geography of the Empire is examined in detail, broken down into clan territories, with a focus on significant geogaphic features such as the Twilight Mountains, Earthquake Fish Bay, etc. A Shinjo Bushi school is also included.

Customs of the Empire are examined, as are their variations in the clans and classes (did you know that the Crab are regarded as excellent cooks?). The Minor Clan Defender school is presented here also.

Social Structure deals not only with the Celestial Order, but the ways that different classes interact with one another. The Imperial Scion school embodies these concerns.

Politics examines the courts, the power of words over weapons in Rokugan and the different styles of politicking that take place around the Empire. The Ikoma Lion’s Shadow School shows off the more devious side of the most fiercely honourable clan in the Empire.

The Arts reminds us what it is that makes life worthwhile for the Rokugani people. Various styles of expression, from dance to tattooing, are catalogued here. The Shiba Artisans showcase the place where art and religion meet.

Money and Commerce are topics nominally uninteresting to Samurai, but in practice, the Empire cannot function without them. The trade routes and production of the Empire are examined herein, as is the Mantis Kobune Captain school.

Law and Order and the maintenance of them is a concern at all levels of society and is taken seriously in Rokugan. The Doji Magistrate school shows us all how it’s done.

Religion is clarified in both its major forms and at a level of detail that includes the minor deities such as the Shi Tien Yen Wang alongside the more familiar Osano-Wo, Benten, Amaterasu and the like. Two orders of Monks, the Shinmaki and the Dark Paragons, show how extremes of religious belief can heighten an individual’s abilities.

Education and by extension, coming of age, are covered in the same level of detail as the rest of the text, explaining what a student or apprentice does during their day and over the entire period of their instruction. The Taoist Swordsmen of the Mirumoto embody this quest for knowledge.

War is the stuff that Empires are made of and Rokugan is no exception. The approach to waging war taken by each clan, including the involvement of each class within the clan, is considered here. The Hida Pragmatist school features in this chapter as no-one makes war like a Crab…

The World Beyond looks at Rokugani Xenophobia and how it has relaxed or increased in reaction to encounters with other races, including those of the Ivory Kingdoms, the Burning Sands and the kingdom of Merenae.

A Glossary of terms provides a quick reference for players and GMs seeking to take their dialogue to the next level

Finally, a system for more detailed use of status and roles in society is included, allowing players to take on more responsibility and expand their role in the Emerald Empire.

This book is not really essential reading if you’re going to run L5R, but if you’re going to really run L5R and not just something with the flavour of L5R, you want Emerald Empire. If you’re familiar with the previous version, there’s not that much here that’s new for you, but frankly, the refresher course is nice and the book looks so amazing that I wanted it anyway.

Emerald Empire scores 8 gifts refused twice before being accepted out of 10 (does that mean it’s actually getting 24 out of 30? I’ve confused myself again…)