During my early college years, I was a huge Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) nut. Yes, I was a vertiable walnut of L5R-loving goodness. I loved the CCG, I loved the RPG, I... never paid much attention to the Disc Wars game, but I had a set of the Button Men! Didn't care much for Clan War, though. I was in the Imperial Assembly as Phoenix (even through our terrible time during the early parts of Hidden Emperor), played in tournaments... never did very well, but I did win a local tournament through enlightenment victory long before the monks got their 'easy enlightenment victory' foo with the House of Tao stronghold. So that's gotta count for something.
Anyway.
I decided that trying to write for the Imperial Herald would be a good 'in'. After all, that's how Ree Sosebee got her start, and she wrote the metaplot! Well, at the time she did, anyway.
So I was coming up with a city to be the setting for the L5R game I was about to run, and I came up with Sani Okoku Toshi (the Japanese may be terrible; I don't know, it's been years since I originally studied it). I decided to do a short write-up, throw in some adventure hooks, and voila! Instant Imperial Herald submission.
And it was accepted!
Unfortunately, then the rights for the Herald went to... Wizards? I don't recall exactly. So I contacted the folks and Wizards lost my submission and I got repeatedly bounced back and forth between then and AEG until I stupidly just gave up.
But here's the original article. Once again, these are in the accursed and ancient Wordperfect format.
They also had a contest for the Unexpected Allies book, where people wrote up characters and sent them in. A number of lucky winners would get their characters in the book! Sounded like a perfect opportunity. So I wrote up two submissions and sent them.
I wasn't printed.
Considering what a dog of a book it was for the most part, I don't know if I'm sad or happy regarding that fact... I thought Rei was a good submission, though, and still do. It needs some refinement, looking back at it... on the other hand, I can see why Ieyasu wasn't selected pretty easily.
And, as a free bonus!
These are some tips I wrote for myself regarding writing for L5R. Are they worth a damn? Hell if I know...
Hopefully, I can find my GM notes for Code of Bushido at some point... and tell the sad, tragic tale that was me playtesting Greg Stolze's original Code of Bushido rough draft in the future. Or maybe I'll speak on my disenchantment with the game, and how I traded all my cards for a computer.
Well, that's really all there is to be told. I traded my cards for a computer. I still pay attention to it and look at the newer RPG books coming out of it, but my passion for the game will probably never burn quite so bright again. I still like it, but we broke up awhile ago, and just don't talk much anymore.
