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Tuesday, May 3, 2016

This is for my gamers, s an introduction part of it taken from the L5R Wikia

            Welcome to Rokkugan! (row-koo-gone) The Emerald Empire based on fudeal era Asia, mostly Japan. You, my friend are a noble member of the upper class. You could be a courtier, someone who plays the verbal games of court a gentle noble who uses words as weapons. You could be a magnificent Samurai or Samurai-ko (female samurai) There are various schools of fighting from the polished formal duelists of the Crane to the down and dirty fighters of the Crab and everything in between, There are archers, wrestlers, berserkers, You could be an artisan, creating beautiful things or music. You could be a mage, elemental or healing.  You could be an engineer, building and helping to fortify the Wall.  You could be an Otaku battle maiden, only women and riders beyond compare. They have horses where the rest of Rokkugan have ponies. You could be one of the women warriors of the Matsu family of the Lion clan, where women lead. You could be a witch hunter, seeking out the taint of the Shadow wherever it hides.  The ninja are only rumors in the dark and not a player class, neither are the tattooed monks of the dragon. Let me know what you are interested in and we’ll try and make it work.
            Rokkugan is a world of humans, mostly. There are creatures of the shadowlands, dark, evil twisted things that taint everything they touch. The Crab clan man the wall that separates the shadowlands from the sunlit lnds of the Emperor, may he live forever.  If you run into a creature of the shadowlands, something has gone VERY wrong. That doesn’t mean it won't happen, but most of the people of Rokkugan are secure in the knowledge that the Crab and the great wall protect us from the darkness.
            Ruled by the Emperor, descendant of the gods, Rokkugan is split into seven clans that have been at war as much as they have been at peace. Started by a child of the gods, a Kami (kah me) More than human less than divine, each clan has three major families that all have specialties. Each clan is ruled by a Daimyo (Dye me yo) and under him minor lords, then samurai and courtiers, then merchants, then peasants. Rokkugan has a cast system and Samurai are high above the peasants. The clans are at relative peace for once, the Lion and the Crane are at the lowest hostility they have been in years.
            The Crab Clan serve as the Defenders of the Empire. They spend their lives upon the Carpenter Wall, standing vigilant along the southwestern border of Rokugan to defend against the next attack from the Shadowlands. The Crab Clan was founded by the Kami Hida. Every day, the Crab warriors give their lives defending the Wall so that the people of the other clans might live in peace and security. The Crab value this duty above everything, even honor. They might be gruff, unkempt and downright rude at times, but no one questions their strength or courage. [1]
The Crab Clan has the duty of guarding the Emerald Empire against the horrors of the Shadowlands. The Crab Clan Champion has always been from the Hida family, directly descended from the original Hida. Unlike other Clans, the Crab did not value sincerity as highly as they did honesty, carrying this philosophy from the battlefield into the court. The Crab viewed the political situation in very simple terms; the strong had more right to rule than the weak, and those who could not protect the Empire did not deserve to rule it. Because of the first Hida's defeat by Hantei, they viewed the Hantei dynasty with respect. However, if such a time arose where a Hida could take the throne from the ruling Hantei, then they would do so without question, [2] [3] as attempted during the Clan War.

The Crane Clan, Left Hand of the Emperor, was known throughout Rokugan for its skilled duelists and artisans. The Crane were also noted courtiers, wielding great power in the courts of the land. The Crane were founded by the Kami Doji. They pursued excellence in all things, and the traditions established by Lady Doji were now customary in the Emperor's Court. The formal dueling system, iaijutsu, was established by Doji's husband, Kakita. Their preferential status with the Imperial line was renowned and throughout history the clan had had fewer taxes and more gifts heaped upon them. They were the masters of the courts and had the status and wealth commensurate with such a position. [1]
Families of the Crane Clan
The Crane consisted of four powerful families in complete symbiosis, no two families overlapping in duties. The Doji family were the voice of the clan and control most of the politics within Rokugan. The Kakita family were famed for their iaijutsu duelists as well as their skills as artisans. The Daidoji family were the military might of the Crane as well as handling the things too dishonorable or dangerous for the other families. The Asahina family were the only shugenja in the clan, and spent their time in peaceful meditation and creation of nemuranai. The Asahina were in theory a fifth family, as the Yasuki family were once Crane. Their path however led them away from the Crane to the Crab Clan shortly after the founding of the Asahina. [2]
The Dragon Clan was founded by the Kami Togashi, the most enigmatic of Amaterasu's children. For over a thousand years it has been their duty to watch and record the history of Rokugan. While the Dragon are seen as reclusive and aloof by most clans, they understand the necessity of acting only when the time is right.
Togashi and his first followers
After the kami fell from the Celestial Heavens they held the Tournament of the Kami to determine who would rule. Once the tournament was over and Hantei was declared the winner they realized that Togashi had declined to fight. Hida saw this as an act of cowardice, but Hantei was wise enough to realize that Togashi refused to fight because he known all along what the outcome was going to be. [1] Togashi then retreated into the mountains of northern Rokugan to live in quiet solitude and reflection. This, however, did not last as he was followed there by two men, Mirumoto and Agasha. These two became his first followers and the three built a temple to Amaterasu with a castle around the temple to protect it. Over the years Togashi's followers grew in number. Those seeking his wisdom took the Togashi family name, while those showing any skill with the blade were taken in by Mirumoto and trained by him in his niten technique. Those who showed an affinity for the elements were taught by Agasha. The Dragon were secluded, and for the next thousand years they would rarely leave their mountains to interfere with the politics and events of the other clans
The Lion Clan were the Right Hand of the Emperor, recording the military and political interactions between the Clans. They were the epitome of bushido and the very example of valor. Next to the Seppun family they were most likely to serve as the Emperor's guardsmen. They comprised the greater portion of the Imperial Legions. The Lion Clan was founded by the Kami Akodo.
The Lion was mostly identified with yellows, browns, and earth tone colors. [1]
The Lion were the most militant and aggressive of all the clans, revering bushido and loyalty to the Emperor as life's two most essential governing principles. The Lion's rigidity and strict adherence to tradition had made diplomatic relations with other clans very difficult, especially the Crane and Scorpion Clans. To the Lion, an ancestor was more than simply a spirit of the past; they guided the current generation of Lions in their everyday life and helped shape their destinies. They were more than the Clan's past - they were its present and future.[citation needed]
Military Edit
The Lion Clan Army was widely known for two things: their ferocity in battle and massive reserves. Over half a million samurai, organized into many thousands of units, made the total Lion army almost double the size of any other Clan army, besides that of the Crab. [2]
The Phoenix Clan is known throughout Rokugan for their skilled shugenja and mastery of elemental magic. The Phoenix are also noted pacifists, preferring diplomacy to war if at all possible. The Phoenix presence in the courts of the land is not great as their courtiers are relatively few, although they are not isolationists like the Dragon Clan. The Phoenix Clan was founded by the Kami Shiba, while the family of his vassal Isawa, generally ran the affairs of the clan.
The Scorpion Clan was founded by the Kami Bayushi. The clan and its members are widely considered to be villainous and untrustworthy by the rest of Rokugan, though they merely attempt to fulfill the duty given to their family by the First Emperor on the day of his ascension.
Scorpion Clan
While the Crane was the Emperor's Left Hand and the Lion his right, the Scorpion was often referred to as the Underhand of the Emperor. It was a family of spies, manipulators, and assassins who valued loyalty and duty and for whom the ends justifed the means. The samurai of the Scorpion clan understood that by dirtying their hands, they ensured that no others need do so. [1]
Once known as the Ki-Rin Clan, the Unicorn Clan departed Rokugan shortly after the first Day of Thunder. The Kami Shinjo, founder of the clan, hoped to avert other threats to Rokugan by discovering them first. They roamed the world for eight centuries before returning to Rokugan.
The Unicorn are the finest cavalry in all of Rokugan. The Unicorn were considered barbarians by most of the other Rokugani clans. They spent eight hundred years outside the Empire, exploring the Burning Sands and other lands, and Rokugan's cultured society believed that in spite of the two centuries since their return they still have not relearned the civilized ways of their motherland. The clans could not be more wrong. The Unicorn know the ways of their cousins, but chose to follow their own path, influenced by their contact with gaijin cultures. Because of this, they were held in low regard by many, but nonetheless were feared for their military might. [1] Their battlecry was "We are the people of the Wind". [2]
The Unicorn was mostly identified with purple, white, and gold colors. [3]
Gaijin Customs Edit
The Unicorn had different customs than the other rokugani clans as a result of the time they passed outside the bounds of the Empire. They used gaijin weapons like scimitars, wore fur clothes, [citation needed] had mobile tents called yurts, and even shook hands as a greeting instead of the traditional Rokugani bowing salute. [4]



Saturday, April 23, 2011

Spring Cleaning

In order to make room for new and better pictures, I have removed the crappy ones!  I hope to get new ones up soon.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Isabel's Tudor




Izzy's fit better than mine did, I have to alter mine.  Here she is in various stages of dress however. I patterned and made the outifit, inclusing the beaded French hood and over 40 hours of embroidery in her skirt alone, not counting her sleeves.  I am very proud of this.

Izzy's Persian




These are some images of my "niece" Isabel Olsen in the persian outfit I made her.  I made the hat and veil as well, although the belt was a joint effort.  Emily made the base of the belt, a length of rainbow yarn kumihimo: I added the bells.

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello everyone!  Welcome to my blog!  Here I will share my jewlery and sewing escapades.