Legend of the Five Rings
8 primary works • 14 total works
Warring samurai clans fight with swords and magic for the Emperor’s favor while protecting their borders from the demonic incursions of the Shadowlands.
The realm of Rokugan: a land of samurai and mystics, mad dragons and divine beings – a land where honor is stronger than steel. The clans have defended and served the Emperor for a thousand years both on the battlefield and in Rokugan’s courts. While conflict and political intrigue divides the clans, the true threat awaits in the darkness of the Shadowlands, behind the vast Kaiu Wall. There, in the twisted wastelands, an evil corruption endlessly seeks the downfall of the empire. The rules of Rokugan’s society are absolute, and the Great Clans must always maintain their honor, lest they lose everything in the pursuit of glory.
Striking Dawn Castle defends the mountains between the Rokugan empire and the demon-haunted Shadowlands. When a mythical city is discovered in the forbidding peaks, Hida Haru, heir and sore disappointment to his family, seizes the opportunity to prove himself. His rash expedition ends in disaster – just one samurai returns alive, and Haru is lost. Before a power struggle can break out, Striking Dawn’s battle-hardened commander, Ochiba, is dispatched to rescue Haru. She succeeds against supernatural horrors, but Haru is… changed. Now, mysterious deaths and ill fortune plague his family. Something evil is loose and must be stopped, at any cost.
Daidoji Shin, unrepentant wastrel with a taste for scandal and dice, coasts through his role as Crane Clan’s trade envoy in the City of the Rich Frog. But when a case of poisoned rice threatens the brittle peace between the competing clans, the Imperial Governor drags Shin from his indolence and orders him to find the culprit. Despite himself, Shin uncovers an intriguing conspiracy involving more than just dead rats. A murder with no body and a missing actress present a distraction that could finally make Shin put in a full day’s work, and maybe even save the city from tearing itself apart.
Chaos has broken out in the isolated Dragon Clan settlement of Seibo Mura. During the full moon, horrifying creatures rampage through the village, unleashing havoc and death. When the Dragon samurai Agasha no Isao Ryotora is sent to investigate, he faces even greater danger than expected. To save the village, he must confront his buried past – not to mention an unexpected Phoenix Clan visitor, Asako Sekken, who has his own secrets to hide. The quest to save Sebo Mura will take the two samurai into the depths of forgotten history and the shifting terrain of the Spirit Realms… and bring them face to face with an ancient, terrifying evil.
Daidoji Shin, former louche layabout turned amateur investigator, and his long-suffering bodyguard, Kasami, are called away from the comforts of the City of the Rich Frog and into Unicorn lands to investigate a seemingly open-and-shut case of murder. But it’s never that straightforward… A condemned woman’s life is at stake, and the outcome may prevent a war between noble families. But that’s only the beginning of this mystery: Shin will come face to face with a sinister seditionist organization that could have much deeper consequences than he could imagine.
When diligent yet unappreciated clerk, Miya Isami, develops a new triangulation technique for map- making, her traditionalist superiors at the Imperial Cartographic Bureau heap scorn upon her. But when her novel approach exposes a swathe of missing land on the border between Scorpion and Lion Clan territories, Isami stumbles onto something far more significant than a mere mapping error. Her discovery offers the prospect of resolution to the seemingly endless territorial squabbling between the proud, warlike Lion and the secretive Scorpion. In a bid to contain the conflict, an Imperial Treasurer dispatches Isami with her fresh insights to the Spine of the World. Yet she is far from welcome in the mountains. She must negotiate between the clans, uncover the truth, and discover the location of a hidden valley before the fragile peace is shattered by war.
Opening night at the Foxfire Theater is set to be a huge success for Daidoji Shin, amateur detective turned theater impresario. The City of the Rich Frog’s leading lights are all there, but even as the performance begins, the Three Flower Troupe’s new lead actress is found dead backstage – and everyone in the venue is a potential suspect. Shin has only till the curtain falls to find the killer. But the clock is ticking and Shin can only hold the great and the good hostage so long. As the night wears on, the chance of the murderer escaping justice grows ever more likely.
vol. 1
The Great Clans of Rokugan
by Katrina Ostrander, Robert Denton III, Mari Murdock, and Daniel Lovat Clark
Ice and Snow by Katrina Ostrander – a surprise attack and courtly machinations challenge the untested heir to the Crane Clan to keep the peace and prove her value to her family.
The Sword and the Spirits by Robert Denton III – the champion of the Phoenix Clan must save her lost love from the darkness consuming him, and from the menace of a desecrated shrine.
Whispers of Shadow and Steel by Mari Murdock – in the Scorpion City of Lies, the “only honest Scorpion” magistrate is caught between family and finding justice in a murder case.
Across the Burning Sands by Daniel Lovat Clark – the future heir to the mighty Unicorn Clan faces duplicity, assassins, betrayal, and even sorcery as he seeks peace with the caliph of al-Zawira.
vol. 2
The Great Clans of Rokugan
by Robert Denton III, Marie Brennan, and D G Laderoute
Deathseeker by Robert Denton III – a shamed Lion Clan warrior finds a chance for redemption when she discovers a foundling with magical ancestry, whose secrets could change everything.
The Eternal Knot by Marie Brennan – a young monk with a mysterious tattoo must learn to embrace her destiny and become a superhuman hero of the Dragon Clan.
Trail of Shadows by D G Laderoute – the quest for a lost relic leads a team of bold Crab Clan samurai into a dangerous expedition through the monster-haunted depths of Shinomen forest.
Plus, the Legend of Five Rings Halloween tales – a collection of spooky Rokugan stories – never before collected in print.
Something is wrong in the Emerald Empire. The emperor is ailing, the court is weak and the Great Clans threaten to escalate their petty squabbling into all-out war. But in the shadows, another threat lurks – sinister Bloodspeaker cults attempt to resurrect the forgotten sorcerer Iuchiban, who possess a power so great it could destroy all of Rokugan. Now seven samurai, one from each of the Great Clans, must put aside their pride, fear, and rivalry to unite and prevent the Bloodspeakers from finding the legendary tomb of Iuchiban, and the hideous treasure locked inside. All that stands in the samurai’s way is their hatred of each other. The road will be long and bloody, but glory waits for them at journey’s end. As does death…
The demon-vanquishing samurai, Asako Sekken and Agasha no Isao Ryotora are summoned to Winter Court. Their exploits with the Spirit Realms have taken a toll on the pair and the cut and thrust of Rokugani politics proves challenging. After being urged to share their tales of adventure, the Winter Court guests begin to fall into a deep sleep from which they cannot wake. Fearing foul play, the Phoenix demand retribution, but Sekken and Ryotora uncover the hand of a supernatural trickster seeking entry to the mortal realm. The path to victory will risk their lives and the strange bond between them. But they must succeed, lest something awful escape into Rokugan.
Legend of the Five Rings' debonair samurai detective Daidoji Shin returns to solve the fresh mystery of a surprise resurrection
When a long-lost member of the Lion Clan, Itagawa Mosu, seemingly returns from the dead to claim the hand of his betrothed, it’s up to Daidoji Shin to determine the truth of this miraculous reappearance. The Lion reluctantly permit Shin’s involvement, even if they have to let him plan the wedding as part of his investigation... Shin must navigate dangerous political waters to discover if Mosu really is the man he claims to be, or is he a cleverly disguised imposter? It will take all of Shin’s charm, wit, and flair to find out before the wedding begins. And the guests are already starting to arrive.
In the fantasy empire of Rokugan, when a Crane Clan auditor turns up dead in a soy brewery, all eyes turn to nobleman-turned-detective, Daidoji Shin… but not to solve the man’s murder; rather, Shin is the suspect. Now Shin must attempt to figure out who killed the victim and, more importantly, who framed him, all while outwitting the authorities on his trail – including a dogged Kitsuki investigator with a score to settle. Caught in a spider’s web of intrigue and with his enemies closing in, time is running out for Dadoiji Shin…