Imperial Histories (RPG book)

Imperial Histories Cover

Imperial Histories was a supplement for the Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game (4th Edition). It recounts the triumphs of the Emerald Empire and the most noble Emperors. It was released in September 2013.

Credits

• Writing: Shawn Carman, Rob Hobart, Brian Yoon, Brian Bates, Kevin Blake, Jason Bianchi, Adrian Burton, Dave Laderoute, Max Lemaire, Ryan Reese, Thomas Sarachan
• Editor: Robert Hobart, Todd Rowland
• Art Director: Todd Rowland
• Cover Design: Hal Mangold
• Cover Art: Aurelien Hubert
• Layout: Hal Mangold
• Original Graphic Design: Edge Entertainment
• Artists: Christopher Appel, Steve Argyle, Gonzalo Ordonez Arias, Mathew S. Armstrong, Daren Bader, Drew Baker, Jason Behnke, Tom Biondolillo, Leonardo Borazio, beet, Manuel Calderon, Mike Capprotti, Paul Carrick, Miguel Coimbra, Conceptopolis, Audry Corman, Ed Cox, Edwin David, Molly Denmark, Thomas Denmark, Randy Elliot, Steve Ellis, Jason Engle, Anthony Francisco, Carl Frank, Randy Gallegos, Joachim Gmoser, Gong Studios, Anthony Grabski, Troy Graham, Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Himmelman, Quinton Hoover, David Horne, Aurelien Hubert, IFS, Paul Prof Herbert, Jonathan Hunt, Llyn Hunter, Hugh Jamieson, Michael Kaluta, Michel Koch, Michael Komarck, Heather Kreiter, Amandine Labarre, Stephanie Law, April Lee, Monika Livingston, Eric Lofgren, Anson Maddocks, Slawomir Maniak, Thomas Manning, Britt Martin, David Martin, Malcolm McClinton, Patrick McEvoy, Peter Mohrbacher, William O'Connor, Glen Osterberger, Jim Pavelec, Ben Peck, Ramon Perez, Eric Polak, Mark Poole, Angga Satriohadi, Erich Schreiner, Chris Seaman, Douglas Shuler, Steve Snyder, Ron Spencer, Florian Stitz, Beth Trott, Charles Urbach, Luis Vasquez, Diana Vick, Franz Vohwinkel, Byron Wackwitz, Corene Werhane, Mario Wibisono, Matt Wilson, Jarreau Wimberly, Wackwitz & Daily
• Artists - uncredited: Jon Hodgson, John Donahue, David Hudnut, Janine Johnston, Stefano Baldo, Heather Hudson, Veronica V. Jones, Anna Christenson, Chuck Lukacs, Kevin Wasden, Jaime Jones, Karl Richardson, Diego Gisbert Llorens, Eric Anderson, Randy Elliott, Cris Dornaus, Susan Van Camp, Mike Raabe, Liz Danforth, Craig Maher, Mark Tedin, Vann Godfrey, Sean Murray, Mark A.W. Jackson, RK Post, Joseph Phillips, Mark A. Nelson, Justin Norman, Talon Dunning, Quinton Hoover, Matt Zeilinger, Aaron Acevedo, Ancor Gil Hernandez, Jason Juta, Chris Pritchard, Isaak Lien, Viwat Vichannuwong, Fares Masae, Jeremy Jarvis, Lisa Hunt, Mateusz Ozminski
• Production Manager: David Lepore
• Senior Brand Manager: Todd Rowland
• Chief Executive Officer: John Zinser
• Head Playtester: Brian Bates
• Playtesters: many

Chapter One: The Dawn of the Empire (Page 9)

• Pre-History
  • Year 5: The Tournament of the Kami
  • Hantei's orders
  • Year 5 to Year 41: Gathering Followers
  • Days of Darkness: The War Against Fu Leng (years 33 to 42)
  • After the First War: Building the Empire
• The Great Clans at the Dawn of the Empire
• The Day of Thunder as a campaign event
• Magic and Religion during the Dawn of the Empire
• The First Tournament of the Emerald Champion
• The Age Before the Kami
• Notable Personalities from the Dawn of the Empire
  • Doji Konishiko
  • Ide
  • Chosaku
  • Shiba
• New Game Mechanics
  • The First Oni
  • Hatsu Suru no Oni

Chapter Two: The First Reign of the Gozoku (Page 41)

• The History of the Gozoku Era
  • The Rise of The Gozoku: Year 375 to Year 391
  • Consolidation of Gozoku Power: Year 391, seventh Month to Year 397
  • Gozoku domination: Year 398 to Year 427
  • The fall of the Gozoku: Year 428 to Year 435
  • The Winter Court of 436
• The Clans and Factions
• Roleplaying the First Reign of the Gozoku: Themes In Play
• Important Personages of the Gozoku Era
  • Hantei Yugozohime (Hantei VII)
  • Bayushi Minoko
  • Bayushi Atsuki
  • Seppun Gohoru
• New Game Mechanics
  • New family: The Nasu
  • New advantage: Imperial Scribe
  • New Alternate Path: Agents of the Gozoku
  • New Alternate Path: Agents of the Hantei

Chapter Three: The Era of White Stag (Page 71)

• The Age of White Stag
  • The Helm of Kenshin
  • The Battles of White Stag and the Raging Seas
  • Matsu Koritome and Gaijin in the Empire
• The State of the Clans
• Timelines and Destinies
• Notable Personalities of the White Stag Era
  • Matsu Mochihime
  • Agasha Kasuga
  • Gusai Mori
  • Doji Usan
  • Akodo Godaigo
• New Game Mechanics
  • Gaijin Pepper
  • New Alternate Path: Tortoise Guard

Chapter Four: The Great Famine (Page 99)

• A Secret History
• Timeline of the Great Famine
• The Clans and Factions During the Great Famine
• Gaming the Great Famine: It's A Hard Knock Life, Samurai-sama
• Revolution in Rokugan
  • The People's Legion
  • The People's Legion and Role-Play Options
  • Hopeless Heroism: Joining the Revolution
• Notable Personages from the Great Famine
  • Asahime
  • Akodo Kenburo
  • Tetsuken
  • Rojin
  • Mirumoto Umeka
• New Game Mechanics
  • New Alternate Path: Kenburo's Way
  • New Alternate Path: People's Legionnaire
  • New disease: Water Fever

Chapter Five: Prelude to the Scorpion Clan Coup (Page 125)

• Chronology of the Era
  • The Scorpion Clan Coup
• Clans and Factions in the Pre-Coup Era
• Before the Coup: A Default Setting
• The Scorpion Clan Coup:
  • A Game Event
  • Preparations and Goals
  • The Course of the Coup
• Important Personages of the Pre-Coup Era
  • Akodo Arasou
  • Bayushi Shoju
  • Doji Satsume
  • Rujo
  • Moto Soro
• New Game Mechanics
  • New Basic School: the Hiruma Scouts
  • New Alternate Path: the Scorpion Loyalists
  • New Alternate Path: the Kitsuki Justicars
  • New Alternate Path: the Soldiers of the Three Man Alliance

Chapter Six: The Clan War (Page 151)

• The History of the Clan War
  • The attack on Otosan Uchi: Year 1128, Month of the Hare
  • The Day of Thunder: 1128, Month of the Ox
• Overview of the Clans and Factions
• Total War in Rokugan
• The Shadowlands Inside Rokugan
  • The Twelve Black Scrolls
• Destiny and Heroism
• Important Personages of the Clan War
  • Toturi the Black
  • Matsu Tsuko
  • Toku
  • Shiba Ujimitsu
  • Kakita Toshimoko
• New Game Mechanics
  • New Advanced School: the Scorpion Saboteurs
  • New Advanced School: the Daidoji Harriers
  • Ninja options: Explosives and Nageteppo

Chapter Seven: The Hidden Emperor Era (Page 183)

• The Origins of the Story
  • Toturi's Return and the Growing Darkness
  • Hitomi¡s Change of Heart
  • The Return of Shinjo
  • Mortal Gods
  • The March to Volturnum
  • Battle of Oblivion's Gate
• The Clans and Factions During the Hidden Emperor Era
• Rokugan in a Time of Chaos and Civil War
• The Kolat Versus the Darkness
• Spirit Portals and Oblivion's Gate
• Rokugan in an Apocalyptic Age
• Important Personages
  • Doji Kuwanan
  • Bayushi Aramoro
  • Isawa Taeruko
  • Kitsuki Kaagi
  • Matsu Hiroru
  • Seppun Toshiken
  • Goju Adorai
• New Game Mechanics
  • New Alternate Path: the Nameless One
  • New Family names: the Hoshi and Hitomi
  • New School: Hoshi Tsurui Zumi
  • New School: Hitomi Kikage Zumi

Chapter Eight: The War of Spirits (Page 217)

• The War of Spirits
  • Origins of the War
  • A New Threat Arises
  • The Aftermath of the War of Spirits
• The Clans and Factions During the War of the Spirits
• The War of Spirits as an RPG Setting
• Game Periods During the War of Spirits
• Prominent Personalities of the War of Spirits
  • Bayushi Yojiro
  • Hantei XVI
  • Hida Tsuneo
• New Game Mechanics
  • The Gm's Toolbox: Returned Spirits as characters
    • New Special AbilitY: Returned Spirits
    • New Disadvantage: Anachronism
  • New Basic School: Moto Death Priest
  • New Advanced School: the Sodan-Senzo

Chapter Nine: Heroes of Rokugon - Champions of the Saphire Throne (Page 243)

• An Alternate Rokugan
  • A Changed History
  • The 1400s: Prelude to Catastrophe
  • Rokugan in the Year 1500
  • The Empire Shatters
  • The Death of Jade
• Clans and Factions at the Dawn of the Sixteenth Century
• Miya Shikan: Ideological Fanaticism in Rokugan
• The Death of Jade
• The Crisis of Modernity
• Prominent Figures in the Heroes of Rokugan Era
  • Akodo Gintaku
  • O-Doji Koneko
  • Shosuro Hido
  • Kagekaze
• New Game Mechanics
  • Ronin family Names
  • New Ronin Path: Tsume Pikemen
  • New Minor Clan: Tiger Clan
  • New Basic School: Yotsu Bushi school

Chapter Ten: The Thousand Years of Darkness (Page 279)

• A World of Evil
  • The Broken Day of Thunder
  • The Foundation of the New Empire
  • Total Reign
  • The Last Days of Toturi's Army
    • Year 1144: The Battle of the City of Lightning
    • The Iron Crane's Last Fight
• The Clans and Factions During the Thousand Years of Darkness
• A World Changed: The Four Winds in the Thousand Years of Darkness
  • Akodo Kaneka, the Bastard
  • Akodo Tsudao, the Sword
  • Isawa Sezaru, the Wolf
  • Hantei Naseru, the Captive
• Rays of Hope for the Enemies of the Dark Empire
  • The Samurai of Rokugan
  • The Kolat
  • Daigotsu
  • The Twelfth Black Scroll
• The World Outside: The Gaijin Nations
  • The Yodotai Empire
  • Hantei Kachiko's Betrayal
  • The Ivory Kingdoms
  • Medinaat al-Salaam
  • The Ashalan
• Roleplaying in the Thousand Years of Darkness
• Notable Personalities of the Thousand Years of Darkness
  • Hakumei
  • Hoturi the Heartless
  • Kuni Osaku
• New Game Mechanics
  • Oracles in The Thousand Years of Darkness
  • The Enraged Kami
  • New Alternate Path: the Acolytes of Thunder
  • The Ashura
  • Legendary Item: Blood of Ashura
  • Tadaka's Children