AEG’s Imperial Histories Contest for L5R

Sep 28, 2010

Although we haven’t really covered RPGs here on TGG (we will, along with miniature games to a small extent in the near future) but I wanted to share a news release Todd Rowland, the Senior Brand Manager over at Alderac Entertainment Group, sent along to me earlier this morning. If you’re into the Legends of the Five Rings RPG this seems like a pretty interesting contest!

Here’s what Todd wrote:

Hi All!

AEG is running a new contest for the 4th Edition RPG, for avid writers and fans of L5R who might want to be published authors!

—

The fourth edition of the Legend of the Five Rings Role-playing Game was released in June of 2010. In September, it was followed by the first sourcebook, Enemies of the Empire. The second Emerald Empire sourcebook will be released in early 2011, followed by The Great Clans. All of these sourcebooks have been announced for quite some time, and the general content is known. But now it’s time to talk about the next book in the release schedule, one that has not been discussed much if at all, and how you might take part in shaping its contents.

In the summer of 2011, AEG will release The Imperial Histories, a sourcebook for the L5R RPG 4^thEdition. The Imperial Histories is a new and unique format for a sourcebook, as it presents individual chapters covering ten separate eras in Rokugan’s history, with all the information a GM would need to run a campaign in that era and all the mechanics a player would need to play in it. Currently planned eras include:

The Dawn of the Empire
The Era of White Stag
The War of Spirits
Heroes of Rokugan: Champions of the Sapphire Throne
The One Thousand Years of Darkness

(Yeah, we thought that last one might get your attention.)

Perhaps the most interesting thing about The Imperial Histories, however, is that we only have nine eras specified (one of which, by the way, has never been seen before in any official storyline). The tenth one? Well, one of you is going to give it to us.

During the month of October, the L5R RPG 4^th Edition Design Team will be accepting proposals for an era or setting to be depicted within The Imperial Histories. This chapter will include fiction, a timeline, prominent heroes, and mechanics, just like all the other chapters. The setting can be at any point in Rokugan’s past, present, or future. (Don’t get too ambitious, though; Shawn and Todd would love some Rokugan In Space! action as much as the next guys but it’s not going to happen any time soon!) Your proposal should be no longer than 2,500 words at the very most. Shorter is probably better but some ideas refused to be contained. The winner will be announced no later than November 22^nd, which is when writing on The Imperial Histories is scheduled to begin.

This is perhaps the most significant opportunity for a fan of the role-playing game to impact the canon setting of Rokugan that has ever existed. This is the chance for one of your visions of Rokugan to become reality. Make the most of it!

Email your entry to [email protected] with the subject line “L5R Imperial Histories”. If you do not include that subject line, the entry may not be accepted. One entry per person. All entries are due by October 31.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...