Kolat?

[Bayushi Senshi]

Ok, new Senshi question:

Who are the Kolat, and whats the big draw? Many players are up in arms here in EE over wanting to be a member of the Kolat. So, tell us about them, why should we want to join in in loving them or hating them?

[Shosuro Ichiro]

l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Kolat

[Bayushi Senshi]

yes, thank you, but I was hoping to spark a discussion. I read that in advance to posting the thread.

[the monk Basufu]

Well, my character, who is very much aligned with the Jade Sect, is (probably very confusingly for those of you following my other threads) very pacifistic for a Rokugani, in philosophy anyway. He doesn't believe that might makes right, and as far as he can tell, the only real difference between gods and men is that gods tend to be stronger. Basically, to his mind, everyone is giving in to big bullies in the sky. Peasants and eta meekly accept their place in the Celestial Order because they are promised a "promotion" from the gods if they do. Samurai think they are better because for some reason, the gods liked them better in a life they don't even remember.

But it goes deeper than that. From what Jiyuu has gathered, he has come to believe that the gods are actually sustained by, and perhaps created by, humans. He believes humans and other races existed before any known gods existed, and he knows that there are peoples who exist without paying much attention to them, or outright despising them, like the Yodotai.

He believes that it is not men who need gods, but gods that need men, and so it is the gods that should obey, if they are allowed to exist at all. He himself is the son of an Iuchi, born with the Blood of the Jinn. He does not speak to any kami to use his magic; his power is from a different source. Even there, he believes that the "spirits" of the elements are really just the reflections of how the spirits of men interact with the spiritual essence of the elements, and that the personification of every inanimate object is silly. He venerates such people as Yoritomo and Isawa, and even, to some degree, Iuchiban or Kokujin, who had the daring to stand up and claim their true power as humans, defying the gods, and in the case of the first two, somewhat successfully.

In short, he rejects the totality of the Kami-no-Michi as worthless and entrapping superstition. His focus is on the Taint right now because he feels it is the worst example of the undue influence of inhuman spirits, and also because none in the Empire will fault him for it. Still, if the taint were ever cleansed from the land, his focus would turn to getting rid of the influence of the rest of the Kami, although he has a soft spot for Shiba.

[Ikoma Buretto]

I will admit my love of the Kolat stems primarily from their appearance in the CCG. Cards like Kolat Assassin and Kolat Master were frequently used in my deck for P-Kill (personality kill) outside of battle for annoying courtiers and the like who would hide and never engage my armies. Additionally the first Master Tiger in the game was Akodo Kage, the revered sensei.
As for their actual in-game philosophies? I admire some degree the idea of mankind should make their own destiny instead of bowing and scraping to deities that have long since departed the mortal realm (Save Togashi at the time), though I don't much care for the brainwashing aspect. Amusing as it is to say something innocuous like, "Jade fan." in casual conversation and the next morning the daimyo is murdered by the hands of one of his own vassals, it doesn't sit right with the morality of the characters I portray in RPG.
Without conflict, there is no story and without a shadowy, mortal organization trying to undermine the unstable celestial founded heirarchy to implant a new world order, it didn't give the people who weren't gung-ho about the Fall of the Kami some allies to their state of being treated forcefully into this whole "Celestial Order" thing anyway.
Besides, for a little while, the Kolat won.

[Kitsuki Bareian]

I assume the biggest draw to those wanting to be kolat is you get to be Scorpiony secretive without being scorpion at all. :-D

You just dug your own graves you kolat lovers :-D Senshi-sama has just hooked you guys so he knows who to watch out if ever someone does a "Kolat" number in the thread. :-))

[Bayushi Senshi]

Yes, Katsutoshi, I am totally on to them. But in all seriousness when I was reading this I had two questions.
1: The Kolat believe mankind should free themselves from servitude to the Kami, what then is their relationship with magic? How do shugenja kolat go about doing things?
2: Brainwashing? kick @$$. Any good examples in canon?

[Soshi Kiso]

If you can lay your hands on the "Merchants Guide to Rokugan" from 1st edition. It's a good read, you just need to skip the front and back cover and pages 4 + 5 because their a decoy to the fact its a book about the Kolat. Although there is a cute chart showing rice production by major clan, and damn those crane can farm. They must eat a lot more then most would think.

[Mirumoto Machu]

The brain washing incident I remember is Kage (no longer an Akodo at the time) made a hand gesture and made the crane story teller stab the toutouri's army ninja in the back.
Can't remember names, don't have books and too little time for a wiki search

[Ikoma Buretto]

Senshi-san: The definition given for Kolat shugenja is the idea that the spirits they talk to are not asked, but instead told what to do.

[Ikoma Buretto]

Jan 29, 2011 15:39:43 GMT -5 Mirumoto Machu said:

The brain washing incident I remember is Kage (no longer an Akodo at the time) made a hand gesture and made the crane story teller stab the toutouri's army ninja in the back.
Can't remember names, don't have books and too little time for a wiki search

Fan-insertion character Doji Shizue and the Stormshadow wanna-be Matsu Hiroru.