l5r Musha Shugyo Fanzine 04

Foreword This rough document gathers all the edited texts for the 4th issue of Musha Shugyo. Due to various circumstances, this was the only way to finally release texts that have, for the most part, been written over a year ago, but which have remained in editing limbo since then. I no longer have the time to do a proper layout for Musha Shugyo. Even though I stepped down from the Editor in Chief position at the end of the 3rd issue, I find myself duty-bound to finish the work begun. I’m certain this solution will please no one. My sincere apologies to everyone involved, the writers and the readers. I do not know what the future holds for Musha Shugyo. Last I heard, a group of heroic rebels was valiantly fighting the good fight against the Evil Entropy Empire. There might still be hope for a Musha Shugyo #5…

Mikael Brodu

Legal Notice Alderac Entertainment Games (AEG) has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Legend of the Five Rings. AEG has kindly granted permission to Musha Shugyo fanzine to use such names, logos, artwork and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes in its pages but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with Musha Shugyo in any official capacity whatsoever. Any new material provided in Musha Shugyo is thus not canon, and may be contradicted by future official publications by AEG.

The Tea House

Interview with Shawn Carman Musha Shugyo: Hi Shawn. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview; we all know how busy you are. Can you introduce yourself to the readers, first the person you are, and then your job title at AEG? What circumstances brought you to your current job at AEG? Shawn Carman: Sure thing. I'm Shawn Carman, shameless gamer and all around geek. I am the Lead Writer for Alderac Entertainment Group, and as part of that job I am both the head of the L5R Story Team and the Lead Designer for the L5R RPG. I started working on the RPG as a freelancer back in 1999 (I think that's right; whenever Way of the Minor Clans was published), was added to the Story Team in 2001, and took over duties as Lead Writer in 2005. MS: Is that your full-time job? If not, what is your other job, and how hard is it to juggle between them? SC: It is not my full time job, although I do devote a good amount of time to it each week. I am an elementary school special education teacher during the day, and of course my duties as a husband and father take up almost enough time to be a third job. It can be difficult to get everything that I need done on a particular day finished, especially when a big project is coming due, but fortunately everything has a way of working out. I pull some late nights on occasion, though. MS: How is it to work for AEG and the other Design/Story Team members, how do you feel about working on L5R? SC: I enjoy working on L5R tremendously, else I would have left a long time ago! I've had the pleasure of working with a lot of extremely talented people over the years, and the entire experience has been overwhelmingly positive. My current team, consisting of Brian Yoon, Fred Wan, Lucas Twyman, Nancy Sauer, and Rusty Priske, are both great at their jobs and a lot of fun to work with, so I have no complaints at all. I'm pretty spoiled, really. MS: Can you tell us about a few of your more memorable experiences at conventions, with other pros of the industry, or with the L5R fans? SC: Honestly, and this is probably my only real disappointment about the job, I spend so much time with the fans and activities when we're out at the shows that I've never had much of a chance to really network within the industry. I regret that somewhat, just because I read the work of other guys who I think are just brilliant and I'd love to talk with them sometime about the commonalities of our jobs. All in all, I can't complain, because I have a real blast at the conventions we hit each year. My favorite moments usually revolve around the big seminars we do, like the one when we announced the new Story Team and when we revealed the first imagines of the Khan's march or of the Ebon Daughter. I love the atmosphere of the CCG hall during the big tournaments and how much folks get excited even for the minor events on the side like sealed deck and Winner's Choice tournaments. I love the whole thing! MS: L5R Fourth Edition has been recently released and is receiving a lot of positive reviews. How do you feel about this? SC: Fan-freaking-tastic, and thank you for asking. :) MS: Can you tell us the story of 4th Edition, when it was decided it would come to be, how the team was assembled?

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SC: Early on in 2008 I knew that we were going to need a new edition before long, and the shortcomings of Third Edition had become increasingly clear to me. At the time I thought that we were looking at sometime in 2011 and I was planning to gather my fellow designers together at GenCon for some preliminary discussions about what we wanted. The call to release in 2010 was dictated by the 15th anniversary of the game, though, and so I got started on the very basic elements of the system in about April of 2008. That was when I called Brian Yoon and Rob Hobart to see if they wanted in, and of course they did. We worked a lot on basic concepts that summer, and that was the year that I was down for GenCon about five days early, which had never happened before. I wrote almost the entire Book of Earth during those five days, printed out copies, and gave them to Brian and Rob. We talked about how the playtesting needed to be different for the new edition and selected our first Alpha teams, some of whom we spoke to at the con right then and there. Once we got back home, work began in earnest, and by February, the first stage of playtesting was complete. We moved on to Beta testing, more than doubled the teams, and from there on out it's just been a huge whirlwind that's only recently finally started to settle down. MS: Can you tell us if there is one aspect of Fourth Edition of which you are particularly proud? Conversely, is there anything you wish you could have done slightly differently or had more time to test variants? SC: In another recent interview I talked about how pleased I am with the action system and how much simpler that will make mechanical design over the course of the edition. To avoid repeating myself, this time I will say how pleased I am with how the shugenja system worked out! I think that the new Techniques are flavorful and balanced, and capture the themes of the different clans very well. (And while I did write the shugenja Schools, fortunately for all of you the playtesters and my fellow Designers helped me make them actually cool and balanced rather than what nightmares would have been unleashed if the first drafts had come through unchanged.) MS: Fourth Edition has been advertised as a game that would bring back the flavor of the 1st Edition and keep the play options of 3rd Edition. What kind of challenge did you face while working the flavor and the rules together? How hard was the timeline neutrality to achieve? SC: Timeline neutrality actually wasn't too hard. There was some initial difficulty because it's just so different from how I've written things previously, but once I finally made the adjustment and changed gears, so to speak, it was a pretty simple thing. The flavor bit was somewhat more difficult just because, from the perspective of a game designer and game enthusiast, the paradigm for the big games these days is to cover every contingency exhaustively. That was not what we wanted to do with 4th Edition, but it can be hard to go against the grain at first. MS: What can you tell us about what's next for L5R 4th Edition? Titles, contents, estimated release dates… anything to wet our appetite! SC: Well, tentatively speaking, we are releasing Enemies of the Empire at GenCon, Emerald Empire 2 in January, and The Great Clans in the late spring of 2011. After that things are pretty fluid, but we plan to release a book called Imperial Histories sometime next year as well. I'll let you speculate about what that might contain. :) MS: You recently announced that Strongholds of the Empire will be a PDF book. Can you tell us more about this choice? Will it ever be released as a printed book? SC: I honestly don't know! We had intended to release it prior to the core book coming out, but fate conspired against us and that proved impossible to pull off. There are other issues that continue to plague it, but a PDF release is the best way to get it out there to the fans as well as to

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serve as the first step in what I hope will be a more aggressive PDF support program for this edition of the RPG. MS: Let's now talk a bit about the fictions. Which of all the fictions you wrote is your favorite? The one you like the least? SC: There have been so many that I honestly find it very difficult to even remember them all, much less rank them. Ones that I specifically remember being pleased with include Specters, the one from 1KYoD that starred Toku and a young Kaneka, and the one that was all about Rezan's talk with Miya Shoin before he left for the Shadowlands. Of course, all of those were greatly enhanced by my collaboration with Rich Wulf, so it's hard to take full credit for any of them, but they were still some of my favorites. MS: Do you have a favorite character or faction? How hard is it not to favor those when writing fictions? Inversely, is there a character or faction that causes you more trouble to write? SC: I don't think that there is any one character that I favor above all others, although I have some that keep showing up. If I write a Phoenix piece, for example, it's a real struggle not to use Asako Bairei. As for someone giving me a hard time, the only time that really happens is if it's a character that another writer has really defined in their work, like Rich with Naseru, Nancy with Gempachi, or Lucas with Shimura. It almost feels disrespectful at a certain point. MS: What are your inspirations, favorite writers and books (or movie, play, etc.)? Do they help you write? SC: I draw inspiration from anything around me. I have a bit of a reputation among friends for liking terrible movies, but that's because I find even the silliest or most clichéd plots have something to offer if you look closely enough. I just love stories, in all their forms. In terms of writers, I'm a big fan of King, Busiek and Abnett, among lots of others. MS: If you could change one thing about the game world/story to suit your personal tastes, what would it be? SC: Tigers for everybody. MS: What kind of dream product you’d like to see for the RPG, but is unlikely to happen due to the reality of the market? SC: I've always been interested in the idea of a Travelogue, which would be fiction from the perspective of traveling characters and encounters they had in the Empire, but supported with maps and NPCs from the stories as well as new mechanics and such here and there (gotta get those players to pick it up somehow!). It's never been something I developed too far simply because it hasn't been something the brass have thought was particularly viable, but the idea lingers in the back of my mind. MS: Do you play L5R CCG? If yes, which factions are your favorite, and what kind of deck/playstyle do you prefer? SC: I have been taught to play on more than one occasion, but I so rarely get to play that every time is like learning all over again. In my experience I have most enjoyed Lion and Mantis decks. MS: The CCG has always been the driving force of the L5R storyline. Do you think the RPG should have some means to impact the storyline as well? If yes, how do you think this could be

The Tea House

done? SC: It's a difficult thing to even think about because of the polarization among the RPG fans. Many of them, more than you might think, are also CCG players, and they get the chance to affect the game that way, although some are keen on finding other ways. The non-CCGers are pretty evenly divided between the group that wants the RPG to have equal say over the storyline and the group that hates the fact that there even is a storyline in the RPG at all. So really, trying to squeeze it in is something of a no-win situation for us, but we try to keep slipping in opportunities like the new contest we just announced for August as part of the current mega-game. MS: What are your hobbies, the games you enjoy playing? Are you playing in a RPG campaign at the moment (L5R or other)? SC: I love to read, watch movies, play with my wee one (Imaginext toys are awesome!), and play games of all kinds. I'm big into the Left 4 Dead franchise and City of Heroes on my PC, and I've been running a Dark Heresy game for quite some time at my weekly RPG group. Before that we played some World of Darkness and Star Wars D6. MS: Do you read Musha Shugyo? If yes, what do you think of it, what can be improved, and what do you think of fan-made material, in general? SC: I have looked over it in the past and find it to be generally of very high quality. I try to avoid reading a lot of fan-generated material, though, because pretty early on in my career someone made a snide comment about something I had written and implied that I had taken it from his website (which I had never read). I've been a little gun-shy about that kind of thing ever since. MS: Is there anything else you'd like to say to the fans? SC: Hey guys! Thanks for all your support! Look me up on the boards or at the conventions and we'll talk! MS: Thanks for your time Shawn! SC: My pleasure!

Interview by Mikael Brodu, conducted in October 2010

The Library

The Obsidian Age As we all know, the Race for the Throne recently ended with the ascension of Kitsuki Iweko as the Empress of Rokugan. Thanks to the diligent work of all honorable samurai, and even a few Scorpions, the taint of the Spider Clan was kept away from the throne. Instead, we can look forward to a calm and hopefully peaceful existence under the reign of Iweko I. Imagine what a change it will be to have a Kitsuki’s analytical mind ruling the empire. Certainly, so many things will change; law, politics, and inter-clan relations will get a facelift. The land will be a better place for having existed for a time under such a ruler. Now, imagine the changes that would wrack the landscape if that leader were someone more diabolical, a scheming madman. In short, what if Daigotsu ascended to take the throne instead? How would that change the empire? That’s the scenario for this alternate timeline. Put aside everything you thought you knew about Rokugan, and open your mind to the darkness of Daigotsu the First. The Ascension of Daigotsu I The competition ended, opponents defeated, Daigotsu Usharo stood as the victor. With booming tones, the Voice of the Jade Sun declared him a suitable ruler before departing. As his first declaration he named Daigotsu himself as his only heir before committing seppuku later the same day. This ushered in the rule of Daigotsu I, setting up a new ruling dynasty and beginning a slow descent into a darker and more ruthless Rokugan. The landscape of the empire changed overnight with the crowning of its fiercest enemy as its newest emperor. Word spread across the lands faster than could have been imagined. As the Emperor and his retinue made their way to Toshi Ranbo, the Lion mobilized and others let their displeasure known. The Jade Legion, Jade Magistrates, Jade Champion, Asako Inquisitors, and a sizable but completely unexpected contingent of Scorpion shugenja began to vocally express their disapproval of the new Emperor. Upon arriving at Toshi Ranbo, Daigotsu I requested that all those present at the tournament provide testimony on what had transpired. Notable samurai from all the Great Clans stood and gave this testimony with the glaring exception of the Crab and Lion. With this testimony given by honorable men and women, the majority of the Empire accepted his ascension and went about their lives. The Crab however, started plotting to overthrow this false emperor. The Lion feuded with themselves over how to proceed. Spider agents long since placed in positions of authority within the Great Clans slowly and carefully turned the tide in their Lord’s favor, and word of the dissent started to fade. After weeks of quieting these rumors and near constant work setting up his administration, the Emperor thought it was time; time to call his loyal followers to his side, and time to make his boldest move yet. Spider clan loyalists from all across the land flocked to Toshi Ranbo in waves, revealing themselves to their previous clans and showing their true faces to those who trusted them. Many of his people, having stayed safe and sound in the City of the Lost for a long time, decided to also return at their Lord’s behest. On the morning of the 16th day of the month of Bayushi in the year 1170, thousands of men and women stood across the Seigo River awaiting entry into their new home. The Crab manning the wall immediately set loose the machine that had gone into action so many times before, and all manner of warning signals were set into play. Fiery red bursts of signal flares illuminated the crew of warriors standing below demanding to be let into Rokugan. Hida Kuon declared this a new and devious plan to attack the Crab and undermine the empire. He gave the order to repel the attack and an extended siege began. A month passed as both sides took losses and neither backed down. News of the fighting reached the capital and Daigotsu had no choice but to stop the battle and punish those who would defy his command. He chose the traditional tool of the Emperor’s justice and sent word to the Lion to squash this minor rebellion and bring his people to him in peace. His orders were met with unexpected resistance in a move that came to be known as the Day of the Red Lion. Akodo

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Shigetoshi, his personal guard, and a full legion of the Lion army took the three cuts in defiance of the order refusing to deny the Crab their ancient duty. The act polarized the ranks of the Lion clan, fracturing them far beyond their previous lines. Most of them under the command of their new champion, Akodo Tenatsu, rode to the Crab lands. The rest left family and clan behind to find their own way in the empire. The Lion arrived at the Kaiu Kabe, ordering that they cease warring upon the Emperor’s loyal retainers and put Hida Kuon to trial for the crime of treason. For his pretty speech, the new Champion received a mortal wound from a Hiruma arrow. Lion and Crab fought long and hard for weeks, maneuvering for advantage. More Crab died at that time than had fallen in years of fighting their hated enemy. Besieged from both sides they had no choice but to lock themselves within their wall and fight. Eventually, with such substantial losses, Kuon had no choice but to order his men to flee into the empire, and gave himself up to the Lion forces. He was dragged across Rokugan and brought before the emperor. Daigotsu rejoiced in seeing his old tormentor before him in rags, beaten and bloodied. Showing no pity he forced the man to sit in silence during official imperial court proceedings that made his clan, and the families of his clan, all but extinct. The Crab was stricken from imperial record. The stories of their deeds, the history of their existence, and every mention of anyone relating to the clan was removed. In mere moments, the Crab Clan was no more. Laws were passed making it a crime akin to treason to claim lineage to the Clan That Has No Name or bear any of their mons in public, a crime punishable by death. When asked his name, Kuon spat upon his interrogator before standing on shaky legs before the entire Imperial Court and shouting his lineage. The word Kisada had barely escaped his lips when he was cut down. Lands that had belonged to the Clan That Has No Name were given to the very same followers they had tried to defend it from. The Spider Clan was formed anew, and given the family name Usharo. Their task was to maintain relations with the denizens of the Shadowlands and report on their activity to the Emperor himself. For his part, Daigotsu made several more changes over the next several years. Though they did as tasked, the Lion took far too long to enact the Emperor’s will, and as such they lost their traditional place as his Right Hand. That privilege was given to the Unicorn as was a large portion of Lion territory. Survival of the fittest, a favorite ideal of Daigotsu became the norm and interclan fighting was encouraged. Winners were swiftly rewarded for their strength by their emperor, and losers were just as swiftly left to the Unicorn to be punished for their weakness. A quiet thrum of rebellion has started to reverberate through the empire, and the names of many heroes have been whispered in the barracks of wavemen. The old guard have started to piece together a way back to the Rokugan they remember, a Rokugan built on honor. The Current Situation It is a new millennium in Rokugan; the year 2000 has dawned on the reign of Emperor Daigotsu II. Three years have passed since a rebel alliance attacked the retinue of Daigotsu I on his way to Winter Court in Spider lands. His death, however, has served only to stiffen the resolve of the Imperials. The man who was once Daigotsu Kanpeki has become a fearless and ruthless ruler. As he took the mantle of his father upon his own shoulders he swore that his killers’ would be brought to justice. He quickly formed the Obsidian Inquisitors, an elite group of trusted men and women who use stealth, deceit, and even murder to trace down every thread of rebellion and end it. Over the last thirty years the ideals of Bushido have fallen to the side and the tenets of something Daigotsu called Shourido have taken over. Gone are the beliefs that honesty, courtesy, courage, honor, compassion, sincerity, and duty should rule the life of a samurai. Instead control, determination, insight, knowledge, perfection, strength, and will prove the worth of every man and woman. Overall the Empire is not the place you know it to be. It is a darker and deadlier place, and woe betide any who forget their place.

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Roleplaying in the Obsidian Age All mechanical references to the Daigotsu family should be replaced by the Usharo family. The Daigotsu family is considered an Imperial family now. All Crab clan schools should be considered extinct, but with enough effort and careful searching a PC could possibly be allowed access to a sensei, but that would be inviting a whole host of bad luck. Since Shourido has replaced Bushido, anyone wishing to play their character in the more traditional sense should be treated as unusual and using the Junshin disadvantage here would not be inappropriate. Major Players: Daigotsu II – Emperor Daigotsu Katsumi – Head of the Obsidian Inquisitors Daigotsu Shinjin – Obsidian Inquisitor Assassin (Hida) Kisada – Hero of the Rebellion Tsuruchi Yoson – Tsuruchi family daimyo and closet supporter of the Rebellion (Kitsuki) Yodo – Kisada’s most trusted Lieutenant Akodo Harubi

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The Wall Brothers and Sisters of the Lost, I come to you to teach you of the Kaiu Wall. At the behest of Lord Daigotsu I have scoured our ranks for all of the info available to our members of what we have come to know as the Kaiu Curse, that wretched fence that the Crab erected all those years ago to keep the Empire from the blessings of the Dark One. It is my hope that you, the warriors of the Lost, will use this information for the glory of Lord Daigotsu and our kami Fu Leng. Should your orders lead you on a path to the Curse, bear this information in mind so that you may return to fight the forces of the False Ones once again. As one would expect life on the wall is not exactly ideal. Not only are you subjected to random attacks from beasts of our land, oni of unimaginable power, and men and women who have finally embraced the Truth; it is also home to many varied people endeavoring to protect their Empire. It is a hard and dangerous life for all those living at the wall and just behind it. Every able bodied person, down to the lowliest eta, is given at least basic training and a weapon. Even Crab eta must be prepared to uphold the paltry Empire which they hold so dear. Everything at the Kaiu Curse is controlled and overseen to maintain the efficiency of defense that the Crab are so known for, and what better way for them to combat the cold efficiency of our forces than with an organized line of defense? The wall itself is nearly 400 miles long, stretching from Earthquake Fish Bay in the southeast of Crab lands and ending at the base of the Twilight Mountains just before the lands of the long lost Boar Clan. Along that stretch the wall is divided up into smaller easer to destroy sections, each with its own form of a command station. There are forty separate Base Towers spaced every ten miles along the length of the Curse. Each of which is responsible for manning a ten mile stretch. That length is then broken down into ten Command Towers equally spaced every mile, and a smaller Way station every half mile in between. All remaining space has a Watchtower every two hundred feet. There are two full Crab armies stationed there with occasional help coming from off-duty Crab, various other clan samurai, and the not too odd wave man who stand shoulder to shoulder with those on constant duty. Behind each location is a network full of small towns and villages. These areas are full of support staff for the samurai assigned here. Shops and stalls full of armor smiths, weapon smiths, blacksmiths, and other craftsmen. Of course no Crab living area goes without geisha houses and sake houses, and there are plenty of these for the great number of samurai assigned to the Curse. These areas also house the cooking crew, ashigaru, and even some of the reserves who wish to stay outside the stone surroundings of the wall itself. The Yasuki caravans bringing supplies will generally spend time here as well doing their trading and making connections before moving on along the trail. The Wall The wall portions extending between each building is 100 feet (30.5 meters) high on average, and stretches 40 feet (12 meters) wide at the top flaring out to a sturdy 60 feet(18 meters) wide at the base. The top of the wall sections consist of a 30 foot (9 meters) wide walkway trimmed by a 4 foot (1.5 meters) high, 5 foot (2 meters) thick wall. Each of these sections is divided into eleven interior levels, eight above ground, and three below. The top level is barracks for soldiers assigned to duty; the second has arrow slits for strategic volleys but is also primarily known as Runners Lane. It is an unimpeded path stretching the entire length of the wall to facilitate messages passed by elite Hiruma runners. The next five levels have only a stairway leaving down and are otherwise solid stone. Right at ground level is the storage facilities. With proper rationing and Kuni magic they have enough food stored here for several years’ worth of survival. The three subterranean floors are a crisscrossing maze of Kaiu traps and tunnels that

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without the proper map will lead anyone attempting to traverse them to almost certain death. Trying to bypass the Curse in this manner is not recommended. Base Towers There are large centers of activity located every ten miles along the Kaiu Kabe called Base Towers. These locations house a large majority of the non-active soldiers assigned to duty on the wall. The Base Towers are divided into levels just as the main sections are, but extend past the confines of the main sections and have barracks located on each and every level. Each stronghold measures a sturdy 120 feet (about 36.5 meters) at its base and tapers down to a still substantial 100 feet (30.5 meters) at the top. The top of the tower is an open archway that covers the passageway, allowing an unblocked path for transporting large numbers of troops between various positions along the fortified border. One of the key uses of Base Towers is as a staging point for scouting parties and large incursions into our homeland. They also house reinforcements that can be quickly mobilized to backup any of the smaller points along the border. Each location along the expanse of the edge of Rokugan houses a portion of the command stag of the two armies assigned there. They work together like a battlefield force. Each section reporting a step higher until they reach the Daimyo himself. Careful disruption of their communication network could cause a major weakness in their defenses, this looks like a possible vulnerable target. Even in the thinnest of times there are a certain amount of troops assigned to duty at each location, the Base Tower operating staff is as follows: 1 Shireikan with 20 staff (including his personal guard, scribes, etc) 6 Message Runners 6 Dedicated Healers (usually 4 herbalists and 2 shugenja) 12 Siege Crew to man the many siege weapons 12 Repair Crew (Kaiu engineers split into three 8 hour shifts of 4) 15 Watchmen (Bushi and shugenja mix split into three patrols of 5, one per 8 hour shift) 12 Gate Guards (three shifts of 4, 2 at each gate) 10 Archers (On Demand) Peasant Support Staff (Such as armorers, weapon smiths, cooks, etc) 4 Squadrons of Reserves The staff unless otherwise noted, is on an as needed schedule. There is no such thing as off-duty to the Crab, there is only not active. Kaiu are constantly shoring up, repairing, changing, or otherwise working on the structure itself which makes our jobs harder. The primary duties of the watch patrols are to do exactly that, patrol their areas and watch for incursions by our skilled warriors. Should they see you approaching their precious wall, it is they who will sound the alarms, light the signal fires, and begin the process of fighting us off. Speaking of alarms and signal fires and such, there are many different ways that the Crab can keep us away and warn others that we are coming. The Base Towers each house four to six different siege weapons ranging from great ballistae to fire belching cannons. There are also crews that will attempt to pour boiling oil, large rocks, or other debris down onto the heads of the attackers. Each Base Tower also houses an immense signal fire on the roof of the tower itself that is lit, very large gongs that are sent to ringing, and signal drums that are set to booming in the event of an attack. There are also great flares that are set off into the skies to communicate to all those nearby. Red means we are winning, green means we have been beaten back, and blue means we are victorious!

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Command Tower A Command Tower is essentially a smaller Base Tower and pretty much functions in exactly the same fashion. It measures 100 feet (30.5 meters) at the base and 80 feet (24 meters) at the top, its levels are organized in exactly the same way as a Base Tower. They are located at one mile intervals between their larger brothers and house the following staff: 1 Taisa with 10 staff 4 Message Runners 4 Dedicated Healers 12 Siege Crew 6 Repair Crew 12 Gate Guards 8 Archers 3 Watch Patrols Peasant Support Staff 2 Squadrons of Reserves Their compliment of defenses and signals are again the same as a Base Tower, only a bit fewer. Way Stations At every half mile point between the Command Towers are Way stations. Measuring 80 feet (24 meters) at the base and 60 feet (18 meters) at the top, they are the smallest troop depots in the entire network. Unlike the larger structures, Way stations only have barracks located in the top two levels and have no direct exit on the Shadowlands side. There are generally only one or two siege weapons here, but they do have alarm gongs, a signal fire, flares, and are the last of the fortifications with signal drums. The staff of these locations is the following: 1 Chui with 5 staff 4 Message Runners 2 Dedicated Healers 6 Siege Crew 3 Watch Patrols 16 Gate Guards 6 Archers Peasant Support Staff 1 Squadron of Reserves Watchtowers The smallest, yet most important, location in the vast network of protection is the Watchtower. Watchtowers are barely larger than the wall itself extending out to 60 feet (18 meters) from top to bottom and located every 200 feet (61 meters) along the length of the wall. There are no barracks at these locations, but the top two levels do contain offices for command staff, archer’s slits, and of course Runner’s Lane. They are the least fortified areas and the ones responsible for patrolling the bulk of the border. As a result of this, they are the largest target we have and we attack them more often than the rest. Their small staff is as follows: 1 Gunso with 2 staff 3 Watch Patrols

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These areas don’t always have siege weapons so they don’t always have siege crew. In addition, it is not always possible to have a dedicated healer or dedicated archers. These are generally just particularly gifted bushi or perhaps even the occasional shugenja assigned to duty at their location. Sometimes these are even members of the Gunso’s staff, the Crab are very efficient in their use of the tools available to them. There is always a signal fire and alarm gong at each Watchtower, but not much else is available to them. In the event of an attack on the Watchtower or an open section of wall you will see several things happen at once. The patrols belonging to the nearest Watchtower will immediately mobilize to the area, the alarm gong will sound, signal fires will be lit, flares will sear the sky, and a shifting of resources will begin. Seeing the fires, seeing the flares, and hearing the gongs alerts nearby patrols to the attack and will begin to shift closer to the fighting, knowing that patrols from behind them will man their posts, and allowing them to engage at will. The closest Way station is alerted, and runners will are sent to notify those further up the chain of command, orders will be sent via runner or signal drums, and reserves will be roused into action. This method has worked for hundreds of years, and kept their Empire safe. It is imperative that we learn their methods, make them second nature, and learn to fight against them if we are ever going to fight our way back into their Empire. Keep in mind that the Crab find this duty their one and only purpose in life and will do whatever it takes to keep even one of us from making our way into the lands of Rokugan to plant the seeds of Truth among them. May the Dark Lord bless you should you try to face the Crab on top of the Curse.

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Way of the Bakemono A Study by Kuni Gakuto Foreword Everyone knows of the bakemono, the fodder of the Shadowlands that Ogre's and Oni's use to fill out their armies. While not the most powerful, they are the most numerous of all of the denizen's of the Shadowlands. The rest of the Empire views these small creatures as a joke, or something to be completely terrified of. They are both, for though they are weak and erratic, falling easily beneath a single swing of a sword, in enough numbers, they are quite dangerous. This author, through his years of service to his clan, has procured a copy of the venerable Kuni Mokuna's works on the Shadowlands. Though this compendium is still useful, it is far outdated, especially in respects to the bakemono, a race that goes through several generations in the span of just one human life. There have been several changes over the past 200 years, most of which have made this once laughed at enemy, a grave threat indeed. Over this span of time, several goblins have gained much power and renown, and in their own way, have reshaped a substantial enough portion of their brethren, to cause a deviation from the basic goblin. First there is Basher, who fathered several hundred children, giving them orders to remain separate from the others and learn. Then, you have the acolytes of Ugu, a strange order of goblin shaman, more refined in their practices of maho and blood magic, drawn from those of Basher and Kappuksu. Kappuksu's broodlings, are closer to their cousins, and yet, a member of Kappuksu's bloodline is easily differentiated from those about him, merely because he observes and learns in silence. Finally, there is Omoni's children, twisted and warped experiments, whose only resemblance to goblinkind, is that they were at one point goblins. These changes are what this author seeks to inform the Empire of, to give them a glance into a society that attempts to parrot our own at every possible turn. -Kuni Gakuto Crab Clan Shugenja Physical Attributes The physical attributes of a goblin are both as varied, and similar, as one human to another. Standing at somewhere around four feet, they have overly large heads, and scrawny bodies. Their musculature is rather thin, giving them the appearance of an emaciated child. Their skin is usually an earth tone, ranging from green to sandy brown. Starting with a proportionally overlarge head, their eyes are often beady, though it is not unseen for one or both to be cloudy, or missing altogether. They usually have a large hooked nose, and their teeth are naturally sharp, coming to points. Their ears are overly long, generally swept back, and come to points at what would be the upper earlobe on a human. They have little to no hair, and the more venerable members of their race sprout it from their ears and nose. Their skull is observed as being overly large, most likely to protect them from true trauma at the bludgeoning they give each other in the general area.

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Moving further down the body, their shoulders are only slightly wider than their head, with the majority of the population lacking any breadth or musculature definition to their upper body whatsoever. Their stomach is one or extreme or another, bloated or flat, and their arms are gangly and lean. Their fingers are also rather slender, tipped in thick nails that can act as claws, and are generally used as such. Their legs also lack any true definition, being little more than skin and bones, with a thin measure of muscle. Overly large feet, often scarred or bruised from traveling the harsh lands of their domain without even tabi to protect them, finish off this creature. This is the goblin of Mokuna's day. It has been confirmed, that Basher, the goblin noted in Mokuna's own writings, the same who befriended him, had the idea to attempt and outbreed every other goblin in order to improve his race. While he was successful to some degree, He fell far short of his true goal. Those who share his lineage, as it were, sought each other out, and eventually made a loose tribe of their own. These goblins are hardier, and far better proportioned than the standard goblin. Their bodies support a heftier musculature, and more dense bone structure, and over the years, some have even grown tusks naturally, rather than through the meddling of magic. Basher was a goblin presented in the first Way of the Shadowlands book, and was said to have had a better than average (for a goblin) intelligence and physique. Without him, Mokuna would have never learned many of the things he did about goblin society, nor Big Stink, the famed Goblin City. Kappuksu was a goblin that was granted samurai status by Hida Kisada, during the Battle of Beiden Pass. He defeated what was later identified as a kolat that was intending to kill Great Bear. The Exalted Ugu, as he was known, gained infamy during the couple of years preceding the Scorpion Clan Coup. Though he began his career as a relatively unknown and inept shaman, his skills improved greatly over a short span of years until nearly on par with a novice clan shugenja, and even exceeding some. Omoni was (and is?) the right hand of Daigotsu, given lordship over the goblin city of Big Stink. Kappuksu, most likely a descendant of Basher, also had the same notion. The results are pretty much the same: a hardier goblin. However, those with the blood of Kappuksu integrated with the rest of goblin society, adding their benefits to the entirety of the race. This was the first true evolutionary step. It was not until some year's later, that the Acolyte's of Ugu revealed themselves. These goblins, led by the offspring of The Exalted Ugu, were sought out from birth by the order with the aid of kansen. None can tell whether the Kansen helping them are doing it out of sheer selfishness, or wishing to help their dark lord's weakest weapon menace the whole of the empire. Most likely, a bit of both. Omoni, Daigotsu's right hand, was given lordship over Big Stink, known amongst those few that remember it, as the Kappa War Fortress. A shaman of some power, he himself was a failed experiment, an attempt to join a man and a goblin into one. Once he got Big Stink, and essentially rulership over all other goblin's, he began experimenting himself. These goblins are known as Omoni's Children, both by scouts, and those on the wall.

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Standing at a height of around 5 and a half to 6 feet, these goblins are proportioned nearly as well as humanity, sometimes better physically. Their eyes show either a keen intelligence, or a fierce cunning. They have the higher reasoning skills that their cousin's, the bakemono, do not have. While still sharing many of the traits, they are no longer truly goblins, for they themselves, are no more than experiments. Breeding Breeding amongst goblins is extraordinary, for they reproduce quickly enough to offset their losses. There are many forms of mating rituals, ranging from comical, to bizarre, to outright idiotic, and even suicidal at times. There are no true lineages amongst goblins, paternity not being very important to the general populace, though some attempt to fabricate one, and poorly. Goblins are born in litters, gestation lasting 3 or 4 months, and the outcome being 4 to 6 goblin youths. These youths are mistreated by every human standard, and generally are left to fend for themselves almost directly out of the womb. The parents themselves seldom care for their own young, the job falling usually to some unfortunate individual. There are however, exceptions to this rule. With Basher's Line, all children are seen to, either by mother or father, generally both. While the rest of goblin society gets little to no formalized training, these young are taught, fed, and given a rough upbringing. They are prepared for whatever role in life they will take. Kappuksu's brood are more widespread, and thus, further integrated with the norms of goblin society. While there are a few parents that actually care for their young in the same manner as Basher's does, as a general rule, they behave as a tribe, with the entirety of the extended family taking care of their young. Ugu's order actually draws their young from the promising goblings of both Basher and Kappuksu, and it is seen as a great honor by both bloodlines. While there are lifemates within the order, the reproduction rate does not make up for all of the losses. Within the walls of their 'temple', it is a rather monastic life, with constant teachings of magic and discipline. There are very few fertile member's of Omoni's children, thus, their birth rates are extremely small. Generally, they leave their young to the other parent, and often, these young end up like any other goblin child. Psychology Goblins have a very rudimentary mind, possessing basic reasoning and environmental learning skills, though most of these run off of instinct. Anything beyond the basics of survival, will always be misinterpreted by a goblin, and is generally wrong, even when parroting. Their attitudes are none too nice, and nearly every goblin tends to be malicious, conniving, and abusive. They are constantly abused and mistreated by those larger than themselves, and they take their frustrations out on any weaker target they can find. Their society does not benefit from this, with no set rules or guidelines, and arbitrary punishments handed out by superiors. All others are willing to participate in these public displays of discipline, no matter if the treatment is warranted or not. Because of this, the weak are constantly aware of the power of the strong, with the might is right mentality they have, and all forms of obeisance are paid to a goblin of 'higher' station.

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With all of this bowing and stooping, and their inherent weaknesses, goblins find every way they can possible, to take out their frustrations in any way they possibly can. Most often, however, this results in childlike behavior. Everything from vocal outbursts, to clapping other goblins on the ears, even drawing weapons. Sometimes this leads to the death of another, but very little is done about it. This also lends to their total lack of respect of anything that does not belong to them, up to and including corpses of other dead goblins. More often than not, if one of them dies, they are discarded as far away from a domicile as possible (which often means merely throwing it as far as they can and leaving it lay), or if they are traveling, the body is left behind. It has been observed, as an example, that after the successful invasion of a village, the goblins had defecated in several of the village's houses before they were exterminated. The bodies of the dead, both goblin and human alike, had been stripped of whatever valuable items they had, and were being used. This is not to say they have no respect for authority, nor social interaction. Quite the opposite. If a goblin has had the initiative and cunning to become leader, then most often as not, the followers often rely upon the leader for complete guidance in everything, rather than to draw his wrath. This often leads to a loose chain of command, dictated by whoever gives the leader the 'best stuff'. However, with few leadership skills, those that are next in line for command when the leader falls, are totally lost, and often, the band becomes self-destructive, often falling apart or dying away. With Basher's line, many of these problems have been remedied, their insular lifestyle and higher thinking power allowing for them to recognize and remedy these problems. Their life is fairly regimented, and the teaching they receive from their parents is drilled into them so much so that by the time they reach adulthood, they are nearly as intelligent as a human, as well as coming close to the cultural organization. They observe true respect for their superiors, as well as those around them, resorting rarely to their baser natures. Kappuksu's broodlings, being closer to their roots, have less organization. However, they are more organized than an average goblin. Their skills lie in their ability to lead, and form contingencies on the spot. Many goblin war bands that make it into the empire are lead by one of these goblins, and more often than not, the majority of their group is composed nearly entirely of family members. The monastic lifestyle of Ugu's ilk lends itself to definitive structural lines as far as ranks and command are concerned. With this precise order already existing, the regimented life of a child of Ugu allows for the next generation to be given the same lifestyle, thus it is a self propagating cycle. Omoni's children, are created and drilled to the point where they are extremely regimented and organized, while maintaining many of the baser aspects of goblinkind. However, these behaviors are magnified and focused, honed into a weapon, with these mutations made aware that they are no longer weak. Dwellings Goblin mentality and society does not lead to stability. Permanent dwellings are few and far between, save for the few rare ones that spring up from previously abandoned or overran settlements. More often than not, a goblin will be found in natural environments, whether it be a network of caves, a lean to, or the simple overhang of a tree or cliff. There have been noted a few exceptions to this rule, one being Big Stink, and another being the Village of Ugu. It is said that at

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one point, goblins had a city of their own, that was not an overrun fortress or settlement that used to belong to humans. What this city looked like, no one knows, for it was destroyed when the Kami fell. When there is a dwelling, as before, very little respect is given the place. If one cannot find a goblin den by sight, they will definitely be able to locate it by smell if they are in the vicinity. Goblins have no organized structure to remove waste of any form from their settlements, often throwing everything they have no further use for, onto a communal trash pile, or merely as far as they can in a direction that won't anger someone more powerful than they are. Basher's line have more respect for their surroundings, and whether they are living in a cave, or they are within the limits of their home city, Big Stink, it is as clean as a goblin could possibly ever succeed at being. There is the occasional absent minded discarding of debris, but within a short period of time it is taken care of by a goblin assigned to that duty, or the offending party itself. Kappuksu's brood, generally have goblins that clean up behind the others assigned as disciplinary measures, with those that are part of the leadership structure able to do as they please. While they hold respect for the dwellings of themselves and their kin, they care little for anyone else’s right to a clean environment. This has been known to lead to very short feuds. The children of Ugu's lifestyle lends to a cleanliness that would rival that of even a human city, with many of it's members becoming angry to the point of a homicidal rage if anything is discarded or out of place in their area. The village they call home, especially the temple, is constantly being maintained, undergoing repairs, or being expanded upon. Omoni's children care not for such niceties, and quite a few of their number are dirtier than the average goblin. However, with their strength, one of these goblins always has another cleaning up behind him for fear of his life. Combat Goblins in combat are often reckless and suicidal, filling in and gorging the ranks of many armies fielded by the Dark Lord or his more powerful minions. It is said that an army of peasants is still an army, and that would be correct. Overwhelming numbers to face can lead to exhaustion in even the most stalwart samurai. Most armies that include goblins are massive offensives against the empire, and while comparatively weaker than the ogres and oni that would include themselves, goblins are the most numerous, and more often than not, the most tricky to deal with. One of the favored tactics of a warmonger or oni general is to use the goblins as shock troops, often using them as a diversionary resource. A goblin's physique allows him far more maneuverability than an armor clad bushi, and grants them an unnatural speed with which they can flank a unit. Armed with whatever is at hand, from pointed sticks and large rocks, to discarded or stolen weaponry, this can lead to a unit's crumbling. Their tactics are often chaotic, and without organization, for they merely seek to kill and destroy with a zeal that would rival that of a devout samurai. One such tactic is known as the Magic Mud Attack. A goblin is covered in a sticky, tar like substance that is flammable, and a torch is brought to set him afire. It then runs screeching into the enemy lines, attempting to set fire to whatever it can before it expires. One such example would be bad enough to cause momentary shock, with the smoldering corpse causing mild nausea.

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The truth is that many goblins voluntarily line up, and often time, there are hundreds that go careening across the battlefield into the lines of the samurai, causing confusion, destruction, and most often, the military unit crumbles. This small crack, a single unit of no more than 25 men crumbling is all the Shadowlands requires to decimate an army, even if it is just an army of goblins. Basher's line, trained and taught from their youth to be the best at whatever purpose they are to serve in life, come as close to any samurai in combat. While they have no formalized school of their own, they have helped over the years to refine the 'techniques' of the Ugu and Kappuksu. Many of this line are eventually sent to each school, based upon what they are strong in, and are an equal challenge to any samurai on the battlefield. This is doubly true when they are reinforced by or commanding their brethren. Kappuksu's brood have taken on the role of being the intermediary leadership and teachers of the other goblins, strengthening the Dark Lord's cause by passing on the scattered training their founder was able to comprehend and gave them. Each of these goblins will teach any other goblin willing to learn, and even those who aren't willing, allowing them to do with the knowledge that which they choose. Ugu's Order, founded by a partnership between a Basher born acolyte and Ugu's own eldest progeny, fields small, tight knit units of shaman, trained in the dark arts of maho and name magic. These shamans are believed to be bound to a kansen, and are nearly as adept at blood magic as any formally taught human shugenja is in the calling of the kami. They have created spells of their own, warped versions of Rokugani magic, and refined them to the point that, often times, many human shugenja wish they knew the secret to. Omoni's children, the experiments that they are, only serve to strengthen this new threat that has come to light. Daigotsu's right hand has warped these goblins into monstrosities and abominations, granting them supernatural strength and speed, saturating them with dark power and bloodlust. All brute and brawn, with very little finesse, they are the top of the food chain, often equaling the power of one of the Crab Clan's own kichigai (berserkers). Those that have been given heightened logic skills, often serve to command entire armies in their own right, learning and using humanities own techniques against them. Epilogue Thus ends this short study of the bakemono, and their way of life. It is hoped that this has informed the reader on several things they need to understand and be able to combat this new threat and survive to tell about it. While each of the distinct bloodlines here is only a small measure of the entirety of the goblin race, they are indeed a dangerous threat that continues to constantly reproduce at an alarming rate. One must ask themselves only one question when taking this fact into consideration: With the length of time, an entire millennium, that goblinkind has been the most downtrodden of all of the Dark Lord's creatures in the Shadowlands, how long will it be until they realize the power within their grasp, and become a true threat? I myself believe that this time is upon us. - Kuni Gakuto Crab Clan Shugenja

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New Advantages Blood Familiar [Granted] (8 points) Through a lengthy maho ritual, you have been bound by blood to a small animal companion which now serves you. Animals bound in this fashion are usually bats, birds, rats, vipers, and similar creatures. By concentrating a full round, as if you were concentrating on a Full Concentration spell, you can either see through your blood familiar’s eyes or give it a short, one-sentence command, which it will carry out to the best of it’s abilities. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.36 Dark Blessing of the Elements [Granted] (20 XP) You have met with one of the Dark Oracle and received its blessings; a remarkable feat, as most of those seeking such blessings are usually destroyed outright by the Dark Oracle... You gain the ability to cast elemental magic of the Dark Oracle’s element as if you were a shugenja with a School Rank equal to your Insight Rank. You are also completely immune to elemental spells from that particular element and gain three levels of Magic Resistance against all other elemental magic. Only one person at a time can receive the blessings of one particular Dark Oracle. It is entirely possible that the Dark Oracle may eventually strip you of his or her blessings to bestow them on someone else more deserving... if the Dark Oracle does not decide to simply kill you instead. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.91 Dark Mastery [Granted] (4 or 8 points) Maho-tsukai have always searched for ways to slow down their corruption as they practice their evil craft. Some cunning maho-tsukai have devised a way to trick the kansen into giving them less Taint than usual for casting a maho spell, and they accepted to teach you their secrets. For each rank of this advantage you possess, you reduce the amount of Taint gained when casting maho by 1 point. Homebrew Heisho (2 points) When living on the Wall, a samurai finally accepts that it his destiny to eventually die in battle. Some of them develop a sort of insensitivity which grants them courage but leaves them somewhat numb. This Advantage functions as the Death Trance Advantage, and also grants a Free Raise to notice traps, hidden weapons, ambushes, and other similar hidden dangers. However, the character becomes somewhat numb and tends to accept things as they come. This translates as a +5 TN penalty on any rolls to see through lies or to convince others of their sincerity. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.23 Maho [Granted] (2 points, Shugenja Only) You have found a scroll of forbidden magic. You have been able to resist the temptation of using it… so far. Gain one maho spell of Mastery Level 1 of your choice. This Advantage may be taken multiple times, but each additional scroll beyond the first also gives you one point (0.1) of Shadowlands Taint. Updated from the Way of the Shadowlands p.51 Maho-Born [Inherent] (10 points, True Ronin or Spider only) You were one of the children upon which the Chuda experimented. These experiments have left you with an innate talent for maho. Choose one Mastery Level 1 or 2 maho spell. You can cast this spell as if you were a maho-tsukai of an Insight Rank equal to your own. You can do this a number of times per day equal to your Insight Rank. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.36

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Taint Resistance [Inherent] (8 points, 4 points for Kuni Witch Hunters or Asako Inquisitors) You possess a purity of body, mind, and soul which repels the corrupt touch of the Shadowlands, and from which kansen shy away. Any roll you make to avoid getting the Taint or to cure any accumulated Taint adds +10 to their total. Anytime you receive Taint, you gain 1 point less than normal (to a minimum of 1 point). The TN of any maho spell cast on you is increased by 5. However, any maho you attempt to cast receive a +10 TN penalty, you can never gain Shadowlands Powers, and you cannot use Taint to boost your abilities. You may not take this Advantage if you already have the Shadowlands Taint. Updated from the Way of the Shadowlands p.52 Twisted Kharma [inherent] (2-4 points) Ever since you were born, the kansen have taken a keen interest in you, sensing your talent with the art of maho and waiting for the right moment to corrupt you and turn you to the black arts... This Advantage has two forms: for two points, choose one maho spell (it is not necessary for you to know or possess this spell), your Insight Rank will be considered 1 higher for the purpose of casting that particular spell; for four points, you can either choose 3 maho spells to be similarly affected, or instead choose a single maho spell that you may cast as if your Insight Rank was 2 higher. This Advantage does not actually grant you possession of any maho spell scroll (although, you could still gain them with the Maho or Maho-Born Advantages above), but the kansen will make sure to put things in motion for you to eventually find some. Updated from the Way of the Shadowlands p.51

New Disadvantages Scarred (1 point) You received a wound that got infected in the Shadowlands. While you were lucky enough to not get the Taint (unless you also choose to take the Shadowlands Taint Disadvantage), the scars it left are either disgusting to behold (blackened and twisted or green and oozing) or exude a foul smell (rotting flesh or rotten eggs). You suffer a -1k0 penalty on all social interaction rolls, and -2k0 on any Seduction attempts. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.24 Nightmares (2 points) You are plagued with terrible dreams which prevent you from getting a good night sleep. Because of these nightmares, you cannot recover Void Points by sleeping and must either recover them with the Meditation or Tea Ceremony skills. If you ever wake up one morning with less than your full allotment of Void Points, your sleep-deprived state leaves you highly susceptible to suggestions and mind-controlling attempts, granting anyone two Free Raises on such attempts until such time as you completely recover your Void supply. Updated from the Way of Shadow p.66 Onikage Stink (2 points) You have ridden an Onikage and are left with its mark; a stink that is undistinguishable to normal human senses (although, at the Gamemaster’s discretion, Nezumi could pick it up) and from which all normal ponies and horses will shy away. You will never again be able to ride a normal pony or horse. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.76 Ranshin (1-5 points) The horrors of war can sometimes break the mind of even the most hardened samurai. This is doubly true among the Crab who have to face the unspeakable horrors of the Shadowlands daily. A character with this Disadvantage has been traumatized beyond the point of nightmares; he is

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suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Memories of war are everywhere; a group of people may look like an enemy unit, a cough reminds you of Tainted victims, playing children sounds like cackling goblins, sudden movements seems like attacks, etc. The Gamemaster can call for a Willpower roll TN 20 a number of times per session equal to the cost of this Disadvantage, whenever he feels the character is confronted with something that might reminds him of war. Failure means the character slips into a full-sensory flashback and acts as if he were in the thick of battle, for an amount of time the Gamemaster deems appropriate. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.23 Victim of Darkness (2 points, 4 points for Moto) You are weak against the corruption of the Shadowlands. When gaining Taint, you always receive the maximum amount. Any roll you make to resist the Taint is done with a +5 TN penalty. Effects which cure or prevent the Taint have no effects on you. If you ever become Tainted, those who can detect the Taint in others will gain a Free Raise to detect your Taint. You cannot take both this Disadvantage and the Taint Resistance Advantage. Updated from the Way of the Shadowlands p.52

Kalajel

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Akutsukai & akutenshi Before the Destroyers, before onisu, before the return of Iuchiban, before Daigotsu, before the Lying Darkness there were the akutsukai and akutenshi. First presented in Bearers of Jade: The Second Book of the Shadowlands, these evil angels are horrendously powerful, second only (arguably) to Oni Lords in sheer might. A single akutsukai was more than a match for all but the toughest parties, and a single akutenshi caused an entire army to quake in their sandals, before being decimated. Sadly, they have been mostly ignored in the story since the Clan War, in favor of new threats. This article aims to update these horrors to the mechanics of Third Edition (Revised), and will, for the benefit of those unfortunates who do not have Bearers of Jade, present a short introduction to what they are and how they are to be played. The main problem of using the akutenshi and akutsukai in 3ER mechanics is the way most oni and many other Tainted beings come to possess Shadowlands powers. Shadowlands powers used to be gained by advancing the Shadowlands School (at least for non-native Shadowlands creatures) - so one gained powers when one could otherwise have chosen to increase a Rank in a normal school. The akutsukai of old gained several of many powers from a list when they became akutsukai, and gained these independently of School Ranks. Now, anybody with the Taint can gain powers without having to ’spend’ their precious Insight ranks on them. Therefore, old akutsukai and akutenshi powers have been converted into Shadowlands Powers, along the same line as those presented in the core rulebook. These powers are not exclusive to akutsukai or akutenshi, just like any normal Shadowlands Powers. Akutsukai and akutenshi receive a small set of powers, some of which are fixed. Many of these abilities have already been converted to Shadowlands powers, sometimes under different names. These are listed here for completeness sake. Akutsukai gain 1-5 Minor and Major Shadowlands powers which are drawn from the ones presented here with the ‘akutsukai’ descriptor or in the 3ER book. Akutenshi gain ALL powers listed with 'Akutenshi'. Akutsukai and akutenshi are exempt from the rule that one must have more lower level Shadowlands powers than higher ones. Unlike most Lost, akutsukai and akutenshi have entirely become creatures of Jigoku; they no longer have Void Ring. They may still use Techniques that require Void if they possessed them before their transformation, by taking four Wounds per Void point, but are unable to learn new Techniques that require Void. Akutsukai are made, not merely corrupted. Overwhelming amounts of Taint is not enough. The details of the process shall not be repeated here. Suffice to say, it involves dark rituals in the Festering Pit, and sights that drive even the strongest-willed Crab to madness. Akutsukai are not necessarily undead, though they can be. Even if they are not, they often look undead, though, due to the strain the transformation puts on their bodies. Akutsukai do not age, but can be killed. Akutenshi are created from a particularly worthy akutsukai returning the Festering Pit and undergoing yet another ritual, one even more painful and blasphemous than the ones to create akutsukai. Each such ritual is unique to the individual, and often involves blood sacrifice of many innocents, and even the cannibalism of part of their own soul. Game-wise, akutsukai are rarer since Daigotsu assumed control of the Shadowlands. His reliance on the Lost and making his own twisted version of Rokugani society is at odds with the general mindset of akutsukai. Those that still exist are often respected for their closeness to the Dark One,

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and their power. It is still important to remember that despite their privileged state, most akutsukai are still followers of more powerful beings. The Dark Moto were changed en masse to akutsukai, giving them immense power, but they were still subservient to their leader Moto Tsume, who was made into an akutenshi. For purposes of running a game, akutsukai make great lieutenants and right-hand men. Powerful in their own right and potentially great villains, but they are not actually in charge. Akutenshi are altogether worse. These beings are horrendously powerful. A single akutenshi can lay waste to a small army, if properly prepared. They are all chosen to become akutenshi because they possess certain traits: boundless ambition, a burning passion for revenge or domination, total abandonment of all that is good and proper and a willingness to do the most despicable things. Akutenshi are leaders. Their very power means they can force others to serve them. Had these beings been able to work together, things would look very bad for the Empire. Fortunately, they, like Oni Lords, have their own agenda, and do not work well with others. Once in a while, an akutenshi will whip some oni, goblins, ogres, trolls and Lost into an army and attack the Wall, making the Crab wonder if the Maw is loose again. Once in awhile, an akutenshi will enter the Empire in some disguise and amuse himself by causing much misery. Once in a very great while an akutenshi will set in motion a plan that leads to great destabilization, like causing clans to go to war. Rumors among the Lost say the akutenshi have a great palace in or near the Festering Pit where they spend their time plotting, playing whatever courtly games their diseased minds can come up with, or simply worshipping Fu Leng. An akutenshi is the mastermind of a great plot, the ultimate villain the PCs should meet, and likely their death unless they are powerful, intelligent, cautious and very, very lucky. The following powers have already been updated to Third Edition. Here are their original and updated names. They are all Minor Shadowlands Powers. Blend with Darkness [Akutsukai] This power is now called Master of Shadows (3ER p. 280) Chitinous Armor [Akutsukai] This power is now called Terrible Armor (3ER p. 281) Claws [Akutsukai] This power is now called Blackened Claws (3ER p. 279) Eyes of Hell [Akutsukai] This power is now called Unholy Vision (3ER p. 280) Invulnerability [Akutsukai] This power is now called Protection of the Dark (3ER p. 281) Minor Powers Fear [Akutsukai] You gain Fear with a rating of 4. See page 293 of 3ER for details. Sense Purity [Akutsukai] You may make a Perception/Investigation roll TN 15 to detect any non-Tainted creatures within 1 mile. This increases by 1/2 mile per Raise. This power only gives you the general direction, with a 50 yards error margin.

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Souldrinking [Akutenshi] This resembles a lesser form of Feeding on Flesh (3ER p. 281). Whenever you kill an opponent, you trap his soul in your intestines. Souls trapped in this manner cannot move to the afterlife until the akutenshi dies or until it voluntarily releases them (which happens, on occasion, usually for some nefarious purpose like sending them to Jigoku). Some Kuni speculate that akutenshi gain some sort of sustenance from the trapped souls. Undead Strength [Akutsukai] You do not suffer any Wound penalties, including those for Down or Out. You function at peak efficiency until you die. Major Powers Armor of Death [Akutenshi] Note the amount of damage you dealt with the last attack of your turn. Until the beginning of your turn next round, all damage you receive from each source of damage is reduced by that amount. If you dealt no damage during your last turn, you ignore 10 points of damage from each blow. Powerful nemuranai, such as Ancestral, Celestial or Heavenly weapons, may bypass this damage reduction. Breath of Taint [Akutenshi] You may breathe a cloud of Taint that surrounds you. Any creature within 10 feet of you must make a successful Raw Earth roll with a TN equal to 5 times your Air Ring, or gain a number of Taint points equal to your Air Ring. Command the Taint [Akutsukai] You may command any Tainted creature. As a Complex Action, you may make a Contested Willpower roll against any Tainted creature that you can perceive directly (without the aid of magic). Beings not naturally Tainted, such as humans, gain a Free Raise to the roll if they are not Lost, and two Free Raises if their Taint Rank is lower than their lowest Ring. If you win, you may command the target to do anything you wish, so long as the target is capable of doing this. Your hold on them fades after 24 hours, but can be refreshed with a new use of this power. Disrupt Chi [Akutenshi] If you win a Contested Awareness/Insight Rank roll against a target, you may force him or her to use their lowest Trait for all Skill rolls. This penalty lasts 1 round, plus 1 round per Raise you made. Flight [Akutenshi] You can fly, without wings and without taking into account air resistance. Your extreme control over this movement grants you a +10 bonus to your TNtBH while flying. If you can already fly by other means, such as having wings or spells, your speed is doubled. Greater Powers Blood Shouting [Akutenshi] You may cause someone else who has tasted your saliva (often done by kissing the target) within the last 24 hours to take damage dealt to you. When you take damage you may scream as a Simple action, and transfer the Wounds to anyone who has tasted your saliva that can hear you. This only applies to damage from sources that do not specifically target Tainted beings. The target takes the same sort of wound you originally would have received.

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Body of Damned Time [Akutenshi] You can supernaturally age characters. You may suffer 6 Wounds and make a Contested Taint Rank roll against the target's Void (or Willpower, if they do not have a Void Ring). If you win, the target is aged by one year for each point by which you surpassed his roll. Calligraphy of Thought [Akutenshi] You may read the surface thoughts of a target (i.e. what they are thinking of at the moment, not memories) by winning a Contested Awareness roll against the target. If you make the roll with 2 Raises, the target is unaware that someone is reading their mind. Targets actively trying to hide their thoughts (by deliberately thinking of something else, for instance) gain 2 Free Raises to their roll. Consume Chi [Akutenshi] You may eat the flesh of a target you have killed and gain access to School Techniques of the deceased. You may gain this way a maximum number of Techniques equal to your Earth Ring, and they last 24 hours. If you do not have a Void Ring, you may still use Techniques that require Void expenditure, but take a number of Wounds equal to the Technique’s School Rank+1 whenever you would need to spend a Void Point. You may gain shugenja affinities and the ability to cast spells in this manner, but you cannot gain the same benefit from the same School or Path more than once. Death Never Stops [Akutenshi] You may take 4 Wounds to gain a number of Free Raises equal to the total number of Wound Ranks you dealt in damage during your turn last round. You may use these Free Raises on your Attack rolls this turn, and unused Free Raises are lost at the end of your turn. Shapechanging [Akutenshi] You may change your shape into just about anything you wish. You spend one round changing into something very similar to your natural form (original race, same sex), two rounds into something moderately similar (same race, different sex; different race, same sex), three rounds into something not very similar (pony, small child), four rounds into something very different (a mouse, a small bird) or five rounds into something extremely different (cloud of flies, a rug, a boulder). You still radiate Taint and have your normal abilities and wounds no matter what shape you take. Some skills and abilities might be unusable in specific shapes (a rug cannot attack or move on its own).

Hida Akira

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Ancestors Yokai Yokai are Tainted ancestors only available to characters who have at least 1 rank of Shadowlands Taint. Like regular ancestors, yokai are not necessarily the direct blood ancestor of a character (although they very well could be if a player so chooses). They are some powerful corrupted spirit which took an interest in the character and decided to take him “under its wing”. Lost characters can never take non-yokai ancestors. Naga and Nezumi can never take yokai. To be considered a yokai, an ancestor must have at least one aspect (either Profession or Drive) with the yokai tag. An aspect with the Yokai tag denotes an aspect that can only be selected for a Yokai ancestor. Some aspects can be selected either as a Yokai ancestor or as a regular ancestor at creation, but once made, this choice cannot be changed. Such aspects are identified with a * after the tag (i.e. it looks like this [yokai*]). Some Profession and Drive with a “negative” feel can be made yokai if the character so chooses. The following Professions may have the [yokai*] tag: Berserker (MS#3), Ninja (MoW), Outcast (MoW), Pirate (MS#2), Smuggler (MS#2), Spirit (MS#2), and Spy (MoW). The following Drives may have the [yokai*] tag: Ambition (MoW), Gossip (MS#1), Greed (MS#1), Jealousy (MS#1), Judgment (MoW), Passion (MoW), Strife (MS#1), Vanity (MS#1), and Vengeance (MoW). Profession Bloodspeaker [Yokai]: Your yokai was a Bloodspeaker cultist. Whenever you make a roll to resist gaining Taint, roll twice and keep the preferred result. This cannot be increased with Devotion. Convert [Yokai*]: Your ancestor was captured and experimented upon and/or tortured by some dark organization. Eventually, his survival instinct kicked in and he embraced their cause. Choose one group which is declared outlaw by the laws of the Empire (kolat, bloodspeakers, Spider Clan, etc). When performing a dishonorable act in direct service of that group, you do not lose Honor. This Profession cannot be increased with Devotion. Covert Cultist [Yokai]: Your yokai was adept at hiding his Taint or simply not attracting unwanted attention to himself. Abilities that detect your Taint do so with a +5 TN penalty. If the ability automatically detects your Taint, then the inquisitor must first succeed at an Awareness roll against a TN equal to your Awareness x3. When increased with Devotion, this Profession increases the TN penalty by 5 and the multiplier of the Awareness roll by 1 (Awareness x4, Awareness x5, etc.). Dirty Fighter: Your ancestor was among those who invented or perfected the Crab martial art of kobo ichi-kai jiujutsu. You gain a +2 to any damage, initiative, and Tides of Battle rolls against an opponent with a higher Insight Rank than yours, or when fighting in a similarly unfavorable situation (such as fighting an ogre bare-handed, fighting in an enclosed space, etc.). (This Profession can be used by Nezumi Transcendents [MS#3]; replace mention of Crab clan and kobo ichi-kai jiujutsu with motchachikkan) Goblin Shaman [Yokai]: Your yokai was a goblin shaman who managed to cause countless irritation to the Crab Clan. Whenever casting maho spells, you take 1 less Wounds (to a minimum of 1 Wound) from fueling the spell with your own blood. You must be able to cast maho spells in order to take this yokai.

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Goblin Warmonger [Yokai]: Your yokai was a reckless goblin warmonger who quickly and briefly rose to prominence among the goblin tribes before finally being undone. When on Full Attack, you gain a Carapace of 2 that can only be ignored by jade, crystal, obsidian, or nemuranai. Inquisitor: Your ancestor was a talented inquisitor or witch hunter, very good at rooting out the Taint. You gain +2k0 when attempting to detect the Shadowlands Taint in others. You may only take this ancestor if you already have some ability to detect Taint in others. Lost [Yokai]: Your yokai was one of the infamous Shadowlands Madmen, whether a maho-bujin, a Moto Blackguard, a member of Daigotsu’s legion, or an akutsukai or akutenshi. You gain a Carapace of 1 that can be ignored by jade, crystal, obsidian, and nemuranai. Maho-Tsukai [Yokai]: Your yokai was a dreaded maho-tsukai. You gain a Free Raise on any Lore: maho and Spellcraft (maho) skill rolls. Witch Hunter: Your ancestor was a staunch opponent of the Taint, whether a tsukai-sagasu, an Asako Inquisitor, a Jade Magistrate, or member of some other similar organization. You gain a +1k0 to all damage rolls (even from spells) against Tainted targets. Drive Corruption [Yokai]: The influence of your yokai corrupts the link others have with their non-yokai ancestors. Anyone within 10’ of you loses his connection to his ancestor. When increased with Devotion, the radius is increased by an additional 10’. Fear [Yokai*]: Your ancestor enjoyed seeing fear in the eyes of his enemies and subordinates. You gain a Fear Rating of 1. Haunting [Yokai]: Your yokai is a ghost spirit that haunted some place in the Shadowlands for many centuries. It eventually knew his haunt like the back of its hand. You gain 2 Free Raises on any Hunting, Navigation, or rolls made to find your way while you are in the Shadowlands. Perseverance: Your ancestor adopted a “never say die” attitude when faced with insurmountable odds. You gain a +1k1 on Attack rolls whenever you (and your party, unit, etc.) are outnumbered at least 3 to 1. When increasing this Drive with Devotion, each additional rank of Devotion will grant you an extra +1k0. (This Drive can be used as a Soulpart for Naga Past Lives and Drive for Nezumi Transcendents [MS#3].) Revenge [Yokai*]: Your ancestor was duped or slighted by a particular group or organization. His oath of vengeance transcended the generations and you are now carrying on his legacy. Choose one clan, race, group, or organization. You gain a Free Raise on all Attack rolls and Perception check to see through disguise, lies, and deceptions against members of the selected group. (This Drive can be used as a Soulpart for Naga Past Lives and Drive for Nezumi Transcendents [MS#3].) Stealth [Yokai*]: Your ancestor had an uncanny ability to avoid detection. Once per day, you may decide instead of rolling your Stealth (sneaking) skill that you are completely undetectable by mundane senses as well as magical or supernatural ones. This last as long as your Stealth roll would have lasted (a moment to pass by a guard unseen or hours to remain hidden in preparation for an ambush). This Drive cannot be increased with Devotion. (This Drive can be used as a Soulpart for Naga Past Lives and Drive for Nezumi Transcendents [MS#3].)

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Taint [Yokai]: Your yokai excelled at using his Taint to boost his natural abilities. Choose one Trait, when boosting that Trait with your Taint, you gain an additional +1k0 on the roll. When increasing this Drive with Devotion, you can either choose to gain another +1k0 or choose another Trait that can be enhanced this way. For Lost characters, this Drive works a bit differently; their Taint Rank is considered 1 higher for the purpose of Raising and Focusing. They are also granted 1 extra Corruption Point regardless of Devotion.

Kalajel

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Deformities & Derangements The Taint of the Shadowlands is truly terrible to behold, even worse to suffer from; many people, even the occasional samurai succumb to its thrall. Those noble samurai who resist temptation and struggle daily against the Taint can be subject to terrible punishments both physical and mental – such is the wrath of Jigoku. Every time you reach a new full rank of Taint (1.0, 2.0, etc) you must immediately make a raw Earth roll against a TN of your Taint Rank multiplied by 10. If you fail the roll you must immediately roll on the 'Wrath of Jigoku' table below. These mutations normally develop overnight while asleep or slowly over a number of days, though it is not unheard of for a heavily Tainted individual to spontaneously sprout tentacles. Many deformities are marked as 'Cosmetic' though these deformities because physical changes they normally offer no mechanical bonuses or penalties. Of course in certain circumstances they may offer unique benefits; for example, fur might turn to be useful if your character is left in the wilderness with minimal clothing. But generally, even cosmetic changes are more likely to complicate the life of the character, simply by making him more memorable or inflicting on him penalties to his Social rolls (Gamemaster’s discretion). Variations and Options Although the standard system assumes you only gain a new derangement or deformity when you gain a full rank of Taint this value can easily be adjusted in order to increase or decrease the effects of Jigoku. To make things harsher a player may have to roll every time they gain any Taint at all or perhaps even exposure to the presence of Taint. It would also be very easy for an Oni or Shadowlands creature to possess an ability that causes mutations in its targets; imagine a contingent of Crab facing down an Oni only to have to kill many of their own survivors. Maho users could also possess rituals or spells to induce mutation or insanity. Derangements can also occur as an effect of Jigoku's Taint, however many insanities can be caused by more mundane means; one simple option to reflect this would be for a character to gain a derangements any time they fail a Fear check by more than their Willpower times 3. In this case it may be more suitable for the GM to select an appropriate derangement rather than rolling randomly, for example a character ambushed by some monstrous oni in the woods could gain a fear of forests or a character assaulted by a shapeshifting oni could suffer from terrible paranoia. 1. Wrath of Jigoku (1d10) 1-6. Roll once on the Deformities (2) table. 7-9. Roll once on the 'Derangements' (3) table. 10. Roll once on each table and apply both results. 2. Deformities (1d10) 1-2. Roll on the 'Head' (2.1) table. 3-4. Roll on the 'Arms' (2.2) table. 5-6. Roll on the 'Legs' (2.3) table. 7. Roll on the 'Skin' (2.4) table. 8-9. Roll on the 'Body' (2.5) table. 10. Roll on the 'Other' (2.6) table.

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2.1. Head (1d10) 1-2. Roll on the 'Eyes' (2.1.1) table. 3-4. Roll on the 'Mouth' (2.1.2) table. 5-6. Roll on the 'Nose' (2.1.3) table. 7-8. Roll on the 'Ears' (2.1.4) table. 9-10. Roll on the 'Other' (2.1.6) table. 2.1.1. Eyes (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-2. Unusual Color (Cosmetic) Your eyes change hue to some unusual color. (GM's choice but red, yellow or purple would all be suitable). 3-4. Large Eyes (Cosmetic) Your eyes grow wider and larger, though unusual and generally unattractive this is not necessarily a sign of the Taint. All penalties due to darkness are halved (rounding up). 5. Glowing Eyes (Cosmetic) Your eyes glow faintly, though not noticeable in day light they become more obvious in the dark. 6. Frog-like Eyes Your eyes expand and bulge forth becoming frog-like, though unusual and generally unattractive this is not necessarily a sign of the Taint. You gain a Free Raise on Perception checks involving sight. 7. Faceted Eyes Your eyes develop facets like those of an insect. The bonus enemies gain for flanking you is halved (rounded up). 8. Cat’s Eyes (Cosmetic) Your irises and pupils narrow and stretch, becoming vertical slits like those of a cat or some snakes. 9. Hypnotic Gaze One of your eyes turns completely white; you can see normally and also gain the ability to hypnotize people with a look. If you lock eyes with someone (a complex action) they must make a raw Willpower roll against a TN equal to your Taint Rank times 5 or be unable to act. They may make an additional Willpower roll each round until successful or you break eye contact. 10. Evil Eye One of your eyes turns completely black; you can see normally and also gain the ability to curse people with a look. If you glare into someone's eyes (a complex action) they must make a raw Willpower roll against a TN equal to your Taint Rank times 5, if they fail they are cursed and suffer a penalty to all rolls equal to your Taint Rank. This penalty lasts until the character makes a successful meditation for the sole purpose of overcoming the curse (they do not regain void points for this meditation). 11-12. Lost Eye One of your eyes (determined randomly) is destroyed, perhaps it heals over leaving a bare patch of skin or perhaps it dissolves into ash but whatever the case it can no longer be used. Unless you have more than two eyes this will leave you with the Missing Eye disadvantage. 13. Blind Your eyes dissolve into a foul smelling liquid, leaving gaping holes in your face. You are blind. 14. Extra Eye You grow an additional eye upon your face. If you had the Missing Eye disadvantage this will negate it. 15+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 15+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

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2.1.2. Mouth (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Colored Teeth (Cosmetic) Your teeth change to an unnatural (solid black or red) or extremely unhealthy color (rotten green or pus yellow) 4-5. Wide Mouth (Cosmetic) Your mouth grows abnormally wide, extra teeth growing to fill it. 6-7. No Teeth (Cosmetic) Your teeth fall out leaving you with nothing more than bare gums. 8. Bleeding Gums (Cosmetic) Your gums constantly ooze blood. 9 Forked Tongue (Cosmetic) The end of your tongue splits, becoming forked like that of a snake. 10. Sharp Teeth Your teeth sharpen into jagged points. While grappling an opponent you may make an unarmed bite attack that causes (Strength)k2 damage (instead of the regular unarmed damage). 11. Venomous Fangs Your upper canines grow longer and sharper, and can deliver poison when biting. After a bite, your poison glands need 2 hours to refill. Roll to determine which poison you produce: _1-5. Your venom is mechanically identical to Generic Poison, reducing Reflexes (3ER p.174) _6-8. Your venom is mechanically identical to Snake Venom (3ER p.176) _9. Your venom is mechanically identical to Fire Biter (3ER p.175) _10. Your venom is mechanically identical to Fauntei Shi (3ER p.175) 12. Piercing Tongue Your tongue grows hard and sharp as well as extending greatly in length. You can normally hide it within your mouth but may choose to attack with it during combat. You may attack with your tongue which has a range of 5’. Roll and keep a number of dice equal to your Reflexes to hit, if successful your tongue causes 1k1 damage. 13. Extra Mouth You develop an extra mouth (which often appears on the nape of your neck); this mouth may speak and function in all ways like a normal mouth. If concealed this additional mouth grants you an inherent ability at ventriloquism. 14+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 14+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

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2.1.3. Nose (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-4. Large Nose Your nose grows abnormally large, though unusual and generally unattractive this is not necessarily a sign of the Taint. You gain a Free Raise on Perception checks involving scent. 5-6. Snout Your nose twists and mutates into an animal-like snout. You gain a Free Raise on all hunting checks to follow a trail. 7-8. Reptilian (Cosmetic) Your nose flattens into your face leaving little more than two vertical slits for nostrils. 9-10. No Nose Your nose flattens into your face before disappearing completely. Unless you had more than one nose you will automatically fail all checks requiring a sense of smell. 11-12. Extra Nose You grow an additional nose. You gain a Free Raise on Perception checks involving scent. 13+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 13+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2). 2.1.4. Ears (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Large Ears Your ears grow abnormally large, though unusual and generally unattractive this is not necessarily a sign of the Taint. You gain a Free Raise on perception checks involving hearing. 4-5. Hairy Ears (Cosmetic) Thick tufts of black hair grow out of your ears (if cut, they grow back within a day). Though unusual and generally unattractive this is not necessarily a sign of the Taint. 6-7. Pointed Ears (Cosmetic) Your ears lengthen and narrow into points at the top. 8-9. “Cut” Ears Your ears flatten into the sides of your head, becoming little more than holes. You suffer a -5 penalty on all rolls involving hearing. 10-11. Antennae (Cosmetic) Your ears mutate until they are replaced with short antennae. 12. No Ears Your ears flatten and heal over until nothing is left. You are deaf and your TNtBH is reduced by 5. 13. Sonar Sense Your ears flatten and heal over until nothing is left. You are deaf to regular sounds, but you gain a form of sonar sense that allows you to perceive your surroundings via echo-location and ground vibrations. You do not suffer any penalties due to low light or total darkness. 14+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 14+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2). 2.1.5. Other (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Shrunken Head (Cosmetic) Your head shrinks to half its normal size. 4-5. Long Neck (Cosmetic) Your neck grows an extra foot in length. 6-7. Living Hair Your hair evolves into hundreds of tiny fanged worms that snap and bite at anyone in range. Every round that you are in a grapple (regardless of whether you control it or not) everyone else in the grapple suffers 1k1 damage from bites (that is in addition to normal damage).

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8. Rearranged Face The features of your face shift and move around. For each feature roll to see where it moves to: _1. Front of head, near the top (forehead area). _2. Front of head, near the middle (eye/nose level). _3. Front of head, near the bottom (mouth/chin level). _4-5. Left side of head. _6-7. Right side of head. _8. Back of head. _9. Top of head. _10. Neck. 9-10. Horns One or more horns grow forth from your forehead. You may make an unarmed head butt attack using the jiujutsu skill, if successful you roll a number of dice equal to your Strength and keep a number of dice equal to the number of horns that you have. You roll an additional dice for every ten feet moved in a straight line prior to the attack. 11. Headless Your head shrinks away to nothing before your features grow out of your chest in roughly the same layout. Without a neck it is difficult to look around, as such you suffer a -10 penalty to all perception checks. 12. Uncanny Resemblance It seems Jigoku is not without a sense of humor, your facial features twist and distort, reforming so you appear identical to someone else. The GM is encouraged to make things interesting with this mutation, Clan Champions, sworn enemies and known members of the Spider clan could all prove to be interesting appearances. 13. Extra Head Your head shifts slightly to one side and a second one grows out from your shoulders. You gain a Free Raise on all perception checks. At the GM's discretion it is possible that this head has its own personality, if this is the case each day the character must make a Willpower test against a TN of 20 in order to remain dominant, otherwise the new head takes control of the body (a new Willpower test may be made each day in order to regain dominance). 14+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 14+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2). 2.2. Arms (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-2. Extra Fingers (Cosmetic) You grow an extra finger on one or both hands. _1-4. Left Hand. _5-8. Right Hand. _9-10. Both Hands. 3. Claws Your fingernails grow longer, thicker and harder forming crude but effective claws. You may make unarmed attacks with a base DR of 0k2. 4. Double Jointed Your arms develop a second set of elbows. If you have both double jointed arms and legs you gain a Free Raise on all rolls that involve contorting your body. 5. Shocking Grasp Your hands seem to emit some sort of energy field that causes pain in anyone you touch. This field cannot be turned off. Anyone you touch with your hands (as an unarmed attack or in any other situation) suffers 1k1 points of damage in addition to any normal damage. 6. Tentacle Fingers Your fingers grow long and flaccid, becoming short undulating tentacles. Though these tentacles can grasp weapons and perform most actions without issue, any tasks involving fine manipulation suffer a -5 penalty.

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7. Overgrown Body Part One of your arms (randomly determined) grows to almost twice its normal size. Any melee attacks made with this hand gain a Free Raise that may only be spent on increasing damage. 8. Elastic Arms Your arms become rubbery and stretchy. During any given combat round you may stretch your arms up to 3k3 feet to attack an enemy with a melee weapon (if you attempt to attack an enemy too far away then your turn is missed). This enemy (and any others directly between you and your target) may attempt to attack your arms on this round, the TN to be hit of your arms is double your normal base TN to be hit, however armor does not apply. 9-10. Mutated Arm One of your arms (randomly determined) mutates. Roll below to see what it turns into: _1-2. Pincer. You hand and forearm tears apart and reforms into a large crab-like pincer. You gain a Free Raise on all disarm and grappling rolls. You may make an unarmed attack with this arm have a base DR of 0k2. _3-5. Tentacle. Your arm grows long and flexible and sprouts suction cups. You gain two Free Raises on all grappling rolls. Enemies must make an additional raise in order to disarm you. _6-7. Bladed. Your hand and arm fuse together and form a broad sharp bony blade. You may attack with this arm using either Kenjutsu or Jiujutsu; its DR is 2k2. _8-9. Spike. Your hand and arm fuse together and narrow to form a large bone spike. You may attack with this arm using either Spears or Jiujutsu; its DR is 2k1 and it ignores 5 points of armor. _10. Roll once for each arm. 11-12. Lost Arm One of your arms (randomly determined) withers and dissolves into ash. Unless you have more than two arms this will leave you with the Missing Limb (Arm) disadvantage. 13-14. Extra Arm An additional arm grows from your body. If you had the Missing Limb (Arm) disadvantage this may negate it if the arm is functional. Roll to determine its utility: _1-5. The extra arm is non-functional and hangs limply. _6-8. The extra arm can be used normally (as usual, this does not grant an extra attack by itself). You gain a Free Raise for all Jiujutsu (Grappling) rolls. _9-10. The extra arm is functional and mutated. Roll on the Mutated Arm table (above). 15+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 15+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

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2.3. Legs (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Extra Toes (Cosmetic) You grow an extra toe on one or both feet. _1-4. Left Foot. _5-8. Right Foot. _9-10. Both Feet. 4-5. Mutated Legs Your legs mutate into a new form. Roll below to see what they turn into: _1-4. Animalistic Legs. Your knees twist and mutate, inverting like those of an animal. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 12 instead of 10. _5-7. Bird's Legs. The flesh from your lower legs dissolves into ash, crumbling away to leave bird-like talons. Their base DR is 0k2. _8-10. Cloven Hooves. Your feet deform back into stubs which harden over to become cloven hooves. 6. Double Jointed Your legs develop a second set of knees. If you have both double jointed arms and legs you gain a Free Raise on all rolls that involve contorting your body. 7. Short Legs Your legs shorten, making it harder for you to move. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 8 instead of 10. 8. Long Legs Your legs grow long and gangly; once you grow accustomed to it you can make much larger strides. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 12 instead of 10. 9-10. Lost Leg One of your legs (randomly determined) withers and dissolves into ash, or remains permanently twisted and crippled. Unless you have more than two legs this will leave you with the Missing Limb (Leg) disadvantage. 11. Hopper Your legs fuse together into a single large powerful limb, aside from other issues this means you can now only move by hopping. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 8 instead of 10. You may make an unarmed (kick) attack using the jiujutsu skill, with a DR of 0k2, which knocks the character prone if successful. 12-13. Extra Leg An additional leg grows from your body. If you had the Missing Limb (Leg) disadvantage it may negate it if it’s functional. Roll to determine its utility: _1-6. The extra leg is non-functional and hangs limply. _7-10. The extra leg can be used normally and you gain a Free Raise for the Contested roll made to resist the effects of the Knockdown maneuver when it’s attempted on you. 14. Spider Legs Your legs split into eight long insect legs. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 15 instead of 10, and any attempt to knock you off your feet or to throw you off balance requires 2 extra Raises. 15. Monstrosity of Fu Leng Your lower body is replaced by which of an onikage, a Tainted perversion of a horse. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 20 instead of 10, and you gain 4 Wounds per Wound Level. 16+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 16+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

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2.4. Skin (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Unnatural Color (Cosmetic) Your skin takes on an unusual hue. (GM's choice but black, blue, green, etc would all be suitable). 4. Desiccated Skin (Cosmetic) You constantly shed your brittle skin, leaving small flakes of dry skin in your wake. 5. Bloodshot Skin (Cosmetic) Your veins are very close to the surface of your skin, giving it a veiny and bloodshot appearance. 6. Fur (Cosmetic) A thin layer of coarse fur covers your body from head to toe. 7-8. Boils Your body is covered in pustules and boils. If an enemy injures you in melee they must make a raw Reflexes roll against a TN of 10 or be splashed with pus. If they are exposed to pus they must make a successful raw Earth roll against a TN of 20 or gain 1 point of Taint. 9. Transparent Skin (Cosmetic) Your skin fades until it becomes completely transparent, leaving your muscles, bones and organs clearly visible.

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10. Hardened Skin Your skin thickens and grows harder, serving to cushion you from the brunt of most impacts. The total damage of every hit against you is reduced by your Taint Rank. 11. Slimy Your skin is constantly covered in a layer of slippery slime. Enemies suffer a -5 penalty when attempting to grapple you. Enemies gain a Free Raise when attempting to disarm you. 12. Cadaverous Appearance You skin turns a mottled gray and green, as if it were which of a rotting corpse. The smell is unmistakable, and most people will think you are a walking dead. You gain a Fear rating equal to your Awareness or your Taint Rank, whichever is lower. 13. Scales Your body is covered in thick scales that act as a natural armor. Your TN to be hit is increased by your Taint Rank +1; this is considered armor for purposes of armor penetrating weapons. 14. Spikes Vicious spikes grow out from beneath your skin all over your body. Anyone who you make physical contact with (with an unarmed attack, a grapple, etc) suffers 1k1 Wounds in addition to any normal damage. 15+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 15+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2). 2.5. Body (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Gills You develop gills along your neck; their functionality can be determined by rolling below: _1-4. Non functional. Though slits form along your neck they serve no purpose. _5-7. Amphibious. Gills form along your neck allowing you to breathe both water and air with equal ease. _8-10. Water-breather. Gills form along your neck allowing you to breathe water, however your lungs cease functioning properly and you must spend at least one hour each day submerged. 4-5. Grossly Obese Your body warps and grows out of proportion leaving you a hulking mass of fat and blubber. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 5 instead of 10. Your base TN to be hit is calculated as reflexes multiplied by 3 instead of 5. 6-7. Hunchback A malformed hump grows from your back, twisting your frame and hindering your mobility. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 8 instead of 10. Though loose clothes will still fit you any armor will have to be modified. 8. Tail You grow a tail. Roll to determine its form and usefulness: _1-3. Balance Tail. You develop a long tail that aids your balance. You gain a Free Raise on all rolls involving balance (athletics, climbing, etc). _4-6. Prehensile Tail. You grow a prehensile tail that can serve as an additional limb. This tail can wield weapons or handle objects but cannot perform fine manipulation. _7-8. Weighted Tail. You grow a tail with a heavy bony weight at one end. This tail can make an attack with an Agility/Jiujutsu (Tail) roll. It ignores 5 points of armor and 1 points of carapace, and its base DR is 0k3. _9-10. Scorpion Tail. You grow a long tail with a stinger at the end. This tail can make an attack with an Agility/Jiujutsu (Tail) roll with a base DR of 0k2. If successful, you inject your venom into your victim. Your venom is mechanically identical to Snake Venom (3ER p.176), and your stinger needs 2 hours to refill. 9. Bony Growths Your bones strengthen and thicken, tearing through your skin in places to form armored protrusions. Your TN to be hit is increased by 8; this is considered armor for purposes of armor penetrating weapons. Though loose clothes will still fit you any armor will have to be modified.

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10. Elemental Corruption The elements in your body have been thrown out of balance. No longer do you consist of all elements equally, but instead one has taken dominance. To determine what element overwhelms your body roll below: _1-2. Earth. Your flesh and bone transform into hardened terracotta. You gain Carapace 2 and you become immune to poison and disease. At the beginning of your Turn, you may suffer 4 Wounds to prevent others from moving you against your will. This ability duplicates the effects of the spell The Mountain’s Feet and lasts a number or rounds equal to twice your Taint Rank. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 5 instead of 10. Shugenja casting Air spells against you gain a Free Raise for the casting roll, unless it is a beneficial spell, in which case their spellcasting TN is increased by 5. _3-4. Fire. Your innards become a living inferno and your skin radiates intense heat. Your unarmed attacks deal an extra +2k0 damage. At the beginning of your Turn, you may suffer 4 Wounds to burst into flame for a number or rounds equal to twice your Taint Rank. This ability duplicates the effects of the Aura of Flame spell. Shugenja casting Water spells against you gain a Free Raise for the casting roll, unless it is a beneficial spell, in which case their spellcasting TN is increased by 5. _5-6. Air. Your body becomes almost weightless and slightly translucent. You gain a Free Raise on all Stealth rolls. At the beginning of your Turn, you may suffer 4 Wounds to take flight for a number or rounds equal to twice your Taint Rank. This ability duplicates the effects of the Call upon the Wind spell. Shugenja casting Earth spells against you gain a Free Raise for the casting roll, unless it is a beneficial spell, in which case their spellcasting TN is increased by 5. _7-8. Water. Your body acquires the consistency of soft slimy mud. Your rate of recovery is doubled (becoming (Stamina + Insight Rank) x 2). At the beginning of your Turn, you may suffer 4 Wounds to melt your body into black sludge for a number or rounds equal to twice your Taint Rank. While in that form, the only action you can take is to move, but you can go through almost anything that is not watertight, and you are immune to damage from mundane weapons. Shugenja casting Fire spells against you gain a Free Raise for the casting roll, unless it is a beneficial spell, in which case their spellcasting TN is increased by 5. _9-10. Taint. You are overwhelmed by Taint and your skin turns into corrupted obsidian. You gain Carapace 4. Anyone who comes into physical contact with you (including your unarmed attacks and vice versa) must make a successful Raw Earth roll against a TN of 15 or gain 1k1 points of Taint. Your unarmed attacks or attacks made with obsidian weapons deal an extra +1k1 damage. At the beginning of your Turn, you may suffer 4 Wounds to cast the Maho spell Caress of Fu Leng (this does not count as an action and does not require a spellcasting roll). Shugenja targeting you with spells specifically designed to harm Tainted creatures gain a Free Raise for the casting roll and the TN of all healing spells targeting you is increased by 5. 11. Wings Large leathery wings sprout from your back. Roll to determine their utility: _1-4. Non functional. Though you are able to flex and move the wings they are not able to support your weight and serve little purpose. _5-7. Glider. Your wings are not strong enough to lift you from the ground but provided you start from a high location you are able to glide at a speed equal to your Air ring multiplied by 10 in feet per round (descending 5 feet each round). _8-10. Flier. Your wings are vast and powerful, able to lift you and grant you flight, you are able to move at a speed equal to your Air ring multiplied by 10 in feet per round; you may rise at half this speed.

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12. Animal Hybrid Your body twists and warps, taking on the features of an animal. Roll on the table below to determine the animal you take features from. _1. Bear. You gain +1k0 on damage rolls. Your wound penalties are added to any damage you cause to represent your increasing rage. _2-3. Fox. You suffer a -10 penalty on all fear checks. You calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 12 instead of 10. You gain a Free Raise to hunting rolls when attempting to follow a trail. _4-5. Bat. You gain the ability to glide, provided you start from a high location you are able to glide at a speed equal to your Air ring multiplied by 10 in feet per round (descending 5 feet each round). _6-7. Tiger. You gain a Free Raise on stealth rolls when attempting to hide in vegetation. You may make an unarmed attack which causes Strength keep 2 damage. _8. Wolf. You gain a Free Raise to hunting rolls when attempting to follow a trail. You may make an unarmed attack which causes Strength keep 2 damage. _9-10. Monkey. You get a Free Raise on all climbing rolls. You get a Free Raise on stealth rolls when attempting to hide in vegetation. 13. Quadruped Your limbs, neck and back twist and rearrange themselves so that your natural position in on all four limbs. You may no longer walk on two legs, although you may rear up on your hind legs a few moments (maximum number of consecutive rounds equal to your Agility). When you rear up, your TNtBH is reduced by 10 as you must focus on maintaining balance and your maximum movement is 10’ per round. You cannot use two-handed weapons. When on all fours, you calculate your movement by multiplying your Water ring by 15 instead of 10. 14. Spawn of Jigoku A growth on your body develops into an actual living being, this creature is a spawn of Jigoku, a small parasitic oni with its own mind and objectives. Although it will normally try to help the character as their lives are bound together, it will seek to further its own ends whenever possible. 15+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 15+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2). 2.6. Other (1d10 + Taint Rank) 1-3. Stench Your body develops a foul odor that cannot be masked by any amount of washing or perfume. 4-5. Unnatural Hunger You develop a craving for some unusual fare, though you can still consume other food it no longer grants you nourishment and unless you consume a meal you crave at least once a day you will begin to suffer the effects of starvation. The craving can vary greatly, but even if it is something not normally edible your body will adapt to digest the substance. _1. Silk _2. Chopsticks _3. Scrolls and books _4. Coins _5. Gemstones _6. Rotten food _7. Blood _8. Raw meat _9. Human flesh _10. Obsidian

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6. Disease Ridden You have become a carrier for a particularly nasty disease. Anyone who is in close contact with you must make a daily Stamina check against a TN of 15 or be infected. You also suffer the effects of the disease, though it will not lower any traits below 1 or reduce your wounds below the injured wound rank. The disease you carry can be determined by rolling below. _1. Bishamon's Anger _2-3. Water Imbalance _4. Boiled Mind _5. Night Rot _6. Plains Fever _7. Red Lung _8. Isora's Anger _9-10. Air Imbalance 7-8. Swarm You seem to attract a swarm of creatures that constantly buzz around you and crawl all over your body, protecting you from any attackers. Your TNtBH is increased by 5. Anyone attacking you suffers 1k1 minus 5 wounds (thus, this damage may be reduced to 0). 9. Breath Attack A strange gland develops in your throat allowing you to attack by spewing forth a dangerous substance, to a maximum range of 10’. Roll to determine exactly what form this attack takes: _1-2. Acid. You can vomit a corrosive liquid. Roll and keep Reflexes to hit. Causes damage equal to your Water ring keep 1. Roll one dice, on a 1-3 it reduces the quality of any armor by one level. _3-4. Fire. You are able to breathe a ball of flame. Roll and keep Reflexes to hit. The target suffers damage equal to your Fire ring keep 1. _5-6. Poison Gas. You can spew forth a narrow stream of noxious gas. Roll and keep Air ring to hit. The target is afflicted by Fauntei Shi. _7-8. Glue. You are able to spit a sticky substance. Roll and keep Earth ring to hit. The target is affected as though you had cast the Grasp of Earth spell on it. _9-10. Insects. You breathe forth a vicious swarm of insects. You may automatically hit anyone engaged in melee combat with you. The target suffers a -Xk0 penalty on all rolls, where X is your Taint Rank. At the beginning of every subsequent round, the penalty is reduced by 1 until the swarm disperses completely. 10. Essence of Jigoku Your veins run dry and your blood is replaced with some other foul substance that will undoubtedly cause problems whenever spilt, the substance can be determined by rolling below: _1-2. Acid. Your blood is a highly corrosive acid. The attacker must roll 1 dice for any weapon that hits you; on 1-3 it immediately drops one level in quality. _3-4. Fire. Liquid flame runs through your veins. The attacker must make a raw Reflexes roll against a TN equal to the amount of damage they caused or be hit by a gout of flame that causes damage equal to your Fire ring in rolled and kept dice. _5-6. Electricity. Surges of electricity run through your veins. If the attacker was using a metal weapon (or an unarmed attack) they are hit by sparks of electricity. The DR is your Fire ring in rolled dice, keeping 1 die, and the attacker’s Initiative is reduced by 5. _7-8. Poison. Your blood acts as a virulent poison (that you are immune to). The attacker must make a raw Reflexes roll against a TN equal to the amount of damage they caused or be subjected to it. This poison is mechanically equivalent to Night Milk. _9-10. Insect. Insects run throughout your body. The attacker must make a raw Reflexes roll against a TN equal to the amount of damage they caused or be covered in insects that will immediately cause 1k1 points of damage. They will continue to cause 1k1 points of damage each round until the attacker spends a complex action clearing them off his skin.

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11. Skeletal (Cosmetic) The skin and organs from one part of your body shrink almost to naught, leaving that part of your body skeletal in appearance (though it functions in all other ways as normal). Roll to determine which part of your body is affected: _1-2. Head. _3-5. Chest _6. Left Arm _7. Right Arm _8. Left Leg _9. Right Leg _10. Whole Body 12. Aura of Taint You radiate an aura of Taint. Anyone in your presence is affected for all intents and purposes as though they were in the Shadowlands. This includes penalties to spell casting, erosion of jade and suffering Taint through exposure; if you remain settled in one place for more than a few months at a time the land around you will begin to twist and warp. 13. Legion You gain the ability to split your body apart into numerous smaller versions of yourself. You may divide into a number of duplicates equal to your taint rank and each duplicate has Traits that are half (rounding down) your normal rank, while skills remain unchanged. When you reassemble you are back in the condition you were prior to separating; however any duplicates killed will cause you to lose one full wound rank that cannot be healed without the use of magic. 14. Cast into Jigoku Your very soul is torn from your body, leaving an empty shell behind and something else takes its place. Odds are that this mutation means the end of your character, although you and your Gamemaster may discuss developing this new being as your new character. Any spirit that enters your body will possess your physical traits but their own mental traits, skills, techniques, etc. Roll to determine what spirit will replace your soul: _1-2. Oni. An oni on its way back to Jigoku seizes your body, it may immediately attack your allies or it may take a more subtle approach. Your 'body' gains 1k1 points of taint each day. _3. Shikko Gaki. A gaki finds its way into your body, it may pretend to be you or flee to start a new life; either way it will still need to feed its hunger and consume dead flesh daily. _4. Gakimushi. A gakimushi forces its way into your body, immediately going into a rampage and trying to kill all around it by whatever means necessary. _5-6. Spirit of Sakkaku. A mischievous spirit takes control of your body, it may or may not pretend to be you but will generally do whatever it wishes until it grows bored and departs (at which point your body will either die or acquire some new host at the GM's discretion). _7-8. Spirit of Maigo no Musha. A spirit from the Realm of Thwarted Destiny somehow finds itself in your body, it may well be honorable but even if it reveals its true identity it will wish to fulfill its destiny (which can be whatever the GM wishes) before it dies. _9. Spirit of Yomi. A spirit of Yomi, possibly even an ancestor of the character, takes possession of your body. It realized that if left alone the body could have attracted something from Jigoku, now that it is back in mortal form it will probably wish to aide its descendants. _10. Spirit of Ningen-do. A spirit is pulled into your body on its way to Meido, it is most likely someone who has recently died, though they could be from anywhere in the Empire. 15. Fatal Mutation Overwhelmed by the Taint, your body explodes or melts into a black sludge. Your character is dead. 16+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 16+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

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3. Derangements (1d10 + Taint Rank) In most circumstances it is far more suitable for the GM to select an affliction from this list to suit the character and circumstances. 1-3. Weird Quirks You develop odd mannerisms (counting your steps, talk to yourself, stack things neatly, etc.), muscle twitches (on the face, hands, etc) or verbal troubles (need to talk in whispers or yelling, stammering, etc). 4. Mutism You can no longer speak. If you are a spellcaster, you must make 2 Raises to cast spells as you replace prayers by dances or focused thoughts. 5. Unnatural Fear You develop a crippling fear of some object. When exposed to this object you must make a Willpower roll against a TN of 20 to avoid fleeing from the object. The first option of each result applies for characters with a Taint Rank of 1 or 2, while the second option concerns character with Taint Rank 3+ _1. Insects (and all things creepy crawly) / House pets _2. Heights / Small spaces _3. Filth (dirt, eta, etc) / Clean water _4. The Dead (this includes undead as well as corpses) / Babies _5. Blood / Tears _6. Darkness / Daylight _7. Loud noises / Insects chirping _8. Drowning / Cheerful laughs _9. Being alone / Crowds _10. Fire / Jade 6. Addiction You gain an addiction to a particular substance or activity. If you are denied this substance or activity (voluntarily or not), you suffer a TN penalty to all rolls equal to 5 times the number of days you have gone without it. _1-2. Sake _3. Tobacco _4. Opium _5. Sexual intercourse _6. Destruction or desecration of holy places _7. Blood _8. Murder _9. Arson _10. Torture 7. Unnatural Hatred You develop an intense hatred of some object. When exposed to this object you must make a Willpower roll against a TN of 20 to resist the urge to attack or destroy the object. The first option of each result applies for characters with a Taint Rank of 1 or 2, while the second option concerns character with Taint Rank 3+ _1. Insects / Jade _2. Puppets / Children _3. Frogs and toads / Flowers _4. Reptiles / Cooked rice _5. Fire / Gold jewelry _6. Eta / Shugenja _7. Gaijin / Imperials _8. Shinobi or Ninja / Monks _9. Shadowlands creatures / House pets _10. A particular clan / Holy texts

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8. Unnatural Attraction You develop an insatiable need to possess, touch, or be near the object of your desire. You must make a successful Willpower roll against a TN of 20 to resist the urge to approach and take the object. _1-2. Gold _3. Excrements _4. Dead bodies _5. Children _6. Small animals _7. Attractive men and women _8. Scrolls and books _9. Shadowlands creatures _10. Filth and blood 9. Cowardice Whenever you enter combat or any other dangerous situation you must make a fear test against a fear rating of 2, if you are actually engaging an enemy that causes fear then it's fear rating is increased by 2. 10. Berserk During combat you must make a Raw Willpower roll against a TN of 20 each round to avoid slipping into a bloodthirsty rage. When enraged, you must use the full attack maneuver against the nearest enemy, gaining an additional Free Raise due to your fury. Each time you fell an enemy you may make another Willpower test to regain control. When all nearby enemies are killed you may make a Willpower test against a TN of 15 to regain control every round, otherwise you proceed to attack anyone within reach until you regain control. 11. Stupidity Your mind is numbed and refuses to function as well as it once did. You suffer a -2k1 penalty on all rolls involving mental traits (Perception, Awareness, Intelligence and Willpower). 12. Split Personality You develop a second, completely independent personality. Each day you must make a Willpower roll TN 20, if successful you retain your current personality, if you fail you switch to your alternate personality – the Gamemaster may also require you to make these tests in stressful situations at their discretion. This alternate personality will share the same traits and skills as you upon creation but from this point forth you should keep two character sheets as your alter-ego will gain XP and develop independently – their mental traits, skills, kata, etc are completely separate however physical traits are always shared between both characters. 13. Mindless Your mind snaps, leaving you little more than a gibbering idiot. You possess no independent thought though you can still perform physically as well as you did (retaining skills, etc) if you are instructed by someone with authority (the character should roll an Awareness/Willpower test against a TN of 15 in order to instruct you). Short of some sort of magical healing it may be necessary to retire this character. 14. Supernatural Ability Through some strange twist of fate Jigoku's touch on your mind actually grants you abilities beyond those of most mortals. Roll below to determine what: _1-2. Telekinesis. You are able to move objects with your mind, your mental hand can interact with things a number of feet away equal to your Void x5 (if you do not have Void, use your Taint Rank instead) and has a Strength equal to your Willpower and an Agility equal to your Intelligence. _3-4. Mind Reader. You are able to read the surface thoughts of others with a successful Contested Awareness roll against your target. This makes it easy to tell if people are lying or hiding information (you gain a Free Raise on such rolls). If someone is actively trying to hide their thoughts from you a Contested Willpower test should be made instead. _5-6. Heat Projection. You are able to increase the temperature of any objects you touch. Others

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touching the object will suffer 1k1 wounds due to the extreme heat. Damage increases by +1k1 each round of sustained contact, up to a maximum number of rolled and kept dice equal to your Fire ring. _7-8. Extra Sensory Perception. You seem to have a heightened sense of your surroundings, a successful Awareness roll TN 20 allows you to detect the presence of hidden things around you – whether they are mundane (like enemies preparing to ambush you) or magically concealed. You do not gain specific information, just a general awareness of things (for example, “Someone is hidden from sight watching you”). This ability may also let you know the state of the local kami or kansen (for example, “The Fire Kami are restless all around”). _9-10. Unnatural Intelligence. Your mind speeds up, becoming quicker and more agile. You gain a Free Raise on all rolls that involve a mental Trait. 15+. Roll again (ignoring any additional results of 15+) and roll once more on the Deformities table (2).

Bayushi Kinzo

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New Maho Spells Animate the Dead Mastery Level: 3 Element: Maho, Earth Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One target Range: Touch This spell takes ten hours to cast. The spell must be cast on a living target who must be present during the entire ritual. Once successfully cast, this spell turns the target into a rotting undead creature. He remains self-aware and is able to use any of his skills, spells and techniques. The undead creature is considered to be controlled by itself for the purposes of resisting the control of other Maho Tsukai. The undead state granted by this spell makes the target immune to the effects of Shadowlands Taint, but also prevents them from spending Void. Spells with the Maho descriptor need the blood of a living creature to be cast, and the target of this spell is no longer living. The undead gains a carapace rating equal to their stamina against piercing weapons. Each time they suffer 15 or more wounds from a single blow they lose a random limb: D10 Location 1-2 Left arm 3-4 Right arm 5-6 Left leg 7-8 Right leg 9 Cut in half 10 Decapitated If a limb is already lost to an attack and then rolled again on a separate attack, there is no special effect from the blow. Severed limbs thrash about, trying to rejoin the body they came from and striking at anything that gets in their way. The creature cannot reattach a lost limb, though it could be attached by someone else, given time. If cut in half, the target’s torso will continue to claw after its enemies. If the target is decapitated, the entire corpse (no matter in how many pieces) dissolves into black goo. Updated from the Game Master’s Guide, 2nd Edition. Curse of Weakness Mastery Level: 1 Element: Maho, Earth Duration: 1 hour Area of Effect: One target Range: 25’ One of the target’s limbs is savagely injured by a blast of dark energy. All TNs involving the use of the limb are increased by +15 for the duration of the spell. The limb is chosen by rolling two dice, one after the other. If the first die is odd, a leg is affected. If it is even, an arm is affected. The second die dictates with of the target’s limbs, the left or right, is affected by the spell. Updated from the Games Master’s Guide, 2nd Edition. Pain Mastery Level: 1 Element: Maho, Air Duration: 1 Round Area of Effect: One target Range: 10’

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The target is wracked with terrible pain. He is not able to act for the duration of the spell, in addition the target must make a Raw Earth roll with a TN 15 or cry out in pain (dishonouring themselves) Special Raises: A raise can be made to affect a second opponent in range. Updated from the Game Master’s Guide, 2nd Edition. Dominance of Fu Leng Mastery Level: 5 Element: Maho, Void Duration: 1 Hour Area of Effect: One target Range: Line of Sight The caster seizes control of any undead creature – the target may not resist. While controlled, the target will obey the caster’s mental commands with no regard for its personal safety. The caster may attempt to cast the ‘Domination of Fu Leng’ on a self-aware undead creature. If the spell is cast, the caster controls the target’s action. After that action the target and the caster make contested willpower rolls. If the caster wins, he controls the target as normal. If the target wins then the spell is broken. Special Raises: Raises can be made to affect additional targets. Each raise allows the caster to control an additional target Updated from the Game Master’s Guide, 2nd Edition. Fu Leng's Champion Mastery Level: 5 Element: Maho, Earth Duration: Permanent Area of Effect: One target Range: Touch This spell takes ten hours to cast, and must be performed on a living target. The target must be present the entire ritual. At the end of the ten hours, the target dies and becomes any type of undead specified by the caster. The TN of the spell is modified based upon the type of Undead created. TN Types of Undead* -5 Zombies (p. 190); Skeletons (p. 190) +0 The Dessicated (p. 90) +5 Hyakuhei (p. 177); Ikiryo (p. 119); Jikiniki (p. 121); +10 Ghul Lord (p. 109); *page numbers for each type of undead from Creatures of Rokugan 3rd Edition The character’s statistics do not change, but they gain the special effects, techniques and attributes of the undead creature type.

Miya Momoko

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New Spells Detect Taint Element: Earth & Water Mastery Level: 3 Duration: 5 rounds Area of Effect: Self Range: 30-feet radius A soon as the Kuni shugenja began to understand the Taint, they started to work on a spell that would be able to detect it. However, due to the insidious nature of the Taint, they were unsuccessful for centuries. Eventually, Kuni Tojeki sought the help of the Inquisitor Asako Kidara. Together they understood that they needed the powers of two elements to achieve their goal: the Earth kami would identify Taint and the Water kami would help locate it. Finally, combining efforts with the Alchemist Agasha Aishuri, the three shugenja were able to create the spell. This spell allows you to detect Taint on sight, whether a Tainted individual, a Tainted artifact, or Tainted environments. The Taint appears to you like a shadow or dark stain over the person or object that bears the touch of Jigoku. However, only individuals with at least one full rank of Taint will be detected. Some powers or techniques possessed by Tainted creatures can help conceal their Taint from this spell, in such case refer to these abilities' special rules for interaction with this spell (most of the time, such rolls will be Contested by your Perception). Homebrew. Jade Blade Element: Earth Mastery Level: 2 Duration: 5 rounds Area of Effect: 1 sword Range: Touch This spell gives a weapon the properties of jade, allowing it to take advantage of many Tainted creatures' weaknesses against this substance. It is a common spell in the arsenal of any shugenja fighting the forces of the Shadowlands. This spell temporarily gives a metallic bladed weapon the properties of jade for the purposes of hurting Shadowlands creatures. This means that the target weapon acts for all intent and purposes like a jade weapon (ignoring Invulnerability, ignoring Carapace, etc.) for the duration of this spell. Homebrew. Jade Sun’s Fury Element: Fire Mastery Level: 3 Duration: Instantaneous Area of Effect: All undead creatures within a 10’ radius circle Range: 40’ Zombies can often be the bane of inexperienced samurai; they are relentless and hard to kill if one does not know how to properly behead them. This spell was created by the Kuni to adequately deal with the undead, zombies being the most common of them. The shugenja summons the purity of jade coupled with the destructive powers of the fire kami in the area of effect. All undead creatures within the circle erupt in green flame and suffer damage equal to [your Fire Ring]k2. Other creatures are unaffected, although flammable material in contact with the targets might be ignited. Raises: The damage of this spell can be increased by +1k0 per 2 Raises. Homebrew.

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Protection from Taint Element: Earth Mastery Level: 3 Duration: 1 minute Area of Effect: 1 target Range: Touch When engaging the Shadowlands in combat, the dangers are many and sometimes not obvious. This spell was designed to help a combatant with those various threats when engaging Tainted foes. This spell grants a +10 TN to Be Hit bonus versus creatures with the Shadowlands Taint. Also, any spells of Mastery Level 3 or lower as well as any maho spells cast on the target are negated. Finally, the target gains a +5 bonus to the total of any rolls made to resist gaining the Taint. Homebrew. Purification Element: Water Mastery Level: 2 Duration: Total Concentration Area of Effect: 1 Target Range: 10 feet This complicated and complex ritual has a casting time of one hour and demands complete concentration from all shugenja involved. At the end of the ritual, if casting is successful, the target looses one point of Shadowlands Taint per shugenja participating in the ritual. However, each participating shugenja gain one point of Shadowlands Taint, effectively "transferring" the Taint from the target to the participating shugenja. This spell can lower a target's Taint Rank below a threshold, but cannot remove the last point of Taint from a target. If more shugenja participate in the ritual than the target has Taint points, the target's Taint point is reduced to 1 but each participating shugenja still gains a point of Taint as if they had removed a number of Taint point equal to their number from the target. This spell is usually used by already-Tainted shugenja to remove Taint from an individual that is very near becoming Lost. Raises: Each Raise will destroy another Shadowlands point outright from the target without transferring it to participating shugenja. It still cannot remove the target's last Taint point. Updated from the Game Master's Pack p.11 and from The Book of the Shadowlands p.36.

Kalajel

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Schools Kuni War Priest [Shugenja] The purity of jade hurts the Shadowlands creatures, so it is only normal that the Crab, in their pragmatism, tried to emulate the same spiritual purity with the spells they use daily to combat the Shadowlands. While not a perfect solution, the Kuni War Priests are more than capable of hurting Tainted beasts by emulating a tiny fraction of jade’s spiritual purity. Requirements Rings/Traits: Earth 5, Fire 4. Skills/Emphases: Calligraphy 3, Defense 3, Shadowlands Lore 4, Any One Weapon Skill 3. Advantage: Taint Resistance Other: Must know at least 1 spell that specifically targets Tainted opponents. Shugenja only. Technique Rank 1: Purity of Jade You gain a Free Raise on any spell that specifically targets Tainted opponents. You also add your Earth Ring to the damage inflicted by such spells. If the spell doesn’t inflict damage, you gain a second Free Raise instead. Technique Rank 2: Thunder and Jade Whenever you cast a spell that specifically damages Tainted opponents, you may spend one additional Earth spell slot or one Void point to inflict an extra 3k3 damage. Technique Rank 3: Whirlwind of Jade You now add twice your Earth Ring to the damage inflicted by spells that specifically target Tainted opponents (this replaces the Rank 1 benefit). You can cast two spells per round, as long as at least one of them specifically targets Tainted opponents, and that both spells could otherwise be cast in one single round (because of their low Mastery Level, or because you make enough Raises to reduce casting time). You still need to spend one spell slot of the appropriate element for both spells. Homebrew The Soaring Falcons [Bushi] The Soaring Falcons are a special unit of bushi on the Wall that serve as runners. Their duties are simple but essential during the Shadowlands’ assaults: deliver messages along the entire length of the Kaiu Wall, at all cost. Technique Rank: 4 Path of Entry: Hiruma Scout 3 Path of Egress: Hiruma Scout 4 or Hida Bushi 1 Technique: Swooping Falcon You now move as if your Water Ring was 2 higher. You can now perform a Simple Action while running (usually used to hand off a message to a fresh runner). If you spend a Void Point, you can perform an Attack or a Complex Action instead. Homebrew Shadowlands Madman (formerly known as “The Shadowlands School”) For many individuals, their Fate is sealed when the Taint gains hold onto them. They could be too weak (physically or mentally), sinful, or simply too ambitious. Whatever the reason is, they cannot resist the lure of power the Touch of Jikogu offers. They quickly embrace their newfound abilities and surrender to the Taint. Such individuals are usually referred to as Shadowlands Madmen because most eventually lose their sanity somewhere down this path to self-destruction. Technique Rank: 2 or above. Path of Entry: Any school Rank 1 or above. Path of Egress: Re-enter the same school at next Rank or any Spider/Shadowlands school Rank 1

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Requirements: Shadowlands Lore 1, Honor rank 0, either Dark Secret (Tainted) or Social Disadvantage, Shadowlands Taint Rank 1+. Technique: Darkness Beyond Darkness – Choose one Minor and one Major Shadowlands Powers. You do not increase your Taint for taking these powers and they do not count against the maximum number of Shadowlands Powers you can have (see L5R3E p.264). Later, if you ever become Lost, you can trade off School Ranks for other Shadowlands Powers. When doing so, you start by “forgetting” (losing) your currently highest Rank School Technique and replace it with a Shadowlands Power, respecting the normal progression of Shadowlands Powers. If it is a Shugenja Rank that you are losing, you will no longer be able to cast spells with a Mastery Level that is too high for you. Once made, this trade cannot be reversed. Whenever purchasing Shadowlands Powers normally, using Experience Points, you can choose to either pay 2 less Experience Points for them (minimum 1), or gain 1 less Taint Point from the process (minimum 0). Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p.58-59

Kalajel

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Shadowlands Powers Minor Beyond The Elements You are eternally surrounded with dark magic, making you resistant to the pure elemental magic of the kami. All non-maho spells cast by or targeting you have their TNs increased by 5. All maho cast by or targeting you receives a Free Raise. You may cancel the Free Raise against hostile maho, but cannot cancel the effect on pure magic even if you wish to be targeted. This power can stack with both Above The Elements and Outside The Elements. (note : To avoid power creep, which is the reason we suspect this power was not originally updated to 3E, we suggest lowering the TN penalty by 5 and the Free Raises granted by 1 from both Above The Elements and Outside The Elements. This way, a character with all 3 powers will be much less broken.) Drawback: The spirits shy away from you. Any shugenja who casts Sense in your presence will detect a strange eddy in the kami, and may suspect that something is wrong. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 60 Bite of the (Shozai-)Gaki You gain a bite attack, similar to a gaki’s, which drains the victim’s blood and heals your own wounds. If you succeed on an unarmed attack with 2 Raises, roll damage normally, but 4 Wounds are transferred from the victim to you. If the attack dealt less than 4 Wounds, it is increased to 4 Wounds. Drawback: Your canines become slightly elongated and sharper, Deformity/10. Homebrew Blood Sense You have a bizarre sense for fresh blood. You instantly detect all warm blood within 20 feet per Rank of Taint you have accumulated. This sense is blocked by 2 feet of wood, 1 foot of stone, or 6 inches of metal. It is not blocked by earth or flesh; thus you can sense the location of living creatures in range, making you very hard to surprise. This ability functions exactly as the Sense spell, except that it senses warm, living blood. A The Eye Shall Not See spell or other appropriate magic may block this power. Drawback: You gain an unnatural thirst for blood. If you see exposed blood, you must make a Willpower check. TN 10 to prevent yourself from taking a taste when in inappropriate company. The TN becomes 20 instead if you think no one else is watching. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 60 Claws of the Kumo Small hairs grow from your forearms and shins, like a spider’s. If exposed, you can use them to scale nearly any surface at normal walking speed. Extremely slick surfaces remain impassable. Adhesive surfaces, such as webs, can be traversed without any penalty or hindrance to you. Drawback: Deformity/15 Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 61 Corruption Knows No Bounds You live in harmony with the corruption that runs through your body. Your effective Void Ring is considered 1 higher for the purpose of Raising, Focusing, and Void-targeting School Techniques, Spells, and Kiho. Drawback: This power does not actually confer an additional Void Point nor does it actually increase your Void Ring for Insight purpose. If you lose your Void Ring (because you became Lost) or never had one (because you are a natural Shadowlands creature), this power has no effect. Homebrew

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Darkness Unseen Your Taint is more difficult to sense than normal. Those who can sense Taint have a +15 TN penalty (or it increases the TN penalty of any pre-existing Taint-hiding abilities you may already possess by 5) to sense your Taint. Effects that automatically detect Taint now require their user to succeed at a Perception/Investigation (Notice) roll against your Taint Rank x 5 (or it increases the TN penalty of any pre-existing Taint-hiding abilities you may already possess by 5) to notice your Taint. Drawback: None Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p.61 Death Sense You can sense the remains of dead creatures. The range of this sense is 20 feet per Rank of Shadowlands Taint. This sense is blocked by 2 feet of wood, 1 foot of stone, or 6 inches of metal. It is not blocked by earth. This power also makes general distinctions between the type of dead flesh (undead, human corpse, leather saddle, etc.). Maho-tsukai often make use of this power in order to find corpses to animate as zombies. A Cloak of Night spell or other appropriate magic block this power. Drawback: You have a dark, unnatural hunger for dead flesh. If you encounter dead, unmoving flesh, you must succeed at a Willpower roll TN 10 to resist the temptation of taking a bite if in inappropriate company. The TN becomes 20 instead if you think no one else is watching. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 61 Eternal Health Fu Leng may be a patron of corruption, but he is also quite adept at protecting his servants from unwanted toxins. You are immune to all diseases and poisons, whether they are magical or mundane in nature. Drawback: If you become exposed to a disease, there is a chance that you will become a carrier, spreading the disease to others as if you were infected at the Game Master’s discretion. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 61 Fu Leng’s Hunger Your stomach has become a furnace of infernal power, allowing you to eat and digest anything. Poison, acid, broken glass, even fire will do no harm once placed in your mouth and swallowed (although the process of actually putting those in your mouth may still harm you if you’re not careful). However, you are still vulnerable to injected, inhaled, and contact poisons. Drawback: You develop a taste for some unusual item (cockroaches, stone, hair, etc.) and eat it whenever you get the chance. You may make a Willpower roll TN 5 to resist eating the item in inappropriate company. This roll carries a +10 TN penalty if you think no one else is watching. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 61 Mask of the Oni Sometimes, the best place to hide is in plain sight. As a Complex Action, you can take the form of a large humanoid Oni through the use of physical transformation and illusionary magic. The oni's appearance is distinctive and will always be the same, but you get to choose it when you gain this power. You decide its skin color, whether it has tusks, horns, the type of clothing/armor it is wearing, its height and weight (which cannot be more than twice yours), the weapons it is wielding, etc. The transformation lasts a number of minutes equal to your Earth Ring plus your Taint rank. When the power's duration expires, you may gain 1 point of Taint to extend it by the same duration, but you may never use this power more than 60 minutes per day. None of your stats are modified by the transformation; you are not stronger or more resilient while in oni form. Drawback: Whenever you use this power, you gain 1 point of Taint. Changing back to normal form also takes one full round, and you may not end this power's effect prematurely. Homebrew

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Taint Jade You possess the ability to corrupt jade, rendering it useless. You can Taint any one non-magical or unprotected jade item (1 finger’s worth of jade), turning it into obsidian. The range of this power is equal to your Shadowlands Taint Rank x 5 feet. This power is often used by Lost samurai to deplete the jade reserve of Crab scouts, leaving them stranded and unprotected in the Shadowlands. You may target bigger items or several simultaneously, but you will gain more points of Taint. Drawback: Whenever you use this power, you gain 1 point of Taint per finger’s worth of jade that is corrupted. Anyone can clearly see threads of throbbing black energy emanating from you and enveloping pieces of jade while you use this power, Deformity/0 when in use. Homebrew Taint Sense You have a supernatural sense for corruption. The range of this sense is 20 feet per Rank of Shadowlands Taint. This sense is blocked by 2 feet of wood, 1 foot of stone, or 6 inches of metal. It is not blocked by earth. This power also makes general distinctions between the type of Taint sources (Tainted human, Shadowlands creature, corrupted land, corrupted nemuranai, etc.). In the Shadowlands itself, this power is nearly useless as your sense becomes “blinded” with the local corruption. Drawback: You are strangely drawn to the Taint. Whenever you activate this power, you will be tempted to seek out the strongest source of Taint in range. Once there, you may act as you wish, though you must try to remain near the Taint as long as possible and avoid getting farther away from the source of Taint than this power’s range. You may make a Willpower roll TN 15 each hour to shrug off this temptation. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 61 Way of the Worm By concentrating for a round, you may render all the bones of your body as soft and malleable as flesh. You can slowly squeeze yourself through any opening that would be wide enough to let a small dog pass. Obviously, you must remove any rigid equipment you may wear (armor in particular). You need another round of concentration to return your bones to their normal hardness. Drawback: whenever you use this power, you gain 1 point of Taint. Also, while oozing like a big bag of flesh, your TN to be Hit is reduced to 5. Homebrew Major Billowing Darkness By summoning the powers of corruption you can create a cloud of darkness, surrounding you with a radius of 10 feet per Taint Rank you possess. All vision within the cloud is obscured, as it creates the conditions of total darkness. The cloud remains in place despite wind and weather conditions for a number of minutes equal to your Taint (if you move, it does not move with you). Drawback: You gain a point of Taint each time this power is used. Without Unholy Vision (3E p.165), the Eyes of Hell Akutsukai power (see p.XX), or similar abilities, you are just as blind as anyone else within your cloud of darkness. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 62 Bite of the Shimushigaki You gain a bite attack, similar to a gaki’s, which drains the victim’s blood and heals your own wounds. If you succeed to make an unarmed attack with 2 Raises, you roll damage normally, but 8

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Wounds are transferred from the victim to you. If the attack dealt less than 8 Wounds, it is increase to 8 Wounds. If you already have the Bite of the Gaki power, you lose it permanently, but the bite attack causes and transfers a minimum of 12 damages instead. Drawback: You develop a taste for fresh, untainted blood. You must consume fresh untainted blood at least once a week. You must make a Willpower roll TN 20 to avoid tasting fresh untainted blood when you see it. The TN is 30 if you think no one is watching. Also, all of your teeth sharpens and becomes pointy, giving your mouth the look of a shark’s maw, Deformity/5. Homebrew Corrupted Blood Some people believe that there is a kansen looking over their shoulder. In your case it is true. Any spell you recite is immediately performed by kansen instead of kami, causing such spells to be treated as maho. Non-maho spells can still be cast as normal, without requiring bleeding and accumulating Taint and using up a spell slot as normal, but if you run out of spell slots (or for any other reasons), you may instead cast these spells as maho spells, using bleeding and increasing Taint (as per the normal rules for casting maho). Drawback: You can never call upon the kami again; a kansen will always answer your prayers even if you choose to cast non-maho spells normally. Should you ever be cleansed of your Taint and loose this power, the kami will shun you, leaving you incapable of casting spells ever again. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 63 Demonic Charisma Not all servants of evil are loathsome and hideous. You may roll and keep an additional number of dice equal to half your Taint Rank (round up) on all attempts to seduce someone, usually done with a Deceit (Seduction) skill roll. By gaining a point of Taint and winning a Contested Willpower roll, you can prevent one person, whom you can see, from noticing your physical Taint symptoms until sunrise the next day. Drawback: None. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 63 Fu Leng’s Venom You can secrete a frightful, pain-inducing poison from your palms. This poison can be used in combination with Blackened Claws (see 3E p.265) or it can be smeared on the blade of a weapon. There is no antidote for this poison and there is no roll to resist it (though Eternal Health will ward against it). Fortunately, it is not fatal. Any creature in contact with this poison suffers a +5 penalty to all their TNs for a number of minutes equal to your Taint rank. Multiple doses impose a cumulative penalty, but the total penalty cannot be greater than your Taint Rank x 5 x your Insight Rank. Drawback: The poison has a harsh, ammonia-like smell and often bleeds from your hands when you do not wish it to. This imposes a Deformity/10. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 64 Speak With the Voices of the Dead You are able to speak with the spirits of the deceased. By standing over the remains of a dead person, or concentrating at the place where they died, you can force their spirit to appear and question them. If you win a Contested Willpower roll with the spirit (the Gamemaster determines the Willpower of the spirit, but in general it should be equal to which they had in life) they are forced to answer one question as truthfully as they can. If they win the roll, they may choose whether or not they wish to answer, or if they wish to lie to you. Drawback: You gain a point of Taint every time you use this power. In addition, the Gamemaster keeps the spirit’s roll secret. You never know whether or not you have succeeded (unless they refuse to answer), and spirits hate being treated this way (abusing this power or disturbing a

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particularly bitter spirit may grant you the Haunted disadvantage). Natural Shadowlands creatures gain no Taint for using this power, but may use it only once per day. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 64 Terror of Fu Leng You radiate the terrible power of Fu Leng, radiating Fear equal to your Taint rank in a 30 foot radius. This Fear can be sensed by anyone within the radius, but doesn’t affect your allies, who know (or hope) that your power is on their side. Drawback: This power is always active. You may turn it off by gaining a point of Taint. Once it is off, you must gain another point of Taint reactivate it (anything preventing you from gaining Taint will prevent you from turning this power on or off). Natural Shadowlands creatures cannot turn this power off at all. If a creature already has a natural Fear Rating, the highest of the two Fear Ratings is increased by 1. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 64 Unholy Might You excel at using your Taint to boost your physical abilities. Once per turn, you may add your Shadowlands Taint Rank times your Insight Rank to any physical roll totals. Drawback: You gain 1 point of Shadowlands Taint whenever you use this power. Homebrew Wandering Eye One of your eyes can be plucked out and used to spy on others. The removed eyeball is able to move slowly, squirming like a slimy snake with its attached optic nerve (its TN to be Hit is 15 and it has a single wound). As a simple action, you may choose which of your eyes you wish to use to see. Distance between you and your eye does not affect your ability to see through it, but you become unable to make it move if you are ever separated by more than 20 times the total of your Air Ring plus your Taint Rank, in feet. If the eyeball remains out of the eye socket longer than a day, it is ruined. If your eyeball is ever destroyed, you may replace it by extracting another one from a living human. The replacement must remain in your eye socket regenerating for a week before you can see with it again and use it with this power. Drawback: As long as you use this power, you suffer from the effects of the Missing Eye Disadvantage. The Wandering Eye, when in its eye socket, is always bloodshot and bulging (Deformity/15, or Deformity/10 if you lost your original eye). Using an eye patch is a simple way to efficiently hide this Deformity, but in effect it inflicts the Missing Eye Disadvantage on you. Homebrew Web of the Kumo As a complex action, you can extend your hair to incredible lengths, and use it to entangle enemies. The maximum reach of your demonic hair, in feet, is equal to 10 times the total of your Earth Ring plus your Taint Rank. To entangle a target, roll your Agility plus your Taint Rank, and keep your Agility, against the target’s TN to be Hit. You may attack any number of opponents simultaneously, up to your Taint Rank, but if you attack more than one, you must make a number of Raises on each attack equal to the total number of targets. An entangled opponent has his TN to Be Hit reduced to 5 plus his armor, and can do no other action than trying to escape or speak (a shugenja could try to cast an innate spell). If the target has a weapon with a cutting edge in hand, he may make a weapon skill roll TN 25 to cut himself loose. If no such weapon is available, then the prisoner must roll Raw Earth TN 25 to break free. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, fire could be used to burn the hair. You may never simultaneously hold more opponents than your Taint Rank, and any action you try to perform (aside from maintaining your grip) has its TN increased by 10 for each entangled opponent. Drawback: Your hair must always be kept long, at least 2 feet long, and cannot be restrained in

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any way (even a ponytail is impossible). Even without wind, it seems to be constantly undulating slowly, like a writhing mass of thin worms (Deformity/15). While you use this power, its demonic nature is impossible to conceal (Deformity/0). Homebrew Greater Beast of Fu Leng [Addendum] Tail: A tail now sprouts from your lower back. This tail can be used as a weapon, either because it is long and whip-like, leaving vicious lashes on your opponents, or because it is more robust and ends up with a club-like bony growth, or even because it has spikes or barbs on it, etc. You may, instead of making a normal attack, make a Jiujutsu attack with your tail, dealing normal unarmed damage. Also, having a tail helps you to keep your balance, thus granting you a Free Raise on any rolls made for the purpose of maintaining your balance or avoiding falling prone. Homebrew Bloodstrike Plague Your body is covered with oozing sores, carrying a debilitating strain of Bloodstrike Plague. You are immune to that particular disease, although those who come in contact with you are usually not. Those who come in contact with the foul liquid you ooze must make a Raw Stamina roll with a TN equal to your Taint Rank x5. If they fail, their Earth (as well its relevant Traits) is lowered by 1 as if they were infected with the Bloodstrike Plague. Any character so afflicted has their Wounds lowered accordingly. Each day an infected victim does anything but rest they lose another point of Earth, and so on until their Earth reaches 0 and they die. Each day they spend doing nothing but rest, they may make another Stamina roll against the original TN. It this roll is successful, they are no longer infected and become immune. Otherwise, they lose a point of Earth. Use of the Yin-Yang Healing Emphasis can give bonuses to a victim’s Stamina roll. Once a victim is immune, one point of Earth is recovered per 2 full days of rest. Those who come into contact with an infected victim must make a Stamina roll TN 10 or become infected as well. Anyone who touches you must roll to see if they are infected. Anyone who wounds you in combat is likewise splattered with fluids. Though it is indeed revolting, you may attempt to “flick” your disease-ridden fluids at others as a ranged attack (with a maximum range of 15 feet). Such an attack is made with a Pus Flicking/Agility roll. The fluids you produce quickly lose their virulence once they out of the boils, and thus they are not suitable to use as poison unless you apply them (on a weapon, for instance) and use them immediately in the next round Drawback: The oozing boils that cover your body are almost impossible to hide. Deformity/0. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 65 Book of Souls Legends tell that Fu Leng’s Book of Souls contains the frailties, weaknesses, and fears of every living mortal. This power gives you insight into this Book of Souls, and grants you the powerful ability to determine the shortcomings of others. By succeeding at a Contested Willpower roll against a target, you learn a number of Disadvantages equal to your Taint Rank. The Game Master chooses which, if any, Disadvantages you learn. Using this power multiple times on the same individual will reveal new Disadvantages each time, until you have learned everything there is to know. You cannot successfully use this power against the same person more than once a month. Drawback: You gain a point of Shadowlands Taint whenever you use this power. You must look your target in the eyes. If they win the contest of wills, a chill passes through them and nothing happens. This is a foolish stunt to attempt against Kuni Witch Hunters, who are usually familiar

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with this power, know exactly what you are up to, and do not have anything to hide anyway. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 66 Corruption of the Harmonies You have now mastered your Taint. By sacrificing small parts of your vitality, you can achieve feats of prowess as though you were still using the power of Void. School Techniques which require a Void Point expenditure can now be activated by taking a number of Wounds equal to the Technique Rank +1. You may also, at any time, sacrifice 4 Wounds in order to gain +1k1 on any rolls just as if you had spent a Void Point. Unless you use the Threat Rank rules, this power is the only means by which a Lost character can use their old School Techniques which require a Void Point expenditure. Taking 4 Wounds to gain the effect of a Void Die can be used in conjunction with either the Corruption Point or Threat Point options. See the section on Scarification. Drawback: none. Homebrew, Inspired by Bearers of Jade p.130 Final Blessing of the Dark One This power functions like the Blessing of the Dark One (see 3E p. 265), but your maximum Wounds on each level are increased by 4. This power is cumulative with both Blessing of the Dark One and Greater Blessing of the Dark One (see 3E p. 266). Drawback: Your skin becomes pale white porcelain, as hard as a china doll. Deformity/0. This deformity is very difficult to disguise. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 66 Sting of the Kumo As a complex action, you can extend your hair to incredible lengths, and use it like a deadly whip. When used as a weapon, the maximum reach of your demonic hair, in feet, is equal to 5 times the total of your Fire Ring plus your Taint Rank. To attack with it, roll your Agility plus your Taint Rank, and keep your Agility. The base DR is 1k2. You may attack any number of opponents simultaneously, up to your Taint Rank, but if you attack more than one, you must make a number of Raises on each attack equal to the total number of targets. Drawback: Your hair must always be kept long, at least 2 feet long, and cannot be restrained in any way (even a ponytail is impossible). Insects are attracted to you like moths to the flame. You always wake up with dozens of them crawling over you. Strands of your hair often dart at them on their own, catching the insects in your perpetually unkempt mass of hair. This deformity is impossible to hide. Homebrew

Kalajel & Mike Brodu

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Skills & Emphases High Skills Acting Emphases: Cover Deformities, Meishozo Face Paint. If hiding deformities, Taint symptoms, or scarification, you must Raise twice to gain the benefit of one Raise. Cover Deformities: This Emphasis represents skill in covering the marks of Taint on one’s body. An Awareness/Acting (Cover Deformities) roll TN10 allows to increase the TN to notice deformities by 5 +5 per two Raises made (as above). Meishozo Face Paint: This Emphasis represents skill in applying the infamous Meishozo face paint which allows an inquisitor to appear Tainted for limited periods of time. See the mechanics of Meishozo face paint. Honor Losses: If used to disguise deformities, Taint symptoms or scarification. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p.51, Homebrew, and Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.55 Medicine Emphases: Acupuncture, Wounds Binding. Acupuncture: This is an advanced form of medicine, using acupuncture needles crafted from appropriate materials—such as silver or gold—incenses, and massaging of various chakra spot to facilitate a patient’s flow of chi. This special form of medicine often pertains to healing or treating supernatural ailments and diseases. This Emphasis can be used to identify poisons and diseases (usually through a Perception/Medicine roll at the poison’s or disease’s Heal TN). Treated patients recover twice as fast from diseases and/or poisons. A successful roll of Intelligence/Medicine (Acupuncture) vs. TN 20 can grant a Free Raise on patient’s next roll to resist disease, poison, or Taint. Wounds Binding: This Emphasis represents the expertise of binding wounds in order to stop bleeding and prevent infections. A successful roll (TN15) stops bleeding damage and prevents wound from getting infected in the Shadowlands. Updated from Way of the Phoenix p.50, and Homebrew Navigation Emphases: Shadowlands Shadowlands: This Emphasis helps to find one’s way in the Shadowlands. The shifting lands and confusing nature of the Shadowlands has lead many well prepared scouts to become hopelessly lost. Even maps are of little help as the land seems to shift and change at whim. To avoid getting lost in the Shadowlands, a character must succeed at an Intelligence/Navigation roll at a TN 15 +5 per day the character spent in the Shadowlands (he can use Hunting instead but the base TN will be 20). Way of the Land does not prevent getting lost but grants 2 Free Raises. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.33 Bugei Skills Battle Emphases: Shadowlands Shadowlands: A human general fighting against a force of Shadowlands denizens cannot use his Battle skill at a rank higher than his rank in Shadowlands Lore (this also limits his Raises and the Mastery Abilities he has) unless he has taken the Shadowlands Emphasis. In addition, combatants involved in a mass combat who have no ranks in the Shadowlands Lore skill are treated as if they do not have any rank in their Battle skill, unless they have the Shadowlands Emphasis. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.134

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Heavy Weapon Emphases: Jade Cloud Dai Tsuchi, Ogre Club Specific Weapons: These Emphases represents expertise in the use of a particular heavy weapon like the ogre club. See the game mechanics of the jade cloud dai tsuchi and ogre club. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.17 and 91 Ninja Ranged Weapons Emphases: Jade Egg Jade Egg: This Emphasis represents expertise in the use of the jade egg. See the game mechanics of the jade egg. Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.30 Swordsmanship (Agility) Emphases: Tsuno Blade Tsuno Blade: This Emphasis represents expertise in the use of the Tsuno blade. See the game mechanics of the Tsuno blade. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.92 Horsemanship Emphases: Riding in Shadowlands, Specific Mount. Riding in Shadowlands: This Emphasis represents the ability to control a horse’s natural nervousness when near or in the Shadowlands. Specific Mount: This Emphasis represents expertise in riding a particular type of mount. This can be any of the Rokugani steeds species, some foreign animal like a camel or an elephant, or even more exotic ones like the Yobanjin’s wyrm or the Lost’s onikage. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.117and Homebrew Jiujutsu Emphases: Troll Gauntlet Troll Gauntlet: This Emphasis represents expertise in the use of the Troll gauntlet. See the game mechanics of the Troll gauntlet. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.91 Wrestling (Agility) Emphases: Demon Armor Demon Armor: This Emphasis represents expertise in the use of the demon armor. See the game mechanics of the demon armor. Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.30 Low Skills Shadowlands Lore Emphases: Detect Corrupted Environments, Goblin Culture, Specific Creature Lore Detect Corrupted Environment: This Emphasis represents the ability to pick up the tell-tale signs that an environment has become corrupted by the Shadowlands Taint. It is of great use to shugenja who must take extra care when in a corrupted environment due to the nature of their spellcasting abilities. A successful Perception/Shadowlands Lore (Detecting Corrupted Environment) TN 15 can determine if an area is Tainted (at the Gamemaster’s discretion, higher base TNs may be appropriate for moderately or lightly Tainted areas). Goblin Culture: This Emphasis represents knowledge of the various elements of goblin “culture”. This can be used to find the purpose or make sense of their bizarre activities, predict the actions of a tribe, attempt to communicate or barter with goblins, scare them off, or trick them.

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Specific Creature Lore: This Emphasis represents specialized knowledge of a certain type of Shadowlands creature such as ogres, trolls, bog hags, or particular breeds of oni. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.93, Updated from Way of the Crab p.48, and Homebrew

Kalajel

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Weapons Demon Armor: The infamous spikes armor sometimes worn by the Hida are called “demon armor”. They come in two categories; “lesser demon armor” and “greater demon armor” (respectively, they are enhanced light armor and heavy armor). Those armors sport strategically placed blades and spikes that will harm any creature that would be foolish enough to try and grab the armored Crab. Such armors are often decorated with purified skulls of minor Shadowlands beasts. DR: 2k1 (lesser demon armor), 3k2 (greater demon armor) Special Rules: Characters without the Defense (Demon Armor) Emphasis suffer a +5 TN penalty to all physical actions as the oversized spikes and blades tend to get in the way. Damage is inflicted as soon as an enemy attempts a grapple. Merely attacking in melee the wearer of a Demon Armor is not sufficient to cause harm. Demon armor can be set with jade spikes which will only inflict 1k1 Wounds against enemies without the Shadowlands Taint but which inflict full damage and may overcome the protection of Tainted targets. Those spikes count as 4 fingers of jade for the purpose of protecting against the Taint and must be replaced if they become corrupted by exposure to Taint. Price: Lesser Demon Armor: 20 koku; Greater Demon Armor: 40 koku; with Jade Spikes: price x5 Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.30 Jade Cloud Dai Tsuchi: The preference the Crab have for heavy weapons is well known. The Crab sometimes modify such weapons so they can be more effective against the denizens of the Shadowlands. The jade cloud dai tsuchi is one such improvement. It is a dai tsuchi designed with a special hollow head and small vents designed to hold a small quantity of jade powder. On a heavy hit, the jade billows out of the vent and engulf the target in a small cloud of jade powder. DR: 1k3 Special Rules: Jade cloud dai tsuchi can hold one dose of jade powder. Whenever a damage die explodes, the target must make a successful Stamina roll TN 15 or inhale jade powder. Jade powder is harmless, if somewhat mildly irritant, to untainted targets, but Tainted targets keep taking 1k1 Wounds for 1 to 10 rounds or until he takes an entire round vomiting the jade powder, which leaves it defenseless and unable to move. Other special rules identical to the regular dai tsuchi. Price: 115 koku, plus the cost of jade powder. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.17 Jade Eggs: Inspired by the eggshell grenades used by ninjas, jade eggs instead use a mixture of explosive, irritant and finely ground jade powder. The principle behind those weapons is to throw them at Shadowlands denizens, the irritant and jade powder slows down the creature giving a quick advantage to the Crab bushi employing it. DR: N/A Special Rules: Jade eggs can be thrown accurately up to 60 feet. Upon breaking, it fills a 5-foot radius area, those within the cloud must make an Earth Roll TN 10 (TN 20 for those with the Shadowlands Taint) or be blinded for one round (+20 TN penalty) while Tainted targets simply cannot act for the round. Price: N/A Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.30 Meishozo Face Paint: A special makeup that was used by Witch Hunters of the Kuni and Meishozo families to simulate the Taint and infiltrate maho-tsukai cells. It is no longer in use since most maho-tsukai have become aware of the ruse for quite some time now.

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Special Rules: Meishozo face paint allows the wearer to simulate a Shadowlands Taint Rank equal to his highest Ring for the purpose of all spells and abilities that detects Taint. It does not grant any Shadowlands powers or difformities. Updated from Secrets of the Crab p.55 Ogre Club: Ogres are big creatures and, accordingly, their weapons tend to be equally impressive in their size. These huge two-handed weapons are often nothing more than tree trunks with the branches stripped off. More complex variants exist with various sharp devices attached to puncture armor, or even strings of beads designed to whistle or rattle to distract an opponent. DR: 4k3 Special Rules: Requires a minimum Strength of 5 to wield. Ogre clubs receive the Heavy Weapons damage bonus. It also allows the wielder to add his Earth Ring to damage rolls. Ogre club ignores light armor and treat heavy armor as light armor. Ogre club reduce an opponent’s Carapace by 2. Price: N/A Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.91 Troll Gauntlet: These rare weapons, remnants of the troll ancient civilization, consist of sharp shards of obsidian which are affixed over a troll’s claws by strips of leather wrapped around the hand. Their effectiveness was recognized during the infamous “Troll War”, as they allowed the trolls’ claws to pierce Crab armor more easily, and the vicious wounds they left often became infected with the Taint. DR: +2k1 (see below) Special Rules: Troll claws are considered natural weapons, and as such increase a creature’s natural or unarmed damage by 2k1. Anyone suffering at least one Wound inflicted by a Troll gauntlet must immediately roll Stamina TN 20 or gain 1 point of Shadowlands Taint. Price: N/A Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.91 Tsuno Blade: This large heavy blade was widely used by the Tsuno. It is slightly longer than a no-dachi, but much heavier, with a wider blade, and a more pronounced curve. They were designed to destroy and cleave pretty much everything they struck. DR: 3k3 Special Rules: Requires a minimum Strength of 5 to wield. Tsuno blades receive the Heavy Weapons damage bonus. Tsuno blades ignore light armor and reduce an opponent’s Carapace by 2. If an opponent declares Full Defense against the wielder of a Tsuno blade, the wielder gets to make a damage roll against the defender’s weapon, even if he misses his opponent. If the damage rolled is superior or equal to 25 for Average quality, and +5 for each quality level above that, the opponent’s weapon is broken by the force of the blow. Price: N/A Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.92 New Sacred Weapons and Inheritance Blacksteel [Granted] (4 points for Lost and Ronin) Made out of low-grade Rokugani steel sprinkled with obsidian dust during forging, these blades bear just enough of Jigoku’s touch for their wounds to be more painful than normal, while radiating no obvious Taint. Blacksteel weapons are cheap to produce and have become particularly popular among ronins, bandit gangs, and other unsavory groups. However, someone who is not lost and who carry blacksteel weapon for long periods of time will find himself more sickly and susceptible to poisons, diseases, and the Taint.

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Special Rules: Blacksteel weapons inflict 5 more Wounds on any damage rolls for which at least one die exploded. Non-Lost individuals who carry blacksteel for more than an hour suffer a +5 TN penalty on all Earth, Stamina, or Willpower rolls. Carrying multiple blacksteel weapons inflicts cumulative penalties. After a week of regular use, this penalty becomes +10. If the bearer does not use the weapon for a week, this penalty returns to +5. If the bearer discards the weapon, the penalty will be completely gone one week later. Blacksteel armors have no special benefits but inflict the same penalties. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.21 Blood Blades [Granted] (5 points, Lost Only) A foul and feared weapon of corruption. Blood blades can be the result of a samurai succumbing to the Taint; his daisho becoming corrupted along with its owner. But more often than not, blood blades are forged by Lost swordsmiths who use the blood of sacrificed victims instead of water for the cooling process. This gives the blade a dark tinge, not unlike obsidian, and a deceptively dull appearance, though blood blades are sharp enough to pierce armor. Special Rules: A blood blade is considered a Fine Quality katana. An opponent who suffers more than twice his Earth Ring in Wounds from a single strike of a blood blade must make a Stamina roll each day for the next three days at a TN of 10 + the Insight Rank of the wielder of the blood blade or contract a Generic Disease (see L5R3E p.161) which lowers the target’s Earth Ring by 1 each day until treated. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.12 Inheritance: Item of Sin [Granted] (5 points) Just as items can become awakened by the great deeds of their owners, so too can they become corrupted by their failures. Such items are usually created when a great hero falls to one of the Three Sins – fear, desire, or regret. Those items are often received as an inheritance or as rewards for valorous services because the previous owner was widely recognized as a hero for one reason or another. What is not known is that the glorious owner secretely fell from grace prior to his death. When identified, such items are universally shunned, but unfortunately they are not always easy to identify for the reasons stated above. An Item of Sin could appear to be a family heirloom, but would ruin generation after generation of its family. This Special Rules: Whenever an Item of Sin is created, the Gamemaster must choose a minor nemuranai effect (see L5R3E p.223) that is relevant to the item’s history. For example, the sword of a man with legendary strength may allow it’s wielder to increase his Strength for one hour once per week. This benefit will fade at the worst possible time, and in a fashion as to bring the most ruin possible to the owner, or disappear whenever the owner fails a particularly crucial roll (such as failing a Fear roll and running from his duty) that is associated with the history of the item. Updated from The Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.66 New Nemuranai, Lost Relics, and Cursed Items The Armor of the Loyal Son: This set of heavy armor has a blank mon on the back that changes to the family mon of whoever wears it. It is decorated with carvings of each animals of the calendar, intertwined with black calligraphy, shaped into twisted vines and lightning bolts. The armor is completed by a dragon-horned helmet upon which are engraved the words “the armor of the loyal son”. Special Rules: This armor does not modify the wearer’s TN to Be Hit in anyway but instead renders its wearer completely immune to damage. Any damage, whether from blades, spells, or any other sources, does not affect the wearer. Techniques such as Way of the Lion or taking Raises to this effect can bypass this protection, but without such precision, the wearer cannot be harmed.

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The damage the wearer should have taken is instead transferred to his family in the following order: children, parents, siblings, grand-parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and so on until the whole family, or possibly even the whole clan, lies dead. Anyone suspicious of an invulnerable armor can attempt an Intelligence/Spellcraft (Shugenja Lore) roll TN 40 to realize that the wounds prevented by this armor are not negated but are simple sent “someplace else”. A careful examination of the armor coupled with an Intelligence/Calligraphy or Perception/Investigation (Notice) TN 15 will reveal the kanji for the words “family”, “blood”, and “kin” worked into the armor’s calligraphy. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.69

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Blessed Jade: Found only in the realm of Yomi, this substance that closely resembles jade glows with the color of newly-risen grass. Many rumors surrounds the effects this special material has on Tainted beasts, some underrated, some exaggerated, but all agree on one point: blessed jade can never be corrupted by the foul touch of Jigoku. Needless to say, blessed jade is extremely, extremely rare. Special Rules: Blessed jade can never be corrupted by the Taint, period. Someone carrying a piece of blessed jade into the heart of Jigoku would remain free of Taint as long as he keeps the piece of blessed jade. The glow of blessed jade has a radius of 30 feet. Any Tainted creature inside that radius takes 1 Wound per round and must succeed at a Willpower roll TN 25 or flee outside of the area. This roll is made every round the Tainted creature is in the area of the blessed jade’s aura and every time it tries to enter it. If a piece of blessed jade comes into contact with an equal amount of pit-forged obsidian (see Prayers and Treasures p.117), both materials are immediately and wholly destroyed. Updated from Fortunes and Winds p.28 The Butterfly Hairpins: These hairpins are made of lacquered brass decorated with a butterfly motif. They belong to a set of similar cursed items, including an origami crane, a kimono embroidered with dragonflies, and a fan decorated with hummingbirds, but these hairpins are the most famous for they are suspected of being responsible for the mysterious disappearances of Shosuro Hojiako and Shosuro Tozaku. Special Rules: To use the item’s powers, the user must strongly wish to be somewhere else and then make a Void roll (no TN). The user then transforms into a butterfly (or some other creature depending on which item she is using) and the result of the Void roll is the number of minutes this effect lasts. Each use grants 3 points of Shadowlands Taint to the user, but they manifest as mental symptoms thus making it harder to detect. If the user’s Shadowlands Taint Rank ever exceed her Void Ring (either through the use of the hairpins of some other means), she automatically becomes a Chocho no Oni (see Creatures of Rokugan p.89, the Gamemaster may have to apply some modifications to the creature’s stats for the other items), retaining her consciousness as long as her Taint does not exceed her highest Ring. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.63 Dark Oracle’s Covenant: The unbridled power of the Dark Oracles is well known, as is their strange reluctance to interfere personally with outside events. Those that seek the Dark Oracles take their lives into their hands as these strange creatures are as likely to destroy supplicants as to assist them. It is said that there are certain nemuranai that “exist outside the elements”, that provide protection against the power of the Dark Oracles. Whether these items were created by the pure Oracles or are a side effect of the Dark Oracles’ existence is unknown. These four items are called the Dark Oracles’ Covenants. When one of these items is carried, its bearer may not be harmed in any way by the corresponding Dark Oracle, the Elemental Terror that serves it, or its spawns. Carrying the Covenant allows a mortal to demand one favor of the Dark Oracle. Beware: interpretation of the favor is left to the discretion of the Oracle. Once a favor is fulfilled, all protective powers of the Covenant are permanently negated for that bearer. Carrying the Covenant of one Oracle does not protect its bearer in any way from other Dark Oracles. Covenant of Earth – A fist-sized black diamond that seethes with eternal cold. Covenant of Fire – A small metal lantern. All fire that burns within it is a dark green, and radiates no warmth. If no fire burns within, the Covenant has no power. Covenant of Water – A rusted metal jug. All liquid placed within it becomes foul-smelling and polluted with excrement. If no liquid is placed within, the Covenant has no power. Covenant of Air – A large kite made of tanned skin, stretched over bones. When let loose in the sky, it moans softly. Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p.131

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The Horrifying War Drums of Iuchiban: These huge taiko drums made of dark wood and tanned ogre skin were created by the sorcerer Iuchiban. The set is completed by a pair of large obsidian shafts which are used to beat on the drums. Special Rules: The War Drums can be heard as far as a mile away. The drums must be played consecutively for 10 minutes for their magic to take effect. All corpses within range of the drums’ beat will animate as zombies (see L5R3ER p.299). These zombies are under the control of the drummer who can mentally issue them any command. If the zombies are not given any command, their default state is to stay put, attacking any non-Tainted creatures that come close (including the drummer if he’s not Tainted). If the beat of the drums is interrupted for more than 1 round, the zombies will start wandering aimlessly at random, attacking any non-Tainted creatures that come close (again, including the drummer if he’s not Tainted). If the beat of the drums is interrupted for more then 10 minutes, the zombies become normal corpses once more. The zombies will never attack a creature with the Taint, even if commanded to do so. Homebrew The Eikisaku Bell: The origins of this artifact are unknown. It is a bell crafted from a single piece of pure jade. It is about twice as large as a man’s head, and its dome is so thin as to be almost transparent. If hit with a small stone or a hammer which head is made of rock, it will scream unceasingly, sounding like claws on stone, to be taken back to Eikisaku temple (“Take me back! Eikisaku temple! Eikisaku temple! Take me back!”). The shrieking will last 120 minutes. Striking it with other substances causes no effects. Special Rules: If the party can find Eikisaku temple (the bell does not answer any questions), and hang it in its proper place, they will receive 4 Honor Points. Striking the bell now produces a single pure note, lasting for a number of minutes equal to the striker’s Honor Rank. All Shadowlands creatures within 250’ suffer (striker’s Honor Rank)k1 Wounds per round, and must resist a Fear effect with a rating equal to the striker’s Honor Rank or run away in terror. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.56 Hida Tadaka’s Katana of Perfect Crystal: Once wielded by the famous Crab Champion Hida Tadaka, this weapon has not been seen for many centuries. It is a stunningly beautiful katana expertly crafted from a single piece of flawless crystal with the handle wrapped in the finest quality black silk. DR: 4k4 Special Rules: The katana is a nemuranai that can harm any creatures, regardless of invulnerability, incorporeal ability, Carapace, School Techniques, or any other similar abilities that would otherwise negate weapon damage. Against Tainted creatures or minions of the Shadow Dragon, its DR becomes 5k5. Updated from Fortunes and Winds p.29 Isawa Yasuko’s Inkbrush: This simple inkbrush still looks like the simple twig and blades of grass it was made with (which may require an Investigation roll to recognize it for what it is really). It once belonged to Isawa Yasuko, Mistress of Air, who came to help the Crab at Hida Chomen’s behest, but was later killed by an oni assassin. It was told that with this inkbrush, Isawa Yasuko could paint the future and she became famous for this. Alas, even this ability was not enough to save her life. Special Rules: Anyone whishing to use the inkbrush must succeed at an Air/Meditation roll TN 15. Raises can be made to increase the prediction’s clarity. If successful, the user falls into a trance, and paints with great skill a clouded vision of the future. Unfortunately, corruption has permanently warped it powers and the paintings now only shows dreadful futures of oni and maho striking the painter. These visions will still invariably come true, however, as the inkbrush acts as a beacon for Tainted creatures and minions of Jigoku, driving them to attack the artist. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.62

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Jade Powder: Jade weapons are rare, so the Crab often coats weapons with an oily substance sprinkled with jade powder as a substitute. It gives the coated weapon the same properties as normal jade weapons, but for a limited amount of strikes. Five doses represent a quantity of jade equivalent to one finger, and as long as they are not used, they protect from the Taint like a finger of jade would. Just like any jade, prolonged exposure to the Taint (in the Shadowlands, for instance) will corrupt them and render them useless. Special Rules: The first strike will have the same effect as a jade weapon, but after each successive strike, the weapon will loose effectiveness, because more of the oily substance will get wiped off, until it becomes a mundane weapon once more. • First Strike: Ignores Invulnerability and Carapace • Second Strike: Ignores Invulnerability; if the creature normally has a Carapace rating of 2 or higher, it is now considered to be 1 (it remains unchanged if the rating is 1) • Third Strike: Ignores Invulnerability; if the creature normally has a Carapace rating of 3 or higher, it is now considered to be 2 (it remains unchanged if the rating is 1 or 2) • Fourth Strike: Ignores Invulnerability; if the creature normally has a Carapace rating of 4 or higher, it is now considered to be 3 (it remains unchanged if the rating is 1, 2 or 3) • Fifth Strike and on: The damage roll is fully affected by Invulnerability and Carapace Price: 1 Bu per dose Updated from the Book of the Shadowlands p.107, inspired by a thread on the AEG boards Hungry Blades: After their evil had been identified, the Bloodswords were no longer able to torment the samurai by twisting their ideals against them. So Iuchiban and Yajinden created several wakizashi, that they named the Hungry Blades, as alternative tools of corruption. Wielders find that their emotions are clearer, their minds are more focused, and they are better able to handle whatever tasks are demanded of them. Special Rules: Whenever a wielder of a Hungry Blade feels an all-consuming need to succeed at a task where being emotionally focused upon a goal would be an asset (at the Gamemaster’s discretion, but advantages and disadvantages like Higher Purpose and Driven might trigger this effects), the blade provides a Free Raise to the appropriate skill or Trait roll. If the Hungry Blade is wielded in combat in a similar manner, the Free Raise granted must be used for the Extra Damage Raise option. Every time the wielder of the blade has benefited from 5 such Free Raises, he must make a Willpower roll at a TN equal to the amount of Raises he has benefited from (5 for 5 Free Raises, 10 for 10 Free Raises, and so on). If this roll is failed, the character loses the ability to distance himself from his emotions and acts recklessly and with impulsiveness (as per the Brash disadvantage) for the task at hand. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.64 The Kaiken of Hida Masiko: Hida Masiko, Hida Kami’s first wife, committed jigai with a kaiken, a small blade noblewomen often carry to defend their honor and bodies. She did this in order to escape the Shadowlands creatures that had assaulted Kyuden Masiko. The kaiken then became lost to the Shadowlands. Masiko’s kaiken is a small Kaiu blade with a silver and ivory handle. DR: 2k3 Special Rules: Aside from the usual benefit of a Kaiu blade (unbreakable, reduce Carapace by 1), the kaiken’s main power is that it can be used to remove the Taint from an infected person, by physically cutting away corrupted tissues to prevent further spread. An Intelligence/Medicine roll TN 25 allows the wielder to find the Tainted area of the patient’s body. Knowledge of how the Taint was acquired (“A zombie clawed me on the left thigh…”) gives one Free Raise. An Agility/Medicine roll at a TN of the patient’s Shadowlands Taint Rank x 10 is required to cut out the Tainted tissues. Doing this also permanently removes a number of Wounds from the patient’s “Out” Wound level equal to the amount of Shadowlands Taint Ranks removed. The surgery is extremely painful and almost impossible to accomplish without medicinal opium. Without it, the patient must succeed a number of Willpower rolls, TN 20, equal to the number of Taint Ranks

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removed (minimum 1). Failure will increase the Agility/Medicine roll to TN 35 as well as inflicting 3k3 Wounds on the patient. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.55

Kaiu Horuko’s Soroban: Lost during a failed attempt at retaking the Hiruma castle, this simple wooden abacus has a sun and moon design on opposite sides, is strung with copper wires and set with small coral beads. It is the very first abacus ever build and was created in order to help in the construction of the Kaiu Wall as the complex calculations needed to engineer such construction could not simply be done with sticks arranged on a mat. Special Rules: Kaiu Horuko’s soroban gives a Free Raise on any rolls involving calculation (usually reserved to Battle, Commerce, and Engineering). If the user has also ranks in the Kaiu Engineering School, he may substitute any one of his starting school skills or Kaiu Engineering Paths for any other. Lastly, there is a code wheel in the frame which grants a +2k0 when using the Calligraphy skill to encode or decode messages. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.58 Kakko-Fudo: Kuni’s original sword, now lost to the Shadowlands, was thought to be in the possession of Moto Tsume for a while. It is a blade forged of purest jade and darkest obsidian with a tsuba gilded in silver with the symbols of the five elements ringing it. Its saya is made of black teak and decorated only with burnished iron. It was designed to assist Kuni in his researches in the Shadowlands, shielding him from Taint. DR: 5k3

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Special Rules: The weapon’s eternal jade protects the wielder from the Taint as long as he is carrying the sword. A shugenja wielding Kakko-Fudo can sacrifice 2 Wounds to regain one used spell slot from each Ring as if he had meditated for two hours. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.57 Kiken: This tanto has a blue-white blade on which constantly trickles and drips blood. It was once in the possession of a mad heimin named Ozuki who attempted to assassinate some courtiers during the Scorpion Clan’s Coup. The blade was lost in the struggle and its whereabouts are unknown since. Unknown to all, Kiken, which means “famine”, was one of Iuchiban’s earliest creations. DR: 1k2 Special Rules: Kiken is an intelligent, semi-sentient blade that has a pool of 2 Void Points that is available to both the knife and the wielder. When not used, the knife often use these Void Points so that it will not be found and remain unseen by those it does not deem worthy. Whenever Kiken’s wielder has less Void Points than Kiken, they are possessed by the knife and do its bidding until such time as their own Void Points become higher than the knife’s (control of the wielder could be swapped several times a day as the Void Points total of the owner and the blade decrease and increase). When in control of its owner, kiken will force him to try and assassinate anyone with an Honor Rank of 4 or greater. The wielder of Kiken will gain 1 point of Taint per week they keep the knife on their person. Updated from Otosan Uchi Book 3 p.26

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Kishu: Kishu was Hiruma’s first blade which he lost embedded in an oni and for which Hiko was a replacement. It is one of the few rare Crab weapons that does not bear a Kaiu’s signature. It is an almost straight steel blade with eternal jade inlays. Its golden hilt pins, a present to Hiruma from Hida, are set into the hilt so that the sword must be used left-handed. DR: 5k2 Special Rules: Kishu’s wielder may spend up to all of his remaining Void Points at once on damage. The sword’s bearer gives no scent, ever, and thus cannot be tracked by scent. Finally, the wielder can always see as though it were full daylight. However, the sword has a major drawback: all Meditation rolls made for the purpose of regaining Void Points are done with a +15 TN penalty. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.57 Living Bone: Although generally considered a poor material for weapons and armors, some enterprising maho-tsukai have experimented with the material to give it a semblance of unlife using foul magic, making living bone much more resilient than normal. There is one drawback from using such equipment however: living bone is thirsty for blood. Special Rules: Living bone weapons grant a +1k0 on damage rolls and living bone armor grant a +4 bonus to the wearer’s TN to Be Hit. Once per day, living bone equipment must taste blood, by using the weapon against a living opponent or soaking the armor with fresh blood) or it becomes “thirsty”. Thirsty living bone weapons force the wielder to make a Willpower roll TN 20 or turn the weapon on himself. Thirsty living bone armors force the wearer to make a Strength roll TN 20 or they take physical control of the wearer, forcing him to draw his own blood in some fashion. Of course, non-living users will not try to draw their own blood but rather turn on the nearest living creature instead. Living bone equipment found randomly in the Shadowlands is almost always thirsty. Living Bones radiates the Shadowlands Taint. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.21 The Mask of Shosuro Itode: Shosuro Itode was a Scorpion hostage fostered to the Crab at a young age. He spent 15 years training among the Crab, and when he finally died in a Shadowlands’ assault on the Wall, he decided to die as a Crab. His mask was torn off and unceremoniously thrown over the Wall, and subsequently lost. It is a shining gold mask with the words “be as you like” embroidered on its silk lining. Special Rules: Anyone donning the mask of Shosuro Itode can take the appearance, voice, and mannerism of anyone they’re thinking about (granting an effective +5k5 on all Disguise and Acting skills rolls for this purpose). Anyone within 200’ at the moment the character puts the mask on will see and hear this new persona. However, anyone else who was out of range at that moment will see a giant insect-like oni with six clawed legs, two reptilian heads, and three venom-dripping scorpion tails. This is only an illusion, but it may still cause much chaos. Using the mask’s powers also inflict one point of Shadowlands Taint upon the wearer. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.61 Nagori’s Chrysanthemums: Crafted long ago by Yogo Nagori who combined his father’s gifts for wards with his Asahina mother’s tsangusuri, these four bushes were sent as a gift from Scorpion Champion’s wife Bayushi Meibuko to Crab Champion Hida Zempai is order to buy the Hida’s support. They can sense Tainted creatures and produce small guardians who will defend their ground. Though the chrysanthemums were used extensively in the protection of Kyuden Hida, all but one were eventually uprooted and stolen by a crafty maho-tsukai who managed to hide his Taint long enough to bypass the plant’s ward. The only remaining chrysanthemum bush has been donated to the Asahina temple. The corrupted descendants of those bushes, however, can be found outside the dwellings of Shadowlands creatures, alerting them to the presence of humans who would have entered their home in their absence. Special Rules: When Tainted creatures approach within 300 feet of the chrysanthemums, the bushes roll 4k4 against a TN of 20 minus the creature’s Shadowlands Taint Rank. If they succeed,

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they release a number of plant-guardians equal to the number of blossom on the plant (1k1). The guardians look like three-foot-high bushi in armor made of white blossoms, carrying small, wooden thorn-studded tetsubo. When killed, they dissolve into scattered petals. If all the guardians are killed, it takes the bush a few months before it blossoms again. The plant itself can only be destroyed with fire.

Plant-Guardians Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire: 2 Water: 4 Agility: 3 Rolls When Attacking: 4k3 Rolls For Damage: 6k3 TN to Be Hit: 15 Wounds Per Level: 4 Special: Carapace 2 The Tainted version of these bushes can be found all over the Shadowlands, usually at the entrance of some creature’s dwelling. Though they no longer animate, they show a number of blossoms equal to the amount of non-Tainted humans in the vicinity. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.60

Obsidian Tea: This tea can be seen as the dark counterpart of the Tea of Jade Petals. It is produced in a similar manner; using magic during the cultivation of specific plants, but in this case the magic is maho. However, unlike the Tea of Jade Petals, Obsidian Tea does not combat Taint but rather helps to internalize any symptoms the drinker may have accrued. Special Rules: In order to provide any effects, the tea must be imbibed once every 2 weeks. Minor Taint symptoms are suppressed while moderate symptoms are reducer to minor symptoms (severe symptoms are beyond the ability of the tea to hide). Similarly, the drinker’s Taint is considered lowered by 1 full Rank for all intent and purposes. The price to pay for this, however, is that anyone who is Tainted and drinks the tea gains 1 point of Taint (pure drinkers are unaffected by this) immediately, with no rolls to resist it. Drinking multiple doses within a 2 weeks period provides no additional benefits, but the Taint gain is cumulative. Updated from the Complete Exotic Arms Guide p.63 Obsidian Weapons [Addendum]: Obsidian weapons are relatively easy to manufacture as they only require primitive sharpening rather than elaborate folding. Obsidian powder is also available, used in a manner similar to jade powder (see jade powder). However, most swordsmiths refuse to soil a daisho with obsidian, but other weapons can be custom-made. Special Rules: Weapons made of obsidian have 3 in 10 chances of being cursed. Roll secretly when an obsidian weapon is acquired by a player. The curse is triggered when the weapon first spills Tainted blood; the wielder must make an immediate Willpower roll TN 5. This roll is repeated, with its TN increased by 5, every night of the full moon. Failure indicates that, for this night, the character falls into a blind fury, seeking to commit barbaric atrocities against their closest friends and kin. If 5 rolls are failed in a row, this lunacy becomes permanent. Discarding the weapon helps reversing the process, with the monthly Willpower roll TN dropping by 5 until it becomes 0, at which point, the character is free of the curse. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.65. Note that those weapons are “mundane” obsidian weapons as in Art of the Duel p.179, not the “pit-forged obsidian” described in Prayers and Treasures p.177.

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Oni Chitin Armor: With the invulnerability and resistance to damage shown by some oni, it was only logical that someone eventually thought of tinkering with the idea of crafting an armor from the remains of dead oni. The Crab experimented with this for a while, but abandoned the idea as they found out the armors remained tainted and the efforts to remedy the situation were not considered worth while. Of course, other, less reputable individuals quickly recycled the idea but decided to leave the remains tainted instead... Lost, ronin bandits, and the occasional maho-tsukai are sometimes seen wearing this armor. Special Rules: Oni chitin armor grants Carapace 5 which can be bypassed by jade. The wearer is also exposed to Taint as if he were in a corrupted environment such as the Shadowlands. A wearer who is also in a corrupted environment will exhaust jade at twice the normal rate. A wearer is also vulnerable to Taint-targeting spells as if he was himself Tainted. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.21 The Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng: Once in the possession of Yogo Junzo who claimed this mask once belonged to the Dark Kami. The sole purpose of this mask seems to be to turn a human that is not yet Lost into a formidable Tainted killing machine. Special Rules: When placed upon a living human’s face, the mask will fuse itself to the flesh and bone of its wearer without harming him. Once this happens, it is impossible to remove the mask short of killing its wearer. The wearer immediately receives a number of Shadowlands Powers equal to his twice his Insight Rank. He may ignore the normal prerequisites for selecting Shadowlands Powers. Each day the mask is worn, the wearer must succeed at a Willpower roll TN 30 or gain a full Rank of Taint. Success grants a cumulative +5 TN penalty to this roll which disappears once he fails it, resetting the TN to 30. If the wearer ever becomes Lost, he immediately dies, his body exhausted and destroyed by the mask’s dark energies, at which point the mask can easily be removed. Updated form Way of the Shadowlands p.132 Tsuno Steel: The Tsuno employed black-tinted steel that was the subject of much speculation among the Lion and the Crab. Although, both clan theorized that this was some special material that the Tsuno found while wandering the Spirit Realms, the truth is the Tsuno employed their soultwisting magic when forging the metal in order to allow their equipment to affect those that relied heavily on the powers of the Spirit Realms or ventured outside of their Realm of origin. Special Rules: Weapons made of Tsuno steel are especially punishing toward a creature outside of his Realm of origin, under the influence of a Spirit Realm, or who draws powers from a Spirit Realm (such as a Kitsu shugenja with Kitsu spiritual powers, see MS #3). Such weapons gain a Free Raise when attacking such creatures as well as inflicting +1k0 Wounds. Only weapons with a cutting edge, such as a naginata, katana, or arrows, can be forged from Tsuno steel. Tsuno steel armors grant a +10 TN to Be Hit bonus to his wearer when facing similar enemies. Updated from Secrets of the Shadowlands p.44 “Uke”, The Persistent Bokken: Looking like a mundane bokken, they are often crafted by maho-tsukai and sold to unsuspecting bushi under the guise of being nemuranai that will help them during morning kenjutsu practice. In fact, those bokken house a minor oni. The sword animates each dawn to fight its owner in the guise of a practice match. It does so again the next morning, and each morning after that, each time getting stronger and not waiting for its owner to awake in order to begin another “practice match.” Special Rules: A persistent bokken is activated by drawing one’s sword in its presence. The first person to do so becomes the bokken’s unfortunate owner. Persistent bokkens start off with the following stats; a Reflexes of 1 (for an effective TN to Be Hit of 5), attack and damage pools of 1k1, and 1 Wound per Wound levels. For the following week, the attack and damage pools both increase by an additional 1k0 each day (2k1 the second day, 3k1 the third day, and so on). After the first week, the bokken’s stats become the following; Reflexes of 2 (for an effective TN to Be

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Hit of 10), attack and damage pools of 1k2 (effectively 1k1 for the first day of the second week), and 2 Wounds per Wound levels. It then again starts gaining extra dice for attack and damage rolls each day for the following week (2k2 on day two, 3k2 on day three, and so on). This pattern continues (gaining an extra Rank of Reflexes, an extra kept die on attack and damage rolls, and an extra Wound per Wound levels) for seven weeks. By the fifth week, the oni’s outline becomes visible, showing a shadowy form gripping the bokken by the hilt. By the seventh day of the seventh week, it will have the following stats; Reflexes of 7 (for an effective TN to be Hit of 35), an attack and damage pools of 7k7, and 7 Wounds per Wounds levels. If defeated on this day, it remains inert until activated again. Only death or giving one’s name to the oni, which is only possible after the fifth week, once the oni’s physical form becomes visible, can stop this. Once named, the oni becomes free. If the owner dies, the oni’s stats become frozen at their current level, until someone else draws his sword in the bokken’s presence, thus becoming its new owner, starting the whole thing all over again, but using the oni’s current stats as its starting stats instead. Price: Whatever the selling maho-tsukai deems appropriate, but they’re willing to sell them cheaply, so as to catch as many unsuspecting samurai. Updated from Bearers of Jade p.68

Kalajel

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Corruption Points When a character gains enough Taint that he has become Lost, the Taint in his body causes several changes. One of the main aspects of becoming Lost, is the fact that a character loses his connection to the Void and is no longer able to spend Void Points as indicated by their lack of Void Rings (see Creatures of Rokugan p.131). This loss of a trait puts Lost characters at a considerable disadvantage compared to normal characters. There is however an option available to them: Corruption Points. When a character becomes Lost, he gains a number of Corruption Points per day equal to His Shadowlands Taint Rank, which becomes frozen at the current Rank, as soon as it becomes the character’s highest Ring. In fact, for Lost characters, their Shadowlands Ranks now becomes their twisted version of the Void Ring, and for all intent and purposes (except for calculating Insight) count as their Void Ring (Raising, focusing during duels, etc.. The only notable exception to this is that Corruption Points cannot be used to fuel techniques, spells, kata, kiho, or other abilities that required the expenditure of a Void Point (however, see the Shadowlands Power Corruption of the Harmonies). Corruption Points are recovered in a manner similar to Void Points except for the following changes; Void/Meditation is replaced by Taint/Meditation and Void/Tea Ceremony by Taint/Anatomy (Torture). In fact, when using the Anatomy (Torture) Skill to regain Corruption Points, the torturer may ply his skills upon himself, someone else, or even just an animal. While in the Shadowlands or in any other Tainted area, a Lost character will recover a single Corruption Point every hour.

Updated from Way of the Shadowlands p. 69

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Nonhuman Insight Rank A frequent issue with nonhumans is the fact that they lack an Insight Rank. This creates difficulties whenever a human character needs to interact with a nonhuman with a technique or an effect that needs to know the Insight Rank. It also makes many a Gamemaster wonder what spells a creature can cast if it has no Insight or School Rank... The proposed rules below offer a way to calculate a sentient creature’s Insight Rank and flesh it out with some skills. A creature which intelligence is not superior to which of a common animal is always considered Insight Rank 1. If a creature can cast spells, consider its Insight Rank to be its rank in any one relevant Shugenja School (unless the Proficiency rules are used, in which case the Shugenja School Rank might be lower). These rules introduce two new statistics for creatures: Threat and Proficiency. Threat is, in a nutshell, a substitute for the Void Ring, although much less versatile, while Proficiency bears some resemblance with a School Rank. If the Gamemaster only needs to know a creature’s Insight Rank, the steps 1 to 3 will be sufficient. However, if he wishes to develop further the creature into a unique and more powerful encounter, he should continue with step 4 and 5 which use the Proficiency rules. Step 1 – Determine the creature’s Threat Rank Threat Ranks symbolizes how dangerous a creature is. Rank 1 is the weakest a creature can be, Rank 5 is the strongest. We will assume that all creatures presented in Creatures of Rokugan are typical of their species, some sort of average. Thus, the default Threat Rank of a creature is 2. If the Gamemaster wants to adjust the power level of a creature, he would start by increasing or reducing its Threat Rank by 1. Threat Ranks 4 and 5 are extremely rare and should be used only for the most powerful of adversaries. A creature’s Threat Rank also determines how many Threat Points it has. Threat Points are very similar to Void Points, but can only be used either to gain a +5 on a roll (one single Threat Point per roll), or substituted for a Void Point required to activate a School Technique that the creature possesses. Threat Points are refreshed once per day, after sufficient rest, and that is the only way a creature can recover them (Meditation, Tea Ceremony, or any other means that would allow regaining Void Points do not function for Threat Points). Step 2 – Buy Skills Make the sum of the creature’s Ring plus its Threat Rank, and multiply the total by 2 for creatures with animal-level intelligence, or by 4 for sentient creatures. This is the amount of Character Points you can spent to buy skills for the creature, as appropriate (Gamemaster’s discretion). These CP can only be spent on skills, and can not be used to increase Traits or buy Advantages. Follow the standard rules to determine the cost of increasing a Skill Rank. You can buy as many skills as you want as long as they make sense for the creature, but no skill can have a rank higher than the creature’s Threat Rank +3. Make sure to note any Insight bonus skills may produce with Mastery Abilities. It should be noted that the Gamemaster does not have to spend all the CP if he thinks a couple skills are all the creature needs. Step 3 – Determine the creature’s Insight Rank Make the sum of the creature’s Ring plus its Threat Rank, and multiply the total by ten. To this result, add the sum of all the creature’s skill ranks (and Insight bonuses). Compare the total to the following table (note: it is the same table used by standard characters, with the exception that creatures’ Insight Rank is capped at 8). 0-149 Insight Rank 1 150-174 Insight Rank 2 175-199 Insight Rank 3

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200-224 Insight Rank 4 225-249 Insight Rank 5 250-274 Insight Rank 6 275-299 Insight Rank 7 300+ Insight Rank 8 Insight Rank on the Fly If you need to calculate an Insight Rank quickly without buying all the skills, you can use this alternate method (be aware that this will often result in an Insight total slightly superior than with the more complex method, which in turn can result in a greater Insight Rank): -Attribute a Threat Rank to the creature (default Rank is 2). -Make the sum of the creature’s Ring plus twice its Threat Rank and multiply the total by 10. -Compare the total to the Insight Table to determine the corresponding Insight Rank. Step 4 – Determine the creature’s Proficiency Rank A creature’s Proficiency Rank is equal to its Insight Rank. If the creature’s Threat Rank is 3 or more, then its Proficiency Rank is increased by 1 Rank for each Threat Rank above 2 (i.e. a creature with an Insight Rank 3 and a Threat Rank 4 has a Proficiency Rank equal to 3+2=5). If the Gamemaster decides that an existing school would be appropriate for the creature (for instance, a Kenku studying at the Doji courtier school, or a Ningyo knowing the Iuchi Shugenja technique), then the creature’s Rank in that school is equal to his Proficiency Rank. If no existing school suits the creature, continue to step 5. Step 5 – Spend Proficiency Ranks to buy Abilities Each Proficiency Rank is similar to a School Rank’s technique. For each rank, the Gamemaster picks an Ability, until all Proficiency Ranks are filled. If an Ability is selected multiple times, they stack. However, unless the Ability has the [-] tag, it can only be selected a maximum number of times equal to the value between brackets. Some Abilities also have prerequisites which must be met before they can be selected. A creature cannot have both the Spellcaster First Rank Ability and the Second Attack Ability. Carapace [3] The creature gains Carapace 1 or its Carapace rating gains +1. Extra Wounds [-] The creature gains 2 extra Wounds per Wound Ranks. First Ring Bonus [2] Choose a Ring and a Trait. The creature gains a bonus equal to that Ring to the total of all non-Attack skill rolls using that Trait. You must select another Ability before you can pick this Ability for the second time. Improved Threat Point [2] Select a skill. Whenever the creature spends a Threat Point to add +5 to the total of a roll with that skill, add +10 instead. If you select this ability a second time, select a different skill. Increased Damage [2] Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency Choose a weapon (which can be unarmed or natural weapons, but not necessarily the same as the Weapon Proficiency). The creature gains +1k0 on all Damage rolls made with that weapon. The second time this Ability is selected, the creature gains +0k1 on the same Damage rolls.

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Increased Initiative [-] The creature gains a +4 bonus to the total of its Initiative rolls. Increased Movement [3] The creature’s Water Ring gains +2 for the purpose of calculating its movement. Increased TNtBH [-] The creature gains a +5 bonus to its TN to be Hit. Second Attack [1] Prerequisite: 2 other Abilities The creature can attack twice per round. Second Ring Bonus [1] Prerequisite: First Ring Bonus Choose a Ring and a Trait (both must be different from the ones selected for the First Ring Bonus). The creature gains a bonus equal to that Ring to the total of all non-Attack skill rolls using that Trait. Shadowlands Power (Greater) [1] Prerequisite: Taint Rank 4 or more The creature gains a Greater Shadowlands Power. Shadowlands Power (Major) [2] Prerequisite: Taint Rank 3 or more The creature gains a Major Shadowlands Power. Shadowlands Power (Minor) [3] Prerequisite: Taint Rank 2 or more The creature gains a Minor Shadowlands Power. Skill Proficiency [-] Choose a non-Bugei skill. The creature gains a Free Raise on all rolls with that skill. Skill Mastery [1] Prerequisite: Skill Proficiency, 3 other Abilities Whenever the creature makes a roll using the skill associated to the Skill Proficiency Ability, 9s explode as well as the 10s. Spellcaster Extra Rank [-] Prerequisite: Spellcaster First Rank The creature’s Shugenja School Rank is increased by 1. It gains 2 Spells. Spellcaster First Rank [1] The creature can cast spells. Its Shugenja School Rank is 1. Choose an Element (except Void) for its Affinity. Its Deficiency is the opposite Element. The creature gains 6 spells (3 must be of its Element of Affinity, none can be of its Element of Deficiency). Third Attack [1] Prerequisite: Second Attack and 4 other Abilities The creature can attack three times per round. Weapon Proficiency [2] Choose a weapon (which can be unarmed or natural weapons). The creature gains a Free Raise on

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all Attack rolls made with that weapon. If this Ability is selected a second time, you must choose a different weapon. Weapon Mastery [1] Prerequisite: Weapon Proficiency, 3 other Abilities Choose one of either Attack or Damage. Whenever the creature makes that roll using the weapon associated to the Weapon Proficiency Ability, 9s explode as well as the 10s.

Mike Brodu & Kalajel

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Raises and Dueling for Shadowlands Creatures For human characters, Void reflects how well the character can use all the elements in harmony. As a result, it is used as a mechanic for dueling and Raises (if higher than Skill Rank). Unfortunately, many creatures, especially those native to the Shadowlands, do not have a Void Ring. How to determine the maximum number of Raises and focuses in duels? There are many ways to come up with a number that would replace the Void Ring’s rank for the purpose of Raises and focusing only: - Calculate the average of all its Traits (rounded down). - For a faster method, the Gamemaster could decide that all creatures have an effective Void Ring of 2. In addition, he could also give Shadowlands creatures an effective Void Ring of 3 while in the Shadowlands. Further creature customization could be to allow minor enemies (“goons and henchmen”) to only have an effective Void Ring of 1 while major enemies or plot villains could have an effective Void Ring of 3 or more. - For creatures with a Taint rank, the Gamemaster may decide to use their Shadowlands Taint in lieu of the Void Ring. - If the Threat rank rules are used, use the Threat rank in lieu of the Void Ring. Those rules are not meant to compete with the Threat rank or Corruption points options, but rather, to complement them. A creature that the Gamemaster did not expect to fight and for which he did not gave a Threat Rating, could be ran using the rules presented here. Similarly, another Gamemaster could decide to reserve Corruptions Points to Lost characters, Threat Ratings to the average or stronger creatures, and use the rules presented above for the minor threats and mundane animals… Expanded from Way of the Shadowlands p.72

Kalajel

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Daikirai-Hiko, the Demon Prince of Hate and Fury (Oni Lord) It has often been said that the mortal realm reflects the spirit realm, and in many ways it does. There is a clear hierarchy that is similar to that of Rokugan, or perhaps it is better to say that Rokugan’s hierarchy is reflective of the Celestial hierarchy. In any event, nearly every aspect on Ningen-do is reflected in the other realms. One of those aspects is the war between Jigoku and Tengoku. On Ningen-do, this is seen in the endless war between the Empire of Rokugan and the Shadowlands. The armies of the demons and Lost swarm against the Empire and a thin line of Samurai holds them off so the rest of the world can sleep safe and sound, play in their courts, and enjoy their life. So important is this duty that a great wall, the Carpenter Wall, was built to protect the Empire and the mighty Crab clan was charged with the duty of protecting the Empire. In Tengoku and Yomi, there is a wall, too, and a great war. But like anything else in the Heavens, it is bigger, better, and more impressive than anything seen on the mortal world. The wall stands two miles and more high, studded with mighty battlements, atop a cliff impossibly tall. Manning it are part of the Heavenly Celestial Legions, an army made up of all the greatest heroes of the Empire, famed samurai, great shugenja, enlightened monks, and master strategists, all of whom are led by the immortal servants of the Sun and Moon; minor gods and spirits that live in the Court. Far, far below this wall lie Jigoku and the terrible spirit realms of the underworld. They swarm and push, fight and struggle every day to surmount that wall and storm the Heavens. So far, no demon has ever pushed past the wall, though a few have come close. Most notably, the closest the assaults have ever come was during Fu Leng’s attack on Tengoku. So many soldiers and gods were pulled from the wall to fight back that threat that the demon army very nearly pushed across. Which thrust was the feint and which the truth is still up for debate among many in the Celestial courts; although most suspect the forces of hell were using each other as a feint. Perhaps if they had been unified… In any event, one of the Principle Oni Lords of these attacks has been Daikirai-Hiko, the Demon Prince of Hate and Fury. He is to Oni Lords what Kakita, Mirumoto, and Matsu are to Rokugan. The Oni of the Mortal realm look to him with a reverence that borders on outright worship, and mortal scholars are still debating whether he is “just” a demon or if he is a God in truth. Daikirai-Hiko stands at nearly thirty feet tall with skin the color of fresh blood. Massive horns made of pure obsidian jut from his skull and gleam like diamonds. His eyes are solid orbs of opal and glow with a fierce heat. His breath is a noxious cloud of toxic gas that can instantly etch steel, rusting it within minutes. The maw that splits his face is filled with row upon row of jagged shark’s teeth and are normally filled with the torn flesh of those he slays. His massive arms usually clutch a bone and bronze tetsubo. His legs are hairy, but still that of a man, and wrapped about his body is a wondrous suit of armor. Some say that his arms and armor were forged for him by a dread immortal smith, some say he is that dread smith; no one knows for sure. Inside of combat, those few immortals that had the misfortune of fighting him have found that he is the physical embodiment of rage and fury. He moves like a whirlwind of death, slaughtering everything that crosses him. Wounds, if he receives any through his marvelous armor, only seem to make him angrier and more spiteful. It is that armor that has kept him alive for so long; it is rumored to be the best armor forged by the forces of Hell, and given the durability of it few contest that claim.

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His mighty tetsubo is also worth mention, as aside from his armor it is the greatest item he owns. Forged from the bones of a lesser dragon, it is bound in bronze strips taken from monasteries and temples that have become corrupted and fallen. Each strip is a testament to the growing power of hell in tainting and subjugating the world. Temples and shrines that have become sites of battles, crimes, taint, terror and death each have one or more temple icon taken to Jigoku by kansen and added to this club. Daikirai-Hiko claims that when it is entirely sheathed in bronze, he will use it to topple the cliffs of Heaven and destroy the Celestial wall. From that rubble-made ramp, he will lead the charge into the home of the Gods and bring about the victory of hell. The scholars of the Heavenly Court are concerned about that club, and they have cautioned for it to be taken from him if possible. Whether or not the club can truly bring down the cliffs, it is a powerful tool and one that should be removed if at all possible. Outside of combat Daikirai-Hiko is a master tactician and he has been the principle architect of the war against heaven for the last few eons. It is certain that he has been fighting the war since he was born, fully formed from the stuff of malice and hate that rests in the deepest reaches of Jigoku. He himself claims that that pool is the raw hate-stuff formed by Onnotangu’s hatred for his children and jealousy of his wife. This is probably true as Daikirai-Hiko’s only goal has been to destroy the Heavens and spread the despair of Jigoku across the cosmos. His plans are always long term, for he knows that this war will probably not end before the next eon is over, and he usually puts forth several layers to his plans. Feints and counter feints are his norm, and any attack is probably a ruse to draw strength away from another region of the Celestial defenses. To be fair, this has been a hard earned set of skills, and were only learned from fighting the best men, women, and gods that the Heavens can field. His opponents are admiring of his ability to learn and change, but derisive of the time it has taken him to do so. So, while Daikirai-hiko is a skilled general, it should be said that he is skilled for an oni. When compared to the skill and finesse of the divine and human (or formerly human) generals such as Sun Tzu, Akodo, Moto Tsume, Ikoma Sume, Hida Kisada, Hida Tsuneo, or Bayushi Shoju, Daikirai-Hiko comes up wanting. For the most part, he will keep trying the same tactics over and over again applying ever more force and power until he is certain that he needs a new tactic. This may take hundred years, and a thousand times a thousand lives, but he will change. The same can not be said of the other Oni Lords. How to Use Daikirai-Hiko This is a monster that the PCs can never defeat; he has killed lesser gods and the best heroes of all time. His armor makes him nearly impervious to all damage, and his weapon is already strong enough to instantly slay immortals. To top it off, he spends the vast majority of his time striding about the fields of Jigoku rallying his troops for another assault on the Celestial Wall. There are times, however when he comes to the Mortal world. Sometimes this is because he is foolishly summoned by someone seeking power, sometimes the Oni themselves need a hand and will give some of their own power to him. When he does arrive on the mortal plane, he never comes in his full power; he always sends an aspect or spawn, and the very fact that his spawn is the match for many other full demons should be warning enough to not go seeking his full form. Even in this lesser form, his attention is needed elsewhere, so he rarely stays long; invariably he is gone within a few hours at the utmost and seldom stays longer than a few minutes. Thus fighting him should be a group of PCs trying to destroy his spawn or stop one from being summoned. Very similar to a good Call of Cthulhu adventure, he should be used more as a set piece for low-level PCs, and objective to be prevented. For mid-level PCs he should be used as an

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endurance fight, defeating him means simply outlasting him (perhaps by running about and forcing him to chase them, perhaps by standing and taking his blows). High-level PCs can expect to stand toe-to-toe with the Spawn and try to foil him directly. Alternatively, if the PCs are ever in the Spirit realms an entire adventure could be designed around stealing his armor, without it he is much weaker, perhaps weak enough for one of the Celestial Legions to stop. Maybe his club is nearing completion and the PCs must storm the forge where it is being added to and they will remove those strips (or more). Maybe they find him sleeping and introduce a potion to his diet that will make him sleep for a long time or remove his memory (perhaps forgetting some of the tactics he has learned?). Daikirai-Hiko Spawn Air: 7 Earth: 7 Fire: 7 Water: 7 Rolls when Attacking: 10k10+10+1 Free raise (Tetsubo) Rolls for Damage: 7k7 TN to be Hit: 60 (Armor = +25, already figured into the TN.) Wounds Per Level: 12 Shadowlands Taint: 10 Skills: Battle (Siege) 9, Lore: Jigoku 10, Lore: Oni 9, Lore: Tengoku 5, Lore: Yomi 6, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 10, Know the School: All Existing Schools 2, Know the School: Hida, Akodo, Matsu, Kakita, Shiba, Mirumoto, Hiruma 5, Theology (Apocalypse, Fortunes, Gods) 3, Shadowlands Lore 5. Special: Carapace 9, Invulnerable, Oni Qualities, Fear 7. Corruption Breath: The spawn may breathe a cloud of corruption that instantly rots silk, leather, and most cloth. Metal weapons will be rusted and will lose -1k0 damage in the first round, -0k1 in the second round, and another -1k1 in the third round. If this reduces the DR to 0k0, the weapon is destroyed. Metal armor will lose 2 points of protection each round for three rounds, if this reduces the protection to 0, the armor is destroyed. This attack takes up all his actions for the round, and he may not breathe again for three more rounds. Wound Rage: Instead of taking wound penalties, Daikirai-Hiko and his spawn instead gain a bonus to all attacks, damage, and initiative equal to the current wound penalty (Down and Out equal a +30 to those Rolls). Blinding Rage: When raging Daikirai-Hiko reduces his TNtbH by the same amount to a minimum of 5 TNtbH. Shadowlands Powers: As many as the GM wants. For a typical Spawn, 5 Minor, 3 Lesser, and 3 Greater is solid.

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Oni-no-Fluffy Air: 3 Reflexes: 5 Earth: 4 Willpower: 6 Fire: 3 Agility: 6 Water: 4 Strength: 8 Rolls when Attacking: 8k4 (2 Claw Strikes), 9k4 (Bite) Rolls for Damage: 8k3 (Claw Strikes), 8k5 (Bite). TN to be Hit: 30 Wounds Per Level: 8 Shadowlands Taint: 5 Skills: Hunting: 5, Stealth (Sneaking) 5, Investigation (Notice) 4, Athletics (Fetch) 4. Special: Carapace 7, Fear 5, Fleet 3, Invulnerable. Oni-no-Fluffy is capable devouring people and animals and healing his wounds by eating them. Whenever Oni-No-Fluffy eats a corpse, he is able to instantly heal all damage up to the total number of wounds the target had. If this is more wounds than Oni-No-fluffy needs to heal, the additional wounds are added to his TNtbH for the rest of the day (to a maximum bonus of +50 to his TNtbH). He may also increase any one of his physical traits by one for a single day for every 100 wounds of people he devours, increasing his associated traits appropriately. "Once I had a dog... his name was Fluffy the cute. Then, one day, he fell to the dark brother. He is still out there... watching, waiting, for samurai. He comes in the night... nothing can stop him. He took my father last week. One day he will come for me. He is mighty as a legion, fierce as a god. We hear his howls over the Wall… my bones are chilled... Jigoku will win.” Imagine if you will, a mangy mongrel dog, standing thirty feet high at the shoulder, a rotten mouth full of razor sharp teeth and the stench of decay. A monster that looks bred from a mastiff and a bulldog, fused with an undead bear. His mouth resembles a Shark's maw, and his eyes gleam with an inhuman, unknowable intelligence. He is nearly unstoppable, armor plated, and strong enough to ruin walls. He runs faster than an Otaku steed, and his gaping jaws can swallow a whole squad of ashigaru. It was once a simple house dog, the pet of a famed Hida, however this loyal beast followed its master into the Shadowlands one day and never returned. It was assumed that he perished there, but the truth is far worse. Fluffy fell to the Shadowlands out there, becoming Tainted and a demon

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spawn. Returning home, the beast quickly killed his old master and his family, dragging their bodies back into the depths of the Shadowlands. Now his master walks among the army of the Nameless One and Fluffy is the hunter in the darkness. Tainted and reduced to feeding off the beasts and lesser demons, Fluffy has been building his strength for years, and now preys upon better tasting meat: Samurai. Now Hiruma fear the night. Now his bays and cries can be heard across the wall and the Hida rest uneasy. Writer's note: Oni-no-Fluffy is the result of a Hida's poetry attempt in a courtly poetry contest. He rolled a 2 on 5k2. Yes, that means he rolled 5 ones. It took us about twenty minutes to stop laughing at the result. Thus was Oni-no-Fluffy born. I included it here as a way to provide a bit more humor to a typical game. Imagine telling the PCs they have to go hunt down some Crab Lord's dog that got lost in the Shadowlands. Make sure the description the Lord gives them is of the dog before he turned. Then sit back and enjoy the look on their faces as the real monster crawls from the darkness. Make sure to include the tattered scrap about his neck that used to be a leash.

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Tsukurite Goke "The Widow Maker" Air: 3 Awareness: 4 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Rolls when Attacking: 6k3 (2 Claw Strikes), 7k3 (Bite), or by Weapon. Rolls for Damage: 4k2 (Claw Strikes), 1k1+Poison (Bite), or by Weapon. TN to be Hit: 20 Wounds Per Level: 6 Shadowlands Taint: 5 Skills: Deceit (Seduction, Lying) 5, Courtier 3, Etiquette 3, any 3 Skills at 3. Special: Fear 4, Carapace 3, Shape shifting. Shape shifting: The Tsukurite Goke has the ability to shape shift from its natural form to that of a stunningly beautiful human. This human form is unique to the creature and is typically of one specific gender, although a few creatures are capable of becoming both genders. A specific form may be taken if the Tsukurite Goke devours the heart of the person they choose to assume. This does not confer any knowledge the unfortunate person had, but it does mirror their form to the smallest of birthmarks. This disguise is perfect and can only be pierced by seeing the creature's reflection in a perfectly still pool of pure water (even the smallest drop of blood or filth ruins the effect) or clear mirror, both incredibly rare items. Euphoria Bite: The creature's bite, which can be used in human form, forces the recipient to make a Raw Earth roll versus a TN of 20. If the target fails this roll, they enter a state of euphoria and are incapable of acting or even remembering the next eight hours (minus the recipient's Earth to a minimum of ten minutes), all the target will be able to remember is a sheer joy and blissful state. The Tsukurite Goke is a terrifying monster, a thing nightmares are made of. In its natural state it takes the form of a terrible spider-like creature. It is thin, almost emaciated with a bloated abdomen hanging off its hind section ending in a terrible stinger. Attached to this body are four talon tipped legs, which are used for striking. The torso sits atop the abdomen and resembles a human, but only if the human were starving to death. The Tsukurite Goke's head is a terrible mockery of humanity, and looks exactly like its shape shifted face with a few tragic differences. The eyes are multi-faceted like a bug's and the skin unnaturally smooth. The creature's lower jaw splits down the center, pulling to either side to reveal row after row of razor sharp teeth. The Tsukurite Goke retains its human nimbleness in the hands in all forms and is capable of wielding any weapon or tool. This is not the face most see Tsukurite Goke in, rather they see the shape shifted form; that of a stunningly beautiful human. This greatly assists this monster in their nefarious duties. Tsukurite Goke have been given a horrible duty to infiltrate the Clans and bring the order of Rokugan falling to the ground. They accomplish their goal in a variety of ways. Many choose to enter cities and use their beguiling countenance to attract the interest of the high and mighty and seduce them onto a path more fitting their Dark Lord's interests. Secondly, and far more insidiously, these creatures make terrible use of Rokugani arranged marriages. Using their skills to find out when a marriage party is to leave, they waylay the group and insert themselves as the prospective brides or grooms, often replacing the rest of the party with other shape shifters (typically lesser Oni or Maho Tsukai using illusions). Acting normally

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until the wedding night, the creature waits until they are alone with the spouse, ready to consummate their marriage. At that point, they strike, poisoning the spouse with their euphoria bite and then using their stinger to inject the human with thousands of tiny larvae, each waiting to burst from the body. The larvae will slowly gestate in their host for three months before erupting in a grisly display of the power and majesty of the Shadowlands. From there, the new hatchlings are watched over by their remaining parent until they mature fully. Many a young bride or groom has been terrified to discover that the young groom or bride that they have never met turns out to be a terrible demon on their wedding night. They are the lucky ones; others never realize what is happening, growing sicker and sicker with each day until months after their unholy consummation, they die in excruciating agony as tiny spider like monsters borrow through their flesh, pour from their mouths, and tear a way into the world through screaming and dying flesh. Canny Tsukurite Goke often use their bite again, so that the host can not scream out and ruin the birth, though cruel ones simply send the servants away for a few weeks at the end. Since Rokugan practices arranged marriages, often arranged before the partners are even born, this form of internal corruption is terrifying to behold. A person may not even know who they are to marry, nor have even seen them until that person arrives at their door. If they seem to be a bit clueless and scared, well, who wouldn't be in that situation? But the creature can be tricked, since they lack the memories of their new form; one can discern that something is amiss if they lack vital information, especially about the deceased's past or family.

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Balancing Maho in L5R 4th Edition Some Gamemaster may think that using maho against the players will result in an automatic slaughter of the party. Indeed, maho is very powerful, and smart maho-tsukai would reasonably be well prepared and ready to deal massive pain on the players. To keep with the toolbox approach of 4th Edition, here are a few suggestions designed to power down maho. You may choose to use all options for a drastic change of maho’s effectiveness, or only a few. 1 - Use the Mastery Level Characters of any Insight rank should be able to cast any maho spell in theory, because the kansen are eager to corrupt and spread the Taint. However, if a character attempts to cast a maho spell which Mastery Level is greater than his Insight rank, then the TN is equal to 5 plus 10 times the Mastery Level of the spell. 2 - Slow down the flow of Blood The maximum amount of Wounds that can be dealt to power a maho spell, per round, is equal to twice the maho-tsukai’s rank in the weapon skill corresponding to the weapon used to inflict the wounds (it is usually the Knives skill). Some Gamemaster may decide to use the Lore: Anatomy skill instead, or limit the wounds to the total of the caster's ranks in the weapon skill and Lore: Anatomy. This may prevent the high Mastery Level maho spells from being cast in a single round, whether the caster could make enough Raises to reduce casting time or not. Alternatively, you may require the tsukai to make a damage roll to determine the amount of Wounds he inflicts (remember, he can decide to keep dice with a lower result, if he doesn't want to hurt himself too much, for example). Since the attack is done as a special Free Action, without any Attack Roll, no Raises can be made nor any Free Raises can be used. 3 - Limit the Free Raises The maximum number of Free Raise the maho-tsukai can obtain from extra spilt blood is limited to his Void Ring or Taint rank, whichever is lower. If the caster has no Void Ring, then he is limited by his Taint rank. There is one exception: if the caster draws his own blood, there is no limit to the number of Free Raises he can obtain. 4 - Jade Protects from Maho Characters protected with jade force a TN penalty upon the maho-tsukai’s spellcasting roll and reduce the wounds they would suffer from maho spells by the same number. See the table below: 1 Finger TN +5 / Reduction 5 2 Fingers TN +9 / Reduction 9 3 Fingers TN +12 / Reduction 12 4 Fingers TN +14 / Reduction 14 5+ Fingers TN +15 / Reduction 15 5 - Magic Resistance Upgrade The Magic Resistance Advantage works against maho.

Mike Brodu

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Quick-Starting a Game: Insta-Party and CFS This time in the Insta-Party realm we throw you a bit of a twist in giving you an option. Of course, this is the Shadowlands issue of the magazine so first we’ll give you the option of running a Lost raiding party. Then, for those of you wishing to play something less twisted, grotesque, or Tainted there is also a Crab scouting party. You can play them separately, you can play them both (if you think you are Gamemaster enough to handle a game with that many players!), or you can run one with PC’s and the other as NPC’s. Take your pick and remember that this is the Shadowlands, what other time will you have to scare the living daylights out of your players? The Lost Goju Shogin School/Rank: Daigotsu’s Legion 3/Obsidian Claw Duelist Air: 2 Earth: 3 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Void: 4 Reflexes 3 Strength 5 Honor: 1.0 Status: 0 Glory: -2.3 Taint: 4.2 Skills: Deceit 2, Hunting 3, Kenjutsu (Katana) 1, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: Shadowlands 2, Defense (Unarmored) 7, Jiujutsu (Strike) 5, Stealth 3, Poison 5 Advantages: Bishamon’s Blessing, Small Disadvantages: Ascetic, Compulsion (4 pts, To Kill) Kata: Storm of Shards, The Claw Strikes Deep Shadowlands Powers: Blackened Claws, Blessing of the Dark One, Unholy Strength Description: Goju Shogin is a small man, but ripples with muscle. His black hair is unkempt and completely wild, his face is totally unshaven. He rarely wears anything more than a pair of loose rough spun pants, but if weather requires he may wear a rough spun shirt as well. Roleplaying: This guy is downright feral. He hates everyone and everything and wants nothing more than to rip every person he sees to ribbons of flesh and bone. When he speaks it’s rough and angry in tone. Daigotsu Kinji School/Rank: Hiruma Scout 2/Daigotsu’s Legion 2 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 3 Reflexes 5 Agility: 5 Honor: 1.0 Status: 0.0 Glory: -3.1 Taint: 3.3 Skills: Athletics 3, Defense 5, Hunting (Tracking) 4, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Stealth (Sneaking) 5, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Deceit 4, Jiujutsu 2, Kyujutsu 4, Traps 2 Advantages: Luck (3 pts), Fleet (2 pts), Quick Disadvantages: Dark Secret (Traitor), Lost Love Kata: Shell of Stone, Blood of Innocents Shadowlands Powers: Master of Shadows, Uncanny Speed, Above the Elements

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Description: This ex-Crab was turned many years ago when his scouting party was killed by another group of Lost raiders. Rather than die, he sacrificed himself and his honor to the Taint and now serves the other side. He is your classic Hiruma warrior with close cropped hair, clean shaven face, and a slim athletic frame. The powers he has offer all their normal side effects. Roleplaying: Though he regrets his decision for no longer having the freedom to experience his empire the way he used to, he does not regret the power he now has. He has gained so much from his link to the Dark Lord and relishes every bit of it. Daigotsu Shomi School/Rank: Isawa Shugenja 2/Maho Tsukai 2 Air: 4 Earth: 4 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 3 Honor: 0.5 Status: 0 Glory: -1.9 Taint: 5.2 Skills: Calligraphy 2, Meditation 3, Spellcraft (Earth, Maho) 7, Theology 3, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Stealth (Spellcasting) 2, Forgery 2, Medicine 3, Investigation (Notice) 3, Anatomy 3 Advantages: Ishiken-Do Disadvantages: Forbidden Knowledge Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, Earth’s Stagnation, Obsidian Strike**, Armor of Earth, Grasp of Earth, Slash of the Lion*, Fires of Purity, Sense Void, Drawing the Void, Bleeding, Drain Soul, Summon Undead Champion, Blood Command, Burning Blood*, Feeding on Flesh* Shadowlands Powers: Master of Blood, Unholy Beauty, Unearthly Regeneration **Shomi has studied maho and started using it and the Taint’s influence to corrupt her normal magic. She has since learned to turn her Jade Strike spell into a spell targeting those without Taint. Treat this spell the same as Jade Strike, but only affecting non-Tainted targets. This is also innate. Description: She obviously has no concern whatsoever about her basic hygiene. Her fingernails are crusted in blood almost constantly, her clothes are stained with it, and her hair has been soaked with it so often that she has had to hack it off in chunks to keep it from interfering with her spellcasting. Roleplaying: She is uhm… nuts. Her descent into maho has twisted her in so many ways that her humanity almost doesn’t exist anymore. She is constantly whispering to the kansen that float around her, and holding conversations with inanimate objects. Daigotsu Yodo School/Rank: Daigotsu’s Legion 3/Spider Heavy Elite Air: 3 Earth: 3 Fire: 5 Water: 3 Void: 3 Agility: 6 Honor: 0.9 Status: 0 Glory: -2.1 Taint: 3.8 Skills: Deceit 2, Hunting 2, Jiujutsu 2, Kenjutsu (Katana) 2, Kyujutsu 2, Lore: Shadowlands 2, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 5, Defense 5, Stealth 2, Theology (Fu Leng) 3, Explosives 3, Battle 3 Advantages: Crab Hands, Large Disadvantages: Benten’s Curse, Driven (Gain Fu Leng’s Favor), Compulsion(2pts, Scour the Infidels) Kata: Blood of Innocents, Striking as Fire, Striking as Earth Shadowlands Powers: Unholy Stamina, Child of Darkness, Unearthly Regeneration, Greater Blessing of the Dark One

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Description: Yodo is a large man; huge might even be a good word. Towering above most people at nearly seven feet tall, with spiked and bladed heavy armor that is inscribed with prayers to Fu Leng, he is a fearsome sight to anyone that might come against him in battle. Even his shaved head has been tattooed with the symbols of the Fallen Kami. Roleplaying: He is completely obsessed with Fu Leng. A religious warrior on his own kind of Jihad to kill the Unbelievers, his faith is the driving force behind everything he does. Daigotsu Manabi School/Rank: Daigotsu’s Legion 4 Air: 5 Earth: 3 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 3 Agility 4 Honor: 1.2 Status: 0 Glory: -2.1 Taint: 4.4 Skills: Deceit (Lying) 5, Hunting 1, Jiujutsu 1, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Kyujutsu 3, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Defense 5, Medicine (Wound Treatment) 3, Etiquette 3 Advantages: Quick, Combat Reflexes Disadvantages: Coward (6 pts), Insensitive Kata: Blood of Innocents Shadowlands Powers: Jade Sense, Unholy Vision, Beside the Darkness, Protection of the Dark Description: Manabi is one of those guys that is easy to overlook. He is not the most impressive person physically, his features are completely average, but he is not necessarily easy to forget. Roleplaying: He is a coward, plain and simple. His whole job is to use his Jade Sense to find any Crab scouting parties in the area so that his compatriots can go in and destroy them. When they do that he waits on the sidelines for a chance to go in later and take what he wants. The Crab Hiruma Jensho School/Rank: Hiruma Scout 2/Falcon’s Strike/Hiruma Stalkers Air: 3 Earth: 3 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 3 Reflexes: 4 Stamina: 4 Perception: 4 Honor: 2.0 Glory: 5.1 Status: 4.4 Skills: Athletics (Running) 4, Defense 5, Hunting (Tracking) 4, Investigation (Notice) 3, Kyujutsu (Yumi) 5, Kenjutsu 3, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Medicine (Wound Treatment) 4, Stealth (Sneaking) 5 Advantages: Daredevil, Fleet (3) Disadvantages: Wrath of the Kami (Earth), Wrath of the Kami (Water), Wrath of the Kami(Fire), Driven(Kill Tainted Ancestor) Heritage: Corrupted (his ancestor is Daigotsu Kinji) Ancestor: Yojimbo/Honor 2 Dojo: Sharp Eye Dojo Kata: Striking as Fire, Shell of Stone Description: He looks a lot like an Olympic track star. Thin, lithe, and extremely athletic. Hair is cut short, and he is completely clean shaven. He is the de-facto leader of one of the clan’s most successful strike forces.

The Smithy

Roleplaying: Something of a paragon in his family, you can see this guy as a sort of an ungrateful hero. He has made more successful trips into the deeper portions of the Shadowlands than anyone in the history of the Hiruma, and people are desperate to have him pass on his knowledge to the younger members of his family. Retiring as a sensei has absolutely no appeal for Jensho; he fully intends to die doing what he loves best. Toritaka Natsuhime School/Rank: Toritaka Bushi 4 Air: 3 Earth: 3 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Void: 3 Reflexes 4 Honor: 2.8 Glory: 4.3 Status: 4.1 Skills: Animal Handling (Falcons) 3, Defense 5, Hunting 3, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Lore: Spirit Realms 3, Meditation 2, Spears 2, Stealth 3, Jiujutsu 5 Advantages: Kaiu Blade, Quick, Bishamon’s Blessing Disadvantages: Small, Unlucky (3), Bad Reputation, Bad Fortune Heritage: Glorious Death Ancestor: Scholar (Lore: Spirit Realms)/Compassion 1 Dojo: None. Kata: Striking as Fire, Striking as Water Description: A grizzled veteran, Natsuhime is covered in war wounds. She is small but feisty and known to be a no-holds barred brawler. Roleplaying: She may be the most experienced person in the group, but she is more than content to sit back and let others do the planning. She’s much more comfortable getting down and dirty than trying to run things. Not one to volunteer anything unless her choice subject comes up, in which case she will be more than happy to let you know more than you ever wanted to know about the spirit realms. Hida Bakin School/Rank: Hida Berserker 4 Air: 3 Earth: 5 Fire: 2 Water: 3 Void: 3 Reflexes: 4 Agility: 4 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 0 Status: 2.4 Skills: Athletics 3, Defense 7, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 6, Hunting 3, Instruction 2, Jiujutsu 3, Kenjutsu 3, Knives 3, Lore: Shadowlands 2, Spears (Yari) 5, Stealth 2 Advantages: Crab Hands, Large, Death Trance Disadvantages: Deathseeker, Haunted (3), Overconfident Ancestor: Sensei/Sacrifice 1 Dojo: First Strike Dojo Kata: Striking as Earth, Striking as Water Description: Big, buff, and not real smart but talented beyond belief when it comes to weapons and fighting. Roleplaying: He likes being the joker of the group, but he is just not good at it. Cracking jokes at inopportune moments, or just saying things that make absolutely no sense in any context. When battle comes though, he is as serious as they come.

The Smithy

Moshibaru (Hida) Kenzan School/Rank: Hida Bushi 4 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 4 +1 Agility: 4 Strength: 4 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 4.0 Status: 3.0 Skills: Battle (Specific Enemy: Shadowlands) 3, Defense (Armored) 5, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 5, Jiujutsu 4, Kenjutsu 3, Kyujutsu 3, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Stealth 3 Advantages: Strength of the Earth (4), Large, Luck (3) Disadvantages: Brash, Compulsion (Kill Goblins, 4), Missing Eye Heritage: Ronin (ancestor was a ronin that did Twenty Goblin Winter, bringing back 40 goblins, impressing many. He tried to do the same and succeeded, but lost his eye in the process. Now he hates goblins with a passion, and will kill them whenever he can.) Ancestor: Soldier/Courage 1 Dojo: First Strike Dojo Kata: Striking as Earth, Striking as Water, Shell of Stone, Stance of the Wall Description: Another big guy, not surprising as a Crab, really, but he is quick to anger and more than ready to defend his status as a ji-samurai. He wears his hair in a traditional topknot, all the better to reinforce his status as a samurai. Roleplaying: Just always angry. This guy just never seems to be happy. There is always something that makes him mad. Kuni Ogai School/Rank: Kuni Shugenja 4 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 4 Water: 3 Void: 3 Strength: 4 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 4.6 Status: 4.1 Skills: Calligraphy 3, Defense 5, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 5, Lore: Shadowlands 6, Meditation 3, Spellcraft (Maho) 5, Stealth 2 Advantages: Blessing of the Elements (Earth), Friendly Kami, Languages: Nezumi Disadvantages: Contrary, Dark Fate, Cruel Heritage: Battle of Kuni Wastes (ancestor helped in the famous battle) Ancestor: Shugenja/Ambition 1 Dojo: None. Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, Path to Inner Peace*, Tetsubo of Earth*, Jade Strike*, Fires from the Forge, Armor of Earth*, Evil Ward*, Fury of Osano-Wo, Grasp of Earth, Curse of Stone, Strength of the Crow*, Tomb of Jade*, Fires from Within Description: Of all the samurai in this group, Ogai is the most refined. His clothes are of the best make, his long hair and mustache are the most well groomed, and he is definitely the most knowledgeable about the denizens of the Shadowlands. Roleplaying: Ogai thinks that this party is under his leadership and will fight Jensho at every turn, but usually ends up agreeing with him in the end. Their disagreements tend to only reinforce the wisdom of Jensho’s choices. Challenge, Focus, and Strike Combo The basic plan here is simple. The Crab party has been sent into the Shadowlands to find a rumored new oni that is killing loads of their scouts. When they arrive they find that this rumored oni is actually the Lost party that has been sent on a mission to harass the Crab scouts as much and as often as possible.

Akodo Harubi

The Theater

Recon in the Shadowlands

Rik’Tek was hiding in the shades of what passed for scrubs in the blasted wastelands of the Shadowlands. He was quietly observing the ogre in front of him. This monster had been a veritable thorn in the Blue Fur tribe’s side as it personally ambushed and killed two of the tribe’s scouts. Currently, the monster was busy feeding from the corpse of some abomination and was oblivious to the Nezumi’s presence. Rik’Tek was gauging the monster’s strength, it was a rather big specimen and it would probably require three or four strong warrior to take it down… Suddenly, the ogre jolted up as if alerted by some noise. A cold chill ran through Rik’tek’s spine; it couldn’t possibly have spotted him ; he was too well hidden and upwind from the monstrosity, there’s no way the ogre could have felt his presence so it must have been something else. As if to answer Rik’Tek’s thoughts, a bunch of goblins rounded a big rock and approached the ogre. “Ugly-green-skins!” thought Rik’Tek, “But why they approach big ogre like so?” The goblins cautiously approached the ogre who somehow relaxed a bit, as if he was expecting the goblins… The goblins stood there weary and hesitant for a while before parting to allow a shaman-looking goblin forward; most likely the tribe’s leader. The goblin shaman and ogre then started talking to each other in that gibbering tongue of theirs. “So big-ugly-ogre has befriend-friend tribe of ugly-green-skins… That explains why he kill-killed so many of our scouts!”

Rik’Tek was lost in thoughts so he didn’t saw the form sneaking on him from behind… It kept approaching Rip’Tek, sneaking on from behind the oblivious Nezumi… He felt it too late, when it was finally next to him. Rik’Tek almost jumped in surprise, his paw reaching for his weapon, but a hand caught his muzzle and a familiar face put a finger to its lips “Shhh!” It was Kanoko, scout from the tribe of the tasty shellfish which shared the Blue Fur’s warren. Rik’Tek relaxed and whispered “Don’t sneak-hide from behind like that! Rik’Tek almost died from fright!”. “Oh, how unfortunate this would have been!” teased Kanoko, “So what do we have here?” she then asked. Rik’Tek pointed toward the ogre and goblins with one of his clawed finger. Kanoko squinted, observing the goblins for a moment, “Hmm, these look like members of the Broken Nose tribe, I thought we wiped them out two years ago…”. “Not quite wiped out, and they seek-find help of big-stinky-ogre. What they be saying?” added Rik’Tek. Kanoko who had learned the chippering language of the goblins listened intently “They say they have another gift for the ogre…”. “But what would green-skins could possibly give-give to big-stinky-ogre?” asked Rik’tek. As if on cue, the ranks of the goblins parted once again to show two badly battered and unarmed Crab samurai pushed toward the ogre by angry bakemono. “Those are our missing Hiruma scouts!” exclaimed Kanoko.

Kanoko had this look in her eye, Rik’Tek knew it well and somehow managed to fight back a shudder for they both knew what fate awaited those men at the hands of the ogre. “Rik’Tek, run back to the warren and inform the Nezumi and Crab samurai there of the situation we have here.”. “And what you be doing while Rik’Tek gone-away?” but the Nezumi already knew the answer for he knew the samurai-ko well… “I’ll stay here and continue to observe. If the ogre and goblins move, I’ll follow them and leave trail markers so you and the others can follow.” This was a lie and Rik’Tek knew it ; she intended to go in and save those humans at all cost. She was known for such reckless behavior. The eagerness of some humans to risk their own lives so carelessly always baffled Rik’Tek. “Leave-leave trail markers hum?” said Rik’Tek as he was eyeing Kanoko suspiciously “And how you do that with this?” he asked pointing toward her right hand ; Kanoko had already gripped her bow. “Never mind that! Now go!” she answered.

Rik’Tek started slinking away. He glanced back and saw that Kanoko was applying oil and jade powder to her watakusi arrows… That reckless woman! Oh well, at least this time she intended to use a bow instead of barging in swords drawn… Rik’Tek continued silently moving away, then, when he was at a safe distance, started running on all fours as fast as he could toward the Blue Fur’s warren. He sincerely hoped he would meet a Nezumi or Crab patrol before that. “Crazy-stupid pink-skin!” thought Rik’Tek “Don’t go and die-be killed now…”

Kalajel

The Inn

Mirror Mirror for L5R 3rd Edition Mirror Mirror is an unofficial horror adventure for L5R. Originally designed as an official adventure, a companion to the very popular Bearers of jade: the second book of the Shadowlands, it was refused for being too graphic and nasty. Fortunately, the authors made it available on the internet, and it has provided many Game Masters with hours of amusement and players with hours of agony. However, it is written for the first edition of the RPG, and things have changed since it was released. This article is meant to aid Game Masters with adapting it to their games. It consists of two parts: one concerned with mechanical issues, the other concerned with running Mirror mirror in contemporary Rokugan. For simplicity's sake this article will concentrate on contemporary Rokugan, and mostly ignore anything from the Clan War up to the coronation of Iweko. Though it should go without saying, this article will inevitably contain a number of spoilers. If you are playing this adventure, or expect to do so any time soon, please skip this article. The adventure is much more fulfilling when you do not know in advance what is going to happen. Some abbreviations are used in this article. 3ER – Legend of the 5 Rings roleplaying game, Third Edition Revised P&T – Prayers and Treasures 4W – The Four Winds – From Gold to Lotus SUP – School Update Project Setting Mirror mirror is originally set just before the Scorpion clan coup and the Clan War. Numerous events have taken place since this time, events that have changed certain clans, even created a new Great Clan, and seen allies become enemies, and vice versa. Mostly, these should not be a problem, but the major sticking points will be handled in this section. The actors Apart from the two mentioned below, all the NPCs that show up in Mirror, mirror are easily used as they are presented. Hida Kisada - This is fairly easy - use the current Crab champion. Most of them will be inclined to act as Kisada does in Mirror, mirror, and there should be little difficulty running Yakamo, Kuroda, Kuon or even O-Ushi as Kisada is written in the adventure. Hiruma Kage - This is perhaps the most important NPC in the adventure, barring Nashiko, and the hardest one to replace. Todori is the current Hiruma daimyo. However, he is fairly old, and expecting him to marry now might stretch credulity a bit. Worse, Todori and Kage have quite different personalities – Kage is a polite, genteel and depressive samurai while Todori is hard-bitten and a typical Hiruma with little time for tea ceremony or origami. One very easy answer is to create a new NPC whom Todori has announced to be his successor. This will allow the Game Master to run this person, called Kage2 for simplicity’s sake, almost exactly as the original Kage, called Kage1. There are still a few problems with this: the Hiruma at the time before the Scorpion Clan Coup are a bitter and focused family. They have no lands, no money and a sense of doom and determination hanging over them. Kage is driven to restore the Hiruma lands, but so far has not managed to do so. Todori, on the other hand, is the luckiest Hiruma daimyo since the time before the Maw took their lands – Shiro Hiruma is theirs once again, the Hiruma lands are mostly devoid of Taint and recently they have recovered the lost Hiruma bushi school. While Kage2 may be like Kage1 personality-wise, he hardly has the reason to run off in a fit of suicidal depression that Kage1 does. The Game Master may always rule that a

The Inn

broken heart is enough to unbalance him, but Kage2 does not suffer the 300 years of failure Kage1 does. A new Disadvantage (True Love) might be enough to do it. If the Game Master wishes to keep Todori as the main character, this can be done, but will require a few more changes. For instance, why should Todori fall into a fit of depression of the kind that Kage has? Todori is also older and more experienced, and less likely to fall head over heels in love with a girl less than half his age. It is probably best to downplay the romantic aspect of the marriage and play up the political. Having Todori engaged to marry for purely political reasons works nearly as well, and is more expected of important persons in the Emerald Empire. The downside is Todori is far less likely to be subject to suicidal depression than Kage, and less prone to foolish actions. The Game Master may wish to have Todori get tired of the politics and return to Shiro hiruma, or maybe he receives word of a major attack there and leaves to deal with it. This will make some of the roleplaying opportunities later a bit hard – after all, the PCs will not need to convince Todori to return to Kyuden Hida and save his life if he is not suicidal. On the other hand, Todori is still haunted by his failure to step up to responsibility when younger, and the death of Otomo Hoketuhime is not something he is likely to brush off. He could feel guilty at failing to protect his wife-to-be from the Taint, and act irrationally. The Tainted – The way the setting has treated Tainted people has changed since its earliest days. Back when Bearers of Jade was written, Tainted people still served alongside unTainted. Thus the set-up of Mirror, mirror has many Tainted Crab hanging around Kyuden Hida, as well as Yogo Shuigeru. The Rokugan of today removes all Tainted people from general society as soon as they are detected. Tainted Crab are sent to the Damned, most Tainted from other clans retire to a monastery or even commit seppuku. Therefore, using the current setting there is much less Taint floating around Kyuden Hida, and someone radiating Taint will be taken into custody immediately, rather than ignored. This should not make much difference to how the adventure is run, but the bits in Mirror, mirror that mention how many Tainted people there are around Kyuden Hida should be ignored. The politics of the Empire and Crab relations with the Clans In general, the empire has been less fractious and split in the time after the Clan War. Periods like the Hidden Emperor and the Spirit Wars are obvious exceptions and might make running Mirror, mirror a bit difficult as winter court is not prioritized in Crab lands, especially when there are more important things going on. Just as importantly, the relations between certain clans have changed drastically since the Clan War. For the most part, this will not affect how the adventure is run, but it may require some NPCs to behave slightly differently. Crane The adventure has no Crane (other than PCs) present at Kyuden Hida. Whether or not the Game Master chooses to set the adventure during the period of Crab-Crane alliance or chooses to set it in a time of their traditional rivalry, no Crane need be present, as they will be insulted by the Todori/Kage breaking off the engagement to his Crane fiancé. In the adventure, the breaking-off of Kage’s engagement to a Crane is actually a minor theme, simply used to explain why the Crane are not present at winter court at Kyuden Hida, and why there are more Scorpion around than normal. The Game Master can easily ignore this situation and introduce the Crane to the adventure. Only Matsu Bushime’s behavior will need to be changed in this case. If set in the latest story-line, the Crab and Crane are recovering from the Third Yasuki War, and relations between the two are frigid, easily explaining why no Crane would be in attendance.

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Dragon Other than the animosity between Hitomi and Yakamo, the Dragon and Crab have undergone no changes in their relations to each other. A small but important exchange of personalities maintains what political connections the two clans need, and the addition or subtraction of Dragon NPCs in the adventure should have no effect on how it runs. Lion Like the Dragon, the Lion have not changed their relationship with the Crab noticeably during the time since the Clan War. While the Lion are currently allied with the Crane, and have been for several years, there is no reason to change the reactions of the NPC Matsu Bushime – 10 years of being allies cannot erase 1000 years of enmity. Only if the Crane are added will she moderate her behavior – being coolly polite but avoiding the Crane as much as possible. Mantis The Crab and Mantis are generally neutral to distantly approving of each other. The original adventure has no Mantis NPCs, since the Mantis were not a Great Clan yet. The addition of Mantis PCs or NPCs should pose no problem to how the adventure is run. However, it requires the Game Master to create these NPCs. Alternatively, one or more of the PCs may be the Mantis ambassador to the Crab this Winter court. Phoenix The Phoenix have not noticeably altered their relations with the Crab for a long time. There should be no problems here, especially in view of how Kage/Todori is set to marry one of their numbers. Scorpion The Scorpion are even at the best of times not well-liked by the Crab, and the feeling is mutual for the Scorpion. Especially in the wake of assassination attempts on Kisada and the brief Crab-Scorpion war, it seems highly unlikely that the Scorpion would be welcome, and equally unlikely that they would want to be there. However, the adventure has the Scorpion arrange the marriage between Kage and Mutsuye, and removing them would require finding another clan to act as go-between. This role could easily be filled by an Imperial, should the Game Master decide to remove the Scorpion from the adventure. In this case he would need to find replacement clans for two major NPCs. Yogo Shigeru could easily become a Phoenix. Considering the number of Phoenix NPCs already present, this might work very well. However, even taking into consideration animosity between Crab and Scorpion, the Kuni and Yogo have traditionally worked well together, and special Yogo might conceivably be given permission to come to Winter Court at Kyuden Hida, even if most Scorpion are not welcome. Shosuro Shiko could easily become a particularly bitter Crane or Imperial, and the rest of the Scorpion present do not have much of an impact on the adventure. The role of match maker might fall to the Crane. The Crane are traditionally allied to the Phoenix, and if the adventure is set in a time where the Crane and Crab are allied, but hostile to the Scorpion (for instance just before the Third Yasuki War), the politics will work rather well. Spider While the Spider are not officially recognized, and would have no representatives at the Crab's court, it is possible that someone, NPC or PC, might take a chance and brave the paranoid Taint-killers and show up. The Spider might conceivably even wish to cause Nashiko to fail. If Nashiko does not follow Daigotsu, the Spider would have to decide what they feel is most important - stopping internal squabbles in the ranks of the Tainted or causing major problems for the Crab. Alternatively, the Nashiko’s plot may be approved of by Daigotsu, and the Spider are there to aid her. If this is the case and there are Spider PCs, a whole extra dimension may be added to the adventure.

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Unicorn If anything, the bonds between Unicorn and Crab are stronger now than in the original setting. There should be no problem with using the Unicorn NPCs as presented. There are no border disputes between the Crab and Unicorn at the present time, and have not been for a while, so O-Shito is not as desperate to keep on the Crab Champion’s good side. On the other hand, the Moto have come to rule the Unicorn instead of the Shinjo, and they might very well wish to send one of their own number as representative to the Crab. However, given the traditionally close ties between the Shinjo and Hiruma, and seeing as the Hiruma daimyo is to marry, a Shinjo would not be wholly out of place. Minor clans and ronin No minor clans are present in Mirror,mirror and certainly no ronin. Other than whatever PCs may be there, this is not likely to change. It is distantly possible that the Minor Clan Alliance manages to get a representative there, but they will not likely change anything other than adding an extra NPC for the Game Master to run. Kage’s depression and the trip into the Shadowlands One of the three sections of the adventure sees Kage depressed by the death of his fiancé, and run off into the Shadowlands to sulk in the ruins of Shiro Hiruma. This is obviously a bit hard in contemporary Rokugan, as the Hiruma now control their ancestral home. There is also the matter of the Shadowlands. Before the cleansing, the Shadowlands started right on the other side of the Kaiu Wall, and Taint was everywhere. Since the cleansing, there is less Tainted growth and somewhat fewer monsters roaming around, though it is by no means safe. Yet the trip into the Shadowlands and (hopefully) surviving the nasty surprises there is an important part of the story, if not critical. There is also the fact that Todori, unlike Kage, is not given to fits of depression that lead him to do foolish things. The former is easily handled by having Kage/Todori head out into the Shadowlands proper, and take refuge in an old tower rather than the ruins of Shiro Hiruma. Since the cleansing did not manage to cleanse all of the old Hiruma lands, it is perfectly possible to find unpleasant surprises (like lava trees and fields of human hair) moderately close to the Wall, though farther off than originally set in the adventure. The latter is a bit more difficult. It is possible that Todori’s Driven Disadvantage kicks in and makes him do something foolish like trying to eradicate the Shadowlands on his own. He may get fed up with the whole marriage thing and head back to Shiro Hiruma but be ambushed on the way (probably by the Dark Moto/their replacements) and forced to flee. It is also possible Doji Nashiko uses her magic to cause Todori to head out (without really knowing why he wants to) in order to soften him up before marrying him. It is also possible that Todori hears of an attack on Shiro Hiruma (true or false) and rushes out to fight. The Dark Moto and maho-bujin The Dark Moto are no more in contemporary Rokugan, thanks to Otaku Kamoko’s sacrifice and the brilliance and strength of Moto Gaheris. A possible replacement might be the Lost, despite the fact that they have generally been less of an overt threat than the Dark Moto, or most of the previous Shadowlands Horde. This is probably the best choice, unless the Game Master wishes to bring the Dark Moto back. Bringing them back would be hard to justify. If Daigotsu wished to bring the Dark Moto back, he probably could, but they should be significantly important for him to bother doing so. Perhaps he feels the need for hard-hitting, efficient cavalry, and feels their probably loyalty to Moto Tsume or his memory is a price worth paying for their abilities. Either way, they shall still be called Moto in this article, whatever the Game Master decides to do with them.

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The Maho-bujin was the default School for any Lost character. It does not officially exist anymore, for which many players and Game Masters are eternally grateful. All maho-bujin are converted to Daigotsu’s Legion, on the assumption that these Lost have thrown their lot in with Daigotsu rather than live on their own. Mechanics Most of this is fairly straightforward. While Insight Rank caps have disappeared, few NPCs should exceed the Ranks they already have if the adventure is still to be challenging for a group of Insight Rank 3 characters and not simply hopeless. Notable exceptions would be the Crab Champion (who is more powerful than Rank 5) and Todori. More awkward is the number of NPCs without Schools. Just about all characters in the Third Edition Revised of the L5R roleplaying game have Schools, at least if they are of the samurai caste. For simplicity’s sake I have recreated the most important NPCs presented in Mirror, mirror for use here, some of them with Schools and Skills that they did not have in the original version of Mirror, mirror. Hiruma Kage Rank 4 Hida Berserker Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 4 Water: 3 Void: 4 Strength: 4 Honor: 3.0 Glory: 5.0/6.0 Status: 4.0/7.0 Skills: Kyujutsu 2, Athletics (Running) 3, Battle (Specific Enemy: Shadowlands) 3, Defense (Armored) 3, Etiquette 1, Lore: History 3, Horsemanship 1, Hunting 2, Iaijutsu (Focus) 4, Jiujutsu (Grapple) 2, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Meditation 2, Artisan: Poetry 1, Tea Ceremony 2. Advantages: Quick, Death Trance, Sacred Weapon (Kaiu Blade) Disadvantages: Driven (restore the Hiruma lands), Haunted (1 point) Equipment: As family daimyo (or heir), Kage’s armor and weapons are of the highest quality. They are improved by the Rank 3 Rank 3 Kaiu Engineer Techniques from 4W p.14, meaning his Heavy Armor grants a total +20 bonus to TNtBH. NOTE: Kage’s Driven Disadvantage will have to be altered if set in a time after the Hiruma have regained Shiro Hiruma and cleansed the Hiruma lands. Driven (make the Hiruma lands safe and habitable again) might work very well. The two notations for Glory and Status are to reflect that Kage is either the heir to the Hiruma daimyo, or the actual Hiruma daimyo. Hiruma Todori Hiruma Scout 5, Hiruma Stalker Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 5 Water: 3 Void: 4 Reflexes: 6 Willpower: 5 Intelligence: 7 Perception: 7 Honor: 1.3 Glory: 6.3 Status: 7.0 Skills: Stealth (Sneaking, Ambush) 9, Kyujutsu (Yumi) 7, Athletics (Running) 7, Animal Handling (Falcons) 4, Jiujutsu 2, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Lore: Shadowlands (Shadowlands geography) 6, Instruction (Hiruma scout, Hiruma Stalker, Stealth) 8, Theology (Shintao) 4, Knives (Tanto) 4, Tea Ceremony 3, Investigation (Notice) 3, Defense (Armored) 5 Advantages: Magic Resistance (2 ranks), Death Trance Disadvantages: Driven (redeem failure) Dojo: First Strike

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Equipment: As family daimyo, Todori’s armor and weapons are of the highest quality. They are improved by the Rank 3 Kaiu Engineer Techniques from 4W p.148, meaning his Light Armor grants a total +15 bonus to TNtBH, and his sword has a DR of 4k3 and his bow is of Excellent quality. Note: Todori’s stats are based on the ones presented in “Secrets of the Crab”, with some changes beyond those absolutely necessary. Most notably, his Insight Rank has increased, and one of his Schools removed. I think this is a better representation of Todori than anything involving Hida Berserker. Kaiu Takakana Hida Bushi 5 Air: 3 Earth: 5 Fire: 3 Water: 4 Void: 3 Agility: 4 Honor: 3.6 Glory: 3.0 Status: 4.9 Skills: Kyujutsu 3, Battle (Specific enemy: Shadowlands) 4, Courtier 3, Defense 5, Engineering (Siege) 4, Etiquette (Sincerity) 2, Jiujutsu (strike, grapple) 4, Kenjutsu 2, Lore: Law 4, Spellcraft (Maho) 2, Lore: Shadowlands 4, Heavy Weapons 3, Traps 3, Spears (Naginata) 5. Advantages: Large, Way of the Land (Crab), Sacred Weapon: Kaiu Blade. Disadvantages: Unlucky (3 points) The Nobles The Game Master may wish to use the pregenerated stats from Emerald Empire for these characters, and other NPCs whose actual mechanics are not that important. For those who do not have this book or wish slightly more tailored stats, I present the following. They are changed a bit more than strictly necessary. Sweet Little Nobodies Isawa Akiko Asako Courtier 1 Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire 2 Water 2 Void 2 Awareness: 3 Willpower: 3 Honor: 3.5 Glory: 1.0 Status: 1.0 Skills: Courtier (Political Maneuvering) 1, Lore: history (Phoenix Clan) 1, Meditation (Zanji) 2, Spellcraft 2, Theology (Shintao) 2, Etiquette (Sincerity) 2, Tea Ceremony 1. Advantages: Social Position. Disadvantages: Small, Bad Reputation: Talkative Kitsu Hanako Ikoma Omoidasu 1 Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Void: 2 Awareness: 3 Perception: 3 Honor: 3.5 Glory: 1.0 Status: 1.0 Skills: Courtier (Gossip) 2, Defense 1, Lore: history (Lion Clan), Storyltelling (Bragging), Perform: Dance 1, Lore: Bushido 2, Lore: history 1, Theology (Shintao) 1, Etiquette (Sincerity) 2, Tea Ceremony 1.

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Advantages: Social Position Disadvantage: Meddler Ide Keiyomi Ide Emissary 1 Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire: 2 Water: 2 Void: 2 Awareness: 3 Perception: 3 Honor: 2.5 Glory: 1.0 Status: 1.0 Skills: Commerce 1, Courtier (Manipulation) 1, Horsemanship 1, Investigation (Notice) 1, Storytelling 1, Perform: Dance 2, Lore: Burning Sands 2, Lore: Myth and Legend 2, Theology (Shintao) 1, Etiquette (Sincerity, Conversation) 2, Tea Ceremony 2. Advantages: Social Position Disadvantages: Idealistic Cultured Gentry Isawa Mutsuye, Asako Kuhime Asako Courtier 2 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Void: 3 Awareness: 4 Willpower: 3 Intelligence: 4 Perception: 4 Honor: 3.5 Status: 2.0 Glory: 2.0 Skills: Courtier (Political Maneuvering) 4, Perform: Dance 3, Lore: History (Phoenix clan) 3, Artisan: Ikebana 2, Spellcraft (Elemental Knowledge) 2, Lore: Bushido 2, Artisan: Painting 2, Theology (Shintao) 3, Etiquette (Sincerity) 4, Tea Ceremony 3. Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Social Position Professional Courtiers Asako Wataru, Emerald Magistrate Doji Courtier 4 Air: 4 Earth: 3 Fire: 3 Water: 3 Void: 3 Willpower: 4 Honor: 3.7 Glory: 3.1 Status: 4.5 Skills: Etiquette (Sincerity, Conversation) 4, Storytelling (Poetry) 3, Courtier (Manipulation) 5, Artisan (Calligraphy) 2, Lore: Heraldry 2, Horsemanship 3, Iaijutsu 4, Kenjutsu 3, Law 4, Lore: Crab 2, Lore: Crane 2, Lore: Scorpion 2 Advantages: Different School (Doji Courtier), Irreproachable Ide Toshimitsu Ide Emissary 3 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Void: 3 Awareness: 4 Willpower: 4 Perception: 3 Honor: 2.3 Glory: 3.0 Status: 2.0

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Skills: Commerce 4, Etiquette (Conversation) 4, Courtier (Manipulation) 5, Lore: Heraldry 4, Horsemanship 3, Kenjutsu 2, Lore: Law 2, Lore: Crab 2, Lore: Unicorn 4, Lore: Dragon 2, Investigation (Notice) 4, Storytelling 4 Advantages: Daikoku’s Blessing Yasuki Kurako Yasuki Courtier 3 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Void: 4 Awareness: 4 Willpower: 5 Intelligence: 4 Perception: 4 Honor: 1.8 Glory: 4.0 Status: 3.8 Skills: Commerce (Merchant, Appraisal) 5, Etiquette (Bureucrasy) 4, Deceit (Lying, Intimidation) 5, Courtier (Manipulation) 5, Lore: Heraldry 2, Stealth 3, Underworld 2, Kenjutsu 2, Lore: Law 2, Lore: Crab 2, Lore: Unicorn 2, Lore: Mantis 2 Advantages: Daikou’s Blessing Disadvantages: Frail Mind Bayushi Masayari Bayushi Courtier 3 Air: 3 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Void: 3 Awareness: 5 Willpower: 4 Perception: 3 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 3.0 Status: 3.0 Skills: Calligraphy 3, Etiquette (Sincerity) 5, Courtier (Manipulation) 5, Lore: Heraldry 2, Deceit (Seduction, Intimidation ) 5, Investigation (Interrogation) 5, Lore: Law 3, Lore: Crab 2, Lore: Scorpion 2, Lore: Crane 2 Advantages: Heartless Shosuro Shiko Bayushi Courtier 2 Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire: 3 Water: 2 Void: 3 Awareness: 4 Willpower: 3 Perception: 3 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 3.0 Status: 3.0 Skills: Etiquette (Sincerity) 4, Courtier (Manipulation) 5, Deceit (Lying, Seduction, Intimidation) 4, Lore: Law 2, Lore: Crab 2, Investigation (Interrogation) 3, Forgery 3, Performance: Jester 3 Advantages: Voice Disadvantages: Bad Reputation (Bitch) Shiba Noboru Shiba Bushi 3 Air: 2 Earth: 2 Fire: 4 Water: 3 Void: 4 Reflexes: 3 Honor 3.3 Glory 4.0 Status 3.0 Skills: Kyujutsu (Yumi) 5, Courtier 1, Defense 3, Etiquette 2, Horsemanship 2, Iaijutsu 3, Jiujutsu 1, Kenjutsu 3, Meditation 2, Theology 3, Tea Ceremony 3, Spears 3. Advantages: Quick

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Hiruma Naoto, Hiruma Yutaka Hida Bushi 4, Hida Elite Air: 3 Earth: 5 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Void: 4 Reflexes: 4 Honor: 2.0 Glory: 5.0 Status: 4.0 Skills: Kyujutsu 4, Athletics (Running) 4, Battle (Specific Enemy: Shadowlands) 4, Defense 6, Hunting 3, Jiujutsu (wrestling) 4, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Shadowlands Lore (Goblin Culture) 4, Stealth (Sneaking) 3, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 5 Advantages: Large, Strength of the Earth Level 1, Hands of Stone Equipment: These guards have armor and weapons enhanced by the Rank 3 Kaiu Engineer Techniques from 4W p.148. Their armor grants an additional +10 to their TNtBH. Their swords and tetsubo have a DR of 4k3 and 1k4, respectively. NOTE: Kage/Todori’s bodyguards have been given a rank in Hida Elite Guard rather than the original Rank 5 Hida Bushi. This means that they will not be able to use their remaining Void points for The Mountain Does Not Fall, but they will use it to increase their armor bonus to their TNtBH with their Hida Elite Technique. Moto Scouts Black Guard 5 (From the Sup), or Daigotsu’s Legion 5 Air: 3 Earth: 5 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Reflexes: 5 Honor: 0.2 Infamy: 5 Status: 0 (4, In Lost/Horde Hierarchy) Shadowlands Taint: 6.0 Skills: Athletics 5, Battle 3, Defense (Armored) 5, Iaijutsu 2, Jiujutsu 2, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Kyujutsu (Horse Archery) 5, Horsemanship 5, Hunting 5, Lore: Shadowlands (Shadowlands Geography) 5, Stealth (Ambush) 5, Polearms (Lance) 5 Maho Spells: Summon Undead Champion, Corruption of the Elements, Stealing the Soul (P&T), Touch of Death (P&T) Shadowlands Powers: Fear 4, Undead Strength, Beast of Fu Leng (Wings), Unholy Vision. NOTE: the Moto scouts were originally Maho-Bujin. This school no longer exists, so they should use the Dark Moto school from the School Update Project, or Daigotsu’s Legion, if the Game Master wishes to keep to canon. Maho-Bujin Average Maho-Bujin Hida 2, Daigotsu’s Legion 1 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 2 Water: 3 Void: 3 Agility: 3 Honor: 0.0 Infamy: 1.0 Status: 0 (2 in Lost/Horde hierarchy) Shadowlands Taint: 4.0 Skills: Defense 5, Heavy Weapons 3, Battle (Specific Enemy Shadowlands, Crab) 1, Kyujutsu 2, Jiujutsu 2, Kenjutsu (katana) 5, Lore: Shadowlands 3 Kata: Shell of Stone Shadowlands powers: Blessing of the Dark One,

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Experienced Majo-Bujin Hida 2, Daigotsu’s Legion 3 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Void: 3 Honor: 0.0 Infamy: 3.0 Status: 0 (4 In Lost/Horde Hierarchy) Shadowlands Taint: 5.0 Skills: Defense 5, Heavy Weapons 4, Battle (Specific Enemy Shadowlands, Crab) 5, Kyujutsu 4, Jiujutsu 4, Kenjutsu (katana) 6, Lore: Shadowlands 5, Stealth 3, Hunting 3, Deceit (Intimidation) 3 Kata: Shell of Stone, Striking as Fire, Shadowlands powers: Blessing of the Dark One, Greater Blessing of the Dark One Rare Prodigy Maho-Bujin Akodo 2, Daigotsu’s Legion 5 Air: 4 Earth: 5 Fire: 4 Water: 5 Void: 3 Honor: 0.0 Infamy: 4.0 Status: 0 (6 In Lost/Horde Hierarchy) Shadowlands Taint: 6.0 Skills: Defense 6, Heavy Weapons 4, Battle (Mass Combat, Specific Enemy: Crab) 6, Kyujutsu 5, Jiujutsu 4, Kenjutsu (katana) 7, Lore: Shadowlands 5, Stealth 3, Hunting 4, Deceit (Intimidation) 3, Lore: History (Lion Clan) 4, Storytelling 3 Kata: Striking as Earth, Striking as Wind, Striking as Water, Striking as Fire, Striking as Void Shadowlands powers: Blessing of the Dark One, Unholy Strength, Unholy Beauty High-Ranking Bushi Crab commanders Hida bushi 4 Air: 3 Earth: 5 Fire: 3 Water: 4 Void: 4 Agility: 4 Honor: 1.5 Glory: 4.0 Status: 3.0 Skills: Kyujutsu 2, Athletics 3, Battle (Specific Enemy: Shadowlands) 4, Defense 5, Jiujutsu 3, Kenjutsu 4, Lore: Shadowlands 4, Heavy Weapons 5. Advantages: Crab Hands, Large, Strength of the Earth (2 ranks) Disadvantages: Antisocial (1 rank) Kata: Shell of Stone, Unyielding Fury Matsu Bushime Matsu bushi 4 Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 3 Water: 5 Void: 4 Agility: 4 Honor: 3.7 Glory: 5.0 Status: 4.0 Skills: Kyujutsu 4, Athletics 3, Battle (Skirmish) 4, Lore: History 1, Defense 3, Horsemanship 2, Iaijutsu 3, Kenjutsu (Katana) 5, Lore: Bushido 4, Spears 3. Advantages: Bishamon’s Blessing, Leadership Disadvantages: Brash Kata: Fury Without End, Tsuko’s Storm

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Bayushi Tatsukoro Bayushi bushi 4 Air: 5 Earth: 3 Fire: 4 Water: 3 Void: 4 Honor: 1.4 Glory: 4.0 Status: 4.0 Skills: Kyujutsu 4, Athletics 3, Battle 4, Courtier (Political Maneuvering) 1, Defense 4, Iaijutsu 5, Kenjutsu 5, Lore: Shadowlands 2, Chain Weapons 4. Advantages: Quick, Combat Reflexes Disadvantages: Benten’s Curse Kata: Choking Air, Cut Under the Mountain Shinjo O-Shito Shinjo bushi 4 Air: 4 Earth: 3 Fire: 3 Water: 5 Void: 4 Agility: 4 Honor: 3.1 Glory: 4.0 Status: 3.0 Skills: Kyujutsu (Horse Archery, Yomanri) 4, Hunting 3, Battle 4, Defense 3, Horsemanship 5, Kenjutsu 5, Lore: Bushido 2, Spears 4 Advantages: Fleet (1), Way of the Land (unicorn lands) Kata: Shinjo’s Breath, Thundering Sky Doji Nashiko Akutenshi — Doji Courtier 4, Maho-Tsukai 3 Air: 8 Earth: 6 Fire: 4 Water: 4 Intelligence: 6 Perception: 5 Honor: 0.0 Infamy: 6.0 Status: 0 (8.2 In Lost/Horde Society) Shadowlands Taint: 9.0 Skills: Acting (Disguise, Mimicry) 7, Courtier (Manipulation, Gossip, Political Maneuvering) 7, Defense 4, Etiquette (Sincerity, Conversation) 7, Kenjutsu 3, Lore: Shadowlands (Shadowlands Geography) 5, Deceit (Seduction) 7, Anatomy (Torture) 4, Artisan: Ikebana 4, Artisan: Origami 4, Artisan: painting 4 Spells: All Air spells (maho versions of these, since she is not a shugenja) and most maho spells. Touch of Death (P&T), Summon Oni, Dancing with Demons (P&T), Sinful Dreams (P&T), and Truth is a Scourge (P&T) are innate. Shadowlands Powers: Armor of Death, Blood Shouting, Body of Damned Time, Command the Taint, Calligraphy of Thought, Disrupt Chi, Unholy Vision, Fear, Flight, Invulnerability, Sense Purity, Shape-changing, Soul Drinking, Undead Strength, Unholy Beauty Advantages: Benten's Blessing, Dangerous Beauty, Voice, Crafty, Crab Hands. Disadvantages: Phobia (Disfigurement) Lore TN: Lore: Crane 30, Lore Lion: 40, Lore: Shadowlands 35 NOTE: Nashiko’s Ranks in Doji Courtier allow her to call on many favors. Since only the most corrupt and evil person would ever knowingly ally himself with Nashiko, these favors are only garnered in one or other of Nashiko’s many disguises and alternate identities.

Hida Akira

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Adventure Prophecies of a Mad Boy Introduction The Asako prophecies The Asako prophecies were uttered by a mad Phoenix child, 30 years after the First Day of Thunder. This child called Uikku seemed to have been consumed by divination powers and this left him with the gift to prophesize the future (Ref. Secrets of the Phoenix). Long after his death, a scribe, part of the Defenders of Uikku guarding the temple dedicated to his memory, wrote a particular series of them on small scrolls. Leaving the Temple, he was followed by an agent of the Bloodspeakers who had infiltrated the Defenders and sought to steal the scrolls. The problem is indeed that these scrolls are the key to some of the future events involving the Clans of Rokugan (during the Race for the Throne) and of a possible incarnation of Fu-Leng which would also prevent them from happening. The Bloodspeakers have no interest in anyone else actually finding these scrolls, because they believe the reincarnation of Fu-Leng is the way to quite literally achieve their dreams. The unfortunate scribe traveled all over Rokugan, trying to escape his fate, always with the Bloodspeakers behind, rendered him paranoid and quite mad by this horrible man-hunt. In his escape to the South, he met some Nezumi from the Crippled Bone Tribe to whom he gave half of the scrolls. He hoped the Bloodspeakers would not suspect the Ratlings. He then managed to reach a harbor where assassins hired by his enemies finally managed to ambush him. At the last minute, a group of samurai delayed his assassination, allowing him to give them some of his precious information. In the meantime, the Nezumi kept one scroll but lost another in a fight with an Oni. They tracked it down but could not get it back and the demon reached its lair. Dealing with the Shadowlands The Shadowlands are a very nasty place to travel to and from and one cannot hope to do it without being killed or worse, unless he knows experienced Hiruma scouts and/or Nezumi. The GM should make very clear to everyone involved that leaving the group and especially the accompanying Nezumi, even for a very short time, is an absolute death sentence. While the GM should not doom his characters too quickly, they should feel the pressure all the time and, if successful, should still get the impression that they succeeded by an extremely narrow margin. The elaborate village trap of the oni must be the focal point of the adventure, a twisted and a bit unreal place, but also one which gives for a moment a false feeling of safety... before unleashing terror on the characters. The GM should not hesitate to describe the fake "Potemkin" village build by the oni in great detail to reinforce this impression. The Long March The first prophecy The group of characters, for any reasons, is having dinner at an inn called Seki no Nazo (the Puzzle Inn), with some acquaintance, in a port of Southern Rokugan. This can be either on the Yasuki, Asahina or Hida coast, or even in the City of Lightning. The Puzzle Inn makes fantastic food, but does not have such a good reputation because it is located in a relatively remote part of the harbor and serves all kinds of patrons, some of them not always on the good side of the law. However this information should be known only by local characters. The inn is not very busy, the waitresses are polite and of good service. The sake is more than decent.

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The inn is a two storey building. The lower level is divided between a kitchen and a dining room with low tables and cushions or mats to sit on. The inn also has an enclosed courtyard, very tidy, with a part clearly designed as a garden and a part to receive deliveries with a direct entrance to a storage shed and the kitchen. Directly on this patio, along the dining room is a gallery or terrace where guests can eat during warm evenings. There are various simple paintings on the walls, all of them representing some kind of visual game or optical illusion and there is a big metallic puzzle, lying on a flat stone in a corner of the court. When leaving the harbour at the darkest hour, they meet a strange and rather smelly "beggar" who bars their way: "Please, sama, hear my prayer... The Fortunes may have mercy on my soul. The prophecies, such a beauty. Such a terror... One will make them all void. Ningen-do would... But one can avoid, yes, one can..." He laughs madly, more an exhausted cough, really. "You, sama, you look like an honorable samurai". His voice is raspy and he sounds completely mad, but his garb, although badly damaged, could indicate a shugenja and no samurai would just kill a mad person anyway. He seems to recognize the characters, although he does not call them by their names. If the characters try to get some sense out of his babbling, a sudden thumping sound resonates on the quay and the beggar slumps, a bloody spot on the front of his ragged robes. A dart is sticking out of his chest and his voice becomes a hissing and painful sound while he grabs the nearest character in a desperate plea: "Take the box, sama, please... Protect it and find the others..." He is dead seconds later. But his other hand, sticky with blood, holds firmly a small wooden box. Any samurai would realize that no normal beggar would mention Ningen-do... The box is pretty, clearly the work of a skilled artist. A character who makes an Intelligence/Artisan or similar skill roll (TN 20) will recognize the Phoenix style. Raises will identify the Asako origin of the craftsmanship. The killers are already on the run, clearly not having expected too much resistance. Even if taken alive, they will not be able to give away their employer that they have never really met face to face (he was wearing the typical basket hat covering the face that many Brotherhood priests carry at all time). If the characters fight them, use the stats of standard bandits (low level) or add a Maho-tsukai (for higher level characters). In any case, the assassins are not more than three and will run rather than get caught or killed. If the characters open the box, it contains only one scroll (the first prophecy) and a bizarre white bracelet. The bracelet can be recognized as a Nezumi fetish by anyone who has ever encountered them. Lore Nezumi TN 15 will otherwise be needed to recognize it (raises will indicate the Crippled Bone Tribe). It is not magical. Getting some help The main difficulty at this point will be for the characters to understand that they have only part of the puzzle and that they need to find the rest and contact the Nezumi. If they are a little bit thick or to slow to react, one of the following clues might help. Bringing the box and scroll to the local authorities won't give anything, but any magistrate will advise the party to talk to a shugenja. A local Isawa one will conveniently recognize the scroll for what it is and identify the Uikku style. He will gladly tell about the story of Uikku, but of course won't know anything about the monks. The same result can be reached by any shugenja or monk who would succeed with a theology roll TN 25. An Asako Henshin will succeed on a TN 10. Another clue might be obtained through the necklace. There are both some Crab samurai (Yasuki and Hida, easy to find) and some Nezumi (very hard to find) in the city. If questioned about Nezumi objects, the Crabs will indicate that the characters should contact the Hiruma family in the Crab Lands. If the character manage to contact the Nezumi in the city (Chipped Tooth Tribe) they will recognize the Crippled Bone style and will tell that they can be found near the "Big Wall

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towards the sunset". If the characters are really diplomatic and in exchange of something (shiny object, good food or a small service at the discretion of the GM), the Nezumi will admit they know that a monk contacted the Crippled Bone Tribe and gave them something valuable to keep. They will also say that they believe this thing could bring some kind of disaster on both Humans and Nezumi. Eventually they will say that the Crippled Bone was attacked by some kind of monster and lost this object. Getting tested Otherwise, they will begin to search for the Nezumi tribe. They are operating mostly in Hiruma territory, on both sides of the Kaiu Kabe (the Wall). But they won't be easy to approach. Sneaking on them might impress them if successful, but will probably anger them and requires some local knowledge (Hiruma scout or any other Crab Clan contact). Coming with respect and some symbolic presents is probably the best approach. In any case, the Nezumi will share their story and accept to guide the characters only after having tested them. The test will be quite harder than with the Chipped Tooth. It should consist of two parts: a fight with a captured bakemono (or mujina if the group is too weak) and a service. The service can be developed further as an adventure of its own by the GM, but otherwise it should be fairly simple and involve some social interaction with a local Hida magistrate. This Hida has confiscated the loot of a couple of ronin who had themselves taken some of it from the Nezumi. The Nezumi want this back but they don't know how to prove this. Normally, the character words should be enough, providing that they swear that the Nezumi are the truthful owners of the goods. Once this is done and the Crippled Bone trust won, the real trip behind the wall can begin, with two Nezumi guides. The characters can try to get more info on the monster who stole the scroll. Pressed, the Nezumi can describe the monster as a rather cunning oni, with multiple legs (somebody with Lore Shadowlands and an incredible roll might identify a spawn of Kiri no Oni). The guides will make a real show of using secret passages and warning for all Kaiu traps under the Wall. Make the characters sweat a bit, roll for some traps, but this is more a distraction than anything really dangerous, as long as they stick with the Nezumi. The Trapped Temple Shadowlands dreaming The journey takes about three days, in a very bizarre part of the Shadowlands. Fortunately for the characters, at that time, it is very quiet. Actually, apart from a couple of Mujina and maybe a minor oni spawn (if the group is strong or too cocky), the Shadowlands are way too quiet. Every time they sleep, they have bad nightmares. The GM should describe them in detail, most of them just twisted but long nightmares inspired by the haunted place, and featuring a bizarre temple. The temple looks like a jagged pile of rocks with a roof on it and rough carving all over the walls. There is something inside that the dreamer can't see. One other dream, extremely short like a burst, should be recurrent to all characters: They witness the ramblings of Uikku, burned by fever, while a quiet scribe religiously writes down every word. During day, the Shadowlands are the usual nightmarish rotten thing: moving landscape, twisted vegetation and mineral world, feelings of lurking presence in the background, weird movement at the corner of their eyes. On the third day of travel they should see the first cultist (use Asako Henshin stats or any monk type with Taint fitting the time you are playing), on a Perception/Investigation (Notice) roll TN 20. He is just a scout and will not fight them unless forced to do so. He will simply try to escape. An hour later, the first ambush occurs, just when the characters reach the entrance of a strange village. This time, the attackers are a mix of Tainted cultist monks and maho-tsukai. Apparently completely deserted, the village is made of exactly the same kind of jagged rocks as the temple in the nightmare, but a lot smaller (Intelligence roll TN 20). Each of the houses, or rather huts or

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shacks, is completely empty, and none has anything else than walls (three or four) with a sturdy wooden roof. Some have flat tiles on the roof but most of these roofs are badly in need of repairs. A couple of the huts have stacks of branches or stones inside, creating some kind of patterns which could be either decorative (in a very twisted way) or serve some strange purpose. Give the characters an occasion or two to realize how fake it is, like a Potemkin village. Various rolls can make character realize that no living being can live in such a village and that the walls and huts are barely standing and were build that way. Lore: Peasantry or Engineering rolls can determine some facts, while a very high Investigation could show the newness or flimsiness of the structures. Even if they miss this point, the characters should realize that the village is intended for relatively smaller beings (the size of children or of Nezumi). In any case, the ambush should force the characters to retreat inside the village, where it should be easier to fight against a greater number of opponents. The last prophecy The fighting is deadly and vicious. The cultists fight without any sense of self-preservation (generally in the Full Attack posture) and clearly concentrate on anyone seen carrying a box or scrolls. A temple stands in the middle of the city and fits what they have seen in their dreams. The fight pushes them into the temple, where they'll discover that the temple has been kept much cleaner and more orderly than the rest of the village. In the center of the room is a large altar, it is a very regular stone, rectangular, with what seems like Nezumi carvings on it. The walls inside looks decorated with some kind of ropes and knots. The tenth and last prophecy is there in a box, placed inside an opening in the altar, but in plain sight. Ambush All hell breaks lose, as the monks launch a massive attack to the temple, while an enigmatic figure, its face masked by a big basket hat, seems to lead them from a nearby rooftop. If they seem unable to dislodge the group from there, they begin to torch the roofs to force them out. The Shadowlands wood notoriously makes a poor combustible, more smoke than flame. As the group runs for cover on the central place, a huge spawn of Kiri no Oni breaks out from under the temple and ravages the city. The illusion vanishes and the city is revealed for what it is: the lair of the Oni and an elaborate trap. All the "ropes" are revealed as the web of the oni. They tighten suddenly, collapsing the temple walls on anyone who would have remained behind. The only things which can now save the characters are the fact that all traps and hidden pits have been prepared with Nezumi in mind and that the Oni had not anticipated the presence of the Bloodspeakers. It will thus try to eliminate them first (by casting web on them). Time to run for one's life. The group cannot find the hooded figure any more, but escapes South with the last prophecy. Their Nezumi guides (if any of them survived) will explain that it is better to take another way, towards the sea, rather than the same path back towards the Wall, as Shadowland creatures could take advantage of this and ambush them again. The Great Escape Thalassa, thalassa The fighting has attracted attention and there are now two parties which should hunt the characters through the Shadowlands: the rest of the cultists and a lose oni spawn. The Bloodspeakers are desperately trying to get the scrolls back and will specifically target the bearer or try to lure him from the rest of the group. On the other hand, the smaller oni spawn his going for the kill, first stalking, then striking from behind (There are numerous types of Oni in the CoR book. Choose the best for your party and your own sense of nastiness.). If it gets too bloody, make the oni spawn go for the Bloodspeakers, just during a fighting phase. The characters should eventually reach the coast, where the Nezumi are waiting for them with a small Crab-made

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kobune. With water up to the waist, the characters will board under a last volley of projectiles (darts or arrows) from their enemies. Heimin or not The departure goes fine and they are back to the port where they began. The characters should be nearly starving. On the harbor quay, refreshments are being served at Seki no Nazo to travelers and fishers alike. Various ronin are present, the usual unemployed crowd waiting for a job on a boat. Oddly, there is also a family of heimin there, in the courtyard, seemingly waiting for someone from the inn. They are a couple of poor sailors, maybe fishers, with two small daughters (maybe 6 and 8 years old). The innkeeper and a servant go out of the building to meet them, making very clear that they are doing them some kind of favor. The characters could overhear some of the conversation about a delivery of supplies for the inn. The daughter of the family innocently plays with the same metallic puzzle seen in the beginning. She solves it in one weird move, which triggers unexpected reactions from the spectators. The innkeeper and the waitresses are astonished, as well as various locals and some of them seem frightened. Some of the ronin look way too interested and begin to harass the heimin family. After a couple of words, it should be clear that they are attempting to take the little girl with them, to the protests of the parents. Unless the characters take side with the heimin, the ronin will simply grab the crying girl from her mother arms, as well as the puzzle and try to leave the inn, threatening anyone who would protest with violence. The second prophecy Whatever decision the characters take, the heimin father suddenly springs after them and kicks one of the ronin in the back, pushing him to the ground. The ronin draws a wakizashi, the father a simple stick. The ronin fight back and the inn patrons take various side in what promises to be a bloody bar brawl. The characters can follow the ronin group and see them go to a basket-hat hooded monk. They will be spotted then and will have to fight to get the girl back, while the monk runs away (and should not get caught). Or they can attack the ronin and save the little girl before they leave the inn. In any case, the head of the ronin group has another prophecy which will be found on his body (Perception/ Investigation TN 15). The character group should realize that the little girl is key to the last prophecy and this will be confirmed by any shugenja who communes with the kami in her presence. She has all the characteristics of a "human vessel". Unfortunately for her, it is not for a sympathetic kami that she is fit for, but for an incarnation of Fu-Leng (Theology TN 20 and Spellcraft Lore TN 25 to find this without help of specialized shugenja). Even if the characters do not ask a shugenja or do not have one in the group, getting information from the innkeeper or from the various patrons will give a bunch of rumors, all mixed with a bit of truth: the locals believe that whoever solves the puzzle will (depending on who you ask) be afflicted by a terrible curse, bring a terrible curse to his/her family or Clan or even become very rich. Conclusion XP points and taint XP points should be generously allotted, considering the difficulty. I know each GM has his own rules, but I would advise around 10 points per person. Be very careful about the Taint. It should not be given for just any scratch. However, making the characters sweat a bit is a good part of the experience. And if anyone is too selfish, violent or simply not as honorable as expected, increase his/her chances (but make it clear why beforehand).

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Further on? It is possible to expand this scenario into a full blown campaign (as I did) by simply adding extra prophecies. Ideally, there could be 8 prophecies relating to the Clans, 1 about Fu-Leng (the last one, found second in this scenario) and one specifically related to the future of the characters (tricky but can be left vague enough). The other prophecies can have been scattered around by the Nezumi, lost on his way by the unfortunate Asako scribe, recovered by some of the Bloodspeaker groups or even waiting quietly in the prophet‘s temple in the Asako lands. The Prophecies Note: I wrote these ten prophecies under the form of ten small poems, to cryptically reflect the events from the Race for the Throne (The Vacant Throne in the RPG), but a GM can probably adapt or change them to any period they prefer. I have given them titles related to the Clans, but of course, the characters might not know which one relates to which. The wolf, in my case, was a reference to the character group. The Crab: Snow-flakes on the wall, Thirsty heir will shatter jade But stone will prevail. The Crane: Nesting water bird, Why did your parents leave you? Choose to rest or to hunt. The Dragon: Ending the men's reign, The elements will prevail. What will kami chose? The Lion: After spring, summer! The rider will kill the king The cub will settle things. The Mantis: The hurricane struck, When sailors were unprepared, In the Shadows Sea. The Phoenix: Yet again reborn, You will burn your wings in vain, And your love with you. The Scorpion: Eight legs in the fall, Four hail the living kami, Four grab the steel seat.

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The Unicorn: After Winter, Spring! The rider will burn the forge, the race will begin. The Wolf: Seven fallen leaves, Evil soon will uncover And reform the pack. The tenth and last: Reborn from its web, I will need an untouched soul, Untangling the riddle. NPC and creature stats Nezumi of the various tribes as well Oni, Bakemono and Mujina can be found in the Creatures of Rokugan book. Kiri no Oni spawn statistics are on page 125 of the CoR. Ronins and other Clan samurai statistics can be found in the Emerald Empire book, at the end. Asako Henshin and Maho Tsukai rules are in the 3rd Edition of Legends of the Five Rings. For information, neither the little girl nor the puzzle are Tainted in any way.

Kakita Kasukaru

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Challenge – Focus – Strike Three shell game Note: This CFS was inspired by an episode of Stargate SG1. Challenge: The PCs finally capture an infamous maho-tsukai, perhaps as the final act of a larger campaign… Focus: While in custody, the maho-tsukai makes a shocking revelation to the PCs; he is merely a copy of the man they think he is. Through a foreign concept known as “kuroningu”, the maho-tsukai made several copies of himself. The man they have in custody is merely one of those many copies, or “Kurone” as he calls them. He asks them to keep him alive however, as he sometimes has flashes of the other copies’ whereabouts and can help him find them. Strike: The copy (for it is really what it is) is telling the truth, but what he is not telling is that he wants the PCs to capture all the copies (and perhaps even the real maho-tsukai) so they can be reunited in a single place (preferably close to the Emperor or some other important figure) to perform some sinister ceremony… Unholy Alliance Challenge: The Crab are worried about a new type of oni. They assemble a team to capture the oni, dead or alive, in order to allow the Kuni to study it, of course, the PCs are drafted, either because of their past experience with Shadowlands creatures or even with that particular breed of oni… Focus: While the main team prepares to settle for the night, they send the party on a scouting mission. Sure enough they rapidly spot the sought oni. An explosion is suddenly heard; it seems to come from the campgrounds. Strike: When they get back, they find the rest of the team slaughtered. Worse, they are soon followed by the oni they were looking for, as he also heard the explosion. The oni does not wish to attack the party (for now), as he recognizes this as the work of another oni that has been encroaching on its hunting territory. Of course, the encroaching oni being more powerful, it couldn’t really fought him off… but with the presence of the PCs who are now stranded in the Shadowlands he sees his opportunity to form an unholy alliance…

Kalajel