7

SECRETS OF THE DRAGON

CORTERTSIntroduction 4

The Path of Enlightenment (1), 4How tc Use Tliis Book 4Customs of the Dragon Clan 5

Birth SGempukku 5Courtship 6Superstition 6War 6Retirement 7Funerals/Death 7

History of the Dragon Clan 7New Mechanics 10Complete Dragon Feat list 11New Courtier Abilities 12

The Kitsuki 13The Path of Enlightenment (2) 13

The Kitiufei Province* 14Major Kitsuki Holdings - - - 14

Shiro Kitsuki 14Kyuden Tonbo 16Tci Koku 17Nnnashi Mura 17

Minor Kitsuki Holdings 18Kaagi noTamashii ISThe Kitsuki Archives 19Keen Eyes Strike Village 20

Important Kitsuki NPCs 20Kitsuki Kiyushichi., 20Kitsuki Mizuochi 2)Kitsuki Remata 23

Kitsuki Vassals 24The Sakura Family 24

Kttjufei Mechanic 26Ancestors 26

Kilsuki Kaagi 2&Kitsuki Hakada 26Kilsuki Yasu 26

Kirsuki Nemuranai 27Jotomon's Shinrai 27

Jotomon's Shinrai (Prestige Class) 28Jotomon's Shinrai (Advanced School). 28

The Mintmoto 29The Path of Enlightenment (?) 29

The Mirumoto Provinces 30Major Mirumoto Holdings 30

Heibeisu 30The Northern Towers of Flame 32Shiro Mirumoto 32Iron Mountain Dojo 33Tetsu Kama 33

Minor Mimmoto Holdings 35Hinanbasho sano Mitsu Shimai 35Maigo no Samurai Mura 36Yushosha Seido Mura 36

Extraterritorial Holdings 38The House of Golden Flame 38

Important Mirumeto NPCs, 38Mirumoto Rosanjin 38Mirumoto Taiu 39Mirumoto Temoru 40

Vassals of the Mirumoto 41The Zurui Family 41The Kouken Family 42

Mirumoto Mechanics 43Ancestors 43

Mirumoto Gojanuwnn 43Minimoto Masaya 44Mirumoto Sukune 44

The Dragon's Flame 45Nemuranai Seekers 45

The Tamori 47The Path of Enlightenment (4) 4?

The Tamari Provinces 48MajorTamori Holdings 48

Shiro Tamori 48The Wrath of the Kami 49Yamasura 50SuigekiToshi 51

Serpent's Tail Mine 52Minor Tamori Holdings 53

Tamori Seido 53Tamori Gardens 53The Crystal Cave 54

Important Tamori NPCs 54Tamori Shailung 54Tamori Tsukiro 55Kjgkt, Zokujin Prophet 56

Vassals of the Tamori 58Thelzaku 58The Chiyu 58The Hiasobi 59

Tamcri Methantis SOAncestors 60

Tamori Chieko 60Tamori Masume 61Tamori Tsutomi 61

Spirit Binding 62Spirit Binding 62Touch of the Furnace 62Touch of the Crystal 62

New Spells .63Honor's Ground 63Anvil of the Earth 63Earth's Touch 65

Stance of the Mountain 63Breath of Heaven's Fire 63

The Three Orders 65The Path of Enlightenment (5) 6$

Tht Three Orders' Prowintes 66Major Thtee Orders Holdings 66

Kyuden Hitomi/Kyuden Togashi/The High House of Light 66

Temple of the Sun 69Minor Three Orders Holdings 70

Taltaikabe Mura 70Fukurakujin Seido 71

Important NPCJ in the Ttir« Orders 72Hitomi Vedau 72Togashi Matsuo 73Hitomi Kagetora 75Togashi Satsu 76Hoshi Wayan 77

Three Orders Mechanics. 78Ancestors 78Playing the Three Orders 78

Order of Togashi 79Order of Hoshi 79Order of Hitomi 79

New Tattoos 80Eagle 80Rising Sun 80The Void 80Wolf 80

Ese Zumi Tattoos 81Kikage Zumi Tattoos 81TheTamashii 82

Tamori Tunnels 83The Zokujin S3The Tunnels 83Tamoti Tunnels Map 87

Behind the Veil 91The Dragon Lands 91.Enlightened Madness 92

Treating Enlightened Madness 93Madness Among the Togashi 93Madness Among the Hitomi 9+Madness Among the Hoshi 94

Knnashimi, Nightmare of the Dragon.,. 94The UDragon Territory Map 96

I

THE ?ATH OF

?A*T ORE•' Welcome, Miya liatort, to the end of your journey."

Haton glanced up in surprise, eyes widening & he noticed the manstanding at the top of a twenty-foot boulder, grinning down at him.He wore only a loose hakama. His broad shoulder; and shaven headgleamed in the selling sun, revealing a complex talloo pattern ofa white dragon, coiled about his chest and limbs. The Unicorn guardsthat accompanied Hatori gathered about the aid shisha warily,pointing their bows and lances at (he strange nwti.

"Who are you?" Hatori asked, unafraid as he studied the stranger.The tattooed man shrugged. "Just a curious observer," he said.

"I am Matsuo.""What di> you wish from me?" Hatori asked."I mean no harm," Matsuo said, holding out Ins hands and

grinning at the Unicorn soldiers to calm them. "You are undertakinga legendary journey, and I only wished to be a part of it. like Sun Taoof old, you have i/isited each of the Great Clans and learned from[hum."

"True," Hatori replied, "but I am not the great general Sun Taowas."

"Perhaps," Matsito replied. "On the other hand, unlike Sun Tao,it appears that you are going to survive your adventure. So, m a way,you art more successful than he,"

"You Dragon have a peculiar way of looking at things," OtomoTaneji said. The young courtier shielded his eyes with one hand ashe looked suspiciously up at the Dragon.

Matsuo raised one eyebrow. "You think that I'm peculiar?" Matsuoreplied. "You must not haw mti many members 0/my dan."

"Actually, I knew several Kitsufsi diplomats in Otosari Uchi,"Tanejt replied stiffly. "I am familiar with your clan."

"Haton-sit ma, I recommend you keep an eye on yourfnend here"Mntsuo said, nodding toward Tanqi. "Any man who would judge allthe Dragon families by the conduct of any one of them is due fora series of rude and unpleasant surprises during your stay here,I think."

"Do not worry forTanejt," Hatori replied with a laugh. "So are youan emissary from lord Satsu? I cannot believe that our encounterhere is pure coincidence."

"in truth you are correct, but Lord Satsu did not send me" Matsuoreplied. "My friends among the Scorpion sentuwd that you would bearriving, and asked thai I watch over you."

The Unicorn soldiers exchanged uncomfortable glances at themention of the Scorpion Clan. Their clan had only just narrowlyaverted going to war with the Scorpion in the city of Ryofeo Owari,and the Scorpion's friendship with the Dragon Clan was welldocumented. These Unicorn had accompanied Hatorf specifically toprotect him from Shadowed Tower agents. Even the mention 0/ theirhated enemies was enough to draw the soldiers' ire.

"I apologize if that offends your Moto friends. I mean no disrespector slight to their honor. It is merely that, well, you know howthorough the Scorpion can be and it was a way to return a favor. Youcan imagine how eager I was to repay a favor to a Scorpion, neh?"He laughed brightly, glancing around as if fearful some hiddenScorpion would hear.

Afew of the Moto chuckled under their breath at that. They lookedat the Dragon with new respect. Matsuo leapt from hts perch andlanded nimbly in the road, approaching (he group cautiously, handsopen to show he held no weapons.

"Togasht Mitsuo?" Fuzake Sekkou replied, suddenly pushing hisway to the head of the group. "Now I remember where I have heardof you. You are Togashi Mitsu's student!" The shabby little shugen/aclimbed down from his horse, striding forward and extending onehand toward Matsuo, who looked upon (he gesture with surprise,Sekkou only caught himself at the last moment, realizing that theUnicom customs he had been practicing for (he last several weeks nolonger applied here. Be/ore he could pull his hand back, Matsuoshrugged and clasped it firmly anyway, shaking hands with theMonkey.

"You have heard of me?" Matsuo asked with faint surprise."lord Toku was a friend of your master," Sekkou replied, "Many

storytellers tell tales of Mitsu's extraordinary adventures, and Tokuhas invited all of them to the Vigilant Keep. You feature prominentlyinto many of the newer legends."

"Really?" Matsuo said, fascinated. "I had no idea that I wasfamous. Perhaps I shall have to allow my fame to go to my head. I'vealways wanted to be arrogant and now at long last I have an excuse.Wonderful!"

"You are much like your teacher? Hatori said with a grin. "How isMilsu lately?"

"Fine, presumably," Matsuo said, looking up at Hatori. "When lastI saw him, he was plummeting into a collapsing cavern filled withmolten, lava. I have not seen him since, but (here is no reason tobelieve we will noi meet again."

'"How can you be 50 sure Mifsu survived?" Taneji asked. Tane;i hadno doubt heard the legends o/Toga<hi Mitsu, but the cynical courtier'stone showed he was reluctant to put much stock in them.

"Either Mitsu is alive or he is not," Matsuo replied in an even tone."Either way, I have no doubt that our paths will cross again. When Isee him again, I shall tell him what I have seen, and he shall tell mewhat he has seen, and we will both grow from our adventures."

"In the meantime, perhaps we could share tales of your adventuressomewhere more comfortable," Ilaton said. "Perhaps you know of away station or a village nearby?"

Matsuo nodded. "There's one nearby with a very nice sake worksand geisha house. There is a dancer there named Mae. The Tao saysthat each man must find his own path to enlightenment; sometimesI think that I will find the path to mine in her eyes."

"Is that not unseemly, Matsuo-san?" Taneji asked, regarding theDragon with a sour expression. "I thought that the tattooed menof your clan were holy monks."

"Some of us are more holy than others," Matsuo said, beginning tolead the way down the path. "And even the man who has swornoff sweets might still enjoy (he smellof the bakery."

Taneji blinked, shocked by the young mnnk's demeanor. Hatorionly snickered as he rode past. "It has been too long since I visited theDrsgon, Taneji. You will learn much here, if I'm not mistaken."

HOW TO USETHIS BOOK

Secrets of the Dragon™ is a sourcebook designed for players andGMs alike who are interested in adding depth to their visionof the Dragon Clan. Unlike Way of the Dragon™ which detailedthe history and the clan's major institutions, this book givesfiner detail to the different families, their organization,holdings, vassal families, and lesser-known schools, amongother things.

Secrets of the Dragon™ is broken down into chapters asfollows:

The Introduction deals with the Dragon Clan's history,some general customs that the clan as a whole embraces,and several new mechanical options appropriate for Dragoncharacters.

Chapters One through Four each deal with an individualfamily or group: the Kitsuki, Mirumoco.Tamon, and the ThreeOrders. Each chapter presents information on the family'sholdings, including several points of interest for each holdingand some adventure hooks for GMs, major NPCs within thatfamily, descriptions of the vassals families that serve them(explained later in this chapter), and new mechanical optionsfor characters from that family,

Chapter Five: The Tamori Tunnels explores a curiouslocation in Dragon lands. All the information needed for aGM to use these tunnels as the centerpiece of an adventureis presented.

Chapter Six: Behind the Veil details the darkest most peculiartruths about the Dragon. The quest for enlightenment is adifficult one, and sometimes the results can be unexpected.

CUSTOMS OFTHS

Dragon monasteries. The practice is so common that manyDragon monasteries serve dual purpose as both holy sites andorphanages.

BICTHWith the exception of the Phoenix a.nd the Mantis, theDragon are not an exceptionally large clan when compared toother Great Clans. Birthrates among the Dragon are relativelylow, so every birth is a fortuitous event. When a pregnantwoman is about to come to term, it is the husband's duty tomake certain that the house is protected from evil spirits.Blessed strips of coiled paper called "spirit catchers" are hungall around the inside and outside of the home. Local shugenjaor monks may be asked ro visit the home andgrant their blessings. Any home wherea child is about to be born can easily beidentified from the extraordinarystashes of holy objects and spirit-catchers placed around it. It is notuncommon for total strangers tovisit such a home and offertheir blessings and goodwishes to the child.

Though the peasants ofthe Dragon Clan aretreated well, many ofthem are poor com-pared to other clans.The Dragon are not awealthy clan, and agreat number ofheimin quickly dis-cover that they areunable to supporttheir children. Fortu-nately, theTogashi,Hitomi, and Hoshiorders are always

willing to adopt unwanted children and raise them asmembers of their order. Destitute peasants wishing a betterLife for their children anonymously deposited babies outside

The families of the Dragon Clan are a wildly contrasting lot.Customs that seem normal to a Hitomi or Togas hi wouldappear outlandish to a Mlrumoto, and vice versa, So it is withtheir gempukku; as each Dragon family has a unique perspec-tive and purpose within the clan, so does each have a differentritual for coming of age.

The Mirumoto are the most traditional of all the families.Their gempukku involves a lengthy, solemn ceremony inwhich the samurai-to-be must recite his lineage and the greatdeeds of his ancestors. The samurai is then granted a pair ofswords, which he is expected to use to demonstrate a masteryof the Niten stances before the assembled onlookers.

The Kitsuki also have a traditional sort of gempukku,though they focus upon martial prowess less than theirMirumoto brethren. Kitsuki gempukku ceremonies alwaysinvolve some sort of test of wits. Visual puzzles, riddles, andtests of memory are all common but the test is rarely the sametwice. At times, the samurai is not even informed that he istaking the test — perhaps he is told that his new swords aremissing and he is asked to help find them — until the test hasbeen completed successfully Once the test is completed, theKitsuki is considered a true samurai.

Tamori gempukku ceremonies are solemn and to the point.After a ceremony involving several days of seclusion andfasting, the young student is brought before his master.The master offers a satchel of blessed scrolls and asks onequestion - "Why do you wish to bear our name?" If themaster is impressed with the sincerity of the student'sanswer, then the ceremony is complete. It does not trulymatter what the student says, so long as he is concise andpassionate in his beliefs.

The tattooed orders of the Dragon arequite secretive about their initiation tech-niques. All involve extensive study ofthe Tao, meditation, and ritual tattoo-

ing with magical ink. The seniormembers of the order monitor thetattooing process carefully, for thetattoos reveal much of theirwearer's soul and destiny. It is notuncommon for aTogashi studentto end up swearing fealty to theHitomi, or a Hoshi to join theTogashi, and so on because thestudent has a demeanor and

destiny more appropriateto another order.

•

• .

f i l l JCOUSTSHI?

In a family as reclusive and enigmatic as the Dragon, it issurprising that their customs around the formalities ofcourtship are fairly straightforward. It is rare that members ofother clans seek a political alliance with the Dragon, and thefamilies get along with each other quite easily, so marriagestor political reasons are rarer than in other clans. Marriagesfor love are common, though in all cases a samurai must askpermission from his daimyo before he is married.

Among theThree Orders of theTogashi, Hoshi, and Hitomimarriages are unusual. Though not all members of theseorders take vows forbidding marriage, most do. Whena member of one of these orders takes a spouse, he or she isusually expected to leave the order. Only if the prospectivespouse intends to join the Dragon and pass the order's initia-tion ceremony or if" the Dragon Champion deems that atattooed monk can continue serving the dan's interests evenmarried and far from home is such a marriage allowed. Thosetattooed men who do marry into and live among another clanoften take the name of their spouse. When solely in the pres-ence of other members oi the Three Orders, sttch individualsmay refer to themselves by their former name.

Marriage ceremonies in Dragon lands are humble affairs,though they rarely occur in humble locations. Marriages thattake place in natural surroundings are best. Waterfalls, forests,and mountain peaks are popular choices for marriage cere-monies. The most powerful and wealthy Dragon can afford toarrange their ceremonies in the most exotic locations. TogashiSatsu's recent marriage, for example, look place near the peakofTamori's Furnace, in the glow of the rumbling volcano.

UASSAL FAMILIESThis book introduces a number of vassal families,

lesser samurai who serve the great families. Thoughdescribed in previous sourceboolcs (such as WinterCourt: Kyuden Seppun and Rokugan) these vassalfamilies have never been specifically detailed.

Vassal families occupy a rather unique socialposition within the samurai class. Within the familyand clan that they serve, they are recognized fey theirunique family name as a means of recognizing theirdistinctive service to the clan. Outside the clan, how-ever, they are identified by the name of the family theyserve. Favoring one's vassal name above the sajfamily that one serves when speaking to an outsider isa presumptuous and arrogant act, one that impliesthat the individual presenting himself is so wellknown that the listener would be more familiar withhis own lineage than that of the family he serves.

For example: Zurui Tanaka is a member of the Zuruivassal family of the Mirumoto. To all Mirumoto andother Dragon samurai, he is known as Zurui Tanaka.In thelkoma histories and to outsiders, however, he isknown as Mirumoto Tanaka. When presenting him-self to others outside the clan, Tanaka may introducehimself as "Mirumoto Tanaka of House Zurui"or simply "Mirumoto Tanaka of Zurui." If a member ofany other clan should visit Tanaka in the Zurui familyestate at Shiro Zurui, then he would be entitled to

" - v — •*/ — • . - v . ™ - - — • • • • ; . * - . . - • . , — - ». —

assumed the visitor realizes that he is in Mirumotolands.

One notable fact about Dragon ceremonies is that, thoughthey are monks, the Three Orders rarely perform marriageceremonies. However, it is seen as good luck to have an isezumi present at the ceremony and bad luck for a kikage zumito be present, if the marriage happens during the day It isgood luck for n kikage zumi to be present and bad luck for anise zumi to be present if the marriage is at night. Having anequal number of ise zumi and kikage zumi will cancel out thegood and bad fortune, and having a member of the Order ofHoshi present is always lucky.

SUPH^STITIORSuperstition is a complex matter for the Dragon Clan. On onehand, there are a number of omens and portents that they takeso seriously that they are not considered superstitions — theyare legitimate premonitions of danger caused by disharmony inthe elements. Ironically, any superstition that is not known tobe reliable is treated as a frivolous waste of time.

Members of the Three Orders (especially the Togashi)have been known to play subtle games with superstitions,inventing new ones and spreading them about the populacejust to see what sort of mischief they will cause. The idea thatchildren who do not cry will become fearless warriors wasoriginally a Togashi prank, but it is a custom the Mirumotohave come to embrace and entorce among their children.The Three Orders mean no true harm, and in fact are find itdeeply fulfilling when one of their bizarre jokes brings truemeaning and faith to someone else's life.

The Dragon are fond of Kawaru as a means of gauging whatthe future might hold. This form of folk magic divinationoriginally created by an Isawa shugenja, though in modernlimes the Dragon avoid speaking of its origins. Kawaru reliesupon six lined figures known as hexagrams, which arerandomly cast using stones, sticks, or coins. The resultingfigures are then interpreted using a ritual Kawaru scroll.Though the scroll contains only brief descriptions for themeaning of each hexagram, the possible combinations andinterpretations are countless.

The Dragon often have somewhat curious practices whereghosts and spirits are concerned, especially Dragon monksand shugenja. In the eyes of a Dragon, the Celestial Order andthe political order of the Empire are one and the same.As such, the Dragon show all ghosts, nature spirits, andassorted karai the same respect that they would to any samuraiof higher station, A traveling Dragon monk may well pause inhis journeys to bow to a particularly impressive waterfall, referto a mountain as "sama" or even pause in a forest known to behaunted to leave behind a gift for the spirits who rule theforests just as they would present a gift to the lord of the landsthey travel through. Though some Dragon do such thingsmerely to heighten their reputation as eccentric outcasts, justas many believe that showing such respect to the spirits keepsbalance and harmony in the world. In truth, more than onevengeful ghost has been taken aback by Dragon etiquette,giving the Dragon time to help the restless spirits find the wayto their proper place.

The Dragon are not traditionally a clan that seek to solve theirproblems through warfare; in fact many Dragon live theirentire lives without seeing a battlefield. However, for everyreclusive Togashi or pacifist Tamori, there is a Mirumoto whohas honed his blade and prepares for the day when he muststep forward to defend his clan. The Dragon are unique among

the Great Clans in that throughout their entire history, theirclan borders have never changed. They have neither lost norgained territory, and usually have no aspirations to do so.In recent years, when volcanic eruptions instigated by theDark Oracle of Fire left a great deal of the clan's arable farm-land barren, the Dragon armies were forced to temporarilyexpand into Phoenix lands. It was not a choice the Dragonundertook lightly. When the decision to do so led them to abloody war with their former allies in the Phoenix, manyDragon military leaders concluded that they were wrong tostray so far from their traditional policies.

When the Dragon do go to war, their decision to do so is asunpredictable as anything else their clan does, if the Dragonsee conflict brewing that they believe will ultimately bringgreat harm to the Empire, they will not hesitate to intervene,even joining forces with an ally who does not seek their aid.The Clan War is an excellent example of this, when TogashiYokuni's armies (led by the future Emperor Toturi) appearedwithout warning to fend off the Crab Clan's invasion of Cranelands. The Dragon fully realize that their meddling is notalways welcome, and their troops are sometimes forced to fleetheir erstwhile allies once the battle has been won. All thesame, the Dragon feel that the overall balance of the .Empire ismore important than their clan's safety.

It can be safely said that no other clan truly views retirementin quite the same way as the Dragon. While clans such as theCrab avoid retirement, seeing it as an end to their necessaryduties, and clans such as the Crane see retirement as a justreward for a life well led, the Dragon do not see retirementas such a fundamental change in a samurai's life. Quite theopposite, many Dragon decide to follow the path of Shinseiand take a monk's vows, and yet continue to serve as a samurai.In other clans, such a thing is entirely contradictory —the path of Shinsei requires too much dedication for a samuraito also serve his lord as he is expected.

The Way of the Dragon essentially makes all the difference.The Clan's philosophies and duties already place a great deal ofemphasis on personal growth and enlightenment, thus it isnot impossible for a Dragon to become a monk and still befully capable of serving his clan as he is expected. Among theThree Orders, such can even be an advantage as a monasticlifestyle and education can help to better understand thosefamilies' strange ways.

The Mirumoto and Kitsuki families have a more traditionalinterpretation of bushido, and thus still view retirement as theend to a samurai's career. Retired Mirumoto and Kilsuki donot continue to serve the family, though many join the ThreeOrders and take the Hitomi, Togashi, or Hoshi name.

Dragon funerals are surprisingly informal. Most Dragon havelittle fear of death, viewing it as essentially one more changein an existence fraught with constant change. Even theimmortal KamiTogashi could not avoid death indefinitely,and met his fate with courage.The Dragon follow his example.When a Dragon dies, he is ritually cremated as normal. Elabo-rate gravesites are uncommon; scattering the ashes of the deadin areas of serene natural beauty is the norm. Friends andfamily will then gather to say their good-byes. These cere-monies are infonnal. Some choose to leave gifts such as rice,sandals, or warm blankets by the grave, gifts intended to makethe deceased spirit's continuing journeys more comfortable.

Dragon gravesites are typically unmarked, but they are invari-ably near a shrine or monastery of some son. The monks keepcareful records of which areas are resting places for the dead,and whose ashes he there, for it is their duty to mate sure theunmarked burial sites are not defiled. During the Clan War,Yogo Junzo's army destroyed a number of Dragon monasteries,leaving no survivors. As a result, a number of Dragongravesites are now unmarked. Any time the Dragon seek tobuild a new castle or village, there is always I he danger thatone of these ancient gravesites will be disturbed. As a result,most new construction in Dragon lands begins with asliugenja magically surveying the area to make certain that nolingering ghosts might be disturbed.

HISTQ^V OF THECLAR

Mirumoto and Shinsei: year 42Just before the final confrontation with Fu Leng, Shinsei takesthe Dragon Thunder aside and makes a single command —"No escape," Understanding, Mirumoto stands apart from theother Thunders even as they fall one by one to the Dark lord.Even with only Hida Atarasi, tsawa, and the Dragon swords-man left on their feet, Fu leng begins to doubt his chances forvictory and attempts to flee from the scene — only to haveMirumoto step right before him, burying his daisho with alightning strike into the Dark Kami's chest. Atarasi assaults Fuleng while he is distracted by the Dragon's blades, givingIsawa just enough time to sacrifice himself to trap the soul ofa dark god in twelve scrolls of power. With his final act, Ful e n g unleashes his fury at the vassal oi his meddlesomebrother, and cleaves the Dragon's head from his shoulders.

Togashi and Shosuro: year 82Corrupted by the touch of the lying Darkness, Shosuro turnsaway from the Scorpion and seeks her last hope of salvation —the enigmatic Dragon Kami. Unwilling to cause further imbal-ance in the universe by initiating a confrontation with theDarkness, Togashi traps Shosuro in a prison of pure crystal, theonly substance able to keep the power of the Nothing at bay.In an attempt to maintain the purity of the Scorpion Thunder'ssoul, he frees the uncorrupted spirit of Sliosuro back into theKhaimic Cycle, where it awaits its time to be reborn,

Agasha Steel: year 87For decades students of the First Agasha Foundry attemptedto use their magic to create the "perfect steel". Eventually, theybegin to fold two types of steel into one by heating the metal.As a result, the Agasha are able to craft blades that are noteasily broken and keep a sharp edge, Such a dramatic advancein the an of smithing cannot stay long in the hands of onlyone Clan, however. In less than a decade the Dragon findmembers of other clans utilizing Agasha techniques to createtheir own superior blades.

Death of Togashi: year 101lady Doji visits Dragon lands in order to speak with the last ofher surviving siblings. She is turned away at the gates withnews ofTogashi's death. Deep insideTogashi Mountain theKami allows Rokugan to believe him dead. He allows hismortal body to pass away and inhabits the first tamashii —• anenlightened ise zumi prepared to carry Togashi's sold.

Togashi's Secret: year 210Two hundred years after H.antei's coronation, ScorpionChampion Bayushi Oshiro sets his spy network to discoveringthe truth behind the Dragon's mysteries. His own daughterventures to Togashi's mountain, but does not rerum for sevenyears. When she does, she is blind and her hair is streakedwhite — but Togashi's greatest secret was hers. She is pregnantand her baby will be the child of a Kami. She leaves Scorpionlands after sharing the truth of Togashi's identity with herfather. Unbeknownst to the Scorpion Clan, Togashi's bride alsoretrieves tiieTwelith Black Scroll for the Dragon Kami, whichhe takes under his personal protection.

Creation of Kaze-do: year 268As the Empire grows, so too does the division between theclasses. It expands greatly when the third Hantei commandsthat no peasant may carry a weapon on pain of death. Thisunintentionally leaves all heimin with no defense against thedangers of the land, both natural and otherworldly. Few-consider the peasant's plight worthy of attention, but one man— an ise zumi named Togashi Kaze — takes action. Kazedevelops a new style of jiujutsu and makes it famous bydemonstrating it on furious (and well armed) samurai anumber of times. The Emperor requests a formal demonstra-tion of Kaze's technique, but the monk refuses, stating the anis for the peasants alone. Enraged by the monk's effrontery,the Hamei orders Kaze's death and he goes to his grave neverhaving taught a single samurai his style.

The Kidnapping of Hantei VI: year 391Sent on taking the power of the Emerald Throne for their own,tbe Gozoku Alliance plots the end of the Hantei line with thedeath of Hantei Fujiwa's heir, the sixth Hantei. Unbeknownstto his co-conspirators, Bayushi Atsuki is visited by the DragonChampion unexpectedly a week before the assassination is tobe made. Togashi requests the Hantei heir be spared andinstead allowed to live as a figurehead of the Gozoku's rule.The Dragon Kami cryptically states, "The time of the lastHantei has not yet come." Seeing Togashi's advice as implicitapproval of the Gozokti's course, Atsuki alters the designs onHantei VI and gains immeasurable confidence in his actions.

The Coronation of Hantei Yugozohime: year 43SThe death of the last Gozoku-controlled Hantei heir signals aterrible blow to the organization, but the leaders of thealliance are still confident in their ability to recover. Seeingonly the Lion Clan in iull support of the would be Empress;the Scorpion, Crane, and Phoenix Clans prepare to crush thethreat 10 their rule as quickly as it began. However, whenthe ambassadors of the Dragon make it plain that legions ofMirumoto soldiers, unchecked for the entirety of theGozoku's rule, are in place to cut the Imperial Lands off fromany sort of military action from any Clan save the Lion,the Gozoku's end is all but confirmed.

Agasha Ryuden in the Twilight Mountains: year 501Seeking to make a peaceful communication with a powerfulEarth spirit believed to live within the Twilight Mountains,Agasha Ryuden stumbles upon an ancient secret of the area.Deposits of ote line the depths of rock for miles around, allcreated by the blood of some unknown creature. Curious inthe extreme as well as an accomplished swordsmith, Ryudenfrees some of the material and in the process of forging it isdtiven mad by the dark spirit of the First Oni. Within amonth, Ryuden creates the Anvil of Despair with the metaland sacrifices the Boar Clans blood to it.

The Rule of the Steel Chrysanthemum: year 589The insane and paranoid Hantei XVI covers the Empire in ashadow of fear as be orders mass executions and other grue-some measures against any real or perceived threat against hispower. Three times during the rule of the Steel Chrysanthe-mum, leaders from the great houses attempt to meet and plota way to honorably and lawfully remove the maddenedEmperor, all of which end with an agreement that the Hanteimust be executed — destroying the notion of tbe HanteiDynasty's superiority and right to rule. All three times, thegroups ate broken up at the source by the machinations ofDragon diplomats or generals are called away to deal withsudden skirmishes on their borders with the Dragon Clan.Eventually, Hantei XVT is killed in a Less organized revolt byhis own Seppun guards, after which the Miya and Olomofinda new Hantei heir. With the matter being dealt with as aninternal matter of the Imperial Line, the security of the HanteiDynasty is maintained.

Dragonfly is Founded: year 704Despite being betrothed to a samurai from the Lion, IsawaMaroko marries her true love, Mirumoto Asijin. Furious withthe insult to his honor, AkodoYokutsu leads an army of 5,000Lion to enact vengeance. A larger army comprised of bothPhoenix and Dragon halts Yokutsu and protects the coupleand their lands. The combined forces demand the Lion gen-eral swear be will never bring harm to Maroko and Asijinagain. Pleased ai the show of solidarity and peace between thetwo notoriously reclusive clans, the Hantei commemoratesthe event by giving the couple a family name — Tonbo — andMinor Clan status. The Dragonfly, while sharing close ties toboth the Phoenix and Dragon, quickly become more involvedin the affairs of the Dragon due to their proximity.

The Kitsuki Family is Formed: year 820An unusual, but lackluster shugenja named Agasha Kitsuld isaccused of murder. He is given a single day to utilize his oddmethods to prove his innocence. Kitsuki manages to produceboth proof and testimony that exonerated him and, in recog-nition of his incredible powers of perception, is granted bisown family name.

Kokujin: year 1118Sensing the coming return of Fu Leng, Togashi meditates,reflecting upon his own soul's readiness... and finds it lack-ing. Though the Dragon Kami has remained apart from muchof the Realm of Mortals for the past thousand years, even he isnot immune to its touch and realizes the darkness and imper-fections that have crept into his soul. The power of Fu Leng issuch that even Togashi's immortal and divine sold could beturned against the Empire if he is not completely pure. Know-ing thai his confrontation with his dark brother is inevitable,Togashi makes a choice that will haunt his clan for years — hechooses two tamashii from this generation. Upon one heplaces the burdens of doubt, remorse, desire, fear, and angerthat have built up within him over (he millennium. The newise zumi takes tbe name Kokujin, and is driven immediatelymad by the Kami's "gift". Though Togashi attempts to counselKokujin and calm his soul, the torture of a god's heart is toomuch for the mortal man and he disappears into the Shadow-binds.

Shoju Seeks the Council oiTogashi: year 1123Like every Scorpion Champion since Oshiro, Bayushi Shojuknows rhe true identity of the supposedly mortal DragonChampion. In response to a revelation of Uikku's darkest

prophecy, naming the last Hantei as [he doom of Rokugan,Shoju seeks the guidance of the ancient Kami. To Shoju's greatsurprise, Togashi lakes no offense or outrage to the Scorpiondaimyo's plan to assassinate the Hantei Emperor, Instead,Togashi knows that Shoju has his part to play in the greatkaimic cycle, and stands aside as the final struggles of historyunfold prior to the Day of Thunder.

The Battle of Beiden Pass: year 1127Dishonored by the death of the Hantei and cast out as ronin,Toturi is taken in by the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Championsurprises the Empire (and his own commanders) by decreeingToturi the commander of the legions of Dragon samurai andvanishes to perform his own preparations for the second riseof Fu Leng. The ronin Toturi leads an army comprised mostlyof Dragon agains 1Hida Sukune in Beiden Pass. The Dragon isezumi prove instrumental in defeating the Crab's Siiadowlandsallies and the Crab are prevented;from rampaging furtheracross the northern Empire. During the fray, MirurnotoHitomi is lost and presumed to be dead.

The 2nd Day of Thunder: year 1128The Kami Togashi reveals his true nature to the Seven Thun-ders and leads them in battle against Fu Leng. The Dark Coddefeats him, but Mirumoto Hitomi, now bearing the ObsidianHand, reaches into his body and tears out his heart. Absorbingthe power and wisdom of Togashi, Hitomi breaks the final sealon the last Black Scroll, freeing Fu Leng completely •— andbinding him fully to the mortal shell of Hantei Sotorii, Nowsomething quite different than mortal, Hitomi only watchesimpassively as the other Thunders defeat the Dark God andleaves Orosan Uchi in silence.

Banishment of the Togashi: year 1129Casting off her Mirumoto name, Hitomi seemingly goes madand commands all those who tear the name Togashi to swearfealty to her. She changes the name of Kyuden Togashi toKyuden Hitomi and slays all thai refuse her decree. To theconfusion of even her most devout followers, Hitomi wel-comes the Tainted ise zumi Kokujin into the Dragon Clan asher personal hatamoto. Sensing the growing darkness of theObsidian Hand that is now part of her, Hitomi attempts to useKokujin's experience to temper her own trials. Some of theTogashi name escape alongside Togashi Hoshi, the Kami's son,and are sheltered by his long-standing allies in the Brother-hood of Shinsei.

The Agasha defection: year 1131Disgusted with the actions of their insane Champion, themajority of the Agasha decide to follow Agasha Gennai andbreak their oaths of fealty to the Dragon Clan, They swear alle-giance to the Phoenix Champion and are welcomed into the(lagging ranks of the clan. Less than a dozen Agasha — includ-ing the Agasha daimyo,Tamori — remain behind, unwillingto dishonor themselves by betraying their ancestral oaths.

War in the Heavens: year 1132As an army comprised of Naga and formerTogashi assaultHitomi's last fortress a series of events orchestrated by theLiving Darkness frees the trapped Shosuro and allows Koku-fin to steal Togashi's Daisho. By the time Hitomi realizes hermistakes and regains true lucidity it is too late. The brush withthe sinister forces grants the Dragon Champion unique per-spective into the affairs of the Lying Darkness and she enactsa plan to undo the damage her madn&ss has wrought, Hitamigathers several artifacts born oi the power of the Moon — the

TH£ CSJ-SSTIAL SU/CRPOF THE D^AGOR CJ-AR

The Celestial Sword of the Dragon is an incredibleblade, engraved from the tip of the blade to the tsubawith images of coiled dragons. Its hilt and tsuba ismade of brilliant gold, though it is far stronger andlighter than normal gold. The sword is not as deadly incombat as the other Celestial Blades, but it providesits wielder with a strong defense and a keen under*standing of the Spirit Realms.

Tsi Xing Gno gave the Celestial Sword of the Dragonto Hoshi, but Hoshi only carried it for a day. He passedthe sword to his son, Satsu, who lias carried it sincethen. Satsu has never revealed the name of the swordto anyone. After recovering his grandfather's daisho,he revealed the reason why. Tsi Xing Guo also forged awakizashi to match the Celestial Sword, and hid itsomewhere in the Dragon Clan provinces. Satsubelieves that one day a true hero of the Dragon willfind the wakizashi, realize the name of the sword,and come to claim it from him. That hero will be giventhe blade, and will become the Dragon Champion'schief defender henceforth.

The Celestial Sword of the Dragon is a +5 defendingkatana that gives the owner a +10 sacred bonus to anyskill check and a complete immunity to illusionspells. The katana's wielder can sense all passages tothe Spirit Realms in his immediate vicinity and canopen an existing passage once per day.

3Tlie Celestial Sword of the Dragon is a Legendary

Quality katana, inflicting 2k3 damage aad adding 25 toits wielder's TN to be Hit. The wielder gains a numberof Free Raises equal to his Insight Rank on any skillcheck not involving an attack roll, and can see throughall magical illusions. The katana's wielder can sense allpassages to the Spirit Realms in his immediate vicini-ty and can open an existing passage once per day.

Obsidian Hand, the Obsidian Mirror, and the Bones of LordMoon — and challenges Lord Moon in the Heavens. Bol-stered by the spirit of Togashi and the power of the artifacts,the once-mortal Hitomi proves Onnotangu's equal anddestroys him.

The Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness: year 1132The Dragon Thunder goes on a great quest and crosses theentirety of Rokugan in 27 days, searching for a worthy secondto complete her seppiiku. She arrived last at the Shrine of theThree Sisters, who help her complete the ritual of sheddingher mortal life. Hitomi ascends into the Celestial Heavens tofill the void left by Onnotangu and a new Moon shines downonce again on the mortal realm.

Reunification of the Dragon: year 1132Togashi Hoshi claims leadership of the Dragon and restoresthe Togashi name. The son of Togashi reunifies the scatteredDragon Clan and adds to their ranks the monks who had

sworn fealty to him during his banishment. Learning fromthe legacy of kikage zumi and guidance Hitomi leave? behind,Togashi Hoshi readies the clan to confront the Lying Darknessand end its threat.

Tamori's Betrayal: year 1140Not all of the heroes who returned from Oblivion's Gatereceive great accolades. Agasha Tamori, thought fallen duringthe fighting, reveals himself as alive. The former Agashadaimyo is deeply Tainted and ftdl of anger at the family whobetrayed the Dragon Clan. When Hantei XVI begins callingfor allies at the beginning of the War of the Spirits, Tamoricomes to the returned Emperor's side, believing that the SteelChrysanthemum will be the means to gain his vengeance.When the spirit armies are defeated and the last of his hopesscattered, Tamori embraces the Taint within him fully andbecomes the new Dark Oracle of Fire.

The Tamori Family is Formed: year 1150One of the many concessions Toruri makes in order Co halt thewar with the Steel Chrysanthemum is the creation of a newfamily in the Dragon. Ostensibly, Hantei XVI wishes toreward the falleiiTamori for his loyal service, though it is clearthe Steel Chrysanthemum enjoys cornering Toturi intonaming a family in honor of a man perceived as traitor andTainted villain by his own clan.

Eruption of the Dragon Mountains: year 1155The Dragon mountains erupt and send molten rock downacross many of the precious few fertile farmlands of the clan.The catastrophe comes as a result of the Dark Oracle of Fire'spower, forcing the Dragon into the Phoenix lands and precip-itating even worse relations between the two clans. Unknownto either clan, the Dark Oracle's actions are directed by themanipulations of Tamori Chosai and Isawa Hochiu, both menexpecting the war between their clans to foster a new age ofheroes and triumph.

Destruction of Kyuden Tonbo: year 1158With the death of the Splendid Emperor comes an end TOpeace in the .Empire. Within days the dispute between thePhoenix and Dragon erupts into all-out war and the Phoenix'sallies in the Lion clan begin to mobilize. Akodo Ijiasu, at thehead of an army of Lion, completely destroys the Dragonflyand finally avenges the insult that Akodo Yokutsu could not.

Snow and Fire: year 1159Deciding to finally crush the Dragon armies, the ElementalMasters join the Phoenix armies against the Dragon. TamoriShaitung emerges to face the Council, and manages to holdoff a few of the Masters alone. When all five Masters turn theirattention on the Tamori daimyo, it becomes clear that noteven her surprising power can defeat them all. Instead of vic-tory, Shaming surprises the Council again and opens up theearth beneath them. All six vanish into the earth and bothsides assume Shaitung sacrificed herself to bring down theElemental Masters.

The Reconstruction of Kyuden Tonbo: year 1159In an odd move for the Wolf, Toturi Sezaru journeys to theweakened Dragon lands and offers the supplies they neededto survive. As thanks, the Dragon allow Sezaru the right toclaim the ruins of Kyuden Tonbo. His awesome powerrebuilds the fortress in a single day and the Wolf creates anewbase of power to begin his own formal bid for the SteelThrone.

Kokujin's Duel: year 1159Kokujin sends word to the Dragon that he is willing to give upTogashis Daisho if seven o( them would face him in combat.Led by the son of the Dragon Champion, Togashi Satsu, thegroup confronts Kokujin in the Twilight Mountains. Thoughthe Dragons expect betrayal, the Tainted tattooed man shocksthem all by revealing the rrue nature of his bargain. Instead ofmerely handing over the daisho, Kokujin plans to use thedefeated souls of Satsu's companions to torge his own swordson the Anvil of Despair and then set Hoshi's son free. With theunexpected arrivals of Togashi Mitsu and Kaelung, Kokujin isdefeated, but not killed and the Dragon survivors returnhome not only with the swords of the Dragon Kami, but withthe immortal wisdom of Togasbi in the soul of Satsu,

The Dark Oracle of Fire: year 1160Tamori Shaitung reemerges in the Dragon alongside IsawaNakamuro, Phoenix Master of Air, with frightening news.During their imprisonment beneath the ground, they havediscovered the true reason behind the war wiih the Phoenix.In the ensuing fray, both Agasha Tamori and Isawa Hochiuwere defeated. Forced into the conflict against the Oracle,Tamori Chosai is tortured by Tamori's undying fires until liesubmits to the touch of theTaint and takes the mantle of DarkOracle tor his own. Just as the new Dark Oracle of Fire movesto turn his wrath against the Dragon and Phoenix, IsawaNakamuro uses the Covenant of the Dark Oracle of Fire tocommand Chosai to leave Rokugan and never return. Havinglost both her father and uncle to the Shadowlands, Shaitung'sfury becomes more focused and tempered by the wisdom ofher experiences.

Peace in the North: year 1161The Dragon and Phoenix Clans resume their previous rela-tions of peace and brotherhood, knowing that maintainingthe enmity between them would only continue the legacy of aDark Oracle. Though the Agasha and the Tamori may nevercome to terms, the clans as a whole set the war behind themwith a final act — the Dark Covenant is placed in a Dragontemple under Phoenix guardianship to ensure Chosai's ban-ishment will remain secure.

SW TilSCHARICSThe Legend of the Five Rings game setting has been officiallypresented in two separate game systems, the Legend of the FiveRings RPC 2nd Edition System {presented in the Player's Guideand Game Master's Giiidt) and Wizards of the Coast's d20System™ (presented in Rokugan,"" the official supplement toOriental Adi/entures™). While these two systems are somewhatdissimilar, the setting presented in both versions of the gameis the same, and thus it is our intent to present a sourcebookthat is useful no matter which of these systems you chooseto use when running your game.

Generally, when a new rule or mechanic is presented,whenever applicable we will present equivalent d20 System™and L5R RFG 2E System versions in close proximity.

Rules and options for the d20 System™ look like this.

Rules and options for the LSR RPG 2E System look likethis.

COMPLETE TSCHR1QUS FEAT J-IST

IB

FeatAmbidexterity-Armor FocusBlind-FightCleave

PrerequisiteDex 15+Armor Proficiency

Str 13+, Power AttackCombat ReflexesDaisho Specialization

Daisho Technique

Depths of the VoidDifferent SchoolDodgeElemental AttunementBxotic Weapon Proficiency (katana)ExpertiseGreat Cleave

Greater Daisho IGreater Daisho IIGreater Daisho IIIGreater Daisho IVHeart of the Dragon

Improve d Two-Wea po n Fig h 1 i n g

MobilityPower Attack.1:Soul Forge

Togashi's Technique

-+5 Base attack,Weapon Focus: Karana or Wakizashi+1 Base'attack, Wis 13+,Martial Weapon Proficiency (katana),Martial Weapon Proficiency (wakizashi)Void Use, SamuraiBy DM permission onlyDex 13+Wis-lj-f. '+1 Base AttackJfat 1?+Str 13+,+4 Base attack,Power Attack, CleaveSamiftai level i3th+Samurai level 15th+Samurai level 17th+Samurai level 19th++10 Base attack, Wis 13+, Cleave,Martial Weapon Proficiency (katana),Martial Weapon Proficiency (wakizashi),Daisho TechniqueDex 15+, +9 Base attack,Two-Weapon fighting, Ambidexterity,+6 Base attack, Void UseDex 13+Str 13+Iron Will or ancestral daisho,Masterwork weapon or armorDex 13% Dodgej Mobility, +4 Base attack+6 Base attack, Wis 13+,Martial Weapon Proficiency (katana),Martial Weapon Proficiency (wakizashi),Daisho Technique

LocationPHB

RokuganPHBPHBPHB

Rokugan

Rokugan

RokuganRokugayi

PHBRokugan

PHBPHBPHB

MoRMoRMoRMoR

Rokugan

PHB

PHBPHBMoR

PHS

P

Void UseWay of th-e Dragpft

Weapon Focus (katana)

Whirlwind Attack

+1 Base attadt, Wis 13+,Martial Weapon Proficiency (katana),Martial Weapon Proficiency (Daisho TechriiqiseWeapon Proficiency (katana),+1 Base attackIm t3+,Dexl3+,+4 Base attack, Expertise, Dodge,Mobility, Spring Attack

FHBRokugunRokugan

PHB

PHB

Occasionally, extensive new information may he exclusiveto a specific system (such as New Paths for the I5R RPG 2ESystem or new feats for the d20 System™). In such a case,the information will follow the same convention as above.The d20 System™ material will appear in black and the L5RRPG 2E System material in blue.

In the case of characters, occasionally, a character's namewill be followed by a short explanation of his character classin lieu of full statistical information. Such an example mightlook like this:

TO*ITAI£A TATSUHS[Samurai 6/Berserker 4/ShadowIands Veteran 10; HidaBushi 5/Hida Avenger 3]

The information presented before the semicolon is thecharacter's class and level in died 20 System.™ The informationpresented after the semicolon is the character's rank andschool in the L5R RPG 2E System.

Sometimes material must be presented for one systemor the other. In such casesj this text will be contained in a

callout box with a gray background, such as the one below.The headers for these boxes will clearly label which informationis tor the d20 System™ and which information is for the LSRRPG 2nd Edition ("I5R RPG 2F).

COMPLETE E7*A<jORTECHRIOUS FEAT LIST

The following lable lists all feats available to samurai playercharacters as bonus technique feats, allowing those who wishto make a Dragon character to use a single reference whendoing so. This list supersedes the ones presented in OrientalAdventures and Rohigan. Feats that were prerequisites for otherfeats on this list were added, and some with excessive prereq-uisites that did not fit the Dragon fighting style wereremoved. To balance this loss, other feats from the Player'sHandbook have been added.

Abbreviations for the locations of these feats are as follows:PHB-Player's Handbook, MoK=Magu of Rokugan, OA=Or:mliilAdventures, WoN=W«y of the Ninja, SoB-Secreh of the Dragon.

TU/O HEAl/ERS

THE l/TVRIGHTEOUSWILL FALL

TSCHTUQUHIYou can draw upon the eternal wisdom of the Dragon toprotect you from harm.

Prerequisite: Wis 13+.Benefit: You may add your Wisdom modifier to your AC in

place of your Dexterity modifier, if your Wisdom modifier ishigher. Your maximum bonus to AC is still limited by theMaximum Dexterity Modifier of whatever armor you wear.This bonus applies when you are flatfooted if your Wisdommoditier is higher than your attacker's.

Note: If you have a class ability that already allows you toadd your Wisdom modifier to your AC, this feat allows you toadd your Wisdom modifier twice.

THE * l l / E * SMJQTLVtnXAGOR TECHRIQUSa

As the swordsman's strength flows out through one's swords,so does it flow back into the master of Niten.

Prerequisites: Str 13+, Cleave, Power Attack, Void Use.Benefit: Any time you make successful use of the Cleave

feat, you regain one Void Point.Note: This feat only applies in combat. If a character

attempts to Cleave chickens or trees simply to regain Void, theGM is free to determine that it does not function, or that thecharacter's ancestors become wrathful for such disrespect foran ancient technique.

T*UTH IS l a THE ICILL1RGrn^Aoon TSCHRIQUSI

Your overpowering will causes enemies to lose their focus.Prerequisites: Depths of the Void, Void Use, base attack

bonus +10 or higher.Benefit: As a standard action, you may spend a Void Point

and target any opponent that you see within 30 ft. That oppo-nent must make a Will save (DC 10 + half your level, rounddown + your Wisdom modifier). If your opponent fails thissave, they may nol spend Void for any reason for the durationof the encounter, and any technique feats that specificallytarget you have no effect. Once you have successfully usedthis feat, you may not use it again during that encounter.

TSCHTUQUSJYou can work yourself into a righteous frenzy against an oppo-nent who iails to tall before you.

Prerequisites: Str 13+, base attack bonus +1 or higher.Benefit: Each time you strike an opponent in combat, you

gain a +1 damage bonus on further melee attacks againstthem. This bonus stacks each time you strike them, bui youimmediately lose all bonuses accumulated from the use of thisfeat should that opponent ever be more than five feet awayfrom you. This added bonus may never be higher than yourlevel. It yoti do not strike your opponent for one round, thebonus decreases by one.

REU/ COURTIS* ABILITIESAt fourth level and every third level thereafter members ofthe courtier character class gain courtier abilities chosen froma short list (see pitge 35 ojf Rokugtin™). The following newcourtier abilities are available to any Dragon Clan courtiers.Members of other clans who have taken the Different Schoolfeat and applied it to the Dragon may also learn these abilities.The normal courtier abilities are still available for Dragoncourtiers.

Kitsuki's Scrutiny (Ex): You may take 20 on a Search rollto study a specific area, up to ten square feet per level. Onceyou have done this, you gain a +10 bonus on all Hide, listen,Move Silently, Search, Spot, and Sense Motive checks while inthat area. You must familiarize yourself in the area for at leastten minutes a day to maintain this bonus, doing nothing butstudying the area. You may simultaneously maintain this abil-ity in one area per four levels of the courtier class you haveobtained.

Be tke Mountain (Ex): The will of rhe Dragon is absolute;each time an enemy fails to break your will, you only becomeall the more fortified against him. Any time you succeed at aWill save or an opposed skill check against an opponent, yougain a +4 morale bonus to all further Will saves and opposedskill checks against that opponent (this does not apply toopposed Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution skil) checks).This bonus lasts for twenty-four hours and stacks with itself,granting a maximum total bonus equal to your level.

Justicator (Ex): As a standard action, you may make anIntimidate against any one target within thirty feet, opposedby the target's Sense Motive check. If your Intimidate check issuccessful, you may name an action to your opponent. (Thisaction may be a movement, an attack against a specific targetwith a specific weapon, or a specific skill check.) if your oppo-nent fails to perform this action as soon as he is able, you gaina +2 morale bonus on all attacks against him, the save DC ofyour courtier abilities are increased by 2 against him, and yougain a +2 bonus on skill checks against him. These benefits lastfor the duration of the encounter, if the action you demand isdishonorable, you lose honor as if you had performed it your-self. You may only use this ability successfully against anopponent once per encounter.

TWS 7ATH OFTWO

The foothills near tht southern edge $f Dragon lands cb'ulAgenerously be described as spnnciy fvputaUd. HiifoW xnil-hh coin*panions, together with thtir Unicorn guards and tiu 'enigmaticTogashi Mntsuo, had traveled mound the mountains' edg'.fdrdays

encountering a sign of any civilization beyond theil jxownf'5 fertnhouse. Thi groups' mood Wiis beginning

to son-r despite K&rfsutfs constant assurances iftirtific.fr destinationwas ''iitsi aral(ri$; the'fcome.r" when, finally, a large. •becamt vsihh .ift'w^Miiing sun's fading light. Uslarge cliff overlooking the pinn^^0i}uih led Hatqthat, if apprutiched from ad\\}^-<d •.•,nno», the Ibe obvious for hnun before-oaVfiVer reached it Knowing theDragon Clan's penchant for ilrange, f.sokxic -kssons, that wasprobably ittttntU/nptl,:

"it mil btgooA'iv sleep in civilized surroundings? 'Camjipj£j)^i|i||itK;ri sJgfi. The young Qiomo had never really taken

'^-'^wai-, dcspU how often his duties took him now \he

"Civilized surrotidiings? Matsvo said niriotfily. "Odd. I'vealways fowid stones and mountains more civilized than most

fii'sJncsn'f swrprtw me," Totieii mtttfemi"Whtii is ffiis jiWe, M

"Thtp Last Hojfst1," thetnjmk answered, "if is the- final jtoftijt^ri'eittfrmg tKt Dnigon lands,* Ht smikd fcivadly. :'I though-pfirhapyour Mota fnends migjii ettjkrj/ ct.J?if p/Dingon «ife befarr kavingfathom?!'

A murmur of assent rippivd ihrough the Atolo guard*. Ihey hadfen With Hatori for several weeks now. and. though Ihcy hadnever offered any complaint, the old Miya km:w that they wete lessthan pk«s$4-:]jgtfi $a dmb an assignment- "They sfinf! have all. thesakefhev;!. jfigf h'-; said tvilh D nod."Tk<:Miya know Ii6w$jshnwgrati!!:j;> tu (Jwii- friends?

Th'i'.'iMi -'House -proved,much larger than it appeared atfirst gtahce, which Bat&tiiassumed was because ofih halation,virtually guaranteeing fttyst travelers would sfesp fisn* before enter-ing Dmgon lands. It was not a partiaiiariy bwy iinieofye.ar fortraffic, however, and there-were reluU^jrf^^herspresent.Indeed, Baton's party doubled the .nuffli?§Hf ^ii-rtins witliin tli^He use. Otifgji? ft«d SMH fj ilu> MrfWttt'fc'wltl rriimieii toMsg?IUME, which was more private and removed from tin1 flow \)f traffic;- '

mnit clad in Dragon colors wf at HaUnj'fMhk withnn(i Sfkkou, engaged in qiiifl rtinuc^tion wiih the two

j . Hf noticed Union's apprpae}^jr^p-'0i-bowed deeply."Greetingi, Miya Hflton-soma," : ^ O p i l i * o & l y . "I atn Kiisuki ••Kiyushkhi. Pkme forgive my most mipofiic intrusion into yourparty ihiscvening, but J ucsfied to speak to you before you 'retired,•X(:YO.a<;'\ifiih me to leave, however, I will gladfy-waif until

"I would hope ihat.% wall be among frie.ndi with tfte DtugortClan," Hatori replkd,%nd[fritnds have no need of apologies.Mease, join us Krytlshicki'Satt. I u'Oiild mjoy hearingof your

before we inwelnorth in die

Kiyushithi smiled and sat down, gesturing for the serving girl tobring more lea and nee. "The Kitsuki are honored to have you amongus, Hatori-sama. You have ever been a font for order in this chaoticworld, and there- are many among my family who are great ad mi rersof youn, myself included."

Ratori raised his eyebrows questwnmgly. "Among the Kitsuki?I was unaware that we had entered the Dragon lands as yet!'

"The Kifsufei provinces are roughly two hours travel to the north,"the young man confirmed. "The Last House, however, is one of myfamily's extra-territorial holdings. We maintain it to . . . welcomeguests to the Dragon landi."

"To observe those about to enter your lands, you mean" Hatori(aid. "But 1 have teen no Kitsuki here tonight. Other than yourself,of course."

Kiyuihichi smiled. "1/ you. saw another Kitsuki, then they wouldbe doing a poorjobo/observing you, would they not?" He took a sip oftea. "We prefer to be discreet. We do not wish to offend potential guestsby implying that we do not trust them."

"Do you trust them?" Taneji diked."We trust no one" Kiyushichi answered primly. "When someone

prows ivarfhy of our trust, us Hafon-sama did many years ago,then we can offer our genuine friendship rather than traditionaldiplomacy. If svrrteone proves unworthy" he shrugged, "then we area!ready prepared."

"Suspect everyone of being your enefny and you will never bedisappointed," Sekkoii observed. "I always thought that was oneof AkooVs more cynical writings,"

"Leadership is far more than a tactical treatise," Halorr said."If was a philosophy us much as (lie Tao. If seems the Kifsufei agreewith rt, at least in part."

"We agree with what our senses tell us, and in what we can gainfrom observation," Kiynshichi said. "Bew agree with our way ofthinking, but there is evidence to support it in most great works ofliterature. Most just re/use to apply them as we believe their authorsintended;"

"] imagine few would agree" Taneji said."Perhaps not," Kiyushirfu said. 'Tell me a lie, Taneji-san.""What?" the Otomo asked."Lie to me. Tell me from where you arrived at the Last House."Glancing at Ha tori, Trmeji frowned. "We've ji«t arrived from the

Imperial City, ofcoune. Toshi Ranbo.""Of course you have" Ktyushichi smiled. "I'm certain that there are

a large number of Moto soldiers in the capita! who are availablefor escort duty, for both the Lion and Crane are well known for theirtolerance of large military groups stationed near their borders.And despite the good condition of roads between here and the capital,you have managed to acquire mud stains on the hem of your kimono,most likely from <i simple trek through the wilds. Curious that thestains seem to be largely clay, which is only found in the westernmountains, and riot between here and the capital. Also curious thatyow should be so low on supplies when your trip could not have takenmore than three or four days at the outmost. Perhaps you took anextended i isit to a shrine between here and there?"

Haton laughed at Taneji's discomfort. "A valuable lesson, my loyalattendants. Never lie to a Kitsuki. You'll only look like a fool,"

THE ItlTSV/KJ

While home to the Dragon Clan's diplomats andmagistrates, the Kitsuki lands' appearance belies the family'sgenerally friendly nature. The northern peaks in the Kitsukiprovinces are surrounded by twisting valleys and easilyconfuse those who are not familiar with the safe path through.Sparsely populated, the family's lands contain the most impor-tant resources the Dragon have: the gold mines that providethe clan's wealth are found here, as are the goats that theDragon depend upon for the milk and fleece they provide.Most peasants in the Kitsuki lands are quiet and withdrawn,preferring their own company to that of outsiders, even tomembers of other Dragon families.

The Kitsuki have the honor of having the most arableholdings in Dragon lands as well as the duty to act as the clan'sdiplomats and magistrares. This makes them the clan's face:magistrates are the clan's eyes, diplomats and courtiers are itsvoice. The family's dedication to justice has even spread to thepeasants of their provinces: if pressed, most can quote Shinseior discuss philosophy and law to a surprising extent.

The Kitsuki provinces can be found just north of ToshiRanbo, the Imperial city, west from the Sleeping ThunderMountain near Phoenix Lands, and east rrom Unicorn lands.None but the Dragon are quite sure where the border extendssouth trom the lands of other Dragon families in the moun-tains. Then again, few outside the clan travel any further thanShiro Kitsuki in the first place.

Prior to Toshi Ranbo being named as the Empire's capital,the Kitsuki provinces were traveled primarily by magistrates,courtiers, and merchants. Now, however, the roads to ShiroKitsuki and KyitdenTonbo are filled with diplomats fromacross the Empire. The Dragon's strong presence in the Impe-rial Court has also had its effects on the Kilsuki: many of theinns and houses along the roads of their lands have doubledtheir capacity over the last year to be able to handle theDragon ambassadors' retinues.

iClTSVltlHOJJ7IR0S

SHRO KJTSUICICLOCATIOTI P

Among the lew places that visitors to the Dragon provincescan expect to easily travel to, Last Step Castle is so named forthe steep hills and mountains that lead away from this castleup to Kyiiden Hitomi. Shiro Kitsuki is also the final destina-tion for those who might wish to test their might against theGreat Climb to the west. It is said that there is a secret pathdown to the flatlands below, but the way is only known to theKitsuki and the few tattooed men who occasionally must go torescue a Crab or Lion who has discovered that the mountainsare too steep even for their considerable skills.

HIGHU/AVS OF THEICITSUIil ?*Ol/IRCSS

Kitmki's Dance (Connects D9 to Dll) — Connecting thetwo major castles within Kitsuki lands to oneanother, this road can be difficult to maneuver,especially during the winter months. Those who ireadept at moving through the hills and country hawsgiven this road its name through their deft actions.

Tht Kited of Concordant Peace (Connects Dll to D12) — Theroad from KyuderiTonbo toToi Koku is well traveledand has seen many improvements in the past fewyears to accommodate the increased traffic it sees.The Dragonfly originally requested its name asa beginning to the pence or negotiation process thatvisitors to their lands would need to go through.

The Bind Hand's Way (Connects DU lo D13) — An allu-sion to both the mercenary nature of NanashiMura aswell as to the tendency for ronin to help villages alongthe road in exchange for food and shelter, the WolfLegion now patrols the eastern half of this road at theKitsuki's request.

The Path of Changing Handi (Connects D12 toLS)—^ Origi-nally named long ago after the constant battlebetween the Lion and Crane over Violence BehindCourtliness City, this road from Toi Koku to Oiku hasbecome known as a heavily traveled route by thosetrading with the Dragon as well as by Kitsnlri who areon their way to visit the Imperial capital in ToshiHanbo.

Shiro Kitsuki was originally created as a sort of gateway intothe Dragon mountains by the Mirumolo and started out aslittle more than a few guard towers and a small barracks,After his performance in saving the Mirumoto daimyo,however, Agasha Kitsuki was awarded the lands between theGreat Climb and the Great Fall. Kitsuki felt that his family'shome should be as close to the mountains as possible whilestill accessible to outsiders. It has been slowly built up overthe last two and a half centuries to be as formidable as anyother Dragon castle.

Last Slep Castle has been home to the Kitsuki daimyo sinceits founding and has been the home of every Dragonmagistrate in [he Empire, at least temporarily, Until the Dojoof the Perfect Word was constructed near KyudenTonbo, thelargest court in the entirety of Dragon lands was located atShiro Kitsuki and most trials and sentencing in the Dragonlands are still carried out here.

Perhaps the smallest castle in the Empire, Shiro Kitsuki isstill well fortified and its walls have been recently beenenchanted by the Tamori to repel even the most determinedinvaders. Anyone attempting to climb or scale its walls willhave no trouble until they are approximately halfway up.At that point, the stone will suddenly become impossible tohold on to and anyone not bearing the Kitsuki name will findthat their climbing equipment (ropes, grappling books andall) has turned into dust. More than a few assassins have beenfound dead at the wall's base, every bone in their bodyshattered.

Kitsuki Mizuochi, the family daimyo, has recently commis-sioned new living quarters to be built for visitors to the castle.Since the capital was established at Toshi Ranbo, Last StepCastle has seen considerably more visitors than in the decadeprior. While Mizuochi welcomes the visitors with a smile, hehas also increased security and secretly worries that theincreased traffic will give either the Kolat or the Goju moreopportimities to attack.

POJO Or THE FIXST GJ-ATICECreated by Agasha Kitsuki shortly after being named familydaimyo, the Dojo of the First Glance has long been used totrain the Dragon's magistrates andjusticatorsin the matters oflaw and investigation. Students are constantly challenged bytheir instructors and by other students to feats of concentra-tion, memorization and willpower. Typically, most studentshere will have been local magistrates tor a few seasons andwill come here to gain the training necessary to be sent out inthe name of justice.

few recognize the difference between a typical magistrateand a Kitsuki justicator. It is the justicator's job to bring incriminals found guilty for sentencing. The justicator typicallyallows the condemned to die honorably in a duel if they donot wish to face imprisonment or the potential dishonor theircrimes may cause their family. Such Kitsuki are well trained inboth iaijLitsu and kenjutsu, much more so than their brethrenin the courts. One magistrate in twenty is deemed skilledenough to be trained as a justicator and all are personallytrained by both the dojo's master sensei as well as the highesttanking member of their kind, the individual who holds thetitle of Master of Justice.

The final test for students at the Dojo of the First Glanceis called "The Naming". The dojo's master sensei, KitsukiGensui, gathers the current students in the courtyard shortlyafter dawn. Gensui proceeds to rename approximately fiftycommon items and actions that are used in every day life. Forthe next week, each student must use those new names whenspeaking and are constantly tested on their memory and usageof those names. Those who tail even once are required to usethe names for an additional day for each mistake and cannotpass their gempukku until they have successfully completedthe Naming for seven days with no errors. This teaches thestudents that what they see and sense is far more importantthan what they are told by ibose under suspicion. As a result,many Kitsuki magistrates can see through almost any disguiseand have occasionally apprehended bandits and criminalsthought to be long dead.

lilTSUkl 55RSUI[Samurai 7/Emerald Magistrate 5; Kitsuki Magistrate 4]Master sensei of First Glance Dojo, Kitsuki Gensui is a tall,thin man with brightly dyed red hair, Originally attemptingto impress a Lion samurai-ko with the change in hue, Gensuihas made a habit of renewing the shocking coloring eachseason. His students say that the color of his hair reflects theinner passion that he never allows to show.

Gensui is seen as a cold, efficient teacher with little toler-ance for failure. More than a few of his charges have spentyears longer attaining their gempukku than would normallybe necessary. The sensei understands that not everyone can benaturally perceptive, but will work his students until he isconfident that no detail will escape their trained eye.

•

: •

Recently, Gensui has begun teaming the samurai who willreplace him as sensei. Kitsuki Gekijin is a bright man in hislate twenties who bias excelled at every test Gensui has put himthrough, Gekijin is more interested in becoming a justicatorthan in taking Gensui's place, but he understands his duties tohis clan and will serve wherever he is ordered to do so,

ADl/ERTUSE HOOK.Challenge: Kitsuki Gekijin, while an excellent student of

Gensui's, has encountered problems in the past controllinghis temper. In an effort to gain control over his emotions, theKitsuki samurai has been visiting a small waterfall just east ofLast Step Castle, attempting stand in the rushing waters aslong as he possibly can while keeping a straight face and a cooldemeanor. It was during one of these training episodes thatGekijin managed to lose the wakizashi from his daisho, onethat has been in the family for six generations. During theirvisit to Shiro Kitsuki, he has contacted a player characters,saying that the evidence he has gathered so far has led tosomeone in their group, but that he would like to quietly dealwith the situation,

focus: The testimony given by another student, KitsukiShomin, would seem to implicate a party members, but it wasactually Shomin that stole Gekijin's wakizashi in a jealousattempt to dishonor him. Shrewd characters will be able touncover the theft if they dig deep enough and actively solicitGekijin's help in accumulating clues.

Striker Once the thief is known, it is up to the party how toproceed. They can publicly disclose what has been happeningto thedojo's sensei, privately deal with either Shomin, Gekijinor both, or they can quietly return thewakb.ashi. If they opt tohelp Gekijin, he will thank [hem and make welcome any whowish to train at the Dojo of the First Glance in the future.

(LOCATION. DII raom. aoK.u<5AiuThe Dragonfly Clan was born from a marriage contractbetween a samurai from the Phoenix Clan and a shugenjafrom the Dragon Clan, The Dragonfly Clan's castle was notformidable, but was protected by enchanted walls and theDragonfly's cousins, the Dragon and Phoenix. The DragonflyClan once served as emissaries and go-betweens for theDragon and those who wished to petition them. The clan'smeager lands were ravaged during by the Lion during theDragon-Phoenix, war and the tamily was destroyed almost to aman. The family's salvation came via the blessings of ToturiSezaru. The eldest son of Toturi gained Fortune-like status inthe Dragonfly lands due to his benevolence and powerfulmagic. Sezaru's command over the elements allowed him torebuild the Dragonfly castle in less than a day and repair thedamage done to the Tonbo lands within a week. The Tonbo,while decimated, survive and have hope tor the future Thosethat train at the Dojo of the Perfect Word have found that theremaining Dragonfly treat the Kitsuki wiEh great respect,as they believe that without the Dragon's alliance with Sezaruthey would be lending rubble.

DOTO OF TH5 7SXFSCTFounded by the Kitsuki more than iifty years ago, this dojo hasbeen the center of courtly training in the Kitsuki provincessince that time. The Dojo of the Perfect Word was originallysituated on the border between Dragon and Dragonfly lands asa gesture of brotherhood between the two Clans. The dojo is

one of two places in the Empire that the art of ichi-miruis taught and continually refined, the other being the Dojo ofthe first Glance at Shiro Kitsuki. All the Kitsuki's courtiers aretrained here and most magistrates in the Dragon Clanwill have spent at least a few summers learning the arts ofnegotiation.

KITSUKI BASHIR[Samurai 2/Courtier 7; Kitsuki Magistrate 3]Kitsuki Bashin is a boisterous and friendly man, given tousing jokes and sarcasm to get his points across to hisstudents. Bashin was originally a student at the Dojo of thePerfect Word until his appointment as senset more than adecade ago, just a scant two months before the death ofToruri.Many of Bashin's duties took him from his dojo to OtosanUchi to escort younger courtiers or to attend the more impor-tant political functions during the Four Winds era. The youngsensei gained many allies during his stays in the capital ciry,especially among the Lion.

An extremely talented practitioner of ichi-miru, it is saidthat Bashin could describe eve 17 speck and detail of anyplacein Otosan Uchi and has never failed to recall any conversationhe has been involved in. These abilities have helped theKitsuki sensei both in his training of new courtiers and inextending the hand of peace to other clans. More than a fewtimes, the Lion or the Unicom found themselves with Bashinkeen eye to thank for saving them from a devious plot or anembarrassing political situation.

AIW5T11W5 HOOItChallenge: Many years ago, Kitsuki Bashin's timely

involvement in an extended trade negotiation between theLion and the Mantis earned him the respect of ikoma Sume,the Ikoma family daimyo. The two have been good friendsever since and frequently trade favors or information when ithelps the other party. In one instance during the Dragon/Phoenix war, Bashin sent a tattooed man deep into Phoenixterritory to aid one of Same's allies, Ikoma Fujimaro. With theubiquitous Togashi Mitsu's aid, Fujimaro rescued his Malsunephew from a Phoenix ambush and proceeded to harassPhoenix forces for the next several months, coordinatingseveral unexpected strikes against Phoenix caravans FLijimsrorecently returned to the Dojo of the Perfect Word with a largegroup of battle-hardened samurai, arriving at ihe same time asthe player characters (where most parties will end up, at leastfor a short time, while traveling through the Kitsukiprovinces). Any inquiries by the party as to the Lion groups'mission or nature will be met in strict silence.

Focus: Bashin will summon the player characters to hiscourt soon after they arrive with instructions to bring anyequipment or weapons they might have along. When theparty arrives, they will find Fujimaro waiting for them, speak-ing to Kitsuki Bashin in low tones. The Kitsuki sensei willquickly explain thai several groups of Bloodspeakers havebeen found hiding in and around the roads heading to LastStep Castle and throughout the Cteat Climb; they will proba-bly move their base of operations once they have been discov-ered, so the time to strike against them is now. Fujimaro willgo with only his troops if he must, but there is strength innumbers and both the Lion and the Dragon request lhat theparty members accompany the ikoma commander to fight theBloodspeaker cells.

Strike: The players are under no real obligation to help outIkoma Fujimaro, but any politically minded characters in theparty should understand that having both the Ikoma and theKirsuki indebted to the group would be beneficial. In addi-tion, once they join battle against the maho-tsukai in theDragon mountains, it will become clear [hat two local Kitsukimagistrates have become corrupted by the Taint and werehelping the cell evade detection. Should the party defeat theBloodspeakers and return with evidence and testimony as to[he magisterial cover-up, Eashin will heartily thank the groupand grant any favor in his power.

TOI ICORU(LOCATION P12 FSO/il *QKUGAir)

Toi Koku, while among the smaller villages in Dragon lands,has an extremely important function. Merchants travel hereto trade for the precious gold [he Dragon provide. In return,the Dragon procure all the rice they can to feed their popula-tion. The necessity of such trading has decreased during thelast several years, as now that the Kami's Wrath is no longererupting the eastern Kirsuki plains have been cultivated andput to work to feed the Dragon people.

Toi Koku sees an enormous amount of business during allseasons and one can typically find a great deal of koku passingthrough merchant hands here. Several small trading groundshave sprung up as a result, creating even more commerce forthe town. While Kitsuki samurai don't generally concernthemselves with money matters, any attack in or near ToiKoku will be met with a ferocity usually only attributed to theHida. The Kitsuki understand the village is essential to theclan and those that threaten it are threatening the clan.

RARASHI MUaAaocATion D13 raom aoia/GArr)

Originally created by a sanction from Togashi Yokuni a yearbefore Hantei XXXVTII was born, Nanashi Mura has grown agreat deal in six decades. Populated almost entirely by roninsamurai, the city has no fortifications or defenses to speak ofand a limited "official" city guard. Although close to Dragonlands, Nanashi Mura is technically outside the clan's bordersand therefore its population there is not included in theDragon Clan's statistics.

A haven for most any wave man, a ronin who comes toNanashi will be asked no questions about his past, so long ashe causes no trouble. Those who do decide to flaunt the lawwill soon find they are doubly damned: the local Kitsuki mag-istrates as well as the Eyes oi Nanashi, the ronin devoted todefending the city, will both make the offending ronin's lifemiserable. The recent addition of Wolf Legion forces hasadded another deterrent for potential troublemakers.

HAHASHI uojoThe Eyes of Nanashi have their headquarters here and haveoperated in this city since its founding.The Eyes have a specificagenda to regulate and police ronin giving them a better namein the .Empire. The ronin group will assist any who request aid,but will forcibly remove those who show themselves to bedishonorable. This policy, while harsh, has created a city wherea ronin can come to find employment, peace and acceptance.

Those who join the Eyes of Nanashi will find they havegained a staunch set of allies. The group has strong connec-tions with both the Lion and Dragon clans as well as manyother ronin organizations and can typically call upon a great

E HOOKChallenge: Kiriai are attempting to find several bandits

who are known to attack merchants traveling from Toi Kokuto Nanashi Mura. He finds little success thus far and hasexhausted the few leads he gained from local sources. Callingin favors among the Woli Legion, he has requested an audi-ence with the player characters to explain the situation andask them for their assistance in tracking down the criminals.He will try to be as diplomatic and friendly as possible, butmore perceptive party members will be able to see the worryin his face.

many favors in a time of need. Such strength comes with aprice, however. Members are forbidden to offer their servicesto enemies of the Lion or Dragon and are also required towork for either clan at a discounted rate.

The Eyes of Nanashi were originally supported by a collec-tion from the major businesses in Nanashi Mura, but havebecome self-sufficient in the last ten years. Ronin who jointhe organization donate a part of their fees ro the otokodate inreturn for choice assignments. Bounties collected from bring-ing bandits and outlaws to justice are paid by local merchantsto the Eyes and many caravans traveling through the northernEmpire employ members as guards.

Nanashi Dojo can be found near the city's center andmainly consists of living quarters and a large dojo where anyronin can train. There are a few offices for day-to-day opera-tions located at the complex's western end as welL

THE U/OLL/5S1 DETlThough its short history is rather confused, the Wolf Legion flj Ifinally finds its place in Dragon lands. While the Legion isprimarily headquartered at Wolf Keep in the Mirumotoprovinces, there is a small contingent that helps to policeNanashi Mura, Their barracks are known as the Wolves1 Den.

Most who stay at the Wolves' Den are the more political andhigh-minded Wolf Legion members. They use their connec-tions with differenl clans and tonin organizations to keep themembers outside the Dragon lands employed and out of trou-ble. It also falls to their leader, Kiriai, to deal with squabblesbetween the different groups in Nanashi Mura, a responsibil-ity that the Eyes of Nanashi have ceded to him at the requestsof Mirumoto Shokan and the Kitsuki daimyo Mizuochi

KI31R![Samurai 6; Mimmoto Bushi i/Wolf legion Otokodate l]Mirumoto Kiriai was a relatively young samurai when he wascast from the Dragon Clan Kiriai had been given command ofseveral men who were to escort a gold shipment from ShiroKitsuki to Toi Koku. During the trip, his caravan was assaulted,his men killed and the gold stolen. Kiriai managed to defeat afew bandits, but hid when it was clear there were loo many forhim to defeat. He left the Mirumoto shortly thereafter,ashamed of his dishonor and vowed to track down those hehad let escape.

Kiriai eventually managed to slay the group of banditsinvolved in the theft, but still felt empty. He had heard tales ofSaigorei's prowess during the Battle of Oblivion's Gate andmet the ronin general several months later. The two becamefast friends and when the Wolf Legion moved to the Dragonlands, Saigorei requested that Kiriai be their contact inNanashi Mura. The former Mirumoto accepted the assign-ment happily, as he felt he could finally help to atone for hissins and maybe create a home for himself and his son.

Focus: Kiriai has a right to be worried. What he hasn't toldthe party is that the bandits are led by his son, Giretsu. Theyoung boy left his father several years ago, influenced by talesof power and great wealth spread by a local bandit gangknown as the Knives of Yugoro, named after the Clan War erabandit leader. In a style befitting his band's namesake, he hasbrutally murdered many merchants and several ronin samuraito cow those who might resist the Knives' future predations.

Strike: if the party discovers the true nature of Giretsu,they can use the information as they see fit. Kiriai will commitseppuku if the nature of his son's actions is disclosed publiclyThe ronin leader will deal with those who would keepGiretsu's parentage quiet, but will not perform any dishonor-able acts just for the sake of it. He understands that his life isin the parry's hands and doesn't like the position, but can onlyhope that they act with compassion and discretion.

TQTV31 SSIDOWhile the Empire reveres Toturi as a great Emperor and asavior of Rokugan, the ronin of Nanashi Mura have created ashrine in Toturi's name, halfway between the city's outskirtsand Drowned Merchant River. The monks that tend theshrine are all either former ronin who have retired here inorder to honor the Black Wolt's memory or sohei who helpedfound Nanashi Mura.

Well-funded by donations from the Eyes of Nanashi, theWolf Legion and the mercenary fortunes of some samuraiwho have retired there, Toturi Seido is easily among the mostopulent buildings in or around Nanashi Mura. The shrine iscarved from white limestone that was brought lo the city atgreat expense. Most work the monks do each day at the shrineinvolves keeping the floors and edifices clean and bright orrepairing the red teak and yellow paper thai1 make up thebuilding's walls and doors.

JIURO2 KITSUKIBOLPIRQS

Although the Kitsuki are a comparatively small family, theirrole as intermediaries between the Dragon Clan and theEmpire ensure their presence wherever Dragon interestsmay lie.

ICAAGI RO TAMASHIILocated near Firefly River on ihe Unicorn border lies a smallshrine, refurbished and expanded in recent years. Knownplainly as Kaagi's Soul Shrine, it was formerly a temple and hasbeen rebuilt and rededicated. The shrine now serves twofunctions, to remember the contributions of Kitsuki Kaagito the Empire, and meanwhile to further develop friendlyrelations between the introspective Dragon and the inquisi-tive Unicom.

During his final investigation prior to his disappearance,Kaagi, in his capacity as an Imperial Magistrate, assisted asmall band of Unicorn in escorting a prisoner to Shiro Iuchi.Constantly beset by the Lying Darkness on their way todeliver the prisoner, Kaagi forged several friendships With theUnicorn he was traveling wirh. Although he disappearedshortly after the conclusion of this investigation, IuchiNotaiko, then a young shugenja, has become a highly influen-

tial member of her family. After the war with the Shadow, theDragon approached the Unicorn with a request to refurbishthe formerly run-down temple as a shrine to remember Kaagi,and Notaiko's intervention greatly facilitated events.

Kaagi noTamashii's .nature and location ensures a steady,if somewhat small, stream of visitors. As a shrine to a some-what obscure but historically significant contributor to thewar with the Darkness, magistrates, particularly Kitsukimagistrates, regularly stop by to pay their respecrs. Likewise,as a resting point between the Unicorn and Dragon lands,it serves as a way station for dignitaries and travelers passingbetween the two Clans,

The Drag on-Phoenix war brought the shrine into promi-nence as a trading point between the Unicorn and Dragon.Desperate for food lo feed their starving population,the Dragon traded heavily with the Khan's merchants, usingthe shrine as an impromptu meeting place for their caravans.A small village sprang up around the shrine, and remains tothis day although the trading has abated somewhat.

According to his journal, the final place visited by KitsukiKaagi prior to his disappearance was this shrine, where he wasto meet his brother Matsu lyekao, who had disappeared manyyears prior. Kaagi did indeed encounter his brother, who bythat time had been consumed by the Lying Darkness, Theshock of seeing his brother, combined with the mental toll hisprevious investigations had upon him, gave the Darknessenough of an opening that it began to consume Kaagi as well.However, the revelations Kaagi managed to gather fromspeaking with lyekao provided valuable insight into the LyingDarkness's nature, chronicled in Kaagi's journal.

During the war with the Lying Darkness, many uncon-firmed sightings of Kaagi were reported, all of which had himadvising or assisting the Empire in some capacity, followed byhim disappearing after the threat was resolved. Likewise, hisjournal detailed the Darkness's weaknesses and standardtactics, which aided the Empire in finding and fighting it.However, Kaagi's ill-fated meeting with his brother becamewidely known only after the Darkness had been defeated atOblivion's Gate. In the quietly prosperous years after the battleand before the Spirit War, [he Unicorn and Dragon acted tocommemorate Kaagi's work and sacrifices.

Kaagi's Memory, the name given lo the actual shrine com-ponent of Kaagi no Tamashii, is understated and utilitarian, asbefits its role as a memorial. A small display details Kaagi'swork and history, along with a short chronicle depicting thewar against the Lying Darkness. Alongside the scrolls detail-ing Kaagi's life is a fairly detailed account describing the longwar against the Darkness, and the work the Unicorn andDragon performed fighting it before its existence wasrevealed to the Empire at large. Scholars and historians areoccasional visitors to Kaagi's Memory, chronicling the past,

APVEIITU3E HOOItChallenge: A mysterious samurai bearing the Lion mon

has been seen in the shrine's vicinity for the last several days.Although he has made no aggressive moves, he is insistentabout getting information regarding Kitsuki Kaagi and hisfinal investigations. The Dragon maintaining the Kaagi'sMemory find his vehemence unsettling, and would like hismotives ascertained to determine the appropriate response.

locus: Although full of questions, the samurai is reluctantto provide answers regarding himself or his reasons. Ques-tioning him will entail tracking him down through the forestsurrounding the temple, and he is skilled at remaining Invisi-ble. Once he finally starts speaking with the PCs, which willfirst require adept diplomacy cr skilled interrogation fromtheir parts, he introduces himself as Akodo lyekao, and that heis pursuing his Brother.

Strike: When the lying Darkness was named, manyof its former victims; were lefr with fragmented pans oftheir previous memories and personalities, inckidingmany who rejoined the Akodo family. KitsukiKaagi's elder brother lyekao was consumed by theLying Darkness and used as a tool to help weakenKaagi's mental defenses. If this samuraitruly is the original lyekao, then it ispossible that Kaagi himself is alive, andthat lyekao may be the key to findingand saving Kaagi.

T^At/ELSS'S 5SSTTraveler's Rest is the name given tothe way station component ofKaagi no Tamashii, and it hosts aregular, albeit small, number ofcourtiers along with theirentourages at any given time. Trav-eler's Rest briefly became host toprogressively more visitors asDragon food stores were depleredduring the war, but traffic has nowrerumed to a normal level.

Although the land surroundingrhe shrine still belongs to the Uni-corn, Traveler's Rest itself has beenceded to the Dragon. Iuchi Notaikohas been accommodating towards theDragon posted here, seeing good rela-tions between the two Clans as a way ofthanking Kaagi for his contribution nearly 40years ago. Although long since retired, herunofficial intercession ensures that relationsbetween the rwo Clans have remained amiable,in spite of a steady increase in the number ofmen the Dragon have assigned to Traveler'sRest and the progressively more insistentdemands of their negoriators.

As Firefly River connects to expansive Uni-corn farmlands, and Travelers Rest is close to theRiver, it is ideally situated as a midway point forthe transport of rice to Dragon lands. There wasa period of strained relations between the twoclans during the war due to the Dragon's pressureto trade for increasing amounts of food, but thatunpleasantness is thankfully Ln the past.

THE kJTSUIU A*Cttll/HSDuring their investigations, the Kitsuki gather a great deal ofinformation regarding the Empire as a whole. Their journalscontain valuable information about varied topics, from thepolitical aspirations of daimyos, who truly ordered the assassi-nation of generals, or where particular relics are hidden, tosuch seemingly mundane facts as the Four Winds' favoritecolors or the chief export of certain provinces. Although

many, particularly the Scorpion, are aware that the Kitsukiamass a great deal of knowledge during their investigations,few realize the scope and depth of that which the Kitsuki haveacquired.

Like all major families, the Kitsuki retain a library in theirmain castle. Other clans frequently petition the family foraccess to the extensive records contained within the details

found in the many Kitsuki journals. Despite that a greatdeal of valuable historical data is available within the

library, the sheer volume of information reduces itspractical value, as data of strategic or politicalimportance is obscured by extraneous information.This is exactly as the Kitsuki intended.

The destruction of many Phoenix and Cranelibraries during the Clan War, and rhe attack upon

the Seppun and Miya archives by theLying Darkness, prompted the Kitsukito archive copies of their most impor-

tant and useful information. Locatedwithin Shiro Mirumoto, which combines

accessibility and defensibility, the KitsukiArchives contain a summary of the informa-

tion the Kitsuki have gathered over theyears, condensed for practical use.Indexed and sorted, the Archives con-tain data such as favored batrle tacticsof Akodo generals and which Scorpi-

ons truly are left handed, of vitalimportance in situations where being

challenged to a duel is likely. Profiles ofmajor individuals in the Empire are keptand regularly updated, to give the Dragonrhe best possible positioning, on and off

the battlefield, when dealing with otherClans.

nmao[Samurai 6/Courtier 6/Emerald Magistrate

4; Kitsuki Magistrate 5]A stocky man in his early thirties, Kitsuki Nijirocan otten be found traveling the Empire, repre-senting either the Imperial Magistrates or theDragon Clan, depending on circumstance. Wellknown for his abilities as an arbitrator, Nijiro'ssincerity, accumulated favors, and position as aDragon emissary ensure that he never needs todraw the daisho that he bears, which is fortunate

for him as kenjutsu is noticeably not his forte.However, as a companion, negotiator, and magis-trate, Nijiro has acquitted the Dragon nobly, andalways has interesting facts to add to the Archiveswhenever he returns.

Nijiro is, however, far more than merely amagistrate. As a researcher for the Kitsuki Archives, it is hisduty to remain abreast of goings-on in the Empire and toremain aware of who is truly engaged in what activity. Perhapsmore importantly, it is also his duty to advise the Mirumoto ofthreats to the clan's security and how to best diffuse them. Hiswork as a magistrate, while valuable in its own right, allowshim to meet and come into contact with a wide variety of char-acters all over the Empire.

Even though the war has been over for nearly five years,Nijiro mainrains files on the behaviors and personalities of allElemental Masters along with prominent Shiba such as the

I

Champion ShibaMirabu and so-called Voice of the Masters,Shiba Yoma. Nijiro remains concerned over the hatted IsawaTaeruko holds for Tamori Shaitung and Isawa Nakamuro,principle architects of peace between the clans, and whatthat could entail for future Dragon-Phoenix relations.

KEER EVES1

The Kitsuki are renowned for their ability to notice minordetails and draw logical conclusions based upon observa-tions. Their skill at forensics, tracking, and investigation arefinely honed and well practiced, even among their youngestmembers. This preparedness is due largely to the thoroughregimen that they go through is students, which includestraining under field conditions. Given the fact that theKitsuki provinces are well governed, few instances ofoutright crime are reported, making genuine scenes forinvestigation scarce. The mandate of Keen Eyes' Strikevillage is to create the next best thing, genuine lookingscenes, for students to hone their skills upon.

Many samurai schools have iheir students enter into anJaijutsu duel during their training, to prove that they areworthy to pass their gempukku. For the Kitsuki, whoemphasize observation and logic, the equivalent for astudent to prove herself is to solve a mystery. Most suchexercises are staged wherever it is both convenient andfeasible, but truly intricate displays are conducted here.

Located only a day's ride south of Shiro Kitsuko, KeenEyes' Strike is typical oif large villages located near majorcastles. Agriculture is a major industry, and the majority oftraffic passing through is headed either to or from Shiro Kit-suki itself. However, one path, just off the main road passingthrough the village, consists of houses ihat are unoccupied,save for a large building housing several Kitsuki. In thisbuilding, convoluted plots are designed for students to solve.

The need to present plausible, orderly problems forstudents has led to the creation of a second major industryin the village: acting. Odd reagents from Scorpion, Mantisand Unicorn lands are constantly imported, as are the mosttalented actors the Dragon can produce and afford to createsituations and scenarios as close to those magistrates face inthe Empire at large. The village's unusual needs result ina much greater than normal amount of traffic, as exoticingredients ate imported from across the Empire.

THE A7OTHSCA**With the large amounts of powders, chemicals, and othersubstances that pass through Keen Eyes' Strike and the needto handle these with due care, the Kitsuki have establishedan apothecary to meet their specialized needs. The apothe-cary fills the dual roles of providing medical care for theDragon and facilitating the special events staged in KeenEyes' Strike. As a repository for knowledge regarding herbsand alchemy, the apothecary caters to both esoteric andpractical needs, drawing as many ou£-of-clan visitors as thevillage's staged investigations do.

Even though Agasha Kitsuki was not a tremendouslygifted shugenja, he did inherit his family's aptitude foralchemy. After the Kitsuki family was founded, their role asinvestigators forced them to remain abreast of natural andsupernatural ways the elements interact. While Agashafamily was more widely known for their work in the field,the Kitsuki contributions were significant, and the shared

background of both families ensured that knowledge wasshared relatively freely. When the Agasha left the DragonClan as a result of Hitomi's actions, they had no choice but toleave many of their experiments and notes behind, most ofwhich were preserved by the Kitsuki.

During the time between the Agasha family's exodus andthe Tamori family's formation, the Dragon had few shugenjain their service. Simultaneous with that was a considerableneed for services traditionally provided by shugenja, such astreating the sick and attending to cropland. Although a fewshugenja did remain in the Clan, the reduced numbers forcedalternative methods to be found. The Kitsuki applied theiraptitude for understanding how nature functions to findnon-magical substitutes for prayers to thekami. Their efforts,combined with the knowledge brought in by Hoshi and themonks that followed him, were enough to keep the Dragonfairly prosperous, until the Spirit War.

The Kitsuki have a fairly diverse presence in Dragon lands,with small way stations similar to the apothecary in KeenEyes1 Strike. Intended to give the peasantry the tools iheyneed to support themselves, the stations help maximize theproductivity of what few farms the Dragon maintain.The apothecary in Keen Eyes' Strike has an additional man-date, to help produce the chemicals and powders necessary tomake the training scenarios held in the village as plausibleand realistic as possible. The work performed in this villagehas improved the Kitsuki understanding of alchemy consid-erably, as they create a wide variety of compounds, includingpoisons, antidotes, and non-hazardous substances that onlyappear to be poisons upon examination.

l/il?O*TARTICITSUItl

ItlTSUKI KIVUSHICHI,I7*AGOR Ci-AR TUST1CATQ*

In every generation, there is a soul who seems born with anunmatched passion for justice. One such soul would seem tobe Kitsuki Kiyushichi. Even as a child, he was outraged byeven the smallest infractions against rules and laws. He wasoften punished for altercations with bullies or cheaters whowronged him or another child. It was obvious that evenamong the Kitsuki, Kiyushichi was a servant of justice firstand foremost.

Shottly following his gempukku, Kiyushichi was con-tacted by an elite band of Kitsuki called the justicators. Thejusticators were a sect devoted to the apprehension of violentand elusive criminals who evaded the law under normal cir-cumstances. Similar in some ways to theTsuruchi bountyhunters of previous years, the justicators specialized in arather martial solution: those criminals they tracked downwere offered an opportunity to come quietly or to duel thejust tea. tot to prove their innocence. Dually trained in investi-gation and iaijutsu, the jus tic a tors rarely lost a duel.

Kiyushichi was intrigued by this notion of active justice.Not only would he have an opportunity to track down crimi-nals, but he would be trained to deal with those who provedintractable. It was the realization of his dream; to become aforce for justice in the mortal world, bringing balance to it justas the Celestial Order brought balance to the spirit realms.Kiyushichi enthusiastically embraced the opportunity tostudy alongside the justicators, and became one of their mostattentive and ambitious students.

Years passed and the young Kitsuki's burning drive to seejustice done did not fade. Dozens of hardened criminals werebrought to justice by his hand. Whenever possible,Kiyushichi brought them in alive to face punishment for theircrimes. When it wasn't possible, Kiyushichi brought proof oftheir demise, concluding the matter in the most definitemanner possible. His career could have continued withoutinterruption had he not stumbled across a case that had beenin progress for over twenty years,

Togashi Shunsen had been an ise zumi who was wellrespected by his peers. A philosopher and scholar in hisprevious life, Shunsen brought many of these qualities to hislife as a member of the Togashi order, Shunsen's later works,written years after receiving his first tattoo, delved into theconcept of achieving perfect spiritual and physical harmonyby contemplating nothingness. His manuscripts were esotericat best, and tew ever claimed to understand them, even amongtheTogashi. Despite the lack of acceptance, Shunsen remainedconvinced that his philosophies had merit and continued topursue them further. At some point during his studies,the monk simply disappeared. Or so the Togashi believed.

The Kitsuki believed otherwise. The family's investigationsinto the so-called Lying Darkness revealed numerous inconsis-tencies with the story of Shunsen's disappearance. His writingslikewise demonstrated a dangerous similarity to the Darkness'sphilosophy, if such a being could be said to truly have aphilosophy. The evidence pointed to one conclusion; TogashiShunsen had become a willing servant ol the Lying Darkness.As a willing pawn, Shunsen represented the most dangeroustype of Shadowspawn: those who retained a modicum of freewill anrl personal identity.

In the more than twenty years since Togashi Shvmsen hadbeen declared a high-priority threat by the Kitsuki, there hadbeen precious little contact with the creature. A handful ofmurders and disappearances had been attributed to the lostmonk, but only one or two sightings could be confirmed.With more than ten years having passed since the lastsuspected sighting, most among the Kitsuki believed thatShunsen rnusi have been destroyed when Isawa Hochiudestroyed the Lying Darkness at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate.

Kiyushichi has spent the last three years of his life inpursuit of Togashi Shunsen. Many of his comrades believe heis wasting his time as well as the family's resources, butKiyushichi has gathered enough evidence to convince hissuperiors that the threat Shunsen poses is significant andongoing. He has taken on other cases, usually pressing ones,in the intervening years, but Shunsen is never far fromhis mind. The Lying Darkness may be gone, but Shunsen'sexistence leaves Kiyushichi with a cold feeling that the powerit once encompassed is now shared among its minions. Thefact that there are so few left means that those few must bequite powerful indeed.

KITSUKI KIVUSHICBI,D^AGOTl CUUl TUSTICATOX

Male human Dragon Cour t ie r 5/Samurai 4: CR 9;Medium-sized humanoid (human); HD 5d6 + 4dlO + 18;hp 60; Init +3; Spd 30; AC 14 (touch 14, flat-footed 11);Atk +10/+5 +1 dueling katana (ldlO+3 damage); SA AncestralDaisho, Courtier abilities (Justicator), Gossip, Wealth, Talent,Style & Grace; SQClass skill — Sense Motive (family bonus);AL LN; SV Fort +8, Ref+6, Will +11; Str 15, Dex 16, Con 14,Wis IS, Int 12, Cha 16; Height S ft. S in.

Skills and Feats: Speak Language (Rokugani), Bluff+11,Diplomacy +15, Gather Information +11, laijutsu Focus +18,Intimidate +11, Knowledge (Law) +9, Listen +10, Read Lips+9,Search +9, Sense Motive +15, Spot +10; Depths of the Void,Kitsuki's Method, Leadership, Power Attack, Prepared, SkillFocus {laijutsu Focus), Versatile (laijutsu Focus, Knowledge(Law)), Toughness, Void Use, Weapon Focus (katana)

Possessions: +1 dueling katana, nttsukt of natural armor +1,haori of resistant+i

Dojo: Shiro Kitsuki; Kata: None.

KITSUKI KIWSHICHI,D^AGOTl CLATV TUSTICATO*

Earth: 2Stamina: 4

Water: 3Perception: 4

Fire:4Air: 3

Awareness: 5Void:3School/Rank: Kitsuki Investigator 2, Kitsuki Justicator 1Dojo: Shiro Kitsuki (No benefit)Honor: 3.2Glory: 2.3Advantages: ClearThinker, IrreproachableDisadvantages: Driven (uphold the law)Skills: Athletics 3, Courtier 3, Heraldry 2, Herbalism 2,

History 3, Horsemanship 4, laijutsu 4, Ichi Maru 3,Investigation 4, Kenjutsu 3, Nazodo 3, Law 4, Lore (Opiumcartels) 4

Kata: None.

KIT5UICI MIZUOCHJIOTSUKJ FAIillLV

The current Kitsuki daimyo did not begin life as a Kitsuki atall, but rather as Mirumoto Mizuochi, a soldier and bushi.As a bushi, Mizuochi was adequate at best, but his eye fordetail and his keen senses caught the eye of a prominent Dojimagistrate while the Dragon was serving as a guard at thewinter court of a minor Mirumoto governor. Intrigued by theyoung man's promise, the Doji arranged for Mizuochi to beassigned to him as a yojimbo, and took the Dragon with him tohis new post in Ryoko Owari

The City of Lies was more than Mizuochi was prepared todeal with, The destruction of Beiden Pass a few years previousmeant that an incredible amount of traffic came throughRyoko Owari on the way to the newly created Seikitsu Pass orthe minor Ide Pass in Unicom lands. This influx of goods andmerchants resulted directly in absolute chaos, somethingMizuochi's Doji friend was sworn to end in his role as an

u

i ~

Imperial Magistrate. Two years of constant struggle againstopium smugglers, bandits, and criminals of all kinds ensued,and Mizuochi discovered chat he enjoyed working with themagistrates.

Mizuochi's sensei, the legendary warrior MirumotoHachigoro, recognized the blossoming talents within hisyoung student from the letters Mizuochi sent him, Hachigorowas a strong believer in the destiny of individual souls, andmade arrangements with many old friends within the Kitsukiand Mirumoto families to have Mizuochi marry a minorsensei at the Kitsuki school, effectively changing his familyname. In addition, the arrangement would permit Mizuochito begin studying at the Kitsuki school, forsaking his obliga-tions to the Mirumoto in exchange for a vow to send his firsthorn to study there. It was a momentous occasion forMizuochi, and one that would allow him the opportunity towork alongside the magistrates he had come to tespect andadmire during his time as a yojimbo. His wedding in RyokoOwari was a major social event, but disaster struck before itcould be completed. An unknown enemy poisoned the foodat Mizuochi's wedding, and while he managed to avoid thetrap, his Doji friend and his new bride did not. Mizuochi wasforced to watch both of them writhe in torment.

With only hours to save his family, Mizuochi went on arampage through Ryoko Owari. His skills as a magistrate weretested, but he did not fatter. He and a squad of ImperialLegionnaires tore through the city's criminal underworld,destroying operations that had been in place for years or evendecades. Mizuochi found the assassin, and fotced him tosurrender an antidote. Unfortunately, a Unicorn magistrateseeking personal glory was involved in the hunt, and causedenough of a delay that only enough antidote for one could beproduced. The Doji magisttate, Mizuochi's closest friend,refused to accept it. Mizuochi's wife was saved, hut he watchedhis friend die in agony, Mizuochi never forgave the Unicornfor his affront, and considers the man his mortal enemy evento this day.

Now called Kitsuki Mizuochi, the young Dragon was per-mitted remain in Ryoko Owari as a yoriki to his friend'sreplacement. He redoubled his efforts, and found that his newskills and training, taught to him by his wife, dramaticallyincreased his already considerable powers of perception andability to teach difficult conclusions based on limited facts. Ina few years time, he rose to a position as a full magistrate.When his tenure at Ryoko Owari was complete, he served innumerous other cities and provinces throughout the Empirefor many years before he finally returned home.

Much to his surprise, Mizuochi discovered that he wassomething of a celebrity among the Kitsuki family. His aban-doning the Mirumoto name to join the Kitsuki family drewparallels in the eyes of many to the original Agasha Kitsuki,winning him many admirers among the younger generation.More importantly, his ties to the Crane and his good reputa-tion throughout the Empire had impressed the elder senseiamong the family. When the daimyo passed away without anheir, Mizuochi was among the handful of samurai consideredfor the position, and was selected to lead the Kitsuki.

Mizuochi endured the Four Winds Era with little fanfare.He saw to it that the Kitsuki provinces maintained their orderand food production despite the chaos surrounding themwith the Dragon-Phoenix conflict and the Lion Clan's involve-ment. Lion patrols took a heavy toll on his people, but oftenMizuochi was able to predict their maneuvers and prevent

heavy losses. Many Tonbo refugees from the Dragonfly Clan'spurge took refuge in Kitsuki lands as well, and Mizuochi tookthem in.

The Kitsuki daimyo is an old man now, and would like toretire. He has been looking for a suitable replacement sincehe, too, is without an heir.

KITSUKI A1ZUOCHI,KITSUKI FA/illLV PAI/ilVO

Male h u m a n Dragon Class 18: CR 18; Medium-sizedhumanoid (human); HD 18d6+18; hp 81; Init +2; Spd 30;AC 14 (touch 12, flat-footed 12); Atk +U/+6 +2 hotwrable lawfulwakizath (ld8+3 damage); SA Courtier Abilities (The EyesBetray the Heart, The Eyes See the Heart, Kitsuki's Scrutiny,Voice, Whispers from the Soul), Gossip, The Heart Speaks,The Immovable Hand of Peace, Wealth, Talent, Style andGrace; SQ Class skill — Sense Motive (family bonus); AL LN;SVFort +11, Ref+12, Will+19; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 12, Wis 18,Int 20, Cha 20; Height 5 ft. 2 in.

Skills and Feats: Speak Language (Rokugani),Bluff+29, Decipher Script +26, Diplomacy +29, Games +21,Gather Information +29, Intimidate +26, Knowledge(Nobility & Royalty) +26, Listen +25, Read Lips +26,Search +26, Sense Motive +26, Spot +2S; (13) Depths of theVoid (x2). Different School, Ichi-Miru, Kitsuki'sMethod, Leadership, Skill RKUS (Bluff, Diplomacy, GatherInformation), Versatile (Battle, Disguise, Knowledge (Law),Knowledge (Shimao), Poison, Ride), Void Use

Po«s«sions: +2 honorable lawful wakizashi, stlfe and stel kimono,netsuke of intellect +4, iiflon of resistance ++, neUuke of proof agamstdetection and low ton.

Dojo: Shiro Kitsuki; Kata: Watchful Falcon

KITSUKI JTUZUOCHI,KITSUlil FA/illJ-V P A i m V O

Earth: 4Water: 4

Perception: 8Fire:4

Intelligence: 6Air: 6Void: 4School/Rank: Mirumoto Bushi 2, Kitsuki Magistrate 5Dojo: Shiro KitsukiHonor: 3.6Glory: 7.1Advantages: Allies (Doji), Multiple Schools, Sensei

(Legendary), Social Position (Kitsuki Daimyo)Disadvantages: Lost Love, Sworn Enemy (Unicorn

magistrate)Skills: Courtier 5, Craft (Mizugusuri) 4, Defense 3, Etiquette 5,

Heraldry 4, Herbalism 3, History 4, [chi Miru 4,Investigation 6, Kenjutsu 4, Kyujutsu 3, Law 5, Lore (CraneClan) 4, Lore (Opium cartels) 6, Nazodo 5, Poison 3, Shintao 4

Kata: Watchful Falcon.

KITSUKI XSMATA,DISGRACED IJil?E%IALIRUESTIGATO*

At one time, Kitsuki Remata was among the most prestigiousfigures in the Emperor's court. Whenever an Imperial familymember required a sensitive matter dealt wilh dignity anddiscretion, Remata was the one they called upon. He resolvedmatters for the Otomo, the Miya, even the Doji and Bayushi.Remata had the pleasure of serving the Emperor Toluri onoccasion. He was well regarded among the highest courtsin the Empire, and could call on favors from any number ofpowerful and influential people.

All of this ended when Remata was asked to look into theYasukj issue on behalf of Hantei Naseru, the man knownprecisely as ihe Anvil,

The premise was simple enough; Naseru was concernedover rhe burgeoning war between the Crab and Crane overthe Yasuki family's fate. Remata's task was simple: reaffirmYasuki Hachi's rightful claim as the family daimyo, endingspeculation one way or another. It was not a particularlydaunting task, and Remata swore to fulfill his mandate withall due haste. He departed Otosan Uchi just hours after meet-ing with Naseru, bound for the extensive records foundwithin the Miya archives.

What Remata found in the Miya archives was unexpected.The information that substantiated Hachi's claim to the posi-tion was there, still available from when Toturi's agentsresearched it and announced it to the Emperor. He also founda vague and elusive reference to another, forgotten familybranch, however. Vexed at the notion of a job done poorly,Remata dove headlong into his research, eager to findanything that his predecessors might have missed.

The information Remata found led him to numerous otherarchives scattered throughout the Empire. He investigatedaccounts in the Ikoma histories, the Crab records, and eventhe genealogical information maintained by the Doji. In eachinstance, he found more information to support his initialfindings. Much to his dismay, Remata discovered that theinvestigators working for the £mperorToturi had made amistake. Yasuki Hachi was not the rightful heir. That distinc-tion belonged the descendant of a Yasuki who had left thefamily centuries ago.The line had ended during the Clan War,when a geisha named Haisuko died without marrying. Exceptof course that she had died after bearing a son to the roningeneral Toturi, future Emperor of Rokugm

Akodo Kaneka, known to many as the Bastard, was therightful heir to the Yasuki family,

Remata faithfully returned this information to HanteiNaseru, as he had been instructed to do. Naseru was obviouslytaken aback by this information, as it was no secret that hedespised his halt-brother Kaneka. Maseru ordered Remata nolto speak of his findings to anyone, an order that Remata hadno choice but to follow. Within a month, however, the infor-mation became public knowledge. How i! happened,the investigator did not know. What mattered was thaiKaneka used the information to justify seizing the Yasukiprovinces, killing the Kakita grand master in the process.

Remata felt as if he had killed Kakita Kaiten in spirit if notin deed. His disgrace was considerably worsened when it wasrevealed later that the documents he discovered were lorg-eries. Kaneka had no true claim to the title of Yasuki daimyo,but because Remata failed to see through the deception,he took it regardless. No one knew for certain who planted the

forgeries, but Remata knew. Only one man was capable ofsuch flawless deception. Only one man had such means andopportunity. Hantei Naseru, Kaneka's half-brother and bitterrival.

What motive Naseru had to initiate such a deception,Remata could not imagine. What he did know was that he wasa laughingstock among the same courtiers who once covetedhis counsel. He was ruined in court for being played as a tooland for paving the way for Kaneka's military coup.

Remata's vow to reveal Naseru's duplicity is as yet unful-filled. The Anvil covered his tracks well, and despite efforts tothe contrary the investigator was unable to uncover even thevaguest hint that he was responsible. In the time since,Remata has moved on to other matters, serving his tamily tothe best of his ability despite his disgrace. He has despaired oiever cleansing his dishonor, but he will not stop searching.Not until he is incapable of continuing,

KITSVKI 35/tlATA,

Male human Dragon Courtier 11: CR 11; Medium-sizedhumanoid (human); HD Iid6; hp 41; Init +2; Spd 30; AC 12(touch 12, flat-footed 10); Atk +6 +.1. defending tvakiiaiki melee(ld8 damage); SA Courtier Abilities (Be The Mountain,Kitsuki's Scrutiny, The Eyes See The Heart), Gossip, Style andGrace, Talent, Wealth; SQClass skill — Search (family bonus);ALLN;SV Fort+7, Ref+7, Will+16; Str II, Dex 14, Con 11,Wisl6, Int 18, Cha 17; Height 5 ft. 4 in.

Skills and Beats: Speak Language (Rokugani), Bluff +1.7,Decipher Script +18, Diplomacy +17, Games +14, GatherInformation +20, Innuendo +17, Knowledge (History) +18,Knowledge (Nobility &L Royalry) +21, Knowledge (Research)+18, Listen +17, Search +18, Sense Motive +17, Spot +17; GreatFortitude, Ichi-Miru, Kitsuki's Method, Leadership, SkillFocus (Gather Informal ion, Knowledge (Nobility & Royalty)),Toughness, Versatile (Knowledge (Ancestors), Knowledge(Law), Poison, Wilderness Lore)

Possessions: +1 defending wakizashi, emperor's eye, writ of com-mand, haori of resistance +2.

Dojo: Shiro Kitsuki; Kata: None.

ItlTSUlO ^ E

OTSG3ACEPEarth: 3Water: 3

Perception 4Fire:3

Intelligence 4Air: 4Void: 3School/Rank: Kitsuki Magistrate 4Dojo: Shiro KitsukiHonor: 3.3Glory: 4.2Advantages: Clear Thinker, IrreproachableDisadvantages: Bad Reputation (Easily manipulated), Driven

(Reveal Naseru)Skills: Courtier 4, Defense 2, Etiquette 4, Forgery 2, Heraldry 5,

Herbalism 3, History 5, Horsemanship 4, Investigation 5,Kenjutsu 3, Nazodo 4, Law 4, Lore (Imperial Families) 6,Shintao 3

Kata: None.

KITSUKI 1/ASSAJ.S

THE SAKWA FA/illl.yAt first glance, the Sakura family appears to be at odds with theKitsuki. While the family as a whole seeks out andpromotes the truth, the Sakura seem to be dedicated to makingit more difficult to ascertain. When encountered, they are oftenin the process of denying access to documents, discouraginginvestigations, and covering up facts. Outsiders have a difficulttime rationalizing why such a secretive family would be vassalsto the Kitsuki. From the Sakura perspective it is not that theyare obscuring the truth, but that they are acting in accordancewith a realization iew others choose to recognize: that curiosiryneeds to he channeled to preserve order in the Empire.

Although the Sakura were not officially formed until muchlater, the year 1120 begins the family's history. During thisyear, Kitsuki Kaagi, a promising magistrate, disappearedunder mysterious circumstance;; during an investigation.The only clues to his fate were revealed in his journal, whichwas delivered to Shiro Kitsuki by an unidentified peasant.However, a single note was affixed to the top of Kaagi'sjournal, stating "Do not read this".

Kitsuki Yasu, the family daimyo at the time, ordered asthorough an investigation as was possible given the circum-stances. After much debate, several Kitsuki were given theopportunity to read and study the journal to discern thewhereabouts of KaagL Contained within was a log of Kaagi'sfinal investigations, chronicling his search for the truthbehind the ninja legends. Kaagi discovered the existence of anentity called the Lying Darkness, and learned an inkling of itsmethods, capabilities, and goals. However, his investigations,in tarn, drew the entity's attention, and his drive to learn thetruth gave the Darkness an opening. In his final entries, Kaagiwrote that be could feel [he Darkness claiming his identify,and that it would never allow him to return home.

.Even as the Kitsuki were discovering valuable data on theDarkness, they were also being observed by it through thejournal. Kaagi was not the only Kitsuki family member claimedby the Darkness; every family member to read his journal wasalso lost. Kitsuki Jurai, Yasu's yojimbo and son, was among thefirst to be taken. Yasu, in addition to grappling with the enor-mous threat the Darkness represented, also had to deal with thepersonal tragedy oflosing both his star pupil and his son.

The implications ol this discovery extended far beyondrealizing the threat posed by the Darkness. The secretscontained within his journal were clearly truths, yet it wasalso plainly obvious that the implications of Kaagi's discover-ies were greater than anybody had anticipated. While Yasuwas familiar with the fact that some knowledge, such as mahotechniques, should necessarily be forbidden, the idea that thesearch for knowledge could itself be corrupting seriouslychallenged the Kitsuki worldview.

Compounding this puzzle was the Dragon Champion'sunusual behavior. Togashi Yokuni, the identity To gash i wasusing at the time, clearly knew much more about the eventschronicled within Kaagi's journal than he was willing todivulge, As soon as the journal arrived at Shiro Kitsuki, hesuggested that it be placed inside a crystal chamber. Oddlyenough, although the journal clearly indicated that crystalwas capable of binding the Darkness, Yokuni made thissuggestion before the journal was read,

Having served under Yokuni for several years, Yasu was nostranger to his Champion's reluctance to volunteer informa-tion. However, the Darkness posed a grave and mysteriousthreat, one the Kitsuki were ill prepared to combat. In desper-ation, Yasu petitioned Yokuni for a personal audience, whereYasu pleaded for Yokuni to tesrify before the Emperor regard-ing the threat the Darkness posed.

Yokuni's only response was "It is not yet time forme to act".Without the testimony of Yokuni, the Kitsuki had no way toconvince the Empire that the Darkness posed a viable threat.Likewise, with no idea of how to safely investigate the Dark-ness directly, the family had to suffice with rumors, apocryphalstories, and tentative inquiries to the Unicorn and Scorpion.Yasu began to assign particularly strong-willed Kitsuki whopossessed the curiosity and resolve to pursue the truth, alongwith the discipline to desist when the risks were too high,to continue investigating the truth behind the Darkness.

Even with stringent selection criterion and the best trainingavailable, many Kitsuki assigned to investigate the Darknesswere eventually consumed by it. Frequently, those who wereconsumed fell clue to an inability 10 refuse what the Darknessoffered, in spite of prior warnings. Although few Kitsukisuccumbed to promises of power, glory, or wealth, manyvictims bargained themselves away over promises of truth,an opportunity to save Kaagi, or some other opportunity tobenefit the Clan. All too often, those who were lost were lostdue to their own good intentions.

Afew withstood the Darkness's temptations, although noneemerged unscathed. Prominent among them was KitsukiSakura, a former Agasha shugenja who before marrying intothe Kitsuki was known for her relentless logic and iron con-trol over her emotions. Her pragmatism proved a valuableasset in her investigations, as she was willing to abandonpeople and causes lost to the Darkness when she felt the need,no matter how closely attached she was to them. When shediscovered that her husband, Kitsuki Hyuji, had been contam-inated while seeking techniques to fight the Darkness, shepersonally executed him before he was consumed. However,she refused to destroy his findings, instead assimilating theknowledge he gained into her repertoire.

"My husband sacrificed too much to acquire thisknowledge, and I condemn him for it. But I shall notcondemn his findings for their source". Sakura's ruthlesstactics and stoic demeanor soon became the norm for thoseinvestigating the Darkness.

The Dragon Ckn was not alone in grappling with the factthat while information, of a mystical nature, is often needed,the means to gather such data often had unfortunate sideeffects. Although the secrets the Phoenix Clan unearthedthrough studying the Black Scrolls provided key informationon how to defeat Fu Leng at the second Day of Thunder, theprice was the corruption and destruction of many prominentmembers, Likewise, the Scorpion Coup was based on a frag-ment of a lost prophecy, and the price of their actions wasplunging much of Rokugani society into chaos. The Kitsukisaw the effects of Linfettered research all around, but theywere ill prepared for the next step in the cycle.

When Hitomi became the Dragon Champion, the Kitsukiwere hopeful. When she banished the Togashi family, theKitsuki were concerned. When the Obsidian Hand andOnnotangu's influence led her to open the crystal chambercontaining Kaagi's journal, the Kitsuki were aghast. Theybelieved no secrets could possibly be worth allowingthe Darkness to be unfettered against the Empire, and theensuing war against it proved them correct.

Sakura and other veterans of over a decade of constantbattle against the Darkness distinguished themselves duringthe Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness through tireless vigilanceand cold efficiency. Systematically examining and eliminatingthe Darkness wherever they could find it, Sakura's Kirstiki,who had long interfered with the Darkness' plans, becamesingled out for consumption. Despite their training and expe-rience, many fell to the concerted assault, including Sakuraherself. However, even in defeat, Sakura formulated a way forthose who were about to fall to use the Darkness' plan againstit. Upon feeling the Darkness's influence, Sakura used the linkcreated in the act of being consumed to find out its secrets,so thai others would be better equipped to continue the fight.As her last act, Sakura committed seppuku, to deny theDarkness its prize.

The Phoenix Clan's raging corruption during the Clan War,and the effectiveness of tactics used by the Lying Darkness,convinced Yasu that the Empire is lar too easy to tempt withknowledge. While information about threats to the Empire isotten indispensable, reckless methods used to gather theinformation often corrupts the searcher, adding to the threntitself Yasu created the Sakura family, named not in honor ofSakura's sacrifice but rather in remembrance of her example,to prevent the Empire from succumbing to the foes it seeks todefeat.

Although the zeal with which the Sakura discharge theirduty is admired by the Asako Inquisitors and the KuniTsukai-Sagasu, both groups are concerned with the Sakura's willing-ness to embrace the benefits of forbidden activity, even whilepersecuting the activity itself While a Salcura will strike downa maho-tsukai unhesitatingly, as the taint will eventually sub-vert even the most strong-willed individual, she will also haveno problem taking any research notes the tsukai possessed,for further investigation into the nature of their foes. Thishorriiies their compatriots, who feel that this is far toopermissive and tempts corruption. Fortunately, the compara-tively low profile of their work and the effectiveness of Sakuraat systematically roofing out nests of corruption, hasprevented the Asako or Kuni irom leveling more public accu-sations towards the tamily. The Sakura, in typical fashion,simply do nor permit themselves to care what others think.

As Kitsuki, the Sakura often act in their capacity as ImperialMagistrates to rein in or completely halt activities they feelare inappropriate or dangerous. In cases where lone renegadesare acting without the authorization and support of theirClans, simply informing their superiors that such actions aretaking place is often enough to cause the problem to cease.However, in cases where the researcher is acting with theknowledge and consent of a patron clan, their status as magis-trates allow them to phrase requests and suggestions that evendaimyo will heed.

During the relative chaos as the Four Winds vied forthrone, many Clans began pursuing avenues of research thatgreatly concerned the Sakura. While some supposedly forbid-den projects have turned out to be mere rumors or slanderspread by political opponents, [he Sakura take allegations ofany kind seriously, particularly if they are supported byevidence. As a result, more inquisitive Clans such as theUnicorn and Phoenix currently find the Sakura to be meddle-some and intrusive.

The Sakura are currently investigating rumors that thelegendary Black Scrolls were not destroyed following the Dayof Thunder. They believe that the Scrolls are far more danger-ous than is worthwhile. Having heard alternating reports that

MAGISTRATEI/S. IRI/ESTIQATO*The two principle Kitsuki schools are similar inmany respects, and the differences between them isconfusing to many in Rokugan. The traditionalschool, the Kttsuki Magistrates, is a school thatencompasses different skills andl abilities that benefitits students in a number oi endeavors including courtlife and Investigation. The school is named after thefamily's magistrates, who are the most prominentmembers and those of whom others think when thename Kitsuki is mentioned. The Kitsuki Investigatorschool is much smaller and a much more recentdevelopment among the family. Investigators exclu-sively specialize in the tracking and apprehendingcriminals to the detriment of other skill areas.The Investigators were formed in response to highlyorganized groups like various criminal cartels and theKolat, who require a much more devoted and special-ized foil before they can be defeated.

the Scorpion, Phoenix, or Unicorn Class are in possession ofone or more of these ancient relics, the family is determinedto find the truth. Likewise, the Sakura have heard allegationsthat the Scorpion are experimenting with shadow magic,a charge the Sitkura take extremely seriously. While the familyhas found no evidence that this is indeed the case, and theyreadily acknowledge that the Scorpion are accused of a greatmany things, the possibility itself causes concern.

HOU7IRG5The Sakura are dispersed among the Kitsuki family, andfrequently maintain small way stations among Kitsuki hold-ings. However, one particular holding is of significant spiri-tual importance to the Sakura; the crystal chamber in ShiroMirumoto where Kaagi's journal is kept. The Sakura maintainseveral libraries and laboratories in chambers adjacent to thejournal, and major Sakura operations are planned in this area.Sakura, as part of their gempukku, are expected to spend anevening meditating in the journal chamber itself, reflectingon the sacrifices that have led to the family's formation, and itsreason for being.

THS SAKURA FAfiULVFavored Class: CourtierStarting Honor: 2Class Skill: Knowledge (Research)Starting Outfit:i. Badge of Office as Emerald Magistrate

THE SAKU7ABenefit: +1 WillpowerGlory. 0.5Special: Sakura family members may purchase theHeartless advantage for only 1 pt, and start with a free Ipt. Forbidden Knowledge. However, they also begin witha 2-pt. Obligation, to preserve knowledge useful in pro-tecting the Empire, regardless of its source or origins.

• •

KITSUKI/ilSCHARICS

ARCSSTOTISThe Kitsuki are a small family and have only existed for thepast few centuries. The Kitsuki mindset does not easily lenditself to the spirit world, t u t this does no: keep the familyfrom revering their fallen heroes. Kitsuki ancestors are fewand far between. Because of this, all family members knoweach Kitsuki shiryo and the great deeds he or she performedin their lifetimes. Kitsuki shrines are simple affairs that serveto remind the family that while one must honor the dead, onemusr focus more on living.

KITSUKI KAAGIKirsuki Kaagi was like many Kitsuki despite his Lion ances-try: cunning, insightful, and perceptive. He was notrenowned forhis abilities, but neither was he lacking in them.In fact, Kaagi would have served his entire life content to be asimple magistrate seeking the truth. The Shadow had differ-ent designs. From an early age, Kaagi was haunted by dreamsof a lost brother. These dreams broughr horrible images offaceless demons that would come to steal away his souL Thedreams, along with the ultimate quest for knowledge thatdrove most of his family, put Kaagi on a path thai would endwith a fate far worse than death.

Kitsuki Kaagi spent the majority of his" career huntingdown tales of what he would later find out was called theLiving Darkness. He journeyed across the land or Rokuganencountering the Shadow's agents with regularity. Kaagiwatched as a sturdy Hida samurai succumbed to the madnessof Nothing. He was there when Isawa Ujina, Acolyte of Void,gained his scars and he unknowingly witnessed the birth ofNinube. His entire life, Kaagi believed he would come acrossa great truth and bring back the knowledge he would need tofight the Shadow. Such was not the case. The Living Darknessplanned each of its encounters with Kaagi to draw him closerto Nothing. Finally, recognizing that he would be unable toescape the Shadow's terrible grasp, Kaagi sent what knowl-edge he had to his brethren and fled.

During Hitomi's reign, the nearly nonexistent soul andform of Kitsuki Kaagi was returned to the Dragon Clan todraw the new Champion into the Darkness. Instead, thedivine influence ofTogashi's soul shone through lo Hitomi ina moment of lucidity and Kaagi regained an anchor for hissoul. Miracttlously, ihe Kitsuki magistrate recovered enoughof his identity and spirit to aid the Dragon as much as hecould against the Darkness before finally committingseppuku and freeing himself from the corrupted mortal shell.

no IU-USJORSrARCSSTOX: KITSURI KAAGIJ

You are able to utilize your perception of the truth in allthings.

Clan: DragonBenefit: You gain a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier

in addition to the effects of spending Void when you usea Void point on any Wisdom based roll.

KITSUKIM POIflTS)

Kaagi reaches out to you and bestows glimpses of insight intimes of need. When spending a Void point on a roll, you gaina bonus to the roll equal to your half your Perception (roundeddown) in addition to the normal effects of spending Void.

Your ties to Kaagi give you a weakness as well. Because ofhis connection to the Shadow all creatures that have at leastone Shadowpoint gain a free raise against you in all situations.

KITSUKI HAKADAKitsuki Hakada is not among the Dragon's more prominentancestors, yet he is greatly reveled for his dedication and abil-ity. Hakada was among the few true descendants of AgashaKitsuki and was somewhat of an oddity in his time. Whilepossessing great skills in observarion and deduction, he borean extreme fascination for the military arts. Although heentered the dojo of his family and became an expert magis-trate, Hakada spent every second of spare time rraining in thearts of war. The young Kitsuki even went out of his way toarrange for private Tutoring in tactical training.

When the Clan War began, Mirumoto Sukune offeredHakada the opportunity he had been seeking. He was granteda minor position of command in the Dragon army and morethan once proved his ability at detecting and defeating thesubterfuges of opposing generals. Hakada won no greatbattles, nor did he defeat any major enemies in single combat.He is revered more for the hundreds of lives his tacticalgenius saved than for any conquest.

U/ISDO/iVS: 1OTSUK.I HAKAPA)

You are adept at protecting those under your command.Clan: DragonBenefit: Troops under your direcr command (i.e. only

troops who serve directly beneath you) may subtract yourwisdom modifier from all damage rhey take while in masscombat.

KITSUKI HAKADA(5 7OIRTS)

In single combat you may add your Perception to your initia-tive. In battle, all troops under your direct command subtractyour Perception from the number of wounds that they wouldnormally take in battle. This only affects troops who takeorders directly from you.

KITSUKI VASUWhen the Scorpion failed in their attempted coup, the newEmperor chose to take the wife of his enemy for his own.While many were upset with this decision, none would speak

out against the will of an Emperor. None save Kitsuki Yasu.Yasu had a long history with the Mother of Scorpions thatwent back as far as the death of his father. Yasu's hatred ofKachiko was well known, but few expected the Dragon lord tocondemn the Emperor's wife for treason before the entireImperial Court. The Emperor was lenient and spared Yasubut let it be known that he would not tolerate such an actof slander ever again.

Once he realized that it was unlikely he would ever beallowed to bring justice to his father's memory, Yasu redi-rected his fury. The Kitsuki daimyo spent most of his timetraveling the countryside "judging" samurai he believed didnot accurately follow the Code of Bushido. He became knownfor his idealism and was both respected and hated for hisdemanding sense of honor. Yasu died never having broughtthe justice he believed his father's spirit needed and his soullingers on forever searching for an opportunity to completethe process .

THE WEARKITSU1CJ VASV/1

Yasu's extreme code of honor aids you when meting outjustice.

Clan: DragonBenefit: Once per day you may add twice your honor to

anyone roll that will result injustice being served accordingto Imperial Law,

ICITSUICI ynsuCU 7OITITS)

Yasu watches your every move, judging each action against hisstrict code of honor. Anytime you have the opportunity tocorrect an injustice you must take it. When making any rolltowards this end you can roll and keep a number of additionaldice equal to your Honor rank.

KITSUKIRS/ilV/^ARAI

TARTUR RO B O 3 —THE SIMPLE PEFERSE

The wakizashi carried by Agasha Kitsuki was never renownedfor any great ability. Instead, it was honored for its master andtreated with the same respect the Dragon gave all ancestralitems. It was not until two generations after Kitsuki'suntimely death that anyone realized the blade carried magicalproperties of its own. Kitsuki Otemon, a cousin of the Kitsukidaimyo, was charged with the blade's care. One evening as hewas cleaning its stand, he became suddenly aware of two ninjadangling above him. Without a second thought, he took upthe sword and struck down his would-be-assailants, WhenOtemon recounted his tale to the castle's chief shugenja it wasfound that the formerly powerless artifact had becomeawakened as nemuranai. Ever since, the simple blade ofAgasha Kitsuki has been gifted to the most talented KitsukiInvestigator of each generation.

KITSUKI'S WAklZASHlTanjun no Boei is a +2 wakizashi. Kitsuki's wakizashi grants itsowner a special bonus against stealthy assaults. As long as theuser is within at least ten feet of the blade she is constantlyunder the affects of an Alarm spell. Tanjun no Boei will men-tally alert its owner to the presence of any physical creaturethat comes within ten feet of her. Ethereal creatures thatbecome physical while in the area of affect alert the wielderas welL

KITSUKI'S UAklZASHITanjun no Boei acts as a 2k2waki2ashi As long as the weapon'sowner is within ten feet it will grant her a bonus againststealthy assaults. The sword will mentally alert its owner to thepresence of any physical creature that comes within ten feetof her. Ethereal creatures that become physical while in thisarea alert the wielder as well.

KITSUklWhile the Kitsuki family is heavily based in logic and reason,over the years they have learned to utilize every lool at theirdisposal. Kitsuki Aiko was born with the talents of a shugenjaand spent the entirety of her life on research that would bene-fit her family. Her most famous creation is a fine dust thatreveals the paths of hunted and hidden traces of blood andtaint. It is known in the Kitsuki family as Aiko's Revelation,but to all others it is simply called Kitsuki Powder.

KITSUKITossing a small pinch of Kitsuki Powder over an area up to1,000 square feet reveals all traces of blood and the footprintsof anyone who has been in the area within the past week.The powder may also be used on a trail with the same effect.Depending on the traffic that traverses the path, however, theknowledge gained from what is revealed may not be as usefulas hoped.

Caster Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item,pass without trace; Market Price: 250 koku; Weight: —.

KITSUKI 7OUII7S*Kitsuki Powder can be sprinkled over an area (typically acleaned crime scene) to reveal all traces of blood and recentfootprints that have been left there within the past week. Also,the dust glows with a tint of darkness if either Shadow orJigoku taints what the Powder reveals.

The Kitsuki family is known more for its insightful investiga-tors than its samurai, but a few members of every generationbreak the mold. Kitsuki Jotomon was one such samurai.Jotomon studied Niten with the Mirumoto family until shebecame a master of its style. Instead of going on to learnanother Dragon style, the Kitsuki decided to create her own,Jotomon believed that only through the power of Bushidocould a samurai attain his greatest power. She moved herhome from the Dragon's territoty and sought the mostunlikely of places to train: Ryoko OwariToshi, the City of Lies.

Kitsuki Jotomon begin her dojo in Rokugan's most sinfulcity so that she could bring the Code to those who trulyneeded it. She allowed all manner of people to train in herschool, including the lowly peasant dais. She created power-ful techniques that would later be expounded upon by herclosest students. Unfortunately, with Jotomon's death, herdojo fell into ruin. Her students moved back to the Kitsukilands, but considering the new bonds of the Scorpion/Dragonalliance they may well grace Ryoko Owari with Jotomon'spresence again.

TOTO/ilOR'S SKia^AICLASS)

Hit Die: dtO.

To qua lily to become a member of Jotomons Shinrai, a charactermust fulfill all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +6Skills: Knowledge (bushido) 10 RanksEeats: Daisho Technique, Versatile, Void Use, Way of the

DragonSpecial: Must be accepted by the sensei of the Shinrai

school and must have Knowledge (Bushido) as a class skill.

CLASS SKILLSThe Shinrai class skills (and key ability for each skill) areBattle (Wis), Craft (fiat), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal(Cha), Iaijutsu Focus (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),Knowledge (Bushido) (bit), Perform (Cha), Profession Wis),Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Cha), Spot {Wis), Tea Ceremony(Wis),

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

CLASS FEATURESAll of the following are class features of the Jotomon's Shinraiprestige class.

The Hand Is My Sword: The Shinrai has learned that hemust be adaptable in combat to be truly powerful. He gainsthe Improved Unarmed Strike feat for free and incurs nopenalty for throwing a wakizashi.

The Purity of Honor: The Shinrai may spend a Void pointlo add one-fourth of his total Knowledge: Bushido skill checkmodifier to all attacks for the round. This bonus is lost ifattacking an opponent with higher honor.

At 4th level and beyond, the Shinrai spend a Void pointwhen rolling for initiative to add one-fourth of his totalKnowledge: Bushido skill check modifier as a bonus t.o his ini-tiative roll This also grants the benefits of the previous bonusgranted by this ability for the remainder of the round.

At 5th level the Shinrai has become such a paragon of virtuethat he gains a +2 damage bonus when using this ability andattacking dishonorable opponents.

The Cuts of Harmony: Once per round, the Shinrai mayattempt to redirect any one melee attack made againsE himto a different opponent within the original attacker's range.The Shinrai rolls his attack against his opponent's attack rollIf successful, use the original attacker's roll to determine if thenew target is hit.

XOTO/IIOR'S(AOL/ARCED SCHOOU

Traits/Rings: Water 4, Agility 4Skills: Hand-to-Hand 3, Iaijutsu 3, Kenjutsu 4, lore :

Bushido 5Advantages: IrreproachableOther: Sensei of the Shinrai school will only teach hushi

that currently belongs to a school in which he has reached atleast Rank 3.

TSCHRIQUESRank i : The Hand Is My Sword

At this rank, the Shinrai has learned thai he must be adaptablein combat to be powerful. He may use his Kenjutsu instead ofAthletics to throw his wakiaashi and may roll Kenjutsuinstead of his Hand-to-Hand skill while unarmed. The Shin-rai also begins to benefit from his strict adherence to Bushidoand may add half his rank in the skill Lore: Bushido (roundedup) to his attack and damage rolls.

Rank 2: The Cuts of HarmonyThe Shinrai may spend a Void point to redirect a melee attackmade against him and instead redirect it to someone else.He makes a Kenjutsu/Water roll against his opponent'sweapon skill x5. If successful, the attack is redirected to anyperson within range other than [he original attacker.The attacker's roll is used to determine if the new target is hit.Lastly, the Shinrai now adds his Lore: Bushido skill rank to hisinitiative and TN to be hit.

Rank 3: The Purity of HonorThe Shinrai has become such a paragon of virtue that he maynow add his Honor Rank to any attack, damage, or opposedrolls made against opponents of lower Honor ranks. TheShinrai may not add this bonus if the roll would cause him anhonor loss or when using a Low Skill. The Shinrai may alsomake one additional attack per round.

TABLE 1-1: THE JOTOMON'S SHINRAIClassLevel1st2nd3rd4thSth

BaseAttack Bonus

+1+2+3+4+5

FortSave

• ; 4 0 \+0+1+1+1

RefSave+2+3+3' '-+4+4

WillSave

+0+0+1+1+1

SpecialThe Hand Is My SwordThe Purity of HonorThe "Cuts of HarmonyThe Purity of HonorThe Purity of Honor

-Trr S5

',"

THE

"\k> J »Mjt])bsi» cite rauM say it is poetic, -justice that the KUsuki landsi'lv..: it'tjii, flint they air what they ai$?!Z>ga$hi Matsuo finishedto 5 fele tvifJi another 0/ fn* signature smilei. J!t was & iviirm,genuirtf smile, butwe rtutt always made Hatori feel as though' £iu!isezitmihne^ssmeihinglte wasn't revealing to tfestftsre. •

AiS^fefefm ia»g:f?«ii rt( itie fiiiirtfc's a r t c t ^ ^ . M ' i rtS Ttitiejifrowned dnitTicdio make sense <tfwhM;^^0ei^d to be-KfatMo'i huldurt meisdges, Hrafori umn&l :ikf'x0Mfyi\di: In anyotlur dsmi IflMcis, the, rocky, trmuntainmif/fytwnrihmigli yfhichhis pwrtf pMscii at the mamtn: •• oul • \\kr\y be considered d^icultand inaaeisible. Here, at the e^J4^^f^lirumoto province^ fheselands were considered comforiakte''antl'easily traversed. Hfrtoritotewfritiii experience that tfit traveling would become fur mo rediffKuiiiM the group progivisctl inward.

"Isthftt Shtro Minrtnpto?1 jteftfoa H S W , pointing to a baiidingperched precariously atdii the nipurttainsid?. "Sevms an odd placetomtt it." , 7'f:- '• .

"Don't be ridiculous? '8qW}i said irossly. "No cm would build aenstie ift.mth tin inaciesstbk locntum. How would they even havecourt*"'"

''Court- is not quite as important to the Dr&gpn as te your, family-.OUymaf Mahuc* mid. aNei*rtliel<ssi you ar$ io>re.ci,ThM is Jn>MMountain d&jo, the Mirumoto family's greatest &o}o. Thtit,"he pointed to thediitame, "is Shm Mimm.oto."

ffistori smiled slightly of the young shugenja's reaction. It hadbvai long ago when he had first sens Shtra Mirumoto, but herrmewbe'rcd the impact it had. Vwm..a distance, the rastle antldh<ii:: been curved directly from tJiti mountain by a celestialiioneworker. It's spires reached up among the peaks thatsurrounded i f / I t was an impressive sight to behold, a* t\ie

1' f'; svf i i ngfi.!! i J r, 0 red g 1 ircb."

HiiioH [oofecif up along ffif rocks to the east, surprise^ \o find1 •someone standing thtte. TM manwas bald and bare to ffif watst,covered in tattoos just as Mafssefctws. Hf did not fiaw the iorrteeasygoingiitrabout him aithe tseitimi, however,and the Unesonhis faa: indicated"'ffe^Jmew much of pain and suffering."Hello" Hatori finally iiiid, bowing. "X am Miya Hatori, ImperialHiftvritm. I come ajF a repreimtalive of Mvto Ch'&gttiai,the Liwmm Khan."

"Yi>t, 1 had heard that you were appfout/the man replied, hopping down from his -peSow thai he was closer, Hatori eoidd stv that Jit-U'OJ tu>i)$m^^$i(n(ght perhaps J would enjoy y gin tke-.<: i.-ain air and await your arrival." The strangerbowed sU0dy. "i am Mirunwto Rusanfin, ilx. Kiininmto familyihiwvo. Wehcrmc toourhdfnSj Hfiton-siin."

"RosnHjm-*a?mi?" Sffefeou smtnded sinyrised. "Yyu an thegft'algeneral?"

"Forgive Sikkou!' Tanejt said quickly, "tie sets thing in rathtvsimple terms" Hi* shot the shugenja:>i warning glance. "1 believehe thought you were cin isc zunn, asmir honomble guidg h.'

Rosanjin chuckled. "I have always admired the noble Tagashtorder,'' he confessed:, "As a young man I p^toisedhniy.itffcsndj(tppc-amnce after Mntswo's setisei, the. great Tagtidu-Mitsti."

ng, llalori-san"h atop the rocks.ort a ditisiio. Thismy awing kata

He shrugged. "You are not the first to mistake me because of myappearance." He fumed bach to Hatori. ''It is good to meet you, MiyaRaton. I haw heard much of you in the past, but 1 believe 1 must bedli only daimyo in all the Empire who hai not met you before now."

Hatori smiled. "The past year and a half have been... busy."''So 1 have heard! A tremendous experience, I'll wager. You should

chronide your exploits. 1 would enjoy reading of your trave Is."''You are not the first to suggest that" Hatori mused."Forgive my ignorance, Rosanjm-sama" Sekkou offered, "but ts if

not uncommon for a man of your station to conduit exercises alone inthe wilderness without the benefit of a personal guard?"

"It is uncommon, yes, but 1 do not feel restrained hy convention."ile shrugged, "I have, in turn, been senset, general, and daimyo.Through it all, 1 remain Mirumoto Kusanjm. And 1 prefer to conductmy kata in the wilderness, unfettered by the trappings of a dojo."

"The Khan wishes us to extend to the Dragon Clan his wannestregards and his hope that your two clans can become closer allies mthe future" Hatori said, throwing formality to the wind. If did notseem us though Rosanjin was one to stand on ritual or politics.

"It is Togashi Satsw to whom you must direct your message, Hafori-san," Rasanjin reminded him. "The days when the Mirumotocontrol led the dan are over. SaUu-sama has a keen mind for polities,us well as for anything else he turns his attention toward. I am buthis general and servant,"

"Rosanjtn-sama is far too modest," Matsuo insisted, "The Mirumotoare the Champion's right and left hands. The Kitsufii are his eyes, per-haps, and the Tamori his spirit, but the Mirumoto enforce his will anddefend his home. Rosanjin-sama coordinates al\ of this. It is a difficulttask on the test day," The ise zumi bowed to the Mirumoto daimyo.

"It is my duty," Rosanjin said, waving the flattery away. "If is what(he Mirumoto do. One does not compliment the mountain forremaining still."

Hatori chuckled, "An admirable perception. 1/ more shared yoursimple devotion, perhaps the Empire would be a better place."

"For now, the Empire beyond is not my concern," Rosanjin saidplaintively. "My immediate concern is the will of my Champion,"he smiled, "and proper hospitality for my distinguished guests. Please,accompany me to the castle that we Dragon might offer you all thaiwe haw!'

"Thank you, ttosaiijin-sumrt," Hatori replied gratefully, "As youmight guess, me are quite weary of trawl, and enjoy the hospitality ofothers whenever it is offered."

"I'm afraid Dragon hospitality is not (is warm as other c!<ms,perhaps," Rosanjin said with u smile, "but I'm fairly certain we cancome up with something more comfortable than sleeping unshelteredin the mountains."

the eyes of most. The Mirumoto long ago learned to make themost of their situation, however, and have found many innov-ative uses for the rugged lands they call home.

THE

The Mirumoto are easily the largest family in the DragonClan. In fact, they comprise well over half the clan's numbersalone, and are among the largest families in the Empire,although this fact goes unnoticed because the Dragon aresmall compared to other Great Clans. Given this fact, theMirumoto lands are understandably large. Obviously, much oftheir land is extremely mountainous and of dubious value in

TilRU/ilOTOHOJ-17IRGS

The Mirumoto determine the importance of a holding by therole it serves within the family.Trade, diplomacy, and militaryvalue are of utmost importance to the Mirumoto, and as sucha large portion of their major holdings revolve around thesethree concepts.

HEIBEISUCI.OCATIOTI V8 FXOm aOKUGArr)

Historically, the Dragon and Phoenix are allies. It was notuntil the manipulation of Agasha Tamori by his brotherTamori Chosai and the Master of Fire Isawa Hochiu that thetwo became enemies, and while open conflict between themlias been over for nearly five years, relations between the twoclans are cool. This has had a dramatic effect on Heibeisu,the city that traditionally serves as a major trading pointbetween the two.

Heibeisu rests on the border between the Dragon moun-tains and the vast Dragon Heart Plain, Its location makes it aperfect place for the Dragon, Phoenix, Ov, Lion, and Craneclans to gather and trade with one another, particularly afterOtosanUchi was razed after Daigotsu's assault during the Four"Winds era. Unfortunately, the city never benefited from thecapital's demise, as by that point it had already become a rally-ing point for the displaced Dragon fleeing the eruption ofKami's Wrath as well as serving as a major barracks for theMirumoto armies engaging the Phoenix along their border.Centuries of development and brisk trade were all but ruinedby war and overcrowding in a matter of months.

Today, Heibeisu remains a pale reflection of its formerglory. Trade with the Ox Clan has resumed, as has limitedtrade with the Phoenix. The l ion and Crane, however, movedmost of their principle interests to the new capital, ToshiRanbo, leaving only marginal interests in Heibeisu. The loss ofresources for the Mirumoto has been considerable, and Miru-moto Rosanjin seeks a way to revitalize the city's formerlybooming trade markets.

/IlRUJilOTO SHOItAR,OF HEISS1SU

[Courtier 9; Kitsuki Magistrate 3]Mirumoto Shokan is unusual for a Mirumoto in that he doesnot study the traditional Mirumoto style. In the past, manyhave mistaken this for an inability to wield a sword effectively,a misconception that has led to suffering on the part of thosewho would intimidate the city's governor. Shokan's martialabilities notwithstanding, his attention to detail was recog-nized early in his life, and he was sent to study with hismother's family among the Kitsuki rather than his father'sschool. Rarely have two families' talents blended together sobeautifully, and Shokan is a valued aide to the provincialdaimyo.

'

Shokan first arrived in Heibeisu shortly after the Dragon-Phoenix war began. The suffering he saw there outraged him,and lie vowed to punish the Phoenix for their part in it.As time progressed, his rage cooled and he began to direct hisenergy toward aiding the city's rulers rather than punishingthose responsible for the oppression. His aid was invaluable inmaintaining the city as a viable entity during the war years,and was appointed the city's new governor shortly after thewar's conclusion. In the tune since then, he has struggled tofulfill Rosanjin's mandate and return the city to its formergloiry. It has not been an easy task, and there are days whenShokan wonders if it is even possible.

U/O1.F KEE?On the outskirts of Heibeisu stands a bleak stone building that,at first glance, could easily be mistaken for an old, abandonedfortress. In truth, the keep is only a few years old, constructed asduring the Dragon-Phoenix war. Hasty construction, and extra-ordinarily high traffic from refugees leaves it in a constant stateof disrepair, the primary reason that the keep was abandonedwhen the Mirumoto armies withdrew from Reibeisu. It wasshortly afterwards that the ronin Saigorei and the legendaryWolf Legion appeared in the city, pledging their allegiance toMirumoto Shokan and the Dragon Clan.

The newly appointed governor was greatly surprised by thisturn of events. In his mind, he was only a servant of his Cham-pion, performing his duty to the best of his ability. To rhe WolfLegion, however, he was a kindred spirit of tbeir founder,Toturi. Shokan put the people's needs, looking to protect andcare for the city even as a war raged all around him. Saigoreideclared that Shokan was the one man in all the Empire whobest exemplified the virtues that Toturi held in the highestregard. Disgusted with what they perceived as their abandon-ment in the ruins of Otosan Uchi, Saigorei and his comradesswore their fealty to Shokan in the hopes of making a differ-ence in the world once again.

Their efforts have not been in vain. The Wolf Legions pres-ence, while intimidating at first, provided the citizens ofHeibeisu with a much-needed sense of security. The Legionprovides defense for the limited trade conducted within theciry, and offers their services to other clans' merchants as well.While few have taken them up on the offer, the fact that theadditional protection exists is of great comfort to many timidtrading partners.

), U/OJ-F J.SCIOTV[Fighter 11; True Ronin, Insight Rank 4 (Toturi's Army 1)]A relic from the Clan War days, Saigorei is an aging ronin witha bitter legacy. He fondly remembers the days when Toturi,the Black Lion, traveled the Empire with a great army of roninin hopes of protecting the citizens from the Shadowlands.He looks back on the period when the Wolf Legion served theEmperor of a peaceful Rokugan, defending his family and landsfrom all who would dare threaten it. He remembers whenToturi's children abandoned Otosan Uchi, leaving only theWolf Legion to defend it. He remembers being left alone andforgotten in the ruins ofa once great city. No one in the modemEmpire cares about the Wolf Legion, No one remembers.

It was Saigorei who proposed that the Legion find a newmaster worthy of their service, and it was he who ultimatelysuggested Mirumoto Shokan. Saigorei has tremendousrespect for the younger samurai, and hopes that he and hiscomrades can prove one last time that even a ronin can changethe face of Rokugan for the better.

HOOKChallenge: A message arrives in Heibeisu from the Lion

lands, one bearing rhe Akodo mon and addressed to Saigorei.The characters can have been selected to deliver this message,or they may be in the ciry at the time of its delivery. They maybecome involved in other ways as well, perhaps interceptingthe missive in transit, or whatever suits your particularcampaign.

Focus: The letter is an offer of fealty to Saigorei and hisdaughter Jineko. Saigorei is a former Akodo who left the clanafter the Scorpion Clan Coup, and the letter implores himto return before his death so that he might die a Lion and becelebrated for his many achievements. While Saigorei has nointention of doing so, he is interested in the opportunity forhis daughter. Jineko is ad a ma in that she will not join rhe Lion,and the two have a heated discussion that results in Jinekostorming out.

Strike: The offer of fealty is not genuine. It is a forgery sentby a party who wishes to foment discord among the WolfLegion and assassinate Saigorei for past transgressions. Whothis party might be is dependant upon the needs of yourcampaign: it might be & haughty Lion who wishes to erase allthe Akodo's past sins, a Scorpion who knows Saigorei sawmany sensitive things during the Clan War and who does notentrust a vonin to keep such secrets, or even the ronin son ofsomeone Saigorei killed during the Clan War.

HIOHU/AVS OF THE/TU^UMOTO ?^OUIRC£S

Refugee Path (Connects Di to DS) — This morbidlynamed road draws its meaning from the refugees whofled Maigo no Samurai Mura after the Kami's Wratherupted seven years ago. Before that time, only asmall, unnamed path connected the village withYushosha Seido Mura to the novili, but the dozens ofrefugees trampled a wide path through the wildernessas yet unclaimed by nature. Given the connectionMaigo no Samurai Murn now has to the zokujin andthe importance those strange creatures have to theTamori family, it is unlikely that the path will beallowed to founder again,

Daimyo Road (Connects D3 to ,D8 and D10) — This roadstretches across the Mirumoto provinces and makesup approximately half the journey from Shiro Miru-moto to the High House of light. This route has seenconsiderable traffic from various Mirumoto daimyoover the centuries as they traveled to visit the DragonChampion in Togashi lands, and takes its name frofflisuch journeys.

Tfw Park nf Secrets (Connects D8 to Pi) — This hiddenroad, which is little more than a wilderness path, con-nects the Mirumoto lands to the hidden YohanjinMura, a supposedly secret village maintained by theIsawa. The Isawa family believes that they alone con-duct trade with the Yobanjin, but both the barbariansand the villagers have secretly made secondary tradeagreements with the Mirumoto as well, a fact thatwould result in the entire village's destruction shouldthe Isawa evet discover the treachery.

X A

,,,-.

THE RO*THE2Jl TOU/E3SOF FLAME

Recent additions to the Mirumolo lands, these towers wereconstructed during the past five years. A total of five towersexist, patterned after the Kaiu watchtowers and spaced equallyalong the mountain range thai marks the northern border ofRokugan.The purpose of these towers is to monitor the north-ern lands, ensuring that no hostile forces from beyond theEmpire can approach and threaten Dragon lands. This is inpart due to the many Yobanjin tribes that dwell there, some ofwhich are hostile, and in part because the Dark Oracle of Firewas banished to trie northern lands and often sends hisminions south to plague his enemies among the Dragon.

The real powers within the Northern Towers are the Flamesof Purity. These mystical, everlasting fires were crafted by theTamori, drawing on the energy ofTamori's Furnace, thevolcano formerly known as the Kami's Wrath. These flamesare pure elemental fire, with no need for fuel thai would onlyintroduce impurities.These flames cannoi abide the presenceof corruption, and anything that bears the foul touch ofTamori Chosai, Dark Oracle of Fire, causes them to flicker andwane noticeably, This immediately alerts the samuraistationed at the towers that Chosai or his agents, usually thelatter since Chosai cannot enter the Empire, are near. Thisinevitably causes a considerable clamor, and hundreds ofsoldiers are mobilized to find and destroy whatever threat canbe found. Numerous Tamori shugenja are on hand as well,at least one per tower, to ensure that Chosai's insidious effortscan be thwarted with a minimal loss of life.

TARSO,CO/il/ilATlDHS OF THE FOURTH TOIUSS

[Samurai 13; Miruraoto Bushi 4]Often accused of being intense or brooding, Mirumoto Takeois a singularly focused individual. He has lived his entire lifesubscribing to a simple philosophy: embrace one thing,a single concept, and through unyielding devotion one cancome to understand the universe's unbridled beauty, This hasnot failed him, and he continues to believe that all the wisdomcontained within the Tao can be traced back to this most basicprecept.

Takeo believes that he has found (he one ihing worthy ofhis unending devotion: the protection of his family and clanfrom the enemies that threaten them to the north. His steelydetermination and vigilance has prevented numerous incur-sions by Yobanjin raiders and a handful of dangerous assassinssent by the traitor Chosai. His successes have allowed him toachieve the rank of commander, and the fourth tower is hiscommand. Takeo is the steel center around which his troopsrally when battle breaks out. He is the master of his bleak,desolate domain, and he would not surrender his duty fora moment.

HOOkChallenge: The characters by chance encounter a powerful

ronin shugenja in the Dragon lands. The ronin is far morearrogant and less supplicant than most of his ilk, and almostdares others to defy him and incur his wrath. Through combator investigation, the characters discover strange documents inhis possession that instruct him to hire a small force of roninto attack the Northern Towers.

Focus: Unfortunately, the ronin has already put his plansinto place, and the attack will occur whether or not hesurvives to participate. Nearly three-dozen ronin will assaultthe Fourth Tower at sunrise in three days time. It is obviouslynot a large enough force to threaten the tower, and [he roninwill flee when they begin to lose, but it should be an obviousred flag that something more sinister is taking place.

Strike: The ronin shugenja is a vassal of Tamori Chosai, andhas been commanded to cause a distraction so a small party ofChosai's most powerful servants can lay waste to the tower andpenetrate Dragon lands. These, men and women will causeuntold death and destruction, something that the Dragonhave experienced far too much of in the past seven years.What's worse, such an incursion could cause the northernborder to be taken from the Dragon's control and given toanother clan to defend, which would compromise the Dragonborders considerably.

Till^U/TVOTOtj.ocATiorv DIO

If the courtiers attending court in the Dragon lands were to bepolled on how to describe Shiro Mirumoto, without questionthe one word most often used to describe it would be"functional." It is not a particularly attractive castle, nor is itlavishly decorated, nor does it serve as a preeminent fortressor temple. The castle's sole purpose is to house the family'sleadership and provide a central location from which to coor-dinate the clan's militaty endeavors. It is not an unattractiveplace, nor does it lack strategic military value or religioussignificance. It simply is not wholly devoted to any singlepurpose as so many other similar structures throughout theEmpire are these days.

Although the Kitsuki are often the Dragon Clan's diplomatsand ambassadors, the clan's most prominent courts are invari-ably held in Shiro Mirumoto. The Kitsuki lands are generallyconsidered TOO bland, the Tamori lands too volatile, and thelands belonging to the tattooed orders are too tull of strangeand random individuals. Thus, as is so often the case,the Mirumoto must deal with the matter. After Hitomi'sascension as Lady Moon, when the Dragon Clan truly beganto participate in the affairs of Rokugan in earnest, new courtchambers were constructed to deal with the increasingnumber of diplomats and ambassadors. As might be expected,this arrangement has not altered the proceedings of ShiroMirumoto at all. The family continues as it has uninterruptedsince the Empire's creation, and there is little chance that itwill be altered in the foreseeable future.

ksozo[Samurai 6/Nemuranai Seeker 5; Mirumoto Bushi 3/Nemuranai Seeker l]Young men rarely hold high-level positions when it comes tomatters of administration in the Great Clans. MirumotoKenzo is an obvious exception to that tradition, as he hasalready risen to command the so-called Nemuranai Seekersthat the family has formed in the wake of Temom's revelationsfrom beyond the Empire. Kenzo is every bit as skilled as washis father, the fallen ronin Junnosuke. He is young,charismatic, skilled, and apparently very lucky. His drive anddetermination have forged the Nemuranai Seekers into theeffective force they are today, and he has shown no signsof halting in his single-minded devotion to achieving themission his daimyo has set before him.

Despite appearances to the contrary, Kenzo is extremelybitter over his father's fate. He has heard many tales of hisfather's battle prowess from Tamori Tsukiro, but most Dragonrefuse to acknowledge Junnosuke in any way. Kenzo's hungerto prove himself and vindicate his father's memory is thesecret passion that has driven him to such heights thus far,and his ambition is boundless. It remains to be seen if he willprove Junnosuke's detractors wrong, or if he will end up thesame twisted mockery of bushido that others say his fatherwas.

THS GXSAT STUPVThis gigantic chamber lies beneath Shiro Mirumoto, hewnfrom the unyielding mountain stone centuries ago on theorder of a paranoid Mirumoto daimyo that wished to have asecure hold in the unlikely event that the castle came underattack. The vast chamber was well stocked with supplies andleft to sit empty for years. While the supplies were emptiedout long ago, the chamber has only come into use recently,and for a most unusual purpose.

The Mirumoto's distrust of nemuranai, fostered by theevents surrounding the Dragon-Phoenix war and the findingsof Mirumoto Temoru, have manifested in a strong desireto understand the phenomenon. The previous daimyoUso ordered the chamber emptied and prepared to studynemuranai of all types. Several Kitsuki and Tamori have beenassigned to the Great Study, and began cheir efforts with theMirumoto family's ancestral items. The information Tern or uprovided to the family allowed the examiners to verify that allthe item's abilities had been identified and were fully under-stood, after which they were returned to their place of honorwithin Shiro Mirumoto. The ancestral items of other familiesfollowed, until all the Dragon's nemuranai were fullycataloged.

Once the Dragon's nemuranai were cataloged, the real workbegan. A combination of Kitsuki and Mirumoto agents havescoured the Empire for the past two years, tracking downevery rumor of lost items ot mysterious artifacts. Chief amongtheir targets are such legendary items as the Armor of SunTao,the jade Goblet of Otosan Uchi, and the Egg of Pan Ku.Although all these items were once possessed by clans orindividuals, their current whereabouts ate unknown.

The Mirumoto's quest does not end with lost items,however. Kitsuki representatives have discreetly beenpetitioning other families to allow the Dragon access to theirnemuranai for the past few years. So far, they hnve had littlesuccess. There have been exceptions, however. When AkodoCinawa retired, he personally surrendered the infamousbloodsword Revenge to Togashi Satsu as a sign of his friend-ship with the Dragon Clan and his desire to see rhe sword keptfrom the wrong hands.

, n.»T£n. PUSWST[Samurai 12; Mirumoto Swordmaster 4]Shiro Mirumoto is well defended by large numbers of Miru-moto Elite Guard. These guards are among the finest bushi theDragon Clan has to offer, and their leaders are among thefinest officers in the Empire. Tokeru is unique among theirofficers, however, in that he has never studied alongside theElite Guard at their elite and competitive dojo. He was hand-picked to serve with the guards by Mirumoto Rosanjin, whobelieved that the noted duelist's different training and stylewould perhaps help the other officers find security solutionsthat rheir training might otherwise not account for.

Tokeru is not a likeable man. He is well aware of his reputa-tion as a gifted duelist, and has the arrogance that so ofienaccompanies such a reputation. His primary responsibility isthe Great Study's security. At any given time, there are al leasta handful of extremely valuable nemuranai within it, and itscontents are considered among the family's most preciousholdings, Tokeru considers the chamber his personal protec-torate, and anyone who attempts to enter without permissionwill surely face his wrath.

i*ori mounTAin uoroThe location of Iron Mountain dojo, the original site plannedfor Shiro Mirumoto, is a particularly jagged piece of land lessthan a mile from the castle. The site was deemed too difficultfor a major castle, but the adverse conditions were perfect fora dojo. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of Mirumotowarriors have studied at the prestigious Iron Mountain dojo,the principle dojo for the unique Mirumoto kenjursu style.

The modern era has seen only minor changes at IronMountain. Mirumoto Rosanjin's ascension to the familydaimyo position left the grand master position open, a posi-tion that has been filled by the famed tactician MirumotoZenko. Zenko's more militant philosophy has resulted insome changes to the instructional style that Rosanjin does notagree with, bur he prefers to allow the sensei to conductmatters as he sees fit

For more information on Iron Mountain Dojo, see Way of theSamurai.

fflJRUJIlOTO K.VUZO[Samurai 8;MirumotoBuslii3]Mirumoto Kyuzo comes from a long line of Mirumotoduelists. Both his grandfather and his great-great grandfatherwere exchange students at the Kakita Dueling Academy,where they studied the secrets of Kakita's one-blade sryle.Kyuzo might have shared his fate as well had not his grandfa-ther, also named Kyuzo, been forced to kill a promising youngCrane duelist in self-defense shortly after the two graduatedfrom the dojo at Tsuma. The two had long been enemies, butthe Crane could still not forgive the first Kyuzo's crime, andhis family was forever barred from studying with the Kakita.

In a shocking display of individuality, Kyuzo has forsakenthe dueling style to embrace the traditional Mirumoto sryleinstead. He does not see the need to embrace the legacy hisfamily has left fox him, and instead intends to forge his ownpath in the world. He has not yet found his place, but he hasno doubt that one day, greatness will be his.

TSTSU ICA/ilAPerhaps the single most important holding to the Mirurootoarmies, few outside the Dragon Clan ever see the extensivemining operations that have plumbed (he depths of TetsuKama, Iron Mountain, since the Dragon's founding. Themountain is certainly among the largest iron deposits in allof Rokugan, greater even than the vast veins that dominatet lie Twilight Mountains in Crab lands. The first Agasha sensedthe incredible strength the earth kami within the mountainpossessed during a lengthy meditation session one spring dayover a thousand years ago. Agasha returned and told Togashiand Mirumoto of this finding, and the first mine appeared atthe mountain's base within a matter of weeks. Mining hascontinued unabated since that time, although the heiminworkers have abandoned old tunnels and begun anew manytimes over.

•

X I

While important roads pass by the base of Tetsu Kama,the mines that extract its rich iron ore are sufficientlyremoved from die roads so as to make it all but impossible fortravelers to discover them. This is not done out of shame ordeceit, for that would be dishonorable. Rather, the Mirumotohave always found that the mountain faces that are farthestfrom major roads to be the most promising for mining opera-tions. The mines produce the vast majority o{ ore that is usedto create the Mirumoto family's armor and weapons, not tomention a thousand other items that see everyday use amongsamurai and peasant alike.

The Mirumoto have an almost pious reverence for IronMountain, The clan's most1 prestigious bushi dojo was namedfor the metal-heavy peak, and the mountain has almost single-handedly supplied the Mirumoto armies with steel for theclan's entire history. They treat the mountain as sacred groundand take great care to ensure it is well cared for and wellprotected. Small shrines to the mountain's spirit appear everyfew miles around the base, and many look upon it as almost alesser fortune that protects and defends the Dragon from itsenemies.

the condition of miners when they rerurn home conspires tocreate an environment that is hopelessly buried beneath athick, unending veil of finely crushed stone.

TETSU liA/ilAIron Mountain Village is the largest collection of buildings onTetsu Kama's base. It is the central location from which allmining operations are coordinated, and is well hidden fromwould-be observers as it is on the opposite side from all thewell-maintained and heavily traveled roads that skirt near theeastern base. large numbers of peasant miners come to andfrom the village on a daily basis, traveling as far as ten miles tothe outer mine shafts to harvest more ore for their samurailords.

The village proper, while large, is a rather drab and dirtyplace. There is a constant coat of thick dust that covers every-thing. Those who dwell in this village learned centuriesago that attempting to clean the dust away does nogood. The constant travel to and from the mines, ftogether with the gathering and cleaning of ore and

HOOKChallenge: An earthquake, unusual but not unheard of in

the area, strikes the village near Tetsu Kama. The loss of lifeand resources is substantial, and the Dragon are forced todivert considerable manpower to the village in an attempt torecover from the devastating disaster. Unfortunately, thisdraws attention to the village's presence, something theDragon have carefully avoided for centuries.

Focus: The characters are present in Dtagon lands whenthe disaster strikes, ;ind are pressed into service fulfilling therole normally filled by Mirumoto samurai while they are awaytending to the village. The chaos naturally brings out bandits,thieves, and other various malcontents who see opportunityin the chaos. All that stands in their way are the characters.

Strike: Although not particularly convoluted, this is anincredible opportunity for the characters to prove themselvesto their lord and to the Dragon Clan. They stand to gain muchhonor for their actions on the clan's behalf, and could easilyreceive new and more prestigious appointments, making thisan opportunity to redirect the campaign. Of course, if theyfail, their good names will be all but ruined.

THE MAGISTRATE'S OUTPOSTThe distance between Tetsu Kama Mura and the more civi-lized portions of Mirumoto lands is considerable, and the trekthrough the wilderness from one to the other can be both dan-gerous and uncomfortable. To alleviate this problem, at leastin part, the Mirumoto have placed a magistrate's outpost alongthe most commonly used path between the village and the

outside world. Granted, this path is little morethan a rough mountain trail, but it is still the

path of least resistance when consideringthe jagged peaks and deep chasms thatdot the mountain range.

Ostensibly, the reason the outpostexists is to provide Mirumoto travelingback and forth ftom the village to civi-lization with a resting point en route. A

purely secondary benefit is thatthe outpost is convenientlylocated in such a way thatanyone lost or just exploring themountains is likely to run acrossit. This allows the magistrate andhis yoriki to gently redirect

travelers away from

Tetsu Kawa Mura, for their own safety, of course. In case thereare chose who have less than honorable motives at heart, themagistrate's assistants spend most of their day scouring thearea surrounding the outpost for any sign of travelers. Thusfar, the village has remained secure for over a thousand years.If the Mirumoto have their way, it will remain so forever.

AltlRAUA,

[Samurai 10; Miminoto Swordmaster 3]The position as magistrate in the desolate outpost nearTetsuKama Mura is not exactly a coveted position among the Miru-moto. It is an empty, unfulfilling job with little chance foradvancement or hope of bettering one's position. Although anappointment there is not given as punishment, it is often asentence of mediocrity that few manage to escape. In the timesince the position was created, Mirumoto Akikawa is the onlysamurai who has ever actively pursued the post.

Akikawa is a duelist. She is not the greatest of her genera-tion, or even of her class, but she is skilled nonetheless. Shechose to pursue this position because she knew that therewould be vast amounts of rime to be spent alone in the wilder-ness, which is exactly what she believes she needs in order totake her an to [he next level. When not fulfilling the require-ments of her position. Akikawa can be found alone in thewilderness, practicing her strike or just listening to every-thing around her, perfecting her powers of perception untilshe has trained her body and mind to be that of a perfectduelist.

MIRO*HOLPIRGS

All things associated with the Mirumoto have a purpose, eventhose that are not as important to the family's continued mili-tary and diplomatic concerns. lesser holdings include sec-ondary diplomatic sites, unused military locations, and anyvillage or town that does not contribute directly to the family'spresent concerns.

HIRARBASHO SAROJiUTSU SHI/HA)aOCATlGR V FSO/iV aOliUGATV")

Called the Refuge of the Three Sisters by peasants, Hinan-basho sano Mitsu Shimai is a Mirumoto holding only in that itexists within their borders. It is an ancient place, a dreary cavein the highest mountain peaks that has existed for as long asanyone can remember. According to the most popular ver-sion, the Three Sisters are immortal seers who speak riddles inwhich the future's secrets are hidden. There are far more col-orful stories told about the Sisters, of course, some so fancifulthat even a peasant child would scoff. Samurai tend to vary intheir opinion on the Sisters, and while many do not believethey exist, just as many subscribe to the hetmin's beliefs on thematter,

Scholars among the Dragon believe that the Sisters are notimmortal, but that they are the vassals of powerful spirits thateven theTamori do not understand. When one of their bodiesdies, the spirit possesses a new one somewhere in the Dragon

lands. The new Sister then travels to the Refuge and joins theother two. No one fully understands what drives these spirits,but the most popular theory is that they are creations ofOnnotangu who now serve Lady Hitomi. This theory is sup-ported by the fact that the Sisters seem more forthcomingwhen dealing with the kikage zumi, Hitomi's chosen servants.Still, theories are all but impossible to test since the Refuge isextremely difficult to reach and there is evidence that it occa-sionally disappears for long periods of time.

ADl/ERTUSS HOOK.Challenge; A prominent member in the characters' lord's

court approaches them, obviously concerned. The woman'sson, a rather headstrong and unpredictable youth rapidlyapproaching his gempukku, has disappeared from the schoolwhere he was studying. In addition to being concerned for hiswelfare, ihe woman wishes to avoid dishonor on her family bybringing him back before his sensei choose to banish himfrom the school altogether.

Focus: Even a cursory investigation into the missing boy'slife shows a dangerous obsession with fate and destiny. Privatewritings indicate that the young man is convinced that he willone day be the greatest hero in Rokugan, perhaps even theEmperor. One entry indicates he has left for the Dragon landsto consult the mythical Three Sisters and find the fastest pathto his destiny

Strike: The characters may have no interest in saving suchan obviously deranged youth, but they stand to gain consider-able favor with the boy's influential mother if they do so. Onthe other hand, if they fail, she will at least blame them in panfor her son's demise. It becomes a race against time as thecharacters attempi to catch the boy before he disappears intothe Dragon mountains forever.

HITO/ill HCKJAI, CHOSEft OF J-APV /ilOOR[Fighter i/Monk 6; Hitomi Kikage Zumi 3]Of all the dreaded Hitomi kikage zumi, perhaps none is sofeared as Hitomi Hogai. While not as powerful as his comradeVedau or his lord Kagetora, Hogai possesses a particular com-bination of size, power, and violent behavior that makes him aterror to behold in battle. Hogai was among the first from thetattooed orders to take the field of battle against the Phoenix,and was one of a handful of Dragon who accompanied hisChampion Togashi Satsu to face tbe tattooed madman Koku-jin in the Twilight Mountains.

Hogai was once a Crab bushi serving the Hida family. Inone particularly difficult battle against a bandit group terroriz-ing the Crab's northern border, Hogai was covered in theblood of his enemies. When he attempted to wash it off, hediscovered that his skin had manifested many dark and terri-ble tattoos, much like those sported by the ise zumi, Fearinghis comrades would think him Tainted and kill him, Hogaifled north to the Dragon mountains, where he quickly becamelost and somehow stumbled across the Refuge of the ThreeSisters.

The Sisters revealed some great secret to Hogai, somethingto do with his destiny and the Hitomi family's fate. Unfortu-nately, he has been unable to remember exactly what the Sis-ters told him. He was immediately adopted into the Hitomiorder when his tattoos were discovered, and has found lifeamong them much to his liking. At night, though, he oftenlies awake and struggles to remember what he learned and hassince forgotten.

aoCLOCATIOR PS r*om

Also known as Lost Samurai Village, Maigo no SamuraiMura is among the oldest villages in Dragon lands despite itssmall size and relatively inhospitable location. It was formedshortly after the Kami Togashi formed the Dragon Clanwhen a band of samurai seeking to enter his service becamehopelessly lost in the mountains and eventually found aplace to set up a camp. The weeks of separation turned tomonths, and months to years. When a Dragon patrol finallydiscovered them, they had carved a home from the moun-tains where there was little to sustain [hem, Togashi was soimpressed with their fortitude that he granted all the samu-rai status as Dragon and placed the peasants under the clan'sprotection. The village remains a Dragon holding ever since.

Maigo no Samurai Mura is no stranger to tragedy. Duringthe years just before the Clan War, a rare band of ogres andbandits united to lay siege to the village, nearly destroying i[in their rampage. Although the Dragon rushed to defend thevillage, the treacherous mountain passes made the journeydifficult, and the village was all but ruined when they finallyarrived. It was this attack that killed the family of notedroninSanzo, leading him to abandon the Dragon and rake upthe lite of a wave man before he eventually joined Toturi.

Tragedy struck the village again years later when theKami's Wrath erupted at the Dark Oracle of Fire AgashaTamori's request The lava and ash were an immediate threatto the village, and those who lived there had no choice but toflee or die. The village remained inhospitable throughoutthe Drag on-Phoenix war, and its citizens were only able toreturn after the Tamori family quieted the volcano at thewar's end. Unfortunately, the village had become home to atribe of zokujin by that time, and the strange creatures werenone too eager to surrender their new home to those whohad abandoned it two years previously. Adding to thatTamori Shaitung's interest in maintaining an alliance withthe zokujin, the survivors of Maigo no Samurai Mura hadlittle choice but to cede a significant portion ot their villageto the rock goblins in order to reclaim their home.

THE * s y n CAl/SSRSMaLgo no Samurai Mura was once a minor Dragon holdingthat few in the .Empire knew anything about. Following theeruption of Kami's Wrath, the village is unique throughoutthe civilized world: it is a village shared by humans and zoku-jin. While the strange little creatures make use of severalbuildings throughout the village, their primary home lies inthe caverns they have dug underneath beneath the village,caverns which have rendered those sections unstable andprone to tremors and sinkholes.

The zokujin who make Maigo no Samurai Mura theirhome belong to the Rejn Clan, the same clan that hasentered into an alliance with Tamori Shaitttng in the moun-tains to the south. While the peasants of Lost Samurai Vil-lage are not particularly pleased with [heir current arrange-ment, even after five years of learning to live together, butthe Tamori's insistence on maintaining positive interactionsupercedes their personal desires.

[Courtier 6; Kitsuki Magistrate 2]To prevent any son of political misunderstandings between

two families, the Tamori selected a Mirumoto to serve as a liai-son To the Rein Clan in The Mirumoto lands, Sayoko is hardlya typical Mirumoto, but her presence there calms thoseamong her family who might otherwise grow angry with aTamori overseeing one of their holdings, even one so minoras Maigo no Samurai Mura, Sayoko is a quiet, contemplativewoman who takes great care to observe all she can before shespeaks, a quality that made her ideal for this highly uncon-ventional duty.

Sayoko has done as well as can be expected given her trulybizarre circumstances. The zokujin are almost completelyalien to a samurai mindset, but she has managed to gainground with them by carefully observing their rituals andhabits and duplicating many ol them. The Rejn have takenthis as a great show of respect and have accepted Sayoko as anequal, even if the other humans are considered intruders in"their" village. For the moment, Sayoko is busy attempting toprevent disagreements between the two groups. If she canever manage to establish positive relations between the two,she may have an opportunity to truly study the zokujin as fewhumans ever have.

VUSHOSHA SSIDOUOCATIOFl P5 F*O7il

A small and unremarkable village in almost every way, Cham-pion Shrine Village lies along a route that connects ShiroMirumoto with the High House of Light, the Dragon ClanChampion's traditional home. As the largest village along thatroute, Yushosha Seido Mura enjoys the rather mediocre dis-tinction of having numerous important clan leaders passthrough on occasion, usually spending only a single night inthe village's lone end. The village serves as a perfectly ade-quate stopping point along the way, but there is little there toattract a daimyo's attention, and most do not give the village asecond thought once they are past it. It is the pinnacle ofobscurity.

The people who dwell within the village enjoy their lot inlife. They are simple folk with little ambition in other than toserve their lord, a goal that all good heimin share. The peri-odic visits from their daimyo is all the proof they require thattheir hard work is valued and appreciated, even if the daimyodoes not speak a single word during his or her entire stay.

Yushosha Seido Mura nearly marks the half-way pointbetween Heibeisu, a major city, and the High House of Light.The lands surrounding ir are among the most inhospitableand barren regions in the entire Dragon provinces. Thismakes the area around the village the ideal spot for anambush, and there are several instances throughout historywhen bandits or Yobanjin raiders attacked important Dragonleaders and their entourages. Recently, minions of AgashaTamori, the Dark Oracle of Fire banished from Rokugan byTamori Shaitung and lsawa Nakamuro, are plaguing the area,and the Mirumoto have temporarily stationed a magisrrate'soffice in the village. The villagers happily misinterpret thisaction as a sign of their growing influence and prestigeamong Dragon samurai.

YUSHOSHA SEIDO /7U/3ACi-OCATIOn. 175 FaOJil SOKUGArr)

A small and unremarkable village in almost every way, Cham-pion Shrine Village lies along a route lhat connects ShiroMirumoto with the High House of Light, the Dragon ClanChampion's traditional home. As the largest village along that

route, Yushosha Seido Mura enjoys the rather mediocre dis-tinction of having numerous important clan leaders passthrough on occasion, usually spending only a single night inthe village's lone end. The village serves as a perfectly adequatestopping point along the way, hut there is little there to attracta daimyos attention, and most do not give the village a secondthought once they are past it. It is the pinnacle of obscurity.

The people who dwell within the village enjoy their lot inlife. They are simple folk with little ambition in other than toserve their lord, a goal that all good heimin share. The periodicvisits from their daimyo is all the proof they require that theirhard work is valued and appreciated, even if the daimyo doesnot speak a single word during his or her entire stay.

Yushosha Seido Mura nearly marks the half-way pointbetween Heibeisu, a major city, and the High House of light.The lands surrounding it are among the most inhospitableand barren regions in the entire Dragon provinces. This makesthe area around the village the ideal spot for an ambush, andthere are several instances throughout history when banditsorYobanjin raiders attacked important Dragon leaders andtheir entourages. Recently, minions of Agasha Tamori, theDark Oracle of Eire banished from Rokugan by TamoriShairung and Isawa Nakamuro, are plaguing the area, and theMirumoto have temporarily stationed a magistrate's office inthe village. The villagers happily misinterpret this action as asign of their gtowing influence and prestige among Dragonsamurai.

voicuai SSIDODespite the existence of Togashi Hoshi and his rise to powerfollowing the Clan War, there are few in Rokugan who knowthat his predecessor, Tbgashi Yokuni, was actually the KamiTogashi, son of Amaterasu and Onnotangu. Many among theclan's leaders know the truth, as did the Seven Thunders, butmost believe that Yokuni was a mortal man who sacrificedhimself to aid the Thunders in their battle against Fu leng. Heis much beloved by the Dragon, who see him as the tanta-mount example of duty and self-sacrifice. There was even amovement among more outspoken Dragon to petition theEmperor Toturi into declaring Yokuni a Fortune, but Hitomiand her subordinates quietly discouraged that attempt.

During his time as Yokuni, Togashi made several visits toYushosha Seido Mura, and it was generally believed that thevillage was the place of his birth. Obviously, none knew histrue identity, for a samurai gives up his name when he entersthe Togashi order, but the citizens of Yushosha Seido Mura feltcertain that there could be no other reason for the Championto pay such attention to their meager home. News of his deathin Otosan Uchi at the second Day of Thunder was a tremen-dous blow to the tiny village, and they remained in mourningfor nearly two months before commemorating a grand shrineto their fallen Champion,

Yokuni Seido is by no means an extravagant shrine, but incontrast to the village in which it is located, it is clear that itwas constructed at great expense. The Brotherhood of Shinseisupplies monks to maintain the temple, as the village is notlarge enough to warrant a Tamori to administer to it. It is notat all uncommon for the shrine to receive a handful of visitorseach month, and the great Togashi Hoshi was known to visitfrom time to time before his disappearance. This only con-firmed to the villagers that Togashi Yokuni was a great andhonorable man.

ADI/STI1WS HOOKChallenge: A haggard wave man appears in the village,

claiming that be is the illegitimate son of Togashi Yokuni, anddemands that he be allowed to enjoy the wealth of YokuniSeido as his lost birthright.

Focus: The Dragon will he incensed at this claim, and wellwithin their rights to kill the impetuous wave man for hisoffense. The Dragon are more contemplative than most, how-ever, and it is likely that the villagers will be intrigued by theronin's claim. The Mirumoto will prefer 10 discredit himbefore dispatching him, preventing any sort of martyrdom hemight otherwise achieve.

Strike: During a stint in the Scorpion lands, the ronin dis-covered the truth about Togashi Yokuni. He is fleeing Scor-pion assassins and believes that Yokuni's shrine is the lastplace they will look for him. He also knows that no Dragoncan refute his heritage without revealing the truth, and fool-ishly believes that he can blackmail them into promising himprosperity and security

The remote location of Yushosha Seido Mura makes an ideallocation for the elite Dragon's Flame archers. These men andwomen are the finest archers in the Dragon Clan, and arehand picked by master sensei at the various Mirumoto Bushidojo to serve in this rapid-response defense unit. While theunit's primary training is obviously archery, they also trainextensively in cavalry tactics, ensuring that they can deploy toany point in the Dragon lands from their barracks in a matterof days.

The Dragon's Flame barracks are unassuming, and eventhose who know that they are found within the village are attimes hard pressed to find them among the various peasantbuildings that populate the large village. The Dragon's Flamets a small unit, with no more than a hundred members, onlyhalfofwhom are present at the barracks at any given time. Thebarracks is directly attached to a large stable, which is equallynondescript, where the steeds the Flame used to respondquickly to any threat are stationed. These are among the fineststeeds the Dragon Clan possesses, and are a unique blend ofspeed and dexterity, a valuable combination when riding ontreacherous mountain trails.

JilRUJtlOTO DAISUKE[Samurai 14; Mirumoto Bushi 3, Dragon's Flame l ]A gunso among the Dragon's Flame, Mirumoto Daisuke isboth a warrior and a philosopher. He embraces theTao with adevotion that few bushi can match, and finds that the simplewisdom contained within can be applied to many battle situa-tions. Most believe it is Daisuke's peerless tranquility thatmakes him a great archer: he focuses only on a single moment,a single shot. Nothing deters him from his art.

Daisuke is a quiet man who interacts little with his com-rades in arms save for in the field. He prefers to communewith the monks at Yokuni Seido seeking wisdom and inspira-tion from their simple lifestyle. He has often considered retir-ing to a monastery himself in order to better devote his life tounderstanding the Tao, but as yet feels that his work with theDragon is not complete.

HOU7ITU?SThe Mirumoto are notoriously unconcerned with thosethings that fall outside the clan's borders. Indeed, the Dragonare the only clan that have not expanded their holdings sincethe Kami's time. Recent years have seen an exception to this,however, as the stalwart Mirumoto Temoni has established asmall family estate in the distant City of Gold, an ancientYobanjin city that lies far north of Rokugan.

THE HOUSE OFCOLDER FLAME

During the War of Four Winds, family daimyo Mirumoto Usoselected a single samurai of unquestioned strength and char-acter to travel far to the north in search of a means of defeatingthe Last "Wish- Mirumoto Temoni was the vassal he chose forthis most arduous duty, and Temoni proved equal to the task.With the aid of a ronin shugenja named Zokusei,Temorufound the mythical City of Gold, an ancient Yobanjin city.There, much to his shock, Teinoru learned much regardingthe Last Wish and its creator, the enigmatic Isawa.. He estab-lished a small residence within the city, whose inhabitantswere receptive to his presence if not truly friendly, and hasmaintained it since that time, making periodic returns to theDragon lands to report to his daimyo.

The House of Golden Flame serves primarily as a researchcenter. Ternoru and his two assistants spend most of their timesearching through the multitude of ancient tomes they havepurchased. The topic of such works is always the same: thecreation and abilities of mystical items of power such as thenemuranai crafted by shugenja in Rokugan. The Mirumotobelieve that the information being researched in the House ofGolden Flame is vital to their efforts to catalog magical itemsin Rokugan, and support Temoru's efforts with substantialamounts of trading commodities.

IMPO^TART/ilRl/AOTO

R?CSMIRUMOTO aOSARXIR.MRUMOTO FA/IllJ-y I7A1MVO

As a child, Mirumoto Rosanjin lived for the times when hecould sit and listen to his mother's stories. Mirumoto Jinkowas a gifted diplomat and entertainer, and was frequently inhigh demand during winter to entertain the Dragon Clan'smore important guests. During the summer months, however,Jinko often spent rime with her children, spinning great talesof history to amuse and educate them. Rosanjin thrilled at thestories of Mirumoto and Hojatsu, and was held captive by

stories of luchiban's defeat at the Battle of Sleeping River,the Dragonfly conflict, and the Clan War, By far the mostinteresting to young Rosanjin, however, were the tales Jinkowould tell of Togashi Mitsu, the enigmatic traveling ise zumiwho wandered the Empire during the Clan War.

Rosanjin's fascination with Mitsu and, to a lesser extent, theDragon Clan's tattooed orders persisted throughout his youthand young adulthood, maniiesting in strange ways. Before hisgempukku, he was a devoted student of military tactics as wellas the Tao, but placed more emphasis on the individual ratherthan the unit. His unconventional philosophies often broughthim into conflict with his sensei and other students, butdespite the disagreements, his cheerful nature bore himthrough his studies without much difficulty. Upon hisgempukku and receiving his first military post, Rosanjindedicated his career to the memory of Mitsu and his manycontributions to the clan by shaving his head and acquiring atattoo of a dragon that closely resembled the one Mitsu wassaid to possess.

Rosanjin's early career was satisfying if uneventful. The Warof Spirits reached its conclusion shortly before his gempukku,and the peaceful period that followed meant that he saw littlemilitary activity throughout much of his youth. His uniquegrasp of tactics and maneuvers ensured his advancement,however, and by the rime the Kami's Wrath erupted near thetime of .Emperor Toturi's death, he had already risen to therankof taisa, a captain in the Mirumoto armies. When the sub-sequent war with the Phoenix broke out, Rosanjin and hisunit were assigned to guard the southern passes in the eventthat the Phoenix's allies among the Lion might attempt tostrike out against the Dragon.

Unfortunately, the Lion did exactly that. Rosanjin and hissuperiors did not anticipate the brutal attack on the DragonflyClan by Akodo Ijiasu's forces. For the first time in his life,Rosanjin felt true outrage. His patrols increased in range andrisk, and within months they encountered their first Lionpatrol. The battle was brief, and Rosanjin's men claimedvictory. Encouraged, Rosanjin began roaming farther south.

During a particularly long and arduous patrol, a vastly supe-rior force of Lion scouts led by Matsu Tejin engaged Rosanjinand his men. The Dragon would almost certainly have beenutterly destroyed save for a most unexpected turn of events:the long-lost Togashi Mitsu reappeared during the peak ofcombat and single handedly turned the tide. Tejin was senthome deteated, and Rosanjin and his men were saved.

Meeting his childhood idle had a profound effect on Rosan-jin. Mitsu's incredible abilities were everything that Jinko hadforetold and more. His reluctance to engage in battle was notsomething Rosanjin anticipated, however, and he realized thatdespite his tremendous respect for the ise zumi, he couldnever truly be like his idol. Devoting himself to the Dragonmilitary anew, Rosanjin accepted a new assignment nearer! hePhoenix border and took up the cause of defending bis clanagainst Shiba Aikune's aggression.

Rosanjin's service since that time has been somewhat bewil-dering. His wartime accomplishments were interrupted for atime when he accompanied a cadre of Dragon to the TwilightMountains to face the mad monk Kokujin and his murderouslegions. Rosanjin survived, though slightly worse for wearthanks to the traitorous Kaelung, and returned to the Dragonlands to recuperate and continue his war efforts. His valoreventually garnered him an appointment as a sensei of IronMountain Dojo, although he could not spend as much timeteaching as he would have liked.

The years since Agasha Tamori's defeat and [he Dragon-Phoenix war's end have been easily as strange as any Rosanjinhad seen. Mis wartime accomplishments and valor during themadness in the Twilight Mountains resulted in his selectionas family daimyo Mirnmoto Uso's personal representative tothe Imperial Court. Alongside HitomI Vedau and KitsukiTadashi, Rosanjin participated in the strangest group of clanambassadors in an already chaotic court. Ever the warrior,it was a difficult transition for Rosanjin, but his adaptablephilosophy served him well.

The recent death o( Mirumoto Uso was a great blow toRosanjin, who had come to regard his daimyo as a great friendand leader. Even more surprising was that Uso, who had noheirs, selected Rosanjin as his replacement. The formersoldier now divides his time between family affairs andmanaging the clan's interests in court. It is a great challenge,perhaps the greatest he has ever faced, but Rosanj in never failsto prove himself, and he has no intention of fairing now.

PAIJilVOMale human Dragon Class SamiS: CR 16; Medium-sizedhumanoid (human); HD 16diO+64; hp 152; Init +4; Spd 30;AC 23 (touch 14, fiat-footed 21); Atk +24/+19/+14/+9 +2shocking bunt katana melee (2dlO+7 damage), +20/+15/+10/+5yumi ranged (ids damage); SA Ancestral Daisho; SQ Classskill — Knowledge (arcana) (family bonus); AL NG;SV Fort +19, Ref+9, Will +12; Str 20, Dex 18, Con 19, Wis 15,Int 14, Cha 14; Height 5 ft. 6 in.

Skills and Feats; Speak Language (Rokugani), Battle+21, Climb+24, Handle Animal +21, Iaijutsu Focus +21, Intimidate +21,Knowledge (arcana) +21, Sense Motive +21; Ambidexterity,Daisho Technique, Depths of the Void, Dodge, £xpertise,Leadership, Mobility, Spring Attack,Two-weapon Fighting, VoidUse, Weapon Focus (katana), Whirlwind Attack.

Possessions; +2 shocking burst kalana, +2 keen wakizaihi, amuletof natural armor +2, +2 great armor.

Dojo: Iron Mountain Dojo; K«ta:The Empire Rests onIts Edge, The World Is Empty.

Earth: 4Water: 5Fire:4Air: 4Void: 5School/Rank: Mirumoto Bushi 5, Mirumoto Swordmaster 1Dojo: Iron Mountain DojoHonor: 4.2Glory: 7.5Advantages: Ambidextrous, Balance, Social Position (Family

Daimyo)Disadvantages: Can't Lie, Fascination (Ise Zumi)Skills: Athletics 5, Courtier 3, Defense 5, Etiquette 4,

Iaijutsu 5, Jiujutsu (Ka2e-do)4, Kenjutsufi, Kyujutsu 4, Lore(Shugenja) 4, Meditation 5, Weaponsmith 3

Kata: The World Is Empty, The Empire Rests on Its Edge

MIRUMOTO TAIU. C3ABCLATl A/aBASSAOO*

During the Clan War, the nefarious plots of Kuni Vori resultedin much corruption among the Crab. To conceal this fact fromthe Empire for as long as possible, Yori discreetly ordered theimprisonment of many non-Crab who were serving on theKaiu Wall at the time. One such samurai was MirumotoNobuso, a Dragon duelist and student of warfare. Nobusorailed against his imprisonment, but his honor would notpermit him to attack his guardians, who were obviouslyhonorable samurai assigned to guard duty so that they wouldnot interfere with Yori's plans. One among the guards, avaliant samurai-ko named Hida Barako, seemed equally out-raged at their mutual plight, but could not openly defy Yori'scommands. The two grew close and, in time, shared a brief butpassionate alfair that culminated with Barako's pregnancy.

Months later, Barako gave birth to a son. Only hours afterchildbirth, Barako gave her only child to his father andreleased Nobuso from his prison. His duty weighing heavilyupon his soul, Nobuso had no choice but to head north towardhome. Barako watched him leave, then committed seppuku toerase the twin stains of dishonor she had brought upon herfamily Nobuso knew she would take her own life, but thedemands of his lord could not be forsaken, not even for love.

Mirumoto Taiu grew up with a great appreciation for Crabtradition and history. It was the only thing his father couldgive him from his mother, and he embraced it with great zeal.By the time of his gempukku, Taiu had already begun to culti-vate a reputation as a ruthless warrior and danger in combat.One sensei described him as a Crab berserker barelyrestrained by the common sense of Mirumoto training, Taiutried to overcome this stigma, but the truth was that incombat, he surrendered to the instincts that screamed forrelease. In time, his inner conflict became disruptive to hisunit, and his sensei decided that perhaps it would be best if hewere allowed to study with those better suited to his needs.Thus he was granted leave to study among his mother's family,the Hida.

Taiu found a second home among the Crab, and the style ofcombat his Hida sensei taught him was tar more to his likingthan the traditional Mirumoto style he had studied previouslyHe flourished atop the wall, slaying many Shadowlands beastsand garnering much respect for the Dragon among his Crabcousins. After several months, however, Taiu found that hispassion and battle lust began to abate somewhat. He loved theCrab lands, but longed for the quiet, snow-capped mountainsof his father's lands. He excelled at the Crab fighting styles,but began to see through comparison the strengths of hisfather's family style as well. One year after his arrival in theHida lands, Mirumoto Taiu bid goodbye to his Crab cousinsand returned home to the Dragon provinces.

The Dragon were greatly impressed with the changes oneyear wrought in Taiu. He seemed to have vented his over-whelming rage in battle, replacing it with a cool head and apracticed style that merged much of both Hida and Mirumotostyles. He channeled what remained of his Crab instincts intosuccessful guerilla tactics against the Shiba armies encroach-ing on the Dragon's eastern border, eventually rising tobecome the commander of his squadron. It was generallyaccepted that he would rise no further in the ranks given hisunconventional methods, but for Taiu it was all he ever reallydesired: respect and acceptance of his dual heritage and ameans to use it for the good of his clan.

• I -

T/a

After tKe Dragon-Phoenix war ended, Taiu had less tooccupy his time. He is above all else a soldier, and the lack ofwarfare left him feeling aimless at best. Again concerned overfinding a purpose for this troublesome, conflicted man, theDragon leadership devised the perfect solution: Taiu wouldreturn Eo the Crab lands as the Dragon representative to theHida. Taiu was not skilled at court, but then the Htda were notconcerned with such things in the first place. It was an idealsituation, and one Taiu eagerly embraced,

Taiu now serves atop the Kaiu Wall once more. The Hidahave a much greater appreciation for the Mirumoto thanks tohis constant efforts, and while relations between the two clanshave not changed one way or another, both feel comfortablethat Taiu can negotiate any issues that come between them.He still misses home, with its cold mountains and comradessuch as his great friend and fellow transplanted Crab HiromiHogai, but for now, Mirumoto Taiu is home.

CRAB CLAR AMBASSADORMale h u m a n Dragon Fighter i /Sanmra i 9:CR 10; Medium-sized humanoid (human);HD 10dl0+30; hp 85; Init +2; Spd 30; AC 21 (touch13, flat-footed 19); Atk +15/+10 +1 ghost (ouch katcma(ldiO+4 damage), +12/+7 yumi ranged (ids damage);SA Ancesttal Daisho; SQ Class skill — Knowledge(arcana) (family bonus); A l CN; SV Fort +11, Ref+7,Will +9; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Wis 13, Int 10,Cha 11; Height 5 ft. 8 in.

Skills and Feati: Speak Language (Roku-gani), Battle +14, Climb +16, Intimidate+ 13, Jump +16, Sense Motive +13;Cleave, Daisho Technique, GreatCleave, Power Attack, Void Use,Way of the Dragon, Weapon Focus(katana), Weapon Focus (tetsubo)

Possessions: +1 gfiost fnurh kattina,+1 great armor, +2 haori of resistance,+1 amulet of natural armor.

Dojo: Iron Mountain Dojo;Kata; Striking as Earth.

<P

€

0

TAIU,C^AB CLATlAMBASSADOR

Earth: 4Water: 2

Strength: 4Fire: 3Air: 3Void: 3School/Rank: Hida Bushi 1, Mirumoto Bushi 2Dojo: Iron Mountain DojoHonor: 2.6Glory: 4.3Advantages: Allies (Hida), Multiple Schools, True Friend

(Hitomi Hogai)Disadvantages: Bad Reputation (Reckless), BrashSkills: Athletics 2, Battle 3, Defense 3, Jiujutsu 4, Hunting 3,

Kenjutsu 3, Kyujutsu 2, Lore (Shadowlands) 4, Lore(Shugenja) 2, Meditation i, Mountaineer 4, Onojutsu 3,Subojutsu 4

Kata: Striking as Earth

SEEKER OF THE LAST WISHMirumotoTemoru was a bright and cheerful child, quick totell a joke or story to brighten the mood of his triends. Hispleasant disposition won him many friends among the dourMimmoto, and he completed his gempukku having earnedfriends all throughout the Dragon provinces.

.Early on in his career, Temoru met and befriended theyojimbo of a Crane ambassador. The two bushi got on welldespite their philosophical differences, often debating themerits and flaws of both the Kakita and Mirumoto kenjutsustyles. Upon the Crane's departure from Dragon lands,Temoru offered him a rather unique proposition: Temoruwould use only one blade for as long as the Crane agreed to

use two, exchanging styles as an experiment to foster abetter understanding of one another's styles. The Crane

readily agreed. Six months later, Temoru heard thathis friend had been killed in a duel with a Lion

bushi. Had not the Crane been wielding twoblades instead ol one, he might have beenvictorious, in a somber moment, Temoruvowed to use only one blade for the rest of

his life in memory of his friend.

During one of Temoru's first commands, hegained permission from the daimyo to take hissquadron of soldiers south to the Kaiu Wall and

train among the Crab, The six month tour ofduty claimed the lives of many men, but

those who survived were hardenedwarriors, devoted to the Empire's

protection from all who wouldthreaten it. The experience also

began Temoru's fixation withjade, and he began what wouldeventually become a massivecollection of tiny jadefigurines.

The Dragon-Phoenixwar was a great challenge forTemoru's notoriously cheerfulattitude. He had never con-

fronted death and destructionon such an enormous scale, not

even on the Kaiu Wall. The reportsof Shiba Aikune's power were beyond

belief, but then Temoru saw it first handin battle near Ki-Rin's Shrine. Thousands

of men and woman died in a second, inciner-ated by the power of Aikune and the Last Wish.

Temoru returned to report to Uso immediately, andconvinced his old friend of how great a threat the Last Wishrepresented. Uso immediately ordered Temoru to find some-thing, anything, that could hope to stop the Last Wish.

Following vague clues he found in an ancient manuscriptin the Tamori libraries, Temoru traveled north beyond theEmpire's borders. With the aid of a mysterious ronin shugenjanamed Zokusei, he spoke to representatives of several Yoban-jin tribes. All of them told him the same thing: only in theCity of Gold could someone hope to find information such asthat he was seeking. For months, Temoru tracked down aseries of reclusive guides who provided him the informationhe needed to find the city. When at last he discovered the city,he was shocked to find the symbol of Isawa, the first Phoenixshugenja, adorning the city's walls.

I! 'J

The City of Gold was not at all what Temoni liad expected.White not Rokugani, the people tliere were not the barbarianshe always imagined would live beyond the Empire's borders.In fact, they were far more accepting of outsiders than anysamurai he had met. The jade trinkets Temoru carried withhim fetched a fair price (or at least Zokusei insisted it was fair,Temoru had little experience with such things), and he wasable to purchase a small home within the city for conductinghis research.

Much to Temoru's shock, the symbol adorning the City ofGold was not the chop of Isawa as he had believed. Instead,the information he uncovered there indicated that Isawa mayhave been born within the city and adopted its symbol ashis own when he left for Rokugan. Temoru knew that infor-mation concerning the Isawa's barbarian roots, would be adevastating blow to the Phoenix, and he vowed to keep theinformation to himself and his lord unless pushed to extremesto allow the truth to be known. Further research, which wasmade considerably slower by Temoru's unfamiliarity with theYobanjin written language, revealed that the City of Gold hadalways been home to sorcerers oi great skill and power, manyof whom specialized in the creation of mystical artifacts.Ii was here that Isawa learned the secrets he used in creatingthe Last Wish, and it was here that Temoru desperately hopedto learn how to destroy it.

Ironically, the Dragon-Phoenix war came to its conclusionduring Temoru's long absence from Rokugan. While he wasdwelling within the City of Gold, Temoru hired a scholar toassist him in translating the more difficult texts. The longhours and close quarters led to a mutual attraction betweenthe two, and eventually Temoru married the scholar.His Yobanjin bride, Qadan, has been invaluable in aiding theDragon's efforts. Three years after the Dragon-Phoenix warended and a new Emperor took the throne.Temoru returnedto Rokugan to pass on all that he learned in the City of Gold.He held a long meeting with his lord Uso, and when it wasover Temoru set out Co return to the City of Gold laden withDragon gold and with three assistants to aid him in his work.

That was two years ago. Temoru's work has progressedmuch faster since that time, and he has come to understand agreat deal of nemurami, their creation, and their abilities. Thework he, his wife, and his assistants have compiled is trulyimpressive, and Temoru is preparing to return to Rokuganonce again and impart it to Uso. He is unaware that his lordUso has died, and will likely take the news as a tremendousblow. Furthermore, he is unaware that the Mirumoto havetaken his works and used them to launch a campaign tocatalog all nemuranai in the Empire, destroying anything theycannot analyze and control. With the tremendous knowledgear his disposal, Temoru would find such a campaign a waste,and will not respond well to the perversion of his work. Howhe and his new daimyo Rosanjin will resolve these issuesremains to be seen.

SEICS3 OF THE J-AST WISHMale h u m a n Dragon Class Samurai 10 /Nemurana iSeeker 4: CR 14; Medium-sized humanoid (human); HDlOdlU + 4d8 + 42; hp 115; Inil +2; Spd 30; AC 19 (touch 12, flat-footed 17); Atk +19/+14/+9 +2 duding katana (ldlO+4damage), +16/+11/+6 yumi ( ids damage); SA AncestralDaisho; SQ.Class ski l l - Knowledge (arcana) (family bonus);AL IN; SV Fort +14, Ref+6, Will +15; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 16,Wisl8, Int 15, Cha 16; Height S ft. 6 in.

Skills and Feats; Speak Language (Rokugani), Battle +17,Climb +15, Diplomacy +20, Gather Information +7, IaijutsuFocus +16, Knowledge (nemuranai) +19, Search +19, SenseMotive +20, Spot +7; Depths of the Void, Expertise, Iron Will.Let Him Go By, Soul Forge, Unstoppable Blade (Ancestor:Mirumoto Masasaya), Versatile (Knowledge (nemuranai),Search), Void Use, Weapon Focus (katana).

Possessions: +2 dueling katana, +2 lamei\ar armor, jude pendant,sandah of speed, decanter of emil.ess water, kabuto of comprehendinglanguages and rending magic.

Dojo: Victory of the Living Blade Dojo; Kata: None.

ESKE3 Or THS LAST WISHEarth: 3Water: 3

Perception: 5Fire:4Air: 4Void: 4School/Rank: Mirumoto Swordmaster 3, Mirumoto Elite

Guard iDojo: Victory of the Living Blade DojoHonor: 3.8Glory: 6,1Advantages: Way of the Land (Dragon, Yobanjin territories)Disadvantages: None.Skills; Defense 3, Iaijutsu 4, Kenjutsu 5, Kyujutsu 3, lore

(Yobanjin Culture) 4, lore (Nemuranai) 5, Meditation 4,Kata: None.

VASSALS OFTHE 7ill*U/ilOTO

THS ZU5UI FAMIi-VThe Zurui family's origins can be traced back to the Gozokuperiod, Relations between the Dragon and Phoenix clans wereclose during that time, but the clans wished to make thebonds of friendship even lighter. As the surest way to cementan alliance is marriage, Shiba Sasugo found herself engaged toMirumoto Hoan, a yojimbo in service to the Agasha.As Sasugo was also a competent bushi, the betrothed coupleboth served the Agasha daimyo faithfully.

Sasugo grew to respect her Mirumoto relatives andwas awed by their artistry in battle. She observed that thetechniques the Mirumoto bushi used in combat were unparal-leled, and that the bushi worked well with their shugenjacharges. They seemed surprisingly aware of magic and its usein combat, particidarly for those trained in the art of war, andwere instinctively aware of it in their presence, even whenthere was not a physical manifestation. They were attuned tothe changes that magic wrought in the environment. The onlyproblem seemed to be that instead of two working as one,the yojircibo were often letting their shugenja fight indepen-dently, leaving them woefully unprotected. In cases where awaiTior could make use of a spell to help him win a struggle,he would instead disdain the kami's help and jeopardize theshugenja's safety. Using her Shiba training, Sasugo attemptedto teach the Mirumoto how to be more effective yojimbo.

Instead of treating the shugenja as if they could handle them-selves in varied combat situations, they should instead focuson ensuring the health and survival of their ward.

What surprised many is that while Sasugo agreed thaieducating bushi about kami and magic was a good idea, it rook3 bushi away from his true purpose. She felt that knowledge oftheir shugenja charges would make them better able to guardthem from any threats that might arise. Knowing the kami'slimitations would give yojimbo a better idea as to what theshugenja could guard himself against, and what his weakspots were. A shrewd observer could tell when a shugenja wastiring and would no longer be able to commune with the kamieffectively by watching him for signs of weariness and overex-enion. The bushi should also be able to confront any danger[hat may arise, before the shugenja would have to deal withthe problem. After all, a shugenja was likely to be quite frailand prone to take on more than they could handle.She emphasized [hat a shugenja should be protected fromthemselves and their ignorance as to the true dangers outthere. While with one fireball the shugenja may have elimi-nated one goblin, ten more might be sneaking up behindthem.

Sasugo pulled her students out of ruminating in dustyscrolls and instead focused on increasing their skills on themartial field. A member of her class could quote the works ofShinsei easily and still be able 10 give an in-depth treatise onbushido. They trained for hours in the practice yards, and evenhad to face [he derision of other members of their family.Many Mirurnoto viewed Sasugo as an ignorant bushi toofocused on the clash of swords.

She still believed that the principles of harmonious interac-tion were a solid foundation, but thai the bushi shouldactively seek out any hidden threats, and only let the shugenjadeal with it as a last resort. Anyone that Sasugo or her studentswere assigned to protect always came back unscathed if a bitmiffed that they were forced to stay in the background.Her success eventually garnered attention among theextended Mirumoto family. Sasugo was encouraged tocontinue devising new ways to make the clan's bushi moreeffective guardians for the clan's shugenja. Long after herdeath, her children continue the traditions she passed downto them and the Mirurnoto were soon numbered among thefinest yojimbo in Rokugan.

This prowess was not put to the test until the Dragon inter-vened in a border skirmish between the Lion and Crane. Forthe first time, the Mirumoto bushi acted as a buffer betweenthe enemy's army and their shugenja. While many Mirurnotodied, their wards remained unscathed. The Zurui family wascreated in honor of this occasion, as Mirumoto Zurui was thelast descendant of Sasugo, and head of her family's line.

In the recent hostilities between the Dragon and Phoenix,the Zurui family has been divided. They still honor theirancestor from the Shiba who aided the Mirumoto in becom-ing the adept guards they are still today. The Zurui family wereamong the loudest voices proposing peace during the war.They considered it an insult to their ancestor to be engaged inthe slaughter of their brethren within the Phoenix clan. Thereason Sasugo joined the Mirumoto was to propagate peacebetween their two families, and the Zurui felt the breach.They lobbied for a peaceful resolution to the war withoutmuch success, although many Dragon remember their effortsat peace and feel gratitude toward the liny family.

SHI5G ZU3VIThe first thing a visitor notices upon entering Shiro Zurui isthe large portion of rooms devoted entirely to the study ofkenjmsu, both theory and practice. There is a large courtyardand many outbuildings as the Zurui are a relatively large andprosperous family. In fact, the Zurui have produced the mostskilled and sought after yojimbo in the clan. Day and night,Zurui bushi are seen practicing in the yards. Even in the dark-est night hours, someone is usually practicing the stances of akata, or reading up on the dangers of a region they will soon beassigned to.

Within the dining area a great mural depicting a Dragonand Phoenix entwined decorates the floors symbolizing theunion between the two clans. Marriages with the Phoenixclan are quite common for both genders.

Every spring, the Zurui family honors Sasugo by having afestival in which they tell tales of her heroic deeds and herwisdom. Many young girls choose to take the name of Sasugoin honor of their ancestor in the hopes that someday they canconlribute to the family as she did.

TH£ ZU^UI FA/illLVFavored Class: SamuraiStarting Honor: 3Class Skill: SurvivalStarting Outfit:1. Katana, light armor, 70 koku.

TK£ ZU3U1 FAmiLVBenefit: +1 IntelligenceHonor: 3Glory: 1.0Special: Characters from the Zurui family may substi-tute one of their starting skills for Lore (Shugenja).

THE ItOUltER FAMILYWhereas most outsiders would suggest that the Dragon Clan'sknowledge comes from the Togashi's mysticism, it is onlybecause they are unaware of how many eyes and ears the clanhas outside its mountain vastness. Hundreds of years ago, theMirumoto tired of being left in the dark concerning currentevents in the Empire. As the primary representative of theirclan, they knew it was dangerous in the long run to not keep awatchful eye on the comings and goings of other clans. Theyadmired the Scorpion Clan's resourcefulness in their acquisi-tion of secrets, but they were not totally in agreement withtheir methods. As opposed to taking an approach thatrequired blackmail or extortion, the Mirumoto decided tosend out monks within their family to be the clan's eyes andears.

The monks he chose took up residence in several largercities and even a few small but important villages. Their garbwas bare of clan and family mons, and differed little fromwhat eta wear. Many of them took up their posts as impover-ished monks, as it is not uncommon to see a holy man tappinga bowl near a well or city gate. They also managed to pick upseveral contacts among the common people in their role as awandering monk. They soon arranged a network of informa-tion within the lower classes, which allowed them to receiveand pass information along swiftly. When something ofimportance came up, the Mirumoto family would quicklyhear about it.

As their station prohibited carrying a daisho, most monksbecame adept at detending themselves by hand, or by impro-vising weapons out of objects found in their surroundings.Most samurai would not bother a lowly monk or provoke anattack on those of such littie regard, so they were not con-cerned about their safety among the nobles of other clans.Bandits and thieves however would feel no compunction atslitting a holy man's throat and stealing what little copper theycould out of his begging howl. Many thieves found them-selves landing on their heads, bound up and left outside of amagistrate's quarters after attacking what they considered aneasy mark. The criminal element soon learned to steer clear ofbegging monks, not eager to suffer the humiliation of havingsome old man or seeming cripple beat them soundly withlittle more than a crutch and a bowl.

An endless trail of monks traveling to and from the Dragonmountains would soon defeat their goal of secrecy, so theDragon gave the monks in their service small holdings whichfor all intents and purposes appeared to be several houses forthe poor and ill. They also funded several of these smallhouses to be built in larger cities, to give their spies a place torest, and also contact others ot their order.

After a time, the Mirumoto gifted the monks who hadworked so tirelessly and thanklessly for their sake the nameKouken, as they were the watchmen for the entire clan.As their task gave them little opportunity to manage holdings,the Mirumoto officially gave them stewardship over the sickhouses they maintained throughout the Empire, as well asa small keep on the edge of Dragon lands.

The Kouken would be viewed by most as more an order ofmonks than a vassal family. The order proved their worthmany times over, as their information allows the clan to avoidconflict. Even though they did not participate in the conflicts,the Dragon were the first to know the outcome.

Perhaps the only time the Kouken family fail the Mirumotois during the war against Shadow when the Lying Darknessabsorbed many Kouken. For a long time the Kouken wereunaware of its presence, as they had only been watching formundane threats and not mystical ones. Sijice that time thefamily is working to build back the numbers it lost and toreestablish the contacts that devoured by the darkness. So farit has met with limited success as most of their contacts havebeen taken over hy the Scorpion. Still they persevere, confi-dent that they will in time be able to serve their clan as theyonce did.

THE KOUKSTl SICK-HOUSESIn most large cities, one can find a house filled with beggarsand those too sick to earn their living. In many of thesehouses, a few Kouken reside. There is little reason to suspectthat these houses are anything hut what they appear to be. Per-haps the only difference would be that in the inner sanctumof such houses are gardens that are painstakingly cared for,and that a few rooms surrounding the courtyard have simpleyet elegant furnishings.

The Kouken maintain a single small castle near the DragonClan's southern border. This castle serves as a place for theKouken to train newer members oi their family. The olderKouken come here to retire, and it also serves as a safe refugefor those exposed for what they truly are.

THE KOURSIV FAmFavored Class: MonkStarting Honor: 2Class Skill: Gather InformationStarting Outfit:1. Begging bowl, quarterstaff, 30 koku.

THEBenefit: +1 PerceptionHonor: 2Glory: 0,5Special: Characters from the Kouken family may substi-tute one of their starting skills for Jiujutsu.

JRRI/JTIOTOiTVSCHARICS

The Mirumoto are a particularly pious and traditional family,haveing a great reverence for those that have passed on.The Tamori have the kami, the Kitsuki have their facts,the tattooed orders have their divine blood, and the Minimotohave their ancestors.

JilRV/mOTO OOTARUU/ARThe Mirumoto leadership has taken on this thankless job formost of Rokugan's history. The enigmatic line of TogashiDragon Champions did little to supervise the clan's day-to-dayaffairs, a job left for the Mirumoto. Mirumoto Gojanuwan wasone such leader. His tactical genius carried the DragonThrough perhaps the darkest period of history, the second riseof luchiban.

Gojanuwan was the general of Mirumoto daimyo Miru-moto Kabe, his younger brother. Gojanuwan had the opportu-nity to claim the position of daimyo, but deferred to hisyounger brother both because of Kabe's skill as an administra-tor and because of his desire to remain a military commander.When the ise zumi Togashi Yamatsu discovered luchiban'sspirit moving among the attendants in Kabe's court,

AT? sTm

: • : • •

Gojanuwan instantly realized the danger such a thing posed toRokugan. He immediately petitioned Kabe for permission tomobilize the Dragon armies, and was given leave ro do so.

When the assembled clans finally found Iuchiban's forcesnear Sleeping River, no army fought as valiantly asGojamrwan's Dragon forces. The general was hailed as a greathero, and he even received personal recognition from theEmperor. Gojanuwan is srill a celebrated ancestor among themore maitially minded Mirurnoto, and has a shrine devotedto his memory prominently displayed within both ShiroMirumoto and the primary Mirumoto bushi dojo.

GLARCS AT THE SOUL

You can quickly gain a measure of your opponents' abilities.Benefit: You may mate a Sense Motive check when observ-

ing an opponent (DC equal to 10 + the opponent's total classlevel), if successful, you may select one of the following piecesof information to regarding the opponent: their highest classlevel, their highest abiliry score, their highest skill rank, 01 theirfeat with the highest prerequisites (randomly selected if nonequalifies). This ability may not be used on an individual morethan once per day, and each attempt to use it on a particularindividual increases the DC by 2 for each roll after the first.

MIXU/ROTO GOTAFIUU/Ana 7O1RTS)

Much like a skilled duelist, you can quickly assess an oppo-nent's abilities. You may mate an Awareness roll (TN equal to10 plus the opponent's Insight Rank) to determine one of thefollowing pieces of information regarding your opponent:their school, their Insight Rank, their highest ring, or theirhighest skill. Each successful Raise made on this roll allowsyou to gain one additional piece of information.

MASAVAAlthough hopelessly obscure by the standards of most rep-utable historians, Mirumoto Masaya is considered by manylearned duelists to be perhaps the finest practitioner of Nitendueling since the days of Mirumoto and his son Hojatsu. Theirony of such a claim is that no record exists of Masaya everhaving actually participated in any duel that was completed.

Masaya was trained from an early age to serve as a yojimbo.Her parents were both diplomats for the clan, but even as achild it was obvious that her silent nature and physical giftswould make such a role inappropriate for her. Insread, shetrained in the Mirumoto school and received high marks. Herfirst assignment as a yojimbo was protecting her elder sister, aprominent Dragon courtier in the Imperial Courts. Her lifewas largely uneventful until one instance in which she wasforced into a duel with Doji Shimitsu, the Crane Champion's apersonal student at that time. No one expected Masaya to sur-vive as the two faced off, yet unbelievably the Crane withdrewfrom the duel after the rwo spent several minutes examiningone another's stances.

While this incident was the end of Masaya's notorietyamong other clans, other Dragon learned after her death thatMasaya had participated in no less than fourteen duels duringthe course of her lifetime, and that her opponent withdrewfrom the duel in each instance, even when they were olderand far more seasoned duelists. Obviously, no one has beenable to determine what it was about Masaya that inspired suchfear in other duelists, but her spirit continues to guide youngMirumoto duelists to this day.

UnSTO??ABLH BLABSrARCESTO*: /ilRU/ilOTO MASAVAJ

Your skill with the blade often goes unnoticed, but never failsyou.

Benefit: laijutsu Focus is always a class skill for you, andyou gain a +2 competence bonus on all checks with that skill.In addition, any information gained by an opponent observ-ing your stance (see Oriental Adventures, page SI) appears to betwo levels higher (for instance, your total character levelwould seem to be two levels higher than it actually is to anopponent who succeeds in meeting the DC 15 on his SenseMotive check).

(8 POIRTS)You gain one Free Raise on all laijutsu rolls. In addition, anopponent rolling Iaijutsu/Awareness to attempt to determineyour Iaijutsu, [raits, or Void will believe that all of these traitsare 1 higher than they actually are.

y suicunsIn a time when the Mirumoto were distinguished by figuresthat cast aside tradition, Mirumoto Sukune was the anchorthat allowed the family to survive. His niece MirumotoHitomi cast aside her obligations as family daimyo to pursue apersonal vendetta, and her younger brother ignored his dutiesfirst for court, then for the Naga. Sukune took over as familydaimyo in all but name, guiding the Mirumoto through theClan War and well into the War against the Darkness. His onlydaughter perished during the War against the Darkness ashort time after Sukune was formally proclaimed Mirumotodaimyo by his niece, the seemingly mad Dragon ChampionHitomi. Sukune continued his service only until Hitomi'sascension as the new lady Moon, then retired quietly, leavinghis young pupil Mirumoto Uso as his sole heir.

In life, Sukune's existence was dominated by duty. His solepleasures were his family and archery, at which he excelled.Sukune attended the Wasp Tournament several times duringhis life, and won that mosr prestigious archery tournament onmore than one occasion. He was widely regarded as amongthe finest marksmen of his age, ranked alongside such heroesas Shinjo Hanari and even the great Tsuruchi

DUTIFUL SOULEARCSSTOX: miSU/ilOTQ SUItURS*

You have fully embraced the duty your family and clan havegiven you, and fulfill it to the best of your ability at all times.

Prerequisite: Void UseBenefit: Whenever spending a Void Point for a skill check

involving one of your class skills, double the Void bonus con-ferred.

SUIO/REI 7OIRTS)You are a dutiful soul, determined to serve your clan to [hebest of your ability. You gain double the normal benefits whenspending a Void point on any High skill roll while acting onbehalf of your family or clan.

THSThe mountainous terrain that dominates the Dragonprovinces makes large-scale battle difficult, Indeed, therehave been only a handful of major battles fought in Dragonlands throughout the .Empire's history. On the few occasionswhen an enemy has attacked the Dragon, they have foundtheir forces under constant fire by an opponent they could notfind. The Dragon's Flame, the Mirumoto army's elite archerforce, specializes in exploiting their home provinces' rockyterrain much to the disadvantage of their opponents.Although few are selected to serve with the Dragon's Flame, itis among the most prestigious appointments a Mirumotobushi can receive. It is a sign that the clan's leadership isentrusting an individual to defend the Dragon homelands.There is no greater honor.

THH DaAGOIVS FtA/RHC?*ESTIG£ CLASS)

Hit Die: ld6

To qualify to become a Dragon's Flame, a character must fulfillthe following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +7Climbing; 10 ranksSpot: 6 ranksFeats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Shot on the Run

CLASS SKIU-SThe Dragon Flame's class skills (and key ability for each skill)are Balance (Dex), Climbing (Str), Hide (Dex), Jumping (Str),Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Tumble(Dex).

Skill Points per Level: 4 + Int modifier.

CLASS FSATUXSSAll of the following are class features of the Dragon's Flameprestige class.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency; Dragon's Flame membersretain all previous weapon and armor proficiencies, and gainproficiency in the yumi and daikyu if they did noi already pos-sess proficiency in those weapons.

Path of Hidden Stone: Those assigned to the Dragon'sFlame are taught the secrets of moving effortlessly through amountain pass without being detected, The archer gains a +2competence bonus to all Climbing checks and gains a +4 com-petence bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks while in anyrural terrain.

Ranged Sneak Attack: Dragon's Flame archers are taughtto strike from hiding and maximize their effectiveness againstmuch larger, less mobile forces. Beginning at 2nd level, thearcher gains a damage bonus on all ranged attacks made fromhiding. This ability functions exactly as the Rogue class spe-cial ability of the same name, except that it may only apply toranged attacks and is limited to a range of 60 feet rather than30 feet. This bonus damage increases from ld6 to 2d6 at the4th level.

Fire from the Mountain: Dragon's Fkme archers areaccustomed to fighting among the mountains, and can ignorecover far easier than most. Beginning at 3rd level, the archerreduces the cover of all opponents by '.*. For example, anenemy with half cover would instead be reduced to one-quar-ter cover, and an enemy with full cover would be reduced tothree quarters cover.

The Dragon's Flame: The final secret an archer learns isthe Dragon's Flame technique, a deadly shot that can kill eventhe hardiest target. Once per day, the archer may spend a fullround aiming at a target and fire a single arrow, if the arrowstrikes its target, the target must make a Fortitude save (DC25) or die instantly.

THE D^AOOFtS FLA/ilSCREW ?ATH)

Technique Rank: 3Path of Entry: Mirumoto Bushi 2Path of Egress: Mirumoto Bushi 3Technique: Fire from the Mountain —The Dragon's Flame

strikes from hiding, cutting down all who would threaten theDragon lands. When firing at a foe unaware of their presence,the archer may add twice their Insight Rank to all damagerolls. Also, the archer loses no Honor for using Stealth so longas they are using it to aid in defending the Dragon lands fromwould-be attackers.

SEEKERSOver the past seven years, the Dragon Clan has experiencedconsiderable hardship as a result of powerful Nemuranai. Firstand foremost, the traitors Tamori Chosai and Isawa Hochiuused the Dark Covenant of Fire to manipulate the Dark Oracleof Fire into plunging both their clans into a brutal war. Thiswar, while devastating Ln its own right, was made considerablyworse when Shiba Atkune harnessed the nigh-timitless powerof Isawa's Last Wish. The war lasted for nearly rwo years, caua-

T A B L E 2 - 1 : T H E D R A G O N ' S FLAME

ClassLevel1st2nd3rd4th

:5ih ; . -

BaseAttack Bonus

+ 1 -+2+3+3+4

FortSave

+0+0+1+1+1

RefSave

+2+3

HB9H+4'"+4

willSave+0+0. 1

•.'GO * I

1-1

-1-1

Special

"Path of; Hidden StoneRanged Sneak Attack +ld6Fire from the MountainRanged Sneak Attack +2d6The Dragon's Same -

ing enormous death and destruction on both sides. Althoughit was a human evil that initiated the conflict, the power oftwo artifacts sustained it. Some among the Mirumoto havedevoted themselves to ensuring that such a thing can neverhappen again. These brave men and women scour the Empirein an effort to find Nemuranai that have been lost to the ages,and to speak with those families who possess such treasures.The Dragon wish to catalog as many of these items as they can,describing their powers and weaknesses as fully as possible.Those that they cannot understand, they destroy, or encour-age the owners to destroy. This practice has won the Miru-moto few friends, but they do not seek such items for diplo-matic purposes; they seek to save the Empire.

The Nemuranai seekers train closely with theTamorifamily, even more so than the normal close training that Miru-moio bushi receive. While they cannot command the kami astheir shugenja brethren do, they are trained to sense them andaffect them in subtle, minor ways that aid them in their quest.

E CLASS)Hit die: d8.

To become a Nemuranai seeker, a character must meet the fol-lowing requirements;

Base Attack Bonus: +6Feats: Depths of the Void, Iron Will, Void UseKnowledge (Nemuranai): 6 ranksSearch: 4 ranks

CLASS SKILLSThe Nemuranai Seeker's class skills (and key ability for eachskill) are Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information(Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Nemuranai) (Int), SenseMotive (Cha), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Skill Points pet level: 4 + Int modifier.

CLASS FSATUaSSAll of the following are class features of the Nemuranai Seekerprestige class.

Weapon & Armor Proficiency: Nemuranai seekers retainall previous weapon and armor proficiencies, but gain no newproficiencies of any sort.

Seek the Spirit's Cage: The seeker may make a Spot check(DC 20) to immediately detect any magic items within closerange. This check will identify an item as being magical, oralert the seeker that there are magical items within range thathe cannot see, but it will not reveal the location of any con-cealed item.

The Kami's Whispers: The seeker may attempt a Spotcheck to identify the enchantments or abilities of a magicalitem. If the item is a weapon or armor, the DC for the check is

equal to the total market price bonus multiplied by 5. All otheritems have a difficulty equal to their total cost divided by 1,000(to a minimum DC 5).

Trie Kami's Vengeance: Once per combat, the seeker mayselect a single opponent. The seeker gains a bonus to all attackrolls equal to the total market price bonus of that opponent'smost expensive magic item. This attack bonus only appliesversus the selected opponent. If the seeker possesses anymagic item with a market price bonus of i-2 or higher, theymay not use this ability while in possession of that item.

Trail of Spirits: Beginning at 4th level, the Nemuranaiseeker may instinctively track any magical item he hasencountered previously. This ability functions exactly as thefeat Track, except that the Nemuranai seeker uses Knowledge(Nemuranai) rather than Wilderness Lore. Items may not betracked in this manner unless the seeker has been in theirpresence and has previously detected ihera using Seek theSpirit's Cage above.

Steal the Spir i ts ' Strength: At the beginning of anycombat, after initiative is rolled but before the first combataction is taken, the seeker may negate any one known magicalproperty of any magic item in the possession of one opponent.That property does not function for the remainder of thecombat. The seeker may choose to change the property beingnegated at the beginning of any combat round, but doing sorequires the expenditure of a Void point and allows the previ-ously negated property to be used again. For example: ANemuranai seeker may target an opponent wielding a +2 flam-ing keen katana at the beginning of combat, negating the/lam-ing ability. For the remainder of the combat, the wielder wouldnot gain the benefits of the /laming enchantment and wouldbe treated as if they were wielding at +3 hxn haiana. if at somepoint during the combat the seeker wished to change thenegated property to keen, he could do so by spending a singleVoid point. The opponent would then be treated as if theywere wielding a i-2 /Filming katana.

RSMU^ARAI SuJCS^SCREW PATH)

Technique Rank: 4Path of Entry: Mirumoto Bushi or Kitsuki Magistrate 3Path of Egress: Reenter same school at Rank 4Seek the Spirit's Cage: By spending a Void point, the

seeker instantly becomes aware of any Nemuranai within fiftyfeet of them. This includes such items as Asahina fetishes,items associated with meishodo, and any weapons craftedfrom unusual substances such as crystal, jade, or obsidian. Thesamurai may make a Perception roll,TN 15, to determine anyone property of a Nemuranai. Each successful Raise made onthis roll reveals one additional ability of the item, if any.Finally, the samurai may negate any one identified property ofa Nemuranai by spending a Void point. This negation lasts forone hour per Void point.

TABLE 2-2: T H E NEMURANAI SEEKER

ClassLevel1st2nd3rd

4th5th

BaseArrack Bonus

+1+2+3+4+5

FortSave

+2+3+3+4

+4

RefSave

+0

+i+i

WillSave+2+3+3

+4+4

SpecialSeek the Spirit's GageThe Kami's WhispersThe Kami's VengeanceTrail of SpiritsSteal the. Spirits' Strength

CHA7TSS TH5S

THE PATH OF

ill

hen.ca

The nme to

WlftlJmtfui. •"1

i l l .•:/;

SiWtd as 1

Hofori stood on flu raiujwrl's ccJge simj hwkfflL'alieys bf&jtw Tiie high mountttirmajestic in si&ture iind dizzyingbelow, obscuring any $impse ofiMiyii's small group to Shim Tiiwhimself a$ a tine from an-old phias r, ty mortalfee.t can take me and. though I cannot set the lands ofman. Surely. I am not far from Hie immortal HMI'SHS."1 Matortmid to himself.

Bfsicfe him, the inquisitive Togashi Ma.tstio looked athnq witha furious glance. "Batori-sama: J am afmid I did riot hear ihhaiyou had to say!' lifee the aging Miya, Mats.uo.iuul been staring outinto tiie sight below for wend minutes tit silence.

"An ifiii play, htatiuol' Haton answered, not taking his eyes fromthe otherworldly beauty fitrnt'al"fi their gaze, "A minor K«fofo play-wright once penned a tale abouthow Mintmoto and Agaiha cameto sen>e the Kami, Togashi It was only notable'for the fact it wastfitr first swell work to portray Mirumoto as an arrogant and brtxhsamurai with tittle regard for many civiliied customs before hecame to kneel before Togashi.''

Maliuo nodded and wttiled, "Ah, 1 believe ! remember nowif J recall, the Kakita had written if us a sort ej attack it!Mirumolo and his school. It) retwrrs, the Mirumoto CDmnuthli'Jthe n'orf;, and noted that uuh a portat^al only accented how. the

path of the Dtugtw C.l\n turned s«fh a brute into one of the mostnobk eittd skilled swordsrnento have ever lived,"

"The CYfttie undfrt'stffnaiv<i Hit' Mirunioto, thilori-satna,"t.ti'fi?imcii ii yoice to the men's left. Both visitors turned to see twoothers approaching them from She battlements on the castle's UmllfLitori recognized his sliugenja vassal, Sekkbii, IIHII the imjWiiiigTamori TsitftTre tvttft htTtl; Tris Drogoii SlB imnshflPMEd andunafraid ofwhal we art, even m tilt wont of times, Thangfi Miru-moto u'rts ti lout, did he not serve a$ a parable to his faintly ahtmtredemption?"

"Oh?" Togashi Maisuo regankd thq,shugi'n}tt with, a genuinelyinterested look. 'And whatofTamori?"

hw&rdly, Hatori twitted. Though the relatively anall Tamorifamily iJirf not earn ttitich regard om way or another from tnostpowerful daimyo, the Miya was well awan of ilinr intoleTaiue ofthe corrupted AgnshaTamori's memory beingihrown in their fate.TunwYi Tsaisro was important enough among the lenders of hisfatuity thiif:Hrtff>n knew of limi and his repviutiori as a peacefulmart. The agmg Miyti hoped thai reputation Was not inflated

J: vKivii was. even aware of the depth of the possible insult,ihere vnia-fio'Sign of it. Tf« young Monkey just looki'd baik toTsufeffti expectantly.

"His Memory, too, serves ss art example, The prht of weaknessiiHfii wtiith, miii the. Ussoii that even the most wise And powerful(ininrtg »•* arc stdi only mortal.' The T&mori repfeea, showing ftphint of insuli iji" the tie zumi's words. His toiift however, nuhinkdflnit parttC!<Iiir s»f)it'cf H'as now closed. Turning to {me Hfltorffuily, XssjfetTO ssfeesii "Did you not bring hw of your vettfttli strihVt>« fo fhs Druvon lands.

:

"Indeed. He remained with the Mirumoto to finalize somebusiness we had with their family." Hatori replied, "He will bejoining us in a matter of days at the most."

"I see," theTcimon said, a look of slight confusion crossing lit'sfoee."1 must say 1 was somewhat surprised when your young assistanthere," he gestured to Sekkou as he spoke, "came to announce yourimminent arrival. I did not believe you hud come to the Dragonprovinces ID deal with my family, and I am afraid Lady Shaitung isaway from fhe castle for tile time heing." Tsukiro bowed his broad-shouldered body formally before Hatori in a somewhat abruptmarmeratid added, "But if there is some way I may serve in her stead,please say so."

"Tel! me, Tsukiro-san, what is happening down there" the Miyaspoke as he turned from the view of the mountains and glanced dewninto the inner courtyard of Shiro Tamori. Below them there was agroup men and women clad in the colors of the Dragon, carryingboken and moving in practice formations.

"Morning pradice," Tsukiro replied, studying the proceedings in thecourtyard with a critical eye.

Raton looked at the Tamori with an unreadable gaze. "I would saythere at least fifty down there" he said. "Are they shugenja of yourfamily?"

"Hai, Haton-sama. 1 know each man and woman down there byname and they are gifted with the blessings of the kami."

"Fifty shugejija," Hatori said flatly, turning his eyes back down tothe scene. "All training in the art of personal combat, as if they werebusht. Does thiit not strike you us a little stmnge?"

TswfeifO folded his arms across his chest uncomfortably andregarded the imperial noble. Hatori was aware the Tamori lord wasnow sizing up just exactly what sort of threat the Miya was beginningto represent, and how much station and authority the bolh of themhad by comparison. After a moment's pause, the shugenja replied,"Does the fish find it stmnge he breathes in the water, and not fromthe air you and 1 breathe?"

7"he old courtier smiled thinly, "No, but the fish does not swimthrough our .Empire on land, either. Tsukiro-san, I did not come tothe Dragon lands to discuss this matter with you or your daimyo,but I fee! it is something that I must take the opportunity to address.There are an increasing number of incidents of Dragon... representa-tives arriving unannounced in the lands of other da ns. In their wafee,they leave the destruction of Blood speakers, maho-fsufeai, and evencursed artifacts,"

Hatori paused for a moment, and Tsukiro mised a hand, "I under-stand what you are getting to, Hafori-sama," the shugmja said, his/acesomewhat apprehensive, "Tell me, do the Lion ask permission to crushthe enemies of the .Empire wherever they are found? Or do the clansrejoice to have the aid of the noble Akodo generals and Matsu armies?"

"Tsufeim, you and youi- family are hardly an army, and the taskof crashing these threats falls toothers," the Miya replied, counting offon his hand as he spoke, "The Kum, the Asako, the Hida, the JadeMagistrates..."

"Precisely. And when the armies of an ally arrive to fortify theborders of a clan, do they expect the armies of that clan to do nothingand withdraw?" Tsukiro waved his hand to indicate the shugenjatraining in the courtbelow, "We would never insult those noble fam-ilies by implying we would perform their duties for them. Let theKuniflay open the secrets of the Shadowlands to combat the minionsof the Dark Kami. l e t the Asako hunt the hidden corners of theEmpire to seek out the shadowed threats from FH leng's realm. Let thearmies of the Hida show the beasts of the Horde that Rofeugan isstrong as well as wise, and we can crush them with our might."

Hfltoii adjusted his obi uncomfortably, taken aback a little at theTamori's intensity, "And what should I say to my superior* in theImperial Court, Tsufaro-san?" he asked. "How should ] tell the clansto react when your agents arrive without introduction or parley?"

Tsukiro regarded Hatori wanly for a moment, as if the questionwas nearly an insult. "Tell them," he saidfinally, "that only those whoare enemies ofthe Empire should fear the Dragon."

TH5

located in the central area of the Dragon Mountains,the Tamori family shares borders with every family in theclan. In addition, they spend a greal deal of time dealing withthe other families in order to procure supplies they need intheir barren homelands. The resulting association they havewith the other families lead to the fact that a Tamori canalmost always be found in any group of Dragons.

Even compared to the rest of the Dragon provinces,the lands of theTamori family are notoriously difficult to nav-igate. There are nearly no roads in the area, a fact that neverconcerned the Agasha enough to address. Whai the formerDragon family maintained out of apathy theTamori continueout of their love of their mountain home. The unwelcomingterrain presents a constant challenge to the family and servesas a reminder to visitors who find it difficult to get around —this land belongs to the Tamori and none other.

HOLPIRQSThough the Tamori are adamant about displaying theirseparation between nature and kinship with the Agasha, thefamily has done very little to change any of the structures theyinherited. The utilitarian build of the holdings sit well withthe Tamori's practical view of things. The only major changethe Tamori enacted is the complete destruction of any shrinesto Agasha ancestors. Shortly after the nearby volcano eruptedyears ago, Tamori Shaining invited the Agasha to retrieve anyimportant artifacts from the shrines they wished to keep.Naturally, the war between the two clans and the activevolcano prevented the Agasha from even getting near thesites. When the Tamori returned to their lands just afterthe volcano subsided, they destroyed the shrines withoutexception. Though the war between the Dragon and Phoenixhas ended, the hostility between the two families may neverdraw to a close.

SHI^O TAMORI(K>CATIQH

Though the stronghold of the tattooed orders, KyudenHitomi, is more remote and removed from the Empire, ShiroTamori's distance from civilization and poor accessibilityensures visitors are uncommon. The Tamori's intense andaloof nature does nothing to work against this situation, asfew families believe a stay Ln the castle would be hospitable oreven completely safe. Because of this and the unusual natureof Dragon magic, Tamori Castle remains one of the greatestmysteries among the samurai caste. Diplomats avoid rheTamori lands at nearly any cost, bushi are fascinated at the

wild tales of shugenja training in the eastle with swords andother weapons, and other shugenja orders find themselvesrevolted and intrigued at those same stories.

The castle has stood in some form for over a thousand years.The founder of the Dragon's first shugenja order, Agasha, wasable to see the castle completed in her liletime, though therehave been many expansions and improvements on the struc-ture since that time. The castle Looks like it is carved out of thesame rock as the mountain, known as Fire Tooth Mountain,and faces to the south. Unlike many ancestral homes, ShiroTamori is not surrounded by the activity of a city. Everythingthe castle needs from day to day is contained within its wailsand there is only one winding road that connects it to the restof the Empire. The martial nature of the Tamori, and theAgasha before them, is reflected in the battlements andcombat-ready defensive towers that make the castle look likeit was crafted by the hands of a Crab engineer. Given itsgeographical isolation, more than one visitor has remarked itseems like a lone sentry overlooking the plains of Rokugan.

HIOHU/AVS OF THE

The Mountain's Path — The only major highway in theTamori lands connects Tamori Castle to the rest of theDragon highways. Few visitors are allowed to traveloff road without direct supervision from the Tamoridue to the dangerous terrain surrounding it. After theWrath of the Kami volcano ebbed in its eruption theroad was renamed by the Tamori to reflect the factmost of the lava traveled through the pass the Moun-tain's Path follows.

THEWhen the Agasha fled the Dragon lands, they were notable totake every scrap of parchment. The Agasha Foundries were leftbehind almost intact, and the Tamori have not let their hattedof the defectors keep them from studying the arts of hanabi.Indeed, their stronger connection to the spirits of Earth allowsthe Tamori to take great strides in their herb research andpotion crafting. To the Tamori, the Foundry is a great templewhere they come to meditate and further their understandingof the kami through the practice of bringing body, spirit,and mind together. While Shiro Tamori does house s largetemple for meditation and prayer, the shugenja family hascome to value action over inaction as a means of introspection.The temples serve their purpose to balance the spirit, but theFoundry is where the Tamori come to further their arts.

These chambers and halls of experimentation are locatedfar below the floors of Shiro Tamori, buried deep within FireTooth Mountain. The Foundry is completely off-limits to allbut the most powerful outsiders. The Tamori are wary of allow-ing representatives from the other families into the area,if only for iheir own protection. While the art of kagaku(explosives) is not studied much since the defection of theAgasha, many of the experiments the Tamori conduct in thelower halls still produce the odd bit of sparks or cavern-coOapsing detonation. Those outside the Dragon are strictlyforbidden from the Foundry, with few exceptions. Naturally,the Dragon Champion is welcome in these halls, as would bethe Emperor (should the situation arise where the Emperorfelt to go traipsing around in underground tunnels).

F1SU7SA large portion of the outer courtyard just inside the walls ofShiro Tamori is dedicated to a great training field for thefamily It is here that groups of Tamori take their lime to prac-tice the arts of armed warfare separate from their lalents withthe kami, looking for all intents and purposes like an army.The Yamabushi train day and night, favoring the katana andwakizashi, though few take time to learn the deeper secrets olNiten. Like the Mirumoto, the Tamori become familiar with agreat variety of weapons, though they tend to rely on theirmore destructive spells in place of bows and hand held spears.

There is always a sensei irom the Mirumoto school here aswell as a handful of Mirumoto bushi, training beside theirshugenja cousins. The Mirumoto and Tamori are trained bodihere and at the schools of the Mirumoto to work together as aseamless unit in times of war. The Mirumoto maintain aminor dojo here, connected to the main structure of ShiroTamori. The shugenja family values the lessons of bushido asa way to strengthen the spirit and resolve against outsideinfluences, and they walk the path of martial honor moredevoutly than other shugenja.

HOOKChallenge: While getting to Shiro Tamori can be cause for

its own small adventure, sometimes leaving can be as compli-cated. Once the group is received on whatever business, theymay notice theTamoris unusual behavior around outsiders —they almost ignore them. The group is shown every courtesy,but for the most part they are not noticed and will probablyhave an exceptionally hard time actually finding any of theTamori in the castle.

Focus: How the characters respond to this is completely upto them, as there are no guidelines for etiquette regardingdemanding personal attention from your hosts. It is likely,however, certain characters may be offended when theyrealize their most obvious option is to leave a complaint withone of the servants in hopes it gets to the Tamori.

Strike: Depending on how much of a stink the partymakes, the Tamori are likely to continue ignoring them untilthe time comes for their scheduled meeting. The reason forthe Tamori's lack of presence (even for those used to dealingwith Dragons, this sort of treatment is rather unusual) is thatthe party arrived at almost the exact time a rather dangerousartifact was brought to be destroyed in the nearby Wrath ofthe Kami volcano. The Tamori will take many steps to keepthis information secret, and if the group handles themselvescorrectly they may wind up with a favor owed to them by anorder of powerful shugenja.

THE U/ ATH OF THE ICA/illtLOCATOJTl

One of the few structures added to the provinces since therise of the Tamori is the great shrine built at the apex of thevolcano that erupted driving the Dragon from their home-lands and inciting the Dragon/Phoenix War, The shrine andthe volcano are both known as the Wrath of the Kami and nei-ther receives much in the way of visitors even from theTamori. The volcano is no longer active, though the magmavent is still a source of considerable heal. The shrine is builtupon the lip of the volcano's vent, and is formed in a semicir-cle around the edge. There are depictions detailing the historyof the Agashas defection, the corruption of Agasha Tamori, hisrise as Dark Oracle, the foundation of the Tamori, the war with

the Phoenix, and then the defeat of Tamori at the hands ofTamoci Shairung, Hitomi Maya, MirumotoTsuge, AsafcoBairei, and Isawa Nakamuro.

The site is considered one of the most holy places for theTamori family for a number of reasons. Most obviously, themolten rock that flows out of the earth represents the hiddenpower of the elemental Earth deep underground that thefamily draws strength from, it also marks the rise and defeat ofAgasha Tamori, testifying the strength ol the Tamori family toovercome all obstacles, including the Oracle's corruption andperversion of the volcano's power. Finally, it is a reminder ofbrotherhood through strife, where Dragon and Phoenix cametogether against a common foe — the influence of theShadowlands. While theTamori may never come to terms withthe treachery of the Agasha family, the Wrath of the KamiShrine serves as a reminder of priority and the price of pride.

THE D*A<J0res H£A*T UOJQOne of the sections of the immense Wrath of the Kami Shrineis dedicated to housing the newly dedicated Dragon's HeartDojo. The previous dojo stood on the very grounds thaterupted into fury when the Wrath of the Kami volcano awoke,and nearly everything that was part of the school was con-sumed. Since the defeat of Agasha Tamori, the volcano hassubsided and the Tamori shugenja have recovered what theycould from the previous dojo. Amazingly enough, the ancientforge of Dragon's Heart survived in the very center of thedestruction brought about by the eruption and has been set inthe center of the new school.

The school dominates about a third of the entire Shrine andis always the most inhabited area of the structure. As the warwith die Phoenix Clan ends, many young Tamori have come toDragon's Heart to learn the patient art of weapon smithing thatthere had been no time to stop and study in the past. Whilemany among the Dragon (and some among the rest ofRokugan) were concerned that the Tamori's roots in war wouldlead them to become a family as bloodthirsty and combative asthe Hitomi monks, the students of Dragon's Heart havequickly put such apprehensions to test. The introspective art offorging has tempered the souls of many within the family.

THS FUXTIACSThere is a passage deep within the Wrath ot the Kami Shrineleading directly into the mountain and down towards itscenter. This passage opens up into a great chamber where theseething magma of the volcano rolls and boils under the sur-face of the mountain's apex. This place is named ''rhe furnace"and it is ajealously guarded secret kept among theTamori andthe MirLimoto. It is here that the Mirumoto bring the way-ward artifacts of magical power they hunt. Nemuranaideemed too dangerous to exist is destroyed in a complex ritualwithin the Furnace, theTamori break apart the physical vesselof the item and free the corrupted, twisted, or enslaved andmaddened kami that power the artifact.

In many cases, these freed kami are released back into theharmony of the elements, thankful to be rid of their prison. Infew instances, however, the Tamori and the Mirumoto acceptthe aid of these thankful spirits in a unique way — the ritual iscontinued and the willing kami is bound permanently as apart of a mortal's soul. This practice is always undergone will-ingly by both the spirit and the mortal, and lends strength tothe soul of a Dragon while making them something not com-pletely human anymore, much in the same manner as the artof the tattooed orders.

E HOOK.Challenge: This adventure hook is an excellent way to

introduce the reclusive Dragon Clan to a group if there is nosuch member of the clan present in the party. While resting atthe house of their daimyo, the group is witness to the homereceiving a contingent of Mirumoto and Tamori ambassadorsfrom the Dragon Clan. The four Dragons are polite and out ofcustom stay for two days before having an audience with thedaimyo regarding what they came to discuss,

Focus: When the lord and the Dragons finally meet tospeak about the matter at least one of the group (most likelythe character with the highest Glory or closest social ties tothe daimyo) is allowed to witness the proceedings at thedaimyo's side. The meeting goes horribly wrong; however,as the Dragon firmly request the daimyo relinquish a familyheirloom of particular value to the household (GMs shouldfeel free to detail the item to fit the daimyo of their campaign).The Mirumoto produce completely legal documents provingthey are the rightful heirs of such items, purchased by thedaimyo's ancestor many generations ago. Though the requestis exceptional, the Dragon are perfectly honorable and lawfulin their claim on the matter, and even produce an exquisitelycrafted steel tessen as compensation. Forced into no otherhonorable alternative, the daimyo calls for the items to bebrought forth, they are handed over to the Dragon — at whichpoint theTamori quickly exit the chamber as if they werecarrying gaijin pepper ready to explode. The Mirumoto stay tomake polite conversation and leave in a more well-manneredfashion.

Strike: Caught unprepared, the daimyo was unable tothink of a way to save face and keep the precious heirloom.What the Dragon did not wish to share with anyone else isthat the item contains the restless spirit of the Mirumoto'sancestor — a Bloodspeaker who was of no particular note andlost to obscurity before he was discovered. The Tamori plan todestroy the artifact once they return it to Shiro Tamori afterthey leave the Lands of the daimyo though they are in no greathurry ro do so. The lord charges the party with recovering theitem and tells them to offer anything reasonable the Dragonwould take in exchange or perform whatever task the Dragonmay require of them. As the item and its curse are not reallyall that dangerous, it is not an impossible task — just animprobable one.

VA/ilASU^AtJ-OCATIOFV D6)

Those outside the Tamori lamily generally consider the city ofYamasura to be the family's center of power. TheTamori, whilenot particularly xenophobic, are not in the habit of invitingemissaries into their ancestral home unless the person inquestion is of an exceptionally high station or of specialimportance to the family. Instead, the family conducts themajority of its business with the outside world in the bustlingcity of Yamasura. Given that it is infinitely more accessiblethan Shiro Tamori, most guests of theTamori don't mind deal-ing with the Dragon family here instead of in some remotemountain fortress high in the peaks hidden by the clouds.

Given the relative isolation of the Tamori family Yamasurais now the unofficial centet of magistrate activity in themountainous regions of the Dragon lands. Under the rule ofthe somewhat more gregarious Agasha, the lack of patrolsand movement around the area was not an issue. However, thetradition started when it gtoup of Emerald Magistrates made

Yamasura their home during the Clan War. Without anEmerald Champion to lead them and the rule of the Hanteisubverted by the machinations of Bayushi Kachiko, the groupwas led to the mountain city by Seppun Shiriko. Tired ofattempting to enforce [he Emperor's law around his ownwife, Shiriko made Yamasura a makeshift base of operationsfor a slowly growing group of like-minded magistratesthrough the Clan War until they eventually rallied under thebanner of Toturi.

OUT7OSTThis post was originally a small building Seppun Shiriko tookas her new estate by calling in favors among her Imperialcousins. From there, within just months the Emerald Magis-trate transformed it into a fully functioning bastion of theEmperor's Justice. There is a small and practical room thai canhouse up to ten magistrates, and a modest private quarters forthe head magistrate of the office. The building has beenunproved over the years until it came to resemble an honor-able and reputable magistrate outpost. There is also a sizableshrine to Kakita, the First Emerald Champion, and the twotounders of the Emerald Magistrates. Smaller alcoves in theshrine are set aside for noteworthy magistrates who died inservice while stationed at the outpost — including SeppunShiriko,

The mere presence of the building and the history behind itis completely responsible for the lack of crime in the Dragonmountains. Given the unpredictable and unsettling natureof the Dragon Clan in general, this made theTamori provincesinto one of the most lawful lands in all of Rokugan —a distinction the family is not hesitant to point out to thosewho would take it upon themselves to scorn their relativelysmall si/e.

[Samurai 5; Monkey Bushi 2]Kikoru is just five years past his gempukku and has themarked vigor associated with both his age and his MonkeyClan heritage. The young man is bursting with energy andseveral of the magistrates under his supervision joke that helikely does somersaults on his bed while he's sleeping. Kikoruis in constant motion and the desk that is part of his officeseems more like a formality than anything due to the fact hecarries nearly every single important sheaf of paper and pieceof duty-related equipment in his ever-present satchel. Theyoung Monkey is never at a loss for a task to perform and inturn ensures his subordinates are likewise occupied.

What Kikoru does not share with anyone is the relativeunimportance of the position he holds and not to mention theunimportance of the outpost in general. While it is easy toattribute the low crime level of the area to the Emerald Magis-trates, the truth is the remote regions of theTamori landsmake it unwelcome to any sort of criminal. Bandits would befoolish to think they could make any sort of quick getaway inthe mountains, even if there was any great wealth in the areato be had. The Monkey magistrate has decided not to let thesomewhat disappointing reality bring him down and insteadfocuses on maintaining the impressive "success" of the magis-trates in the area. Kikoru makes sure he is a constant presencethrough the entire town, and even the Tamori are sometimessurprised by the insights of his young mind and the contentsof his satchel

T5APIIIGThe only trading grounds in Tamori lands has no particularname, though most of its patrons refer to it as rhe YamasuraMarket. Most business conducted here involves little outsidestandard practices required for goods to change hands so thatthe Tamori may maintain their day to day lives. Parchment,timber, rice, and other such staple commodities are tradedhere on a massive scale, though usually through a few selectregular suppliers. The Tamori maintain regular trade with theKaiu for their steel, the Doji for their cloth, and the Utaku forthe excess food production of the towns of Akami and Bikarni.The Tamori are usually very precise beforehand regardingwhat amounts of supplies they are interested in, but shrewd(and somewhat unscrupulous) merchants always bring anabundance of overstock. The reason for this is that every yearthere is a handful of would-be future merchant lords attempt-ing to buy their way into the exclusive trade within theDragon lands. The established merchants will sell overstockthey just happen to have on hand at a fictional discount justbefore they leave for a season. Invariably, the hopeful youngmerchant is left with little excess koku and a largely uselessstockpile of resources as the Tamori are exceptionally particu-lar about whom they trade with. Shipping these large quanti-ties out of the mountains is a nearly impossible task lor theunprepared though returning merchants are more than happyto buy their stock back at a heavily reduced rate.

The Yamasura Market is the only public area where anoutsider could reliably procure the strange potions and explo-sives of the Dragon arts of Kagaku and Hanabi. Though theTamori are renowned for tbeir Kagaku potions, the explosivearts of fire they still maintain are unique in that they circum-vent rhe Imperial decree against gunpowder and remainalmost as effective. Like everything else in the tradinggrounds, however, the Tamori only tend to share these itemswith a very exclusive group of tradesmen and allies.

I

ICI TOSHIThough Dragon's Heart Dojo is where the Tamori teach thearts of metalsmithing to the initiates of the practice, WaterHammer City is where the art thrives in Dragon lands.The city is completely dominated by every aspect of smithingweapons, armor, and other such metal items. The entire dry iscovered in a thick haze of smoke and fog that hangs just highenough off the city as not to choke or blind citizens or sullythe walls and rooftops of the buildings. Even at night,the cityscape is punctuated by constant ringing of hammers,small bursts of light, and the violent1 hiss of cooling steel.Those not well versed in the craft find the city a wonder dueto the fact the city appears no less presentable or civilizeddespite nearly every major building housing a forge. SuigekiToshi is kept immaculately clean by theTamori, and the forgesare kept secreted away from the gaze of outsiders — the seem-ingly endless sounds and smoke of the forges appear to comefrom nowhere and everywhere at once.

Suigeki Toshi was known as Kanashiki no Yama Toshi,the City of the Mountain's Anvil, under the rule of the Agasha.With the focus of theTamori's magic aligning with the spiritsof the Earth, the nascent family has made great leaps andbounds in the art of metalworking. The most famous of theseadvances is known as the Water Hammer Technique, discov-ered by the quiet Tamori Hiroko, who has since become themaster smith in residence of the city. The method involvessummoning and shaping Water kami to resemble the ham-mering tool of the smith, and tempering the steel at just the

•w:%

•

right moment with the water while striking at it with theforce of blunt iron. Swords crafted with the Water HammerTechnique have quickly gained popularity among those in theEmpire with an unusual fondness for swords. Every major col-lector has spent the past generation attempting to gain aWater Hammer sword for their collection, and even someKakita have begun carrying such blades as a status symbol.

[Shugenja 12 ;Tkmori Shugenja 4]l ike much of her family, Hiroko is a serious and intenseshugenja with no time for petty concerns. The Tamori smith iswell aware of her destiny and her place with the CelestialOrder and does not suffer interruptions to her sacred worklightly. The Master Smith of Suigeki Toshi is a living legendthat few have met, though everyone talks of her. Hirokorarely speaks in public, and while she has an honorary posi-tion at the governor's council as an advisor, the shugenja hasonly emerged twice to ever speak her mind about mattersconcerning the city. like many dedicated smiths, she does notconsider life outside the forge often and only then to concep-tualize the field applications of her creations.

Only Hiroko's two assistants know the master smith thatwell, and know she is a woman of two very distinct halves.Publicly, she is regarded as a stern recluse and has punctuatedall of her appearances in the city with displays of scorn for theoutside world. At the forge, however, Hiroko becomes anentirely different woman. Her face lights up with the joy of abom creator and her laughter rings out with every strike ofher hammer. Her assistants listen to her sing, tell long tales, oreven share dry humor over the creation of a blade or a t i t ofarmor. To the ignorant, it would seem Hiroko is hardly even

paying attention to her work. The truth of the matter is that itis only at the forge that she feels complete; the work beforeher is a natural extension of her soul and thus requires nogrunting effort or intense mind-numbing concentration.When she is not at work with her tools and steel, Hiroko feelsas if a great rushing river is dammed up in her soul, and achesfor the release that the craft uncovers.

ssa?sars TAIL MIREA geological puzzle, Serpents Tail Mine has existed for overeight hundred years. The mine was discovered by a group of

Agasha searching for a vein of ore withinthe mountains and they were successful

in a way they would never havedreamed possible. The vein the Agashadiscovered were entwined deposits ofgold and iron ore. The shugenja andscholars of the clan marveled at themine's existence, and Serpent's Tail isstill visited to this day by those whoattempt to unravel the mystery of itscreation. Serpent's Tail had no particu-lar name until the mining tunnelbegan to take on the form of coils dig-ging deep into the mountains. Thedeposits of ore cross and coil aroundone another in the same fashion oftwo embattled snakes, and some of the

peasant workers named the continuingtrails Miko and Malco.

The Tamori recently discovered what theybelieve is the reason for Serpents Tail's creation,

though the information is limited to only a smallhandful of influential leaders in the city. Monthsago, the mining process uncovered a third depositthat the miners had difficulty recognizing. Whenthe Tamori were called to investigate the matter,

the tunneling stopped and the peasants were ordered to mineonly the existing opened areas for the time being. The thirdore was jade fused with the two trails of iron and gold. After amonth of research, the shugenja determined that the twistingdeposits of metal were actually crafted by two angry kami, oneof Fire and one of Earth, chasing each other into the depths ofthe mountain until they collided in the uncovered area andformed jade in an untraditional manner

The discovery is full of puzzling implications, the mostobvious of which being the possibility that true jade could beformed in a similar manner. There are also indications that theveins of gold and iron continue past the deposit of jade, pre-senting the possibility the jade was already there, or the kamiencountered a third substance that caused the jade to form.The Tamori are hesitant to mine the jade for fear of awakeninga sleeping kami or any sort of "offspring" that may haveresulted. For now, the shugenja continue to study the hugedeposit, but they know eventually a choice will have to bemade.

As a family of shugenja, the Tamori dotted their homelandwith scattered small shrines and temples. Most of the changesto the area since the departure of the Agasha involved erectingmonuments to the powerful kami within the Tamori moun-tains as well as humble shrines to their (somewhat few)revered ancestors. The Tamori do not control many smallcities, as the inhospitable terrain does not encourage makingany sort of settlement unless there is an important reason todo so.

TA/ilO*l SEII7OThough the Tamori do not speak of it to outsiders, there is asingle, hidden chamber deep within Fire Tooth Mountain.The room has no entrance, and is large enough to house asingle shrine and make room for five or six visitors. The cham-ber is inaccessible to those who cannot pass through the mileof rock separating it from the outside world, and remains aclosely guarded secret of the Tamori leaders. This place is theshrine to Agasha Tamori, the corrupted daimyo for whom thefamily is named. The shrine is almost solely the work ofTamori Shaitung and she visits the chamber at least twice ayear to meditate. Unlike most ancestral shrines, this is not aplace of reverence, only remembrance. To Shaitung, herfather's memory has become less personal and more of a para-ble of the dangers of arrogance and the fallibility of all mortalsouls. Whenever the Tamori daimyo feels her resolve flagging,she comes to Tamori Seido to remember her past andstrengthen the course of her future.

Because of the secretive nature of the shrine and the some-what paranoid nature of the Tamori, the shrine also serves as asecure location to discuss the most sensitive matters betweenShaitung and her closest advisors. The zokujin shugenja,Kjgkt, also meets with Shaitung here, away from the pryingeyes of other humans. Due to their infrequent and seeminglyrandom attacks on cells of Bloodspeakers, lone maho-tsLikai,and similar targets, the Tamori are slowly acquiring enemieswith many reasons to spy on Shaitung. However, in the con-fines oi Tamori Seido, the depth of the rock and the protectionof the mountains kami keeps many things secret.

THS AGASHA OAISHOGiven the somewhat shameful nature of the shrine, it is nosurprise that Shaitung placed the original daisho of theAgasha family on the shrine to her father. The swords wererarely carried even by the Agasha daimyo, and Tamori refusedto relinquish them to the Phoenix even when the Agasha wereformally declared a part of that clan. Even in his rime as theDark Oracle of Fire, Tamori did not think to carry the s words.Instead, he bore the blade of Agasha Gennai, The man who ledmuch of the family out of the Dragon mountains to join thePhoenix. When Gennai, who became Master of Air, retiredand set out to find Tamori, he was destroyed by the insaneDark Oracle. As a trophy, Tamori placed the swords of Gennaion his own obi and took great joy in using them to kill bothDragon and Phoenix samurai, Shaitung could not bring her-self to destroy the ancient blades once they passed into herhands, nor di(3 she believe it would be honorahle to carrythem as the daimyo of the Tamori. Instead, she kept them

hidden until the shrine was completed and left them here forsafekeeping. As far as inquiring Phoenix ambassadors are ledto believe, the swords were destroyed with Tamori.

The Agasha Daisho is ancient, the first pair of blades craftedby Agasha after she gifted Tpgashi with a set of swords. Theyare lacquered green and gold, stamped with the mon of theDragon Clan Agasha family, and radiate supernatural warmth.When drawn, the metal of the blades glow with an inner fire,and the steel of the entire set seems to carry a golden hue.

The Agasha Daisho is a set of matching +3 keen /lamingbunt wakizashi and katana. Twice per day (once per blade),the bearer of the swords may spend a Void point to cast afireball from the drawn blade as a shugenja equal to thebearer's class level.

The Agasha Daisho is a set of matching exceptional qual-ity waldzashi and katana. The swords both roll and keepone extra die of damage and raise the wielder's Kenjutsu,Katana, and Wakizashi skills by his Fire Ring (to a maxi-mum of 10). One per day, the blades may be used to castThe Fire From Within by spending a Void Point andpointing the tip of the blade. The spell is treated as if castby shugenja with a Fire Ring of 4.

TAMORI *The Tamori Gardens lay in a hidden valley north of ShiroTamori and were crafted by the Tamori shortly after the end ofthe war with the Phoenix. The Gardens rest in a valley thatcontains a natural spring that flows into a river and backunder the mountains to create a small area of arable land.Using their divine connection to the spirits of the Earth andtheir immense repertoire of herbal knowledge, the Tamorihave transformed the bleak area into their personal supply oftrees, roots, and plants that are central to their arcane art ofKagaku. The Gardens remain secret from even the other fami-lies of the Dragon if only because the matter has not come upin discussion. Though the Tamori strive for humility, theGardens are a point of pride for the family and any shugenjawould he more than happy to discuss the area at length withanyone who inquire.

Despite the lush vegetation of the area, the Gardens aredevoid of any sort of animal life. Animals and insects cansurvive in the cold and dry mountain area, which is somewhatof a blessing to the Tamori monks charged with tending thegardens. The lack of insects to cross-pollinate the flowerscauses more than a small share of problems concerning thecontinued cultivation of the area, however. The Tamori areconsidering introducing certain insects and animals into thearea, though some of them feel as though the act would bepossibly blasphemous to the natural order of the mountainarea.

SH7JRE TO kU%OSHITlThe center of the Tamori Gardens is dominated by a towering,though relatively small, shrine to the Fortune of Agriculture.While the existence of such a shrine in the middle of a gardenis not all that unusual, the Tamori have used the blessings ofthe Earth kami to form the shrine out of twisting roots andvines. At a distance, the shrine appears to be a normal buildingcovered in vegetation and growth, but closer inspectionreveals that the building is completely and solidly constructedfrom plants.

k-l

T A

The Tamori are insistent on maintaining the shrineperfectly as to assure rhe blessings of Kuroshin, The Dragonfamily knows how easily their experimental use of the valleycould draw the Fortune's disfavor, and take great pains toensure Kuroshin is instead pleased with their progress.Though the Tamori do not know it, the Fortune of Agricul-ture has visited the shrine in mortal guise more than onceand is extremely taken with it and the surrounding Gardens.The Tamori have done nothing to harm the local ecosystemand have only capitalized on an existing natural resource in amost clever manner. The shrine has become a particularfavorite of the Fonune's, and it is likely he will continue tobless the area with his protection.

THS C^VSTAt CAI/EOn the far western edge of the Tamori lands, there is onemountain peak constantly shrouded by clouds. Even onotherwise clear days, wispy tatters of fog cling to the moun-tain peak just enough to prevent any view from below. At thetop of rhis mountain is a natural cave entrance that leads intoa tunnel, which takes a visitor back down into the middle ofthe mountain. Here, the Tamori have found a natural wonder— a huge chamber that is almost completely lined with clearcrystals on every side. There is just enough flat stone on thefloor of the chamber to allow a small group of visitors tostand or sit quietly in meditation. The chamber was discov-ered by a roving band of Tamori shugenja answering reportsof Phoenix spies in the mountains a year ago.

The Tamori wonder silently how the Agasha could haveinhabited these lands for so many years without stumblingupon the crystal chamber, but agree with one another that itis another blessing from the Earth spirits. Time spent in thechamber seems to grant a purity and clarity of mind andspirit much like the crystal that permeates the place.The shugenja of the family have gone to great lengths toensure the fragile crystal in the area remains undamaged asnot to anger the kami. The room is seen as nothing so muchas a grand shrine to the spirits of the Earth in the Dragonmountains and the Tamori treat it as such with greatreverence.

The focusing properties of the area have also been usedin rituals performed by the Tamori Spirit Binders. Each riteof elemental prayer and communion performed here isamplified by the crystals and the sacred nature of the place.Much like the Furnace in Shiro Tamori, the Crystal Cave hasbecome the focal point for the Tamori's more importantrituals. It is not uncommon for the Tamori to perform theserituals upon one of their number or a worthy recipient oftheir power,

TAMORI

TA/iVO^I SHAITURC,TAMORI FAMIJ-V DAI/ilVO

With the death of her corrupted father and the end of the warbetween the Dragon and Phoenix clans, Shaitung has thrownherself headlong into her duties as the daimyo of the fledg-ling Tamori family. Though the hostility the family holds forthe Agasha may never fade, the Tamori have no enemies tostrike down — for rhe first time since rheir founding,the shugenja family is not in conflict. The time of peace hasbeen both a curse and a blessing for ihe Tamori and theirdaimyo in particular. After being forged in battle and trainedlor conflict, what purpose does the family serve now?

With the loss of her farher and uncle to the Taint of theShadowlands, Shaitung has poured every bit of her soul intoher duties as Tamori daimyo, ensuring the family never losesits sense of purpose. Though Tamori the man is dead, hisdaughter still draws upon his memory for the direction she isleading the family. Under her guidance, the Tamori havelearned to harness the power of the Earth kami to combat theinfluence of rhe Shadowlands — the force that turned thewise and patient AgashaTamori into a raving force of destruc-tion that cost the Dragon and Phoenix clans thousands oflives. While it is the duty of the Asako and the Kuni to turntheir powers to hunt down the Taint in a direct manner, theTamori have dedicated themselves to eradicating any trace ofthe dark influence of Jigoku whenever it makes itself known.

Shaitung's philosophy has garnered her few friendsoutside the Dragon Clan. With the end of the Phoenix/Dragon conflict, many of the powerful houses in the Empirewere willing to give rhe Tamori a chance to prove themselveshonorable and wise like the Agasha before them. Instead,Shaiiung has personally struck down several other shugenjain formal taryu-jiai duels for questioning the actions of herfamily. Tamori shugenja are now frequently appearing fromrandom locations in the Empire, arriving to crush cells ofraaho tsukai without warning. Local lords in charge of thelands "hosting" such shugenja are caught berween outrage atthe trespass and grudging gratitude of the service rendered. Sofar, the Tamori have been lucky enough not to make an enemyof a daimyo powerful enough to shame or challenge them.

Though the Tamori daimyo is hardly a raging Matsu, shewastes no time explaining herself to those whom she doesnot regard as an equal or superior. She has little regard forother shugenja who attempt to impose their views of pacifismand the gentler ways of the kami upon her, Those who believeshe is little more than an uncontrolled source of anger anddestruction do not truly understand Shaitung, which is notan unusual fate for a Dragon. Outsiders only see the result ofShairung's plans, never the preparation enacted deep withinthe Dragon mountains. The daimyo's agents are cautious, wait-ing weeks or even months for the proper time to enact theirplans, and have never engaged an enemy they were not com-pletely prepared for. Many people believe that the Tamori are

simple and easily defined by their nature, but in truth [heyhave become as patient, inscrutable, and contradictory as onewould expect from a Dragon.

Without a true father to turn to, Sliaitung wails only on thefavor of one man — Togashi Satsu. The Dragon Champion isperhaps the only being alive that the shiigenja daimyo is awedby, and those rare few who see Shaitung in the presence oi'Satsusee a completely different woman. She is humble, reverent, andunquestioningly loyal to her daimyo, Though the womanwould never speak of it, Satsu is the embodiment of howShainmg would prefer to privately remember her own father.Under her guidance, the Tamori have become the left hand ofthe Dragon, as the Mirumoto are the right. Shaitung knows herduty and accomplishes much in the pursuit of it, but few thingsanymore fill her with the sense of pride as Salsu's approval

TA/ilO^I SHA1TURG,TAfilO^I FAmiLV PAI/ili>O

Female human Dragon, Shu 16/Yam 3: CR 19; Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 19d6-i-133; hp 211; Init: +1;Spd 30 ft.; AC 19 (touch 14, flat-footed 17); Atk -H5/+10 melee(1 dlO+5, +2 keen edge katana); SQClass Skill: Spellcraft (Familybonus), Element Focus (Earth), Sense Elements, SpiritBinding (Stand As Stone (tl); Honor 3; AL N; SV Fort +15,Ref+7, Will +16; Sir 14, Dex 12, Con 22(24), Int 17, Wis 17,Cha 16; Maximum Void: 2; Ht; 5 ft. 4 in.

Skills and Feats: Speak Language (High Rokugani, Kami,Rokugani), Alchemy +24, Concentration +28, Heal +11,Knowledge (Arcana) +21, Knowledge (Elements)+24, Knowl-edge (Maho) +12, Knowledge (Shadowlands) +16, Knowledge(Shintao) +11, Listen +12, Spellcraft +25, Spot +12; BrewPotion, Elemental Atiunement, Elemental Insight, InnateAbility (jade strife?, bull's strength, endurance), Martial WeaponProficiency (Katana), Superior Element Focus (Earth), VoidUse, Weapon Focus (Katana).

Spe!!s Known (6/8/14/8/7/7/7/7/5/3; bme DC V + spd! level;Elemental Focus -Earth): 0 — commune, dancing lights, detectmagic, hands of day, mage hand, mending, purify food and drink,read magic, resistance, virtue; 1st — cure light wounds, detect Taint,earth's stagnation, magic weapon, magic stone, magic stone, protectionfrom Taint; 2nd — bull's strength, cat's grace, endurance, hold person,lesser restoration, soften earth and stone; 3rd — disjit'l magic, greatermagic weapon, keen edge, nwgir circle against T«mt, stone shops;4th-— holy smite, jade strike, lightning bolt, rest oration, spike stones;5th —feelilemind, righteous might, spell resistance, transmute rock tomud, wall of stone; 6th — contra! weather, flesh to stone, move earth,stonsskm; 7rh — disintegrate, t'sseftre of earth, statue, tomb of jade;8th — earthquake, moss heal, time's deadly hand; 9th — antipathy,imprisonment, ring of earth.

SHAITURG,TA/ilOXJ fA/illLV DAI/ilVO

Earth: 6Willpower: 8

Water: 3Strength; 5

Fire: 5Agility: 6

Air 3Reflexes: 5

Void: 5School/Rank; Tamori Shugenja 5/Tamori Yamabushi/ SpiritBinder 1

Dojo: Mountain Home DojoHonor: 3.7Glory: 8.7Advantages: Aligned to the Elements (Earth), Blessing of

Earth, Strength of the Earth (3 ranks), Magic Resistance (2ranks), Heart of Vengeance (Phoenix)

Disadvantages: Driven (Prove the worth of iheTamon),Insensitive, Sworn Enemy (IsawaTaeruko)

Skills: Calligraphy 4, Craft: Mizugusuri 3, Defense 6, Jiujutsu S,History (Dragon Clan) 5, Iaijutsu 4, Intimidation 5, Kagaku 6,Katana 8, Kenjutsu 4, Medicine S, Lore (Elements) 5,Meditation 6, Mountaineer 4, Nazodo S, Shintao 6, SpellResearch 7.

Spells: (All innate abilities) Armor of Earth, Armor of theEmperor, Biting Steel, Breath of Heaven's Fire, Breath of theFire Dragon, Castle of Water, Defiance ot Stone, EarthenBlade, Earthquake, Elemental Ward, Evil Ward, Fires ofPurity, The Fires From Within (First Focus Spell), FiresFrom the Forge, Force of Will, Hands of Jtirojin, ImmortalSteel, Jade Strike, Kami's Strength, Katana of fire,Mountain's Wrath, Near to Ice, Path to Inner Peace, Regrowrhe Wound, Rise Earth, Shatter, Slash of the Lion, Stance ofthe Mountain, Symbol of Earth, Transform, Tempest of Air,Tomb of Jade, Wall of Earth, Wind-Borne Speed.

SHRSIKATl OF THE TAMORIARMIES

One of Tamori Shaitung's reliable hatamoto is the quiet andintense Tamori Tsukiro. Much like the rest of his family,Tsukiro is scarred from warfare and walks with the powerfulgrace of a warrior, not a priest of the kami. The middle-agedshiigenja has quickly become an example to olhers with thefamily and clan of the power of conviction, sacrifice, andrighteousness in the face of overwhelming odds.

Shortly after the end of the war against the spirit armies ofHantei XVI, Toturi signed a treaty of peace with the SteelChrysanthemum to end all hostilities between the living andthe spirits. As part of that treaty, and a cruel joke on the pan ofHantei XVI, Toturi agreed to grant Agasha Tamori his ownfamily line, though the Splendid Emperor knew of theshugenja's corruption and madness. While Tamori was miss-ing and presumed ciead, Toturi 1 worried that the gesturewould be mistaken by the fledgling family as a sanction ofHantei XVl's actions and become a bed of unrest so long as theSteel Chrysanthemum lived. In addition, the Clan of theDragon was already beginning to show the strain of having tomaintain the lands once overseen by the entire Agasha familybut now only tended by a dozen remaining shugenja and a fewhundred peasants.

Counseled by his advisor, Bayushi Yojiro, the Emperorended both threats to the peace of his realm with a singleedict. As Tomri I proclaimed the Tamori family a recognizedand honored house in the Empire, he also summoned forrhthe loyal and powerful shugenja that filled the ranks of theronin brotherhood that once stood with him as Toturi's Army,The shugenja of the Wolf Legion, in recognition for their hon-ored service to the Imperial Throne, they were immediatelygranted fealty in the fledgling family. Though as the daimyoofthe Tamori, a young Shaitung was free to honorably refuse iheentry of any of these shugenja, she recognized it as a greatboon to the Dragon Clan from the Emperor. Months later, theTamori regained over half of the size of the Agasha.

Among those shugenja was a former AirTensai of the Isawafamily, a ronin named Tsukanoro. When it quickly becameclear thai the power of theTamori family line would he withinthe magic of the mountains, Tsukanoro did not raise his voicein complaint or protest. Tsukanoro pushed himself to thelimits of his own innate power and skill, until the karniof theEarth responded to him almost as easily as those of the ele-mental Air. When his son was born, he raised the child as aDragon, and nothing else. His philosophies of peace were per-haps remnants of his days as a Phoenix, but the elder shugenjasaw no folly in the values pacifism and passed them down tohis firstborn,

When the war with the Phoenix came, the mightyTsukanoro was among the first casualties. What the sonlearned from his father were the same things others in theDragon turn to Tsukiro as an example of: Duty, Loyalty, Sacri-fice. Honor. Tsukanoro died as a Dragon, fighting the enemiesof his clan, at the command of his daimyo and beyond thelimits of his personal views, When the time came for Tsukiroto take his place among the armies of the Dragon, [he youngshugenja only feared for one thing — to fail the memory ofhis honored father.

Due ro his father's teachings he is a pacifist at heart, butTsukiro put his personal feelings to the side and stood besidethe armies of the Mirumoto during the war against thePhoenix Clan. During that time, he was stationed with thevengeful Mirumoto Junnosuke, a man who has been remem-bered as both a traitor and hero to the Dragon. It was fromJunnosuke's example of mercilessness in combat that Tsukirohas learned to temper the philosophy of peace and honor withthe ways of the practical world. Though Junnosuke eventuallywas consumed by his own quest ior vengeance, the shugenjahas found walking the line between fury in combat and har-mony with times of peace natural to his spirit.

Though [he war is over, the Tamori have kept their moremartial inclination, and Tsukiro's promotion to the position ofshireikan has proven more than just a wartime honor. Amongthe family, he reports only to his daimyo, Shaming, and it ishis sole responsibility to ensure theTamori are as prepared foranother open conflict as the Mirumoto would be. He is apatient instructor, though completely unforgiving of failuresdue do a lack of discipline and concentration. His frequentvisits to the Mirumoto schools and appearances with power-ful Mirumoto lords have many outside the Dragon callinghim Mirumoto Tsukiro accidentally. The shugenja does notmind the confusion, if anything he sees the fact that he is ashugenja mistaken for a bushi as validation his path is asuccessful one.

SHIRSIKATl OF THE TA/ilOXI A^JilJSSMale h u m a n Dragon, Shu 12: CR 12; Medium-sizehumanoid (human); HD 12d6+42; hp 108; Ink: +3; Spd 30 ft.;AC 19 (touch 14, flat-footed 17); Atk +9/+3 melee (lde+1, +2wakizashi); SQ Class Skill: Spellcraft (Family bonus), ElementFocus (Earth), Sense Elements; Honor 3; AL IN; SV Fort +8,Ref+7, Will +11; Str 12, Dex 17, Con 19,1m 15, Wis 17, Cha 11;Maximum Void: 2; Ht: 5 ft. 6 in.;

Skills and Feats: Speak language (High Rokugani, Kami,Rokugani), Alchemy +17, Battle +10, Concentration +19, Craft(Weaponsmith) +17, Knowledge (Elements) +17, Knowledge(Shintao) +17, Spellcraft +17; Brew Potion, Friendly Kami,Innate Ability (????), Touch of the Furnace (Fire), WeaponFocus (Grenade like Weapon), Void Use;

Spells Known (6/7/7/7/7/5/3; base DC I* + spell level, Elemen-tal locus - £nrth)r 0 — be the mountain, commune with elements,disrupt undead, hands of clay, mage hand, mending, read magic,resistance, pebble charm, virtue; 1 — burning hands, earth's mercy,earth's stagnation, importune kami I, magic stone, magic weapon;2nd — barkskin, courage of the Seven Thunders, cure moderatewounds, endurance, oath of the two heavms, stance of the mountain;3rd •—• breath of heaven's fire, Kaiu's jade, protection from dements,stone slinpe, tremor, 4th — Hie fire from within, honor's ground,mmor gbbe of invulnerability, mountain's teeth; 5 th — flame strike,force of will, wall of stone; 6th — disintegrate, power of the EarthDragon.

TA7HO5U TSURISO,SHIXSIKAFl O f TH£ TA/ilOTU A*/iU£S

Earth: 4Willpower: 5

Water: 4Perception: 5

Fire: 4Intelligence: 5

Air: 2Reflexes: 4

Void: 3School/Rank: Tamori Shugenja 4Dojo: Mountain Home DojoHonor: 1.7Glory: 5.3Advantages: Clear Thinker, large, Touch of the Furnace

(Tremor)Disadvantages: NoneSkills: Athletics 4, Bojutsu 3, Calligraphy 3, Craft (Mtzugusuri) 6,

Defense 4, Go 3, laijutsu 3, Intimidation 3, liujutsu 4,Kenjutsu 5, Kyujutsu 4, Lore (Elements) 3, lore (PhoenixClan) 3, Meditation 5, Mountaineer 3, Sensei 6, Shintao 4,Yarrjutsu 2.

Spells: (Spells marked with " are memorized) Armor ofEarth\ Aura of Flame, Benevolent Protection of Shinsei,Biting SteeP, Courage of the Seven Thunders, Defiance ofFire, Earthen Blade, Elemental Ward, Esrtinguish, Force ofWill, Flonor's Ground'', Know the Ground, Reflections ofPan Ku, Reflective Pool, Path of the Scorpion, Path to InnerPeace, Perceive Harmony, Slash of the Lion, Spikes of Earth,Symbol of Fire, Tremor", Wings of Fire.

, ZQICUXin ?*O?HETEven among the wise and arcane Dragon Clan, the Zokujinprophet known as Kjgkt and his race are a mystery with fewanswers.The elder Zokujin aided the Dragon in ways they areaware of and ways they may never know - the irony that Kjgkttreats the Dragon Clan as that clan treats the rest of theEmpire is not lost on those few who know the aged creaturewell. Few within the clan are even aware that the Zokujin isconsidered a close ally of the Tamori family or that Kjgkt evenexists. Like the clan he has become fascinated with, the Zoku-jin prophet has a great many secrets of his own, many ofwhich will never be unraveled by others.

Kjgkt's relationship with the Dragon Clan predates the for-mation of the Tamori family by many years; indeed, [he Zoku-jin has been alive since before the Dragon Clan existed. WhenTogas hi turned from Shinsei's speeches to the other Kami, heretreated into the northern mountains to contemplate theLittle Teacher's words and the meaning that escaped him.Though history accurately records that Shinsei soon followed

the child of Sun and Moon into the barren lands and sharedthe gift of enlightenment, Togashi was in the mountains formany weeks before this came to pass. His actual trials of star-vation began after he met a curious spirit of the elementalEarth — Kjgkt.

At just over one hundred years old, Kjgkt was relativelyyoung ior one of his kind. Though patient and indifferent tomost things, even Zokujin were suffused with the curiositybrought on by young age and Kjgkt was no different.The greatnorthern mountains were home to the wisest and most pow-erful of Zokujin tribes, but the coming of Togashi frightenedthem. Humans were just beginning to make their place in theworld, and the Kami represented the sort of change the peace-ful creatures were deeply troubled by. Had the end of their agefinally come? Though combined [he powerful elders of thetribes could easily overcome the fallen Kami and kept theirmountains ior themselves, the Zokujin those to retreat andwait — watching the humans and the world they created.

Some rebellious young instead sought out humans to speakwith them and observe them first hand, Kjgkt, unlike any ofhis kin, did not visit with the humans, He approached the veryKami that had driven his elders into hiding with his presence.Recognizing the supernatural creature before him,Togashjgreeted Kjgkt as an honored superior and the two talked atlength. The Kami and the Zokujin found they had much incommon, most basically their ties and separation from themortal world, Eventually,Togashi was once again overcome bythe wisdom of another and thanked the young Zokujin for hisinsight. Without further word, Togashi began his fasting andmeditation. Horribly afraid he had offended (he Kami, Kjgktretreated to the side of his brethren and contented himself tomerely watch the humans instead of interacting with themfor over one thousand years.

Though somewhat impetuous and headstrong for a Zoku-jin, Kjgkt became a powerful shaman and eventually took aposition among the most powerful spellcasters oi his face.Over the centuries, Kjgkt became one of the five immortalshamans tasked with guiding the entire race of Zokujin.Though the elders of the race did not appreciate his ''human"sense of inquisitiveness, he was gifted with visions that wereunique to him. As the centuries passed and his statusincreased, Kjgkr never took his eye trom the Kami that he hadmet or the clan that iormed around him.

The prophet lived for a long rime, even by the standards ofZokujin, and saw another Day of Thunder, another time oftesting for the humans. He did not observe the wars like hehad in his youth, instead staying in the northern mountains,hidden while the conflicts of Rokugan the land apart. None oithis bothered Kjgkt until something in the lands changed. Hedid not see so much as he felt the awesome presence ofTogashi leave the mountains.,. and it did not return.

When Hitomi returned to the Dragon provinces to replacethe Kami, Kjgkt came forward to offer his wisdom to Togashi'ssuccessor. Words were never exchanged between the two,however, as the Zokujin saw one thing overriding the influ-ence of Togashi in Hitomi's eyes — madness. Kjglct turnedaway, unsure that it was his place to interfere in the affairs oimortals in such a direct manner, and watched as Hitomispilled the blood of Togashi's children across the mountains.To this day, the ancient Zokujin believes he could have pre-vented the tragedy that enveloped the Dragon Clan, and inturn the Empire.

Kjgkt watched once again as Hitomi rose to become theMoon, Togashi's child became heir to the clan... and a more

sinister presence made itself known in the Dragon mountains.Agasha Tamori, corrupted by the Taint of Fu Leng's realm,returned to the Dragon provinces unannounced and in secret.The Zokujin, however, could feel the man's power as he bur-rowed deep within the mountains. Kjgkt saw the fledglingDragon shugenja family rise and attempt to replace thedefected Agasha and carry the name of a Tainted man withpride. Determined to aid the Dragon where he had failed tobefore, Kjgkt spent a long year in communion with the slum-bering Earth spirits of the Dragon mountains. The ancientZokujin called upon the immeasurable bond his race sharedwith the elemental Earth, and beseeched the kami of themountains to favor the fledgling Tamori family and help themexpunge the stain of dishonor and corruption that plaguedtheir name.

Angered by the betrayal of the Agasha and the corruptionthat Tamori represented in the heart of the mountains, theresponse of the Earth kami was overwhelming. Those whomarvel at the surprising power ol the Tamori shugenja needonly realize [he fury of the Earth when it is shifted out of bal-ance to understand. For his part, Kjgkt took a more directhand in aiding Tamori Shaitung in the defeat of her corruptedfather. The Zokujin prophet saw much of a young Hiromi inthe Tamori daimyo's spirit — angry, determined, and solitary.Though Kjgkt's guidance did not have great impact on theyoung Dragon woman, it was enough to show Shaitung thefolly of complete solitude and perhaps kept her off the paththat drove Hitomi to madness.

With Tamori's defeat, Kjgkt has returned to keeping tabs onthe Dragon Clan trom the mountains. His interference andassociation with humans earned him a great many criticsamongst his race, but his actions make it clear he is not [heimpetuous tool many Zokujin took him for centuries ago.Occasionally, Tamori Shaitung visits the ancient prophet foradvice and guidance, and Kjgk[ is all too happy to assist her.The old shaman is unsure how long he will remain in theDragon mountains and offer his wisdom to the Tamori, but fornow feels correct in his path.

, ZOKVT1TI 7XQ7HSTMale zokujin, Drd 15: CR 15; Medium-size monstroushumanoid (Earth, reptilian); HD 15d8+7S; hp 180; Init: +0;Spd 20 ft.; AC 19 (touch 14, flat-footed 17); Atk +16/+11/+6melee (ld4-+4, claw), SQ.A thousand faces, darkvision, earthbrotherhood, nature sense, resist nature's lure, resistances,timeless body, trackless step, tremorsense, venom immunity,wild shape, woodland stride; Honor nil; Al N; SV Fort +14,Ref+5, Will +13; Str 18, Dex 11, Con 21, Int 15, Wis 19, Cha 12;Maximum Void: 0; Hi: 5 ft. 4 in.; Skills and Feats: Speak Lan-guage (Kami, Rokugani, Zokujin), Animal Empathy+19, Con-centration +23, Heal +22, Knowledge (Nature) +20, Spelkraft+20, Wilderness Lore +22; Cleave, Empower Spell, GreatCleave, Power Attack, Sunder, Weapon Focus (Claws).

Spells Known {6/6/6/5/5/4/3/2/1; base DC lh + spell level): 0 —detect magic (x3), guidance (x2j, mending {x2)\ 1st — calm an\-mah, endure elements (x2), entangle, magic fang, pass without trace;2nd — barkskin, charm person or animal (x2), heat metal, produceflame, soften earth and stone; 3rd — call lightning, cure moderatewounds, plant growth, speak with plants, poison; 4th — dispelmagic (x2), rusting grasp, scrying, spike stones; Sth — awaken, treestride, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud; 6th — heal-ing circle, spellstaff, wcill of stone; 7th — changestaff,fire storm; Sth— repel metal or stone.

T ?

JCJQIiT, ZOItUTIR ?*O?HSTEarth: 7

Willpower: 8Water: 5

Strength: 7Fire: 5

Intelligence: 7Air 3

Awareness: 5Void:0School/Rank: Tamori Shugenja 5*Dojo: NoneHonor: NilGlory: 0.0

("Kjgkf is a powerful jhamnn of the Zokujin, who share an innateconnection with the Earth kami, thus he is mechanically identicalto a Tamori Shi (genja for case of si ati sties}.

Advantages: Aligned to the Elements (Earth)Disadvantages: Fascination (Human Culture)Skills: Astrology 4, Bojutsu 5, History (General) 6, History

(Dragon Clan) 7, Jiujutsu 7, lore (Dragon Clan) 6, Lore(Elements) 5, Medicine 7, Meditation* 5, Rokugani Culture S.(*Kjgkt uses his Earth Ring instead of his Void for Me dilationrails).

Spells: Kjgkt is over one thousand years old and is connectedto the spirits of the Earth in ways mortals will neverachieve. Mechanically, he is considered to have nearly anyEarth spell not developed by mortal hand as an innateability. In addition, he has the following spells — Bo ofWater, Heart of Nature, Path to Inner Peace, PerceiveHarmony, Reflections of Pan Ku, Reflective Pool, Regrowthe Wound, Silent Waters, Wisdom and Clarity.

1/ASSAJ.S OFTHS

THE IZAKU FAJiULVThe Izaku were created shortly after the Clan War for the pur-pose of accumulating magical knowledge and protecting it atall costs. Asako Miniko and Agasha Tsuru were the originalfounders of the clan, and gathered the greatest collection ofmagical knowledge in Rokugan and formed the Izaku Library.Both the Dragon and the Phoenix clan were allowed access tothe library, and it helped forge a solid alliance between thetwo clans up until the fight against the Shadow.

The Izaku were heavily attacked by the minions of thelying Darkness, but managed to protect their collection fromdestruction. After being decimated by the Lying Darkness, theIzaku were forgotten bybothCians.The Agash a were severingtheir ties with the Dragon and the Asako were occupied withmatters brewing within Phoenix lands. Despite this, thefamily managed to survive until [he Agasha renewed theirrelationship with the Izaku. In an attempt to heal the riftbetween the newly created Tamori family and the Agasha,they petitioned the Imperial court to he allowed to serve asvassals for both families. Now they have the unique distinc-tion of serving two families.

See Secrets of the Phomix™ for more details.

THE CHIVU FAMIJ-VAfter the Clan War, the Phoenix tried to recruit as manyshugenja as possible to fill out their depleted ranks. Theyreceived such a huge response that many of the shugenja wereturned away, especially ronin who had never known alle-giance to a clan. The Isawa felt that many of them were unwor-thy of the name of Phoenix. The fact that many of them stud-ied what the Phoenix considered "peasant magic" did notfurther their cause. Embittered, many of these shugenjabanded together under the leadership of Chiyu, a formermember of the Dragonfly Clan. They sought refuge to thewest and came to settle in an abandoned mountain village onthe border between Phoenix and Dragon lands. The Phoenixhad very few people to settle the lands left to them, so [herewere several empty villages. Making their way to one of themore isolated villages, the ronin ensured that no one woulddiscover their existence, unless they wanted them to,

Chiyu and the other ronin cleared out the refuse from theprevious owners, and killed off the more recent inhabitants ofvermin and ferocious mountain cats they found within thelonely settlement. It took many months to make the caves fitfor human habitation again. Naturally warm walls made themsafe against the winds and snows of the mountains. Smallrivers nearby produced fresh fish to feed them, and the moun-tains were full of game and would save them from hunger.£ven though they would be protected from the wrath ofwinter, Chiyu realized that his small band would not be ableto survive on its own. Workers were needed to till fields longleft fallow There were also several dangerous beasts that madetheir homes within the mountains as well that had to beguarded against. Chiyu sent out followers to recruit otherswho had been dispossessed by the war. They also sought outronin, and those who the Phoenix felt were unworthy to jointheir clan. Much to his surprise his small village was soonflooded with people of every type. The once barely survivingcolony of ronin soon became a prospering town, daily grow-ing in number. As the village is fairly remote, the Phoenixwere largely unaware of the town's existence, so it was allowedto continue unmolested. The problem of survival now settled,Chiyuand the rest of the shugenja again took up their study ofthe kami.

As they were mostly peasants, much of the magic theystudied seemed crude and inelegant to the shugenja of otherclans. Instead of a focus on wooing the kami through floweryverses, they studied the nature of the elements. They studiedwhy certain medicinal herbs only sprang up from certaintypes of soil, and how the properties of those plants could beused for more than one purpose. Much of their magic becamefocused on the healing arts, and the use of the flowers, seeds,roots of the surrounding mountain vegetation, Many tech-niques were implemented that had never been used before,anil the shugenja seemed to have a natural affinity to the waterthat flowed beneath the earth. When someone was strickenby an unknown plague, somehow the earth and water wouldtell them what herbs to pick, and words needed to be said.Magic draughts were concocted to bring back to full healthsomeone who had just hours before been on Emma-O'sdoorstep. They invented balms to ease the ache of aging joints,and ointments to speed the knitting of wounds

Their fame as healers soon spread to other clans, and theyfound their healing services to he in demand. Chiyu knewthat making his healers a valued commodity would helpensure their prosperity. Rather than demanding fees, thehealers of the village went out treely, demanding no compen-

sation, only asking for the good will of the clans they helped.The Isawa eventually realized their mistake in not taking inthese shugenja, and attempted to gain their fealty, pointingout that they were living on Phoenix lands anyway. Chiyu,who was by this time an old man, still maintained his resent-ment towards the Phoenix. Instead of acquiescing to thewishes of the Isawa, he used the contacts he developed withthe other clans, and petitioned to them for aid. The Seppunwere especially appreciative, as one of his healers managedto save the life of a family'sHrstborn son when he wasstruck down by a strangesickness. The Seppunmanaged to use their pullin court to prove that thePhoenix were not usingthe lands, and they wouldbe put to better use in thehands of those who werealready settled, and usingthem in the Emperor's service.Their request was granted, andthe Chiyu were allowed to keepthe lands. That peasants woulddare defy them, and get awaywith it angered the Phoenix,and have left them hostile tothe village ever since.

Shortly after the War of theSpirits, the Tamori family laidclaim to the former lands of theAgasha. The defection of theAgasha left them little in the wayof followers, and with many emptyholdings. While they were lookingfor ways to swell their numbers,Tamori heard of the disputebetween Chiyu and the Phoenix.Eager to rub salt in the Phoenix'swounds, and also to gain the remark-able healing skills of the healers, Tamori invitedChiyu and his village to swear fealry to him. Inreturn he named Chiyu daimyo of his ownfamily, and promised to aid them against anyPhoenix incursions. More than happy togain the protection of a major Clan, andrespecting the ideology of the Dragon,Chiyu agreed. Now (he Tamori have the finest healers inRokugan at their disposal, and shugenja who rival the Mantisin their mastery of water magic.

SHIXO CHIVUShiro Chiyu is actually a natural formation of caves caused bythe flow of the spring's waters through the mountain. A hotspring runs beneath the earth and through the walls of thecaverns, and keeps every room warm throughout the year.Towards the center of the cave network, the spring has formedseveral pools that are put to various uses. One vast body ofwater is located in the heart of the complex, and strange floragrows within the shallows. Lichen thrives and lines the wallsof the grotto and makes lamps unnecessary, as they give off aneerie green light. Some say the healing water spirits kirkwithin the depths of the pool, giving advice to those wholisten.

As the village expands, additions are built onto the originalsettlement. The more traditional wood and paper buildingshouse the inhabitants of the village, and about every amenitycan be found. A large contingent of samurai guard this village,as they know the Phoenix would be more than happy toobliterate this village for its temerity.

THEFavored Class: ShugenfaStarting Honor: 2Class Skill: HealingStarting Outfit:1. Two doses of healing potion(Cure Medium Wounds) set ofherbalist tools, 50 koku.

THE CHIVUBenefit: -i-l PerceptionHonor: 2.5

Glory: 1Special: Characters from theChiyu family may substitute oneof their starting skills for Heal.

THS HIASOBIFAMILYAmong the Tamori, tbere is a familythat many of them view with suspi-cion. The Hiasobi family has a giftwith Kagaku, or the art of fire. Themanipulation of fire, and the creationof spectacular light displays in the skyare some of applications of this art. Thepractitioners of this art are known toalso make marvelous sculptures out offlames, as well as conjure weapons fromthe depths of an inferno.

Several years ago, the family wasfounded by a group of students led byAsahina Maryoku. Extremely talentedwith Kagaku, Maryoku was well knownthroughout the Empire for his mar-velous fireworks, and for the earlytragedy that killed his wife, and left hisson scarred. Maryoku believed thatonly when he was within the heart of

flame, would he know the ultimate secret offire. He was prone to swabbing his body down to one of theheat resistant potions and standing in the hottest pan of theflames, hoping that the pain would bring him the enlighten-ment he hungrily sought. While he was in one of these states,he would be oblivious to what was going on around him,During one of these fugue states, the flames went out of con-trol and set the house ablaze. Maryoku's wife, Hiyako lost herlife trying to escape from the inferno. Their son, Hiya, wasbadly burned, and nearly died from the wounds. WhenMaryoku woke up from his daze, he found himself sitting inthe middle of the ashen remains of his home. He emergedunscathed, but was driven mad by the realization of what hehad done.

Though his works were impressive and his genius unques-tioned, many were now wary of having Asahina Maryoku as aguest in their house. Rumors of his wife's death, and the

ft

. •

disfiguring marks on his son's face made him unwelcome inthe homes that once happily housed him. He and his studentstook up residence in a small and secluded house, where hecould continue his research, and his students could keep aneye on him.

In the midst of researching a potion that would ignite whenit made contact with water inflamed the fury of the fire kami.Maryoku and his students were commissioned to put on alight show for the wedding of his lord's son to a Phoenix bride.Angry that he had been called away from his research to puton a frivolous light show, he decided to give them a sight thatthey would forget. As the guests gasped and clapped at theimages of the cranes and phoenixes entwining in the sky,Maryoku slipped away from his students and poured some ofhis potion into a nearby koi pond. The pond immediatelyerupted into a geyser of flames that instantly set the courtyard,and Maryoku himself ablaze,

Maryoku's students attempted to put out the flames, but tono avail as water just served to incense the fire kami even fur-ther.The ravening flames injured many of the wedding guestsand the bride and groom were nearly incinerated. Furious thathe had been humiliated by having his house and possessionsburned down around him, Asahina Handen strippedMaryoku's students of their name, and cast them out of Cranelands.

Tamori hearing of their ability with Kagaku and anxious tolearn the secret of the potion gave them sanctuary within hislands, and the protection of the Tamori name. He was disap-pointed to learn that they did not possess their master's secret,but hopeful that they could develop the method to create thepotion again in time. In honor of their profession they werenamed the Hiasobi family and Maryoku's son was given lead-ership of the family They are still working on developing thepotion of their predecessor, but so far they have had little luck.They have developed several potions that can protect an indi-vidual from heat, and ones that spontaneously ignite uponimpact. Many Hiasobi believe that perhaps Maryoku's potionshould never be rediscovered.

HiJisn. no injtfi.Deep within theTamori lands there is a small castle that is sur-rounded by nothing but lonely mountains and the remains ofa once proud forest. The fields lay fallow and the castlegrounds are pockmarked by smoldering pits of ash. Anyapproaching force can easily be seen, as there is no cover formiles, The Hiasobi family's experiments have obliterated alllife forms surrounding their castle, and all wildlife long agodeparted for safer climes.

Within the castle itself, most furniture is made of stone, andvats of sand are present in every room, in case fire breaks out.Only the lord of the castle, Hiasobi Hiya, has any wooden fur-niture present within their chambers. Visitors are not encour-aged, as the castles inhabitants are secretive about their works,[begin d20]

THS HIASOBI FAMIL*Favored Class: ShugenjaStarting Honor: 2Class Skill: Knowledge (Kagatu)Starting Outfit:1, Three explosive traps, 60 koku.

THE HIASOBI FA/iUI~yBenefit: +1 IntelligenceHonor: 2.0Glory: 0.5Special: Characters from the Hiasobi family may substi-tute one of their starting skills for Lore (Kagatu),

/IVECHARICS

The Tamori have an unusually close tie to their ancestors,mostly because they were known in life by the current rulinggeneration of the family. By forsaking the Agasha name andceding it completely to the Phoenix family, the shugenjafamily severed all ties to their past. The Tamori only haveancestors that have recently passed into the Void that theymay revere, and as a result the kinship between the livingTamori and their honored shiryo is rarely more than a genera-tion removed.

It is important to note that the Tamori are unique amongthe families of Rokugan in that ihey do not venerate thememory of the first Tamori — Agasha Tamori. Though possi-bly one of the wisest men ever produced by the Agasha,Tamori's soul was corrupted fcy the Shadowlands and hebecame the Dark Oracle of Fire before his destruction. Hisname lives on in the Dragon family due only to a stipulationin the peace agreement between Toturi I and Hantei XVI afterthe War of Spirits. It is generally assumed that when TamoriShaitungdies, she will be revered as the founder of theTamorifamily.

CHISliOChieko was one of the first notable shugenja to bear theTamori name, though she is not exactly revered as an honoredancestor. The young shugenja was a skilled healer and drewthe attention of the Togashi order, which gifted her with amystic tattoo to enhance her power. When Kokujin called outto the Dragon Clan to send champions to reclaim Togashi'sDaisho, Chieko was chosen to walk beside such living legendsas Hoshi Wayan and Mirumoto Rosanjin and reclaim thesacred artifacts.

Sadly, Chieko was captured by the corrupted tattooed manand sacrificed to a dark sword Kokujin had crafted on theAnvil of Despair. Though the ritual was interrupted, Chieko'sspirit was already so closely bound to the blade (hat she couldnot remain alive. The tattooed shugenja's compassion is leg-endary, as even in death she swore to remain a pan of the cor-rupted sword in an attempt to redeem the tortured soul ofKokujin. She was taken in by the spirit of the Twilight Moun-tains, the Shakoki Dogu, and is able to cross the boundaries ofthe Spirit Realms much like a shiryo. Due to the foul ritualthat ended her mortal life, however, she cannot be far fromKokujjn's sword for very long at one time.

(Note: While Chieko is not a true ancestor, she is mechani-cally identical and may be affected by any effects that dealwith ancestors),

SRDJ-ESS DEPTHS OF

(ATICSSTOK: TA.mCKU CHlaltQ)Clan: DragonPrerequisite: Not dishonorableBenefit: You may spend a Void Point when casting a cure

spell or any other spell that heals the hit point damage ofanother living creature. That spell does not count against yourmaximum number of spells for the day, but this effect mayonly be used a number of times per day equal to your honor.In addition, such spells affected by a use of this ancestor maybe used to cause damage against creature with the Shadow-lands Taint that are not native to the Shadowlands. Suchdamage is treated in the same manner as though the targetwere undead. If you ever become dishonorable, you lose thebenefits of this feat until you lose that status.

ARCESTO*: TAMO*I CHIEROa 7OIRTS)

Whenever you cast a spell that heals a target of wounds,poison, disease, or similar effects, you may spend a Void Pointto prevent that casting from counting against your total spellsfor the day. This effect may only be used a number of times perday equal to your honor rank. In addition, such spells affectedby a use of this ancestor may be used to cause damage againstcreature with the Shadowlands Taint that are not native to theShadowlands. The spell deals damage in dice rolled and keptequal to your honor rank, if your honor ever drops below two,you lose the benefits of this ancestor until you reach two orgreater honor again.

TAMOXI /ilASUMEOne of the few Agasha to stand beside Tamori's side and inturn swear fealty to his daughter, Tamori Masume was one ofthe greatest steel smiths ihe Dtagon have ever produced. Thededication of the Tamori family's magic to Earth only redou-bled the natural talent Masume had with the forging of steeLIn the initial years of the Tamori family's history, Masumeblades were often used as gifts to ingratiate the fledglingDragon family to more established houses. Because of thereclusive nature of the Dragon, the unique history of theAgasha, and the stunning quality of Masume's creations, mostsamurai south of the Dragon and Phoenix lands tend to asso-ciate Masume's name and reputation more with the Tamorifamily than the reviled deeds of the corrupted Agasha Tamori.Though Masume's death is a relatively recent event, manyDragon weapon smiths have quickly added representations ofthe master smith to the shrines in their workshops. TheTamori smith crafted his final work only days before Toturiwas slain outside the Shinomen Forest. Masume poured theremains of his mortal soul into this final work and died inpeace shortly thereafter. The blade was a gift to his daimyo,Shaitung, to replace the katana she shattered when shelearned the fate of her father. The Tamori daimyo carries theblade to this day, and it rarely leaves her side.

S7RIT OF STEELCATICSSTO*: TA/ilOXI /HASU/t\£)

Clan: DragonBenefit: Whenever you craft a magic weapon, you may

reduce the cost in both experience points and gold by 5% forevery level of honor you have.

ARCESTO*: TA/ilO^l

(5 7OITITS)Any time you cast a spell that creates a weapon or enhances aweapon in some manner, you gain a number of Free Raisesequal to your personal honor, minus one. The number of FreeRaises gained may never exceed your Insight Rank.

TAMORI TSUTO/TIUThe wife of Agasha Tamori, Tsutomu was posthumously notedin the Dragon histories as one of the initial members of theTamori family. Though that particular course of action earnedTamori Shaitung years of resentment from Ikoma and Miyahistorians, in the end they did not care enough to argue thepoint for long. She is revered as the balance of Tamori's cor-rupted soul, as she was often the one who would temperTamori's moments of brilliance, inspiration, and passion witha quiet word of practicality or caution. Though Agasha Tamoriwas hardly an impetuous fool, his wife's influence can easilybe seen in times where many lesser men would have reactedwith violence or anger.

Tsutomu died in the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, falling incombat beside the shugenja of the Phoenix and their Shibaguardians. Though the wise woman's soul withstood the rav-ages of the Shadowlands and she was eventually cremated inthe lands of her home, Tamori's corruption began at that verymoment. Overcome with grief, Tamori hurled unparalleledfire and destruction down upon the armies of the Shadow-lands Horde as his wife fell.

IRSU^ilOURTABLS S?I*ITCATlCHSTOa: TAJTIO*I TSUTO/ilU)

Clan: DragonBenefit: Like the mountains of the Dragon provinces, your

soul is ancient and unconquerable. As long as you are not dis-honorable, you may spend a Void Point to gain a sacred bonusequal to your honor when making any Will or Fortitudesaving throw.

TAJilO^I TSUTOMUCS 7OITIT5)

Characters guided by Tamori Tsutomu share the wisdom ofher ancient and unbreakable spirit. Whenever you are makinga roll to avoid the effects of being emotionally or mentallyinfluenced against your will (magically or not), you mayspend a Void Point to roll (but not keep) extra dice equal toyour Honor minus one. if you ever drop below two ranks ofhonor, you lose the benefits of this ancestor permanently

.

SPRITThe art of Spirit Binding involves the way of not just sum-moning an elemental spirit to enact feats of magic on thebehalf of the shugenja, but speaking to the same elementalspirit time and again. As there are countless kami that suffusethe reality of the Realin of Mortals, such a practice requiresimmense patience and power. Masters of this art often culti-vate close relations with a handful of elemental spirits, whichin turn follow theshugenja throughout his life and stay by hisside at all times. Though the Agasha initiated the study of thisart, the unusually close bond theTamori share with the Earthspirits allows them 10 take it to new horizons.

Those few shugenja outside the Dragon and Agasha whoknow of the an see it as borderline blasphemy or even aperversion of the shugenja's gift. Many mistake Spirit Bindingas a form of slavery, where the shugenja enforces his rule overa single kami and yokes them to his will. What others do notunderstand, often misjudging the Tamori's gruff exterior, isthe relationship is completely voluntary. Just as any othershugenja, the Spirit Binder's power flows through the kamiand he is not their master, but an honored friend.

S7RIT BIR0IRGCfilSTA/ilAQIC SSCaST LO^S FEAT)

Clan: DragonPrerequisite: Shugenja level 1, Void UseSpecial: Characters with this feat may ignore the feat

requiremenrs to enter the Tamori Yamabushi prestige class.You may spend a Void point when casting any SummonNature's Ally spell as a shugenja while summoning anelemental. Instead of appearing as usual, rhe elemental^ spiritjoins with your own or with the spirit of a willing targetcreature within thirty feer. if you use this feat on yourself, theelemental remains with you ror an hour for each caster levelyou have. As long as you have this kami joined with yourspirit, you may, as a free action, dismiss the kami to cast a spell,though the spell's casting still requires the normal time. Thespell cast in this manner must he of equal or lower level as theSummon Nature's Ally spell used to summon the elemental,of the same elemental type, and does not count against yournumber of spells cast for the day. This spell is treated as if itwere affected by the Innate Ability feat, requiring no divinefocus.

If used on another individual, the spirit stays with thetarget as long as you maintain full concentration. While thekami is with the target, you may perceive with the senses ofthe target and cast a spell as described above (to affect thetarget of this feat only) by dismissing the kami.

TOUCH OF THE FU^RACES FEAT)

You are blessed by a ritual in the Furnace, the hidden chamberoftheTamori. The power of a kami is permanently fused withyour soul, granting you its power.

Clan: DragonChoose an elemental type (Air, Earrh, Fire, or Water). Tf you

are a shugenja, choose one of your innate abilities of that ele-mental type and is not of the highest spell level you can cur-rently cast. Once per day, you may cast that spell without itcounting against your number of spells cast for the day, but itcannot be affected by any metamagic feats.

For n on-shugenja, once per day you may spend a Void Pointto prevent a spell of that element from affecting you. You maynot use this feat to protect yourself from spells of a level equalto or greater than half your character level (rounded down).

TOUCH OF THE C^VSTAtCAVS(SSCXST t o * * FSATl

The purity of the Crystal Cave suffuses your soul ancJ body,rendering you nearly immune to outside influence.

Clan: DragonPrerequisite: Void UseOnce per day you may gain SR equal to your Character

Level plus your personal honor. This SR cannor affect spellsthat create physical manifestations to affect you, such as afireball or wall o/jfoH*. The SR lasts for s number of roundsequal to your maximum Void.

(10 7OITIT ADt/ATlTAGS)Characters with this Advantage have a natural understandingof the Tarn oil's technique ot fusing elemental spirits with thesoul of the shugenja. Whenever the shugenja casts a Summonspell of an element, he may make any number of Raises andforego the normal effects to fuse the kami summoned with hisown spirit or that of another, if used on himself, the shugenjacarries the spirit of the kami for one hour and may at any timeuse the power of this kami (once) to gain a Free Raise on aninnate ability as it is cast. The innate ability must he of thesame Elemental type as the Summon spell initially cast, amimust be of a level lower than the number of Raises made whenthe Summon was cast.

In addition, if the kami is fused with the spirit of another,the shugenja may perceive the world with the senses of thetarget for the duration of an hour. The number of Raisesrequired when this spell is cast equals the targets Insight Rank.

TOUCH OF THE FU^RACE(10 7OITIT AP1/AHTAGE)

You have been blessed by a ritual in the Furnace, the hiddenchamber of the Tamori. The power of a kami is permanentlyfused with your soul, granting you its power. Choose anelemental type (Air, £arth, Fire, or Water). If this Advantageis taken by a shugenja, that shugenja chooses one of his innate

abilities of that elemental type and is not of the highestmastery level he can currently cast of that element. Once perday, the shugenia may cast that spell withoui a roll but notgain the benefits of any Raises (including Free Raises) on thecasting. The spell cast does not count against your number ofspells tor the day.

Non-shugenja may once per day spend a Void Point andmake a contested coll comparing their relevant ElementalRing against that of the caster's to prevent a spell of thatelement from affecting them. They may not use this feat toprotect themselves from spells of a mastery level equal to orgreater than their Insight Rank.

TOUCH OF THECXVSTA1 CAI/E

7OUVTThe purity of the Crystal Cave suffuses your soul and body,tendering you nearly immune to outside influence. Charac-ters taking this Advantage choose one of their ElementalRings, Whenever that character is targeted by a spell, thai Ele-mental Ring is considered to be double its actual value for thepurpose of raising the TN of the casting (if applicable).

su s?su.sHonos's

EvocationLevel: Shu 4 (Earth)Components: V, S, DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: PersonalArea: 30 ft. square centered on youDuration: 1 round/levelSaving Throw: Will negatesSpell Resistance: Yes

This spell requires you to cast it while in contact with theground and standing on a surface of natural stone, earth, orsimilar material. You draw out the blessings of the Earth kamiupon those who are pure of spirit as long as they remaintouching the ground and in the area of effect All honorablecreatures in the area of effect gain a sacred bonus to theirattack rolls, damage rolls, and armor class equal to their honor.Dishonorable creatures suffer a sacred penalty to their attackrolls, damage rolls, and armor class equal to 4 minus theirhonor rating. This penalty is increased by one if die creaturehas any points of Shadowlands Taint.

ATU/IL OF THE KAMITtans mutationLevel: Shu 3 (Earth)Components: V, S, DFCasting Time: 1 hourRange: PersonalTarget: YouDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance: No

You may cast this spell to fulfill the requirement of casting anyone spell of 5th level or lower necessary for making a magicitem. Using this spell in place of a normal casting of a spelladds 2% to any gold and experience cost already associatedwith the item.

EARTH'S TOUCHAbjurationlevel: Shu 1 (Earth), Dtd tComponents: V, S, DFCasting Time: 1 minuteRange: TouchTarget: Plant touchedDuration: t daySaving Throw: NoneSpell Resistance; No

This minor blessing was developed by the Tamori early in thefounding to deal with the barren landscape around them. Thisspell affects one touched plant (no larger than a six foot tallpine tree) to survive for a single day as if it were nourished infertile, moist soil. The plant must be rooted in the ground insome fashion — the Tamori use this to plant things in carvedout holes in the rocky terrain and cover the roots withcrushed rocks. As the spell requires plants with alreadyformed roots, the Tamori cannot use this to turn the moun-tainsides into veritable rice paddies and forests. However, theslow process of importing uprooted plants to the atea andmaintaining them with this spell has worked quite well. Withproper use of this spell, the shugenja family has been able tomake leaps in recovering land for food production.

STARCE OF THE MOURTA1RTransmutationLevel: Shu 2 (Earth)Components: V, S, DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: TouchTarget: Creature TouchedDuration: 1 round/levelSaving Throw: Will negates (harmless)Spell Resistance: Yes

The target of this spell gains the endurance of the mountains,shrugging aside blows that could kill lesser men. You grantthe target a DR of X/+1, where X is the target's personal honor.This enhancement will not affect creatures already benefitingfrom any other form of damage reduction, or creates with theShadowlands Taint, This protection rises to X/t-2 at 8th level,X/+3 at 12th, and X/+4 at 16th level

BREATH OF HEAl/ER'S FIXEEvocationLevel: Shu 3 (Fire)Components: V, S, DFCasting Time: 1 actionRange: Medium (100 ft. + ioft./M)Effect: Bolts of SreTarget: Up to three creatures, no two of which more than 60 ft.

apartDuration: InstantaneousSaving Throw: Reflex halfSpell Resistance: Yes

?T

'A

A blast of fire emanates from your mouth, evoking the symbolof the Dragon Clan's totem. The bolt strikes its target unerr-ingly, dealing 2d6 fire damage in addition to holy damagedependent on the target's personal honor. There is one die ofholy damage for each caster level you possess, to a maximumoften dice, The type of holy damage dice is dependent on thetarget's personal honor, as follows;

Target's Personal Honor01234S

•

Die TypeIdl2ldlO1d8Id6Id4None

Crearures with the Shadowlands Taint are always consideredto have two less (to a minimum 0) personal honor forpurposes of this spell.

Targeting multiple creatures with this spell causes thenumber of holy damage dice to be split in half and thirds,respectively (rounded down), any way the caster desires,though multiple bolts always deal ld6 fire damage a piece.For example, an 8th level shugenja casting this spell would beable to target one creature for 2d6 fire damage then 8 holydamage dice, or two creatures with bolts dealing ld6 firedamage and 4 holy damage dice, or three creatures with boltsdealing ld6 fire damage and 2 holy damage dice.

£A*Ttt S7EU.SATU/IJ- OF THE KA/ill

Range: NoneMastery Level: 2Duration: InstantaneousArea of Effect: One target weapon

This spell requires one hour of preparation and meditation tocast and is only used in conjunction with forging a steelweapon. Upon completion, the casting shugenja must spendone experience point as the final part of this spell. Use of thisspell allows a shugenja to gain a number of Free Raises on theWeaponsmithing skill check equal to his honor rant. Thenumber of Free Raises may not exceed the shugenja's InsightRank or Earth Ring.

EARTH'S TOUCHRange: NoneMastery Level: 1Duration: One dayArea of Effect: One target

This minor blessing was developed by the Tamori early in thefounding to deal with the barren landscape around them. Thisspell affects one touched plant (no larger than a six foot tallpine tree) to survive for a single day as if it were nourished infertile, moist soil. The plant must be rooted in the ground insome fashion — the Tamori use this to plant things in carvedout holes in the rocky terrain and cover the roots with

crushed rocks. As the spell requires plants with alreadyformed roots, the Tamori cannot use this to turn the moun-tainsides into veritable rice paddies and forests. However, theslow process of importing uprooted plants to the area andmaintaining them with this spell has worked quite well. Withproper use of this spell, the shugenja family has been able tomake leaps in recovering land tor food production. It is possi-ble that after many years, the Tamori could use this method toend the Dragon's ever-present food production issues.

Range: NoneMastery Level: 3Duration: One minuteArea of Effect; Thirty foot radius

This spell requires you to cast it while in contact with theground and standing on a surface of natural stone, earth, orsimilar material. You draw out the blessings of the Earth kamiupon those who are pure of spirit as long as they remaintouching the ground and in the area of effect. All honorablecreatures in the area of effect gain a bonus to their attack rolls,damage rolls, and TN to be hit equal to their honor rank. Dis-honorable creatures suffer a sacred penalty to their attackrolls, damage rolls, and TN to be hit equal to 4 minus theirhonor rating. This penalty (or bonus) is increased (or reduced)by one if the creature has any points of Shadowlands Taint,and such characters with a carapace taring have that carapacereduced by one.

STAUCE or THE mouriTAinRange: NoneMastery Level: 4Dura t i o n; One hourArea of Effect: One target

The target of this spell gains the endurance of the mountains,shrugging aside blows that could kill lesser men. You grantthe target a Carapace equal to the target's personal honor. Thisenhancement will not affect creatures already benefiting fromany Carapace, or creates with the Shadowlands Taint.

£ S7SLLSB5SATH OF HSAUEIl'S

Range: 60 feetMastery Level: 4Duration: InstantaneousArea of Effect: One to three targets

A blast of fire emanates from your mouth, evoking the symbolof the Dragon Clan's totem. The bolt strikes its targets unerr-ingly; dealing wounds equal to twice your Fire Ring, plus lkldamage for every rank of honor the target is below 5. Crea-tures with the Shadowlands Taint are always considered tohave two less (to a minimum 0) personal honor for purposesof this spell's damage.

; • » .

'BP O iC 17 ^

» A

THS WITH OF7A3.T FIVE

Oiomo Tarit'ji qmtttY shut the door of ike frafniwse befiini f{$#* ~ •:

siniJ tawli (i (jtiiife glatirc a round the inferior. A mcrchnnf'ftrtJjSJ':

peasant bodyguards sat at ontJahb.iyspUtary ronin at anothet,and Fusakc Sekknu sat ni S'WiYd'. The tv f <•>(• [Jit- room it'fjsunoccM|)kd rjricf silent. The com t(K fejfe a lirep, relfewd bmifh rtiuiinov&i'to whirross from Sefefeou. A iervingprlggpearei} to serve aCiipfi/vftiiiiii'igffii, which Taneji noiv'sippea idttfuily.

"Tant'pi-^ai}!' sAikaii s$id, nodding inn'tably, "R is good to ueyou again. I ha^MM^een you around Kyvdin Hitomf of ht£,"

• "I feeep to my r0tns as much m posftfete," Tan«jj rt^hiJ^ •"A serfafil laid me of a ft'iiiiLiust: ^e^jtiirtted mostly bv trnVelirs,so I cams here hoping to escape thkii madness." Tantji tipkedaround sharply, as if expecting an ise zunu to tieif 6u\ r.\ \hiihadowsMhind him,

"'Madness?' Sckkau hughid, "I da ml understand, Witai r? sohid about t j J ^ t ? "

fv BH wont, they ififin | ^ j ^ J ^ p(OTi/itsiort. Tin1 Entpjrc may tali rfif Sierpton i f e d u n j / St'frefj,8uf J. fiai/c/cir I i.s difficwlfy understanding the Bayushi {ou;^thttn I do these Dragon'tmipk'5."

"Dtf you rmllyfind it so intolerable?'' Sekhou tiskai. "I find theirways refreshing."

1 Von wmiy,'1 Taiteji mid acerbitaSy. "j mnnot shatertte|;eft«gthat the Dragon always kmrnmem than ilieysxy.::."\\,',:

"You did not find-tkcVhoenix lands so unmnifi>rU\bhjj' SekftoUreplied. "Magic and pto$iecy:xr<: far more common there'

"Bui the Phoenix keep miigft in if* plan" Tanej\ said quickly"Andtliat isthepointl Hew, myfUaun if uprtrt of everything. One

:;-0ti!ver knows when om faces a simple .gfffiiiftt or n monk blessed:' with myitir'ai tattoos tlmt IIKOLI1 km; lo see ghosts iind e$U down

the fires'•&{-hemier*. Did you know ihat their Champion (an turtiinto <i dragon?" )

"J lu;iv tu-ard tfjffli rumor, y<n"Tm\cii said, smirkifig."j rea11;< f hni nv liii; HI a worlii of powerful jftptifai farces,

Sekkou. f bto«/, fe!ii«il!;Jit- vti I of the Spirit Realms thrna re forcesthat I tic not fompnefiWui: Here, every w.ofteti, 1 fxrtth a giimpse ofwhat is 6eJrtnJ tfwf wil, E t>w?uU retiier it mmain m piuci.'."

>'.» "Tfrnt rewinds jru- of a story Mntsud tdd me" Sekkou snid;"A tale rt/'fu/o KSflnfes; « tJitomi and a Togashi, who sought Ntcwisdom of mi old bloihi master?

"A i>agi'H.p«nibli'?" Ttweji «sf;eil suifirtously. "l/v^i' jfen intell met?n-;:of Mtitsn's stones, I (carl shaU need jomctfejug

to t i e d ) 1 1 ! " :.:: ••

si," Kr:!•:••..';r.iti siJid, h o l d m g auffluif jjiiiL-aJing hand,

"I'his Hoshi monk -Hwd on tin island at the center o/a large lafie,jar too Jflep rt(i(j turbtilfnf far fJftjws&Riry IHIIH to su'im flfross.TfeHjfemi immeJicttely fegijs jowemse, tjuiJtlmg hw strength

-^ys^imUruriu so t!wl he could smm across. The 'laQishi st>«glslfusdnnven within, facusing his mind and fa's "mg« so ilwl fiej-pifU levitate himsdf aitoss the la!ie. After many years, Uny wenredifi the Hitonii braved the waves and, after a difficultnvim,readied fb^.isijiniis.B'it; Togafhi tlrqwiMpQH V8ti rtwrws 0/ wilJheretofore ea**(5»)pisa!ii witliin fiiriimfi<md:mth great diffiai'nx

Mi-

. - . • • " •

was able to reach the opposite shore. There, Hie old Hoshi mastergreeted them kindly and asked one question."

"And u'hnf was tfini?" Taneji asked."Why did you not simply circle around to the other side, o/the lak«?

The /erry only costs two zsni."Janeji frowned deeply. "This is why 1 hate Dragon parables,"

he said, "Are we meant to see the Hoshi os wise and the other twomonks as fooltih? Think iiboui it, The Hitomi, /or all his strength,and the Togashi, for all his wisdom, both mined the most obvioussolution but m their quest to find the old Hoshi, they fainted powerand wisdom that even he did not possess, for he foofi the easy path.The story is flawed."

Sekkou smiled. "Ii/e is flawed, and that is the point. The story isa parable for itself,"

Taneji scowled at Sekkou."Think about it. The island symbolizes the point of the story.

The two monks seek to find reason and meaning. At the end, theydiscover that ihere is no reason, Ihere is no meaning. Even yet, theyhave learned something. And flint is the poinl 0/ the story. The onlymeaning in anything is the meaning you give it. And this is learn-ing. It ss not the tale thai if aches the lesson, but what we take from itYou think that you have learned nothing from the Dragon; I thinklhat you have learned more than you think, Taneji. You iviii walktav&yrftotn these mountains a wiser man."

"And you will walk away from this place far more dangerous thanyou were be/ore, Fuiafee," Taneji replied. "You always talked too much,but now you are fainted with the Dragon's enlightened madnessas well."

Sefekou chuckled."Are you laughing at my discomfort, Monkey?" Taneji asked

archly."I am laughing at us both, Taneji-san," he replied mildly. "The

irritation and confusion you feel here in Dragon lands is much thesame thing J used to fed whin surrounded by politicians. I think wehave both broadened her l«ri:ons during this journey, Taneji-son."

"1 think I preferred when they were narrow" Taneji said dryly."Well," SefefcoH replied, lifting his teacup, "as our Togashi hosts say,

to learn is to climb a mountain..." Sekkou cnughtTanejis glare andended the proverb midway. "let us say that perhaps we have come tounderstand one another.,, at least inasmuch as ive understand thatwe do not understand each other.,. anil leave it at that."

"1 will drink to that," Taneji said, lifting his own cup m reply.

THE TH*££OWENS'

Though they are technic;tlly three separate families, the com-bined area ruled by the orders of Hitomi, Togashi. and Hoshi(also called the Three Orders) occupy less territory than mostsingle families. The small territory these families occupy isdue in a large part to the unique nature of these three families.The Three Orders are monastic sects as much, as they are GreatClan families. Members of these iamilies are not only allowedto observe the duties of a monk while retaining their samuraistatus, bul in many cases they are expected to. The daimyo ofeach order is also a prominent and respected member of theBrotherhood of Shinsei. The Dragon Champion himself is a

student of the Tao, and defers to the elder monks oi theBrotherhood in religious matters,

Because of their ascetic nature and unusual traditions, theThree Orders do not govern a large area of the Dragonprovinces. They recognized that other clans often have troubledealing with the fact that many of their members are bothmonk and samurai, In addition, many of the ranking mem-bers of these families take lifelong vows of poverty, leavingthem unprepared to deal with many of the intricacies of tradeand economics that governors must deal with. For the mostpart, the Three Orders avoid becoming entangled in politics.Wherever possible, the Hitomi and Togashi appointMirumoto or Kitsuki advisors in political positions withintheir provinces, leaving their monks free to contemplate themysteries of the universe.

The order of Hoshi is unusual among Great Clan Families,as they are technically not recognized as a Great Clan Family.Technically, the Hoshi are an order of ronin. While EmperorToturi I recognized their family name, they never swore fealtyto the Dragon Clan. Instead, this strange family of ronin-monks speci.ficaUyfollowtlieteachingsofTogashiHoshi.lt istheir duty to maintain a balance between the Togashi andHitomi, and the Hoshi found it easiest to do so without creat-ing entangling alliances within the Dragon Clan, As a familyfounded on balance and harmony, they stand apart from theDragon.

The lands where the Three Orders make their home are themost rugged in all of Rokugan, Their castles and monasteriesare tucked among high mountain peaks. The roads are inten-tionally ill tended, as the Orders value their privacy There arefew natural resources of any true note in these lands save forthe rare gold mine. Nonetheless, visitors are frequent, as pil-grims from across the Empire brave the daunting terrain toseek the Dragon's wisdom.

The Three Orders do not generally concern themselves witheconomics. Such duties are better left to the Mirumoto,Tamori, and Kitsuki. The lands they dwell in have preciouslittle to offer in the way of natural resources, though they areof great spiritual significance to the clan, For this reason, mostmajor holdings in this area are temples, monasteries, or mines.

lO/l/nSR HITOMI J RVUD5RTOGASHI / TH£ HIGHHOUSE OF UOHT(LOCATION. 04)

Originally named Kyuden Togashi, the home of the DragonChampion was renamed after the Day of Thunder, whenHitomi seized control of the Dragon Clan and banished theTogashi order from the dan. Shortly after she ascended to tbeCelestial Heavens as Lady Moon, (he Togashi were reinstatedto their position in the clan. Upon rebuilding their temples inthe mountains, they resumed calling the castle KyudenTogashi. Simultaneously, the Hitomi order continued to referto the castle as Kyuden HitomL

Neither Togashi nor Hitomi monks take any offense at thecastle being referred to by the other name. Hoshi monks, infact, complicate matters by referring to the caslle as KyudenTogashi during the day and Kyuden Hitomi at night. The restof the clan more or less uses the two names interchangeably.All members of the clan understand that the castle has twonames, and generally do not argue if a speaker chooses to referto the castle by one name rather than the other. The HighHouse of l ight is also an acceptable name, and is generallyused by rare visitors from outside the clan who do not wish tocause offense by using the wrong name.

The High House of light is an impressive structure. It isthe largest and most defensible monastery in ail of Rokugan.The caslle has been sculpted directly from the face of an enor-mous mountain, one of the highest in the Great Wall of theNorth. There are no easy roads leading to the High House ofLight; each who dwells or visits there is expected to find his orher own path.

The interior of the palace is vast, containing countless tem-ples, shrines, and meditation chambers. Since the formationof the Three Orders, trie castle has been carefully dividedbetween members of the three Dragon sects. Though eachoperates in harmony with the others, each has a distinct claimon separate areas of the palace.

TH* oansa or HITO/M,J-APV OF THE fllOOTV

The kikage zumi dwell in the lowest levels of the High Houseof light, a series of cramped, dimly lit passageways used asstorage during Togashi's reign. The hallways of the kikagezumi are open to visitors, though most are dissuaded by theHitomi order's violent reputation.

The monks of Hitomi spend their days alternating betweenrigorous exercise and silent meditation, often indulging inone or the other until they collapse from exhaustion. Onnights when the hill moon, the Order of Hitomi emerge fromtheir labyrinthine tunnels to bask in the radiance of theirlady. On these nights, the Togashi and Hoshi monks gener-ally remain indoors, leaving the Hitomi to enjoy their myste-rious rituals in solitude.

HOGAI[Fighter 4/Monk 4; Kikage Zumi 3]Hida Hogai first arrived among the order of Hitomi shortlybefore the fall of Otosan Uchi. He was the result of a hostageexchange between the Dragon and Crab, intended to fostergood diplomatic relations between the clans. Less than oneweek after he arrived at the High House of Lighl, Hogai feltthe Lady's call and developed swirling black tattoos over hischest and arms. He immediately shaved his head, joined theorder, and never looked back.

As a former defender of the Kaiu Wall, Hogai's martialprowess and knowledge of the Shadowlands have served hisnew clan well. Even before he felt the call he was incrediblystrong, and his tattoos have only increased his strength.Though he has only been with the Dragon a short lime, he hasalready accrued a reputation tor incredible ferocity in battle.He was one of a handful of Dragon who accompanied TogashiSatsu on his quest to retrieve Togashi's Daisho, and was deeplyimpressed by the Dragon Champion's wisdom and courage.Hogai is unfailingly loyal to Satsu, and will violently defendany slight to his daimyo's honor.

THS O*CT£* OF TOGASHI,THS ET£3i\AJ- D3A0OR

The ise zumi occupy the highest levels of [he High House ofLight. Many of their meditation chambers open onto plateauson the mountainside, exposing the monks to the sun, wind,and elements. The monks keep precise daily rituals of prayer,meditation and exercise, and do not alter their rituals even ifthe mountains are torn by snowstorms or freezing wind. Infact, theTogashi look forward to such adversity; they believe itis a sign that the elemental spirits have come to join them intheir prayers.

The halls where the ise zumi dwell also serve as diplomaticquarters for the rare visitors that endure the trip to the HighHouse of Light, These guest quarters are extremely luxurious,rivaling the comforts of Kyuden Doji and Kyuden Seppun.Those guests who choose to indulge in the comforts of thequarters may wait many weeks before finally gaining an audi-ence with the Dragon Champion. Those who voluntarilyforego the quarters and live among the monks to dwell intheir humble quarters and participate in their daily ritualsgain Lord Satsu's respect and are admitted to see him in shortorder.

TOGASHI SUTSSO[Inkyo 8; Ise Zumi 3]Sutero is one of the wisest and most respected monks of theTogashi Order. In his youth, he was a Shintao monk who,impressed by the heroic exploits of the ise zumi, climbed themountains to the High House of Light and swore fealty toTogashi Yokuni. During the Togashi purge he aided manyTogashi in finding sanctuary in the Brotherhood's monaster-

ies.

THREEOF THS

No Road (CoHneets Dl to D4, D4 to D2, and B4 to D9) —For many centuries it has been repeatedly stated that"no road leads to Kyuden Togashi/' This is technicallytrue, as t he re are no clear, organized roads as theEmpire generally defines them. Instead, there are aseries of rough mountain paths, relatively clearpasses, and mountain areas less difficult to climbthan the surrounding terrain which the Three Orders£avor when coming and going from Kyuden Hitomi.Members of the Three Orders wryly refer to thesepaths as "No RoadL"

YemnjuttJ Rootf (Connects D I. to D6)—The only regularlytraveled road in Dragon lands. Imperial Magistratesjourney along this road to High Wall Village, wherethey meet with representatives of the Three Orders tocollect annual taxes or deliver Imperial proclama-

Yokunihfath (Connects D2 to Di) — This smaU road wasonce known as longevity's Path, for the monks ofFukurokujm Seido often utilised it to travel to andfrom Champion Shrine Village. After Togashi Yokunigave his life against Fu Lengon the Day of Thunder,this road was renamed in his honor.

Following the Battle ot Oblivion's Gate, Sutero was one ofthe loudest proponents of peaceful coexistence with theHitomi. Sutero knew that the Togashi purge had not been thefault of the family as a whole, but due to the malevolent influ-ence of Kokujin. To punish and cast out the Hitomi as theyhad once purged the Togashi would only compound the evilthat Kokujin had begun. Only through understanding oneanother would the Dragon be as they once were.

Sutero has not ventured forth from the High House ofLight in nearly a decade. Though acolytes keep him informedof events in the Empire beyond, and he is tempted to travelout and help put an end to the Empire's troubles, herealizes that his place is here. He ranks amongTogashi Satsu's most valued advisors, and somewould even go so far as to say that he is the founderof the modern Order of Togashi.

THS O3PE3 OF UOiLU HOSHI,THS CELESTIAL UA

The tsurai zumi are a small order, andhave no designated headquarterswithin the High House of Light.Instead, they occupy many smallshrines and quarters scatteredthroughout the Togashi andHitomi levels. The Hoshi ven-ture freely between theHitomi and Togashi monks,participating in the ritualsof both. They seem tohave no private rituals oftheir own, but in tacttheir participation Lnthe lives of both orders is,in effect, a ritual. To understand theise zumi and kikage zumi and maintainharmony between them is the ultimategoal of the tsurai zumi, and it is a dutyat which they excel.

The Hoshi family have lostsurprisingly little status sinceTogashi Hoshi departed the HighHouse of Light, The Three Ordersunderstand that Hoshi wasneeded in the realms beyond themortal realm, and thai while heis gone the tsurai zumi continueto serve the Dragon in hisplace. While they are not tech-nically members of the DragonClan, the monks of Hoshi areextended alt the rights and respect oftrue brothers and sisters Ln the clan.

HOSHI TADAO[Shugenja 8;Tamori Shugenja 3]Tadao was once aTamori shugenja of minor note, one of manywho served in theTamori foundries researching new types ofmitsugusuri. One evening he was visited by a horrifyingdream, in which Togashi Hoshi left the mortal realm and wasbeset by armies of demons. He feared iew among his familywould believe him, concerned as they were at the time withtheir war against a Phoenix. Without a second thought, theold shugenja made the dangerous journey to the High House

of light, setting out in the dead of winter. He collapsed onthe steps of the castle, near death, and was dragged inside byworried Hoshi monks.

Tadao recovered, and learned that all he had seen hadalready been foretold by Hoshi himself. The Dragon Cham-pion not only knew of the threats that awaited him in thecelestial realms, Hoshi's power had grown to the point that hisresponsibilities extended beyond the mortal realm; it fell tohim to travel the Dragon Road and help restore balance to theCelestial Order. All the same, Hoshi was impressed by Tadao'sactions. Not only was his vision of the future clear, but he pos-

sessed the courage and determination to warn Hoshi even atthe risk of his own life. Hoshi asked Tadao if he would

accept the tattoos of a tsurai zumiand join the Order of Hoshi,

Tadao eagerly agreed,and since has acted as some-thing of a go-between for theorder and their missingfounder. Sometimes Tadaoreceives messages fromLord Hoshi, warnings ofthe future or advice whenthe Order is in doubt. This

ability to communicate withHoshi even in the far-flung

Spirit Realms has made Tadaoone of the most valued members of the

Order, and he has adjusted quite well to lifeamong the humble monks,

TH5 TOSASHI T5ST1R0Though named after the Kami Togashi, this area is byno means restricted to the Order that follows him.The Togashi Testing grounds are an area of the moun-tains just beyond the High House of Light, the mostrugged and inhospitable terrain in all the Dragonprovinces. Tattooed monks patrol the edges of thisarea, warning any travelers to avoid the perilouspeaks.

Venturing into the Togashi Testing Groundsalone is tantamount to suicide. The cliffs aresheer, the weather is severely cold even in thesummer, and avalanches are frequent. Powerfulpredators make rheir home in the cliffs, includ-ing cougars, bears, and even a tribe of feralzokujin. Supernatural threats are also

common, as trickster spirits take greatdelight in wandering the peaks and

bringing torment to those who passthrough here. Some of the more malevolent

varieties take joy in causing snowdrifts tobury solitary travelers, or taking the form of

humans to get the tattooed men confused and lost.In the meantime, these lands have been set aside as a train-

ing area for newly tattooed monks. It is, in a technical sense,the largest dojo in all of Rokugan and also perhaps the mostdeadly. The KamLTogashi named these lands as the dojo for ah1

those who bore his mystic tattoos, and even used his ownmagic to "unshackle"' the nature spirits in the area, makingthem more random and chaotic than normal. This is not anarea for novices; only the most confident and powerfultattooed men dare enter here. The wise do not enter alone,and occasionally even some of the strongest do not return.

Those tattooed monks who survive a passage through theTogashi Testing Grounds receive a special badge to displaytheir capabilities. This badge is a (non-magical) tattoo ofa dragon scale on the tattooed monk's body ior every day hesurvived in the Testing Grounds.

HITO/iVI HVOTA^U, M A S T S * OF THE

[Monk 14; Kikage Zumi 5]Hyotaru was among the first to take the Hitomi name after theSecond Day of Thunder. Though Hyotaru was disturbed by hisLady's madness, he was never disloyal to her and aided inpurging the clan ot the Togashi. When he later realized that itwas Kokujin's dark influence that had driven his Lady to suchevil acts, Hyotaru felt terrible remorse. He felt that he had notserved loyally enough in protecting Hitomi from corruption.Shortly before the Battle of Oblivions'Gate, he banished him-self to the depths of the Togashi Testing Grounds, hoping thatperhaps he would die there and be forgotten.

Much to his surprise, Hyotaru survived. He soon masteredthe hostile terrain and became incredibly adept at survival.Soon, he began to act as a guide for others, helping them learnto deal with a hostile world.

Hyotaru is immediately recognizable, as he is covered headto toe in tiny black dragon scale tattoos. His original mysticaltattoos are overwhelmed and lost in the design. Hyotaru nolonger keeps track of the days he survived within the TestingGrounds, and while he respects nature's power he is not afraidthere. He considers it his home, in fact and is actually ratherintimidated and confused by the 'normal' world beyond.

TEJil?J-£ Of THE SV/RTheTemple of the Sun is one of the newest temples in DragonClan lands, but it is already among the largest. Legend holdsthat it was founded on the Lord Sun's displeasure at such evilpowers as the Dark Oracle of Fire causing pain and sufferingin mortal lands. He thus dispatched his ancestor, Osano-Wo,to seek out mortals and grant them his blessings. SevenDragon, one for each day that the sun rises, were each given atattoo of a rising sun to represent Lord Yakamo's power. Theseseven Guardians of the Sun now dwell in the Temple of theSun much of the time. Occasionally, one or more of them willreceive a celestial vision from Lord Sun and set out to correctan evil in the land. One of these seven, Hitomi Maya,was instrumental in Agasha Tamori's final defeat. Uponcompletion of her mission, she quietly returned to the Templeof the Sun, ignoring all glory and accolades for her accom-plishment, and took her place among her brethren once again.

TOGASHI nyi/rvn,RASTS* OF THa TH/il?i.S

[Inkyo 12; Seven Fortunes Monk 4]Nyima was a relative unknown among the Order of Togashibefore the day he met Osano-Wo, Since becoming master ofthe Temple he is now a dynamic, visible member of the order.Some would call him obsessive in his quest for justice, oftenappearing in the most unlikely comers of Rokugan to fight forhopeless causes. The other six Guardians of the Sun often haveditficulry keeping up with Nyirna's boundless zeal. Manywonder where he draws the fire for his crusade againstinjustice, and in truth even Nyima would have difficultyaccurately describing why he does the things he does.

Q*DS*S OF THE P*AGOnIn the generation since the death of Togashi Yokuni

and heavenly ascension of Lady Moon (and thepublication of Way of the Dragon) several changeshave come over the monastic orders of the DragonClan. No longer are all mystic tattooed monks mem-bers of the Togashi family, and no longer are they allise zumi. Bach order has profound philosophicaldifferences, though all are united in a deep loyalty tothe Way of the Dragon and a profound respect forthose who display courage and honor. Each orderobtains their tattoos in a different manner, and eachfocuses the mystical power of their tattoos in a differ-ent manner. The Three Orders of the Dragon Clan atenow as follows:

THE OStPSS OF TOSASH1These monks follow the teachings of Togashi, Kami

and founder of the Dragon Clan. They embrace aphilosophy of enlightenment through spontaneity,and value, humility, compassion, and a sense of humor.Those outside the Togashi sometimes view theit mem-bers as unpredictable or even insane. Ise zumi arecharming and affable, but turn up in unlikely places.The saane Togashi might appear at an Otomo courtier'swedding one week and join a group of bandits the next,merely out of a desire to find new experiences. SomeTogashi purposefully seek out situations in which itwill be difficult to maintain their monastic vows.ATogashi who has taken a vow of chastity, for example,may seek out employment as a guard in. a geisha housein Ryoko Owari. A Togashi who has taken a vow againstkilling might offer his services as an advisor to a Matsugeneral. Sometimes the Togashi seek out these situa-tions merely to test their strength of chatactet.Sometimes they perform these duties as an example ofvirtue and honor for others, Sometimes their actionsare a mystery even unto themselves, as manylbgashisimply travel where their whims take them.

The tattooed men of this order are called ise zumi,and their powers tend to focus on healing, positiveenergy, and fire. Certain members of this order havesuch mastery over the power of their tattoos that theycan inscribe mystic tattoos upon others using inkcontaining their blood. In the Order of Togashi, thispower is only found in truly ancient ise zumi (at leasttwo centuries old) and in Togashi Satsu, the grandsonof Togashi.

Mostly, it goes back to his encounter with Osano-Wo, theFortune of Fire and Thunder. Nyima does not speak of themeeting often, for he knows that others are often confusedand disturbed by the thought that gods walk among mortals ata whim. Even so, the memory remains with him. What herecalls most is the god's quiet anger. He remembers howdisturbed Osano-Wo was that the minions of Jigoku could tununchecked across the Empire. Osano-Wo was not enraged somuch by the destruction they caused, but that the rules of theCelestial Order barred him from taking too much personalaction in the mortal realm. In a manner of speaking,it seemed, the gods needed mortals as much as the mortalsneeded them. The idea that without a frail mortal like himself

•

the gods might fail is peculiar to Nyima, so he simply pushesit out of his mind and throws himself into service with everyfiber of his being.

OF THE

TH£ OBDS5 Or HlTOfiliThe Order of Hitomi is the most feared and misun-

derstood of the Three Orders. They follow the teach-ings of Hitotni, Lady Moon, the Dragon Thunder. Theyembrace the philosophy of attaining enlightenmentthrough physical and mental hardship. Members ofthis order seek out impossible challenges throughwhich to prove their worth, and as a result the Hitomihave a reputation for violence. The Hitomi considerstrength of body and strength of mind the greatest ofvirtues. Ironically, they also respect subtlety — thosewho possess great power but use it cautiously are truemasters among their order. The tattooed monks ofthis order — also called kikage zumi — bear tattoosthat reflect their beliefs. Hitomi tattoos frequentlyincrease the wearer's strength, inspire 'powerful rage,or control shadows.

Though Lady Hitomi personally tattooed thefounders of this order, the Hitotni no longer chooseto gain a kikage zumi's tattoos, they are chosen byLady Moon. A person who gains Lady Moon's favormight spontaneously develop kikage zumi tattoos;some are even born with them. In most cases theseindividuals are already monks serving in the HighHouse of Light) hut not always. Rarely, even non-Dragons gain the kikage zumi tattoosand are directedby the Moon Goddess to join their brethren in thebowels of Kyuden Hitomi. These outsiders are imme-diately granted the Hitomi name and welcomed asbrothers and sisters of the order.

THH O£DE* OF HOSHIUntil recently, these monks were led by the Dragon

whose name they bear When Togashi Hoshi departedthe mortal realm tobegin his celestial wanderings, theorder continued to follow his teachings. The Hoshi arethe smallest of the Three Orders. They embrace a

1 + 1 * ' • *• # • \ .-.'» • • I I 4

moderation. They see the Togashi and the Hitomi asthe embodiment of dissonance, and maintainingharmonious relations between the two families istheir greatest challenge. To the Hoshi, patience is thegreatest of all virtues. Power, wisdom, and all othervirtues are of little worth if one cannot masterpatience.

Tattooed members of this order are called tsuraizumi. Their tattoos focus mainly cm enhancing percep-tions or allowing the tsurai zumi to .exist in harmonywith the environment. Members of the Hoshi familygain their tattoos directly from Togashi Hoshi. Onceper year, three members of the Hoshi are summoned tothe peaks of the Dragon mountains by Lord Hoshi,where they are granted their mystical tattoos.

E HOOKChallenge: While wandering through the mountains, the

party discovered an injured monk. The monk bears a risingsun tattoo upon his chest, and is near delirious from injury.If the characters cannot treat his wounds, he begs them toreturn him to the Temple of the Sun before lapsing intounconsciousness, if they can help him, he introduces himselfas Togashi Magobei and asks for their help.

Focus: Magobei left the temple seeking a den of tsukai, butwas ambushed only miles from the Temple. Apparently a cellof Bloodspeakers stumbled on to the fact that Yakamo isaiding the Guardians of the Sun with Celestial Visions, so theyare doing all within their power to ambush and murder theguardians one at a lime. If the party helps Magobei, the Blood-speakers will harass them all the way back to the temple.The Bloodspeakers target Magobei above all other enemies,seeking to kill him at any cost.

Striker If Magobei survives, he will ask the party to aid himand the other guardians in wiping out this new threat. If theydo so, rhey will earn the friendship of this powerful temple,if Magobei should die, but the parry returns his body to thetemple intact, they will also have the gratitude of theGuardians for not leaving their brother to be defiled. If theGM is feeling adventurous, perhaps a PC might even hechosen as the recipient for a rising sun tattoo, becoming a newagent of the Guardians.

•mass oapsasHOU7IRG5

Again, as the Togashi, Hoshi, and Hitomi do not concernthemselves with worldly matters, their worldly holdings arefew and far between. Minor holdings tend to be scatteredfanning communities, temples to lesser Fortunes or ancestors,or points of natural interest.

TARA1KABaocATion

The Dragon lands are renowned for being peaceful andremote. There are many places in the mountains where some-one who wishes to step away from the rigors of politics andconflict could retreat for a peaceful, if arguably uneventful,life. Takaikabe Mura is just such a place, though it attracts aparticular sort of person. Takaikabe Mura is a home for the dis-honored. When a samurai is shamed and subsequently exiledfrom the Empire, some measure of that shame falls upon theirfamily as well. Many of these individuals retire from [heir clanand gravitate away from the public eye, eventually ending upin Takaikabe Mura.

Unlike Kibukiio, a similar settlement in Unicom lands, thetendency of Takaikabe Mura to attract the family of exiles ismuch more surreal. Takaikabe Mura is not particularly close rothe normal routes by which exiles leave the Empire. It is noton any well traveled roads and is only a footnote on Imperialmaps. However, every month a few more shamed soulswander in, not certain why they came or how they discoveredthis place. The residents always accept newcomers into the

:

community without a second thought. They have formed ahappy, friendly community with one unspoken rule •—• noone ever asks anyone else how ihey came to dwell iiiTakaik-abe Mura.

The Tamori family only recently discovered the strangecoincidence [hat so many shamed samurai come here. That itis some supernatural effect is Indisputable, but it is unlike any-thing the Tamori have seen or recorded in their archives. Thepeople of the village realize it is peculiar that so many withsimilar backgrounds dwell together in so remote a place, butthey seldom dwell upon it unless an outsider mentions thefact to them. This, the Tamori believe, is another facet of thestrange enchantment over the village.

l/ASSALS OFTHE TH*EE O^DE^S

As the Togashi, Hitomi, and Hoshi families are notsamurai families in die traditional sense, they do nothave vassal families. Due to their size and relativelysubordinate position, the Hoshi might be consideredvassals of the Togashi and Hitomi families, but theHoshi are an independent order in and of themselves,in a very technical legal sense not even true membersof the Dragon Clan.

In the area of vassal families, as in so many areaswhere the Three Orders are concerned, the usual rulesand traditions simply do not apply.

TA/ilOSJ HAVATO[Shugenja 7; Tamori Shugenja 3]A former student of Tamori Chosai, Hayato developed aninterest in Taikakabe Mura shortly after his gempukku.Unlike most otherTamori, who simply studied the village fora time and then moved on, he has been here for more than adecade recording his findings. Hayato theorizes that this areahas a strong connection toYume-do, the Realm of Dreams, themost mysterious of all Spirit Realms. He believes that someforce in Yume-do draws the exiles here, allowing them toforger their shame for a time while they slumber so that theymay function more effectively during the day. Whether thisforce is benevolent or is drawing upon their pain for somenefarious purpose, Hayato cannot say for he is uncertain if it isthe result of a natural phenomenon or a spirit.

Ironically, Hayaro's studies have become more unfocused oflate, When he was told that his former teacher, Tamori Chosai,became the new Dark Oracle of Fire and was banished fromRokugan a strange lethargy came over him. He is unable tofocus on his studies and is no longer quite so interested inwhy the people in Takaikabe Mura act the way they do. Heonly knows that whenever he leaves the village, he no longerfeels as happy and centered as he once did. Somewhere, at theback of his mind, the scholar within Hayato realizes that he isfalling under the village's spell but he is uncertain if there isanything he can do about it — or whether he would want tohalt the process if he could.

TOOASHI'S SEATLocated in the wilderness near Takaikabe Mura, Togas his Seatis a large stone roughly shaped like a chair. Legend holds thatbefore the second Day of Thunder, Togashi Yokuni came tothis clearing and sat upon this chair for seven days and sevennights, never speaking, resting, eating, or sleeping. He merelystared to the southwest with an unreadable expression andprepared for the battle ahead. Many other Dragon came tomeditate with their lord, and by the time his meditations weredone a small army of Dragon had gathered to march uponOtosan Uchi.

When Yokuni was revealed as the true Dragon Kami,Togashi, and died in battle versus Fu Leng, the stone was pro-claimed sacrosanct. It has not been touched in decades, and asmall shrine was built around it. Though several monks tendthe shrine, none of them are Dragon. Though members of theother families often make pilgrimages here to pray toTogashi'sspirit, members of the Three Orders are rarely seen here. Pri-vately, the Three Orders find it amusing that so many peoplewould place their faith in a stone that supported their leader'sbackseat for a week. For their part, Togashi is always withthem and they do not need a chair to remember lhat. How-ever, the Three Orders never mock the other monks, samurai,and peasants who journey to Togashi's seat. No one knowsbelter than they that faith grants meaning and purpose toitself.

Fi/ituaoitvjm SEIDOCLOCATIOTV P2)

This shrine to the Fortune of Longevity is the largest of suchshrines dedicated to the Fortune in the Empire. Though theshrine itself is placed upon a high peak, a small village hasgrown about its base to tend to the many pilgrims, monks andtravelers who come to see the shrine firsthand.

The temple of Fukurokujin is not just a religious site. It isalso a cultural centerpiece of the Empire. It has been a tradi-tion since the shrines founding six hundred years ago thaieach visitor who prays for the Fortune's blessings show theirsincerity by giving something crafted by their own hands.Some have given sculptures, some paintings, some merelygrant their own labor to beautify the temple's construction. Asa result, Fukurokujin Seido is a veritable museum of Rokuganiart. Many who come here visit more out of an urge to see thecollected pieces than to pray to the Fortune. The monksunderstand this, and are proud of the temple inasmuch as apious monk can be proud.

The monks make it a point to seldom visit the village at thebase of the mountain, journeying there only for the most nec-essary of supplies. The monks find the village (which appearson no maps but has come to be known as Fiikurokujin Mura!a base and debauched place. As the shrine draws manywealthy travelers who wish to see the sights but have no par-ticular religious convictions, the village has slowly evolved toaccommodate these travelers. Many establishments offergambling, sake, geisha, and a host of illegal activities. Some ofthese establishments are owned by the Rokugo vassal familyof the Bayushi, and function as embassies for the ScorpionClan as well as places of business. Many areas of the village areextremely dangerous, especially at night, and it is not unusualfor a handful of travelers to be murdered in the streets eachmonth.

I

kITSUltl IWSKO[Courtier 4/'Samtirai 2; Kitsuki Investigator 2]Recently posted as chief magistrate in Fukurokujin Mura,Iweko has the unenviable task of restoring order andtranquility to the Fortune's village. Sadly, she has found thecriminal elements here as enduring as the Fortune herself,and though her successes have been many she has neverbeen able to end (he crime and corruption. She believes thatBayushi Tando, (he leader of the Scorpion contingent here,is somehow behind everything but can never gather rheevidence or testimony she requires to put an end to hismisdeeds. She has precious few magistrates at her disposal,given the village's small size and remote location, so wouldgladly draw upon help from any who seem honorable,capable, and willing.

BAVUSHI TATII7O[Rogue 6; Bayushi Bushi 2]A member of the Roktigo vassal family, it is Tandc/s duty tolook after the Scorpion's interests in Fukurokujin Mura.Though he does deal in many businesses others mighlconsider shameful or unsavory, Tando is not really a crimi-nal. He does not deal in drugs, smuggling, assassinations orkidnappings though he is occasionally forced to do businesswith those who do. As a result, Tando finds it advantageousto formulate a disreputable, untrustworthy image as hispublic persona so that others will not believe him junshin.As a strange side effect, Tando has a .phenomenal reputationamong the village's criminal underworld. Most believe himto be rhe perpetrator of any number of criminal operations,yet he somehow manages to avoid connection with any ofthem. The fact that he avoids all connection because he liasno connection is an irony not lost on Tando.

It *O I CHI[Ninja 8; Ronin 2/Tiger's Claw (Kolat AssassinTechnique)]Though the mysterious figure who calk himself Kyoichidoes not dwell in Fukurokujin Mura, his presence has adecided influence upon the village. Kyoichi is the leader of ,aband of Lotus Sect Kolat who live in a small monastery in themountains near the village. He is a sensei of the lower levelLotus techniques, and maintains a dojo where he trains thenext generation of Kolat assassins. The Lotus monastery'spresence is a large contributing factor to the rash of murdersin the village. Kyoichi often dispatches his students to prac-tice their techniques on travelers who will not be missed.

Since Iweko's arrival in the village, Kyoichi wonders if hehas been too unstibtle in his training. He has limited hisstudents' activity in the village and is watching the Kitsukicautiously. For ihe moment, he is content to leave Iweko toher own devices, occasionally throwing out a red herring ofevidence suggesting Tando might be responsible for hisstudent's crimes.

Kyoichi does not wish to assassinate Iweko. Killing magis-trates is always messy and raises far too many questions. If hedoes so, at the very least, the dojo will need to be moved andMaster Lotus will be displeased. In the end, he fears, therewill be only two options. Either distract Iweko from thevillage altogether, or cease any activity there rather than riskdiscovery

IJilPO^TARTR?CS IR THETH3EH ORDERSHITO/ni USDAU,IMPERIAL ERFO*CE*

Any who know the Dragon will quickly warn outsiders to bewary or" the Hitotni family, They area family prone to peculiarbehavior and occasional outbursts of violence. Some wouldsay that they are a family of ill-trained beasts, prone tounleash destruction upon those around them with the slight-est provocation. Vedau knows what others think of his family.He knows the rumors that follow in his wake when peoplerealize t hat he is a kikage zumi. He wastes little time worrying

— about such things.Why worry about the truth? Vedau believes the rumors are

correct— the Hitomi are indeed deadly, and he is proud ofthe power he wields. Vedau is a dangerous man. To say that heloses his temper would be incorrect, lor though he is prone torage he never truly loses control of it. He senses the angerwithin himself and lets it How outward, riding his rage like aleaf on the wind, letting it carry him wherever it will, goldeneyes wide with wonder as he watches the trail of destructionthat follows. Vedau is never needles sly destructive. Wheneverhe loses his temper, it is well warranted. However, his brutaland merciless vengeance is such that he has accumulated aterrifying reputation. Even within his own family, many fearhim.

It is due to bis fearsome reputation that Togasbi Satsuchose Vedau to be bis personal enforcer. It is true that manywithin the Hitomi succumb to the powerful rage that accom-panies their magical tattoos. When self control and disciplinedo not suffice for keeping errant kikage zumi in line, fear of

JHitomi" Vedau is often more than equal to the task. More thanone potentially dangerous kikage zumi has set his thoughts ofcarnage aside after one stern look from the golden-eyedenforcer. Even outside his family provinces, Vedau is Kage-tora's most prominent agent. Those who seek to deal with theHitomi daimyo must first deal with Vedau, and are welladvised not to waste the enforcer's time. Those who displeaseKagetora inevitably face Vedau, and would be well advised tosurrender to his mercy.

The reason such a tempestuous and violent man wasgranted such an important duty is complex. Vedau was bornin the Dragon mountains, the son of a peasant and a Hitomimonk. When he was born, his eyes glowed golden with thelight of the moon and dragon tattoos swirled around his arms.It was obvious that Lady Hitomi had great plans for the boy,so he was immediately admitted to a kikage zumi monastery.Kagetora trained the boy personally, and sensed the powerfulrage that dwelled within him. Kagetora knew that, if left idle,Vedau would become a powerful force for evil and violence.

So, Kagetora taught Vedau to control his rage. He instilledin him a deep piety and reverence ior Lady Moon, and bound-less respect for the ways of the Dragon Clan. He began givingVedau important duties as soon as he could, keeping the boy'smind and body occupied pursuing the interests of his clan.Though violent incidents punctuated Vedau's life,he remained true to the Way of theDragon and excelled at any missionhe was given. When [he Dragon wentto war against the Phoenix Clan, Vedauquickly rose to the forefront of his clan as oneof the most notable heroes of the conflict. He alsoacquired something of a reputation as a fear-some enemy among the Phoenix. Some Shibasamurai who survived the war have takento telling tales of the Hitomi Goldeyes tofrighten their children.

Vedau cares little for his fearsomereputation or the accolades of hisbrethren. He does what he doesbecause he has embraced theWay of the Dragon in his ownunique fashion. He believes that each soul mustlind its own path on the way to enlightenment,and for him that path is fraught with violence.He does not regret this. He feels no shame thusfar. He is still human enough not to launch intoviolence at slightest provocation — such wouldaccomplish nothing and hinder others on their ownpath to fulfillment. Instead, he saves his rage andviolence for those who deserve it, much like a learnedmonk might request his most elaborate blessings onlyfor the most holy of shrines.

At the close of the war between Dragon and Phoenix,Vedau shared his master Kagetora's displeasure at how theirfamily had been manipulated into violence against I heirformer allies. He, too, was bitter that the Four Winds had donenothing to restore peace, consumed as they were with theitown petty squabbles. When Vedau learned that the FourWinds were building a new Imperial Court at Kyuden MJya,he journeyed there (without Kagetora's knowledge) to informthe lour Winds how he felt about their attempt to rule theEmpire in specific terms.

Fortunately for Vedau, he was first met by Ide Tadaji, archi-tect of the new Imperial Court. A skilled judge of character,Tadaji sensed Vedau's rage and encouraged him to be patient.Extraordinary circumstances led to the events which tote theEmpire apart, and now only extraordinary individuals couldput things right. Vedau considered the old man's words, andapologized for hisbntsh behavior.To his surprise,Tadaji thenoffered him a place on the Imperial Court.

Vedau demurred at first; he was no politician and did notwish to be one.Tadaji encouraged him to accept.The newcourt would need leaders who were not afraid to speak theirmind, but had sufficient wisdom so [hat when they did so itwas not a waste of everyone's time. With Vedau's exemplarymilitary record he was a natural candidate, the legends thatswirled about him notwithstanding. Vedau was still uncertain,until Kagetora arrived and commanded him to accept Tadaji soffer. Kagetora agreed with the old Unicorn that it was anexcellent idea. Jusf as Vedau once enforced the will of theHitomi and intimidated those among his family who woulduse their power for violent or selfish ends, so would he now dothe same for the Imperial Court.

I/S0AUMale human Dragon Monk 6/Inkyo 4: CR 10; Medium-sLze humanoid (hitman); HD 10d8 + 30; hp 99; Init +3; Spd 50ft.; AC 19 (touch 17, flat-footed 16); Ark unarmed strike+13/+8 melee, ld6+S damage; SA Stunning attack (DC 15,

6 times/day), unarmed strike; SQ Class skill — Knowl-edge: Arcana (family bonus), evasion, puriry +1, purityof body, slow fall (30ft.), still mind; Honor: 1;A l LN; SV Fort +12, Ref+12, Will +11; Str 20 (22),

Dexl6, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 14,Cha 10; MaximumVoid: 5; Height 6 ft. 3 in.

Dojo: Kyuden Hitomi, Kata: None.Skills and FeaU: Speak Language

(High Rokugani., Rokugani),Concentration 13/+16,

Diplomacy 4/+4,Intimidate 13/+13,

Knowledge(arcana) S/+5,listen 10/+7,

Spot 5/+7,Tumble 10/+13;

Cleave, Deflect Arrows, Depthsof the Void, Power Attack, Tattoos

(Blaze, Full Moon, Lion, Mountain), VoidUse, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike)PassessiDrts; amulet of natural armor +2,

gauntlets of ogre -power, ring of protection +1.

HITOJTU I/SPAASEarth: 4

Fire: 3Agility: 4

Water: 5Air: 2

Reflexes: 5Void: 4School/Rank: Hitomi Kikage Zumi 4Dojo: Kyuden HitomiKata: NoneTattoos: Blaze, Full Moon, Lion, MountainHonor: 1.8Glory: 5,0Advantages: Hands of Stone, Heartless, Large, Magic

Resistance (6).Disadvantages: Brash, Insensitive.Skills: Athletics 6, Diplomacy 2, Etiquette 1, Hand-to-Hand 7,

Intimidation 7, Investigation 3, Lore (Shugenja) 3,Meditation 5, Shintao 3

TOGASHI MATSUO,TATTOOED HE*O

l ike many of the latest generation of Roktigan's heroes,Togashi Matsuo's life was changed dramatically when the Warof Spirits ravaged Rokugan. He was the son of a peasantmerchant whose caravan was unfortunate enough to cross theSteel Chrysanthemum's path as he marched upon Shiro Shiba.Suspecting that the caravan was transporting supplies to thePhoenix, the Hantei ordered the caravan destroyed. Matsuo'sparents attempted to defend their livelihood, and were slain.Matsuo was just another orphan left wandering the Empite inthe Steel Chrysanthemum's wake.

After a few months on his own, he somehow found his wayto Togashi Mountain, The ise zumi monks were amazed that asix year old boy not only survived (he climb but managed tofind his way to the top. He was immediately greeted into themonastery and given a home. Matsuo quickly adjusted to themonastery's humble ways and eagerly began learning theTogashi's teachings. His teachers sensed that the boy had greatpotential to be a wise monk. Some whispered that theFortunes must have directed Matsuo to the temple; this wastruly his destiny. Lord Hoshi was also impressed, ihough hewould say nothing of the boy's destiny, When lie granted hismystic tattoos to Matsuo on the boy's thirteenth birthday,however, even lord Hoshi was surprised (o see what occurred.

Matsuo's tattoos manifested in a way never witnessedbefore. He does not have multiple magical tattoos like othertattooed men — he has only one. With concentration, he canforce that tattoo to take different forms, granting him a varietyof astounding abilities. Such control over the tattoo magic,especially at such a young age, was rare. Lord Hoshi realizedthat this was no ordinary boy. Matsuo was a tamashii.

With the duties of being Dragon Clan Champion consumingmuch of his time, Lord Hoshi feared that he would not be ableto adequately instruct Matsno. There was the possibility,however slim, that without proper instruction Matsuo mightfall to madness and corruption as other tamashii had. Only oneman could truly instruct Matsuo as he required — his fellowtamashii, the legendary Togashi Mitsu.

Mirsu was reluctant to accept a student at first. For manyyears he retreated from the Dragon Clan, disturbed andangered by the changes that had come over his people duringthe War Against the Shadow. When Hoshi introduced Matsuoto him, Mitsu knew that he could not fail the boy He immedi-ately began to instruct Matsuo how to control and focus theenergies within him. The best way to do this, in Mitsu's opin-ion, was to venture out into the world and use his powers andwisdom to make a difference in people's lives. Like in the daysof old, Togashi Mitsu journeyed across the face of Rokuganhaving numerous strange and unbelievable adventures. Thistime, Matsuo accompanied the old tattooed man as hisapprentice and, eventually, his friend.

Those who knew Mitsu in his youth sometimes remark thatMatsuo is the very image of his master. He is bold, daring, andcompassionate. His moods and motives are unpredictableOne day he might be meditating in a Togashi monastery seek-ing the true meaning of being, the next he might be racingacross a Unicorn meadow for no other reason than to see whatlies beyond the next hillside.

Since Mitsu's disappearance several months ago, Matsuohas discovered that the respect many Dragons hold for hismaster has been Transferred to him. Though he is not thedaimyo of his family, many ise zumi look to him for leadershipand guidance. Even Satsu values his council, a fact that theyoung ise zumi finds somewhat disconcerting. Though he hasseen and done much in his short life, he still lacks faith inhimself. Some day, he hopes, he will be truly worthy of Mitsu'slegacy. Until that day, he will simply do his best to fill hislegendary teacher's shoes.

TOGASHI MATSUO'STATTOO

Togashi Matsuo has only a single tattoo, but it isunlike any tattoo possessed by any other tattooedmonk. His tattoo is constantly evolving, shifting andtransforming into whatever form he requires at themoment. Though this grants him an array of abilitiesfarbeyond a normal ise zumi of his experience, he canonly draw upon one of the tattoos at a time. Thoughthe particular way Matsuo focuses his tattoo abilitiesis unique in Rokugan, the GM may choose to allow aPC or NPC to function in the same manner in his owncampaign. With this in mind, here are the rules forMatsuo's tattoo:

1720 fflSCHARICSMatsuo can switch the current form of his tattoo

once per round as a free action. The maximumnumber of forms his tattoo can take is equal to hislevel divided by four, plus his Maximum Void. Eachtime either of these increases, his tattoo will gain theability to take another form. However, he can neverhave any other tattoos except for this one.

D1O JilSCHATllCSMatsuo can switch the current form of his tattoo

once per round as a free action. The maximumnumber of forms his tattoo can take is equal to histattooed man rank plus his Maximum Void. Bach timeeither of these increases, his tattoo will gain theability to take another form. However, he can neverhave any other tattoos except for this one.

Matsuo's tattoo can take: any of the followingtattoos: Centipede, Eagle, Nightingale, Panther, Vine,White Dragon, and Wolf,

TO0ASHI JilATSUOMale human Dragon Monk 8: CR8; Medium-size humanoid(human); HD 8d8+24; hp 74; Init +3; Spdsoft,; AC 20 (touch19, flat-footed 17); Ark unarmed strike +10/+5 melee, ldiO+3damage; SA Stunning attack (DC 17, 8 times/day), unarmedstrike; SQClass skill — Concentration (family bonus), evasion,leap of the clouds, purity +i, purity of body, slow fall (50 ft.),still mind, wholeness of body; Honor: 2; ALCG; SV Port+10,Ref+10, Will +11; Str 16, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 16 (17),Cha 16; Maximum Void: 5 (6); Height 5 ft. 7 in,

Dojo: Togashi Mountain; K«t«: None.Skilh and Peats; Speak Language (High Rokugani,

Rokugani), Concentration +14, Escape Artist +14, Hide +14,Jump +14, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Listen +14, Move Silently+14, Perform +12, Tumble +14;, Deflect Arrows, Depths of theVoid, Improved Trip, Matsuo's Tattoo (see sidebar) Void Use,Weapon Focus (unarmed strike).

Rjssessiom: amulet of natural armor +1, hakama of wisdom (+2),obi of resistance-\-i, ring of protection +1.

TOGASHI /ilATSUOEarth: 3Fire: 3Water: 3Air: 2

Reflexes: 3Void: 4School/Rank: Togashi Ise Zumi 3Dojo: Kyuden HitomiKata: NoneTattoos: (see sidebar)Honor: 2.4Glory: 2.0Advantages: Absolute Direction, Clear Thinker, Daredevil,

Hands of Stone, Sensei, "Way of the Land (Dragon Clanterritory).

Disadvantages: Ascetic, Can't Lie, Idealistic.Skills: Athletics 6, Craft (tattooing) 4, Escape Artist 4,

Hand-to-Hand 5, Lore (shugenja) 3, Meditation 6, Nazodo 4,Shintao 4, Stealth 5.

HiromiHITOMI

Kagetora is the most recognized and public figure among thereclusive Order of Hitomi. During the War Against theShadow lie appeared from nowhere, stepping to the forefrontof his clan to champion the lady Hitomi. While many did notunderstand Hitomi's strange and often violent ways, Kagetoraurged others to have patience. He always preferred to use hiswisdom to counsel others who felt that perhaps Hitomi hadgone too far, but when true threats to his Lady arose, he wasnot afraid to use more violent tactics. He soon came to beknown as Hitomi's "enforcer" and though the title chafed thepeaceful Kagetora, he came to accept it in time. After all, as hesoon discovered, the fearful reputation he had accumulatedoften prevented many violent conflicts before rhey began.Kagetora always recognized that Hitomi had a greater destiny,one that safeguarded the future of all existence. When he sawthat it was necessary that he set aside his life as a peacefulmonk to protect that destiny, he did not hesitate to do so.

Only once during his long service to the Hitomi family hashis faith in the Lady wavered. When the armies of the clansmarched toward Voltumum, Hitomi spoke from the Heavens,commanding Kagetora to choose his six most trusted war-riors. Kagetora cKose Reju, Alcuai, Kobai, Bujun, Pukku, andKazaq. Hitomi then ordered Kagetora and these seven war-riors to remain behind, not to join their brethren at Voltur-num. Kagetora was shocked. Why in this, his family's mostdesperaie hour, would Hitomi forbid [hem to act? For the firsttime he doubted Hitomi's sanity, worried that the power ofLord Moon had driven her to madness. Even yet, he did as shecommanded, and ordered his chosen warriors to remainbehind.

As the survivors of Volturnura returned, Kagetora was sur-prised to hear how the Hitomi had sacrificed themselvesagainst the shadow. Not a single Hitomi survived the battle; allhad thrown themselves into combat against the minions ofGoju, whereupon they combined their tattoo magic andcaused the power Hitomi had given them to issue forth in anexplosive, suicidal display, Now Kagetora and the six he hadchosen were all that were left of his family. Over the next fewweeks, countless other samurai, awed by the courageous dis-play they had witnessed at Voltumum, repotted to Kyuden

Hitomi to swear fealty to the Lady's name. As the order wasrebuilt, Kagetora realized that the Lady had not been mad. Shehad known that Kagetora and the others would not hesitate tosacrifice themselves as [he others had. The entire order hadassumed that their destiny was bound to Hitomi's, and wouldbe fulfilled when the Lady assumed her place in the heavens.

They were wrong •— Hitomi did not intend for the order todie. Kagetora. was somewhat datinted by the idea that hisfamily could have some greater destiny. What purpose couldthey fulfill that was greater than serving the Lady? Over thedecades he has ruled the order, he has struggled to answer thisquestion for himself and others. It is clear to Kagetora nowthat the Hitomi are intended to be something of a balance fortheTogashi. With only one of [he orders — Togashi or Hitomi— in existence thfe clan was in danger of falling to extremes.With each existing in harmony with the other, the clan hadgreater stability and diversity than it ever had with eitherTogashi or Hitomi as daimyo.

After these many decades, Kagetora still serves as the leaderof the order. The tattoos granted to him by Lady Hitomigreatly slowed his aging process, granting him the strengthand endurance of youth tempered by the wisdom of age. He isone of the most experienced leaders of the Dragon Clan, andthough Satsu now rules the clan he frequendy turns to Kage-tora for guidance. For his part, Kagetora is the perfect advisorand ally for the Dragon daimyo. Though Kagetora has greatpower and could easily seize control for himself, his loyalty ispurely to the Way of the Dragon. This giants him the stead-fastness to serve along with the clarity of vision to offer advicenot clouded by blind loyalty.

HITO/ill KA<J£TOXAMale human Dragon Samurai 9/Monk 10: CR 19;Medium-size humanoid (human); HD 9dl0+36 plus t0d8+40;hp 214; Ink +2; Spd 60 ft.; AC 34 (touch 30, flat-footed 24);Atk unarmed strike +24/+I9/+14/+9 melee, ldlQ+10 damageor +5 keen lawful shocking bunt kaiana +28/+23/+18/+13 melee,idlO+15 plus2d6 vs. chaotic plus ldlO on critical; SA Ki strike(+1), stunning attack (DC 22, 10 limes/day), unarmed strike;SQClass skill - Knowledge: Arcana (family bonus), improvedevasion, leap of the clouds, purity +1, purity of body, slow fall(50ft.), still mind, wholeness of body; Honor: 2; AL LN; SVFort +22, Ref+22, Will +25; Str 18 (24), Dex 15, Con X9, Int 14,Wis 18 (24), Cha 12; Maximum Void; 5; Height 5 ft. 11 in.;

Dojo: Kyuden Hitomi; Kata: None.Skills and Feats: Speak Language (High Rokugani,

Rokugani), Battle +8, Concentration +25, Diplomacy +11,Intimidate +21, Jump +25, Knowledge (arcana) +23, SenseMotive +24, Spot +9, Tumble +22; Cleave, Deflect Arrows,Depths of the Void, Improved Trip, Power Attack, The RiverSword, Tattoos (Avalanche, Bamboo, Crab, Crescent Moon),Two Heavens, Void Use, Weapon Focus (unarmed).

Possessions: +5 keen, lawful, shocking burst katana (ancestraldaisho), amulet of natural armor (+4), haori of resistance (+5),kimono of giant strength («0, monk's obi (monk's belt), peri-apt of wisdom (+6), ring of protection (+4).

Earth: 4Fire: 3

Agility: 4Water: 5Air4Void: 7School/Rank: Hitomi Kikage Zumi 7Dojo: Kyiiden HitomiKata: NoneTattoos: Avalanche, Bamboo, Crab, Crescent Moon, Dragon,Full Moon, Pine.Honor: 1.8Glory: 5.0Advantages: Death Trance, Hands of Stone, Heartless, Large,

Magic Resistance (4), Social Position (Hitomi daimyo)Disadvantages: Haunted (2), Proud.Skills: Athletics 6, Battle 4, Diplomacy 5, Etiquette 3,

Hand-to-Hand 7, Intimidation 7, Investigation 4, Kenjutsu 7,lore (Shugenja') 5, Meditation 6, Shintao S, Sincerity 4.

TOGASHI SATSU,PXAQOa CLAa

TOGASHI'S DAISHOTogashi's Daisho is a unique pair of awakened

swords with incredible power. While the AncestralSword of the Dragon, and later the Celestial Sword ofthe Dragon were always wielded by the Mirumoto,these unnamed swords were always quietly carried bythe Kami that secretly ruled the Dragon Clan. After atime, some shadow of Togashi's wisdom and aware-ness touched the blades. For a time, Hitomi carriedthem until they were stolen by Kokujin. After a brutalconfrontation in the Twilight Mountains, TogashiSats-u recovered his immortal grandfather's swordsand carries them to this day. It is important to notethat if the$e swords are wielded by anyone withoutmagical Dragon tattoos, they seemingly possess nomagical properties whatsoever.

1720 MSCHARICSTogashi's Daisho is composed of a +5 keen kaiarta and

a +£ keen uisftizasftt Whoever carries the swords can casttotnmunt with ehmtnh a number of times per day equalto his maximum Void as if he were a shugenja of histotal character level. In addition, merely carrying theblades grants a preternatural awareness of. one'ssurroundings, granting a +20 bonus to all Wisdom-based checks and initiative checks.

D10 /ilSCHARICSTogashi's Daisho is a pair of Legendary Quality

swords. The katana inflicts 3k2 damage and theivakizashi inflicts 2k2 damage. Both swords add threeto the wielder's Kenjutsu skill. Whoever carries theswords can cast Commune a number of times per dayequal to his Void Ring, as if he were a shugenja ofSchool Rank equal tohis Insight Rank in any tattooedschool. In addition, merely carrying the blades grantsa preternatural awareness of one's surroundings,granting two extra dice rolled and kept on any Percep-tion-related rolls or initiative rolls.

Like many members of his order, Togashi Satsu is friendly, gre-garious, and outgoing. He does not possess the dry sense ofhumor that defines many Togashi, however, and tends toapproach life with a gravity and seriousness that is atypical foran ise zumi. Perhaps this comes as no surprise, given hisresponsibilities and heritage. Togashi Satsu is the grandson ofthe Kami Togashi, son of the immortal Togashi Hoshi and themysterious wanderer, Eisai, He is, in many ways, the mosthuman figure to ever lead the Dragon Clan but his life is farfrom normal.

Since recovering his grandfather's swords from the maniacKokujin, Satsu has begun to discover some interesting truthsabout his family and the mystical tattoos they hear. Satsu is thereincarnation of Togashi himself, who gave his life against FuLeng on the Day of Thunder, The power to grant the mysticalTogashi tattoos now flows in his veins. Like his grandfather,Satsu possesses a limited ability to perceive the future, thoughlike Togashi he must be careful in how he acts to alter it. Themore he changes the future, the more imprecise his visionsbecome. Should he act to hastily to oppose a small danger,larger threats may go unnoticed before his vision becomesclear once more.

Though it has been a struggle for Satsu to adjust to his newpower, the voice of Togashi has guided him. During momentsof meditation he sometimes receives advice from the spirit ofTogashi deep within him. Satsu knows that he is young andinexperienced, but Togashi encourages him to view thesequalities as strengths rather than weaknesses.

During his long reign over the Dragon Clan, Togashi slowlybecame more and more detached from his people. He beganto view the Empire as a series of events rather than individu-als. IT was only during the Clan War that he began to realizethe worth of individual heroes once more. In Satsu, theDragon Clan have a human leader once more. While he pos-sesses the wisdom of a Kami when he needs it, he also has thesoul of a mortal, and can temper the Celestial Order's needswith human compassion.

Since discovering his destiny as Champion of the DragonClan, Satsu's power has slowly increased. The most dramaticability he has discovered this far is the ability to assume theshape of a minor celestial dragon. Though his father andgrandfather could assume a similar form at will, thus far Satsucan only take the Dragon form when his clan is in seriousdanger, and his dragon form is not as powerful as that of hispredecessors. As he grows in wisdom and experience, Satsu'sdragon form will no doubt increase in power, and otheraspects of his divine heritage will be revealed.

TOGASHI SATSUMale human Dragon Inkyo 14/Samurai 1: CR 17;Medium-size humanoid (human); HD l+d8+28 plus ldlO+2;hp 129; Init +3 (+23); Spd 30 ft; AC 16 (touch 15, flat-footed11); Alk unarmed strike +15/+10/+S melee, ld8+4 damage orTogssfii's Daisho +18/+13/+8 melee (katana), +18 melee fwak-LzasbO, ldlO+9 damage (katana), ldfi+7 damage (wakizashi);SQ, Ancestral Daisho, Class skill - Concentration (familybonus), Dragon Form (see sidtbar), Improved Void Use, Purity+4,Sereniry; Honor:4; ALLG; SVFort +18,Ref+19, Will+22;Str 1.8. Dex 16 (20), Con 14, Int 12, Wis 18 (22), Cha 14;Maximum Void: 11 (12); Height 5 ft. 8 in.

Dojo: Togashi Mountain; Kafa: None.

Skills and Feats: Speak Language (High Rokugani, Roku-gani), Climb +14, Concentration +20, Diplomacy +8, Jump+14, Knowledge (Arcana) +11, Knowledge (Shinrao) +11,Sense Motive +34), Spot +28, Tumble +20, Wilderness Lore+38; Depths of the Void (x3), Flee the Darkness, ImprovedUnarmed Strike, Let Him Go By, Power Attack, Self/ No Self,The River Sword, Tattoos (Cloud, Dragon, Ocean, Pine), VoidUse, Way of the Dragon,

Possessions; kakama ofreiistance +5, netsuke of natural armor +1,obi of wisdom +4, scmdah of dexterity +fy, Togashi's Daisho (uniqueitem, see sidebar).

SATSUEarth: 4fire: 4Water: 3Air: 3Void: J (6)School/Rank: Togashi Ise Zumi 5Dojo: Togashi MountainKata: NoneTattoos: Arrowroot, Cloud, Dragon, Ocean, Pine.Honor: 4.1Glory: 8.0Advantages: Dragon Form, Great Destiny, Hands of Stone,

Inner Gift (precognirive), Social Position (DragonChampion), True Friend (Togashi Mitsu)

Disadvantages: Dark Fate, Haunted (Togashi), Nemesis(KokuJLn), Soft-Heartec£

Skills: Athletics 4, Courtier 4, Craft (tattooing) 4, Etiquette 4,Hand-to-Hand 6, Hunting 4, Kenjutsu 5, Lore (shugenja) 5,Meditation 6, Nazodo 7, Shintao 5, Stealth 3.

HOSHI U/AVAR

Wayan has never known any other life than that of a monk. Asan infant, his mother abandoned him at a small temple inDragon lands. The monks took pity on him and raised him asone of their own. The boy was a quick study, mastering theorder's martial an techniques as easily as he comprehendedthe Tao's deepest secrets. The elder members of the Brother-hood believe that Wayan reached enlightenment at the age ofseventeen, an unprecedented accomplishment.

Ironically, though the subtleties of Shintao never escapedhim, Wayan's own life remained a mystery. He never knewwho his parents were or why he had been left behind. Thoughhe felt a great contentment and serenity among the Brother-hood, he knew that his true destiny lay elsewhere. Wayan wasnot unduly concerned about his origins — if his parentswished to remain anonymous likely they did so for goodreason. Rather, he sought definition and purpose. Without thepast to guide him, it was his responsibility to create a mean-ingful future.

Wayan's opportunity came shortly after the Day of Thunder.When Togashi died, the Dragon Thunder, Hitomi, steppedinto a position of leadership over her clan. Togashi's son, thereclusive Togashi Hoshi, did nothing to challenge Hitomi. Intime, acting on the advice of the villainous Kokujin, Hitomibegan purging the clan of all those who did not swear loyaltyto her, including any members of the Order ofTogashi whodid not rake the Hitomi name. Togashi Hoshi led a massexodus of many surviving Togashi, seeking refuge in the tem-ples of Shinsei. When Hoshi revealed his intent to begin a

SATSU'S naAGQR FO^TilJust like his father and grandfather, Satsu is able to

assume the form of a true dragon. At the moment, histransformation abilities are limited. He can onlyassume dragon form whenever the Dragon Clan isthreatened in a direct manner.

1720 mSCHARICSMale dragon: CR17; Huge dragon; HD18dl2+90;

hp280; Init+5, Spd200fLfly<peirfe«); AC26(touchl2,flat-footed 21); Atk 2 daws +24 Jnelee, ldS+10 damage,bite +22 melee, ld6+5 damage; SA breathe fire 3/day —100 ft cone, 10d6 damage Reflex half (DC 20);SQ Class skill - Concentration (family bonus), HumanEbrm (s« sidebar), Improved Void Use, Purity +4, Serenity;Honor:4; AL1G; SVFort +16,Ref +16,Will+17; StrJO,Dex 20, Con 20, Int 12, Wis 22, Cha 14; Maximum Void:II (12); Height 30 ft. long.

Dojs>:Togasbi Mountain; Kafd.'None.Skills and Feats: Speak Language (High Kokugani,

Rokngani), Climb +20, Concentration +17, Diplomacy+8, Jump +20, Knowledge (Arcana) +11, Knowledge(Shintao^ +11, Sense Motive +14, Spot +8, Tumble +20,Wilderness lore +18; Depths of the Void (x3), Flee theDarkness, Improved Unarmed Strike, le t Hint Go By,Multiattack, Power Attack, Self / No Self, The RiverSword, Tattoos (Cloud, Dragon, Ocean, Pine), Void Use,Way of the Dragon.

Note: In dragon form, Satsu retains his skills, feats,and all the abilities of a 14th level inkyo.

010 MECHANICSEarth: 5Fire:5Water: 6Air: 3Void: 7School/Rank: Togashi Ise Zumi 5Dojo: Togashi MountainKata: NoneTattoos: Arrowroot, Cloud, Dragon, Ocean, Pine.Honor: 4.1Glory: 8.0Advantages: Human Form, Great Destiny, Hands of

Stone, inner Gift (precognitive), Social Position(Dragon Champion), True Friend (Togashi Mitsu)

Disadvantages: Dark Fate, Haunted (Togashi),Nemesis (Kokujin), Soft-Hearted

Skills: Athletics 4, Courtier 4, Craft (tattooing) 4,Etiquette 4, Hand-to-Hand 6, Hunting 4, Kenjutsu S,lore (shugenja) 5, Meditation 6, Nazodo 7, Shintao 5,Stealth 3.Special Abilities:

Claws: In dragon form, Satsu's claws inflict 8k3damage (this already includes his Strength).

Fire Breath: Three times per day Satsu can breathfire, inflicting 6k6 damage in a cone 100 ft. long andwide. Those within the blast area can make a Reflexesroll vs. TN 20 to reduce the damage by half.

Flight: In dtragon form, Satsu can fly at double hisnormal running speed.

Scales: Satsu's scales grant him a Carapace of 7.

'

:

new order of tattooed men, one intended to restore balance tothe Dragon Clan, Wayan was among the first to volunteer.

The Order of lloshi has generally looked upon Wayan astheir de facto leader, second only to Lord Hoshi himself. Evenin his youth, older monks deferred to Wayan's quiet wisdom.In all the years lie has led the Hoshi, he has only allowedanger and emotion to dull his judgment in one instance.Unfortunately, that instance involves one of the Dragon Clan'smost enduring foes — Kokujin.

In Wayan's minci, Kokujin is the living embodiment ofmadness. He represents all the dangers of false enlighten-ment. Even more dangerous is Kokujin's tendency to infectothets with his philosophy, seducing them towards paths ofambition and power rather than true enlightenment. Wayanhas long felt that Kokujin is the single greatest threat to theDragon Clan, if not the Empire as a whole. Wayan has huntedKokujin several times with no success. Several of his formerstudents have sought to destroy the corrupted kikage zumi onWayan's behalf, only to die in doing so or become Kokujin'sdisciples.

Each failure weighs heavily upon Wayans soul. In recentyears, Wayan has grown to truly hate Kokujin. This hatredunraveled Wayan's once keen focus and understanding of theelements. Though he is still a wise and powerful monk, he isno longer [he enlightened soul he once was, The irony that, insome small manner, Kokujin's madness has robbed Wayan ofhis surreal understanding of the universe is not lost on the oldmonk. Wayan has come to accept that his soul has no placeamong the enlightened masters in Yomi, and is perfectlywilling to accept that fact so long as he lives to see the daywhen Kokujin is finally destroyed.

HOSHI U/AVATlMale Human Ronin Inkyo 20: CR 20; Medium-sizehumanoid (human); HD 20d8-i-100; hp 214; Init +9; Spd 30 ft.;AC 23 (touch 15, flat-footed 18); Atk unarmed strike+21/+L 6/+11 melee, ldl2+l damage or+J bo staff of disruption+21/+16/+11 melee, ld8+l damage plus disruption vs.undead; SQ Class skill—- Knowledge (Shintao) (familybonus), Improved Void Use, Superior Void Use, Purity +6,Serenity; Honor: 2; A l NG; SV Fort +22, Ref +22, Will +23;Sir 12, Dex 15 (21), Con 14 (20), Int 18, Wis 22, Cha 16; Maxi-mum Void: 11; Height 5 ft. 8 in.

Dojo;Togasbi Mountain; Katur None.Skills and I'eats: Speak language (High Rokugani,

Rokugani), Climb +16, Concentration +25, Diplomacy +14,Hide + 17, Jump +15, Knowledge (Fortunes) +19, Knowledge(Shintao) +27, Move Silently +17, Search +19, Spot +28,Tumble +25; Depths of the Void (x3), Improved Initiative,Improved Unarmed Strike, Ryoku, Self/No Self, Soul of theFour Winds. Spirit Strike (x2), Tattoos (Bat, Centipede,Chrysanthemum, l ion Monkey), Void Use, Weapon Finesse(unarmed strike), Weapon Focus (unarmed strike),

Possessions: +S ashigaru armor, +5 bo staff of disruption, bracers ofdexterity +(>, haon nf resistance +5, obi of health +6.

HOSHI U/AVAflEarth: 5Fire: 5Water: 5Air: 5Void: &School/Rank: Seven Fortunes Monk 4/Order of Hoshi 4Doj o: None

Kata: NoneTattoos: Bat Centipede, Chrysanthemum, lion.Kiho: Ai Uchi, Boundless Depths of Water, Breaking Blow,

Chi Protection, Cleansing Spirit, Kuzushi, Ryoku, Self NoSelf, Soul of the Four Winds, Way of the Willow.

Honor: 2.6Glory: 2.0Advantages: Ally (Togashi Satsu), Brink of Enlightenment,

Hands of Stone, Way of the Land (Dragon territory).Disadvantages: Ascetic, Driven (destroy Kokujin), Old,

Sworn Enemy (Kokujin).Skills: Atemi 6, Athletics 6, Courtier 4, Hand to Hand 7,

History 6, Lore (Fortunes) 6, Meditation 7, Mountaineer 5,Shintao 8, Stealth 5.

TH^SS

/TISCHARICS

Ancestors are a peculiarity among the Three Orders. Whiletattooed monks do honor their ancestors, and there are a fewdistinct continuing bloodlines within the order, formermembers of this order seldom return from Yomi to assist theirdescendants. Some have theorized that this is because thetattooed monks serve a higher purpose in the celestial realmsbeyond, and thus do not have time to aid their mortalbrethren. Others believe that the tattooed shiryo already helptheir descendants, explaining in part the extraordinary mysti-cal power of their tattoos,

As is typical of their order, the tattooed monks neither con-firm nor deny any of these theories, but simply laugh.

THS-mass

For the most part, tattooed men from each of the three ordersare similar. However, there are a number of philosophicaldifferences that cause them to manifest their powers in differ-ent ways. Though the tattooed monk rules in Way of theDragon, Oriental Adventures and Rokugan can still be usedfor any of the Three Orders, the following schools and optionsoffer greater customization of tattoo abilities.

The Three Orders function effectively as a dojo, grantingcertain special bonuses to their members,

(Note: Though the Tattooed monk school in Way ofthe Dragon was originally presented as an ise zumi school, itsstatistics apply to all ise zumi, tsurai zumi, and kikage zumi.The following dojo benefits now define the ise zumi's uniqueabilities.)

DOTO OFTH£

Classes: Monk, Inkyo, Tattooed Monk (prestige)

Schools: Tattooed monk

A member of the three orders must select a specific orderdepending on his family, either ise zumi (Togashi), kikagezumi (Hitomi), or tsurai zumi (Hoshi). Once selected, thisOrder may never change.

Sa OF TOGASHICISE ZUMI)SOCIAL BET15FIT

The Order of Togashi are known for being amiable, if occa-sionally incomprehensible traveling philosophers. They arehelpful and courteous, and though others often misunder-stand their motives they have little trouble winning otbersover in the end with their bravery, courtesy, and good humor.

Benefit: Once per day the ise zumi must pick one of thefollowing skills — Diplomacy, Sense Motive, or Spoi.He gains a +4 bonus to the chosen skill, and gains a -4penalty to the other two until the next day.

Benefit: Once per day the ise zumi must pick one ofthe following skills -— Courtier, Investigation/Nazodo,or Sincerity. He gains two free raises to the chosen skill,and a +10 TN penalry to the other two until the next day.

Benefit: A tsurai zumi may add his Void to all Courtier,Diplomacy, and Etiquette totals. They have a +10 TNpenalty to all Intimidate checks.

TSA1JUIKJ B5FV5FITTsurai zumi are calm, focused, and unflappable in a crisis.

Benefit; A tsurai zumi may spend a Void Point to add hismaximum Void to any Concentration check. Tsurai zumihave no exclusive tattoos of their own, but may insteadchoose one of their tattoos from among the exclusive isezumi or kikage zumi tattoos in this book.

Benefit: A tsurai zumi may spend Void Points on Medi-tation skill rolls. (Normally Void Points may not be usedfor this skill.) Tsurai zumi have no exclusive tattoos oftheir own, but may instead choose one of their tattoosfrom among the exclusive ise zumi or kikage zumi tat-toos in this book.

TATTOO MAGICAs noted in Rokugan, monks and inkyo from the

dragon clan can gain tattoos as if they were kibo feats.However, the character must select the Void Use featbefore choosing any tattoos, and may not have moretattoos than his maximum Void Points. The levelrequirements (of those tattoos whLch have them)become character level requirements for monks andinkyo, and are increased by five.

Ise zumi possess a keenly focused will, allowing them to drawupon vast reserves of inner strength.

Benefit: If the ise zumi has less tattoos than the totalVoid Points granted by the Void Use and Depths of theVoid Feats, he gains an additional Void Point per day.He may have a maximum number of tattoos equal to bismaximum Void granted by Void Use and Depths of theVoid plus one. He may have access to the exclusiveise zumi tattoos described in this book.

Benefit: If the ise zumi has less tattoos than his VoidRing, he gains an additional Void Point per day. He mayhave a maxim urn number of tattoos equal to his maxi-mum Void plus one. He may have access to the exclusiveise zumi tattoos described in this book.

Oat7S* OF HOSHI(TSURAI ZUMI)

SOCIAL B5R5FITThe Order of Hoshi are peaceful, meditative, and diplomatic.They are adept at sensing the problems of others, though theycan sometimes be too cautious and submissive in confronta-tions.

Benefit: A tsurai zumi may use his Wisdom modifier (ifhigher) instead of Charisma on all Diplomacy rolls. Inturn, he must use his lowest ability modifier on anyIntimidate rolls.

OF HITOMIZUMI)

SOCIAL BSRSFITThe Order of Hitomi are fearsome, brutal warriors. Theyradiate violence and are menacing, otten when they mean notrue harm.

Benefit: A kikage zumi may add his maximum VoidPoints to all Intimidate rolls. However, any Diplomacychecks he makes are automatically Intimidate rolls(possibly drawing an unfavorable reaction from thetarget).

Benefit: A kikage zumi receives free Raises equal to hisVoid on all Intimidation rolls. However, any other socialskill rolls are automatically Intimidate rolls (possiblydrawing an unfavorable reaction from the target).

BST15FITKik;ige zumi are tough and powerful, able to use their greatstrength to its best advantage.

Benefit: A kikage zumi may gain one and one half timeshis strength damage on unarmed attacks if he has noitems in either hand. He may have access to the exclusivekikage zumi tattoos described in this book.

Benefit; A kikage zumi may make a number of Raisesequal to his Void plus one on all unarmed attacks so longas he has no items in hand. He may have access to theexclusive kikage zumi tattoos described in this book.

RSU TATTOOS

THE UOII7This tattoo is represented by an inky black kanji, symbolizingthe Void. The tattoo is imbued with the essence of the Void,greatly enhancing the senses of its wearer.

At!

T H

The following tattoos may be chosen as special tattooabilities by the Tattooed Monk prestige class fromOriental Adventures, or they may be selected as kihofeats by any Dragon Clan monk or inkyo (includingHoshi characters who do not consider themselves to beDragon). If taken as kiho feats, the characrer mustpossess the Void Use feat, and his total Void must beequal to or greater than his total number of tattoos.

The new tattoos in this book may be selected by anymember of the tattooed monk school presented in Wayof the Dragon. Kikage zumi and ise zumi tattoos mayonly be selected by characters from the appropriate dojoof their Order.

AGLEThe eagle is the master of the sky, and though the is,e zumicannot truly fly, he comes close.

Effect: You can spend one Void Point tGgaiaa+30bioniiEto all Jump checks. This bonus lasts for five minutes.

Effect: The tattooed monk can spend one Void Joint togain prodigious leaping abilities. The monk can leap anumber of feet equal to his Water x 15 with a runningstart, half that from a standing start or straight up. He canfall up to his maximum jumping distance and take nodamage, so long as he makes an Agility roll vs.TN 15.

SUFI TATTOODarkness abhors the light, Likewise, many (minions ofFu Leng loathe and fear the bright light of the sun.

Effect: Any time the tattooed monk spends a Void Point,for any reason, he gains a +2 bonus on all Listen, Search,Sense Motive, and Spor checks for the next ten minutes.Spending multiple Void in this manner is cumulative.The tattooed monk can spend the Void to increase theresult of a Listen, Search, Sense Motive, or Spot checkand gain this bonus on the same roll. Spending multipleVoid in this manner is cumulative. If the tattooed monkspends four Void Points at once specifically for thispurpose, he can see and hear through all non-magicaldarkness and obstruction for one hour. (He does not gainthe normal Free Raises if using this ability to perceive hisenvironment when otherwise completely blinded ordeafened.) After this tattoo wears off, the shock of havingone's senses contained within one's own body can beintense. For five minutes after the tattoo's effects fade, thetattooed monk suffers a -2 penalty to all rolls related toperceiving his environment. Like the bonus, this penaltyis also cumulative for each time the tattoo is used.

Effect: Any time the tattooed monk spends a Void Point,for any reason, he gains a Free Raise on all Perception andAwareness rolls related to perceiving his environmentfor ten minutes. Spending multiple Void in this manneris cumulative. If the tattooed monk spends four VoidPoints at once specifically for this purpose, he can seeand hear through all non-magical darkness and obstruc-tion for one hour. (He does not gain the normal FreeRaises if using this ability to perceive his environmentwhen otherwise completely blinded or deafened.)

After this tattoo wears off, the shock of having one'ssenses contained within one's own body can be intense.For five minutes after the tattoo's effects fade, thetattooed monk suffers a +10TN penalty to all rolls relatedto perceiving his environment. Like the bonus, thispenalty is also cumulative for each time the tattoo is used.

Effect: Once per day, you may invoke the power of thistattoo, A brilliant burst of sunlight erupts from the tattoo.All Tainted creatures within a radius equal to 5 ft. percharacter level are affected as by spell blindness as if castby a shugenja of equal character level. Furthermore, allTainted creatures within the area of effect must make aFortitude save [DC 15+the tattooed monk's maximumVoid Points) or be Stunned for one round. This tattoo onlyfunctions during daylight hours.

Effect: Once per day, the tattooed monk may invoke thepower of this tattoo. A brilliant burst of sunlight eruptsfrom the tattoo. All Tainted creatures within a radiusequal to 20 ft. per School Rank must make a Reflexes roll(TN School Rank X 10) or be blinded for 2k2 rounds.Furthermore, all Tainted creatures within the area ofeffect must make an £arth roll vs. the tattooed monk'sVoid x 5 or be stunned for one round, unable to performtheir next action.

The Sun's power exists only during the day. It mustrelinquish its power to darkness when the day is gone,The tattoo only functions during daylight hours, fromsunrise until sunset.

WOLFThe wolf is an expert tracker, with a sharp sense of smell.The tattooed monk can emulate this extraordinary abiliry.

Effect; The monk gains the Scent feat. However, hissharp sense of smell causes him to suffer a -4 penally onall saves vs. stinking cloud and other such effects whichtarget one's sense of smell,

Effect: The tattooed monk gains free Raises equal to hisInsight Rank on all Perception rolls which involve smell.In addition, he can make a Perception roll vs. TN 20 totrack a target by scent (the GM should increase ordecrease this TN accordingly for time, weather condi-tions and other factors). However, his sharp sense ofsmell makes him sensitive, imposing a +10 TN on anyroll vs. an effect which targets one's sense of smell

ISS ZV/illTATTOOS

The Togashi order is by far the most enigmatic of the Dragonorders. The stereotypical ise zumi of legend is equal parts sageand lunatic. Members of this order tend to manifest tattoosthat enhance the monk's natural abilities to superhumanlevels.

CATThe cat is an omen of wealth, comfort and good fortune inRokugan, and is common among such wealthy families as theDoji and Otomo. The cat's warm personality and sociability isshared, by those who share its image.

Effect: Once pet day per tattoo he possesses, the tattooedmonk may add the number of tattoos he possesses as anenhancement bonus to his Charisma score. Thisenhancement lasts for one hour.

Effect: Once per day, the ise zumi gains Free Raises equalto the number of tattoos he possesses on all Courtier,Etiquette, and Sincerity rolls for one hour,

7ARTHE*The deepest jungle recesses on the Islands of Silk and Spiceare home to the panther, a creature of preternatural speed andstealth. These sleek jungle cats blend effortlessly into theshadows, stalking their prey and striking from darkness. Isezumi who bear the panther's likeness share the animal'suncanny knack for stealth and silence.

Effect: Once per day per number of tattoos he possesses,the tattooed monk may cast chameleon (tee OrientalAdventures™ pags 98) as per the spell of the same name.The monk's tattooed monk level is considered to be hiscaster level.

Effect: The ise zumi gains an additional three dice for allStealth rolls. Ise zumi using the Panther tattoo mayignore all normal Honor losses for using Stealth.

I/IRSThe vine is nature's most resilient planti quickly overcomingany damage done to it and thriving in even the most inhos-pitable environments. The vine's power allows an ise zumi torecover from damage quickly, and cart even allow him toextend the plant's resiliency to others.

Effect: Once per day, the tattooed monk may cast regen-erate as per the spell of the same name. His caster level isequal to his tattooed monk level. Minimum level: 10th

Effect: The ise zumi may regrow lost limbs andappendages, just as the vital vine recovers from damage.The ise zumi heals one Wound every minute. To regrow alost limb requires twenty-four hours of meditation toregrow a lost limb, after which time the limb is sore andineffective for a week (the ige zumi gains the PermanentInjury disadvantage during this time).

WHITEThe white dragon is a depiction of a figure from Rokugan'scosmology called the Frost Dragon, a minor manifestation ofthe great Water Dragon and the wrathful aspect of Inari, For-tune of Rice. Farmers make offers to the Frost Dragon in thespring to prevent kte frosts that can kill crops and severelyimpact a village's ability to produce food. Those who bear awhite dragon are able to call upon the Frost Dragon's power,although there is always a price for doing so.

Effect: By spending two Void Points, the tattooed monkcan use cone of cold as per the spell of the same name. Thishlast is issued from the mouth, and may not be used if themouth is obstructed or blocked in some way. The monk'scaster level is considered to be his tattooed monk level.Minimum level: 10th

After using this tattoo, the ise zumi's initiative checkssuffet a -8 penalty for one hour as his body is chilledwith numbing cold.

Effect: The ise zumi may spend two Void Points tosummon the Frost Dragon's power, issuing a great blast ofcold from their mouth exactly as the tattoo's namesake.The ise zumi rolls a number of damage dice equal to hisInsight Rank plus two, keeping a number equal to theirInsight Rank, and sinking a number of targets withinthirty feet equal to the ise zumi's insight tank.

The ise zumi's Initiative rolls are reduced by one rolleddie for one hour every time this tattoo is used as his bodyis filled with numbing cold.

TATTOOS

AUALARCHSWhen the earth is at rest, it is a peaceful and tranquil force ofnature. However, when forced into movement, they cannot bestopped. Travelers, caravans, and even large villages have allbeen lost in the Dragon mountains due to avalanches, and theHitomi have quickly learned to respect and emulate theirpower.

Effect: By spending two Void Points, the kikage zumican gain a sacred bonus to his Strength, increasing it byfour for a number of rounds equal to his Constittttionmodifier. After this time, the kikage zumi becomesfatigued for the duration of the encounter.

Effect: The kikage zumi may spend two Void Points toincrease his Strength by two for a number of roundsequal to his Earth. After this time, the kikage zumibecomes exhausted, suffering a +5 TK penalty to all rollsuntil he rests for at least twenty minutes.

BLAZEThough the kikage zumi are the agents of Lady Moon, they arenot unfamiliar with the destructive nature of the blazing sunand its fire. The Hitomi monk with the nature of fire in hissoul often receives the tattoo ofthe blaze instead of that of thedragon. Most often, this tattoo is depicted by a swirling and

A »

crawling fire that starts at the fists of the tattooed monk andbums up his arms. Those who have seen the kikage zumiangry notice that the flames of the tattoo writhe and crawlhigher as the Dragon enters a fray.

Effect: A number of times per day equal to the tattoosthis character possesses, the tattooed monk may activatethe blaze tattoo after making a successful unarmed strike.If he does so, the attack gains the properties of a+2 flam-ing hurst weapon, stacking with any other enhance-ments.

Effect: When the tattooed monk makes a successfulunarmed attack against an opponent, he may activate thistattoo. The blaze tattoo draws out the kikage zumi's innerfire and creates a burst of flame that deals XkX damage tothe opponent, whece X is the Dragons Fire Ring. Thistattoo may only be used a number of times pet day equalto the number of tattoos the kikage zumi possesses.

BOREThis Blessing of Hitomi manifests itself as a tattoo of purewhite skeletal bone somewhere on the tattooed monk's body.Most often, this is seen as a skeletal spine and ribcage, or evena skull painted on their face. In the most disturbing cases, theentire kikage zumi's body is adorned with art of their ownskeleton.

This tattoo grants a bizarre mastery of the undead. TheHitomi often use this to turn undead against controllingmaho tsukai, or to repel undead attacks. The Hitotni are care-ful not to keep the undead they control, for to do so risksbeing seduced by the Shadowlands' dark power.

Effect: A number of times per day equal to his Charismamodifier (minimum once), the tattooed monk mayrebuke or control undead as if he were an evil cleric offour levels lower than his character level. This does notgran! any other form of channeling negative energy, andmay never be used to bolster undead or dispel anotherturning. The tattooed monk may only command oneundead creature at a time, unless the creatures are com-pletely mindless such as skeletons and zombies,

Effect: A number of times per day equal to the kikagezumi's Void Ring, he may attempt to command a numberof undead creatures equal to his Willpower trait. Thecommand must be simple, and will only be followed forthe course of a minute. The tattooed monk may alsoattempt to control a more powerful undead (ones with asense of self preservation or identity), but must make anopposed roll, comparing the kikage zumi's Void againstthe undead's Taint, and may only command one suchzombie or skeleton at a time.

THE TAMASHIIFor each of the Kami, the fall to the mortal realm affected theirimmortality in a unique manner. Some, like Shinjo, neveraged at all. Others, like Akodo and Hida, aged as mortals doalbeit at a greatly reduced rate. Shiba was able to transporthimself from body to body, becoming an eternally wanderingspirit. Ryoshun simply died. For Togashi, immortalityrequired a great deal more effort. Though Togashi knew that

one of the Kami would need to remain to guide the mortalsagainst J?u leng when he returned, his body soon grew old.He found a process by which he could extend his soul intoothers, preparing a vessel by infusing its body with mystic tat-toos created from his blood, but could not bring himself to doit at first as the process caused the death of (he body's formeroccupant.

In time, a brave ise zumi discovered the truth aboutTogashi's immortality and volunteered to be his lord's newvessel. Yoktini was greatly moved by the man's sacrifice, andagreed, realizing that the Empire's need for his guidance was,sadly, greater than that of a single ise zumi.

Throughout the ages, Togashi found that once a generation,an ise zumi would step forward who was prepared to give uphis life for the future of the Dragon. These individuals alwayspossessed greater control of the tattoo magic than any others.These individuals, mortals with the capacity to contain theessence of a god, were called the tamashii

After Yokuni's death, tamashii continue to exist. The darktattooed monk, Kokujin, is a renegade tamashii as is the leg-endary Togashi Mitsu. Mitsu's current student, Matsuo, isanother tamashii, bom well after Yokuni's death. The fact thattamashii continue to exist even though Yokuni perished andno longer requires their aid is a mystery to all.

TA/ilASHIISSCSST WHO FSATI

You possess a unique and powerful soul, able to host the powerof immortals.

Prerequisite: Wis 13+, Void Use.Benefit: You use any tattoo's level based effects as if you

were two levels higher. Any time you spend a Void Point toincrease the result of a roll, skill, or check you gain an addi-tional +1 Void bonus.

You are also a satisfactory host for the soul of the KamiTogashi, and possibly other powerful spirits.Note: This feat may only be taken by humans, and only at firstlevel.

TA7RASHIICREW ADI/ARTAGH)(10 70IRTS)

Any Trait, Ring, or Rank based effect of your tattoos takeseffect as if your Trait, Ring, or Rank were one higher. When-ever you spend Void Points to increase a roll, you gain a +2bonus to the roll.

You are also a satisfactory host for the soul of the KamiTogashi, and possibly other powerful spirits.

7J-AVIRG A TA/anSHIIIn the canon L5R continuity there are only three

known Tamashii — Kokujin, Mitsu, and Matsuo.However, for the purposes of your own game you maywish there to be more, possibly even a tamashii playercharacter, por this reason, the statistics for tamnsliiiare presented here so that you might create your own.Tamashii are quite rare and very powerful, and shouldonly ever be created with the GM's permission.

CHAPTER

•mwr-

Hidden deep in the rnotihtains of Dragon ckn territory fcyan innocuous looking cave. Its location i1; re-mote and difiT-cult to reach. Unti! recently, there Wfe-iBOlhi.ng witliilV'dSe'-cave ai interest except -die entran ce .ft|SjW3fllI zokujin set-tlement. But then the zolcujin sentiment It ad the rriisfor-mne of being in the WTOng place when the previous DarkOracle of Fire, Agasha Tainori, chose this particular moun-tain for his lair. Untold horrors were instigated from theboiling depths oi these caverns as the Dark Qrs.cJji perpe-trated his sinister designs agifinst tbe Dragonimd iphoenixclans. The Dark Oracle is gone now, bu: t.heTEatiyfisf vestigesof his:presence remain, th'e deep, rnftfetj-caverns of.hisdoirtain, the echoes of his power, and his evil minions.

S Z0KVJHIThe Zesh tribe of zokujin lives here in the same cavernsthey have-always occupied. They have been, scorched andsoarred by the Dajk Qra'tle's presence, bui they survive.They are aware oitlie evil that remains below, arid :nowserve as ij$ custodians, prevenring.it; froin escaping to:(hesurface, 1'hey-know that this evil-must-be stamped out like a1

stubborn ember, bwt such .powerful evil .cannot bedestroyed easily. They know that its embers will remain fora long time, but in the meantime, it cannot be allowed tospread, It must be eoptayied lor as loiig as necessary. Butthe 86.kti.tin are a lori|.Ji^edrace. Decades are nothing to.being? thai live iw centimes and spt-ak to the soul of the

yfii The Zesh tribe knows that theve arghmnans above who[Iftight wjs];B,(oi,t,ake advantage (jf^pj^ower that reiSains

here, an^'i-fi^'^nnot allow it. Th^y"remember the searingelemental Esi^ofihe Dark Oracle as it tore through their:

mountains, Tlve power of the elemental terrors that serveijSim still lurks in the fiery deptfeof the Oracle's former lair.Only now are the zokujin?beginning to recover frorn thehorror of the Dark Oracle $p:<& :they look forward to the daywh fi the fires down beloU* Snally go out; Because of theirleys, that the I>ssj;k. Oracle's evil might Be released orespteited, the^ 3fi|j^luerant to allow anyone to pass beyondtheir settlemeiru itiio l ie depth* below. Because of theenslavement of oiK'er zokujin tribes by the Lion thii, theyare immediately unfriendly to a«y membey,o|S^e Lionclan, though not violent.unless provoked.

Qne'ofthe leaders of the Zesk-.ftifce is the shaman calledKjgfcti He aided Taraori Shairung and Isawa Nakamttrp intheirjBght against the i)ark Oracle, and now he is tEeaoku-jinjrtxharge of making- sure that the Tainted, evil below iseradicated, or at least contained. He has had,good dealingswith both the Dragon and Phoenix clans, but he remembersthai IKiilors from those clans unleashed the Dark Ojracle inr.he first.piace. Me i.s wary, but lair widi humans. &Hniem-b t t b defer to his wisdom, even thoLigh he is not

ly in charge.

Meftain oi the iribe is an ancient-zokujin namedp i . He is - |0^^jfof .h is ancient wisdom, but he is

already far olafcfeiHny. zokujin alive. He clairos that hewas a hatchling wtieqjtli? Kami fell from the.Heavens andcreated the world of human beings. He has seen so manyyears, however, that bis memory fails him at times. Because

of his frailty, the tribe protects him fiercely, but there is stillsome vigor in his millennia-old bones. He sees Kjgkt as a wiseleader in his own tight, and often defers to his judgment.Full statistics for the zokujin race can be found in Creatures ofRokugan (dlO System) and fortunes and WWs (L5R 2nd Ed.).

TGKT, ZOltUTIR SHA/TIARZokujin Dru id 10: CR 13; Medium-Size MonstrousHumanoid (Earth, reptilian"); HD 10d8 + 30 plus 4d8 + 12; hp105; Init +0; Spd 20 ft., burrow 10 ft.; AC 21 (touch 10, flat-footed 21); Atk 2 claws +11/+6 melee (ltU+4); SQDarkvision120 ft., Earth Brotherhood (sculpt metal or stone as if it wereclay, metal or stone armor provides no armor bonus to AC ifusing unarmed attack), Resistances (DR 10 vs. fire, cold, elec-tricity), Tremorsense 30 ft., Nature Sense, Animal Companion(small lizard), Woodland Stride, Trackless Step, Resist Nature'sLure, Wild Shape (4/day), Venom Immunity, Spells; AL LN;Honor 1; SV Fort +11, Ref+6, Will +13; Str 18, Dex 10, Con 16,Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8; St. 5 ft., 5 in.

Spells per Day (6/5/5/4/3/2): base DC 15 + spell for Earthspells, 13 + spell level for other spells): 0-Level — create water,isted magic, flan, know direction, mending, read magic; 1st —change sel/, endure elements, hypnotism, magic fang, obscuring mist;2nd — delay poison, detect thoughts, flaming sphere, heat metal,laser restoration; 3rd — calllightning, greater magic fang, meld intostone, spike growth; 4th — dispel magic, scrying, spike stones; 5th —ice storm, transmute rock to mud.

Skills and Feats: Concentration +10, Craft (Stoneshaping)+10, Diplomacy +4, Heal +8, Intuit Direction +6, Knowledge(Shadowlands) +4, Knowledge (nature) +9, Listen +6, Scry +14,Search +6, Spellcraft +8, Spot +6, Swim +6, Wilderness Lore+8; Feats: Power Attack, Elemental Focus (Earth), Spell Focus(Divination), Sunder.

Earth: 5Water: 4Fire: 4Air: 5School/Rank: Shugenja 3Dojo: NoneHonor 1.0Rolls when Attacking: 7k4Rolls for Damage: 4k2 (bo), 4kl (beak or claws)TN to be Hit: 25Carapace: 8Wounds: 20: +5; 60: +10; 125; DeadSpells: (Spells marked with * are memorized) Elemental

Ward*, Fires from the Forge, Hands of Jurojin, Hands ofClay, Earth's Protection, Summon Fog, Secrets on the Wind,Nature's Touch, Evil Ward, The Tires That Cleanse*,Inferno's Tooth, Heart of the Inferno, Reflections of Pan Ku,Sympathetic Energies, Reflective Pool",

Skills: Bojutsu 7, Jiujutsu 7, Medicine 4, History 6, Lore (DarkOracles) 4.

Carapace: Only applies to stone and metal weapons.Stone Brotherhood: May shape solid stone as Lf it is clay.Underground Adaptation: Automatically sense location of

any creature within 100 ft. that is touching the ground. Cansee in total darkness.

Weapons: Bo.

lOCiUffl, ZOKUTITl CH1SFTAIRZokujin Warrior 10: Medium-Size Monstrous Humanoid(Earth, reptilian); CR 13; HD 10d8+10 plus 4d8 + 4; hp 77; Init- 1 (Dex); Spd 20 ft., burrow 10 ft.; AC 20 (9 Touch, 21 flat-footed); Atk 2 claws +13/+8 melee (ld4+4); SQDarkvision 120ft., Earth Brotherhood (sculpt metal or stone as if it were clay,metal or stone armor provides no armor bonus to AC if usingunarmed attack), Resistances (DR 10 vs. fire, cold, electricity),Tremorsense 30 ft., Spells;; AL LN; Honor 1; SV Fort +12, Ref+5, Will +6; Str 16, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 8. Ht: 5ft., 6 in.

Skills and Feats: Climb +11, Diplomacy +5, Intimidate +8,Intuit Direction +6, Jump +8, Listen +6, Search +6, Spot +6;Combat Reflexes, Leadership, Power Attack, Sunder.

KXiUJil, ZOKUTIR CHIEFTAIREarth: 3Water: 4Fire: 4Ait: 5School/Rank: Shugenja 3Dojo: NoneHonor: 1.0Rolls when Attacking: 7k4Rolls for Damage: 4kl (beak or claws)TN to he Hit: 25Carapace: 8Wounds: 12: +5; 36: +10; 75: DeadSkills: Jiujuisu 7, Medicine 2, History 7, Lore (Dark Oracles) 2,

Lore (zokujin) 7, Stealth 4, Climbing 5,Carapace: Only applies to stone and metal weapons.Stone Brotherhood: May shape solid stone as if it is clay.Underground Adaptation: Automatically sense location of

any creature within 100 ft. that is touching the ground. Cansee in total darkness.

THE TURR5J-S

1. SRT5AHCHThe entrance to the caverns is located near the summit of amountain. Reaching the entrance demands a grueling climbtip a treacherous, rocky slope. The climb can be accomplishedwithout special equipment, hut not without danger. Findingthe entrance is also difficult, since it lies within a natural cleftin the mountain tace and is obscured by a large fallen boulder.

Climbing the mountain requires a four Climb checks(DC 15) at various intervals during the ascent. Failingthis check means that the character loses his grip or foot-ing and falls down the jagged slope and takes ld6 hitpoints of damage.

Finding the entrance requires a Spot check (DC 20).

Climbing the Mountain requires a four Agility + Climbrolls (TN 15) at various intervals during the ascent. Fail-ing this check means that [he character loses his grip orfooting and falls down the jagged slope and takes ik lWounds.

Finding the entrance requires a Perception roll (TN

2. SRT*V TURRS1.This long, winding tunnel is smooth and well worn, but thefloor is covered with dust and grit. At about the midway pointof the passage are ten niches in the waUs, four on each side,two in the ceiling. Each niche hides one zokujin who guardsthe caverns from outsiders. These guards are not immediatelyhostile, but they will not willingly admit outsiders beyonddiis point without the permission of Kjgkt or one of the othertribal leaders. With the zokujiris ability to sense movement onthe rocks nearby, passing them undetected is all but impossi-ble. The guards have endless patience and will not attack untilthey have surmised an opponent's strengths and weaknesses.They are armed with spears.

3. CO/il/iU/RAL HAU.Carefully placed stones surround this large cavern, with alarge stalagmite in the center that has been flattened into aplatform roughly 10 ft. above the floor. Whenever the tribalchieftain or other elders wish to address the entire tribe, theydo so in this room, standing on the central pedestal. Thesmaller stones, all roughly 5 ft. high, are placed about threefeel from the cavern walls. On these smaller stones othermembers of the iribe can get up and speak their thoughtsduring a tribal conclave.

The ceiling of the cavern arches over 40 ft, above the cavernfloor and is covered with incredibly intricate shapes and pat-terns. They look somewhat like carvings or bas reliefs, but infact they have been sculpted into the naked, living stone. Thezokujin have the ability to shape stone as if ii were clay, sodiey have made this cavern the repository of the his-tory of their tribe. Unfortunately, the images andpatterns in [he stone are so abstract as to beincomprehensible to human intellect. A jzokujin sees the complete pictorial his- .tory and folklore of his tribe in brilliant -"'/>'idetail, but a human sees onlycountless intricate waves, pro-tuberances, and ripples.

U. UUIRO CHAMBERSThese chambers house the majority of the Zesh tribe. Thezokujin do not hold human concepts of space, privacy, orproperty, so they occupy these chambers in knots of smallfamily groups that shift and move around the chamber andfrom room to room. They eat, sleep, and do the rest of theireveryday business within these chambers. Within a givenchamber, 5-50 zokujin can be found, from young hatchlingsto wi2ened old lizards.

5. OUA*I7 CHAMBERThe guards in this chamber are seasoned warriors. No one isallowed beyond this chamber except zokujin unless eitherKjgkt or Kxrim accompanies them. There are six guards, allseasoned warriors armed with spears. Beyond this chamber isthe tribe's most sacred place, and the guards here defend itwith their lives.

6. EGO CHA/IIBE*Along the back wall of this cavern is a natural mineral spring.Water trickles from cracks in the walls into a large pool, aboutfour feet deep in the center. The air in the chamber is warmand moist, and wisps of steam rise from the mirror-like sur-face of the spring pool. Two female zokujin are always here,tending the precious contents of the spring pool. Lining thebottom of the pool are numerous pale eggs. The eggs are justunder 2 ft. long, oblong, with a soft, but firm leathery shells.The female nurses sometimes wade into the warm water to

move the eggs gently, turning them periodically.The females of the tribe, when their time

comes to lay their eggs, enter the egg chamber inthe midst of solemn ceremony given by their

family and elders of the tribe. The warmthof the water incubates the eggs, and ihe

I amphibious baby zokujin are hatched intothe mineral-rich pool. The hatching of theeggs begins another great ceremony as the

tribe welcomes the hatchlings,The Dark Oracle's minions burst

one wall of the chamber open severalmonths ago. The zofcujin fought tooth and

claw to beat back theTaimed incursion, andthey managed to save their eggs, but at greatcost to the lives of the adults. They have par-

tially reconstructed the cavern wall, butmuch of it still lies as pile of glassy slag-like stones.

7. COLLAPSEDCHAMBER

This cavern was once a living area, butthe Dark Oracle and his minions once vis-

ited it. One of the battles between TamoriShaitung and Dark Oracle's minions took

place here, and the elemental fury unleashed inthat confrontation brought down most of the ceil-

ing. This chamber is now avoided by the Zesh,because theTaint has corrupted the very earthof the mountain. To them, the earth and airtaste foul here, and there are no dark minionsto fight, thus, they leave it alone. The walls arescorched and blasted1, Large sections of stonewarped and sagging like melted wax.

AI

8. UM/S517 TUFUIELSThese winding, narrow runnels were dug by the elemenial ter-rors under the Dark Oracle's control. The walls of the runnellook like blackened, solidified stone, as if these tunnels weteonce lava tubes. The zokujin shun these tunnels because ofwhat created them. The zokujin have a tremendous reverencefor the earth, and they view these tunnels as festering woundsin the bosom of the earth. Someday, they plan to help theearth heal, hut they must wait until rheTainted fires diminish.

9. C*HUASSSThe passageway here is cut directly across by a 20 ft. widecrevasse. The bottom of the crevasse is not visible. The sides ofthe chasm are rough, with plenty of handholds, making climb-ing relatively easy but still dangerous. One mistake will send aclimber plummeting into the black confines towards certaindeath. The bottom of the chasm lies ISO ft. below, and belowthat are several sets of human remains. Most of them are shat-tered skeletons, some are scorched and blackened. The zoku-jin view this crevasse as a son of natural boundary to the areasonce claimed by the Dark Oracle. They are reluctant to crossthis crevasse, as they are reluctant to let cross anyone theyconsider to be friends. They also know that the Dark Oracle'sminions often lurk just on the other side of the crevasse,

10. LESSEE GUAXDIARSThis passageway is guarded by a swarm of 2-10 Moetechi noKansen, lesser Elemental Terrors of Fire. Until someonepasses, they hide in cracks in the stone walls, looking likesmall flames embedded in the naked stone. They are wary ofzokujin incursions, and keep a vigilant watch. As far as theyare concerned, their master, Agasha Tamori, will be comingback any time. They are quite content to guard [his passage-way until the end of days.

noOF

Small Elemental (Fire, Oni, Incorporeal, Shadowlands):CR 3; HD 5d8+5; hp 27; Init +7 (Dex); Spd +G ft., fly 40 ft,(good); AC 18 (lSTouch, I i flat-footed); Alk incorporeal touch+11 melee (ld6 fire plus burn); SA burning touch; SQEle-mental terror qualities, damage reduction 10/+1 (jade), incor-poreal, control flame, fire body, fire subtype, create spawn,combine; AL C£; Honor 0; SV Fort +2, Kef +11, Will +1; Str -,Dex 24, Con 13, Int S. Wi$ 10, Cha 10,Tainr 6.

Skilh and Ffots: Listen +8, Search +8, Spot +7; WeaponFinesse (touch). {See Creatures of Rohigtm for full details on abili-ties.)

no ,J.SSSS5 TSaaO* OF FIXE

Earth: 2Fire:4Water: 2Air: 2Rolls When Attacking: 3k3Rolls For Damage: 3k2TN to be Hit: ISCarapace; 2Wounds: 10: +S; 20: +10; 40: Dead

S7SCIA1. ABILITIES:Flight: A Moetechi no Kansen can hover up to thirty feet

above the ground at its normal movement rate.F laming Aura: Anyone who touches a Moetechi no

Kansen takes Ikl damage from fire. Any wooden or partiallywooden weapons (including arrows, bo, and tetsubo)incinerate upon contact with Moeiechi no Kansen and arerendered useless.

Invulnerability: (Is vulnerable to water, takes Ikl damageper gallon of water hurled at it, and takes double damagefrom all ice-based attacks.)

Combine: Two or more Moetechi no Kansen can combineto form a single, stronger Moetechi no Kansen. The resultingcreature's Traits are equal to the highest Traits of all thecombining Moetechi, increasing by one per each twoMoetechi combining to a maximum of six. The Moetechigains ten more Wounds on each Wound level for eachMoetechi combining. If any of rhe Moetechi were injuredprior to combining, only the most injuted Moetechi'sWounds apply to the resulting creature, if ten Moetechi noKansen combine, they become a Taki-hi no Oni.

Spawn: If a single Moetechi remains in a large fire (100cubic feet or more) for an hour will create an identical dupli-cate of itself.

ft. SARCTUM <?UA*D ?OSTThis branch in the tunnel leads to what was once the DarkOracle's sanctum. While Agasha Tamori was here, he com-manded an Elemental Terror of Fire, a Taki-Bi no Oni. Thisfearsome creature remains, patiently waiting for its master toreturn. It attacks anyone who attempts to enter the sanctum,Area 12.

TAKI-BI TIO OO1,GSSATS* TSSSOS OF FRE

Medium-Size Elemental (Fire, Oni, Incorporeal, Shadow-lands): CR 12; HD 15d8+45; hp 112; Init +11 ( + 7 Dex, +4Improved Initiative); Spd fly 60 ft. (perfect); AC 21 (2! Touch,12 flat-footed); Alk incorporeal touch +18/+13/+S melee(3d6 fire plus burn); SA Spell-like abilities, burning touch;SQElemental terror qualities, damage reduction 25/+3 (jade),incorporeal, control flame, fire body, fire subtype, SR 25;Al CE; Honor 0; SV Fort +8, Ref +18, Will +7; Str -, Dex 29,Con 16, Int 18, WLs 14, Cha 14, Taint 11.

Skills and Feats: Concentration +14, Intimidate +14, IntuitDirection +12, Listen +15, Search +14, Spot +15; Alertness,Improved Initiative, Weapon Finesse (touch), Dodge, Mobility,Power Attack, Spring Attack. (See Creatures of Rokugan™ far fullderails on abilities.)

oni no TAKI-BI,G ^ E A T E * T E X X O * OF FIXS

Earth: 4Fire: 7Water: 2Air: 3Rolls When Attacking: 7k7Rolls For Damage: 4klTN to be Hit: 15Carapace: 4Wounds: 30: +5; 60: +10; 120: Dead

m Scale in 1

11

13

12

1 Mm

17

16

22

AI

SPECIAL ABILITIESFlight: Taki-bi can hover up to thirty feet above the ground

at its normal movement rate.Flaming Aura: Anyone who touches Oni no Taki-bi takes

l k l damage from fire. Any wooden or partially woodenweapons (including arrows, bo, and tetsubo) incinerateupon contact with Taki-bi and are rendered useless.

Invulnerability: (Is vulnerable to water; takes lkl damageper gallon of water hurled at it, and takes double damagefrom all ice-based attacks.)

Hurl Flame: Taki-bi may scoop balls of flaming energyfrom itself and hurl them at opponents. It may hurl theseprojectiles up to 1,000 feet. They inflict 5k4 damage in a tenfoot radius.

SECRET A*EASSeveral areas in Outsider Keep are secret, their

existence and entrances known only to ShinjoKhubutai and Shinjo Zhen-Ping. All the secret areashave doors that are not only locked but also carefullyhidden. These two men possess the only keys. Beloware the tules for finding and opening the secret doors.

A Search check (DC 30), reveals the door's existence.Picking the lock requires an Open Lock check (DC 27).The door cart be smashed in with a Strength check(DC 25).

A Perception / Investigation roll vs. TN 25 revealsthe door's existence. Picking the lock requires anAgility/Locksmith roll vs. TN 20. The door can besmashed in with a Strength roll vs. TN 20.

12. SARCTUM OF THEDA*JC ORACLE

Agasha Tamori spent most of his time in this chamber, andpowerful echoes of his power remain here. Several largecolumns of searing flame still burn without any smoke OT vis-ible source of fuel. These columns of fire stretch from thescorched, blackened floor to the ceiling fifty feet above. Theair in here is incredibly hot and dry, healed by the constantfires, making breathing difficult and dangerous.

Anyone who enters this chamber must make a Fort save(DC IS) once per minute or take ld6 fire damage.

Anyone who enters this chamber must make an Earthroll (TN IS) once per minute or talce lkl Wounds.

Two of these columns of fire are ilitisionary. They produceno heat, and cause no harm if they are touched. These illu-sionary fires conceal small tunnels to areas 13 and 2:1.

A group of carefully shaped stones fonns a spiraling, step-ping-stone stairway leading up to a large stone pedestal. Onthis pedestal rests a crude throne made of volcanic glass. Thethrone appears to have been badly cracked and chipped, as iffrom a storm of stones. This throne still holds echoes theDark Oracle's Tainted power.

Anyone who touches this throne must make a Will save(DC 25) or immediately gain ldlO points of Taint.

Anyone who touches this throne must make an Earthroll (TN 25) or immediately gain ikl points of Taint.

13. ?O^TAt ARTECHA/ilBE*The walls in his spherical chamber look like hardened Uva, asif the room was formed like an expanding bubble within thesolid rock. Guarding this chamber is a group of Moetechi noKansen. There are 5-10 of them. Their task is to preventanyone from entering the portal room beyond (area 14). Theyhide in the cracks in the walls, undetectable by normal means,until someone enters the room. Then they attack without hes-itation.

14. POSTAL TO THE SH*lREIn the center of this chamber is a raging bonfire that bumswithout fuel or smoke. The fire reaches almost to the ceiling20 ft. above and put off some heat, but not heat that would becommensurate with a fire of this size. In fact, the fire is an illu-sion, much like those in the sanctum chamber (area 12), butwith added sensory perceptibility. The fire itself is a teleporta-tion portal to the fiery Shrine to the Dark Kami.

15. ?*ISORThis series of caves was where the Dark Oracle kept his mortalprisoners. The area is protected from the heat of his perpetualfires to avoid killing his prisoners too quickly. Each individualcell has a door made of solid stone bars. The bars were madefrom molten stone, shaped and formed to permanently sealtheir guests inside. Some of the cells contain desiccatedhuman remains of those unfortunate enough to tun afoul ofthe Dark Oracle of Fire,

16. SHXIRS TOTHE DA^K itA/HI

It was in this room that the Dark Oracle communed with hismaster, Fu Leng. He particularly enjoyed bathing in the lavapool in the center of the room. Anyone who steps into thefiery teleportation portal in area 14 is immediately trans-ported to this room. The pool of molten lava bubbles andseethes, heating the air in this confined chamber to deadlylevels. Anyone who enters this chamber who is not magicallyprotected from fire has his skin and clothing scorched by theheat and his lungs seared with his first breath.

Any character who enters this chamber without protec-tion from tire must make a Fort save (DC 25) every roundor take 3d6 fire damage.

Any character who enters this chamber without protec-tion from fire must make an Earth roll (TN 25) every tenseconds or take 2k2 Wounds,

Hanging suspended in mid^air above the pool of lava is theDark Mantle of Fire, a powerful magical artifact cteated by theDark Oracle,

DA^Jt /tlARTL* OF FRHMinor ArtifactAgasha Tamori took the knowledge of the Agasha family andtwisted it with the dark power of Fu leng to create this pow-erful magic item. It looks like a rigid yellow haori, decorated

with swirling patterns oi black fire, Ti is quite a beautiful gar-ment, except for the nimbus of sickly green flame that sur-rounds it.

Tliis item infuses the wearer with the fire of the DarkOracle, increasing the strength of his own inner lire, bui at aterrible price. Whenever the garment is worn, the green firethat surrounds it immediately disappears, and reappears if it isremoved. If the wearer is donning the garment tor the firsttime, he immediately gains 2db points ot Taint. There is noway to avoid this Taint. Any jade items on ihe charactersperson are immediately ruined.

The wearer immediately becomes immune to all firedamage, both magical and non-magical He also gains the abil-ity to cast two extra Fire spells per day <>l any level he can cur-rently cast. He also immediately learns one new Fire spell ofhis choice (which is forgotten if the mantle is removed), Fur-thermore, he is considered to be +2 caster levels for using Firespells.

The entire time the garment is worn, the wearer accruesTaint as if he were in the Shadowlands.

Caster Level: 20th; weight: 2 IK

OF FI7SAgasha Tamori took the knowledge of the Agasha family andtwisted it with the dark power of Fu Leng to create this pow-erful magic item. It looks like a rigid yellow haori, decoratedwith swirling patterns of black fire. It is quite a beautiful gar-ment, except for the nimbus of sickly green flame that sur-rounds It.

This item infuses the wearer with the fire of the DarkOracle, increasing the strength of his own inner fire, but at aterrible price. Whenever the garment is worn, the green firethat surrounds it immediately disappears, and reappears if it isremoved. If the wearer is donning the garment tor the firsttime, he immediately gains lkl points of Taint. There is noway to avoid this Taint. Any jade items on the character'sperson are immediately mined.

The wearer immediately becomes immune to all firedamage, both magical and non-magical. He gains the ability tocast two extra Fire spells per day. He also immediately learnsone new Fire spell of his choice (as an Innate Ability) availableto bis current School Rank (which is forgotten if the mantle isremoved). This spell is memorized, and does not require theshugenja to use a scroll. His School Rank is considered to be 1higher when casting Fire spells.

The entire time the garment is worn, the wearer accruesTaint as if he were in the Sbadowlands.

17. J-AI/A LAKERunning through over half of the area of this cavern is a slow-moving lake of lava, encircling several large boulders juttingfrom the bubbling orange mass. The air in this chamber hasbeen heated by the exposed lava, making it painful and dan-gerous to breathe.

Anyone who enters this chamber must make a Fort save(DC 15) once per minute or take id.6 fire damage.

Anyone who enters this chamber must make an Earthroll (TN IS) once per minute or take lkl Wounds.

18. ^!I/E£ OF LAUAThe lake of lava in area 17 is ted by these tunnels leadingdeeper into the depths of the earth. Slow-moving rivers oforange-red lava move through these passageways. The heal inthem is so intense that they cannot be traversed without mag-ical protection from tire.

Any character who enters these tunnels without magicalprotection from fire must make a Fort save (DC 25) everyround or take 3d6 fire damage.

Any character who enters these tunnels without magicalprotection ftom fire must make an Earth roll (TN 25)every ten seconds or take 2k2 Wounds.

19. ESCA7E *OUTEThis tunnel has been seared out ot the earth. Its surfaces ateslagged, blackened stone. The Dark Oracle created this tunnelas an alternate entrance. It leads down ;t long, dark distance —about one mile — to a carefully hidden cave mouth in the bankof a river, a few feet below tbe water line. Consequently, thebottom of the passage ends in a cool, fresh water pool. Theunderwater distance to the outside river bed is 100 ft.

Because of its vulnerability, the Dark Oracle posted a potentguard here to prevent any unwelcome visitations. The tunnel isguarded by a Greater Elemental Terror of Fire, aTaki-bi no Oni.

20. ZO1CUTIR BUaaOU/SThese narrow burrows were created by the zokujin as probesof the Dark Otacle's domain. The burrows are only about threeto four feet wide and full, and the bottoms of them are coveredwithsharpgravel.lt is impossible for a human to walk uprightin any of them. These burrows crisscross much of the moun-tains interior, looking tor any unknown ways into the DarkOracle's domain.

21. CHASMThis tremendous cleft in the stone of the mountain falls awayto untold depths. It also reaches nearly 100 ft. above. Thebottom ol the chasm finally ends over 1,000 ft. below in anunderground lake of molten lava.

22. ELE/ilERTAL TE**O*One of the Dark Oracle's most powerful minions is the fear-some Jimen no Onij an .Elemental Terror of Earth. One ofthese horrible, dangerous creatures guards this runnel againstincursions by the zokujin. It stands embedded in the wall ofthe tunnel and attacks anyone who comes down this passage-way. Since it is embedded in the stone, it is invisible to thenaked eye, unless it decides to move.

rn/iisn. no oni,G3-ATE3 T5*SO* OF SA5TH

Medium-Size Elemental (Earth, Oni, Incorporeal, Shad-owiands): CR 12; HD 14d8+140;hp205jlnit-2(Dex);Spd 20ft., burrow 20 ft; AC 31 (6 Touch, 31 flat-footed); Atk slam+22/+1.7/+12 melee (3diO+4); SA Spell-hke abilities, quake;SQElemental terror qualities, damage resistance 35/+2 (jade),stone passage, SR 17; AI CE; Honor 0; SV Fort +19, Ref+2,Will +2; Sir 39, Dex 6, Con 30, Int 6, Wis 6, Cha 6, Taint 17.

SkilUand Feats: Concentration +15, Intimidate+9, listen+9,Spot +9; Cleave, Great Cleave, Power Attack.

oni no

— 1

TE*aO3 Of SASTHEarth: 7Fire: 3Water: 4Air: 2Rolls When Attacking: 5k4Rolls For Damage: 7k4TN to be Hit: 10Armor: 10Wounds: 35: +5; 70: +10; 140: Dead

S7SCIA1. ABILITIES:Stone Passage: Oni no Jimen can pass through barriers made

of earth, metal, or stone at its normal movement.Invulnerability: (Is also vulnerable Co Steel of Fine Quality,

it is said that the purity of the metal rebels at the corruptionthat is Jimen.')

Quake: The earth shakes in Jimen's wake. All skill rolls within100 feet of the oni receive a +5 to their TN. All skill rollswithin 10 feet teceivea+lOto their TN. This shaking causesfragile structures to crumble and fall apart.

23. GQLV I/EIRThe zokujin burrows have exposed a rich vein of gold ore.Untold wealth lies buried in this mountain, just waiting forsomeone to mine it. The gold is easily detectable by anyonewho reaches this point in the burrows. In the slightest sourceof light it glittets and shines like a river of stars. The zokujinare aware that the gold is here, but they do not value it otherthan for its sweet taste and mildly intoxicating effect upontheir people, They are aware, however, that Rokugani societyvalues it highly. If the characters help the zokujin stamp outthe remnants of the Dark Oracle's evil, they will look favorablyupon them. They might even attempt to repay the charactersby telling them about this vein of gold.

2U. THE insAnsA few weeks ago, one of the bolder zokujin scouts venturedtoo far into the Dark Oracle's domain, and found itself trappedin a small burrow by ihe Jimen no Oni in the larger passage-way. This zokujin is named Svtb. The Jimen no Oni is notaware of Svth's presence, but the zokujin was so frightened bythe creature's appearance, that it fears to try burrowing away.Svth thinks the Jimen no Oni would be aware of such anescape attempt (rightly so). The zokujin is so paralyzed withfeat and anguished with longing for his family that he hasbeen driven insane. He is so consumed by terror of the onithat he will not believe anyone who attempts to help him.Unless he can be convinced of the oni's destruction, he likelyattacks anyone who attempts to communicate with him.

25. ruaast eAi/E-iaA large section of the tunnel ceiling is caved in here. Thiscave-in was the result of a confrontation between the zokujinand the Dark Oracle's elemental terrors. Lying within therubble are the skeletons of seven zokujin warriors. The con-frontation took place a few weeks ago, during the Zesh's lastincursion, The tribe has long since mourned the warriors'passing. What no one else in the tribe knows is that the war-riors had retrieved a powerful magic item left behind by the

Dark Oracle, the Dark Katana of Fire. This item is buriedunder several tons of rubble. Extracting it requires severalhours of labor to remove the boulders.

ICATATIA OF FIXEMinor ArtifactAgasha Tamori's knowledge of Dragon Clan swordsmithinghelped him to forge one of the most dangerous weapons evercreated. It is deadly in combat, infused with Fit Leng's Taintedfire. Unlike the common Fire spell, this katana is a physicalweapon. It is a recently forged katana of exquisite quality. Thetsuba is shaped like swirling flames that appear to moveunless viewed directly. The hilt is wrapped in shimmeringorange-yellow silk cords. The blade is polished to a mirror likesheen that seems to glint with a hint of green fire.

Any character who attempts to use the weapon for the firsttime immediately gains ld6 points of Taint. There is no way toavoid this Taint. Any jade items on the character's person areimmediately ruined.

When the sword is drawn from its scabbard for battle, theblade bursts into coruscating green flame. In melee combat, itfunctions as a +4 flaming burst katana of speed. Furthermore,three times a day the user can invoke the power of the DarkOracle of Fire and send a screeching ball of green flametoward any target within a 100 ft. line. Anytime this ability isused, the user gains 1 point of Taint. This fireball causes 8d6fire damage to every creature within a 30-ft. radius of the ini-tial target. The target takes 10d6 fire damage. This damage canbe halved with a successful Ref save (DC 25).

The user also becomes immune to all fire damage, bothmagical and non-magical when he wields the weapon.

Caster Level. 20th; Wctgfit: 6 lb.

DAXJt JtATARA OF FREAgasha Tamori's knowledge of Dragon Clan swordsmithinghelped him to forge one of the most dangerous weapons evercreated. It is deadly in combat, infused with Fu Leng's Taintedfire. Unlike the common Fire spell, this katana is a physicalweapon. It is a recently forged katana of exquisite quality. Thetsuba is shaped like swirling flames that appear to moveunless viewed directly. The hilt is wrapped in shimmeringorange-yellow silk cords. The blade is polished to a mirror likesheen that seems to glint with a bint of green fire.

Any character who attempts to use the weapon for the firsttime immediately gains ikl points of Taint, There is no way toavoid this Taint. Any jade items on the character's person areimmediately ruined.

When the sword is drawn from its scabbard for battle, theblade bursts into coruscating gTeen flame. In melee combat,the wielder gains one extra attack per round. The katana does4k4 Wounds and adds ikl to attack rolls. Furthermore, threetimes a day the user can invoke the power of the Dark Otacleof Fire and send a screeching ball of green flame toward anytarget within a 100 ft. line. Anytime this ability is used, theuser gains 1 point of Taint. This fireball causes 3k3 Wounds toevery creature within a 30-ft. radius of the initial target. Thetarget takes 4lc4 Wounds. This damage can be halved if theaffected creatures make a successful Reflexes roll (TN =damage rolled).

The user also becomes immune to all fire damage, bothmagical and non-magical when he wields the weapon.

•«»•.-;•• m ••:;•.??•.

CHAPTER SI*:

* ,

THt

"Sonictinu's T attend to lard Satm'i will in tire, throne o/'Kyfld^HitomL Sometimtfy in the Dragon hunk, I will tell you this,f!i!n*g).! — j tilwtivf'find'him in tfie sonn- place."

—Togdshi Mat.suo

No other clan is as misunderstood ant! remote as theDragon Clan •— they remain largely aloof, only bringingtheir lull influence and power tobear when the very fate ofthe mortal realm is at a crossroads. In .this regard, they aremuch like their mystical totem, the Elemental Dragons.Embodiments of die Elemental forces of the universe, theDragons make their home in an area of Tengolcu that onlythey may enter. Known as rht? Dtagoalands, the home olthe Elemental Dragons is a place both p^ct of the CelestialHeavens and distinctly apart from it Much like the DragonCkn is to the Empire, the Elemental Dragons remain a partof Tengoku but rarely venture from their own home tobring their influence to bear on the Spirit Realm.

The Dragon lands, are not a true Spirit Realm in that it isn<_H entirely separate from Tengofeu. but it also features a"bole in.the sky" through which tfe Dragons can watch thedisfffitu teal.m o[ Mortals, I! anything, the best way todescribe the home of the Elemental Dragons is a bridge 61sorts, where-the Dragons may cross between Tea'gdku andNmg&rs-Do without causing harm to the spiritual bordersbetween the two realms. Because, of this; tfe,.Ptagbns may

s without seeking oitt &g that connects them. Though the holy

their privacy dearly, it is for the-aforeaa^'that.they guard the borders of their borne so

0 Y Sitch free travel between realms could easily beper veiled- - cither by raonal hands, or by the will of theForttines.Theunivetsetnoveyina delicate balance of influ-ence, and the Dragons understand well their purpose inmail) tain ing such duah'ty.

The reason the Dragonlands;'exist in such a manner isdue to the very nature of the Elements in th> Mortal Reahuand the divine nature of the Dragons. The mortal reahtt iscomposed of a balance of the Five Elements, as well as theinfluence of Thunder in;rfiorlai so^ls. Because of this, theElemental Dragons must always stay close to' NingeiKPDo,lest a lack of their influence weaken the Elements anddestroy the Realm oi Mortals completely. Due to theirHeavenly nature; ho&evef, they are tar more than mortalsand cannot he expected to dwell in Ning^B-Do. Their placeis with the Pornmes,.the Sun, and the Moon. Though it isthrough their influence that the mortal reairp'js main-tained,, they are by no means bound TO it bv a c h i n g but

entaLOtagons have somewhat conflict-ortals; that scurry' about Ningep-Do,at is certaip, — the plight of the rnor&lon some fevel. Although aloof even by

Clan, the Dragon

' ' Though-the Eleing views on (bethere is one thingrealm intrigues ththe;standards ot' twatches the affairs of .NiHgets^Po ii only to point out thefolly of humansaiid c*tfifej;l(jjrt4iveci creatures to ihe otherDragons. To the Dragons, Nitagen»Do and its ilihabitants^re

something of a great experiment — one that began almost byaccident and has spun wildly away from where the Dragonsthought it would go. To their godly nature, the Realm ofMortals seems nothing more than a magnificent anthill thatthey could topple whenever they choose it" they did not find itso fascinating.

While the nature of the Dragontands allows the ElementalDragons to exert their influence anywhere in the Realm ofMortals, the Dragons often cross into Ningen-Do within thelands o( the Dragon Clan. The Kami Togashi maintained aclose connection to his Celestial cousins once he was mademortal by the influence of Ningen-Do, and has always beenregarded as Kami that retained the moat significant coeffi-cient of his immortal nature. The strong connection betweenthe provinces of the Dragon Clan and the sublime Dragon-lands is most apparent in the heart of the lands maintained bythe tattooed orders of Togashi, Hitomi, and Hoshi. There aretimes when the barriers between the two planes of existenceate so weak that one could walk a mile within the DragonClan's mountains, pass into the Dragonlands, and back intothe mortal realm without realizing it. There are rare cases ofDragon samurai or ise zumi becoming lost forever to theRealm of Mortals as they wandered too far into the mountainsand never returned from the Dragonlands.

With few exceptions, the ease of passage between the SpiritRealms is only accessible to die Dragons of Tengoku. The mainexception to this is the throne room within the High House ofLight. The inner chambers of the castle exist simultaneously inboth the lands of the mortal Dragon Clan and the immortalDragonlands. Those rare visitors to the High House of Lightoften have conflicting accounts of the palace's location, appear-ance, size, and other matters concerning it. Naturally, this isthe influence of the Celestial Dragonlands causing the castle toshift between its more natural (though still breathtaking)appearance, and several other guises cause by the supernaturaland somewhat unpredictable forces of the Heavens.

While [be primary residents of the Dragonlands are theElemental Dragons, it is also the home of the Dragon ofThunder and the Jade Dragon. While the Celestial Dragon iskin to the Elemental Dragons and welcome in their home, itrarely leaves its guardianship of Tengoku other than to guideselected mortals into the Celestial Heavens. Only when all ofthe Dragons gather to confer about some great event thattouches all of the universe does the Celestial Dragon arrive inthe Dragonlands. The Oracles of the Dragons also exist in bothrealms at once, though their physical bodies are usuallyanchored in Ningen-Do. The divine Elemental Oracles maybe recalled fully into the Dragonlands by their patron Dragon,though this is hardly necessary for the two to communicate.Beyond these few inhabitants, all others are considered out-siders to the Dragonlands. The power Elemental Dragonsreigns supreme in this place and they may easily force anybeing of lesser power away from their realm by simply bring-ing them to mind.

Because the Elemental Dragons are representatives of theprimal composition of the universe, the Dragonlands do nothold any one 'true' form. Any Dragon can choose how to per-ceive and interact with his realm, and visitors are often pro-vided with soothing surroundings to put their mind and soulat ease during any stay Mortal visitors always give differentaccounts of exactly how the place appears, but such tales holda common thread — the very nature of the place is suffusedwith peace and harmony. Nothing appears out of place or evenmildly upsetting for any reason.

Waturally, the Fortunes find the separation of the ElementalDragons in their own home technically away from Tengokusomewhat unsettling. As beings of godly power, they do notlike the idea that Elemental Dragons, whom many Fortunesconsider equals, are able to come and go as they please andcannot be found by the Fortunes if they do not wish it, Whilesome of the wiser Fortunes understand that it is the nature ofthe universe, others feel it is an unnecessary indulgence —after all, do the mortals not worship at the feet of shrines ded-icated to the Fortunes? In addition, much like the clans of themortal Empire treat the seclusion of the Dragon Clan withmore than a little suspicion at times, many Fortunes wonderwhy such a separation is necessary. Truly learned scholars ofmatters both divine and mortal marvel at the close parallelsbetween the Clan of the Dragon and the Elemental Dragons.

ERUOHTSRSD/ilAPRSSS

"Those who fail to understand our magic often /all to madness...us do those who understand ioo much"

-Hi tomi Kagetora

All members of the Three Orders who bear any son of mysti-cal tattoos, whether they be tsurai zumi, ise zumi, or kikagezumi, bear some power descended from the Kami Togashi.The divine nature of such power can often be more than meremortals can handle, and madness is not an uncommon result.Enlightened madness can take many forms, from the extraor-dinarily dangerous to the merely curious.

All forms of Enlightened Madness effectively alter thecharacter's personality and behavior until the GM deems thatthe madness has ended. Typically, these periods of madnessonly last a few hours though it is not unheard of for the raretattooed monk to be lost entirely to madness permanently.

Amnesia: The tattooed monk forgets who he is, and isunable to draw upon any skills which rely upon mental abili-ties. He will still trust close friends, but will not rememberwho they are or why he trusts them.

Amorous: The tattooed monk immediately falls in lovewith the first person he sees, and begins professing that love atgreat length. Note that this may or may nol necessarilychange the tattooed monk's other feelings toward his target,possibly leading to the monk loudly lamenting his love for hisenemy even as he continues to fight.

Bestial: The tattooed monk regresses to a feral, animalstate, operating entirely on instinct. Though he still recog-nizes former friends and enemies, he is unable to speak ordraw upon complex skills, and reacts to any threats with out-right violence. When the madness has passed, the monkremembers nothing of what happened during that time.

Brash: The tattooed monk becomes extremely sensitive toany threats to his honor or ability, and reacts to any suchthreat with immediate violence. Close friends may be given awarning before the tattooed monk attacks.

Catatonic: The tattooed monk lapses into a stupor, onlydimly able to perceive the world around him. He will answerquestions if asked, and will attempt to move (slowly) awayfrom sources of danger, but cannot actively use skills or abili-ties, if attacked, there is a 50% chance he will temporarilyerupt from rhe stupor long enough to defeat that opponent

(but will still be unable to speak or otherwise react actively tohis surround ings), then return to the catatonic state. Whenthe madness has passed, the monk remembers nothing ofwhat happened during that time.

Confused: The tattooed monk forgets exactly where he isand why, misplacing events and faces entirely. Different fromamnesia, the tattooed monk retains his memory - it is simplywrong. He may believe that he was in Phoenix lands while heis deep in the Twilight Mountains, or be absolutely certainthat his Crab bushi friend was an lsawa shugenja onlyyesterday.

Contemplative: The tattooed monk will reply to any ques-tion with a question, and will view any dialogue posed towardhim as an opportunity for philosophical debate. This debatebecomes his primary concern; if someone speaks to him incombat, there is a 50% chance he will cease to do anything butact defensively while he turns his full attention to the conver-sation at hand.

Fearful: The tattooed monk is stricken with powerful,overwhelming cowardice. He will run from any source ofdanger, hiding as soon as possible. He will fight only to defendhimself, and even then escape will be the ultimate priority.

Mad Prophet: The tattooed monk begins spouting madprophecy at random. This is similar to the Contemplativestate, except that the tattooed monk also has a 50% chance ofimmediately attacking anyone who ignores him or questionshis prophecies. On the plus side, there is also a 10% chancethat the mad visions the tattooed monk spouts actuallycontain some (confused) shred ot future happenings. Whenthe madness passes, the monk remembers nothing of whathappened during that time.

New Personality: The tattooed monk becomes convincedthat he is someone that he is not, either an invented personal-ity or a famous person such as the Emperor, Doji Hoturi,or perhaps Osano-Wo, Though the monk can still utilize histattoos, he cannot draw upon his skills unless the personalityhe has created also should be able to use them. In addition, hewill attempt to utilize skills his new personality possesses,even if he does not possess them. Thus a burly Hitomi kikagezumi may attempt to stealthily sneak past a guard if hebelieves he is a Kayushi ninja. Once the new personality ischosen, the tattooed monk always takes that same personalitywhenever he falls to Enlightened Madness, When the mad-ness passes, the monk remembers nothing of what the otherpersonality did.

Random: Randomly select one type of EnlightenedMadness from this list each time the tattooed monk falls tomadness. The tattooed monk never falls to the same son ofmadness twice in a row.

Regression: The rattooed monk regresses to an immature,childish state. He will behave in a playful and childlikemanner, and will be submissive toward commanding author-ity figures. In such a state, the tattooed man is prone to inanepranks and foolish, shortsighred behavior. When the madnesshas passed, the monk remembers nothing of what happenedduring that time.

Remorseful: The monk is immediately overcome withremorse for any sin or fault that he has performed, past or pre-sent. If he is in combat, there is a 50% chance each round thathe will fail to attack, hut will instead spend his action apolo-gizing for his violent thoughts and behavior. In such a state, itis also likely that the tattooed monk will confess any crimesthat he has performed and loudly announce any secrets that

he currently holds. When the madness has passed, the monkremembers nothing of what happened during [hat time.

Reversal: The monk's alliances and beliefs undergo animmediate and complete reversal. Friends are now foes, andthose he once loved are now fiercely hated. Note that unlikethe Violent type of Enlightened Madness, Reversal still allowsfor a great deal of subtlety. If the monk is normally brash andimpulsive, he might quietly plot the downfall of his comradesonce Reversal sets in while they remain quietly oblivious.

Violent: The monk immediately becomes violent anddangerous to everyone around him. He will attack the nearesttarget until they are dead, and then move on to the next withno concern for his own safety. When the madness has passed,the monk remembers nothing of what happened during thattime.

(1E: SDGE OF JilADTlESS

7OITVT)The tattooed monk has undergone the training necessaryto help him resist Enlightened Madness temporarily. Ifthe monk spends an hour in meditation and makes aMeditation/Void roll (TN 20) he gains a free Raise on allrolls to resist Enlightened Madness for a number ofhours equal to twice his tattooed school rank.

MADRESSTHE TOGASHI

Enlightened Madness is most common among the order of isezumi, perhaps because their bloodline is closest to Togashi'spower. The most notorious mad ise zumi, Kokujin, was origi-nally a Togashi, and the Order points to him as a deadly exam-ple of what can befall an ise zumi who does not keep a closevigil on their sanity. Any ise zumi who believes he has devel-oped Enlightened Madness can turn toward the order andexpect aid, compassion, and understanding. Dangerouslyinsane Togashi are given sanctuary in a small monastery deepin rhe secluded Dragon mountains. This temple is known asShinden Kanashimi, the Temple of Regret. The Togashi rarelyever speak of it even within their order, and never speak ofthose outside of it, even to other Orders of tattooed monks,

Any ise zumi who becomes violently insane and refuses aid,or even worse revels in madness and destruction as Kokujindid, can expect none of the traditional Togashi mercy as bisformer brethren hunt him to the ends of the Empire.

ERWGHTERED /ilADRESSQnce put in place, the Dragon's mystic tattoos cannot truly be |removed. As the madness they cause is part and parcel of theirpower, it can never truly be cured. Instead, the Dragon willseek to aid dangerously insane brethren, hoping to grant themthe strength oi will that they will require to fight theirmadness.

A tattooed monk who possesses the Iron Will feat isassumed to have undergone the training necessary tohelp him overcome his madness temporarily. A tattooedmonk who spends an hour in meditation and makes aConcentration check (DC 15) gains a +4 to all saves vs.Enlightened madness for a number of hours equal to hislevel.

TilADRESSTHE HITO/ill

Despite their reputation as dangerous lunatics, .EnlightenedMadness is extraordinarily rare among the Hitomi. Whenthe Hitomi do lose their sanity, it is almost invariably violentand dramatic. Made kikage zumi do not live long, tending toinitiate violent killing sprees and die soon thereafter appro-priately on the point of a samurai's sword. The kikage zumialways deeply regret when one of their number falls to mad-ness, if any kikage zumi begins to display aberrant behavior,the Order generally assigns two or more other kikage zumito watch over [hem, to make certain that if someone needs todeal with the monk's madness in a permanent manner, it willbe a kikage zumi who does so.

Unlike the Togashi, the Hitomi have no facility for treat-ing their dangerously insane, as the majority of mad kikagezumi do not survive.

:MADRESSTHE HOSHI

Enlightened Madness is so rare among the Hoshi as to bealmost unheard of Perhaps the tsutai zumi's philosophy ofbalance and harmony causes them to be more stable thanother tattooed monks, or perhaps their indirect connectionto the Kami's power causes their tattoos to be easier tocontrol than most. In any case, as the Hoshi never becomedangerously insane, the other orders sometimes look to theirwisdom in treating their most dangerous cases,

ICARASHIJill.TUGHT/ilAaS OF

TH£Along with Yokubo and Kyofu, Kanashimi represents a pow-erful force of corruption — it is a physical manifestation ofone of the Three Sins. Unlike the powerful Hakai or the furi-ous Muchitsujo, the Onisu of Regret has not made its pres-ence well known to the enemies oi the Shadowlands.Instead, it takes great pains to appear to solitary groups anddestroy them in spirit one by one. Where the other agents ofthe Dark Kami make more direct assaults upon the samuraiof Rokugan, each victory for Kanashimi tears away one morefragment of the Empire's soul.

Like the other Onisu, Kanashimi is not truly invincibleand has known deieat. Despite its very nature, the Onisu hasgained wisdom from die confrontations it lias not survived,making it more deadly each time it is reincarnated from theessence of dreams. During Daigotsu's reign as the lord of theShadowlands, the Onisu of Regret has been one of hisfavorite and most loyal creations.

ICARASHI/ill, ORISU OF*EG*ET RIHT/ilA*EOF THE

Large Outsider (Evil, Oni, Shadowlands, Spirit)Hit Dice: I6d8 + 112 (184 hp)Initiative: +4 (Dexterity)Speed: 40 ft.

AC: 20 (-2 size, +4 Dexterity, +8 Natural)Attacks: 3 dishonorable keen +2 katana +26 melee, 2 dishonorable

keen +2 wakizashi +24 melee (if armed) or 3 unarmed strikes+28 melee

Damage: dishonorable keen +2 katana ldlO+10, dishonorablekeen +2 wakizashi ldt+8, unarmed strike idlO+lD

Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 10 ft.Special Attacks: spell-like abilities, enhancement, possessionSpecial Qualities: Oni Qualities, honorable vulnerability,

regeneration 5, rejuvenation, SR 25Saves: Fort -1-16, Ref+23, Will +21.Abilities: Str 26, Dex IS, Con 24, Wis 28, Int 26, Cha 10,Taint 9Skills: Batde +24, Bluff+16, Climb +24, Hide +16, Intimidate +16,Intuit Direction +25, Jump +24, Knowledge (Dragon) +24,Knowledge (Fortunes) +24, Knowledge (Shadowlands) +24,Knowledge (Shimao) +24, Listen +25, Move Silently +20 , SenseMotive +25, Spot +24, Tumble +20Feats: Ambidexterity, Cleave, Deflect Arrows, Expertise,

Great Cleave, Improved Disarm, Improved Two-WeaponFighting, Improved Unarmed Strike, Power Attack,Stunning Fist, Two-Weapon Fighting

Climate/Terrain: Shadowlands, Yume-do, any land or underground.

Organization: SolitaryChallenge Rating: 18Treasure: StandardHonor: Always 0 honorAlignment: Always neutral evilAdvancement: 17—48 I-ID (Large).

CQ/ilBATKanashimi resembles a large human woman, adorned inarmor composed of blackened flesh for cloth and depictionsof tortured faces for armor plates. It carries a daisho of+2 keendishonorable iwords, though it is as comfortable lighting withthem as it is with its own hands. Kanashimi enjoys nothingmore than making helpless fools out its foes, often disarmingthem at the first chance and then leaving them paralyzed anduseless in a daze of their own failure. It is fond of taking pris-oners to torture for days, using its spell like abilities to probethe mind of its captives and flay open their soul with each andevery detail of their failed lives before finally destroying them.

Enhancement (Ex): Any time a person within 100 feet ofYokubo commits an act against their alignment or a dishonor-able act if they are honorable, the Onisu gains one bonus hitdie. All other benefits of advancement (such as higher saves,base attack, and caster level for spell-like abilities) are alsogained. This benefit lasts for one week, after which rime theOnisu loses one bonus hit die per week until it returns to theabove statistics. Each time the Onisu gains ten levels from thisability, it increases by one size category.

Honorable Vulnerability (Ex): Any time a person within100 feet oi Kanashimi commits an act of selflessness (such asgiving one's life for another, sacrificing something one needsfor the benefit of another, etc.), the Onisu receives a negativelevel. This negative level remains for one week, or until theOnisu can cancel the effect with its Enhancement ability. Ifthe Onisu is reduced to zero levels due to this effect, it per-ishes. Its damage reduction and spell resistance are entirelynegated for any opponent who has committed an act of self-less bravery within the last minute.

Oni Qualities (Su): All oni have certain qualities,described on page 5 of Creatures of Rokugan?"

Possession (Su): Kanashimi may choose to cast emotion(despair) on any target within 200 feet as a 20th level sorcererany number of times per day. The target receives a sacredbonus to their saving throw equal to their honor, and theeffect may not be dispelled by another casting of" emotion. Tar-gets that successfully save against this effect gain a +2 sacredbonus against all subsequent attempts by Kanashimi to use itagainst them in the future. The Onisu may not try to affect thesame target more than once per day,

Regeneration (JEx): Holy and honorable weapons do normaldamage to Kariashimi, as do weapons that have beenimmersed in the water of Yume-do, the Realm of Dreams.

Rejuvenation (Su)r If slain, Kanashimi can be harvestedfrom the Realm of Dreams once more via a special ritualknown only to the Dark lo rd Daigotsu and the TsunoSoultwisters. The Onisu cannot be restored more often thanonce a month.

Spell-like abilities: at will - detect passage*, dispel magic,improved invisibility, know alignment, obscuring mist, passage intodarkness*, passage into dream*, protection from good. 3/day —deeper darkness, detect tfwugJifs, emotion, haste. These abilities areas cast by a 16th level sorcerer (DC 12 + spell level). Spellsmarked with an asterisk are described in Fortunes and Winds.™

ItARASHIMI, OR1SU OF^EG^ET mCHTMAXEOF THE

Earth: 6Fire: 6

Agility: 8Water: 4Ait: 3

Reflexes: 6Rolls to Attack: 8k4Rolls for Damage: 6k3TN to be Hit: 35Carapace: 5Wounds: 75: +10,100: +15; ISO: +20; 200: Dead.

SPECIAL. ABILITIESCarapace: Weapons that have been dipped in the waters of

Yume-do may ignore Yokubo's Carapace rating.E n h a n c e m e n t : Any time a person within 100 feet of

Kanashimi commits an act that would cause them a loss ofhonor points, one of the Onisu's Traits (and all associatedattributes) increases by one. Acts committed by those oflessthan one Rill honor rank do not trigger this ability. This bene-fit lasts for one week, after which time the Onisu loses onebonus Trait per week until it returns to the above statistics.The oni grows slowly larger each time it draws upon remorsein such a manner.

Honorable Vulnerability: Any time a person within 100feet of Kanashimi commits an act of selflessness (such asgiving one's life for another, sacrificing something one needsfor the benefit of another, etc.), one of the Onisu's Traits (andall associated attributes) decreases by one. This penaltyremains for one week, or until the Onisu can cancel the effectwith its enhancement ability if one of the Onisu's Traits isreduced to zero, it perishes.

Multiple Attacks: Kanashimi may attack three times perround if armed with a katana and wakizashi, in a manner obvi-ously similar to the technique of the Mirumoto bushi.

Passages: The Onisu can cast detect passage, passage intodarkness, and passage into dream at will.

Possession: Kanashimi can make an opposed Willpowerroll with any individual within 100 feet The target of this abil-ity subtracts twice the number of points he has in Disadvan-tages from his result for this roll If Kanashimi is successful,the target is overcome with a deep sense of remorse for everywrong he has committed. The victim of this attack cannotRaise or spend Void Points while his soul is thrown com-pletely out of balance, and will often withdraw from the out-side world to contemplate their failures in solitude.This effectlasts for as long a number of hours times the amount theOnisu rolled higher than his opponent. At the GM's discre-tion, certain characters with an exceptionally low Willpoweror certain disadvantages (such as Lost Love) ace more suscep-tible to this effect, causing a longer duration.

Rejuvenation: If slain, Kanashimi can be harvested fromthe Realm of Dreams once more via a special ritual knownonly to the Dark Lord Daigotsu and the Tsuno Soultwisters.The Onisu cannot be restored more often than once a month.

ERLIGHTERED MADRESSGA/TIE MSCHARICS

Any character who bears magical Dragon tattoosmay choose to have Enlightened Madness. Likewise, atattooed character who later undergoes a traumaticexperience or loses faith in the Way of the Dragon maydevelop Enlightened Madness at the GM's discretion.Generally a character should only have one form ofEnlightened Madness at any given time, Once a char-acter develops Enlightened Madness, there is no trueway to get rid of it, though a character may eventuallybecome strong enough that resisting the madness isno longer a problem.

A character who develops Enlightened Madnessmust make a Will save every time they actively use oneof their tattoos. The DC of this save is equal to 12 + 2per each additional time the character has used histattoos that day. For tattoos that are constantly in use,the tattoo is considered to be used once per hour. Atattooed monk can voluntarily end the effects of anyor all of his tattoos at will

LBS T&G 2S:The forms of Enlightened Madness shown here are

considered to be more specific variations of theEnlightened Madness Disadvantage in Way of thtDragon. Any of the following forms of EnlightenedMadness may be chosen as a Disadvantage, grantingthe character 2,4, or 6 character points. Each time thetattooed monk uses one pf his tattoos, he must make aWillpower roll vs. a TN determined by the amount ofpoints gained from the Disadvantage {2 points: TN 10,4 points: TN 15, 6 points: TN 20). For tattoos that areconstantly in use, the tattoo is considered to be usedonce per hour. A tattooed monk can voluntarily endthe effects of any or all of his tattoos at will.

"Enlightenment cannot be found by searching for itand yet it cannot be found by doing nothing."— Togashi Satsu, Dragon Clan Champion

Secrets of the Dragon explores that most mysterious ofclans, the Dragon. Though they avoid politics and shunentangling alliances, the Way of the Dragon always affectsthe Empire profoundly whenever the clan's strange tattooedmystics, brilliant" swordsmen, and powerful shugenjachoose to. clfmb down from their mountain retreats.

Within, you will find:

• The history, traditions, and holdings of\the Dragon families:Mirumoto, Tamori, Kitsuki, and thei Three Orders oftattooed monks — Hitomi, Togashi, and Hoshi.

• Mew mechanics for Dragon characters, including Kitsukicourtier abilities, new swordsman techfiTques, and newmystic tattoos.

• A unique new perspective on the Empire's history,seen through the eyes of a Dragon.

• A detailed description of the Tamori Tunnels, a dangerouspit of corruption and evil in the heart of Dragon lands.

• The strangest mysteries of the enlightened Dragon Clan

• - . *

. - • : , •

Mem"-J '-•" (tffc/ £ s l

revealed.

This book is a dual-system supplement for the Legend ofthe Five Rings Role-Flaying Game, Second Edition," andRokuganr the d20 Companion for Legend of the Five Rings.Flayers and DMs may also find it useful as a source ofinteresting new feats and abilities for any d20 System'"campaign.

Qame Masters running the Second Edition L5R RFQ willneed a copy of the Legend of the Five Rings Qame Master'sGuide" and the Player's Guide" Players need only theFlayer's Guide.

Dungeon Masters running d20 System1"' games will need acopy of the Flayer's Handbook;" the Dungeon Master'sGuide? Oriental Adventures!" and Rokugan"' Flayers will needonly a Flayer's Handbook:"

ISBN 1-8879KS-M-3

9 ?8188 7 953!

5 2

)US MSfW (24.95

Primed pn U.S.A AEG 3038

4 9 5

J