Session Summary 1

This first session was a character completion session. Dave joined us and completed his Crab Bushi. Kevin finished up his Shoshuro Shinobi (placed as a Hiruma scout in the Crab Clan). After some basic mechanic discussion, and a review of the Virtue/Vice system, we started some preludes designed to spotlight some rules.

Kevin's character was charged with finding a Scorpion Clan courier who had been detained moving into Lion lands through Beiden pass. In theory, the courier had been sent with trade information from the Scorpion to the Phoenix. However, he also had a secret message for Isawa Murasame from Bayushi Ken'ichi. Kevin needed to find the courier, retrieve the message, swap it for another one, and then ensure the courier is caught so the faked message (one that implicates the Crane in some shady dealings against the Lion) is found instead. He performed his task admirably, and we all learned about skill checks, opposed skill rolls. cumulative skill rolls, and cooperative skill rolls.

Then the camera panned out and zoomed to the south, to the Crab lands and Kaiu province, where an assault by the Shadowlands on the Kaiu wall was starting its second day. A group of Shadowlands creatures had managed to break into the Crab's tunnels, and one oni had survived the traps to move north beyond the wall. Dave's Crab bushi was charged to lead a team of Ashigaru to find an destroy the creature before it could wreak any havoc. Finding it holed up in a warehouse, Dave lured it out by sending in an Ashigaru to set fire to the crates. Said ashigaru was quickly disembowled, but the remaining troops managed to wound the creature and then pin it to the ground, where Dave's character leapt upon its chest and smashed its head (cleaning deflecting the goop away from himself). We walked through the combat rounds, wound ranks, tides of battle, stance, and raises/free raises.

Finally, we pan over to Daidoji province, where the current Crane clan Champion, Kakkita Tanaka, was to engage in a duel with Daidoji Hoto over leadership. A tournament was being held, and Joy's character was entered in the Novice division along with some ronin and Doji Kikaze, his family's traditional rival. We went through sevearl rounds of the formal Iaijutsu combat system, where two samauri warriors lock in focus until a single strike decides the winner. In this case, it was Joy's duelist, who overcame a challenge by his rival to win the tournament.

Everyone was (individually) ordered by their lords to head to Ryoko Owari Rambo (Jounrney's End City), also known as the City of Lies, a sprawling metropolis of dubious character run by the Scorpion before the Collar, and now even worse as an independent city-state run by a warlord calling himself Omanu. Omanu has offered his unique resources to the Clans in exchange for some recognition, and as such many clans are sending representatives.

In addition, the Imperial Hearld, Seppun Kuron, has started spreading the reports of major conflicts across the Empire. The Clans are working to restore order, recover provinces lost to bandits and barbarism. Those have appeared and will continue to appear here.

The Battle for the Isle of Winds

The peasants had long forgotten the Celestial Order. The ragged skeletons of the magistrates still hung from the wharfs. They quarreled amongst themselves over petty slights, while the rice fields law fallow the and merchants docks were silent.

“C’mon, lets go for a glass of Sake. It’s colder than Fu Leng’s heart this morning!” said the ragged man holding the spear.
“But what about our post? The signal fires?” asked his fellow guard.
“No man could sail through this fog. Only a fool who would want to meet the rocks,” laughed the first. As they walked down the docks, the wavering shapes of ships began to fade in from the mist.

By the time the alarm bells were ringing, the shores were full of Mantis soldiers. Yoritomo Toyotomi looked around at the ragged men running pell-mell to meet them, holding spears, slings, staffs, and farming equipment. “There is no leadership here. No one worth challenging,” he rumbled as he raised his kama.

The peasants did not know what was happening. Even though most of the Mantis were still disembarking from their craft, they cut into the irregular ranks of their enemy. Ashigaru screamed and died at each other’s hands, impaled on spears or just beaten to death by the bare hands of a dozen others. Toyotomi leapt into the fray, his Kama trailing a haze of blood that seemed to turn the mist about him crimson.

With a few bellowed orders from atop a dock post, the Mantis troops demonstrated their experience by flanking the faltering peasant force.

It was over in less than half a hour. The peasant rebels had no chance. Those who were not fleeing to the hills were either food for the worms or swearing loyalty on their knees.
“A good battle,” said Yakuni, unstringing his bow.
“A good beginning,” agree Toyotomi, who looked through the thinning fog to the horizon, and the outline of Yoritomo island.

The Battle for Agasha Province

Murimoto Yama buckled his mempo into place, the snarling face of a dragon replacing his own. He looked down upon the damaged outpost that housed the Ronin and their peasant rebels. The forces of the Dragon stole down the mountainside, moving quietly into formation. The time of unenlightened barbarism in this province was over. The Dragon had come.

Yama sent his cavalry in a wide circle of the outpost. The foolish peasants massed up to follow the force, exposing the rear of their line. He crossed his blades over his head and roared “For Yokuni!” as his troops swarmed forward, the sunrise cresting the mountains behind them.

As the Ronin, clad in dirty robes and scavenged armor, kicked and screamed at the peasants to bring them around, Yama shook his head. There were no honorable opponents here.

With the cavalry leading in a wedge, the Dragon troops cleaved through the peasant lines, breaking them into two groups. As they struggled, suddenly separated from leaders, the Dragon seamlessly split from one force to two.

The rebels were outnumbered, outtrained, and outequiped. They stood no chance, and the might of the Dragon military rolled over them like a wave of emerald. The Ronin used the peasants as shields, but that bought them perhaps 5 more minutes of life.

It was over before the sun had cleared the Dragon’s Teeth peaks. A new day was dawning in Agasha.

The Battle for Togashi Province

Togashi Yodin started from the trance he had been walking in during the past several miles. This area of the mountains was dark. Too dark. Shadows clung like spider webs, were draped like silk from the rocks and the trees. The men murmured in alarm. Suddenly, a figure peeled itself from the shadow, revealing a muscled man covered with tattoos. Even the normally stoic Yodin felt a shock of fear as he saw the featureless face of smooth flesh. And yet, a voice still whispered “Join us…”

Suddenly, men were stepping from the shadows all around the Dragon troops. The sky darkened. Hundreds of peasants with pale, empty faces, and dozens of dark tattooed men. Yodin raged to see his brethren corrupted so, caught that rage, formed it into an arrow, and launched it with clear purpose at his foes. With a roar, his men followed.

Though Yodin could sense the sightless gaze of the Kikage Zume upon him, he could not see through the haze of shadows that infested the battlefield like a thick fog.

With the obscuring shadows came a dimming of sound. Orders became jumbled. Yodin called upon the Tattoo of the Sun not once, but twice, but each time this brilliant burst of light could only push back the shadow a small way.

The men with the dark tattoos fought brutally, but in utter silence. Their mastery of Shinsei’s path was impressive. With a two quick blows they could disarm a bushi, and a third would break his neck. All in silence.

But Yodin’s men were Dragon men, used to the strange and the unknown. They fought back, trying to restore rank and order even in the unnatural twilight that had fallen at midday. Some of the kikage zume could fade into shadows just before the final strike, but the lost Ashigaru could not, and their grayish blood stained the ground.

Yodin called his men to form up in a wedge, looking to fight their way out of the center, but half of the figures in the gloom turned out to be enemies. As he blocked the kick of another monk, Yodin knew that his brother Yama would be laughing at him.

The enemy struck again, disrupting the least trained of the Dragon troops. Yodin glimpsed the faceless monk who had spoken to him weaving threads of night from his fingers that drifted through the air, freezing all they touched.

Though confused, the Dragon still outnumbered their enemy. And they could recover their balance, while the kikage could not generate more numbers. As a tattooed monk faded in front of him, Yodin focused and called upon the Dragon tattoo. A rolling cloud of fire burst from his mouth, burning even the darkness to ash. But the lost Ashigaru seemed remarkably resilient.

The Dragon men faltered, lost in the darkness, fighting an alien enemy. Yodin grabbed the Dragon standard and leaped up to a rocky outcropping. “FOR THE DRAGON” he roared, and his voice cut through the silence that had choked the battlefield as it was magnified by a thousand other throats.

The darkness was fading. The fire of the Dragon was burning it away, and the kikage seemed suddenly unsure.

The faceless monk found himself caught by the steel of the Dragon’s finest samurai. Though he could dance past the blades of a single warrior, a dozen pinned him against a cliff. As his head was taken from his shoulders, his body melted to shadow and the unnatural darkness lifted. Heartened, the men cut through the remaining enemies. Yodin, tired, cold, hoarse, and cut by the spears of the Ashigaru, returned to his meditative trance.

Daily Life in Rokugan

Clothing
Peasants' clothes are made of cotton or hemp, while samurai
usually wear silk; other than that, the basic Rokugani
wardrobe varies little. Men wear a fundoshi, a loincloth which
wraps around the stomach and up between the legs, under the
kimono; women's kimono are longer, and usually worn with a
wrap-round underskirt. The cut and width of the sleeves, as
well as the length of the garment, determine the exact style -
this varies from peasant's garb, which is quite snug and often
barely covers the undergarments, to samurai court kimono,
which often trail a foot or more on the floor. Kimono have no
pockets - instead, personal belongings are tucked into the wide
sleeves, or behind the front flap of the garment. Bushi carry a
special cord for fastening up the sleeves of their kimono to
keep them out of the way before going into battle - a skilled
swordsman can do this in seconds. The left side of the kimono
is wrapped over the right - NEVER the other way around.
That's how the dead are dressed. The kimono is secured with
an obi, a band of fabric which is wrapped two or more times
around the waist. Men's obi are narrow and secured with a
simple knot, while women's are wider, often as elaborately
decorated as the kimono itself, and is tied up to form a flat
bundle (or, on formal outfits, a large, elaborate bow) at the
back.
While peasants usually stop with the kimono, and perhaps
cotton leggings or trousers if the weather is cold, samurai
often wear two layered kimono, and a variety of outer
garments as well. Male samurai usually wear a kamishimo,
which is a combination of hakama (wide trousers, similar to a
divided skirt) and a kataginu, a sleeveless, sideless vest which
exaggerates the shoulders. Alternatively, a haori (a short coat)
or a hitatare (a kataginu without the stiffened shoulders, but
with sleeves and a decorative string across the chest) can be
worn with the hakama. The hakama are impractical when
riding, so a samurai going out on horseback usually wears
kobakama, a more close-fitting type of trousers. Many Unicorn
wear these all the time. The daimon, finally, is a huge kimono
with very wide sleeves, decorated with oversized versions of
the wearer's mon in several places, including on the hem of
the sleeves.
In more formal circumstances, high-ranking samurai wear a
kariginu, a long overcoat with a high, round collar and huge
sleeves, which is either worn out or tucked into the hakama.
Those who really wish to impress onlookers with their style
also wear nagabakama, similar to ordinary hakama but with
legs so long that they trail on the floor, making them
extremely difficult to walk in. Needless to say, it is all but
impossible to move quickly in such clothes, at least not without
looking ridiculous; some courtiers claim that the styles were
introduced for that very purpose, to limit outbreaks of
violence in court. Eboshi (cloth caps) or hats are common
accessories for samurai. Peasants often wear simple rice hats
to keep the sun off their faces, or a hachimaki (headband).
Women of high rank wear at least two layers of kimono, and
often an unbelted outer kimono which is worn loose, like a
jacket. This outer garment may be pulled up over the head to
serve as a sunshade or umbrella. Court dress is an even more
elaborate version of the same thing - during some periods,
fashion has demanded that a lady wear no less than twelve
layers of kimono! The neckline of a woman's kimono may be
altered into a high, elaborate collar, or lowered to show a hint
of shoulder or cleavage if the lady wishes to be daring. (Of
course, the outfits of certain Scorpion ladies do more than
hint...) The sleeves are typically larger than a man's.
Onnamusha wear men's clothing while in the field, and often
at other times as well, but there are those (mostly among the
Crane and Phoenix) who wear more traditional outfits on
formal occasions.
The mon of the wearer's clan and family is incorporated into
the design of most clothes, either as a repeated pattern or
embroidered on the back, chest or sleeve.
Footwear for travelers and the lower classes is waraji, straw
sandals. Samurai often wear zori (thonged sandals) instead.
Tabi (split-toed socks) are worn under the sandals. Geta, high
wooden clogs, are worn in bad weather to keep one's feet out
of the mud. At such times, one may also use a paper umbrella
or straw raincoat to keep the rain off.
The Rokugani generally do not wear Western-style jewelry,
such as rings and bracelets. (The Unicorn do, sometimes, but
it hasn't really caught on.) Instead, they wear netsuke;
elaborately carved toggles which are slipped into the obi to
hold up the cord for the inro, a small lacquered box used to
hold objects too small to be tucked into the sleeves. Samurai
women use combs or pins to hold up their elaborate hairstyles.
Peasants usually wear drab colors, since they can't afford
bright dyes. For samurai, formal wear is almost always in clan
colors. Otherwise, young people wear brightly colored clothing
with elaborate patterns, while older people's clothes have
darker, more subdued colors. White is the color of death, and
red the color of birth; during the marriage ceremony, the
bride wears white clothes, which are gradually removed to
reveal a red outfit underneath. This symbolizes her death to
her own family and rebirth into her husband's.
Clothes are made in both winter and summer weights, and
everyone switches from summer to winter wear on the same
calendar date.

Hairstyles and Makeup
Male samurai wear their hair long, and bound up in various
styles. Though the classic style, in which the top of the head is
shaved and the rest of the hair oiled into a queue which is
folded forward over the crown, is popular, there are a
number of other hairstyles. The simplest version is tying the
hair into a knot or ponytail at the back of the head.
Alternatively, the hair is wrapped with a ribbon so that it
sticks out and up, like a brush; with this style, the crown may
or may not be shaved. Many helmets have an opening on the
back of the head through which the hair can be pulled.
Many Crane dye their hair white, in remembrance of the first
Daidoji, while some Lion dye theirs golden. The Dragon
frequently shave their heads entirely, monk-style, and
sometimes decorate their bald pates with tattoos.
Samurai women (and geisha) wear their hair VERY long,
either tied into a foxtail or piled up in elaborate braids and
loops, secured by combs and pins. For a woman, having her
hair cut off is a great mark of shame. Many ladies (and all
geisha) also wear a great deal of makeup, primarily face
powder and rouge. Pale skin is prized, and even peasant
women never expose their faces to the sun if they can help it.
Onnamusha usually braid their hair while in the field, or use a
sleevelike cloth tube with drawstrings at the ends to hold it in
place.

Food
Rice is the absolute staple of the Rokugani diet; it's a rare meal
that doesn't contain rice in some form. In addition, there are
many different kinds of noodles, beans, sweet potatoes, water
chestnuts, seaweed, pickles (vegetables are almost never eaten
fresh), fruit, eggs, fish and shellfish. Because the taxes are
paid in rice, the lower classes frequently eat millet or other
grains instead. The Rokugani equivalents of "fast food", often
eaten on the road, are onigiri (rice balls) and dango (millet
dumplings).
Only the Unicorn eat red meat regularly; the Fivefold Path,
with its ban on killing for food, was not yet universally
popular in Rokugan when they left, and most modern-day
Unicorn still follow the "unclean" ways of their ancestors in
this regard. Samurai of all clans still love to hunt, however,
and fowl makes a pleasant addition to the menu. Some even
hunt boars or deer, though they don't necessarily eat the prey
themselves.
Sake comes in dozens of different varieties, and can be served
warm or cold depending on type. It is drunk from small,
broad cups; in a formal setting, a servant or dining companion
pours the drinks. Only a barbarian would drink sake directly
from the bottle. There are also several kinds of brandy,
shochu (like sake, but much stronger) and uishi, a gaijin
beverage brewed by the Unicorn.
An average meal consists of a bowl of rice, soup, some
seaweed or pickled vegetables, and fish. There are no banquet
halls as such; food is served in whatever room suits the
purpose. Each diner has his own tiny table, and instead of one
large plate or bowl there is a small one for each dish. Soup is
drunk from the bowl. It's considered VERY bad luck to put
your chopsticks in your rice bowl so that they stand up - that's
how it's done when you offer rice to the spirits of the dead.
When passing food to someone else, you should pick it up
with your chopsticks and put it in his bowl, instead of holding
it out for him to take with his chopsticks; that’s how the bones
of the dead are handled after cremation.

The August Personages of the Lion Clan

Matsu Genai - Clan Champion
Genai is currently the oldest Clan champion and one of the only Great Family daiymos to survive the Collar. He is known for being short-tempered, militaristic, aggressive, and somewhat arrogant. However, his tactical mind has had years to refine itself, and he possess a strategic genius based on experience that is unmatched in the empire today. He also has a strict, almost fanatical devotion to "The Empire" and the cause of honor. He also has a reputation for not tolerating any weakness.


Matsu Tesomi
Tesomi is Genai's daughter. A proud member of the Matsu berserker school, she is a firebrand on and off the battlefield. Her father has very high expectations and she works very hard to meet them. She has been known to lead the unit of Matsu Deathseekers onto the field of battle personally. It is a poorly held secret that there is some sort of bad blood between her and the Dragon Champion, Yokuni. Tesomi is an attractive woman, but it is the sharp, dangerous beauty of her clan's namesake.

Kitsu Barako
The Kitsu family suffered more than most when the Black Collar was at its peak. Their family gift, an ease of speaking with Ancestors and the spirits of the departed, became a curse, and millions of Rokugani poured across the veil. Of those who were not claimed by the collar, most went mad from the cacaphony of voices. Barako is one of the few remaining, though whether she is mad or not is a subject for some debate. Her power alone is enough reason for Genai to keep her around, although the rumor that she is Tesomi's mother may be another.

Ikoma Tokatsu
The Lion Clan's lead diplomat and negotiator, Tokatsu is often tasked with softening the harsh rhetoric of his Champion, which is no easy task. While Genai has expansion in mind, Tokatsu is a moderate voice, seeking to advance his cause through negotiation rather than force. An excellent Shogi player, Tokatsu has minimal tactical ability and only the most basic combat training. Still, in these times after the Collar, he is willing to do what he must in order to help his Clan rebuild.


Akodo Hideaki
A young proud man ready to restore his clan to greatness, Hideaki is the Akodo family daimyo. He is short for men his age but he makes up for that in cunning and intelligence. While a competent warrior, his greatness lies on the field and has much promise to surpass the great Akodo Kage. It is said when he does lose that he harbors a grudge and vows to repay it with interest. He and Genai have a history of not seeing eye to eye, and though he would never show it publicly, there are whispers he now regrets letting the leadership of the Lion move from the Akodo family to the Matsu family.

Akodo Shichiro
A Lion Bushi, though hardly more than a boy just ready to complete his Gempukku. Son of the previous Akodo family daimyo, he lost both of his parents to the initial outbreak of the Black Collar. When Hideaki took over the fragmented Akodo leadership and passed on the duties of Champion to the Matsu family, he took Shichiro under his wing and completed his initial training. Full of eagerness and pride to prove himself to his Clan. He has answered his Lord's call and is ready to lay his young life down for the Empire.

Culture of Rokugan

Behavior
The society of Rokugan is a very polite one, and very firmly
divided into three strata; your equals, your superiors, and
your inferiors. Equals should be treated politely, but not overly
so, unless of course you're trying to win their favor. To be
addressed as an equal by someone who is in fact your superior
is a high honor - and even then, you should continue to
address him in a respectful manner, at least in public. Even if
your lord or superior officer is also your best buddy, treating
him as an equal in front of others will cause him to lose face,
and yourself to be branded an ill-mannered lout.
Bowing is the standard gesture of greeting and farewell. The
inferior bows deeper and longer than the superior. The most
formal form of bowing, most often used at court or when
summoned into your lord's presence, is kneeling and pressing
one's forehead to the ground. A samurai may also prostrate
himself in this manner while making a formal apology, to
show his deep shame and respect for the one he has offended.
Showing strong emotions in public is frowned upon, as is
making any form of loud noise; the walls are thin, so even if
you're in your own home, you're bound to disturb someone.
Besides, emotional displays run contrary to the stoic ideals of
bushidô. Young people and non-bushi have a little more
leeway in this, but not much.
There are three forms of polite address commonly used in
Rokugan. An equal, or an inferior to whom one wishes to be
polite, is addressed as (family name)-san, or (full name)-san if
there are many people of the same family present. For a
superior, the pattern is the same, except that the suffix is -
sama. Finally, one's lord may also be addressed as "tono"
("lord"), or with the suffix -dono after his family name (that
suffix can also be used for anyone else of high station or
worthy of respect).
When having an audience with an important person, there will
be guards present; this doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of
trust, simply normal caution and the preservation of face.
Only close family members and hatamoto have the privilege of
seeing their lord whenever they want to. And unless your
daimyô trusts you utterly, talking to him in private is OUT. If
the treacherous advisor whom you're trying to overthrow is
standing right by his shoulder whenever you talk to him, you'll
just have to learn to work around that.
The Rokugani are very group-oriented; individualism has no
place in this society. Belonging to a social group, whether it's a
clan, a family, a squad, a village or just a gang of rônin
banding together, is necessary for the individual's well-being
as well as for survival. A person who is thrust out of the social
order will be pitied; one who voluntarily forsakes society, or
flaunts social conventions, is likely to inspire both curiosity and
revulsion. Note that becoming rônin, or shaving one's head
and joining a monastery, doesn't necessarily constitute
"dropping out".
Gift-giving is an integral part of society. It's important to make
sure that the gift is appropriate to the receiver; giving a gift
which clearly has no thought behind it is an insult. So is giving
away something which is beyond the receiver's means of
returning, since this places him in your debt. A gift must be
offered three times, and politely refused the first two, to give
the giver a chance to show his sincerity.
Honesty is not always a virtue in Rokugan; while bushidô
teaches complete sincerity, a samurai is expected to lie to
protect his family, his lord or his honor. Thus, the greatest
gift a Rokugani can have is the ability to appear absolutely
honest even when lying through his teeth.
Bushidô is NOT the same as Western chivalry. Treating your
enemy honorably is not necessarily the same thing as giving
him a "sporting chance". Most samurai recognize sabotage,
stealth and treachery as integral parts of strategy; after all, if
you can cut off your enemy's supplies, attack him unawares,
or disrupt his communications, you will have come that much
closer to gaining victory for your lord. On the other hand,
very few samurai boast of such tactics. That's why the
Scorpions are so reviled; not only do they more or less openly
admit to winning by treachery, but they use similar tactics even
in the more genteel "battlefield" of the courts.

Seppuku
Samurai commit seppuku for a number of reasons. Whatever
the cause, it is important to remember that seppuku is an
honorable death. No matter what the dishonor or inner
conflict that drove someone to commit seppuku, it is
considered to have been resolved by his death. Any further
reprisals against his family or insults to his honor would be
dishonorable.
The most common reason for seppuku is to purge oneself of
dishonor. In such instances, the samurai has lost so much face
or is so ashamed of himself that death is the only way to
remove the stain. One might also choose death to resolve a
conflict of loyalties, or to avoid capture or a shameful death. A
samurai who has been sentenced to death, but whose crimes
are not so heinous that they merit an ordinary execution, is
also allowed to commit seppuku.
Committing seppuku to follow one's lord in death is called
junshi. This custom is frowned upon in modern-day Rokugan,
as it is a waste of loyal retainers. Funshi is the act of
committing seppuku to reproach another - for example,
stating publicly that another has acted dishonorably, and then
dying as the strongest possible testimony. Kanshi, finally, is
one of a very few ways in which a samurai can legitimately
protest his lord's actions. If he feels that his lord is behaving
in a shameful or otherwise harmful way, he can write a letter
detailing his grievances, and then kill himself. This is
considered the highest form of loyalty.
Samurai women commit jigai, which is performed almost
exactly like seppuku except that one uses a tanto or other
small knife, which is thrust into the throat. Onnamusha (female bushi),
however, perform the same ritual as a man would.
In all but the most extreme circumstances, the person
committing seppuku will have a second, a kaishaku. Choosing
someone to be your kaishaku is a great honor, and implies the
highest respect and trust; after all, it depends on the kaishaku
if you will die cleanly and honorably, or suffer and perhaps
dishonor yourself by showing it. Needless to say, a kaishaku
who fails in his duty is seriously dishonored.
In a formal setting, seppuku takes place in a plain room or
outside, in front of white curtains. Witnesses are always
present. The person committing seppuku wears white
clothing, and kneels on a cushion. Before the cushion there is
a small table, on which the wakizashi is placed, along with the
materials for writing a death poem, and a piece of cloth or
sheet of paper with which to wrap the lower part of the
wakizashi blade for a better grip. The kaishaku stands behind
and to the left of the cushion, with his katana drawn. Water is
ladled up from a bucket and poured over both sides of the
blade, purifying it and allowing a cleaner cut.
Theoretically, the person committing seppuku is supposed to
make two horizontal and one vertical cut in his stomach, the
whole forming an "H" shape, before the kaishaku cuts off his
head; in practice, the kaishaku will often strike when he seems
on the point of screaming or falling over. A quick strike is
preferable to such a dishonor.

Etiquette of Arms
The wearing of a samurai's two swords has been the subject of
a number of learned treatises throughout Rokugan's history,
and with good reason. The quality of a samurai's swords, and
the way he carries them, is one of the most important clues to
his status and personality.
First, it is important to understand that while every member
of the samurai caste has a right to wear the dai-shô, very few
except for bushi do so. Women generally do not wear swords
at all; male courtiers and shugenja, with few exceptions, wear
only the wakizashi. Wearing the full dai-shô means
announcing to the world that one is a skilled swordsman, and
does not need protection in battle or proxies in duels; this is a
statement that few non-bushi wish to make.
Secondly, not every bushi's dai-shô is a revered and glorious
object passed down through generations of ancestors. In fact,
it is far more likely to have been mass-produced by his lord's
armorers. This does not mean that the bushi will treat his
weapons any less carefully or respectfully, of course... after all,
the sword is the soul of the samurai. But most bushi will buy
themselves a new sword if they can afford one, and return the
old one to the armory. Higher-quality swords are also common
as prices in tournaments, or gifts from a lord to a
distinguished retainer. Once a samurai has acquired such a
fine sword, he is certain to wear it proudly and pass it on to
his heir... and eventually, that sword will become "the honored
blade of my ancestors."
It is perfectly legitimate for a samurai to own several swords,
and the choice of which one to use speaks volumes to the
perceptive courtiers of Rokugan. A bushi who comes to visit
wearing the sword he always carries into battle is saying "I am
surrounded by enemies here" while wearing a blade received
as a gift indicates a wish to honor the giver. Of course, this all
assumes that the bushi in question is known to own several
swords.
The way the sword is carried or set down also gives social
clues. Low-ranking bushi usually thrust their swords almost
vertically through their obi, so as not to bump into someone.
Those of higher rank allow their swords to stick out behind
them and to the side, clearing a larger "personal space" and
indicating that this is someone who expects others to step
aside for him. When entering someone else's home, guests
who are of lower rank than the host leave their weapons by
the door, unless given specific permission to bring them. (It is
important to note that permission to bring your sword into
someone else's home certainly does not mean permission to
use them. If you must spill blood, do it outside.)
When offering a sword to someone else, the edge should
always be turned toward you, even if the sword is sheathed.
When sitting, swords should be set down to the right, with the
hilts pointing away from the host. If they are placed to the
left, they are easier to draw, indicating hostility and suspicion,
while pointing the hilts toward the host might be interpreted
as lack of respect (if you thought he was any good with a
sword, would you place yours where he could get at them?).
Oh, and it should be pointed out that ALL Rokugani are
right-handed. There isn't a single left-handed bushi in the
whole Empire. Especially not in the Scorpion Clan.
The sword should be pulled out of the obi with the right
hand, using the index finger to hold down the guard. Using
your left hand, with the thumb on the edge of the guard,
shows mistrust, or the intention to draw the sword.
When traveling, samurai put cover sleeves on the hilts of their
swords to protect them. The sleeve also prevents an easy draw.
Removing it, or leaving it off altogether, is a sign of
aggression.
There are also very strict protocols for how a sword should be
sharpened, polished, and displayed. Touching another's sword
without permission is a dire insult, and may be cause for a
duel.
Other weapons are not surrounded by the same mystique and
elaborate traditions as the dai-shô, but some things are
universal. First of all, while the dai-shô is also a symbol of
rank, other weapons and armor are tools of war. In peace
time, they should be kept on display in the home, or packed
away. While traveling, unless one is marching to battle, armor
is kept in specially made armor chests and weapons are
protected by sheaths and dust sleeves. A samurai who went
about his daily business clad in armor or carrying a naginata
or tetsubo might find himself in trouble very quickly - the
commoners would fear such an obviously violent person, while
local guards and magistrates would take a great deal of
interest in him… not to mention the insult he would offer to
his hosts or the lord of the province by implying that they are
not capable of keeping the peace.

Names
The first thing to remember about Rokugani names is that the
family name always comes first. The same goes for the
”possessor” element in bynames of the ”X of Y” variety; so, for
example, the farmer Ryuichi from the village of Kinkawa
would be known to outsiders as Kinkawa no Ryuichi.
Only the upper classes, samurai and Imperial nobles, have
family names. The lower classes have bynames, as mentioned
above. These may be based on the place where they live, their
occupation, or on personal characteristics.
While the Great Houses of Rokugan take their names after
their founders, the names of vassal families are often based on
their place of origin, resulting in names such as Kiyama
(yellow mountain) or Kawaguchi (mouth of the river).
Small children are given yômyô, or child’s names, six days
after birth. Girls’ names are usually related to flowers or other
natural features, or to traditional ”womanly virtues”, and are
most often kept for life. Common suffixes are -ko (little), -
hime (princess, can also be used as formal address) and -mi
(beauty). Boys, on the other hand, are expected to change
their names after passing their gempukku ceremony. Little
boys’ names usually contain the suffixes -waka (young) or -
maru, which denotes affection.
Adult names for men come in two types. The first is the
zokumyô, or order name, which simply denotes place in the
birth order - Ichirô, literally ”first man” is the eldest son.
Other particles are often added to the zokumyô, yielding
names like Daigorô (”big fifth man”) or Matasaburô (”again
third man”, the third son of a third son). The -rô suffix may
be dropped, as in Kenichi.
Zokumyô are given to all men when they come of age, but lest
the Emerald Empire be swamped with Hida Ichirôs and Isawa
Saburôs, men of the upper classes rarely use them as ”public”
names, or indeed at all. Instead, they have so-called nanori,
formal or ”true” names. These are derived from some lucky
or desirable trait (like Tadashi, ”honest” or ”righteous”) or a
title, such as Mataemon (the -emon suffix derives from a word
for ”guard”).

The August Personages of the Scorpion Clan

Bayushi Ken'ichi - Clan Champion
The Scorpion champion seems to have been born for his position. Ken'ichi is a very handsome man in his mid twenties who does not wear a mask as per Scorpion tradition (a favorite saying of his is "Why hide what everyone knows?") and it has become somewhat of a 'trendy' fashion statement of other Scorpion in his court. Ken'ichi's attitude is very friendly and outgoing and has a knack for making friends fast. He has an intense drive to succeed, and there are those who speak of him (usually only once) as having found the perfect mask in using no mask at all. His only failing, if it may be called that, is a known fascination with Gaijin artifacts and culture.

Shosuro Natsumi
Quite possibly the only thing keeping Natsumi from being described as the most beautiful woman in Rokugan is the fact that her father was a Gaijin trader and she inherited a fair amount of Gaijin looks. More full figured, and taller, than most Rokugani women with a paler complexion and 'strange' (to other Rokugani) facial features. Natsumi is a force at court, able to melt the most surly samurai with a smile. But if the smile is insufficient, she is more than capable of using the katana she openly carries.

Yogo Nibori
One of the few Scorpion shugenja, and fewer still shugenja outside of the Phoenix lands to ride into battle, Nibori is the general of the Scorpion armies. Fiercely loyal to his nephew Ken'ichi, Nibori sees that the Scorpion war machine is ready to move at his nephew's whims and carry out whatever needs to be done. A tall six feet with a well muscled build, he is rarely seen without his mask carved of darkwood and inlayed with red enameled metal to look like a kabuki theatre oni's face and red enameled armor. Shunning court, Nibori instead spends his time in the study of tactics.

Bayushi Inari
Jushin. The Honorable Scorpion. No masks and no secrets, just honor. Inari is Ken’ichi’s youngest brother and somewhat of the family’s black sheep due to his insistence to follow the path of honor so few scorpion do. He is a talented investigator and an up and coming general, so much so that Nibori is personally training him. He seems to have an affinity for shugenja and utilizes them proficiently in his tactics.






Shosuro Tatsuachi
There is no one named Shosuro Tatsuachi in all of the Empire. You must be mistaken. Move along.

House Rule: Stunting

Overview
One of the best things to come out of Exalted is the idea of stunts. "Wait, I can get an actual in-game benefit for roleplaying something? Sweet!" Stunts liven up a session, get everyone more involved, and help enhance both the imaginative imagery and the interactive improv that are (in my opinion) essential to the roleplaying expereince. As such, I'm implementing the following Stunt system for L5R.

Building a Stunt
As in Exalted, a player can Stunt when they take the time to describe an action in greater detail. This can be done in combat, in court, in a duel, a test of skill. There's many applications. Skill and combat stunts usually come from describing the situation. Social stunts usually come from actually composing and speaking an argument, threat, solicitation, etc. Some quick rules:

1. Only PCs can stunt. I may get flowery in my descriptions, but the NPCs will not get any bonus.
2. You can't stunt the trivial. You can't stunt a action that is so easy it doesn't need a die roll, or one with a minimal TN like 5 or 10.
3. Stunts come from the tension of conflict. If there is no conflict, there's probably no need to stunt. Conflict doesn't have to be direct opposition: working against a clock, or attempting a task which has bested you multiple times are instances of conflict.
4. Repitition has diminishing returns. There's only so many ways you can rip out my spleen.

Stunt Levels
There are three basic levels of stunts. As in Exalted, a Level 1 stunt is a departure from "I hit him with my sword." There is some work at visualizing the action, a sense of flare or a connection to a virture of Bushido. In Court, talking at all generally will let you a Level 1 student. Level 2 stunts are more impressive, including elements of the enviroment such as falling cherry blossoms, the glint of the sun off one's blade, a cloud of dust, the walls of the palace, etc. Or they involve some character element: inner rage, focused vengance, etc. Level 3 stunts are the ones that make everyone at the table go "wow!" If there is some doubt as to whether it was a Level 3 stunt, its not a Level 3 stunt.

Stunt Effects
So what does a stunt do for you in L5R? It depends on the level of the stunt and where you are using it.

A Level 1 stunt will give you a +3 bonus to the die roll, the equivelent of an emphasis.

A Level 2 stunt can:

1. Give you another rolled die before the roll resolves. OR
2. In combat, if the roll you are stunting succeeds, your character gets a surge of energy and Chi that can overcome some of the minor complications of his wounds. Heal 1d10/2 wounds.

A Level 3 stunt can:

1. Give you another kept die before the roll resolves. OR
2. Be a potential sliver of perfection. If the roll you are stunting succeeds, your character tastes a tiny fragment of enlightment and regains a Void Point. This does not count against your normal meditative total for the day.

Iaijutsu

The August Personages of the Crab Clan

Hida Husaki - Clan Champion
Husaki is in many ways the traditional Crab champion. He is huge, for one. His mind is focused in a single goal: defending the Empire from the Shadowlands threat. However, he also possess one of the keenest tactical minds in the Empire. The Crab, whose usual battlefield tactics revolve around the application of overwhelming force combined with a pragmatic tricky, have recently won some spectacular battles against the Dark Moto who lead the Shadowlands forces. Husaki does remain terse and occasionally dour, when not on the occasional drinking and gambling binge, and has not yet appear at any major court function.

Kaiu Konsimu
A young, hot-headed warrior who excelled naturally on the front lines. Outfitted in a set of coveted armor won in a Hida province tournament, and armed with his dead father's katana, his handsome and subtly aggressive figure draws attention both on the field and in a Court. His skill with a blade is renowned in the lower crab lands, where his reputation for starting and winning duels has prompted a number of communities to dub him "The Kaiu Crane".

Yasuki Tsushira
An attractive young woman widely thought in the Clan to be the most promising Crab Shugenja in 10 generations. Her unusually (For Crab) bookish bearing hides an outstanding tactical mind gleaned from intensive study of historical battles as well as an awesome mastery of offensive magics. Typically dressed in the flowing blue formal kimono and traditional trappings of the shugenja school, she would seem otherwise unremarkable save for an inexplicable sense of power around her.

Yasuki Momaru
Momaru is fond of saying that there are many battlefields, and a Crab should be master of all of them. While he has not neglected his martial training, he has taken it upon himself to ensure the Crab have dominance in other battlefields: in the market, in the court, in the back-alleys. He has a reputation for the same ruthless pragmatism in those arenas as the Crab demonstrate in their battles against the Shadowlands.

The August Personages of the Crane Clan

Kakita Tanaka – Clan Champion
Tanaka is a powerful, handsome man, radiating an aura of fearless authority. He is strong and his eyes seem to hold back a raging inferno of intensity. Polite, and very likeable, he is a generous host. He doesn’t have the gift of strategy, but he is an accomplished duelist, some say a match for the great Ide Morimoto. He is quick to anger if his honor is questioned, and is not hesitant to issue a challenge. He has a reputation as a ladies man.

Daidoji Hoto

Daidoji Hoto, the Daidoji family Daimyo, is a very handsome man, and as such has little trouble attracting the attentions of beautiful women. He stands slightly taller then the average rokugani citizen, with long white hair down to his mid-back. Piercing green eyes, rare for a rokugani citizen, grace his handsome face. Daidoji Hoto is almost as personable as Tanaka. Although Hoto does seem to be a little more Crab-oriented when it comes to speaking in court. Before the Plague, Hoto worked as a Crane Magistrate, patrolling the provinces and attending to his duties.

Doji Akahito
Akahito is an unattractive man, even by other clan’s standards. He also is known to loathe the court, never having mastered the art of the conversation and appearance. He has spent most of his time planning strategies, for use if the Crane should ever be attacked. He has studied the techniques of many other clans. Akahito keeps to himself, even among the other members of his clan.

Doji O-Ushi

Her father is Doji Akahito, a Crane clan General. She is still studying to become a clan shugenja, though she has a reputation for being timid. She does not have a desire to help her father in battle; in fact, she is frightened of large battles. She wishes to help her clan in different ways. She hopes to become a magistrate and help in investigations. Eventually she knows she will come to grips with her fear.

Asahina Reiyoko
A very beautiful woman, Reiyoko is very committed to doing the best she can for her clan. The boring life of court doesn’t suit her very well, and she much prefers delving into the mysterious places of Rokugan. She was allowed to train in the Scorpion Shugenja school in an exchange program that let Shoshuro Natsumi attend the Kakita school.

The August Personages of the Phoenix Clan

Isawa Murasame – Clan Champion
The Phoenix clan suffered greatly from the ravages of the Gaijin Pluage, loosing all of the Elemental Masters. When the call went out for new leadership, Murasame took that mantle unflinchingly. Before the plague, Murasame used his shugenja skills in his weaponcraft, but after the plague hit he turned his mind to forging some sort of treatment. In the recent months, word has leaked out that he has indeed developed a something along those lines. Although frail of body, Murasame is a consummate (if often unorthodox) diplomat and one of the most honored men the empire.

Isawa Razen
A water shugenja, Razen is passionate about analysis and research. A student of knowledge and a keen observationist of people. He spends many hours watching the comings and goings of people in the markets near the monastery where he studied. Very thorough and detailed; he notes trends and statistics, and his reading tends to focus on the intellectual, the strategic, and the systematic. His research has paid off on the battlefield.

Isawa Anzai
A young brash Isawa, interested in knowledge and power. Anzai has always been superior to her piers and looking for respect and admiration from her superiors. She is always the first to try new spells and to do so in a manner that is shows off her talents with little forethought to the situations that might arise because of it. This sometimes gets her in trouble, but the kami must be watching over her, as she always manages to find a way out of trouble.

Isawa Yasukaza
Yasukaza is the only surviving pupil of Murasame. One of the few people who knew him before his discovery of the treatment of the Gaijin Plague. He has taken up Murasame's position as weaponsmith and his craftsmanship is known throughout the Phoenix lands.

Shiba Radae
An untypical Phoenix. At a young age Radae interpreted the Shiba mantra of protection as being a strong offense. After his training he quickly became bored with the disciplined restraint of his fellow Shiba choosing to travel Rokugan looking for action while focusing his mind and body for whatever battles or challenges his travels would deal him.

Shiba Azuna
Shiba Azuma is one of the elite Tatsujin Yojimbo. It has been a few years since the dye in his hair has grown out and been cut short, but still he follows his fateful duty to guard the Elemental Masters as the Tatsujin Yojimbo have done for centuries. Isawa Murasame has just recently requested his aide in his travels as the Champion now feels that Rokugan has become a more dangerous place.

August Personages of the Dragon

Mirumoto Yama
Mirumoto Yakuzi, former champion of the Dragon Clan, had three sons. His eldest, Yama, has proven to be a gifted military tactician, and now is the general of the Dragon armies. Once thought to be the one who would replace his father (now deceased) as the Clan’s champion, Yama has been far too obsessed with military matters to get too heavily involved in other aspects of clan business. Yama is also a practitioner of the Mirumoto dueling technique.

Mirumoto Yokuni – Clan Champion
Mirumoto Yokuni, the second oldest son of Yakuzi, is the current Clan Champion. A gifted swordmaster and duelist, Yokuni strives to bring the Dragon clan into the modern era, attempting to show the empire that the Dragon Clan can be valuable members of the empire, and set a good example for all Clans. A measure of a man is not only in his ability to fight duels, or wage war…but to control the powers of the mind and spirit, these are also as important. The mystic insights of the Dragon serve Yokuni well, as he often succeeds where others thought failure was inevitable.

Togashi Yodin
Togashi Yodin (formally Mirumoto Yodin), who has dedicated his life to uncovering lost knowledge that will help bring his Clan and the Empire to enlightenment. After becoming one of the ize zume, Yodin took the name of Clan founder Togashi. Yodin, sometimes referred to as The Seeker (a nickname given to him by Yakuni), is an accomplished martial artist. Seeking to perfect his mind as well as his body, he often seeks out strange and hidden locations to test his skills.

Kitsuki Higoshi
The shrewd and charasmatic Kitsuki Higoshi (often called the Inquisitor) has made his reputation on being a clever investigator. He uses, as many in the Kitsuki family do, a method called deduction in order to investigate crimes in the Dragon lands. Although he did attend Shugenja school, he has devoted most of his time since graduation studying deductive reasoning and investigation techniques. He has learned to use his Shugenja powers in aiding him in his investigations, using both logic and intuition together to great effect. His incorporation of intuition has upset some in his family, who are more purists in terms of the family method.
Higoshi's recent string of solved cases (including the famous case of the stolen ceremonial katana that belonged to the Dragon Bushi schoolmaster, Hitomi Tetsuo) finally caught the attention of clan champion, Mirumoto Yokuni. Yokuni has promoted Higoshi to the position of Lord High Magistrate of the Dragon Lands in charge of all investigations conducted by the Dragon. Higoshi still insists on conducting important investigations himself. Yokuni also uses Higoshi on diplomatic missions, as he always makes a positive impression on those with whom he interacts (which also helps in gathering information for his investigations). In his spare time, he often discusses military strategy and psychology with General Yama.

Togashi Yoshida

Togashi Yoshida is the son of the Togashi family daimyo, Togashi Satsu, himself a descendant of the original clan founder. He is also the cousin of the Dragon clan champion, Mirumoto Yokuni. Although a member of the monastic order, the ize zume, Yoshida is a skilled martial artist and swordsman. Before attending the ize zume school, he did train with the sword extensively with Yokuni and at times Grandmaster Hitomi Tetsuo. He has never stopped practicing. His often uses his monk skills to augment his prowess with a blade. He does use the Mirumoto style of two-sword fighting. Yoshida is a thoughtful, even-tempered, charismatic man, and not without a sense of humor. Many notice the similarities between he and his cousin Yokuni. Though he and Yama don't see eye-to-eye on several issues, they have a respectful relationship. Yoshida and Yodin get along quite well, both coming from the same monastic order and having a similar worldview. Yoshida finds that his ideas often carry more weight with Yama when sent indirectly through Yodin.

Kitsuki Sato

Kitsuki Sato is a student of the Kitsuki method of investigation. As such, he is highly gifted at deductive logic and evidence examination. He is the former teacher and a distant relative of Kitsuki Higoshi, and recommended Higoshi to Yokuni. Though still relatively active and in good health at age 50, he did suffer a leg injury during a horse-riding accident when he was a child that left him with a limp in his right leg which affects his ability to move around. Though he can walk, he is not terribly mobile and often uses a cane to help him keep his balance.

Campaign Background 2

The Toturi Emperors and the Gaijin Plague
Following the events in Rokugan known as the War Against the Shadow, the Jade Empire settled into a century of peace under the Toturi Emperors. The Toturi produced a line of rulers known for their keen understanding of the people of Rokugan, and justly balanced the prosperity of both the peasants and the nobility.

The Great Clans, under the firm leadership of the Toturi Emperors, worked toward peace. Conflicts gradually ceased along Clan borders, although the Shadowlands, still lacking in any centralized leadership after the fall of the Demon God Fu Leng, continued to attack the Carpenter’s Wall. However, with the Crab able to focus on their ancestral duty, the Tainted creatures from the south were contained. A great festival was held in the imperial city of Otosan Uchi to celebrate the first centennial of the Toturi’s Empire, presided over by Emperor Toturi IV. The future of Rokugan looked bright, until the festival’s final day...

No one knows where the strange Gaijin ships came from. As the fog lifted from the shore of Otosan Uchi on the final day of the festival, they were beached upon the shore. Two strange ships, tall of mast and broad of keel. No one answered a call, no form stirred upon their decks, no men clung to the tattered rigging or worked the ragged sails. After the initial fear had passed, the revelers moved to explore the ships. But they found only death. A death that could not be escaped.

It was a fever matched with a discoloration of the skin around the throat. It could lurk for days before appearing, following the revelers home to every corner of the empire before striking them down. No shugenja’s magic, no monk’s cure, no wise man’s herbs could stop it. Within a year, the land was in chaos. Whole towns were gone. Population centers emptied, as peasants fled to the hills and mountains. Field lay fallow. Bandits roamed en-masse, taking what they would. Brief battles flared as Clan blamed Clan, but quickly fizzled as entire armies deserted or fell ill. The illness claimed weak peasant and powerful champion alike.

In the second year of the plague, it began to disappear. The Clans struggled to pull themselves together. Many great leaders had been lost to the Black Collar, as the plague was also known. Members young and old had to step forward to take the reigns. Every Clan worked to consolidate their power, abandoning provinces to rebellious peasants, petty bandit lords, or disgruntled ronin.

Having expelled the peasants of the outer city, Otosan Uchi reopens its gates. Toturi IV sends out a call for the leaders of the Clans to come and discuss the future of the Empire. The Emerald Champion has died of the Plague that winter. She must be replaced. Provinces must be brought back under control. The lawlessness must be stamped out. Nemuranai, the ancestral magic items, lost to plague and panic must be recovered. Alliances and trade must be reforged. The Empire must be reborn.

Campaign Background 1

The Beginning
Do you see the circle I have drawn, child? Where is the beginning? Where is the end? Of course, you cannot answer, for there is no answer to this question. There must be a beginning and an end, but there is neither.
Just like the circle, this story has no beginning and no ending. Before this world was another. After this world there will be another and our souls will fall into that world carried by the weight of our great and lowly deeds. This is the way of things, child, a way you must learn. Only by learning the way will you find peace in this world of sorrow.The beginning of the world, as it is for every world, is with nothing. Nothing was alone in the void and so it was for countless ages. Then, without warning, Nothing realized it was alone and it was afraid. This created one third of the world. Then, Nothing realized it desired companions. This created another third. Lastly, Nothing realized its weaknesses had created the world and it felt regret, wishing to undo what it had done. Nothing's regret completed the world and made it whole.

When nothing spoke its words, the world was made. At first the stuff of the world was like an egg whose heavy yolk had been broken and mixed together with the delicate white. The delicate separated from the heavy and the delicate rose and the heavy sank. The delicate rose ever higher, but some hesitated and became the sky and the clouds. The rest climbed what seemed like forever and created the high Heavens. The heavy stuff fell deeper and deeper, forming nothing except the shapeless chaos of a jellyfish. And so it was for many, many years.

The Sun and Moon
With the creation of the heavens came the creation of the Three Gods Whose Names Cannot Be Spoken. They recognized the need to bring form and shape to the earth below and so together they created a young man and a young woman to give it shape and form. In doing so, they used up their names and that is why we cannot say them anymore.The man and the woman were born in Heaven and looked down upon the shapeless earth, seeing need to bring it shape. They descended on a rainbow and found it was like a jellyfish. The man and woman pondered how to give it shape and realized that the only way to do so would be to name it. They thought long about the name to give to the world and when it was ready the kissed the formless earth and whispered the name. As the name was spoken, so were their own names. The woman became Amaterasu, the Sun and the man became Onnotangu, the Moon.

Together they floated across the sky and about the newly named Earth as it took shape, naming all the parts of Creation. The land separated from the sea and from fertile soil, plants grew. In the warm seas, the fishes took their many shapes. In the Heavens the Fortunes began to take form, born from the dreams of the creatures who slept far below. The Moon and the Sun flew around the world again and again, until all the creatures chose their shapes. Then they rested and looked down on the Earth and to their amazement, some of the creatures began to build. These creatures were the Naga, who came before humanity and vanished into legend in the coming of the Great Sleep.

Children of the Sun and Moon
Since the beginning of time, Lord Moon has chased Lady Sun around the world and one day he caught her. As her light faded, one by one the Naga fell asleep. Many months later, Lady Sun gave birth to ten children: Hida, Doji, Togashi, Akodo, Shiba, Bayushi, Shinjo, Fu Leng, Ryoshan, and Hantei,. Lord Moon knew that any children whose veins carried elements of the Sun and the Moon would grow to be greater than he and so despite the protests of Lady Sun, he swallowed the children one by one.

Lady Sun had to think quickly. As Lord Moon swallowed her first child she said "My Lord, certainly after such a meal you must be thirsty," and she offered him a cup of sake. Lord Moon thanked her and drank it down. After each child, she repeated her offering and he accepted it, not knowing that each cup had a single drop of poison swimming in the sake. Down each child went into Lord Moon's stomach and as he swallowed them down, Lady Sun's many tears fell. As they fell far down from the Heavens to the Earth, they mingled with the stuff of the air and the stuff of the wind. Finally the tears of the Sun touched the Earth and where each them fell, they remained still, silent and sleeping.

Soon Lord Moon became so drunk and numb that he did not notice that she had replaced the last child, Hantei, with a rock. Lord Moon fell into a deep sleep and as he slept Lady Sun smuggled Hantei away and hid him from sight. Lady Sun explained to the child that he must one day rescue his brothers and sisters. She trained him in the arts of combat, preparing Hantei for the day his father would awaken.

It is said many years passed during this time and it is even said many centuries passed. When lord Moon awoke he found Lady Sun and the young Hantei waiting for him. The battle that took place was great; in the end Hantei sliced open his father's belly and the children and his entrails fell out to the Earth below. Lord Moon reached out at the last moment to grasp the children, but only caught little Fu Leng. Hantei then sliced off his father's hand, breaking his grip and causing Fu Leng (and his father's severed hand) to follow his brothers and sisters to the earth below. But as Fu Leng fell he reached out and grabbed Hantei, dragging his brother down.

Lord Moon's blood fell to the earth, finding the puddles of shapeless forms made from the Lady Sun's tears. When they found each other, the blood and tears mingled and a man and a woman formed from each of the thousands of puddles. Fu Leng fell apart far from his brothers and sisters into a crevasse far to the West. Trapped beneath the Earth he struggled to reach the surface, but was no longer the same. His many months underground had given him dark knowledge, poisoning his mind and body into a twisted mockery of who he once was.

Alas, Ryoshan had not survived the time spent in his father’s belly. His name was forgotten.

When the last Akodo falls
As soon as the Children of the Sun and Moon touched the Earth, they ceased to be divine. While they were not mortal men, they were no longer gods. They looked around and found the scattered beginnings of mankind and knew what they must do. Mankind was as naked and naïve as newborn children and the Children of the Sun and Moon made this promise: "We will teach you the ways of the world and we will protect you from its evils. Serve us with humility and obedience and we will keep this promise."

The Children of the Sun and Moon except for trapped Fu Leng decided that they would hold a tournament to see who among them should rule the world. There was a contest of speed, a contest of strength, a contest of wits and many others. Togashi declined to compete in the tournament, for he looked at his brothers and sisters and knew the outcome. The last contest was a great melee.

Lord Hida relied on his great strength to carry him through the battle, but he was swiftly overcome by the speed and accuracy of Shinjo's strikes. Lady Shinjo's swiftness proved to be her undoing and Lord Bayushi used her impetuousness to catch her off guard. Using his tricks and distractions he defeated her. Lord Shiba was too crafty for such trickery however. He observed Bayushi's tricks and his actions were unmoved by his distractions. Then Lord Shiba turned to meet the Lady Doji. The slender and beautiful Doji stood back and waited for Shiba to strike, knowing that her brother would gain too much knowledge from watching her actions. Shiba's patience ran out; he attacked and was swiftly defeated by Doji's technique. Then Akodo stepped forward. He know Lady Doji's tactic and used it against her. Finally, only Akodo and Hantei stood on the battlefield. They fought and as the battle's intensity grew, so did Akodo's temper. At a crucial moment, Akodo's great fury overcame him. Hantei sensed his brother's rage and used it against him. It was a thoughtless mistake that caused Akodo to loose his duel with Hantei, one that should have cost him his life. Because Hantei spared his life, Akodo swore to his brother that he and his family would serve him. Togashi watching the battle in the distance, whispered: "When the last Akodo falls, so will the last Hantei."

The Hantei Dynasty
At the end of the tournament, it was decided that Hantei's dynasty would rule the others. Hantei declared that the Children of the Sun and Moon should build a mighty Empire, an Empire show their devotion to their sacred mother Amaterasu. As Hantei was Emperor, each of the brothers went out into the known lands to gather together mankind and to form the Seven Great Clans. Hida formed the Crab Clan, Doji formed the Crane Clan. Togashi formed the Dragon Clan and Akodo formed the Lion Clan. Shiba formed the Phoenix Clan, while Bayushi formed the Scorpion Clan. Lastly, Shinjo formed the Ki-Rin Clan.

For many years the Empire flourished as Hantei and the Clans built roads, palaces and temples. But one day an army of foul and putrid creatures attacked the palaces and temples of the Children of the Sun and Moon. They were the forces of Fu Leng, who had fallen far from his brothers and sisters. His mastery of the magic of the underworld was complete. Armed with spirit creatures he had summoned from the darkest parts of Jigoku, he planned to destroy the Emerald Empire and claim the souls of humanity for his own power and glory.

The New Way
Hantei and the Clans gathered an army to combat the goblins, ogres and shape-shifting Oni of Fu Leng, but no magic or steel could defeat his evil sorcery. Every battle forced Hantei and his allies to fall back. Finally as his ragged army prepared for one last assault, a small man with a shaved head dressed in robes came to visit the Emperor Hantei. The man introduced himself as "Shinsei", which means "new way". He promised the Emperor that he could defeat the armies of Fu Leng, but Hantei was unimpressed. He commanded that the little man be removed, but when the guards tried to touch Shinsei, he defeated them all without using a weapon. Then he turned to the Emperor and said, "Let me take seven warriors with me to your brother. There, I will stop the armies that march upon your lands."

Hantei was intrigued by the little man. He spent the entire night questioning Shinsei while his brother Shiba recorded every word. The record of this conversation, called The Tao of Shinsei, can still be found in the Emperor's library and in all the libraries of the Clans. At the end of the evening, Hantei was convinced. He wished to send his brothers and sisters, but the little man shook his head and said, "No. It must be mortal men, for favours the mortal man." Hantei saw the wisdom in Shinsei's words and sent one warrior from each of the Clans along with Shinsei. He called them samurai, which means "servant". This band of Samurai was called The Seven Thunders.

Many weeks passed and the armies of Fu Leng continued to grow in strength and ground with every battle. But one day their power suddenly ebbed and at a crucial moment, Hantei's forces charged. The ranks of darkness broke and fled. Hantei knew that somehow Shinsei had fulfilled his promise. A great feast was prepared in anticipation of the return of Shinsei and the Seven Thunders, to celebrate their victory, but only one samurai returned. It was the Scorpion, Shoshuro, bearing twelve scrolls and an enchanted hand made of obsidian. "Hide these scrolls," she said, "for they were the doom of Fu Leng." Then she died in Bayushi's arms.

The Emperor forbade the breaking of the scrolls' seals and gave the duty of hiding and guarding the to the Scorpion Clan. He then commanded the Crab Clan to stand between the Empire and the dark lands of the underworld, now known as the Shadowlands to guard Rokugan from its evil. The Crane and the Lion Clans swore to protect the Emperor. Doji was selected to become the Emperor's first champion while Akodo lead the Emperor's armies on the field of battle. The Dragon and the Phoenix chose paths of contemplation; both clans took the Tao of Shinsei and incorporated it into their won understanding of sorcery. Lastly, the Ki-Rin Clan left the Empire to find out what lay beyond its borders.

The Thousand Years of Peace and the Second Day of Thunder
But ultimate evil never rests for long, and after the "Thousand Years of Peace," the dark spirit began to stir once more. The champion of the Scorpion clan, Bayushi Shoju, discovered a prophecy that predicted Fu Leng's return in the time of the last Hantei. A loyal servant of the empire, Shoju killed Hantei XXXVIII and attempted to seize the throne. But what the Scorpion didn't realize was that the former emperor's young son had escaped. Akodo Toturi, the Emperor's Champion, eventually killed the usurper in the throne room, and the young Hantei returned to the capitol city to regain power. Instead of stopping the prophecy from coming true, Bayushi Shoju's coup in fact gave Fu Leng the opportunity he needed. Eleven of the twelve Black Scrolls were opened, and the Dark Lord easily overwhelmed the young emperor, taking Otosan Uchi, the Rokugan seat of power, for himself.

Eventually, a descendent of Shinsei, known as the Hooded Ronin, gathered up a descendent from each of the original Thunders (Kisada's son Yakamo, Utaku Kamoko, Doji Hoturi, Isawa Takada, Bayushi Kachiko, Mirumoto Hitomi, and Akodo Toturi) and led them into the capitol city to face Fu Leng again. As they fought, the Dragon Champion Togashi Yokuni revealed himself to be the Kami Togashi. Changing into a dragon form, he tore into his brother, but the power of Fu Leng was too great. Togashi collapsed in front of the Thunders as the Dark Lord laughed. However, the mystical being had held the twelfth Black Scroll within his own body for centuries and now was the time to open it. Hitomi cut open the dragon, killing him, and opened the scroll. The result was that Fu Leng was brought back to his full potency in the body of the last Hantei -- but he was also turned mortal. The new Thunders could now harm the dark lord, and Toturi and Hoturi struck the fatal blows. Fu Leng was no more, and Toturi took the throne.

The Shadow
Two years later, a blight passed over the land – the Shadow. This was a taint left over from creation, a bit of the Earth that did not have a name. But now it infected the unsuspecting, and it infected the new emperor. Controlled by the Shadow, the Emperor sowed chaos amongst the clans. In addition, the faceless minions of the Shadow, able to mimic others nearly perfectly, caused great confusion and strife amongst the clans. Darkness began to creep over the land, for in taking the soul of the Emperor, the Shadow was also claiming the Empire. It was revealed that the Shadow had been guided and nurtured over the centuries by Lord Moon, who sought vengeance on his children. Increasingly controlled by the Obsidian Hand, the Dragon Thunder Hitomi was drawn to a mountaintop and challenged the Moon itself, and amazingly, she was victorious. However, the loss of her husband caused Lady Sun to turn in anguish away from Rokugan. With no sun, the Shadow’s power increased tenfold. The Emperor vanished, the Shadow spiriting him away to complete his unraveling into the Nameless.

Marshalling all of their resources, the Clans uncovered the Shadow’s secret stronghold of Morikage castle. Lead by the ronin Ginawa and the white ninja Hotori, a joint army descended upon it, only to find it guarded by ninja and Shadowlands creatures. The clans battled valiantly, but the defenders were too powerful. With time running out, the Crab Thunder Yakamo used his Jade Hand to find Lady Sun and became her second as she committed seppuku. Hitomi and Yakamo then became Lady Moon and Lord Sun, and as the Heaven’s realigned the Shadow was critically weakened. Toturi was saved, and the Oracle of Void gave the Shadow a name, defeating it. Then the reign of the Toturi emperors began in earnest.