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”).