L5R Foreign Schools v1.0

TABLE OF CONTENTS The Burning Sands: The Fire‐Bearers  An order of  order  of monster  monster ‐slayers guided by  guided  by Mekhem Mekhem and armed  and  armed with with primal   primal  fire.  fire. Yodotai Gladiators Within the hellish gladiator  pits  pits are forged  are  forged incredible incredible warriors… and  powerful   powerful  techniques.

Merenae: Awakened Marksmen Spellcasters born from born  from a  fusion of eastern of  eastern magic and western and  western engineering. Sages of the of  the Sword Explorers and archeologists and  archeologists who venture into the most hostile most  hostile of landscapes of  landscapes to uncover buried  uncover buried truths. truths. Santa Vera Fencing Style  A style inspired by  inspired  by the the techniques of bullfighters, of  bullfighters, now well  now  well ‐respected as respected as a legitimate combat art  combat art in in its own right.

Nonhuman (Originating): Acolytes of the of  the Dream Bearers of the of  the legacy of  legacy  of another  another race, race, and the and  the strange powers strange powers that come that  come with it. Kenku Raptors The oldest  of the of  the old masters old  masters demonstrate why their  why their  feathers  feathers aren’t  just   just  for show.  for  show.

ROKUGAN: Disciples of Narai of  Narai Mistrusted  by their  by  their  peers  peers and by  and  by Rokugan Rokugan as a whole, they  just don’t   just don’t care care as long as they can they  can keep blowing stuff up. stuff  up. Kolat Kingpin You thought the thought the Kolat lasted  Kolat  lasted as as long as they did  they  did without  without a a single Basic School? Well, School?  Well, that’s just  that’s  just what  what they  they wanted  wanted you you to think… The Seekers  A spark of  spark  of hope hope rising from rising  from disaster;  proof that   proof  that even even the power  the  power of  of an an Empire can’t kill  can’t  kill  an idea.

THRANE: Royal Expeditionary Corps  An elite taskforce that has that  has served generations served  generations of Thranian of  Thranian royalty. Ulminster Heavy Pugilists Soldiers whose bravery and  bravery  and  pragmatism  pragmatism safeguarded their  safeguarded their city  city during during the darkest of  darkest  of 

times. Skalds of the of  the Whistling Heath Mysterious wanderers shrouded in shrouded  in legend, wielding power  wielding power over  over nature nature itself.

PATHS: Trained Surgeon For anyone For  anyone wishing to pursue to pursue the healer’s art. Daigotsu Reformist  A counterpart to counterpart to the Narai school: Narai  school: untainted  Spider bushi. Spider  bushi. Togashi Spirit‐Born Love knows no boundaries; not even not  even those between the Spirit Realms. Spirit  Realms. The Togashi  invite those born of strange of  strange unions to train and achieve and  achieve their  full   full  potential.  potential. The Many Parallel Roads Not a Not  a single school, but a but  a collection of similar  of  similar teachings, teachings, each trying to express a mastery of  mastery of combat  combat in in its own unique way.

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THE FIRE-BEARERS  If Yussuf Yussuf had not not already already felt half-starved half-starved from from his long long fast, the sight that met him in the the grand stone chamber might have left him stunned. As it was, he could only muster the energy to stagger weakly forward. Towards his destiny. They were all there; every brother and sister in the citadel, standing in ordered concentric circles around the sunken pit in the center of the hall, within which blazed the most intense flames he had ever seen. Smoke rose to the roof faster than the narrow chimney could disgorge it into the night air high above, creating a haze and making it hard to breathe.  Even staying staying upright was becoming a challenge, challenge, but disgracing disgracing himself himself at this this point in the ritual was unthinkable, and the fear somehow kept him going. They all turned to look at him as he entered, never once ceasing their rhythmic chants of praise of Mekhem. Their eyes followed him down the narrow gap that led to the fire, where the Grandmaster of the order awaited. He felt their judgment, but it did not matter. The only  judge whose opinion mattere mattered d was the Fire Fire itself. itself. Grandmaster Yanik greeted him with a subtle nod as he reached the edge of the inferno, and signaled the rest to be silent. 'Initiate Yussuf, do you offer yourself willingly to the Fire, knowing in full the consequences if you are weak of heart?' The older man's voice boomed loud, seemingly unimpeded by the heat and the lack of air. 'Yes.' 'Yes.' Yussuf managed to croak. The Grandmaster reached out, and Yussuf's world seemed to shake as he felt his right arm being grabbed and thrust into the blaze. For the briefest of moments he was filled with doubt and terror, but he lacked the strength to resist. His hand disappeared into the tongues of red and it burned with a pain so great he thought his heart might stop.  But then something something changed. changed. The pain pain faded, and and he felt his his twitching twitching hand instinctively grasp something within the fire. The Grandmaster released his arm, allowing

him to finally withdraw it... and reveal the thing he now held. A sword. A magnificent, long and thin blade that felt solid but appeared to be made of flickering fire. The weapon dissolved into motes of light as quickly as it had appeared, but Yussuf knew it wasn't gone. It was still there, incorporeal, part of his very soul. Ready to be called upon whenever he wished.  A thunderous thunderous cheer arose arose from from the assembly assembly,, each of whom whom summoned their their own blade and held it aloft. 'We are strengthened, brothers and sisters!' called the Grandmaster over the din, 'A new brother has joined us this day!'   And with an overwhelming overwhelming sense of relief, relief, Yussuf Yussuf finally finally surrender surrendered ed to unconsciousness.

The Burning Sands is a land of a thousand and one stories. Some are fable, some are halftruth, but a small few turn out to be surprisingly accurate. The tale told of the origins of the Fire-Bearers is one of these. In the early days of Medinaat al-Salaam, before the city proper had even been founded, the prophet Mekhem wandered the Burning Sands, exploring and preaching. It is said that one day he came across a community of impoverished and fearful folk, who refused him entry, claiming that their god would not allow word of other faiths to be spoken in his domain. Curious, Mekhem called out a challenge to this jealous “god” and sure enough, it appeared before him; a terrifying being standing twice as tall as a man and wreathed in flame. He immediately knew that this was no god, but merely an efreet, a cruel fire-spirit. The efreet attempted to intimidate him, but he stood firm and overwhelmed it with a holy incantation, causing its body to dissolve into fire. Mekhem explained to the villagers the true nature of their god, and they were at once angry and relieved. The chieftain bowed before him, offering their eternal ete rnal loyalty... but Mekhem turned it down, saying that he was no king and that he only sought to teach others so they could stand on their own. The chieftain asked him if he could teach them the method he used to destroy the efreet, but this was apparently not possible. Instead, Mekhem indicated the creature's still burning remains and told him; “Though “Though that being was evil, the Primal Fire from which it drew its strength is not. If you truly wish for the power to fight back against such evils, then take it; harness it... but beware, for that is not an easy road to walk”. And thus was founded the Fire-Bearers; an order of warrior-monks dedicated to hunting down supernatural beings who terrorize or enslave mortals. With Mekhem's help, they devised a series of rituals that would allow them to implant a bit of the “Primal Fire” into their souls. This would grant them tremendous supernatural power, if they were strong enough to handle it. And if they weren't? They would burn to ash in an instant. i nstant. Even successful initiates receive painful-looking burn scars on their arm during the initiation, but  part of the magic of the Flame ensures that these remain purely cosmetic and do not impair the limb's function in any way. In the beginning, over half the applicants who came to join the order were found wanting and ended up dying in the harsh initiation process. However, by the time Mekhem left the Burning Sands, they had developed a stringent system of apprenticeship that weeded out most of the unfit long before they had to put their lives at risk. Though the danger was never completely eliminated, there was never any shortage of recruits, for the order's ceaseless work in combating supernatural evil had become well-known. Wherever a mummy rose from its crypt, or a spirit began wreaking havoc, one or more of their hunters would soon  be dispatched. The rise of the Immortal Caliph, however, almost brought them to an ignoble end.

Though Khadi are mostly human, their need to prey on other humans to retain their immortality classified them as a supernatural threat according to the order's rules, which put the two factions into conflict. It wasn't long before the Caliph proclaimed them outlaws and sent a force of soldiers to drive them out of their headquarters. Fine warriors though they were, they couldn't best an entire army, and they were forced to retreat into the Western Wastes, although several did return to the Sands to take part in the final battle in which she was slain. The subsequent era brought with it even greater challenges, including a northbound incursion by some of Kali-ma's forces, but through it all the Fire-Bearers remain undaunted in spirit. Now based out of a hidden fortress deep within the Wastes, they are ever-vigilant for new threats approaching from either horizon, and many of their number continue to wander the known world in search of people to save, as their founders were saved so long ago. Though the new regime in Medinaat al-Salaam would undoubtedly welcome them back, they have refrained from setting up more than a small outpost within the city, stating that a more isolated location suits them better. The myriad evil forces that threaten Rokugan make it particularly interesting to the Fire-Bearers, so them sending one of their number into the Empire would not be surprising. They would likely have to be of Rokugani descent, but many such people exist in the Burning Sands, especially during and after the Scorpion's exile. At the GM's discretion, it is also  possible that the Fire-Bearers have had limited contact with groups such as the Toritaka, (whose role is similar to their own) or the Togashi (who have expressed an interest in Mekhem's teachings) that could have arranged their member safe passage into the Empire. Benefit: +1 Void Skills: Meditation, Lore: Theology (Mekhem), Swordsmanship (Soulblade), Lore: Spirit Realms, Investigation, any one Skill Integrity: 6.5 Outfit: Sturdy Traveling Clothing, Basic Armor, Traveling Pack, 1 Koku or equivalent Techniques:

RANK ONE: FIRST LESSON OF THE SPARK The true initiation for novice Fire-Bearers ends when they plunge their hand into the Primal Flame and accept a piece of it into themselves, gaining the ability to summon a flaming sword from nowhere. A Soulblade (as it is known) has a DR of 3k2, has the Radiant quality and appears in the wielder's hand when summoned as a Simple Action. It may be dismissed as a Free Action, and will also immediately vanish if removed from the hand for any reason. Additionally, whenever you are making Skill Roll to detect the presence of a supernatural creature (Hunting to track it, for example, or Investigation to see through a false guise it might be using) you gain +1k0 to the roll. RANK TWO: SECOND LESSON OF THE HEARTH As you become one with fire, you learn to channel its harmful effects away from you. At this rank, you become immune to all damage and TN penalties resulting from mundane fire or heat. If you wished, you could even sculpt molten steel like clay or swim in boiling water.  Note that this protection only affects your body, not your clothing or equipment. Magical fire attacks may still target you, but their damage is reduced by an amount equal to your Fire Ring

 plus your School Rank. RANK THREE: THIRD LESSON OF THE FORGE As they delve deeper into the Flame's mysteries, a Fire-Bearer learns how to temporarily  break off a shard of his or her own soul, in the form of a large feline beast with a fiery mane. Summoning or dismissing this firecat requires twenty seconds of uninterrupted concentration (two Complex Actions, in a skirmish), and it has the stats of a tiger (EoTE, pg. 17). Once summoned, you may direct its actions telepathically, since it is still a part of you and not a truly separate entity. You may ride on the back of your firecat without being injured by the flames emanating from it, as can any one additional passenger. If the cat is slain, it will vanish in a burst of flame and you will receive 2k2 damage from the shock of your soul shard unexpectedly returning. If this happens you may not summon it again for a full day. RANK FOUR: FOURTH LESSON OF THE BRANDING IRON This technique, an abbreviated form of a lengthy ritual taught to the first Fire-Bearers by Mekhem himself, allows the user to seal the powers of their most dangerous opponents. By spending a Void Point as a Complex Action and winning a roll of your Meditation/Fire versus your opponent's Meditation/Earth, you may prevent that opponent from using one supernatural ability of your choice for a number of hours equal to your Fire Ring. A “supernatural ability”, as defined by this technique, refers to any such power a target  possesses that they can choose to activate. Examples include an Inner Gift, a Shadowlands Power, a single Kiho or a Shapeshifter Ability. This can only affect powers that must be activated; ones that are on all the time, such as Invulnerability, or ones that are mundane, such as a winged creature's Flight, cannot be sealed. Lastly, while your firecat is not summoned and you are not currently sealing any enemy abilities, you may make attacks with your Soulblade as Simple Actions. RANK FIVE: FIFTH LESSON OF THE INFERNO Master Fire-Bearers harness the power of the inferno to cleanse the world of evil. Your firecat sprouts wings, and may now carry you through the air. It gains two ranks of Swift while flying unburdened or with only one passenger, but loses all of its Swift ranks while flying with two people. Additionally, once per month, you may command your firecat to unleash a massive burst of flame, dealing 8k7 damage to all targets within a 40’ radius of it. This dismisses the cat, and it may not be summoned again for a full day.  __________________________________________________________________________________

YODOTAI GLADIATORS War, for all its pageantry, is a poor showcase for the skills of an individual soldier. It is the  playground of kings and generals and tacticians, with each of the rank-and-file contributing little, no matter how talented. To truly put a warrior’s mettle to the test, we must look elsewhere; to the great arenas, where man is pitted against man- or sometimes beast- with naught but the steel in his hand and the wits in his head to aid him. And what a glorious display it is. How privileged we are to witness this culmination of the fighting arts! -Unknown Yodotai Scholar.

Far from the dojos of Rokugan, where eager students absorb the wisdom of their ancestors in the form of ancient techniques, an entirely different class of warriors is being born. Most of them are not even allowed to know who their ancestors were, and the training they receive is crude and haphazard at best. And yet they fight, and win, because to not do so means death. All of the larger Yodotai cities contain at least one gladiatorial arena, home to the multitude of slaves and convicts who spill blood and have it spilled for the entertainment of the crowd. The ones who have not yet proven themselves are fed just enough to keep them on their feet, and watched carefully by their masters for any sign of rebellion. It is a true nightmare, and yet, for a few, there is still hope for escape. Rarely, a gladiator manages to survive long enough to learn the ways of the arena, and through understanding it, master them. They watch scores of their fellows die, and learn from their mistakes. They have been broken down and reforged into something els e. Something  pure and deadly. Something with unique insight into the ways of combat. Such veterans sometimes manage to win their freedom, or attract the attention of wealthy patrons who  purchase them for work as soldiers or bodyguards. Others manage to overpower their jailors and flee. Either way, the harsh lessons of the arena can escape its confines and prove their worth in other settings. Rather than being an organized school as the Clans would understand the term, these techniques represent instruction by one who has survived the Yodotai gladiator pits. Some exgladiators form street gangs or mercenary armies and train their followers, while others only walk the path of the teacher once age begins to catch up to them. It is unlikely that a PC will have been a gladiator themselves, unless the game begins at a higher Insight Rank than normal. Within Rokugan, a character is most likely to have picked it up from a school operating out of the gaijin district at Outsider Keep. Training in this style, while less hellish than actually being a gladiator, is still incredibly harsh. Students are expected to endure long fasts in the wilderness, sword-fight while holding a massive chunk of stone in their offhand, and similar trials. Those who have survived it say that it's as much about frustration and desperation as it is about memorizing maneuvers, and places an emphasis on bizarre tactics such as throwing melee weapons and trapping your opponent in a net. Benefit: +1 Stamina Skills: Athletics (Throwing), Hunting, Defense, Intimidation, Any one Weapon Skill, Any two Skills. Integrity: 3.5 Outfit: Light or heavy armor, any two weapons, shield, basic net, traveling pack, 2 Koku or equivalent.

Techniques:

RANK ONE: ABOVE ALL ELSE, SURVIVE The first lesson of the arena is to put whatever you can get your hands on between yourself and your opponent. You receive no penalty of any kind as a result of carrying a non-weapon object (such as a shield or net) in your off-hand. You add +0k1 to the Damage Roll of any attack made with Athletics (Throwing), and you may throw any Small or Medium weapon as you would a wakizashi. RANK TWO: VETERAN'S CHILLING GAZE Experienced warriors can cow the weak-willed into submission before a single blow is struck. Opponents you have successfully Intimidated in the past hour receive a -1k0 penalty to all of their attack, damage and Defense rolls when facing you. RANK THREE: DO OR DIE Even a moment's hesitation can cost a combatant their life. You may make melee attacks and throwing attacks as Simple Actions. RANK FOUR: BOUNCE BACK Arena fighters must be able to overcome any impediment. You may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to immediately recover from any one Conditional Effect, including those that normally prevent you from making actions. In most cases this recovery is permanent, however, Fatigue brought on by a lack of rest will only be alleviated until the end of the current skirmish. RANK FIVE: CONQUEST'S UNKNOWN CHAMPION The greatest of the arena champions are renowned as unstoppable engines of destruction. Once per Round you may re-roll any Bugei Skill Roll or Damage Roll, keeping the higher result.

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AWAKENED MARKSMEN  I saw the dust-cloud in the distance around noon, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who they were. McAllister and his gang. No doubt one of 'em had overheard me bragging about my latest find last night after I'd had a couple or... five whiskeys too many. Now they wanted a  piece of the action, and a piece of my hide just for the sake of it. The Tomb of Kanahauk; a famed tribal chieftain. Lost for ages amongst the winding redstone canyons, it was an amazing archaeological find. It would be useless to the likes of  McAllister, of course, but his type hear the word “tomb” and their minds get clouded by images of gold and jewels. There'd be no chance of him seeing reason if he caught me, so I could only ride east across the desert and hope I hadn't dug my own grave with my big mouth. They closed in fast. Faster even than I'd thought possible. One minute they were just a blurry image in the heat-haze, next they're so close I could practically feel their horses' breath on my back. They weren't shooting, at least; probably didn't want to risk me falling off and breaking my neck before they could get the location of the tomb out of me. A small mercy. I got off a few shots of my own, but I was never the best marksman in the world and the saddle shaking under me didn't help. The noise of them shouting, jeering, mingled with the sound of hooves. I think it was at that moment that a part of me finally gave up, finally accepted that I'd played my last card. Then everything seemed to go quiet as my thoughts raced.  I remembered my mom, and the tales she'd told me around the fireside. Tales about her homeland and the spirits they called on; the “kami”. She said they were always following her,  protecting her. I was never the churchgoing sort, but in that moment I knew nothing less than a miracle could get me out of this one.  Exactly how it happened I don't really know, even now. As I prayed in desperation for anything that could save me, I felt a surge of... something. Warmth, wholeness; like my soul and the world and the weapon in my hand were resonating. Maybe it was those kami guiding me; maybe it was old Kanahauk trying to ensure his resting place wasn't ransacked by ignorant thieves. Maybe it was just instinct. However it happened, I found myself raising my empty gun and aiming it at one of those sneering faces. I pulled the trigger and...  Light. Energy. A ball of crackling power like a will-o-wisp leaped from the barrel and struck a fatal blow. The rest dropped back, their horses startled. They didn't pursue me anymore, which was good because I was probably the most shaken one of all, and I had no idea whether whatever I had just done would work again.  I reached the coast on the sunset of the second day, finding by merciful chance that a boat bound for more familiar shores was to depart shortly. It would be a long journey, but that suited me. I had much to think about... -From the journal of Lynn Azami Braddock; Adventurer and Sages of the Sword member.

It would be over a year before Lynn truly understood what had come over her that day in the desert, and several more before she could reproduce the effect reliably. Essentially it was a kind of instinctive command to the elements, which temporarily awoke the spirits within the gun and asked them to “remember” being fired. While she had never learned to speak to the kami, in that moment her thoughts had reached them directly. Traditional shugenja magic (or “spirit-channeling” as the Sages of the Sword classify it) is  poorly-understood outside of Rokugan and the few other communities where it is practiced, mainly because of how fussy the spirits are regarding who they will speak to. With a little work, however, Lynn managed to find someone who could teach her; an old druid living in the highlands of Thrane, with whose help she managed to master her abilities. Of course the obvious question is, why her? Out of all the shugenja or potential shugenja who have ever been in peril, why was Lynn the one who stumbled upon this new way of using magic? Truthfully it is unlikely we will ever know for sure, but aid from an outside source remains a possibility. Stranger things have happened. Some old legends even speak of the warriors of Kanahauk's tribe pelting their enemies with arrows of light... Lynn herself never lost the appetite for adventure despite her brush with death, and continued to go on expeditions to the farthest reaches of the world, well past the age at which most would have retired. Students wishing to study her methods were required to sign on as research assistants and train in the field, where encounters with bandits and monsters proved to be excellent learning opportunities. Even now, generations later, Lynn's style is traditionally taught one-on-one amidst the danger and isolation of the wilderness, rather than within a school. Should the Rokugani ever encounter a practitioner of this style, their reaction is likely to be mixed. On the one hand it invokes the sacred elemental kami... but on the other it involves the use of illegal firearms. Use of this school is best suited to games set outside Rokugan, or in alternate timelines where firearm use is permitted. Alternatively, GMs may rule that the technique is legal so long as the practitioner [i]only[/i] fires magical shots, thus using no actual gunpowder. Benefit: +1 Intelligence Skills: Firearms, Spellcraft (research), Meditation, Medicine, Hunting, Craft: Explosives, any one Skill Integrity: 4 Outfit: Sturdy Traveling Clothing, Pistol or Musket and ten rounds, Knife, Spellbook, Traveling Pack, 3 Koku or equivalent Affinity/Deficiency: Fire/Earth

TECHNIQUE: AWAKENED SHOT Masters of the Awakened Shot learn to call upon the kami within their guns, briefly transforming the weapons into nemuranai. As a Complex Action, while wielding an unloaded firearm, you may spend a Spell Slot to fire a magical blast. This is treated as a normal attack; rolling Intelligence/Firearms for the Attack Roll and applying all relevant modifiers (e.g. Mastery Abilities, Perception Rank to damage), but the base DR of the shot varies depending on which type of Spell Slot was used to activate it. However, because no solid projectile is  being fired, Awakened Shots do not benefit from firearms' normal ability to bypass the

target's armor. The different Types of Awakened Shot are listed below: Air: High-velocity Shot : DR 2k1, target is pushed back 10' and must roll Earth vs. your Air or  be knocked down. Fire: Homing Shot : DR 1k2, Gain a Free Raise towards the Called Shot maneuver. Earth: Ensnaring Shot: DR 2k2, distance of target's Move Actions are halved for two Rounds. Water: Power Shot : DR 3k3, no additional bonus. Void: Choose one of the above. Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, 3 Fire spells, 2 Air spells, one Water spell. Spells are typically written on pages of a notebook rather than on individual scrolls.  ___________________________________________________________________________

THE

SAGES OF THE SWORD

 I have traveled to the plateau where the sun never rises; home to the Twelve Immortals who sit in repose, listening eternally to the mantras of the stars. What exactly do they hear? None but them know, for they have never spoken.  I was a guest for a time in the city of Xibalba, home of the Winged Ones who in ages  past were gifted their wings by the goddess Tzalcaza, for their aid in slaying the vile  Behemoth of Earth. Even now they excavate its bones to carve into artifacts of wondrous and terrifying power.  I visited the Coast of Dreams, where the primordial stuff of creation leaks continually into the realm of man, only to be sculpted and re-sculpted into a thousand vistas by the imaginations of slumbering gods. Once, for but a moment through a telescope, I glimpsed the fabled Living Island; birthplace of the Teacher-Who-Wears-Many-Names. I wept like a schoolchild at the sight of it.  I am not the first to tread such paths, nor am I the first in doing so to feel an overwhelming sense of my own smallness and insignificance. For all that I have seen, I truly understand nearly none of it, and as a scholar I must admit there is a part of me that is disheartened.  And yet I do not sink into despair, as some might. Instead I uncover what truths I can in the time I have, then gather them up and pass them on to the next generation, trusting that they will do likewise and that someday we will have amassed enough to comprehend the greater whole. That is what it means to be a Sage of the Sword; to seek knowledge not for one's self, but for the sake of the whole world. -From a speech by Lady Louisa Gascoigne, Chair of the Department of Exotic Phenomena.

Much was lost in the Great Plague that swept through Merenae and the nations surrounding it. The disease itself of course extracted its bloody toll on the populace, but what would not  become apparent until much later was the loss of [i]knowledge[/i] . Libraries and other public  buildings had been looted and burned; priceless antiques had been stolen and ancient traditions had died along with those who followed them. For a time, learning itself dwindled

as most of the survivors struggled to stay alive. It was from this crucible that the Sages of the Sword arose. A group formed from the remains of several pre-plague academic institutions, they were part scholar, part explorer and by necessity- part warrior. Seen as foolhardy at best, it was their self-appointed task to ride forth from the walled cities in pursuit of every scrap of information, every wayward book and every pilfered artifact that might be tucked away amidst the lawless wilds. Their early results were mixed, to say the least. The fact that they managed to talk a few nobles into funding them attracted many new recruits who cared more about finding employment than what exactly that employment was, which led to expeditions being sent out that consisted mostly of confused amateurs. Worse, although they were given basic combat training, it did little to help those who were set upon by the bandits that roamed the depopulated land. If it weren't for a few noteworthy successes- such as one team managing to retrieve a set of ancient manuscripts from the old palace at Vortaia- the Sages might well have vanished. But those successes were just frequent enough to increase their reputation, and gradually the fledgling organization managed to hone itself into something better. Incompetent members were weeded out, and those that remained had become more experienced. By the time the dark ages began to lift over a century later, the Sages of the Sword were a potent force, commended by the Queen herself for their tireless efforts to  preserve the nation's culture. It was also around that time that the Sages' objectives began to shift. They had always  been focused on lost fragments of Meranae's history, but as civilization returned to the land that purpose was becoming less relevant. There was still work to do, naturally, but not nearly as much as there had been... at least, not within Meranae itself. But what about the world  beyond? Surely there were many wildernesses left unexplored; many ancient enigmas awaiting a keen mind to unravel them. Boats returning from foreign lands always brought with them tall tales of the places they had visited, but what was truth and what was fiction? Questions such as these were the bread and butter of curious souls, and there was no shortage of those among the Sages. Louisa Gascoigne and pioneers like her set the model for what the organization would  become, while also laying down rules for how it was to operate. While they sought knowledge they were also civilized people, which meant that they had t o avoid using theft or dishonest means in order to acquire it. In one memorable indecent, an overly-enthusiastic Sages member broke into a warehouse in Anisrana in order to procure a priceless engraved tablet; he was promptly turned in to the local authorities by his own superiors, who offered a groveling apology for his transgressions. The Sages are a truly international force nowadays, with branches in several major trade hubs including Medinaat al-Salaam and the ancient Yodotai port of Akkanon. Their true home, however, will always be the Royal Academy campus in Vortaia, where they moved after the city was brought back under Meranese control. Members hail from all over the world, and membership is even open to non-humans and demi-humans, whose unique experiences and insights are highly valued. Rokugan is a source of both curiosity and frustration to the Sages. On the one hand, it's full of ancient mysteries they'd love to sink their teeth into, but on the other hand the entire nation is shrouded in secrecy and refuses most contact with outsiders. They have recently established limited contact with the organization known as the Seekers, which resulted in a valuable exchange of knowledge, but they are wary of devel oping too strong a relationship with a group that has such a murky past. Another point of interest are the Ivory Kingdoms, or what is left of them. A number of Sages members were in the Kingdoms when the Destroyers' bloody campaign occurred, and

none ever reported back. There is talk among the governing council of mounting another expedition to search for their remains, or to recover items from the Meranese embassy in the old capital, but a consensus has yet to be reached on whether this is a good idea considering the Rokugani presence in the region. With regards to Schools, the Sages are an eclectic bunch. Their archives probably contain information on hundreds of Techniques from almost as many sources, and some members already have training when they join up. There are always a few sahir professors in residence at the Royal Academy for those wishing to pursue magic, as well as practitioners of many other arts both unusual and mundane. The only truly forbidden areas are those that deal with “Subversive Infectious Paranormal Agents” or SIPAs, such as the taint of Jigoku, the corruption of the Nothing, or vampirism. The School presented here represents a program of study developed in-house in order to prepare field researchers for dangerous expeditions. It grants a mixture of combative, investigative and mystical abilities to ensure versatility. Benefit: +1 Intelligence Skills: Investigation, Swordsmanship, Medicine, Meditation, any two Lore skills at 2 ranks, any one Skill Integrity: 5.5 Outfit: Basic Armor, Fine Clothing, Saber, Traveling Pack, 5 Koku or equivalent. Techniques:

RANK ONE: A RAZOR-SHARP MIND Understanding the nuances of combat can win the day where brute strength flounders. Whenever a combat Maneuver (yours or your opponent's) causes you to engage in a Contested Strength Roll, you may instead use your Intelligence Trait. Also, whenever you make a Lore Skill Roll, the appropriate Lore skill is considered one rank higher than it actually is. RANK TWO: A STEADFAST WILL A devotion to honest and forthright conduct helps one see past the schemes and manipulations of others; even fae and similar creatures who delight in tricking mortals. Whenever someone initiates a Contested Social Roll against you for the purpose of deceiving or misleading you, you gain a +2k0 to your roll. If your opponent is a supernatural being of any kind, or a mortal suffused with supernatural energy (e.g. a khadi or one of the Lost) you gain an additional +0k1. RANK THREE: A FLEXIBLE SOUL Every Sages member picks up a few mystical tricks during their career, though the exact nature of these tricks varies wildly. At this rank you gain two kiho. For the purpose of meeting the requirements to learn kiho, this technique is considered a rank in a Brotherhood Monk School. RANK FOUR: A SWIFT ARM The only good fight is one you can win quickly and efficiently. You may make melee attacks

with Small and Medium weapons as Simple Actions. RANK FIVE: AN ETERNAL CURIOSITY The truly wise seek knowledge not for its own sake; nor even for their own sake, but for the sake of the entire world. You gain a number of additional Void Points per day equal to your Intelligence. Whenever these Void Points are used to enhance a Roll that involves a mental Trait, you gain an additional +1k1 to the roll.  ___________________________________________________________________________

SANTA VERA FENCING STYLE  A curious blend if I ever saw one. One second the practitioner is sidestepping with all the grace of a dancer at a royal gala, and the next they’re lunging forward like a drunk in an ally brawl! One might think that such a rapid change of posture would make the movements awkward and slow, yet somehow they flow together seamlessly. Some say a master of this style could dodge a bolt of lightning, and I am tempted to believe them. --Excerpt from A History of Fighting Styles, volume II

Off of Meranae’s southwestern coast lies a chain of islands collectively known as the “Five Saints”. Considered some of the country’s finest real estate for their bountiful fishing and  balmy climate, they have long been host to sun-seeking tourists, with numerous summer homes where well-off citizens can spend the winter months. Even the lower classes enjoy a  better standard of living on the isles than they do in most parts of the mainland, which has made them a magnet for the ambitious and opportunistic from all walks of life. Alphonso Montes was born into Meranae’s rising middle-class, just as the Reconstruction (the common name for the period of rebuilding following the plague) came to an end. His father had started out as a lowly fisherman, but through tireless effort and no small amount of luck, ultimately ended up in command of a small fleet of fishing and trading vessels operating out of the port of Santa Vera. However as the boy grew, it quickly became clear that the eager but brash Alphonso lacked the same innate head for business, as he ended up spending most of his time at the bullfighting arena, watching the graceful yet brutal art of the matador, rather than studying. Wishing to give his son every advantage, Alphonso’s father enrolled him in a  prestigious private school in the nation’s distant capital. However, upon arriving in Vortaia Alphonso experienced something of a culture shock; unlike in the provincial territories, the ancient distinction between rich and poor, old blood and new, was in full effect. What few of the noble houses that had survived the plague with their influence intact now jealously guarded it, and they did not appreciate upstart commoners interloping in their domain. And so Alphonso’s school life was a trying one. He and the other non-noble kids were ostracized and scorned by students and teachers alike who insisted they didn’t belong there. Frequently they were taught in separate classes from the nobles, and made to use different facilities. The one outlet he found was the fencing club, where his fascination with, and talent for, swordplay earned him some degree of respect among his fellow club members. However, this brought with it its own share of problems. As his first year drew to a close, the fencing club was invited to participate in an interschool athletics tournament, sponsored by the king himself and intended to “celebrate the achievements of our nation’s young sportsmen”. And while the royal family weren’t

attending personally, several important nobles were, which made it a very important event. During one of his matches, Alphonso found himself up against the son of a duke, exactly the sort of boy who had bullied him at every opportunity, and he decided to have a little fun. Inspired by the matadors he had watched with such fascination, Alphonso had begun developing a new style of defensive fighting, where distracting gestures and multiple feints are used to confuse and provoke one’s opponent into a reckless atta ck. This style, though embryonic in its design, proved spectacularly effective that day; overwhelming his opponent  by forcing him to stumble forward into a waiting counterattack. The crowd at the tournament (most of whom were unaware of his humble origins) applauded his efforts, though not everyone was so happy. Despite his victory that day, the stress of his living conditions combined with his mediocre academic ability was causing Alphonso’s grades to slip, and he was frequently forced to stay up long into the night to complete his required assignments. Ironically, if he [i]had[/i] been asleep at a reasonable hour his story might have ended far sooner, because it was thanks to one of these late-night sessions that he had the chance to hear the quiet thud of his dorm’s window opening behind him. With a fighter’s reflexes he spun around, seeing a man in dark clothes creeping inside. He grabbed his sword from where it always lay, next to his bed, as the assailant likewise drew a long, curved dagger. They fought, and even though Alphonso’s blade was only a training weapon with a dulled edge, he still managed to survive long enough for the dorm-master and some of the other students to awaken and restrain the intruder. Some hours of “questioning”  by the city watch later, it was uncovered that the man was an assassin hired by the duke whose son Alphonso had humiliated. All of this proved to be the final straw for Alphonso, who packed up his bags that very day and left to return to Santa Vera, swearing that he was done with high society forever. Several years went by. Alphonso kept himself busy helping out at the family business where he could, and when he had a spare moment he continued to hone his fencing style. This was nominally to protect himself from further assassination attempts, but he doubted that anyone back in Vortaia would care about him anymore. Really it was just because his swordsmanship was the only aspect of himself that he was actually proud of, and he was loathe to give it up. As one particular autumn began to fade into a mild island winter, the number of  passenger vessels sailing into Santa Vera increased, carrying the latest batch of nobles seeking an escape from the northern snows. Alphonso tended to avoid these people when he could, which was easy since they in turn disliked mingling with the locals and preferred to stay within their walled estates. This year, however, was different. One of them sought him out. It was a young man by the name of Heinz Fennik, hailing from the northeastern border territories, and he had quite a story to tell. It turned out that, after Alphonso’s sudden departure, truth of things had become clouded by rumor. The assassination attempt had been the talk of the school for months afterward, with the details gradually mutating until some versions of the story now had him killing an entire squad of assassins before escaping in a daring chase through the streets. To some, Alphonso of Santa Vera was now a bit of a folk-hero; the fisherman’s son who beat the  blue-bloods at their own game and rode off into the sunset. Apparently many, commoner and noble alike, were eager to learn the secrets of his “legendary invincible fencing style” and sure enough, prospective students began turning up at his door, slowly at first but in everincreasing numbers. He thought of sending them away at first, but after a bit of thought he came upon an idea. He rented a building just off of the marketplace and told any who wished to learn from him that the lessons would be held there. What he didn’t tell them was that the classes would

 be fully integrated, with everyone learning together regardless of their background, and any sign of discrimination or bullying was grounds for instant expulsion. Alphonso never again left the isles he called home, though the techniques he created certainly did. He placed no restrictions on students passing what they had learned on to others, except that he hoped they would carry on his policy of equality and teach anyone who had the will and the talent, regardless of who their families were. Because of this, the Santa Vera style (Alphonso was too modest to even consider naming it after himself) eventually  became known and respected throughout Meranae, and even beyond. Benefit: +1 Reflexes Skills: Defense, Swordsmanship (Saber), Athletics, Etiquette, Medici ne, Any one Lore skill, any one Skill. Integrity: 4 Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Saber (3k2 Medium Sword), Knife, Traveling Pack, 4 Koku or equivalent. Techniques:

RANK ONE: THE WAY OF THE MATADOR A student of the Santa Vera style learns that maintaining a strong defense is a crucial part of any fight, even while on the offensive. You may add twice your Defense Skill Rank to your Armor TN when not in the Full Attack stance. However, such quick reactions require complete freedom of movement, so you may not take advantage of this bonus while wearing any armor heavier than basic/ashigaru or while carrying a shield. Additionally, you gain a +2k0 bonus to all Initiative rolls, and to your Investigation (Notice) rolls to avoid being surprised in an ambush. RANK TWO: TURN ASIDE THE CHARGE The unfocussed assault of a wild bull may look fearsome, but it has plenty of holes waiting to  be exploited. If an opponent attempts to attack you in the Full Attack stance, you may force them to first make a Contested Roll of their Weapon Skill/Agility vs. your Defense/Reflexes. If they fail, they are denied the benefits of their Stance for the Round. You may only employ this Technique once per Round. RANK THREE: REVERSAL OF FORTUNE Practitioners of this style are feared, not just for their ability to evade blows but for their habit of delivering fierce counterattacks when an opponent least expects them. Once per Round, if you are in the Defense Stance and an opponent makes an unsuccessful melee attack targeting you, you may immediately make a single melee attack against them as a Free Action. This causes you to assume the Attack Stance. RANK FOUR: FURIOUS THUNDER Speed is truly the essence of the Santa Vera style. You may make melee attacks as Simple Actions with any knife or one-handed sword.

RANK FIVE: THE THRILL OF VICTORY With mastery of the Santa Vera style comes almost supernatural levels of dexterity, with the ability to adapt effortlessly to the flow of battle. You may spend a Void Point at any time to switch from the Defense stance to the Attack stance or vice versa. Additionally, you may use your Rank Two and Three Techniques a maximum of two times per Round, rather than once.  ___________________________________________________________________________

THE

ACOLYTES OF THE DREAM

The aging Nezumi shouldered his pack, clutched his walking stick  firmly, and  paused  for a moment to savor the scent of his home for the final time. He was watched by another; decades his junior yet a promising student  of name‐ magic, and eternally stubborn. Waves of doubt and disapproval wafted  from the youngster, threatening the ruin of that  precious scent. ‘Will you truly betray us?’ This was not the first time the elder had heard that  accusation, but he had long since gone past the point where he could be swayed  from his  path. The elder spoke, quietly. ‘Our  people are dying a long death, my boy… others may  think we have banished Tomorrow, but I am not so sure.’  ‘But  for humans to learn our ways is unthinkable!’  ‘No. For our ways to be forgotten; that is unthinkable.’ 

If one were to look at them now, it would be easy to dismiss the Nezumi as pathetic creatures; living relics clinging to the brink, long after they were due to exit the stage of  history. Centuries of living in the Shadowlands speak of an unrivalled tenacity among the ratlings, but as the years go by the future beckons, and they have never been closer to annihilation. Nezumi culture is one that revolves around memory. While something continues to be remembered, they believe, it never truly dies, instead continuing to exist in [i]K’thatch[/i] (“yesterday”) and within the endless dreamscapes of Yume‐do. Even the long‐vanished Nezumi Empire remains out there, somewhere, whispering of its lost glories to the current generation… so long as there is a current generation to remember it. As the dust settled after the battle with Tomorrow, the surviving shamans and rememberers came upon a grim realization. Victory may have been achieved, but at what cost? Their civilization, already broken and beaten down, was hanging by a thread and with the loss of so many, extinction was a very real possibility. What would become of those memories then, they wondered; were they doomed to vanish as well, with no‐one left to pass them on? Their people had long gotten used to the endless flight from the Future, but now the endgame loomed larger than ever, its consequences becoming more and more apparent. N’tarvkh was once a shaman of the scholarly Squeaky Eyeball tribe. He possessed a memory that was impressive even by human standards and a powerful gift for name magic, which might have led to him becoming a legendary chief in more stable times… but these were not stable times. Instead, it was his keen sense of pragmatism that was to guide his path, as he meditated on the future of his shattered race.

If the idea of the Nezumi being forgotten was a tragedy, then the idea of Nezumi traditions being forgotten was enough to chill the blood in the old shaman’s veins. Over a thousand years of wisdom, of learning the intricacies of weaving Names, passed down from mentor to student, and now it was all teetering on the brink of being lost. Something had to be done to ensure that the ancient techniques and spells he carried would not meet such a horrible fate, even if it left him branded a criminal and a madman. He had discovered something, many years previously, on one of his trading expeditions to a human village. That something was a human‐ a drab, otherwise unremarkable man‐ within whose soul N’tarvkh could sense a fragment of Yume‐do. It had been little more than a curiosity at the time, but as he progressed with his magical studies, he began to develop an intriguing idea. Name Magic was intrinsically linked to the Realm of  Dreams and vice versa, so could a human who bore a connection to that Realm possibly learn to manipulate Names? And if there were other such humans out there, was there a glimmer of hope for Name Magic’s survival, even after the Nezumi themselves pass into Yesterday? Against the advice of his tribe, N’tarvkh sought the council of the humans known as the Brotherhood of Shinsei, among whom he had made a number of friends. They found his ideas interesting and his cause a worthy one, and put out the call for Brothers and Sisters who bore the so‐called Touch of Yume‐do to come and see what they might learn of this strange sorcery. Early results were mixed, to say the least. Although the basics of his theory were proven correct, the students balked at the aspects of Name Magic that involved bloodletting, and N’tarvkh was eventually persuaded to let them devise an alternative on the grounds that such a thing simply would not be permitted in Rokugan. They eventually discovered a way to use channeled ki energy rather than blood to fuel the magic, which he considered to be an acceptable compromise, however details of the original methods remain carefully archived within his dojo. The resultant group, now an independent monastic order with the title Acolytes of  the Dream, is still a young one, but it shows promise. A steady trickle of plane‐touched neophytes arrives at the monastery regularly, where they are subjected to rigorous examination before they are even considered as candidates for the study of Name Magic. Those only interested in power are turned away, while those who show a genuine respect for the Nezumi and their history are looked upon favorably. Benefit: +1 Void Skills: Lore: Nezumi, Lore: Spirit Realms (Yume‐do), Meditation, Spellcraft, Perform: Nezumi Dance, any two skills. Honor: 4.0 Starting Outfit: Daisho or any one weapon, Sturdy Clothing, Traveling Pack, 2 Koku Requirements: Must have the Touched by the Spirit Realms: Yume‐do Advantage or at least one rank of Yumeji.

TECHNIQUE: NAME MAGIC The Acolytes learn and cast spells as per the Nezumi Shaman school (Enemies of the Empire, pg. 112), with the following changes:

‐Substitute references to the caster’s Name rank/points with their Void equivalents. ‐The “Bleeding” requirement does not involve actual bleeding. Wounds are inflicted as normal, but they represent tiredness brought on by drained ki, not physical injuries. ‐Similarly, the spell Bonds of Blood is referred to as “Bonds of Force” and involves a blast of  incandescent energy fired from the caster’s hands. ‐As humans do not have a Niche score, the normal rule involving Niche is waived. Instead, because of the extreme level of concentration involved in casting Name spells, all penalties to Spell Casting Rolls caused by Wounds, intoxication and similar effects that disrupt concentration are increased by 5. While they are affiliated with the Brotherhood of Shinsei for storyline reasons, the Acolytes do not count as Brotherhood monks for any mechanical purpose.[/quote]  ___________________________________________________________________________

THE KENKU RAPTORS 'Someday, death may claim us... but  first it must catch us.'  ‐Inscription on an ancient monument discovered in the Twilight Mountains, translated from the tongue of the Five Races.

Many legends speak of the Kenku. Immortals… hermits… teachers… supposedly they brought the katana and the art of Iaijutsu to Rokugan, or at least mastered them. That they are one of the few nonhuman races with access to the Void speaks volumes about their nature, but can the nature of such beings ever be truly understood by outsiders? For example, as anyone ever heard of a Kenku getting angry? As in, really, completely pissed off? Such a thing might be hard for some to imagine, but it happened, and to such a degree that at one point the fires of that anger gave rise to a very unusual School. Long ago, before the coming of the Kami and their Celestial Order; before the dawn of mankind itself, a war was fought in the lands that would become Rokugan. This was the war against the vicious Rakshasa who bargained with Kali‐ma for power and sought to dominate the world, and along with the Kitsune it was the Kenku who led the charge against them. It was during that conflict that some Kenku came down off their proverbial perch. They had already lost one; even earlier war, seeing their home destroyed, and they would not let such a tragedy happen again. Faced with frenzied opponents who could not be tricked or taught the error of their ways, they were forced to develop a new style of fighting focused on seizing every advantage they had, no matter how unsporting. And their main advantage was, of course, their wings. Gone, or at least buried somewhat was the genteel wisdom and humor which would go on to shape how they were perceived by other races. These Kenku fought with every bit of their soul, caring nothing for the artistry of a maneuver if it granted them victory. And victory was indeed achieved, though the more conservative among them wondered whether they had lost something of themselves in the process. Some of these “raptors” have survived into modern times, and would be willing to pass on their unusual techniques to those they deem worthy. Ironically, while they regard

these techniques as crude and would be far more willing to share them than those of their “true” school, most potential students simply don’t meet the anatomical requirements. Benefit: +1 Strength Skills: Athletics (flight), Hunting, Investigation, Defense, any one Lore skill, any two Weapon skills. Honor: 5.0 Starting Outfit: Light Armor, Daisho or any one weapon, Spear or Polearm, Traveling Pack, 3 Koku Requirements : Must be a humanoid capable of winged flight. Techniques:

RANK ONE: DEATH FROM ABOVE Raptors use their momentum to skewer enemies with high‐speed aerial charges. If you fly at least 15* towards an opponent and then immediately make a melee attack with a spear or polearm, you may add your Swift rating to your Strength for the purposes of determining how many damage dice you roll on that attack. You also gain a rank of Swift while flying, which is cumulative with any other sources of Swift you have. Lastly, your maximum total movement per round is not limited in any way. RANK TWO: PIERCE THE SKY A Raptor must be able to race to the battlefield at a moment’s notice, and still be strong enough to fight. You may fly for a full day without becoming tired, and you gain a bonus of  2k0 to your Athletics rolls. RANK THREE: FURY OF THE ANCIENTS Hone your anger to a razor‐sharp edge, and swift and terrible destruction ensues. You may make attacks with as a Simple Action when wielding any spear or polearm, or a katana. RANK FOUR: ELUSIVE AS A BREEZE While in combat a Raptor’s wings are constantly beating; always ready to push or pull them out of the way of incoming blows. If your wings are free to move you gain a bonus of twice your Athletics skill rank to your armor TN. You gain an additional rank of Swift while flying. RANK FIVE: WHO DARES WINS The greatest of the Kenku warriors fought with a ferocity that gave even the “immortal” Rakshasa pause. If you successfully hit an opponent with your Rank One charge attack, you gain an additional Simple Action this round. Only one additional attack per Round may be gained using this Technique.  ___________________________________________________________________________

THE DISCIPLES OF NARAI The childhood of Moshi Narai, born to a modest vassal-family household, was marked by two things; tremendous promise, and equally tremendous disappointment. She was only five years old when her gift for the kami first manifested, as she accidentally invoked them to split a tree in half during one of her frequent squabbles with her sister. She was discovered to have an exceptionally powerful gift, perhaps among the strongest of her generation, which soon earned her the attention and adoration of many senior members of her Clan. She also had what her family diplomatically called a “rebellious streak”, but her parents were certain she would grow out of it and turn into a fine samurai eventually. They were wrong. One thing that comes from speaking to the kami at such an early age is the ability to view them with a perspective unclouded by preconceptions, and what young Narai saw in them did not impress her. Certainly they were powerful, but they were also stupid; lacking free will and barely able to even tell two humans apart. Worship of Amataseru and the other  powerful Fortunes she could almost understand (though she was more interested in tales of the gaijin sun goddess Shilah, whose wrath scorched a nation), but why pray to these dumb little motes of light? It didn't make sense. The true role of the shugenja was not to revere the elements, she grew to believe, but to [i]command[/i] them… As she became older, Narai's attitudes isolated her from those around her. She would openly mock her family's devout ways, and even Bushido itself, and spent hours communing with the kami of fire in a manner that was more like someone training a pack of attack dogs.  Naturally she was reprimanded many times for such behavior, but every punishment only strengthened her resolve; the scorn of her peers bouncing off her like arrows off a rock wall. Those in authority who had once celebrated her began to take note of her again, for entirely different reasons. Plans were discussed to send her to another clan, but what clan would have her? Exile and seppuku were also brought forward as options, but even they hesitated to place such a sentence on a child. So they dithered and, in true samurai fashion, did their best to ignore the problem until it was too late to deal with by all but the most extreme measures. Things came to a head shortly before her gempukku, when the corpse of a servant was found in a storeroom, burned almost beyond recognition. The culprit was obvious, but when  Narai was summoned for questioning she told a bizarre story. She claimed that the servant was actually a maho-tsukai who had come to her in secret, representing a “certain group” who understood her potential and offering an invitation to join them. She had incinerated him on the spot, or so she said. The fact that the body proved to be tainted lent weight to her account, but this incident  plus her history of blasphemous conduct finally galvanized the head of the dojo into action.  Narai was to be ordered to commit seppuku. However, when they summoned her again to report the sentence, she had fled and was nowhere to be found. That was the last anyone in the family saw of her, and most were quietly glad that she wasn't their problem anymore. There was actually one part of her encounter with the maho-tsukai that Narai hadn't mentioned: the fact that she had extracted the approximate location of his hideout out of him  before he died. Full of anger, Narai was determined to go there and put a stop to what she assumed was a small maho cult. In her own strange way she pictured herself as a hero, or a

general leading an army of kami to glorious victory over Rokugan’s enemies. She had planned to track down her targets by interrogating the local heimin, but the cult found her first, ambushing her on the road. She fought with all her might, but there was little an untrained girl, even one so gifted, could do against what turned out to be an entire cell of Spider agents. She was beaten, put in chains and brought before their Chuda leader, who offered her a choice. She could serve the Spider willingly, or she could die and serve them as a zombie. She chose the former, but insisted that she would never resort to maho no matter what task she was given. The Chuda, who had heard that sort of thing from many new recruits, laughed it off. Like her parents and sensei all those years ago, he thought he had the girl's future all figured out. In truth, maho held no appeal for Narai because she knew that the kansen were far smarter than the kami, and couldn't be commanded; only bargained with. Being forced into the Spider was infuriating, but as she lived amongst them Narai  began to feel something she had never felt before: a sense of belonging. Shourido made far more sense to her than Bushido ever had, and she made a number of friends among the monks who, like her, preferred to rely on their own power over that of the taint. For every friend she made, however, she made many enemies among those who felt threatened by her rejection of maho. Her skill at commanding the kami and successful mission record gradually earned her a degree of respect from her superiors, because the Spider respect success above all else, but she was under constant scrutiny. And then the Destroyer War happened, and with it came something few had ever thought possible; the Spider and the Great Clans fighting together against a common foe.  Narai never became the champion she had aspired to be, but she did fight on the front lines of several battles, calling down rains of fire upon the forces of Kali-ma and tearing open the earth beneath their feet. Her efforts even earned her an audience with Daigotsu himself, whose implicit approval abruptly silenced her foes (even though in truth he seemed more amused by the oddity of her existence her than anything else). The aftermath of the war brought with it much infighting amongst the Spider, with many in the clan competing for positions within the new order. Narai was not one of them, even though she had by this point achieved quite a high status, since she found herself far more at home on the battlefield than in the courts. However, it turned out that rumors of her exploits had reached the ears of several ronin shugenja, all eager to swear fealty to the newly-ascended clan but wary of opening their souls to the predation of Jigoku. The first two were a brother and sister who had lost their  parents in the war and wished to become strong, so that they wouldn't have to suffer the same fate. They begged Narai to teach them, and while she disliked begging as a rule, the concept of passing on her skills intrigued her. She had made several interesting discoveries over the years, but until now she had thought of them as being hers alone. Could this be another way of leaving her mark on the empire? She sought the ruling council's permission to set up a dojo, and they readily agreed. Having untainted shugenja among their number would go a long way towards making the clan look more legitimate, after all. The number of students swiftly rose, although it remains a relatively small and obscure school compared to the more established ones. Benefit: +1 Intelligence Skills: Spellcraft (Spell Research), Defense, Lore: Shadowlands, Lore: Shourido, Calligraphy, any one Low Skill, any one Skill Honor: 3.0 Outfit: Fine Robes, Any 1 Weapon, Wakizashi, Traveling Pack, Scroll Satchel, 5 Koku Affinity/Deficiency: Fire/Water

TECHNIQUE: BLAZE A TRAIL THROUGH HISTORY Those who follow the Narai’s teachings learn how to whip the kami into a spectacular, destructive frenzy. You gain a number of bonus spell slots per day equal to your School Rank, which may only be used to cast spells that inflict damage on a single target. Each spell cast using one of these bonus slots has its DR increased by +1k0. Additionally, you gain a Free Raise on all Spell Casting Rolls for spells that inflict damage, regardless of the slot used. You do not begin play knowing the Commune spell, but you may research it later. Spells: Sense, Command, Summon, 3 Fire, 2 Ear th and 1 Air  ___________________________________________________________________________

KOLAT KINGPINS There is little that can be said about the Kolat in general beyond what has already been written. Born from the noble ideals of setting the humans of Rokugan free, many of their members ironically found themselves succumbing to the all‐to‐human flaws of greed and arrogance; becoming little more than gangsters. They were, however, very [i]effective[/i] gangsters, which is part of why they lasted so long. At the peak of their power, they had even managed to develop several schools of their own, where they trained those members who did not have access to the teachings of the Clans. One of these, called the Kingpins, were an elite group of agents specializing in urban infiltration. They would move into a town (or neighborhood within a larger city) and seize the reigns of the local underworld by any means necessary. Gang members would be beaten into submission; smugglers and syndicates would be bribed and manipulated. By controlling crime from the street level up, the Kingpins would secure a sizable income for their Kolat superiors, as well as a large pool of disposable assets in the form of gullible thugs and would‐be ninja. Naturally this line of work required the agent to possess both a sharp blade and a silver tongue, and those who did not make the cut tended to live very short lives indeed. It was after the destruction of the Hidden Temple that things got a little hazy. The Kolat was shattered, but most of their field operatives remained unaffected, including the Kingpins embedded within criminal organizations across Rokugan. Some of them used their newfound independence and existing connections to continue their work, with varying degrees of success, while others packed up and went to ground, fearing that magistrates were already on their tail. Either way, the conspiracy’s techniques began leaking out into the rest of Rokugan’s underworld, as the now‐free agents began training disciples of their own or just selling their secrets to the highest bidder. Someone possessing training in this school nowadays may never have even heard of the Kolat, though most have some inkling that the techniques they use must have come from somewhere. Benefit: +1 Awareness Skills: Intimidation, Courtier (Manipulation), Lore: Underworld, Investigation, Commerce, any one Weapon Skill, any one Skill.

Honor: 2.0 Outfit: Fine Clothing, Daisho or any one weapon, Oni’s Tear (if Kolat member), Wrist Crossbow, Traveling Pack, 5 Koku. Requirements: You must either be a member of the Kolat before its destruction (with the appropriate Dark Secret disadvantage or Forbidden Knowledge advantage) or reduce your starting Koku by 3 to represent paid tuition if the game takes place after this event. Techniques:

RANK ONE: THE PULSE OF THE STREETS A Kingpin must be able to read both places and people. You gain the Spy Network Advantage for free, and are considered to have the Way of the Land Advantage in any urban area. Also, when in an urban area, you gain a +1k0 bonus to your Social Skill Rolls. RANK TWO: NO HONOR AMONG THIEVES With a growing knowledge of the underworld comes an understanding of how shallow and worthless a samurai’s honor truly is. Whenever you make any kind of Contested Roll, your opponent’s Honor (or equivalent score) is treated as though it were lower than it actually is by a number of Ranks equal to your School Rank. RANK THREE: DANCE OF THE PUPPETS A criminal mastermind must be able make friends quickly, especially if they require a few “disposable assets” for some nefarious task. Once per week you may make a Courtier (Manipulation) or Intimidation (Control) Skill Roll against TN 20. You gain a number of  experience points equal to the amount by which your roll exceeds the TN, but these experience points may only be used to purchase the Allies Advantage. These Allies are temporary and last for a period of time equal to your School Rank in days. The allies purchased via this technique must all be of low moral caliber and/or already be connected to the criminal underworld. The GM is the final arbiter of whether a particular person may be made into an Ally. RANK FOUR: LETHAL ENFORCER While they place themselves far above common thugs, Kingpins aren’t afraid to settle business personally. You may make attacks as Simple Actions with any Small weapon. RANK FIVE: LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD Few are immune to the machinations of the true Kingpins, who seem to weave schemes within schemes and have backup plans for any eventuality. When you make Raises on any Social Skill Roll, if you meet or exceed the original TN (before Raises) but fail to meet the Raised TN, you still succeed without the benefits of Raises.  ___________________________________________________________________________

THE KOLAT SEEKERS Particularly in its later years, the Kolat began to fracture, with more and more members losing heart and hoarding personal power at the expense of the conspiracy’s true goals. It would be hard to blame them, in a way, for their faced a truly terrifying enemy; not only legions of samurai loyal to the Emperor, but also an entire pantheon of Fortunes who had a vested interest in keeping them shackled. And yet, even in the darkest of times, there were still those who believed. Some believed you could fight gods through raw power… they were fools. Some believed you could fight them with cunning, and forethought… they were less foolish, but still ultimately met with failure as the Hidden Temple fell. And then there were those who believed that they didn’t have to fight at all, because the battle had already been won. The Seekers did not exist as an identifiable faction until after the Hidden Temple’s destruction, but even before that certain members of the conspiracy had already banded together to refine their own personal theories as to how to move forward. Primarily members of the Jade and Cloud sects, they focused their study on a number of obscure Shinseist texts that had long since been deemed heretical and abandoned by most of the empire; documents that seemed to predict the upheaval of recent centuries with surprising accuracy. According to the texts, which were just a fraction of the Kolat’s vast collection of  banned theological literature, the Rise of Man and the abandonment of the Fortunes was not only possible, it was inevitable, and already well underway. Humanity was not a species that could be contained or forced to fit within such a rigid order and it [i]would[/i] break free, sooner or later. The only question was when, and how much fallout the changeover would create. This wasn’t exactly a rare opinion amongst the Kolat, but this small group took it even further. They believed that since the Rise would happen anyway, it must not be forced; that the conspiracy’s aim should be to smoothly aid in the transition, not to make it to happen before it was due. By employing vile, subhuman tactics such as those of the Dream sect and by fanning the flames of organized crime, the conspiracy was only going to cause chaos. This belief earned them more then a few enemies, and if the Kolat had not fallen around this time they would likely have been silenced by their own sects. What actually happened was that they fell back and regrouped, determined to do what they could to prepare for the coming changes. This meant looking for resources; typically in the form of  obscure knowledge, magical items, and alliances with gaijin and nonhuman forces. It is these activities which earned them their name. In modern times the Seekers are based out of the Colonies, where they are able to operate somewhat more openly. To the public, they appear to be an independent group of  monks and scholars investigating the Ivendi ruins and preparing for any supernatural threats that may still lurk within the former Ivory Kingdoms. Researching the deaths of the native pantheon is of particular interest to them, as it serves as a precedent for the downfall of a large number of cosmic beings... although they hope that Rokugan's future revolution will be far less bloody. Among their most treasured resources are a number of flying carpets, which are used for travel and communication between their headquarters and the main Empire, as

well as with their Qolat contacts to the north. Still, they have nothing like the organizational structure of their predecessors, and their espionage capabilities are almost nonexistent. It will be a long time yet before they can be considered true heirs to the most powerful conspiracy in Rokugan's history. In the meantime their agents have worked hard to develop a school, or rather, to cobble one together out of esoteric meditative techniques and borrowed gaijin practices, in a blend which has proven surprisingly effective against magical and monstrous threats. Benefit: +1 perception Skills: Meditation, Spellcraft, Lore: Gaijin (pick a country), Lore: Nonhumans (pick a race), Investigation, Sincerity, any one Skill Integrity: 5 Outfit: Sturdy Clothing, Oni’s Tear (if Kolat member) or any one weapon (if not), piece of  Jade or Crystal, Traveling Pack, 4 Koku. Requirements: You must either be a member of the Kolat if the campaign takes place before its destruction, or the Seekers if not. Whichever you belong to, you must have the appropriate Dark Secret Disadvantage or  the appropriate Forbidden Knowledge Advantage. Techniques:

RANK ONE: FLASH OF INSIGHT Through intense meditation, Seeker agents learn to recognize the aura given off by magic. Whenever you first encounter any kind of localized supernatural effect (eg. if you are about to enter a warded area or touch an enchanted object), the GM should roll your Meditation/Perception at TN 25. If you succeed, you have a vague sensation alerting you to the presence of the effect and its source. You do not know the exact details, but you do gain a vague awareness of whether or not it is potentially dangerous. You also gain one instance of the Languages Advantage for free, and gain +2k0 to any Social Skill Rolls made specifically to convince those of a different nationality or species of your goodwill. RANK TWO: MANY TONGUES, ONE TRUTH With assistance from their Qolat allies, the Seekers have incorporated the study of Hakhim's Seal into their own training. You learn two Mastery Level 1 or 2 Sahir spells from the Discipline of Summoning. If you do not have access to the Third Edition book Legend of the Burning Sands, you instead learn two Air elemental kiho. You may add your School Rank to your Ring in order to meet the prerequisites for these kiho as though you were a Brotherhood monk. RANK THREE: ESSENSE OF COLD IRON The origins of this technique lie with an ancient order of priests in distant Thrane, although the Seekers got ahold of it via the Meranese archivists known as the Sages of the Sword. By

focusing as a Simple Action, you may cause spells (all spells, regardless of the type of magic) cast within 100' of you to have the TN of their spellcasting roll increased by an amount equal to your Earth Ring x5. This effect lasts for one round, although you may continue to spend a Simple Action each round to maintain it. Spellcasters who are in the process of casting when this technique comes into effect must succeed at Willpower roll at a TN of your Earth Ring x5 or have their casting interrupted. RANK FOUR: PULL THE STRINGS OF FATE This ability, actually a minor aspect of Ashalan sorcery, involves the subtle manipulation of  fortune and destiny. A number of times per day equal to your Void Ring, you may cause a re‐ roll of any roll whose subject is within 30' of you. You may choose which result to keep. However, such meddling with the forces of the universe causes a certain amount of psychic backlash; every time you use this technique, you suffer 3 Wounds. RANK FIVE: LEGACY OF KALI‐MA First developed by the Destroyer armies, this technique was turned against them by a cunning guru and his followers, who eventually passed it on to the Seekers. By spending a Void Point as a Simple Action, you may imbue a weapon with immense power. Attacks made using this weapon ignore all forms of supernatural protection the target possesses (spell effects, Invulnerability, the Spirit quality etc.) and bonus of +Xk0 to their Damage Rolls, where X is your Fire Ring. You must touch the weapon once as you activate this Technique, but you do not need to wield it yourself. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to your Fire Ring.

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THRANIAN ROYAL EXPEDITIONARY CORPS  I do apologize, but I have been called away once again. Looks like those You-Know-Whos are having a spot of trouble with You-Know-Whats again and it’s up to yours truly to sort it all out. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of months. I’ll be sure to pick up some of that tea you like on the way back. -Neither the first, nor the last letter Cpt. Adrian Hastings left for his wife during his long and illustrious career in the Expeditionary Corps.

The nation that emerged from the ashes of plague-wracked Thrane was not the same one that had fallen centuries before. Now keenly aware of the dangers posed by foreign powers (the  plague had been introduced by Senpet merchants, and was at the time falsely believed to have  been a deliberate act of war), the King set aside considerable resources towards the founding of a new military unit. Where their Meranese neighbors were looking outward in a search for academic knowledge, the new Royal Expeditionary Corps was focused on research of a more practical kind. Officially they were merely explorers and cartographers, hence the innocuous name, but they also had a true nature known only to a select few outside their ranks. They were, in fact,

highly-trained covert operatives; Thrane’s first line of defense against whatever might threaten it in the future. Their purview mainly deals with reconnaissance deep within foreign territory, but also includes sabotage, assassination and all other aspects of guerilla warfare. Corps agents must  be capable of surviving alone in the wilderness, or undercover in a hostile city, for months or even years at a time. They might also be placed within diplomatic entourages in order to  protect VIPs, or sent to interfere in distant wars to manipulate events towards their government’s desired outcome. As time went on and the power of the throne gradually gave way to a new system headed by a Council of Ministers, the Corps remained largely unchanged, although word of their activities began to slowly leak out. In tavern backrooms across the land it would sometimes be whispered that the government maintained a stable of elite operatives for offthe-books assignments, but nothing has yet been proven and no evidence has ever been found. More troubling still are the rumors that a few such agents have not taken the regime change well, and have gone rogue and begun selling their services to the highest bidder… The nature of their work makes it not only possible, but highly likely that the Council would send one or more of them into Rokugan to provide intelligence on the reclusive nation. However, explaining why they would actually be working alongside s amurai and monks is a little trickier. One possibility is that the character has enough Rokugani blood to pass for a native, and while such people are rarer in Thrane than they are in the Burning Sands, they do exist, and the Corps might have scouted them for that exact reason. Another possibility is that the characters have been thrown into the midst of a conflict with a greater foe, such as the Lying Darkness (called the False Maker by the Thrane) which they will be forced to team up to defeat. Benefit: +1 Agility Skills:[/b] Athletics, Investigation, Craft: Traps, Firearms, Craft: Explosives, Medici ne (Wound Treatment), Stealth Integrity: 3.5 Outfit:Rugged Clothing, Basic Armor (ATN +3 Red. +1), Saber (3k2 Medium Sword), Knife, Pistol and 10 rounds, Traveling Pack, 2 Koku or equivalent. Techniques:

RANK ONE: THE BEST OF THE BEST A Member of the Expeditionary Corps must survive by wit and willpower, even when all else fails. You gain a bonus of +1k0 to all rolls using your School Skills. All terrain and environmental penalties you suffer are halved, rounded down. Lastly, you learn an additional foreign language for free. RANK TWO: ONE STEP AHEAD Through careful preparation, a battle can be won before it is even fought. When crafting any trap or explosive, or when loading a firearm, you may spend a Void Point to increase the damage it inflicts by +1k1. The effects of this Technique expire if the device is not triggered within a day, and the number of your devices that can benefit from this Technique at any one time is limited to an amount equal to your School Rank. RANK THREE: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Drill with it enough and a using a weapon becomes instinct. You may make attacks as Simple Actions whenever you have five or more ranks in the appropriate Skill. RANK FOUR: BEFORE THEY KNOW WHAT HIT THEM Your greatest weapon is surprise. Surprise… and cold steel. When attacking a target who is unaware of your presence until the moment of the attack, your Raises are not limited by your Void. Additionally, when you have made such an attack successfully, or when you have surprised an opponent with a trap or explosive, you may spend a Void Point to automatically Daze the target. RANK FIVE: SURVIVAL IS THE ONLY OPTION  Nothing is beyond the reach of those with absolute dedication. When making a Skill Roll using a School Skill, your dice explode on a result of 9 as well as 10.[quote]  ___________________________________________________________________________

ULMINSTER HEAVY PUGILISTS The first of them- and to this day, the most famous- was Charles Holsten of Ulminster. While his siblings spent their time learning the family trade, he could usually be found in one of the town's seedier taverns, learning how to give and take punches like the toughest of bastards.  All were surprised when the King's call sounded and he managed to sober up long enough to march to war, but not nearly as surprised as the enemy was when they got a taste of his steelclad fist! -Excerpt from A History of Fighting Styles, volume III

In Rokugan, unarmed fighters come in two general groups: wise monks, and drunken  brawlers, who seem to be competing with each other over whether hand-to-hand combat should be considered an honorable activity... or a supremely dishonorable one. Over the ocean in Thrane, things are a lot simpler, with it falling squarely into the latter category. Which is what makes the existence of the Heavy Pugilist style a very strange thing indeed. Charles Holsten was a humble man, modest in ambition and- at least at first glancelacking any real strengths as a soldier. It was only after getting into a drunken fistfight with several men and handily beating them all that his true talent for unarmed combat became apparent. His basic philosophy was simple: in a real fight, you can't always rely on weapons.  No matter how much you drill with a sword or a spear, it's meaningless if it gets knocked out of your hand or broken, or when you're fighting in a confined space and can't swing it  properly. Isn't it better, then, to focus on how to fight without a weapon from the start? This didn't mean being completely unarmed, however. Pioneers of the style quickly figured out that a pair of heavy gauntlets could strengthen blows considerably, and this led to the design of a reinforced glove known as a panzerhand, made specifically for attacking. These became standard equipment for all Heavy Pugilists (as they had been nicknamed), who sometimes added spikes or blades to the knuckles for further damage. Holsten himself eventually retired to a teaching position among the Ulminster City Guard, where he passed his techniques on to a new generation of recruits.

Decades later, during the Great Plague, the Heavy Pugilist style proved its worth once again. At that time, Ulminster ended up being one of the last uninfected holdouts in all of Thrane, and the superbly-trained guardsmen were instrumental in suppressing riots and turning back attempts by plague-bearing refugees to breach the city walls. In the centuries of turmoil that followed, what had once been a minor trading port became a bastion of civilization. At last, when King Hereford the Reformer rallied a number of bickering feudal lords to his cause and finally began to rebuild Thrane as a unified nation, he gave the by-thenfamous Ulminster Guard an official commendation for their tireless work. Soldiers from all across the reborn country gathered to learn it, and even those who did not fully adopt the style absorbed some of its teachings. There is some debate among modern historians over when exactly the style's techniques began to take shape, though most agree that Charles Holsten only developed a few of them himself, with the others being born out of necessity during the dark age of the plague. What is now considered the third seems to have been a later substitution, designed to counteract the growing popularity of firearms, though what exactly it replaced is unknown. Another concession to the realities of modern combat is the wearing of a pistol, which has  become common in recent years despite the style's focus on melee. Encountering a Heavy Pugilist in Rokugan is unlikely, but not impossible. The Ulminster Guard and some other Thranian military units aren't nearly as obsessed with secrecy as Rokugani Schools are, so a ronin or monk who has traveled overseas could have  picked it up. The Mantis, who are known to interact with foreigners and who possess an unarmed combat School of their own, might also have developed an interest in it. Benefit: +1 Strength Skills: Unarmed Combat 2, Defense, Athletics (Running), Intimidation, Firearms or Crossbows, Medicine, any one Skill. Integrity: 4 Outfit: Heavy armor, Set of panzerhands, traveling pack, pistol and 10 rounds (or repeating crossbow and 10 bolts), 3 Koku or equivalent. Techniques:

RANK ONE: FISTS OF STEEL A Heavy Pugilist may look slow and lumbering, but you would be foolish to judge them on appearances alone. You may ignore penalties for wearing heavy armor for all skills except Stealth. Also, your unarmed/panzerhand attacks gain a + 2k0 bonus to their Damage Rolls. RANK TWO: PUT AWAY YOUR TOYS Overreliance on weaponry can be a weakness, which Heavy Pugilists learn to exploit. You may perform the Disarm maneuver for one less Raise when attacking unarmed or with a  panzerhand. If you are successful, you may add your Unarmed Combat skill rank to the total of your ensuing Contested Strength Roll. RANK THREE: DODGE THE BARREL Dodging a bullet is impossible, but if you pay attention to the shooter you can learn to predict where the shot will go. You gain +15 to your TN to be hit against ranged attacks whose origin

 point you can see. RANK FOUR: SWIFT STRIKE Experienced Pugilists learn to overwhelm opponents with a hurricane of fierce blows. You may make unarmed/panzerhand attacks as Simple Actions. RANK FIVE: THE STRENGTH TO PROTECT A true Heavy Pugilist will always keep fighting as long as his or her heart is strong. You may spend a Void Point to completely negate the effects of one attack (including spells and other supernatural attacks) on yourself or one ally within 5'. This not only nullifies the damage the attack would have inflicted, but also any secondary effects such as poison applied to a weapon.  ___________________________________________________________________________

SKALDS OF THE WHISTLING HEATH Gathered wind whips across a rustling field  Merry laughter tracing trails in shaken straw Sea-foam drifts from open ocean’s calm Forming footprints on a lonely shore  Marsh-lights rise in the night shining gaily  A glimmer of eyes peering through the trees  Dolmens loom from on a silent mountaintop Stilled fingers clutching earth with cold stone

There is hardly a person in all of Thrane that hasn’t heard at least one story of Gwen o’ the Whistling Heath, and hardly a scholar who can agree on exactly who and what she was. A witch? A spirit? A folk-hero with an inflated reputation? Nothing about her life is possible to  pin down, although there is just enough evidence that someone like her did exist at some  point. Even her name could refer to one of countless wildlands throughout the country, resulting in many different towns and villages jockeying to proclaim themselves her  birthplace. Gwen makes an appearance in most of Thrane’s mythic cycles, and even some of its known historical events. She is rarely the star of an entire tale; instead popping up at odd moments to offer advice, to perform some impossible feat, or simply to accompany a hero for a time for reasons she never specifies. Her actions inevitably steer the story toward a happy ending, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. One tale speaks of her standing atop the walls during the First Siege of Morriston, where she inhaled for ten minutes straight before finally giving voice to a great shout that sent a blast of air over the heads of the invaders. Later it turned out that a fleet of enemy reinforcements had been sailing up the coast, only to be driven onto rocks by a sudden windstorm, which demoralized their fellows and allowed the Morriston forces to break the siege. In another story, she was among a company of legendary figures who set sail in a

flying ship to return the King of the Stars to his rightful home after he fell to earth. There is even a much later, controversial account of her meeting with the sage Kharsis, which is accepted largely as fact among Thrane’s clergy, but condemned by the Merenese Council of Churches who consider him a blasphemer and a false prophet. However, there is one account which carries special relevance for a small number of  people in modern Thrane, and that is the story of how she taught her first apprentice. Supposedly, she had just finished off a mob of marauding ogres by challenging them to a singing contest (she won by singing so beautifully the earth itself “applauded”; opening up  beneath the ogres’ feet and then slamming shut) when a small boy, a street urchin, approached her and asked how she managed to do all the amazing things she did. To him she simply replied; ‘I could tell you, but it would grant no understanding. Come along with me, and  perhaps you will see for yourself”. And so the boy, whose name was Taliesin, journeyed with Gwen on her adventures. He watched her sing to the rocks and the trees, but every time he bean to doubt her she would always pull of some kind of amazing feat. At first her magic seemed as incomprehensible as ever, until one day he stubbed his toe on a rock and let out a startled cry… only for a nearby  bush to burst into flame. Gwen smiled at this, and stated that after all these months on the road he had finally taken his first step. She explained that the world of around them, of divided objects, was an illusion. On some level everything was deeply connected, and controlling a rock, for example, required nothing more than becoming  the rock, merging its essence with your own until you could move it as you move your own limbs. This was achieved through the medium of sound;  bringing your own vibrations and those of the world into harmony. This explanation did not sound particularly helpful, and indeed it never does to those who have not committed themselves to understanding, but Taliesin felt his eyes open at that moment to a new world. He continued to travel and learn, gaining full control of the power that he had begun to awaken. Eventually he and Gwen parted ways, and while she took on no more apprentices (that are currently known of, anyway) he did, and they in turn did likewise as they matured. In time the students of Gwen’s technique numbered in the hundreds, although they maintained no formal organizational structure or records of membership. Though the vast majority of these practitioners never forged their own legends in the way that Gwen had, they generally remained content with retelling the tales of others and keeping watch for new events of note to record for posterity. They gradually became known as the Skalds of the Whistling Heath; each one a unique blend of historian, musician, storyteller and sorcerer. In terms of personality they are incredibly diverse, united only by a certain sense of wanderlust and a great respect for the immense power of the natural world. Benefit: +1 Awareness Skills: Lore: History, Perform: Storytelling, Perform: Singing, Investigation, any thre e Skills Integrity: 4.5 Outfit: Sturdy Traveling Clothing, Any one Weapon, Traveling Pack, 3 Koku or equivalent.

TECHNIQUE: IN HARMONY WITH THE WORLD Skalds of the Whistling Heath learn magic in the same manner as the Sahir from the Burning Sands, though their method of tapping into the power is quite different. You begin play knowing the first rank of The Primal Elements, plus two further ranks in any spell type or types of your choosing. You gain three further ranks in any combination of spell groups each time you increase in School Rank. You may add your ranks in Perform: Singing to all Spell Casting Rolls.

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PATHS Trained Surgeon The Rokugani’s squeamishness about touching flesh and blood has stunted the progress of medical knowledge in the Emerald Empire. Not so in the nations beyond, particularly Merenae and Thrane, where coping with a devastating plague led to advancements in the field almost as a necessity. Nowadays it has become a cultural norm in these lands that every  professional adult should have at least a basic knowledge of how to diagnose common ailments and perform basic first aid. Some take this even further, however, and it is common even for those who are not doctors to seek more advanced training, especially if they are in a particularly hazardous occupation. This Path is a semi-generic one, representing the kind of abilities that might be  possessed by, for example, an army field medic. Technique Rank:2 Replaces: Any Requirements: Medicine (Wound Treatment) 3

TECHNIQUE: FIRST DO NO HARM Anyone can learn to set a broken limb or sew shut a wound, but there’s a difference between doing such things competently and doing them well. When using the Medicine skill to treat wounds, the number of Wounds you heal is increased by +1k1. At the GM’s discretion, treating a very large number of wounds at once may require a prolonged operation.

Daigotsu Reformists The Age of Exploration marked a time of great change, both for Rokugan in general and  particularly for the Spider Clan. They had achieved what many had thought impossible; Great Clan status, and grudging recognition by those that had until recently spurned then. But there was still much to be done, and severing their ties to maho (or at least, appearing to do so) was necessary if they were to consolidate their position among the rest of the Great Clans. Thus, it was ordered that their dojos begin work on creating modified versions of their techniques, which were be less reliant on the power of Jigoku. Those members who were already tainted would continue to pursue the clan’s goals in the colonies, while back in Rokugan proper their fellows would put on a show of remaining pure. Some of them, such as the sect that follow the kill-happy shugenja Narai, genuinely believe themselves stronger for rejecting the taint, while for others this is simply a masquerade meant to placate the other clans. Benefit: +1 Strength Replaces: Daigostu Bushi 1 Skills:Hunting, Intimidation, Jiujutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Kyujutsu, Lore: Shadowlands, any one Bugei or Low Skill Honor: 1.5

Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, any 1 wea pon, Traveling Pack, 3 koku

TECHNIQUE: THE FURY OF THE SPIDER Students of the “pure” Daigotsu Bushi School learn to tap into the power of their own anger and passion, rejecting the taint while still subtly mocking the traditional stoicism of the samurai. At the beginning of each Round, you may choose t o either reduce your Wound Penalties by your Strength Trait Rank plus half your Fire Ring (rounded up) until the end of the Round, or increase your damage rolls by the same amount. Additionally, the strength of your convictions grants you +5 on any roll you make to resist Intimidation, Temptation and Fear effects. Lastly, whenever subsequent Techniques in the Daigotsu Bushi School reference your Taint Rank, you instead use half your Fire Ring (Rounded up).

Togashi Spirit-Born Togashi Hoshi is a figure who needs little introduction for anyone even casually acquainted with Rokigan’s history, and yet at the same time much of his long life is shrouded in mystery. Born from the union of a dragon and a mortal, among other rare insights he was gifted with an understanding of the challenges of trying to contain the immortal power of the Spirit Realms within a mortal body. Most samurai are aware of the existence of people like him, or Yoritomo Komori or some members of the Kitsune family, but they are believed to be extraordinarily rare. Something Hoshi discovered during his travels through the Empire, however, was that this wasn’t the case; while human-spirit interbreeding is by no means common, quite a lot of it had indeed happened over the years. The reason it usually goes unreported is that, in the vast majority of cases, the human parent is a peasant and thus beneath the notice of the Clans. But the Togashi have always been more aware of peasants than most samurai families, and this is no exception. So during his tenure as leader of the Dragon, Hoshi founded a small offshoot of the Tattooed Orders specifically to train people with otherworldly ancestry. There, they learned methods that he himself developed in order to bring both halves of their soul into  balance and mitigate the harmful side-effects of their nature. It remains a small and obscure sect, its members difficult to tell apart from regular tattooed monks, but they do not concern themselves with such things. One notable development in recent years concerns the Spider, and a practice of theirs that is rarely discussed outside their own number. For all their wickedness, Daigotsu’s clan has always had a bizarre streak of egalitarianism to it, in that they readily accept nonhumans such as pekkle-no-oni, bog hags, and so on into their ranks. One natural result of this is relationships developing between these tainted creatures and the clan’s human members, to say nothing of the activities of shape-shifting spies embedded within the rest of Rokugan. In the past, any child conceived from such a pairing would have been easily consumed by the taint before it was even born, becoming little more than a mindless abomination, but the changes to the infection have resulted in one rather unexpected consequence. Since a fetus is unable to comprehend the taint let alone consent to it, they are now born pure, yet with subtle powers and mutations as a mark of their not-quite-human nature. Thus, as part of the Dragon’s duty to oversee the Spider, the Spirit-Born have opened their doors to a select few of these. A small shrine to Okura-no-Oni has even been constructed

within the monastery grounds, to remind everyone that the circumstances of one’s birth need not define the course of their entire life. Benefit: +1 Void Replaces: Togashi Tattooed Order 1 Skills: Athletics, Defense, Craft: Tattooing, Jiujutsu, Any one Lore Skill, Meditation, any one non-Low Skill Honor: 4.5 Outfit: Robes, Bo, Traveling Pack, 5 koku Requirements: Must have the Child of Chikushudo Advantage

TECHNIQUE: THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS Following Hoshi’s teachings allows a monk to safely tap into power inherited from his or her nonhuman ancestors. When you acquire this Technique, you lose the special penalty associated with your Child of Chikushudo Advantage. Instead, you gain one of the normal Lesser Spirit Penalties on page 245 of [i]Enemies of the Empire[/i], which affects you as though you were a spirit yourself. You also gain one Tattoo at this Rank.

The Many Parallel Roads For as long as life has existed in the mortal world (and possibly before even that) the art of combat has been in a state of constant growth and evolution. From the graceful movements of the Kakita duelists to the relentless blows of the Yodotai gladiators, warriors continually strive to hone their skills and to seek a mythical perfection in one style or another. Rarely, they even succeed, and even more rarely they manage to teach a few worthy disciples. The most successful go on to found true Schools, while others remain obscure and fade from history as quickly as they arrive. Comparisons could be made to the monks and their study of higher wisdom, and indeed some in Rokugan have described these fragmentary insights into combat mastery as “the many  parallel roads”, referencing the quote from Shinsei that everyone finds their own path to enlightenment. What is known is that these rare masters and their students develop extraordinary skills with a specific weapon or other method of fighting, but often lack the versatility of someone with more formalized training. Technique Rank:  4 Replaces: Any non-spellcaster 4 Requirements: One Skill which may be used to make an attack at 6; at least one Emphasis in the same Skill.

TECHNIQUE: WALK MY OWN ROAD This technique represents many fighting styles, as diverse as stars in the sky, and yet the abilities gaited from them remain surprisingly similar. You may make attacks as Simple Actions when employing the Emphasis you used to qualify for this Path.  ___________________________________________________________________________