TEXT:  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A Two-round Adventure for Legend of the Five Rings 
   
  Round One 
   
  By Robert Hobart 
   
   
   
   
   
  Violence and anger plague the border between the great clans of the Crane and Crab. Your group of Emerald 
  Magistrates has been dispatched to solve the problem before it boils over into war. Characters provided. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS, L5R, ROKUGAN, RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc. Tournament detail copyright 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS 
  RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without 
  approval of the RPGA Network. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 2 
  This is a standard RPGA Network tournament. A 
  four-hour time block has been set aside for this event. 
  Begin by passing out the player characters; pass them out 
  based on class only, not revealing gender or race. Instruct 
  the players to leave the character sheets face down until 
  you have read the introduction. Then, tell them to study 
  their character sheets, select spells, and notify you when 
  they are ready to begin the adventure. 
   
  It is a good idea to ask each player to put a name tag 
  in front of him or her. The tag should have the player's 
  name at the bottom, and the character's name, race, and 
  gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players to 
  keep track of who is playing which character. 
   
  The actual playing time will be about three hours. 
  Make sure you use the last 20 to 30 minutes of the event 
  time block to have the players capsulize their characters 
  for each other and vote.  The standard RPGA Network 
  voting procedures will be used. Make sure you have 
  finished voting before you collect the players' voting 
  sheets. This way you will not be influenced by their votes 
  and comments. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to learn 
  about equipment and weapons their characters are 
  carrying. 
   
  A note about the text: Some of the text in this 
  scenario is written so that you may present it as written to 
  the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text 
  for the players will be in bold italics. It is strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text, instead 
  of reading it aloud, as some of the text is general and 
  must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of 
  the player characters.  
   
  This is a two-round tournament for the Legend of the 
  Five Rings RPG. The goal of this scenario is to force 
  the players to confront two divided loyalties – their 
  loyalty to the Empire and their loyalty to their family. 
  In round one, the PCs are a group of Emerald 
  Magistrates sent to the Crab-Crane frontier to 
  investigate a series of incidents that threaten to bring 
  open war between those clans. With care and a little 
  luck, the PCs can learn the true cause of the trouble – a 
  powerful minion of the Shadowlands named Doji 
  Nashiko, one of the legendary Akutenshi (Evil Angels). 
  She offers them a stark choice: fight and ensure the 
  deaths of their own children, or join her in the service 
  of Fu Leng and thereby spare their offspring. Round 
  Two takes up the story of the PCs’ children ten years 
  later, forcing them to face the consequences of their 
  parents’ choice.  
   
  Round One takes place seven years before the 
  beginning of the “standard” L5R campaign. As a result, 
  the major NPCs that the PCs encounter (Daidoji Uji, 
  Asahina Tamako, Hida Yakamo) are somewhat 
  younger and less experienced than their versions in the 
  standard Clan books. Their personalities, however, 
  should basically be the same as described, perhaps with 
  more energy and a little less wisdom. 
   
  This scenario makes extensive use of materials 
  from Bearers of Jade: the Second Book of the 
  Shadowlands. For the assistance of GMs who may not 
  own that dreadful tome, the relevant rules have been 
  repeated in the NPCs section at the end of each round. 
   
   
  Running the Scenario 
  Round One presents the PCs with a mysterious crisis, 
  which they must resolve through investigation and role-
  playing. It should not be immediately apparent that the 
  Shadowlands are behind what is happening. The longer 
  the GM can keep this discovery from the PCs, the better 
  – that makes the final discovery that much more 
  shocking.  
   
  The player-characters for Round One are six 
  Emerald Magistrates, sent by the Emperor to investigate 
  what is happening and try to prevent a war. Most NPCs 
  will cooperate willingly with these representatives of 
  the Emperor, although a few Clan animosities will still 
  get in the way (notably with Daidoji Uji and the various 
  Crabs). Regardless, everyone will show them proper 
  respect, even the often-rude Hida Yakamo. The real 
  challenge will not be getting answers, but asking the 
  right questions of the right people.  
   
  The GM should be careful to familiarize himself 
  with the six PCs before starting play. Several of them 
  have Schools or Advantages/Disadvantages drawn from 
  the Clan books, so the GM should be familiar with 
  those as well as with the main rulebook. Reading the 
  Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun book can also be helpful 
  in supplying much important cultural detail about 
  Rokugan.  
   
  Hiruma Tadoshi: A former Hiruma Scout who became 
  an Emerald Magistrate after uncovering the maho-
  tsukai who murdered his wife. His son is all he has left 
  of her. He has been chosen for this mission because of 
  his steadfast loyalty to the Emperor, even when his 
  Clan’s own affairs were at stake. 
   
  Matsu 
  Ayame: 
  A 
  widowed 
  Matsu 
  samurai-ko 
  approaching the age of retirement, Ayame is blessed (or 
  perhaps cursed) with a kharmic tie to her son. Unlike 
  most Matsu, her ferocity has been tempered with the 
  wisdom of age (which is a good thing, since the PCs 
  will be spending so much time with Cranes). 
    
  Otaku (Ide) Hiroji: A former member of the diplomatic 
  Ide family, Hiroji married an Otaku battle maiden and 
  took their name. Rather than stay in Unicorn lands and 
  care for the horses, Hiroji has arranged through political 
  favors to attend the Doji Courtier school, which gives 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 3 
  him a great deal of knowledge about the Crane. It also 
  allows him to call upon favors from the Crane political 
  network; although this has only limited value within the 
  context of the scenario, any physical item or minor 
  service Hiroji needs can be secured with this ability, 
  and NPCs will always find time to talk with him.  
   
  Asako Igemi: A member of the famous Phoenix 
  Inquisitors, who hunt the influences of Maho all across 
  the Empire, Igemi is also secretly one of the Henshins, 
  the Asako masters of the Elements who seek to achieve 
  human divinity. Although she has not yet learned the 
  true nature of the Asako family school, she already 
  knows it must be kept secret from others. She, like 
  Tadoshi, has a Kharmic Tie to her child. 
   
  Shosuro Gamaro: A Yogo-trained shugenja and a 
  member of the Black Watch, Gamaro is the only one 
  who suspects that the influence of the Shadowlands 
  may be at work; he has been told this secretly by his 
  superiors in the Black Watch, who pulled strings to get 
  him assigned to this mission. His daughter is a student 
  at the infamous Shosuro Butei (actor) school. 
   
  Otomo Kaigen: A scion of one of the three Imperial 
  families, Kaigen has been trained in the unorthodox 
  Kitsuki school, which gives him an unusual (for a 
  Rokugani) perspective on matters of evidence and truth. 
  His daughter is a student at the famed Kakita dueling 
  school, a fact of which he is inordinately proud. 
   
   
  Nashiko’s Plot  
  (What is Happening) 
  Doji Nashiko has hatched an elaborate plan to drive the 
  Crab and Crane Clans into war with each other. For the 
  past few months she has been shuttling back and forth 
  across the border, taking the form of a beautiful Doji 
  courtier (Doji Miyako) when among the Crane, and the 
  form of an equally beautiful Kuni shugenja (Kuni 
  Miyubi) when among the Crab. By seducing and 
  manipulating the local generals on both sides, she has 
  been able to foment more and more violent border 
  incidents, gradually escalating the situation. A few 
  weeks ago, she convinced the Crab general, Hida 
  Chuto, that an estate of the Crane’s Asahina family was 
  housing users of Maho (black magic). Chuto launched a 
  vicious cross-border raid which destroyed the entire 
  estate. This, of course, enraged the Crane, and in her 
  guise as “Doji Miyako” Nashiko then convinced one of 
  the Crane generals to launch a retaliatory raid against 
  Clear Water Village, the commercial headquarters of 
  the Crab’s Yasuki family. Since Nashiko’s cat’s-paws 
  are not informing their superiors of their actions, both 
  sides are now officially denying any actions while 
  blaming the other for committing atrocities. The stage 
  is set for war. This is the situation when the PCs arrive. 
   
  In the course of the scenario, the PCs should be 
  able to convince the leaders on both sides (Hida 
  Yakamo and Daidoji Uji) to meet on “neutral ground” 
  (the border between the Clans) to try to defuse the 
  crisis. Nashiko will be furious at this, but also sees it as 
  an opportunity: if she can provoke an armed clash at 
  this conference, war will be assured, and she might 
  even be able to get Yakamo and Uji killed in the 
  confusion. Switching rapidly between her two guises, 
  the Akutenshi manipulates her victims into preparing 
  for battle...unless the PCs can stop her.  
   
   
  Player’s Introduction 
  It is the fourth day of the month of the Dog, known in 
  the high usage as the month of Hida, as you ride 
  south on Yoiun Doro sano Bura no Ayame (the Lucky 
  Road of the Blue Iris) toward Niwa Shita no Kage 
  Toshi (Garden under Shadow City), the home of the 
  Daidoji family and the principle Crane stronghold in 
  their southern territories. Tensions along the Crab-
  Crane border have risen suddenly and violently in the 
  last few weeks, despite the long-standing respect 
  between the Crab and the Daidoji family, and the 
  Emperor has dispatched you six Emerald Magistrates 
  to learn why and, if possible, to bring a halt to a 
  problem that now threatens to break into war.  
   
  Your trip from the capitol, Otosan Uchi, has 
  lasted better than two weeks, two weeks of hoping you 
  do not arrive too late. Now, as the afternoon sun 
  bursts from the clouds, you espy the walls of the 
  Crane city and, rising within them, the local castle; 
  your first destination. After investigating here, you 
  plan to cross the border and speak with the Crab, and 
  perhaps find some way to a peaceful solution to this 
  conflict.  
   
   
  The Home of the Daidoji  
  Located just across the tidal landbridge from Crab 
  lands, Garden Under Shadow City is one of many 
  Crane Clan ports along the coast of Rokugan. A 
  prosperous place, home to many of the Daidoji family’s 
  merchants, it is the heart of that family’s power 
  (although the official family castle is located in 
  northern Crane lands) and is home to a large portion of 
  that family’s military strength. Much of that strength is 
  on display as the PCs arrive in the city, marching and 
  drilling on the fields around the city; the Daidoji are 
  visibly preparing for war. The guards at the city gates 
  examine the PCs’ travelling papers carefully before 
  allowing them into the city and directing them toward 
  the small castle which merges with the walls in the 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 4 
  southwestern corner of the city. The streets of the city 
  are crowded, and with a Perception+Investigation roll 
  (TN 20) the PCs note an unusually high number of 
  peasants among the crowds – common folk are 
  evidently fleeing the countryside for the city, a sure 
  sign of impending war.  
   
  The southern castle of the Daidoji is not especially 
  large (especially compared to their main castle north of 
  the Spine of the World Mountains), but like all Crane 
  structures it is both functional and beautiful. Guards in 
  perfectly polished armor stand at the gates and review 
  the PCs papers once again before bowing and leading 
  them inside. After only a short wait (less than half an 
  hour), the PCs are brought into the presence of the 
  family daimyo, Daidoji Uji. 
   
  The young, swarthy daimyo of the Daidoji family 
  sits stiffly, his sky-blue kimono flawless, and reads 
  carefully through the PCs’ letter from the Emperor. He 
  passes the letter to an older man seated nearby, then 
  bows to the PCs. “We welcome the Emperor’s servants. 
  Be assured that the Daidoji family is always ready to 
  seek peace over war.” His words are sincere, but an 
  Awareness (+Ichi Miru) roll (TN 25) detects fierce 
  tension in the set of his shoulders and the icy blankness 
  of his face. The older man, Asahina Tamako (the 
  Asahina family daimyo) also bows, then introduces 
  himself. “I, too, stand ready in the service of the 
  Emperor. I have come here to advise my Daidoji 
  cousin, in hopes that peace may avert the dark clouds of 
  war which now fog our lands.” Uji asks the PCs their 
  names and stations, thanks them again for coming, and 
  informs them that a formal dinner will be held tonight 
  at which the PCs may meet his retainers, discuss the 
  causes of the recent troubles, and perhaps offer 
  solutions. However, his tone implies that this may be a 
  fruitless enterprise. 
   
  After this conversation, the PCs are shown to their 
  rooms, which are located on the second floor of the 
  castle. Other visitors, courtiers, and diplomats assigned 
  to the castle are housed on this floor as well, and as the 
  PCs descend to the dinner they meet representatives 
  from three other clans: Ikoma Tadaka of the Lion, 
  Bayushi Oro of the Scorpion, and Ide Kagetora of the 
  Unicorn. The three courtiers speak briefly with the PCs, 
  expressing their loyalty to the Emperor and their wishes 
  (sincere or otherwise) for peace.   
   
   
  Dining With Cranes 
  Dinner is a formal affair, held in a large room with the 
  walls covered in delicate silk screens and paintings. The 
  guests sit on tatami mats around a long low wooden 
  table. There are more than a dozen courses, with sake in 
  plenty, and while individual portions are modest by the 
  end of the meal everyone is quite full. The Crane cooks 
  are excellent and Daidoji Uji is obviously proud of the 
  excellent hospitality his family presents. The PCs will 
  be seated at the head of the table, next to Uji and 
  Tamako, in a show of deference to their station as 
  Emerald Magistrates.  
   
  During the dinner, the PCs will have few 
  opportunities for conversation with the other guests; 
  they are seated flanking Uji and Tamako, who are far 
  too polite to talk about such matters over food. On the 
  opposite side are Ide Kagetora (who has been seated 
  next to his clan kinsman Otaku Hiroji) and the local 
  daimyo of the Daidoji city, Daidoji Shinro. The PCs 
  will not be able to speak with the other guests (at least, 
  not without rudely raising their voices), but they can 
  observe the dynamics at the table. Much attention 
  seems to focus on one of the courtiers, the lovely Doji 
  Miyako, whose every word and gesture is a masterpiece 
  of etiquette and subtle flirtation. The two Crane 
  generals, Daidoji Akahito and Daidoji Murakawa, seem 
  to pay particular attention to her. Of the other two out-
  of-Clan guests, Ikoma Tadaka holds aloof from the 
  dinner conversation and observes the scene with thinly-
  veiled disapproval, while Bayushi Oro converses 
  pleasantly with all and watches the scene with eyes that 
  sparkle at some inner joke. 
   
  Have all the PCs make Intelligence+Etiquette rolls 
  to avoid any social gaffes during dinner. PCs who fail 
  to make a TN of at least 15 have insulted their hosts 
  with their poor manners; although the Crane are too 
  polite to mention such offenses, the unfortunate PCs 
  will have to drop one die from any rolls involving 
  subsequent social interactions. PCs who make a TN of 
  30 or better have impressed the Crane with their social 
  skills and superior manners, and gain a free raise for 
  any social interaction die rolls during the remainder of 
  the evening.  
   
  After the dinner, everyone retires to the gardens 
  outside the castle, where the PCs and NPCs converse by 
  the light of colored lanterns. Servants circulate quietly 
  through the place, offering fresh sake to any who might 
  need it. Voices are kept politely low, and privacy can be 
  found simply by moving aside a few paces. In this 
  civilized atmosphere, the PCs are free to move about, 
  alone or together, and speak to all the major NPCs at 
  the castle. See “The Crane Point of View” and the 
  Guest List for more details on what the PCs can learn 
  here. 
   
   
  The Crane Point of View  
  As the PCs question the various guests and courtiers, 
  they can quickly learn much about the recent troubles. 
  There have been numerous border skirmishes in recent 
  weeks, and several samurai have died on both sides. 
  The Crane claim the troubles were started by the Crab, 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 5 
  although they will also admit that, once problems 
  began, their own samurai contributed to the continuing 
  high tensions.  
   
  But the most shocking incident, and the one which 
  has pushed the border to the brink of war, is said to be 
  entirely the Crab’s doing: a violent raid several weeks 
  ago on one of the estates near Kyuden Asahina, which 
  left most of the residents dead and the estate wrecked. 
  A detailed account of this incident is available from 
  Asahina Tenka, who witnessed it personally and is the 
  only known survivor; Asahina Miki and the general 
  Daidoji Murakawa both visited the site afterwards, and 
  can testify to the destruction they saw and the evidence 
  they found. All of this information is found in the 
  appropriate sections of the Guest List. What makes the 
  offense even worse is that the Crabs deny it, claiming 
  none of their troops have crossed the border. All the 
  Cranes are outraged by this obvious lie, which only 
  “dishonorable Crabs” could attempt.  
   
  If the PCs actually wish to visit the site of the 
  massacre, it is two days’ travel away. There is nothing 
  to be learned there that the PCs cannot gain from their 
  interviews here. 
   
  Doji Miyako is one of the loudest in condemning 
  the Crabs’ viciousness and dishonesty, and flirtatiously 
  encourages the Crane generals as they make aggressive 
  remarks, suggesting the Crabs should be punished with 
  “good Daidoji steel.” She claims to be the kinswoman 
  of one of the Cranes who died in border skirmishes, and 
  says that her cousin “Doji Moteuchi” was struck down 
  by a tetsubo-weilding Crab (as the PCs will know, by 
  normal Rokugani standards it is dishonorable to use the 
  tetsubo 
  against 
  human 
  enemies). 
  PCs 
  making 
  Awareness+Courtier rolls (TN 20) can see that Doji 
  Miyako always seems to hold the attention of the two 
  Crane generals (Akahito and Murakawa).  If they make 
  TN 30 they may also notice Kakita Yumi watching 
  Miyako with thinly-disguised jealousy. Finally, a 
  Perception+Investigation/Nazado roll (TN 25) will 
  notice that Ikoma Tadaka perks up at the mention of 
  “Doji Moteuchi.”  
   
  The Cranes all deny that they have undertaken any 
  provocation themselves. This is intriguing to Ikoma 
  Tadaka, who has heard rumors of a Crane attack on the 
  fishing fleet at Clear Water Village, the main Yasuki 
  city. All the Cranes vehemently deny this, claiming any 
  such 
  story 
  to 
  “Crab 
  lies,” 
  but 
  a 
  Perception+Investigation/Nazodo roll (TN 25) notices 
  Daidoji Akahito seems to be rather too anxious with his 
  denials. Any PC succeeding in a contested Perception 
  vs Awareness roll against Akahito suspects he knows 
  more about this than he is letting on (remember that 
  Clear Thinker PCs get to add 10 to their die rolls). Ide 
  Kagetora has also heard these rumors, and comments 
  worriedly on possible damage to Unicorn commercial 
  interests in the region (the Cranes ignore this bad-
  mannered talk of money).  
   
  The Guest List (Crane NPCs) 
  There are over thirty people present at the dinner and 
  reception (not counting the PCs themselves) but the 
  majority of these are relatively unimportant Crane 
  courtiers, minor officials, and local minor daimyos. 
  Only twelve people here are of sufficient rank, 
  influence, or significance for the PCs to register them as 
  individuals; they are described in detail below. The GM 
  should feel free to improvise whatever other “typical 
  Cranes” are needed to round out this encounter.  
   
  Daidoji Uji: the daimyo of the Daidoji family is a 
  young man in his mid twenties, swarthy of skin and 
  piercing of eye, who is fiercely devoted to the defense 
  of his clan.  
  He is very angry over the Crab attacks. Although he 
  normally gets along well with the Crab Clan, recent 
  events have outraged him, and while he is not exactly 
  eager for war, he will not run away from it either.  
  The PCs will have to be convincing to persuade him to 
  seek a non-violent solution.  
  Uji has been here only a short time, and does not have 
  personal experience of any of the recent incidents. He 
  has visited the site of the Asahina massacre, however.  
  Uji is completely unaware of the raid on Clear Water 
  Village.  
  Uji’s manners are always impeccable, but the PCs can 
  sense the coiled violence beneath his smooth surface. 
  He is hostile to Lions (such as Matsu Ayame), and 
  currently to Crabs as well, but will listen to any other 
  Clan representative and will be very deferential to 
  Otomo Kaigen. 
   
  Asahina Tamako: the daimyo of the Asahina family is a 
  frail older man of weak constitution, who often coughs 
  softly into a blue silk cloth. Like most Asahina he is an 
  enlightened and peaceful man, and despite the outrages 
  committed against his family he is anxious to find a 
  peaceful solution to the current crisis.  
  Tamako will be the PCs’ best ally on the Crane side of 
  this scenario, and he will quickly move to suggest a 
  conference of the leaders from both sides, perhaps 
  meeting at neutral ground on the Clan border, to try and 
  resolve differences.  
  He is also free of any reflexive prejudices against other 
  Clans, and will listen to all the PCs with equal care and 
  attention. 
  Tamako has no personal knowledge of any of the recent 
  incidents, although he (like Uji) has visited the site of 
  the Asahina massacre.  
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 6 
  Daidoji Shinro: a tall, dignified man with his hair in the 
  classic samurai topknot. Shinro is the local daimyo of 
  the city, as well as overall general of its forces.  
  This man is quite honorable (Honor Rank 3.4); his 
  ethics reinforced by his honorable wife Eriko; who is 
  usually found at his side. 
  Shinro has been targeted by Doji Miyako’s seductive 
  attentions, but so far he has resisted (thanks in large 
  part to the presence of his wife). When he leaves her to 
  visit the border later in the scenario, he will become 
  much more vulnerable. 
  Shinro is unaware of the recent Crane raids across the 
  border, and believes the Crab are entirely to blame for 
  the recent trouble.  
  He is aware that the two other Crane generals (Daidoji 
  Akahito and Daidoji Murakawa) have been engaged in 
  an extended competition of flirtation/seduction with 
  Doji Miyako, and disapproves of their behavior. Of 
  course, he will not speak of any of this to the PCs, since 
  this might bring dishonor on his Clan. 
  PCs can notice (with Awareness rolls, TN 20) the 
  disapproving looks he bestows on the two lower-
  ranking generals whenever they are in Miyako’s 
  presence.  
   
  Daidoji Eriko: Shinro’s wife is an elegant Crane 
  woman in early middle age. An extremely honorable 
  and traditional woman, who always speaks with her 
  eyes properly averted, she flares up whenever the topic 
  of Doji Miyako arises. “That...woman behaves as 
  shamelessly as a courtesan,” she murmurs, her eyes 
  flashing beneath the curtain of her hair. “And the way 
  those two generals follow her around, like tongue-
  lolling dogs...they behave like Crabs, not honorable 
  Daidoji.”  
  She knows little directly of Miyako, beyond that she is 
  a courtier who came to the city three months ago. 
    
  Daidoji Akahito: one of two other Crane generals in this 
  region, Akahito is rather short and tree-trunk-like in 
  build, a fact which makes him more talkative and 
  aggressive to compensate. His hair is worn undyed and 
  in a traditional topknot.  
  Akahito has been seduced by Doji Miyako (Nashiko). 
  He is completely under Miyako’s thumb, and follows 
  her around trying to curry her favor, agreeing whole-
  heartedly with her remarks about Crabs, and so forth. 
  Miyako convinced him to launch the retaliatory raid on 
  Clear Water Village. He has told no one else about this, 
  and will keep it secret until the end of the scenario. 
  Akahito visibly bristles whenever Daidoji Murakawa 
  approaches Miyako. 
  Needless to say, he will not be terribly cooperative with 
  the PCs, and certainly will not tell them about his attack 
  on Clear Water village.  
   
  Daidoji Murakawa: the third general in the region, 
  Murakawa is taller and more handsome than Akahito, 
  and dyes his hair white in the classic Crane style. He is 
  also calmer and more self-controlled in his public 
  demeanor, although he too blames the Crab for the 
  current troubles. 
  Murakawa has not yet been seduced by Miyako, but he 
  is strongly attracted to her, and feels jealous of Akahito.  
  Murakawa was in command of the troops which visited 
  the site of the Crab raid on Asahina lands, and is 
  consumed with anger at the brutal slaughter he 
  witnessed there. He can describe bodies (men, women, 
  and children) strewn about like straw, and beheaded as 
  though they were Tainted monsters. Tetsubos, scraps of 
  cloth in Crab gray, and other evidence of Crab guilt was 
  found on the site. His voice stays flat and even as he 
  speaks, but his hands tighten visibly with the effort of 
  maintaining decorum.  
  He will be coldly hostile to Hiruma Tadoshi, and reacts 
  poorly to any suggestion that the attack might not have 
  been committed by the Crab. Otherwise, he will be 
  polite and respectful to all the PCs. 
  Murakawa knows nothing of the raid on Clear Water 
  Village, and dismisses such stories as “Crab lies.” 
   
  Kakita Yumi: this lovely woman in her mid-twenties is 
  a skilled Kakita artisan (a painter, to be specific) and 
  one of the brightest stars at this court. Her manners are 
  impeccable and her every motion a study in etiquette 
  and style. Nevertheless, she seems pallid and bland 
  compared to Doji Miyako.  
  Yumi is intensely resentful of Miyako, whose arrival 
  three months ago cast her into the shade. The PCs will 
  often notice her trying to maneuver herself into the 
  center of a conversation, only to be upstaged by 
  Miyako.  
  She knows nothing of the troubles with the Crab 
  beyond what is generally accepted, and is much more 
  interested in her rivalry with Miyako.  
  Any PC making an Awareness+Courtier roll (TN 15) 
  will be able to interpret and understand her behavior as 
  an attempt to regain the “limelight” she lost when 
  Miyako arrived.   
   
  Doji Miyako (Doji Nashiko): A stunningly beautiful 
  courtier, her long white-dyed hair braided down her 
  back and her blue kimono a masterpiece of subtle 
  suggestion. This is actually the illusion-shrouded Doji 
  Nashiko, 
  the 
  most 
  accomplished 
  seductress 
  in 
  Rokugani history, here to provoke a destructive war 
  between the Crane and Crab Clans. She plays her role 
  to the hilt and never slips out of her persona as a gentle 
  courtier, pretending ignorance of all matters military 
  while using every opportunity to stoke the fires of the 
  Cranes’ anger.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 7 
  She claims to be the kinswoman of one of the Cranes 
  who died in border skirmishes, and says that her cousin 
  “Doji Moteuchi” was struck down by a tetsubo-
  weilding Crab (as the PCs will know, by normal 
  Rokugani standards it is dishonorable to use the tetsubo 
  against human enemies). 
  She constantly flirts with the Crane generals Akahito 
  and Murakawa, egging them on to more and more 
  aggressive denunciations of the Crab. 
  She will smile and politely deflect any questions 
  directed against her, perhaps by turning the tables and 
  asking the PCs some difficult or perplexing question. 
  For example, she might ask Matsu Ayame how her 
  Clan reconciles its claim to be the most honorable with 
  its heavy-handed treatment of its peasants.  
  Miyako will certainly never do anything to openly 
  betray her true nature, and her illusions and taint are not 
  detectable to any magic the PCs possess. 
   
  Asahina Tenka: this Crane shugenja is a soft-spoken, 
  civilized man in his mid-thirties, the epitome of the 
  gentle, delicate courtier. His pale eyes are haunted and 
  hung with dark rings, for he is the sole survivor of the 
  Crab raid on the Asahina estates.  
  He will be more than willing to describe the incident to 
  non-Crab PCs, speaking in a soft voice that belies the 
  horrors he recounts: “The Crab appeared suddenly in 
  mid-day, and without a single word or warning attacked 
  us. We cried out to them to tell us why they did this, 
  why they assaulted men and women who sought only 
  knowledge and wisdom, but they answered only with 
  savage war cries. There were two Kuni shugenja among 
  them, a man and woman, who seemed to urge them on 
  to their slaughter. They killed everyone they could 
  reach outside, then barricaded the house and burned it 
  to the ground. I escaped because I happened to be out 
  visiting the village nearby, speaking with the headman 
  about the rice crop. I saw everything from the village, 
  and then fled before the Crab might hunt me down.”   
  He knows nothing about the Crane raid on Clear Water 
  Village, and is angered at the suggestion that the Crane 
  might do anything so crude and violent. 
  He will not cooperate with Hiruma Tadoshi beyond the 
  basic rules of polite etiquette. All other PCs will be 
  treated with polite deference. 
   
  Asahina Miki: this gentle but strong-willed young 
  woman is Daidoji Shinro’s court shugenja. She visited 
  the site of the Crab raid a couple of days after the 
  incident, and can describe it to the PCs if they ask. “The 
  whole place was burned to the ground, and every man 
  and woman there killed. Their bodies had all been 
  beheaded, as though the Crab feared them to be 
  Tainted. What nonsense!”  
  Miki interrogated the spirits at the massacre site and, 
  from them, confirmed Asahina Tenka’s account of the 
  attack.  
  She knows nothing of the Crane attack on Clear Water 
  Village, and is unwilling to believe that such rumors 
  could be true. 
  Miki is less blatantly anti-Crab than Tenka, but 
  nevertheless will be more cooperative to an elegant 
  courtier PC than to Hiruma Tadoshi. In fact, if Tadoshi 
  speaks to her, she will demand to know what his 
  kinsmen could have been thinking to launch such a 
  vicious attack. 
   
  Ikoma Tadaka: an earnest, noble-looking man in his 
  thirties, Tadaka is the epitome of the honorable Lion, 
  here to represent and support his Clan with the Daidoji. 
  He is puzzled and concerned about the recent incidents, 
  not out of any sympathy with the Crane (like all Lions 
  he despises them, although he keeps his feelings 
  cloaked beneath a layer of excellent courtesy) but 
  because the behavior of the Crab, the defenders of 
  Rokugan, seems so unusual.  
  Tadaka has begun to suspect that some outside force is 
  manipulating the two clans into conflict. 
  At present, his suspect for such a manipulating force is 
  (no surprise) the Scorpion Clan, and he has no idea that 
  there is Shadowlands involvement. 
  He has heard unconfirmed rumors of the Crane raid on 
  the Yasuki territories, and will mention them aloud 
  once the Crane begin discussing the Asahina massacre.  
  Tadaka may confide his suspicions about an outside 
  manipulator to a PC he finds trustworthy – most likely 
  Hiruma Tadoshi or Matsu Ayame, but certainly not 
  Shosuro Gamaro.   
  Tadaka will not survive the evening (see “A Shocking 
  Incident,” below). 
   
  Bayushi Oro: the Scorpion representative at the Daidoji 
  palace is a clever, handsome man with a pleasant voice 
  (he 
  has 
  the 
  classic 
  Benten’s 
  Blessing/Voice 
  combination of Advantages) who cloaks his activities 
  under a facade of affable charm. He wears a minimal 
  mask (mempo) which lets his good looks work for him, 
  and the PCs may notice him flirting with some of the 
  female courtiers after dinner.  
  Oro has realized that something is pushing the Crab and 
  Crane toward war, but he has no intention of stopping 
  it, since such a war will weaken two threats to the 
  Scorpion Clan.  
  He knows the Scorpion is not involved in this matter in 
  any way. 
  He does not know whether the Crab is really 
  responsible for the raid on the Asahina, and does not 
  particularly care.  
  He is well aware (from Scorpion spies) that one of the 
  Crane generals (Akahito) recently staged a retaliatory 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 8 
  raid against Sunda Mizu Mura (Clear Water Village) 
  and burned some Yasuki fishing vessels. However, he 
  will only share this information with Shosuro Gamaro 
  or (possibly) Otaku Hiroji.  
  If the PCs role-play well and are badly in need of a 
  clue, Oro may draw their attention to Doji Miyako’s 
  manipulations of the Crane generals, which he finds 
  quite fascinating. Otherwise he will hold himself aloof, 
  offering ironic commentary on the scene.  
   
  Ide Kagetora: the Unicorn ambassador is a short, 
  slightly plump man with a trimmed goatee beard and a 
  ready smile. He knows little about what is happening, 
  but is deeply concerned that a war between the Clans 
  could disrupt the trade networks which the Unicorn are 
  developing in this region.  
  Kagetora will repeatedly urge the PCs to find a way to 
  avoid a war.  
  He is aware that the tenor of the court here has changed 
  in recent months, but will not connect this with the 
  arrival of Doji Miyako unless the PCs suggest it to him; 
  then his face clears as he suddenly understands. “She 
  must hate the Crab very much,” he murmurs, stroking 
  his goatee thoughtfully. 
  Kagetora has heard rumors about the Crane raid on 
  Clear Water Village, and comments worriedly on 
  possible damage to Unicorn commercial interests in the 
  region (the Cranes ignore this bad-mannered talk of 
  money). 
   
   
  Negotiating with Uji 
  Asahina Tamako will speak with the PCs both during 
  dinner and afterward, offering his suggestion for a 
  meeting on neutral ground. There, on the border, 
  representatives of each Clan could meet directly and, 
  perhaps, find an honorable solution short of war. He 
  explains that Uji-sama is reluctant to take such a step 
  after the outrage against the Asahina estates, but 
  perhaps the PCs (as representatives of the Emperor) 
  will be able to convince him to at least try the idea. 
  Tamako himself is shaken and saddened by the raid on 
  the Asahina estates, but is willing to set aside the call 
  for vengeance in order to preserve the Imperial peace.  
   
  To convince Uji to agree to such a meeting, the 
  PCs will need to make Awareness+Courtier rolls at a 
  TN of 20 (remember the penalty for any PC who failed 
  their Etiquette roll earlier in the evening). More 
  importantly, they will have to role-play well – no matter 
  how well they roll the dice, without good role-playing 
  Uji will not agree to such a questionable notion. Other 
  Cranes will argue against such a meeting (especially 
  Akahito and Murakawa, as well as Miyako if she gets 
  the chance to insinuate herself into the conversation); 
  but the PCs’ clout as Emerald Magistrates should allow 
  them to carry the day if they role-play well and don’t 
  fumble their Courtier rolls.  
   
  If Uji agrees, he will allow the PCs five days in 
  which to visit the Crab,m convince them to attend the 
  meeting, and return. “After that time I can offer noi 
  guarantees of peace,” he warns. 
   
   
  A Shocking Incident 
  At some point during the after-dinner discussions 
  (preferably after the PCs have picked up some of the 
  clues and convinced Daidoji Uji to a meeting on the 
  border), have all the PCs make Simple Perception rolls 
  at TN 20. Those who succeed notice Ikoma Tadaka 
  speaking in a low voice to Doji Miyako. She gestures 
  him toward a private corner of the garden, away from 
  the lamps.  
   
  PCs who wish to eavesdrop on this conversation 
  will have to make either an Agility+Steath roll (TN 20) 
  or a Simple Perception roll (TN 25). Shosuro Gamaro 
  could also use his spell Secrets on the Wind to listen to 
  the conversation. It is dishonorable to listen to a private 
  conversation, of course, but perhaps the PC merely 
  “accidentally overhears” what is happening behind 
  those carefully trimmed bushes... Note that Stealth is a 
  dishonorable skill, and being discovered listening in on 
  someone else’s private conversation entails losses of 
  both Honor and Glory (not to mention a public scandal 
  which will endanger the PCs’ mission).  
   
  They can hear Tadaka speaking in a low voice. 
  “...saw Doji Moteuchi die on the northern border nine 
  months ago, near Shiro no Yogin. Why did you lie, my 
  lady?” Miyako answers in a low voice, her tone 
  pleading. There is a moments’ silence, then a scream 
  rings out. Doji Miyako stumbles back into the light, her 
  kimono torn half-open, and points a shaking finger at a 
  dazed Ikoma Tadaka as he follows her.  
   
  Daidoji Murakawa steps forward, shouting in fury 
  for Tadaka to draw his sword and die. (A 
  Perception+Investigation/Nazado roll, TN 20, notes that 
  Daidoji Akahito was also stepping forward, but did not 
  speak as quickly as Murakawa.) Tadaka, stunned by the 
  sudden crisis, cries out that the lady is lying, but this 
  only infuriates the Cranes more. A duel is quickly 
  arranged, the normal procedures abandoned in the face 
  of such a shocking offense. Murakawa cuts down 
  Tadaka with a single precise blow.  
   
  Bayushi Oro watches all this with a faint smile; if 
  the PCs ask his opinion, he remarks that, “Miyako-san 
  could give lessons to the Shosuro school.” He denies, of 
  course, any doubt of her claim – it has been proven true 
  by the duel.  
   
  With a Simple Perception or Perception+Ichi Miru 
  roll (TN 35), the PCs glimpse a brief expression of 
  gloating delight on Miyako’s face as Tadaka is slain. It 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 9 
  is there and gone in an instant, and the PCs are not sure 
  if they saw it or not. 
   
   
  Journey to Yasuki Yashiki 
  Daidoji Uji has granted the PCs five days to convince 
  the Crab to agree to the meeting on the border. Since it 
  takes close to two days to ride from here to Yasuki 
  Yashiki, the palace of the Yasuki family and the 
  principle seat of Crab government in this region, the 
  PCs will have only a single day to negotiate with the 
  Crab. They should leave immediately the next morning. 
  The following text describes their journey: 
   
  From the Daidoji city you ride northeast along the 
  coast of Earthquake Bay, toward the Crab border and 
  the Yasuki palace beyond, the seat of Crab 
  government in their southern provinces. The journey 
  lasts two days, and early on the second day you reach 
  the border. It is easy to spot – the Crab patrols are 
  numerous and suspicious. Burly, unshaven Hida 
  bushi squint suspiciously at your travel papers while 
  keeping a wary eye on the Crane patrols across the 
  border. Only after consulting their commanding 
  officer, a scarred man with one eye, do they 
  reluctantly lower their yari and allow you passage 
  through to the Yasuki territories.  
   
  The Yasuki Palace is larger than the Daidoji one, but 
  less pleasant and ostentatious. Those of you who have 
  visited other Crab castles know that this place is a 
  wonder of civilized comfort compared to those cold 
  fortresses, but it still seems plain and drab after the 
  splendor of the Crane dwellings. Large numbers of 
  Crab troops are drilling on the fields outside the palace, 
  busy with kenjutsu practice, archery, and wrestling. 
  You can see banners with the mons of both the Yasuki 
  and the Hida flying above the palace walls, suggesting 
  that someone of import is already here. The guards 
  escort you directly to a large meeting room within the 
  palace, where a dozen or so Crabs are speaking together 
  heatedly. Silence falls as you are announced, and the 
  largest of the Crabs steps forward. He regards you with 
  a dark and suspicious gaze; then his eyes light upon 
  Hiruma Tadoshi. “Finally, someone who will listen!” 
  he grunts, and gestures you all forward.  
   
  The man who has just spoken is Hida Yakamo, the 
  eldest son of the Crab Clan Champion, Hida Kisada. 
  Hiruma Tadoshi knows him by sight. He brusquely 
  introduces the PCs to the other NPCs in the room, and 
  invites his underlings to explain the situation. “Here 
  you will hear the truth, not pretty Crane lies,” he says. 
  The words are answered with growls and mutters of 
  agreement from the collected Crabs. Only one person 
  reacts differently; a slight man dressed in dun brown 
  and black colors, who winces almost visibly at 
  Yakamo’s indelicate words; he looks distinctly harried 
  and unhappy. With an Intelligence+Heraldry roll (TN 
  20) the PCs can identify him as belonging to the 
  Sparrow Clan, a minor clan whose lands are located 
  northeast of here.    
   
  The Occupants of Yasuki Yashiki  
  Hida Yakamo: the son of the Crab Clan Champion, 
  young Yakamo is already a hugely strong and 
  formidable man, a walking tower of muscle and armor. 
  He is here to “settle things” on the border, and will do 
  whatever it takes to accomplish that – negotiate or war, 
  either one is acceptable.  
  Yakamo is experienced enough with the ways of 
  Rokugan to be open to the suggestion that the conflict is 
  being engineered from outside, and will be willing to 
  meet with Daidoji Uji if the PCs are persuasive.  
  He knows nothing about the Crab raid on the Asahina, 
  and dismisses such reports as “pretty Crane lies.” He 
  will not think otherwise until and unless the PCs can 
  force Masakazu and Akuja to tell the truth about the 
  raid. 
  He is furious about the Crane raid on Clear Water 
  Village, and believes it was launched in support of 
  some Crane mercantilist maneouver.   
  Yakamo should be played as the “classic Crab”: blunt, 
  harsh-voiced, and pragmatic, with no time for the 
  indirect talk and diplomatic niceties favored by the 
  other clans. 
   
  Hida Chuto: An ox-strong man in his early forties, of 
  average height, his face disfigured by a nasty vertical 
  scar, Hida Chuto is the local shogun (general) and 
  commands most of the local troops (as opposed to the 
  large number of reinforcements which have recently 
  arrived).  
  Chuto has fallen under the spell of Doji Nashiko’s form 
  on this side of the border – the lovely Kuni Miyubi – 
  and at the urging of her and her sensei, Kuni Akuja, he 
  launched the raid on the Asahina estates, believing he 
  was crushing a pocket of Maho-tsukai. He will not 
  admit this publicly, of course, since Miyubi has 
  convinced him that the Crane have the rest of the 
  Empire in their pocket.  
  Anyone who speaks with Chuto can make a Simple 
  Awareness roll (+Ichi Miru, if available) at TN 20 to 
  realize that this man is well past his prime, as a warrior 
  and, more importantly, as a general, and was probably 
  assigned to this region to spare him the humiliation of a 
  forced retirement.  
  Chuto will compete with Masakazu as to which of them 
  can denounce the Crane with greater fervor. He is sure 
  the Crane are completely in the wrong. 
  If the topic of the Asahina raid is discussed with him, 
  he will become nervous, and attempt to cover himself 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 10 
  with loud bluster about “pretty Crane lies.” A Contested 
  roll of Perception (+Ichi Miru) vs Awareness can 
  deduce that Chuto knows a great deal more about the 
  raid than he is letting on. 
  Chuto will be hostile to any courtier or Scorpion PCs, 
  especially Otomo Kaigen.  
   
  Hida Masakazu: Taller and somewhat younger than the 
  grizzled Chuto, this stern man with flinty dark eyes 
  accompanied Hida Yakamo to the border, and 
  commands most of the reinforcements. However, he too 
  has been smitten by the stunning Kuni Miyubi, and is 
  competing with Chuto for her attentions.  
  Masakazu is convinced that the Crane are completely in 
  the wrong, and will compete with Chuto in calling for 
  action against them.  
  Masakazu is aware that Chuto launched a raid across 
  the border (at the suggestion of Kuni Akuja and Kuni 
  Miyubi) to destroy a pocket of Maho. He does not agree 
  with Chuto’s precipitate action, but acknowledges that 
  it was necessary.  
  Due to Miyubi’s corrupting influence, he has not yet 
  informed Yakamo of the raid, a serious failure of duty 
  and loyalty. After the confrontation with Chuto (see “A 
  Confrontation, and Perhaps Some Truth,” below) he 
  will be willing to admit the truth to the PCs.  
  He will be marginally politer to the PCs than Chuto, but 
  still sneers at any non-bushi among them. 
   
  Yasuki Yoshinori: The local Yasuki daimyo is a thin, 
  perpetually smiling man with a long nose and small, 
  narrow eyes. He is always rubbing his hands together, 
  as though to warm them, and seems distinctly ill at ease 
  with so many large, armed Hida bushi in his castle.  
   
  He knows almost nothing about the recent troubles 
  and clashes – “That’s bushi business” – and his sole 
  concern is the recent Crane raid on Sweet Water 
  Village, which burned several dozen trade and fishing 
  vessels and cost him many precious koku. He will 
  expostulate on this at length, demanding that the 
  Magistrates secure him compensation from the rich, 
  careless, destructive Cranes across the border. “Those 
  Cranes, they don’t understand the value of a koku,” he 
  moans, his long face twisted in almost physical pain, 
  “Money has no value, they say. How can that be? 
  Without money the Empire would grind to a halt.” How 
  the PCs respond to this dishonorable, peasant-like talk 
  is up to them. 
   
  Kuni Akuja: This middle-aged Kuni shugenja is missing 
  his left hand, and wears a silken glove to cover the burn 
  scars on his right one. One eye is closed by additional 
  burn scars that snake across the left side of his face. He 
  speaks in a hoarse, ominous whisper. If asked about his 
  injuries, he says merely, “Oni.”  
  Akuja’s new apprentice, Kuni Miyubi (Doji Nashiko), 
  has seduced him and has him wrapped around her little 
  finger. He is blind to her true nature and gets intensely 
  jealous whenever others pay too much attention to her. 
  Akuja believes himself to be responsible for the raid 
  across the Crane border, since he was the one who 
  urged it on Hida Chuto; he does not realize that Kuni 
  Miyubi manipulated and deceived him into launching 
  the raid.  
  He will deny the raid ever happened, until and unless 
  Masakazu confesses or Yakamo orders him to explain 
  his actions. He will then explain that his apprentice 
  Miyubi brought back evidence of Maho use, and more 
  evidence was found when they attacked. He is 
  convinced the raid was the correct action. 
  Regardless, he will always insist that the Crane cannot 
  be trusted, that they are corrupt and foolish and do not 
  realize the dangers of the Shadowlands, and that the 
  recent troubles are entirely their fault.  
   
  Kuni Miyubi (Doji Nashiko): Kuni Akuja’s new 
  apprentice is an astonishingly pretty young woman, her 
  black hair worn in a short ponytail, her beauty only 
  accentuated by the simple gray Kuni robes she wears. 
  This is the form which Doji Nashiko takes on this side 
  of the border, covering her frequent departures as 
  “investigation” or “research.”  
  She has seduced Akuja and is leading him around by 
  the nose. She is also manipulating both Hida Chuto and 
  Hida Masakazu with promises of her future favors.  
  If the PCs learn the truth about the raid on the Asahina, 
  Miyubi claims to have uncovered evidence of Maho use 
  there, evidence which she then brought back to her 
  master Akuja.  
  Miyubi’s face and figure are completely different from 
  “Doji Miyako,” of course, and her speech here is that of 
  a determined Kuni shugenja, but the PCs may still 
  notice the similarities between the situation here and 
  that on the Crane side of the border. If nothing else, 
  Miyubi’s startling beauty (easily equal to Miyako’s) 
  may serve as a clue. 
   
  Suzume Akemiro: The sole non-Crab here is a courtier 
  from the peaceable and enlightened Sparrow Clan, 
  trying to find a way of averting a war that he fears will 
  spill over into the near-defenseless lands of his own 
  minor Clan. Akemiro is a slight, pleasant-looking man 
  who dresses simply and speaks without ostentation.  
  He knows the Crab believes itself to be in the right, and 
  knows their confidence has something to do with the 
  Kuni, but cannot understand how the conflict began. 
  Surely the honorable Crane would not have started it.  
  He can confirm the Crane raid on Sweet Water Village, 
  which he witnessed personally. In fact, he is the only 
  one here to have been present at the city when the 
  Daidoji troops struck. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 11 
  He knows nothing about the Crab raid on the Asahina.  
   
   
  Dining With Crabs  
  The Crabs will regard all the PCs except Hiruma 
  Tadoshi with great suspicion, although they will offer 
  grudging respect to these representatives of the 
  Emperor. Yakamo calls for food and drink, and Yasuki 
  household servants bring in a low table laden with 
  simple fare: rice, fish, pickled vegetables, and sake. The 
  Crabs discuss everything while eating, sometimes 
  punctuating their points with sharp gestures with their 
  chopsticks. Only Yasuki Yoshinori, Suzume Akemiro, 
  and Kuni Miyubi maintain more proper decorum, 
  although Miyubi does not hesitate to put down her 
  chopsticks and join in the conversation.  
   
  The sake served at dinner is unusually hot, almost 
  scalding – the Yasuki servants are frightened and out-
  of-sorts with all the rumors of war, and heated it too 
  long 
  before 
  serving. 
  The 
  PCs 
  must 
  make 
  Stamina+Etiquette rolls at TN 15 to avoid uttering a 
  startled squawk, spitting, or otherwise insulting their 
  hosts. The Hida growl and grimace (except for 
  Yakamo, who merely takes a brief sip and then sets his 
  cup down to cool), while Yasuki Yoshinori looks 
  quietly embarrassed and, after a moment, murmurs an 
  apology. Suzume Akemiro skillfully suppresses his 
  momentary twitch of pain with hardly a flutter. But the 
  reaction of the Kuni draws the attention of any PC 
  making a Simple Perception roll at TN 20 or better (TN 
  15 if the PC specifically asks if anyone at the table 
  reacts oddly): while Kuni Akuja grimaces and sets his 
  cup down quickly, Kuni Miyubi drinks normally for a 
  moment, then blinks and makes a small face before 
  putting down her cup. Nashiko’s persona has slipped 
  for a moment – she felt no pain from the hot sake – and 
  a PC rolling Intelligence+Acting at TN 25 can surmise 
  that her slightly-delayed wince was faked. 
   
   
  The Crab Point of View  
  As dinner proceeds the Crab explain, quite heatedly, 
  that they are not responsible for the current troubles. 
  They claim the whole thing is a Crane attempt to use 
  force in support of their mercantile dealings, and point 
  to the raid on Sweet Water Village as proof positive of 
  this supposition. Any PCs who suggest that the Crane 
  are above such shallow commercial interests are 
  greeted with incredulous looks and (from the Hida) 
  bellows of laughter. The PCs can notice (with a 
  Perception+Courtier roll, TN 20) that the two Hida 
  generals seem to compete with each other for which of 
  them can offer more violent declarations of “teaching 
  those weak-kneed Crane a lesson!” If the roll is made at 
  TN 30 or better, the PC can also notice that Kuni 
  Miyubi seems to subtly egg the generals on with an 
  occasional sidelong glance or slight smile. A PC who 
  notices this can make another roll, Simple Awareness 
  (+Ichi Miru) at TN 25, to notice that Kuni Akuja seems 
  to get sour and unhappy at Miyubi’s attentions to the 
  other Crabs, only to relax when she touches him, 
  feather-light and almost unnoticeably, on one arm. 
  Since touching in public is a major violation of 
  Rokugani etiquette, the PCs can draw their own 
  conclusions about the relationship between Akuja and 
  Miyubi.  
   
  The Crabs will all deny the raid on the Asahina 
  estates. 
  However, 
  any 
  PC 
  making 
  a 
  Perception+Investigation roll at TN 25 will notice that 
  the two Hida generals (Chuto and Masakazu) and Kuni 
  Akuja all become slightly uneasy when this topic is 
  broached. Any PC who discusses the topic with any of 
  these three persons and succeeds on a Contested roll of 
  Perception vs Awareness can tell that these individuals 
  know more about the raid than they are letting on. 
  (Remember that Clear Thinkers can add 10 to that roll.) 
  Oddly, it is impossible to pick up any such indications 
  from Kuni Miyubi. 
   
  Of all those present at this meeting, only Yasuki 
  Yoshinori and Suzume Akemiro seem to actively be 
  interested in a peaceful solution to the crisis. The Hida 
  and Kuni all advocate war, with increasing vehemence 
  as the evening goes on. Hida Yakamo himself stays 
  aloof from most of the conversation, listening to all 
  arguments and reserving judgement until the evening 
  has passed. It is up to the PCs to convince him to accept 
  the proposal for a meeting on neutral ground. 
   
   
  A Challenge, and Perhaps Some 
  Truth  
  The PCs should know that, historically, the Crab Clan 
  has had good relations with the Daidoji family, who 
  they refer to as the “Iron Cranes.” If the players don’t 
  know 
  this, 
  their PCs can recall it with an 
  Intelligence+History roll at TN 15. If none of the PCs 
  think of mentioning this, Suzume Akemiro will bring it 
  up in conversation at some point, hoping thereby to 
  suggest an argument as to why the Crab should avoid 
  escalating to war. Regardless of who brings it up, Hida 
  Yakamo nods gravely, and Hida Masakazu reluctantly 
  concedes that the Daidoji have been useful allies “in the 
  past, at least.”  
   
  As soon as the topic of the Daidoji is raised, 
  however, Hida Chuto jumps up, shouting that 
  Masakazu must be “soft in the head” to suggest that any 
  Cranes are true friends to the Crab Clan. Any PC 
  making a Perception+Investigation roll at TN 30 
  notices that Chuto shot a glance at Kuni Miyubi just 
  before his outburst. Masakazu rises to his feet as well, 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 12 
  shouting that he understands all threats to the Crab 
  perfectly well and demanding that Chuto withdraw his 
  insult. Before this can go any further, though, Yakamo 
  lifts his hand. “Settle this like Crabs, not like foolish 
  courtiers,” he growls.  
   
  The two generals nod, set their daishos aside, and 
  walk to the center of the chamber, where they engage in 
  a violent wresting match. The other Crabs watch with 
  interest, while Suzume Akemiro turns his eyes aside in 
  exquisite embarrassment. 
   
  Although Masakazu is several years younger, the 
  grizzled Chuto is a true master of hand-to-hand combat, 
  and after several grunting, joint-popping tussles he 
  throws Masakazu and pins him to the floor. The 
  younger general acknowledges defeat with bowed head 
  and flushed face, and returns silently to his seat. Any 
  PC who makes a Perception+Investigation/Nazado roll 
  at TN 30 (TN 20 if they specified they were watching 
  Kuni Miyubi) spots Miyubi shooting a lovely smile at 
  Chuto; she skillfully does this behind Kuni Akuja’s 
  shoulder, so that he does not notice. Chuto visibly 
  preens as he returns to his chair, and booms out, “As I 
  was saying: whatever help the Daidoji may have been 
  to us in the past, a Crane is still a Crane.”  
   
  Although this incident has brought Chuto farther 
  under Miyubi’s spell, it has also (temporarily, at least) 
  humiliated and disgraced Hida Masakazu. He spends 
  the rest of the dinner, and any subsequent conversation, 
  brooding and darting angry looks at Miyubi. Any PC 
  who approaches Masakazu after this may be able to get 
  more information out of him, assuming decent role-
  playing and an Awareness+Courtier roll at TN 20.  
   
  Masakazu will confess (in a low voice, out of 
  others’ hearing) that Hida Chuto did indeed lead a raid 
  across the border into Asahina lands; Masakazu learned 
  of it shortly after his arrival, but has not yet informed 
  Yakamo-sama. If asked for specifics, Masakazu says 
  the raid was launched at the suggestion of Kuni Akuja, 
  who believed the Cranes there were practicing Maho 
  (black magic). This was later confirmed by the 
  discovery of Maho scrolls and death-masks which were 
  found at the site (and are now, supposedly, under 
  Akuja’s care).  
   
  If the PCs confront Akuja about this, he confirms 
  the story and credits his excellent student Miyubi, who 
  brought back a Maho mask and a damning personal 
  report after spending some time investigating (read: 
  spying) on the far side of the border. After the raid, 
  more masks and scrolls were recovered from within the 
  Asahina buildings (if asked, Akuja will confess that 
  Miyubi found all of them). Akuja does in fact have a 
  stash of authentic Maho scrolls and items which Miyubi 
  delivered to him during the raid; he will not show it to 
  the PCs, however, unless Yakamo orders it. 
   
   
  Negotiating With Yakamo 
  Hida Yakamo is, as stated, willing to consider a peace 
  conference on the border if the PCs push the idea with 
  vigor and genuine eloquence. Sincerity rolls will not 
  help here; as a Crab, Yakamo values honesty and clear 
  speech, something the PCs can deduce with an 
  Awareness+Courtier roll at TN 15. The GM should 
  judge whether the PCs make convincing arguments for 
  the conference: their best gambit is probably to point 
  out that Yakamo’s troops would be serving the Clan 
  (and the Empire) far better on the Kaiu wall than they 
  are here. Since Yakamo is himself concerned about that 
  very fact, this point will score highly with him. 
   
  Yakamo regards the story of the raid on the 
  Asahina estates as a patent Crane fabrication until and 
  unless the PCs manage to squeeze some of the 
  information out of Hida Masakazu or Kuni Akuja. Once 
  it becomes clear that the raid was, in fact, carried out by 
  Crab troops, he demands explanations from his 
  subordinates. Akuja and Chuto admit to launching the 
  raid without authority, but claim it was needed to 
  prevent the taint of Maho from spreading. Masakazu is 
  more guarded in his words, admitting that he did not 
  know of the raid until after the fact; however, all the 
  evidence clearly shows the raid to have been justified.  
  Akuja will show everyone the Maho masks and scrolls 
  he claims (apparently honestly, if the PCs want to make 
  Contested rolls to plumb his sincerity) were discovered 
  at the scene. An Intelligence+Maho-Tsukai Lore (or 
  Shadowlands Lore) roll at TN 20 (25 for Shadowlands 
  Lore) will determine that the items are authentic Maho 
  relics. Yakamo nods thoughtfully and agrees the raid 
  was probably justified, but points out sternly that he 
  should have been informed at once. He then turns to the 
  PCs and agrees to meet with the Crane. “They need to 
  be made aware of this,” he growls, pointing to the crate 
  full of Maho trappings, “so they will realize our actions 
  were not directed against them, but against our mutual 
  enemy.”  
   
  Regardless of how or why Yakamo agrees to the 
  meeting, he is urged by both Hida Chuto and Kuni 
  Akuja to bring along a sizable escort of troops as a  
  show of might, to “discourage any Bloodspeaker 
  madness.” Yakamo nods and gestures sharply at the 
  PCs. “Go and tell the Daidoji. Four days. I can restrain 
  my men that long. On the border...if they dare show 
  their pretty Crane faces.” 
   
   
  Return to the Daidoji 
  Two days’ ride brings the PCs back to the Daidoji city 
  to explain the results of their trip. If the PCs repeat the 
  Crab reports of Maho, the Crane are outraged. Their 
  honor is above question, they say, and it is far more 
  likely that the Crab are using the accusation to cover up 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 13 
  their own ill-deeds. Doji Miyako and her two pet Crane 
  generals will be especially vociferous, demanding to 
  see the Crab commit seppuku for spreading such vile 
  lies. The PCs will need to do some diplomatic role-
  playing (and perhaps make some Awareness+Sincerity 
  rolls) to smooth things over enough for the conference 
  to proceed. 
   
  Regardless of whether the PCs repeat the Crab 
  accusations or not, Daidoji Uji will insist on bringing a 
  sizable armed escort of his own to discourage any 
  “Crab thuggery.” Besides Uji himself, the Crane 
  negotiating team will include Asahina Tamako, Daidoji 
  Shinro, the other two Daidoji generals (Akahito and 
  Murakawa), and Asahina Miki. Uji forbids any other 
  members of the court, especially wives, from 
  accompanying him; the risk of an armed clash is too 
  great.  
   
  Doji Miyako frowns prettily at this, but agrees that 
  the Crab cannot be trusted to honor a truce. “Please, 
  explain the truth to those Crab boors,” she urges 
  Akahito and Murakawa, “Make them give us apology 
  and restitution, until they crawl on their bellies and beg 
  us for seppuku.” The two generals agree with 
  enthusiasm. 
  Any 
  PC 
  making 
  a 
  Perception+Investigation/Nazado roll at TN 35 or better 
  notices a brief flash of burning, savage malice in 
  Miyako’s eyes as she speaks these words. 
   
  By now, unless your players are complete dullards, 
  the PCs should be noticing similar patterns in the courts 
  of the Crab and Crane. Doji Nashiko’s weakness, her 
  vanity, has caused her to use overly similar methods on 
  the opposing sides. Since the PCs are expected to 
  accompany the border conference, they will not be able 
  to investigate “Doji Miyako” further at this time, but t 
  hey should be starting to realize what is happening and, 
  therefor, know something of what to watch for at the 
  conference.  
   
   
  The Border Conference: A Last 
  Chance for Peace 
  The return journey to the Crab border seems to pass 
  more slowly than before, or perhaps you are merely 
  more anxious to reach your destination. The Daidoji 
  troops who accompany you are nervous and ill at 
  ease, their eyes darting this way and that as they 
  approach the border. The Crab are waiting for you, 
  drawn up in ranks with war-banners fluttering 
  overhead. The Daidoji troops grow even more tense, 
  gripping their yari tightly, as they take up formation 
  opposite the Crab. Daidoji Uji and the other Crane 
  leaders step forward, and from the opposite side you 
  see Hida Yakamo, general Chuto, Yasuki Yoshinori 
  and the two Kuni shugenja approach. There is an 
  exchange of bows and formal greetings, and some of 
  the tension seems to ebb from the air. Servants begin 
  setting up tents and pavilions to house the troops and 
  shelter the conference.  
   
  After an hour or so, the shelters are in place and several 
  folding tables have been set up for the conferees to use. 
  The PCs, as representatives of the Emperor seeking 
  peace, are expected to participate in the meeting.  
   
  Initially, the position of each side will be that the 
  other is to blame for the problem, and should make 
  restitution. Those who have been seduced by Nashiko 
  (Daidoji Akahito, Daidoji Murakawa, Hida Chuto, and 
  Kuni Akuja) will be especially loud in blaming the 
  other side, and will tend to interrupt, make insults, and 
  generally disrupt any progress at the table. Nashiko 
  herselft is present, of course, in her guise as Kuni 
  Miyubi; she will encourage both Chuto and Akuja in 
  their behavior. Any PC making a Perception+Courtier 
  roll at TN 20 will be able to pick up on the subtle 
  gestures and glances she uses to egg them on.  
   
  Perhaps more interestingly, any PC who watches 
  Miyubi during the conference can make a Simple 
  Awareness roll at TN 25 to notice that she is shooting 
  an occasional smoky glance at Daidoji Shinro across 
  the table. The daimyo seems to be catching the looks, 
  although his etiquette is good enough that the PCs 
  cannot guess how he is reacting. Without his wife to 
  strengthen his honor, Shinro is now vulnerable, and 
  Nashiko intends to use him as the final piece of her 
  plan.  
   
  The PCs will have their hands full trying to guide 
  this meeting to a successful conclusion. If they can 
  propose a good face-saving compromise (perhaps 
  apologies and symbolic restitution on both sides, while 
  blaming the whole incident on unspecified enemies or 
  provocateurs), and make Awareness+Courtier rolls at 
  TN 30, they can convince the two sides to accept an end 
  to the problems. Otaku Hiroji’s courtier abilities could 
  also come in very handy here. Asahina Tamako will, of 
  course, support any solution that will bring peace. 
  Yasuki Yoshinori will also support a peaceful solution, 
  provided he can get some compensation for his 
  financial losses. 
   
  The PCs can make their task much easier by 
  convincing Yakamo and Uji to meet alone, without the 
  noise and distraction of their underlings. The PCs will 
  have to come up with this idea themselves – no-one else 
  will 
  suggest 
  it 
  – 
  and 
  support 
  it 
  with 
  an 
  Awareness+Etiquette roll at TN 20. Any PC watching 
  Kuni Miyubi at this time can make a Simple Perception 
  roll (TN 30) to notice a brief flash of petulant anger on 
  her face. If the PCs are successful at arranging a more 
  private meeting, they can negotiate a peaceful 
  resolution much more easily – the Awareness+Courtier 
  roll now has a TN of only 20. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 14 
   
  Regardless of whether the PCs are able to forge a 
  peace or not, the meeting finally breaks up in late 
  evening, and servants bring trays of food and bottles of 
  sake for the exhausted participants.  
   
   
  Dinner and Danger  
  The Crab and Crane nobles sit on opposite sides of the 
  tables, mostly glaring at each other suspiciously, while 
  they eat and drink. There are exceptions to this general 
  trend, however: Asahina Tamako speaks amiably with 
  everyone around him, and Hida Yakamo has a quiet, 
  apparently cordial discussion with Daidoji Uji – the two 
  young men have much in common, despite the troubles 
  which have brought them here, and the friendship 
  between the Crab and the Daidoji is old and deep.  
   
  Kuni Miyubi continues to dart subtle signals at 
  Daidoji Shinro throughout dinner, although she does 
  not speak to him directly. If any PC asks her about this, 
  she feigns ignorance. (“Looking at him? I certainly 
  don’t know what you mean, honorable samurai.”) 
  Shinro, who is much less strong-willed without his wife 
  to support him, is too unsettled by Miyubi’s subtle 
  attentions to admit to noticing them.  
   
  Kuni Akuja hasn’t caught on to what is happening 
  yet, but if a PC points it out, he becomes agitated and 
  hurries over to Miyubi, speaking to her in a low urgent 
  manner. He seems dissatisfied by her replies, and 
  glowers at her for the rest of the evening. Any PC 
  making a Simple Awareness roll at TN 15 can tell he is 
  jealous.  
   
  The general attitude of the NPCs will depend on 
  how successful the negotiations were, but regardless of 
  whether the PCs managed to broker an agreement or 
  not, the overall level of tension will remain high. The 
  PCs will notice several instances of the opposing 
  generals engaging in staredowns, making overly loud 
  remarks about the vices of the opposing Clan, and so 
  forth. It should be obvious that the potential for conflict 
  remains very high.  
   
  As the evening deepens, servants bring torches and 
  paper lanterns to light the encampment. The PCs can 
  hear conversation, the jingle of armor and weapons, and 
  the occasional sentry’s challenge from the troops 
  surrounding the small group of nobles. As the different 
  leaders depart for their tents and sleep, any PC who 
  makes a Perception+Investigation roll at TN 25 catches 
  a glimpse of a figure in a blue kimono moving in the 
  shadows near the tents of the two Daidoji generals 
  (Akahito and Murakawa). The PC thinks the form was 
  female, but cannot be sure unless they make a TN of 35 
  or better; if they make 40 or better, they think the form 
  looked familiar. If any PC thinks to ask, Kuni Miyubi is 
  nowhere to be seen – she seems to have slipped away 
  just before this, and they can see Kuni Akuja looking 
  around with a slightly lost expression.  
   
  If any PC is rude enough to actually approach the 
  two Daidoji generals’ tents and ask about female 
  visitors, both the generals and their guards will firmly 
  deny that any female visitors are present (they are lying, 
  which can be determined with a Contested roll, but 
  knowing that is not sufficient justification for 
  questioning their word – they out-rank the PCs, after 
  all). A PC who insists on barging into the tents will find 
  nothing (Nashiko slips out before they can spot her) and 
  earns a challenge for their appalling lack of respect.  
   
  Not everyone is so eager for sleep. Yakamo and 
  Uji continue talking for some little while, and Asahina 
  Tamako will want to speak with the PCs – to praise 
  their performance if they brokered a deal, or to 
  encourage them for tomorrow if they failed thus far. 
  Hida Chuto tromps around the Crab encampment, 
  checking on his troops and urging them to be alert for 
  “Crane treachery.” And Kuni Akuja continues to 
  wander about, searching for his missing student 
  Miyubi. He becomes more agitated by the minute, and 
  any PC making a Perception+Investigation roll can 
  overhear him muttering, “Some fancy Crane better not 
  have his hand up her kimono. She was always too 
  pretty for her own good.”  
   
  Akuja finally vanishes into the dark, sniffing 
  around the different Crane tents. If a PC follows him, 
  they will have to make Agility+Stealth rolls (TN 20) to 
  stay close enough to see him stop at Daidoji Shinro’s 
  tent, lean close to the fluttering silk, then suddenly rise 
  and storm away into the Crab encampment. A PC 
  making a Perception+Investigation roll at TN 30 can 
  make out Shinro’s and Miyubi’s low voices inside the 
  tent, although they cannot distinguish the words. A 
  Secrets on the Wind spell, oddly, fails here no matter 
  what the roll (Doji Nashiko will not allow such a feeble 
  magic to trouble her). 
   
  If the PCs follow Akuja, or listen in on him with 
  magic, he goes to Hida Chuto and proclaims urgently 
  that the Cranes have seduced his apprentice and are 
  probably preparing a night attack. Chuto immediately 
  begins issuing combat orders to his men. If the PCs stay 
  and observe Daidoji Shinro, he soon emerges from his 
  tent (Kuni Miyubi at his side) and summons the two 
  Daidoji generals, ordering them to prepare their troops 
  for action. “This Crab maiden has warned me that her 
  people cannot be trusted,” he declares heatedly. We will 
  forestall the Crab treachery. Prepare to attack.”   
   
  Nashiko is now about to make the war between 
  Crane and Crab unavoidable. Having visited both 
  Daidoji Akahito and Daidoji Murakawa in the guise of 
  Doji Miyako (they are now so thoroughly besotted that 
  they do not even question her presence here) she has 
  used her Kuni Miyubi form to seduce Daidoji Shinro, 
  convincing him that the cross-border raid was actually 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 15 
  Akuja’s idea and warning him (falsely) that the Crab 
  are preparing to attack tonight. Primed by her urgings, 
  the three Daidoji now prepare their own troops for a 
  pre-emptive strike. Meanwhile, the madly jealous 
  Akuja and the compromised Hida Chuto are readying 
  their own troops for action. The stage is set for a 
  violent, chaotic clash of arms which will tip the Clans 
  over the edge into open war – preferably killing Hida 
  Yakamo and Daidoji Uji in the process.  
   
   
  Sequence of Events 
  For the assistance of GMs who must coordinate the 
  evening’s events at the encampment, here is a brief 
  timeline of NPC behavior: 
   
  Dinner: Miyubi subtly flirts with Daidoji Shinro. Kuni 
  Akuja notices. 
  Uji and Yakamo stay at the table after dinner to talk. 
  Asahina Tamako speaks with the PCs. 
  Hida Chuto walks around the Crab encampment. 
  Kuni Miyubi (Nashiko) disappears. Akuja begins 
  looking for her. 
  Nashiko, in the guise of Doji Miyako, visits both 
  Daidoji Akahito and Daidoji Murakawa, urging them to 
  prepare for battle. 
  Nashiko switches back to her “Kuni Miyubi” form and 
  visits Daidoji Shinro in his tent, seducing him. She tells 
  him the Crab are planning a night attack. 
  Kuni Akuja searches through the Crane tents for 
  Miyubi, and overhears her with Shinro. 
  Akuja goes to Chuto, telling him that Miyubi has been 
  seduced by the Crane and an attack is sure to follow. 
  Chuto marshalls his troops. 
  Shinro and Miyubi summon the other Crane generals 
  and prepare for battle as well. 
   
   
  A Mad Moment 
  The PCs face an immediate crisis. There are a number 
  of ways they can defuse it.   
   
  The most obvious is to confront one or both groups 
  of NPC leaders, demanding an explanation for their 
  actions. This will require some good role-playing, as 
  well as some skill rolls and perhaps contested 
  Willpower rolls. Otomo Kaigen’s Obeiesaseru skill (the 
  ability to freeze someone in their tracks for a round by 
  invoking the name of the Emperor) can come in 
  especially handy here. Other skills which could be 
  useful here are Intimidation (to cow the unruly 
  generals), Etiquette (to avoid provoking them into 
  duels), Oratory (to sway the opinions of their troops), or 
  Law (to point out how wrong these actions are), or 
  Hiroji’s Rank Two Doji Courtier technique (if he can 
  get them to listen long enough for it to work). It will 
  require both good play and good rolls to succeed, and if 
  the PCs approach only one side of the conflict, they will 
  have to deal with the sudden attack from the other side 
  just as they seem to have solved the problem. 
   
  A more drastic approach to forestalling the fight 
  might be to challenge one of more of the leaders to 
  duels, proclaiming that their actions are unlawful and 
  against the will of the Emperor, and demanding that 
  they defend them with steel. This will work especially 
  well against the Daidoji, who are sensitive of their own 
  compromised honor and will leap to defend it in 
  combat.  
   
  Another option – perhaps the best one – is for the 
  PCs to go directly to Hida Yakamo and Daidoji Uji, 
  reporting the trouble before it gets underway. They will 
  need 
  to 
  role-play 
  well 
  and 
  then 
  roll 
  Awareness+Sincerity (TN 25) to convince these two 
  daimyos that their generals are about to run rampage 
  without proper orders. If they succeed, the two order 
  their generals brought before them, effectively short-
  circuiting the crisis.  
   
  Once a fight begins, stopping it will be extremely 
  difficult. The PCs’ best option is to find the leaders of 
  each side (Uji and Yakamo) and help keep them alive 
  long enough for them to issue orders and sort out the 
  confusion. This would probably require use of the 
  Obeiesaseru and Intimidation skills again, to face down 
  any squads of panicked, attacking samurai who blunder 
  into the area. If the PCs fail to protect these two leaders 
  once the fighting begins, they will be killed in the 
  confusion (perhaps by Nashiko herself, if she gets the 
  opportunity) and the fight (and war) will be 
  unstoppable. If they do keep the leaders alive, the fight 
  is brought under control after a few minutes, with 
  minimal casualties. 
   
  Regardless, once things get exciting, “Kuni 
  Miyubi” slips away in the confusion, switching back to 
  her Doji Miyako form and heading back for Daidoji 
  lands. 
   
   
  Aftermath 
  Once the violence is aborted or brought under control, 
  the PCs can question the participants on both sides and 
  piece together what has happened. The three 
  compromised Daidoji, heartbroken by their loss of 
  honor, freely confess everything that has happened. 
  Akahito and Murakawa both confess to being seduced 
  by Doji Miyako, and to launching the raid on Clear 
  Water Village; Shinro confesses to being seduced by 
  Kuni Miyubi and explains how she deceived him into 
  mobilizing the troops tonight.  
   
  Kuni Akuja and Hida Chuto will confess less 
  readily, but if the PCs press them (and especially if they 
  enlist Yakamo to help them), they will eventually each 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 16 
  admit taking Kuni Miyubi as a lover (Akuja is furious 
  and heartbroken to learn that Miyubi seduced Chuto), 
  and that she was the sole source of the evidence which 
  led them to launch the raid on the Asahina. Both Kuni 
  Miyubi and Doji Miyako are nowhere to be found in the 
  camp, but if a search is launched, a Crane sentry soon 
  comes forward who remembers seeing a lovely woman 
  in Crane colors riding back toward Garden Under 
  Shadow City. Of Miyubi there is no sign. 
   
  The three fallen Daidoji all ask permission to 
  commit seppuku, and Uji grants them leave to save 
  their family honor in this fashion. Akuja also takes this 
  route, but Hida Chuto asks (and is granted) permission 
  to go into the Shadowlands “looking for Hida,” a 
  traditional Crab alternative to seppuku. Before dawn he 
  is already on his way back to the Kaiu wall to fulfill his 
  destiny. 
   
  As for the two missing women...Hida Yakamo 
  promises to scour the Crab lands for Kuni Miyubi. 
  Daidoji Uji turns to the PCs and says, “Doji Miyako has 
  betrayed her honor and committed crimes against the 
  Empire. She is your responsibility now.” He signs an 
  Order of Appearance for Miyako’s arrest. 
   
   
  What Women? 
  It is possible, though not likely, that the PCs will 
  forestall 
  the 
  war 
  without 
  ever 
  realizing 
  that 
  Miyubi/Miyako was behind it. In this case, the 
  confessions of the dishonored NPCs should be enough 
  to show them what was really going on. Daidoji Uji 
  will certainly realize at least some of what has 
  happened and will insist that Doji Miyako be arrested 
  for helping to provoke the conflict.  
   
   
  The Final Confrontation 
  The PCs will return to Garden Under Shadow City well 
  ahead of Daidoji Uji’s troops, and find everything 
  seemingly normal, the troops remaining in the city 
  quietly waiting for their lord’s orders. If they ask after 
  Doji Miyako, they learn she is in her quarters. The 
  Daidoji guards who stand watch outside the residential 
  quarters will, reluctantly, admit that she has been away 
  recently, and only returned one day ago. Servants will 
  report the same, if questioned. The Daidoji troops are 
  shocked by the Order of Appearance, but then nod 
  gravely and stand aside.  
   
  You walk down the corridor to Miyako’s quarters, 
  noticing how quiet the palace has become. Even your 
  soft footsteps seem to echo in the empty hallway. You 
  slide open the door to Miyako’s chamber, and two 
  terrified servants bow themselves out of your way as 
  you stride through to the inner chambers.  
   
  Doji Miyako sits in regal seiza, clothed only in a 
  translucent blue kimono. A sheathed wakizashi lies at 
  her side. Floating in the air around her are six 
  glowing portals, each about the size of a peasant’s 
  straw hat. Within these portals you can see six 
  children of various ages, each going about their 
  normal business, oblivious. “Ah, noble samurai, 
  welcome.” Miyako smiles and bows deeply, but her 
  eyes glint with mockery. “I have prepared a suitable 
  greeting for you. Lovely children, are they not?” She 
  gestures at the six portals, and with a shock of horror 
  each of you recognizes one of the children as your 
  own. “It would be so unfortunate if something were 
  to...happen to them. Don’t you agree?”  
   
  If the PCs mention her name, or demand to know who 
  she really is, she is delighted. “Miyako..? Ah ha ha ha!” 
  Her laugh tinkles like a perfect wind-chime. At the 
  same time, her face changes, becoming both different 
  and (impossibly) even more beautiful than that of Doji 
  Miyako. Nashiko is showing her true self. An open, 
  black-edged wound is visible in her throat, and within it 
  pulses the glowing blood of Fu Leng. “That was merely 
  the name I used among these poor foolish Cranes. My 
  name, my real name, is Doji Nashiko. Perhaps you’ve 
  heard of me?” PCs may roll Intelligence plus Crane 
  Lore, Lion Lore, or Maho-Tsukai Lore (TN 25) to 
  recognize her name, in which case they will have 
  reason to tremble. She is the Bride of Fu Leng, the most 
  accomplished seductress in the history of Rokugan, a 
  woman who nearly destroyed the Crane court of Doji 
  Komatsu hundreds of years ago.  
   
  “You have foiled my plans for this place, my mission 
  for the Dread Lord. But I have decided not to leave 
  here empty-handed. Such noble Magistrates, such 
  strong souls... you would make worthy additions to Fu 
  Leng’s army. You would not even mind...in fact, I am 
  sure you would thank me, once it was all over.” Her 
  smile is inhumanly lovely, made all the more exotic by 
  the blue light that shines from her eyes. “It is a simple 
  choice. Come with me to serve Fu Leng, and I will 
  allow your children to live. Resist, and they will 
  perish. The decision is yours.” 
   
  The PCs now face a terrible choice. They have no way 
  of knowing whether the visions in these six portals are 
  real, or merely illusions meant to thwart them. Nor do 
  they have any way of knowing whether Nashiko is 
  telling the truth about sparing their children. Mere 
  human insight cannot possibly divine the motivations of 
  such a being. The PCs must make their choices in 
  ignorance. Nor will Nashiko allow some to make one 
  choice, and some another – they must all surrender to 
  Fu Leng, or their children will all die.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 17 
   
  In point of fact, Nashiko is bargaining more-or-less 
  honestly. She will spare the children if the PCs 
  surrender, because this will allow her to continue to use 
  them as a threat hanging over the PCs’ heads, and 
  because the children will then have the potential of 
  being turned later by their fallen parents, thereby 
  winning two generations of servants for Fu Leng. If the 
  PCs agree to her terms, she laughs, closes the six 
  portals, and leads them out of the city (shrouding their 
  existence with a Mists of Illusion spell) to the 
  Shadowlands. To the rest of Rokugan, their fate is 
  unknown – they have simply vanished. This is the 
  ending assumed by Round Two.  
   
  If the PCs refuse, an expression of petulant fury 
  crosses Nashiko’s flawless features. She makes a sharp 
  gesture with one hand, and in each portal the PCs see a 
  bony-limbed 
  bipedal 
  monster 
  (recognizable 
  as 
  Akutsukai, fallen humans imbued with the power of Fu 
  Leng, with an Intelligence+Shadowlands Lore roll at 
  TN 20) materialize and stab each child through the 
  heart. Those PCs with Kharmic Ties to their children 
  feel a dreadful wrench in their hearts as the Tie is 
  broken. Nashiko leaps to her feet, scooping up the 
  wakizashi from the floor, her face twisted in rage, the 
  blue light pulsing from her eyes. “Your children have 
  paid the price for your foolishness,” she hisses, “and 
  now you will pay the same price.” All PCs must make 
  Fear Tests against Nashiko’s Fear Rank of 4. She 
  attacks immediately, alternating physical strikes with 
  spells and magical abilities in whatever way seems 
  most effective (see her stats in the NPC section). 
   
  The PCs are basically certain to die here – they 
  simply do not have the strength or skill (not to mention 
  the jade weapons) to overcome such a fearsome 
  opponent. Fleeing is dishonorable, and in any case 
  Nashiko’s magical abilities make it easy for her to 
  chase the PCs down. Still, at least they perish with their 
  souls free – and against Fu Leng, sometimes that is the 
  only victory possible.  
   
  End of Round One 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 18 
  Non-Player Characters (those not found in Clan Books) 
   
  Skills listed are those at Rank 2 or better; all NPCs will 
  have a variety of skills (basically, whatever is needed) 
  at Rank 1. 
   
  Daidoji Shinro, Daimyo of Garden Under 
  Shadow City, Crane Shogun (general) 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 4 
  EARTH 2 Willpower 3 
  WATER 2 Strength 3 
  VOID 4 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Weapons: Daisho set 
  Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 3.4/5.8 
  School/Rank: Kakita Duellist, rank 3 
  Skills: Courtier 3, Dance 2, Defense 2, Etiquette 3, 
  Heraldry 2, Iaijutsu 4, Kenjutsu 3, Manipulation 2, 
  Oratory 2, Sincerity 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Social Position (daimyo), 
  Gentry/Frail Mind 
   
  Daidoji Akahito, Crane Shogun (general) 
  FIRE 3 Agility 4 
  AIR 2 Reflexes 4 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 4 
  TN to be Hit: 25 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 1.7/4.2 
  School/Rank: Daidoji Bodyguard, Rank Two 
  Skills: Battle 3, Defense 2, Etiquette 3, Iaijutsu 3, 
  Kenjutsu 4, Sincerity 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Strength of the Earth (rank 
  one)/Small, Weakness (Awareness), Dark Secret 
  (seduced by Doji Miyako) 
   
  Daidoji Murakawa, Crane Shogun (general) 
  FIRE 3  
  AIR 4 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 25 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 2.2/4.4 
  School/Rank: Daidoji Bodyguard, Rank 3 
  Skills: Battle 3, Defense 3, Etiquette 3, Iaijutsu 4, 
  Kenjutsu 4, Sincerity 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Balance (can focus two 
  extra times in Iaijutsu duel)/Dark Secret (seduced by 
  Doji Miyako) 
   
  Kakita Yumi, Crane Artisan and Courtier 
  FIRE 2 Agility 3 
  AIR 3  
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 2 
  VOID 2 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: None 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 2.6/2.4 
  School/Rank: Kakita Artisan (Painter) Rank One 
  Skills: Artisan (Painting) 3, Etiquette 2, Sincerity 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: 
  Jealousy 
  (looks), 
  Bad 
  Reputation (jealous of Doji Miyako) 
   
  Asahina Tenka, Visiting Crane Shugenja 
  FIRE 2 
  AIR 4 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 20  
  Primary Weapon: Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 3.8/2.6 
  School/Rank: Asahina Shugenja, Rank Two 
  Skills: Calligraphy 2, Etiquette 3, Lore (Shugenja) 3, 
  Meditation 3, Shintao 3, Sincerity 3, Spellcraft 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Innate Abilities (Tempest 
  of Air, Mists of Illusion, Path to Inner Peace) 
   
  Asahina Miki, Court Shugenja of Garden 
  Under Shadow City 
  FIRE 2 
  AIR 3 Awareness 4 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 2 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: None 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 3.6/3.2 
  School/Rank: Asahina Shugenja, Rank One 
  Skills: Courtier 2, Etiquette 2, Lore (shugenja) 2, 
  Meditation 2, Shintao 2, Sincerity 3  
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Innate Ability (Wind’s 
  Distractions), Social Position (Court Shugenja)/Soft 
  Hearted 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 19 
  Ikoma Tadaka, Lion Emissary to Garden 
  Under Shadow City 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 3 
  EARTH 3 
  WATER 2 Strength 3 
  VOID 2 
  TN to be Hit: 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light  
  Honor/Glory: 3.8/2.7 
  School/Rank: Akodo Bushi, Rank Two 
  Skills: Bard 2, Courtier 2, Defense 2, Etiquette 2, 
  Iaijutsu 2, Investigation 2, Kenjutsu 3, Sincerity 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: 
  Irreproachable, 
  Precise 
  Memory/Can’t Lie 
   
  Bayushi Oro, Scorpion Emissary to Garden 
  Under Shadow City 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 4 
  EARTH 2 Willpower 3 
  WATER 2 Perception 4 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 25 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 1.2/3.4 
  School/Rank: Bayushi Bushi, Rank Two 
  Skills: Courtier 3, Defense 3, Etiquette 3, Iaijutsu 3, 
  Kenjutsu 3, Sincerity 4, Sleight-of-Hand 2, Stealth 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Benten’s Blessing, Read 
  Lips, Voice 
   
  Ide Kagetora, Unicorn Emissary to Garden 
  Under Shadow City 
  FIRE 2 Intelligence 3 
  AIR 3 
  EARTH 2 Willpower 3 
  WATER 2 Perception 3 
  VOID 2 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 2.8/2.4 
  School/Rank: Ide Emissary, Rank One 
  Skills: Etiquette 3, Sincerity 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Benten’s Blessing 
   
  Hida Chuto, Crab Shogun (general) for the 
  southern border 
  FIRE 3 Agility 4 
  AIR 2  
  EARTH 4 
  WATER 3 Strength 4 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) or Tetsubo (2k2) 
  Primary Armor: Heavy 
  Honor/Glory: 1.3/4.7 
  School/Rank: Hida Bushi, Rank Two 
  Skills: Battle 2, Hand-to-Hand 4, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu 3, 
  Lore (Shadowlands) 2, Tetsubo 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Strength of the Earth (rank 
  one), Hands of Stone/Gullible, Dark Secret (seduced by 
  Kuni Miyubi) 
   
  Hida Masakazu, Visiting Crab Shogun 
  (general) 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 2 Reflexes 3 
  EARTH 4 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 
  Primary Weapon: 
  Primary Armor: 
  Honor/Glory: 
  School/Rank: Hida Bushi, Rank Three 
  Skills: Battle 4, Hand-to-Hand 2, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu 3, 
  Lore (Shadowlands) 3, Tetsubo 4 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: 
  Crab 
  Hands, 
  Large/Contrary 
   
  Yasuki Yoshinori, Daimyo of Yasuki Yashiki 
  FIRE 2 Intelligence 3 
  AIR 3  
  EARTH 3 Willpower 4 
  WATER 2 Perception 4 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: None 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 1.8/5.4 
  School/Rank: Yasuki Merchant, Rank Three 
  Skills: Appraisal 4, Commerce 5, Courtier 3, Etiquette 
  4, Heraldry 3, Manipulation 2, Sincerity 5, Sleight of 
  Hand 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: 
  Allies 
  (Hida 
  Family), 
  Crafty, 
  Gentry, 
  Social 
  Position 
  (daimyo)/Bad 
  Reputation (merchant), Coward 
   
  Kuni Akuja, Care-worn Kuni Shugenja 
  FIRE 4 
  AIR 3 
  EARTH 4 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Primary Weapon: Wakizashi (2k2) 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 20 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 1.4/3.7 
  School/Rank: Kuni Shugenja, Rank Three 
  Skills: Defense 2, Kenjutsu 2, Lore (Maho-Tsukai) 3, 
  Lore (Shadowlands) 3, Spellcraft 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Innate Ability (Tomb of 
  Jade)/Permanent Wound, Lechery, Missing Limb 
  (hand), Dark Secret (seduced by Kuni Miyubi) 
   
  Suzume Akemiro, Sparrow Clan ambassador 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 3 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 2 
  VOID 3 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: None 
  Honor/Glory: 2.8/3.1 
  School/Rank: None 
  Skills: Courtier 3, Etiquette 3, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu 2, 
  Sincerity 3 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: Voice/Ascetic 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 21 
  Doji Nashiko, a.k.a. Doji Miyako, a.k.a. Kuni Miyubi 
   
  Akutenshi (Evil Angel), Bride of Fu Leng 
  FIRE 4     Intelligence 6 
  AIR 8 
  EARTH 6 
  WATER 4 
  VOID 0 
   
  School/Rank: Doji Courtier 4, Maho-Bujin 3 
  Shadowlands Taint: 9 
  Wounds: 96 :Dead 
  TN to be Hit: 40 
   
  Advantages: Benten’s Blessing, Dangerous Beauty, Voice, 
  Most Others!! 
  Disadvantages: Vanity, Phobia (Disfigurement). 
   
  Skills: Acting 5, Courtier 5, Defense 4, Etiquette 5, Kenjutsu 
  3, Lore: Maho-tsukai 5, Lore: Shadowlands 5, Manipulation 
  5, Mimic 3, Political Maneuvering 5, Seduction 6, Sincerity 5, 
  Torture 4, All High Skills 3. 
   
  Maho-Bujin Techniques: 
  • 
  Rank One: Carve the Crimson Road. Gains an additional 
  number of attacks equal to the highest Honor Rank 
  among her opponents. 
  • 
  Rank Two: Corruption Rewards. May use the wounds 
  inflicted in her previous strike as her initiative score for 
  the following round. 
  • 
  Rank Three: Devourer of Purity. May recover a number 
  of Wound Ranks equal to the Honor Rank of anyone she 
  brings to Down, Out, or Dead. This takes effect 
  immediately. Any ranks beyond her injuries are lost. 
   
  Spells: 
  Nashiko knows all Air spells and most Maho spells, plus any 
  others the GM deems appropriate, and casts them all as 
  though she is Rank Five. Touch of Death, Summon Oni, 
  Dancing With Demons, Sinful Dreams, and Truth is a 
  Scourge are all innate. In combat she will cast Touch of Death 
  (DR 7) by preference. 
   
  Akutenshi Powers: 
  Armor of Death: Nashiko has an Armor rating equal to the 
  number of wounds she inflicted on the previous round. This is 
  like oni armor, subtracting from the Wound total rather than 
  adding to her TN. 
  Blood Shouting. Nashiko can form links to other people or 
  creatures which taste her saliva. When struck, she screams, 
  and if the target can hear it, he/she takes the wounds in her 
  place. NPCs in this event which she can transfer wounds to in 
  this fashion include Daidoji Shinro, Daidoji Akahito, Daidoji 
  Murakawa, Hida Chuto, Hida Masakazu, and Kuni Akuja. 
  Note that many of these NPCs have probably committed 
  seppuku by the time the PCs confront her.  
  Body of Damned Time: For the cost of six Wounds, Nashiko 
  can turn her shape to an inky void filled with stars. All who 
  look upon it see their own death, turning their hair white. 
  Nashiko makes a contested Shadowlands Taint vs. Void roll. 
  For every point by which she exceeds each victim’s total, they 
  age one year. 
  Command 
  the 
  Taint: Nashiko can command lesser 
  Shadowlands creatures and tainted humans by succeeding in a 
  contested Willpower roll. Note that there are no other 
  Shadowlands creatures immediately available, and the only 
  PC with taint is Hiruma Tadoshi. 
  Calligraphy of Thought: Nashiko can read her victim’s 
  surface thoughts by making a contested Awareness roll vs. the 
  victim’s Awareness + Defense. It takes two raises for her to 
  read something the victim is deliberately trying to hide. This 
  is how Nashiko knows about the PCs’ children. 
  Disrupt Chi: By making a contested Awareness roll against 
  an opponent’s Awareness + School Rank, Nashiko can force 
  that opponent to add his or her lowest Trait to all skill rolls. 
  This lasts for one round, plus one round per raise. 
  Eyes of Hell: In her true form Nashiko has no eyes, but 
  instead empty sockets that glow blue. This allows her to see in 
  the dark; also, she cannot be blinded. Note that this is 
  normally masked by her shapechanging abilities and Mists of 
  Illusion spell. 
  Fear: Nashiko has Fear Rank 4. 
  Flight: Nashiko can fly through the air at will. She suffers no 
  ill effect from this and can spin in circles around her 
  opponents. This adds +10 to her TN to be hit. 
  Invisibility: Nashiko can take a single action to become 
  invisible, adding +20 to her TN to be hit. She can still be seen 
  through crystal or thin sheets of jade. 
  Invulnerability: Nashiko can only be wounded by weapons of 
  Crystal, Jade, or Obsidian, or by magic. 
  Sense Purity: Nashiko may roll Perception + Investigation, 
  TN 15, to detect unTainted humans within a mile radius (plus 
  a half-mile per raise). 
  Shapechanging: Probably her favorite power, Nashiko has 
  complete control over her shape. It takes a complete round to 
  change to something similar, two rounds for something 
  slightly different, three for something of significantly 
  different size and shape, four rounds for extremely different 
  size and shape, and five rounds for something of impossibly 
  different size and shape. Her preferred form is always that of 
  a staggeringly beautiful woman. 
  Soul Drinking: Nashiko may suck out a dying person’s final 
  breath to consume their soul, preventing the person from 
  reincarnating for as long as she lives. The victim’s face 
  appears on the lining of her small intestine, and she is not 
  above drinking boiling tea to torment these faces. 
  Undead Strength: Nashiko ignores Wound penalties. She has 
  no “Down” or “Out” ranks, and can fight until dead. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 22 
  GM’s Aid: Condensed NPC List for Round One 
   
  Since there are so many NPCs in Round One, GMs may find 
  this “short list” useful for keeping track of who’s who. 
   
  Crane NPCs: 
  Daidoji Uji: The daimyo of the Daidoji family, and senior 
  Crane NPC in the scenario. A young man in his mid twenties, 
  swarthy of skin and piercing of eye, fiercely devoted to the 
  defense of his clan.  
   
  Asahina Tamako: Daimyo of the Asahina family. A frail 
  older man of weak constitution, who often coughs softly into 
  a blue silk cloth. Enlightened and peaceful, and wants a 
  diplomatic solution to the current crisis.  
   
  Daidoji Shinro: Daimyo and general of Garden Under 
  Shadow City. Third-highest ranking Crane, after Uji and 
  Tamako. A tall, dignified man with his hair in the classic 
  samurai topknot. Resists being seduced so long as his wife is 
  around, but succumbs to Kuni Miyubi during the border 
  conference.   
   
  Daidoji Eriko: Shinro’s wife. An elegant Crane woman in 
  early middle age. Extremely honorable and traditional 
  woman, always speaks with her eyes properly averted. 
  Disgusted by Doji Miyako.  
    
  Daidoji Akahito: Crane general. Short and tree-trunk-like in 
  build, which makes him talkative and aggressive to 
  compensate. His hair is worn undyed in a traditional topknot. 
  Seduced by Doji Miyako. Launched the raid on Clear Water 
  Village.  
   
  Daidoji Murakawa: Crane general. Taller and more 
  handsome than Akahito, dyes his hair white in classic Crane 
  style. Usually calm and self-controlled, at least outwardly. 
  Not yet seduced by Miyako at the start of the scenario, but 
  succumbs by the end.   
   
  Kakita Yumi: Crane artisan (painter) and courtier. A lovely 
  woman in her mid-twenties. Impeccable manners and perfect 
  etiquette and style. Jealous of Doji Miyako, who has eclipsed 
  her as the center of attention at court.  
   
  Doji Miyako (Doji Nashiko): Crane courtier, actually Doji 
  Nashiko cloaked in illusion and shape-changing. A stunningly 
  beautiful courtier, long white-dyed hair braided down her 
  back, her blue kimono a masterpiece of subtle suggestion. 
  Constantly urges Akahito and Murakawa to “punish” the 
  Crab.  
   
  Asahina Tenka: Crane shugenja. A soft-spoken, civilized 
  man in his mid-thirties, the epitome of the gentle, delicate 
  courtier. Sole survivor of the Crab raid on the Asahina estates. 
  His pale eyes are haunted and hung with dark rings. 
    
  Asahina Miki: Crane shugenja, assigned to the court of 
  Garden Under Shadow City. A gentle but strong-willed young 
  woman. Visited the site of the Crab raid. 
   
  Crab NPCs:   
  Hida Yakamo: Son of the Crab Clan Champion. Highest 
  ranking Crab NPC. A hugely strong and formidable young 
  man. Angry at the Crane, but willing to accept a peaceful 
  solution if it seems fair. The “classic Crab”: blunt, harsh-
  voiced, and pragmatic. 
   
  Hida Chuto: Crab general, commanding the local border 
  forces. An ox-strong man in his early forties, average height, 
  face disfigured by a nasty vertical scar. Seduced and 
  manupulated by Kuni Miyubi. Led the raid on the Asahina.  
   
  Hida Masakazu: Crab general, accompanied Yakamo to the 
  border. A stern man with dark eyes, taller and younger than 
  Chuto. Is smitten with Miyubi and competing with Chuto for 
  her affections. Knows about the raid on the Asahina.  
    
  Yasuki Yoshinori: Local Yasuki daimyo. A thin, perpetually 
  smiling man with a long nose and small, narrow eyes. 
  Anxious and cowardly, concerned only about making back 
  the money he lost in the Crane raid on Clear Water Village.  
   
  Kuni Akuja: Middle-aged Kuni shugenja, missing his left 
  hand and left eye. Wears a silken glove to cover the burn 
  scars on his right hand. Has been seduced by his “student” 
  Miyubi, and is intensely jealous of anyone approaching her. 
  Her evidence caused him to urge Chuto into launching the 
  raid on the Asahina. 
   
  Kuni Miyubi (Doji Nashiko): Nashiko’s guise on the Crab 
  side of the border. An astonishingly pretty young woman, her 
  black hair worn in a short ponytail. Apprenticed to Kuni 
  Akuja.  
   
  Other NPCs: 
  Ikoma Tadaka: Lion emmissary to the Crane. An earnest, 
  noble-looking man in his thirties. He has heard about the 
  Crane raid on Clear Water Village. Thinks the problems are 
  being arranged by the Scorpion Clan. Miyako arranges his 
  death after he catches on to one of her lies.  
   
  Bayushi Oro: Scorpion emmissary to the Crane. A clever, 
  handsome man with a pleasant voice, wearing a minimal 
  mask. Knows about the Crane raid on Clear Water Village, 
  and recognizes many of Miyako’s manipulations.   
   
  Ide Kagetora: Unicorn ambassador to the Crane. A short, 
  slightly plump man with a trimmed goatee beard and a ready 
  smile. Knows little about what is happening, but has heard 
  rumors of the Crane raid on Clear Water Village. Deeply 
  concerned that a war could disrupt Unicorn trade networks in 
  the region.  
   
  Suzume Akemiro: Sparrow Clan ambassador to the Crab. 
  Slight, pleasant-looking man who seeks peace. Witnessed the 
  Crane attack on Clear Water Village.  
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 23 
  Hiruma Tadoshi 
  Crab Clan Samurai  
  Rank Two Hiruma Scout 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 3 
  Stamina 3 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 4 
  AIR 2 
  WATER 2 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 2 
  Awareness 2 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 20 (15 without armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
   
  SKILLS 
  Archery 1 
  Athletics 2 
  Battle 1 
  Calligraphy 2 
  Courtier 1 
  Defense 3 
  Etiquette 2 
  Hand-to-Hand 2 
  History 1 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Hunting 3 
  Iaijutsu 2 
  Investigation 2 
  Kenjutsu 3 
  Law 3 
  Lore 
  (Shadowlands) 1 
  Lore (Maho-Tsukai) 2 
  Medicine 1 
  Meditation 1 
  Origami 2 
  Sincerity 1 
  Stealth 2 
   
  Honor: 3.1 
  Glory: 3.6 
   
  Advantages: 
  Death Trance 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Driven (to destroy Maho) 
  Lost Love (dead wife) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Light Armor 
  Katana (3k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Rokugani pony w/ saddle 
  Personal Chop 
  Hilt Guard from sword of dead 
  wife 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Umbrella 
  Purse (4 koku) 
  Traveling pack 
  Rations and a bottle of sake 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  4 sheets of parchment 
  tinderbox and three candles 
   
  Wounds 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 1 
   
  6 
  - 2 
   
  6 
  - 3 
   
  6 
  - 4 
   
  6 
  Down 
   
  6 
  Out 
   
  6 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 24 
  School/Rank: Hiruma Scout, Rank 2 
  Dance 
  the 
  Razor’s 
  Edge. 
  Tadoshi may add 5 to his TN to be hit by Shadowlands creatures for each School 
  Rank. 
  Run Like the Wind 
  Tadoshi can maintain a running pace (10 mph) for a number of hours equal to his 
  Stamina times 2, after which he must rest for the same time. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Hiruma Tadoshi is a serious, sad-looking man in early middle age. His hair is streaked 
  with gray and worn in a long ponytail, and he often leaves a thin grizzle of stubble on his cheeks. He is intensely 
  devoted to his mission as an Emerald Magistrate, regarding his duties to the Emperor as more important than 
  anything else, even his loyalty to his own Clan. He hates maho (black magic) and the Shadowlands, and becomes 
  agitated when either subject is mentioned. He loves his son Shinji deeply, seeing in him all that remains of his lost 
  wife.   
   
  You spent your youth with the Moto family, learning the new scouting school which they have taught your family 
  since the original Hiruma school was lost. Unexpectedly, you fell in love with one of your fellow students, Moto 
  Aoi. Most such relationships between samurai end in tragedy, but you were able to arrange a marriage with Aoi’s 
  family, and she returned to Crab lands with you. For two years you were happy together, and she bore you a son, 
  Shinji.  
   
  Then disaster struck. A Scorpion courtier was posted to your daimyo’s castle, and shortly after his arrival 
  strange incidents began to plague the region. Your wife realized the man was a maho-tsukai, a practitioner of black 
  magic, but before she could warn you he killed her and fled the castle. Heartbroken and choked with the need for 
  vengeance, you spent almost a year hunting the Scorpion across the Empire, and finally tracked him to the capital 
  itself, the Imperial city of Otosan Uchi. There, the Scorpion (now in the guise of a Phoenix holy man) was 
  infiltrating the Imperial court, threatening the very heart of Rokugan. You succeeded in exposing and killing him 
  before he could wreck any further damage. The Emperor was deeply impressed by this accomplishment, and 
  appointed you one of his Emerald Magistrates. You were not really happy with this honor, for it took you away from 
  the Wall and your duties to the Crab clan. But your first duty – the first duty of any Rokugani – was to the Emperor, 
  so you accepted the appointment and did your best to carry out your duties. This has had the virtue of keeping you 
  alive to help raise your son, so in some ways the duty has been a blessing. 
   
  Recently you have married again, to a plain but devoted Hida woman, but as yet no children have been born; 
  you cannot bring yourself to touch your new wife, since you feel as though doing so is betraying Aoi’s memory. 
  You still remember her as vividly as the day she died, and you are often tormented by guilt that you failed to save 
  her, or to detect the maho-tsukai before it was too late. Your son Shinji is all you have left of her, and he is far more 
  valuable to you than your own simple life. You would do anything to spare him from harm.  
   
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Matsu Ayame: An older woman who has served the Emperor for many years. You have met Ayame-san only a few 
  times, but you have always been impressed by her combination of an honorable heart and a forthright attitude. Like 
  you, she lost her spouse many years ago, and you respect her old grief.  
   
  Otaku Hiroji: you have worked several times with Hiroji-san, an intelligent Unicorn diplomat with a knack for 
  finding peaceful solutions to the worst crises. You get along well with Unicorns and consider Hiroji-san a friend as 
  well as a fellow Magistrate. No doubt his skills will be very useful in your new assignment.  
   
  Asako Igemi: Normally you have little respect for the pacifistic Phoenix clan, which shelters on the far side of the 
  Empire from the Shadowlands; but this man is one of the Inquisitors, who hunt the users of Maho (black magic) 
  across the Empire. You worked with him once on an investigation of maho, and quickly learned to respect his 
  abilities and judgment. Although no maho involvement is suspected on your current assignment, you nevertheless 
  are happy to have Igemi-san in your company. 
   
  Shosuro Gamaro: You have never met this particular Scorpion before, but you know from harsh experience that 
  Scorpions are honorless, treacherous villains. You’re sure Gamaro cannot be trusted. Everything he says has an 
  ulterior motive. You’ll be careful not to let him trick you into any mistakes. 
    
  Otomo Kaigen: The highest-ranking member of your group of Magistrates is this Imperial diplomat. Given your past 
  experiences with those of the Otomo family, you don’t expect him to do more than stand around looking important.
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 25 
  Matsu Ayame  
  Lion Clan Samurai-ko  
  Rank Three Matsu Bushi 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 3 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 25 (15 without armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Primary Armor: Heavy (-5 to all physical actions) 
   
  Skills 
  Athletics 3 
  Bard 1 
  Battle 2 
  Calligraphy 2 
  Etiquette 2 
  Falconry 1 
  Hand-to-Hand 2 
  Heraldry 2 
  History 3 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Hunting 1 
  Iaijutsu 3 
  Intimidation 2 
  Investigation 1 
  Kenjutsu 4 
  Knife 1 
  Law 3 
  Lore (Ancestors) 1 
  Lore (Lion) 2 
  Medicine 1 
  Meditation 2 
  Sincerity 2 
  Tea Ceremony 1 
  War Fan 2 
   
  Honor: 3.9 
  Glory: 4.3 
   
  Advantages: 
  Clear Thinker 
  Kharmic Tie (rank 3, her son Hiro) 
  Strength of the Earth (rank 1) 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Brash 
  Bad Reputation (killing duelist) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Heavy Armor 
  Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Tessen (Iron Fan, 0k2) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Rokugani pony w/ saddle 
  Personal Chop 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Bow (strength 2) 
  Quiver with 20 arrows (all standard, 2k2) 
  Traveling pack 
  Rations 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  2 sheets of parchment 
  tinderbox and candle 
   
  Wounds 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 1 
   
  6 
  - 2 
   
  6 
  - 3 
   
  6 
  Down 
   
  6 
  Out 
   
  6 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 26 
  School/Rank: Matsu Bushi, Rank 3 
  The Lion’s Roar 
   When making a Full Attack, Ayame generates a Fear effect in her foes equal to her School 
  Rank +1. 
  Matsu’s Fury 
   When making a Full Attack, Ayame may make one additional attack per turn. 
  With My Ancestors 
  Beside Me 
  When making a Full Attack, Ayame rolls a number of initiative dice equal to her Honor 
  Rank. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Ayame is a fierce, passionate woman who has learned, after many years, to curb her anger 
  with the wisdom of age. She is thin and hawk-like in body and face, with sharp cheekbones and intense black eyes. 
  Her hair is usually worn loose over her shoulders, giving her a wild look. Ayame has no time for talking around an 
  issue – she always prefers the direct word and the straightforward approach. If she is challenged she does not 
  hesitate to accept a duel, and given the chance she always fights to the death. She feels an intense emotional bond to 
  her son, even when they are separated by great distances as they are now, and would do almost anything to protect 
  him from harm. 
   
  You are a classical Matsu, fierce and independent, a true heir to the founder of your family. Since the day of your 
  gempukku you have had no thought save to serve the Lion Clan and the Empire with courage and honor. You fought 
  in many skirmishes and battles in your youth, serving against the Crane, Dragon, and Phoenix; in a battle on the 
  northern frontier, you saw the young Matsu Tsuko and her mother stand and rally the army after the treacherous 
  Phoenix sneak attack of the night before. You felt then the song of your ancestors in your veins, and knew that no 
  other samurai could ever feel what Lions felt. You fought not alone, but with all of your ancestors beside you. 
  After ten years of service as a bushi, your family determined that the time had come for you to marry and carry on 
  your line. You were betrothed to a fellow Matsu, a skilled and honorable man named Matsu Hoitsu, and married him 
  that winter at the New Years’ Festival. Hoitsu treated you with the respect and dignity which a Matsu bride 
  deserved, your relationship was as harmonious as it could be, and soon you were with child. Some months later, you 
  and your husband had the honor to accompany the Emperor on a trip back from Winter Court in Lion lands, when 
  the caravan was attacked by a pack of honorless ronin. Hoitsu fell, along with many other Lions and Imperial 
  Guards, protecting the Son of Heaven. Although you were nearly to term, you also fought to protect the Emperor, 
  and took a serious wound to the leg. The Ikoma wept for your husband at the funeral, while you watched with dry 
  eyes as his body was consumed by the pyre. A Matsu, man or woman, does not weep or cry out in pain, and you 
  knew Hoitsu’s spirit watched you and was pleased with you. Your son was born three weeks later, on the day you 
  were appointed an Emerald Magistrate. Looking into his eyes, you saw the soul of your husband and yourself in 
  equal measure, and felt an emotional bond such as you have never known before.  
   
  In the years since, you have devoted yourself to your new duties as an Emerald Magistrate, enforcing the 
  Imperial law in Lion lands. You have also devoted yourself to the upbringing of your son, Hiro, guiding him along 
  the path of the Matsu, teaching him the code of honor and the glorious past of his family and Clan. Although he 
  cannot always accompany you on your journeys through the Empire, you always feel a connection to his spirit, even 
  when you are separated by hundreds of miles. You are sure he will be one of the greatest Matsu to ever wear that 
  name. 
   
  Your methods as an Emerald Magistrate have sometimes drawn controversy, especially in the early years of 
  your duties, for you usually approach problems with a direct pragmatism that unsettles the more intellectual clans, 
  such as the Crane, Scorpion, and Phoenix. However, over the years you have learned to temper your brash impulses 
  with wisdom, and know to avoid insulting without need or provoking those who might help you. In particular, you 
  have learned (reluctantly) to ignore your Clan’s enmity with the Crane clan, however much you might like to break 
  all their skinny, lying necks.  When the time does come to set manners aside, however, you do not hesitate to draw 
  steel, and your duels have always been to the death. A Matsu would never expect less. 
   
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Hiruma Tadoshi: A member of the Crab clan; unlikely to understand the importance of Bushido. Still, unlike most 
  Crabs, he seems to have some sense of honor and to care about more than the mindless battle on the Kaiu wall; he 
  has served as an Emerald Magistrate for many years, and you respect him for that. You have heard that he, like you, 
  lost his spouse years ago, so perhaps you have more in common than might first appear.  
    
  Otaku Hiroji: The Otaku family are like the Matsu in that they force men who marry into their line to take their 
  name; but in the case of this man they seem to have taken his soul as well. A more mouse-like, weak-limbed excuse 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 27 
  for a man you have never seen – except, perhaps, for those Crane courtiers who infest Otosan Uchi like rats. His sole 
  talent seems to be talking. Let him talk, then; you will expect no more. 
   
  Asako Igemi: like most Lion, you have little respect for the Phoenix clan’s strange blend of pacifism and 
  ruthlessness. This particular Phoenix is apparently a historian, a task more properly belonging to your own clan’s 
  Ikoma family, so you like him even less. You expect him to keep out of your way.  
   
  Shosuro Gamaro: no Scorpion can be trusted. They are creatures of treachery and malice; of this every Lion is 
  rightly sure. You have had to work with this Scorpion worm once before, and he did nothing to betray you or your 
  duties then, but that no doubt was because you made it perfectly clear that any betrayal would be met with a lethal 
  duel. You will make the same thing clear to him this time.  
   
  Otomo Kaigen: A member of the Otomo, the highest of the Imperial families below the Emperor himself; having 
  him along on this mission is a sign both of the Emperor’s favor and of how important the Son of Heaven considers 
  this mission. You will not hesitate to obey this man implicitly. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 28 
  Otaku Hiroji 
  Unicorn Clan Diplomat 
  Rank One Ide Emissary/Rank Two Doji Courtier 
   
  FIRE 2 
  EARTH 2 
  Agility 2 
  Stamina 2 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 2 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 2 
  Awareness 4 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Primary Armor: None 
   
  SKILLS 
  Acting 1 
  Athletics 1 
  Bard 2 
  Calligraphy 3 
  Courtier 3 
  Dance 2 
  Defense 2 
  Etiquette 4 
  Heraldry 2 
  History 2 
  Horsemanship 3 
  Iaijutsu 1 
  Investigation 1 
  Kenjutsu 1 
  Knife 2 
  Law 2 
  Lore (Crane) 1 
  Lore (Unicorn) 2 
  Manipulation 2 
  Meditation 1 
  Oratory 1 
  Political Maneuvering 2 
  Poetry 1 
  Rhetoric 1 
  Shintao 1 
  Sincerity 3 
  Tea Ceremony 2 
   
  Honor: 2.7 
  Glory: 3.3 
   
  Advantages: 
  Multiple Schools 
  Ide Emissary 
  Doji Courtier 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Voice 
  Disadvantages: 
  Small 
   
  Outfit:  
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Tanto (1k2) 
  Fine Kimono 
  Fine Sandals 
  Fine Gaijin Riding Horse 
  With Leather Saddle 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Personal Chop 
  Purse containing 8 koku 
  Traveling pack 
  Assortment of fine quality fans with Otaku mon 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  8 sheets of parchment 
  gaijin lamp with three flasks of oil 
  tinderbox 
  small mirror 
   
  Wounds 
   
  4 
  - 0 
   
  4 
  - 1 
   
  4 
  - 2 
   
  4 
  - 3 
   
  4 
  - 4 
   
  4 
  Down 
   
  4 
  Out 
   
  4 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 29 
  School/Rank: Ide Emissary Rank One/Doji Courtier Rank Two 
  The Heart Speaks 
  Hiroji may add his Honor to the total of any social interaction roll. He may roll 
  Awareness+Etiquette at TN 20 to avoid making a social error even if he is not 
  aware of the custom in question. 
  The Perfect Gift 
  Hiroji may call upon political favors to provide himself with useful gifts (items, 
  training, etc.) up to five times per adventure. In scenario terms, this ability is 
  somewhat limited by the circumstances, but any physical item you need will be 
  readily available. 
  A Whisper From the 
  Soul 
  By talking at least five minutes with a target person, and making a Contested 
  Awareness roll, Hiroji can bring them to an emotional state favorable to his goals 
  (whatever that state might be). 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Hiroji is a soft-spoken, unprepossessing man; short of stature, exuding a palpable aura of 
  friendship and an earnest desire to help. His features are not especially distinctive (especially his overly large nose), 
  and his hair is thinning on the top; however, his charming personality and deep, pleasant voice easily make up for 
  these minor shortfalls; few can resist his carefully reasoned proposals at the negotiating table. He is still allied with 
  Miya Yoto and is dedicated to the cause of peace in Rokugan. Unfortunately, Hiroji seldom has time to return to 
  Unicorn lands, and his children have grown up strangers to him. He secretly regrets this, and sometimes wishes his 
  marriage could have been happy rather than cold and loveless. 
   
  You were born Ide Hiroji, of the Unicorn Clan. Like all those of the Ide family, you were trained as a diplomat and 
  negotiator, learning to navigate the treacherous waters of Rokugani diplomacy. Your clan is still regarded with 
  suspicion by much of the rest of the Empire, and the skills the Ide family learned dealing with suspicious gaijin in 
  the Burning Sands have applied themselves equally well at dealing with the complex currents of the Emerald 
  Empire. 
   
  While you were still a young man, helping with border disputes along the Crab frontier, you found that you had 
  been engaged to an Otaku Battle Maiden through a complex political negotiation between your families. The Otaku 
  are a matriarchal family, where the men remain home to tend the war-horses while the women fight in the field; this 
  troubled you less than it might have bothered a fierce Shinjo or Moto samurai, since your family’s methods were 
  less than violent, but it still rankled you to remain at home while your skills went unused. Your wife, Otaku Niki, 
  seemed to regard you as little more than a means of having children. You were still able to use your skills as an Ide, 
  however, during negotiations between the Otaku and their rivals and enemies, both within and without the Clan. 
  Several years after your marriage, you were instrumental in averting a possible war between the Otaku and the Lion 
  Clan. Miya Yoto, the daimyo of the Imperial Miya family and a staunch advocate of peace, was present at those 
  negotiations and was deeply impressed by your diplomatic skills; through his influence, you were soon appointed as 
  an Emerald Magistrate. You have spent many of the years since then carrying out delicate negotiations between 
  different families and Clans, helping to prevent wars and resolve territorial disputes. You are proud of this role, 
  which allows you to serve the entire Empire and to prove the worth of your Clan. Your wife is somewhat disgruntled 
  at your position, since it means you are often absent from home and cannot carry out the traditional duties of an 
  Otaku husband, but even she grudgingly acknowledges that you have brought much Glory to the Unicorn Clan.   
   
  In order to further your performance as a negotiator, you called on some political favors (especially the 
  sponsorship of Miya Yoto) and arranged to attend the famed Doji Courtier school. Their methods are very different 
  from those of your own family school, but you have found that by combining their techniques with your own you 
  can accomplish even more than in the past. You spend much of your time now in Crane lands, learning their 
  methods, or in the Imperial capital Otosan Uchi, mediating between different Clan factions. But this prestige comes 
  with a price: only seldom do you find time to return to your home in the Otaku lands, and your children (two sons 
  and three daughters) are growing up strangers to you. On your last trip you barely recognized your eldest daughter, 
  Otaku Ameiko, now a lanky girl of thirteen. That is the price of your position, you remind yourself; one of the 
  samurai caste should never allow sentimentality to interfere with duty. Still, you love your children, and you can’t 
  help but sometimes wish you could have been closer to them. 
   
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Hiruma Tadoshi: a friend as well as a fellow Magistrate, this middle-aged Crab warrior is well able to appreciate 
  your diplomatic skills, unlike many of his often-crude Clan. His wife, who died many years ago, was a Unicorn, and 
  he thinks well of your Clan. You are glad to have him in your company once more. If you should need a champion 
  in a duel, you hope you can count on Tadoshi for that favor. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 30 
   
  Matsu Ayame: a Lion warrior of the most classic and hot-tempered sort, though fortunately her attitudes seem to 
  have mellowed with her advancing age. She looks down on you as only a Lion bushi can. Still, that is of no 
  importance so long as it does not impede your mission. 
   
  Asako Igemi: a historian and Inquisitor (maho-hunter) of the Phoenix clan, this gentle man is one with whom you 
  feel a true kinship. Like you, he is often sneered at by more militant samurai, but he is enlightened enough to shrug 
  off such trivial insults; you try to emulate his calm approach to life, but do not always succeed. You have visited his 
  home and seen the close relationship he has with his daughter, and wish you could have forged such a strong link 
  with your own children. You know you can rely on Igemi to be a valuable member of this team. 
    
  Shosuro Gamaro: You have met this Scorpion before and find him to be an intelligent man and a charming 
  conversationalist. Although it is a truism that Scorpions are completely honorless, your own Unicorn custom is to 
  judge individuals on their own merits, and you have found nothing to distrust in Gamaro-san. Indeed, from hints he 
  has dropped in conversation, you suspect he may be uncomfortable with his Clan’s traditions of treachery and 
  deceit. Perhaps you can learn more about this now that you are together again in the Emperor’s service.   
   
  Otomo Kaigen: the highest-ranking member of your team is a member of the Imperial family, a rich and powerful 
  man, perhaps even kin to the Emperor himself. Most of the Otomo family are diplomats, working on behalf of the 
  Emperor, but Kaigen-san wears the mon of the Kitsuki, a Dragon clan school of skilled magistrates and 
  investigators. You are intrigued; this will be your first chance to see the Kitsuki method in action.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 31 
  Asako Igemi 
  Phoenix Clan Historian and Inquisitor  
  Rank Two Henshin 
   
  FIRE 2 
  EARTH 2 
  Agility 2 
  Stamina 2 
  Intelligence 4 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 2 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 2 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 2 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 20 (15 without Armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  SKILLS 
  Acting 2 
  Astrology 1 
  Athletics 1 
  Calligraphy 3 
  Cipher 1 
  Courtier 1 
  Defense 2 
  Etiquette 2 
  Heraldry 1 
  History 4 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Iaijutsu 3 
  Investigation 3 
  Kenjutsu 2 
  Knife 1 
  Law 2 
  Lore 
  (Asako 
  family) 3 
  Lore (Crane) 2 
  Lore 
  (Maho-
  Tsukai) 2 
  Lore 
  (Shadowlands) 1 
  Medicine 2 
  Meditation 3 
  Shintao 3 
  Sincerity 2 
  Stealth 1 
  Tea Ceremony 2 
  Theology 2 
   
  Honor: 3.4 
  Glory: 4.1 
   
  Advantages: 
  Kharmic Tie (rank 5, daughter) 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Dark Secret (Asako Family School) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Light Armor 
  Katana (3k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Rokugani pony w/ saddle 
  Necklace w/ polished wooden 
  symbol of Hotei 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Purse (1 koku, 2 bu) 
  Traveling pack 
  Letter from daughter 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  11 sheets of rice paper 
  Personal Chop 
  Fortune of Contentment 
   
  Wounds 
   
  4 
  - 0 
   
  4 
  - 1 
   
  4 
  - 2 
   
  4 
  - 3 
   
  4 
  - 4 
   
  4 
  Down 
   
  4 
  Out 
   
  4 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 32 
  School/Rank: Asako Henshin, Rank Two 
  Mystery of Earth  
  1/ day, add 1 to his Earth ring or subtract 1 from an opponent’s Earth ring for two 
  turns 
  Riddle of Earth 
  1/day, may ignore Earth+1 wounds, or heal the same amount of wounds taken by 
  another 
  Mystery of Air 
  2/day, may add 2 to his Air ring or subtract 1 from an opponent’s Air ring for two 
  turns 
  Riddle of Air 
  2/day, may roll Air+2 extra dice for social interaction checks 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Igemi is a tall, thin man, his face long and aquiline. Normally a serious man who pursue 
  his duty (whatever it might be) with efficiency and determination, he turns light-hearted and smiling whenever the 
  topic of home and family arises. He dotes on his daughter and likes to talk about her when duty is not interfering (at 
  social gatherings, for example). He never becomes angry or loses his center. Igemi is a skilled Inquisitor but does 
  not obsess on maho or the Shadowlands – he thinks it is dangerous to think about such things when there isn’t an 
  immediate need. He will never reveal the secret of the Asako school, no matter what.  
   
  You are a member of the Inquisitors, the Phoenix brotherhood which hunts the influences of maho and the 
  Shadowlands across the Emerald Empire. You are also, officially, an Imperial historian, and you have traveled 
  across the Empire for many years fulfilling both duties. But all of that is merely a cover for your real purpose. You 
  are one of the Henshins, the secret school of the Asako family, who seek out the deepest mysteries of the elements. 
  This school is kept secret from the rest of the Empire, since most people are not ready for it, and your public persona 
  is that of a scholar and courtier, a man of learning and manners who frequents the courts of the Empire. You must be 
  careful never to reveal your powers and abilities publicly, lest others learn the sacred secrets of the Asako. 
   
  Your wife is also an Asako, a Henshin of power equal or greater than yours; your marriage was arranged by 
  your families in the hopes that your children would share your gifts, or perhaps hold them at an even higher level. So 
  far you have had only one child, a lovely daughter named Kimi. She has shown no particular aptitude for the 
  Henshin school as of yet, but to you this hardly matters; Kimi is a joy to you, the pulsing heartbeat at the center of 
  your life. Since the moment you held her tiny hand in your own, you have known that nothing and no one would 
  ever be as important to you as her. Although your duties as an Inquisitor and, more recently, as an Emerald 
  Magistrate have carried you all across the Empire, you always find time to return home and be with her. You often 
  bring her gifts from the different parts of the Empire you have visited, letting her catch a glimpse of life outside the 
  sheltered enclave of the Asako lands.  
   
  Compared to the joy of raising your daughter, the duties of an Inquisitor seem grim indeed, but they are 
  important nonetheless. Maho cannot be allowed to stain the Empire where Kimi lives. Several times you have rooted 
  out maho-tsukai or pockets of Bloodspeaker cultists, putting them to the bitter deaths they so richly deserve. As an 
  Imperial Historian, you have chronicled several notable events in the recent history of Rokugan, most notably the 
  wedding of Doji Hoturi, the heir to the Doji family daimyo. The Emperor himself was impressed with the depth and 
  artistry of your work, and appointed you as an Emerald Magistrate in reward for the enjoyment your work gave him. 
  This honor has proven to be a mixed blessing, however, for while you now dispose of more power than you ever had 
  as a mere Phoenix Inquisitor, you seldom have the time or opportunity to follow your old path of investigating 
  maho; an Emerald Magistrate must go where the Emerald Champion requires, however drab the duties he might 
  assign. Last autumn you actually had to help with tax collections in your home provinces. 
   
  Your current assignment is a similar duty. You have been sent to the border of Crab and Crane lands to resolve 
  some sort of border dispute that threatens to bring war between them. You will perform your duty without fail, of 
  course, but you would much rather be out stalking the cursed practitioners of maho through their sordid paths. Or 
  better still, home with your daughter, listening to her pure, birdlike voice.  
   
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Hiruma Tadoshi: You have worked once before with this Crab warrior, a man with many years of experience in 
  both the Imperial service and the battle against the Shadowlands. His wife was murdered by a maho-tsukai, and you 
  can still see the rage that burns within him at that long-ago loss. Aside from that, however, he is a wise and reliable 
  man, and you are glad to have him along on this mission for the Emperor.  
   
  Matsu Ayame: A Lion bushi of advancing age but undiminished ferocity, this woman seems to regard you as nothing 
  more than an insult to her own Clan’s Ikoma family, the official historians of the Empire. She is unaware even of 
  your role as an Inquisitor, let alone your true nature as a henshin, and seems to think you a completely useless 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 33 
  appendage to this mission. Perhaps, by proving her wrong, you can open her eyes to a more enlightened vision of the 
  world. 
   
  Otaku Hiroji: A Unicorn diplomat with whom you have been acquainted for several years, Hiroji seems to be 
  unhappy with his strange, warlike clan, and longs for a more enlightened existence. You have become friends, and 
  he has even visited you a few times at your home in Phoenix lands, an honor you have accorded to few. He has a 
  poor relationship with his wife and especially his children, and you have sometimes tried to help him find a better 
  path with them. You are sure that with him accompanying you, you will be able to find a peaceful solution to any 
  problem. 
   
  Shosuro Gamaro: You have never met this Scorpion magistrate before, and your first instinct is to distrust him. 
  After all, the Scorpions are known throughout the Empire as masters of manipulation, blackmail, and treachery. 
  Still, you can’t help noticing that this particular Scorpion seems to lack their general air of mocking superiority. 
  Hiroji-san is acquainted with him; you will have to learn more from him about this man. 
   
  Otomo Kaigen: you are deeply honored to have one of the Imperial family leading your mission. Kaigen-sama is 
  himself a magistrate of no small skill, trained in the Kitsuki school, who has solved many crimes and problems for 
  the Empire. You have no doubt he will be the most important part of your team.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 34 
  Shosuro Gamaro  
  Scorpion Clan Shugenja  
  Rank Two Yogo  
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 2 
  Agility 3 
  Stamina 2 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 4 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 20 (15 without Armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
   
  SKILLS 
  Acting 1 
  Athletics 1 
  Bard 1 
  Calligraphy 2 
  Courtier 2 
  Dance 1 
  Defense 1 
  Etiquette 2 
  Forgery 1 
  Heraldry 1 
  History 1 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Iaijutsu 1 
  Investigation 2 
  Kenjutsu 2 
  Law 2 
  Lore 
  (Maho-
  Tsukai) 2 
  Medicine 1 
  Meditation 2 
  Shintao 2 
  Sincerity 2 
  Sleight-of-Hand 1 
  Spellcraft 2 
  Stealth 2 
  Tea Ceremony 1 
  Theology 1 
  Yarijutsu 
  2
   
  Honor: 2.2 
  Glory: 4.1 
   
  Advantages: 
  Innate ability (Yari of Air) 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Disadvantages: 
  True Love (his wife, unrealized) 
  Junshin 
   
  Outfit:  
  Light Armor 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Rokugani pony w/ saddle 
  Scroll satchel (with scrolls for 
  known spells) 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Purse (3 koku) 
  Traveling pack 
  Rice balls 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  8 blank scrolls 
  Rokugani lamp w/ 1 flask of oil 
  TN25 puzzle box w/ Black Watch reports 
   
  Wounds 
   
  4 
  - 0 
   
  4 
  - 1 
   
  4 
  - 2 
   
  4 
  - 3 
   
  4 
  - 4 
   
  4 
  Down 
   
  4 
  Out 
   
  4 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 35 
  School/Rank: Yogo shugenja, Rank Two Free raise with Warding Spells 
   
  SPELLS 
  Sense 
  Commune 
  Summon 
  (Air) 
  Call Upon the Wind 
  Know the Shadows 
  Secrets on the Wind 
  Wind’s Distractions 
  Yari of Air (innate) 
  (Water) 
  Reversal 
  of 
  Fortunes 
  Sympathetic 
  Energies 
  Calm Mind 
  (Fire) 
  Fury of Osano-Wo 
  (Earth) 
  Jade Strike. 
   
  Ward Magic: by spending one hour, Gamaro may create an Elemental Ward by rolling (Element)+(School Rank) at 
  TN 20. A 10-point Raise adds 1 die to the ward’s effectiveness. See Way of the Scorpion for details on how Wards 
  function. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Shosuro Gamaro is a smooth-featured, well-spoken man who wears a simple mask of thin 
  red silk over the lower half of his face. He believes in bushido (or at least the ideal of bushido) but is forced to 
  violate that belief on a regular basis, which leaves him feeling conflicted and uncertain of himself. He is loyal to 
  both the Scorpion Clan and the Emperor, and sees no real conflict between those loyalties. He is also in love with his 
  wife Makoto, although he does not realize it, and may never realize it unless circumstances forced him; he cares 
  about his children (especially Miaka) as extensions of Makoto herself. In social situations he is polite and friendly in 
  the classic Scorpion manner, but sometimes puts out subtle conversational feelers to others, hoping to find someone 
  who can understand and appreciate his feelings about bushido, loyalty, and duty. 
   
  You were born to the Shosuro, the family of spies, actors, and assassins who do all the subtlest and most dangerous 
  duties of the Scorpion Clan. Early on, however, you showed an aptitude for magic and an instinctive understanding 
  of the elemental spirits; at the age of ten you were apprenticed to the Yogo Shugenja school. There you proved 
  yourself a worthy student, and completed your gempukku at the age of thirteen. Subsequently, you were inducted 
  into the Black Watch, the branch of the Yogo school which hunts for the forces of maho (black magic) across the 
  Empire. You have co-ordinated with Kuni shugenja, Phoenix Inquisitors, and even the occasional Kuni Witch 
  Hunter to root out the treacherous practitioners of black magic. One of your successes drew the attention of an 
  Emerald Magistrate, Hiruma Usigo, and his recommendation eventually led to your being appointed an Emerald 
  Magistrate as well.  
   
  Your appointment delighted your Clan, since every Scorpion Emerald Magistrate was another chance to bend 
  the laws of Rokugan in the favor of the Scorpion Clan. You, however, felt more conflicted over this honor. Unlike 
  most Scorpions, you actually feel some sense that the code of bushido, even if it isn’t real, SHOULD be real – the 
  world would be a better place if everyone followed bushido. You try to do so yourself, but it is difficult because 
  everyone (your own Clan included) expects you to be the treacherous Scorpion. Often these very expectations force 
  you to behave in ways that you would prefer to avoid.   
   
  You are married, to a plain but intelligent Bayushi woman, Makoto. The marriage was arranged, of course, but 
  you have found Makoto to be a pleasant and useful addition to your life, a skilled courtier and a careful manager of 
  your household. You have spent many long evenings in conversation, discussing everything from the latest political 
  maneuvers in court to the deepest mysteries of the Tao. Unlike other Scorpions, she seems to understand your 
  feelings about honor, and has never questioned your devotion to the Scorpion Clan. Although you have never told 
  her to her face, you have realized that your life would be dreary and hollow without her. She has given you three 
  children, two sons and a daughter, Miaka. Miaka, at eleven the oldest of the children, seems to have inherited much 
  from her mother, but is prettier than Makoto ever was; she has recently been accepted to the Shosuro Actors’ 
  School, a great honor. She will serve the Scorpion Clan well. Unfortunately, she seems to have fully absorbed the 
  conventional Scorpion attitudes about honor, which has somewhat alienated her from you. Perhaps, in the end, that 
  will be for the best, since your reputation has not always helped your position within your clan. 
   
  Your current assignment as an Emerald Magistrate is to travel to the border of Crane and Crab lands, where an 
  unexpected series of border skirmishes are threatening to break into open war. However, you have been secretly 
  appraised by your superiors in the Black Watch that they suspect the hand of the Shadowlands in this matter. What 
  better way for Fu Leng to weaken the defense of the Empire than to force its defenders into another war? You are 
  expected to investigate this possibility in addition to your publicly assigned role as an Imperial peacemaker. Your 
  companions, of course, are unaware of your second mission, which is a pity; you would like to be honest and tell 
  them of what may lie ahead, but duty and loyalty forbid you. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 36 
   
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Hiruma Tadoshi: an aging Crab magistrate who regards you with the instant and total distrust which his Clan 
  bestows on all Scorpions. You will simply have to avoid antagonizing him, since Crabs are notoriously violent.  
   
  Matsu Ayame: you have been forced once before to work in concert with this fierce, stiff-necked Lion bushi. She 
  distrusts you so obviously and completely that you have long since given up trying to convince her that you share, in 
  a small way, her belief in bushido. Well, perhaps that’s for the best; if she trusted you, your superiors might order 
  you to exploit or betray that trust. 
   
  Otaku Hiroji: a Unicorn diplomat of formidable skill, known for using his silver-tongued negotiations to solve 
  almost any problem. He seems less prone to conventional attitudes about Scorpions than others you have met, so 
  perhaps you will be able to work together effectively. You have heard that he, like you, is estranged from his 
  children.   
   
  Asako Igemi: A Phoenix historian, this man is also one of the Inquisitors, the Phoenix Clan hunters of maho. That is 
  good, since it gives you an ally in case there really is Shadowlands involvement here. He seems to be a very spiritual 
  man, and speaks frequently of his daughter, on whom he dotes excessively. Were you a more conventional Scorpion, 
  you might use that against him, but as it is you find yourself envying his more pleasant and enlightened life. 
   
  Otomo Kaigen: A member of the Imperial family; you’ve met him before, since he is also an Emerald Magistrate 
  trained in the unusual Kitsuki school. Most Scorpions fear and hate the Kitsuki, whose unconventional methods 
  allow them to ferret out many plots which would otherwise go undetected. Although your loyalty to your clan 
  requires you to keep Kaigen-san at arm’s length, you find him a stimulating conversationalist, and his tender-hearted 
  attitudes toward peasants are an interesting change from the callous arrogance of most samurai. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 37 
  Otomo Kaigen  
  Imperial Family Samurai  
  Rank Two Kitsuki Magistrate 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 2 
  Agility 3 
  Stamina 2 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 2 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 2 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 4 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 10 
  Primary Weapon: Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Primary Armor: None 
   
  SKILLS 
  Athletics 1 
  Bard 1 
  Calligraphy 3 
  Courtier 3 
  Dance 1 
  Defense 2 
  Etiquette 4 
  Heraldry 3 
  History 2 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Iaijutsu 3 
  Ichi-Miru 2 
  Investigation 3 
  Kenjutsu 2 
  Law 3 
  Medicine 1 
  Meditation 2 
  Nazodo 3 
  Obeiesaseru 2 
  Shintao 3 
  Sincerity 3 
  Tea Ceremony 2 
   
  Honor: 3.4 
  Glory: 4.6 
   
  Advantages: 
  Ear of the Emperor 
  Different School (Kitsuki) 
  Gentry 
  Social Position (Emerald Magistrate) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Soft-Hearted 
  Vanity (family, son’s accomplishments) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Fine Wakizashi (3k2) 
  Exquisite Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Gaijin Riding horse w/ saddle 
  Scroll satchel (with scrolls for 
  known spells) 
  Sash of the Emerald Magistrate 
  Purse (11 koku in assrtd coinage) 
  Traveling pack 
  Inkstone and Brush 
  Lots of blank parchment 
  Fan 
  Journal of his investigations 
  Personal chop 
   
  Wounds 
   
  4 
  - 0 
   
  4 
  - 1 
   
  4 
  - 2 
   
  4 
  - 3 
   
  4 
  - 4 
   
  4 
  Down 
   
  4 
  Out 
   
  4 
  Dead 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 38 
  School/Rank: Kitsuki Magistrate, Rank 2 
  Kitsuki’s Method 
  Kaigen may spend any available Void Points on any Awareness or Perception 
  roll. 
  Wisdom 
  the 
  Wind 
  Brings 
  For a Awareness/Perception roll, Kaigen gains a number of Free Raises equal to 
  his School Rank. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Kaigen is a gentle, soft-hearted man who feels the suffering of Rokugan’s peasantry every 
  time he rides through a village. He always seeks ways to help those less fortunate than himself, and has been known 
  to hire ronin he does not need after their tales of woe moved his heart. Physically, his looks are only average, but he 
  compensates for this by making sure he always dresses, moves, and talks with immaculate perfection. Anything less 
  would be an unbearable embarrassment. He is prickly about his school (the controversial Kitsuki path) and defends 
  it to anyone who will listen. He is very proud of his family and status, and sometimes cannot help but quietly brag 
  about his son’s success in the Kakita school.  
   
  You are a scion of the Otomo family, one of the three Imperial families who serve the Son of Heaven directly and 
  share his bloodline. Your family has always accepted its wealth and social status as its due, for it is only proper that 
  the Imperial families should benefit most from the Empire they protect. That was the attitude of your parents, your 
  siblings, and your wife, a splendid Crane woman. It is the attitude of your children as well. Only you yourself have 
  deviated, if only in a small way, from this accepted view.  
   
  Even as a child, you always felt sorry for the hard-working peasants who slaved in their fields while you 
  enjoyed luxury and leisure. You childhood sensei explained that this was the working of the Celestial Order, which 
  decreed that some should rule, some should fight, and some should labor. Although you accepted this argument, you 
  always felt that the harsh rules of the Celestial Order should be tempered whenever possible by mercy and kindness. 
  You were especially concerned that all in the Empire should receive justice and fairness from the law, and you were 
  disturbed that legally, rank and position seemed to count for more than truth and fact.  
   
  Your father, although bewildered by your attitudes, saw that it would be useless to argue you out of them, for 
  you had inherited your strength of conviction from him. Rather than push you into your family’s traditional courtier 
  school (for which you would have been completely unsuitable), he arranged for you to attend the Dragon Clan’s 
  controversial Kitsuki school. Their notions of evidence and truth were strikingly different from the rest of the 
  Empire, and for you, they came as water to a man in the Burning Sands. You embraced the Kitsuki method whole-
  heartedly, and your teachers there were pleased by your enthusiasm and dedication. After your gempukku, you were 
  appointed an Emerald Magistrate, and went forth to administer the law of the Empire. You have followed that duty 
  ever since, earning honor and glory for your family and striving, in the small ways your position allows, to bring 
  mercy and kindness to Rokugan’s faceless masses.  
   
  Your wife does not agree with your views, finding them silly and perhaps even childish, but as a well-trained 
  Crane she never brings dishonor to you in public. Your private lives have been less harmonious, but she has proven 
  a capable manager of your estates, and you have been blessed with four children. The oldest, Hametsu, is now a 
  student at the prestigious Kakita dueling school, and honor reserved for only the finest of prodigies, and you take 
  deep pride in every report of his steady progress through the school’s regimen. It is a pity he does not share your 
  views on the need for mercy and kindness in the Empire, but perhaps he will grow more generous with age. In the 
  meantime, you will continue to serve as an example to him and to all the Empire. 
   
  Special Skills (from Way of the Dragon and Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun): 
  Ichi-Miru: From observing another person, Kaigen can glean information on their nature, disposition, temperament, 
  habits, and mannerisms.  
   
  Nazodo: This is similar to Investigation, but can also be used to solve puzzles, riddles, and logic games, as well as to 
  interpret omens and portents. 
    
  Obeiesaseru: This is a special form of the Intimidation skill, usable only by members of the Imperial family, which 
  overawes opponents by invoking the Imperial name and power. Kaigen must make a Contested Roll of 
  Willpower+Obeiesaseru vs the opponent’s Willpower; if successful, the opponent is frozen in place for a round (can 
  defend, but not move or attack). Naturally, this does not work very well against foes who do not respect the Emperor 
  (e.g. gaijin and non-humans).  
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round One 
  Page 39 
  How you feel about the other PCs: 
  Hiruma Tadoshi: An aging Crab warrior who seems to share his Clan daimyo’s contempt for anyone not fighting on 
  the Kaiu Wall – especially the Imperial family. This is a shame, since you personally admire the Crab for their 
  courage and for the good relationship between samurai and peasant in their lands. Perhaps you can bring this man to 
  realize that not all courtiers are cowardly or useless. 
   
  Matsu Ayame: An honorable woman of the Lion clan, an example of the best the Lion have to offer. You have no 
  doubt she would lay down her life for you, should duty demand it. It is samurai like her who ensure that the Emerald 
  Empire will stand forever. If only the Lion were not so thoughtlessly cruel to the poor peasants who toil for them...  
    
  Otaku Hiroji: A charming man from the Unicorn clan, known for resolving many disputes through peaceful 
  negotiation. You are pleased to have him on this mission, for you are sure that words will be more important than 
  swords here. He seems sympathetic to your attitudes about the Celestial Order, which is a pleasant change from the 
  polite skepticism you often encounter.  
   
  Asako Igemi: You have heard good things about this man, an enlightened historian from the Phoenix Clan. Of all the 
  Clans the Phoenix seem most to share your ideas about the Celestial Order, so perhaps you can have some fruitful 
  conversation with Igemi-san.  
   
  Shosuro Gamaro: You have worked before with this Scorpion shugenja, a member of the mysterious Black Watch 
  (hunters of maho). Although you have had bad experiences with Scorpions in the past, and have thwarted their plots 
  several times, this man has never shown anything but loyalty to the Empire. He is also an interesting 
  conversationalist who listens to you without judging your ideas. Odd as it may seem, you would rather rely on him 
  than on Hiruma Tadoshi, despite their Clans’ respective reputations. 
   
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A Two-round Adventure for Legend of the Five Rings 
   
  Round One 
   
  By Robert Hobart 
   
   
   
   
   
  Violence and anger plague the border between the great clans of the Crane and Crab. Your group of Emerald 
  Magistrates has been dispatched to solve the problem before it boils over into war. Characters provided. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS, L5R, ROKUGAN, RPGA are registered trademarks of Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc. Tournament detail copyright 2000 by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. ALL RIGHTS 
  RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without 
  approval of the RPGA Network. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 41 
  This is a standard RPGA Network tournament. A 
  four-hour time block has been set aside for this event. 
  Begin by passing out the player characters; pass them 
  out based on class only, not revealing gender or race. 
  Instruct the players to leave the character sheets face 
  down until you have read the introduction. Then, tell 
  them to study their character sheets, select spells, and 
  notify you when they are ready to begin the adventure. 
   
  It is a good idea to ask each player to put a name 
  tag in front of him or her. The tag should have the 
  player's name at the bottom, and the character's name, 
  race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the 
  players to keep track of who is playing which 
  character. 
   
  The actual playing time will be about three hours. 
  Make sure you use the last 20 to 30 minutes of the 
  event time block to have the players capsulize their 
  characters for each other and vote.  The standard 
  RPGA Network voting procedures will be used. Make 
  sure you have finished voting before you collect the 
  players' voting sheets. This way you will not be 
  influenced by their votes and comments. 
   
  The players are free to use the game rules to learn 
  about equipment and weapons their characters are 
  carrying. 
   
  A note about the text: Some of the text in this 
  scenario is written so that you may present it as written 
  to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. 
  Text for the players will be in bold italics. It is strongly 
  recommended that you paraphrase the player text, 
  instead of reading it aloud, as some of the text is 
  general and must be adapted to the specific situation or 
  to actions of the player characters.  
   
  This is a two-round tournament for the Legend of the 
  Five Rings RPG. The goal of this scenario is to force 
  the players to confront two divided loyalties – their 
  loyalty to the Empire and its codes, and their loyalty 
  to their family. In round one, the PCs were a group of 
  Emerald Magistrates sent to the Crab-Crane frontier 
  to forestall a possible war. They discovered that the 
  real cause of the trouble was a Shadowlands 
  Akutenshi (Evil Angel) named Doji Nashiko. She 
  offered them a stark choice: fight and ensure the 
  deaths of their own children, or join her in the service 
  of Fu Leng and thereby spare their offspring. For the 
  purposes of the story in Round Two, it is assumed the 
  players chose to save their children (regardless of the 
  actual outcome of Round One in play). Round Two 
  begins ten years later, and takes up the story of the 
  PCs’ children, who are now mighty samurai in their 
  own right. They must face the consequences of their 
  parents’ choice.  
   
  Round Two takes place three years after the 
  start-date of the “standard” L5R campaign. The 
  principle effect of this, in game terms, is that the 
  Lion-Crane war is now in full swing, and threatening to 
  spill over into the rest of the Empire. Tensions and 
  suspicions are high, and fear stalks the land.  
   
  This scenario makes extensive use of materials from 
  Bearers of Jade: the Second Book of the Shadowlands. 
  For the assistance of GMs who may not own that dreadful 
  tome, the relevant rules have been repeated in the NPCs 
  section at the end of each round. 
   
   
  Running the Scenario 
  The PCs have traveled (each for their own reasons) to 
  Scorpion lands to investigate a series of deadly raids on 
  the Shrine of Osano-Wo. As they learn more it becomes 
  increasingly clear that they are facing their own fallen 
  parents, a dreadful stain on their family honor. Only 
  through the destruction of these deadly creatures – the 
  slaughter of those who gave them life – will they be able 
  to cleanse their line. But Doji Nashiko will not allow 
  them to make such decisions easily.   
   
  The second round is deliberately constructed to 
  present a sharp contrast with Round One. In the first 
  round, the PCs were a group of comparatively weak 
  Emerald Magistrates, and the challenge presented to them 
  was primarily one of mystery and role-playing. 
  Ultimately, they were unable to escape the dark fate that 
  awaited them: slavery to Fu Leng, or the death of 
  themselves and their children. In the second round, by 
  contrast, the PCs (the children of the PCs in Round One) 
  are an extremely powerful (but internally divided) group 
  facing a more-or-less straightforward quest, concluding 
  with a spectacular battle. Their fates are their own, and 
  victory or defeat depends on their skills, determination, 
  and luck. GMs who ran the first round should be prepared 
  to adjust their style accordingly. 
    
  The player characters of Round Two do not begin the 
  scenario as a formed party; only two pairs of them know 
  each other from events prior to the scenario. The 
  introduction is designed to give the PCs a chance to 
  become acquainted, and should be played accordingly. 
  There is no outside force that will keep the PCs together; 
  rather, their individual motivations and the logic of the 
  scenario should combine to keep them together, at least 
  until the final encounter. 
   
  Hiruma Shinji: Hiruma Tadoshi’s son is a Kuni-trained 
  shugenja whose magical powers awoke when his true 
  love, Hiruma Eiko, was slaughtered by an Oni before his 
  eyes. Her ghost haunts him, reminding him once a day 
  about his failure to protect her. He knows Otaku Ameiko 
  and is traveling with her when they arrive at Ryoko 
  Owari, but he is unable (so far) to return her feelings for 
  him. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 42 
  Matsu Hiro: The son of Matsu Ayame is a ferocious 
  Lion samurai who has won much honor and glory on 
  the fields of battle. Unfortunately, he has also earned 
  the enmity of the Scorpion clan, which has 
  dispatched Shosuro Miaka (in the guise of an Ikoma 
  historian) to ruin him. He has come here in response 
  to an insult from a Crab samurai, who implied that 
  the Lion did not know true courage because they 
  have never faced the forces of the Shadowlands.  
   
  Otaku Ameiko: the daughter of Otaku Hiroji is a 
  fierce Battle Maiden sent to investigate the possible 
  threat to Unicorn Lands from the Shadowlands forces 
  in this region. She is secretly in love with Hiruma 
  Shinji, who she met while patrolling the Crab border 
  a few years ago. Remember that she has an Otaku 
  war-horse, a formidable creature that is fiercely loyal 
  to her.  
   
  Asako Kimi: the daughter of Asako Igemi has a 
  Kharmic Tie to her father, and consequently has 
  never accepted that her father is dead. Like her father 
  she is an Inquisitor, and her hunt for Shadowlands 
  Taint, combined with the inner pull of her Kharmic 
  Tie, has drawn her to the Scorpion border.  
   
  Ikoma Asuka/Shosuro Miaka: Miaka, the daughter 
  of Shosuro Gamaro, is a Shosuro Actor assigned to 
  seduce and ruin Matsu Hiro, disguising herself for 
  this purpose as an Ikoma bard assigned to recount his 
  personal history. She is a conventional Scorpion and 
  tries to forget her father’s foolish and embarrassing 
  ideas.  
   
  Togashi Hametsu: Hametsu, an Ise Zumi, has a 
  Great Destiny (Togashi told him so himself), but he 
  does not know what it is. His destiny is, in fact, to 
  grant his father peace. Thanks to his destiny, the first 
  time in the scenario when he is killed, he will instead 
  remain alive at one wound.   
   
   
  An End and A Beginning: the 
  Inn of the Golden Swallow  
  (Read this before the PCs begin playing their 
  characters.)  
   
  The woman smiles, her eyes glowing with blue light. 
  “It is a simple choice. Come with me to serve Fu 
  Leng, and I will allow your children to live. Resist, 
  and they will perish. The decision is yours.” 
   
  One by one, the six figures in the room bow 
  their heads. Her smile broadens and she sweeps to 
  her feet, her blue kimono swirling around her. “Let 
  us go, then,” she laughs. “Your new master awaits.”  
   
  There is a shudder of dark energies, and the room is 
  empty. 
   
  Ten years pass. 
   
  It is the 11th day of the Month of Doji (April), the 
  Month of the Serpent in common usage, in the twenty-
  fourth year of the reign of Hantai the 38th.  
   
  The sun is setting over Ryoko Owari Toshii, Journey’s 
  End City, as you approach the Inn of the Golden Swallow. 
  The city is noisy and crowded, for the Scorpion Clan’s 
  nearby borders have been struck repeatedly by bandits 
  and Shadowlands creatures, while the bulk of their army 
  is committed to guarding their other frontiers. The Lion-
  Crane war is threatening to spread to other Clans, and the 
  Scorpion are alert and alarmed. The common folk, 
  meanwhile, are simply frightened; the streets of this great 
  city are packed with fearful peasants who have fled their 
  farms, more fearful of staying than of the wrath of their 
  lords. All the Inns you have visited so far have been 
  packed to bursting, and as you pass the threshold of the 
  Golden Swallow it seems at first to be no exception: the 
  common room is hot and noisy, people crowded around 
  the 
  tables. 
  The 
  Innkeeper, 
  wringing 
  his 
  hands 
  apologetically, humbly explains that only the private 
  meeting rooms remain. Tired from your journeys, you 
  agree, and he quickly leads you back to one of these 
  chambers. Servants bring rice and sake, and you finally 
  have a chance to catch your breath and look around you. 
  Some of you have met before, but for the most part, you 
  are strangers to each other. 
   
  This is a chance for the PCs to role-play, get into 
  character, and learn about each other. Have each player 
  describe his or her PC. Once they’ve had the chance to 
  role-play and get acquainted, move on to the next scene.  
   
  The door to the room slides open and two more 
  guests enter, accompanied by a bowing and apologizing 
  innkeeper. The new arrivals – two monks, dressed in 
  simple robes of brown cloth – take the two remaining 
  seats at the table. One of them is a young man, obviously 
  one who took up his vows early in life, while the other 
  has the age, scars, and hulking muscles of a recently 
  retired samurai. Both of them are obviously tired and 
  stained by recent travel. The younger monk speaks, 
  introducing himself and his comrade. “Greetings, noble 
  samurai. I am called Tateru, and my companion is 
  Yusaku. I hope our presence will not offend you. We 
  could find no other place to rest ourselves.”  
   
  A Perception+Heraldry roll (TN 20) will identify the 
  monks as following the order of Osano-Wo, the Fortune 
  of Thunder. Further, an Intelligence+History or Theology 
  roll (TN 20) will remind the PCs that the Shrine of 
  Osano-Wo, the main temple of that deity, lies on the 
  Plains of Thunder two days’ travel west of Ryoko Owari. 
  The monks are obviously damp, dirty, and exhausted from 
  travel, and careful examination (and a Perception roll, TN 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 43 
  25) will notice that Tateru’s left arm has been 
  injured; he moves it with care. 
   
  Tateru is polite, pious, and soft-spoken, although 
  he is also in excellent physical condition (as a monk 
  of Osano-Wo should be). He will willingly answer 
  any questions from the PCs, but does not readily 
  volunteer conversation with them – they are samurai, 
  after all, and have their own concerns. Yusaku is 
  another story – a former Hida warrior who finally felt 
  the call of a more contemplative life. He still thinks 
  of himself as a Crab, and the recent troubles at the 
  Shrine have re-awakened his aggressive side; he is 
  gruff and blunt-spoken, gestures freely with his 
  hands, and tries to strike up conversation with 
  Hiruma Shinji, an obvious fellow Crab.  
   
  Once the subject of Shadowlands, border raids, 
  or similar concerns enters the conversation, Yusaku 
  begins to grumble about the repeated attacks on the 
  Shrine of Osano-Wo. Tateru will try to discourage 
  him (“Our concern is with the Scorpion Clan, my 
  friend, not with these noble travelers”) but Yusaku 
  rumbles on, contemptuous: “Scorpions! Hah! Those 
  sneaky mice won’t stir themselves past their borders! 
  Now, a good troop of Hida infantry, that’s what we 
  need.”  
   
  Presumably, since most of the PCs are here 
  seeking information on the Shadowlands forces 
  raiding the border, this conversation should be 
  enough to get them asking questions. It seems that 
  the Shrine of Osano-Wo has been the favorite target 
  of the Shadowlands force, which has struck at it 
  repeatedly over the past few weeks. The monks are 
  growing hard-pressed to hold their own, and Tateru 
  and Yusaku have been dispatched to request help 
  from the Scorpion Clan. On the way here they were 
  ambushed by a pack of zombies, and Tateru was 
  injured before they could strike the vile creatures 
  down and continue to Ryoko Owari, their first 
  destination. The local governor of Ryoko Owari 
  claims to have no troops to spare for them, however, 
  so from here they plan to travel on to Kyuden 
  Bayushi, where they will seek an audience with 
  Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju. Perhaps he 
  will be more generous (Yusaku snorts indelicately at 
  this point – with no visible Scorpions present, he 
  doesn’t hesitate to express his opinion).  
   
  The monks can describe the Shadowlands army 
  as composed of a mixture of goblins, ogres, and 
  zombies – the classic Shadowlands mix. Tateru uses 
  dramatic terms to describe the horror of this army, 
  while Yusaku seems unfazed – he has fought such 
  things all his life. The real problem, he explains, is 
  the commanders – a pack of humans, probably Maho-
  Tsukai, of formidable skill and power. “One of them 
  got over the compound wall and killed a dozen of our 
  fellows in as many seconds before we drove him 
  out,” he growls, his sword-hand flexing slightly. “If that 
  happens again the Shrine will be finished.” Tateru quietly 
  admonishes him not to lose faith – surely the Fortune will 
  not allow his shrine to fall so easily to the forces of Fu 
  Leng.  
   
  Once dinner is finished, the monks rise, bowing to 
  the PCs (and Tateru perhaps offering a prayer to the 
  Fortunes for their health), and retire to their rooms for the 
  night. The PCs are free to decide on their future actions. 
   
   
  Journey Across the Plains of 
  Thunder  
  Since most of the PCs are here to learn about the 
  Shadowlands threat on the Scorpion border, an 
  investigation of events at the Shrine of Osano-Wo seems 
  an obvious next step. Also, both Asako Kimi and Matsu 
  Hiro feel (on an Awareness roll, TN 15) a strange 
  quickening of their hearts when the subject of the Shrine 
  and its danger arises in conversation. This should be 
  sufficient to get the PCs heading across the Plains of 
  Thunder the next morning, although sluggish players may 
  need a few whacks with the invisible rubber GM hammer.  
  The Plains of Thunder are largely unpopulated, and 
  storms arise frequently on their open, gently rolling 
  landscape. It will take a little less than two days of travel 
  for the PCs to reach the Shrine from Ryoko Owari.  
   
  Early on the first day, the PCs encounter a Scorpion 
  patrol: a dozen bushi, trained in the Bayushi school and 
  riding ponies. Their leader, a man named Bayushi Rigori, 
  brings his troops over and demands to see the PCs’ travel 
  papers. Although all of the PCs have papers authorizing 
  their travel through Scorpion lands, Rigori is suspicious 
  of such a diverse collection of strangers and questions 
  them intently about their purpose and destination. He pays 
  especial attention to Matsu Hiro and “Ikoma Asuka” since 
  they are Lions, the constant enemies of the Scorpion. 
  (“Asuka” has no way of signaling her true nature to the 
  Scorpions without breaking her cover.) Togashi Hametsu, 
  on the other hand, makes him uneasy and nervous, and he 
  will be more polite to him. If any of the PCs (especially 
  the Lion or Crab) are belligerent or insulting, Rigori will 
  pretend to find problems with their travel papers and 
  demand that they accompany him back to Ryoko Owari 
  for questioning. The PCs can smooth this problem over 
  with good role-play (e.g. a humble apology) and 
  Awareness+Sincerity rolls (TN 20); they could also fight 
  the Scorpion, although this thuggish response will cost 
  them all 3 points of Honor.  
   
  If the PCs question Rigori (politely) about conditions 
  on the Plain, or at the Shrine of Osano-Wo, he will only 
  say that there has been much danger here in recent weeks. 
  He will neither confirm nor deny that the trouble is from 
  Shadowlands creatures; if pressed on this issue, he looks 
  at Hiruma Shinji and remarks, “All those monsters are 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 44 
  kept safely behind the Kaiu Wall, aren’t they, 
  Hiruma-san? So how could they be here?” He will 
  strongly suggest the PCs should be elsewhere, 
  preferably well away from Scorpion lands, rather 
  than here giving him trouble.  
   
  Eleven Scorpion Bushi 
  FIRE 3 
  AIR 2 Reflexes 3 
  EARTH 2 
  WATER 2 Strength 3 
  VOID 2 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 1.5/1.0 
  School/Rank: Bayushi Bushi, Rank One 
  Skills: Archery 1, Defense 1, Iaijutsu 1, Kenjutsu 2 
   
  Bayushi Rigori 
  FIRE 4 
  AIR 4 Reflexes 5 
  EARTH 3 
  WATER 3 
  VOID 4 
  TN to be Hit: 30 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
  Honor/Glory: 1.2/3.2 
  School/Rank: Bayushi Bushi, Rank Four 
  Skills: Archery 2, Defense 3, Etiquette 3, Iaijutsu 3, 
  Kenjutsu 3, Sincerity 3, Stealth 2 
  Advantages/Disadvantages: 
  Luck 
  (rank 
  one), 
  Quick/Insensitive 
   
  After the meeting with Rigori’s troops, the PCs travel 
  the rest of the first day without incident, their journey 
  broken only by the occasional sudden thunderstorm. 
  The night is likewise free from danger, although the 
  PCs 
  probably 
  set 
  watches 
  and 
  make 
  other 
  precautions. During the night, however, two of the 
  PCs (Matsu Hiro and Asako Kimi) experience 
  strange dreams. These are repeated as handouts at the 
  end of the tournament. 
   
  Hiro’s Dream: You see your mother seated on a rocky 
  promontory, surrounded by dark clouds. She is 
  dressed in the white robes of the seppuku ceremony, 
  and holds her wakizashi, about to begin the ritual. 
  Suddenly the dark, swirling vapors seem to condense 
  around her, gripping her arms with shadowy fingers 
  and preventing her from completing the cut. She 
  looks up and her eyes meet yours, pleading with you 
  to help her complete the ritual with honor, but you 
  cannot seem to reach her; your feet are rooted to the 
  earth, and your limbs feel as heavy as lead. The shadowy 
  hands wrench the wakizashi out of her grasp and snatch 
  her away into the darkness, and the last thing you hear 
  before you awake is her piercing scream. 
   
  Kimi’s Dream: You are standing before the court at 
  Kyuden Isawa, receiving a great honor from the 
  Elemental Masters; you have been accepted as an Adept 
  of Fire, and the planned successor to the current Master 
  of Fire, Isawa Tsuke. As the gathered shugenja applaud 
  your accomplishment, you suddenly blink and realize your 
  father is among them. He is applauding more fervently 
  than any of them, but there is something wrong; he seems 
  to be aging, his hair turning thin and white, his limbs 
  shriveling and his back slumping with each handclap. 
  Then his flesh begins to shrivel and fall from his bones, 
  his skeleton crumbling away even as the applause 
  continues. You scream and beg for the crowd to stop 
  clapping, but they do not seem to hear you. When silence 
  finally returns, all that is left of your father is a cloud of 
  dust that drifts away in the breeze.  
   
  The next day, the PCs encounter a family of peasant 
  refugees, travelling across the Plains toward Scorpion 
  lands. The peasants total eleven (a shriveled grandmother, 
  the married adults, and eight children of varying ages) and 
  are carrying their pathetic personal belongings (mostly 
  ragged clothes and farming tools) on their straining backs. 
  All of them immediately fall to their knees and bow low 
  in the presence of these great samurai. If questioned, they 
  willingly admit to hailing from the village attached to the 
  Shrine of Osano-Wo. “The monsters have attacked every 
  day this week, and the monks have only barely held them 
  off. We feared for our miserable lives, mighty lords. We 
  are hoping to find shelter with the Scorpion, even if it 
  means we must forsake our lands and become mere day-
  laborers or worse.” If asked to describe the forces 
  attacking the Shrine, the peasants become almost 
  incoherent with terror, speaking of “dreadful inhuman 
  things, and dead men that walk like the living, and green-
  skinned midgets that leap and chatter and caper.” Any PC 
  making a Lore (Shadowlands) roll at TN 15 can recognize 
  these descriptions as authentic Shadowlands creatures – 
  probably Oni, zombies, and goblins.  
   
  A few hours after meeting the peasants, as the sun 
  sinks into the west and the weather grows steadily worse, 
  the PCs reach the Shrine. 
   
   
  Battle at the Shrine of Osano-Wo  
  All this afternoon, the weather has worsened, the sky 
  filling with dark and tumultuous clouds and the 
  occasional rumbles of thunder swelling into a steady 
  drumroll. The lands here are hilly, covered in thick 
  grass and brush, and the dark green slopes seem to 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 45 
  ripple like water under the gusts of wind. Ahead, 
  you can see thin columns of smoke rising from 
  beyond the hills, and the distant noises of battle 
  reach your ears beneath the smothering thunder. 
   
  You crest a rise and see below you the Shrine of 
  Osano-Wo. The Temple and its attendant compound 
  have been surrounded by a low stockade wall, and 
  you can see the distant forms of monks and 
  peasants atop that wall, brandishing staves and 
  clubs and yari as they struggle to hold back the 
  attackers. The enemy force is clearly, even from this 
  distance, of inhuman nature: you can make out the 
  capering forms of goblins, hulking ogres, and the 
  slow, grinding advance of zombies. Your hearts 
  pound in your chests as you recognize the tattered 
  banners which wave above the Shadowlands army, 
  displaying the symbol of Fu Leng. Even as you 
  watch, a dark explosion blasts part of the stockade 
  to smithereens, and the Shadowlands troops rush 
  toward the breach. Unless something is done, the 
  Shrine is doomed.  
   
  Surely no self-respecting samurai will allow the 
  Shadowlands troops to advance unmolested. If the 
  PCs ride forward to join the action, they will be 
  facing the Battle Table on the “Even” column; all 
  PCs who join the fight must be at least Unengaged 
  (there are no Reserves). Since this is a one-shot 
  scenario, Glory awards for the Battle Table may be 
  ignored (they would be halved in any case, since this 
  is a battle with honorless Shadowlands forces). Any 
  PC who rides a mount into the battle will lose that 
  mount (they are not trained for battle) except for 
  Otaku Ameiko’s war-horse, Chisa; Chisa will take 
  one less die of wounds each round than her rider 
  takes. Note that, since Chisa has no Defense skill, she 
  can only subtract her Reflexes from the wounds she 
  takes on the Battle Table. 
   
  Any roll on the Battle Table which generates a 
  Duel or Heroic Opportunity will instead select from 
  the following list of Battle Events, taking them in 
  sequence; the battle ends once the PCs have 
  accomplished all the Battle Events.  
   
  1: Into the Fray! As you charge into the thick of the 
  battle, a mass of chittering goblins swarms onto you, 
  trying to crush you under sheer weight. Their 
  grinning, jabbering faces are everywhere, their 
  rubbery little hands clutching rusty knives and 
  sharpened sticks. As the PC hacks through the mass 
  of goblins, s/he must roll Stamina+Athletics at TN 25 
  to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer weight of 
  goblin numbers, in which case the PC takes an 
  additional two dice of wounds over and above 
  whatever the Battle Table applied.   
   
  2: Into the Breach. You rush forward through the chaos 
  of battle and stand in the freshly-opened gap in the 
  Shrine’s stockade. For a few minutes it is you, and you 
  alone, who stands between the Shrine and the raging army 
  outside. The PC must make a Simple Willpower roll at 
  TN 15 to find the courage to stand alone in the breach. If 
  successful, the PC takes 1 additional die of wounds. If 
  failed, all subsequent rolls on the Battle Table are on the 
  “Losing” column until Event 8, “Close the Breach.”  
   
  3. 
  Block 
  the 
  Reinforcements. 
  Although 
  your 
  intervention has momentarily stymied the Shadowlands 
  assault, you can see reinforcements moving up: a huge 
  mass of zombies, their weapons clutched in rotting 
  fingers, are approaching an undefended section of the 
  wall. The only one available to stop them is you. A bushi 
  PC must make an Agility+Weapon roll (whichever melee 
  weapon the PC favors) at TN 25, while a shugenja PC 
  must roll Intelligence+Spellcraft at TN 25. The PC loses 1 
  additional die of wounds if the roll is successful, 2 dice of 
  wounds if it is failed. Also, if the roll is failed, the PC 
  must roll Simple Earth at TN 20 or get 1-5 points of 
  Shadowlands Taint from the flying zombie ichor.  
   
  4. Goblin Madmen. You have reached the stockade, and 
  as you stand atop the wall hacking down your attackers, 
  you see something bizarre and startling. A dozen goblins 
  have coated themselves with a black, tarry substance; now 
  they set the liquid alight, turning themselves into 
  shrieking, bipedal torches, and rush toward the wall, their 
  limbs spinning frantically. The other goblins cheer 
  raucously, and even the ogres and worse creatures pause 
  to hoot and bellow as the goblin madmen charge. The PC 
  must roll Reflexes+Athletics at TN 25 to dodge the goblin 
  fanatics. Failure means 2k2 damage as the PC is hugged 
  by a flaming goblin.    
   
  5. A Glimpse of the Enemy. Momentarily the enemy has 
  been thrown back, and as you pause to catch your breath 
  and wipe the worst of the filth of battle from your weapon 
  and body, you catch a glimpse of what must be one of the 
  enemy commanders: a tall, human-like form striding 
  among them, black hair whipping wildly about her (for 
  you realize it is a woman) head, her eyes shining with a 
  fierce red light. She waves a huge serrated-edge katana, 
  casually slaughtering a pack of fleeing goblins, and at her 
  bellowed commands the other creatures fall back into line 
  and return once more to the attack. The PC may make a 
  Perception+Heraldry roll to spot the Matsu mon on the 
  woman’s armor. If the PC who gets this event is Matsu 
  Hiro, he will recognize his mother if he makes a Simple 
  Intelligence roll at TN 25; in that case, he must make an 
  immediate Honor test at TN 30 or lose one rank of Honor 
  at the horror of his realization.  
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 46 
  6. The Battering Ram. As the Shadowlands army 
  storms forward once more, they bring with them a 
  huge tree-trunk slung on heavy iron chains. A dozen 
  ogres hold the chains and lug the battering ram 
  forward, slamming it against the wooden stockade 
  wall. Zombies and goblins crowd close behind, ready 
  to storm through the new breach. A few peasants 
  cower behind the wall, flinching with each blow from 
  the ram, clutching their spears in terror-clenched 
  hands. To rally the monks and destroy the battering 
  ram, the PC must roll Awareness+Battle at TN 25. If 
  the roll is failed, all PCs take an additional die of 
  wounds as the enemy troops briefly flood through the 
  new breach.  
   
  7. Save the Abbot. A huge ogre has gotten across the 
  wall, and lunges toward a wounded man who you 
  recognize as the Abbott of the Shrine. Leaping 
  forward, you shove the older man aside and take the 
  blow yourself. A moment later the ogre falls under a 
  hail of blows from other monks, rushing to save their 
  leader. The PC takes 4k2 damage from the ogre’s 
  glancing blow.   
   
  8. Close the Breach. Several of the monks and 
  peasants have patched together new barricades from 
  logs and timbers, and are struggling to bring them 
  forward into the gaps in the stockade. Joining them, 
  you strain to push the makeshift patches into place, 
  and lash them to the rest of the stockade with stout 
  timbers. The PC must roll Strength+Athletics at TN 
  20 to accomplish this without being hurt; otherwise 
  he takes 2k1 damage as a hand or foot is mashed by a 
  heavy log.  
   
  9. Final Struggle. The fight seems to have finally 
  guttered out, but one foe still remains inside the 
  walls, a grotesque monstrosity with dozens of spidery 
  limbs and slobbering, toothy mouths. The heaviest 
  blows seem to bounce off it with barely a scratch, and 
  it tosses and shreds men like rag dolls. Finally your 
  combined efforts bring the creature down, and it 
  melts into a puddle of disgusting sludge. The PC 
  takes one additional die of wounds, and must roll 
  Simple Earth at TN 30 or get 1-5 points of 
  Shadowlands Taint.  
   
   
  The Face of the Enemy 
  As the battle stumbles to a halt and the Shadowlands 
  forces 
  withdraw, 
  the 
  PCs 
  can 
  see 
  (with 
  Perception+Battle rolls, TN 20) several obvious 
  leaders, apparently human (or at least human-shaped) 
  moving about to rally the inhuman troops. The PC 
  who glimpsed Matsu Ayame earlier can recognize 
  her as one of these leaders. Another man, shriveled and 
  hunchbacked, supervises the loading of corpses onto 
  wagons, presumably to be re-animated later. Any PC 
  making a Perception+Investigation roll at TN 30 or better 
  notices something disturbingly familiar about these 
  leaders, although it is difficult to define exactly what.  
   
  A few prisoners are visible, mostly peasants but also 
  including a few monks, struggling with the zombies and 
  goblins who hold them. A long line of wooden stakes are 
  placed in the ground, and the prisoners are impaled one 
  after the other, shrieking in agony and despair. The 
  peasants watching from the stockade shout and weep with 
  horror at the fate of their brethren, while the monks make 
  warding gestures and speak soft prayers to the fortunes. 
   
  Finally, as the sun dips below the clouds and splashes 
  red-gold light across the horrible field, one of the figures 
  rides forward on a vile parody of a horse, with clawed feet 
  and 
  ropy 
  tentacles 
  in 
  place 
  of 
  a 
  mane 
  (Intelligence+Shadowlands Lore at TN 20 to recognize 
  Onikage). A ratling, squeaking with pain and fear, is 
  dragged along behind the Onikage by a thin length of 
  black chain. The man dismounts and strides forward 
  several paces, dragging the ratling behind him. The man’s 
  long black hair hangs unbound past his shoulders, and his 
  eyes glitter with a vicious blue light. His garments are 
  tattered and dirt-stained, but with a Perception+Heraldry 
  roll at TN 25 the PCs can see they still show the colors 
  and mon of the Otomo family. At this point, have Togashi 
  Hametsu make a Simple Perception roll at TN 20; if 
  successful, he recognizes his father, Otomo Kaigen.   
   
  “Doji Nashiko-sama congratulates you on your skills!” 
  the man shouts, his voice echoing like a trumpet. “You 
  are truly your parents’ children, of that there is no 
  doubt!” He bows deeply and mockingly, brushing the 
  ground with his long wild hair. “Perhaps we can 
  continue this discussion in a better setting? Nashiko-
  sama would dearly love to meet with you, to discuss the 
  nature of life and death, and reveal the truth about this 
  bushido you claim to serve! And we would like to discuss 
  such matters with you as well, in peace and privacy!” 
  His cold blue eyes seem to bore directly into Hametsu. 
  “We shall withdraw now, to Shinomen, and await your 
  reply.” He gestures broadly to the west, where the thin 
  dark shadow of Shinomen Forest crouches on the 
  horizon. Then he kicks forward the sniveling ratling at 
  his feet. “A guide for you, to find your way to Her 
  presence. We will wait four days! If you have not 
  presented yourselves to Her in that time, we will return, 
  and wipe this place from the face of the earth! Not one 
  stone shall lie on another, not one stick will go 
  unburned, not one life will be spared, no matter how old 
  or how young!” He waves behind him at the impaled 
  victims, still moaning and twitching as their lives fade. 
  “So consider wisely what your course will be!” He leaps 
  back into the saddle of the Onikage and rides back to the 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 47 
  army, which is already withdrawing westward. The 
  huddled, miserable Ratling stays where he was 
  tossed, furry arms wrapped around himself pitifully.  
   
   
  Stich’Kik the Slave 
  This poor Nezumi was captured in the Shadowlands 
  some time ago, and has been tortured and tormented 
  without mercy. One of his hands is missing, leaving a 
  festering stump, and white scars writhe through the 
  fur of his body and face. He crouches trembling 
  before the PCs, wiping his face with his truncated 
  forearm, and whimpering, “Don’t hurt Stich’Kik, he 
  good-good, yes, not hurt, please, not hurt...”  
   
  Stich’Kik knows where the Shadowlands army 
  bases itself (within the Shinomen forest); more 
  importantly, he also knows the location of the forest 
  glade where Doji Nashiko and her six converted 
  samurai are waiting to meet with the PCs. He is 
  pathetically eager to guide the PCs there, and 
  becomes very anxious and agitated if they do not 
  promptly journey there. “We must go, yes-yes, she 
  will hurt me if we don’t. Stich’Kik not want to be 
  hurt-hurt, no, not want it.” The PCs can question him 
  as they wish, and he will try his best to answer, but 
  his mind is half-gone from months of torture and he 
  is terrified of Nashiko and her minions. He will calm 
  somewhat if Hiruma Shinji speaks to him in his own 
  tongue. He has the following information:  
  • 
  Nashiko: “Pretty-pretty wo-man, dress in blue, 
  like sky. She’s the one in charge, yes-yes, hurts 
  us all lots. Always smiling, pretty-pretty, but not 
  pretty inside, no-no, all rotten inside. She always 
  talk-talk with the others, the bad-bad ones, ones 
  who hurt Stich’Kik.” He regards the PCs with a 
  nervous, sidelong glance. “Talk-talk about you. 
  About when you get here, when you join them. 
  You meet her before?” 
  • 
  The PCs’ parents: “They bad-bad, six of them. 
  Big tough-mens,” jabs a claw at Hiruma Shinji, 
  “gots name for them, calls them Evil-Servers, 
  yes?” The PCs may roll Shadowlands Lore at TN 
  20 to recognize a garbled version of Akutsukai 
  (Servants of Evil), humans who have taken the 
  blood of Fu Leng into their veins. “Five mens, 
  one wo-man. Long-haired big-sword wo-man 
  one of the worstest, yes-yes, kill lots. But they all 
  bad. Bad-bad, much worse than you, Stich’Kik 
  thinks.” 
  • 
  The Shadowlands Army: “They comes up from 
  bad-bad lands, go north of tough-mens’ big 
  walls, through big-big forest. Kill lots of hu-
  mans, kill-kill, make dead into soldiers to fight 
  for them. Pretty-pretty wo-man say they march 
  all through hu-man lands, kill everyone, especially 
  once you come here. Yes-yes.”  
  • 
  Himself: “Poor Stich’Kik. They kill his tribe, take 
  him prisoner, hurt him. Make Stich’Kik do 
  everything, haul dead bodies, make food, fix clothes. 
  No rest for Stich’Kik, no food, take his hand when he 
  misbehave. Stich’Kik just want to die. He show you 
  where pretty-pretty woman is, you kill him? Not give 
  him back to them? Please? Stich’Kik is asking you 
  nicely.” 
   
   
  In the Shrine of Osano-Wo 
  The monks have built a wooden stockade which 
  surrounds the shrine and most of the peasant village 
  which supported it. Unfortunately, the rice fields lie 
  outside the wall, and have been trampled and churned into 
  undifferentiated mud by the recent battles. Consequently, 
  the surviving peasants (about three hundred of all ages) 
  are terrified not only of the immediate threat from the 
  Shadowlands army but the longer-term threat of 
  starvation.  
   
  The monks are of more even temper – they know 
  they can eventually get food from elsewhere in the 
  Empire if they can survive the enemy assaults. There are 
  about a hundred monks left alive, ranging from novices in 
  their teens to age-worn men in their sixties and seventies. 
  About a third of the monks are retired samurai, and it is 
  this hard core of experienced former warriors which has 
  enabled the monks to hold off the assault. It has also 
  helped that eight of the monks are shugenja, and that the 
  Shrine kept stores of powdered jade.  
   
  The abbot, Jubei, is a stern, powerfully-built man in 
  his fifties. He thanks the PCs profusely for their 
  assistance, without which the Shrine would surely have 
  fallen to the forces of the Dark One. He asks how they 
  came to arrive at the Shrine at just this moment, and what 
  could have brought such a group together from across the 
  Empire at just this time and place. It is up to the PCs how 
  they answer, but the Abbot is likely to see the hands of 
  the Fortunes in this event. If any PCs confess to the 
  Abbott regarding their suspicions about the leaders of the 
  Shadowlands army (that they may be their parents), Jubei 
  listens gravely. “If this is true, your family has suffered a 
  terrible blow. Such creatures are a blight upon the world – 
  staining the honor of their family so long as they continue 
  to walk. You have my sympathies.” If the PCs ask his 
  advice, he speaks bluntly. “Kill them. Their souls have 
  been utterly corrupted. Only by returning them to the 
  Celestial Wheel can they be cleansed and reborn.”   
   
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 48 
  Journey Into Shinomen  
  The PCs can leave for the forest tonight, right on the 
  heels of the Shadowlands army, or they can wait until 
  the morning. Either way, they will not be able to keep 
  pace with the army – its inhuman troops move far 
  more swiftly than a human army could ever manage. 
  It takes about half a day for the PCs to reach the edge 
  of Shinomen forest, which means if they leave 
  immediately it will be well after dark before they 
  make it that far. They will also be exhausted and 
  suffer a –1 die penalty until they rest. Wise PCs wait 
  until morning before setting out – they have four 
  days, after all. If they do rest the night, all PCs heal 
  their Stamina in Wounds and recover one Void Point; 
  shugenja PCs recover one spell ring in all Elements. 
   
  It will take the PCs a day and a half to reach the 
  meeting place which Doji Nashiko has chosen, 
  assuming they let poor Stich’Kik guide them. 
  Shinomen is a strange and magical place, a deep and 
  untamed forest very different from the more modest 
  woods which can be found within the Empire. The 
  huge, thickly-clustered trees press in on all sides, and 
  strands of moss brush the PCs’ faces. If they bring 
  their horses (or ponies, as the case may be), the poor 
  beasts are very uneasy, their eyes staring wildly as 
  they shy at every noise; the PCs must make 
  Awareness+Horsemanship rolls at TN 20 every time 
  they attempt any action other than slowly riding 
  ahead. If the roll is failed, the animal throws its rider 
  (incidental 1k1 damage) and bolts, requiring a 
  Perception+Hunting roll at TN 30 to track down. 
  Chisa, Otaku Ameiko’s war-horse, is immune to 
  these effects, although it too is uneasy in the forest.  
   
  At various times throughout the day, the PCs 
  may notice (with Perception+Hunting rolls, TN 25) 
  odd drag-marks on the ground, resembling the trails 
  of enormous serpents. The Naga are awakening, 
  preparing the retake their ancient home. In a few 
  months, they will be numerous enough to easily crush 
  Nashiko’s small Shadowlands army...but for now, 
  they remain a sparse and hidden presence. 
   
  Late on the first day, as the shadows are 
  thickening and the PCs are starting to look for a place 
  to camp, they come upon a grisly sight: eight dead 
  peasants, dressed in filthy robes which once were 
  white, arranged in seated positions and clutching 
  wakizashi thrust into their bellies. The scene is a 
  deliberate mockery of the ceremony of seppuku, one 
  of the more important elements of the code of 
  bushido. Any PC with an Honor Rank of 2 or higher 
  (everyone but Shosuro Miaka, that is) must make a 
  Simple Willpower roll at TN 20 or be overcome with 
  rage and “lose their face,” giving in to the fury and 
  disgust which rush through them. Any PC who 
  succumbs to this momentary loss of control suffers a 
  penalty of three points of Honor (note that this will drop 
  Hiruma Shinji to Honor Rank 2.5, if he fails).  
   
  If the PCs examine the bodies closely (without 
  touching them, of course – only eta touch a dead body) 
  they can make Perception+Calligraphy rolls at TN 25 to 
  pick out the kanji which have been carved into the poor 
  peasants’ bellies as part of the false seppuku. In order, the 
  Kanji read, “Such is the true nature of your precious 
  bushido. Or can you prove me wrong?”  
   
   
  An Evening Visitor 
  As you make camp, the darkness of the forest seems to 
  press in upon you from all sides. You feel very small and 
  unimportant compared to this great force of nature, and 
  your campfire seems but a tiny spark struggling weakly 
  against the surrounding night. As you eat your rations 
  and prepare to catch what sleep you can, something 
  moves in the twilight beyond your fire’s circle. You 
  reach for your weapons, but then the figure steps 
  forward and is revealed as nothing more than an old 
  man, wizened and browned with age and sun, dressed in 
  a shapeless garment of dark brown and leaning on a 
  gnarled stick. He peers at you from under wispy 
  eyebrows 
  and 
  rasps, 
  “Eh, 
  some 
  warmth 
  and 
  conversation for an old man? So lonely here in these 
  woods.”  
   
  The old man is, in point of fact, a Kumo (shape-changing 
  spider), a race of sometimes-malevolent beings who dwell 
  far from civilized lands. A PC who specifically asks about 
  any stories of Shadowlands creatures who shape-change 
  can roll Shadowlands Lore (TN 20) to recall that Oni, 
  Kitsune, and Kumo are all known to take human form. In 
  point of fact, this particular Kumo (who calls himself 
  “Mamoru”), an old and very powerful specimen, is in a 
  friendly and rather playful mood, and plays to the hilt its 
  role as a forest-dwelling hermit lonely for conversation, 
  food, and a warming fire. He claims to have lived in the 
  forest “all my life” and says he doesn’t remember who his 
  family was, where they came from, or how old he is. If 
  the PCs ask where he lives, he gestures vaguely with his 
  free hand and says, “Oh, hereabouts. Wherever it suits 
  me.” If they ask about the Shadowlands Army, a scowl 
  crosses the old man’s shriveled features. “New, they are. 
  Rude. Trampling through here without so much as a by-
  your-leave.” He lowers his eyebrows and glares 
  suspiciously at the PCs. “Won’t be like them, now, will 
  you?” 
   
  The Kumo asks the PCs’ names, invites them to talk 
  about themselves, and asks to share their dinner. “Get so 
  tired of eating the same things, here,” he murmurs. If the 
  PCs are polite, hospitable, and provide some interesting 
  conversation, the Kumo never breaks out of his character, 
  and eventually rises and shuffles off into the woods, 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 49 
  muttering, “Nice ones, you are. Ought to be more like 
  you.”  
   
  If, on the other hand, the PCs are rude or directly 
  violent, the Kumo reacts poorly. He leaps suddenly 
  into a tree, clinging to the trunk with hands and feet, 
  and glares at the PCs with eyes which seem to have 
  suddenly swollen and multiplied. “My forest, this is!” 
  he snarls. “Tired of intruders! Tired of strangers! 
  Now you die!” One hand reaches out and yanks a 
  strand of creeper, and suddenly a thick web drops out 
  of the trees – all PCs must roll Reflexes+Athletics at 
  TN 25 or be caught in the net of sticky gray strands. 
  The Kumo then attacks, first with a poison spit and 
  then with his bite. PCs who are trapped in the webs 
  are helpless, and must make a Contested Strength roll 
  against the webbing’s Strength of 5 to free 
  themselves. 
   
  Stich’Kik, of course, will not fight – he scuttles 
  into the shadows to hide, emerging only after the 
  Kumo is safely dead. 
   
  Mamoru, Old and Powerful Kumo 
  EARTH 3 
  FIRE 6 
  WATER 3 
  AIR 3 
  Attack: 5k4 
  Damage: 4k2 
  TN to be Hit: 25 
  Armor: 4 
  Wounds: 16: -1, 32: -2, 48: Dead 
  Special Abilities: Mamoru can spit poison at a target 
  up to 10 feet away in place of a normal bite attack. 
  The target must make a contested roll of Stamina vs 
  the poison’s strength of 5, or become paralyzed for 
  ten rounds. 
   
  A Journey Ended 
  After the encounter with Mamoru the Kumo, the rest 
  of the night passes uneventfully. The PCs awaken to 
  a cool, damp morning, their muscles aching painfully 
  – except for Hiruma Shinji, who seems well-rested 
  and fresh. Their rest has brought some benefit, 
  however; all PCs heal their Stamina in Wounds and 
  recover one Void Point, and shugenja PCs recover 
  one spell ring in all Elements. 
   
  Stich’Kik is even more craven and fearful today, 
  for they have almost reached Doji Nashiko. He keeps 
  stopping and curling himself into a ball, whimpering, 
  “No, no, no hurt-hurt, no hurt anymore,” and must be 
  prodded and threatened into continuing the journey. 
  Finally, after many hours of slow and difficult travel, 
  Stich’Kik stops and points a trembling paw at a forest 
  clearing, just visible between the trees a few score 
  yards ahead. “There, she is there,” he whimpers. 
  “Pretty-pretty wo-man and the others. All there. Good 
  Stich’Kik bring you, now she not hurt-hurt. You go talk-
  talk now, tell them Stich’Kik good?” If the PCs offer to 
  end Stich’Kik’s life, as he asked earlier, he cowers down 
  and whispers, “Oh, she angry if Stich’Kik die-die. So 
  angry.” It is up to the PCs whether to honor his earlier 
  request or let him live. 
   
  There is no one else in the forest; to all appearances, 
  the only place to investigate is the clearing. Since it is 
  dishonorable to approach with stealth, the PCs (most of 
  them anyway) have little choice but to advance directly to 
  meet their fate. 
   
   
  A Conversation With Doji Nashiko 
  The forest glade was once a place of beauty, filled with 
  long grass and wild-flowers, the trees arching in a 
  protective canopy overhead. Now its beauty has been 
  corrupted: the glass lies rank and brown on the muddy 
  earth, and the flowers have shriveled as though burnt. 
  The trees have lost their leaves, and now their limbs 
  reach upward like desperate claws. The sounds of 
  animal life you caught elsewhere in the forest are silent 
  here. 
   
  In the center of the glade, resting on a tatami mat woven 
  of some leathery substance, sits a shockingly beautiful 
  woman, the loveliest creature you have ever seen, her 
  every feature perfect, her blue Crane kimono a study in 
  understated suggestion. On either side of her stand three 
  creatures which once were human. Creatures who are 
  dreadfully, impossibly familiar. 
   
  Just to her left stands the tall, wild-haired woman 
  some of you glimpsed in the battle. Her armor is clearly 
  that of the Matsu, but the saw-edged sword which she 
  balances lightly on her shoulder is like nothing any Matsu 
  ever carried. Her eyes glow red, and fanged teeth glisten 
  from her ruby lips as she smiles at you – especially at 
  Hiro-san. (If Hiro did not recognize her at the battle, he 
  automatically does so now, and must make an Honor Test 
  at TN 30 or lose one rank of Honor at the horror of what 
  has happened to his mother.)  
   
  Next to her, huddled in her shadow, is a hunch-
  backed travesty of a human form, his head bulbous and 
  misshapen, his eyes swollen out like those of a frog. His 
  shriveled, twisted hands are drawn up against his body 
  like some insect’s limbs. You can see the mon of the 
  Scorpion Clan on the tattered silk of the mangled kimono 
  which still clings, just barely, to his distorted frame. He 
  fixes his staring gaze on Ikoma Asuka and cackles wildly. 
  “At last, my dear little Miaka-chan, at last.” (Shosuro 
  Miaka must roll Willpower+Acting at TN 30 or find 
  herself unable to maintain her “Ikoma Asuka” persona, 
  her face relaxing and her very manner of speech changing 
  as she reverts to her true identity.) 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 50 
   
  Beyond the misshapen thing, leaning casually 
  against the trunk of a tree, is the wild-haired man 
  with the glowing blue eyes who spoke to you after 
  the battle. You can clearly see the Otomo mon on his 
  dirty kimono. He smiles broadly and gives you a 
  mocking salute. (If Togashi Hametsu did not 
  recognize his father at the battle, he does so now. He 
  feels a sudden lurch in his chest, the call of destiny.)  
   
  To the right of the beautiful Crane woman stands 
  a thin, viciously-smiling creature, its flesh shrunken 
  down on its bones so that it seems to be no more than 
  a skeleton with skin. Faint blue sparks glow within 
  the sunken sockets of its eyes, and thin, brittle hair 
  hangs in tangled strands from its scalp. It is clothed in 
  a ragged, fluttering garment of muddied orange, and 
  you can just make out the faded mon of the Phoenix 
  Clan upon it. Foul, black ichor drips from its 
  elongated fingernails, and the very air seems to ripple 
  slightly around it. (Asako Kimi feels a dreadful tug in 
  her heart as she recognizes her father. Like Hiro, she 
  must make an immediate Honor Test – this one at TN 
  25 – or lose a rank of Honor.) 
   
  Next to the skeletal monster stands a short, 
  bloated thing dressed in a fine kimono of purple silk. 
  His swollen, pinkish face seems to be set in a 
  permanent, gloating smile, and his plump hands are 
  linked in front of his belly. After a moment a long 
  pink tongue, its tip forked like a lizard, slithers out of 
  his mouth and licks a speck of dirt of his forehead. 
  The mon of the Ide family is prominent on his chest. 
  He looks at Otaku Ameiko and speaks, still smiling, 
  revealing rows of sharklike teeth within his broad 
  mouth. His voice is beautiful, like a finely-tuned 
  musical instrument. “Ah, daughter, we have traveled 
  so very far to be re-united again, ne? And how is 
  your mother? Does she miss my pretty voice?” 
  (Otaku Ameiko must roll Perception+Investigation at 
  TN 25 to recognize her father in this bloated thing; if 
  she does, she is –1 die to any future attacks against 
  him, due to the sheer disgust which the realization 
  arouses in her.) 
   
  On the far right, wrapped in a heavy cloak, is a 
  thin man with a seamed, gray-skinned face. His eyes 
  gleam with blue light from beneath lowered brows. 
  As your gaze falls upon him he shrugs the cloak off 
  his shoulders and unfurls a pair of huge, membranous 
  wings, dripping with black slime. The mon of the 
  Hiruma family still gleams from the battered, rusted 
  armor which hangs on his lank frame. He smiles at 
  Hiruma Shinji, showing strong yellow teeth. “It’s no 
  use, son,” he says softly. “The Dark One always 
  wins. You, of all people, should know that.” (Hiruma 
  Shinji recognizes his father, and the fallen samurai’s 
  words recall to him the fate of his lost love Hiruma 
  Eiko; he falls under the effects of the Lost Love 
  disadvantage until he spends a Void Point to snap out of 
  it.)  
   
  After the GM has finished describing this dreadful 
  scene, and assessed any individual effects for it, all the 
  PCs (except those with Death Trance) must make a Fear 
  test at Difficulty Rank 4. 
   
  The beautiful akutenshi smiles at the PCs, bowing as 
  elegantly as a courtier before the Emperor. “So good to 
  meet these precious children, for whom their parents gave 
  so much,” she murmurs. The six fallen samurai gather 
  around her in a semicircle, facing the PCs, smiling to 
  match her smile. She gestures to them with her ivory 
  skinned hands, each motion a study in perfect, mocking 
  etiquette. “See, your parents have learned the fruits to be 
  gained from obeying the Eighth Kami. Shall you not join 
  them, and be re-united in His service? Or will you die at 
  their hands, alone and unremembered, in the name of your 
  childish myth of bushido?”  She laughs delightedly at the 
  PCs. “Ah yes, bushido. Such a lovely little dream, isn’t it? 
  But now it is time to wake and face the cold reality of the 
  world.” 
   
  Nashiko will try not to initiate combat immediately; 
  she wants to toy with the PCs, to break their spirits and 
  crush their belief in bushido. She will hold a dialogue 
  with the PCs until they either attack her or acknowledge 
  defeat. Her goal is to puncture their belief in bushido and 
  their faith in themselves. Her powers give her access to all 
  the PCs’ deepest secrets, of course, and she will use all 
  their inner flaws, dreams, and hopes against them. She 
  will also deliberately attack the principles of bushido, 
  seeking to show that they are hollow and meaningless. 
  Nashiko does not fight fair, of course; she will think 
  nothing of changing her arguments, shifting targets, 
  ignoring or twisting the PCs’ words, and generally using 
  every rhetorical dirty trick imaginable. Guides to her 
  different arguments follow.  
   
  Ideally, the PCs should find this conversational 
  struggle just as taxing – and victory just as hard to earn – 
  as the physical battle which will follow. At the end of the 
  discussion, when Nashiko has used all her main 
  arguments (or the PCs have lost patience and attacked), 
  all the PCs must make an Honor Test. If they have role-
  played well, and offered strong counter-arguments, the 
  TN for this test is only 20; a PC who argues poorly or 
  incoherently, or those who falls back on physical attack 
  because they can’t think of a rebuttal, face a TN of 25; 
  those who fail to role-play convincingly face a TN of 30. 
  Failing the Honor Test means the PC loses a rank of 
  Honor and a Void Point, as Nashiko’s sinister arguments 
  worm their way into their heart. If all six PCs fail the 
  Honor Test, their resistance to Nashiko collapses and they 
  join their parents in the service of Fu Leng; but as long as 
  at least one PC passes the test, Nashiko is thwarted. 
  Proceed to “Final Battle,” below. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 51 
  Nashiko’s Attacks on the PCs 
  Hiruma Shinji: “Ah, Shinji-kun... bushido didn’t 
  protect your dear Eiko-chan, did it? Has it offered 
  you any recompense since? Any hope that your pain 
  might diminish, that your love might return? None, of 
  course not, how could it? Bushido demands only 
  sacrifice, and offers no rewards. My lord, on the 
  other hand, can give you anything you want. 
  Anything at all.” 
   
  Matsu Hiro: “Ah, Hiro, I see you have 
  recognized your mother. Isn’t she lovely? The picture 
  of obedience, here at my side. Oh, but how can that 
  be? Her honor should have protected her, shouldn’t 
  it? She could never have willingly chosen to follow 
  me, not an honorable follower of bushido, could 
  she?” She smiles at the hollow-eyed Ayame. “Well, 
  my dear? Did you choose the Eighth Kami 
  willingly?” “Hai, mistress,” the fallen Matsu replies. 
   
  Otaku Ameiko: “Ah, my dear, your heart is so 
  transparent. How can you believe in bushido when 
  your heart is urging you to forsake your duty for dear 
  Shinji-kun? A fine practitioner of bushido you are! 
  Why, anyone would think you were some foolish 
  courtier, with those lovely little dreams of secret 
  meetings and romantic confessions... Your mother 
  will be so disappointed when she learns. And then 
  your precious code of bushido will send you to a 
  geisha house, won’t it? That’s the fate of a samurai-
  ko who betrays her oath of chastity, after all.”  
   
  Asako Kimi: “My child, you believed so strongly 
  in your father, didn’t you? You were sure he was 
  waiting for you somewhere, if only you could find 
  him. Well, here he is.” She gestures at the deformed, 
  hunchbacked creature that is Asako Igemi. “Aren’t 
  you glad? Such a lovely reunion. He’s been waiting 
  all these years for you to find him. Come, come, greet 
  your father. He has so much to tell you.” She looks 
  mock-saddened. “Oh, but this wasn’t the reunion you 
  envisioned at all, is it? You were going to bring him 
  back and show all those people in Phoenix lands, 
  especially your mother. Show them they were wrong, 
  and you were right. Such a shallow, selfish goal, 
  really... but you couldn’t possibly be so shallow, an 
  enlightened young woman like you, could you?” 
   
  Ikoma Asuka (Shosuro Miaka): This is in many 
  ways Nashiko’s favorite target, since she knows of 
  Miaka’s true identity and mission and will take great 
  delight in revealing them to the rest of the party. “Ah, 
  yes, my dear, you have already realized the 
  pointlessness of bushido, haven’t you? And you’ve 
  used it against poor Hiro-kun very well indeed. A 
  worthy follower of my own methods, ne?” She looks 
  mock-saddened again, resting a hand on her throat. 
  “Oh, didn’t you know? Dear Miaka-san – that is your 
  real name, isn’t it, child? – was sent here by the 
  Scorpion, to entrap poor Hiro-kun. And you really 
  believed she was someone who might marry you...” She 
  smiles sweetly at Miaka. “Come now, you should be on 
  my side here. You already know the pointlessness of 
  serving these ridiculous codes, these child’s made-up 
  myths.” 
   
  Togashi Hametsu: Hametsu is the one PC who 
  Nashiko does not know how to approach. She instead 
  hopes to attack him indirectly through her more general 
  assault on Bushido. Whenever he confronts her with an 
  argument, she quickly changes focus and subject. If he 
  points out she is ignoring him, she replies that she need 
  not worry herself with those beneath her notice. If he 
  actually accuses her of fearing him, she flares with anger: 
  “You should be the one to fear me, little man. Your 
  precious Dragon’s blood will not protect your soul from 
  my Lord.” 
   
  Nashiko’s Attacks on Bushido  
  Honesty: “Oh, please! Every one of your clans, no matter 
  how ‘honorable’ they claim to be, expect their samurai to 
  lie on behalf of their lords. Why, it’s practically 
  considered a duty to lie. No room for honesty there!” 
   
  Courage: “Courage? What courage is it to follow the 
  path everyone else follows? That is not courage, it is 
  cowardice. You are afraid to stand alone, to be noticed as 
  different, so you submit to your lords’ orders like so many 
  sheep.”  
   
  Compassion: “Oh, that’s a fine one! Tell me, how 
  much compassion does a lord show to his peasants when 
  they have a bad harvest, when their rice cannot match the 
  Imperial levy? Or perhaps, a samurai whose daughter has 
  given in to the call of love? Why, he sells her to a geisha 
  house at once! Where is your vaunted compassion then?” 
   
  Courtesy: “Ah, yes, the famous Rokugani etiquette. 
  A game, a mask. Speaking pleasant words while sinking 
  knives into each others’ backs. Are not the Scorpion the 
  most courteous of all the Clans? And what do they use 
  their courtesy for but to cloak all their disreputable 
  actions?”   
   
  Honor: “Honor? What is honor? A word, bandied 
  about by your lords to keep you in line. Air, is all that 
  honor is. Where is the honor in lying to protect a guilty 
  superior? Where is the honor in fighting a duel to protect 
  your lord’s infidelities?”  
   
  Sincerity: “Now there’s a fine virtue indeed. All it 
  means is the ability to lie well. To pretend to believe 
  something you know is false, because your lord demands 
  it. Why, how can you do that when the rest of your 
  precious code demands that you be honest and 
  forthright?” 
   
  Duty: “Duty. Ah yes. Your lords always expect you 
  to do your duty. But what about their duty? What happens 
  when they fail, or betray you? They are not held 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 52 
  accountable. They do not slit their bellies, as they 
  expect you to do.” 
   
   
  The Final Battle 
  So long as at least one PC makes the Honor Test to 
  resist Nashiko’s attack on bushido, the party as a 
  whole does not fall into her seductive clutches. She 
  hisses with thwarted fury, her lovely face suddenly 
  twisted and inhuman, and rises in a flutter of blue 
  silk. “So be it,” her voice grates like rusted metal, 
  “You have rejected my offer, and now you will pay 
  the price. Your own parents will end your foolish 
  existence!” With a sharp whump of displaced air she 
  flies straight up, vanishing into the thick tree 
  branches. The six fallen samurai advance on the PCs, 
  their baleful eyes glaring sickly light in the forest 
  gloom.   
   
  The final combat ensues. The fallen parents – 
  five Akutsukai and an Akutenshi – will pull no 
  punches, and use all their powers to the fullest. They 
  will attack their own children by preference, but do 
  not play favorites and strike where and how seems 
  most effective in defeating the totality of their foes. 
  The GM should pull no punches in running this 
  combat, fudge no die rolls, and allow no hesitations 
  on the part of the PCs. If the heroes all die, so be it; 
  many Rokugani stories end that way. But if they 
  triumph, they should feel they have beaten near-
  unbeatable foes.  
   
  As you stand, shaking with pain and exhaustion, 
  over the bodies of the things which were once your 
  parents, you see the form of Nashiko shimmer in 
  the air before you. Her lovely features are twisted in 
  hatred and thwarted fury, fangs sprout from her 
  ruby-red lips, and taint-dripping claws extend from 
  her delicate fingers. “You think you have won? 
  What use a victory that destroys that which you 
  sought to save? So it shall be for all your feeble 
  Empire. Your Clans will betray and war on one 
  another, your Emperor will die, and the Dark One 
  shall march in triumph over your rotting corpses!” 
  She vanishes in a twining cloud of smoke.  
   
  As you stumble free of the smoke and prepare 
  for the long trek back to the Empire and your 
  distant homes, you realize something: for all 
  Nashiko’s vicious words, she was unwilling to risk 
  her life against those who destroyed her greatest 
  minions. You have defeated her, if only partially, 
  and cleansed your family lines of the taint of the 
  Shadowlands. Your hearts warm within you as you 
  reach the edge of the forest and watch mother Sun 
  rise in the east, shining over the Plains of Thunder, 
  once again free of the servants of Fu Leng. 
   
  The End 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 53 
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS, ROUND TWO 
   
  Stich’Kik, Ratling Slave Guide 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 2 
  AIR 1 
  WATER 2 
   
  Attacking: If given a weapon, 4k3, but won’t fight against the Shadowlands forces 
  Damage: As weapon+Strength 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Armor: 3 
  Wounds: 9: -1, 18: Dead 
   
  Hiruma Tadoshi, Akutsukai, Fallen Crab Scout 
   
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 4 
  AIR 4 
  WATER 3 
  Shadowlands Taint Rank: 6 
   
  Attacking: 7k4 (tetsubo, ignores armor) or 3k3 (wings) 
  Damage: 5k2 (tetsubo), 2k2+Taint (wings) 
  TN to be Hit: 25 (20 without armor, +10 when flying) 
  Armor Rating: 7 
  Wounds: 64: Dead 
   
  Schools/Rank: Hiruma Scout Rank Two 
  Dance the Razor’s 
  Edge 
  Tadoshi may add 5 to his TN to be hit by Shadowlands creatures for each School 
  Rank. Naturally, he seldom finds use for this skill any longer. 
  Run Like the Wind 
  Tadoshi can maintain a running pace (10 mph) for a number of hours equal to his 
  Stamina times 2, after which he must rest for the same time. 
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Eyes of Hell 
  Tadoshi’s glowing eyes see in the dark, and cannot be blinded. 
  Undead Strength 
  Tadoshi suffers no wound penalties, ignores the “Down” and “Out” ranks, and fights 
  at full capabilities until Dead. 
  Wings 
  Tadoshi may fly at four times his waling pace. He suffers a +5 TN penalty while on 
  the ground, but while flying his TN to be Hit is at +10.1 
  Invulnerability 
  As per the oni ability, only jade, crystal, and magic can affect him. 
   
  Note that, like all Akutsukai, Tadoshi has the ability to spend Wounds in place of his now non-existent Void. He 
  may gain an extra die to roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: Tadoshi is thin and gray-skinned, and sports a pair of membranous wings which drip with Tainted 
  slime. His eyes glow blue. He still wears his decaying old armor with the Hiruma mon, and wields a rotting tetsubo.  
   
                                                             
  1 Wings of Taint (Unique): if Tadoshi is not flying, he may use his wings to fling Tainted ichor at his foes in addition to his 
  normal melee attack. Any opponent struck by the ichor is burned for 2k2 damage and must make a Simple Earth roll at TN 20 or 
  suffer 1-10 points of Taint as well 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 54 
  Matsu Ayame, Akutenshi, fallen Lion Samurai 
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 6 
  AIR 4 
  WATER 4 
  Reflexes 5 
   
  Shadowlands Taint Rank 7 
   
  Attacking: 8k4 
  Damage: 7k2+3 (saw-edged katana) 
  TN to be Hit: 30 (25 without armor) 
  Armor Rating: 9 
  Wounds: 96: Dead. 
   
  Schools/Rank: Matsu Bushi Rank Three/Maho-Bujin Rank 3 
  The Lion’s Roar 
  During a Full Attack, Ayame generates a Fear effect in her foes equal to her School 
  Rank +1. 
  Matsu’s Fury 
  During a Full Attack, Ayame may make one additional attack per turn. 
  With My Ancestors 
  Beside Me 
  When making a Full Attack, Ayame rolls a number of initiative dice equal to her 
  Honor Rank. 
  Carve the Crimson 
  Road 
  Gains an additional amount of attacks equal to the highest Honor Rank among her 
  opponents. 
  Corruption 
  Rewards 
  Use the wounds inflicted in the previous strike as her initiative score for the 
  following round. 
  Devourer of Purity 
  She may recover a number of wound ranks equal to the Honor of anyone she brings 
  to Down, Out, or Dead. This takes effect immediately. Any ranks beyond her injuries 
  are lost. 
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Command 
  the 
  Taint 
  Ayame can make a contested Willpower roll to control lesser Shadowlands creatures. 
  Disrupt Chi 
  By making a contested Awareness roll against an opponent’s Awareness+School 
  Rank, Ayame can force him to use his lowest Trait for all die rolls. This lasts one 
  round, plus one round per raise. 
  Fear: Rank 4 
  This also adds +1 to the power of the “Matsu’s Roar” fear effect when she uses that 
  technique. 
  Invulnerability 
  As per the oni ability, only jade, crystal, and magic can affect her. 
  Magic Resistance 
  Any spell cast at Ayame must add +10 to its TN to succeed. 
  Undead Strength 
  Ayame ignores all wound penalties, including the “Down” and “Out” effects, and 
  keeps fighting until reduced to Dead. 
   
  Note that Ayame has the ability to spend Wounds in place of her now non-existent Void. She may gain an extra die 
  to roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: Ayame appears superficially human, indeed beautiful, but taller and more muscular than she was in 
  life. Her eyes glow red and fangs glint behind her lips. She always carries her strange saw-edged blade unsheathed, 
  usually balanced on her shoulder. She still wears the armor of the Matsu. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 55 
  Ide Hiroji, Akutsukai, Fallen Unicorn Diplomat 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 4 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Shadowlands Taint Rank 5 
   
  Attacking: 6k3 (tail) 
  Damage: 4k2 (tail) 
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Armor: 4 
  Wounds: 16: -1; 24: -2; 32: -3; 40: -4; 48: Down; 56: Out; 64: Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Hiroji has forgotten all his courtier techniques; they are useless games to him. He is a Maho-Tsukai. 
   
  Spells: Hiroji can cast the following maho spells: 
  Corruption of the Earth (Base TN 15, 3 actions, costs 8 wounds, duration 4 actions, creates a 3-foot pool of mud 
  which swallows all within its area at 2 feet per turn, they must roll Earth at TN 15 to move three feet) 
  No Pure Breaths (Base TN is target’s Earth x 5, 2 actions, costs 5 wounds, forces the air violently out of the target 
  inflicting DR 5 wounds, target is at +10 on all TN until magically healed) 
  Stealing the Soul (Base TN 15, 2 actions, costs 8 wounds, lasts 8 actions, target loses one from each Ring and Trait 
  – to a minimum of one – for each shugenja participating). 
   
  He also knows the following “normal” spells in their Elemental Maho versions (cast using Ring+Taint Rank, and 
  costing Wounds equal to their Mastery Level): 
  Earth’s Stagnation 
  Fury of Osano-Wo 
  Wind’s Distractions. 
   
  Special Abilities: 
  Blend 
  with 
  Darkness 
  Hiroji can turn his skin black and mottled, allowing him to blend into darkness or 
  deep shadow. Those trying to detect him under such conditions (such as the dense 
  shadows of Shinomen Forest) must roll Perception+Investigation at TN 25. 
  Command 
  the 
  Taint 
  Hiroji can make a contested Willpower roll to control lesser Shadowlands creatures. 
  Regeneration 
  (unique): Hiroji’s slimy, bloated flesh heals itself of 2k2 wounds every round until he 
  is reduced to the “Dead” level. He will actually exploit this ability to trick opponents 
  into thinking him dead, then slip away into the shadows and resume casting spells. 
  Tail 
  Hiroji has a club-like lizard tail, with which he may fight. 
   
  Note that Hiroji has the ability to spend Wounds in place of his now non-existent Void. He may gain an extra die to 
  roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: Hiroji resembles nothing so much as a bloated human toad, dressed in the fine garments of the 
  Unicorn. His wide mouth is filled with small shark-like teeth, and he sports a long forked tongue with which he 
  cleans his smooth, pudgy face. His tail is normally kept concealed beneath his robes, whence he can whip it forth 
  with maximum surprise and shock. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 56 
  Asako Igemi, Akutsukai, Fallen Henshin 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 4 
  Intelligence 5 
   
  AIR 4 
  WATER 3 
   
  Strength 4 
  Shadowlands Taint Rank 5 
   
  Attacking: 6k3 (two claw attacks per round) 
  Damage: 4k2+possible Taint (claws) 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Armor: 10 (chitinous hide) 
  Wounds: 64: Dead. 
   
  Schools/Rank: Asako Henshin Rank Two 
  Mystery of Earth 
  once a day, add 1 to his Earth ring or subtract 1 from an opponent’s Earth ring for 
  two turns 
  Riddle of Earth 
  once per day, may ignore Earth+1 wounds, or heal the same amount of wounds taken 
  by another 
  Mystery of Air 
  twice a day, may add 2 to his Air ring or subtract 1 from an opponent’s Air ring for 
  two turns 
  Riddle of Air 
  twice per day, may roll Air+2 extra dice for social interaction checks 
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES 
  Chitinous Hide 
  Igemi’s thick, hardened skin resists damage, giving him an armor rating (as oni 
  armor) of 10. 
  Undead Strength 
  Igemi ignores all Wound penalties, including the “Down” and “Out” ranks, and 
  continues to fight at full power until reduced to Dead. 
  Invulnerability 
  As per the oni ability, only jade, crystal, and magic can affect him. 
  Claws 
  In addition to inflicting damage, Igemi’s Taint-dripping claws force the target to 
  make an Earth roll at a TN of 20 or suffer 1-5 points of Taint. 
  Air Warp 
  (Unique): Any missile weapon, or missile-like spell which targets Igemi has its TN 
  increased by +20 due to the constant rippling flux of the air around him; this is 
  caused by a cloud of Kansen (evil air spirits) which constantly circle his body. 
   
  Note that Igemi has the ability to spend Wounds in place of his now non-existent Void. He may gain an extra die to 
  roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: Igemi is grotesquely thin, his flesh shrunken down against the bones and encrusted with thick chitin. 
  His eyes glow dimly from deep within their sunken sockets, and his fingers are tipped with dripping claws. 
   
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 57 
  Shosuro Gamaro, Akutsukai, Fallen Scorpion Shugenja 
   
  FIRE 2 
  EARTH 4 
  Intelligence 5 
   
  AIR 4 
  WATER 3 
  Shadowlands Taint Rank 5 
   
  Attacking: 4k2 
  Damage: 4k1 (small knife) 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Armor: 6 
  Wounds: 64: Dead. 
   
  Schools/Rank: Yogo Shugenja Rank Two/Maho-Tsukai 
   
  SPELLS 
  Animate the Dead (Base TN 20, 10 actions, costs 5 wounds, animates a dead sentient being as a zombie) 
  Touch of Death (Base TN 20, 2 actions, costs 5 wounds, target must be within 10 feet plus 2 feet per raise, inflicts 
  damage of DR 7 on target as their flesh flakes away) 
  Tomb of Earth (Base TN is target’s Air x 5, 3 actions, costs 6 wounds, target is slowly turned to stone from the 
  outside in, requiring a contested roll of target’s Air against caster’s Earth each round – if target wins, the spell ends, 
  if caster wins, target takes DR 2 wounds and spell continues to the next round for another roll).  
   
  He also retains knowledge (and scrolls) for the following normal spells: 
  Call Upon the Wind 
  Know the Shadows 
  Secrets on the Wind 
  Reversal of Fortunes 
  Sympathetic Energies 
  Calm Mind. 
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES: 
  Undead Strength 
  Gamaro ignores all wound penalties, including the “Down” and “Out” ranks, and 
  fights at full capability until reduced to Dead. 
  Invulnerability 
  As per the oni ability, only jade, crystal, and magic can affect him. 
   
  Note that Gamaro, like all Akutsukai, has the ability to spend Wounds in place of his now non-existent Void. He 
  may gain an extra die to roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: Gamaro appears as a grotesque, hunch-backed travesty with a bulbous, misshapen head. His arms are 
  atrophied and clutched up against his belly, and his only weapon is a small knife he uses to let the blood needed for 
  his spells; he is a physical coward and will attempt to avoid any melee situation. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 58 
  Otomo Kaigen, Akutsukai, Fallen Magistrate 
   
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 4 
  AIR 4 
  WATER 3 
   
  Perception 4 
  Shadowlands Taint Rank 5 
   
  Attacking: 8k4 (twice per round) 
  Damage: 6k2 (katana) 
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Armor: 4 
  Wounds: 64: Dead 
   
  Schools/Rank: Kitsuki Magistrate rank Two/Maho-Tsukai 
  Kitsuki’s Method 
  Kaigen may spend as many Void Points as he has on any Awareness or Perception 
  roll. 
  Wisdom the Wind 
  Brings 
  For an Awareness or Perception roll, Kaigen gains a number of Free Raises equal to 
  his School Rank.  
   
  SPELLS 
  Stealing the Soul (Base TN 15, 2 actions, costs 8 wounds, lasts 8 actions, target loses one from each Ring and Trait 
  – to a minimum of one – for each shugenja participating). 
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES: 
  Command 
  the 
  Taint 
  Kaigen can make a contested Willpower roll to control lesser Shadowlands creatures. 
  Eyes of Hell 
  Kaigen’s glowing eyes can see in the dark, and cannot be blinded. 
  Inhuman Speed 
  (unique) Kaigen can attack twice per round. 
  Undead Strength 
  Kaigen ignores all wound penalties and functions at full power until reduced to Dead. 
   
  Note that Kaigen has the ability to spend Wounds in place of his now non-existent Void. He may gain an extra die to 
  roll and keep (just like spending a Void Point) by spending four Wounds.  
   
  Appearance: The most human-like of the six fallen samurai, Kaigen appears as a grinning wild-haired man with 
  glittering, blue-glowing eyes. He still wears the tattered, filthy robes of an Otomo. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 59 
  Player Handout: Hiro’s Dream. 
   
   
  You see your mother seated on a rocky promontory, surrounded by dark clouds. She is dressed in 
  the white robes of the seppuku ceremony, and holds her wakizashi, about to begin the ritual. 
  Suddenly the dark, swirling vapors seem to condense around her, gripping her arms with 
  shadowy fingers and preventing her from completing the cut. She looks up and her eyes meet 
  yours, pleading with you to help her complete the ritual with honor, but you cannot seem to 
  reach her; your feet are rooted to the earth, and your limbs feel as heavy as lead. The shadowy 
  hands wrench the wakizashi out of her grasp and snatch her away into the darkness, and the last 
  thing you hear before you awake is her piercing scream. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Player Handout: Kimi’s Dream. 
  You are standing before the court at Kyuden Isawa, receiving a great honor from the Elemental 
  Masters; you have been accepted as an Adept of Fire, and the planned successor to the current 
  Master of Fire, Isawa Tsuke. As the gathered shugenja applaud your accomplishment, you 
  suddenly blink and realize your father is among them. He is applauding more fervently than any 
  of them, but there is something wrong; he seems to be aging, his hair turning thin and white, his 
  limbs shriveling and his back slumping with each handclap. Then his flesh begins to shrivel and 
  fall from his bones, his skeleton crumbling away even as the applause continues. You scream 
  and beg for the crowd to stop clapping, but they do not seem to hear you. When silence finally 
  returns, all that is left of your father is a cloud of dust that drifts away in the breeze.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 60 
  Hiruma Shinji  
  Crab Clan Shugenja 
  Rank Four Kuni Shugenja (former Hiruma Scout) 
   
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 5 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 5 
  Intelligence 4 
  Willpower 5 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 2 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 2 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 20 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) or Tetsubo of Earth 
  Primary Armor: Light 
   
  SKILLS 
  Athletics 3 
  Battle 3 
  Calligraphy 2 
  Defense 2 
  Etiquette 1 
  Hand-to-Hand 2 
  Heraldry 1 
  History 1 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Hunting 2 
  Iaijutsu 1 
  Intimidation 2 
  Investigation 1 
  Kenjutsu 2 
  Law 1 
  Lore 
  (Shadowlands) 4 
  Lore (Shugenja) 3 
  Lore Ratling 2 
  Medicine 3 
  Meditation 2 
  Origami 1 
  Ratling Speech 2 
  Shintao 1 
  Spellcraft 1 
  Tsubojutsu 4 
  Wrestling 1 
   
  Honor: 3.3 
  Glory: 4.0 
   
  Advantages: 
  Blood of Osano-Wo 
  Innate Abilities 
  Jade Strike 
  Tetsubo of Earth 
  Multiple Schools (Hiruma/Kuni) 
  Strength of the Earth (Rank 1) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Driven2 
  Lost Love (Hiru8ma Eiko) 
  Haunted (Hiruma Eiko) 
   
  Outfi
  t:  
  Light Armor 
  Katana (3k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Tetsubo (2k2) 
  Rokugani pony with saddle 
  Scroll satchel with scrolls for all known spells 
  Purse (2 koku) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Traveling Pack containing: 
  rations 
  inkstone and brush 
  6 blank scrolls 
  4 pouches of jade powder 
  personal chop 
  old obi bead (belonged to Hiruma Eiko) 
                                                             
  2 Must destroy enough Shadowlands evil to placate Eiko’s spirit 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 61 
   
  Wounds 
   
  10 
  - 0 
   
  10 
  - 0 
   
  10 
  - 1 
   
  10 
  - 2 
   
  10 
  - 3 
   
  10 
  Down 
   
  10 
  Out 
   
  10 
  Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Hiruma Scout rank 1/Kuni Shugenja rank 4 
  Dance the Razor’s 
  Edge 
  Shinji may add 5 to his TN to be hit by Shadowlands creatures for each School Rank. 
  Kuni Shugenja 
  Shinji gets a Free Raise with all Earth Spells. 
   
  SPELLS 
  Sense 
  Commune 
  Summon 
  Counterspell 
  Earth 
  Courage 
  of 
  the 
  Seven Thunders 
  Earth’s Stagnation 
  Fires 
  From 
  the 
  Forge 
  Force of Will 
  Jade Strike 
  Tetsubo of Earth 
  Tomb of Jade 
  Fire 
  Biting Steel 
  Fury of Osano-Wo 
  Fire From Within 
  Water 
  Calm Mind 
  Path to Inner Peace 
  Reversal 
  of 
  Fortunes 
  Sympathetic 
  Energies 
  Air 
  Tempest of Air. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Hiruma Shinji is a deceptively ordinary looking man, plain of feature and calm of speech. 
  Unlike most Crabs, he is usually restrained and polite, but when the subject of the Shadowlands comes up, he 
  becomes much louder and more aggressive, gestures broadly, and a bitter light flashes in his eyes. A secret sorrow 
  burdens him, and he often seems gloomy and depressed. He feels himself attracted to Otaku Ameiko, but the 
  memory of Eiko (not to mention the periodic visits from her angry spirit) makes it almost impossible for him to 
  acknowledge those feelings. 
   
  Otaku Ameiko: You met this spirited Unicorn samurai-ko while patrolling your clan’s northern borders, and recently 
  ran into her again while travelling to investigate the troubles in Scorpion lands. The two of you have agreed to travel 
  together, since she is also looking into the problems there. You cannot deny that you feel an attraction for her, for 
  her fierce spirit and strange, direct personality. But such a thing will never be, not so long as you can remember 
  Eiko’s face. 
   
  You are the only son of Hiruma Tadoshi, a famed Emerald Magistrate, and Moto Aoi, a maiden of the cursed Moto 
  family of the Unicorn. You have only a few soft memories of your mother, for she was killed by a maho-tsukai 
  (black sorcerer) when you were very young. Your father avenged her, and did his best to raise you himself; he loved 
  you dearly, but he had been appointed as an Emerald Magistrate and spent much time away from your home, 
  travelling the Empire to do the Emperor’s duty. You missed him deeply, and felt little affection for his second wife, 
  a prim and proper Hida woman.  
   
  When you were fifteen years old, and just finishing your gempukku (coming-of-age), your father disappeared 
  during a mission for the Emperor. The samurai who brought you the news told you he had prevented a war between 
  your clan and the Crane, and suggested he had been assassinated for his troubles. Such was the fate of a Crab who 
  let the Emperor decide his path. You swore to yourself that you would serve only the Crab Clan, and no others. 
  Shortly after you took up your duties as a scout along the Kaiu Wall. You were a skilled and effective scout, for 
  weather and wind did not trouble you and you could walk through the worst of storms with only a kimono. While 
  there you met a young Hiruma maiden named Eiko, and became instantly infatuated. The two of you went on many 
  patrols together, and from the hints she dropped you realized she felt the same for you as you did for her. But these 
  feelings would only bring you pain. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 62 
   
  During a patrol into the Shadowlands, your scout team was ambushed by a dreadful oni. A pestilent mass of 
  writhing tentacles and bulbous eyes, the thing darted out of a cave and tore apart every samurai in its path. Only two 
  of you had jade powder, and both of them perished in the first seconds; while your weapon bounced futilely off the 
  oni’s slimy hide, it lifted Eiko shrieking into the air and tossed her like a rag doll. She screamed for you to help her, 
  and tears of helplessness blinded you as the thing slowly ripped her apart. Your own screams seemed to merge with 
  hers, and suddenly a gateway seemed to open deep in your soul; an instant later you were bludgeoning the thing with 
  a tetsubo that seemed to have grown in your hand. You struck over and over, in a mad frenzy, long after the stinking 
  carcass had ceased to move.  
   
  The next day another patrol found you, still clutching the tetsubo, cradling Eiko’s remains in your arms. You 
  stood to meet them, and the magical tetsubo crumbled to dust in your hand. The Kuni shugenja who accompanied 
  the patrol stepped up and laid his hand on your shoulder. “You are no longer Hiruma,” he said, “but Kuni.” 
   
  You have spent the years since then studying your new path as one of the Kuni shugenja. You have proven to 
  have quite an aptitude for magical studies, and an even greater aptitude for hunting down the servants of Fu Leng. 
  You are obsessed with destroying the creatures of the Shadowlands, and have often accompanied the Kuni Witch 
  Hunters on their journeys across the Empire. At other times you have served your Clan in more conventional ways, 
  fighting on the Wall or accompanying patrols along your borders with other Clans. But no matter how far you travel, 
  no matter how many monstrosities you kill, you cannot escape the memory of Eiko. Her screams still haunt your 
  dreams, and sometimes you hear her voice in your mind, asking why you could not have summoned that tetsubo 
  sooner, why you could not save her life. You fear she will remain with you until you die. Or perhaps, just perhaps, 
  you can slay enough of those things to satisfy her unquiet spirit. 
   
  Your latest attempt to do just that has brought you to Scorpion lands. The Scorpion have recently been plagued 
  by many border raids from the Shinomen Forest, and rumor has it that the raiding forces are Shadowlands creatures. 
  You have come to learn the truth of the matter and, if possible, to destroy the creatures. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 63 
  Matsu Hiro  
  Lion Clan Samurai 
  Rank Five Matsu Bushi  
   
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 4 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 4 
  Intelligence 4 
  Willpower 5 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 4 
  Strength 4 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 30 (20 without armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Primary Armor: Heavy (-5 to all physical rolls) 
   
  SKILLS 
  Archery 3 
  Armorer 1 
  Athletics 3 
  Battle 4 
  Calligraphy 1 
  Dance 1 
  Defense 1 
  Etiquette 2 
  Falconry 1 
  Hand-to-hand 3 
  Heraldry 2 
  History 3 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Hunting 2 
  Iaijutsu 3 
  Intimidation 1 
  Kenjutsu 5 
  Law 1 
  Lore (Lion) 3 
  Lore (Ancestors) 3 
  Medicine 1 
  Meditation 1 
  Poetry 1 
  Sincerity 3 
  Tea Ceremony 1 
  Theology 1 
  Yarijutsu 2 
  War Fan (Tessen) 1 
  Wrestling 2  
   
  Honor: 4.6 
  Glory: 4.3 
   
  Advantages: 
  Death Trance 
  Kharmic Tie (mother, Matsu Ayame) 
  Strength of the Earth (Rank 1) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Brash 
   
  Outfi
  t:  
  Heavy Armor 
  Fine Katana (4k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Bow (STR 2) 
  Quiver w/ 20 arrows 
  10 Ya (2k2) 
  5 flesh cutters (3k3) 
  5 armor piercing (1k2) 
  Rokugani pony with saddle 
  Purse (1 koku, 2 bu) 
  Kimono 
  Sandals 
  Traveling Pack containing: 
  rations 
  blanket 
  whetstone 
  personal chop 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 64 
   
  Wounds 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 1 
   
  8 
  - 2 
   
  8 
  - 3 
   
  8 
  Down 
   
  8 
  Out 
   
  8 
  Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Matsu Bushi Rank 5 
  The Lion’s Roar 
  When in a Full Attack, Hiro generates a Fear effect in his foes equal to his School 
  Rank +1. 
  Matsu’s Fury 
  When making a Full Attack, Hiro may make one additional attack per turn. 
  With My Ancestors 
  Beside Me 
  When making a Full Attack, Hiro rolls a number of initiative dice equal to his Honor 
  Rank. 
  The Lion’s Claws 
  Hiro may make two attacks per turn. He gains a third attack when making a Full 
  Attack. 
  Matsu’s Courage 
  When making a Full Attack, Hiro ignores Wound Rank penalties up to his Honor 
  Rank; thus, at his current Honor Rank of 4, he ignores all Wound Rank penalties 
  above “Down.” 
   
  Ancestor: Ikoma (may ask one Yes-or-No question of the GM during the game; the GM must answer truthfully). 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Matsu Hiro is a formidable man, strong, handsome, and graceful. His expression alternates 
  between a placid gaze (in battle) and a fierce, angry scowl (the rest of the time). He hates Scorpions and Cranes, and 
  finds travel in the Scorpion lands acutely uncomfortable – not because he fears assassination (death has no power 
  over him) but out of the fear that the crafty Scorpions might somehow dishonor him. He is anxiously seeking a wife 
  and will assess any non-Scorpion females from this perspective.    
   
  Ikoma Asuka: This lovely Ikoma Bard was recently assigned to you as your personal historian. She is both honorable 
  and attractive, a fitting prospect for a bride, but it would be improper to let such feelings interfere in your respective 
  duties. Still, if you saw some sign that she returned your feelings, you might be moved to find a way around such 
  impediments. 
   
  You are the epitome of the brave and honorable Matsu, a powerful warrior and hero of the Lion clan, a man who 
  fears not death, but only dishonor. Your father died before you were born, saving the Emperor from a band of 
  vicious ronin, and you were raised by your mother Ayame, herself a ferocious Matsu samurai. She taught you 
  everything you needed to know about being a Lion and a Matsu, the most honorable family in the most honorable 
  clan in the Empire. She was not always able to be there to instruct you, of course, for her duties as an Emerald 
  Magistrate took her all across the Empire. But even when she was far away, you always felt the closeness of her 
  spirit, as though the two of you shared parts of the same soul.  
   
  When you were fourteen, almost ready to begin the demanding and dangerous gempukku (coming-of-age) 
  ceremony of your family, you received word that your mother had vanished while mediating a dispute between the 
  Crab and Crane clans. You were told she was believed dead, but you could not bring yourself to accept that. Surely 
  if she had died, you would have felt it, wherever she was. You completed your gempukku convinced that her eyes 
  were upon you, and you have lived your life with the conviction that she might, at any time, reappear and demand an 
  accounting for your actions. You have served the Matsu family with pride, courage, and unbreachable honor, 
  particularly since the beginning of the long-awaited war with the Crane two years ago. You have slain many Crane 
  samurai on the field of battle, and even your mighty daimyo, Matsu Tsuko herself, has taken note of your courage 
  and accomplishments. Greater honor no samurai could desire.  
   
  Fourteen months ago you were assigned to a castle on the frontier with the Scorpion. The war with the Crane 
  was threatening to spill over into the other clans, and it was felt that the other borders should be reinforced. While 
  there, you were approached by a mysterious agent (undoubtedly a Scorpion) who offered to give you information on 
  your long-lost mother. Strengthened by your honor, you rejected his questionable offer, which would surely have 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 65 
  compromised your loyalty to the Lion Clan. You would learn of your mother’s fate when destiny decreed, and not 
  before.  
   
  At Winter Court last year, your honesty again served you well, when you discovered and exposed a Scorpion 
  plot to draw the Unicorn into the war on the side of the Crane. This has certainly earned you the wrath of the 
  Scorpion Clan, but what care you for the squabbling of such treacherous dogs? More importantly, it has also earned 
  you more attention and praise from your superiors in the Lion Clan; you have now been assigned a personal 
  historian, Ikoma Asuka, who will record your glorious deeds for posterity. Surely your mother is pleased, wherever 
  she watches over you. You have yet to marry, and the need for companionship weighs heavily on you – unlike most 
  samurai, you do not care for the attentions of geisha, who cannot really understand the trials and rewards of a 
  samurai’s life. Someday soon, you will have to seek a wife.  
   
  A few weeks ago, while at your lord’s court, you heard that the Scorpion Clan’s western borders were being 
  raided by a strange force that appeared to hail from the Shadowlands. You laughed at the Scorpions’ inability to deal 
  with this minor threat, but at your words a Crab visitor at the court spoke up, making many disparaging remarks 
  about the Lion Clan’s unfamiliarity with the dangers of the Shadowlands. “You handsome Lions think you know 
  about courage, but you have never faced the forces of Fu Leng,” he sneered. You shouted that he was a liar and a 
  braggart, and that you would personally prove the Shadowlands forces were nothing for even a Scorpion to fear. 
  With the permission of your lord, you have traveled to Scorpion lands to learn about this strange army and prove the 
  rude Crab the liar that he was. Even as you have drawn closer to the scene, a strange urgency has seized you, as 
  though something desperately important waits at the end of this journey. You will find it, whatever it is, and return 
  home with honor. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 66 
  Otaku Ameiko  
  Unicorn Clan Samurai-ko 
  Rank Four Otaku Battle Maiden 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 3 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 4 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 4 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 4 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 25 (20 without armor, +5 when wielding the Family Yari) 
  Primary Weapon: on foot, Katana (3k2) or Family Yari (4k3); mounted, Umayari (3k4) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
   
  SKILLS 
  Animal Husbandry 1 
  Archery 2 
  Athletics 3 
  Battle 3 
  Calligraphy 1 
  Defense 3 
  Etiquette 1 
  Hand-to-hand 1 
  Heraldry 1 
  History 1 
  Horse Archery 3 
  Horsemanship 4 
  Hunting 3 
  Iaijutsu 3 
  Intimidation 1 
  Kenjutsu 4 
  Lance (Umayari) 2 
  Lore 
  (Unicorn 
  Clan) 1 
  Lore 
  (Otaku 
  Family) 3 
  Lore (Crab Clan) 1 
  Medicine 1 
  Poetry 3 
  Shintao 1 
  Sincerity 2 
  Yarijutsu 3 
  Wrestling 1 
   
  Honor: 3.4 
  Glory: 2.8 
   
  Advantages: 
  Perfect Balance 
  Quick 
  Strength of the Earth (Rank 1) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Small 
  True Love (Hiruma Shinji) 
   
  Outfi
  t:  
  Light Armor 
  Katana (3k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Family Yari (4k3)3 
  Dai-Kyu Bow (STR 3) 
  Quiver w/ 20 arrows (2k2) 
  Otaku warhorse with saddle and Umayari (3k4) 
  Purse (3 koku) 
  Straw rainhat 
  Kimono 
  sandals 
  Traveling Pack containing: 
  Inkstone and brush 
  rations 
  blanket 
  small silver statue of Shinjo 
  tinder box 
  personal chop 
                                                             
  3 This weapon has been handed down within your family, mother to daughter, for many generations. It is a magnificent spear, 
  useful both for the attack and the defense, and while wielding it you may add +5 to your TN to be Hit. Also, it is considered a 
  magical weapon should you find yourself in combat with Invulnerable enemies.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 67 
   
  Wounds 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 1 
   
  6 
  - 2 
   
  6 
  - 3 
   
  6 
  - 4 
   
  6 
  Down 
   
  6 
  Out 
   
  6 
  Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Otaku Battle Maiden Rank Four 
  Riding in Harmony 
  Anytime Ameiko makes a skill roll while riding her horse, she may keep an extra die. 
  The Void of War 
  After everyone rolls for initiative in a combat round, Ameiko can choose to switch 
  her initiative roll with her TN to be Hit for that round. 
  Sensing 
  the 
  Breeze: 
  Ameiko may subtract her School Rank (4) from the damage of any physical blow 
  which strikes her successfully. 
  The Wind Never 
  Stops: 
  When attacking with her Yari or Umayari from horseback), Ameiko may make two 
  attacks per round. Also, if Ameiko should happen to kill an opponent with any attack 
  (mounted or on foot), she may make a free extra attack on another opponent at the 
  end of the round. 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Ameiko is short and deceptively slight, her small frame belying the muscles which cord 
  beneath her skin. She is pretty but not beautiful, and makes no effort to look ladylike. Proud and touchy, she is quick 
  to take offense and challenge for her honor – except where Hiruma Shinji is concerned. However, she also has a 
  gentler and more empathic side, which she tries to express through poetry (either haiku or Unicorn travel poetry, as 
  the mood strikes her).  
   
  Hiruma Shinji: You feel a deep, inescapable passion for this man, and find yourself more and more hoping to find 
  some way of arranging a marriage with him. You do not know how he feels about you – he has always been very 
  polite and proper toward you – and this lack of certainty fills you with nervous dread. Perhaps, on this journey 
  together, you can find some way of learning his true feelings. What if he does care for you? You don’t know what 
  foolishness you might succumb to if you learned that...but you want to find out.  
   
  Ameiko’s War-horse: Chisa. Chisa is trained to fight at Ameiko’s side and will continue to fight to protect her if 
  she is knocked down or killed. Ameiko adds +1 to her Horsemanship skill when riding Chisa. 
   
  FIRE 2 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 7 
  AIR 1 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 2 
  Strength 7 
  VOID 2 
   
  TN to be Hit: 10 
  Armor: 2 
  Attacks (1/round) 
  Club 
  5k3 
  DR 5k3 
   
  Kick (Rear only) 
  5k2 
  DR 7k3 
   
  Plunge (rider cannot act) 
  6k3 
  DR 8k4 
   
  Wounds
  15 
  -1 
   
  25 
  -2 
   
  30 
  -3 
   
  40 
  Down 
   
  50 
  Dead 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 68 
  Your mother is a recently-retired officer of the Battle Maidens, a mighty samurai-ko whose skills and battlefield 
  accomplishments have brought great glory to your family and Clan. Your father was an Ide diplomat, and was said 
  to be a skilled negotiator who prevented many wars; you remember little of him, for he spent much of his time 
  elsewhere in the Empire, and disappeared a decade ago when you were thirteen years old. Your mother remembers 
  him with little affection, and claims he was too proud of his manliness to be a proper Otaku husband. You do not 
  know what happened to him, other than that he vanished just after preventing a war between the Crane and Crab 
  Clans. Sometimes you wish you could have known him better, but more often you accept your mother’s judgement 
  that his departure was a good riddance. His only legacy for you was your small stature, so embarrassingly different 
  from your statuesque mother. 
   
  In the years just after your gempukku (coming-of-age) you spent much of your time patrolling to the south, in 
  the disputed territories between your clan and the Crab. While there, you had several unpleasant encounters with 
  crude, ill-mannered Crab warriors, who seemed to you the very worst Rokugan had to offer. But on one patrol you 
  met a young shugenja named Hiruma Shinji. Where the other Crabs were all bluster and noise, he seemed sad and 
  thoughtful, and spoke to you politely. You met him several times when his patrols encountered yours, and you often 
  tried to learn what dark secrets had left him so shaken and unhappy. He never told you, although you gathered it had 
  something to do with the Shadowlands. One thing you did learn, to your surprise, was that his mother had been a 
  Unicorn, of the past-haunted Moto family.  
   
  Eventually your duties took you elsewhere, and you did not meet him again. But try as you might, you could not 
  shake the memory of his face from your mind. You are frightened by your feelings, for they are improper for a 
  samurai and especially for an Otaku, who should not go mooning after some mere man. But try as you might, you 
  cannot deny them. You often find yourself imagining long conversations with him, secret romantic assignations 
  amid whirling cherry blossoms, and similar nonsense. Despite the passage of several years, your feelings remain as 
  strong as ever. What would your mother think, so stern and proud, studying the tao in her monastery? 
  Recently, your daimyo has given you an unusual assignment. There are reports of a dangerous army, possibly of 
  Shadowlands origin, raiding the borders of Scorpion lands near the Shinomen forest. If this is true, such an army 
  might also turn north and threaten Unicorn lands; you are to investigate the region, learn the nature of this army, and 
  assess its threat. While on your way through Scorpion lands to the border, who should you meet but Hiruma Shinji. 
  It seems he has also come to investigate the same threat, and he suggested (with all apparent innocence) that you 
  travel together. “Two sets of eyes may see that which one would miss,” he remarked. Stammering and blushing like 
  some foolish courtier maiden, you agreed.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 69 
  Asako Kimi 
  Phoenix Clan Shugenja-ko and Inquisitor  
  Rank Four Isawa Shugenja  
   
  FIRE 4 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 3 
  Intelligence 5 
  Willpower 4 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 3 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 4 
   
  TN to be Hit: 15 
  Primary Weapon: Bo Staff (2k2) or Bo of Water 
  Primary Armor: None 
   
  SKILLS 
  Advanced Medicine 2 
  Bard 1 
  Battle 1 
  Bojutsu 3 
  Calligraphy 3 
  Courtier 1 
  Dance 1 
  Defense 1 
  Etiquette 2 
  History 1 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Investigation 2 
  Kenjutsu 2 
  Knife 2 
  Law 2 
  Lore (maho-tsukai) 
  2 
  Lore 
  (Shadowlands) 1 
  Medicine 3 
  Meditation 3 
  Poetry 1 
  Research 2 
  Shintao 4 
  Sincerity 2 
  Spellcraft 3 
  Tea Ceremony 2 
  Theology 2 
  War Fan (Tessen) 1 
   
  Honor: 3.6 
  Glory: 3.8 
   
  Advantages: 
  Death Trance 
  Innate Abilities 
  Fire from Within 
  Fury of Osano-Wo 
  Jade Strike 
  Bo of Water 
  Kharmic Tie (her father) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Driven (to find her father) 
   
  Outfi
  t:  
  Knife (1k2) 
  Bo Staff (2k2) 
  Kimono 
  sandals 
  Rokugani pony with saddle 
  Purse (3 koku) 
  personal chop 
  Scroll Satchel (contains scrolls for all spells 
  known) 
  Umbrella 
  Traveling Pack containing: 
  Inkstone and brush 
  15 blank scrolls 
  bedroll 
  journal of investigations for the Inquisitors 
  small Jade statue of Shinsei 
  scroll of the Tao 
  1 pouch of Jade powder 
  tinder box 
  small mirror 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 70 
   
  Wounds 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 1 
   
  6 
  - 2 
   
  6 
  - 3 
   
  6 
  - 4 
   
  6 
  Down 
   
  6 
  Out 
   
  6 
  Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Isawa Shugenja, Rank Four 
  Kimi gets a Free Raise when casting any Ritual spell, and may spend multiple Void points when casting any spell. 
   
  SPELLS 
  Sense 
  Commune 
  Summon 
  Counterspell 
  Fire 
  Amaterasu’s Anger 
  Amaterasu’s 
  Blessing 
  Biting Steel 
  Fires of Purity 
  Fire From Within 
  (innate) 
  Fury of Osano-Wo 
  (innate) 
  Katana of Fire 
  Earth 
  Courage 
  of 
  the 
  Seven Thunders 
  Jade 
  Strike 
  (innate) 
  Strike at the Roots 
  Water 
  Bo 
  of 
  Water 
  (innate) 
  Path 
  to 
  Inner 
  Peace 
  Reversal 
  of 
  Fortunes 
  Air 
  Call Upon the Wind 
  Tempest of Air 
  Wind’s Distractions. 
   
  Ancestor: Naka Kaeteru (Kimi is considered to have a Void score two higher than her actual one, and may always 
  add two additional dice to her Meditation score when meditating or helping others to meditate. However, if her 
  Honor Rank is ever reduced to 1 or less, Kaeteru abandons her forever). 
   
  Personality/Appearance: Asako Kimi is a beatific, almost divinely calm woman, utterly sure of her place in the 
  world. Of medium height, with a slim but athletic build and delicate features, she seems ethereal, almost elfin (to use 
  a non-Rokugani comparison), an impression enhanced by the slight, gentle smile she usually wears. She is 
  completely in control of herself and never succumbs to fear, impatience, anger, or desire. Even the darkest horrors of 
  the Shadowlands cause her no more reaction than an expression of mild disgust and a soft prayer to the Fortunes. 
  The only thing which could break her enlightened calm is the discovery that her father is dead – or perhaps, worse 
  than dead. If she learned that, it could well shatter her. 
   
  You are a young woman at odds with her past. You were born to the Asako family, the most mysterious family of 
  the magical Phoenix Clan, and grew up in sheltered isolation. Your mother, who did most of your rearing, was a 
  strange, aloof woman, who treated you more like a student than a daughter. Your father, by contrast, seemed always 
  to know what you were thinking, sensing your worries and fears as quickly as you did, and always knowing how to 
  sooth them. You loved him unreservedly, and swore many times that you would grow up to be just like him. He 
  would always laugh and remark, “Learn more before you make such bold promises.” You knew he was one of the 
  Inquisitors, the brave Phoenix investigators who seek the influences of maho (dark magic) across the Empire, and 
  later he became an Emerald Magistrate, a special servant of the Emperor himself. But when you were ten years old, 
  he disappeared. Your mother came to you and told you he had died, killed in some investigation in Crane lands, but 
  you did not believe her. You would have known, would have felt the tearing in your heart and soul, if your father 
  had perished. So you simply decided that he had gone away for a while, and you must wait for his return. 
   
  The elders of your family told you your belief was foolish, that it was disrupting your chi, that your elements 
  had gone out of alignment. You were not fit for the Asako school. They seemed very disappointed by this, although 
  they never said why. Neither did your mother, although her eyes were clouded with regret when she looked at you. 
  You endured it all without complaint, and in time you were apprenticed to the Isawa school instead. There, your 
  “unbalanced elements” proved a virtue rather than a hindrance, and by the time you were sixteen you had completed 
  your gempukku. Your family said they were proud of you, and hid their old regret in public. And you accepted their 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 71 
  false praise with your own false smile, and knew that somewhere, somehow, your father knew of your skills and 
  rejoiced with you.  
   
  When you were eighteen, you announced your intention of following your father’s path and joining the 
  Inquisitors. Your mother acquiesced with only a token argument, and you felt your father’s approval in the depths of 
  your soul. If he could not return to you, you would seek him out, and find him wherever he had been hidden away. 
  You have spent the two years since then travelling across the Empire, following your father’s old paths, seeking 
  word of him anywhere you can. You have also fulfilled his old mission of hunting the forces of darkness and Maho, 
  and sent more than a few of the enemies of the Kami into eternal darkness.  
  Now, for some reason, you have found yourself drawn to Scorpion lands. There are reports of Shadowlands raiders 
  on the border, and even rumors that the Shrine of Osano-Wo – one of the greatest temples in the Empire – is in 
  danger. But more than that, you have felt a tugging in your soul, an urgent need to go here and learn what is 
  happening. Surely your father’s spirit is guiding you; surely now, at last, you will find him. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 72 
  Ikoma Asuka  
  Lion Clan Historian 
  Rank One Ikoma Bard  
  (Shosuro Miaka, Rank Four Shosuro Actor) 
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 3 
  Agility 3 
  Stamina 3 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 3 
  AIR 4 
  WATER 2 
  Reflexes 4 
  Strength 3 
  Awareness 4 
  Perception 2 
  VOID 3 
   
  TN to be Hit: 25 (20 without armor) 
  Primary Weapon: Katana (3k2) 
  Primary Armor: Light 
   
  SKILLS 
  Acting 5 
  Archery 1 
  Athletics 3 
  Calligraphy 2 
  Cipher 1 
  Courtier 2 
  Dance 3 
  Defense 2 
  Etiquette 3 
  Forgery 3 
  Hand-to-Hand 3 
  Heraldry 2 
  Horsemanship 1 
  Iaijutsu 1 
  Investigation 2 
  Kenjutsu 3 
  Knife 2 
  Law 2 
  Manipulation 2 
  Meditation 3 
  Mimic 3 
  Poison 1 
  Seduction 3 
  Sincerity 4 
  Sleight of Hand 3 
  Stealth 4 
  War Fan (Tessen) 3 
  Wrestling 2 
   
  Honor: 0.8 (apparent Honor: 3) 
  Glory: 2.6 
   
  Advantages: 
  Ambidextrous 
  Apparent Honor 
  Dangerous Beauty 
  Heartless 
  Disadvantages: 
  Dark Secret (Shosuro Actor) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Light Armor 
  Katana (3k2) 
  Wakizashi (2k2) 
  Tessen (0k2)4 
  Kimono (Lion colors) 
  sandals 
  Rokugani pony with saddle5 
  Purse (5 koku) 
  personal chop 
  Traveling Pack6 containing: 
  Spare kimono 
  Bedroll 
  Inkstone and brush 
  11 blank parchments (rolled) 
  first 2 pages of Noble History of Matsu Hiro 
  forged letter (TN 35) from Ikoma daimyo assigning her as 
  Hiro’s personal historian, 
   
                                                             
  4 The edge of the fan is coated with poison causing an additional 2k2 wounds per rounds for ten rounds or until cured. 
  5 Miaka’s saddle and travelling pack both have concealed compartments which can only be detected by others with a careful 
  examination and a Perception+Investigation (or Nazodo) roll at TN 30. The concealed saddle pouch contains spare kimonos in 
  Crane blue (Kakita family mon, Doji Courtier school mon) and Scorpion red-and-black (Shosuro family and school mons 
  6 The concealed travel pack compartment contains a bottle with four more doses of the poison on her tessen, two other personal 
  chops (one her own, one for “Kakita Kasumi”), and a Fine Tanto (2k2). 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 73 
   
  Wounds 
   
  6 
  - 0 
   
  6 
  - 1 
   
  6 
  - 2 
   
  6 
  - 3 
   
  6 
  - 4 
   
  6 
  Down 
   
  6 
  Out 
   
  6 
  Dead 
   
  School/Rank: Shosuro Actor, rank 4 
  A Scorpion Has a 
  Thousand Hearts: 
  Miaka may add her School Rank to her Awareness Rank when attempting to 
  influence or persuade another, or when someone else is attempting to test her candor 
  and sincerity. 
  The 
  Scorpion’s 
  Sting: 
  When attacking opponents who are unaware or unable to defend themselves (TN to 
  hit = 5), Miaka’s Raises are not limited by her Void Rank 
  Variant Personas  
  While in these other personas, Miaka may only use their listed skills; if she wants to 
  use skills from another persona (including her “real” persona), Miaka must make a 
  Void+Meditation roll at a TN of 5 x the Rank of the Skill in question. Switching 
  between her personas requires 5 minutes of complete and uninterrupted 
  concentration. 
  “Kakita Kasumi” 
  Persona: 
  This persona is a humble, delicate Crane courtier. Skills: Courtier 1, Etiquette 2, 
  Heraldry 1, Manipulation 1, Oratory 1, Poetry 1, and Sincerity 2. 
  “Ikoma 
  Asuka” 
  Persona: 
  As described below, this persona is an honorable Ikoma Bard who is assigned to 
  record the history of Matsu Hiro. Skills: Bard 2, Calligraphy 1, Heraldry 1, History 2, 
  Law 1, Lore (Lion Clan) 1, and Lore (Lion Ancestors) 1. While in this persona, she 
  does not lose Honor or Glory for expressing emotion in public – this is the role of the 
  Ikoma, who are the “heart of the Lion.” 
   
  Personality/Appearance (Ikoma Asuka): You are a petite, lovely woman who wears her hair trimmed short and 
  dresses in the practical kimono of a samurai. As Ikoma Asuka, you are an honorable and dedicated Lion historian 
  and storyteller. You mission in life is to record the Glorious deeds of Matsu Hiro and to serve as “the heart of the 
  Lion,” expressing the joy, sorrow, and anger which other Lions must hide beneath the iron mask of duty. You are 
  attracted to Hiro-san, but will not allow your feelings to get in the way of your duty – at least, not easily. 
   
  Real Personality: You are a cold, ruthless woman who is completely dedicated to her Clan and its needs. You will 
  do whatever it takes to fulfill your duties, and feel neither pity nor remorse for your victims. You have done your 
  very best to forget your father and his peculiar ideas, and it embarrasses you to even admit that he once existed. 
  Feelings are for the weak; you would never let them overtake you.   
   
  You are actually Shosuro Miaka, a spy from the legendary Shosuro Butei (actor) school. Your father was a shugenja 
  in the Black Watch, the segment of the Yogo family which hunts the influence of the Shadowlands across the 
  Empire. He was an unusual man for a Scorpion, for he sometimes seemed to believe in these quaint myths of 
  bushido and honor which control the lives of samurai from other clans. Your mother was more practical, and under 
  her guidance you trained in the Shosuro family school, learning the arts of acting, mimicry, and deception which 
  have served your clan so well. You have caught rumors of another, darker Shosuro school – one whose graduates are 
  not actors, but assassins – but you have not learned for sure whether it exists or not.  
   
  Your father vanished when you were still training with the Shosuro school, and was eventually assumed dead. 
  You felt little loss at this, for you had never been able to understand him or his peculiar attitudes. Your mother, for 
  her part, seemed almost relieved that he was gone. Both of you did your best to forget about him and carry on with 
  your lives and duties. Two years later, you completed your gempukku (coming-of-age) and took up your duties with 
  the Shosuro school. Initially, you were assigned to one of the touring Shosuro acting troupes while you honed your 
  skills; later, you got more important assignments, ones involving spying, theft, and espionage. 
   
  The first persona you learned was that of a humble, delicate Crane courtier maiden, “Kakita Kasumi.” In this 
  guise you were able to infiltrate Kyuden Doji and sabotage a trade agreement between the Crane and the Phoenix. 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 74 
  Your sensei and daimyo were pleased with your performance, especially the ruthless way in which you manipulated 
  the emotions of the Cranes around you. A few tears, or a sidelong glance, were all that was needed to make them 
  putty in your hands. Behind the mask of your beautiful face, you laughed at these junshin fools, so weak and 
  changeable for all their talk of honor and bushido. Eventually, your assignment complete, you faked your own 
  suicide and returned to Scorpion lands for further training.  
   
  After you learned a new persona, that of an Ikoma Bard, your clan gave you another task – subtler, but for that 
  very reason perhaps more useful in the long run. A Lion samurai named Matsu Hiro, who has earned much glory in 
  the Lion-Crane wars, recently thwarted an important Scorpion plot. In the guise of “Ikoma Asuka,” you have been 
  assigned as his personal historian, supposedly to preserve his deeds for posterity. Your real goal is to seduce him, 
  thereby compromising his honor and leaving him vulnerable to future blackmail by your Clan. In this way, a man 
  who has damaged the Scorpion will come in future to serve them – a far more fitting punishment than mere 
  assassination.  
   
  Matsu Hiro: This simpleton of a Lion is so rigidly honorable that it is child’s play to manipulate him. All you have 
  to do is to drop a few subtle questions about his honor, or the code of bushido, and you can lead him by the nose. He 
  is looking rather anxiously for a bride, and you are setting up your “Ikoma Asuka” persona as the perfect prospect 
  for him. With a little careful guidance, he’ll soon be head-over-heels for you, and then you can lower the jaws of the 
  trap. In the meantime, of course, you have to play the admiring bard and sing his praises to all comers.  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 75 
  Togashi Hametsu 
  Dragon Clan Monk  
  Rank Five Ise Zumi  
   
  FIRE 3 
  EARTH 4 
  Agility 4 
  Stamina 4 
  Intelligence 3 
  Willpower 4 
  AIR 3 
  WATER 3 
  Reflexes 5 
  Strength 4 
  Awareness 3 
  Perception 3 
  VOID 6 
   
  TN to be Hit: 25 
  Primary Weapon: Bo staff (2k2) or bare hands (base damage 0k1) 
  Primary Armor: None 
   
  SKILLS 
  Archery 1 
  Athletics 3 
  Battle 2 
  Bojutsu 4 
  Calligraphy 1 
  Defense 3 
  Etiquette 1 
  Hand-to-Hand 4 
  Heraldry 1 
  History 1 
  Hunting 2 
  Iaijutsu 1 
  Investigation 1 
  Kenjutsu 1 
  Lore (Dragon Clan) 
  2 
  Medicine 2 
  Mountaineer 1 
  Nazodo 2 
  Poetry 1 
  Shintao 4 
  Sincerity 2 
  Stealth 1 
  Tea Ceremony 1 
  Theology 2 
  Wrestling 3 
   
   
  Honor: 3.4 
  Glory: 
  1.2
   
  Advantages: 
  Dangerous Beauty, 
  Higher Purpose (to find his destiny), 
  Great Destiny (unknown) 
  Disadvantages: 
  Dark Secret (knows that Togashi Yokuni is the original Togashi) 
   
  Outfit:  
  Bo Staff (2k2) 
  hakema 
  travelling pack (rice balls 
  blanket 
  tinderbox 
   
  four Mizugusuri (potions) 
  one Bayushi’s Bane 
  one Brother of Fire 
  one Health 
  one Lion’s Heart). 
  See the end of the character sheet for details 
    
  Wounds 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  - 0 
   
  8 
  -0 
   
  8 
  -0 
   
  8 
  Dead 
  . 
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 76 
  School/Rank: Ise Zumi, Rank Five (six tattoos) 
  Arrowroot Tattoo: 
  Hametsu may heal himself or another character by five Wound Ranks up to five 
  times per day. However when Hametsu uses this power to heal another he suffers 
  half that number of Wounds himself and those wounds cannot be healed with any 
  kind of magic – only by time and rest. His tattoo bleeds when he takes wounds upon 
  himself in this way.  
  Crab Tattoo:  
  Hametsu may absorb (ignore) 10 Wounds per hit from enemy attacks. While he is 
  using this power his Reflexes are reduced by one. This does not affect his TN to be 
  hit. 
  Dragon Tattoo:  
  Hametsu may breathe out the “Heart’s Fire” at an enemy rolling 8k3 to Hit and 8k5 
  Damage. He may hit up to five targets with a single blast and Armor does not affect 
  the TN to hit with the Fire (monstrous Armor still subtracts from Wounds delivered). 
  He may do this up to five times per day. After breathing the Heart’s Fire Hametsu 
  must rest and is considered “Down” (for purposes of what actions he can take) for 
  five rounds. 
  Sun Tattoo:  
  During the day Hametsu may draw on this tattoo for a Free Raise up to five times per 
  day. This only works during daylight. 
  Wasp Tattoo:  
  Hametsu may gain an additional action for this round up to five times per day. 
  However this tattoo is invoked he may not spend Void Points. 
  Pine Tattoo:  
  Hametsu may ignore the effects of Wound Ranks until Dead. 
   
   
  Hametsu’s Mitsurusugi (from Way of the Dragon) 
  Bayushi’s Bane: This potion instantly extinguishes any poison in his body. 
  Brother of Fire: This potion makes the imbiber immune to Fire spells for five rounds. 
  Health: This potion instantly heals the imbiber one full Wound Rank. 
  Lion’s Heart: The imbiber may add his Honor Rank to all To Hit and Damage rolls in combat for five rounds.  
   
  Personality/Appearance: Togashi Hametsu is still strikingly handsome, even as a shaven-headed monk covered in 
  tattoos. He dresses in a simple hakema (pants) of Dragon green, and carries only a staff and a small travelling pack. 
  He belongs to the school of “worldly monks” who believe the temptations of the world are best resisted by meeting 
  them headlong, rather than cowering in a monastery. He is always cheerful and friendly, ready to speak with samurai 
  and peasants alike, and with a mischievous sense of humor. Unlike many ise zume he is capable of speaking simply 
  and directly, although he does like to pepper his conversation with quotations from the tao.   
   
  You were born Otomo Hametsu; eldest son of Otomo Kaigen - a skilled courtier and Emerald Magistrate who 
  served the Hantai with ability and devotion. You grew up in the capitol, Otosan Uchi; surrounded by luxury, taught 
  by the finest sensei and offered every opportunity. Though handsome and skilled, you were also arrogant and self-
  centered, often abusing your position to get what you wanted. Nevertheless, your skills in swordsmanship and the 
  courtly arts were very real, and with your father’s sponsorship you were enrolled in the prestigious Kakita school. 
  You were not especially grateful; looking down on your father’s soft heart and unconventional attitudes. 
  When but a year away from completing your schooling, word came that your father had inexplicably vanished while 
  mediating a dispute between the Crab and the Crane. He was believed dead, and with the passage of weeks that 
  belief became certainty. Friends and family members offered condolences, but you could see their words were not 
  heartfelt; many of them were secretly delighted at the departure of such a powerful and unpredictable political rival. 
  Your comfortable life was shattered by these events. If an Otomo, a man of rank and respect, of the Imperial family, 
  could vanish so easily, and be forgotten so quickly... what value lay in the life of the court, its manners and stylings? 
  The world around you was suddenly hollow and sour. Frightened and disgusted, you left the Kakita school; 
  wandering across the Empire, living for several months as a ronin, a wave man, without master or home. 
   
  One day you found yourself drinking from a spring at the foot of a high mountain range. An armored samurai in 
  the colors of the Dragon approached you and asked your name. Normally you did not answer such questions, but 
  something about this man seemed different, and so you told him: “Otomo Hametsu.” 
   
  “What does an Otomo do in the ragged garments of a wave man?” The stranger’s voice was deep and powerful, 
  and seemed to reverberate through you. 
   
  “Seek a meaning for my existence.” 
   
  The stranger drew closer. “And have you found any?”  
  
  Of Family and Honor 
  Round Two 
  Page 77 
   
  “No,” you admitted, weary and sad. “I have walked across this great Empire, and found nothing, no reason to 
  show me why I should live or die.”  
   
  “Then come with me,” the stranger said, “and we will seek one together.” At that moment you realized whom 
  you spoke with: Togashi Yokuni, the champion of the Dragon Clan; the same Togashi who founded the clan a 
  thousand years ago. You bowed to him, and he led you up the secret paths to Shiro Togashi, the secret citadel of the 
  Dragon; there you learned much that terrified you, much that set your soul at ease, and much that amazed you.  
   
  Today you are Togashi Hametsu, one of the Ise Zume – the tattooed men – an order of monks who serve 
  Togashi’s will and carry his blood in their veins. In the enlightenment of Shintao you have found the peace and 
  purpose you could not discover in the world. You look back on your previous life as a bad dream, a false vision that 
  held you trapped (like a fly in amber) until Togashi freed you. 
   
  A few weeks ago, Togashi came to you and told you that a great destiny lay before you. He could not tell you 
  what it is, but he did know that you would find a clue to it in Ryoko Owari Toshii – the City of Stories, sometimes 
  called the City of Lies, located on the western border of Scorpion Lands. Without a second thought, you gathered 
  your meager belongings and set out at once for the city. You do not know what destiny you will find there, but you 
  know Togashi is never wrong about such things.  
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Dungeons and dragons mega book pack/various sourcebooks/L5R - Of Family and Honor.pdf