W   W

T E G
G   W S
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C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE
and wakefulness. Although this state leaves them slug-
gish and physically prone, it allows them to extend
their senses via the unity  and
 and project their thoughts to
other Naga.
However, one can only receive these thoughts
clearly if one is also trained in the unity . Otherwise, the
message is vague, distorted, or felt instead of heard. In
the Ivory Kingdoms, development of this ability is an
important part of a Naga child’s upbringing. Lessons
are imparted completely through the unity , often via a
mentally constructed guide.
Masters can spend hours in the trance state, com-
muning with one-another in a spiritual union of their
minds. Their thoughts can sometimes become tangled
when this occurs, a state they refer to as the  Council .  was a great snake in disguise. After learning passages
This is perceived as a separate entity, possessing the
collective perspectives of all participants, speaking on
behalf of everyone. But in truth, this is merely a per-
sonification, a projection of the self, not a separate or
shared consciousness. Humans may mistake when the
Naga refer to the Council   as some manner of inde-
pendent being, but in truth they are just referring to
everyone in the conference, or more accurately, the
conference itself.
Because this ability is unique to the Naga people,
it is not thought possible for human beings to learn it.
But there are Shinomen Naga who, hoping to reach
out to Rokugan and make new allies, are attempting
to develop a means of projecting the unity  through the
spirit realms regularly frequented by human beings:
 Yume-dō,
 Yu me-dō, the Realm
Realm ofof Dreams.
Dreams. So far results are hope
hope--
ful, but the training is strenuous and experimental. This
is new ground for the Shinomen Naga Seers; it may
be some time before they can perfect the technique,
and they dare not risk contact before they know exactly  memories, engrained from the moment of birth, and
what they are doing.
󰁎󰁡󰁧󰁡 󰁩󰁎 󰁨󰁵󰁭󰁡󰁎 󰁧󰁵󰁩󰁳󰁅
Those who believe historical Naga sightings and rec-
ognize them from tales of the Ivory Kingdoms are also
likely to believe that Rokugani Naga have never ven-
tured beyond the Shinomen. But in fact, Naga have
ventured into human settlements several times in
their brief wakings, stirred by human activity or more
mysterious causes. They simply were not noticed
as such; Naga possess an innate ability to disguise
themselves.
The Naga disguise is effectively a projected image,
constructed from a combination of pheromones and
 yumeji, bending light and befuddling the senses to
appear as an ordinary human being. Naga refer to this
as charming, something only those trained in the uni-
ty can achieve with reliability. The illusion can be as
26 
complex as the Naga desires, though each individual
disguise takes extensive practice; most Naga only ever
learn to create and maintain one or two false illusory
identities. They could appear as two or more samurai
acting in tandem, or a samurai followed by a dog, or a
merchant in a rickshaw, or other such apparitions. Any
flaws in the disguise are simply overlooked, internally
rationalized, or outright forgotten, as if seen through
the filter of a vivid dream.
The disguise does not always work. Those with
exceptional insight can deduce the projected image for
what it is: a trick of the light, a hallucination. A Shinseist
temple in Unicorn lands speaks of a monk who took
a young man as an apprentice, only the young man
of the Tao and the wisdom of Shinsei, over time the
snake felt guilty for the deception, asking the monk for
forgiveness. But the monk had always known that the
snake was not as he seemed, and so there was nothing
to forgive. “Shinsei’s wisdom is for all living creatures,”
the monk said, and as the story goes, the snake was
enlightened.
enlightene d. While treated as a parable, some scholars
believe the tale refers not to a snake, but to one of the
serpent-beings of the Ivory Kingdoms. Perhaps they
would insist the snake was one of the Shinomen Naga,
if they were better known.
󰁗󰁡󰁲 󰁡󰁧󰁡󰁩󰁎󰁳󰁴 󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁦󰁯󰁵󰁬
Twists of fate have robbed the Shinomen Naga of
much of their histories, leaving them with only vague
recollections of stories passed through oral tradition
and crystalized in the vivid shared dreams of their
scholars. The result is a collection of isolated inherited
constructed from dreams so vivid as to be mistaken for
literal experience. Due to this, the Naga have no chron-
icle, and there are massive gaps in their history.
But what they do recall is that the Shinomen was
once far larger than it is now, spread across what is
now desert and badlands to the west and south. It was
connected to the vast jungles and swamps in what
has become the Ivory Kingdoms, and a civilization of
Naga spread throughout this territory. So, it was until
a comet fell from the sky, blighting the southern lands
and spreading a corruptive force that shifted the cli-
mate and split the vast Naga civilization in two. Iso-
lated from the jungles, the forest shrinking, the Shi-
nomen Naga found themselves assaulted by twisted
creatures and invisible enemies, minions of the blight
itself. They called this enemy “The Foul.” As the vari-
ous tribes of the shrinking forest joined to fight against
this invading force, so too did the fledgling human
tribes beyond the forest, which had just begun to rise
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beneath the guidance of fallen gods. Separately, and
sometimes together, the two fought against the Foul,
until one day the blight mysteriously stopped, and the
Naga realized their enemy had been defeated, at least
for a time.
Withdrawing into the forest, the Naga began
rebuilding. They recovered what remained of their
fallen cities and returned to life as they once knew it.
Efforts were made to regain contact with the Naga
beyond the Shinomen, embassies dispatched to cross
the ruined lands. There was even talk of approaching
the rising human nation, which grew stronger with
each passing year. But this was not to be. Gradually,
embraced by the forest and their glittering cities, the
Naga fell asleep.
󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁬󰁯󰁎󰁧 󰁳󰁬󰁵󰁭󰁂󰁅󰁲
No one can recall how or why this happened. The best
that the Naga can piece together is that, either grad-
ually or all at once, they all curled up and slipped into
a still torpor, their skin hardening as if turned to stone.
Like moss-covered, forgotten statues they littered
the riverbed and their city streets. Their cities, finally
restored, once more fell to ruin.
Decades passed. Centuries. Humans would stum-
ble upon these ruins now and again, wandering the
vine-claimed stone streets and bridges and tiered roof-
tops. Passing the strangely life-like snake-person stat-
ues, they never suspected that these ancient crumbling
works of art were actually living beings trapped in a
powerful dream.
Now and again a few Naga would awaken, but only
a few, and only once in a great while. From what they
left behind, these individuals describe a groggy dream
state, half-minded wandering in search of something
missing, broken only by occasional moments of clar-
ity-of-purpose. There were still remnants of the Foul,
and whenever such creatures entered the forest, that
seemed to be why they had awakened. They would
dispatch the creature, often with aid, and then, as if
compelled by some force, they would return to the city
and resume their stony slumber.
The Naga are finally truly awakening. More and
more everyday some spontaneously spring to life.
Their eggs, hidden as simple stones on the riverbed,
are hatching. After centuries, the long slumber has
finally ended. Yet their scholars cannot say why this is,
nor why they fell asleep in the first place. The Naga
recall vague dreams from when they slept, flashes of
events and collective memories, as if they were all liv-
ing the same lives and seeing the world through the
same eyes as they slept. Interspersed are hazy dreams,
flashes of suspended moments that may or may not
C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE
have happened. These dreams are dominated by the
vision of a great featureless serpent rising from an end-
less sea, something whose hunger knows no end. Yet
if these are but omens and dreams, or truly visions of
things that happened, or are yet to come, none can
conclusively say.
But they do feel, overwhelmingly and to the core
of their bones, that their sleep was for some yet-un-
known purpose. A destiny awaits the Shinomen Naga,
and whatever it is, their long slumber has given them
whatever they needed to seek it out and rise to meet it.
And they know this because, although they are once
more awake and aware, they are also still dreaming.
“S󰁨󰁩󰁎󰁯󰁭󰁅󰁎’󰁳 B󰁬󰁡󰁎󰁋󰁅󰁴”
Whatever caused the Shinomen Naga’s long slumber,
it also changed them. Perhaps this is what happens
to any being that spends centuries in the Shinomen
or lingering on the doorstep of Senkyō or Yume-dō.
But whatever the reason, Shinomen Naga have been
claimed by the primordial forest. They are bound to
it in ways they cannot quiet understand. And when
they sleep, they do not dream their own dreams; they
dream the dreams of others.
Most often, it is the dream of some animal within the
Shinomen. It appears so vivid to the dreamer, that they
forget their waking life; it is as if they
t hey were always a deer
crashing through the glens, or a river otter tangled with
its kin on the waters. But sometimes it is dream of those
close to the Shinomen. This is how the Naga learned
of the Falcon Clan, whose territory is adjacent to the
Shinomen Forest. Through the daydreams and replayed
memories of its denizens, they learned of the villages
along the Lake of Cherry Blossom Snow. They learned
of the Forest-Killers and their axes, of the samurai whose
symbol is that of a hare, and of warrens of nezumi dwell-
ing near an ancient kaki tree. No matter where they are,
it is always the dream of one near or within the forest.
Slowly they have realized that the world is not as they
left it. They are hesitant to
t o leave until their dreams reveal
more; the Shinomen Naga word for “knowledge” is
their same word for “dream.”
Another phenomenon is more troubling; they can
now longer seem to extend the unity   beyond the
boundaries of the Shinomen. This only seems true
while they dwell within it; scouts who braved the fields
beyond were able to make brief contact with Naga of
the Ivory Kingdoms, although even this exchange was
weak and strained, lasting only a few moments and
completely exhausting the Seer who attempted it. It
may be many years before the Shinomen Naga can ful-
ly comprehend the lingering effects that the forest has
imprinted upon them.
27
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C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE
THE SWORD AND
regarded the Phoenix
Phoenix as a dim shade of what the Isawa
THE SPIRITS   had once been, greater in number and resources, but
now hollow and conquered. Raiding their northern vil-
The story of the Hyōketsu lages virtually unopposed, the Hyōketsu were thankful
doesn’t end there. You can
that they were still free.
discover their secrets and
the secrets of the Kaito in They could not have known that they would soon
the Legend of the Five become far closer to the Isawa than they had ever
Rings  novella The Sword intended, for this is where priestess Kaito changed the
and the Spirits.
course of their history.
Kaito no Momotsukihime was the high priest-
ess of the Hyōketsu, daughter of the tribe elder, and
betrothed to the leader, a man known as Ateru. Kaito
had opposed the raids on their former lands, worried as
she was over the injustices of war, which were an affront
to the kami. Ateru, who led the raids, grew bolder with
each victory, until eventually desperate raids aimed at
survival became an extended campaign to steal the
Isawa’s wealth and territories. Kaito knew the Phoenix
would eventually retaliate, but weeks passed, and with-
out any meaningful resistance, Ateru and the Hyōketsu
grew more drunk on their victories. As she watched
their
shed,sacred archery
lush grain fieldstraditions turned
burn to spite thetoIsawa,
mereand
blood-
her
people pillage ancient shrines in stark desecration, Kai-
to began to worry for her people’s survival and spiritual
health. Daily she prayed for guidance, wishing that she
had used her position to oppose the entire plan, that
she could take it all back. Starving in the cold steppes
would have been better than full bellies bought with
their own damnation.
When retaliation finally came on the cusp of win-
ter, the overwhelming power of an Elemental Legion
trapped the Hyōketsu in a collapsed mountain pass.
Ateru refused to admit defeat, and while he commit-
ted his people to certain destruction, Kaito secretly
approached the Isawa and offered a bargain: grant
her and her followers fealty within the Phoenix Clan,
and she would deliver them Ateru without resistance.
The Elemental Masters accepted, and by the following
dawn, the Hyōketsu were no more.
This story, which is retold by various Yobanjin tribes
and settlements throughout the north, regards Kaito
no Momotsukihime as a tragic figure, forced to make
an impossible choice, but also ultimately as a betray-
er. Some stories paint her in the worst light, conniving
with the Isawa for power. It is well known that she was
rewarded for her deal, gaining a domain, and found-
ing a vassal family of the Isawa with herself as daimyō.
Eventually, her descendants became a great house
of the Phoenix, the newly established Kaito family.
Her descendants, now relatively safe as vassals of the
Isawa, continue their shrine-keeper traditions in their
isolated corner of the Phoenix lands. The tiny Kaito
40
family are themselves a snapshot into the past, a living
reminderr of two heritages: the Isawa and the Hyōketsu,
reminde
ancestral enemies, and after nearly a thousand years,
social equals in a Great Clan.
T󰁲󰁡󰁤󰁩󰁴󰁩󰁯󰁎󰁳
While they were still active, the Hyōketsu were one of
the more influential tribes inhabiting the Great Wall
of the North. They considered the mountains and
lowlands of what was Garanto province to be their
territory, along with the northern steppes beyond the
Empire’s reach. Their lands included many settlements,
tiny shrines, and farmlands, along with vast hunting
territories they used for game. While they were rivals
of the Tribe of Isawa, their ways, social structure, and
belief systems were very similar.
But while both tribes worshipped the Fortunes and
kami, a tradition that continued even after the Hyōket
Hyōket--
su abandoned the Empire, those beliefs parted regard-
ing the nature of the kami themselves. While the Isawa
understood natural phenomena
phenomena through the lens of the
five elements, the Hyōketsu adopted a less complex,
more holistic approach. To them, elemental distinc-
tions were impractical, arbitrary, and unimportant. They
worshipped the awe-inspiring aspects of nature itself,
unadorned with ornamentation and needless ceremo-
ny. The spirits, they believed, lived alongside and even
within them, and as such, massive temples and ornate
rituals were completely unnecessary, detracting from
the beauty of simplicity.
As such, their worship of the kami was expressed in
everyday life. Simple acts were akin to devotions. So it
was that archery, chief among their high arts, was ele-
vated to religious significance. Their priests used the
bow and arrow as tools to worship the kami, ward off
malicious spirits, defend sacred places from intruders,
and even for divination. The roles of the archer, the
hunter, and the priest were considered as one among
the Hyōketsu; only priests were permitted to hunt for
meat, the rituals for taking down, purifying, and offer-
ing game being passed down in priest bloodlines.
Not unlike the elemental council that ruled the
Tribe of Isawa, leadership of the Hyōketsu was divid-
divid -
ed between three positions: a high priest, a military
chieftain, and a tribe elder. Each leader maintained
their own ties and alliances, owing their position to the
spirits themselves. When a new leader was required,
a test of spiritual favor would be undertaken, such as
plunging one’s hands into boiling water and removing
them unscathed or sitting at the center of a bonfire
and emerging, unaffected, when the flames finally died
out. This way, tribe leaders proved that they carried the
favor of the tribe’s guardian spirits.
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This was the key disagreement between the
Hyōketsu and the Tribe of Isawa, the point that divided
them for generations before the Fall of the Kami. While
the Isawa believed the kami could be invoked for favor
with offerings and prostrations, the Hyōketsu rejected
this practice as insulting to the kami they were wor-
shipping. True allies of spirits did not need to beg or
coerce or trick them for favors. Instead, the kami would
simply bestow favor without ever being asked. Perhaps
this is why, when the leaders of the Hyōketsu finally fell,
many survivors simply buried their settlements, and
dispersed, joining other tribes or simply wandering in
search of a new path. With the fall of Ateru, and the
loss of their very identity, some supposed that the kami
had withdrawn their favor, and rather than try to win
it again, they simply bowed their heads and accepted
that the world had moved on without them. Others,
though, refused to accept the possibility of their gods
forsaking them and persisted even after their leaders
were gone, fighting against
aga inst the Tribe of Isawa until their
last breath, determined to preserve their traditions and
autonomy.
history out,Many Imperial
preferring the texts leaveofthat
narrative the portion of
Hyōketsu
simply bowing and accepting their new ‘place’.
󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁋󰁯󰁧󰁡󰁲󰁡󰁳󰁨󰁩 󰁡󰁎󰁤
󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁗󰁯󰁯󰁬󰁅󰁎 󰁨󰁯󰁯󰁶󰁅󰁳
North of the Dragon Clan’s provinces, the high moun-
tains eventually level into wide plateaus. Among the
windy grasses roam herds of wooly mountain ponies.
Their thick curly hair has adapted these ponies to the
elevated cold climate of the mountain flats. These are
the herds of the Woolen Hooves people, who take
their name from their unique steeds.
H󰁩󰁳󰁴󰁯󰁲󰁹
The ancestors of the Woolen Hooves were once known
by a different name: “Kogarashi,” a name that means
“leaf-wilting wind.” It refers to the first frosty winds
of autumn that herald the coming winter. They were
named after this frosty wind, for it was at this time that
they would descend from the mountains into the foot-
hills of what is now the border of the Dragon and Uni-
corn provinces. Other tribes soon associated them with
these early frosts. Legend has it that this was the tribe
of Utaku, the founder of the Unicorn Clan’s famous Bat-
tle Maidens, although historians cannot find evidence
pointing either way.
The Kogarashi thrived in the foothills and plains for
centuries, but as the Empire began to expand, they
found their hunting grounds turning into farmlands
C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE
and villages. Whispers of a fallen goddess, who called
herself Shinjo, was gathering the tribes and leading a
transformation of the lands. The Kogarashi valued their
freedom above all else, and they refused to even con-
sider joining the forces of the goddess. But neither did
their leader desire to battle her followers, for they were
once allies of the Kogarashi, and they never turned
against friend. So, to avoid a conflict, their leader
sought out the goddess and issued her a challenge, a
duel of archery from horseback. The loser would sur-
render the ancestral hunting grounds and leave.
It is said that although Lady Shinjo won the duel,
she purposefully spared her opponent, realizing that
he had issued the challenge to avoid bloodshed on
both sides. This meant that he valued compassion,
and this they had in common. Willing to disregard the
results of their duel, she offered him fealty one final
time. But he turned her down, and true to his word, led
his tribe north peacefully. Some remained behind to
 join the goddess,
goddess, so impressed
impressed were
were they by
by her valor.
valor.
The rest followed their leader into the mountain tun-
dra. There
the wild they shed
horses of thetheir old name,
plateaus, theyand after taming
embraced their
new way of life and their new name.
Since then, the Woolen Hooves people have kept
mostly to their northern territories, having little con-
tact with the Empire. Now and again, a brave explorer
will venture south into Rokugan to see how far they
can get without being detected. When following
their food sources leads them into Rokugani territo-
ry, they have sometimes come to blows with Unicorn
or Badger samurai. In these cases, their horse archery
traditions have proven to frustrate the Rokugani samu-
rai, but such battles were never prolonged, and the
Woolen Hooves have no desire to test the mettle of
the Empire.
They do not consider the Rokugani enemies. They
have been known to trade with the Unicorn at Khan-
bulak, where they maintain a year-round presence of
diplomats to look after the interests of the tribe, or with
the remote denizens of the Dragon Clan, who have
proven rather accepting of them. But they are enemies
of Ujik raiders, with whom they clash frequently, and
although these conflicts grow fiercer every year, the
two have yet to erupt into all-out war. There are some
in the tribe who, observing Ujik clashing with the Bad-
ger Clan, believe that if war ever broke out, they could
find mutual allies in Rokugan.
41 
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C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE
is removed. While transformed, a tengu’s native
physical appearance transliterates to their
illusory human form: scars, features, and dis-
tinctive marks on a tengu body persist in their
human body. The harsh tengu voice softens to
accommodate human speech, and the glam-
oured tengu feels human to the touch.
It is thought that many tengu have used their
illusions over the course of human history to
impart their wisdom to the people of Rokugan,
or to help those in need. Legends abound of
mysterious pilgrims encountered on remote
trails who appear just in time to save a life or
teach a particular lesson, only to vanish once
their purpose is fulfilled.
$  Spiritual Projection allows tengu to travel far
and wide while in a deep state of meditation.
This method of travel allows them to see
distant happenings throughout Rokugan, all
from a birds-eye view. Perhaps this method of
travel affords them great insight into the affairs
of humans, or perhaps it feeds their curiosity
about human foibles, drawing more tengu to
take on the likeness of humans to learn their
internal workings better.
By slipping into a deep state of meditation, the
tengu spirit takes flight on otherworldly cur-
rents. During this deep meditation, the body
becomes still and the pulse slows, and the
projector appears by all accounts to be dead.
If the tengu spends too much time outside of
their body, they may not be able to return to it,
doomed to eternally wander. These wayward
tengu spirits are likely the cause of many dis-
turbing legends.
󰁬󰁅󰁧󰁅󰁎󰁤󰁳 󰁯󰁦 󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁴󰁅󰁎󰁧󰁵
So little is known about the elusive tengu that any
encounters are obscured by myth. Many legends
describe them as benevolent or well-meaning rescu-
ers, or imparters of great truths, though their inten-
tions are largely unknown to the common people of
Rokugan. It is said that Yasurugi, who forged the great
Kakita blades with a hidden five-fold technique, was
instructed by a tengu. Other accounts say that he stole
the technique by tricking a tengu elder while wearing
a bird mask; still others discount the involvement of
tengu entirely and claim that Yasurugi learned the tech-
nique after descending to Jigoku. Perhaps the tengu
themselves created so many conflicting accounts, that
they might remain veiled in mystery.
46 
󰁴󰁅󰁎󰁧󰁵 󰁬󰁩󰁦󰁅
In keeping with their intense focus upon enlight-
enment, daily life for the tengu has all the outward
appearance of monastic or ascetic life. Those tengu
who dwell alone pursue deeper understanding in sol-
itude on distant mountain peaks, set apart from the
outside world. Many tengu dwell in aeries carved into
the rock, impossible to reach by climbing. Even tengu
society is established with a strong sense of balance:
possessions and knowledge are shared, and even a
whole community
community (or aerie) of tengu do not stay rooted
to a single place for long. Tengu may preside in place
for decades and then migrate elsewhere at a moment’s
notice; a particular aerie may splinter off and join with
another or break into a combination of lone ascetics
and a completely new community.
Much as with birds, tengu society is comprised
of unique social strata. Young tengu are not raised
in nuclear families so much as they are co-raised by
singles, pairs, or groups of parents, who take turns
nurturing and teaching the young according to their
talents. An elder—often but not always the oldest ten-
gu in the aerie—presides over a congress of adults to
decide migration, building, and other consequential
decisions. In matters where an issue must be put to
vote, the elder speaks first and votes first, but must
still abide by the congress’ decision. When a significant
minority–or a large minority backed by the elder–dis-
agree, the aerie may split and go their separate ways.
Tengu are independent enough that lone ascetics have
splintered from an aerie in the past to continue alone
for some years, only to rejoin some select portion of
their former community later.
T󰁅󰁎󰁧󰁵 C󰁵󰁬󰁴󰁵󰁲󰁅 󰁡󰁎󰁤 B󰁅󰁬󰁩󰁅󰁦󰁳
“All things die, but the sky is eternal.” – Tengu proverb
From birth to death, the tengu are governed by
deep conviction that their place is to understand
the workings of the world around them and to exist
in harmony with it. Every act, every creation, every
thought, should be in service to this greater order of
things. Concepts such as “possessions” or “territory”
have no meaning to the tengu, who desire to simply
be. Becoming something great is infinitely better than
possessing something remarkable.
As with everything, tengu customs are rarely pre-
scriptive; communities often subsist on both hunting
and gathering. Possessions are communally owned,
while skills and self-actualization are prized as signposts
toward one’s enlightenment. In the aerie, nobody is on
their own, though everyone is encouraged to follow
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C H AP T E R 1 : T H E S E C RE T E MP I RE

These lands are mainly given to the stewardship

󰁴󰁨󰁅 󰁬󰁡󰁎󰁤󰁳 󰁯󰁦 󰁴󰁨󰁅 of the Togashi and Agasha families, the former main-
󰁤󰁲󰁡󰁧󰁯󰁎 󰁣󰁬󰁡󰁎 taining only a few, isolated holdings, mostly seclud-
ed shrines and temples. The lands of the Agasha are
The lands of the Dragon Clan sprawl across the north
somewhat better developed but are still wild and
of Rokugan, mostly encompassing the Great Wall of
primitive compared to most of the rest of the Empire.
the
wildNorth mountains. These
and undeveloped lands by
occupied are,any
by far, theGreat
of the most There is some food production in the fertile soil of river
valleys, but this region mostly produces ore of various
Clans. Only in their southern extremities, where they
types—gold, copper and iron being the most com-
border on the lands of the Tonbo, the Dragonfly Minor
mon—and stone.
Clan, and those of the Lion, are the Dragon lands
generally similar to those of the other clans—reason-
ably flat, easy to access, and fertile. Elsewhere, they T󰁨󰁅 T󰁡󰁭󰁅 S󰁯󰁵󰁴󰁨
embrace the rugged, largely inhospitable mountains, To call the southern lands of the Dragon tame is some-
and their foothills. thing of an overstatement. It is certainly true compared
to the lands of the Togashi and the Agasha, but by the
T󰁨󰁅 W󰁩󰁬󰁤 N󰁯󰁲󰁴󰁨 standards of most Imperial lands, they are still largely
rugged and difficult to access or develop. These lands
The Great Wall of the North Mountains extend across
encompass the foothills of the Great Wall of the North
the entire northern edge of the Empire. Their rocky
Mountains, themselves a formidable range of steep
feet are washed by the ocean in the east; from there,
ridges and barren peaks; only in their southernmost
they extend westward, through the lands of the Drag-
extremities do they give way to the rolling hills and,
on,
Clan,then across
finally the southward
turning northernmost lands of
to merge thethe
with Unicorn
Spine eventually, the relatively flat plains of the Dragonfly
and the Lion clans.
of the World Mountains that traverse central Rokugan.
Stewardship of these lands is given over to the Miru-
This vast range separates Rokugan from the dry, barren
moto and the Kitsuki families. The latter oversee the
sprawl of lands to the north, which can only be read-
flattest and most fertile lands, which represent the bulk
ily accessed through the Unicorn lands, through the
of the Dragon’s arable territory. The more rugged foot-
treacherous pass known as Defiant’s Path. Would-be
hill regions are controlled by the Kitsuki, under whom
travelers who do not wish to use this pass must brave
numerous mining and quarrying operations thrive. It is
the mountains themselves—an enormously difficult,
from this region that the Dragon Clan produces most
dangerous, and time-consuming journey even in good
of its gold, which allows it to buy and import the bulk
weather, and all but impossible in times of inclement
of food that their people require.
weather, especially the winter.
It is in these more hospitable lands that the Dragon
The Dragon Clan occupies these mountainous
conducts most of its commercial and political interac-
lands in the west, where the rugged foothills known as
tions with the rest of the Empire. The Tonbo, or Drag-
the Great Climb give way to the plains of the Unicorn
onfly Clan, acts as gatekeepers for the Dragon, a tradi-
Clan, to the Dragon Heart Plain the in the east, a bar-
tion that dates back to that Minor Clan’s formation by
ren flatland separating the Dragon lands from those of samurai of the Dragon and Phoenix clans. Visitors who
the Phoenix Clan. Another expanse of craggy foothills
are approved by the Dragonfly—and by the Dragon
known as the Great Fall, that lays south of the Dragon
delegation permanently located at Kyūden Tonbo—are
Heart Plain, is also nominally under Dragon control,
then guided northward, normally to Shiro Kitsuki. Trav-
but frequent volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and land-
elers with more specific business, particularly involving
slides preclude any significant development.
military matters, are led, instead, to Shiro Mirumoto.
The vast majority of this region is virtually inacces-
It is rare for outsiders to travel further north, into the
sible. Some of the highest mountain peaks in Rokugan
lands of the Agasha or the Togashi, unless they have
soar skyward, their peaks shrouded in drifting clouds,
particularly good and compelling reasons for doing so.
snow glistening pristine white on their upper reaches
all through the year. Their sheer flanks plunge into
steep, shadowed valleys, many choked with ice and
snow even in the summer, nameless rivers rushing
through their depths. Spectacular scenery abounds,
but roads and trails are few and far between.

50
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farmer is often hard-working, pragmatic, and loyal to
their own. Such characters may also be skeptical of out-
siders, particularly if they have had bad experiences in
the past with others.
Hunter or Fisher Upbringing
Ring Increase: +1 Earth or +1 Water  their stories tend to be tragic, ones of circumstances
Skill Increases:  +1 Labor, and +1 Seafaring or
+1 Survival
Status Modification: +3
Starting Wealth: 4 bu
The land and the ocean give abundantly, provided a
person is patient and clever enough to take advantage
of that plenty. Traps and nets can increase a hunter’s
or fisher’s range, while understanding tracks and the
currents can bring them to the right place at the right
time. This knowledge gets passed down from gen-
eration to generation, preserving expertise through
apprenticeships,
apprenticesh ips, instruction, and inheritance.
Intrepid hunters and fishers must endure the vicis-
situdes of the
ocean, and theweather, the perilsAs
risk of predators. of the
wilderness and
wind, earth,
and water temper these people, it’s no wonder they
associate themselves with those elements. Because of
this close relationship, hunters and fishers don’t think
of themselves as masters of the earth or water, but
rather as their children. To acquire expertise as a hunter
or fisher requires experience, specialized knowledge,
and a sense of adventure to find new hunting grounds
and fishing spots.
Temple Upbringing
Ring Increase: +1 Void or +1 Air 
Skill Increases: +1 Theology, +1 Courtesy
Status Modification: +11
Starting Wealth:
Many temples areOne openday’s rations
to those who wish to find spir-
itual Enlightenment and who seek to better under-
stand their inner self, even at a young age. Other
youth might join a temple to flee a bad situation or an
abusive home life. Occasionally, unprepared parents
leave children at the threshold of a temple, hoping that
the monks within will provide what they either cannot
or will not.
Those who have spent formative years in a temple
may find themselves caught in a teetering balance
between being at peace with the will of the world and
seeing myriad examples of that peace being tarnished
when they venture outside the temple grounds. Not
everyone who is raised in a spiritual house is driven by
a desire for justice, but many are, wishing to bring har-
mony and Enlightenment to those around them.
C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 
2. 󰁗󰁨󰁡󰁔 󰁩󰁳 󰁹󰁯󰁵󰁲 FITTING YOUR
ADVANTAGES AND
󰁃󰁨󰁡󰁲󰁡󰁃󰁔󰁥󰁲’󰁳 󰁐󰁡󰁳󰁔 󰁡󰁮󰁄 󰁨󰁯󰁗 DISADVANTAGES TO
󰁄󰁯󰁥󰁳 󰁩󰁔 󰁡󰁦󰁦󰁥󰁃󰁔 󰁔󰁨󰁥󰁍?  YOUR PAST
In questions 9, 10, 11,
A past is a story
story,, one that can deeply impact a person.
Because rōnin have lost their place in samurai society and 12 players will
choose advantages and
disadvantages. Pasts
that have kept them from fulfilling their promise or can be a great source
of inspiration for these
destiny. While Table 2–1: Sample Pasts  provides a
choices! If it makes
wide range of different pasts, players should feel free sense, players should
to develop their own rather than roll if they desire. The consider catering their
pasts presented here can be used as inspiration to selections to their
help tell unique, personal
personal stories that offer fun narra- pasts or using them
as a framework in
tive moments!
developing their own
A past should be a force that propels the character advantages and disad-
forward, similar to giri, or duty. A past is usually some  vantages wi th their GM
sort of personal obligation, antagonizing entity, or (see pages 137–139 of
 the core rule book).
choice that the character or someone else made that
haunts the character even now.
When selecting a past, it’s important to keep in
mind that this is not something that a character will be
able to avoid! Players should choose a past that has
the potential
potential to cause problems that the player finds
interesting, because the GM will be using these pasts
to present challenges, interesting narrative scenes,
and discord. When a character’s past comes up in a
session, it will likely make a character’s day unpleas-
ant, conflicting with their ninjō, getting them into
trouble, or even threatening
threatening their life. There might
be hard decisions or tough fights ahead for the char-
acter when their past rears its head, and selecting a
past that strikes a chord with a player is important in
having fun! Characters will struggle,
strug gle, and that strug-
gle should remain fun for players as they watch their
character grow.
6. 󰁗󰁨󰁡󰁔 󰁄󰁯󰁥󰁳 󰁹󰁯󰁵󰁲
󰁃󰁨󰁡󰁲󰁡󰁃󰁔󰁥󰁲 󰁬󰁯󰁮󰁧 󰁦󰁯󰁲,
󰁡󰁮󰁄 󰁨󰁯󰁗 󰁍󰁩󰁧󰁨󰁔 󰁔󰁨󰁥󰁩󰁲
󰁐󰁡󰁳󰁔 󰁩󰁍󰁐󰁡󰁃󰁔 󰁔󰁨󰁥󰁩󰁲 󰁮󰁩󰁮󰁪ō?
Outsiders have as many desires as there are stars in
the sky. The path of waves requires incredible forti-
tude, and no human can withstand that stress without
wanting
want ing something. In general, players should have
the freedom to come up with their characters’ ninjō.
The Table 2–2: Sample Ninjō  only represents a tiny
sample
sam ple of potential desires (and players may roll or
choose one from here, if they desire); players and
GMs can use them to galvanize their own imagina-
tions. To create a good personal desire for a charac-
ter, this desire needs to have the potential to conflict
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C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 

with their past. On pages 90–91 of the core rulebook benefits, each should understand what Bushidō is THE SEVEN TENETS
there is more information
information on creating interesting and enough to have feelings about it. OF BUSHIDŌ
impactful ninjō. For this book, that advice can be However, this may not be true for gaijin charac-
applied to the conflict between ninjō and pasts, rath-
rath - ters. Someone who has just arrived in Rokugan may The code of Bushidō,
or “the way of the
er than ninjō and giri. know very little about its culture, which puts them at
 warrior” is comprised

a big disadvantage.
disadvantage. Still, it is more of seven tenets that act
7. 󰁗󰁨󰁡󰁔 󰁩󰁳 󰁹󰁯󰁵󰁲  jin visitor would be somewhat versedlikely thatways
in the a gai-
of as a guide for samurai.
the Empire—at least enough to know how to avoid an The tenets are Compas-
󰁃󰁨󰁡󰁲󰁡󰁃󰁔󰁥󰁲 󰁫󰁮󰁯󰁗󰁮 󰁦󰁯󰁲? untimely death. sion (Jin), Courage (Yū),
Courtesy (Rei), Duty and
No two people follow the same path as they journey Loyalty (Chūgi), Honor
through life. While two or more rōnin and travelers far All Who Walk in Rokugan (Meiyo), Righteousness
from home may band together to increase their chanc- (Gi), and Sincerity
es of survival, their values, abilities, and actions may Whether you are playing a character from the Emerald (Makoto).

vary wildly, affecting how each is remembered by the Empire or a gaijin from a faraway place, stories set in
More information on
people they meet along the way. Rokugan work best if you to decide how your character  these tenets can be
Choose a talent, event, or other deed that your feels about Bushidō and the other primary aspects of found on page 13 of

character is known for. It can be positive or negative, the Empire’s culture.  the cor e r ulebook,
If you are playing a foreign character, you might and more information
and it may or may not be connected to their past. A on how rōnin may feel
rōnin might be known for abandoning their lord, for choose to think about Bushidō’s tenets as a guideline about these tenets can
having a way with animals, or for going out of their for thinking about core values of your character’s home be found beginning on

way to help peasants. A gaijin might be known for their country. The tenets cover a wide range of values, and page 15.

skilled craftsmanship or their exemplary fighting style. though yourincharacter

Or perhaps
perhaps they are known for a being an embarrass-
ment, which has caused them to leave home and wan-
der Rokugan instead of staying with their own people.
If your character is known for an intentional deed,
skill, or pattern of behavior that has helped others,
even if they have been shunned or embarrassed about
it, they gain +5 glory to represent their social prestige.
If your character is known for deeds, actions, skills,
or even a single event that others have perceived as
wicked, harmful, or exceptionally selfish, or if your
character did something badly at odds their culture’s
or family’s values, then your character gains 1 rank in a
skill that they currently have 0 ranks in. This skill should
represent
repre sent the choices your character has made that
have upset the normal order of things in the eyes of
their family or society.
8. 󰁗󰁨󰁡󰁔 󰁄󰁯󰁥󰁳 󰁹󰁯󰁵󰁲
󰁃󰁨󰁡󰁲󰁡󰁃󰁔󰁥󰁲 󰁔󰁨󰁩󰁮󰁫
󰁯󰁦 󰁢󰁵󰁳󰁨󰁩󰁄ō?
Everyone who lives or travels within Rokugan must
decide how they feel about the core of its society:
Bushidō. The tenets and teachings of Bushidō encom-
pass all that samurai do—and it is difficult, if not impos-
sible, to do anything within the Emerald Empire with-
out being affected, at least tangentially, by the samurai
class. Though peasants are not expected to adhere to
Bushidō in most contexts, and rōnin are in a strange
position of being samurai with none of the inherent
do believe may not believe in Bushidō, they
something.
T󰁨󰁥 T󰁥󰁮󰁥󰁔󰁳 󰁯󰁦 B󰁵󰁳󰁨󰁩󰁄ō
Like the Great Clans, individuals and cultures place
different
dif ferent levels of emphasis on various tenets and
values. To represent the individuality and nuances of
your character’s
character’s personal beliefs, choose one tenet of
Bushidō as paramount and one tenet as less significant
(see The Clans’ Views of Bushidō, page 301 of the core
rulebook,
rule book, for more information). Then, choose one of
the following options:
$   Your dedication to Bushidō affects
 Your affects all that you
do. If your character’s belief in living an ortho-
dox interpretation of Bushidō is very staunch,
gain +10 honor.
$  If your character’s values diverge from some
or all of the common values of Bushidō, gain
one item of rarity 5 or lower to represent a
time when that divergence both benefited your
character and pulled them further from the
true path.
$   You know little
 You little about Bushidō
Bushidō and its signifi-
signifi-
cance to Rokugani culture. Your ignorance will
be short-lived, however, because you will either
learn quickly or meet your end at the hand of
an angered samurai. Gain 1 rank in one of the
following skills to represent your ignorance of
Bushidō: Commerce, Labor, Medicine, Seafar-
ing, Skulduggery, or Survival.

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C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 

Type: Mental F󰁥󰁡󰁲 󰁯󰁦 P󰁯󰁩󰁳󰁯󰁮 (A󰁩󰁲)

Effects:  The following apply to a character with the
Fear of [Common Creature] anxiety: Yasuki Fusao could still smell the vile, stale bile when
his cousin vomited on him on purpose. They had
$   You
 You have an irrational
irrational fear of a creature
creature that exchanged no words then and no words since. Her

is commonly
perceive suchfound in Rokugan.
a creature, When
whether you
or not it is disgusting
me and now message
the stinkwas
liesclear: your poison failed to kill
on you.
actually there, you become unnerved and your A servant placed the afternoon tea on the table,
decision-making suffers. and Fusao grabbed his wrist. “Did you drink this?” 
$  After performing a check to make choices while “Pardon, Lord Yasuki?” the servant said, perplexed.
in the presence of your feared creature (such as “Drink.” 
a Medicine [Earth] check to recall how to treat The servant sighed and poured the water into the
a particular type of wound or a Courtesy [Earth] teapot. He looked on unperturbed, and Fusao fidget-
check to act reasonably during a negotiation), ed while the tea steeped. Finally, the servant poured
you receive 3 strife. If this is the first time this the tea into the cup and took a sip.
has occurred this scene, gain 1 Void point. “All of it,” Fusao said.
“The tea in the cup or the teapot, Lord Yasuki?” 
“Yes.” 
F󰁥󰁡󰁲 󰁯󰁦 M󰁥󰁄󰁩󰁯󰁃󰁲󰁩󰁔󰁹 (F󰁩󰁲󰁥) The servant had drunk so much tea in the past year,
he swore he was made of it. And yet, still no sign of
“I have climbed the highest peaks in my quest: the poisonous retribution from Lord Yasuki’s assassination
Wrath of the
Mountain, Kami, Tenkenniyoru
the Northern Yama, Nothing!
Wall Mountains… the Iron attempt. Perhaps that was punishment enough.
Each tincture from a flower. Each tea from an herb. Type: Mental
Each poultice from bark. Nothing. The answer must be Effects:   The following apply to a character with the
out there.”  Fear of Poison anxiety:
- letters from Agasha AriNaga
regarding an elixir of immortality  $   You have a fear of
 You of being poisoned
poisoned by others.
others.
 You
 You would rather
rather go hungry than accept food
“Falling up a mountain like AriNaga, to be immor- or drink from anyone you do not trust com-
talized as a fool.”  pletely, unless you witness that food being
- old Agasha saying consumed by someone else first. When you
are offered food or drink by others you do not
Type: Interpersonal, Mental trust, you cannot help but wonder if they are
Effects:  The following apply to a character with the secretly plotting your demise.
Fear of Mediocrity anxiety: $  After performing a check to interact with
$
someone you do not completely trust who has
   Your fear of amounting
 Your amounting to nothing
nothing causes you offered you food or drink (such as a Sentiment
to seize up when faced with the need to inno-
[Air] check to try to determine some else’s
vate on the fly.
intentions or a Games [Air] check to play a
$  After performing a check to adapt to an unex- game well against someone who has offered
pected situation (such as a Survival [Fire] check you food), you receive 3 strife. If this is the
to find shelter when your tent is destroyed or first time this has occurred this scene, gain 1
a Culture [Fire] check to unexpectedly interact  Void point.
in an appropriate manner with someone of a
higher status), you receive 3 strife. If this is the
first time this has occurred this scene, gain 1
 Void point.
point.
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C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 
Skittering Shift Rank 3 [Nezumi]
The nezumi live in dangerous places, often surrounded
by predators against which the only defense is evasion.
Oni of the Shadowlands and ancient yōkai of the Shi -
nomen forest
be evaded tocannot be fought
be survived. head-on
Further, the and must
dense thus
terrain
of tunnels and forests make it difficult to bring down
large targets through ranged weapons and attrition,
as hunters in an open plain do. Thus, nezumi martial
arts emphasize constant readiness to scamper aside,
dropping onto all fours to bound out of the way of a
crushing blow or scuttling back into the shadows to
avoid being surrounded by pack hunters. Humans can
learn these techniques as well, though they must be
adapted somewhat to account for the particulars of
human physiology, and study with the nezumi them-
selves is a necessity
necessity..
Activation: Once per scene as a Movement and Sup-
port action, you may receive 2 fatigue to skitter with
preternatural speed, evading incoming attacks to gain
distance toward or away from your foe.
Form Requirement: You must be in a form capable of
moving naturally on all fours.
Effects: Increase the TN of Attack action checks tar-
geting you by 1. After an Attack action check target-
ing you fails, you may move 1 range band. After you
defend against damage, you may move 1 range band.
This effect persists until the end of your next turn.
Tail Sweep Rank 3
[Naga, Nezumi, or Yōkai]
A tail is an advantage humans generally lack (some-
thing members of other species are quick to point
out). Even a non-prehensile tail can be used to deliv-
er a quick blow from an unexpected angle, knocking
the target from their feet or setting up a grapple.
Naga, nezumi, and many yōkai practice martial arts
that take full advantage of this tool, and humans who
fight against them rarely forget it after their first unex-
pected tumble.
Activation: Once per scene as an Attack and Move-
ment action, if you are in your true form, you may make
a Martial Arts [Unarmed] check targeting one charac-
ter at range 0–2 to strike unexpectedly with your tail.
The TN of this check is equal to the target’s vigilance
minus 1 (to a minimum of 1).
Form Requirement: You must be in a form with a tail.
Effects:  If you succeed, your target suffers physical
damage equal to your ranks in Fitness plus your bonus
successes with deadliness 1.
New Opportunities 
Earth : If you succeed, your target suffers the Prone
condition. If your target was already Prone, it suffers
the Immobilized condition instead.

Water   : If you fail, you may immediately move 1
range band.
R󰁩󰁔󰁵󰁡󰁬󰁳
Every group has its own traditions, preserved through
cultural practices that create a sense of community and
continuity across the generations. Many of these rituals
also have utilitarian purposes, combining function with
form. This includes groups such as the Naga, the nezu-
mi, yōkai, and the the Laughing Mountain and Woolen
Hooves people.
Chikushō-dō’s Guile Rank 1 [Yōkai]
Yōkai who hail from the Realm of Animals are often
tricksters, and even those who do not find deception of
humans a pleasant pastime can still fool most mortals
into seeing them as they choose to appear. By under-
taking a ritual to temporarily shed their animal form,
such a yōkai can become human for a time. However,
However,
the transformation is always imperfect, some aspects
of their human form mirroring that of their spiritual
form and breaking down under certain circumstances
ci rcumstances..
Still, for a yōkai who wishes to pass among humans -
for mischief or matters more benevolent - this ritual is
an invaluable tool.
The ritual generally requires acquiring an article of
human clothing and can only be performed out of the
sight of humans.
Activation:  As a downtime activity, you may make
a TN 1 Survival (Air) check   to tap into the power
of Chikushō-dō and Sakkaku, shrouding yourself in
human form.
Effects: If you succeed, you transform into a human
form that is derived from your true form.
for m. You are func-
tionally human (and are unable to use techniques that
require aspects of your true form). Observers with
vigilance lower than or equal to your ranks in Perfor-
mance do not detect any flaws in your façade. Howev-
er, certain key features of your body persist across all
of your forms, such as the color of your feathers or fur
becoming part of your hair or clothes, or identifying
scars remaining on your body. If you become Com-
promised, your disguise slips, subtly revealing your
true form in your feathers or fur, feet, or shadow. As
a Support action, you may transform back into your
true form.
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C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 

New Opportunities  Cunning Snares Rank 2

[Shinobi or Yobanjin Group]
: You may choose a form of another creature of
silhouette 2. Those that live in the wilderness must learn to make
  : You may choose a form of a creature of silhou- due with what they have, and trap-making is one such

ette 1 or 3. strategy for both survivors and those participating in

Guard Against the Elements Rank 1
[Yobanjin Group]
The people of the Woolen Hooves tribe are natu-
ral born survivors and have honed their talents over
their lives to accommodate the harshness of their
environment.
Activation:  As a downtime activity, you may make a
TN 3 Survival check  using Air, Earth, Fire, or Water
and targeting a number of characters at range 0–3 up
to your ranks in Survival.
Effects:  If you succeed, the targets are prepared to
deal with harsh weather and environments of a partic-
clandestine activities, like shinobi.
Activation: As a downtime activity, you may make a TN
1 Survival (Air) check  to create and set a number of
traps at range 0–5 of your current position.
Effects:  If you succeed, you set one trap, plus one
additional trap for every 2 bonus successes. Each trap
occupies a position at range 0–5 of where you made
the check, and triggers after a character moves to
range 0 of it. After the trap triggers, the target must
make a check to resist its effects. Choose each trap
from the following list:
$  Deadfall Trap: A trap that drops stones, sharp
objects, or other dangerous debris onto the

ular
eachtype. When
target making
reduces thea TN
check
of to resist
that checkthese
by effects,
1. The target. The target must resist with a TN 5 Fit-
ness check (Water 3, Fire 6) or suffer physical
first time a target would be affected by a terrain quality damage equal to two times their shortfall.
that pertains to that type of weather or environment $  Pitfall Trap: A trap that causes the target to
each scene, the target ignores the effects of that terrain
fall into a pit, and can include sharpened wood
quality. The particular type of weather and/or environ-
or bamboo spikes for extra harm. The target
ment are based on the ring you chose, as follows:
must resist with a TN 4 Fitness check (Earth 2,
$  Air: Pressure and noxious gasses Water 5) or suffer 6 physical damage and the
Dazed and Disoriented conditions.
$  Earth: Altitude and lack of oxygen
$  Rope Snare: A counterweighted trap that
$  Fire: Extreme cold snares the target, pulling them off their feet.
$  Water: Extreme heat The target must resist with a TN 5 (Fire 3,
Earth 6) or suffer physical damage equal to
This effect persists until the end of the game session. their shortfall that ignores their physical resis-
tance and the Immobilized condition.
New Opportunities 

+: Choose one additional target per  spent this way.
    : If you succeed, choose one additional type
of weather; your targets are also protected against the
effects of that weather.
New Opportunities 
+: Increase the TN of the check to resist these traps
by 1, plus 1 for every additional   spent this way.
: If the trap inflicts damage, increase that damage by
your ranks in Skulduggery. If it inflicts a critical strike,
increase the severity of the critical strike by your ranks
in Skulduggery.
: If the trap inflicts damage, the target also suffers the
Bleeding condition.
 : Use a number of doses of poison up to the num-
ber of traps you made, and choose that many traps you
created to envenom. Each trap you envenom counts as
being treated with this poison for the purposes of any
damage it inflicts.
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C HAP T E R 2 : T HE DUT Y O F S URV I V AL 

THE DEADLINESS
Hunter’s Expertise Rank 3 Trance of Lives Past Rank 4 [Monk]
OF TRAPS [Yobanjin Group]
Time and death are boundaries that appear imper-
If a trap deals damage, The skill of a hunter is cherished in the often harsh meable to most. However, some spiritualists and kihō
 treat its deadliness as 7. conditions that many yobanjin groups live in. To know practitioners can press up against these boundaries

one’s quarry is paramount to ensuring a full belly and and bend them,
knowledge if not break
and memories them
from livesfully,
past.drawing
The userforth
can
another day in the mortal realm.
follow the spiritual energy they imprinted upon a per-
Activation:  As a downtime activity, you may make a son, place, or thing long ago, reconnecting to it and
TN 5 Survival check  using Air, Earth, Fire, Water, or reawakening lost memories of that past existence. This
 Void and targeting one character you have previously may even cause the personality of the previous life to
encountered. For each advantage or disadvantage of briefly resurface - for better or for worse, as that entity
the target that you know, reduce the TN by 1. may have had its own goals and desires unrelated to
Effects:  If you succeed and the target is the sort of the present character's, or even opposed to them.
creature matching the ring you chose, you prepare
one weapon to be especially deadly to it. Increase Activation: As a downtime activity, you may make a TN
the weapons’ deadliness when used against the cho- 4 Meditation (Void) check targeting a place, object, or
sen target by 3, plus 1 for every 2 bonus successes. individual one of your past lives. Reduce the TN by 2 if
Each ring covers a number of types of creature, as all three of the following are true:
described below:
$   You
 You have one or more items
items (other than
than your
$  Air: Ethereal Otherworldly beings such as spir- target) from your past life
its and ghosts. $   You are in a place (other than
 You than your target)
target)
$  Earth: Living Tainted beings. important to your past life
$  Fire: Undead beings with corporeal form. $   You have interacted
 You interacted with an individual
individual from
from
your past life (other than the target) within the
$  Water: Wild animals.
last 24 hours
$   Void: Non-T
Non-Tainted
ainted sentient
sentient beings such
such
as humans. Effects:   If you succeed, your GM reveals a specific
memory you have related to your target. If your GM is
unsure what the significance should be, they might ask
New Opportunities  you to help come up with the specifics of the memory,
and then offer modifications to your proposed recol-
: If you succeed, choose a number of additional
lection based on the needs of the story.
weapons to prepare equal to your ranks in Smithing, to
a minimum of 1 additional weapon.
New Opportunities 
: If you succeed and the target is a minion NPC, the
weapons’ increased deadliness applies to all minion +: Reduce the TN of your next check related to the
NPCs with the same base profile. target by 1.
  : If you succeed, instead of increasing the weap-       : If you fail, you become possessed by your
on’s deadliness, you may choose to have the weapons past self until the end of the scene. Use this character’s
ignore a number of points of the target’s physical resis- profile instead of your own (an NPC profile determined
tance equal to your ranks in Survival. by your GM). You control your character’s actions while
possessed (though the past life may have different
goals and desires, as narratively appropriate), but your
character has no memory of the events that transpire
during this time.
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CHAPTER 3: FINDING BALANCE IN DISORDER
 S
 Stories
tories of the
the Strang
Strangee
This volume introduces a number of unusual charac-
ter archetypes into the game, from yōkai to fantastical
sentient beings like Naga and nezumi. It also includes
characters who, while just as human as most other
PCs, do not come from the predominant culture within
Rokugan. Such characters are not necessarily appropri-
ate for all Legend of the Five Rings  campaigns
  campaigns a GM
might want to run, and as with all matters, it is the GM’s
prerogative to determine appropriateness of these
characters for a given story.
However, GMs should also consider the ways in
which these unusual characters can fit into their games,
and the setting, and how they even present many
exciting narrative opportunities without completely
altering the flavor of the world. While it might appear
that these sorts of characters, especially the nonhuman
ones, are less suited for a court drama or war story, it is
worth reflecting on the fact that many works of folklore
and myth from across the world include such characters
alongside even attested historical figures and other,
more grounded characters.
This section delves into how a GM can allay some
concerns about outsiders and nonhuman characters, as
well as a number of the unique narrative opportunities
that outsiders and nonhuman characters can present
within the context of a campaign.
󰁯󰁵󰁔󰁳󰁩󰁤󰁥󰁲󰁳 󰁩󰁮 󰁡 󰁣󰁡󰁭󰁰󰁡󰁩󰁧
󰁣󰁡󰁭󰁰󰁡󰁩󰁧󰁮
󰁮 of the Kogarashi and Seikitsu are free of these obliga-
Outsiders are in many ways easier to handle than
supernatural characters. While Rokugan technically
bans foreigners from its soil, the reality of the matter is
more nuanced. Furthermore, while the Woolen Hooves
tribe of the Kogarashi and the Laughing Mountain tribe
of the Seikitsu may be considered outsiders by many
Rokugani in the abstract, most commoners and samu-
rai will not be especially aware of how these peoples
dress, behave, or comport themselves. Even within
the Great Clans, significant variance exists - therefor
therefore,
e,
to the average Rokugani, a member of the Woolen
Hooves or Laughing Mountain people is not likely to
raise significantly more suspicion
suspicion than a samurai from a
distant clan, or a commoner from a far-off village. Their
customs may be unusual and different, but Rokugan is
a large country, and hardly uniform in most respects.
And while travel is not especially common for peas-
ants, it is not unheard of, either. From pilgrimages to
 
conscription to working as merchants, there are numer-
ous valid reasons a commoner might have traveled to
a different part of the country. Most people will simply
DELAYED DEPARTURES
 At the GM’s discretion,
assume they are from a distant part of Rokugan and a character who has
resolved their destiny
write off cultural differences as the result of unfamiliar-
ity with the region. For any campaign where the PCs might
until a remain a PC
more convenient
are likely to travel from place to place frequently, out- point to retire them.
siders are unlikely to raise many eyebrows—or at least,
not more than PCs from geographically distant parts
of the Empire.
It is harder for outsiders to pass as samurai, but
also less necessary, even if the game is focused on the
intrigues of high court. A samurai is allowed to choose
their retainers as they see fit, and while rivals might use
the choice of a particular retainer to spread rumors or
otherwise undermine a samurai's reputation, such tac-
tics can easily be overcome through a retainer’s record
of results. So long as a character is effective, they will
find those who will vouch for them. What's more, those
from the Woolen Hooves and the Laughing Mountain
tribes are potentially very useful allies to powers with-
in Rokugan, even if formal law forbids entanglements
with them. There are many reasons that in a particu-
lar regional court, a member of the Woolen Hooves
or Laughing Mountain might serve without hiding their
identity. Because they exist outside the normal social
and political structure, they can also be asked to under
under--
take tasks that would be difficult for many samurai. For
instance, while most samurai have entangling alliances
with various different clans and families, most members
tions. This could make a member of either group an
excellent ally, able to act without political reservations
others might have.
Of course, outsiders will also have concerns that
Rokugani do not. For instance, they may be espe-
cially interested in securing alliances or agreements
for their community, or even more pressingly, keep-
ing Rokugani attention away from it. A member of
either group might well be tasked with slipping into
Rokugani society simply to keep an eye on the neigh-
boring empire, lest it be considering aggression. This
could provide a set of goals and story opportunities for
that PC, forcing them to balance short-term goals that
maintain their allegiances and their long-term needs to
provide information to their homeland. This could be
especially compelling in a war story, where the charac-
ter might be attempting to steer conflicts away from
their people even while serving another cause.
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WRIT OF THE WILDS

TREACHEROS JORNEYS IN
HE UNAMED WILDS 
The Emerald Empire is home to many
different ethnicities, cultures, species, and
ways of life—many more so than most
Rokugani would care to admit. From the
Laughing Mountain peoples of the Spine
of the World Mountains to the serpentine
Naga whoForest,
Shinomen dwell the
in Mortal
the depths
Realmofis rich
the
with many tapestries of life.
Writ of the Wilds , a 144-page addition to
the Legend of the Five Rings Role-Playing
Game, details several new cultural groups
and dives into the dangers of treading off
the beaten path. This book also taps into
the history of the esoteric Dragon Clan
and their mediators, the Dragonfly. Game
Masters and players alike will be able to
enjoy many new mechanical and lore
additions to the setting, including:
$ Several new schools, including traditions
allowing play as Shinomen Naga,
Shinomen nezumi, tengu, and Yobanjin.
$ Rules for the Dragonfly Minor Clan,
new titles, conditions, techniques, and
a variant terrain type.
$ Guidance on running campaigns
for groups of mixed species and
allegiances. Additionally, details on
various wilderness locales, temples,
and running monasteries authentically
can be found in this volume.