AKARU NO ONI, THE WEB LORD
The threat of oni is constant for those Crab scouts who venture
into the Shadowlands, for the demons roam the entire
realm, destroying any living creature that does not bear the
touch of Jigoku. Akaru no Oni, at least, is one threat the Hiruma
know they need not fear so long as they pay careful
attention to their surroundings. The massive and ponderous
Akaru no Oni are not very mobile, and prefer to lair in rocky
recesses, ideally caves or rocky valleys. Ultimately, any confi
ned space will suffi ce so long as the Akaru can expect prey
to pass through the area on at least a semi-regular basis.
Akaru no Oni vaguely resemble spiders, with long segmented
bodies and dozens of jointed legs.
legs. Their appearance might
make them seem closer to centipedes but for the vast webs
they spin in their lairs. They are actually somewhat passive
in their hunting methods, preferring to allow prey t o become
trapped in their webs and waiting for it to grow weak before
feasting on it. However, when an Akaru no Oni is hungry or
angered it has considerable physical power at its command,
and will not hesitate to destroy anything that threatens it.
AIR 3 EARTH 4 FIRE 1 WATER 4
- - AGILITY 4 -
Initiative: 4k3 Attack: Claws 6k4 (Simple), BiteBite
4k4 (Complex)
Damage: 4k4 (Claws),
(Claws),
6k4 (Bite)
Armor TN: 20
Reduction: 5 Wounds: 25: +5; 50: +10;
75: Dead
Taint Rank: 5
Special Abilities:
c Spinnerets: Akaru no Oni can project powerful webs
of a thick adhesive substance to ensnare and confi ne
its enemies. This is a Complex Action with an attack
roll of 6k4. If the webs hit they do not infl ict damage,
but the target is automatically Entangled. The TN to
escape the Entangled condition is 20.
Web Traps: Akaru no Oni spreads its webs where prey
might come into contact with it by accident. Anyone
who stumbles into the oni’s webs is immediately Entangled,
with a TN of 20 to escape.
GENSO NO ONI, DARK WARRIOR
The Genso no Oni is a legend within the Shadowlands, famous
even to the Lost and feared by other oni that seem more
powerful. It is painfully well
well known to the Crab, although
although few
samurai of the other clans have ever heard of it. The demon
is said to be stronger than the mightiest Hida, faster than the
swiftest Kakita, and more fearsome than the fi ercest Matsu.
Indeed, perhaps the most terrible thing about t his unique oni
is that it resembles and understands the samurai it lives to kill.
Genso no Oni is a consummate warrior, fl awless in technique
and skill. It lives for the challenge of facing worthy
foes and destroying them utterly. This demon is by no means
honorable, but some of its behavior may well deceive others
into believing it is, which only helps defeat such fools in
battle. The beast is an eight foot tall humanoid, incredibly
well muscled, with dark red skin. It dresses in the manner of
a traveling warrior, wearing a hakama a nd carrying a daisho,
even though the creature could never possibly hope to pass
for human. It is devoid of hair and has a mouth that seems to
split the entire head in two, fi lled to the brim with needle-like
teeth. It has two short horns atop its head, too short to serve
as weapons but deadly in appearance just the same.
AIR 3 E ARTH 4 FIRE 4 WATER 4
REFLEXES 5 - - -
Initiative: 5k5 Attacks: Obsidian katana 9k4
(Simple), talons 8k4 (Simple)
Damage: 7k2 (obsidian
(obsidian
katana), 4k4 (talons)
Armor TN: 30
Reduction: 4 Wounds: 40: +5; 80: +10;+10;
120: +15; 160: +20; 200: Out;
240: Dead
Taint Rank: 7
Skills: Athletics 3, Defense 4, Hunting 7, Iaijutsu 5, Jiujutsu
4, Kenjutsu 5, Stealth 4
Special Abilities:
c Fear 3
c Obsidian Daisho: Genso no Oni carries a massive
daisho fashioned from obsidian. The blades seem to be
spiritually connected to the creature and dodo not survive
its death – if one or both are stolen before death, the
Genso no Oni will hunt down the thief to the ends of
the earth. Due to its intimate connection to its swords,
Genso no Oni may not be targeted with the Disarm
Maneuver.
c Taunts: Genso no Oni is incredibly gifted at perceiving
the faults and regrets of the human soul, and berates
those who face him with the most horrifi c slurs and insults
imaginable, mocking faith, human decency, and the Code
of Bushido. During the fi rst Round of a skirmish
against Genso no Oni, all Rokugani opponents
must make a Contested Willpower Roll against it. If
they fail, their highest Basic School Rank is effectively
reduced by 1 for the duration of the skirmish. This denies
them access to the appropriate School Technique
and also makes them effectively one School Rank/Insight
Rank lower for purposes of Initiative, spell casting,
and any other such game effects.
KAMU NO ONI, THE KILLING MAW
The horrifying Kamu no Oni are among the most immediately
recognizable of all oni, and so terrible an impression have
they made on those rare instances when they have appeared
in the Empire that their shape can be identifi ed by almost
any educated samurai. Kamu no Oni is a nearly mindless
killing machine with no obvious sensory organs, yet it is an
extremely capable hunter and killer. Atop a powerfully-built
torso, rippling with muscles, the demon’s shoulders and chest
split into a massive maw, wide enough to bite even the largest
Crab samurai in half. Those i ndividuals unfortunate enough
to be caught by a Kamu no Oni are torn to pieces by its massive
arms and then rapidly devoured. A full-grown Kamu no
Oni can slaughter and consume an entire Crab patrol in less
than two minutes.
AIR 2 EARTH 5 FIRE 2 WATER 3
REFLEXES 3 - AGILITY 4 STRENGTH 6
Initiative: 3k3 Attack: Bite 4k4 (Complex),
Claw 7k4 (Simple)
Damage: 7k5 (bite), 6k3
(claw)
Armor TN: 25
Reduction: 5 Wounds: 50: +5; 75: +10;
100: +15; 125: +20; 150: Dead
Taint Rank: 6
Skills: Intimidation (Control) 7, Temptation 8
Special Abilities:
c Devour: If a Kamu no Oni controls a Grapple, it may
infl ict bit e damage on the Grappled opponent instead
of its claw damage. If this damage reduces an opponent
to the Out Wound Level, he has been swallowed
and will die in the Reactions Stage of the following
Round unless he is somehow pulled free or the Kamu
no Oni is killed.
c Fear 4
c Invulnerable
Nagah
The Naga race as a whole and their accursed kin known
as the Naar Teban are both found in the pages of the L5R
4th Edition sourcebook Enemies of the Empire. The feral
abominations found within the former Ivory Kingdoms,
however, are an entirely new form of Naga with which
the Rokugani have no experience. These cr eatures are
sometimes referred to as Nagah, the term by which they
were known in Ivindi, the language of the Ivory Kingdoms.
They are a constant threat for those who venture too far
beyond the established frontier of explored territory in
the Colonies.
Although nothing is known of the Nagah’s culture
(assuming such even exists and that they are not simply
feral monstrosities), they do seem to have a connection
to the Naga race, and when the entity called the Dark
Naga appears in the Empire it is able to control the Nagah
despite the vast distance between the Colonies and the
Empire. There are a few investigators who even suspect
Nagah were somehow responsible for the murder of the
first Imperial Governor at the Dark Naga’s behest.
Air: 3 Earth: 4 Fire: 1 Water: 4 Akasha: 1
Reflexes: 4 Agility : 5
Caste: 0.0
Infamy: 3.3
School/Rank: None
Skills: Athletics (Climbing, Swimming) 6, Hunting
(Survival) 5, Jiujutsu 6, Stealth (Ambush, Sneaking) 7
Advantages: Prehensile Tail, Strength of the Earth (2
levels), Way of the Land (Colonies)
Disadvantages: Compulsion (kill humans), Wrath of the
Kami (Air)
Special Abilities:
cc Camouflage: A Nagah’s coloration and body blend
in perfectly with the canopy of trees in which
they often hide. Nagah gain one Free Raise on all
Stealth rolls made in the jungle.
cc Natural Attacks: A Nagah may make claw attacks
as a Simple Action (attack 6k5, damage 5k4), or a
bite attack as a Complex Action (attack 5k5, damage
4k4).
cc Swift 2
 TYPICAL NEZUMI (RATLING) SHAMAN (RANK 3)
Sample Nezumi AIR 3 EARTH 3 FIRE 3 WATER 2 NAME 5
The following section presents some generic Nezumi NPCs for REFLEXES 4 WILLPOWER 4 - PERCEPTION 3 -
use in a campaign. These can be easily altered on the fl y to Initiative: 7k4 Attack: Named Yari 7k3 (Complex)
suit whatever purposes the GM may require. Several major Damage: 5k2+6 Armor TN: 30 (Light Armor)
Nezumi archetypes are listed here for ease of use. Reduction: 3 (Light
Armor)
Wounds: Normal human-type
TYPICAL NEZUMI (RATLING) WARRIOR (RANK 2) Wound Ranks.
AIR 2 EARTH 3 FIRE 3 WATER 3 NAME 3 School/Rank: Nezumi Shaman 3
REFLEXES 3 - AGILITY 4 - -
Niche: 5.0
Initiative: 5k3 Attack: Yari 7k4 (Complex)
Skills: Defense 4, Hunting 2, Lore: Shadowlands 5, Lore:
Damage: 5k2 Armor TN: 25 (Light Armor)
Spirit Realms (Yume-do) 5, Meditation 5, Perform: Ne zumi
Reduction: 3 (Light
Dance 2, Spears 4, Stealth 3.
Armor)
Spells: Bend Name, Dream Walk, Mend Name, Named Weapon,
Wounds: Normal human-type
Burn Name, Conjure Named Weapon, Seek Name, Find
Wound Ranks
Name, Trade Name.
School/Rank: Nezumi Warrior 2
Ratling Physical Abilities (these include Swift 2 and Taint
Niche: 3.5
Immunity)
Skills: Athletics 4, Defense 4, Jiujutsu 3, Hunting (Survival)
Advantages:
3, Lore: Shadowlands 3, Spears 3, Stealth 2.
c Clear Thinker
Ratling Physical Abilities (these include Swift 2 and Taint
c Namebound.
Immunity)
Advantages:
c Strength of the Earth TYPICAL NEZUMI (RATLING) REMEMBERER (RANK 3)
AIR 3 EARTH 3 FIRE 3 WATER 3 NAME 4
AWARENESS 4 - - - -
TYPICAL NEZUMI BERSERKER (CHITATCHIKKAN) Initiative: 6k3 Attack: Knife 7k3 (Complex)
(INSIGHT RANK 5) Damage: 4k1 Armor TN: 20
AIR 2 EARTH 4 FIRE 4 WATER 4 NAME 4 Reduction: None Wounds: Normal human-type
REFLEXES 5 - AGILITY 6 STRENGTH 5 - Wound Ranks.
Initiative: 10k5 Attack: Yari 10k8 (Simple) School/Rank: Nezumi Rememberer 3
Damage: 7k2 Armor TN: 40 (Heavy Armor) Niche: 4.5
Reduction: 5 (Heavy Skills: Athletics 3, Defense 2, Hunting 2, Knives 4, Lore:
Armor) Shadowlands 4, Lore: Nezumi Culture 5, Lore: Nezumi History
Wounds: Normal human-type 5, Meditation 4, Perform: Storytelling 5, Stealth 3.
Wound Ranks Usable Memory Sticks: Warrior’s Stick (Knife), Swimmer’s
School/Rank: Nezumi Warrior 3/Chitatchikkan 2 Stick, Poison Stick, Berserker Stick (Knife), Dream Stick,
Niche: 4.5 Wisdom Stick, Food Stick.
Skills: Athletics 7, Defense 7, Jiujutsu 6, Hunting (Survival) Ratling Physical Abilities (these include Swift 2 and Taint
5, Lore: Shadowlands 6, Spears 8, Stealth 5. Immunity)
Ratling Physical Abilities (these include Swift 2 and Taint Advantages:
Immunity) c Clear Thinker
Advantages: c Precise Memory.
c Large Disadvantages:
c Strength of the Earth c Small

TYPICAL NEZUMI (RATLING) SCROUNGER (RANK 3)

AIR 4 EARTH 2 FIRE 3 WATER 3 NAME 2
- - AGILITY 5 - -
Initiative: 7k4 Attack: Aiguchi 8k5 (Complex)
Damage: 4k1 Armor TN: 28 (Ashigaru Armor)
Reduction: 1 (Ashigaru
Armor)
Wounds: Normal human-type
Wound Ranks.
School/Rank: Nezumi Scrounger 3
Niche: 3.0
Skills: Athletics 4, Defense 5, Jiujutsu 3, Hunting 5, Investigation
4, Knives 5, Lore: Shadowlands 4, Stealth (Sneaking)
6, Sleight of Hand 6.
Ratling Physical Abilities (these include Swift 2 and Taint
Immunity)
Advantages:
c Crafty
c Silent
Creatures of Shadow
LESSER SHADOWSPAWN
The Nothing employs the Lesser Shadowspawn as spies, assassins,
and saboteurs, releasing them to their feral nature
as vicious combatants when the time is right. They lack the
ability to simulate specifi c individuals or to maintain human
form for long periods of time, and often hide their malleable
forms beneath dark clothing and masks – hence their close
association with the ninja myth. If they are wounded, they
bleed black smoke, and when killed they collapse and unravel
into incoherent shadow and drifting smoke.
AIR 2 EARTH 4 FIRE 2 WATER 3
REFLEXES 3 - AGILITY 3 STRENGTH 4
Initiative: 4k3 Attack: Claws 4k3 (Complex) or
Weapon 4k3 (Complex)
Damage: 3k2 or by
weapon
Armor TN: 20
Reduction: 6 (0 against
crystal)
Wounds: 64: Dead
Skills: Acting 1, Sincerity (Deceit) 1, Stealth 3
Special Abilities:
c Fear 2 (when revealed as a Shadowspawn).
c Swift 1.
c Cohesion of Shadow: A Lesser Shadowspawn does not
feel pain and thus does not suffer Wound penalties.
It continues to function at full strength until reduced
to Dead.
c Lesser Invulnerability: Lesser Shadowspawn take half
damage (rounded down) from non-crystal weapons
and from non-Void spells and other magical effects
not specifi cally intended to target the Nothing and its
minions. Crystal weapons and Void spells affect them
normally.
c Mental Resistance: Lesser Shadowspawn are immune
to all Fear effects and to all spells that create illusions
or infl uence the mind or thoughts.
c Shadow Powers: A Lesser Shadowspawn has all of the
powers and drawbacks of Shadow Rank 5 except for
shapeshifting. It can shapeshift to a lesser degree and
assume the identity of any generic person, such as a
typical servant, eta, low-ranking bushi, or similar, as a
Complex Action. Its ability is not suffi cient for it to assume
a convincing copy of any recognizable individual.
Contact with crystal or with light shone through crystal
will reveal its true form. If it attacks, its true form
is also revealed.
GREATER SHADOWSPAWN
In general, a Greater Shadowspawn in its true form is not
much different from the Lesser type, appearing as a generalized
humanoid shape with a featureless yet somehow mocking
face. The difference becomes apparent when the Greater
Shadowspawn uses its Shapeshifting ability, since it can assume
a convincing rendition of both its own former identity
as well as of any person it has been able to closely observe.
This alone makes the Greater Shadowspawn a dangerous
opponent.
However, its menace is dramatically increased by the
fact it is also a cunning and intelligent being, quite capable of
adapting its behavior to suit the circumstances. In fact, Greater
Shadowspawn are capable of convincingly impersonating
other individuals for indefi nite periods, making them ideal as
spies and as agents for sowing mistrust and confusion among
hapless humans. These creatures have been called by many
names through the history of Rokugan – legends speaking of
“Ninja Shapeshifters” and “Ninja Mimics” are usually referring
to the activities of Greater Shadowspawn.
AIR 3 EARTH 5 FIRE 3 WATER 4
REFLEXES 4 - AGILITY 4 STRENGTH 5
Initiative: 6k4 Attack: Claws 6k4 (Simple) or
any weapon 6k4 (Complex)
Damage: Claws 5k2 or
by weapon
Armor TN: 25
Reduction: 10 (0 against
crystal)
Wounds: 96: Dead
Skills: Acting 4, Sincerity (Deceit) 4, Stealth 5
Special Abilities:
c Fear 3 (when revealed as a Shadowspawn).
c Swift 1.
c Cohesion of Shadow: A Greater Shadowspawn does
not feel pain and thus does not suffer Wound penalties.
It continues to function at full strength until
reduced to Dead.