egend, aoa aie RitIntroduction to the Tomb of Tuchban Boxed Set Five hundred years ago, an evil maho-tsukai and bis followers rose to strike against the Hantei Emperor. He was defeated only at great cos, and his sinister powers allowed him to cheat death, ‘sel. In order to contain his evil, the Empircs rulers decided to Imprison him in a dungeon so fearsome that none who entered it could ever escape alive Welcome to the Tomb of tuchiban. ‘This boxed set holds all the information on the background, history, and layout of Rokugan’s most feared construction, including detailed descriptions of the traps awaiting therein and 4 complete adventure which will bring your characters face to face with its terrifying prisoner. ‘This box contains the following: ‘The History Book. The text of a scroll by the famed Witch Hunter Kuni Visten. I contains a complete background on the ‘mad shugenja uchiban, his plots against Rokugan, and the heroic eforts made to keep him in check in the five hundred years since he arose, Read it first ‘The GMs Guide. The book you're reading now; read it after perusing the history book. ft includes the adventure “A Black and Beating Hear.” detailed information on fuchiban’ Bloodspeaker cult, and prominent NPCs associated with both, It is intended for GMs only and should not be read by players. ‘The Tomb. This book holds a complete desctiption of the ‘Tomb’s interior: ll ofthe rooms, the traps which guard them, and the creatures which wander its halls It also contains the conclusion to the ‘A Black and Beating Heart” adventure, and instructions on how to use the rooms at the Tombs center. Pieture Guide. 4 collection of twenty-eight black and white Pictures, each depicting a chamber in the Tomb. They are designed to be shown to the players one by one as they travel through the Bloodspeakers prison, Map of the Tomb. A complete map of the Tombs outer ring, with numbers marking each of the encounters within. Room Squares and Grid of the Hidden Heart, An interchangeable map to be used within the inner sanetum of luchiban’s tomb ~ reflecting the mercurial nature of luchiban’s Hidden Hear Cnaracter Levets The Tomb of luckibar is not for rookies. We recommend a party of at least four characters, including at least one shugenfa. Characters who are not atleast 2nd Rank have no business in the Tomb, and even those of 5rd Rank are likely to have a busy time of it You have been warned. A Black and Beating Heart "A Black and Beating Heart” embroils the PCs in a centuries old scheme to seize luchiban’s power. It allows them to uncover the secrets of Tuchiban's Bloodspeaker cult, face the gravest threats theit leaders can produce and (perhaps) send them into the Tomb itself to confront whatever lurks there. I contains plot threads set forward by earlier LSR products, notably City of Lies and the adventure Night of a Thousand Screams. You may want to consult them 0 achieve a closer continuity with this set. Possession of these products is not required to run the adventure however. With a litle adjustment, the GM can tailor it to fit into, any campaign. Suggestions on how to do this ean be found in the “Starting Things” section below What's Gong On ‘Once the most trusted ally of tuchiban, the immortal sorcerer Asahina Yafinden has decided to turn against his former master. Twice now, Iuchiban has had a chance to strike at Rokugan, and both times he managed to botch it ‘The last time, he was sentenced to a living death within his tomb — an imprisonment 0 powerful that not even his ability to swap souls eould thyvart i He$ remained entombed for three hundred years nov, and as far as Yajinden is concerned, his time has finally passed. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), Yajinden is just as power hungry as his predecessor was, and wants even more before moving against the Emperor. And he knows just where an immense reservoir of untapped magical ability lies: the soul of his former master. Iuchiban’s power never diminished; it was simply better contained by his jailers. Somewhere out there is the raving mad remnant of the first Bloodspeaker all bottled up and waiting for someone to take it Yajinden has spent most of the last century researching ways to drink luchiban’ soul, He’ studied soores of magical scros and researched dozens of methods on how to do if, and he thinks he's ready. By forming @ magical conduit between fuchiban’s currentessence and his original body, Yajinden can trap his former and draw his dark chi out of him. fuchiban cannot truly die ~ not with his heart missing ~ but without his spiritual power, he will he as weak as a kitten and helpless within his prison. His foul plan is ready, his Bloodspeakers are poised to help him, Nowr all Yajinden needs is access to the Tomb. Four great masks serve as Keys to that dread construction, and he already has three of them. The fourth, however, has disappeared ~ stolen by a petty thief In order to get it back, he needs to call upon the resoutces of a certain band of playet characters. In the form ofthe Witch Hunter Meishozo Nisei, Yajinden has contacted the characters and asked for their help in gaining the mask, f they can procure it for him, they will have gone a long way towards making the Bloodspeakers a major threat once ‘again, If they wish to make amends, theyre going fo have to stop Yajinden belore he reaches the tomb. Plot Synopsis hands. As a reward for completion oftheir task, he sends them to a nearby monastery to have them purged of any Shadowlands faint they may have accrued. Unfortunately, the monastery is a secret haven for Bloodspeakers, and the “benevolent” monks there are planning fo imprison the PCS until Yajinden’s plans are complete. They must thwart their captors and escape. Hell-bent on revenge, the chatacters return to the village ~ only to find it destroyed and all its inhabitants slaughtered. Alter a harrowing encounter with Yajinden’s pennaggolan bodyguard, the old man from Sunda Mizu Mura returns. He tells them that the Bloodspeakers are on their way to the Tomb, planning to infuse themselves with the power ofits dreaded oceupant (Carter THREE ‘The characters must now travel through the Crab lands in pursuit of the Bloodspeakers. To their horror, they find that their nightmares have not diminished; rather they have begun increasing in frequency, and will eventually drive them mad. They Yajinden needs the fourth giant mask in order to open the doors to the tomb. It has disappeared in the hands of a thiof, stolen from the mako-tsukai who previously held it The thief is expecting trouble from the Bloodspeakers: he’ ready for black magic. HeS not, however, prepared for an ordinary threat — like the PCs, for example. CuapTeR ONE ‘The characters are contacted and asked to help solve a brutal murder in the northern Crab provinces. A humble shugenja has been killed and his possessions stolen. The jstrate in charge of the investigation ally Yajinden in disguise — is aware of the PCS reputation and asked personally fo their help The killer’ tral leads the characters from the dead man’ village tothe great port of Sunda Mizu Mura, While searching, they come actoss a wizened old man who presents them with a strange gift ~ a large white pear ‘The man says it will help them when they need it. They catch the “killer” (actually just a thief) and retrieve the mask. The suspected murderer ~ an eta with aspirations of becoming a malo-sukai~ kills himself rather than be brought into custody. Cuapter Two On the way back to the village, the characters begin experiencing horrifying nightmares and visions of blood Quick observation will point to the mask, a tainted object thal has begun to corrupt them (actully its both the ‘mask and luchiban beginning to influence them from afar, but they shoulda’t suspect that), They should feel a need to get rid of the mask as soon as possible ~ and Yajinden will be more than happy to take it off their eating 1must stop Yajinden forthe sake of their own sanity, Along the way, they learn much of the cults history, including the secret behind luchiban’ frst escape from the tomb. Arriving on the wild northern edge of the Crab lands, they reach a tea plantation that serves asa guard post to the Tomb. They have arrived too late to prevent the Bloodspeakers from entering the Tomb, but there may be enough time to stop them from completing thei terrible purpose ~ by going into the Tomb after them. CuaPTer Four With their wits about them and Iuchiban egging them on, the characters enter the Tomb and thwart its deadly traps. Engulfed in the inner sepulcher of luchiban’s mind, they try to stop Yajinden before he completes his terrible purpose. With the peat! given to them by the old man, they can escape the tomb and leave luchiban sill imprisoned within. Starting Things The adventure begins as the characters are contacted by a disguised Asahina Yajinden to hunt down the fourth porcelain ras, The exact nature of his approach, however, depends on who the characters ar, and whether or not they've participated in the carler Night of a Thousand Screams adventure module. The GM should be prepared to fine tune the characters involvement based on the particulars of his or her campaign. In Night of a Thousand Screams, the characters were assisted by an Imperial magistrate/Witch Hunter named Meishozo Nisei, ‘who probably took possession of a huge porcelain mask Unbeknownst to the PCS, the mask is one of four which are needed to unlock the doors to the Tomb. Nisei, while appearing friendly and helpful, was actually using the characters to gain the mask for himself ~ forthe magistrate was serving as the current hhost for Asahina Yajinden, The adventure as written assumes that the PCs (a) gave the first mask to Yajinden in Nise’ form and (b) siil consider him a friendsor atleast a trustworthy ally. However, since the earlier adventure may have ended differently, and since many groups out there may not have been through it at all, the following alternate beginnings to the adventure have heen included. If THE CHARACTERS HAVE THE PORCELAIN (MASK FROM NIGHT OF A THOUSAND SCREAMS ‘This fs unlikely, sine prolonged exposure to the mask will infect the characters with the Shadowlands taint. f they have kept it, they have most likely maintained protections around it, or turned it over to someone better able to handle it. In any case, they will probably not have it with them on the road, which ‘means it can be stolen while they're away. Ifthe characters have the mask, then Nisei is most likely dead Even if he isnt, the characters will probably be unwilling to trust, him, having thwarted his efforts to steal the mask from them. So, Yajinden will take the form of another magistrate - one Akodo Bakin ~ to approach the PCs. He says that he has heard oftheir exploits and seeks their expertise on a murder he is inthe midst of investigating. It seems the killer sole a large porcelain mask very similar to the one which they retrieved; Bakin could use ‘heir expertise in tracking it down and determining whether this crime is connected in some way. While they are occupied with the task, Yajinden will send a ‘minion named Nishiki (see later reference) to steal the one they hhave and return it to him. When the characters bring him the stolen mask, he will direct them to the monastery 10 receive “healing” as outline in Chapter Two. The remainder of the adventure proceeds as normal Jf THE PCs DiD NOT RUN NIGHT OF A THousanD SCREAMS If the characters have not been through the previous adventure, then they have no reason to suspect Meishozo Nise of any duplicity. One of them ~ preferably from the Crab or Phoenix clans ~ will be contacted by their daimyo, who asks them to attend upon a murder investigation taking place in the northern Shinko Kamiko - Nisei’s Bodyguard SSS Te Tom of rictibanYasuki territory. A noted Phoenix shugenj, studying the spiritual, harmonies in the far southern provinces, was brutally killed. The daimyo had some connections to the man and desires one of “his people” to be present: to ensure that justice’ is well and truly served, If there is a ronin character involved, he or she may be hired by a Yasuki daimyo (whose own samurai are otherwise engaged) to help solve the murder. “Arriving at the village, they will be introduced to Meishozo Nisei who has taken charge of the case. He asks them to find the location of a porcelain mask which was among the items stolen from the dead man’s home. From there, the remainder of the adventure proceeds as normal Chapter One: Frend Tn Need ‘The characters should be situated somewhere in the lands south of Beiden Pass, among either the Crab, the Crane, or the Scorpion. A messenger arrives at their quarters (or wherever they happen to be) bearing, an urgent communication for their eyes alone: My friends. Honored greetings and may our benevolent Emperors protection: find you well! 1 have found myself embroiled in a Situation which bears some disturbing connections to the incidents surrounding the recent Bow Festival in Ryoko Otoari. 1 ‘need not remind you of the threat we encountered there, and 1 know you share my concert zen I say that such a threat may be rising again. 1am currently stationed in the village of Kami no Okasan, on the easter edge of the Crab prowinces. A shugenja named Isaaoa Kinto has been brutally murdered, and I have been ordered to bring the killer to justice. Among the objects reported missing from his abode is a large porcelain mask: the description is identical 10 the one te discovered in the City of Lis. I studied that mask carefully, as did my Lion allies, and we destroyed it lest it fall into the wrong hands. lam certain it caried terrible maho pouoers zithin it: greater, perhaps than any artifact in Rokugan, If this new mask contains the same powers, itis a threat to the security of the Empire. I beliece the murderer took tt with him aahen he fled the scene, and shuilder to think zohat he may now be capable of, If this mask has fallen into a maho-tsuka's hands... the repercussions rould be quite off putting Tow that 1am asking much of you, but you are among the eco scamura I trust in such a matter. f you could travel to Kami ‘no Okasan to assist me inthis investigation, my gratitude would be yours. Please come atthe earliest opportunity, as time is ofthe essence. I remain, Your Humble Sercant, Meishozo Nisei ‘The message includes signed traveling papers allowing the characters to proceed to the Crab provinees. Kami no Okasan is located in the Yasuki territory, along the shores of Earthquake Fish Bay. They should have litle trouble reaching it; it lies along Maple Leaf Road, in the midst of one of the most well-traveled areas of the Empire. I they are currently involved in another venture, or if they: need permission from & superior 10 heed Nisei request, they should be given leave without any fuss tall. The requests of an Imperial Magistrate are never treated lightly. ‘The journey to the village should be peaceful and uneven taking no more than a few days. Feel free to add any passing encounters with samurat or peasants as you! wish. Wuar’s Reatty Going On ‘The murder vietim, sawa Kinto, was actually a minor maho- tsukai, a servant of Fu Leng, He procured the mask through ‘unknown means, and planned on delivering it to his masters forces in the Shadowlands. Yojinden heard about the mask through his magistrate’ identity, and with the other members of the Cirle, tracked the rogue Phoenix down. They tortured the ‘man for three days before learning that his apprentice ~ an hhonorless eta named Makato - had stolen it In a fit of rage, Yajinden slaughtered Kinto, and the Bloodspeakers destroyed the entire village in search of Makato, kiling every man, woman, and child they found. No one escaped to tell the authorities, and the destruction ofthe town has gone unreported. The Bloodspeakers’ actions, however, cost them any leads they might have on Makato’ location. When Yajinden calmed down, he realized what his unfortunate bout of temper had cost him. He had no ides where the mask might now be. Fortunately, he has other resources ~ the player characters. He earned to appreciate theit detective skils in Night of a Thousand Screams and knows they can be duped by his current identity, They ae the perfect choice to hunt down the fourth mask for him.Kam no Okasan ~ Mother’s Blessing The village where Isawa Kinto stayed has been wiped out, pat of a murderous rampage by the Bloodspeakers. In order to proceed, they need to dupe the characters into believing nothing is amiss. Through the use of powerful illusion magics, Yajinden, has restored Kami no Okasan to its former state. He's fooled several incidental travelers passing through and is confident that, his power will hold until the characters have been sent on their way Arriving in Kami no Okasan should seem like a welcome relief after the travails of the road. Situated on the shores of Earthquake Bay, the small hamlet appears warm and inviting Fishermen ply ther trade out on the waters, while the wives and colder men skin fish and repair nets. The sun twinkles merrily in the sky and children are playing in the strets asthe PCS ride up. Its hard to believe a murder could have taken place here Nisei is waiting for the characters atthe village inn, the Tea Petals of Dawn, He greets them warmly as they ride up, smiling ‘and bowing belore them. He asks if they had a pleasant journey and invites them into the inn to discuss the case aver sake. He then introduces them to his two companions: his yojimbo, a ronin named Shinku Kamiko; and Isawa KakusuSakana, a Ce ag Tm oF LOH representative of the Phoenix can, who is waiting for them inthe inn, Shinko, a tall woman, bows low before the characters, and refers to them with the sama sullix, indicating their superior status ‘The pleasantfaced shugenja also bows low and congratulates them on their valor during Ryoko Owaris Bon Festival (in Night of @ Thousand Screams. He that Nisei has been regaing them with tales. of the characters) exploits, and that he and his clan have every confidence that they will find his relative’ killer Over rice and sake, Nise explains the details of the case “There Is litle in the way of evidence," he grumbles quietly. “Robbery seems to have beet the motive” Sometime on oF about the night of the new moon, someone broke through the wall to Rinto’s hut and murdered him The wood of the house’ rear wall was battered down by someone quite strong (actually the zombie Fushiki, but Nisei will not reveal that), and signs ofa struggle suggest thatthe shugenja was taken by surprise Neighbors recalled seeing Kinto out and about in the early evening hours, and reported hearing nothing unusual during the night. This is difficult to believe, given the destruction in the shugenjas house, but the peasants know better than to lie to an Emerald magistrate, and they claim no noise emerged from the site. (Agata, this is lie on NisefS part. He wants to hide who really killed Kint, while pointing the characters towards Makato) ‘The next morning, a fisherman on his way to work noticed thal the door to Kinto’s hut was open. He approached cautiously, calling out to Kinto and asking if he was all right. He found the shugenja lying dead in the main room, his neck broken, There were signs of a struggle, and a fair amount of blood had been spilt. They have not yet determined whether the blood belongs entirely to Kinto, or whether he managed to injure the murderer before succumbing, In any case, the killer had beaten him quite badly several bones were broken and the body was covered with fresh bruises, Unfortunately, the PCs will have to take Niseis word on that; the body was preserved with lime as long as possible, but had to be cremated once decay had progressed too far The shugenja had an errand boy, an eta orphan named Makato whom he had taken under his wing for some reason. The boy chopped wood, lid fishing lines, and conducied all the otherhousehold necessities, eaving Kinto free to pursue his studies. Makato has not been seen since the night of the murder, and ‘many have come to suspect the eta of complicity atthe very least. AA search of the house revealed that many of the shugenja's personal items had been taken. His cache of serols, a pair of jade stafues, and other items which visitors recall seeing are no longer there. Most prominent ofall was a porcelain mask, much larger than most, which hung inside the entryway. Those who sav it lays tok notice oft, for is eyes seemed to follow them as they ‘moved about in the hut. Most were unsetled by the experience, but knew that the shugenja held truck with strange spirits and dismissed it as a peculiarity of his vocation, Other discoveries were made, more chilling than the mere loss of property. Beneath the building, Kinto had constructed a small basement, where it seems he had taken up the practice of black ‘magic. Several broken clay tablets containing unholy symbols were discovered on the floor, along with a ceremonial bowl which had apparently been stained with human bloc! and a stained brush used to paint sigils during meako ceremonies. Upon seeing the chamber, the vilage magistrate decided to callin higher authorities. Nisei, who was in the nearby Crane lands atthe time, heard the details ofthe case and petitioned his superiors to take charge of it Alter relating this information (o the characters, Nisei urges them to take whatever sieps they need to catch the murderer. Obviously the first step isto find Makato, but even that may not bbe enough. Are there more sinister forces at work here? Nisei needs to find out, and quickly. The PCS have access to Kinto' house and all the evidence found there, and are free to question as many of the villagers as they like. Nisei stresses, though, that speed is ofthe essence, for the longer they take, the further away the killer can get. He insists on accompanying them on interviews, as does (sawa Kakusu-Sakana The Phoenix monk claims that Kinto was innocent of any erimes, and that the Killer must have planted such evidence to smear the man’s good narne. (This, of course, isa ruse by the two Bloodspeakers. If they appear at odds at almost all times ~ Kakusu criticizing Nisei's methods, Nisei cursing Kakusu as a meddier-— the players shouldn't suspect their connection to each other) The villagers” that the characters question are illusions conjured by Nisei to appear like ordinary peasants. They roughly match the real inhabitants of Kami no Okasan (at least as closely as he can recall) and provide all of the answers that they did before the Bloodspeakers slaughtered thea, His skill at the Mists of Illusion spell is unparalleled (he’s had five centuries of practice, and the kansen who perform it for him have taken particular glee in this particular ruse), and the characters should detect nothing tunusual about the “people” they are talking to At the same time, Nisei must be very careful. He wants to present enough concrete evidence to the characters as he can, £0 help them hunt down his mask, but he also must disguise the fact that the town has been murdered ~ at last until the PCS have a solid lead on Makato, ‘The simulacrurm peasantry the characters. meet reveal the same information their rea-lile counterparts told the Bloodspeakers before their untimely deaths ~ plus afew wel placed insinuations that Mikato might be atthe root of i all ‘The following witnesses are mos likely to be interrogated by the PCs in the course of their investigation, If the characters do not think to inquire after them, Nisei will gently suggest that they may be worth speaking to: ‘+ Emon, the fisherman who discovered the body is (was) a nervouslooking fellow who appears overly eager to help the PCs Hes terrified that he might be implicated somehow in the killing and will go to any lengths to prove his innoeence He sticks tothe story that Nisei related, and reiterates loudly and often that he wished to help the "harmless old man” He praises the shugenja Joualy as often as he can, and scos at any suggestions that he may have been mao-tsukai. He knows of no one who associated with Kinto regularly, and is convinced that if he was involved in any dark business, he kept it hidden from the rest ofthe town, + Yasui Togai, the magistrate in charge of the village, is (was) an eternally smiling potbellied man with a pair of teeth missing, He says that Kinto was a reflective man who enjoyed watching, the sunset at night, He never bothered anybody, and the other villagers generally left in alone. Toga is quite disturbed by the notion that the Phoenix: may have been in league with dark forces, and is anxious to keep a scandal from ruining his “happy litle village” He attempts to paint Kinto as an outsider who kept to himself most of the time, The Phoenix would ovcasionaly make journeys to Sunda Mizu Mira, "to meet with his superiors” he said, During one such trip, he brought Makato back to serve as an apprentice. Togai disapproved of the boy (an obvious eta ‘who had no business interacting with a honored shugenja), but respected Kinto’s wishes on the matter and left the pair alone. + Kyoretsu, the old woman who lived across the from shugenj, saw more of his activities than any of the other villagers. She made her living repairing nets, and would often sit out infront of her house to work - giving her a constant view of Kinto's dwelling. Like most of the other peasants, she never gave much thought to Kintos “odd behavior’ as @ shugenja, he was unlike anyone else she had ever met, and therefore prone to strange habits. She saw the boy Makato quite a bit, studying serolls or 1editating after his chores were all done. She couldn't stand the litle eta, ba Kinlo seemed to dote on the boy, treating him like hhe would a son. She wouldn't have thought him capable of ‘murder, but with eta you never know. The two rarely had visitors, but occasionally a traveler ot someone passing through would be invited to the shugenj’s hut ‘They would always leave within a day or so. During these periods, Kinto would close his home up tight, even shuitering the windows which he never did at any other time. The old lady never had the courage to ask about them, + Yasuki Shozu, the innkeeper (only distantly related 10 Toga), ‘The operator of the Tea Petals of the Dawn was oocasionaly asked to procure supplies forthe shugenja, which he did without question. (Sham was one of only afew villagers who had regularbusiness with the outside world, The supplies were always unremarkable (rice, incense burners, writing paper and ink}, and always paid for in advance. Olten, the efa would pick up the materials once they arrived. He remembers Mikato explaining that he had never been beyond Sunda Mizu Mura’s walls, and that his new life in Kami no Okasan was “quite exciting” ‘The imkeeper thought the boy was addled ~ not right in the head someliow. He dated on his Phoenix master all the time, but Shoza wouldn't be surprised to learn that Mikato had killed him, “Something in his eyes” made murder possible, the innkeeper shudders. ‘The GM should be prepared to create more village inhabitants ‘om the fly if the PCs wish to seek them out. None know any more than these four do; all of them remember Kinto as a kind and quiet man who kept to himself and never made trouble. Any ‘mention of black magic will cause them to shudder and mutter prayers to their ancestors. They will ash to assure the characters that they were in no way involved in such heinous activity and were horrified to discover such a reprehensible man hidden Tue House On the surface, Kittos house appears no different from any other shugenja dwelling, Use the map on page 226 of the L5R RPG for the layout With the exception of Kinto’s corpse (which had to be removed once it started to deeay), nothing fas been touched since the night of the murder. The furnishings are spartan and utilitarian, used for basic meals and res. Nisei points ‘ut where he believes the objects were taken from ~ the jade sta(ues from a shrine in one comer ofthe room, the mask. fom a hanging on the wall above the door, etc. Indentations in the walls a lack of dustin certain locations, and other subtle evidence suggests where these items had bee ‘wo locations in particular should interest the PCS. The secret cellar where the Kinto supposedly conducted his maf rituals is accessible through a trapdoor in the main bedroom, Kint lay his sleeping mat over it to help disguise it better. The small area beneath contains enough room fr two men to stand comiortaby. A white chalk circle has been etched into the dark earth, surrounded by candle stubs and a trio of bronze bowls. Al of the bowls are stained with blood; an Intelligence + Investigation fest, (IN 15) can determine thatthe last was used less than two days before the shugenja died, The broken remains of soveral clay scroll tablets have been scattered about. Careful examination (Perception + Maho Lore or Shadowlands Lore, TN 20) will conlitm that they ae indeed maho spells. Their crude nature and the fragile medium used suggest, however, that Kinto was not a very skilled black magician, that his links to other maho-sukai were shaky and that his connection with the dark powers was tenuous at best. How such a man could have obiained an artifact as powerful as the porcelain mask is a mystery. Isawa Kakusu- Sakane atiemps to convince the characters that the questionable nature of the evidence suggests that Kinto was framed. No true ‘maho-tsukai could toy so casually with the powers of Fu Leng and retain his sanity ‘A small room to one side of the house (second from the upper left on the map) served as Mikatos sleeping quarters while he was here. It is even more sparsely furnished than the rest of the house, with only @ bed mat and a low table for studying on. Scraps of torn scroll paper lie scattered on the floor, decorated ‘with elementary writing scrawled in a shaky hand. Nisei says he has examined the papers and found nothing noteworthy about ‘any of them. Apparently Kinto was teaching his assistant to write, ‘and the notes are simply the result of those lessons. Ti the PCS look closely at the scraps of paper. however, they will gain a vital clue as to Mikatos current whereabouts. Perception + Investigation test at TN 25 (ar a player speifcally stating that he or she is examining the paper) will reveal part of ‘a note from an early writing lesson that Kinto gave Makato in it, he wrote down the only words he knew by heart ~ from the sign ‘outside the slaughterhouse im Sunda Mizu Mura where he used to work The paper lists the street address and name of the establishment, bul not the name of the town it is located at. It shouldn't be too difficult for the characters to ascertain that however; testimony from the locals hints that Mikato came from Sunda Mizu Mura ~ the only large city within a week’ ride of the village. It seems the most likely place he would fle to if he were carrying stolen merchandise Acmed with this knowledge, the PCs presumably wish to leave for Sunda Mizu Mura with all deliberate speed. Nisei offers to ‘accompany them, but will remain behind if they insist upon it Meantime, he sends his yofimbo to deliver a progress report to his superiors (actually to gather the remaining three masks); Isawa Kakusu-Sakana also departs, telling them that Mikato's capture ‘will doubtless clear Kintos good name the meets up with the pennaggolan soon alter the characters leave). After settling who ‘goes and who stays, the PCs should be allowed to leave. The villagers take only passing notice, and seem relieved that life can now get back to normal IF THE PLavers REMAN. . I for any reason, one o more of the players decide to remain in Kami no Okasan, they will be in for quite @ shock The village will revert to its actual state once Nisei and the others leave (see Chapter Two for details), and the PCS are quickly set upon by Bloodspeakers: first ordinary cultists (5 for every PQ, then Fushiki and a group of ten zombies, then Shinku Kamiko. I the characters aren't killed, they'l probably be convinced that Mother's Blessing isn't the safest place to be. They should be allowed to find their companions and warn them about the plot they are entangled in, The GM should be prepared to juggle or change events as appropriate.It will take the characters two days to reach Clear Water Village. The road is paved and wellmainiained by the Yasuki family, who take pride in their “civilized” infrastructure. Samurai are rare on the road, but enough Hida guardsmen are present to ensure a modicum of security. The travel time should pass quickly and uneventfully. Sunda Mizu Mura Clea Water Village This community, at the mouth of the River of Gold, has @ deceptive name. The “village” is actually a huge trading port, one ofthe wealthiest and busiest inthe entire empire. It serves asthe cornerstone of Yasuki economic power and the gateway to the lands of the Scorpion, Unicorn and Sparrow Clans. Finding one ‘man in a hive like this isnt going to be easy. ‘The city has been run by the Yasuki since its founding safety and cleanliness. They are relegated to a series of ‘red light” districts, cut off from the rest ofthe ety by a wall constructed of tightly.woven thom hedges, Those that operate outside these established zones are shut down, and their owners arrested, Thus, the open air trading markets fish processing and other legitimate businesses can operate in peace without being reminded that more sordid commerce fs taking place nearby. ‘The balance has worked quite well and all associated parties have come to see the benefits of maintaining the status quo. The YYasukt run the city with an iron fst, backed by the considerable might of the Hida family and the blessing ofthe local merchants. The citys governing council consists of family members at the head of the most prominent businesses - including ilegal ones Men who might be considered crime lords elsewhere openly serve as governing olficials here, making policies that benefit thelr own stock in trade. Corrupt? Certainly, but aso effective and free from the deadly jockeying that such endeavors produce during the Age of Myth, when it served as « marketplace for fishermen along the bay. As trade grew and thrived, i expanded to meet new demands: merchants began to hawk their wares here, sailors began to hire ou their ships im service, and farmers sought a place to sell their goods When the Yasuki broke from the Crane, they took the city with them, and it became a pivotal Linkin their business empire, Today, itis one of the oldest cities in Rokugan home to some ten thousand merchants, smugglers farmers and craftsmen plying their trade up and down the southern half of the Empire. Anyone wishing to travel up the River ‘of Gold must pay a toll to the city, and those who depend ‘on Earthquake Fish Bay for a living use it to conduct commerce with the outside world ‘Sunda Mizu Mura forms a delicate balance between the virtuous and the sinful. As the largest Yasuki port, it attracts the usual sort of criminal scum you might expect While it lacks the deadly vices and infamous reputation of Ryoko Owari, it is nowhere near a8 squeaky clean as the genteel and proper Crane ports. A fruge amount of illicit business goes on here - smuggling, gambling, geisha houses, opium dens, you name it. Yet legitimate business takes place as wel: traders moving up and down the river, fishermen selling their goods, and travelers who wish to center the lands ofthe Crab. With legitimate business comes legitimate economic interests, and the Yasuki have no wish to alienate such a lucrative source of income ‘The result isa strangely peaceful mix of legalized crime and regulated merchant trade. Buildings dedicated to the “harmless. vices’ - gambling, opium, and alcoholic consumption ~ exist in the open, advertise themselves publicly, and receive the same benefits that other businesses do. The citys rulers tax them as they do other operations, and require them to meet certain levels of Sealing [2elsewhere. The natives and those who work here regularly just, shrug at the suggestion of impropriety ~ better a devil you can see than one you can't Even this highly tolerant atmosphere has limits, Racketering overt extortion, and other impediments to commerce are frowned ‘upon, and violent crime of any sort is deelt with harshly. Violence is bad for business, and those who perpetuate violence are coming between the Yasukt and their profit margin. The results, are brutal. Armed robbers ate hanged without exception; hijackers are weighted with stones and drowned in the bay. Those ‘who attempt to move against established businesses, or act t00, ageresively against their competitors, are stripped of their credentials and exiled ftom the city. If one livelihood depends on cither the river or the bay, this isan economic death sentence. The Yasoki are backed by several intimidating units of Hida hhushi, who have no compunctions about dealing with “troublemakers” (Most of the Hida stationed here are considered unfit for duties against the Shadowlands, and tend fo take out the perceived dishonor on any available targets, Amorality may be welcome here, but ‘only as long as it respects the bottom line Its a thin distinction. In Sunda Miza Mura, as elsewhere in Rokugan, one must always be aware of how far the limits ean be tested, Those who aren't discover first-hand how much like other Crabs the ‘Yasui cam be. The PCS should be on their guard. InsipE THE Gates As the characters pass through the main gates, they are slopped and questioned by a burly palr of Hida bushi, Nises presence, the presence of a Crab within the party or the traveling papers the characters started the adventure with should be sufficient to get them in ‘with a minimum of monkey business. Crane characters will be eyed menacingly and bluntly reminded that their kind is less than welcome within the city walls, “You don't go putting on airs around here, Bird Boy (Gir) one of them growls. “We got no patience for it? Beyond the gates lies a vast network of streets and alleyways, crowded with vendors, merchants and shops of all varieties. ‘Traffic moves slowly along the thoroughfare, broken by shoppers stopping at stalls and cart, or ducking in and out of the numerous buildings. ‘In addition tothe standard wares (lish, cooking utensils, silks and spice, ete) a few oddities stand out. One stall sells live snapping turtles Food or Pets”, sicking their wrinkled reptilian necks from between the slats of stacked wooden cages. Another shop offers “books” strange bound sheets of written parchment brought to Rokugan by the Unicorn clan, And a beggar in a darkened alleyway offers his own severed hand for the amusement of onlookers — along with the knife he cut ‘tof with AAs they push their way through the vast crowd, they are approached by an old man dressed in grey robes. He offers to read the fortune of one of the party members, using yarrow slicks and shugenje magic to contact the spirits oftheir future If Nisei is with the party, he will angrily shove the old man away shouting that they have no time for such games. The fortune teller will bow before the magistrate and apologize; before vanishing, however, he will press a mahjong piece on the chosen characte, and gesture back at a tiny building behind them. “When you are alone,” he says. The character should sense a quiet power in his ‘words and a need to speak to him again away from the prying eyes of others. the character allows hitn- or herself to be dragged into the shop, or returns at some later point, the old man will be waitinHe sits them down in front of a long table, clutered with prayer howls, hastily written notes, and all manner of fortume-telling paraphernalia, A shugenja will be able to tell that these implements are not used in the proper summoning of spirits; rather, they are the purveyance of hedge magic, the superstitions ‘of peasants. If interrogated about st, he will smile and ask for patience. “Few things are ever what they seem he says Inany case, he will go through the rigmarole of enireating the fortunes, throwing down mah-jong ties and waving his hands quite impressively. When he is done, he will stare intently at the character with a seriousness that belies his comic embellishments. “Dark times are coming for you and your companions” he speaks, “Ancient evils swirl about you and threaten to swallow you whole. In your death lies the death of the Emerald Empire, but through your sacrifice, it may be saved” He then reaches out and places @ small sphere in the characters hand. It is @ pearl, larger than any the PC has ever seen, and inscribed with tiny, almost indecipherable runes. (The pear! is a magical Naga artifact, whose use is described in greater detail in Chapter 2. “For your trouble” he Says quietly “Keep it hidden and tell no ‘ome of i. We wil speak more on this in the future” With that he admonishes the character to rejoin his or her compatriots ‘Wuar’s Reatty Gone On ‘The old man is actually a retired Witch Huntet named Kuni Visten, He has been tracking Asahina Yajinden for almost forty years now, and he knows that the ancient Bloodspeaker plans to feed on luchiban's power. Despite numerous efforts inthe past, he has been unable to stop the Asahina’ retrieval of the masks and is clase to despair a the nearness of his adversary’ success, With the arrival of the player characters on the scene, however, the equation has changed, and he has hit upon a bold plan. He will allow Yajinden to gain the final mask and open the tomb. Then, using the PCs as his instruments, he will undo the Bloodspeaker’ magic at the last moment, trapping him in the tomb with his former master. Its a gamble, one which places the characters in great danger. It also allows Yajinden to come perilously close to his goal of releasing the power of Iuchiban back onto an unsuspecting Rokugan, But Visten feels it is the best and only chance of stopping Yajinden. The spiit will be able to outwait him any other way. In order to do this, he needs to keep the PCs in the dark until Yajinden has secured the masks, He will then fill them in on all he knows, and beg them to help destroy this evil By giving one of them the pearl at this stage, he hopes to convince them of his good intentions and persuade them to help. He will continue to watch the characters’ progress during their stay in Sunda Mizw Mura, and follow them to the monastery and the shatered village ‘of Kami no Okasan. If the GM wishes, Visten ean provide subtle help to the PCs before then ~ ensuring that the monastery’ front door remains unlocked, for example, or driving of S she devours one of them. See Chapter Two for more information, THE THIEF AND THE Mask ‘The adress lft in Mikato’ room is locate in the eta distrit in the northwestern corner of the city. The Yasuki wish to keep the eta as far from the river as possible, where they will not interfere with the regular flow of commerce. The buildings in this district are constructed of cheap materials, and none rises higher than one or two stories, The dit roads are unpaved and the traffic: consists mostly of leatherworkers, grave diggers, and other eta going about some errand or another. Most of them work at night, out of sight ofthe rest ofthe city, and conduct other business by day, which is the most likely time the PCS will come to call. Characters who move through the quarter will draw a great deal of attention. assersby will pat o lt them by, and everyone will keep their eyes down and their head bowed, As members of the samurai caste, the PCS are within their rights to kill any eta with impunity, and the locals are well aware ofthis. They will stay far away from the characters unless direcly questioned, at which point they will deliver everything they know in as polite and reverent a tone as they can. The address is a long low building built of rough wood and open in several locations, The sign af the street reads “Tanners.” and the smell of burning animal flesh surrounds i. Inside, the sell is even worse. The owner, Kemuri (‘Smoke’), spends his days skinning and tanning animal hides for use among the eta and the occasional Unicorn trader, He a bulky man, although his natural obesity has been tempered by the hard, sweaty work he performs. When he hears there are samurai ouside, he rushes out to greet them, then falls to his knees in supplication. Before the characters can even speak, he appears to know why they hav come, “You friends of the Phoenix man, sits? I told him when he came that Mikato was no good. He’ a thiet, gentle lords, always a thief He came back, asked me to buy some things, but I told him no, He don't work for me no more, and I want nothing to do with him robbing his betters. Please tell the Phoenix man that I am sorry he stole from him? This is the first chue thet things may not be as they seem. Mikato, while freely admitting to Kermuri that he stole from the shugenjas house, made no mention of murder or death. In fact, Kemuri believes that tsawa Kinto is still alive and that the characters are his friends come to reclaim his lost belongings. IF informed that Kinto has been murdered, KemuriS eyes widen “Mikato’ not a killer, gentle lords. Even the beasts, when we have to cut their throats, he looks away: But he must be found, ‘ye | understand that he must be found. He tlls me hel stay at Friendly Grasshopper and look for buyers of marvelous objects stolen from Phoenix man. Is he really dead? That is 9 great tragedy, lords, a great tragedy. May the fortunes curse his ‘murderer for a thousand years”He will go on like this until the characters ask more questions or take thei leave. I asked, he can give a detailed deseription of ‘Mikaio’ appearance (ound in the character section). ‘The Friendly Grasshopper is a sort of makeshift bar and flophouse where the city’s eta spend what little money they have ‘The flies outnumber the patrons by at least five to one and a pair of thin dogs nase for scraps among the tables, The main room consists mostly of sullen laborers, sipping cheap sake and muttering quietly amongst themselves. A sallow-faeed woman serves drinks with the enthusiasm of a corpse Al activity ceases at the arrival ofthe characters. Sake cups crash to the floor and a few questionable business transuctions near the back are hurriedly pushed beneath the tables. The ‘woman stammers something about being honored by such a noble presence and asks how she or her patrons might be of assistance. Any inquiries as to new patrons, or a description of Mikato will elicit a chorus of fingers pointing to a form sitting in the back corner. Mikato has taken a room in the second floor, hidden his stash beneath the eaves of the roof, and now sits in the main room, trying to decide what to do next. He knows several fences in the city who would be willing to purchase the stolen items, and hopes to contact them within the next day or so, Mikato never truly believed in the power of mako or fet the need to worship Fu Leng (at leas, that’s what he told himsel), But he noted Kinto's desire to pass his knowledge on, and felt he could exploit the weakness. Since Kinlo was mako-‘sukai anyway, there would be cl a no dishonor in stealing his possessions, he rationalizes. Deep down, however, he is expecting some sort of retaliation from Kit, If there is even a hint that the characters might be looking, for him, Mikato will bolt out the nearest window. Mikato ts skinny and out of shape; it shouldn't be too much trouble to run him down. I you like, you can make the chase long, and epic, winding through the alleys and trash heaps of the eta quarter to the mouth of the River of Gold (where Mikato vainly attempts to swim to freedom), The conclusion should be inevitable, however; the PCs catch up to the wayward thief, and inflict whatever punishment they feel is just. When caught, Mikaio begs and pleads with the characters, saying anything he thinks will help him stay alive. He fears that they are mako-tsukai, come to take him back to Kinto or perform some olher horrid deed upon him. He has no idea that Kinto is dead, and looks surprised and confused at mention of his murder. A Perception + Sincerity test (TN 10) reveals genuine confusion; it seems Mikato truly has no idea that Kinto has been killed. At fist he is greatly relieved; the characters are obviously not maho- tsukai and he needs not fear some unholy destruction at their hands, When he realizes that he is going to be charged with the crime, however, his pleadings return with a vengeance. He is terrified atthe prospect of torture, and even more frightened by the thought that Kinto’s murder willbe pinned on him, He makes guite a spectacle of himself, begging on his knees infront of the party, He swears up and down that he never lad a finger on the old: man, and in fact has never harmed anyone in his lie, Kinto Dan Pig Tomb of Ducthhad some nice things and he took them, hoping to become rich by their sale. That’ all. He will gladly reveal where he hid the ‘mask, if he fels it will grant him leniency ‘The characters have the option of killing him outright, of course, although if Nisei is with them, he will insist that Mikato be taken into custody and made to sign a confession before he dies It makes litle difference. Ifthe PCs turn Mikato over to the authorities, he kills himself in his cll that night rather than face torture Wf they take him with them out of the city, he is found dead the next morning, having swallowed his own tongue. Even if strict measures are taken to prevent suicide, Nisei will find some way to. poison, strangle, or otherwise do away with the hapless would-be maho-tsukai (i won't do to have people start believing him innocent of the murder). In any case, Mikato will be dead, with KintoS murder placed firmly on his head, The ‘authorities consider the case closed ater that. While the characters are dealing with Mikato, Nisei takes the ‘opportunity 10 go up to the eta’ room and ransack it He finds the stolen items in short order, including the mask. If he chases the eta with the other characters, he rushes back to the Friendly Grasshopper the instant Mikato reveals where the mask is. f the characters accompany him, one of them can easily find the item hidden under the eaves, and he complitnents them on their ingenuity, ‘The mask looks almost identical to the one in Night of a ‘Thousand Screams. I is large; about twice as large as a human face, an fairly heavy. Is features are blank and emotionless — on the outside, af least Inside, the mask bears an indented visage of a hideous face contorted by rage. The image gives onlookers an unsettling feeling of being watched, The artifact radiates magic and Shadowlands taint to anyone who checks: itis indestructible and cannot be harmed by any methods available to the PCs. Not even jade will mark its surface (although it will keep the Taint {rom corrupting anything else nearby). . Nisei willbe ecstatic atthe retrieval ofthe mask, and breathe a public sigh of relief that they found it before any evildoers could. He now wishes to “return to his superiors” in the Crane lands and deposit the mask in the proper hands for destruction, Following that, he will return to Kami no Okasan and pursue the victim's possible mako connections. He asks the characters to accompany him on the journey, to better protect the mask. If they refuse for some reason, he admonishes them to fulfil this last part of their duty, and gently reminds them that as an Imperial Magistrate, he ean order them to accompany him. He has no wish for bruised feelings, he says, but without his yojimbo, he may be vulnerable while on the toed. If they insist on abandoning Nisei, ock an appropriate amount of honor and allow them to continue. (If this isthe case, they will begin sulering nightmares, as detailed in Chapter Two. Shinku, Fushiki, and/or some other appropriate Bloodspeaker minion attacks them on the road, and Kuni Visten steps in to assist them. He directs them towards the Tomb and the tragic duty they must full there, again described in Chapter Two). A lack and Peating Meat ST? At this point, Niset no longer needs the PCs. Theyive served their purpose and helped him get the mask back; their usefulness to him is now at an end. However, they remain loose ends to be dealt with; should they learn of his duplicity, they will surely attempt to hunt him down or disrupt his plan to enter the Tomb. Now that he is so close to achieving his goal, he has no wish to simply leave them to their own devices. So as they leave Clear Water Village and begin their journey south, he quietly maneuvers them towards a dire fate g Chapter Two: Troubled ‘The characters probably spend the night in Sunda Mizu Mura and leave in the morning. There are an endless number of inns to slay at, and Nisei can recommend a few good ones (all well- appointed and reasonably priced), f they turn Mikato in, they are asked a few routine questions by the city guard and then released. Unless they inquire belore leaving, they hear nothing about the boys suicide The first night after retrieving the mask, the characters are plagued by a series of horrific nightmares. They dream of being chased through corridors that transform into screams, of being encased in stone and frazen forall eternity, of being devoured by ‘grubs and maggots within the prison of the grave. Some dream ‘of an oracle rising from a pool of blood and uttering predictions ‘of doom, All awaken in a dank sweat, feeling unclean ~ as if they have embraced @ rotting corpse. The only party member unaffected by these nighttime terrors isthe one in possession of the old mans pearl Its magic kept him or her safe from the Bloodspeaker’s corruption, ‘The nightmares continue each evening. growing. steadily ‘worse as tie goes on, They strongly suggest an exposure to the Shadowlands Taint; anyone making an Awareness + Shadowlands Lore coll t TN 10 can asceriin that. It continues, it will almost certainly lead to further signs of Shadowlands sickness ~ perhaps even permanent damage. (Note: Exposure to the mask fora period of one week gives a character two poinis of the Shadowlands Taint. The characters are also being affected by Nisei/Yajinden’s magic, which will give 5