'fRokugan'smost elegant cesspit; a monster of beauty, a seductive lie cast in limestone and gold, a treacherous maiden whose loveliness

is exceeded only by her brutality - that is my home. Ryoko Owari is a grand tombstone for dead honor, where decadent children caper and rejoice in their unholy fueedom. I could live nowhere else." - Shosuro Sokichi Thirteenth Governor of Ryoko Owari

Legend of the Five Rings, The Emerald Empire of Rokugan and all other related marks TM, 8 and 0 19961998 Five Rings Publishing Group, Incorporated, and are used here under license. All Rights Reserved. Alderac Entertainment Group, authorized user.

Part One ...................................... Part Two ....................................... Part Three .....................................

38 47 22

DRAGON'S SHADOW The Great House ................................ The Well ....................................... Treasure ....................................... Cutter .........................................
THE FESTERING PIT

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6
THE NORTH RIM The Northwest Dock .............................. Madame Yakkoku's .............................. The Juniper Teahouse ............................ No Nose ....................................... Happy ........................................ THE CRAB CAVES The House of Lean Meat ......................... The Fisherman's Dock ........................... Madame Karaku's Inn ............................ Madame Karaku ................................ Bigger ........................................ THE LOOPS The Ash Street Dock ............................. The Timber Dock ............................... The Blossom Dock .............................. MadNuiko ....................................

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9 9 10 10 10 10 I1
11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14

Blossom Hill ................................... The Marketplace ................................ Crafty ......................................... Dreamer ...................................... THELITTLESHADOWLANDS The Crematorium ............................... The Burning Gate ............................... The Houses of the Torturers ....................... Vision .........................................

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1 9 19 19 19 19 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22

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13
Rumors 1-3 .................................... Rumor 4 ...................................... Rumor 5 ...................................... Rumor 6 ...................................... Rumors 7-12 ................................... Rumor 13 ...................................... Rumors 14-15 .................................. Rumors 16-18 .................................. Rumors 19-20 .................................. 15 31 38 40 41 47 54 55 56

T w o GATES 27 L19: The Unicorn Gate ........................... 27 L18: The Gate of Increasing Fortune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Southern Treasures .............................. 27 28 Third ......................................... THEWHARVES 28 The Northeast Wharf ............................. 29 The Iron Wharf ................................. 29 The Grand Wharf ............................... 29 DOWNHILL 29 L15: The Little Gate ............................. 30 The Little Dock ................................. 30 Seven Corners .................................. 30 Jotomon's Dojo ................................. 30 Climbing Towards Heaven ........................ 31 31 Hiroshi ......................................... FIELDS OF GOLD 32 L17: Daikoku's Garden ........................... 32 32 Star of Silver ................................... Speed of the Northlands .......................... 32 Takai-san ...................................... 32 Henjo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

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DAIKOKUS SHADOW 37 L13: The Temple of Amaterasu .................... 37 37 L12: The Temple of Daikoku ...................... L14: The Gate of Onis Teeth ...................... 38 THE SMALL HOLIES 39 The Temple of Sadahako ......................... 39 The Old Temple of Shosuro ....................... 39 Emori ......................................... 40 Yusrah ........................................ 40

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THEOLDSECTION 50 The Estate of Asako Kinto 031) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 L5: The Scorpion Garden ......................... 50 L3: The Shosuro Palace .......................... 51 51 L7: The Civil Hall ............................... L10: The Dragons Gate .......................... 52 THENEW SECTION 52 L4: The Ide Residence ............................ 52 L6: The Magistrate Residence ...................... 53 The Bettaku .................................... 53

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99
c/J

syrup ......................................... 45 Ginako ........................................ 45 Oko .......................................... 45 jitsuyoteki Masato ............................... 45 45 The Island Dock ................................ L20: Swords Polished ............................ 46 L21: The Island Garden .......................... 46 L22: The House of Foreign Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 The House of the Plum Blossom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 L23: The House of the Morning Star . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

OUTSIDE WALLS THE 55 L28: The Towers of the Eyes ...................... 55 L30: The Great Lunar Cave ....................... 56 56 The Northern Goblins Rest Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Southern Goblins Rest Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 The Road Once Hidden .......................... 56

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Next, theres a section discussing the important people in the Quarter. Everyone from City of Stories is given a place in the city here (except the dead, of course). They may also be placed more specifically in a particular neighborhood. After this overview of each Quarter, there are descriptions of the neighborhoods in that Quarter. Each neighborhood includes noteworthy locations, residents of that area (who may be minor characters without their own entries in other books) and neighborhood concerns. Finally, scattered throughout the book are plot hooks. These are in the familiar Challenge/Focus/Strike format.

The book City of Stories presents Ryoko Owari from a magistrates point of view - its the book for players. City of Lies shows the GMs perspective on Ryoko Owari. City of Green Walls is also a GM book, but where City of Lies concentrates on the city as a whole, this book breaks Ryoko Owari down Quarter by Quarter and neighborhood by neighborhood to present a more detailed picture. The wrong way to use this book is to dive for it every time the players are going to a particular area and make everyone wait while you look up exactly what that neighborhood is supposed to be like. If the players are going there pursuing a plot, theres no need to throw new stuff at them. You can gloss over the neighborhood politics and concerns. Heres the right way to use this book; skim it once before your heroes reach the city. Re-read any bits you particularly liked (or which confused you). Ignore anything that you dont care for. Change whatever you want. If you know your characters are going into a specific neighborhood next session, familiarize yourself with that area. Use the book to give flavor and impressions - where appropriate. Dont feel like you have to throw everything in a neighborhood or Quarter at your players the first time they go there; give them a clue or two about the plots or concerns that interest you the most, and let them follow the paths that interest them. That way they get a sense that theyre slowly becoming more familiar with the city - winding their way towards the heart of its secrets. That said, heres a peek at the skeleton of this book. There are six chapters, covering the six Quarters of the city. (Does that make Ryoko Owari a city and a half?) Each chapter starts out with an overview of the Quarter as a whole. Then theres a section on local concerns - meaning issues of governance or local life that most interest the citizens. This doesnt mean that everyone who lives in the Fishermans Quarter is worried about fighting between kajinin gangs; but most people have an opinion and know about the conflict between the Moments Edge Firemen and the Fire Eaters.

On pages 38,47, and 22 are a triad of plot seeds that are a little more developed than the others. Thats because theyre linked, part of a story called Yemons Legacy. Part One takes place at the Gate of Onis Teeth (L14), Part Two takes place in the Island Garden (L21), and the climax occurs in the shadow of the citys crematorium. Heres the brief rundown; many years ago, Kaiu Yemon built a vault to protect something. Yemon didnt know where he built it, other than desolate granite mountains. (They blindfolded him for over a week while they traveled - sometimes by boat, sometimes on horseback). Yemon didnt know what he was protecting other than something valuable. He didnt even know the details of the interior of the structure. He built the outside walls, and was told to spare no expense to making them secure. Yemon was handsomely paid, taken home blindfolded, and promptly kidnapped by a man who refused to identify himself but whom Yemon recognized as a Shosuro by his accent. The Scorpion tortured Yemon until hed drawn a map of his part of the project. Then the mysterious Shosuro killed him. That all happened about five hundred years ago. Last year, a Mantis clan merchant named Hoji Bokusui engaged the services of a shady shugenja named Yogo Senko. Bokusui was on the trail of a fortune in jade - if only he could find the vault and enter it safely. He needed Senko to raise the ghost of Yemon, which she did (with some help from her lover, a shugenja named Kuni Hyakken). Yemon was not a cooperative ghost; he told them only that the Shosuros had the map they sought. A few discreet inquiries by Senko eventually attracted the attention of Shosuro Mina - a descendant of Shosuro Sanzo, the man who extorted the map out of Yemon. What Mina told them was that she suspected she knew where the map was hidden - but that she didnt know what it led to. Furthermore, she thought her ancestor might have guarded the map, either by mundane or magical means. She suggested they meet in Ryoko Owari to discuss a partnership of mutual advantage. Mina was not being entirely honest with Senko, Bokusui and Hyakken. Stories about the map have been passed through her family for generations, along with severe but

maddeningly imprecise threats about what dangers will ensue if its ever used. The map is hidden in Sanzos burial urn; she plans to use the three conspirators to get the map out of the trapped crypt and urn, then kill them and hide the map somewhere else. Theres an onion in the ointment, however; Yemons ghost didnt just settle when Senko and Hyakkens spell ended. Awakened, he feels terrible remorse for drawing the map in the first place, and has begun haunting his last lineal descendant, a surly youth named Kaiu Joji. Badgered by Yemon, Joji has abandoned his post in the Shadowlands and made his way to Ryoko Owari, intent on finding and destroying the map. In the first plot seed, the magistrates meet Joji. In the second, he busts up the meeting between Mina and Bokusuis cabal with fatal results. In the third scene, the magistrates have to confront the survivor(s) in the graveyard and fight for the map. Thats the story of Yemons Legacy. Oh, the map? Thats another story - a bigger one. Wait.

)lo11 BOKUSUI Description: A tough young man whos already wealthy, and who enjoys the power wealth brings. Hes got sharp eyes, stylish clothes, but the eyes and mouth of a peasant. Comparative Toughness: Take the lowest Insight of any of the magistrates and build Bokusui at five points lower. If youre worried that his conspiracy wont challenge your PCs (a real possibility if there are more than three magistrates), equip him with 2-4 ronin bodyguards. Honor: 1. Glory: 0. What He Knows: Five hundred years ago, a fortune in jade was purchased from one of his ancestors. The treasure vault to hide it in was designed in part by Kaiu Yemon, who drew a map for someone from the Shosuro family before his death.

YOGO SENKO
Description: A tall, extremely slender woman in her late forties. Shes still good looking, in a haughty way, but the bloom is off the rose. She exhibits a good deal of superior attitude, but in a kind of sexy way. Her mask consists of three lengths of black cord, connected at each end to a headband, so that they dangle and overlap over her face without really concealing it. Comparative Toughness: She should have Insight equal to the highest Insight of any of your characters. She knows m h o , and in addition to her other abilities, she has a nemuranai - a ring that allows her to walk on water. Shes got Shadowlands taint of 2 or 3. Honor: 1. Glory: 1. What He Knows: What Bokusui knows.

3
To make things a little simpler, the principals are described briefly here, along with what they know. No stats are given for them; if I stat them up definitely, theyll be too tough for some groups and too wimpy for others. Instead, a general idea of their ability is given in comparison with your characters, so that you can build them tailor made.

KUNIHYAKKEN
Description: A burly young man whose pallor is just a little too stark to be attractive. Hes got a long mustache and beard, and hes plaited them into two braids after the Unicorn fashion. Comparative Toughness: He has Insight thats about average for one of your magistrates. He knows a little maho, he probably has a fairly high Earth ring, and hes got a touch of Shadowlands taint (just a point or so.) Honor: 1. Glory: 1. What He Knows: What Senko knows. SHOSURO MINA Description: A plain young woman - the kind who never rates a second glance. Her mask is a blue gauze veil, and she tends to accent her clan colors with blue. Comparative Toughness: Doesnt matter, since she only shows up for her death scene. Honor: 2. Glory: 1. What He Knows: She knows her ancestor Shosuro Sanzo had a map that showed part of how to get at something very dangerous. He ordered that the map be hidden in his funeral urn, and that anyone outside the family who tried to steal it should be killed. She also knows that its guarded by a riddle, and the key is to answer like a Shosuro.

KAIU1011
Description: A hulking, sallow man with greasy hair, bloodshot eyes and black gums receding from prominent teeth. He looks like hes just come off a five day bender. Hes surly and uncooperative. Any Crab can recognize the taint on an Awareness check of 10 or higher. Comparative Toughness: Take the highest Insight of any of the magistrates, add another ten points and thats Joji. A lot of his points should be invested in Earth and Strength. Hes probably got the Advantages of Large, and maybe Strength of the Earth. Hes got the Shadowlands taint at Rank 2 or 3. However, hes also got a Permanent Injury (internal bleeding - in an attempt to alleviate his taint, hes been grinding up jade and eating it). Honor: 1. Glory: 1. What He Knows: His ancestor Yemon built some kind of vault or fortress. A Shosuro tortured him until he drew a map, then killed him. Bokusui, Senko and Hyakken are trying to get the map.

MME. KARAKUS

INN

The first thing most nobles notice when they enter the Fishermans Quarter is the smell. (Matsu Shigeko always carried a perfumed fan into this Quarter - an affectation which did not endear her to the locals.) A strong odor of fish and stale water pervades everything, though the locals claim not to notice. The roads of the Fishermans Quarter are narrow and cramped - some of the pathways the citizens use go between buildings so close together that people must take turns going through. A horse (or a man in armor) would never fit. Though the buildings are low to the ground (few above two stories), their closeness often blots out the daylight and creates a feeling of claustrophobia. Six people can feel like sixty in the tightly packed streets of this Quarter. The population here is so dense that even in the open areas, Lady Amaterasus light is blocked by the smoke from countless cooking fires (not to mention smokehouses for fish). The firemen of the Fishermans Quarter are easy to spot, and easy to tell apart. Both gangs shave their heads like monks, to keep from catching sparks in their hair. The Fire Eaters wear red scarves around their necks to identify themselves. (These scarves can quickly be pulled up to conceal identity, as well.) Most Fire Eaters are satisfied with red rags, but a few have beautifully embroidered scarves - usually with a flame motif. The Moments Edge Firemen are also easy to identify, because each one of them carries a horn, which they use to sound the alarm if a fire starts. The more wealthy (that is, corrupt) kajinin have horns of brass. The Fishermans Quarter is a noisy area. The tight streets cause perpetual traffic problems (only the major roads are wide enough for carts, horses or rickshaws) which are attended by constant yelling and threats. This merges with the cries of sellers in the fish market. At night, however, it gets considerably quieter. The muttering of people on the streets merges with the water sounds of the bay, broken only by the occasional boisterous sailor song or scream. Overall, the Fishermans Quarter is dominated by work and play. While rich captains and their noble patrons enjoy Teardrop Island, their sailors come here for dive bars, opium dens, brothels and gambling hells. However, the Fishermans Quarter is also home to countless legitimate businesses - fishing is a huge industry here, as is freight and storage. Many brewers and potters are located in the Fisherman Quarter as well. Much of what gets sold in the Merchant Quarter is either made or stored in the Fishermans Quarter. The produce of the rice fields all around Ryoko Owari gathers here before going downstream to the Crabs or upstream to the Scorpion and even Unicorn territories. Naturally, the poppy fields also see their yields come here as well. Also, for every shipment of trade goods that is unloaded at the docks, theres at least one stevedore whos willing to drop a few things where he can find them later. This has led to a flourishing black market where everything from spices to weapons can be bought - for a price.

One local concern is the Fireman situation (G12). The Moments Edge Firemen and the Fire Eaters have always been rivals. The Moments Edge Firemen are extremely numerous and perpetually test their boundaries, while the gruesome code of vengeance followed by the Fire Eaters sometimes spills over on families and perceived allies of their rivals - as well as innocent bystanders. Some residents support the Fire Eaters (who usually leave merchants alone as long as they pay their protection money). Others prefer the Moments Edge Firemen (who are less concerned with shaking down legitimate merchants and more interested in monopolizing gambling, prostitution and opium sales). A majority of the Quarters permanent residents wouldnt mind seeing both gangs abolished - but given the apathy that Hyobu (G9, P1) and her magistrate Osako (P10) have shown towards their requests, and the violence that has greeted those who stood up to either gang, theyve become a silent majority. Hand in hand with opinions about the kajinin come opinions about the opium trade. Its hard to be neutral on the subject in Ryoko Owari. People who benefit from the drug trade, directly or - as almost everyone does - indirectly tend to quietly support it. Many whove lost a loved one to the clutches of the drug are loudly against it. These divisions are even more marked in the Fishermans Quarter, because the situation cant be ignored. A rich addict can hide his cravings; not so a penniless sailor. A merchant who intellectually knows that the opium trade keeps money moving is removed from the realities of the industry - he can allow himself to think it doesnt affect him much. Someone whose children eat only as long as she can turn poppies into Liquid Void (Gl) doesnt have that luxury. She has to look at addicts and know she helped make them. Consequently, drug abuse finds more open, defiant defenders in this Quarter than anywhere else - often among those who make it, but dont take it. On the other hand, you wont find as many anti-opium hardliners anywhere in town (outside of the Ide Residence (L4)).

The closest that most nobles ever get to the Fisherman Quarter is sending their servants to get fresh fish there. However, a number of ronin have made it their home. Jaw (P35) has a cheap, dingy house in the Crab Caves (page 11)while the Mantis sailor Shrimp (P34) has a regular room at an inn on Pine Loop for when hes in town. (Pine Loop is in the Loops, page 13.) The ronin Ample (P32) has been forced to move into the Crab Caves following Naritokis death, but hopes he can soon move back into the Noble Quarter as a magistrates deputy. The merchants Sharp (P40) and Watchful (P42) do not live in the Fisherman Quarter, but they are often around checking out

their warehouses of opium poppies. Watchfuls warehouses are spread throughout the Quarter, but most of them are in the North Rim or the Loops. Sharp has one central warehouse near the southwest dock. Yellow (P52), captain of the Bullfrog and suspected smuggler, has a small house in the Loops close to the northwest dock. She spends little of her time there, however, preferring the Floating World and the Merchant Quarter. Shortcut (P51)the rickshaw driver resides in the Crab Caves and plies his trade up and down both sides of the bay. One of his neighbors is the gambler Lean Meat (P50).

Strike: Regardless of what happens, the samurai claims he did nothing wrong - they were only heimin, after all. Hyobu (G9, P1) wants him dead to protect the opium trade, but he claims the right to be tried by the Emerald Magistrates. They can get involved, find him guilty, kill him and look good to Hyobu (but bad to the Dragon clan). Or they can spare his life, annoy Hyobu and gain an unpredictable ally. Or they can refuse to try him and let Osako do whatever she wants.

Challenge: Agasha Ogoie, a visiting dignitary from the Dragon Clan, storms into the Magistrates residence demanding protection under Part Two, Section Three of the Emerald Magistrates Charter. He claims to have been threatened by a gang of thugs, and says that Osako (PlO) told him it was a matter for the Emerald Magistrates. Focus: Ogoie is of high station and is known to have influence in Otosan Uchi; hes not a good man to anger. However, the man is a terrible boor, insisting that the magistrates accompany him as he boozes and wenches up and down the length of Teardrop Island. He keeps looking for a game of dice, but most gamblers From the Moments Edge Bridge (L24) down to Timber Street avoid playing with him. stretches a neighborhood known as the North Rim. This is where Eventually it comes out that Ogoie lost a lot of money to a the Moments Edge Firemen are officially responsible for fire gambler in the Fisherman Quarter and refused to pay. The fighting - and unofficially responsible for just about every type of gambler called on some of his Fire Eater friends to rough Ogoie illegal activity. up, and Ogoie retaliated by having his servants find the gamblers young daughter. Then Ogoie killed her. Strike: Ogoie makes no effort to hide what he did; as far as he (and the letter of the law) is concerned, its no big deal. The Fire Eaters are bound and determined to kill him. Osako isnt going THENORTHWEST DOCK to stand in their way, since she has to deal with them once Ogoie This is the cleanest and most well-ordered wharf on its side of leaves town (one way or the other). So - do the magistrates the river. (This isnt saying much - theres still enough rats and protect a cowardly murderer, earning the enmity of Ryoko fish guts to feed a goblin army.) Its primarily used by small Owaris gamblers, or do they bungle their job as bodyguards? vessels carrying import items from Unicorn territory and light cargoes (silk, spices, sake, some pottery) north on the return Challenge: A hotheaded Dragon samurai comes to town with journey. Because this dock is not very deep, larger barges (such a dozen men at arms, intent on avenging the death of his sister, as those used for rice and timber) cannot easily dock here. who overdosed on opium. Hes not subtle; he goes to the Because it specializes in more expensive items (and sometimes Fisherman Quarter and starts killing everyone he can find whos items that are easier to slip under a kimono and steal), the selling, using, carrying, or processing opium. This quickly turns warehouses nearby are in better shape than most in the Quarter. into a riot. In addition to the guards hired by the captains or merchants, Focus: The Emerald Magistrates hear about this at the same the Moments Edge Firemen are often tipped handsomely to make time as Osako (PlO), and can either handle it themselves or leave sure no fires occur in these warehouses. Merchants willing to it to her. If they leave it to her, she charges in with the Samurai accept some pilfering prefer to eliminate the middleman and hire Squad and arrests the Dragon. Otherwise, they have a conflict the hjinin as guards. (All they ask is that the Firemen do their with Osako (who wants to stop this threat to the opium trade), stealing before the tax assessors visit.) both groups of kajinin (who likewise want to stop him) and the samurai himself.

MADAME YAKKOKUS
Theres a footpath that cuts east from the Fishermans Gate (L25) to Teak Street. On this path there is a small, tidy house that stands out because it has a garden. This is Madame Yakkokus. Yakkoku herself is an ancient crone who dispenses herbs and home-brewed medicine. While the kujinin scoff at her skills, the people who live and work in the North Rim know who to come to for the relief of a fever or to make sure a bone sets straight.

there to sleep (if that - shes been known to spend nights elsewhere, especially on Teardrop Island).

No NOSE/HANA MIRATANARI
No Nose (or Hana,as hes called by his few close friends) is the leader of the Moments Edge Firemen. Every time one of them is involved in gambling, extortion, black marketeering or any other crime, a portion of the profit goes to No Nose. Hes tough; he lost his nose in a fight at age thirteen and has never looked back. He can pound the hell out of any of his subordinates, and is probably a match for many unarmed samurai. His real strength, however, lies in his vision. He plans, considers and consolidates where other criminals simply ad. Under his guidance, the Moments Edge Firemen have come to include specialists who are technically kujinin but who dont have any duty to fight fires. These specialists get to wear the horn, but their only jobs are to be fences, pimps or pushers. The Strong Arm and Fire Eater gangs single out these fake firemen for special punishment when they catch one alone.

THEJUNIPER TEAHOUSE
This large building is innocuous on the outside; its exceptional only because it is tall (three stories) and very well maintained. It ought to be; this is the headquarters of the Moments Edge Firemen. Inside, its a one-stop shop for vice. The unadorned teahouse on the first floor dispenses unlicensed sake openly - the first drink is free for off-duty Thunder Guards. Kujinin pimps sit at tables surrounded by the farm girls theyve purchased and painted into garish geisha parodies. Stronger stuff is available in the attic, where the floor is covered with filthy mattresses and the ceiling is hidden by a fog of opium smoke. In between, on the second floor, the chiefs of the kujinin make their homes. The first time magistrates approach the Juniper openly, they see and hear a wave of fleeing, stumbling people - opium dozers, johns and illegal drinkers desperate to avoid being caught inside. The Moments Edge Firemen make some effort to conceal the true nature of the establishment, but only enough that magistrates can ignore it if they choose. They are cordial; they offer drinks and prepare to get down to the business of bribes. Magistrates making a bust are greeted with mild surprise but no resistance; the kujinin have faith that Osako 010) wont let them rot in jail for long. Every Fire Eater dreams of watching the Juniper Teahouse burn to the ground. No Fire Eater has ever walked into the Juniper without getting badly thrashed.

HAPPY/YAKI
Happy is No Noses girlfriend. Before her he had a string of pretty, forgettable lady companions, but shes different. Theyve been together for three years now, and unlike the others she is deeply interested in the gang and how its run. To his surprise, No Nose has found it very useful to have Happy with him as a friendly face for the kujinin Shes sweet and unfailingly cheerful. Together, they have the good cophad cop routine down pat. Shes helped bring in a lot of business for them, has recruited specialists and - perhaps most importantly - has

Watchful (P42) can sometimes be found here overseeing her opium works, but she is not a resident Yellow (P52), the captain of the Bullfrog and a suspected smuggler, has a small dwelling here, but she usually only goes

given No Nose an excuse for when he wants to let someone off with a warning.

Many people in the North Rim are allied with the Moments Edge Firemen (or at least tolerate them) and have become increasingly nervous and upset over incursions by the Strong Arm Firemen from across the river. Their attitude towards the Moments Edge Firemen usually ranges from admiration to grudging acceptance (Yeah, theyre scum, but theyre our scum and at least they arent too pushy about it.?) The Strong Arm are seen as dangerous, unpredictable and violent interlopers. This concern is especially keen on the part of those legitimate merchants and residents who would like to see their neighborhood get a little nicer. To achieve that end, they hope to attract more merchants (and a better class of them), as well as possibly the interest of nobles. (Its unlikely, but it could happen.) They have some advantages - the Moments Edge Firemen may be violent and intolerant, but theyre predictable and would understand the value of keeping a low profile. Furthermore, the Northeast Dock has already made some decent merchants familiar with the North Rim. The citizens who want to see the neighborhood improve are extremely courteous and helpful to any wealthy-looking merchant who visits, and absolutely abase themselves before samurai.

Ar

Challenge: The Magistrates hear that theres a fire in the North Rim and that the Moments Edge Firemen are doing nothing to quench it. Focus: When they arrive on the scene, they see the kajinin gang dividing their efforts between preventing the spread of the fire (which is consuming a small warehouse near the city wall), and keeping a growing crowd away. As they get nearer, they see that Osako (P10) is on the scene with the Thunder Guard (GlO), busily trying to control the crowd. Shes grateful for any assistance the Emerald Magistrates can offer. She can also explain why no one can get too close to the fire; the warehouse was full of opium. Strike: If they investigate, the Emerald Magistrates learn some curious facts. There was a tunnel between the warehouse and a poppy field outside the city, enabling the warehouses owners to skim from the fields at night and process the opium during the day. They all died in the fire - but were apparently beaten to death before the blaze started. Furthermore, witnesses and clues indicate the fire was started by the local kajinin. Figuring out why the Moments Edge firemen were destroying an opium operation, instead of skimming from it or annexing it, can provide the magistrates with their first hints about who really runs the cartels...

The neighborhood called the Crab Caves was the location of Ryoko Owaris first red light district When the city was young, prostitutes, actors and other unsavory types were chased out by the magistrates but tolerated on the other side of the river, where only those corrupt souls who sought them out would be tempted by their lascivious wiles. (By the time the city walls were built, there was a bridge across the river to make the aforementioned wiles more readily accessible.) This is the neighborhood where the Crab army of Hida Atsushige (G4) was seduced and broken. It has been called The Crab Caves ever since. Since the licensing of Teardrop Island, the Crab Caves have become the only thing worse than a nightless city - a second-rate nightless city. From sunset to sunup, this is the domain of inferior courtesans, cut-rate fences, bumbling grifters and penny-ante pushers. During the day they scuttle back indoors to make room for the citys biggest (and many say best) fish market, which stretches from the Bridge of Drunken Lovers (L16) up West Bay Avenue towards the Fishermans Dock (see The Loops, page 13). The Crab Caves lie between the Wretched Gate (L27) and Timber Street.

THE)lousr(s)

OF LEAN MEAT As the gambler Lean Meat (P50) became more prosperous, he bought two run-down houses near the Peasants Gate (L26) and moved his younger brothers and sisters into them. Since that time, hes knocked down two outside walls and joined the houses together, making one large and awkward structure out of two. Despite its odd appearance, the house of Lean Meat is always busy, swarming with the many friends, associates, relatives and debtors of the popular gambler. Almost against his will, Lean Meat is becoming something of a neighborhood authority. Lean Meat has never hosted his weekly dice gime in his house, and he never will.

charges on a nightly basis. This isnt true; it just looks that way. When women fall long and far, this is where they land. The ronin Jaw (P35) is sometimes seen around Madame Karakus, though he denies it - and if confronted with proof, denies being a client.

Lean Meat (P50) lives here in his peculiar house(s). The ronin Jaw (P35) also makes this neighborhood his home. The ronin Ample (P32) is living here while he tries to get employment as a deputy again. Shortcut (P51), a onetime ally of Matsu Shigeko, has a dwelling here.

MADAME KARAKU
A sharp-eyed old woman who looks as if shes never seen a good deed done, Madame Karaku has managed to put together a comfortable life by scraping together the pennies earned by her wretched flock. Shes known for her bad temper and the duration of her grudges. The Fire Eaters offer her some protection for her money, but even they dont like her.

DIGGER/HIROI
The man called Bigger is the leader of the Fire Eaters, inasmuch as they have a leader. This doesnt mean he makes plans for them, the way that No Nose (page 10) makes plans for the Moments Edge Firemen. It just means that when Bigger says to do something, the other kajinin do it and dont argue. It also means that he can punish those Fire Eaters who do something he doesnt like - but this doesnt mean they have to ask his permission before doing anything. They just have to respect his opinion. Lately, Bigger has been feeling insecure. Hes almost thirty. His mighty physique is starting to turn soft where it should be strong, and is getting tight and sore where it once obeyed his every whim. Hes started to think some of his lieutenants could beat him in a fair fight - which has only made him more desperate to prove that hes still as tough as he ever was. In short, Bigger needs to somehow change himself from the top dog in a chaotic pack into a genuine leader - someone whos the smartest, not just the toughest. Until he does, he (and the Fire Eaters) are vulnerable.

THE FISHERMANS DOCK

The small fishing boats that ply the river dock here to unload their wares, which is why the fish market in this neighborhood is known for freshness. Boats are coming and going at all hours, making this a busy place - and a dangerous one for anyone who isnt used to walking on wet, rotted wood thats been slicked down by the slime and blood of countless fish. It quiets down substantially at night, but there are still a few boats that go out at night to hunt the elusive moonfish. (Raw moonfish eyes are prized as aphrodisiacs by some connoisseurs. The rest of the fish tastes terrible, but can still be unloaded to those who cant afford to be choosy. The eyes alone can pay for the price of landing a moonfish - selling the meat is just extra.)

MADAME KARAKUS INN

This ugly place is where old, used-up prostitutes go. It is the cheapest, and arguably most depressing, den of sin in a city known for them. Something about the very building seems to suck every spark of life and vitality out of the unfortunate women who work here, leaving them dead-eyed husks serving the lusts of men who are almost as poor, desperate and wasted as they themselves. There are rumors around the neighborhood that Madame Karaku is an evil sorceress who drains the lifeblood from her

The biggest issue among the residents of the Crab Caves concerns the Wretched Gate (L27). Currently, the gate is not sealed after nightfall, although it is guarded. This means that eta from the Leatherworkers Quarter have free access to the neighborhood at all hours.

I%

Some people think this is just great. After all, the eta have money to spend just like everyone else. Unlike most others, they cant go to Teardrop Island. This makes eta tourists a foundation of the Crab Caves night time industries. The pushers, pimps and prostitutes are happy to see the gate stay open, and so far theyve had decisive pull with the Fire Eaters. On the other hand, there are a lot of people in the area who dont have many they can look down on - but they can look down on an eta.Especially a drunk, debauched eta These people (many of whom are the backbone of the neighborhoods legitimate and legal economy) see the leatherworkers as a necessary evil during the day, but an odious nuisance at night. They want them out, and have been pleading to the Fire Eaters, the Thunder Guard and any magistrates they can find to shut the gate - and thus shut down much of the vice in the Crab Caves.

far as Salmon Avenue. Although the Loops overlap both the territories of the Fire Eaters (G12) and of the Moments Edge gang (see pages 9-11 in this book, also page 6 in City of Lies), the Loops really have a different flavor than either the Crab Caves (page 11) or the North Rim (page 9) neighborhoods. This flavor comes from the sailors and stevedores who make up the bulk of the neighborhoods people. The transient nature of the sailors gives this area a cosmopolitan flavor missing in much of the city - rumors from up and down Rokugans coast can be heard here, along with the latest stories floating along the River of Gold.

THEASH STREET DOCK

The dock off of Ash Street is primarily used for the transport of rice and other foodstuffs. Sometimes barges dock here before carrying truly heroic shipments of sake downstream, but mostly the business here is rice. In addition to the dock, there are a great number of coopers and warehouses around. There are also several good sized sake brewers here, several of whom have licenses to sell their wares to thirsty passers-by.

Challenge: An order comes down from the Emerald Champion that all city gates are to be shut at nightfall to increase national security. However, local Emerald Magistrates may issue exceptions to the law for gates that are obviously secure and which would pose no threat to local or national security if left open. THETIMBER DOCK Focus: Various groups begin petitioning the Emerald Oddly enough, the Timber Dock is not the dock at the end of Magistrates to issue exceptions. The loudest requests - both for Timber Street; thats the Blossom Dock. Timber Street is an old and against an exception - refer to the Wretched Gate. one, which predates the city wall. Logs used to be hauled straight Strike: Hyobu would prefer the Gate stay open, but this is one down Timber Street to the dock, and were there sent up or downtime that going against her will wont even result in a shift on the stream for construction. However, when the city wall was built a Popularity Chart (pages 63-67 in City of Lies). A conflict coalition of merchants from Forest Street (which was then called between eta and heimin really is beneath her notice. Eyebrows Arrow Road) lobbied successfully to have the gate put by their wants it shut, but a lot of other eta want it open. What will the street. It then became much easier for the foresters to bring their magistrates decide? wares to the dock at the end of that street. However, the demand for timber became so great that most of the merchants on Arrow Road went out of business because no one wanted to try to get past the carts of timber that were always clogging the street. The thoroughfare was renamed Forest Street, and timber has been hauled down it ever since.

THEBLOSSOM DOCK
The dock at the end of Timber Street technically belongs to the merchant Sharp (P40), but everyone knows its true master is Bayushi Korechika (P5). Though the samurai never openly visits except during times of trouble, there are perpetual rumors that he appears in disguise to keep an eye on his business. This business is, of course, the storage and transport of opium poppies. The business Korechika conducts within Ryoko Owari is completely legal; the poppies are only processed into illegal form downstream at Necessary Village (see page 9 in City of Lies). Here the legal poppies are stored and shipped under the watchful eye of his hired muscle.

This small neighborhood covers the dockside around the three wharves between Juniper Loop and Pine Loop. It extends back as

1 3

The Fire Eaters have an extremely close understanding with Sharp and Korechika, and their presence in this area is heavy. They protect his warehouses against fire and against other threats, in return for a piece of the action. The wharf is dark with the smudged remains of the raw opium packed here, and sometimes desperate addicts have been known to sweep up the chaff from the street and docks and try to smoke it.

While the merchant Sharp (P40) does not live here, he is sometimes seen around, watching over his valuable property. The same can be said of Bayushi Korechika (P5), though his visits are extremely rare and usually mean trouble. When hes in town, the sailor Shrimp (P34) stays at a small inn in this area.

MAD NUIKO
This beggar woman is known for her loud voice, funny accent, crazed ranting, and disturbing eyes. She wanders the streets of the Loops, loudly decrying the samurai who despoiled her of her honor. When asked who it was, she refuses to name him, saying she took an oath to confront him only to his face. She claims that shes of noble birth and that she took poison after her lover spurned her. The poison didnt work, however - it only blinded her, leaving her eyes filmed over by a sickly grey-green sheen. No ones sure how shes survived so long, since shes blind and obviously insane. There are a number of area residents who believe her story (though theyd never admit it). They give her a little food when they can spare it and let her sleep in their homes. There arent many who believe her, but there are enough to keep her alive.

kajinin gangs. Since this is a fairly rich area for vice (with a lot of sailors coming through and getting paid), both gangs covet it, so conflicts between them are frequent here. The biggest concern of the sailors and captains (other than the perpetual question of the best place to get drunk) is the gates of the Moments Edge Bridge (L24). These gates go down into the water and are there to prevent warships from entering the city from upstream. These gates are locked at night and opened during the day, but there are often delays in the morning, causing backups that can lose a crew hours and hours of sailing time. Its even worse if (for whatever reason) theyre late arriving in the evening. If a boat arrives to find the gates closed, they either have to wait until morning (and risk piracy) or turn around and go miles upstream to the closest village with a dock The sailors dont think the Unicorns would attack by the river. Besides, the Bridge of Drunken Lovers isnt gated...

Challenge: The magistrates are accosted by Mad Nuiko while visiting the area. She insists that they listen to her complaint, and thrusts a dingy scrap of paper into their hands. Focus: The paper is a barely coherent request for redress of injury by the Emerald Magistrates. However, it is written in the high script - something no ordinary peasant would know, let alone a mad beggarwoman. Strike: Nuikos life on the street has marked her face enough that no one from court recognizes her. (At least, no one will admit it...) She refuses to identify herself or her former lover until she can confront him. Can the magistrates find the man who ruined her and see that justice is done?

The permanent settlers in this area share the concerns of the North Rim - they worry about the rivalry between the two

The citizens of Ryoko Owari thrive on gossip, just like people in a high school, a business or any other situation where theres constant pressure to engage in casual slander. To help you simulate this, what follows are a series of rumor templates that provide you with handy stories to put in the mouths of talebearing snitches. Its up to you to decide if a particular story is true or not; either way, you can use it as a springboard for a plot. If its true, how did the news get out - and whats going to happen? If its not true, who stands to benefit from spreading the false rumor? Just in case theres a reader out there whos unfamiliar with the format, heres how it works. Cover up the paragraph in quotes and pick specific things for each general category in

brackets. Then uncover the paragraph and stick in the words you picked. For example, rumor #3 has the following things in brackets: (essential item), (family), (group), (character), (item of clothing). Reading this, you might pick lamp oil, Agasha, Crab Clan Magistrates: Doji Sukemara and hat.When you stick them in the paragraph, the rumor you get is as follows... Best stock up on LAMP OIL. I hear the AGASHA family is angling to get the price here pushed up, and they may even have help from the CRAB CLAN MAGISTRATES to do it. Honestly, youd think theyd be more mature - its all because DOJI SUKEMARA said something snide about somebodys HAT See? Simple. Now start gossiping!

I
I

RUMOR MILLNo. I
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RUMOR MILL 3 No.

(~SSENTIALITEM)

IN NATURE) (CHARACTER) (CHARACTER)

Noble Character S MOST RECENT

(FAMILY) (GROUP)(CHARACTER) (ITEM OF CLOTHING)

Essential Item

HAVE YOU READ POEM?

BEST STOCK UP ON

. I HEAR THE

I PERSONALLY
, WT

THINK ITS ABOUT

Something In

Family

FAMILY I ANGLING TO GET THE PRICE HERE S

Nature Character

Character

THINKS ITS ABOUT

PUSHED UP, AND THEY M Y EVEN HAVE HELP FROM THE A

TO DO IT. HONESTLY, YOUD THINK THEYD BE

AND IS VRY UPSET!

Group

MORE MATURE

ITS ALL BECAUSE

Character item of Clothing

SAID

I(MARRIED RUMORMILLNo. 2 CHARACTER) FEMALE CHARACTER) (MALE

SOMETHfNG SNIDE ABOUT SOMEBODYS

I
I I
1

Married Female Character

HAS BEEN BURNING INCENSE

AT THE

TEMPLE HIYOKUKO, I HEAR OF

THE FORTUNE

OF

FERTILITY. I WONDER WHAT HER

HUSBAND HAS TO SAY

ABOUT THAT

NOT TO MENTION

Male Character

...
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HOUSES OF THE

TORTURERS THEBURNING GATE

DRUNKEN LOVERS

HILL

THEGREAT HOUSE

I
THEMARKETPLACE

Chaptvr Zwo: Zhe

Like the Fishermans Quarter, this part of town has a and that those who haul dung for a living are a third category distinctive smell. In this case, it comes from all the human refuse altogether. The idea of dividing the Quarter up by profession thats hauled through the area day in, day out, every day of the (which convenience has already done, to a large extent) appalls year. However, the stench is relieved by the prevailing winds (in some and appeals to others. this, perhaps, the eta are fortunate to be outside the city walls). The houses here are simple mud and timber affairs, but theyre farther apart than those in the Fisherman Quarter - in fact, many of the leatherworkers grow flowers (but not poppies) around their Raspy (P54), leader of the e& lives in a fairly large house the homes in an attempt to freshen things up. The clay soil makes his this tough if they dont fertilize, but since the fertilizer is the cause in Dragons Shadow (page 19). Eyebrows (P53), lieutenant of the problem, most content themselves with unimpressive (and a close ally of previous Emerald Magistrates) lives close by. One particular area of the Little Shadowlands (page 22) has blossoms. A visitors second impression (after the aroma) is likely to run historically been the dwellingplace of torturers, and it is here that something like this; flat, brown, bright. Its flat because there are pitiful (P55)makes his home. few structures above one story. Its brown because the roads are unpaved, the buildings are covered with mud, and the inhabitants arent allowed to dye their clothes. Finally, its bright, because the houses are spread out and this lets a lot of daylight into the area, Challenge: A magistrate from the Shosuro family visits Ryoko making it a contrast to the cramped, dim city interior. Its also comparatively quiet - or at least it gets quiet real Owari and complains that eta are sneaking downstream from fast when outsiders visit. When those outsiders are samurai, the Ryoko Owari without papers and establishing themselves as loan only sound is the squelch of knees and foreheads hitting the sharks in the villages along the River of Gold. Focus: Osako (P10) is all in favor of just riding in and handing ground. A samurai who enters an et& house (which is almost out some punishment to the eta community at random; after all, unthinkable) may be surprised to find it clean, tidy and pleasant she cant be bothered to tell them apart, can she? However, if the (albeit very plain). The leatherworkers tend towards extremes Emerald Magistrates have a better idea, shes be glad to unload about cleanliness; some never give it a second thought, while the problem in their lap. others are very fastidious and never enter their houses without a Strike: Whats occurring (as any friendly leatherworker good wash. (After all, if you work in filth all day, you dont want leaders will tell them) is that families are pooling their extra to come home to it.) funds and using that capital as the basis for money lending. However, no magistrate is willing to let these would-be moneylenders travel into their territory (since no one wants more Opium, of course, is a significant concern (as discussed in the GM book, page 7). The eta suffer from an odd predicament; they make reliable money, but have little theyre permitted to spend it on. This has led to one of the highest addiction rates in the city, despite the hard line that Eyebrows (P53),Raspy (P54) and Pitiful (P55) take towards eta who sell drugs in the Quarter. (They get cremated. If theyre caught when Pitiful is on duty, hes kind enough to kill them first.) Another concern is Teardrop Island, which does not allow leatherworkers to enter. A few eta live there to take care of necessary tasks, but since Teardrop Island is downstream of the res; of the city, its easy for them to simply dump their refuse instead of selling it. Although this is technically illegal, no one cares; it doesnt hurt the city, it only hurts the leatherworkers. Besides, most samurai would prefer their pleasure district to have as few eta present as possible. A final concern is a question of division within their own ranks. Some eta believe that those who handle animal carcasses are less contaminated than those who work with dead humans,

eta hanging around, especially those from a criminal hellhole like Ryoko Owari). Consequently, the moneylenders are forced to smuggle themselves and set up operations illegally - otherwise, their money and effort just go to waste. Now, if they had travel papers from an Emerald Magistrate, they couldnt even be questioned other than the question of why an Emerald Magistrate would bother writing papers for an eta..

exceptionally pure and clear, and the eta are pleased to have it (even though its only a third of a mile from the river). The well has become a meeting place for the leathenvorkers. People gather there at almost any time of day or night when they have a little leisure time (which isnt often in the busy life of an eta).Here they sit, discuss the world or their work, smoke pipes, eat, and generally behave like human beings.

Raspy (P54) lives here with his family. Eyebrows (P53) makes his home nearby. (Hes unmarried also and considered quite a catch by most of the mortuary and stinker (Gl) families.)

TREASURE/TAKARA
Treasure is Raspys son - a man in his twenties, confident and charismatic among his own kind. He helps his father and Eyebrows with the governance of the Leatherworkers Quarter and almost never goes into the city proper, except to pick up opium. Raspy would be devastated to learn that his own son was smoking opium, but the truth is even worse. Treasure isnt using; hes selling. His close connection to Eyebrows and Raspy ensures that hes above suspicion, even as it allows him to track and subtly sabotage anything that might uncover his activities. Strangely enough, Treasure isnt even sure why he does it. Its not really the money - theres not much he can spend it on. He really loves his father, and knows that what hes doing is abominable. Perhaps he only wants to find something that no one else can do as well.

This neighborhood stretches about a mile upstream and a half a mile downstream from the Bridge of the Dragon (L11). Because of its proximity to the Noble Quarter, and the beautiful bridge, this is the most desired location for an eta to make a home. The houses here tend to be of better quality, and have been in families for generations. Most residents are involved in the leather trade. Saddlemakers are generally among the wealthiest of the residents here.

CUTTER/KIRU
Cutter is a large, powerfully built man who is only a few years younger than Raspy. However, while age has only seemed to make Raspy smaller, Cutter is still the big, loud man he always was. He got his name for his skill and speed at stripping the skin off a carcass, and he has prospered making and selling leather goods. Hes also a snob. Cutter believes that not all eta are created equal in the celestial order. Those who work with animal carcasses are somewhat impure, but not as bad as those who haul feces (the stinkers or kageshiru) or those who have to touch human corpses (the mortuary workers). Lowest of the low are torturers, who cant even expect improvement in their next lives. Cutter accepts that the samurai and heimin look down on him (or says he does, anyway - like Treasure, he doesnt leave the Quarter much). All he wants is license to look down on others. Specifically, he believes that the Quarter should be divided by profession, with the mortuary workers staying near the cemetery, the kageshiru keeping to the south, and the proper leather workers living in the Dragons Shadow.

THEGREAT HOUSE
This is where Raspy (P54) lives, and it is also the seat of what government the leathenvorkers have. It is a two story building with an enclosed courtyard, very close to the bridge. It is, in fact, one of the few structures that escaped destruction at the hands of an invading Lion clan army many years ago; it used to be a large stable, and it was only luck that saved it from the flames. This is where the leathenvorkers meet to discuss their problems and voice their concerns. Between noon and sunset, the house is open to all eta, who can come in and air their grievances to Raspy or some other authority figure. Between sunrise and noon, Raspy generally meets with other community leaders to discuss matters.

THEWELL
Towards the northwestern edge of the neighborhood is a well, dating back to before the Lion invasion. The water within is

In fact, these divisions are reality, for the most part. Cutter just wants it formalized, and has been trying to play the stinkers and the mortuary families off against each other to get them to agree. So far Raspys opposition has been enough to stop his plans, but if something were to happen to Raspy (for instance, if he were to die of grief and shock after finding out his sons a drug dealer), Cutter might well give Eyebrows serious competition for leadership of the eta.

The biggest neighborhood concern is the segregation question. The majority of the area residents strip cattle for leather; theyd like to have the area to themselves without worrying about dung haulers and mortuary tenders. Raspy is from an old leather goods family, and his pressure on behalf of integration has been steady. It doesnt hurt that two mortuary workers (Pitiful and Eyebrows) rub shoulders with samurai and are consequently prestigious. Still, a lot of people would like to see the area purified

Challenge: A body washes up on shore - a strange looking body. Focus: The eta dont want to touch it, since its skin and hair are strangely colored. They report it to Osako, who doesnt care; she tells the Emerald Magistrates that it might be a dead oni, so they should go check it out. Strike: Its not an oni; its a young foreign woman - possibly from Magdas country. No one from Teardrop Island is willing to identify her - so where did the body of a foreigner come from?

gather their wares before selling them to the local farmers or carrying them up the west wall of the city. (Night soil from the east half of the city is sold on that side, but there is no centralized collection point; it has to be hauled at least a mile from a city gate before it can legally be sold to farmers.) This is the neighborhood of the kageshiru - those who haul trash for money. In addition to feces, these eta also carry off everything else that gets thrown out in the Noble Quarter. (In other Quarters, the local beggars usually make short work of anything of possible value.) Consequently, these leatherworkers often have the finest goods in the Quarter - even if they are damaged or crudely repaired. Some envy the kageshiru because they can get cast off samurai property that other eta arent allowed to even buy - anything that gets broken and cant be burned is tossed out for the eta. However, they pay for their wealth with very real danger - at least a dozen eta are killed by samurai every year for offenses real or imagined.

BLOSSOM f l l L L

The neighborhood called the Festering Pit or simply the Pit lies in the southwest of the Leatherworkers Quarter. The aroma here is a great deal stronger, as this is where the stinkers (Gl)

This small hill is off to the west, actually outside the Quarter. Its not very tall, but its upwind of the marketplace and it provides a magnificent view of the poppy fields when theyre in bloom. Few farmers have time to take in such views, and consequently few even know about Blossom Hills existence. Only the dung haulers come here.

Z d

THEMARKETPLACE
Almost everything that gets collected by the eta winds up here. The main stock in trade is fertilizer, and farmers bring carts from miles around to keep their clay fields blooming. Theres also a small but thriving trade in samurai cast-offs. What the eta dont want or cant fix, they sell to the farmers, who make do with what they can. (Theres an amusing anecdote about a samurai who saw a farmers horse using one of his old quivers as a feed bag. The samurai had a good laugh about it after he killed the farmer and the horse.) The biggest area concern is money lending. Several local families have discovered that farmers are willing to swallow their pride and take loans from them at interest. Many traditional eta are dubious about this idea, but the families that are lending money have been doing well for themselves. Their only problem has been collections, but theyve found a few burly lads willing to see to that end of things. The moneylenders are encouraging their neighbors to get into the business (figuring that the more people involved, the easier collections will become). The conservatives are terrified that the magistrates will find out and start taxing them heavily - or worse yet, punish the whole community for the greed of a few.

CRAFTY /SHOKUKUIN
Crafty got his nickname because hes very skilled at repairing what has been thrown out. Hes part carpenter, part weaver and part potter. Consequently, his services are in such high demand that he doesnt have to go out and collect - people bring him broken items and he repairs them in return for a fee or a large cut of the resale value. His stationary location and prosperity have enabled him to do two things. One is become a local leader; he sees whats going on and has a chance to speak to most of his neighbors. The respect they have for his skill has lead them to respect his opinion in most matters. The second thing hes done is to become a local opium supplier. This has made him wealthier yet; he has started thinking about sneaking down river and becoming a moneylender, taking up life as a heimin. His plans will probably come to nothing, though; hes begun taking opium himself.

DREAMERIY UMIKO
Dreamer was never a very practical girl, but she did have a good eye for broken things. As one of the cleaners for the Noble Quarter she did fairly well, and expected little out of life. She certainly never expected a nobleman to talk to her (other than to order her around) but one did. That nobleman was Asako Kinto (P31), who spoke to her as if she were his equal. No one had ever spoken about spirituality with her before, or anything other than the concerns of daily living. But Kinto claimed to have a new way, a path of ancient wisdom, that was open to any who would walk upon it. She was one of the first converts to Kintos snake cult, and has slowly brought along a few of her friends. Some of them are in it only for the largesse of a samurai patron (even the food Kinto throws out is better than much of what an eta can buy) but a few have become true believers. Those in the neighborhood have noticed a change in Dreamer lately. Shes more confident - almost commanding - without losing her otherworldly quality. She acts like one who is learning to make her dreams into reality.

This is the neighborhood bordered on the west by the city cemetery, and on the northeast by the city wall. The smell here is not so much of excrement - more of smoke and wind. The smoke comes from the crematorium - a three-story building that dominates the landscape. Its a quiet neighborhood. This is partly because the mortuary families who dominate it are taciturn by nature, and partly because opium abuse is more open here than in any other part of the Quarter (though it is just as frequent in the Pit). The mud huts of the eta make a sharp contrast with the stone crypts and vaults where the noble families put the ashes of their deceased. These elegant buildings lie to the north of the cemetery, where nobles can visit them through the Peasants Gate during the Bon Festival. The farther south and west one goes in the cemetery, the simpler the structures and monuments become, until one finds the wooden stumps where the leatherworkers have tried to memorialize their deceased kin.

21

VISION/SHIRYOKU

THECREMATORIUM
This is the center of the mortuary families business. Those who arent bringing the bodies here are laying them out, or burning them, or interring them once theyre ashes. It is a tall and austere structure - one of the few stone buildings in the whole Quarter. It dates from after the Lion conquest, and has a long, plain flight of steps that mourners can ascend to the second floor, where bodies are viewed and prepared. The third floor is storage, both for bodies and for funeral trappings. The lowest floor houses the great furnaces, and it is said that no noble has ever set foot in there.

The old woman called Vision is regarded with respect bordering on fear. The oldest member of the oldest mortuary family, she knows the residents of the area better than anyone else, and has the ear of Raspy (P54) as well as Pitiful (P55). She has been a strident opponent to drug use in her area, and those whove defied her have paid for it - often, it is whispered, with their lives. Some people say she has dark powers. Theyre right. Visions family has worshiped Lord Moon for generations, and she is prominent within his cult She believes that one day the new moon will blot out the sun, and then the children of Hantei will pay for the indignities they have heaped upon her. Until that day, however, she is patient, meek, respectful... and unforgiving.

The biggest neighborhood concern is opium, specifically as it affects the opening or closing of the Wretched Gate (L27) at night (see above). Many area conservatives are in favor of closing the gate, arguing that it will keep the impure influences of the city away from leatherworker youths. Others argue that shutting the gate only emphasizes what the heimin and samurai have believed all along - that the eta are a disease to be quarantined.

THE BURNING

GATE

The area right outside the Wretched Gate (L27) is called the Burning Gate by area residents, for the predominance of opium smoking that happens there every night, right out in the open. The gate guards dont care about opium, but they chase off any uppity eta who tries to enforce the law within their sight.

THEHOUSESOF THE TORTURERS

This is a tiny part of the neighborhood - just a small cluster of nondescript homes - but even the mortuary families shun i t This are the homes of those who make their living as torturers, either for Osako (P10) and the Thunder Guard (GlO), or for the Emerald Magistrates. Every morning they can be seen making their way towards the Dragon Bridge - the six city torturers walking, and Pitiful (P55) pulling himself along with his hands. They do not talk, and their tread is slow and measured.

Pitiful (P55), torturer for the Emerald Magistrates, resides the here.

Challenge: The magistrates have learned from Joji or Mina that the mysterious map is in the funeral urn of Shosuro Sanzo. When they arrive at the cemetery, they may find some (or all) of Bokusuis cabal waiting for them (if youre in the mood to run a big fight scene). Or they may find them lying in the cemetery vault - all dead. If Joji is along, he may also cause trouble for the magistrates - either right away (if he alone survived to get to the crypt) or later (when he tries to destroy the map). Focus: Once the conspirators are taken care of (either by the magistrates, Joji or the tombs trap), the magistrates can take a crack at it. Sanzos urn is concealed behind a door with nine panels on it. Closer examination reveals that theyre built to be pushed in. Each panel has a short phrase on it. Written across the top of the door is the question What Is The Measure Of A Noble Soul? This was a question that Shinsei asked the seven Kami a question that none could answer to his satisfaction. The nine panels offer different answers. 1. Courage 2. The Deeds It Accomplished 3. Its Lies 4. Honor Is The Measure 5. Power 6. Measure A Soul By The Quality Of Its Enemies 7 The Secrets It Kept, And Those It Gave Away .

8. Wisdom 9. Each Soul Sets Its Own Measure Strike: The correct answer is #3 - measure a soul by the quality of its own lies. Pushing button #3 reveals the urn. One chance is nine seems pretty slim, and any dead bodies around would argue against poking at random. Hitting the wrong button results in a spray of poison gas from one of the cracks between bricks in the walls. (Different poisons come from different cracks, so good luck trying to plug them all.) Anyone who breathes the poison (meaning only the person who hit the switch, for simplicitys sake) has to make a TN 15 Earth roll or drop three Wound Ranks. Additional effects from different poisons are given below - along with a roll any character might make to get a clue that its wrong. 1. Courage: This was Akodos answer to Shinseis riddle, as anyone who makes a TN 15 Theology roll would know. The additional effect of this poison is vomiting; anything the character tries for the next ten minutes or so, have them roll a die. If its a 1, they puke instead of taking their action. 2. The Deeds It Accomplished. Theres no historical anecdote here, but anyone who looks close and makes a TN 15 Perception roll notices that the dust on this button has been smudged. (This assumes that someone before the PCs is dead on the floor.) The additional poison effect is extreme pain; take 1 die of Wounds, which return after an hour. 4. Honor Is The Measure. Theres no clue for this one (other than its the last thing a Shosuro would believe). The poison effect is hallucinations - the victim has -2 Awareness for an hour or so. 5. Power,Anyone who makes a TN 15 Heraldry roll knows that when Bayushi Anjo destroyed a rebellious monastery in the reign of Hantei the Fifteenth, he had a sign erected over the rubble that said No quality of soul matters more than power - a slogan thats appeared (rarely) on Bayushi war banners ever since. Anyone who pushes this button gets inflicted with a terrible panicky sensation, and cannot spend Void points for the next half hour. 6. Measure A Soul By The Quality Of Its Enemies. This is a quote from the play The Floating World by Yasuki Satsume. Its spoken by a corrupt shugenja from the Yogo family. Its a TN 20 Bard roll to remember this, or TN 10 if anyone has Theater Lore. Pushing this button results in a terrible headache, which gives a -1 Perception penalty for about a day. Z The Secrets It Kept, And Those It Gave Away. A TN 20 History roll lets someone remember that judge me only by the secrets I kept, and those I gave away were the dying words of Soshi Sawako. This difficulty is reduced by 5 for Scorpions, and by 10 for Scorpion Shugenja. This buttons venom also causes facial tics and uncontrollable tremors, giving a -1 Agility penalty for twelve hours. 8. Wisdom.This was Shibas answer to Shinsei, as a TN 15 Theology roll would reveal. Those who push this button anyway are afflicted by a severe fever for several days until the poison passes. During this time, their Intelligence is at -1.

9. Each Soul Sets Its Own Measure: The monk Rikohai proposed this reply to Shinseis classic koan in his commentary on the Tao ofShinsei.Knowing this trivia tidbit requires a TN 20 Shintao roll (TN 15 for Dragon clan characters, or TN 10 for any monk). Anyone who picks this button is afflicted with dim, blurry vision for 6-8 hours, giving them -1 Perception. Naturally, the most dramatic solution to this trap is to have the PCs plotting and poking at the buttons, but canny magistrates may take an easy way out. The most obvious easy ways out are (1) press gang some luckless peasant and make him push the damn buttons or (2) hire Builder (P44) to dismantle the crypt. These are easier said than done, and the biggest barrier is the Shosuro family. (Remember them? They kind of run the city?) Hyobu (G9, P1) isnt going to be crazy about the idea of peasants poking around in her holy family crypt, and shes going to be even less amused if theyre in there taking it apart. Furthermore, shell definitely be curious about what the Emerald Magistrates are seeking.. . Assuming they can find a way around that problem, theres also the ghost. Did I mention the ghost? Oh, theres a ghost; specifically, the Yorei of Shosuro Sanzo. There are two ways Sanzo will appear. 1) If Peasant NPCs Were Poking The Buttons While The Magistrates Took Their Leisure Outside. Any peasant NPC who sees Yorei Sanzo dies of fright on the spot. (You can make exceptions as you see fit; Pitiful (P55) and Eyebrows (P53) are certainly too tough to be scared dead like that.) The PCs hear a terrified scream from inside the crypt. Then they see Yorei Sanzo stalking out, scroll in hand and contemptuous sneer on his face. He gives them some kind of lecture about being cowardly, and then challenges one of them to an iaijutsu duel for the map. (Hes got Void 3, Agility 2, Iaijutsu 3.) Yorei Sanzo cant be hurt by mortal weapons, but if he loses he says the following; Despite your caution, you have proven an able warrior. Therefore 1 lay on you this charge; defend the map, and the vault it defends, from all who would despoil i t Guard it well, for a terrible doom shall befall Rokugan if the secrets within are revealed! If Yorei Sanzo wins the duel, give the loser a painful icy scar on his throat (where Sanzos sword hit) and turn his hair permanently white. Then Sanzo tells the duelist that because he lost the duel, he has to protect the map from all who would despoil it, etc. Later, if someone steals the map or copies it, you can have the neck wound start bleeding (a little - not enough to do damage) until the crisis is over. 2) If the Magistrates Picked the Right Button Themselves. Yorei Sanzo appears and demands to know who dares disturb his grave, and why. He then charges them with the defense of the map. If any of the magistrates are from the Shosuro family, he gives it to that person specifically. In any event, the map should end up in the hands of the Magistrates.

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Its as loud as the Fishermans Quarter, yet with a different, more urgent pitch. Musicians play in front of shops in order to lure patrons within. All around, merchants cry out promising health, beauty and good fortune - all at bargain prices. The pace here is quicker, the people brighter, even the air itself seems to hum with a tone that vibrates between hope and greed. There is a confusion of scents - the perfume of ladies and the sweat of their bearers, the tang of cooking oil and the mellow smoke of a tea stalls oven, layered over countless other exotic aromas. The buildings are tall, with dramatic curves of roof that carve the visible sky into sharp crescents. Some shops prefer a sedate and classic look - the oldest establishments show no sign nor indication of the wares within (since those who need to know already do). Other, newer, brasher merchants hang brilliant placards to catch the eyes of passers-by. The merchants themselves provide as many contrasts as their stores. The wealthiest are carried in palanquins draped with gorgeous cloth - more vivid and opulent than any nobles. But for every successful merchant in elegant silk theres a hundred sets of hungry eyes, envying what others have and scheming to get their share. These newer merchants dress as well as they are able, but the seedy air of desperation and greed clings to their features as they hustle, scheme and above all sell, sell, sell.

As could be expected, the bulk of the merchant class resides here. The merchant Sharp (P40) and his cousin Subtle (P41) both have homes in the Fields of Gold (see page 32),where Subtle keeps his shop. The merchants Builder (P44) and Horse (P43) reside there as well, close to where they work. Most samurai visit the Merchant Quarter infrequently, but there are three nobles who can be found there most days. Shinjo Sanefusa (P12) is often found in the Fields of Gold and the Downhill neighborhood (page 29) trying to gain new merchant vassals - and keep the ones he still has. Yasuki Nobuko (p24) also spends a great deal of time in the Merchant Quarter, but she stays up in the Two Gates region (see page 27). Finally, Kitsuki Jotomon (P28) has a dojo in the Downhill area, where she spends her days training and teaching. Nobukos primary vassal, the merchant named Whisper (P45) keeps his shop in the Two Gates neighborhood. That same area is home to Watchful (P42), the vassal of Soshi Seiryoku (P9). However, Watchful spends her days in the Fisherman Quarter, and only returns to the Merchant Quarter in the evenings.

The greatest local concern is, and always has been, taxes. Import taxes, export taxes, Hyobus (G9, P1) city taxes, Shojus provincial taxes, Hanteis Imperial taxes - a web of taxation that stretches from the emperor to the lowliest noodle seller, tying them together with the strands of tax assessors, tax collectors and (when needed) magistrates. The general feeling is that Hyobus taxes are fair - which should indicate just how low they are. No one speaks out against Shojus taxes, either, though theyre higher than Hyobus. No, the grumbling, moaning and whining arises around the subject of Imperial taxes. Not that anyone blames the Emperor; no, the anger of the merchants is reserved for the Emerald Champion. Magistrates are unlikely to hear such complaints directly, of course; but through intermediaries (geisha, ronin, gossiping servants) they may learn that the widespread perception is that Doji Satsume, Emerald Champion, hates the Scorpion clan in general, and Ryoko Owari in particular. The merchants speak in admiring tones about the maneuvering in court (though they are, in truth, almost completely ignorant of the real situation), and they cheer each story of Bayushi Shoju cleverly out-maneuvering those pompous, hypocritical Cranes. They think that Satsume is lashing out at the Scorpionsvassals and peasants, using taxes as a weapon, because hes too foolish to out-think the Bayushis and too cowardly (or too realistic) to attempt a military assault.

Challenge: Doji Satsume raises taxes once again, eliciting howls of protest from area merchants. Unrest mounts as tax season draws near. Several assessors and collectors are threatened, and a few are actually beaten by merchants. A bad harvest complicates matters. Focus: Even if the merchants guilty of the beatings are punished, the unrest doesnt subside. The Emerald Magistrates can make pleas for tax relief to the Champion, but their arguments have to be convincing - otherwise, he suspects that Hyobu has gotten to them. Strike: During the first Day of Generosity, a group of farmers march up the Mountain Goblins Rest Road, incited by someone they call Tokiuji. Theyve come to protest their tax burden. Osako and the Thunder Guard shut the gates, but are unwilling to mow down their own peasants when theyre protesting imperial taxes. When the merchants hear about the peasant mob, a similar mob forms inside the city and marches to the Gate of Condescension (L9). Osako insists that this is an Emerald Magistrate problem; not only is it the imperial tax theyre protesting, this clearly qualifies as civil unrest under Part One, Section Six of their charter... Do the magistrates put down the protest (which is currently peaceful) with bloody force? If they do, the Thunder Guards may be reluctant to obey them. Do they promise a tax abeyance hoping that the Emerald Champion will grant it? Or do they try to talk the peasants down with courtly speech? Of course, a third option is to simply buy them off - 150 koku per crowd would be

26

a sufficient rebate to get them home peacefully. (Anything higher would get the merchants and farmers talking about how kind and understanding the Emerald Magistrates are - as opposed to the Champion...)

of businesses (legitimate and illegal alike). However, they are more organized and less individualistic than the Fire Eaters. Where a Fire Eaters revenge is a dramatic, public and violent challenge, the Strong Arm Firemen are more likely to bide their time and fall on an enemy when hes outnumbered and unprepared. Theyre not concerned with honor or reputation just efficiency. They can be recognized by the crimson bands they wear around each bicep.

THEUNICORN GATE (L19)

This wide, well-paved gate was intended to lead to the Unicorn provinces, and to the distant lands beyond. Sadly, the realities of constructing a road through the mountains strangled that plan in its infancy. The gates still here though; its decorated with scenes from their foreign travels - on one side, a battle fought during a fierce storm in a land of sand and fire. Their opponents are huge and hideous, asymmetrical monstrosities with no eyes and too many limbs. On the other side is an image of a battle against a living island, where the battlefield itself was the enemy. The gate closes every night at sunset, and can only be opened by the command of a noble. The area immediately around this gate has become something of a haven for foreigners and those who sell foreign goods, so the aromas of strange cooking and the sounds of strange animals pervade the air. It is rumored that Bayushi Korechika (P5) comes here sometimes, hoping to find a new addition to his collection of exotic birds.

The Two Gates neighborhood lies between the northeast wall of the city, down to the Gate of Increasing Fortunes (L18), then along Topaz Avenue to the Bay. Its home to a great number of middle class merchants - not as wealthy as those in Downhill or the Fields of Gold, but a cut above those in the Fisherman Quarter. This is where the better class of sake brewers, potters and artisans live. Shops here are usually highly specialized, and are often those that hold no interest for samurai - wheelwrights, paper mills, weavers of sails and coarse peasant garments. This is also a neighborhood of merchant inns, since it is close to the juncture between two major highways. Tho Gates is the turf of the Strong Arm Firemen, along with the Wharves (see page 28). Unlike the Moments Edge Firemen, they dont act like a monopoly; they skim off the top of a number

THEGATE INCREASINGFORTUNES OF (L18)

The benevolent image of Daikoku smiles down from both sides of this gate which, wide as it is, still clogs often with the volume of merchant traffic entering and exiting the city. It is supposed to close at dusk each night, but traffic pressures (along with bribes) can sometimes keep it open for up to an hour later. The establishments closest to this gate tend to be oriented towards the comfort and refreshment of travelers. There are tea houses, sake houses (licensed, of course) and many, many inns. There are persistent rumors that some of these inns are, in fact, brothels, but Osako (P10) seems to care little one way or the other. As for the local Thunder Guards, most of them would be deeply upset if the brothels here were closed, as they receive good bribes (and other inducements) to look the other way.

SOUTHERN TREASURES
This is the shop kept by Whisper (P45), the vassal of Yasuki Nobuko (P24). Nobuko herself

can often be found here. It is large and cluttered, and (as Whisper likes to tell people) it specializes .in general merchandise. What this means is that Nobuko buys up anything thats plentiful downstream and hauls it upstream to try to sell it here. Sometimes shes successful. (For example, when she got a shipment of live, glowing eels from the Mantis Clan. They werent selling because they tasted terrible and would stop glowing after two or three days away from their native fodder. Nobuko spread the rumors that these eels had been blessed by Lord Moon, and that anyone who ate them would have night-time potence - and after all, wasnt Lord Moon the father of the Kamz? So a lot of men bought them, ate them, got sick and were too embarrassed to complain about it.) Some of the wares that can be purchased include: Oni blood potions from the Kuni family. Whisper guarantees that this black, sludgy stuff is actually onis blood that has been sterilized with jade. (Everyone knows jade turns sludgy and black when it works, right?) Paint it on your door and oni (along with lesser evil spirits) will think youre a powerful shugenja and leave you alone. If youre attacked by an oni in your home with this stuff on every door and window, then you get double your money back! Pearls of the Naga. Or, more accurately, balls of chalk that have been dipped in glass and made into necklaces. Copies of various pillow books (including Memoirs of an Opium Eater) and the latest plays and prints from Otosan Uchi. The Dueling Secrets of the Kakita Schooll Supposedly this manual was written by a disgruntled Crane clan samurai who became disgusted by the effeminacy and hypocrisy of his clan and decided to share their bushido secrets with everyone. (Anyone from the Kakita school can instantly recognize this as a fraud.) Bizarre and foreign musical instruments bought by the Mantis Clan.

become the leader of the gang and takes sadistic delight in shaking down his two older brothers. His biggest concern is the Ryoko Ninja.Hes too pragmatic to believe stories about shapeshifting shadow walkers, but he recognizes ambition when he smells it. Hes offered a reward for anyone who can lead him to the ninja,but so far no ones dared take him up on it.

Strangely enough, the biggest neighborhood concern is fire protection. Third doesnt really give much thought to actually fighting fires in the area - hes too busy trying to expand his turf, shake merchants down more efficiently, and track down the ninja.Consequently, there have been some bad fires in the last eight months. This has caused some dissent within the Strong Arm ranks, especially among older members who can remember when the armbands meant something.

Challenge: A fire breaks out among the warehouses. The Strong Arm Firemen dont respond until its too late and the blaze is out of control. Focus: The Firemen of Daikokus Garden assemble to get the fire under control - and the Strong Arm gang fights them to keep them out of their turf. Strike: Can the magistrates get the kajinin to fight the fires instead of each other? Alternately, can they put out the fire themselves without alienating the Strong Arm? Was it a normal fire - or ninja arson, intended to discredit the Strong Arm?

Whisper (P45) lives here above Southern Treasures. Watchful (P42) also resides nearby, though she conducts most of her business on the other side of the river.

THIRD/DAI-SAN
Born the third son of a middling-successful merchant, Third knew from an early age that there would be no inheritance left for him when his father passed away. He grudgingly set out to make his own fortune, and soon fell in with the Strong Arm kajinin, who appreciated his pitiless, no-nonsense attitude towards violence. During Matsu Shigekos tenure as Magistrate, Third engineered a confrontation between the Strong Arm and the Moments Edge gangs (see page 6 in City of Lies) and made sure that the leaders of the Strong Arm were removed. He has now

The docks on the south and east sides of the Bay of Drowned Honor (L2) are larger and deeper than those on the other side. No fishing vessels dock here, only large merchant barges. The smell

of the river and the tar of the boats rinses through the other scents in the air. The buildings here are large and imposing, but spaced far apart to allow for wide wagons, leaving the area well lit by day. The Wharf neighborhood stretches back to Silver Avenue, and includes some of the largest warehouses and dwellings in the Merchant Quarter. This area is protected by the Strong Arm firemen.

THE NORTHEAST WHARF This is the wharf where the greatest volume of merchant ships dock and debark day by day. Usually they are smaller vessels with varied cargoes - livestock, trade goods, silks and other imported items. They carry away the products of Ryoko Owari - mostly sake and pottery, but the occasional legitimate shipment of medical opium.

TH
WHARVES
despite repeated admonitions that this has been a rainy spring and flooding might be a problem. Focus: He arrives and, in spite of Hyobus (G9, P1) attempts to woo him, is most interested by the Emerald Magistrates. Hes fairly straightforward (for a Scorpion) since he (like Hyobus daughter Kimi (P3)) was raised by Cranes for half his life. He may cause trouble tagging along with the magistrates. Still, he could be an important ally to have. Strike: Sure enough, the neighborhood floods. His barge is isolated behind walls of swiftly rushing water, and is in danger of being swept downstream. Hed be terribly grateful to anyone who could help him save it...

THEIRON WHARF
Its not made of iron; rather, this is where shipments of iron from the Crab lands downstream are unloaded to serve the needs of a growing city. The Crab vassal sailors who frequent this area have given it a bad reputation for crude pleasures and vicious fights. Its particularly rife with unlicensed sake houses.

THEGRAND WHARF
This is where the largest and most expensive barges dock not only merchant vessels, but the luxurious pleasure craft of Scorpion and (much more rarely) other clan nobles. Consequently, this area is well policed by the Thunder Guard. The Strong Arm Firemen still make their profits here - just not when any nobles are in town.

The biggest neighborhood concern is usually the spring floods. A great deal of water comes downstream at that time, and thaw from the Noble Quarter and the Downhill neighborhood tends to collect here, turning the area into a swampy mess. There are persistent rumors that engineers had a choice between draining the area around the Little Dock (page 30) and the Grand Wharf, and the nobles chose to protect their access to the Licensed Quarter.

Challenge: Shosuro Ichiro - only son of the Emperors sisterin-law, Okuni - is coming to visit Ryoko Owari on a barge,

This is the most coveted and affluent part of the Merchant Quarter, because its closest to the Noble Quarter. The streets are

2 9

clean, the merchants prosperous, it has street lamps lit promptly every night and shows every sign of being orderly and well kept. However, appearances can be deceiving. Since the Little Wharf is here, and samurai go through this area on their way to and from the Licensed Quarter, there is a certain tension. The samurai dont want to be seen going. The residents dont want to see them coming back (when theyre often drunk and sometimes abusive). Yet both have to coexist in the same space. Conflicts are unavoidable, and sometimes result in the blood of the wrong merchant being spilled. The merchants have no official redress but money talks with a loud voice in Ryoko Owari. The kajinin of Downhill are known as the Little Gate Firemen, and they are the most honorable and dutiful of Ryoko Owaris fire fighters (see page 6 in City of Lies). They are led by a man named Hiroshi (see page 31) who takes his duty to protect the area very seriously. The Little Gate Firemen never ask for bribes, although they will accept gifts that arent too lavish. They keep an eye open for criminals and troublemakers, who are quickly turned over to the Thunder Guard. Unlike most other kajinin, the Little Gate Firemen are only on duty part of the time - the rest of the time they work in shops like everyone else in the neighborhood. Membership is by invitation only, and its a great honor to be selected. Many of the merchants in this area specialize in services or crafts that are of interest to samurai - sword polishers, saddlemakers, fine tailors and sculptors of netsuke. The Downhill neighborhood stretches from the Gate of Condescension (L9) to somewhere around the Grand Wharf. Its southeast boundary is Gold Avenue.

On top of the gate is a great iron bell. If theres ever a serious attack on the Little Gate, the guards are supposed to ring this bell to summon help from the Dragons Gate (L10). Drunken samurai have rung it as a joke on a few occasions, but once Jocho (P2) and Osako (P10) caught one culprit and executed him, the joke lost much of its flavor.

THELITTLEDOCK
This is the cleanest dock in Ryoko Owari, and also the smallest. Larger boats would run aground before reaching the pier, which excludes all barges and most other merchant vessels from docking here, even in an emergency. The purpose of this dock is not profit, however, but pleasure. This is where the nobles keep the small skiffs they use to commute to Teardrop Island. Some nobles are quite open and up-front about their boats; they dont care who sees them going to the Licensed Quarter (which does, after all, have legitimate establishments). Others, more conscious of their reputations, are careful to conceal their identities, even from the employees of the harbor. The ownership of some vessels is verified only by password. Its tended by a mute harbor master who directs a staff selected for maximum skill and minimum curiosity. Hes well paid by someone; most people think its Hyobu (G9, Pl), but no one knows for sure. The more paranoid nobles suspect that he keeps tabs on everyone who comes and goes, reporting only to his mysterious patron. Most of the docks clients, however, only care that their boats be well tended and handled without questions.

SEVEN CORNERS
The intersection of Copper Avenue, Quicksilver Diagonal, and Alabaster Street provides a six-cornered intersection, and the terminus of a footpath towards the Grand Wharf (page 29) makes a seventh. This is arguably the busiest intersection in Ryoko Owari, with daily traffic jams and weekly clogrelated brawls. It is thick with noodle and tea merchants all hours of the day; after all, people who are stuck in traffic often need refreshment.

THELITTLE GATE (Ll5)

This tiny gate is very thick, with a slender door in the center called the needles eye: Only one person at a time can pass through the needles eye, and its a tight squeeze for people like Ashidaka Michitaka (P26) or Ample (P32). The Little Gate is not well policed, by anyones standards. Any Thunder Guard who did a good job watching this gate would soon be assigned to a new position, because good policing is inherently inimical to the purpose of the Little Gate. Think about it; the goal of a conscientious policeman would be to keep track of who was entering and leaving the city. The goal of the nobles who use this gate is to avoid recognition. The system currently in place is that people exiting the gate are issued dated return passes, which are only good for a few days. In theory, this means that only people who went out through this gate can come back through it, but in practice this is unenforceable. Anyone with a recent pass can come through the Little Gate (which has led to a fairly lucrative black market in some downstream villages). Also, since these guards are lazy or incompetent almost by definition, they tend to be open to bribes.

JOTOMONS

DOJO

Kitsuki Jotomons (P28) school of bushido is located on Sapphire Street, between Copper Avenue and Silver. It is a low, unassuming structure, notable only for the quality of the horses tethered in its courtyard. Jotomon insists that her students respect each other only for their level of skill while within the walls of her dojo. (This hasnt caused too much confusion yet, since her noble students are universally better trained than her peasant students - so far.) She teaches a two-hour class each day. The first third of the class is grappling and jiujutsu practice. Then theres a period of meditation and discussion of philosophy or martial theory. The last half of the class is swordplay, usually with boken (wooden swords). She has been known to take her students outside the city walls to practice fighting on different terrains - on hills, on stones, in water and on uneven ground.

CLIMBING TOWARDS HEAVEN

This is the office of Builder (P44), renowned as the finest carpenter in Ryoko Owari. He has dozens of plasterers, timber cutters and roofers in his employ, and is (consequently) one of the wealthiest merchants in the city, Unlike many others he does not flaunt his wealth. Nonetheless, his home is as tasteful and rich as a noblemans - finer than many.

RUMORMILLNo. 4
( M A L E CHARACTER) (FEMALE CHARACTER)
HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT
IS ACTING

Male Character

FUNNY THESE DAYS?

UEAR ITS BECAUSE HES WORRIED

PEOPLE WILL FIND OUT ABOUT HIS TORRID AFFAIR

WITH

I
Female Character

The merchant Builder (P44)lives here, near his office.

HIROSHI Hiroshi is the current chief of the Little Gate Firemen. Hes scrupulous and honest almost to a fault, and he takes his duties very seriously. He can frequently be seen wandering the neighborhood, checking for fire hazards and making sure that there are adequate water supplies available for fires. The Downhill residents adore him for his honesty and obvious concern, and are deeply grateful that they dont live under the oppressive rule of thugs like the Strong Arm or Fire Eater gangs. He takes a proprietary interest in the entire neighborhood, which has caused a great deal of trouble and embarrassment for local opium dealers. Hes completely invulnerable to bribes, but area criminals are hesitant to attack him - Hyobu (G9, P1) has put word in the grapevine that the Little Gate Firemen are not to be messed with. If he continues to irritate the opium trade, however, Hyobu may revoke her protection.

Hiroshi isnt an impressive figure. Hes in good shape, but rather short and plain in speech, manner and dress. His brow is permanently furrowed, and he always seems to be looking around the area with a mien of concern.

The biggest neighborhood concern is the ninja. Since the assassination of Hiroshis predecessor, the merchants have lived in fear of black-clad assassins. Hiroshi, the kajinin and the Thunder Guard have done all they can to persuade people that the ninja are a myth, but their increased presence have undone the effect of their reassuring words. After all, no one sends guards to defend against an imaginary enemy...

Challenge: A samurai of a minor noble family is found murdered - struck through the belly with his own wakizashi. Apparently he died after a night of revelry; he reeks of sake, and his face and body bear traces of geisha makeup. Focus: His brash son harasses the magistrates about finding the lowborn cur who killed his father, and begins haunting the Downhill neighborhood interrogating passers-by at random, roughing up suspicious or uncooperative residents and generally making a big nuisance of himself. All this despite a few odd facts about the murder, to wit; the man was killed by his own weapon, which was left with the body. In fact, nothing was taken, which would seem to rule out a common theft. Strike: The killer was, in fact, the samurais wife, a proud woman who got fed up with his shameless carousing. She confronted him on his way home, and when he shoved her out of the way, she grabbed his wakizashi and killed him. The son, of course, wont believe it even if she confesses to him, and he becomes an even bigger pain when the truth comes out. If shes arrested (or worse, executed) he swears a vow of perpetual vengeance on the magistrates. He also convinces himself theyre covering up for the real killer.

31

STAR OF SILVER
This silver smithy is run by Shiho, a peasant who was the vassal of Shiba Shonagon. Shiho was the Dear Friend referred to in Memoirs of an Opium Eater, and it was Shihos business acumen that allowed Shonagon the leisure time and money to indulge in a decadent lifestyle. Star of Silver has an excellent jeweler working for them - a young woman named Takako, who learned the craft from her father and wasnt allowed to work anywhere else because of her gender. Shiho recognized her talent, however, and in a few years Takakos designs were in great demand - not only in Ryoko Owari, but in Otosan Uchi as well. Lately, business has not been as good for Star of Silver. Their current patron is Asako Kinto (P31) who couldnt possibly care less about providing them with mercantile advantages. Shonagon, whatever her other flaws, was seen often, and often wore Takakos This area got its name by being the wealthiest heirnin designs, providing the shop with valuable exposure. The principal neighborhood in Ryoko Owari. The neighborhood stretches from reason for the shops decline, however, is Shiho herself. Shiho has the Garden of Daikoku (L17) all the way down to the wall around read the Memoirs and feels deep guilt and distress that her the Noble Quarter. Its bordered by Monks Edge Avenue to the patroness (whom she admired and liked) died a shameful death. Shiho is aware that Shonagon couldnt have fallen so far, so fast, southeast and by Gold Avenue on its opposite side. This is the domain of the Firemen of Daikokus Garden, led by without the money raised by Star of Silver. Shes haunted by the the stylish Takai-san (see below). These kajinin strut through the idea of Daikokus Curse as expounded by Abbot Okawa (P37) neighborhood without flashy uniforms or gaudy decorations; in the Memoirs.and wonders if the curse is on her as well. theyre known by reputation and attitude. They skim a little, but their territory is so large and so wealthy that it doesnt take many SPEED OF THE NORTHLANDS This is the shop of the merchant Horse (P43),who used to be hand gifts (Gl) to make for a good living. In such a large area, theres a broad cross-sectionof businesses, patronized by Shinjo Yoshifusa (P11) but is now the vassal of ranging from huge granaries and timber mills to tiny shops Bayushi Korechika (P5). Horse still feels kind of guilty about abandoning the old man, but she knows that Korechika is making where generations are spent crafting bonsai trees. her far richer, far faster than her Unicorn patrons would have. She has no idea that Korechika is involved with the opium trade. This is, without a doubt, the finest public source of horses in Ryoko Owari. The private stables of the Ides may produce DAIKOKUS GARDEN 1 7 ) (~ stronger steeds, but they have only a few foals a year, while Speed This elegant garden has gone downhill a bit since it was first of the Northlands produces up to thirty. built. While the monks of Daikoku keep the Garden of Contemplation in good shape, the Poppy Garden has gone slightly wild. The two gardens provide a study in contrasts. The Garden of Shiho (see Star of Silver, above) Contemplation is an austere Zen garden, where the works of Takako the Silversmith (see Star of Silver, above) nature and the works of man blend and harmonize, providing a The merchant woman called Horse (P43) tranquil setting for relaxation. The Poppy Garden is bright and striking, with a riot of blooms and weeds mixing together to flop over onto the paths and creep up through cracks between paving TAKAJ-SAN Takai-san is the leader of the Daikokus Garden Firemen - a stones. Though both have their attractions, its clear which one is favored by the merchants; the Poppy Garden is thick with visitors position thats been in his family for generations. Hes a good at all hours of the day and night, while the Garden of looking man in his forties, genial and confident. His organization operates on a model very similar to the Contemplation is almost always quiet and serene. This could, of course, have something to do with the presence of the local daimyo-samurai-peasant hierarchy. Hes the daimyo, commanding a group of soldiers who obey him without question. firemen, who make the Poppy Garden their unofficial office. They, in turn, have authority over the area merchants, who pay for their protection. Takai-san lives as well as many samurai - he

3%

has an opulent home, a couple mistresses, two daughters and four sons (acknowledged). He provides protection to Hyobu (G9, P1) and Subtles (P41) opium business, and that alone gives him all the clout and money he needs to run a tough gang. The graft he takes from the merchants in the Fields of Gold is just icing on the b biscuit.
IN CITY OF LIES) Henjo lives in an opulent house not far from Daikokus Garden (L17) where he often goes to sit in the Garden of Contemplation. Hes well known as a wealthy timber merchant, though hes not particularly social. He has a reputation for privacy and poor health - sometimes he isnt seen for weeks on end, and conducts all his business through servants. (This is actually when his serpent scar has crawled out and become visible on his face.) Lately hes made a point of telling his business contacts that hes very ill, and considering a move back to his home territory in the Unicorn lands. This is, of course, false; hes actually planning to liquidate most of his money in preparation for another rebirth. His faithful servant Suzuko will raise him until hes sixteen or so, and then hell buy into whatever business suits his fancy at the time. At least, thats the plan; the Scorpion Coup may well interfere. Now, however, hes just starting to sell everything he owns. Hes in no hurry; hell wait years to get a good price. After all, hes got all the time in the world.

HENIO (SEEPAGE I6

Challenge: The magistrates are passing through the Fields of Gold when they spy a lost young child... Focus: ...whos spattered with blood from head to toe. The child is well dressed, but without clan colors or mon. Shes mute with shock and terror. Strike: The child is the youngest daughter of Takai-san. A group of Ryoko Ninja tried to kidnap her and a nasty fight ensued between them and her bodyguards. Now the bodyguards (who are good fighters but kind of dense) want to get her back from the magistrates without revealing who she is or who they work for ideally, they want to do all this before Takai-san finds out. If the dumb bodyguards attack the magistrates and get killed, or get caught trying to spirit the girl away, Takai-san may think theyre after him, or trying to extort him, unless things get cleared up fast.

The rivalry between Korechika (P5) and the Shinjos (P11, P12) has occasioned a great deal of comment in the Fields of Gold. There are two schools of thought - basically a conservative faction and a radical faction. The more conservative merchants believe that theres more to a vassal/patron relationship than mere fiscal advantage. It should also be a sacred trust, a joining of mutual concern - not just mutual advantage. Often these merchants regard their patrons with deep admiration, and their feelings are colored with considerable sentimentality. The radical merchants (who are usually those with newer wealth - those whove only moved to the Fields of Gold in the last few generations) believe their purpose in the Celestial Order is to make money - period. If they can make more money with one patron than another, it is their duty to do so. As for saying that one samurai is good and another bad - who is a merchant to judge? Certainly the samurai wouldnt appreciate being evaluated by mere heimin. It is the duty of a heimin to choose a patron humbly - by strict financial criteria.

i !

T U E TEMPLE
OF

AMATERAW

(L13)

This is one of the quietest of the citys Quarters. Merchants here are not pushy and aggressive, but sedate and serene. Even the street-side food vendors wait for customers to come to them, instead of crying out incitements. The muffled chimes from the temples, the songs of birds from tranquil gardens, and the soothing chants of monks weave a subtle music that permeates the area. The wind from the Merchant Quarter sometimes brings in an aroma of horses, spice and avarice, but the gentle scents of incense quickly quell such breezes. Wide sunlit streets wind their way between the shrines, the monasteries and the few merchant houses that service them. The buildings are classic and graceful, relaxing to the eye that rests on them. Generally speaking, the placid surface of the Temple Quarter accurately reflects the spirits of its residents. The Temple Road Firemen are an honorable bunch, and kajinin from other neighborhoods are either too busy (Strong Arm) or too respectful (Daikokus Garden) to make trouble here. Spaced throughout the Temple Quarter are large brass bells, which were placed to summon firefighters in case of conflagration. The strict penalties imposed for false alarms, along with strict community policing, keeps abuses infrequent.

Abbot Okawa (P37) and his assistant Jirohei (P38). This same area holds the temple of Amaterasu, where Meiyo (P39) lives. Many of the noble shugenja of Ryoko Owari do not live in this Quarter, but are frequent visitors. Their number include Ide Nakatada (P17) and Kitsu Senshi (P30).Ikoma Yoriko (P29) is frequently found at various temples, while Ide Shikibu (P18) has become a frequent visitor since the death of her son (P15).Asako Kinto (P31), however, has been seen in the temples with decreasing frequency. Surprisingly, the shugenja Soshi Seiryoku (P9) does not visit the temples very often at all.

Most residents in the Temple Quarter can be considered either worldly or ascetic - even those who arent monks or shugenja. Instead of describing an approach towards worship, these terms can be expanded to describe an individuals general approach towards life. (Okawa (P37) and Jirohei (P38), the two chief monks of Daikoku, provide fine examples of the two philosophies.) The ascetics believe that the world of the senses is the world of m q u - deadly illusion that distracts the soul from its true mission. Such people are definitely unworldly - they trust the fortunes to supply them with their few physical needs and spare little concern for the questions of position and acquisition that occupy the rest of the city. The worldly ones, on the other hand, believe that our destinies depend on our will and involvement. These people - many of whom are extremely pious and devout - are nonetheless concerned that the temples be well tended and look prosperous. They are the ones who give large donations - or ask for them. Theyre the ones who worry when a temples congregation dips, or when a wall around a shrine gets overgrown with ivy. In many cases, they believe that the outward appearance of a temple reflects the respect and esteem that its kami receives. They are therefore very concerned with appearances.

The great Temple of Daikoku (L12) gives its name to the neighborhood Daikokus Shadow (see page 37), and it is home to

Challenge: A burly man claiming his name is Osano-Wo is waiting for the Emerald Magistrates when they emerge from a temple one day. He insists that they are to clean his house. He is extremely stubborn, and any magistrate who tries to get away from him is seized and thrown to the ground. Focus: He really is Osano-Wo, Fortune of Thunder. He knows somethings wrong with one of his nearby temples, but he doesnt know what. If youre a god and youve got a mystery, who do you turn to? Only the best investigators in the area, right? Osano-Wo doesnt hurt the magistrates unless they deliberately provoke him, but he wont let them do anything else until they figure out how to clean his house. He can tell them that it isnt his house in the city (meaning the local Temple of Osano-Wo). The problem is that the Abbot at his main temple, on the Plains of Thunder, has becomecorrupt. Hes been seduced by the daughter of one of the gardeners (or by someone who claims to be the daughter of one of the gardeners...) and no longer has flawless thoughts when he gives instruction to the monks. In a few years hell be so firmly under her thumb that hed be willing to unfairly disqualify a contestant in the Test of the Emerald Champion... Strike: As soon as the Emerald Magistrates set out for the Plains of Thunder, Osano-Wo leaves them. Or, at least he doesnt follow them in human form. Instead, a tiny and incredibly localized thunderstorm follows them wherever they go. (They can go inside a building and get dry, of course; the storm just falls on the roof.) This floating storm is a pretty clear omen, and gets them an audience with the Abbot. When they tell him that his temple is corrupted, however, he flies into a rage and challenges them One at a time or all at once if youre cowardly! Hes as tough as youd expect a head monk to the Fortune of Thunder to be, but if hes in danger of putting down all your magistrates permanently, you can have the last one standing (or a Crab magistrate, if one is present) be possessed by Osano-Wo and beat the hell out of him. In any event, the surviving magistrates are given the blessing of Osano-Wo, in the form of a tsuba (sword guard) with the kanji for thunder on it. Any sword with the tsuba attached can strike

supernatural creatures, and its holder can add and keep an extra die for damage rolls. When such a sword hits a Shadowlands creature, lightning arcs from the tsuba down the length of the blade.

THE TEMPLE DAIKOKU (112) OF Over a hundred feet tall, the Temple of Daikoku is a magnificent testament to the Fortune of Wealth. Fronted by a twenty foot tall statue of Daikoku (carved from imported pink granite), this is the home of well over a hundred monks. Ryoko Owaris monks of Daikoku are known for eccentric or even bizarre behavior (P37, and page 11in City of Lies). Stories of the monks include the following.
h

The massive Temple of Daikoku (L12) - the tallest structure in Ryoko Owari - dominates each skyward glance taken in this neighborhood, which stretches between the Pious Gate (LS) and the temple itself, and then between the city wall (Ll) and the Monks Edge Avenue. This area holds the great temples of Ryoko Owari - those of the Seven Fortunes, the Temple of Osano-Wo, the Temple of the Sun, and the luxurious Temple of Bayushi Kami. Daikokus Shadow is one of the few areas in Ryoko Owari that is free from the interference of the kajinin (G12) gangs. Instead, the temples are protected by the monks of Daikoku - who, it is said, are able to quench fires by negotiating directly with the elements.

THETEMPLE AMATERASU OF (113)

This temple is a graceful structure built of a stunning white limestone - a type of stone unique in the city for its color and brightness. The temple grounds are expansive, making the compound an oasis of space and grace in the generally cramped environs of Ryoko Owari. The central feature of the compound is a tall pillar upon which rests a dazzling golden mirror globe. Some claim that the globe is solid gold - a gift to the temple from the Dragon of Fire. It is further rumored that those foolish enough to try to steal it have been found burnt to death - consumed down to the bones by a terrible heat. It is more likely that anyone foolish enough to try to steal the sun globe has simply fallen off the pillar, which is slender, slippery, and seventy feet tall. One monk of Daikoku offered to trade silver coins for copper, but everyone who accepted his offer found that anything they bought with the coins was ruined or broken before they had a chance to use it. One man, however, offered the monk silver for copper - and the copper coins he accepted turned into gold. Once, a merchant offered the monks of Daikoku a hundred gold coins if they would show him enlightenment. Some of the monks tried telling him riddles, others showed him key passages in the Tao of Shinsei, but he refused to pay them, arguing that he was just as anxious and confused as hed been before. Then one monk told the merchant to meet him on the top of the city

walls, on Noble Hill, overlooking the poppy fields. He told the merchant to bring his koku, and the merchant did. It was a clear, bright day, and the poppy fields to the south were at their fullest glory of color. The monk pointed out at the fields and said Isnt it beautiful? Yes, yes, said the merchant. But what about enlightenment? The monk picked up the merchants sack of gold, and with a heave of great strength scattered it out over the fields. Enlightenment means knowing youll never see that beautiful moment again, the monk said. At that moment, the merchants eyes were opened. Many years ago, an abbot took a group of monks to a gambling den in the Licensed Quarter. For hours, they simply sat and watched as the gamblers threw dice. Their stares made the gamblers uneasy, and soon the casino was almost empty. The owner approached the abbot and told him that he would either have to start playing, or leave. The abbot shrugged, picked up the dice and proceeded to throw the highest-paying combination - twenty times in a row. Having thus bankrupted the gambler, he told his monks to carry the gold away for him. As he left, he tuned to the stunned gambler and said I dont see what the fuss is about; it really is a very simple game? he gambler shut his mouth, and joined them as a monk,

Castle wouldnt even be taxed!) Failing that, theyd like to see an ordinance against noise in the Temple Quarter. Of course, if they get their wish, they have to deal with the noisy Thunder Guard needed to enforce such a difficult law...

Challenge:Gate guards from the Gate of Onis Teeth (L14) ask the Emerald Magistrates to come look at some suspicious travel papers. Normally they wouldnt bother, but the papers bearer claims they were signed by an Emerald Magistrate. Focus: The papers are forgeries (but good ones) in the hands of Kaiu Joji - it takes a TN 20 to recognize them as phony. (Kaiu Yemon is a good stonemason above all else, and was able to carve a good likeness of an Emerald Magistrates seal of office.) Even if they dont twig to his fake papers, it doesnt take a genius to notice theres something not-quite-right about Joji. Hes a mess, hes incoherent, he mutters and snarls and grunts even more than is usual for a Crab clan bushi. Strike:There are basically three ways the Magistrates can handle this: they can haul him in, they can ignore him, or they can follow him. If they haul him in, he gives them a barelycomprehensible THEGATE ONISTEETH OF (L14) account of his haunting and tries to tell them about Bokusui and his This elaborate gate is also one of Ryoko Owaris busiest. gang. If the magistrates let him out, he leads them to Bokusui and Commerce, not only from the Crab lands but from Beiden Pass, company in Part Two. Otherwise, he escapes by dint of his shadowall comes to Ryoko Owari along Mountain Goblins Rest Road. tainted strength (possibly injuring Pitiful in the process, or killing a The tax assessors here are among the most vigilant and guard or two) and still shows up for Part Two. Theres a slight, but scrupulous (though, like everyone else, theyre not adverse to the real chance that the magistrates will decide to kill him out of hand. occasional hand gift (Gl)). (After, all, he does have the Taint.) If they do this, make sure he tells Like most other city gates (except the Little Gate, of course) them all he knows about Yemon, Bokusui and the map. You can also this one is supposed to be sealed from dusk until dawn. However, have him give directions to where the conspirators are going to meet, its closure is delayed almost every day by the demanding and when (which links the magistrates right into Part Two, page 4Z) merchants who are the lifeblood of Ryoko Owari. If they ignore him, they dont hear about him until Part Two. Simple as that. If they follow him, he leads them to Part Two. Also nice and simple.

Abbot Okawa (P37) lives here at the Temple of Daikoku (L12). Jirohei (P38) resides there as well. The priestess Meiyo 039) lives in the Temple of Amaterasu (L13).

RUMOR MU No. 5
(CHARACTER) (CHARACTER) (RAREOWECT) (LARGERGOAL
1 OVERHEARD
Character

ASKING

Character

Many of the monks, nuns and shugenja of the Temple Quarter are frequently disturbed by the volume of traffic along Mountain Goblins Rest Road. Purity of thought is a difficult task, and the cries of drovers provide a definite distraction. What they would like (ideally) would be a detour of the Mountain Goblins Rest Road outside the city wall, up to the Gate of Increasing Fortune. (This is, of course, a terribly impractical idea: traffic is bad enough going through two gates - and travelers going straight to Yogo

WHERE, O R IF, S/HE

COULD GET A

Rare Object

I T ALL SEEMED VERY HUSH-HUSH.

WHICH MAKES ME

THINK ITS RELATED TO THEIR WHOLE INTRICATE PLAN

TO ACHIEVE

Larger Goal

This quiet neighborhood is the territory of the Temple Road Firemen, a devout group who take their duties very seriously. If youve looked closely at the map you may have realized that theres no Temple Road in Ryoko Owari. The hjinin didnt take their name from a physical place; instead, their name refers to a quote from the Tao of Shinsei: The temple road is wisdoms golden path. The Temple Road Firemen have no uniform as such, though many of them like to wear clothing with a bell motif. The neighborhood they defend is dedicated to shrines and temples for lesser known deities. This is where temples to the patron Fortunes of s a k brewers and jade carvers can be found, along with the shrines of the Kumi and ancestors of families from outside Ryoko Owari.

THE OLD TMPLO SHOSURO F (Based on an idea from Rob Heinsoo) There are two temples in Ryoko Owari that are dedicated to the founder of the Shosuro family - the old temple and the new temple. Both have their monks, but the new temple is well attended, while the old temple is crumbling almost into ruin. The old temple was abandoned because its haunted. The ghost of Shosuro Kohei haunts it and cannot rest until his name is cleared. Many years ago, Kohei was the sixteenth Governor of Ryoko Owari. A conspiracy to assassinate Bayushi Jo (then the Scorpion Clan daimyo) was uncovered in Ryoko Owari, and Kohei was accused of being its mastermind. He denied it despite all the evidence and testimony offered to the contrary, and his execution was ordered. Furthermore, Bayushi Jo ordered that he be hanged by the neck like a commoner, as further punishment for his treachery. This sentence caused a tremendous outcry among the Scorpion nobles, and it appeared that the Scorpion clan might be shaken by civil war. It was Kohei who prevented an armed insurrection, by asking Jos permission to commit seppuku before his execution. Faced by a possible rebellion by the Shosuros (and possibly the Soshi as well), Jo agreed.

THETEMPLE SADAHAKO OF
(Based on an idea from K.C. Lancaster) This small temple is dedicated to the controversial minor fortune Sadahako, who was declared divine by Hantei VI1 on his deathbed. Sadahako was a geisha of no small accomplishment an expert musician and a woman of unparalleled beauty. It is also widely believed that she was Hantei VIIs mistress. It is known for a fact that he mourned her untimely death with great sincerity. The most orthodox Asako historians dismiss the story of Hantei VIIs declaration as a myth and refuse to believe that Sadahako is a genuine Fortune. However, her worship is still practiced, especially in Scorpion lands.

Kohei made his first cuts in the old Shosuro family temple in Ryoko Owari, in the presence of Bayushi Jo. When he had doubled over in agony, his second raised a katana to strike Koheis neck. To the amazement of all those present, Kohei parried the killing blow and raised his head. Eyes bright with agony, he spoke. I am a dead man now, my lord, and I swear this: I never betrayed you, and I will not rest until this stain is taken from my name. Then, with a great groan, he expired. Since that time, there have been reports of Koheis ghost walking the temple - even interrupting services. However, the ghost himself doesnt know who plotted against Bayushi Jo, and cannot rest until the truth is known.

Once Yusrah had killed Ayako, she took over the Ryoko Ninja for herself, and has been their mastermind ever since. She operates through a series of face men: none of whom know all the details of the operation. She herself stands out far too much to be perceived as the leader - in addition to her diminutive size and missing limb, shes also got very dark skin and peculiar, round eyes. She almost never goes out on missions any more; she stays in her house in the Small Holies and plots. The house is quite plain on the outside, but the interior is becoming increasingly lavish, decorated in the opulent style of her distant homeland.

ZMORI
Emori is in charge of the Temple Road Firemen. His attitude is somewhere between the anxiety of Hiroshi (page 31) and the cocky swagger of Takai-san (page 32). Hes a balding middle-aged man prone to pomposity, but he genuinely wants to be devout and pious. Its just that he also wants to be a big shot, and hes seen the fear and respect other kajinin leaders receive. He just doesnt understand that this deference is the result of violent brutality.

There are persistent rumors throughout the Small Holies that one of the many temples is a front - that while its monks and shugenja pretend to innocently worship one of the many Fortunes, they are in fact devoted to diabolical ceremonies celebrating Lord Moon. Some believe the story and put a great deal of effort into ferreting out the hidden cult. Others think its all hogwash, and that there is no Moon Cult in Ryoko Owari. Still others think theres a cult, but not in the Small Holies; the cultists just spread the rumor in order to sow dissension and mistrust...

YUSRAH
(Based on an idea from Ken Hite) Yusrah was born different. A tiny and crippled infant, she never grew properly, and her family sold her to a traveling show before she could speak. The traveling entertainers raised her, and eventually arranged a tour of Rokugan under the aegis of the Unicorn Clan. While visiting Ryoko Owari, Yusrah discovered opium, and her habit became so bad so quickly that her fellow entertainers decided to abandon her when they moved on. Alone in a strange country, Yusrah took a great risk - a risk that paid off. Since shes under three feet tall and only has one arm, Yusrah is able to hide in tiny spaces where no one would think to look. She hid herself under the floorboards of a brothel and was lucky enough to blackmail a few prominent merchants. Once she got some money in her pocket, she began to expand her operation, and eventually she crossed paths with Ayako, the mastermind behind the Ryoko Ninja (T3). Ayako was quick to put Yusrah to work and found many uses for her intrusion skills. However, she decided that Yusrah would be better off clean and sober - so she imprisoned her until shed gotten through a grueling withdrawal. Yusrah was indeed more alert, clear-headed and skilled once the opium was cleaned out of her system; the first thing she did was plan Ayakos death.

RUMORMILL 6 No.
(CHARACTER) (NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENT) (MENIAL OCCUPATION)
YOU KNOW HOW \ROUND
Character

IS ALWAYS STRUTTING

BECAUSE HIS/HER

FATHER

ACCOMPLISHED

{oteworthy Achievement

? WELL,S/HE WONT BE ABLE TO

TRUT MUCH LONGER

NOT BECAUSE HE DIDNT DO IT.

UT BECAUSE HE ISNT HIS/HER

URE S/HE

FATHER AT ALL! IM

WONT BE BOASTING ABOUT THE GREAT

~EEDS OF HIS/HER
IONOR ABLE

REAL FATHER. THE GREAT AND

Menial Occupation

!COULDNT YOU JUST

ME LAUGHING?

RUMOR MILLNo. 7
(CHARACTER) (SERIOUS DISHONORABLE ACT) (POSITION AUTHORITY) (MINORDISHONORABLE OF ACT)
"I'VE HEARD THAT SOMEONE COMMITTED
Character

RUMOR MILLNo. IO
(CHARACTER) (LOCATION OUTSIDE CITY) THE (NONHUMANCREATURE)
"YOU'LL
NEAR

HAS PROOF THAT BUT

NEVER BELIEVE WHAT

Location Outside the City

Character

FOUNI:

THE CORPSE OF A

Serious Dishonorable Act

S/HE IS AFRAID TO TELL THAT PERSON'S

Position of Authority

Nonhuman Creature

. s/HE

THINKS IT WASN'T THAT OLD

BECAUSE THE GUILTY PARTY KNOWS ABOUT HIS/HER

EITHER

AND SO CLOSE TO THE CITY!

Minor Dishonorable Act

RUMOR MILLNo. II
(CHARACTER) (CHARACTER) (FAMILY) (TYPEOF BUSINESS)

RUMOR MILLNo. 8
(MALENOBLE) (NOBLE CHARACTER) (FEMALE NOBLE) (MALENOBLE)
"SURELY YOU
A T

"DID YOU KNOW

Character

HAS BEEN TALKING TO

Character

ABOUT GETTING PROPERTY OUT IN THE

NOTICED THAT

Male Noble

WASN'T
Family

FAMILY'S PROVINCES?

APPARENTLYHE'S
AS THEY PRACTICE

Noble Character

'S LITTLE GATHERING LAST

INTERESTED IN

Type of Business

WEEKEND?

WELL, IT

WASN'T THE SNUB IT APPEARED.

THERE

IT OUT THERE, AND IS CURIOUS ABOUT INVESTING..."

HE JUST DIDN'T

WANT TO SEE
I"

Female Noble

WITH
Male Noble

RUMOR MILLNo. 12
(CLAN)

(TYPEOF MERCHANT) (VALUABLE OBJECTS) (CLAN)

Clan

'THERE'S A

RUMOR THAT THE

CLAN IS

RUMOR MILLNo. 9
(MALECHARACTER) (CHARACTER) (INSULT) (DUELING ADVANTAGE)
"1s IT TRUE THAT
COUNTENANCE
Male Character

AGITATING FOR

LOWER

TAXES IN

RYOKO OWARI,
S,

THEY'RE IN

LEAGUE WITH THE

Type of Merchant

ASKED )IYOBU TO CHALLENGE AGAINST

OF ALL PEOPLE.

THEMERCHANTS

WANT TO ENCOURAGE BEHIND

AN

IAIJUTSU

TRADE, AND THEY'RE PUTTING

Valuable Objects

Character

BECAUSE OF

Insult

? IF THE

THEIR WORDS. AS FOR THE CLAN NOBLES, T H Y JUST WANT TO GET ON THE BAYUSHIS' GOOD SIDE. WHAT DO
YOU THINK THE S

CHALLENGE IS APPROVED, HE'D BETTER BE CAREFUL

I HEAR

S/HE

HAS ACCESS TO

Dueling Advantage

OF COURT. THAT IS

Clan

THE ONES OUTSIDE

WILL THINK?"

41

THEISLAND WHARF SWORDS POLISHED

(L20)

FOREIGN

Unlike Ryoko Owaris other Quarters, the Licensed Quarter does not have distinct neighborhoods. Only one business is transacted on the island - the business of entertainment. Economic divisions are few, since the lowest class of establishments are restricted to the mainland. Similarly, social divisions are few, and slight enough (even the split between Magda (P47) and Jewel (P48)) to be contained in one neighborhood. There arent even hjinin (G12) gangs to stake out turfs. What you get, then, is a fairly uniform atmosphere on Teardrop Island. Its the only part of town where the air is rarely disturbed by the sound of horses hooves. Instead, the sounds of the fue and the shimasen fill the air. This isnt the gentle music of the temples, however; its the taut, exciting sounds of the great epics, mixing with the delirious notes of peasant dances and ribald ballads. Providing counterpoint to the music are the high, lilting voices of the women and the gruff, grumbling tones of the men. The air is thick with scents - from the heavy, exotic blooms of the Island Garden (L21), from the expensive perfumes of the women. And underneath, never prominent but always present, the thick, earthy scent of opium smoke. Everything looks bright and proper in the Licensed Quarter. The signs in front of the theaters and tea houses are sedate, beautifully lettered. The sake gardens are graceful and flawlessly tended, Even when the sun goes down, a thousand paper lanterns are hoisted, like a sky of new stars, bathing everything in a gentle, soft glow. It is easy to relax, enjoy, and believe nothing could ever go wrong here.

What about the theater? Ikoma Taru is almost finished with a new play, according to the rumor. Her last work was so disappointing; will this be the one that returns high military drama to fashion? Or will the gentle satires of Asahina Hiromasa continue to dominate the stage? Jewel is predicting a return to tradition and austerity; shes already looking for a poet to grace her fans and umbrellas with verse. Magda just laughs; she thinks Rokugan has a hunger for the strange and foreign, and is said to be bankrolling a weaver in the Fisherman Quarter to provide gowns after the mountain fashion of her homeland. Whos right? Is there one style of netsuke that can be worn with either, in an emergency? And what about the hair question? Some samurai visitors simply snort with disgust at such transitory concerns, but others follow them keenly - and not just the fashionable fops. Jocho (P2) in particular claims that fashion predicts politics as surely as any oracle. If Tarus play is good, youll see honors accorded the Crabs for their military feats, and the Cranes for their traditions. The Lion, of course, will be honored most of all as the harmonious marriage of arms and honor. If the play is bad, or if Hiromasa writes a better one, the court will care for nothing but love, cleverness and intrigue. Youll see the Crabs and Lions dismissed as humorless fogies, while the Crane and Scorpion are commended for wit.

A minor concern is a proposal to build a second dock. As matters stand, theres only one dock for both the samurai and the heirnin, and bottlenecks are frequent. However, building a second dock protected by Swords Polished (L20) would be extremely expensive - if it can be done at all. Many samurai and geisha alike are in favor of a second dock somewhere else on the island, but this raises the specter of smuggled weapons - something that Gate (P46) has been spectacularly successful at preventing. Gate is adamantly opposed to a second dock thats outside his control, but opposition to him is slowly mounting - now that the idea has entered the public consciousness. The question of a new dock is insignificant, of course, compared to the prime concern of Teardrop Island. This key topic absorbs the interest of almost every resident of the Floating World. It is the one subject of which they never tire, about which they can always hold forth with interest. That subject is fashion. Next year, will sleeves be wide (after the Scorpion fashion) or narrow (as the Lion prefer)? Straight or tapered? Will Kachiko be wearing patterns, or solids? If its patterns, multiple patterns or one pattern set off by color blocks? If its solids, one color in different tones, or various colors complementing each other?

The ronin called Gate (P46) lives here, right by the dock. Not far from his sword polishing establishment is the House of Foreign Stories (L22), run by Magda (P47).At the opposite end of the island is the House of the Morning Star (P23), where Jewel (P49) and her daughter Precious (P48) hold court. Few other people of note actually reside in the Licensed Quarter, but many prominent nobles are frequent visitors. Jocho and Kimi (P2, P3), the Governors offspring, are often found on Teardrop Island during the evening. Bayushi Otado (P7) is frequently their companion. Although Ide Asamitsu (P16) used to visit, he has largely stopped coming since the death of his brother (P15). His cousins Genshi and Naishi (P19,P20) still make the trip at least once a week, and Michisuna (P22) is present almost every day. Ashidaka Michitaka (P26)was a notorious sybarite, but he too has been notably absent since a family death (P25). Ronin, merchants and other ruffians are no strangers to the shores of Teardrop Island. Ample (P32) and Jaw (P35)visit as often as their finances allow. Shrimp (P34) can sometimes be found in the gambling halls, while Dove (P36) only comes to the island on bodyguard duty. The mysterious Captain Yellow (P52) always visits when shes in town, and the merchant cousins Sharp (P40) and Subtle (P41) often take their leisure here as well. All in all, a cosmopolitan mixture. A few individuals who do not have their own entries in other books are described below.

SYRUP(SEE

PAGE 65 IN

CITY OF STORIES)

JITSUYOTEKI

MASATO

Poor Syrup has become something of a joke in the Floating World ever since the publication of Confessions of an Opium Eater. Not only has Shonagons highly unflattering (if accurate) description become common knowledge, it is also insulting that whoever censored the book didnt see fit to remove her nickname. The censor apparently figured that since shes just a lowly geisha, it doesnt matter if shes humiliated. This attitude has spread throughout the Floating World, leaving Syrup desperately unhappy. The sad thing is, shes really a nice girl. Its a common story; a farmers daughter, sold to get daddy out of hock. Syrup works for the House of the Breaking Wave, which has ironically seen a slight increase in its business from people coming to see Syrup for themselves. Naturally, the madam of the Breaking Wave isnt sharing her new profits with Syrup. Instead, she berates her for bringing shame on her house. Syrup would like nothing better than to get off the island and return to the life of a peasant farmer. This is unlikely; she would be hard put to get a pass out of the city, her mistress doesnt want to release her, and farmers would be suspicious of someone from the city anyhow. Shes considering saving up her money for poison instead.

GINAKO
Ginako comes from the same background as Syrup, but shes taken to geisha life like a fish to water. Her conversation is refined, her gestures are delicate and her appearance is always highly artistic. In fact, Ginako is the GI mentioned in Ashidaka Naritokis journal (entry dated Month of the Rabbit, First Day). Ginako is sharp, and knows that Magda (P47) has big plans for her. Shes determined to make the best out of her situation, and even though she presents a soft and maidenly surface, underneath she has a leathery heart as tough as any bushis.

Masato is the Koshiki (basically captain) of the Thunder Guard (G10) on Teardrop Island. He comes from a very minor noble family subordinate to the Shosuros, and has served in the Thunder Guard all of his adult life. Koshiki Masato is briefly described on page 5 of City of Lies, but a fuller description is in order here. Hes a man of middle age, getting stout but still fairly fit. His nose shows the signs of a great deal of sake drinking, and his eyes are bagged by the effects of too many late nights, but all in all he appears competent and courteous to all who approach him. Masato tries to be nice to everyone. Hes even polite to people while beating them and throwing them off the island. A kind word costs nothing but can buy much, is a favorite saying of his. Hes comfortable in a network of substantial bribes, but he doesnt let that get in the way of his pursuit of justice. As far as hes concerned, there are laws of convenience (such as the law against opium) which are good for appearances but really dont matter. Then there are the laws of necessity (such as the law that forbids peasants to mouth off against samurai) which do matter and which he enforces as much as is practical. Above those, however, are the laws of justice - many of which are unwritten. Hed be hard put to describe them to you, but he knows that there are some things that are just wrong, no matter how lowly the victim or how exalted the criminal. He doesnt run across many transgressions of the laws of justice, but when he does, they obsess him. He has heard the vaguest rumors about the House of the Plum Blossom (see page 46). Nothing concrete, like a name or a location. Just disturbing stories about deeds and desires. A less experienced magistrate might dismiss them as hysterical imagining - but Masato is experienced enough to know the depths to which human beings can sink.

OKO(SEE

PAGE

65

IN

CITY OF STORIES)

Even as Syrup has suffered from Shonagons description, Oko has benefited. From her perspective, being named was no great shame - after all, only samurai are concerned with denying what everyone knows is true. The book just told the truth - that Oko is clever and pretty. Oko is very pleased with her notoriety, as is Jewel (P49), for it has reflected well on the House of the Morning Star (L23). In fact, Oko is developing something of a swelled head. Her only concern is what to do or say if she encounters Michitaka (P26) again. She believes hes too humiliated by the book to return to the Floating World. (In her self-absorption, she never thought to consider the effect his cousins death might have had on him.) Shes begun fantasizing about laughing right in his fat face - if he dares show himself again. Given his currently unstable emotional state, this might be the last mistake she ever makes...

THEISLAND DOCK
This is how almost everyone arrives at Teardrop Island. Its a small, shallow dock, clean and well kept. Nonetheless, its the site of frequent scuffles. The worst of these are between samurai arguing about who has the right to depart first. (Arriving samurai are generally much more courteous.) Since these samurai are usually armed, these conflicts can get deadly. Far more often, the fights are brawls between the servants of different businesses. The dock is always busy, since everything that comes to the island has to go through it - all the food thats eaten on the island, all the tea thats served and the sake thats drunk comes through one small dock. Thats not even considering the clothes, decorations and entertainers arriving. Add to this anxious samurai who have the right of way, and it makes for a tense situation. The most notorious brawls have been between servants of Magda (P47) and Jewel (P49), of course.

high ceilings and exotic statues. (The rest of the first floor is kitchens and storerooms serving the open dining hall.) There are no chairs in the great hall - only low tables surrounded by sumptuous embroidered cushions. Here one may dine on strange dishes, sample liquors that have crossed distant oceans, and listen to the songs and stories of far off lands - often SWORDS POLISHED (L20) This building is much larger than the average sword polishing sung or spoken by natives of those lands (as long as theyre establishment. In fact, it serves as an efficient bottleneck between attractive). A great deal of old-fashioned Rokugan sake is the Island Wharf and the rest of the island. On one side, theres a consumed here as well, and pipes fill the air with tobacco and broad gate that is always watched, and which is only for servants opium smoke. The rooms upstairs are smaller and more intimate. A square and supplies. (Gate (P46) is careful to keep this area filthy and unpleasant, to dissuade samurai from sneaking through it.) On central hallway divides those rooms into interior rooms (which the other side is a tall wall, behind which is a scrap heap which have no windows) and exterior rooms (with large windows, and is coincidentally full of sharp and rusty objects; anyone who doors out onto a balcony that encircles the building). People go attempts to go over the wall does so at extreme peril. In between upstairs for quiet or privacy. The exterior rooms provide space for smaller groups - perhaps people who wish to converse apart from lies Swords Polished Those who enter are greeted courteously, often by Gate the hubbub of the lower chamber, or who desire a friendly game himself. They are asked to surrender their weapons for of go. Nothing too outlandish occurs in the exterior rooms, since polishing,and those who do are courteously shown out the back the balcony is open to everyone, and it looks into these chambers. door. Those who refuse are courteously shown out the front door. Many people stroll along the balcony - not only because it Anyone who makes trouble learns that Gate is remarkably skilled provides a view of the Island Garden (L21) and a long stretch of at disarming techniques - and that he has a good dozen brawny Pleasure Road, but because knowing who is closeted with whom assistants who can show up in an instant, followed by the in an exterior chamber can spark a good deal of gossip. Thunder Guard within minutes. Gate also keeps a small stable at The interior chambers are entirely private. A smaller stairway the back of his house (the part which faces the island itself), goes up to a third floor, which is where Magda and the other where he rents space to the Thunder Guard, and to any women of the house reside. Their chambers are quite plain, magistrates who play their cards right. (Osako (P10) keeps a compared to the rest of the house - perhaps decorated only with horse there, as does Masato.) a shrine to a foreign god, or some memento of their homeland. Magdas chambers, however, are both spacious and luxurious. The Thunder Guard are perpetually present at the docks, doing their best to make sure things go smoothly. Its a job they do fairly well, but it would take a superhuman effort (or a second dock) to calm things completely.

THEISLAND GARDEN (L21)

As described in City of Stories: this area is chaotic, lush and full of action every hour of the day. A samurais reaction to it is likely to depend somewhat on that individuals opinions. A noble whos extremely conventional will find it distasteful, disorderly possibly even disturbing. On the other hand, an iconoclast whos less bound by tradition (or one of those flaky monks) may see a certain savage beauty in it. Some people have found it nearly intoxicating - honest, wild and almost dangerous in a way that the tidy gardens of the Noble Quarter can never be. Regardless of aesthetic opinions, this is also a trouble spot. The garden is laid out like a maze, with narrow tunnels winding this way and that. The foliage is so thick, close and tall that its rarely possible to see for more than a few feet in any direction. This makes the Island Garden a favorite spot for smugglers, smokers and secret lovers to meet and indulge their various proclivities.

THEHOUSE OF FOREIGN STORIES (L22)

This tall, odd structure has three stories to it. Most of the first floor is a wide, open area broken up by low walls and decorated pillars. Its lit during the day by tall, wide windows whose colored glass forms images of women from distant lands. By night, paper lanterns and great bottles of glowworms send shadows onto the

THE PLUM BLOSSOM This small building is set back from the road. It is dim, plain and easy to ignore. Usually, only those with directions find it. (It isnt indicated on the map of the Quarter. Locate it wherever on the island you wish.) The Licensed Quarter exists as a place for people to allow expression to ninjo - human feelings, desires and urges that would show weakness if indulged publicly. Many of these desires are harmless - a desire for a conversation with no political meaning, where words can be chosen carelessly and forgotten as soon as theyre spoken. Other desires are harmful, but only to he who partakes. Opium blunts the senses and weakens the body, but rarely makes a man violent or insane. There are darker passions too. Passions too bizarre for the House of the Morning Star (L23), too dangerous for the House of Foreign Stories (L22), too disgusting and degenerate to be discussed with anything but loathing and repugnance. These passions - the deep, ugly, violent passions - find their expression in the House of the Plum Blossom. There is a steady influx of young innocents into this house. Many are never seen again alive - or if they are, their faces cannot be recognized. The House of the Plum Blossom is a house of brutality, savagery and unspeakable cruelty - all mixed and mingled with

THEHOUSEOF

46

a perverse delight. Even Hyobu (G9, P1) and Osako (P10) would destroy this den of debauchery if they knew what transpired within. Even they have been kept ignorant of its existence. Kaiu Shinya (P23) is recognized here. So is Henjo the merchant (see City of Lies, page 16). On occasion, even Ikoma Yoriko 029) visits - though only in thorough disguise, and only when the longings she knows are not her own overwhelm her. This is a house of evil, and in Ryoko Owari it is invisible. THE MORNING STAR fL23) This is a large, graceful, traditional one-story geisha house. Its decorations are the epitome of style and taste. In its gardens, not one leaf on a tree is out of place. One could not find a single discolored scale on the carp in its pond. The Morning Star is completely predictable in the best of all possible ways. Its sole purpose is to satisfy expectations, and it does so without flaw.

THEHOUSEOF

Challenge: The magistrates are on Teardrop Island while Bokusui, Senko and Hyakken met Shosuro Mina for the first time. There are several ways you can arrange this. The most obvious is through Kaiu Joji. If the PCs have allied with him, he tells them about this meeting. If theyre following him, he leads them to the meeting. If, on the other hand, theyre ignoring him, you can have them spot him by chance while visiting the island. He stands out; hes soaking wet and carrying a long, thin bundle. (What happened was that he swam from one of the wharves in the Fisherman Quarter, with his sword wrapped up in a cloak, then scaled the cliff around the island. He is a tough young lad, after all.) If they try to confront him, he spots them and darts off towards the Island Garden (L21), leading them on a merry chase. They wont find him until hes smack-dab in the middle of a fight with Bokusuis conspiracy. Of course, its always possible that the PCs killed him before he could fill them in on the map meeting. In that case, youre going to have play the coincidence card - oops, I mean the guided by fate card - and have them run into Bokusui and company by accident. In any event, you want to get the magistrates to the Island Garden in time to meet the cabal. Focus: Ideally, you want the magistrates to get there almost in time to find out where the map is hidden, but not quite. If Joji got there first, the magistrates show up in the middle of a brutal brawl. If this happens, give them a few rounds of fighting, and then Yogo Senko takes off. Joji may yell at them to follow her. If they pursue, head on down to Strike,If not, try to get as many of the NPCs dead as possible - maybe Joji or Mina gasps the

location of the scroll to the magistrates with a dying breath. Or not. If the magistrates arrive before Joji (or if hes already dead), you can have them overhearing the end of a conversation like this. BOKUSUI: well; youll have your payment - if the map is Very where you say. If youve lied to us though, I assure you our revenge will be swift. MINA:Ive told you everything I know! I cant promise the maps there, but I think it is. Now the magistrates have a choice to either confront them or follow them. If they follow, you can make this tense as the magistrates try to pursue without being obvious. (This is especially difficult down at the Island Wharf.) If theyre spotted, you can make this an exciting chase scene with boats, commandeered horses, and plenty of innocent bystanders as the conspirators try to shake off the fuzz and get to the crypt. On the other hand, if the magistrates confront them, the cabal instantly decides that Mina sold them out. A brief combat erupts in which they try to kill her. Yogo bails immediately, leading to the Strike described below. Strike: If the magistrates follow Yogo, she runs straight towards Swords Polished, then veers to the left and dives down the hill into the water. To their surprise, they see her stand up on the water and start slowly making her way across it. Now its up to them to get to a boat and pursue her. A boat is faster than she is, but she can ignore much of the current - plus shes sure to have a few violent spells to slow them down. If they capture her, she caves instantly and sells out all her friends. Otherwise, she leads them to the crypt and Part Three (page 22).

RUMOR MILL 1 No. 3

(JOB OR

POSITION) (MINOR DISGRACE) (STROKE LUCK) OF

Job or Position
IS SERIOUSLY

IHEAR THE LOCAL

CONSIDERING STEPPING DOWN. NOW THE UNINFORMED

WILL BLATHER THAT S/HES ENTANGLED IN A

SITUATION, BUT TRYING TO

Minor IS

Disgrace

I HEAR THE REAL REASON

HOW
D

S/HES

DECIDE

BEST TO TAKE

ADVANTAGE OF

Stroke of Luck

41

DRAGONS
GATE(LIO) GATEOF CONDESCENSION THE SHOSURO PALACE (L3)
THE

SCORPION

GARDEN AND BATHHOUSE(L5)

THE MAGISTRATE RESIDENCE (L6)

THE IDE

RESIDENCE

(L4)

Chapjut Six: Zhu A06k

High on its hill, the Noble Quarter looks out over the mottled glory of Ryoko Owari. On a cloudless night, the lamps hung from the trees of the Licensed Quarter look like glowing jellyfish, while the golden globe of the Sun Temple is like a beacon of hope on every clear morning. When the poppy fields bloom, the walls to the south show of miles of glorious color, and when the snow falls every graceful roof and lumpish hut alike is brightened and detailed by pure white light. All the smells of the city seem to commingle in the Noble Quarter. Every delicacy from the clever minds of merchant cooks finds its way here when perfected. The incense of the shrines clings to the coats of pious youngsters returning from family temples. The odors of fish, water, and opium drift subtly through the Quarter as well. When the wind is right, one can even scent the harsh smoke of the crematorium. Here the houses are the biggest, the buildings are the most graceful, the gates and gables and gardens are flawlessly kept. Even the paving stones are smooth and even, comfortable beneath the feet of the nobles and the shiny hooves of their steeds. If a thing is good in Ryoko Owari, eventually its best goes to the Noble Quarter.

Banditry, betrayal, clan politics, equestrianism, family politics, fashion, finance, honor, iaijutsu tournaments, Imperial politics, literature, mercantile competition, military strategy, the opium market, revenge, romance, rumormongering, seduction, taxes on all levels, true love, and the persistent debate over who has the best chef.

This neighborhood, which stretches along the wall between the Noble and Merchant Quarters, is the oldest part of an old city. Back when Ryoko Owari was just a village, the fort was on this hill - in fact, the old fort was part of the Civil Hall, until the Lions burned it down. Actually, a great deal of the Old Section was burned down by the Lion Clan; most of the buildings are newer than those in the New Section. The names Old Section and New Section predate the Lion invasion, which makes them a little anachronistic - but everyone in the city knows them by those names, so Old and New they stay.

All the nobles (Pl-P31) live here. The Scorpions (Pl-P10) generally live in the Old Section (see page 50) along with the more conservative Lion, Crane and Phoenix families (P26, P27, P29, P30, P31). The New Section is dominated by Unicorn clansmen (P11- P22) and also provides homes for the few Crabs (P23, P24) and Dragons (P28) who live in Ryoko Owari.

OF ASAKO KINTO(P31) Kintos home is not terribly large; while luxurious by peasant standards, its modest for a noble, and not as well kept as the stately residences around it. His few visitors often find it cluttered and untidy. However, it does boast a huge garden, which thrives under Kintos personal attention. Recently he has begun shoring up and repairing the wall around his estate, leading to head-shaking and shrugs from his neighbors. Theyve been subtly hinting to him for years that he should spruce up the place; now, what does he do? Build a wall that hides his garden - the only presentable part of his home. His neighbors have also noticed that he seems to be building some kind of shrine or structure in his garden. It can only be dimly seen through the foliage, but its architecture seems radically different from Rokugani norms...

THESTATE

THESCORPION GARDEN tL5)

The paths and promenades of this garden set the finest parts of Daikokus Garden (L17) to shame. A small army of gardeners and attendants goes over the garden every single day hunting for the slightest imperfection. Even the bizarre blossoms given by the

Unicorn Clan are tended carefully according to their needs (at least one of the plants eats meat). There is also a small zoo of exotic creatures. It includes small grey sand crabs that can jump up to two feet in the air; a family of brown haired creatures that look like giant rats, except they have long slender snouts used for rooting out insects; quick little lizards from the desert with tails that look like their heads, so that you never know if theyre coming or going; and large birds who can change the color of their feathers to match the foliage around them. All this serves to highlight the glorious green limestone bath house. Once a week the attendants get up at dawn to scrub down its walls, leaving it clean and bright - almost like jade. Inside is the traditional Rokugan bath house - only a great deal larger and more opulent. Here both sexes come to scrub themselves, have their skin scraped by professionals and be pampered with shiatsu massage. Once theyre thoroughly clean, they also have the option to go soak in large pools (where temperatures vary from cool to almost boiling). Naturally, these issues of luxury and hygiene are often secondary to having privacy to discuss schemes, scandals and society.

bud off great dining halls and libraries, in spaces that dont seem big enough to fit them. Many rooms are oddly shaped, and some which appear square on first glance are built on disquieting angles, providing gaps for hidden, pointed chambers within their walls. Naturally, there are trick doors, hidden rooms and secret passages. In fact, there are so many that the Shosuros make a game of showing a few to their visitors. One panel in a hallway, if raised and nudged, opens up to a private balcony with a stunning view of the Merchant Quarter. Jocho (P2) has shown a number of his contemporaries the spiral staircase that cleverly rises from the floor of a small shrine, leading up to a tiny but sumptuously appointed bed chamber - installed by some early resident for quick trysts with a lover (or series of lovers). There are rumors of subterranean chambers holding caches of weapons in case of invasion, oubliettes for political prisoners, and laboratories where deadly brews are mixed. The Shosuros laugh at all this of course; they insist that the secret doors and passages are just a joke, meant to entertain. No one fully believes them.

THESHOSURO PALACE (L3)

Built on the hills summit, the Shosuro Palace is tall enough to dazzle the mind, ornate enough to puzzle the eye, and definitely large enough to confuse the feet. Its structure appears simple enough from the outside; a stately, symmetrical building, graced with countless baroque decorations. Once inside, however, one finds endless curving and bending passages, connecting rooms whose shape and function seems random more often than not. Tiny pantries and reading rooms

THECIVIL HALL fL7)

This imposing (if graceless) building is the heart of politics in Ryoko Owari. Three stories tall, it contains a garden that is meant to be stately and contemplative, but which manages only to be sterile and impersonal. In addition to the courtrooms described by Shigeko (see page 32 of City of Stories), there are also chambers where Hyobu (G9, P1) holds court, listens to complaints, adjudicates, legislates, proclaims her decrees and generally tinkers with the structure of her polis.

T H OLD ScllON

A discreet distance away is the prison, with cells that range from fairly comfortable and well lit (for noble prisoners) to lightless holes that havent been cleaned. Ever. (These dismal chambers are reserved for heimin and hinin criminals who have deeply disturbed the social order, or anyone whos irritated Hyobu.) The well-equipped torture chambers are present as well. Care has been taken to ensure that the groans and howls of the tormented are not heard by the magistrates and legislators in the rest of the building. Equal care has made sure that said cries are easily audible by the other prisoners.

Kitsu Senshi (P30) has never been shy about her opinions, and she started calling the Ide Residence (L4)an eyesore the first time she ever saw it. With more and more Unicorns moving into Ryoko Owari, shes concerned that their foreign influences will become more prevalent. Therefore, shes proposed a law that would only allow structures with traditional Rokugani architecture in the Old Section. This idea has met with more resistance than it otherwise might. Not only are the Unicorns unhappy with it, Hyobu herself THEDRAGONS (LIO) GATE has received the suggestion tepidly. (At this time, shes trying to This gate and its tower are the headquarters of the Thunder mend fences with the Ide family.) Still other people are worried Guard. Along with the Towers of the Eyes (L28, page 55), this is that the law would require the destruction of the exotic parts of the center of Thunder Guard operations. Banners from the roof- the Scorpion Garden. Asako Kinto (P31) is surprisingly loud in his mounted flagpole direct Jochos (P2) elite Lightning Squad (G10, opposition, but Korechika (P5) is in favor, as is Doji Sukemara see also page 4 in City of Lies). This tower also contains a (P27). number of ballistae and catapults, whose missiles can reach the Little Gate (L15), the Gate of Condescension (L9), and a stretch of the River of Gold. It is likely that the architect Kenchikuka applied his great cleverness to more than the roller system in the gate. Some of his rumored innovations include: Underground chutes that emerge under the Bridge of the Dragon (Lll), allowing stones and flaming oil to be dropped on ships that pass beneath it. A mechanism that causes the floor to drop out of the Bridge, dumping any invading force into the water beneath. A switch that can collapse the entire Bridge, cutting off the gate, dropping many tons of stone onto any ship beneath and temporarily damming the rivers flow. A time delay device that collapses the entire tower. (The supposed use of chis is to allow an invading force to occupy the tower before it crumbles, crushing all within it.) The name New Section is a bit inaccurate. This section was Most people dismiss such stories as peasant talk. They argue that Kenchikuka would surely know that any building built to new in the reign of Hantei the Nineteenth, when the growth of collapse from within would be easier to destroy from without. the city necessitated the expansion of the Noble Quarter. When Furthermore, would any artist of Kenchikukas caliber design one the Lion clan attacked a few decades later, they burned a lot of of his greatest works to self-destruct? Its more likely that these the Old Section, but spared the New Section (because few rumors are spread by the Shosuros to interfere with the war plans Scorpion residences were there). The houses here are a little smaller than in the Old Section, of any aggressive neighbors. and the streets arent quite as wide and generous, but its still a beautiful part of town, full of cozy streets and tidy gardens. As mentioned previously, all the area Scorpions (Pl-P10) live in this neighborhood, as do Ashidaka Michitaka (P26), Doji Sukemara (P27), Ikoma Yoriko (P29), Kitsu Senshi (P30), and Asako Kinto (P31).

THEIDE RESIDENCE 4 ) tL
This building stands out among its neighbors - not only for its great size, but for its strange style. Many visiting nobles go out of their way to see the Ide Residence, with its bulbous roof and encircling wings.

It is as exotic within as it is without. The floors of one room may be covered with woven rugs of dazzling design, while another chamber is decorated with alien furs, in colors and patterns that dont seem natural to Rokugani eyes. Paintings and sculptures in dozens of styles decorate walls and pillars, while the ceilings themselves are arched and painted in foreign fashion.

nothing about how Naritoki could have bought so many fine things, even on a magistrates salary.) The house is very comfortable - well lit, well heated, and well designed. Only an ascetic would be unhappy there - and even an ascetic could be made comfortable simply by throwing away the furnishings from one room.

THE MAGISTRATE RESIDENCE (L6)

From the outside, this building appears formidable and imposing - a tall, stark building thats a fitting repository for the Emperors justice. The doors are stout, the windows are heavily shuttered and the walls are made of heavy stone. Most houses in Ryoko Owari arent built with a siege in mind; this one was. Each of the previous magistrates has left traces behind from their tenure. Shigekos legacy is the solemnity of the business rooms and the garden in the courtyard. They have an austerity that is almost stark, but which still has a definite grace and an unyielding beauty. The garden has one delicate touch - the tree that Ide Shikibu (P18)gave to Matsu Shigeko. It is a tall, lacy tree, with slender limbs gracefully twined and twisted. In the spring, it bursts forth with a profusion of bright red flowers. Oddly, this aberrant tree does not disturb the garden; it completes it. Naritokis influence can be seen inside, in the private quarters of the magistrates. These rooms are nothing short of opulent, decked out with lacquer screens, tapestries, ornate lamps, and a profusion of fine furniture. Much of it is decorated with the colors or motifs of the Crane clan. (If Naritokis widow Yoshino is consulted, she says she left it behind on purpose and mentions

THEPETTAKU
(Based on an idea from KC Lancaster) This is not a specific building; its a cluster of small, modest houses near South Peony drive. The people who live here (mostly women, but a few men as well) are generally from families of minor noble status. They arent merchant patrons, they take little interest in court intrigues or the romantic affairs of other nobles; instead, they stay close to their homes and have little to do with other samurai. The residents of the bettuku have one thing in common; theyre all the lovers or mistresses of prominent nobles, who want them convenient, but out of sight. Theyre given homes, adequate funds for their needs and desires, and a secure future (as long as they avoid attention). All thats required in return is that they be available at any time, and that they be completely subordinate in all matters when their patron (or patroness) is present.

The Ide, Shinjo, and Otaku families from the Unicorn clan all make their residences here (Pll-P20) as do their fellow

Unicorns Iuchi Sadako (P21) and Iuchi Michisuna (P22). The Shonagons suicide over her unrequited affection. Several of her Crab Kaiu Shinya (P23) lives here with his wife Sakyo. (Sakyo is friends in the city consider it insulting to her ghost and clamor almost to term, so she hasnt been seen around much lately.) for the right to get at Yogoso long enough to challenge him. Then theres the matter of the assaults before the contest. Was Yasuki Nobuko (P24) lives here as well, though she spends most it an envious competitor? A gambler trying to fix a wager on the of her time in the Two Gates region of the Merchant Quarter (described on page 27). Kitsuki Jotomon 0 2 8 ) lives in this area outcome? Or perhaps a friend of Shonagon trying to get a double as well, in an unadorned little house. She spends most of her time revenge? at her dojo in Downhill (see page 30). The ronin Ample (P32) used to live here before Naritokis death. Dove (P36) lives here, in a small home not far from Jotomon.

~~

The Unicorns have spent some time and effort trying to convince Hyobu (G9, P1) that a second bath house is desirable in the Noble Quarter. The truth is, some people from the Unicorn clan dont feel completely welcome in the Scorpion Garden bath house (L5) and would like one closer to their own home. While Hyobu is in a conciliatory mood towards the Unicorn clan, a bath house would not only be expensive, it would (in the eyes of some people) imply that something was wrong with the existing bath house. While the question of the location for the proposed bath house is also unsettled, its an idea favored by many in the area. (Jotomon, for one, wouldnt mind a smaller and simpler bath house where she could relax her sore muscles without having to contemplate a two mile ride home.)

RUMORMILL 1 No. 4
(CHARACTER) (AUTHORITYFIGURE)

DID YOU

KNOW THAT

Character

KEEPS HAVING TO

DENY RUMORS ABOUT HAVING A LOVE CHILD

BY A

LEATHERWORKER? COURSE OF

S/HELL

PROBABLY KILL
S/HES DEATHLY

THE NEXT PERSON WHO MENTIONS IT AFRAID THAT

Authority Figure

WILL FIND OUT.

RUMOR MILL IS No.

Challenge: A local music competition has garnered national attention. This year, Bayushi Kachiko is going to attend and the Crane clan poet, Kakita Yogoso, will debut a new verse. The judge is the famed Asahina Okuni. Of course, everyone is hoping local favorite Iuchi Michisuna (P22) will take the laurel. Well, almost everyone. Focus: This is a big deal; if it gets enough attention, maybe next year Kachiko will return, possibly even with heavy hitters like Kakita Shijin or even Doji Hoturi. Its essential that everything go smoothly. Yogoso is uneasy, however. He insists that the Emerald Magistrates serve him as bodyguards, and seems terribly nervous (even though theres no sign of any threat). Meanwhile, Michisuna tells the magistrates hes worried - he thinks someones been following him. Hes asked Osako 010) for help, but she claims shes busy guarding Kachiko, Okuni and other visiting dignitaries. Strike: Do the magistrates protect the jumpy Yogoso, or the jittery Michisuna? Or do they split their forces? Either way, things get messy as some unknown person tries to poison or assault both of them before the competition. To complicate matters, Yogosos poem (Fruit of the Spurned Love Tree) is about Shiba

(NOBLE CHARACTER) (LOCALSHUGENJA) (BODY PART) (VALUABLE OBJECT)

IS IT TRUE THAT
Noble Character

IS ASKING FOR

Local Shugenja

S HELP WITH AN EMBARRASSING ILLNESS

OF THE

Body Part

? ME, I WOULDNT

ASK FOR

TfiAT SCROLL-SOUINTING QUACKS HELP IF M Y HEAD WAS ON FIRE AND S f H E HAD THE ONLY BUCKET IN THE PROVINCE, SOMETIMIS... BUT SICK PEOPLE GET DESPERATE

APPARENTLY f S

HE WAS TOLD S/HED

HAVE T O SACRIFICE A

Valuable Object

THOUGH

HAVE MY SUSPICIONS ABOUT WHERE IT WILL ACTUALLY END UP.

RUMORMILL 1 No. 6
(BREAKABLE OBJECTS)

(MARRIED COUPLE) (NOBLE CHARACTER) (NOBLE CHARACTER) (INTOXICANT)

Married Couple

O HAVE Y U HEARD THAT

HAVE BEEN

FIGHTING AGAIN? SAID TO

THISTIME

ITS OVER SOMETHING HE

Noble Character

. S H E WAS JUST LIVID Breakable Objectr

APPARENTLY IT WAS AN UGLY SCENE,

WERE FLUNG AND

so

ON.

THEYWOUND

UP ASKING

Noble Character

FOR ADVICE, BUT S/HE

JUST LOADED

TflEM UP ON

Intoxicant

AND THEY WOUND UP

FIGHTING EVEN MORE.

RUMORMILL 17 No.
(RECENT CRIME)(NOBLE CHARACTER) (MOTIVE FOR CRIME)
~

The area around Ryoko Owari is crowded with farmers fields and a few thin stands of forest. The poppy fields all lie within a ten mile radius of the city (as required by the terms of Hyobus (G9, P1) charter). After that, rice fields predominate close to the river, and wul fields out where its drier. About forty miles to the southwest is Shinomen Forest. About fifty square miles of the forest is titled to Hyobu, and she lets nobles from Ryoko Owari hunt there, with a few restrictions (G3).

Ttl TOWRS O F

Ttl E Y S

(L28)

YOU KNOW

Recent Crime

? WELL,

Noble Character

KNOWS WHO DID IT, BUT ISNT TELLING. WOULDNT EVEN

TRUST

M E ALL S/HE SAID WAS THAT IT

WASNT ABOUT

Motive for Crime

IT WAS ACTUALLY SOME KIND O F

BELIEVES.

BUNGLED ACCIDENT, OR THATS WHAT S/HE

RUMORMILL 1 No. 8
(CHARACTER) (COMMENDATION OR ALL RIGHT

AWARD)
Charactel

DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE IF

IS REALLY GOING TO GET

Commendation or Award

BECAUSE S/HE

CERTAINLY DIDNT EARN IT, AND IM

DYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT INDISCRETION S/HES

COVERING UP IN RETURN.

These sturdy mementos of the Crab clans year long occupation are central to Ryoko Owaris defensive strategy. They provide a long view down the river, giving plenty of time to establish defenses against any floating invasion force. A strong cord can be strung between them in time of war, and the Thunder Guards (G10) within often practice coordinating their fire based on signal pennants hung from the cord. In addition to advance warning and a fire platform for the river, the eastern tower provides a much needed defensive bulwark to the southwest section of the wall around the Noble Quarter. Any force that attacks that area is pinned between the wall and the tower, and vulnerable on a third side to forces emerging from the Gate of Onis Teeth (L14). A direct attack on the gate, on the other hand, would allow forces from the East Tower to flank quickly on the Mountain Goblins Rest Road - and even if an assault were successful, the attackers would still have to penetrate the Pious Gate (L8) before getting into the Noble Quarter. Incidentally, there are tales of a tunnel under the river, between the two towers. Reports vary, with some saying the passage is big enough to gallop a horse through, while others say soldiers have to crawl single file through pitch black dank, pushing their armor before them. The Crabs insist they built no such corridor. On the other hand, Scorpion engineers could probably teach the Crabs a few things about secret tunnels, even if they dont have the acclaim of the Kaiu family...

dangerous river and the fortified Beiden Pass. Although if there The cave is about fifteen miles from the city gates, hidden in was some kind of SECRET PASS it would be very handy for the the foothills. Its not far from a small village, where a guide to the Scorpions to be able to rapidly dump a body of troops in the cave can be found. The other villagers dont seem terribly happy middle of the Way of Righteous Vengeance, in a position to with these guides, however. They are generally crude women and quickly move on either Humilitys Lesson (something the men, of uncouth aspect. But perhaps any villager would appear so Bayushis surely wouldnt mind reclaiming) or the Matsus to an urban noble. Perhaps the other villagers are only envious ancestral homestead (which would be an even sweeter payback that the guides get to walk with nobles, instead of stooping in the for Kenson Gakka). But all this assumes theres a pass...surely the Scorpions wouldnt keep up the road as a ruse, to make people fields to plant rice. The cave has a narrow, cramped opening, but once inside it is think there was a pass when there isnt? Such a puzzlement. spacious, with winding passages going in all directions. Inside are RUMOR MILLNo. 1 9 many wondrous pillars and columns, shaped like frozen waterfalls. Some of the guides tell stories about the mischievous (NOBLE CHARACTER) (NOBLE CHARACTER) spirits that shaped the stone, and of the tricks they play on (DISTANT AREA) (FORTUNE OR MYSTICAL BEING) unwary visitors to their domain. (These stories usually have (OBJECT CANHOLD IN ONEHAND) You gruesome endings.) Incidentally, the village and its environs are held directly in fief by Yogo Castle, which is less than ten miles 1 CANT BELIEVE IT! YOU MUSTNT TELL ANYONE ILL from the cave. One group of visitors heard a story from one of the villagers. They were told that all the guides come from the same LOOK OUlTE THE FOOL IF THIS GETS OUT AND ISNT family, and that sometimes the guides take people from Yogo castle into the cave for days on end. But thats probably a fable. TRUE. I HEARD IT FROM , FOR Noble Character After all, no ones ever heard anything from that particular peasant again ... WHAT THATS WORTH. ANYHOW,THE STORY IS THAT

THE GREATLUNAR CAVEU 3 0 )

THE NORTHERN GOBLINS REST ROAD

This road is not well kept by any measure - let alone the usually exacting standards of the Scorpion clan. This is probably because it doesnt really go anywhere. At least, not anywhere most people want to go. It ends at Soshi no Shiro, and serves to carry the products of the Soshi familys farms and villages south to the Shosuros castle and beyond. Anything from beyond the castle (meaning Unicorn country) comes down the river, which becomes narrow, rapid and dangerous going through the mountains.
Noble Character Distant Area Mystical Being

IS PLANNING TO MOVE ALL THE WAY TO

AND SOON!

APPARENTLY

Fortune 01

APPEARED TO HIM/HER

IN A DREAM,

HOLDING OUT A GOLDEN

Object You Can Hold In One Hanc

AND PROMISING SOME GREAT REWARD IF S/HE

WENT

THE SOUTHERN GOBLINS REST ROAD

In Ryoko Owari, the Mountain Goblins Rest Road improves dramatically. Whereas its northern branch goes only between Ryoko Owari and the Soshi castle, this leg carries the commerce of three families - the Shosuros, the Soshis and the Yogos, not to mention the products going to those families through Beiden Pass. In short, the road here is well kept, even, in good repair, frequently watched and attended by many comfortable inns and accommodating tax collectors.

DO YOU THINK THAT COULD BE ALL THERE

IS TO I T ?

RUMOR MILLNo. 2 0
(CHARACTER) (RIVAL OR ENEMY CUARACTER) (MERCHANT ENDEAVOR) (REASON FOR FAILURE) WELL. ITS ALL OVER FOR
Character

Rival

THE ROADONCE DEN IDDE

The road to Yogo castle and Hidden Watch Keep is also well kept, but for a different reason. No ones sure exactly what that reason is; perhaps the Yogos have a fetish for tidy roads. But that wouldnt explain why the money to repair the road comes from the Bayushi coffers, would it? Its almost as if the Bayushis want the road open so that they can move a large fighting force into the area if they need to. But why would they need to? After all, theres no nearby pass through the mountains, except the

Dr Enemy

Character

REALLY HAS HIM/HER OVER THE HOT

COALS NOW. INVESTING IN

APPARENTLY S/HE
Merchant Endeavor

WAS TRICKED INTO

HEAVILY. NOW

THAT ITS S/HE

Reason for Failure

HAS BEEN ENGINEERED,

IS NEARLY BANKRUPT.