Miscellaneous

The Order of Knowledge

This strange sect of Shinseism is all that remains of a project that the Phoenix
and Dragon Clans started several decades ago. From the view of those two
clans the project was a failure, but the monks of this order believe otherwise.
The monks of the Order of Knowledge consider wisdom to be the path to
Enlightenment and they do everything they can to aquire knowlede. The sect
is nearly completely made up of former members of the Phoenix and the
Dragon. Nearly all the other clans consider the strange Shinmaki monks as
crazy, but the Lion and Crane actively try to prevent their Samurai from
retireing to this sect. Of course, the Scorpion are quite interested in what these
monks do and they try everything to gain a foothold in the order.
This order tends only two temples in the high mountains between the Phoenix
and the Dragon lands but there are rumours that there is a third library in the
Spine of the World Mountains that is tended by a branch of this sect.

Starting Honour: 1.5

Skills: Fasting, Hand-to-Hand, Shintao, Mountaineer, any 3 Lore Skills

Benefit: Monks of this order gain the Sage advantage for free.

by
Asako Chris

Dark Tensai

The Dark Tensai school, a twisted mockery of the Phoenix Elemental schools,
was founded by Gakusha the Akutenshi as part of his bargain with Fu Leng.
Skilled in both the original Fire magic of their founder, and the Maho of his
evil master, the Dark Tensai are powerful beings who use their magic to sow
fear, pain and Taint wherever they go.

Benefit: +1 Intelligence
Skills: Calligraphy, Lore: Maho, Torture, Wakizashi, any 3 other skills
Beginning Honour: 0
Beginning Taint: 0.5 points
Equipment: (all considered to be of average quality) Wakizashi, Travelling
Pack, Kimono, Scroll case, Scrolls, Aiguchi, 3 bu
Starting Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, 3 Maho, 3 Fire
Special: Dark Tensai have an affinity to Maho and Fire and a deficiency in
Water and Earth.

The 8 Elemental Sword Techniques

The Kenku sprits are the most knowledgeable in the art of the blade. Stories
tell of the great skill they have and of heroes going to great lengths to learn
any one of their many techniques. The following are five of these.

These elemental techniques can be used as plot hooks. Each is about the level
of a rank 2 or 3 technique of the clan schools. No mechanics are provided for
purchasing them because these should be the reward for some great adventure.
I would suggest that only one player get a technique and only one technique
per player as a game balancing issue. But as ever, the final decision rests with
the GM. Also you will see that these never use school ranks, this is because
these techniques embody the elements and your bond with them is the focus
of these skills.

Techniques
Earth
The Kenku teaches his student to focus on the firm earth and its unyielding
strength. With this strength, the character can strike a devastating blow. The
student can forgo his normal attack(s) and use this technique. He makes a
single attack that ignores armour and if successful causes a number of extra
wounds equal to twice his Earth ring.

Water
The Kenku teaches his student to understand the ways of the river and the
stream. A stone or a tree does not block it, the river bends around all that
would stop it. Even the dam can only hold back the river for so long. If the
student wears no armour, he may add his water to his TN to be hit. Also, if the
student spends a void point he may instead add his water x5 to his TN to be
hit for a number of rounds equal to his water ring. Finally, in a duel he can
spend a void point when his opponent declares a strike to add his water to his
opponent's TN.

Fire
The Kenku teaches his student to respect fire and see the power in its form. It
is the flame that flickers faster then the eye can see and so should be the
kenjutsu strike. The student may spend a void point at the beginning of a
combat turn to use one of his attacks before anyone else. The rest of his
attacks work on his normal initiative.
Air
The Kenku teaches his student that the wind is the keeper of secrets and if you
listen closely you can hear the air kami speaking to themselves about what
they have learned. The student can now make a roll of his air ring vs. an
opponent's air ring x5 while in combat. If he wins he learns about his
opponents next moves, thus adding his air ring to his TN to be hit or to his
attack roll. He may also spend a void point to have the wind lie to his
opponent, lowering his opponent's TN to be hit by the student's air ring X2.

Void
The Kenku teaches his student that all are one and that only balance will make
his strike true. The student learns that what he sees is unimportant, and all
places and things are the same to the Void. The student may spend a void
point to attack someone that he can see, no matter the distance or what is
blocking the way. Striking the air in front of him, the opponent is struck as
though his he is standing directly in the path of the blade.

Thunder
The Kenku teaches his pupil that in mortals there is a power beyond that of
the kami. Embodied by the thunder dragon, the pupil learns that fear is
nothing to a man that is willing to do what is needed. The student is no longer
effected by Fear and may roll and keep one extra die while combating
anything with a fear rating.

Jade
The purity of jade is well known. The Kenku to this end teaches his student
that purity is what is important to everything in life - and with the purity one
can combat the corrupt. As long as the student has no ranks (full ranks) of
Shadowlands taint the user adds the level of taint of his target to all his rolls
against it.

Shadow
Even the Kenku realizes that there must be a completeness to the world. To
this end the Kenku has studied the newest of the dragons. This time the Kenku
teaches that sometimes the lack of structure or form in combat can be used to
your advantage. The student learns to shift his style from moment to moment
in order to confuse his enemy and hide his moves. Anyone trying to read his
actions will find them harder to understand. Any technique that reads
someone's moves and tries to use that as an advantage will find that the TN to
do so is raised by 5 if the student does not know someone is trying to read him
or 10 if he is actively trying to hide his style. This includes reading someones
stance at the beginning of a duel.
by
Jason Saice
Aka Soshi Saice *Exp The Saice*

The Shosuro Kannoteki Geisha Academy

Shosuro Kannoteki is one of the Scorpion who train the geisha which form
one of the main industries of the Scorpion clan. It is widely accepted that the
maiko (first and second rank trainees) and geisha (third rank onwards) trained
by Kannoteki are the finest in the Empire, and it is rumoured that most of the
family daimyos of the great clans have taken a Kannoteki-trained geisha as a
mistress.

Many of the geisha trained by Kannoteki have taken her name as a ‘family’
name to honour their teacher. Shosuro Kannoteki was genuinely flattered by
this, and has used the loyalty of her pupils to further her career within the
Scorpion.

The main centre for the Kannoteki is Ryoko Owari, and although they are
most commonly encountered on Teardrop Island, they are also often seen
walking through the noble and merchant areas, the eyes of all the men
following them as they walk.

The maiko, or trainee geisha, often wear highly colourful kimono, flamboyant
obi and wear their hair in intricate styles, decorated with many beautiful hair
pins. Their sandals are often highly platformed, which in Ryoko Owari can be
a necessity! Fully fledged geisha are somewhat less flamboyant in their dress,
but their clothes are always of the highest quality.

The pupils of Kannoteki’s school come from many different backgrounds,

some are farmers daughters, purchased by Kannoteki for their beauty and
grace, but there are several who are the second or third born of the families of
the Scorpion; the last intake included two Shosuro, a Bayushi and a Soshi.

Benefits: +1 Perception

Starting Honour: 0.0

Skills: Etiquette, Seduction, any three high skills, any one low skill.

Starting Outfit: (all fine quality) three kimono, three different sets of hair
pins, fan, 1 koku.

Techniques
Rank 1 (maiko): Empty Promises
Through a combination of sensuous movement and blushing fan-fluttering the
maiko instils assumptions into her client’s mind, making him believe he will
‘have his way’ with her. Of course, the maiko has no intention to pillow with
the client, but it makes her other tasks that much easier. Some maiko have
practiced this technique for so long that they do not even realise it is
happening! The maiko may add her insight rank to all seduction rolls.

Rank 3 (geisha): Ensnare the Heart

The Kannoteki geisha have many suitors, there are many who would wish to
marry such a beautiful woman. These would-be husbands have been trapped
by the careful manipulation of the geisha, and most would be willing to die for
her. The geisha may attempt to ‘ensnare the heart’ of a suitor, this process
takes several weeks and requires the geisha to make a contested seduction roll
against the target’s willpower each week. Once the target has lost a number of
rolls equal to his honour rank plus willpower, he gains the ‘True Love’
disadvantage for the geisha. The geisha obviously does not gain this
disadvantage. This may be carried out on many different targets, even at the
same time.