Awareness

If artisans are tasked with producing items that are considered abstract and beautiful by the people of the Empire, then craftsmen have the duty to create things of practical value. Blacksmiths, armorsmiths, cartwrights, carpenters, and shipwrights are all craftsmen. Fishermen and farmers are as well, although they do not produce an item but rather the food that is the lifeblood of the Empire. While crafting is not an honorable and noble a profession as being an artist, it is still highly valued and looked upon without stigma.

Animals play a vital role in a number of samurai endeavors, including recreation, transportation, or the actual waging of war. Horses and falcons are the animals most commonly trained by samurai, but a number of others exist: the Lion Clan uses trained warcats in battle, the Unicorn use war dogs, and many families use trained pigeons to carry correspondence.

The difficulty to domesticate and train an animal for use varies widely depending upon the animal in question.

Many in the Empire have a curious stance on the notion of lying; in many courts, it is not considered dishonorable to lie so long as the individual speaking genuinely appears to believe what he says is the truth. This is a skill that many have honed in order to defend themselves from the predation of more skilled opponents in court. Even bushi attending court as yojimbo often practice such things, to ensure that they are not viable targets of their charges' enemies. This can also be used to avoid offering insult.

While not as numerous as other artisans, performers are still considered by many Clans to fulfill a vital aspect of maintaining Rokugan's culture. Musicians, orators, poets, and even acts are lauded in the highest circles of court because of the entertainment they provide. Many bushi have a different opinion on the value of a performer, but even they must admit that nothing rouses the spirits for war like a play wherein the actions of their ancestors are memorialized and the actions of their enemies demonized.

Games are an important diversion for the normally somber samurai caste of Rokugan. Although some clans generally prefer direct physical activities such as wrestling or other competitive pursuits, virtually everyone in the Empire plays a game of one form or another on a regular basis.

In a rigid hierarchical society such as the Emerald Empire, knowledge of appropriate conduct is essential for all but the most jaded and uncourth bushi. In many ways a proper code of etiquette is a defense for samurai, who can use their knowledge of how one should behave in a court setting as a shield against the manipulation of others. It can also allow them to avoid embarrassing faux pas by ensuring that they know to whom any particular concern should be addressed in the vast and often confusing Imperial bureaucracy, as well as the lesser bureaucracies maintained by the Great Clans.

The essential skill of any Rokugani court, this is a measure of a character's ability to participate in the deadly political games that are so prevalent in the Empire's highest social echelons. Courtiers have their own style of warfare, and are able to maneuver one another into disadvantageous positions through their skill with words.

This is a catch-all that represents a character's talent in one of the many recognized noble arts of Rokugani society. In addition to being soldiers and priests, samurai are the epitome of culture, adn as such an occupation as an artisan is regarded by many Clans as a noble and honorable pursuit. Artisan Skill Rolls are used to create works of art, and generally have variable TNs as decided by the GM.

Note: These mastery abilites are house rules and are not part of the standard 4th edition ruleset.

This is a measure of an individual's ability to convincingly pass himself off as someone else, whether assuming a role in a play or attempting to infiltrate the fortress of his lord's enemy. It also represents a character's knowledge of the primary theater styles in Rokugan: Kabuki, a flamboyant high-action style; and Noh, a more subdued, stylistic manner of play.