Shadowed Steel

The word ‘ninja’ conjures one of two reactions from the Rokugani: exasperation, because of course ninja do not exist, or fear, because they suspect the substance of the night itself will disgorge and assault them for daring to consider such things. The truth is that to some extent both statements are true. On the one hand, the black-clad assassins of superstition do exist, but are largely a diversionary tactic used by groups like the Scorpion Clan - including through pawns such as the ronin group called the Silent Blade. On the other hand, the primordial entity known as the Lying Darkness unleashes inhuman ninja who can steal faces and names. And then there is the middle ground, where few have ever tread and survived. The men and women known as Shadowed Steel are former vassals of the Scorpion Clan, surreptitiously culled from the clan’s ranks over the course of generations or even centuries, and carefully cultivated into a completely deniable and disposable asset. The Shadowed Steel are few in number and answer only to the Shosuro family, who communicate with them through covert means such as blind drops. When an objective absolutely must be achieved or a foe eliminated at all costs, when the risk is simply two high to utilize the Shosuro family’s own assets, they call on the Shadowed Steel to deal with the matter quickly and with absolute and unwavering finality.