Schools

Mirumoto Master Sensei [Bushi]

High atop the mountains of the Dragon lands, in remote dojo and obscure strongholds, dwell the Master Sensei of the Mirumoto family - a tiny elite group of men and women who have attained true mastery of not only swordsmanship but also of their bodies and souls. Their primary home is Morning Frost Castle, but they also have several lesser dojo scattered through the most remote and inhospitable corners of the Dragon lands. The Master Sensei are very few in number, seldom exceeding two dozen in total, and those who would join their company must meet with their personal approval. Some Mirumoto samurai have spent decades struggling to prove their worthiness to the Master Sensei, while others have been admitted on their first application. Although the nature of the Master Sensei is more amenable to those who have followed the ways of the Taoist Swordsmen, they do not play favorites and more than one Swordmaster or Niten practitioner has joined their ranks.

The Master Sensei are isolated even by Dragon standards, and rare indeed is it for one of them to leave their remote dojo and visit the rest of the Dragon Lands, let alone the Empire as a whole. However, on the few occasions they do emerge to influence the world outside, their impact is always profound.

Requirements:
Techniques
  • Rank One: The Sword and the Soul

    The Master Sensei has learned that the sword ban bring moments of perfect harmony, just like art or meditation. When fighting with a sword, any time you reduce an opponent to Down, Out, or Dead, you regain 1 Void Point. This can temporarily increase your total Void Points above your Void Ring, although any such "extra" points disappear at the end of the current skirmish.

  • Rank Two: The Body is Illusion

    The Master Sensei has studied mediation and enlightenment to such an extent that he can transcend the limitations of the flesh. You may take a Simple Action to spend a Void Point to ignore Would Penalties (including Down, but not Out) for the remainder of this skirmish, or for ten minutes when outside of a skirmish.

  • Rank Three: Sword of the Sensei

    The Master Sensei knows that a true teacher can share his greatest power with his students. Once per day, you may take a Simple Action to roll Meditation / Awareness at a TN of 25 plus 5 for each ally fighting alongside you. If you succeed, your allies gain the benefits of your Rank One technique for the remainder of this skirmish.

Swordmasters [Bushi] [CR]

The two-sword style of Niten was founded within the Dragon Clan's borders and the evolution of that martial art remains the heart of the Dragon Swordmaster school. The Swordmasters attempt to learn every aspect of this fighting style so they may adapt to any situation they can face on the battlefield. While the Crane Clan's Kenshinzen focus on the art of the iaijutsu duel, the Swordmasters focus on the pragmatic use of the swords in the thick of combat.

Requirements:
Techniques
  • Rank One: The Silence of Two Strikes

    The Swordmaster's connection to his blades is nearly supernatural, allowing him to tune out the rest of the world. While wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your offhand, you may spend Void Points twice per Turn.

  • Rank Two: Mirumoto's Strength

    The Swordmaster feels the calm of the world when he stands before his opponent. In an iaijutsu duel, you always gain a +1k1 bonus to your Focus roll as though you had beaten your opponent with the Assessment roll, regardless of the roll's actual result. (Your opponent can still gain the +1k1 bonus for having a higher Assessment roll, but this does not impact your bonus.)

  • Rank Three: Harmony and Precision

    The Swordmaster fells an opponent with each swing of the blade, striking exactly where he needs to devastate his enemies. While wielding a katana in your main hand and a wakizashi in your off hand, you may ignore your opponents Reduction (if any).

Tamori Master of the Mountain [Shugenja]

The Great Wall of the North is a treacherous mountain range that kills those who are unready for its sudden, vicious changes in weather. Despite its dangers, the range is admirable to those who can see the beauty of its cold violence. Mountaineers who brave the fierce peaks are forged into powerful men. The Tamori Masters of the Mountain learn to harness the power churning within their own souls, a violent echo of the strength of the Elements themselves. It is an old tradition, dating back to when the Agasha family first explored the mountains and studied their secrets. The name may have changed over the years, but the traditions remain true.

The Master of the Mountain is a loose organization with few sensei and fewer regulations. The Masters induct shugenja into their ranks when they spot one with the proper potential. The elders tend to choose impetuous and brash shugenja who trust only their own strength, a preference those outside of the school often question (albeit usually under their breaths). They worry the Masters of the Mountains will be influenced by the impatient natures of their young recruits. However, usually the opposite is true, as the wild students are taught proper methods of venting their anger through their powers, making them wiser as well as more powerful.

Requirements:
Techniques
  • Rank One: Integration of the Gods

    The Master of the Mountain knows flexibility is the only way to survive in the harsh wilderness of the mountains. When casting a spell, you may choose to spend 2 spell slots of another Ring rather than a single spell slot of the appropriate Ring. (This cannot be the Ring of the opposing Element from the spell's Element, e.g. Air/Earth, Fire/Water.) For example, this means that you may spend 2 Earth spell slots to cast a Fire spell instead of a single Fire spell slot.

  • Rank Two: Inner Fortitude

    The Master of the Mountain draws power from within his own body as well as teh Elements outside. Your Shugenja School Rank increases by one. Additionally, you may spend a spell slot as a Free Action to gain Reduction 2 and +10 to your Armor TN. This effect lasts for a number of Rounds equal to your Earth Ring, ending during the Reactions Stage of the final Round. You may choose to end the effect early as a Free Action. For the purposes of casting spells, your School Rank is increased by 1.

    While this effect is active, you find it more difficult to tap into the Elements around you. You must call one Raise to no effect every time you cast a spell.

  • Rank Three: Power in Need

    The Master of the Mountain can coax power out of the most contrary kami by confronting them with his own strength and willpower. As a Simple Action you may spend a Void Point and a spell slot from any Ring. Choose a spell keyword. You gain a bonus of +4k1 to the total of all Spell Casting Rolls while casting spells with that keyword. This effect lasts until the end of the encounter (in combat) or for an hour (outside of combat).