Schools

Despite his genuine affection for his sister, Hantei Naseru uses his influence and connections to resurrect the Gozoku conspiracy, an organization defunct since the fifth century. The goal of the Second Gozoku is not to overthrow the Empress but rather to ensure her rule is prosperous despite her own shortcomings. Naseru and his allies among the Scorpion Clan are well aware of the hindrance Honor brings with it, and seek to ensure their beloved Empress flourishes by taking the steps she cannot, doing what must be done regardless of the consequences.

The reign of the Steel Chrysanthemum was one of the most heinous time periods of Rokugan’s history, and the excesses of the Emperor were such that he drove his own mother and brother - along with many other men and women of honor - to join together in secret to oppose him. The terrible crime of regicide, an act normally regarded as absolute blasphemy and among the greatest sins comprehensible in the Empire of Rokugan, became the only viable option.

Otomo Nazeru created the Technique of this group, but stopped teaching it to others the moment his older brother died. Nonetheless, it is possible the Technique might be preserved into later eras, or even recreated by a different group rebelling against a tyrant. (Timelines such as a Thousand Years of Darkness would be good settings for this Technique.)

GM’s Option: Some GMs may wish to create a connection between the Dragon Channelers and the Chosen by the Oracles Advantage (due to the link between the Oracles and the Dragons). If this is desired, a character with Chosen by the Oracles starts with four Dragon Spell slots rather than three.

The Emerald Magistrates directly impose Imperial Law upon the land. Their jurisdiction has no boundaries and their actions are reversed only by the Emperor and the Emerald Champion. Appointments to the Emerald Magistrates are sometimes handled through politics and bribes, as the prestige of an Emerald Magistrate can elevate his entire family.

The first Gozoku is perhaps the most wide-ranking and cosmopolitan conspiracy in the Empire’s history, and it is certainly the most successful despite its relatively short duration and ultimate failure. (Unlike the far longer-lived Kolat, the Gozoku actually manage to seize the power they want and hold it for over a generation.) The beneficial effects accomplished in the name of the Empire during the Gozoku’s reign is something never honestly discussed in subsequent centuries, but the most intelligent and objective of Rokugan’s historians are keenly aware of the economic growth and artistic flowering which took place under the conspiracy’s rule. Perhaps this is why the Gozoku found it relatively easy to recruit agents from virtually every clan and family in the Empire.

Agents of the Gozoku were able to move among the courts of the Empire with near impunity, as their thinly veiled status as members of the conspiracy protected them from all but the most adamant Imperial loyalists. Few wished to risk the wrath of the Gozoku by acting openly against their representatives. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, only the Lion courts were relatively free of this level of brazen impudence.) It was perhaps these very tendencies that undid the Gozoku; while most of the original members had only the best intentions at heart, a great number among those who served them (and indeed some among their number as well) came to regard the Gozoku as nothing more than a means of seizing personal power and prestige at the expense of others.

This eventually led to a sharp divide among Gozoku agents. The more altruistic members of the Gozoku took after the original vision of Raigu and Gaijushiko: they genuinely sought to better the Empire and the lives of its citizens, and used their abilities to secure whatever was necessary to make this happen. Their counterparts, however, followed the path of Atsuki: they were petty and selfish, and preferred to use the threat of the Gozoku to garner increasing amounts of influence for their own purposes (which sometimes did not coincide with those of the conspiracy at all).

The technique of the Gozoku agents was originally created by Bayushi Atsuki, but he shared them with the other two founders of the conspiracy; all three men taught the technique to their immediate followers, from whom it spread through the conspiracy. Historically, the technique dies out as soon as the Gozoku are purged, but is revived by Atsuki when he returns to the Empire through Oblivion’s Gate in the twelfth century. GMs who wish to diverge from the historical pattern, however, may rule that the technique survives among Gozoku loyalists (especially if the "underground Gozoku" option is used). The technique may also be used to enhance the depiction of any other political conspiracy that recruits agents from multiples factions or clans, such as the Kolat in the various historical settings or the conspiracy of the Three Old Men in the Heroes of Rokugan setting.

The Imperial Explorers are the most recently created facet of the Imperial bureaucracy, one that is limited entirely to the Colonies. The Explorers were created to break the stranglehold on exploration by the Spider and Mantis clans, allowing the Imperial families to maintain control over the situation in the Colonies. They were initially founded based on the recommendation of the first Imperial Governor, who received the permission of the Divine Empress to create them. At the Governor’s command a group of sensei were assembled from multiple clans; they were housed in a training compound a day’s travel south of the Second City, and young and ambitious samurai from the various clan delegation were nominated for training.

Young samurai who join the Explorers endure a minimum of a year’s training before they are considered fit for active duty on the frontier, and typically operate in teams for greater safety. Anything they discover during that time becomes the property of the Imperial families. After the first year, Explorers are permitted to operate on their own and any resources they find are divided evenly between the Imperial families and the Explorer’s clan. For this reason, the clans tend to send only talented and loyal young samurai to join the Explorers, hoping thereby to eventually enhance their own prosperity.

The Imperial Legions are filled with the brightest and bravest samurai from all the Clans, chosen to directly serve the Emperor’s will. The Imperial Legionnaire trains with the most prestigious sensei of the land and sees service against those who threaten the safety of the Empire (such as foreign invasions or mighty maho-tsukai). An appointment to the Imperial Legions nearly guarantees a bright and celebrated future for any samurai.

The Jade Champion has access to many resources within Rokugan, but the Jade Legion is his personal, highly trained force. This force does whatever the Jade Champion requires and their exploits against the Empire’s enemies often go unsung. Legionnaires are trained to fight alongside shugenja and to armor their pure souls against the dank corruption of their enemies.

The Jade Champion combats criminals who abuse the arcane, and his magistrates enforce his will. The Jade Magistrates are trained to recognize these crimes and quickly dispense justice. These warriors mainly hunt maho-tsukai and Bloodspeakers, all those who perform profane magic within the Empire’s borders.

Akodo Kenburo devised his dueling technique while he was a young ronin, roaming the streets and confronting other ronin, criminals, and thugs. During his tenure as Emerald Champion he taught the technique to a few of his most trusted magistrates, and after his death they preserved it within the Ruby Dojo and passed it down to later generations. Kenburo’s core tenet was that it was not the fastest, strongest, or most skilled duelist who won the duel, but the duelist who most frightens his opponent. “Break their spirit and their skill doesn’t matter,” he commented. “Make them think they are certain to die and even the boldest samurai will falter.”

Kenburo’s Way is only known within the Ruby Dojo and is thus normally only available to Emerald and Jade Magistrates. However, given that it was originally devised by Kenburo while he was a ronin, GMs may also wish to experiment with making the technique available to other ronin—after all, who knows whether Kenburo taught it to anyone before he won the Emerald Championship?

The Ten Kolat Masters are among the most devious, manipulative, and ruthless individuals in the entire Emerald Empire. Only ten exist at any one time, and they generally achieve their position by rising through the ranks of the conspiracy, demonstrating great loyalty, adaptability, and efficiency... or great ability to forge alliances with other Kolat. Regardless, no one becomes a Kolat Master without years of dedicated service to the conspiracy.

Hida Tsuneo, known as the Stone Crab, was the trusted follower and personal champion of the Steel Chrysanthemum. He was a man of honor and skill whose unfortunate complete loyalty to his Emperor led him to commit a long series of horrific atrocities regardless of the cost to his own soul. Unfortunately, many among his own clan also embraced his willingness to commit horrors for his lord. The warriors who followed in his wake exemplified cruelty and horror, becoming the worst caricatures of what samurai are meant to be. The Technique they developed did not long survive Hida Tsuneo’s death, since within a month’s time all known members were dead from seppuku or shameful public execution.

GMs who wish to make broader use of this Path can have it depict ruthless groups in other eras who are committed to a villain (or anti-hero). For example, the Technique could represent followers of Akodo Gintaku in the Heroes of Rokugan setting, or followers of Hida Kisada during the Clan Wars.

Without question the most elite and prestigious military unit in the Colonies is the Second City Guardsmen. They were formed early in the colonization of the former Ivory Kingdoms, when the Second City was little more than a village of tents and ramshackle buildings. Agents of the Cult of Ruhmal, still active in the region, attempted to assassinate the group of military officers who formed the fledgling city’s leadership (at this point the position of Imperial Governor had not yet been created). The attack was thwarted by a handful of sentries and vigilant samurai in the area, and the cultists were slain to the last man. The highest-ranking officer in the city immediately ordered these samurai to form a new unit, one solely tasked with ensuring the safety of the city and all within it. Decades later, the Second City Guardsmen are revered throughout the Colonies for their near-flawless track record, protecting the city and its inhabitants from all manner of threats. However, this record suffered a severe blemish when the previous Governor was assassinated. In the wake of his death, the commander of the Second City Guardsman, Akodo Tsudoken, took control of the city until a replacement Governor could arrive from the Empire. Anguished over his failure, Tsudoken instituted several draconian measures intended to root out any remaining threats within the city; these alienated the populace and tarnished the repute of the unit. Comparisons to the Seppun family’s failure to protect Emperors in previous eras became common. Even after the source of the attack was finally revealed, the Second City Guardsmen continued to suffer a damaged reputation for quite some time.

It may be noted that the Second City Guardsmen include shugenja in their ranks; however, since they are primarily a military organization and the vast bulk of their ranks are bushi, the only actual Technique they have developed is a bushi Technique.

Since the death of the first Imperial Governor of the Colonies, the variant of Naga unique to the Colonies have presented an increased threat to the citizens of that region. Prior to that time the beasts were dangerous but essentially little more than powerful animals. With the influence of the Dark Naga, however, the creatures became more cunning and capable of acting in groups, albeit in a limited capacity. This made them a significant problem for travelers in the remote regions of the jungle, and the Mantis and Spider Clans in particular had difficulty with the Nagah.

As a result, a small sect of warriors has sprung up within the Colonies, men and women dedicated to the eradication of the Nagah at all costs. These individuals are frequently sought out by explorers and merchants who require protection while traveling in lightly populated or unexplored regions. These so-called Serpent Hunters are skilled not only in the combating of such foes but also in tracking them, as well as knowing the basic aspects of Naga culture.

The Crown of the Amethyst Champion is a mysterious artifact capable of granting wealth and power to its bearer, as long as he remains pure of soul. The Amethyst Champion holds this nemuranai with him and must prove his strength of will over all temptations. The Amethyst Champion holds the welfare of the people at heart and speaks as the representative of their desires.

The secret methods of the Bloodspeaker Cult were pioneered

by Iuchiban himself and passed down through his chief apprentice, Yajinden, to other members of the cult. Only those of the Bloodspeakers who are high-ranking and knowledgeable enough to understand that Maho is the true source of the cult’s strength are allowed to learn this technique. The Bloodspeakers make no distinction between social caste, and have taught their secrets to samurai of all types, to peasants, and even to eta.

The Emperor cannot travel to the far reaches of Rokugan, so the Emerald Champion serves as his proxy in all ways. The Emerald Champion personally guards the Emperor and holds authority even over the Great Clan Champions. He leads the Emerald Magistrates and must often command the armies of the Emperor when threats arise.

When the Empire is in need, it calls the greatest shugenja to serve as the Jade Champion. This guardian scours the land of magical corruption and demonic forces to keep Rokugan pure. While each Jade Champion has personally chosen the focus of his duties, most consider the eradication of maho their greatest responsibility.

The Emerald Magistrates function as servants of Imperial law and their teacher must prepare them for work in the field. The Ruby Champion is the sensei of the Emerald Magistrates and is an authority on law and kenjutsu. The Ruby Champion’s students march into battle fully confident of their abilities.

Every year, the village of Tsuma in the Crane lands is host to the greatest gempukku ceremony in Rokugan. The person who proves himself or herself the worthiest samurai becomes the Topaz Champion for that year. Since the contest is heavily weighted toward martial competitions (especially iaijutsu), bushi tend to dominate the Topaz Championship.