Monk

To combat the growing influence of the Gozoku conspiracy, Emperor Hantei VI turned to a completely unexpected source to assist him: the Brotherhood of Shinsei. Although the monks of the Brotherhood were of course willing to obey their Emperor without question, they had never been involved with anything like this, and were more accustomed to changing the perceptions of small local tyrants rather than facing a nationwide organized movement stripping power from the Emperor in the name of progress.

The Barefoot Brethren carry messages all across Rokugan, asking no price except food for their journey. They are famed for their endurance, regularly outpacing even Unicorn horses over long distances. Many of those they serve are heimin, who have few other ways to communicate with distant kin, but samurai also make use of the Barefoot Brethren.

Those whom the Brotherhood honors with election to a position of leadership are given additional training from senior monks, and also gain influence and social status within their Orders and the Brotherhood as a whole.

The Taoist Archers seek perfect harmony through the study of kyujutsu and have existed within the Brotherhood of Shinsei for centuries. In the Pre-Coup era a ronin named Gahei learns the Technique and begins to teach a selected students, and thereafter this Path is also available to ronin characters (assuming they can find someone who knows it and is willing to teach them).

The ancient techniques of Togashi Kaze, which formed the basis for almost all modern Rokugani martial arts, still survive in a somewhat abbreviated form among the peasants of Rokugan and the monks of the Brotherhood of Shinsei. The technique is rare and those who know it usually pass it down privately to a few select students, preserving its secrets from the samurai who Kaze opposed.

The Order of the Spider is an enigmatic and sinister order, with its origins in the diseased and diabolical mind of the fallen monk Roshungi. Under his teachings, enlightenment could only be discovered by completely unlocking an individual’s greatest physical and mental power. The path to doing that, Roshungi reasoned, was completely up to the individual to discover. In his order, those who wished to embrace their full potential and thus unlock enlightenment and the secrets of the universe were encouraged to embrace whatever means were necessary to achieve power.

The long period of relative peace and tranquility the Empire enjoyed took its toll upon the Scorpion just as it did all the clans. When the whispering of Ambition began to take hold in Bayushi Shoju’s mind, his demeanor changed, affecting those closest to him, then their vassals, and so on. When the Scorpion discovered the prophecy that foretold the return of Fu Leng through the last Hantei, this growing seed of dissent and paranoia blossomed into a loyal cadre who would do anything to make Shoju’s vision a reality.

The often-maligned Transcendent Brotherhood embraces a strange philosophy that pain tempers the body and the mind, making it easier to attain a transcendent state that approaches Enlightenment. Although the sect is regarded as dangerously eccentric by the Brotherhood of Shinsei and has been excommunicated from that organization, the Dragon have offered them a home within the Tattooed Orders.

The Togashi ise zumi dedicate their lives to chasing the ephemeral goal of enlightenment. The journey is unique to each person, so the monks of the tattooed orders tend to be a highly unique and varied lot. Some choose to focus on physical exertion over mental strength, honing their bodes through an emphasis on martial arts and hard labor. The Togashi Defender becomes adept at pushing his body to its absolute physical limits... and beyond. The Defender often chooses to stay within the Dragon provinces to protect villages from bandits and other predators.

The ancient techniques of Togashi Kaze, which formed the basis for almost all modern Rokugani martial arts, still survive in a somewhat abbreviated form among the Dragon Clan tattooed monks. The technique is rare and those who know it usually pass it down privately to a few select students, preserving its secrets from the samurai who Kaze opposed.