DARK TIDES

The tide slowly washes in. The harbor is quiet. This adventure is designed to challenge the p lay-
There are only the sounds of inhaled smoke and er cha racters socially and emotionally, as well as with
exchanged coins, of deals made and crimes excused. action and detective work. They rub shoulders with
What happens here, we keep as secrets. commoners and criminals, dig into smuggling and t he
The tide slowly washes out. The stains remain. drug trade, and meet with gaijin. Moreover, they must
Dark Tides sends the player characters to the strange resist t he temptation to simply cut down everyone who
and obscure town of Taimana Choryu-more commonly offends their sensibilities. The Tortoise, who govern the
known as Slow Tide Harbor-that the peculiar Tortoise town, do not appreciate outsiders d isrupting the frag-
Clan governs. The PCs are there to investigate the dis- ile peace of their settlement. A ll of this provides inter-
appearance of opium-addicted samurai. esting opportunities for the game master and players
As they delve into the sordid world of Slow Tide to explore the problems of composure and emotional
Harbor, however, they find themselves uncovering for- stress, both in roleplay and with game mechanics.
piddE?n magic and a blasphemous cult. The vanished Dark Tides does not have one designated vi llain.
samurai are actually being kidnapped and sold to Kitsu Instead, there are three different villainous individu-
Sokori, a maho-tsukai who is conducting sacrifices to als with in the town-Tortoise samurai Kasuga Yumiko,
boost her supernatural power. She has been using kid- crime lord Boss Yaguro, and gaijin smuggler Azif the
napped peasants; however, actual samurai, honorable Smooth-any one of whom cou ld be working for Kit-
followers of the Emperor, would make for even greater su Sokori. The game master is free to choose which of
offerings. In order to rescue the kidnapped samurai, the the three is the "true" villain, or even to let the players'
PCs have to ferret out which of Slow Tide's dishonorable choices and preferences d ictate t he truth. Moreover, all
smugglers and schemers are helping her. three of them are thoroughly bad people, so the PCs
can potentially pursue legal sanction against any of
them-a lbeit at the risk of ca using disruptions in Slow
Tide Harbor and thus earning the Tortoise Clan's enmity.
 (

DARK TIDES

authority and protection of the Emperor; this impedes

THE BATTLE OF
any samurai who might otherwise cut them down or lead WHITE STAG
an army to exterminate them. The second is t hat it is a
"In order to conduct activities that are not allowed, small clan whose members avoid notice and keep their In the middle of the fifth
century, Rokugan had
we must create places that do not exist. " worst activities well out of sight. Many Rokugani do not
one of its worst gaijin
-Agasha Kasuga even know the clan exists, and most have never met a encounters. Foreigners
This section provides the GM with hist orical background Tortoise samurai. The Tortoise Clan's true purpose-to to Rokugan had been
and cultura l information on the Tortoise Clan (one of the keep watch on t he gaijin-is known only to its mem- encountered before, but
most obscure and scandalous of all minor clans), as well bers and to the Emperor. Most Emerald Magistrates are when ships from a distant
kingdom sailed into the
as a guide to the town of Slow Tide Harbor. unaware of the deal, although the Emerald Champion
Bay of the Golden Sun and
might be. attempted to open trade
THE TORTOISE CLAN and diplomatic relations
with the Empire, it ignit-
A GUIDE TO ed a terrible conflict.
Of all the minor clans of Rokugan, t he clan of the Tor-
toise is perhaps both the most obscure and the most SLOW TIDE HARBOR At first, the Empress
bizarre. Founded in the aftermath of the Battle of White Taimana Choryu, Slow Tide Harbor, is a t hriving port welcomed these visitors
Stag in the fifth century, the Tortoise Clan is-officially- and gave them permission
town that is nonetheless one of the most obscure set-
merely a tiny clan charged with maintaining the ancient to reside in the capital
t lements in Rokugan. A lt hough it is located only a short and conduct trade, but
walls of Otosan Uchi. It was granted land in a modest day's ride north of t he Imperial City of Otosan Uchi, its after two years she
territory northwest of the Imperial City, and has estab- existence is unknown to t he vast majority of Rokugan's abruptly-and for reasons
lished small holdings across that area. The Tortoise are known only to a select
samurai. The Tortoise prefer to keep things this way,
known to be q uite eccentric, living alongside peasants few-<leclared an edict
since Slow Tide is t heir major holding and t he primary outlawing such trade.
and following an individualistic et hos that most samurai nexus for their smuggling activities. Those of other clans The gaijin refused to
would consider odd and even shameful. who visit or dwel l in Slow Tide have sought it o ut delib- accept this and attacked
In actuality, the Tortoise Clan has a secret and unique erately, usually because t hey desire the illicit goods and Otosan Uchi, the Imperial
duty: it is tasked with monitoring and covertly trading Capital. The initial attack
services it offers.
with the gaijin, in order to ensure the tragedy of White was horrific, though
Slow Tide is built on a peninsula in a swampy, irreg- history has obscured the
Stag is never repeated. Tortoise ships sail across the Sea ular lagoon that is itself an offshoot of the Bay of the exact losses.
of Amaterasu, visiting gaijin ports, where their crews Golden Sun. The town boasts about three t housand
learn about (and keep watch on) foreign cultures and The city's defenders rose
residents, making it by far the largest single Tortoise to avenge the Emerald
trade for exotic goods to bring back to Rokugan. As a settlement (although q uite small compared to the near- Empire and managed
result, the Tortoise Clan more closely resembles a smug- by metropolis of Otosan Uchi). The majority of those to defeat and drive off
gling cartel than a proper clan. The Tortoise do not have the gaijin sl1ips. Oddly,
living here are peasants and Tortoise samurai, and the
a conventiona l program of training for their samurai in a Dragon Clan shugenja
difference between the two can sometimes be hard for named Agasha Kasugo
the manner of other clans. On the contrary, the second outsiders to notice. There are also gaijin here, whose helped the surviving
Tortoise Clan Champion, Kasuga Genjiko, told her peo- presence the Tortoise authorities accept for the sake of gaijin to safely escape.
ple to each follow their own path as they saw fit. improving their trade and smuggling networks. Later, in private audience
Although the Tortoise Clan has been in existence for with the Emperor. Kasuga
Many aspects of the Empire's laws are largely ignored
almost seven centuries, it remains quite small, with only was pardoned, again
within Slow Tide Harbor. Gaijin goods are freely avail- for reasons not shared.
a few hundred samurai and a single tiny province. Small able (and gaijin themselves are a not uncommon sight), Kasuga and his followers
groups of Tortoise may be found in many other parts of and so are illicit domestic products such as opium. Even were granted minor clan
the Empire, however, running holdings that range from gaijin pepper (see the sidebar on page 7) can be
status, and so the Tortoise
merchant stores to bonsai gardens-all the while main- were born as a secret
acquired, though as this substance is so powerful and defense against further
taining the smuggling routes the clan relies on for its rev- dangerous, even the Tortoise crack down on anyone gaijin activities that
enues. The Tortoise also control a secret offshore hold- might imperil the Empire.
involved in its trade-u nless, of course, they themselves
ing, a remote island called Kameyama Jima, where much are behind it.
of their covert trade with the gaijin actually takes place. Unsurprisingly, Slow Tide Harbor is home t o a pow-
Unsurprisingly, the Great Clans view the Tortoise erful criminal class, wh ich operates in a sort of mutual
with contempt when they bother to think about them truce with the Tortoise (whose own activities are, after
at all. The curious might ask how the Tortoise survive all, almost equally illegal). So long as certain lines are
while routinely breaking the Empire's laws and customs. not crossed and suitable bribes are paid , the Tortoise
There are two answers. The first is that when this Tor- look the other way. Any d irect challenge to their author-
toise Clan was established, it was done under the direct ity, however, draws a sharp response.

-
DARK TIDES

THE GOVERNOR'S NEIGHBORHOOD The Magistrate: Kasuga Mikoto

The Tortoise Clan as a whole makes few pretensions to The Tortoise Clan magistrate for Slow Tide Harbor
nobility. In Slow Tide Harbor, most of their samurai live resides in a rather nice single-story dwelling, built in a
scattered through the town alongside the common folk. rectangle around an interior garden. The front entrance
However, the governor does maintain an official resi- leads into an office where at least one of the magistrate's
dence, a large two-story estate with a walled garden and yoriki (assistants) can always be found.
attached stables, guard station, and servants' quarters. The Tortoise Clan magistrate for Slow Tide Harbor is
The other high-ranking Tortoise samurai and officials a pouch-faced woman in her late th irties named Kasuga
all live nearby, forming a neighborhood that is as close M ikota. She is a widow, having lost her wife to a duel
as Slow Tide gets to a "Noble Quarter." with a Crane almost a decade ago, and has two chi ldren,
Chisa (age twelve) and Tokko (age ten). Mikota gives t he
The Governor: Kasuga Mugatsu appearance of being less intelligent-her lower lip tends
to droop, and she speaks vaguely, sometimes losing the
The governor of Slow Tide Harbor is a lean, almost trail of a conversation. However, this outward behavior
bone-thin man in late middle age, past the normal age is more act than reality. She finds using this behavior to
of retirement but holding on to power because he has fool others makes it easier for her to get through life in
no heirs. He is not a particularly refined man-in that Slow Tide Harbor.
regard being little different from lower-ranking Tor- Mikota generally takes a leave-well-enough-a lone
toise-and he indulges regularly in opium. He prefers attitude, avoiding stirring up trouble as long as everyone
not to be troubled by the work of governance; so long avoids disruptions and pays t heir bribes on time. Serious
as the taxes (and bribes) come in and there is no fighting crimes, such as murder, are still investigated, though she
in the streets, he is content. Lower-ranking individuals chafes at having to deal wit h such interruptions t o her
such as Kasuga Mikota take their cue from him. routine. This keeps the clashes between the three major
crime bosses at a nonlethal level, and it means she'll
be thorough ly unhappy if the PCs start killing people as
part of their investigation. She is also hostile to any PCs
from the Crane Clan, although she knows better t han t o
provoke a duel.
 /

DARK TIDES

The Shrine to Jikoju The Inn of Many Paths

There are a number of small public shrines to various Th is two-story inn is probably the town's most "respect-
Fortunes scattered around Slow Tide Harbor. This one, able" such establishment, although that is a limited
however, is large enough to be considered almost a endorsement. It is run by a portly, middle-aged woman
temple. It is a single-story, pagoda-roofed building named Chiyu. She maintains it with the help of her two
with a central worship chamber and smaller rooms to teenage sons, who serve as both workers and bouncers.
the sides and back, which house the t rio of monks who The place caters equally to samurai and peasants. It can
oversee it. These monks also travel through the city daily get a bit rowdy, but not nearly as bad as the p laces in
to tend to the smaller shrines. the Dockside. Otomo Hiroshige, the first missing samu-
This shrine is dedicated to Jikoju, the Fortune of t he ra i of note, stayed here, and it is likely where t he PCs
East Wind. Since the eastern wind comes from over t he begin their investigations in the town.
sea, bringing with it mysteries from beyond the Empire,
the Tortoise Clan finds this Fortune singularly important. Splendid Visions and Boss Kizo
The chief priest here (the shrine is too small for him
to be called a high priest) is a long-faced man named One of three major crime lords in Slow Tide Harbor, Kizo
Ojo. Friendly and welcoming, Ojo is quite acclimated to maintains a public identity as the humble proprietor of a
the town 's unusual nature and even socializes with gaijin, popular woodblock print shop called Splendid Visions.
hoping to lead them onto the path of Enlightenment. The shop also deals in sumi-e art, though to a much less-
The shrine does not tie directly into Dark Tides but is er degree. Kizo appears harmless and normally speaks
included for continued adventures in Slow Tide Harbor. in a soft, gentle voice. A family man, he is often seen
Spiritual PCs may wish to visit it during their investiga- cheerfully walking around town with his grandchildren.
tion here, though, and the GM can certainly use Ojo to Beneath this charming far;:ade, however, is a cold and
offer guidance and perhaps even clues if necessary. ca lculating criminal. Kizo runs an assortment of protec-
tion rackets against the other businesses in this d istrict.
With the support of Kasuga Yumiko, he has also been
THE MERCHANT DISTRICT
making inroads into the opium racket as well. So far,
Beyond the docks is a network of tang led streets lined his gains have been at the expense of Boss Yaguro in
with shops, businesses, and warehouses. The local resi- the Wallow; it is likely that if he continues to expand,
dents refer to the area, somewhat ironically, as the "Mer- though, he will also come into conflict with Boss Hana.
chant District." In truth, it would be more accurate to call
it the "smugglers' district," but appearances must be The Upstart: Kasuga Yumiko
maintained. This place is busy throughout the day and
well into the night, and its narrow, irregular streets and Th is Tortoise samurai is officially a merchant patron, spon-
central marketplace are always crowded. soring several ships that ca ll Slow Tide Harbor t heir home
port. In reality, of course, this means she is a smuggler-
one of the most powerful here. She has been steadily
The Open-Air Market
and relentlessly building up wealth and influence through
Most Rokugani towns have something like this: an secret commerce in illegal drugs (both opium and exotic
open market encompassing a mix of wooden stalls and foreign ones), gaijin items, and stolen goods-the latter
silk-shaded tables. Here, though, there are a many gaijin usually bought cheaply from pirates or bandit gangs. She
items for sale as well-strange jewelry, exotic weapons, is allied with Boss Kizo but she also has extensive and
peculiar clothing, intense spices, and foreign cosmetics. growing networks elsewhere in Rokugan. Her long-term
Opium and other drugs are not sold openly, however, as goal is not just wealth, but political power, both within
even the Tortoise tolerate only so much. Many food and her clan and in the Empire as a whole. She nurses secret
herb vendors covertly still sell them or direct customers dreams of her clan becoming far more powerful, perhaps
to opium dens on the Dockside or in the Wallow. even ascending to the ranks of the Great Clans.
PCs wishing to purchase some of these illicit items Yumiko is a petite woman in her mid-twenties with a
generally find they are quite expensive; there are no dueling scar along one cheek, her eyes g littering with
fixed prices for them, but the GM should set values that ambition. In contrast to many of her fellow Tortoise
are just outside their reach. Most of the merchants serve samurai, who tend to dress little different from the peas-
as conduits between the smugglers and their custom- ants around them, she always wears proper samurai
ers. PCs who ask around at t he market can learn a great garb in the clan colors of green and black. She is unmar-
deal about Slow Tide's covert economy, as long as they ried and has no intention of changing that, an eccentric-
refrain from issuing condemnations and making arrests. ity that would be problematic in other clans but in the
Tortoise Clan is of no great account.
 DARK TIDE S

GAIJIN IN ROKUGAN
Kasuga Yumiko is one of three potential villains The Ga ijin: Az if t he Smooth
in this adventure. If the GM selects her for the role,
This gaijin in his thirties has black hair and a th ick beard.
Since the Battle of her motivation is the desire to boost her own power by
White Stag {see page He normally resides in his ship, a gaijin vessel whose
spectacularly defeating a threat to the Empire: the maho
3), Imperial decree name translates (roug hly) as Obedient Slave. O rig inally
cult of Kitsu Sokori. She is funneling kidnapped samu-
has forbidden all direct from the city of al-Bhagva r, located along t he Sand Road
contact with foreign- rai to Sokori until the time is ripe for her to swoop in,
of t he Caliphate, he fled after a youthful life of crime and
ers. However. as witlt destroy the cult, and reap the political rewa rds. Since
many other aspects of murder. He eventually wound up as the capt ain of t he
she herself must have this heroic role, she is very unhap-
Rokugan, what is official py at the prospect of the PCs digging into things, and
Slave, pursuing a career of mixed p iracy, smugg ling, and
is not always tlte reality. leg itimate trade.
she tries to throw them off the scent or even frame them
The Tortoise Clan has Bold and ambitious, Azif sails directly t o Slow Tide
maintained covert trade as incompetent. Yumiko's profile is on page 23.
Harbor ratherthan following the Tortoise Clan's preferred
and contact with the
gaijin throughout the protocol of landing on the remot e island of Kameyama
THE DOCKSIDE
centuries since then, and Ji ma. This has paid off for him with considerable wealth
they are not alone in this. The town's coastline runs for almost a Ii (about a third and improved contacts. He has cultivated alliances with
The Mantis, Phoenix, and
of a mile) along the curving, irregular northern shore the t own 's officials and merchants, as well as with the
Unicorn also have covert
links with outsiders. of the bay. The main commercial area, known as the crime lord Boss Hana. Azif is fluent in Rokugani as wel l
Dockside, has dozens of piers extending into the water. as several gaijin lang uages including his native Nehiri.
There are many reasons
The wharves are always crowded; there are ten to fif- He is one of the two most powerful smugg lers here, t he
for these clans to main-
tain this trade despite the teen ships in the harbor at any given time, mostly the other being Kasuga Yumi ko.
laws against it, but the standard kobune but also a few merchant variants of the
most basic and obvious larger atakebune. There is also at least one vessel of dis-
one is wealth. Rich samu-
tinctly foreign appearance, with a low-raking deck and
rai and merchants pay
exorbitantly for unique a trio of masts with triangular sails; the locals behave as
and exotic curiosities though this is nothing strange or exceptional.
from foreign lands. It is The buildings near the docks are a mixture of ware-
not actually illegal to own houses and businesses. All cater to the needs of visiting
such items, although it
sailors: cheap inns, sake houses, gambling dens, and a
can be considered scandal-
ous, depending on what number of semi-covert brothels and opium parlors.
they are.

For an actual gaijin to The Harbormaste r: Kasuga Nagato

enter Rokugan is quite un-
usual but not altogether The harbormast er, Kasuga Nagato, has an office located
impossible. Indeed, if one at the southern end of the docks district. It is a large
reads between the lines of square building on tall wooden posts, filled wit h shelves
the Tortoise Clan's history stuffed haphazardly with scrolls.
and founding, it is evident
Nagato is a portly, unhealthy man in his forties with
that most of the original
"Tortoise samurai" were a perpetual sneer. He is usually only present in his office
gaijin stranded in the in the morning and mid-afternoon. At the latter time, it
Empire after their fleet is not uncommon for him to be drunk. He is also who lly
was driven away. On rare
corrupt, not only taking bribes from smugglers but also
occasions since then,
gaijin have visited the demanding bribes from smugglers and merchants alike
Empire covertly {with or to allow their ships to operate unmolested.
without t/1e cooperation
of the Tortoise). In excep-
Suite ngu's Rest
tionally few instances,
some have even lived
Suitengu's Rest is one of the less disreputable establish-
there permanently.
ments in the this region, and is located on the southern
docks where many gaijin dealings are made. The inn is run
by a stooped, bald-headed old man named Zurui, who
shuffles slowly, delivering cheap drinks and cheap food.
About half the guests here are samurai- mostly Tor-
toise and Mantis sailors. The gaijin smugg ler Azif keeps
rooms here for meetings with locals. The sinister ronin
maho apprentice Gaku is staying here as well.

'
 /

DARK TIDES

In addition to more conventional smuggling, he also Boss Yaguro GAIJIN PEPPER

brings in gaijin pepper, selling it t hrough the Tortoise
The man named Yaguro was once a form idable brawl-
networks and various fronts to the Daidoji Harriers and Made ofsmall, black
er who rose in the ranks of his gang through his abili- grains, this hig/rly com-
Scorpion shinobi. He's also smuggling in a substance
ty to dispose of rivals in back-alley fights. Those glory bustible substance is one
called "Blue Flame," created from a flowering plant
days, however, are long past. Now he is an o ld man of the most illegal gaijin
unknown in Rokugan. It is a potent drug on its own, but imports and is banned
with slumped shoulders, thinning hair, and a potbelly,
when mixed with opium, it produces a more intense and throughout the Empire.
and his opium gang is losing ground to more aggres- Certain clan schools are
ecstatic experience than pure opium does.
sive rivals- namely Bosses Hana and Kizo. Hana is using rumored to use it, howev-
Azif is one of three potential villains in this adven-
Blue Flame to push him out of his core territories in the er. and Slow Tide Harbor
ture. If the GM selects this option, Azif is simply pur- is known in illicit circles
Wallow, while Kizo is pressuring him in the Merchant
suing another profitable venture: smuggling people on as one of the most reliable
behalf of a customer (Kitsu Sokori) who is willing to pay District. Some of Yaguro's gang members are starting locations for purchase.
to drift away, joining t he rival groups or simply leaving .
quite well. After all, her horrid blood rites are only hurt-
Yaguro spends all day in the back office of his main
ing Rokugani, not himself, his crew, or his distant peo-
opium den, the Green Rest, smoking his pipe and obses-
ple. Azif's profile is on page 22.
sively watching entering customers. He has become
increasingly desperate to find new sources of wealth.
THE WALLOW
Most recently, he has stooped to selling bankrupt opi-
The seediest part of Slow Tide is a pair of long, winding, um addicts to the gaijin to crew their boats-so far just
parallel streets-known as the Street of False Hopes and peasants, but it is likely this will eventually escalate.
the Street of Lowering Clouds-and the many crooked Yaguro is one of three potential villains for the
alleyways that connect them. Known as the Wallow, adventure. If the GM selects him for the role, he has
the town's most disparaged aspects can found here- already escalated to selling drug-addicted samurai to
opium dens that operate openly, gaudy brothels that Kitsu Sokori (via her agent, the vile ronin Gaku) . Yaguro's
no honorable samurai would ever enter, the offices of profile is on page 21.
predatory moneylenders, and inns that are little more
than filthy hovels for the poor and hopeless. The name RESIDENTIAL AND FARMING
was originally an insult from a long-ago Crane Emerald
Slow Tide Harbor is a town, not a city, and does not
Magistrate ("this is where the scum come to wallow
have a fortified exterior wall. Beyond the core neigh-
in their sins") and was adopted by the residents as an
borhoods, the town sprawls into a series of residences
ironic tribute.
interspersed with small shops of artisans and smiths.
Those who come to Slow Tide in search of trade go
In contrast to traditional settlements, there is no clear
to the Dockside or the Merchant District. Those who
delineation between the samurai neighborhoods and
wish to indulge their sordid desires come to the Wallow.
t hose of peasa_nts.
This is the area where samurai have been disappearing,
Surrounding the landward side of Slow Tide Harbor
and where the PCs must conduct a substantial portion of
are the grain farms and rice fields which the peasant
their investigation.
tend. These are actually fairly sparse compared to the
size of the town. Slow Tide Harbor relies on trade to
Boss Hana
bring in the extra food it needs, and would be in serious
The lean, middle-aged woman who ca lls herself "the trouble if its shipping was ever cut off.
Flower" is one of three major crime lords in Slow Tide
Harbor. Formerly a brothel madam, she branched into THE 8URAKUMIN VILLAGE
running protection rackets against rival brothels and
No large settlement in Rokugan can survive without the
later added opium dens to her portfolio. She controls
lowly burakumin to collect the refuse and dispose of
the eastern half of the Wallow and has been expanding
the dead, and in this regard Slow Tide Harbor is unex-
her territory aggressively in the last few years, mainly at
ceptional. About a hundred such hinin live in this satel-
the expense of Boss Yaguro. A key aspect of her recent
lite village located on the northern fringe of the town's
success is her alliance with Azif, which has allowed her
farmlands. A pair of narrow, winding paths connect it to
access to Blue Flame. Her biggest source of income now
the main body of Slow Tide Harbor; one of these leads
is the large opium den here called the Golden Dream,
to the primary residential part of town, while the oth-
which is booming thanks to the introduction of the
er eventually turns into the Street of Lowering Clouds,
new drug.
entering the town t hrough the neighborhood known as
the Wallow.
DARK TIDES

?art \wo: \ortoi3e Cfatt WHAT DOES YOUR

CHARACTER KNOW?
?f~er C~aracter3 All Tortoise Clan characters have a greater
awareness of the following topics:
Players can use the following information to create play-
er character samurai from the Tortoise Clan. This can ED You have a strong grasp of the politics
be especially useful for new players joining a group, as within Tortoise lands, as well as general
characters made this way can organically join existing information of the clan's major cities and
PCs in Slow Tide Harbor for Dark Tides. Tortoise samu- ports such as Kyuden Kasuga and Slow
rai also make perfect replacement characters should a Tide Harbor.
PC not survive their time here!
© You know much about gaijin lands such
as Pavarre and the Ivory Kingdoms,
THE TORTOISE MINOR CLAN
including their local customs, and may
Ring Increase: +1 Air know several gaijin traders personally.
Skill Increase: + 1 Commerce © You can speak one or more foreign lan-
Status: 25 guages such as lvindi, Myantu, or Portu-
It is possible there would never have been a Tortoise ga fluently, and are at least conversant
Clan if not for the terrible events of the Battle of White in almost any foreign language that one
Stag. The conflict clearly displayed the dangers of might encounter in Rokugan.
unchecked and unmonitored gaijin activities in Rokugan,
though, and it is now the duty of this unheralded and
© You know the importance of keeping
secrets and abiding lesser infractions
unassuming clan to be the eyes of the Emperor against
of law and honor for the good of
this menace. From their merchant fronts they act like
the Empire.
mere peasants (and often behave and dress like them),
ignoring the open contempt from other samurai. Most
clans simply ignore them, though Tortoise con nections
to the smuggling of gaijin goods are an open secret in WHAT DOES BUSHIDO
many areas. All the while, the Tortoise secretly serve the MEAN TO YOUR CLAN?
Emperor by controlling and limiting such smuggling and
gathering intelligence on gaijin activities. Such a life may The Tortoise believe in the Path of No Path,
seem like one without honor or glory, but the Tortoise whereby each clan member can choose a direc-
know their duty is more important than their image. tion for their life individually, rather than a sin-
gle, established path that all must follow. This
The Kasuga Family grants greater flexibility for solving problems
within the clan, and also greater moral flexibi lity
Ring Increase: + 1 Earth or + 1 Water when dealing with criminals and gaijin. The only
Skill Increases: +1 Skulduggery, +1 Government thing that binds all Tortoise samurai is their man-
Glory: 33 Starting Wealth: 9 koku date from the Emperor. For this reason, Duty
The main family of the Tortoise, the Kasuga can trace (Chugi) holds a special place for the Tortoise as
their lineage even beyond the clan's formation to the their every honorless action is done to as per
Dragon, from which the Tortoise founder Agasha Kasu- Imperial decree.
ga originated. It was Kasuga who rescued the stranded The Tortoise have little patience for courtly
gaijin after their fleet was crushed, and it was Kasuga deeds, though, and care even less for diplo-
who the Emperor charged with forming a new minor matic niceties. Such things are trivial when the
clan out of a motley collection of clanless ronin, heimin, entire Empire is at stake should they fail to
and even some of those same gaijin. When samurai prevent another Battle of White Stag, after all.
think of the Tortoise (if they do at all), they generally Thus, the Bushido tenet of Courtesy (Meiyo) is
think of the Kasuga and their smuggling and other crim- less important to members ofthe Tortoise Clan.
inal activities. The Kasuga follow their duty, no matter See page 301 of the Core Rulebook for
who they must deal with and the honorless actions they more information on how these can affect your
must endure. They eschew higher status, knowing that honor and glory.
their service in this vital matter is its own reward.
 DA RK TID ES

ADVANCE TYPE
Kasuga Smuggler School [Courtier]
Trade Skills Ski. Grp.
The Kasuga have several schools t hat are the public fac-
Culture Skill
es of the Tortoise. Outsiders who are even aware of the
Smuggler school believe it to be linked to tawdry mer- ...
::ic:
Courtesy Skill
chant affairs, and thus beneath their notice. The Torto ise
do their best to foster this misconception, for it actual-
ly trains their samurai who oversee the clan 's ext ensive
z<(
a::
Martial Arts [Melee]
Rank 1 Water Shuji
,, Skill
Tech. Grp.

smuggling and covert t rading operations.

Kasuga smugglers must be proficient in a wide range
+Coiling Serpent Style
Courtier's Resolve
,,
~ Technique
Technique
of act ivities, from simple deception and disguise t o Social Skills Ski. Grp.
negot iat ing with gaijin t raders and Rokugani criminals.
Commerce Skill
Many_travel to gaijin lands and might spend long peri-
ods at sea. N Seafaring Skill
::ic:
As they rise through the school, their focus can shift z<( Skulduggery Skill
from base smuggling and dockside brawls to more
refined operations as t hey interact with wider strat as of
a:: Rank 1-2 Kata
,,
~ Tech. Grp.

Rokugani society of various legitimacies. At the heig ht

of their power, they may acquire foreign works of art for J
• Ebb and Flow
Tributaries of Trade
,, Techn ique
Technique
Rokugani collectors or command large t rading concerns Trade Skills Ski. Grp.
that interact with many other clans. Some even "retire"
Fitness Skill
to small merchant concerns, using t heir years of experi-
ence to better monitor gaijin activit ies and gaijin goods (") Government Skill
::ic:
at a lower level. No loyal Kasuga ever forgets the true z<( Martial Arts [Ranged]
,, Skill
reason for the Tortoise, after all, and all know the price
should they fail.
Rings: +1 Ai r, +1 Water
a:: Rank 1-3 Air Shuji
All Arts Are One
,, Tech. Grp.
Technique

Starting Skills (choose five): + 1 Commerce, +1 Culture, + Breath of Wind Style ~ Technique
I•
+ 1 Courtesy, + 1 Martial Arts [Melee], + 1 Seafaring, + 1 Scholar Skills Ski. Grp.
Skulduggery
Design Skill
Honor: 29
Techniques Available: Kata (\i. ), Rituals (S!'.t), Shuji ((/) '<I' Martial Arts [Unarmed] Skill
::ic:
Starting Techniques: z<( Skulduggery Skill

© Kata: + Rushing Avalanche Style

a:: Rank 1-4 Kata
,,
~ Tech. Grp.

© Shuji (choose one): Honest Assessment,

Well of Desire
• Buoyant Arrival
Rega l Bearing
,, Technique
Techn ique
Trade Skills Ski. Grp.
Way of the Tortoise (School Ability): You never need to
Aesthetics Skills
stake glory to publicly use a Trade skill, so long as you
are doing so as part of your duty to your clan. L/) Courtesy Skill
::ic:
Once per scene, you may add a number of kept •
set to :,.;~ results equal t o your school rank to a check to
z<( Sentiment
,, Skill

interact with one or more gaijin, peasants, merchants,

a:: Rank 1-5 Water Shuji
,, Tech. Grp.

burakumin, o r any other character with status of 20

or lower. I'.
Bend with the Storm
Immovable Hand of Peace
,, Technique
Technique
Starting Outfit: Traveling clothes, wakizashi (short Shell of the Tortoise (Mastery Ability):
sword), any o ne weapon of rarity 6 o r lower, calligraphy I» Once per game session as an action, you
Ii
set , knife, kiseru, abacus or gaijin compass, traveling may invoke the shell of the Tortoise: the '
pack, pouch of gaijin coins. Emperor's remit to operate as you deem
'<I necessary. Until the end of t he scene, treat
::ic:
z<( your status as 90, and other characters
must forfeit honor and g lory equal to the
a::
difference between your status rank and
,, their status rank to accuse you of wrongdo-
ing related to the acquisition or transport of
goods, illicit or otherwise.

9
L5R Game Master's Kit L5R05
ISBN: 978- 1- 63344-338 - 9

LU ~338~
.., 91995

II
~

z
<(
w