Notable Characters

Rin- A peasant merchant of great renown. Rin has no family, but has built a large company for the shipping and sale of goods. He employs a small army of Ashigaru and Ronin that would not be able to threaten a major clan, but could quite well defend against any force worth sending to disrupt him. Because he deals with all the major clans and most of the minor ones, disruption of his business ventures would be very unprofitable to many important people. While this might not outright warrant retaliation from these people, it would certainly warrant discouragement, and they might look the other way if some samurai were injured or killed by his men in "self defense". He holds no "official" or legislative protection, but his own security forces (Known as the Rin Men) are typically enough to protect his interests. Not being a member of the samurai class, he is uniquely able to become quite involved in commerce, handle "dirty" materials (like animal meat or dead bodies), and is not bound strictly by interpretations of bushido.

The Cult of the Singular Kami- A gaijin had come to the country a few years back and was preaching about a singular kami called Om, the greatest of all Kami and creator of all the world. He was to be executed for blasphemy, but he killed himself by setting himself on fire to demonstrate his faith. His faith has moved some of the peasants and eta, and this has become an increasingly troublesome cult that is becoming violent towards temples. They have operated in the shadows and have sought to undermine the celestial order.

Kitsuki Iso- A dragon magistrate who has written the highly controversial treatise known as "The Testimony of the World" and it's follow up "Confession by Clues". Testimony of the World suggests that the world itself ranks in the celestial order above all samurai but below the Emperor and the Kami. He suggests that evidence gathered in criminal investigations can be used as the "World's" testimony, and that such evidence should allow lower ranking magisters to accuse higher ranking people of crimes, rather than requiring a higher level magister to make the accusation. Confession by Clues suggests that the confession required by law before punishing a criminal need not be verbal or written, but he uses a slippery slope from Yes/No nodding or hand signals to be considered confessions, and at the end of the slope suggests that the very act of leaving evidence to be found constitutes as a sort of written and pantomimed confession on the part of the criminal, and urges magistrates to use these confessions in order to dispense justice to wrong doers. Both of these works have gained high acclaim, and also harsh criticism from people of the various clans. Being so divisive, "Iso" has been used as a slang term amongst courtiers to refer to anyone being divisive.

Doji Shunko- Considered to be the greatest poet alive in Rokugon, and perhaps that was ever alive. Rumors of his eloquence are legendary- it is said that his poem read during the funeral of a princess caused the Kami themselves to weep, creating a three day rain in the capital. He has become ever reclusive, and he has not been seen in court for years, but every now and then a new poem is discovered and it is considered to be a masterpiece by all who experience it.

Kakita Anzai and his daughter, Kakita Yuya: Anzai is considered to be an unbeatable duelist due in part to his special Kata he developed over years of practice which breaks the flow of the normal duel. He immediately calls for "Strike" with no attempt to focus, and his Kata allows him to attempt a counterstrike, disarming the attacker, and cutting him with his own blade whilst in the air. He has demonstrated this at various show duels. The only one he ever taught this technique to was his daughter Yuya, who was kidnapped and presumed killed by bandits at a young age. At the summer court last year, a group of samurais engaged in a hunting and gift contest, uncovered the bandits and attempted to bring the head of the bandit leader to Kakita Anzai as a gift- however they discovered that he had been raising Kakita Yuya as his own, and learned of her heritage due to her use of the unique dueling skill. She was brought back to her family as the "gift" for the contest, which has been spoken of as a legendary event by courtiers ever since.

The Tiger Clan: This minor clan has been tasked with clearing taint from the realm. Their shugenja has been tasked from the Emperor himself to seek out ways of cleansing taint and have been given authority to act as seen fit. They typically do not work as Jade Magistrates, but moreso as scholars, though they do maintain several prisons for those that practice taint magic, and individuals harboring taint are often given to them for experimentation rather than outright killed. The other clans have somewhat of an uneasy relationship with the Tiger Clan, respecting their work, but worried that they might be accused of taint or corruption, and taken without trial or confession by them. While there aren't any known examples of people simply disappearing, they have been known to take tainted people away. Some of their Bushi have been known to explore the land looking for magical artifacts to help detect and protect against taint for the good of the empire, and they have been granted special permission to explore other lands in search of such magic. In their travels they have learned magical spells and rituals outside of what is normal in Rokugan. They are financed by the empire, and do not have much in the way of commerce or large land holdings themselves. PCs are not eligible for the Tiger Clan.

The Wolf Pack: Not a clan, per se, though it might be more appropriate to a Ronin family if anything. There are some samurai that have claimed to be members of a "clan" called the Wolf Pack. They use the term pack to distinguish themselves from a clan, and they have been rumored to invite peasants into their ranks as equals. Some have likened them to a large organized bandit group. They don't have any holdings, and they engage in commerce. They are said to be fierce warriors, though they have also been known to fight dishonorably, attacking from ambush or at night while their enemies are sleeping. Anyone suspected of being a member of the Wolf pack should be captured and questioned, though if live capture is not reasonable, killing them as you would a bandit is appropriate- if you can.