Blood of the Lioness

Abertura

An Adventure at the Battle of Snow Plain

Blood of the Lioness

Blood of the Lioness

Blood of the Lioness

Blood of the Lioness is a military-themed adventure for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game in which the player characters (PCs) have the opportunity to experience firsthand the struggles of war, honor, and sacrifice alongside the formidable Lion Clan. Serving as the Right Hand of the Emperor and revered as some of the Empire’s most accomplished warriors and historians, the Lion are often viewed as an unstoppable force. During the course of this adventure, however, PCs will hear and experience conflicting stories about a critical battle in the Lion’s past, and the truths they discover could change how the past is understood and how the future unfolds. The sourcebook Fields of Victory is an excellent resource for those interested in expanding this adventure or continuing it after its conclusion.

We recommend that the game master (GM) read through the entirety of Blood of the Lioness before running the adventure for a group of players. It may be helpful to create a relationship map that depicts the connections between the characters of parts one, two, and three. We also recommend that the GM talk to the players ahead of time about how they will be playing other characters for a portion of the adventure.

Past Selves and

alter egos

In Part Two, the players take on the roles of other characters for a short time before returning to their usual PCs, and the GM should forewarn the players (without spoilers as to how or why) that this will happen before the adventure begins. (See also How to Start a Campaign on page 282 of the core rulebook.) The GM doesn’t need to explain the nitty-gritty details, just that it will be an inset story, important to the players’ usual characters but not strictly about them. The GM should not ambush the players with a character-swap in the middle of the adventure, as this can rub many players the wrong way.

When Part Two arrives, the GM should discuss with the players whether they would rather use premade characters (see The Advisors on page 12) or make up their own unique historical characters for this part. Some players might relish the chance to try a new school or roleplay a character concept wildly different from their normal character. To reinforce the theme of ancestry, the players might consider whether and how their two characters could be related. If using the rules for Legacies from the Blood of the Lioness online supplement, the GM can also tell the players that they have a chance to acquire a Legacy, a special new advantage linking their historical character to their contemporary one.

Adventure Summary

The PCs have been summoned to the Akodo War College, located in the Castle of the Swift Sword, to gather information regarding a dispute over a diamond mine (see Player Character Motives on page 3). The mine is situated in Unicorn territory, but the Scorpion claim that the Unicorn promised them the rights in exchange for the Scorpion’s aid during the Battle of Snow Plain in 820, over three hundred years ago. The PCs are told to report to Kitsuki Kāgi, the appointed magistrate who will render a judgment on the claim.

In Part One, the PCs arrive at the Castle of the Swift Sword several days before Kitsuki Kāgi, and set about uncovering what they can about the conflict to inform an official Imperial decision on the matter, though the mounting tensions in the Lion Clan may prove difficult to overcome (see The State of the Lion on page 7). It feels as though the entire castle is watching as the PCs launch into their investigation, and they soon discover that accounts of the winter of 820 include contradictory details.

Seeking the truth, the PCs locate the official record of the conflict in the Ikoma Hall of Scribes and find themselves thrust into a vision of the battle. This vision plays out as part of the adventure but may not actually change history (see Living in the Past, below). In Part Two, the PCs play active roles in the Battle of Snow Plain through this vision and can discover the truth, although what they do with that truth is up to them. Part Three returns the PCs to the present, where they use what they’ve learned to prevent or ignite further conflict between the Unicorn, Scorpion, and Lion. The PCs’ newfound knowledge may also compel them to right other wrongs, appease disgruntled ancestors, or set out on new adventures seeking further knowledge.

Living in the Past

The nature of the vision in Part Two is left up to the GM. For groups that want to portray a more grounded setting, the vision can be considered a shared spiritual experience in which the PCs’ actions do not “alter” the timeline. In this case, the players should be presented with agency over the characters they are controlling in the past, but their usual PCs are not actually making different decisions from their past counterparts. Such visions of past or future are uncommon, to be sure, but not unheard-of in Rokugan. For groups interested in more deeply exploring the supernatural elements of Rokugan, the PCs may be mentally transported to the past, and can thus make different choices than their past counterparts, “altering” details in the time at which the PCs exist. The GM can also leave this matter ambiguous. For instance, if the PCs’ actions “alter” a known fact about p. 3 the past, can they be certain that the fact wasn’t simply recorded incorrectly? To ensure that this adventure is playable either way, any changes the players cause in the timeline should be minor and optional, but even small changes might affect the adventure’s conclusion.

Whatever type of vision the GM describes, an element of mystery is encouraged, and while inside the vision, the PCs should feel like their actions and words make a difference. In the vision, the PCs witness events that Lion ancestors lived through, which is itself a mystical experience. How the PCs perform in Part Two has personal consequences in terms of gaining XP, honor, and glory, even if they cannot change the past. However, the most important consequences of the vision take the form of secrets that are uncovered and information that is gained, which can be used to affect the final outcome in Part Three.

For the sake of clarity, the PCs’ foray into the past is referred to as a vision throughout this text, whatever the GM decides it really is.

Player Character Motives

If the PCs played through the In the Palace of the Emerald Champion adventure and became Emerald Magistrates, they have been sent to the Castle of the Swift Sword at the behest of the acting Emerald Champion, Agasha Sumiko, to help arbitrate the Unicorn-Scorpion dispute. Champion Agasha expects them to inquire about the Battle of Snow Plain and scour the Lion’s historical records for anything that might shed light on the truth and prevent unnecessary bloodshed. If the PCs are not Emerald Magistrates, players may make up their own motives for traveling to the Castle of the Swift Sword together with their GM, or they may choose from the following suggestions, most of which are designed to be appropriate for a particular clan.

Cooperation and Competition

If the PCs are not working together as Emerald Magistrates or for another Imperial entity, the conflict between the Scorpion and Unicorn in Part Three lends itself to potential divisions in the party. When helping players incorporate their motives in this section, the GM should consider whether the group wants its playstyle to be cooperative or competitive. If the former, the GM should try to align the PCs’ motives from the outset. See also Conflicting Duties on page 294 of the core rulebook.

Having PCs with wildly different motives can be difficult, but GMs should remember that communicating with their players and working out those motives together can make gameplay and integration of the different player characters much easier.

Generic Motives

One reason a PC who is not a Crane or Unicorn might be invited (or sent) to the Castle of the Swift Sword could be to have their tale (or the tale of their daimyō or another official in their clan who is too busy to go) recorded by the talented scholars of the Ikoma Hall of Scribes. Similarly, a PC might be summoned to lend their expertise on a particularly niche subject currently being researched or recorded by the Ikoma. If the PCs accomplished something noteworthy in a previous adventure or game session, this can serve as a way to highlight their successes and deepen the emotional stakes of visiting the castle.

Crab Clan

PCs of the stalwart Crab Clan may be sent to the Castle of the Swift Sword to search for historical documents that might uncover outstanding food, armament, and personnel agreements with the Lion or other clans (which could help reinforce the Wall). Alternatively, their lord could see the Scorpion-Unicorn dispute as the perfect opportunity to align the Crab with the Unicorn or the Scorpion (whatever makes sense for the GM’s story and the group’s playstyle) in hopes of securing favorable trade deals to support the never-ending battle against the Shadowlands.

Crane Clan

With tensions high in the Castle of the Swift Sword (see The State of the Lion on page 7), Crane Clan PCs must tread carefully and wear politeness like a suit of armor. Invitations are difficult but not impossible to secure, especially if the lord of one of the PCs calls in an outstanding favor owed to the Crane by the Lion, who are nothing if not good for their word. Crane Clan samurai may be sent to the War College to uncover additional evidence to strengthen the Crane Clan’s claim to the Osari Plains, such as through genealogies and old titles.

Part One: The Official Record

Dragon Clan

A Dragon PC may travel to the Castle of the Swift Sword for myriad reasons, many of which could pertain to that PC’s ninjō. Alternatively, the PC’s lord could assign them a specific task, such as to scout potential nuptial matches to boost the dwindling Dragon numbers, to seek out information on the Perfect Land Sect, or to search for clues concerning the past life of an ise zumi, a monk of the Togashi Order.

Lion Clan

A Lion PC may be sent to the Castle of the Swift Sword to investigate the matter of the Unicorn and Scorpion dispute, particularly if Scorpion or Unicorn PCs are also at the castle. It is important to the Lion that they maintain their image of being bastions of historical record keeping, and any suggestion that their records are incomplete or incorrect would be unacceptable. A Lion PC may be charged with ensuring that whatever truth is discovered, it is one that will not tarnish the Lion’s name.

Phoenix Clan

Given Akodo Toturi’s betrothal to Isawa Kaede, the Phoenix Clan’s relationship with the Lion is relatively positive. Phoenix PCs may be sent to the Castle of the Swift Sword to work on strengthening this newfound bond, such as by working in the military library, collaborating with the Kitsu shugenja on spiritual or ancestral research, or assisting with the tending and reconstruction of shrines. Both clans take great pride in their spiritual expertise, however, and the fundamental difference in their dispositions can give rise to misunderstandings and rivalries.

Scorpion Clan

The purpose of a Scorpion PC at the castle is clear: the findings of the investigation must turn out favorably for the clan. The truth is subjective, and any Scorpion PC is almost assuredly present to manipulate events. Additionally, such a PC may be tasked with keeping an eye on any points of tension for the Lion, such as interactions between Crane, Unicorn, and Lion characters.

Unicorn Clan

Like the Crane, the Unicorn are not welcome in Lion lands in the summer of 1123 (see The State of the Lion, on page 7, for more information). With this in mind, any Unicorn PC would likely need the backing of an Emerald Magistrate to visit the castle. Alternatively, Unicorn PCs could be sent as attachés in advance of the official delegation to settle the diamond mine dispute in favor of the Unicorn Clan. Their mission would be to help ensure the diamond mine remains under Unicorn control.

Minor Clans and Others

Minor Clan and non-clan PCs might be sent to support the efforts of one of the Great Clans, above. For example, a Falcon or Mantis might help the Crab, a Deer might help the Dragon or Crane, and a Badger might help the Lion or Unicorn. Imperial family characters could be given the same duty as Emerald Magistrates. Some of the generic motives listed on page 3 may also work for such characters. Rōnin and other outsiders could simply be independent operators, hired for their unique skills to assist one side or another, or they might already be friends or confidantes of one or more other PCs.

Part One: The Official Record

The adventure begins with the PCs arriving at the Castle of the Swift Sword, the home of the Akodo War College, in the early afternoon. In the default version of this adventure, the PCs are assumed to be Emerald Magistrates. For groups with different motives, see Conflicting Motives on the next page. As magistrates, the PCs are tasked with investigating the history of the Battle of Snow Plain by researching all available written records and utilizing the oral traditions of the Ikoma. By the end of their review, they should have enough evidence to determine whether the Scorpion Clan has a legitimate claim to the diamond mine in Unicorn territory.

A Warm Welcome

As the PCs walk through the massive gates of the castle, they are greeted warmly by one of the Kitsu daimyō’s advisors, Kitsu Yayoi. Read or paraphrase the following:

A lithe man in fine robes bows and hails you as you approach the front gates. “Greetings, honored guests. I am Kitsu Yayoi, and I will be helping you settle in this evening. The daimyō sends her regrets, but she is unable to meet with you until the morning to discuss access to the more restricted areas of the libraries. For now, though, I will be happy to show you the grounds. I imagine you are hungry, too.”

Yayoi chats pleasantly with the PCs, shows them to their quarters, and lets them know a meal is being prepared and should be ready soon. He insists on showing them the grounds, as a good host should, and politely inquires about the PCs’ journey as they walk.

When the PCs inquire about Kitsuki Kāgi, the magistrate to whom they are to report, (or if they do not do so before the end of the scene), Yayoi explains the situation. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

SUBSKILLS IN BLOOD

OF THE LIONESS

For this adventure, GMs may wish to use the optional rules for subskills on page 143 of the core rulebook.

The subskills for the Martial and Scholar skill groups, particularly those for the Fitness and Government skills, are well suited for this experience. Adding subskills in the midst of an ongoing campaign is not recommended. If the GM wishes to use subskills, they should make sure the players know before they begin the character creation process.

A THREE-HOUR TOUR

The length of Kitsu Yayoi’s tour depends on how eager the PCs seem to be to explore the castle with a guide.

See Castle of the Swift

Sword on page 5 and Akodo War College on page 6, along with the poster map included with this adventure, for more information on the castle grounds. GMs should feel free to gauge their players’

interest in the tour and can cut directly to meeting Atsushi when they feel it is narratively appropriate to move the group to

the college.

We have received word that Kitsuki Kāgi, the magistrate who will be rendering the final judgment, has been waylaid by unseasonable rains, and does not expect to arrive for several days. Shosuro Aishi and Ide Tsubame, the representatives of the Scorpion and Unicorn, are traveling with him. However, he sends word that you should begin your research and await his arrival.

Any PC with 1 or more ranks in Government knows that this is a rare opportunity for the PCs to influence the results, as the magistrate will likely want to render judgment quickly, having arrived late. By beginning their research early, they will have the chance to prepare any arguments they wish to present, and find historical testimony supporting the outcome they desire without the supervision of the magistrate, who will certainly have his own biases and goals.

As the group is crossing the parade grounds on its tour, read or paraphrase the following:

At the far end of the courtyard, a group of warriors follows the orders of its towering drill sergeant. Abruptly, the sergeant’s shouting ceases. They bow to their students, ending the lesson. Your guide leads you toward the drill sergeant, smiling and gesturing to the gruff Lion samurai. “Atsushi-sama, a moment of your time. We have guests,” he begins, introducing each of you in turn. Akodo Atsushi salutes you warily before Yayoi continues, “Please show them the library at the War College, sergeant. You are very familiar with the War College, after all!”

The sergeant is Akodo Atsushi (see the margin note on the right side of this page). Atsushi is surprised by the task and considers it outside the scope of their duties but would dare not disobey. The PCs may make a TN 2 Sentiment check (Air 1, Earth 3) to notice Atsushi’s veiled frustration and the possible reason for it. If the PCs offer to find the way themselves, Atsushi appreciates the effort even though Yayoi cheerily insists. If a PC comments on Atsushi’s hesitance, they politely deny it but remember the PC’s remark. At the end of this exchange, Atsushi takes the PCs to the War College. Alternatively, if the PCs somehow manage to convince Yayoi to let Atsushi remain on the parade grounds, the sergeant is quietly thankful, and the PCs responsible for convincing Yayoi are each awarded 1 honor for the Bushidō tenet of Compassion (Jin).

Conflicting Motives

If the PCs have conflicting motives or arrive separately at the Castle of the Swift Sword, they are similarly greeted by Yayoi in an amicable fashion. Regardless of the PCs’ motives (seeking information, favors, intelligence, or

Present Characters

Below is a list of the primary NPCs encountered in Parts One and Three for quick reference. For a list of characters from Part Two, see Historical Figures on page 10.

Akodo Atsushi (see right margin), a drill sergeant and teacher at the War College. Gruff and dutiful.

Ikoma Ichigo (page 11), an energetic and proud member of the Ikoma Bards. Detail-oriented and charming.

Kitsu Ayako (page 6), skilled librarian and Taigen’s adopted daughter. Soft-spoken and helpful.

Kitsu Taigen (page 8), an elderly historian and Ayako’s father. Wise and eager to share his vast wealth of koan, or paradoxical riddles.

Kitsu Takeko (page 11), the young Kitsu daimyō and a talented shugenja. Distracted but kindhearted.

Kitsu Yayoi, one of the daimyō’s advisors. Friendly and amicable.

something else), they are invited to meet with the Kitsu daimyō, Kitsu Takeko, the next day. To reject this request would require the PC to forfeit glory equal to three times their glory rank and be removed from the castle.

Yayoi still insists on showing any PCs who don’t immediately reject the daimyō’s invitation around, and everything plays out as described in the default adventure. When the PCs meet with Takeko, however, she indicates that she would like to ask a favor of the group. She would like the PCs to investigate the Battle of Snow Plain issue for her, and in exchange she is happy to allow the PCs to propose their trade deals, let them access information (within reason), or otherwise allow each to come closer to fulfilling whatever task they have received.

Castle of the Swift Sword

The Castle of the Swift Sword rests above the Drowned Merchant River and the Plains of Bloodied Honor, looming over the landscape as a bastion of Lion might. The castle is jointly operated by the Kitsu and the Akodo, two families that are very different but generally complement rather than compete with each other. The castle is the p. 6 seat of the Kitsu family and acts as the home of the Kitsu daimyō when she is not fulfilling her duties elsewhere. The Akodo family’s presence stems from their maintenance of the prestigious Akodo dōjō, the Akodo War College, where the traditions of the Akodo Commander School and Akodo Soldier School are passed on. The secret Golden Lantern Dōjō is also located on the premises, but is known only to its students.

AKODO ATSUSHI, DRILL SERGEANT

Akodo Atsushi can be represented by the Loyal Bushi profile on page 312 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Large Stature distinction (page 108 of the core rulebook). They are towering, powerful, and gruff. They resent being asked to serve as a tour guide and would much rather be training subordinates or rereading Akodo’s Leadership. Atsushi is aware of their ancestor Akodo Aoi and of Aoi’s basic connection to the Battle of Snow Plain.

Atsushi possesses Aoi’s tenugui (a thin cotton hand towel used as a sweatband) but does not wear it or know its historical significance. If a Matsu or an Akodo is present in the party, Atsushi may make a remark about the current tensions within the Lion (see The State of the Lion on this page). Atsushi is completely supportive of Akodo Toturi’s role as the new Lion Clan Champion and would revel in the opportunity to argue about it with someone.

Both families keep records in the castle and work together to ensure that the clan’s past, military and otherwise, is remembered. Within the castle’s walls lies the Tomb of the Five, rumored to possess the blessed bones of the Kitsu family founders. The Ikoma Hall of Scribes, a smaller but well-maintained offshoot of the Ikoma Libraries of Kyūden Ikoma, is also located there, so the castle is an important center of learning and history for the Lion and the Empire as a whole. It is the perfect place for the PCs to search for answers.

Akodo War College

The Akodo War College takes up more than half of the space within the vast, sprawling Castle of the Swift Sword. Built like a castle within a castle, it has its own main keep and defenses, though these are rarely used for more than educational purposes. Within the main building, screens are moved to make rooms larger or smaller depending on the needs of the teachers. The outside spaces are set up for training in summer and autumn with equipment such as archery targets. These spaces are cleared in the winter and made ready for war games in the spring. Unless the PCs’ visit must happen in another season, such as if this adventure is being played as part of a larger campaign, it is early summer.

As the group enters the college proper, read or paraphrase the following:

Inside the college, you pass through long halls and pristine rooms. In some, there is nothing but silence as students sit in meditation. In others, the clack of wooden bokken (practice swords) and chorused answers are testament to the training within.

The PCs pass through the halls (page 8) before they reach the military library, where Atsushi leaves them in the care of Kitsu Ayako (see left margin).

The Military Library

When the PCs reach the military library, read or paraphrase the following:

Your guide leaves you at the door of the library, a series of rooms that holds not only scrolls but also maps of battlegrounds and dioramas of battle scenes. Suits of armor worn by storied Lion generals

Historical Inconsistencies

The history of Rokugan is not an exact record of the past, but instead a narrative woven together from the accounts of individuals with agendas, ideals, and imperfect knowledge. As such, the official histories stored in the High Histories of the Ikoma (the Ikoma Libraries in Sacred Watch Palace; see page 21 in Fields of Victory) and in the Akodo Military Library often differ in some respects from the events they record. Some differ vastly from the truth, and for this reason the PCs encounter a moral dilemma in this adventure. They have a choice: they can preserve harmony and say they agree with the official account of the battle, or they can attempt to correct its falsehoods. For most Rokugani samurai, truth itself is not what is valued most, but rather peace, harmony, and political influence. However, this social convention is just that—a convention—and an individual might choose to break it due to their personal convictions.

In the official scroll describing the events of the battle, at least one crucial detail is left out: Kitsu Yū invoked the spirits of her ancestors, who charged forth into battle beside the Lion Clan soldiers.

stand on display. Only one figure moves, a slight and hesitant young woman dressed in scholar’s robes. “Welcome to the library,” she says, bowing. “I am Kitsu Ayako. It is a pleasure to meet you. Daimyō Takeko sent word of your arrival, and I am grateful to assist you however I can.”

Each PC with at least 1 rank in Theology must make a TN 3 Theology (Void) check. A PC who succeeds notices a visible, shimmering shape hovering near Ayako; a PC who fails still senses the presence of a spirit but does not perceive it near Ayako. The figure fades just as the PC glimpses it. A PC may spend from this check to sense that the spirit does not seem hostile. An additional may be spent to briefly hear the creak of armor as the spirit moves. This is Kitsu Yū, though Ayako is both unaware of her presence and oblivious to Yū’s connection to her (see the left margin for more information on Kitsu Yū).

Ayako (see page 6) is at the PCs’ disposal. If the PCs explain their task to her, she directs them to the library’s information on the Battle of Snow Plain. A single scroll gives the official account of the battle. Relay the following if a PC looks at this information:

KITSU AYAKO

Adopted by Kitsu Taigen, Ayako has always felt like an outsider. Given her peasant background, she has never been trusted with Kitsu secrets, and when she showed interest in becoming a shrine keeper, she was told she would have to study elsewhere. Instead, she chose to become a librarian and maintains records within the Akodo Military

Library. This means she has never had anyone recognize—much less investigate—her unusual abilities. She is of peasant lineage, and is unaware of her direct ancestry going back to the ancient kitsu. She has felt suggestions of Yū’s presence before, and it is thanks to Yū’s intervention that Ayako was noticed by Taigen in the first place, which ultimately led to his adoption of her. Small-statured, young, and soft-spoken, she is used to being overlooked by most other than her father. She does not know that Kitsu Yū is her ancestor, nor that Kitsu Yū possessed the capacity for ancestral summoning:

a trait from their shared leonine yōkai ancestors that she also possesses.

The Lion Clan once ruled over the lands of Snow Plain, but when the Unicorn Clan returned in the year 815 from its long journey across other lands, the Emperor gave the plain and several other territories to the Unicorn.

Five years later, in 820, the Lion had grown so bitter about the loss of territory that they instigated the Battle of Snow Plain with the aim of retaking that land.

To reclaim the Lion’s lost lands and repay the blow to the clan’s pride it represented, a renowned Lion general, Matsu Sakura, confronted the Unicorn general, Shinjo Kamu, but his tactics surprised her. Sakura had prepared to face mounted warriors but instead faced foot soldiers. The Unicorn had unexpectedly sought aid from the Scorpion in exchange for rights to several defunct mines. With the Scorpion’s advice and assistance, the Unicorn were able to defeat the overconfident Matsu.

This scroll is signed by a Kitsu by the name of Yū. It is the contents of this scroll that keep Yū from resting (see A Restless Spirit on page 9).

If the PCs ask about Kitsu Yū, Ayako explains that there may be information about her in the Kitsu archives

(see page 11), but she cannot take the PCs there until they have had their meeting with the daimyō.

In the meantime, Ayako suggests taking the PCs to visit the Ikoma Hall of Scribes. She shows them another scroll, which lists Ikoma Hideri as the historian assigned to Matsu Sakura’s army when she set out. Hideri’s account should be there.

Exploring the Library

Before the PCs leave the military library, they may explore it further, such as to look for more information about the battle that Ayako may have missed or to search for information on subjects or characters relevant to other adventures.

If the PCs have taken part in any notable battles, the records of those battles should be here, and if asked, Ayako is happy to help the PCs find them. The GM may use this opportunity to seed further adventures; perhaps a detail of a battle is incorrect or incomplete. As the PCs look around, read or paraphrase the following:

As you take in the carefully organized rows of scrolls, you notice a printing room that adjoins the library. An older man chimes in from nearby: “They are making copies of Akodo’s Leadership . Ayako, will you introduce me to our guests?”

The State of the Lion

In the summer of 1123, when this adventure takes place, the tensions among the clans are rising. Several events have the Lion Clan on edge and eager for a fight. Game masters can incorporate these tensions and events into their game if they wish. Alternatively, GMs can set this adventure in a time of their own choosing or ignore these events altogether.

Doji Satsume has died, and the office of the Emerald Champion is vacant. Ruby Champion Agasha Sumiko is serving as acting Emerald Champion. The Lion believe that by having one of their own earn the title, they would not only gain the upper hand over the Crane Clan, but also humble them in a very public arena.

The previous Lion Clan Champion, Akodo Arasou, was slain by Doji Hotaru, and the Lion are looking for retribution. As a result of this hostility, most Crane are barred from Lion lands without an Imperial sanction. See Player Character Motives, on page 3, for suggestions on how to incorporate Crane PCs into this adventure.

The new Lion Clan Champion, Akodo Toturi, is betrothed to Isawa Kaede of the Phoenix Clan. Phoenix PCs are likely to be met with less suspicion than PCs of other clans because of this.

Factions are forming within the Lion. Some members believe the fearsome and battle-tested Matsu Tsuko would be a better Lion Clan Champion, while others are relieved that the more level-headed Akodo Toturi is champion.

The Unicorn Clan Champion, Shinjo Altansarnai, has broken off her engagement to Ikoma Anakazu. The Lion have taken the village of Hisu Mori and the nearby fortress in retaliation. Because of the tension and ongoing skirmishes between the Unicorn and Lion, most Unicorn have difficulty traveling in Lion lands as well. For suggestions on how to incorporate a Unicorn PC into this adventure, see Player Character Motives on page 3.

KITSU SHUGENJA

The Kitsu family is renowned for its wellkept secrets and unique bloodline. While all the members of this family are dedicated to remembering their ancestors and keeping records of the past, some of their number serve an even more revered purpose. Those shugenja who carry the blood of the lionlike creatures known as the kitsu are capable of communing with the blessed ancestors of Yomi and even serving as mediums for those spirits. Even rarer is the gift of being able to summon ancestor spirits into the Realm of Mortals. The most powerful manifestations of such an invocation allow these summoned ancestral spirits to fight alongside the Lion Clan in battle. The abilities of these shugenja are innate, though they must be nurtured like any gift. Family members born without these abilities are typically barred from accessing the most sensitive records and artifacts the Kitsu possess, which are locked away in the Kitsu Tombs.

DIAMONDS IN ROKUGAN

Diamonds are rare in Rokugan, so the mines that hold them are particularly valuable. Some shugenja claim diamonds are especially effective for use during rituals, but the Scorpion covet the mines as a source of wealth and thus political advancement. Conversely, the Unicorn value diamonds for their strength and ability to cut other materials.

Ayako introduces Kitsu Taigen, her father (through adoption, though she would not mention this), to the PCs. Taigen is old, wise, and helpful. He asks the PCs if they would like to visit the castle’s ancestral shrine with him after they are finished in the library. To refuse his request would violate the Bushidō tenet of Courtesy (Rei), and so a PC must forfeit honor equal to their honor rank to refuse. Ayako happily joins them if they go.

The Halls

When the PCs leave the military library after meeting Ayako, read or paraphrase the following:

When you leave the library, the halls feel strangely cold, as though a chill wind has just passed through. A purple banner ripples in the breeze as you pass.

The halls of the Akodo War College are decorated with banners won from opposing armies. The banner that moves is a Unicorn banner. If the PCs investigate, they discover it bears the Shinjo family crest. A successful TN 3 Culture check (Water 2, Fire 5) identifies it as dating from the Battle of Snow Plain. Lion and Unicorn characters reduce the TN of this check by 1. The presence of this banner is strange, since history claims the Lion lost, and normally they only display opposing clans’ banners from battles they won. If none of the PCs notice this, Taigen offhandedly comments on the inconsistency (something he noticed many years ago).

None of the NPCs can explain the oddity of the banner’s presence, but the PCs learn about the banner in Part Two, and may even be responsible for claiming it. Depending on how the GM is running the adventure, the PCs could change history by failing to claim this banner in Part Two, in which case it could be absent when they return (see Living in the Past, page 2).

If the PCs are concerned about the strange presence drawing their attention to the banner, they may seek advice (see A Restless Spirit on page 9).

Ancestral Shrine

If the PCs honor Taigen’s request and go the ancestral shrine to pray with him, they will likely make their way there after finishing their work in the library. This simple shrine near the Golden Lantern Dōjō is maintained by the Kitsu students and is open to all visitors.

Once inside the shrine, the PCs must make a TN 1 Courtesy check or TN 1 Culture check to realize they are expected to place an offering of sake or rice on the altar, in addition to lighting a candle. Any PC with rank 1 or greater in Theology automatically knows an offering is required, and any Kitsu NPC can inform them of the preferred offering if asked. If a PC fails to present an offering, the kami of the shrine bristle at the slight, and that PC receives 2 strife as a chill runs down their spine or another small ill omen appears before them. Once these conditions are met, read or paraphrase the following:

As soon as you place the offering, the candle flickers. Suddenly, a woman in heavy armor appears behind the altar, clutching her katana with one hand and a fresh wound in her side with the other. She looks almost real, but you can see the wall through her, and she does not seem to see you with her glowing golden eyes—the eyes of a great hunting cat. She opens her mouth to speak, and then she vanishes.

A successful TN 3 Sentiment (Void 1) or TN 4 Theology (Void 2) check reveals that the spirit has something to say but is unable to. Ayako says the spirit is Kitsu Yū, but she does not know why she knows this. This allows the PCs to recognize her in Part Two. Taigen is startled by this vision, and he tells the PCs he will stay in the shrine to pray and try to commune with the spirit once again.

Golden Lantern Dōjō

This dōjō is unique in Rokugan, as it only trains Kitsu shugenja in the secret technique that Kitsu Yū discovered at Snow Plain in 820 (see Historical Inconsistencies, page 6), as the PCs will learn in Part Two. While the main dōjō for Kitsu shugenja teaches the techniques for mediumship, the students of the Golden Lantern Dōjō learn to fight and how to summon the spirits of their ancestors to fight alongside them as a ghostly army. Kitsu who have mastered the Ancestral Summons invocation are rare, but a single such shugenja can turn the tide of a battle.

The dōjō itself is quite unremarkable; when not in use, the inside appears to be no more than a large empty room, like any training area in the castle. When the few students are present, the shōji screen doors and windows are kept closed. On auspicious nights, when the training grounds are empty, the dōjō’s students attempt to summon the honored spirits of the dead, who appear as phantasmal troops patrolling the grounds.

The Golden Lantern Technique

The Ancestral Army invocation is included for GMs and players who would like to enrich their adventures by having one or more PCs study at the Golden Lantern Dōjō and learn its technique. Only Lion Clan characters can take the following invocation, as the Kitsu family is very secretive about its arts.

KITSU TAIGEN,

INSTRUCTOR

This aged instructor can be represented by the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Sage template and Detached demeanor (see page 310 of the core rulebook). Often found in the military library, he was once a bard but now teaches military history and knows the records better than anyone. In fact, he knows there’s more to the Battle of Snow Plain than the official version, though he’s never uncovered the whole truth. He is a descendant of Matsu

Sakura. He adopted Ayako because he suspected her ancestry, and her ancestor, Kitsu Yū, saved the honor and life of his own. He does not think it possible for the history to be changed and Yū’s disgrace lifted,

however.

If Taigen is asked about

Ayako, a successful TN 2 Courtesy check (Earth 3, Fire 3, Void 1)

earns his good faith, and he offhandedly mentions that Ayako is his adopted daughter. She once requested to become a shrine keeper for the Kitsu but was refused. She became a librarian instead so she could stay and help her

aging father.

Alternatively, the PCs can discover that Ayako is Taigen’s adopted daughter and learn about her rejection by the Kitsu shugenja by speaking with Ayako and succeeding at a TN 3 Courtesy

check (Fire 2).

Ancestral Army Rank 1, Kitsu Family

A powerful invocation that can only be learned at Golden Lantern Dōjō which allows some gifted Kitsu shugenja to call forth ancestor spirits. However, these ancestors will only answer the call of a warrior who seeks to live up to their ideals, and will swiftly abandon any who refuse to comport themselves with the dignity of their station. Additionally, the technique takes a toll the longer the warriors are manifest, and risks leaving the shugenja exhausted and defenseless after they depart.

Activation: Once per scene as a Support action, you may make a TN 3 Theology (Water) check targeting one position at range 1. When you activate this invocation, you must stake 5 honor upon behaving properly in the presence of your ancestors.

Effects: If you succeed during a narrative scene, intrigue, or skirmish, you summon a number of ancestral warriors (see Ancestral Warriors, on this page) equal to your school rank to aid you in battle. These characters fight for you for a number of rounds equal to your honor rank, plus one additional round per bonus success, taking their turns immediately after yours. When this effect ends, the ancestral warriors return to the afterlife. If you forfeit honor while this effect persists, it ends immediately instead, and you also lose your staked honor. After this effect ends, receive fatigue equal to your bonus successes.

If you succeed during a mass battle, you summon reinforcements to your army, increasing its strength and discipline by two times your school rank (if you did not have an army, it creates one with strength equal to your school rank times two and discipline 40). This effect persists for a number of rounds equal to your honor rank plus your bonus successes. When this effect ends, the ancestral warriors return to the afterlife, and your army’s strength and discipline decrease accordingly (if you no longer have an army as a result, your army counts as being routed, as described on page 279 of the core rulebook). If you forfeit honor while this effect persists, it ends immediately instead, and you also lose your staked honor. After this effect ends, receive fatigue equal to your bonus successes.

New Opportunities

+ (Narrative Scene, Intrigue, or Skirmish): Up to one of the ancestors you summon this way per spent this way appears at a location at range 0–3 of you instead. + (Narrative Scene, Intrigue, or Skirmish): Up to one of the ancestors you summon per spent this way may be a specific individual, using any appropriate human (or other ancestor, such as a kitsu) profile with combined and threat rating no greater than your honor rank. + (Mass Battle): One cohort in your army per spent this way gains one of the following abilities: Cavalry, Siege Specialists, Infantry, Archers, Mystics (see page 280 of the core rulebook).

Akodo’s Leadership

This important text is required reading for every Lion student, bushi and courtier alike. At the GM’s discretion, a non-Lion character who spends a downtime activity studying Leadership and succeeds at a TN 4 Composition or Culture (Void) check to understand the manuscript may purchase the following distinction for 3 XP: Student of Akodo (Void)

Types: Interpersonal, Mental

Effects: The following apply to a character with the Student of Akodo distinction:

You have studied the famous text known as Akodo’s Leadership, which has given you an insight into Lion culture. You can identify the proper purpose of all Rokugani battlefield weapons, even if you are not personally proficient in their use, and you know about most common military maneuvers and engagements, especially those preferred by the Lion Clan.

When making a check to understand the Lion Clan mindset or strategy (such as a Culture [Void] check to intuit the correct way to broach a difficult subject to a Lion Clan character of higher status or Tactics [Void] check to predict what strategy a Lion Clan general will employ), you may reroll up to two dice.

Ikoma Hall of Scribes

When the PCs visit the Hall of Scribes for the first time, read or paraphrase the following:

You enter a vast hall, silent but for the whisper of a scroll being unrolled with reverence and your own footsteps echoing on the wooden floor. A wooden tile in the center depicts the Ikoma family crest. The Kitsu, Akodo, and Matsu crests mark the paths to the wings of those families. A scholar bends over a scroll at the far end of the room, but there may be others hidden among the shelves or in the adjoining rooms.

Ayako can inform the PCs that this is where the Ikoma keep records from across the Empire, accounts of battles, courts, and stories bards learned on their travels. Separate wings are devoted to the histories of the Kitsu and Akodo, but these are closed to casual visitors. Many of the scrolls were written by Ikoma Bards, who commit themselves to recording events. If the PCs have already been to the military library, they know of Ikoma Hideri, who was present at the Battle of Snow Plain. Any records she made about the Battle of Snow Plain should be in the Hall of Scribes, but there is nothing to find.

ANCESTRAL WARRIORS

Ancestral warriors use the Loyal Bushi profile (page 312 of the core rulebook) with the following alterations:

They are Minion NPCs. If they become Incapacitated, they vanish. Their physical and supernatural resistances are equal to your honor rank (instead of being determined by their armor).

They are Otherworldly beings, and can pass through solid objects, float, and perform other ghostly phenomena at the GM’s discretion.

Ancestral warriors will never voluntarily forfeit honor; if a request you make of them would cause them to forfeit honor, they vanish instead.

A RESTLESS SPIRIT

Throughout the PCs’ investigation, a presence watches their work. This is the spirit of Kitsu Yū, who has waited generations for an opportunity to correct the records of the Battle of Snow Plain. She cannot communicate directly, but she tries to capture their attention in small ways. She flaps the Unicorn banner as they pass it when entering the War College, rattles the armor in the library, and sweeps a scholar’s scroll onto the floor in the Hall of Scribes (see left). Any PC with 2 or more ranks in Theology or the Sixth Sense advantage suspects a restless spirit. The PCs may attempt to contact the spirit by visiting the ancestral shrine (see page 8), which any Kitsu NPC asked about the matter advises them to do.

Ayako knows the scholar at the table. They are Ikoma Ichigo, a bard who spends countless hours there and is currently poring over details of famous events so they can retell them by heart later. The scroll Ichigo has on the table is a map of Snow Plain. They had heard of the dispute over the mines and were curious to see where they were. This is an excellent opportunity for the GM to show players the poster map of Snow Plain provided with this adventure.

Ichigo is very willing to help the PCs, though when the name Hideri is mentioned, a TN 2 Sentiment (Water 1, Fire 3) check reveals the bard’s slight reluctance. If the PCs ask, Ichigo admits that Ikoma Hideri is their ancestor, and as she failed to record the details of Snow Plain, she is a disgrace to the family. Ichigo takes the PCs to where any record would be, but there is none. Hideri failed to record the battle, and so the details are lost. Ichigo offers the PCs an account of the version of the battle they have been taught.

Read or paraphrase the following aloud when the PCs are ready to hear the Ikoma’s tale:

The Ikoma stands before you, head bowed and arms wide. Those that are in the Hall of Scribes, students, teachers, and even a few servants, gather around to listen. Softly, the Ikoma begins, but soon the crowd is swept away in the tale.

Tears run down the Ikoma’s face as they speak of the Unicorn stealing the Lion’s land; then, they look fierce as the army marches forth, and frightened when describing the battlefield. They make no mention of the Scorpion, but the Unicorn gain victory, and a caricature of General Sakura losing her temper at her defeat causes a fight to break out in the audience, students backing away from a bristling pair of young Lion clan samurai.

Exploring the Hall of Scribes

The PCs have plenty of time to explore the Hall of Scribes further if they wish to (for information on what the Hall of Scribes may offer, see Historical Inconsistencies on page 6). Ayako is eager to help the PCs find any genealogy or record they might wish to see, and this offers the GM an opportunity to reveal Lion ancestors in the PCs’ pasts, creating a personal link. If any of the PCs are of the Akodo or Kitsu family, they are invited to explore the relevant wings of the library. Here they might find mention of an ancestor who disappeared in a particular location but was never found, or one who fought at Snow Plain.

The GM may wish to make Yū’s presence felt by having her spirit rustle papers or knock scrolls from shelves, as well as sweeping the map from the table. A TN 1 Theology check confirms that these happenings appear to be related to the other odd occurrences (see A Restless Spirit on page 9).

Barracks

The barracks are large communal living areas for the soldiers-in-training. If the PCs visit the barracks, the bushi can be represented by the Loyal Bushi profile from page 312 of the core rulebook, without armor or weapons. A pair of bushi are playing Go on a travel set. The confident winner, Hanna, challenges the PCs, offering the Go set as a prize if any PC can beat her. Any PC can take up this challenge but must name the item they will give the bushi if they lose. The PC must succeed at a TN 3 Games (Air 1, Earth 5) check to win.

If the PCs ask anyone in the barracks about the Battle of Snow Plain, the bushi tell them what they have learned in their lessons: that General Matsu Sakura’s pride allowed the enemy to use her expectations against her, and that is why the Unicorn won. Sakura anticipated mounted samurai, not infantry, and she did not take the terrain into account. The students learn these things so that they will never make the same mistakes.

If Atsushi invited the PCs, they share a meal of rice and sake, and Atsushi tells them that they had an ancestor at Snow Plain, Akodo Aoi. Aoi wrote prodigiously, and Atsushi has read their many letters, but oddly never wrote anything about the battle, even if asked, as though it was forbidden to discuss. Atsushi believes there is more to the battle than the college teaches.

A Fitful Night

As the sun sets and the PCs retire to their guest quarters, a heavy tiredness falls over them. Each PC may make a TN 4 Fitness check (Earth 2, Fire 5) to shake off the weariness. If they fail, that night they are plagued with images of blood, hooves, and snow. They do not remove strife or fatigue as usual, and awaken with the Exhausted condition (see page 272 of the core rulebook). If a PC succeeds, they sleep normally and may spend on their check to recognize the armor and eyes of Kitsu Yū in their dreams.

Meeting the Daimyō

After the PCs sleep, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

You awaken to the sound of bushi drilling outside. After you dress, you discover a messenger waiting politely outside your room with a summons to the dining hall.

When the PCs arrive at the dining hall, they are greeted by the young, gentle-looking Kitsu daimyō, Takeko. Any PC may make a TN 2 Government (Earth) check to recall that Takeko has only recently become head of the Kitsu family and is renowned for her potent connection with the kami, specifically fire kami. Any Lion PC automatically knows this. Read or paraphrase the following:

HISTORICAL FIGURES

As the PCs investigate the Battle of Snow Plain, they come across the names of several historical figures:

In the Akodo Military

Library, the PCs read about Matsu Sakura, a Lion general, who is described as rash and prideful in the official records. Matsu Hisoka was her husband. Shinjo Kamu is mentioned as a Unicorn general who required

Scorpion assistance to win the battle. This document is signed by

Kitsu Yū.

In the Ikoma Hall of Scribes, the PCs learn that although Ikoma Hideri was the historian tasked with recording the events of the battle as it happened, she left no records behind.

Hideri’s descendant, Ikoma Ichigo, is ashamed of her, as she failed in vision of Part Two.

this task.

In the Kitsu archives, the PCs learn that Kitsu

Yū fought at the Battle of Snow Plain. She is the restless spirit they encounter in the castle

(see page 9). Finding her peculiar death poem plunges the PCs into the

Part Two: The Vision

“Greetings, honored guests. I am pleased to have the fortune of your presence. I wanted to make sure I met with you personally before you were too engrossed in your research about the dispute in question. Please, have some tea. It is a blend Kitsu Taigen grows himself.”

This meeting should be relatively brief, as the daimyō has many other matters to attend to. She is amicable, but she is the Kitsu daimyō for a reason; though she is young, she is intelligent and cunning. Should a PC make a request of her, she is open to speaking about such matters (within reason) after their investigation has concluded. She makes no veiled suggestions that the investigation should go one way or another, but any Lion PC (or any PC who succeeds at a TN 2 Government check [Fire 1, Earth 4]) knows that if the investigation should reveal that the Imperial histories may be inaccurate, this would disturb one of the things Rokugani society values most: harmony (see Historical Inconsistencies on page 6). She also mentions that after they have uncovered all that they can, she will convene a gathering of representatives of each clan. When her meeting with the PCs is over, Takeko encourages the group to go to the Kitsu archives to further their research.

Kitsu Archives

Some records in the Kitsu archives are accessible only to Kitsu shugenja, and the PCs aren’t permitted entrance without an escort, so Kitsu Ayako accompanies them. When the PCs arrive, read or paraphrase the following:

Two guards stand outside an otherwise unassuming door. Ayako presents one with the scroll bearing the signatures that grant her permission to enter. He nods, but before he opens the door he speaks softly to Ayako: “You are lucky to be granted access. I have petitioned several times for permission to find and read my father’s poetry, but have been refused.” He pauses, then continues, “Should you have time, would you find the poems and memorize one for me? He was Kitsu Tadahisa.” Ayako refuses, though apologetically.

The PCs may offer to find a poem for the guard, gaining his gratitude (see Exploring the Archives, right).

Once the PCs pass through the heavy, bronze-hinged door, read or paraphrase the following:

Steps lead down into a lamplit room. It’s cramped, though paths go on some way through the shelves and stacks, disappearing into the gloom. Ayako leads you as though she knows the way, although she has never been here before. You pass locked cabinets of fragrant pine and towering stacks of books.

Shortly after arriving, Ayako finds a scroll by Kitsu Yū. She unrolls it to see a strangely worded death poem. As soon as Ayako reads this aloud, she and the PCs are drawn into Part Two (see page 11).

Exploring the Archives

Until Ayako finds Yū’s poem, the PCs may search for any information they wish, including a poem by Tadahisa for the guard outside. Memorizing that poem requires a TN 2 Composition check (Earth 1, Water 3), and successfully reciting it back requires a TN 2 Performance check (Fire 1, Air 3). Successfully doing so earns the gratitude of the guard to the PCs, along with an award of 1 glory.

Yū’s Scroll

When Ayako finds Yū’s scroll, read or paraphrase the following:

Ayako breaks the seal, unrolls the scroll, and reads:

“I gave my name and lost my honor in the snow, The sting is in the words that children learn. Come spring, the world changes again.”

As the final word leaves Ayako’s lips, she gasps, her eyes focusing on something behind you, something only she can see. Her eyes glow with golden light, and her hair falls loose and flutters as though a fierce wind has passed through the room.

At first you feel nothing, then a whisper of wind touches your skin, and a distant moan like a voice echoing on a mountainside reaches your ears. The air grows cold, and the image of a vast plain flickers before your eyes as the room fades, then falls away, leaving you standing under a wide grey sky.

Part Two: The Vision

In this part of the adventure, the PCs experience the Battle of Snow Plain in 820, enabling them to witness the events for themselves. Whether what the PCs do and say during the vision affects Rokugani history is up to the GM (and might even be ambiguous, if the GM wishes to run it this way, as many “changes” could also be attributed to errors in the historical record), but the consequences of their experience become apparent when completing their mission in the present (see Living in the Past on page 2). Major events during the vision are inevitable, but PCs should feel like their decisions still make a difference.

KITSU TAKEKO

The Kitsu family daimyō can be represented by the Scholarly Shugenja profile on page 314 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Spiritualist template and the Assertive demeanor (see page 310 of the core rulebook). Takeko is small woman with striking red hair, golden eyes, and a feline grace. She genuinely wants the PCs to feel welcome, regardless of their affiliation.

Takeko is not only a daimyō, but also a powerful shugenja. The young woman has a natural affinity for fire in addition to her abilities to serve as a medium to the ancestors. As a young girl, she was fostered by an Ikoma family.

IKOMA ICHIGO

This sensitive, bard can be represented by the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Artist template and the Shrewd demeanor (see page 310 of the core rulebook). Ichigo is keen to recite the story of the Battle of Snow Plain. They tell it as a tale against folly, principally the folly of Sakura, thinking she could win despite the odds. Ichigo may be convinced to work on a new version in Part Three.

Lion Identities

In Part Two, the PCs inhabit the bodies and minds of warriors who fought at the Battle of Snow Plain. Narratively, each character inhabits a figure similar to themselves, perhaps even a relative, if they had one at the battle, or maybe a past life. Mechanically, they use their normal character sheet, and are armed and armored with historical Lion versions of their usual attire. The PCs can immediately recognize each other, as well as Ayako, even though they wear different faces.

In terms of memory and personality, the contemporary characters experience a strange double-existence, with their contemporary selves existing in parallel with their historical counterparts. Each contemporary character witnesses everything the historical counterpart experiences, but generally the historical counterpart is the main actor and unaware of the contemporary character. This means that most of the time, the player is roleplaying the historical character and their contemporary PC is in the “back seat,” witnessing it. However, if a player feels that their contemporary character would interfere, their character may “nudge” their historical counterpart, prompting them to do something they otherwise might not or act on future knowledge. The scope of this action is subject to GM’s discretion, but generally, small deviations should be allowed (sparing a single foe due to clan loyalty, pursuing a topic of interest to the contemporary PC rather than the historical PC’s own goals, or communicating with another contemporary PC even if the conversation would make no sense to the historical PCs), but major shifts in character should not (for example, changing loyalty completely to match the contemporary character’s clan affiliation, betraying the Lion Clan).

Some groups might find it more immersive to totally ignore their contemporary characters while playing the historical characters, while others might enjoy the complexities of roleplaying one character guiding another through “past” events. The GM and players should talk this over at the start of Part Two and decide on the method that will be best for the group or individuals.

The GM should inform the players that, whether or not the past can be changed, the lives, hopes, and dreams of these individuals are now in their hands. Below, find a premade set of ninjō , giri, and brief backstories for some historical counterparts (or players can make up their own characters who were members of

Sakura’s inner circle, if they prefer).

Alternatively the GM can have each player make up a full new character for Part Two (with the same XP as their current character). Discuss this with your group and decide on the option (or options) that will be the most fun for everyone.

The Advisors

The following are possible advisors that PCs may take on during the course of Part Two.

Matsu Sugi is a veteran bodyguard of Sakura. Their ninjō is simply to survive this military campaign and enjoy a quiet retirement at a monastery. Their giri, however, is to keep Sakura alive at any cost.

Akodo Heihachi is a magistrate with a sharp intuition and is an old friend of Kitsu Yū. Their ninjō is to find a chance to express their true (romantic or platonic) feelings to Yū. Their giri is to root out any Unicorn spies in the camp.

Ikoma Tsurayui is a recent addition to Sakura’s retinue who is just past their gempuku, and who was, sent by the Clan Champion, Ikoma Kojima, to assist as a scribe. Their ninjō is to travel to foreign lands and someday write the greatest travelogue of a generation. Their giri is to spy on Sakura for Kojima.

Kitsu Ryōma is a member of the Kitsu with a weak connection to the spirits, or perhaps none at all, who has been sent to serve on the front lines. Their ninjō is to win glory in battle despite their family’s dismissal of their abilities. Their giri is to serve without making a scene that would shame their family.

Matsu no Shion Yui is from the Shion vassal family of the Matsu and is a lifelong companion of Sakura and the twin of Nori. Their ninjō is to help Sakura succeed and climb the ranks of the clan. Their giri is to help the Shion family flourish.

NAVIGATING COMPLEX

CLAN MOTIVATIONS

Players whose contemporary PCs are enemies of the Lion Clan might be reluctant to follow Sakura’s order to meet at her tent, especially if they haven’t fully gotten into the headspace of their historical character. If necessary, remind them that they are playing the historical characters as much as they are their contemporary characters at the moment, and that their contemporary PCs will have the chance to capitalize on any knowledge they acquire

here soon.

Matsu no Shion Nori is also a member of the Shion vassal family, a lifelong companion of Sakura, and Yui’s twin. Their ninjō is to see Sakura achieve happiness. Their giri is help the Shion flourish.

Clan Motives

The motives of the involved clans in 820 are somewhat different from those in the present:

The Lion wish to drive the Unicorn out of the Snow Plain and reclaim that area. Ever since the Emperor returned nearly half of the Lion’s land to the Unicorn upon their return to the Empire, the Lion have struggled not only with the slight of having their territory taken, but also with the plight of having significantly less arable land. To combat these issues, the Lion Champion, Ikoma Kojima, has sent General Matsu Sakura to drive the Unicorn out.

The Unicorn are trying to prove themselves as a Great Clan with a place in Rokugan, a clan capable of protecting the territory so recently returned to them by the Emperor.

The Unicorn have appealed to the Scorpion to step in, and the Scorpion have agreed to negotiate between the Unicorn and Lion. However, the Scorpion’s primary goal is to claim the wealth of diamonds in the mountains around Snow Plain. This goal is a closely guarded secret.

Overview of the Battle

The battle progresses over four days:

On Day 1, the PCs are invited to advise Matsu Sakura before the first encounter on the battlefield, and they have the opportunity to lead units.

On Day 2, a snowstorm makes fighting difficult, and Sakura attempts a surprise attack. The Unicorn are forewarned, and Sakura asks the PCs to discover a spy in the camp.

On Day 3, the sky clears, Unicorn reinforcements arrive, and the fighting continues, until Kitsu Yū’s mysterious powers surface.

On Day 4, Sakura uses Yū to help her claim final victory over the Unicorn, but an Imperial emissary arrives and changes the course of history. Kamu challenges Sakura to a duel, but a trusted advisor takes her place. Then the vision ends.

Kitsu Yū, Ancestral Summoner

Kitsu Yū is older than Ayako and is naturally more confident and self-assured. She is a strong, honorable, and devout warrior who is respected by her fellow soldiers. Ayako feels out of place as an armored combatant, but what she doesn’t learn until later is that Yū sometimes felt similarly. Yū is a descendant of the Kitsu family but has showed no ability as a shugenja and does not know of her abilities until the spirits answer her cries on Day 3. After praying to her ancestors during the battle, she is as surprised as anyone when Lion Clan ancestor spirits appear to fight alongside her. Though she won’t live long enough to see it, her discovery at Snow Plain leads to the creation of the Golden Lantern Dōjō, where Kitsu shugenja study the Ancestral Summons invocation in secret.

VIGILANCE

+1, +1, –2

DEMEANOR - DETACHED

4

Favored by Spirits: Scholar; Spiritual

Untapped Potential: Social; Mental, Spiritual

Paragon of Courage: Social; Mental, Virtue

FAVORED WEAPONS

Katana: Range 1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-Edged

Gear (equipped): Lacquered armor (Physical 4, Ceremonial, Cumbersome, Wargear), wakizashi, knife

ABILITIES

ANCESTRAL SUMMONS (INVOCATION)

Once per game session as a Support action, the shugenja may attract numerous ancestral spirits to fight at her side. In a skirmish, these are treated as six Loyal Bushi (see page 312 of the core rulebook) who have physical resistance 10 and are Otherworldly beings. In a mass battle, increase the strength of her army by 20. These effects persist until Yū becomes incapacitated or, if she does not, until the end of the scene.

Snow Plain

Situated in northwestern Rokugan, the Snow Plain gets its name from the thick snowfall that settles every winter. The rest of the year, cold winds chill the air. In the years before the Unicorn returned, the Lion took control of the plain from the Scorpion. The Scorpion had quietly mined the mountains while neglecting the plain itself, but the Lion farmed the land, turning it from open plain into productive paddies. The Lion were disgruntled and insulted when the Emperor granted their established farms to the Unicorn. As far as the Lion are concerned, the Snow Plain is not only wasted on the Unicorn, but does not truly belong to them in the first place.

In 820, as the Lion army approaches the Snow Plain from the southeast, the Unicorn fortify their position in the northwest near the rice paddies, with the mountains at their back. This involves creating barricades around their temporary camp. A narrow pass through the mountains behind them offers an escape route if necessary, but Shinjo Kamu is unwilling to back down.

The Landscape

The plain is flat, allowing for good visibility when there is no snowfall. The ground is boggy in places, perfect for growing rice but not so good for setting up camp or maneuvering troops. Because of the placement of the respective camps, most of the encounters occur between the two, in the center of the plain.

The Abandoned Mines

In the northeast are several empty mines the Scorpion once excavated for diamonds. However, there is also a secret, untapped mine left still rich with resources. If the PCs explore the empty mines, a successful TN 4 Skulduggery check (Air 2, Earth 5) reveals a small forgotten cache of diamonds, hidden there years ago. The PCs may be able to use the knowledge of this cache to their advantage in the past, or after they return to the present (see Living in the Past on page 2).

The untapped diamond mine, hidden deeper in the mountains than the others, is known only to the Scorpion in the year 820, and they have concealed its location. The PCs know of the mine because it is an issue in the present, but if they try to find it in the mountains during the vision, they only find open, empty, and abandoned mines.

The Scorpion don’t gain access to the mine in the vision, and they endeavor to keep its existence secret. It is important the mine remain undiscovered by other clans, so that it remains a point of contention in the present.

The Lion Camp

The Lion have brought tools and materials to build temporary fortifications, but in the meantime the camp has tents only for the samurai, while most soldiers sleep on the cold ground. Guards and common soldiers can be represented by the Trained Ashigaru profile on page 314 of the core rulebook. A jinmaku (war curtain) around the camp provides some shelter from the cold wind, and hibachi (fire pots) offer some heat and light at night. Hastily made wooden fences line the perimeter of the camp, with one entrance, which is always guarded. Watch fires dot the perimeter outside of the fence, and scouts maintain watch at the highest points they can find.

Sakura has brought many troops to feed, and rice is cooking in several large cooking pots. The current supplies will only last a handful of days without strict rationing. Sakura’s victory must be swift.

The strategy tent, the largest, is in the center of the camp, guarded at all times by yōjimbō, while ashigaru guards watch the perimeter of the camp. They have a supply of water and can replenish it from the streams nearby but must leave the camp to do so.

The Lion have set up several portable shrines where samurai can purify themselves after battle, and priests to tend these. The camp’s medical tent houses the ryorishi, peasant medics who tend to the wounded brought there after battle. If necessary, the priests and ryorishi can be represented by the Humble Peasant profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Sage template (see page 311 of the core rulebook).

The Unicorn Camp

The Unicorn camp is smaller but better fortified than the Lion encampment. Its mass of tents is surrounded by a wooden barricade and spiked trenches, with watch fires outside of the primary defenses. The Unicorn have constructed several watchtowers, and archers stand vigilant at all times. Used to a nomadic lifestyle, the Unicorn have brought enough supplies to outlast the Lion. They also have a good source of water in the nearby mountain streams.

Day 1

Once the PCs have been drawn into Ayako’s vision at the end of Part One, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Around you, soldiers are assembling a camp: ashigaru are erecting tents, and Lion bushi are barking orders, setting up patrols, and establishing guard positions. A war curtain flaps and snaps in the wind, the crest of the Lion painted in bright yellow upon the hemp.

THE CHILL OF

SNOW PLAIN

Each morning, each PC must make a TN 2 Fitness (Earth) check or receive 1 fatigue and 1 strife because of the cold. The TN for this check increases by 1

each morning.

TREASURES OF THE PAST

Any weapons or items the PCs find during the vision are left behind when they return, though at the GM’s discretion, these could be hidden somewhere for retrieval in the future, such as in an empty mine or under rocks. This encourages the PCs to return later to the site of the battle, where the GM may seed

further adventures.

You look down and see that you are dressed like everyone else, in Lion colors of yellow and brown. Ayako is with you, but she wears the armor worn by bushi of times past. She looks as surprised as you, when a tall Matsu general marches past, demanding you follow her for a meeting at her tent.

Kitsu Ayako quietly tells the PCs that the woman is Matsu Sakura, the general who lost the battle at Snow Plain. Ayako is unsure of what is happening, but she and the PCs seem to be in the past somehow. Inform the players of the historical counterparts to their PCs, and that their characters can observe and interject as described in Living in the Past (see page 2).

Though the PCs look different, they still recognize one another, and know implicitly that they are inhabiting the bodies of historical figures, Sakura’s advisors (see Lion Identities on page 12). Ayako knows this because the spirit of the body she inhabits, Kitsu Yū, is still with her. While Ayako plays the part of Yū, the spirit of Yū is there to guide her.

Ayako is represented by the profile for Kitsu Yū (see page 13) as she channels Yū’s personality and skills. The GM may temporarily increase the PCs’ status to 50 to reflect their current positions as advisors, and the NPCs recognize the PCs as familiar faces, treating them accordingly.

Ayako, hereafter referred to as Yū, suggests the PCs follow Sakura’s instruction to meet them in her tent. If the PCs insist on exploring the camp first, Yū voices her disapproval and goes on to the tent without them.

In the Lion Camp

If the PCs explore the camp, they may find the following locations and encounter the following NPCs.

Ikoma Hideri’s Tent

Hideri kneels outside the entrance to her tent, playing a haunting tune on her bamboo flute. She plays with her eyes closed and does not notice the PCs unless they speak to her. Alerted to their presence, she ceases to play and apologizes, showing them proper deference as her superiors. She can answer questions about the camp and its inhabitants. She mentions that things have been strained lately because medical supplies have been going missing, but the general has been too engrossed with the issues at the front line to investigate it thoroughly.

If the PCs do not encounter Hideri here, she mentions the medical supplies when they do meet her, prompting them to look into the matter and potentially unearth the camp’s spy, the fake Akodo Kamayoko (see Shosuro Yasu on page 21).

Medical Tent

If the PCs visit the medical tent, they also meet a medic by the name of Akodo Kamayoko. Kamayoko seems amicable and helpful, but what the PCs do not know is that she is actually a spy, Shosuro Yasu. The real Kamayoko is gone, and the replacement looks and sounds enough like her that no one has thought anything of it (see Spy in the Camp on page 23).

Kamayoko seems rather busy, tending to several injured bushi. If questioned about the missing medical supplies, she frowns and says she hadn’t noticed supplies being used faster than normal. A successful TN 3 Sentiment check (Fire 5, Water 2) reveals that Kamayoko seems a little on edge. If the PCs push for more information, she begs their forgiveness as another injured bushi is brought into the tent. Should the PCs fail the check or simply not push further, no bushi appears.

Individual Goals

Yū helps guide the PCs through the vision, but she is not without her own motives. Her desire is to ensure the past is remembered correctly, or at least that as many people as possible learn the truth. Her guilt and regret ties her to the Mortal Realm, and until she finds peace, she will not be able to pass on to Meido, the Realm of Waiting.

The contemporary PCs may decide to learn all they can about the battle, merely observing and playing along, in order to facilitate their success in the present. However, depending on their allegiance in the present, they may wish to attempt to pursue personal agendas or sow the seeds of a future victory. Whatever their goals, success is rewarded with experience. See Player Rewards on page 31.

MASS BATTLE ZONES

Battle zones are an optional rule found on pages 118–121 of Fields of Victory that GMs can add to their mass battles to more precisely track the position of cohorts, fortifications, terrain, and leaders within the field. To help GMs who wish to use the battle zone rules for this adventure, the map in that book includes battle zone delineations and names for each zone. However, if the GM prefers to run the mass battle more abstractly (as mass battles are presented in the core rulebook), that is also a valid option.

Playing Sakura’s Advisors

The PCs have the opportunity to influence the actions of Matsu Sakura, the Lion general. While all of the historical PCs are trusted by Sakura, the current level of their influence depends upon maintaining her trust, and they can track their progress in this endeavor over the four days of the battle by gaining (or losing) momentum points toward the following ongoing social objective:

Maintain the General’s Favor

Depending on their performance during the campaign, Sakura will trust the PCs to a lesser or greater degree, represented through this ongoing social objective. Momentum points are accrued and lost at fixed points during the adventure, or when the GM deems the PCs to have done something that would win (or lose) Sakura’s trust. This ongoing social objective remains active for the entirety of Part Two rather than resolving within a single scene or being achieved permanently. All characters start with 4 momentum points toward this ongoing objective.

Any PC who has 8 or more momentum points is trusted absolutely, and reduces the TN of all Social skill checks they make targeting General Sakura by 1.

Any PC who has 4 to 7 momentum points is in good standing, and can generally make suggestions to General Sakura that she will weigh seriously.

Any PC who has 1 to 3 momentum points is out of favor. While they are still tolerated in her company, she expects them to redeem themselves before they presume to give her advice. To make a suggestion to Sakura, a character must stake 5 honor and 5 glory on a successful outcome.

Any PC with 0 momentum points is dismissed from General Sakura’s service, and assigned to one of her subordinates or sent away from the battle entirely.

Ancestral Summons (Invocation)

Once per game session as a Support action, the shugenja may attract numerous ancestral spirits to fight at her side. In a skirmish, these are treated as six Loyal Bushi (see page 312 of the core rulebook) who have physical resistance 10 and are Otherworldly beings. In a mass battle, increase the strength of her army by 20. These effects persist until the end of the scene, or until Yū becomes incapacitated.

Matsu Sakura, Lion General

Sakura is a tall, muscular woman whose eyes miss nothing. She has led her army well in the past but has not had the chance to gain any famous victories until now. Sakura’s parents were both Matsu, but she trained at the Akodo War College. Channeling her natural Matsu ferocity has made her an effective and accomplished general.

VIGILANCE

+2, –2

DEMEANOR - ASSERTIVE

6

Experienced General: Martial; Interpersonal

Famously Ferocious: Social; Fame, Interpersonal

Fear of Failure: Martial; Mental

FAVORED WEAPONS

Katana: Range 1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-Edged

Gear (equipped): Lacquered armor (Physical 4, Ceremonial, Cumbersome, Wargear), wakizashi, knife

ABILITIES

THE GENERAL’S EYE While Sakura is the commander of her army, the leader of each cohort who can see her reduces the TN of their Attack action checks and Movement action checks by 1.

Meeting with Matsu Sakura

If the PCs did not go straight to the general’s tent, Matsu Hisoka, who is Sakura’s husband, and Yū are already present, and though Sakura does not censure the PCs, they each lose 1 momentum point from the Maintain the General’s Favor ongoing social objective (see above). If the PCs do go straight to the tent, they precede Hisoka, and each gains 1 momentum point instead. As the PCs enter, read or paraphrase the following:

Matsu Sakura waits quietly in her tent, offering nods as her advisors enter. She then speaks, “The clan champion needs us to reclaim the Snow Plain so the land can be farmed and the starving fed. The Unicorn general p. 17 Shinjo Kamu has refused to abandon the plain, so he must be defeated. I believe we should attack at noon, but I would seek your thoughts, first.”

ENDURING HONOR

Whether the PCs can change the past in Part

Two or not, any honor gained or forfeited during the vision remains

when they return to the present. Ayako shares in the vision with them, and though her personality is temporarily overwhelmed by Yū’s, she remembers everything in

Part Three.

MATSU HISOKA

Hisoka can be represented by the Loyal Bushi profile on page 312 of the core rulebook. He willingly defers to Sakura in all things, as she is not only his wife but his superior officer. He only offers her advice when asked and otherwise is quiet and contemplative.

He attended the Akodo War College and now is a general in his wife’s army.

She respects and trusts him, and invites him to attend her meetings. He sometimes notices things she misses, and he often provides an unusual perspective on problems.

“Attack at once; do not give them a moment to rest,” Hisoka says confidently.

“Wait, and let the Unicorn come to us,” Yū suggests. “This gives us time to prepare and observe. Our camp is still being erected.” The general listens silently, then turns her eyes on you, waiting for the opinions of her other advisors.

Offering Advice

Some of the following advice might affect Sakura’s actions and the outcome of the battle, while some merely alters her perception of the PC giving the advice. Sakura’s responses to some possible advice are given below, and the GM can adapt these to fit the PCs’ ideas. If the PCs have no advice for Sakura, Yū and Hisoka can argue these points between them as they try to sway her. In this case, Sakura then puts the decision to a vote to allow the PCs input, whereas if the PCs speak for one side or the other, Sakura is swayed by their words and makes her decision based on their input. When making a suggestion like the ones listed here, a PC may also make a TN 2 Courtesy check (Air 1, Earth 4); if they succeed, they gain 1 additional momentum point, plus 1 per 2 bonus successes, or cancel out up to that many they would lose with an idea Sakura rejects (to a minimum loss of 0).

The Unicorn know the lay of the land and have the advantage; we should let them come to us.

Sakura nods, respecting this opinion, and the PC gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective, with a bonus point granted if they support this opinion by warning her about the difficulty of fighting on the boggy ground of the rice paddies or offer other helpful commentary.

If we wait, our soldiers will grow cold and weary; they would prefer to fight!

Sakura nods and agrees. The PC gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain General’s Favor objective.

We should wait. Then, if the Unicorn do not attack, we invade their camp under cover of darkness.

Sakura responds: “Would you have me forsake my honor? We will not creep in at night, like cowardly rats.” The PC loses 2 momentum points from the Maintain General’s Favor objective.

The Outcome

If the majority of the PCs favor an immediate attack, Sakura takes that option. Otherwise, she is willing to wait, but only for a few hours, to see if the Unicorn will attack first. This gives the PCs time to explore the camp if they haven’t already (see In the Lion Camp on page 15). Sakura wants to ensure her troops fight today. As it turns out, the Unicorn do not make the first move, so the Lion attack in the afternoon if Sakura did not opt to attack immediately. Each PC is expected to lead a cohort in this battle (and they are the only leaders on the Lion side).

The First Sparks

If she sends her army into the field in the morning (immediately after the meeting), Sakura is surprised to face unmounted Unicorn, and the boggy paddies make the Lion’s maneuvers difficult. The boggy paddies count as Entangling terrain (see page 267 of the core rulebook) for the unprepared Lion army. Read or paraphrase the following:

The general assembles the troops to march on the Unicorn. She gives a brief speech in which she prepares her warriors to face mounted warriors, telling them to keep moving, to approach not directly but at an angle, and to focus on taking the horses down.

If instead the Lion wait to attack, scouts inform Sakura that the Unicorn have prepared to defend but appear to be on foot and armed with spears. The scouts also inform her about the state of the ground. Read or paraphrase the following:

The general waits until after noon, then assembles the troops to march on the Unicorn. She gives a brief speech in which she praises her scouts for discovering that the Unicorn are on foot and armed with spears, and the ground is boggy. She tells her warriors to mirror the Unicorn soldiers and find firm ground that way.

The first clash amid the boggy terrain constitutes one round of the mass battle. General Sakura names the army’s strategic objective for the round as Test Their Mettle (see below), and sends her leaders into the field in descending order of favor (the most favored leader acting first, and so forth). The Unicorn army is pursuing the same objective. Sakura has the initiative in the first round, and nominates to have one of her leaders (one of the PCs) act first.

Test Their Mettle

The commander calls for the army to launch probing strikes to determine the measure and determination of the foe.

PERSONAL HISTORIES

In Part Two, the PCs encounter a number of NPCs from the history they learned about in Part One (see Historical Figures on page 10). Over the course of the vision, they discover that the truth about these characters differs from recorded history:

Matsu Sakura (page 16) was a virtuous and victorious general.

Kitsu Yū (page 13) was a loyal bushi with untapped potential as a shugenja, and is Ayako’s ancestor.

Ikoma Hideri (page 20) was a meticulous chronicler of history and courageous during battle, staying behind to witness everything. Her work was lost through no fault of her own.

Matsu Hisoka (page 16) was a loyal soldier and the husband of Sakura.

Shinjo Kamu (page 18) was betrayed by the Scorpion and was granted victory only through Imperial intervention, which bruised his pride.

Shosuro Amane (page 19), the Scorpion emissary, did make a deal with the Unicorn, but the Scorpion did not help maintain the peace as promised.

A shinobi called Shosuro Yasu, who is impersonating the medic Akodo Kamayoko, was responsible for the death of Ikoma Hideri, but her name has been kept out of the histories.

How to Achieve It: After a leader performs a successful Attack or Scheme action against an enemy leader’s cohort, they accrue 1 momentum point toward this strategic objective. After a leader wins a clash against an enemy leader (see page 263 of the core rulebook), they accrue 2 momentum points toward this strategic objective, and 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor ongoing objective.

Fulfilled When: This strategic objective is fulfilled after the army accrues momentum points equal to Shinjo Kamu’s focus (7, in this case).

Upon Completion: When a leader completes this objective, the commander of the army learns the number of enemy leaders and cohorts, the enemy army’s strength and discipline, and each enemy leader’s identity and ranks in Martial skills.

At the end of the first round, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Suddenly, the forest of spears begins to draw back across the marsh – not in a panic, but in a slow, deliberate withdrawal, as if reacting to some unseen signal. You see Matsu Sakura questioning the historian Ikoma Hideri on a nearby hilltop, her muddy scholar’s robes an odd sight before the sea of shining lacquered armor and glinting spear tips. As you approach the pair, you catch the end of their conversation, Hideri’s voice steady despite her harried appearance.

“…this tactic is attested to in Kuni Kagetsugu’s account of the skirmish at the Ridge of Bones. If the Unicorn appear to be in retreat, then what they desire is that we pursue. We should hold our position, and move cautiously across this terrain.”

If the Lion army succeeded in its strategic objective for the round, Matsu Sakura realizes that Shinjo Kamu is a cunning opponent, and takes Hideri’s advice. If the Lion army failed in its strategic objective, however, Sakura underestimates Kamu, and orders her forces to advance in pursuit. Any PC may make a TN 4 Courtesy check (Air 2, Earth 6) to attempt to dissuade her; if the PC succeeds, Sakura halts the army’s advance, and that PC gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor ongoing objective. If the PC fails, that PC loses momentum points in the Maintain the General’s Favor ongoing objective equal to their shortfall instead, and Sakura does not halt the army’s advance.

If the army advances heedlessly, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Sakura calls for the advance. “Grant them no respite! Wars are lost when commanders fail to seize victory at the time it presents itself, and now is that time.” As the pursuing Lion forces move across the boggy terrain, screams start to echo across the sodden valley. Pit traps filled with spiked staves – carefully avoided by the Unicorn formation in their approach and withdrawal – claim the lives of numerous soldiers. While relatively few soldiers fall into the several foot deep holes concealed by foliage, panic begins to spread throughout the ranks, and the advance breaks as the formation falters.

The Lion army suffers 6 attrition and receives 12 panic. If the army stops its advance, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Sakura shouts for scouts to step forth, and these skilled trackers quickly reveal the Unicorn army’s intended trap: pits filled with spikes, carefully seeded around the battlefield and hidden with foliage. Sakura turns to Hideri: “You were correct, I see. I suppose it’s a variation on their famed feigned retreat on horseback.”

Hideri nods. “The way they used those pit traps is unusual It’s a tactic most common for close-in defensive fighting, quite at odds with the flexible tactics the Unicorn use in the open field. And their ruse required near-perfect coordination. Perhaps the Unicorn learned its efficacy firsthand when fighting the Crab Clan when they forced their way through the Kaiu Wall. Or perhaps it was not their commander’s idea at all…” She trails off, lost in thought.

Shinjo Kamu, Unicorn General

General Shinjo Kamu is in charge of the Unicorn forces at Snow Plain. The hatred he has for the Lion is even stronger than his desire to keep the plain. Kamu is a proud and traditional man who prefers battle to diplomacy. He believes the plain is his clan’s by right, since the Emperor granted these and other lands to the Unicorn once their return to Rokugan was made official. However, his orders from the Unicorn Champion were to keep the peace as much as possible and avoid further enmity. Therefore, he asked the visiting Scorpion, Shosuro Amane, to help negotiate peace. This he soon regrets, as the Scorpion’s apparent benevolence quickly becomes suspect.

+2, –2

DEMEANOR - GRUFF

5

VIGILANCE

EYES OF THE KITSU

During the first three days of the battle, Yū occasionally experiences dizziness and headaches. The GM should pepper the battle with descriptions of this happening to alert the PCs that something is wrong with Ayako, Yū, or both. If asked, Yū says she feels like she is being watched, and that she is experiencing strange visions of towering soldiers that get progressively more lifelike

as the days go on.

Ayako and Yū are both beginning to commune with their ancestor spirits. The spirits are drawn to them. A PC may make either a TN 3 Medicine check (Fire 2, Earth 5) or TN 2 Theology check (Fire 1,

Earth 4). If the PC succeeds, they determine that the cause of Yū’s discomfort is spiritual.

A PC who succeeds on the Theology check may spend to recognize this ability as ancestral summoning, a rare invocation jealously guarded by the Kitsu family. If the PC tells Yū this, she is more prepared for what happens on Day 3 (see

Yū’s Intervention on

page 26).

Indomitable Will: Social; Mental, Interpersonal

Quick to Anger: Social; Interpersonal

FAVORED WEAPONS

Scimitar: Range 1, Damage 4, Deadliness 5, Durable, Razor-Edged

Gear (equipped): Cavalry armor (Physical 3, Wargear), wakizashi

ABILITIES

INSPIRING LEADER

While Kamu is present in the battle, his army removes 3 panic at the end of each round.

The Generals Converse

After the initial round of the battle, the Unicorn force withdraws to a hilltop at the edge of the plain beyond, overlooking the boggy paddies.

Sakura halts her army when she spies the Unicorn, who stand already in formation, ready to fight again. This time, Shinjo Kamu rides out on his magnificent mare, with a Scorpion beside him on a small Rokugani pony, and an honor guard of five imposing warriors walking alongside them carrying long spears. They stop in the center of the hilltop, and the Scorpion dismounts. Sakura walks out to meet them, indicating that the PCs should join her. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The Unicorn general does not dismount, but frowns down on Sakura. She holds her head high and ignores the insult, instead demanding that Kamu withdraw from the plain. The Unicorn abruptly refuses, but the Scorpion speaks, introducing themselves as Shosuro Amane. They have been brought along to negotiate peace, but as neither general is willing to back down, there will be no peace today.

To interfere with this exchange between generals (grievously slighting their commanding officer, Sakura, by doing so) a PC must forfeit 10 honor and 10 glory, and that PC loses 3 momentum points from the ongoing Maintain the General’s Favor objective. However, the PCs can take this opportunity to size up both Kamu and Amane, making a skill check to learn something about either one or the wider situation. Some examples include:

TN 1 Culture (Water) check intuit a target’s reputation and interpersonal advantages and disadvantages.

TN 2 Government (Earth) check to understand the political ramifications of the Scorpion backing the Unicorn here.

TN 3 Martial Arts (Air) check to learn a target’s physical advantages and disadvantages and ranks in Martial skills.

TN 2 Sentiment (Air) check to determine a target’s demeanor.

TN 3 Sentiment (Air) check to discern a target’s honor.

TN 4 Tactics (Fire) check to conjecture how a character will behave in the next round of the mass battle.

The PCs are now able to recognize Shinjo Kamu and Shosuro Amane. If the Lion Clan army succeeded in its strategic objective in the first round, the PCs also recognize the five members of the honor guard as the enemy leaders. Whether or not they know these are the enemy leaders, they make suitable checks to learn their characteristics, as listed above.

Seizing the Hilltop

As the battle moves toward the plain, the Unicorn forces attempt to contain the Lion within the swamp, holding the hilltop against them. The hilltop counts as a fortification occupied by Moto Ghazan’s cohort. With the earthworks the Unicorn have prepared and the advantage of the hilltop, it has difficulty value 7, reduces attrition suffered by the cohort occupying it by 2, and counts as Elevated terrain for the cohort inside. Moto Ghazan’s cohort Reinforces at this position, and other Unicorn cohorts harry the Lion army from the hilltop (with the Assault or Challenge) action, trying to pull the PCs away from the key position and into the nearby patches of forest, which count as Obscuring terrain (see page 267 of the core rulebook).

The next two rounds of the mass battle proceed as follows:

SHOSURO AMANE

Shosuro Amane can be represented by the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Trickster template (page 311 of the core rulebook) and the ninjutsu techniques Skulk and Silencing Stroke (see page 226 of the core rulebook). They are ambitious, opportunistic, and sly, even for a Scorpion. They came to the Snow Plain to negotiate for access to the mountains. Hopeful that the old diamond mines had not all been exhausted, they had made inquiries and learned that one, single forgotten mine still contains diamonds worth excavating. Granted the opportunity to intervene between the Unicorn and Lion, they do not care who wins as long as they manage to manipulate the situation such that they can claim the mineral-rich mine for the Scorpion. Apart from this, their priority is to keep the still-useful mine a secret so that even if they fail to claim it now, it remains safe until their clan can exploit it.

Round One: Sakura orders the strategic object of Capture a Position on the hilltop (see page 277 of the core rulebook), while Kamu orders his army to Draw Them In (see page 227 of the core rulebook). Sakura opts to act first.

Round Two (if the Lion successfully capture

the hill in Round One): Sakura orders her forces to Grind Them Down and Kamu orders his army to Capture A Position on the second round (see page 277 of the core rulebook). Sakura opts to act first.

Round Two (if the Unicorn still hold the hill

after Round One): Sakura maintains the Capture a Position objective on the hilltop while Kamu orders his troops to Grind Them Down (see page 277 of the core rulebook) . Sakura opts to act first.

After two rounds of fighting here, whichever side does not control the hill calls for a tactical withdrawal. If the Unicorn forces withdraw, they fall back onto the plains and break away as Sakura grants her army time to tend to the wounded and set up their new camp at the hilltop position. If the Lion forces withdraw, they retreat to their previous camp (and the Unicorn do not attempt to pursue from their entrenched position). It will either be midafternoon or well into evening by this point in the battle, depending on when Sakura launched her initial attack.

After the battle, each army is able to recover a small amount: the Lion army removes 5 panic and 5 casualties, and the Unicorn army removes 10 panic and 10 casualties (owing to its better access to supplies).

The Battle Rages On

From here, the mass battle becomes somewhat more open-ended. The PCs are Sakura’s advisors, after all, and they can influence not only the tactics in the field, but also the overall strategy. While the Lion have the initial advantage of numbers, the Unicorn are better supplied, and worse, they need only put up enough resistance to keep the plain in contention for three more days, as they know that an Imperial envoy is on the way, and have reason to believe the conflict will be ruled in their favor. The Lion, meanwhile, are extended beyond their supply lines, and thus face their own time pressure, as Sakura knows she cannot keep her army in the field indefinitely.

Each of the next three days should be structured roughly the same way as the last one was:

At dawn, the PCs are expected to meet with Sakura and discuss strategy before facing the enemy. They can use this time to attempt to guide her strategy for the day, and determine which key positions they should capture.

From morning to evening, the armies then fight three rounds of a mass battle. If these rounds are moving especially quickly, the GM can run more rounds, while if they are moving slowly, the GM can run fewer rounds, but they should try to tell the players roughly how many rounds they will have to work with at the start of each day. After the final round, armies return to their camps to recuperate.

In the evening, after the day’s main encounter, Sakura calls another meeting to review and plan. This allows the PCs to influence her key decisions and remain aware of areas of the battle they may not directly experience. The armies also resupply, the Lion removing 5 panic and 5 casualties and the Unicorn removing 10 panic and 10 casualties by default.

At night, the PCs may pursue other goals. For instance, they can lead clandestine attacks (run as skirmishes), attempt assassination or subterfuge, scout the terrain, create traps, and more. Many abilities found in Fields of Victory can be used here, to give the PCs an advantage in the battle. They can also pursue their historical or contemporary characters’ personal agendas, relating to their ninjō or giri. However, excessive activity at night can lead to a PC suffering the Exhausted condition (see page 272 of the core rulebook) at the GM’s discretion.

Key Positions

Controlling Snow Plain need not be a matter of routing the enemy army. While this is certainly one way to achieve victory, it is probably the hardest. Much more achievable is making it impossible for the other force to stay in the field by controlling a number of key positions. These key positions grant benefits that make it much easier for an army to stay in the field, and each side should attempt to disrupt or control the key positions vital to the other. After an army successfully completes the Capture a Position strategic objective to hold a key position and then keeps control until the end of the day, it counts as holding that position. Positions can also be seized via night raids (which should be run as skirmishes), by trickery, or even by diplomacy; the GM should give the PCs the creative freedom to try different things in their role as leaders of the army.

If either army ever controls all of the strategic positions listed here for a full day (that is, it controlled them at the start and end of the day), the GM should have the Imperial envoy arrive early, moving to Meeting the Imperials (see page 26). The GM may have to adapt some parts of the story to accommodate the swift and decisive victory.

The Swaying Willow Pass

This ancient pass is the main supply route of the Unicorn; holding the pass at the end of the day (or destroying it somehow) reduces the panic and casualties that this army removes per day by 5 each (to a minimum of 0). It is Enclosed terrain, and the river is Difficult and Dangerous terrain.

IKOMA HIDERI

This dedicated historian is the ancestor of Ikoma Ichigo and can be represented with the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Artist template. A wispy, scholarly woman, she has a precise memory but also records everything she sees on scrolls in her tent.

She is traveling with Sakura’s army to record her battles for posterity.

She does not take part in the fighting, but rouses the troops before each battle, reminding them of their ancestors’

struggles and victories. She admires Sakura and is proud to serve her, but she does not see war as the highest art, as many Lion do. She plays many instruments but always carries her flute. This instrument has been handed down through her family and is her pride and joy. The Scorpion assassinate her on the fourth day of

the battle.

Blood of the Lioness

Matsu Sakura’s forces are a loyal cadre that draws its proud lineage back to one of Matsu’s original followers, and Sakura leads them with a boldness that inspires incredible loyalty from her warriors.

Strength: 55

Discipline: 45

Leaders: The army has at least five leaders. If there are five or more PCs, only the PCs serve as leaders. If there are fewer than five PCs (or a PC is killed or rendered unable to lead during the battle), NPCs fill in in the following order: Matsu Hisoka, Kitsu Yū, Matsu Sakura, loyal bushi (see page 312 of the core rulebook). Replacement leaders are assigned as needed at the start of the round.

Sakura always nominates the PCs to act in order of descending favor based on the Maintain the General’s Favor objective (with the most favored PC acting first, and so forth). In a tie, the character with higher glory acts first; in a tie again, the GM should randomize the result. She nominates an NPC (or herself, if she is leading a cohort) to act in an order determined by the GM after all PCs have acted.

Pride of Champions (Army Ability): After a leader in this army wins a challenge, the Blood of the Lioness removes 5 panic.

Village of Snow Plain

The Village of Snow Plain is responsible for harvesting the lands of Snow Plain, and this well-run country town was doing quite well for itself until war knocked at its doorstep. The side that controls the village removes an additional 5 panic and casualties at the end of each day (at the start, the Unicorn control it). If the village were to be destroyed, neither side would gain this benefit. The village itself is Entangling terrain, and the roads leading up to (and through) it are Open terrain.

Crystal Pass

The Crystal Pass is the main supply route of the Lion; if the Unicorn army controls the pass (or somehow closes it), the Lion army reduces the panic and casualties it removes per day by 5 each (to a minimum of 5). It is Enclosed terrain, and the mountains that surround it are Dangerous and Entangling terrain.

The Hill over the Paddies

This hill is the conflict point for the first day, and continues to be an important position, as it acts as an access point to Crystal Pass, keeping the Lion out of the plain or keeping the Unicorn from attacking the pass.

Unicorn War Camp

The Unicorn War Camp is the closest fortification in the area (although not the only one). It is a fortification with difficulty value 12 that reduces attrition suffered by the cohort within by 2. On days when the Unicorn believe the Lion will try to take it, it is occupied by Shinjo Gansarnai’s cohort.

The First Night and Strange Visitors

As the general’s advisors, the PCs have a tent to sleep in, near Sakura’s own. Assuming they are in their tent (and not out and about pursuing other agendas), their sleep is disturbed by a noise outside the tent. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

You wake to the sound of urgent voices outside your tent. It could merely be soldiers arguing; perhaps one guard is late to relieve another.

The PCs may instead move to the edge of the tent to listen, but it’s difficult to make out the voices. After a PC makes a successful TN 2 Skulduggery check (Air 1, Earth 4), read or paraphrase the following aloud:

You recognize two voices. One is pinched and frustrated, and the other voice is soft and much more subdued.

PCs who were successful may spend to recognize Akodo Kamayoko’s voice, if they met her in the medical tent. If the PCs fail this check, they must leave the tent to hear anything.

If the PCs leave their tent, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

As you exit your tent, you see the movement of a shadow, but then it’s gone. Standing nearby is Akodo Kamayoko, from the medical tent. She informs you that she found a suspicious person snooping around the general’s tent as she was on a walk to clear her head after tending to several injured bushi. She attempted to interrogate the intruder, but they fled before she could get a good look at their face.

The PCs may attempt to pursue the figure, but if they search near the general’s tent, they can find no sign that an intruder was in the area.

SHOSURO YASU

Shosuro Yasu, who is impersonating Akodo Kamayoko, can be represented with the Loyal Bushi profile on page 312 of the core rulebook, but with the abilities replaced with the four ninjutsu techniques on pages 226 and 227 of the core rulebook and the Ambitious demeanor. Working as a messenger, spy, and even assassin on occasion, she can fade into the shadows like a ghost. Yasu obeys Amane without question because she knows they work for the good of the family and the clan, even when she doesn’t entirely understand their schemes.

A successful TN 2 Sentiment check reveals that Kamayoko seems flustered and upset, while a successful TN 4 Skulduggery check performed as a Scholar skill reveals that the PCs’ appearance seems to have made her nervous. The PCs may be suspicious of Kamayoko and decide to investigate her (see Spy in the Camp on page 27).

Day 2

At the start of the new day, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

As the second day dawns, snow begins to fall thick and fast. You cannot see from one tent to the next; even nearby figures become ghostlike grey shadows. You can, however, hear the heavy movement of bushi drilling, presumably to keep from succumbing to the bite of the cold.

During the second day, all terrain counts as Obscuring terrain during the heavy snowfall (see page 267 of the core rulebook). A PC may perform TN 3 Tactics check (Fire 1, Air 4) as a Scholar skill to realize that the increased cold means the Lion’s food supplies will last even less time than expected, unless the army sends some forces to scavenge or hunt for food. If a PC brings this up with Sakura, she agrees with their assessment, and that PC earns 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor ongoing objective.

Morning Meeting

Sakura has been informed about the night visitor, either by the PCs or by a bushi who overheard the exchange. If the PCs were unaware of the intruder in the night, Sakura informs them briefly now. However, the bulk of the meeting is given to discussing problems caused by the snow. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

General Sakura addresses you: “The snow falls unseasonably early, and we cannot assume more supplies will reach us, so we must work with what time we have. I intend to conclude this battle quickly and establish our garrisons here before the full force of winter arrives. We must use the cover of the snow to mount a surprise attack on the Unicorn. Now, how can we ensure our victory?”

Hisoka dissents. “Such an attack carries too much risk.” Yū frowns and says, “We cannot wait forever, Hisoka. The general is right: we must act soon.”

The general waits for the PCs’ advice. As on the first day, they may make a check to deliver it more effectively (or offset their losses).

The Army of Ten Thousand Needles

Shinjo Kamu’s army, called the Ten Thousand Needles for the forest of spears that it bristles at its foes, is a specialist force within the Unicorn Clan’s armies, using infantry tactics adopted upon their return to Rokugan.

Strength: 50

Discipline: 40

Leaders: The army has five leaders, whom Shinjo Kamu refers to as his Five Pillars: Moto Ghazan, Utaku Norio, Shinjo Gansarnai, Iuchi Gerel, and Ide Nanashi. If a leader is killed or rendered unable to lead (such as by being knocked unconscious), they are replaced with a loyal bushi at the start of the next round (see page 312 of the core rulebook). See The Five Pillars in the left margin for how to construct their profiles. Kamu always nominates his leaders to act in the order in which they are listed above (with any replacement leaders acting last, in an order determined by the GM).

Forest of Spears (Army Ability): After a cohort in this army performs a Reinforce action, any enemy cohort that attacks it this round treats all terrain as Dangerous terrain (see page 267 of the core rulebook).

Let us attack as quickly as we can,

causing their army to panic!

The PC gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor social objective. If Sakura takes this advice, approaching quickly and loudly means the Lion fall into the Unicorn’s trap and must increase the TN of all checks they make during the battle by 1.

We should march in silence

and take them by surprise!

The advisor gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor social objective. Approaching quietly and slowly means the Lion do not fall so quickly into the Unicorn’s trap.

Hisoka is right; we should wait. If we reduce the soldiers’

rations, we can last longer.

Sakura has already said she wants to attack soon. The PC loses 1 momentum point from the Maintain the General’s Favor social objective, unless the PC backs up their opinion with a practical reason such as “marching our army in poor p. 23 visibility leaves us open to ambush” or “marching in the extreme cold weakens our bushi before we even reach the enemy.” However, after the attack, all PCs who advised waiting gain 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor social objective, as Sakura sees the wisdom of their words in retrospect.

THE FIVE PILLARS

The following NPCs count as school rank 3 for ability purposes. Each

NPC also has access to a Unicorn warhorse (see

page 327*).

Moto Ghazan: Skillful

Rōnin with Warrior template, choose Pelting

Hail Style () and Pin the Fan (). Replace School of the Wolf with Swirling Desert Wind

(see page 84*).

Utaku Norio: Loyal Bushi with Warrior template, choose Iron Forest Style

() and Heartpiercing Strike (). Replace both abilities with Swirling Desert Wind (see page 84*).

Shinjo Gansarnai: Loyal Bushi with Warrior template, choose Flowing

Water Strike () and Striking as Water ().

Replace both abilities with Born in the Saddle

(see page 85*).

Iuchi Gerel: Skillful Rōnin with Investigator template, choose Tactical

Assessment () and Lightning Raid (). Replace School of the Wolf with Heroic Charge

(see page 86*).

Ide Nanashi: Loyal Bushi with Socialite template, choose Slippery Maneuvers () and Rallying Cry (). Replace both abilities with Heroic Charge (see page 86*).

*All page references in this margin reference the

core rulebook.

However we proceed, we should make for [a particular key objective].

Sakura approves of this idea, and the PC gains 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor social objective.

The Decision

Sakura decides to attack, even if the PCs are against it. Whether the army charges or marches quietly depends on the advice given above, and which side the PCs favor.

As on the first day, the PCs act as leaders of the army, and Sakura chooses the strategic objective for each round. Unless the PCs persuade her to pursue a different overall strategy, she begins by calling for her leaders to Capture a Position (see page 277 of the core rulebook), and maintains that objective until the PCs succeed. She picks the first position suggested by a PC, or defaults to the Unicorn War Camp if no PC suggests one. After the position has been captured, she declares Grind Them Down as the objective for any remaining rounds.

Betrayed

Akodo Kamayoko’s impersonator is eavesdropping outside of the tent and slips away as soon as the decision is made. She carefully makes her way to the outskirts of the camp and is greeted by a disguised Unicorn scout. She informs the scout of the incoming attack.

The first PC to leave the tent after the meeting may make a TN 3 Survival (Water) check as a Scholar skill. If they succeed, they notice Kamayoko walking down the path in a hurry. If they follow her, they catch sight of the disguised Unicorn scout just as they vanish in the snow, though they appear to be wearing Lion colors. A TN 3 Design (Air) check using a Scholar approach lets a PC know that the person departing is wearing Lion colors, but the shades aren’t quite right. The PCs cannot follow the scout due to the low visibility.

Ambush in the Snow

Three rounds of the mass battle proceed normally, but after the third round, something unexpected happens: using the cover of the snow, a small unit of Unicorn cavalry lead by Ide Nanashi slips through the Lion Clan lines and attacks Sakura and her command staff directly. If the PCs are with Sakura, they can participate in this skirmish against Ide Nanashi (see page 22) plus one Loyal Bushi (see page 312 of the core rulebook) riding a Unicorn warhorse (see page 327 of the core rulebook) per PC. A number of Sakura’s staff are killed, and the confusion throws the army into chaos. If the PCs are able to kill Ide Nanashi, the Lion army suffers 10 panic, but if she slips away (or the PCs are not present to oppose her), the army suffers 20 panic instead. Sakura suffers superficial injuries in the battle if the PCs are not present.

After the Attack

After the crushing ambush, Sakura asks all who are able to get the wounded to the medical tent. This gives the PCs a chance to earn her favor and save lives. Any PCs with the Medicine skill may help treat the wounded. Kamayoko is present at the medical tent, but she is constantly on the move tending to soldiers, which gives the PCs little time to question her. Any PCs who would like to help may make a TN 2 Medicine (Earth) check to stabilize a patient, and bonus successes may be spent to get them back on their feet. Sakura walks among the wounded and is witness to the PCs’ efforts, which gain them 1 momentum point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective.

Night 2

During the night, the wind howls like yōkai in the snow. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The snow continues to fall thick and fast, and the soldiers have little shelter against the cold. Rations have been halved, and as the night falls, the wind rises. Its howling keeps everyone awake, and soldiers spread the word that some evil spirit wants them to fail.

While sleep is difficult even if the PCs have managed to capture some sort of fortification in which to weather out the storm, the PCs may suggest lighting fires, singing songs, or providing entertainment in the form of Ikoma Hideri’s stories: anything to increase morale. Any one PC may make a TN 4 Performance check (Fire 2, Air 5) to help boost the army’s morale. If no PC succeeds at this check, the army receives 5 panic overnight; otherwise, it removes panic equal to the PC’s ranks in performance plus bonus successes.

Other night activities are significantly hindered, and any PC who undertakes activities that expose them to the freezing night must make a TN 3 Fitness (Earth 1, Fire 4) check or suffer the Lightly Wounded condition for the ring they used as they become frostbitten.

Day 3

However the PCs spent the night, on the morning of the third day, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

SPY IN THE CAMP

After the failed attack, Sakura becomes convinced there is a spy in her camp who revealed her position to the enemy, and she asks the PCs to find them. She does not tell any PC who has fewer than 5 points toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective. If any PC has fewer than 2 points, she actively suspects that PC to be a possible spy.

If the PCs suspect Kamayoko (secretly Shosuro Yasu) or have already suggested something was amiss with her actions, Sakura asks the PCs to find her and bring her to Sakura’s tent.

On the morning of the third day, the snow has ceased to fall, but it leaves a white landscape that glistens in the sunlight. The Unicorn will have the advantage today, knowing the lay of the land better than the Lion. Each step you take sinks deep into the freezing snow, and you have to be wary of falling into hidden drifts.

All areas of the Snow Plain counts as Dangerous terrain throughout the day, due to the thick snow and bitter cold (see page 267 of the core rulebook).

Morning Meeting

In the morning, Sakura takes her advisors around the snow-covered camp to assess the previous day’s damage. Read or paraphrase the following:

Sakura walks with her head high, her face inscrutable as she surveys the camp. Ashigaru are hard at work clearing drifts of snow from around the tents. The sky is clear and pale, but there will be more snow to come. “Now that the snow has stopped, we could attack,” she says.

“I believe the troops need time to rest after the night we have had,” Yū warns her.

Hisoka shakes his head and rebuffs her. “The soldiers are cold, and our supplies dwindle. We must act while they still have some energy left.”

Sakura stops walking, and she turns to you. You see the weight of the night under her eyes.

General Sakura must decide whether to attack now, while no snow is falling, or to allow the soldiers a respite, hoping the snow continues to hold off. In this matter, she takes Yū’s advice, unless the PCs persuade her otherwise.

We could ask the kami to prevent

snow from falling again today…

Unless the PC can actually succeed at this (such as if they are a shugenja or other spiritualist), it is not an especially helpful idea, and Sakura dismisses it. If a PC actually can do this (and succeeds in their attempt), they gain 3 momentum toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective.

The Unicorn have surely suffered the same hardships as

we have. Let us attack now!

The PC loses 1 momentum point from the Maintain the General’s Favor objective. Sakura points out that they have no idea how the Unicorn fared overnight, unless they send a scout.

The Outcome

Unless the PCs’ advice is unanimous, Sakura takes the advice of the PC with the most points toward Maintain the General’s Favor . In the case of a tie, she is swayed by Yū’s opinion. After Sakura makes her decision, Yū retires to a shrine to pray to her ancestors, and any PCs who have been given tasks to perform prior to the battle may undertake them.

The Order of Battle on Day 3

If the Lion do attack immediately, the freezing weather causes 5 attrition and panic to the Lion Clan army immediately. The Unicorn Clan army seems far less affected by the cold, and Ikoma Hideri correctly identifies this as the work of the enemy leader Iuchi Gerel. As such, unless the PCs convince her to pursue a different objective, Sakura orders the Cut Off the Head objective against Gerel. If any PC manages to kill Gerel or remove her from battle, the Unicorn army also immediately suffers 5 panic and attrition as the effects of the cold begin to wear on their forces.

If the Lion army does not attack, the Unicorn army seizes the moment to attempt to either retake any positions lost the previous days or strike at the Crystal Pass to cut off the Lion Clan’s supplies.

After three rounds of the mass battle, the PCs notice that Kitsu Yū’s unit has been surrounded in the swirling winds. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

As the battle lines and the falling snows part, you spot a familiar figure surrounded by spear-wielding Unicorn infantry. Bloodied and injured, Kitsu Yū holds her ground against overwhelming odds.

Prayer to the Ancestors

Kitsu Yū is surrounded on the battlefield. If the PCs rush to her side, they can fight a skirmish against waves of Loyal Bushi with conflict ranks such that they are roughly equal to the party rank in strength. This skirmish goes on for several rounds, with more and more enemies arriving p. 25 until Lion Clan ancestor spirits arrive on the battlefield. Any PC who rushed to Yū ‘s side is awarded 5 honor and 5 glory for risking their life heroically.

If the PCs do not move to help Yū, skip ahead to the summoning of the kitsu spirits.

The effectiveness of these spirits depends on how the PCs handled Yū’s discomfort and visions over the past three days (see Eyes of the Kitsu on page 18). Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

All the sounds of battle—the cries, the clash of metal, the crunch of bones and skulls—seem to fade. Spectral forms sweep through the snows, congregating around Kitsu Yū.

If the PCs were able to warn Yū that she is an Ancestral Summoner, she is more mentally prepared and embraces the bond she has with the ancestors. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The battlefield around Yū swells with the ghostly forms of samurai. After a palpable pause, the dozens of soldier moving toward Yū quickly fall back. The Lion do not cheer, but stand back. Shaken, Yū falters, and as soon as she drops her sword arm, the figures around her start to fade, the ancestral spirits of the Lion Clan becoming nothing but dust upon the air.

If the PCs did not help Yū realize what was going on, she is unprepared to have her prayer answered. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Chaos ensues. Spirits of armored Lion Clan samurai swarm the field, slashing and cutting into everything in their path. Yū struggles to focus herself and the spirits, but she is overwhelmed. A spear strikes Yū, and she collapses.

The battle over, Sakura orders the Lion army back to camp. The sight of spirits on the battlefield has incited fear in both sides, as this phenomenon is something no one has ever seen before. Kitsu Yū has demonstrated abilities so different from everything the Lion soldiers are familiar with, and whispers through the camp ask if the power was unfamiliar foreign sorcery, or worse. Yū retires to a small camp shrine to ask her ancestors for guidance. If the PCs follow her, she tells them that she is amazed. Yū is overwhelmed by the accidental invocation of her ancestors, while Ayako realizes that Yū and the spirits are her ancestors, too. Yū explains that she is afraid of how the army, and history, will see her now.

If the PCs attempt to help Yū or simply wish to raise morale, assuring the troops that Yū is not some evil sorcerer sets their minds at rest. Either way, this calms the troops and impresses Sakura. Each PC involved gains 1 point toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective.

Day 4

At dawn on the fourth day, the Unicorn army approaches with Kamu at its head. There is no time for a morning meeting; the Lion army must assemble at once.

Sakura throws everything she can at this final battle, intending to claim victory or die trying. She asks the bushi PC she trusts the most to keep Yū safe in their unit, so that Yū can focus on exploring and mastering the new spirit-summoning technique. Unless she is convinced to pursue a key objective or other plan by the PCs, her strategic objective is Seize the Enemy’s Banner, to capture Kamu’s uma-jirushi, the banner erected on a pole attached to his mount. This is the purple banner the PCs saw in the Akodo War College in Part One (see page 6). The Unicorn army is pursuing the Grind Them Down objective, and maintains this objective for the entire battle today. Sakura opts to make the first move.

Seize the Enemy’s Banner

The commander calls for the army to capture the enemy commander’s banner, symbolically asserting superiority over the other force.

How to Achieve It: After a leader performs a successful Attack action against an enemy leader’s cohort, they accrue 1 momentum point toward this strategic objective.

Fulfilled When: After the army accrues momentum points equal to the enemy commander’s focus (6, in this case), one leader may enter a clash that is resolved immediately against the enemy commander (see page 263 of the core rulebook). If the character wins the clash, they seize the enemy commander’s banner, and then this objective is completed. If the character loses the clash, up to one other character may attempt a clash against the commander.

Upon Completion: When a leader completes this objective, the enemy army suffers 20 panic.

Once the battle begins, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The Lion troops assemble rapidly for one final all-out attack. Ikoma Hideri walks among them, reminding them of all Sakura has done for them. Sakura has no time for a speech but stands with Yū at her side, promising the soldiers that she will have Lion bushi both living and dead fighting alongside her, in a battle that will go down in history. Beside her, Yū looks terrified.

The Final Battle

The mass battle proceeds until the PCs capture the enemy banner (or a key position, if they were trying to take one of these instead), or for 6 rounds.

WHAT IF THE LION ARMY LOSES?

If the Lion Clan army is ever on the brink of collapse or a rout (due to its panic or casualties growing too high), the GM should have Kitsu Yū’s miraculous intervention occur earlier than planned, giving the Lion Clan army the ability to remain in the field. See page 26 for details.

Yū’s Intervention

At some point during the battle, when things look dire for the army overall (if its panic or casualties grow dangerously high) or for a particular PC (such as if they are injured in a clash, become Compromised, or similar), read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The thunder of battle roars around you, and you see a wall of spears – the Ten Thousand Needles – advancing relentlessly. Your vision swims, for despite the gains you have made, your foes seem implacable. Suddenly, the roar of battle is overwhelmed by a still louder roar and the Unicorn soldiers begin to break into a retreat around you. Ghostly shapes rush past you and charge into the Unicorn forces.

The Lion Clan army immediately removes 15 panic and 15 casualties.

The Envoy’s Arrival

After the PCs succeed in their strategic objective, the Imperial Envoy arrives:

A loud whistle cuts across the battlefield, and suddenly, the clashing armies draw back. Riding toward you, you see a group of green-clad travelers bearing the banner of the Chrysanthemum. A hush falls across the bloodied snow.

As Sakura must meet the Imperial emissary immediately after the battle, she has no time to visit the ryorishi. If a PC has the Medicine skill, they may offer to bind her wound by making a TN 2 Medicine (Earth) check. That PC is awarded 2 honor if they succeed.

If any PCs desires to continue to fight, they must forfeit 7 honor and 7 glory to do so.

Meeting the Imperials

The Imperial envoy, Miya Momoka, can be represented with the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook. She is accompanied by ten Seppun Honor Guards. Upon her arrival, Momoka stops the fighting. She sends a guard to each general to demand they send their warriors back to their respective camps and meet her on the battlefield in a makeshift tent. Each general is allowed to bring a small escort, and Sakura takes her advisors with her.

Sakura and Kamu must show respect to Momoka, though their hatred for each other makes it difficult for them to be in such close proximity. If the Lion made an attempt on Kamu’s life during the night, he taunts Sakura for this now. Momoka has a message direct from the Emperor, which she reads out loud. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Momoka speaks crisply: “The Emperor has decided the Unicorn shall keep this land. The Unicorn must claim the victory, to show the other Great Clans that the Unicorn are here to stay. However, he will not let the Lion starve. They will be reimbursed with all food from Snow Plain for one decade, which will be supplemented by half of all food produced from the Osari Plains for five years.

Momoka explains that the Unicorn will be recorded as the victors—that is the price the Lion must pay to receive this gift. Sakura cannot refuse such a generous offer, from the Emperor no less, though it means her hard-won victory will be forgotten by history. A messenger is sent to Ikoma Hideri immediately, to have her alter her accounts of the battle.

Kamu is not satisfied with the solution. He feels such a lie dishonors him and is not happy about having to give so much to the Lion after they have done such damage to his clan. He is angry, and he challenges Sakura to a duel to prove who is the greater warrior. Momoka allows this, and even seems to welcome it as entertainment. However, seeing that Sakura is wounded, Momoka gives both generals time to recover from the battle before they return to duel.

Death of a Historian

When the Sakura and her advisors return to camp to prepare for the duel, the camp is in uproar. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

A tent is ablaze, and huge flames lick the sky. Bushi and servants alike stand aghast, already mourning Ikoma Hideri, who is believed to be inside…

The PCs may attempt to rescue Hideri from the flames. She was knocked out and left to burn, so she needs p. 27 to be carried out of the tent. A successful TN 3 Fitness check (Earth 2, Fire 4) enables a PC to enter, find Hideri, and remove her without sustaining harm. Any PC who makes the attempt but fails suffers the Burning condition (see page 272 of the core rulebook).

SCORPION INTERFERENCE

Shosuro Amane wants the battle recorded as a Unicorn win that was accomplished due to Scorpion aid, so that when memories have faded in the future, the Scorpion can claim the diamond-rich mine. Even if the PCs arrange for Amane’s downfall after the fire, the Scorpion has already passed the record Yū signed on to Shosuro Yasu, who has been impersonating Akodo Kamayoko. She will ensure history remembers the battle as Amane wished. When back in the present with the scroll, any Ikoma historian NPC can authenticate the document for the PCs so that it may be used in court as testimony on behalf

of Ikoma Hideri.

Part Three: The Truth

Alternatively, the PCs may attempt to quench the flames in time to save her. Some people are running to the nearest stream, where they will have to break the ice to get to the water. The PCs might lead them in throwing snow on the fire instead, and a TN 4 Command or Performance check (Fire 4, Air 5) rallies enough people to put it out in time to get to Hideri.

The PCs may be able to rescue Hideri, but she has inhaled a lot of smoke and only lasts long enough to bemoan the loss of her scrolls. This was the Scorpion’s purpose in having Shosuro Yasu, who was masquerading as Akodo Kamayoko, set the fire (see Scorpion Interference on page 26), but Hideri did not see her assailant. The PCs receive 3 honor for attempting to save her, and if they wish, they may take the flute she was playing when she was attacked and was still clutching when she died.

When Hideri dies, or when her burned body is found in the remains of the tent, Yū asks to speak to the PCs alone. She tells them that the Scorpion Amane came to her after meeting with Sakura the night before and promised to help keep what happened to Yū out of the histories. She signed an account of the battle, one that didn’t include her, and told the Scorpion where Hideri was so they could plant the document. She realizes now that they wanted to know where the historian’s tent was so the Scorpion could have Yasu burn it.

If the PCs look for the Scorpion in one of the abandoned mines, they find Amane there, but the shinobi Shosuro Yasu has already gone and taken the document Yū signed. The PCs may to bring Amane back to Sakura to face justice or let them go. Amane will not resist, saying little. If the PCs manage to bring Amane to the Lion camp, Sakura demands that the Scorpion be executed for causing Hideri’s death. Then, it is time for the duel against Kamu.

The Duel

The duel is to the death, as the angry Unicorn general will accept nothing less. Sakura speaks to her advisors alone. With her sword arm damaged, she is in no position to accept this duel herself. She is angry and frustrated. Kitsu Yū asks to be Sakura’s champion and fight for her honor. Yū feels guilty for allowing the Scorpion to manipulate her and wants this opportunity to make amends to Sakura.

Instead of accepting, Sakura appeals to the PCs. She would rather not choose Yū, whose newfound abilities have yet to be explored. If any PC offers to duel in her place, they gain 1 honor for their willingness. If multiple PCs offer, Sakura chooses the PC with the most momentum points toward the Maintain the General’s Favor objective to represent her. If a PC is chosen to represent Sakura, they gain a further 6 honor for taking her place—regardless of the outcome of the duel.

When the duel takes place, read or paraphrase the following aloud:

Shinjo Kamu stands ready to draw his scimitar and strike. His stance appears relaxed, but there is no mistaking the fierce determination in his eyes. The seasoned Unicorn general does not look at his opponent’s face but at his target, his opponent’s heart.

To defeat Kamu, the PC must fight to the death. For dueling rules, see page 258 of the core rulebook. When one of the duelists lies dying, Yū apologizes to the PCs, taking responsibility for reading the scroll aloud at the Kitsu family archives and dragging them into this vision. Read or paraphrase the following aloud:

The world begins to collapse around you, falling away into shadow. You look at Yū, and she steps aside from Ayako, the ghostly form separating from the young librarian. The ghost shakes her head sadly. Blood begins to spread around her feet. “I do not remember how I die, but I am not given the opportunity to right the lie that became truth here.” She lifts her hand to her side as blood pools there. “Please, hold my truth when you return to the castle. Promise me.” The vision fades.

As the last breath from either Kamu or the PC is drawn, the vision fades.

Part Three: The Truth

Once the PCs have returned to the present from the vision, they must decide how they’ll handle the information they discovered throughout Part Two. Depending on their affiliations and personal motivations, the way each PC approaches the final intrigue may differ. Whether they change history while in the vision or not, experiencing the battle firsthand may have made them see the past differently. In this section, the PCs will participate in an intrigue that determines how their new information changes history, and which of the Great Clans benefits from it!

Visionaries

When the PCs find themselves back at the Castle of the Swift Sword, Ayako reminds them that while a Kitsu family audience, attuned and familiar with spiritual matters like the one the PCs experienced, might readily accept the experience they have shared, most samurai would treat their tale with suspicion and a raised brow.

HIDERI’S LOST SCROLL

If the PCs attempt to rescue Hideri or search through the remains of the tent after the fire, they have the opportunity to discover a scroll in a case that seems untouched by the blaze, as though it was an act of forbearance by the kami of fire. If they do not, Yū instead discovers the scroll and shows the PCs. If inspected, the PCs discover the document is the true telling of the Battle of Snow Plain, signed with Hideri’s personal chop. Depending on whether or not the PCs are able to affect the future (see Living in the Past on page 2), they can either hide the scroll case somewhere to gather when they return to the present (or they can have Yū do so), or, alternatively, the GM can allow the PCs to take the document back to the present with them.

When back in the present with the scroll, any Ikoma historian NPC can authenticate the document for the PCs so that it may be used in court as testimony on behalf of Ikoma Hideri.

After the Vision

The PCs have three days before Kitsuki Kāgi arrives to act on any information they gained in the vision. During this time, they can persuade characters at the Castle of the Swift Sword to testify to Kitsuki Kāgi in support of a particular position. Because PCs have their own allegiances and goals (even if they are magistrates), party opposition may occur at this point in the adventure. GMs are encouraged to embrace this drama and conflict, as clans vying for control, power, and their version of the “truth” is a centerpiece of Rokugani culture.

During this time, the PCs may pursue narrative scenes, intrigues, and downtime activities that strengthen the version of events they want to present to Kitsuki Kāgi. The PCs can accomplish one downtime activity and one to two narrative scenes or intrigues per day, such as:

Gather Witness Testimony

A PC could undertake an intrigue to persuade an NPC at the castle to weigh in on their side of the argument when Kitsuki Kāgi arrives. If multiple PCs are pursuing this goal to different ends, the GM should track each PC’s progress with each NPC as an ongoing Appeal to a Person objective (see page 255 of the core rulebook) that lasts multiple scenes. If the position runs counter to the NPC’s clan loyalty or priorities, increase the momentum points required to win over that NPC to that position by 3. If multiple PCs are trying to appeal to the same NPC to take different positions, the PC who achieves the objective and has the most momentum points over the amount required is successful. A PC might even try to discredit another’s witness with the Discredit Someone objective (see page 255 of the core rulebook).

During the arbitration intrigue, each witness a PC convinces to weigh in on their side of the arbitration adds a number of momentum points toward that PC’s chosen social objective equal to their status rank.

Acquire Written Testimony

A PC could look for more written research to back up their position, especially now that they are armed with firsthand knowledge of the events. As a downtime activity, a PC may make a TN 3 Scholar skill check to prepare documentation for their argument. Each PC can only use each ring once this way. If a PC succeeds, they find historical documents that help to substantiate the details they saw in the vision – old scrolls that had been ignored, commentary on the battles that was viewed as incorrect but they now know to be accurate (or simply useful to their position), or even firsthand records of seemingly mundane details (supplies, casualty reports, personal letters) that offer bits of credence to their position.

During the arbitration intrigue, each piece of written testimony a PC acquires is worth 1 momentum point toward their chosen social objective, plus 1 momentum point per bonus success on their check to acquire it.

Forge Written Testimony

A PC could also use their firsthand knowledge to create an extremely convincing fake document that supports their position. To intentionally falsify such a document, the PC must forfeit honor equal to half their honor rank plus the status rank of the person who they claim wrote the document, and must stake an equal amount of glory on passing this document off successfully. Creating the document requires a TN 3 Composition (Air) check. If the character succeeds, the forgery is convincing to any NPCs who scrutinize it. A PC can uncover the forgery using a TN 3 Composition or Government (Fire) check.

During the arbitration intrigue, each piece of false written testimony a PC acquires is worth 1 momentum point toward their chosen social objective, plus 3 momentum points per bonus success on their check to acquire it. However, if it is exposed during the arbitration, the PC who used it loses all momentum points (in addition to their staked glory).

Other Clever Plots

The PCs can also undertake other options to prepare for the arrival of the magistrate. For instance, they could research Kitsuki Kāgi’s own family history using the archives to find suitable blackmail or bribery material, or they could find out about Shosuro Aishi and Ide Tsubame to find ways to get one or the other to relinquish their claim. The GM should entertain other plausible creative options.

During the arbitration intrigue, each other plan to build favor with the arbitrator or claimants should award 1 or more momentum points toward the PC’s chosen social objective.

Rendering Judgment

After three days, the PCs are informed that the representatives from the Scorpion and Unicorn have arrived along with Kitsuki Kāgi This includes Shosuro Aishi, a descendant of the Scorpion emissary Shosuro Amane in the vision, and Ide Tsubame, an ambitious young Unicorn courtier and descendant of Shinjo Kamu. Aishi recently discovered a letter hidden by her ancestor that included details of the diamond mine, and so started all the current trouble. Tsubame believes that if she can negotiate a win for the Unicorn, her clan might consider giving her greater responsibility. Aware that the situation is about to escalate, the acting Emerald Champion, Agasha Sumiko, has sent a deputy, Kitsuki Kāgi, to arbitrate negotiations between the two emissaries.

STATUS AND TRUTH

In Rokugani law, the correct party is generally

the one of higher status.

Evidence and witness testimony matter only if

they support the social hierarchy. However, this

does not mean that the law is without complexity.

In a case such as this, there is no clear, single piece of evidence that can

say “this party owns the

mine” incontrovertibly.

Both sides have only tangential testimony that implies their clan should own the mine. And

because of that, Kitsuki

Kāgi’s interpretation of what the testimony

presented actually means – and which parts

actually apply to who owns the mine – matters

a great deal.

Running the Intrigue

A few hours after he arrives, Kāgi summons the PCs and any NPCs who have anything to say about the issue of the diamond mine to a meeting to present their cases. The room is sparse, although tea is served at various intervals during the arbitration, which can take several hours. Kāgi is open to being persuaded that either the Unicorn or Scorpion should own the mine, but he has also been given permission to place the mine under Imperial control if no clear decision can be made.

At the start of the arbitration meeting, the GM should ask each PC what their social objective is for this intrigue. This social objective will be treated as an ongoing social objective until the arbitration ends, regardless of how many scenes it takes to resolve.

The PCs can choose from one of several social objectives for this scene, and all PCs can pursue the same objective or they may pursue separate agendas. Some sample objectives the GM should offer the PCs are:

Appeal to Kāgi to Rule in Favor of…

Based on the Appeal to a Person or Group social objective (see page 255 of the core rulebook), any PC or group of PCs attempting this objective must accrue momentum points toward it to succeed via the Persuade action targeting Kāgi and various revelations of testimony they gathered during preparation. The number of momentum points varies as follows:

The Unicorn or the Scorpion: Requires 16 momentum points. After this objective is completed, Kāgi rules in favor of either the Unicorn or Scorpion based on the outcome.

Imperial Control: Requires 14 momentum points. After this objective is completed,

Kāgi rules in favor of putting the mine under Imperial control.

Another Faction: Requires 24 momentum points. After this objective is completed, Kāgi rules in favor of the chosen Great Clan, Minor Clan, other faction, or even an individual.

Appeal to Aishi or Tsubame to Drop Their Clan’s Claim

Based on the Appeal to a Person or Group social objective (see page 255 of the core rulebook), any PC or group of PCs attempting this objective must accrue 18 momentum points toward it to succeed via the Persuade action targeting Aishi or Tsubame and various revelations of testimony they gathered during preparation. After this objective is completed, Aishi or Tsubame relinquishes their clan’s claim to the mine.

Discredit Aishi, Tsubame, or Someone Else

Based on the Discredit Someone social objective (see page 255 of the core rulebook), any PC or group of PCs attempting this objective must cause Aishi or Tsubame to become Compromised. After this objective is completed, Aishi or Tsubame loses up to 8 momentum points they have acquired so far. However, they are not removed from the scene, and can continue trying to accrue momentum points.

NPC Objectives

The NPCs are pursuing the following social objectives in this scene:

CHOOSING SIDES

How the PCs choose to use the knowledge they have gained over the course of the adventure determines whether they succeed in their mission or start a war, and who gains the diamond mine. If any PCs are Unicorn or Scorpion, their duty necessitates siding with their own clan. To do otherwise, they must forfeit 5 glory. They make an enemy of their clan’s representative, however, and an ally of the opposition. See Player Rewards on this page.

Shosuro Aishi: Aishi is pursuing the Appeal to Kāgi to Rule in Favor of the Scorpion objective, and any PCs also pursuing this objective may join her in doing so, combining their momentum points into a single pool.

Ide Tsubame: Tsubame is pursuing the Appeal to Kāgi to Rule in Favor of the Unicorn objective, and any PCs also pursuing this objective may join her in doing so, combining their momentum points into a single pool.

Kitsuki Kāgi: Kitsuki Kāgi pursues multiple objectives in sequence during this scene. First, he pursues the Discern Someone’s Qualities objective targeting Ide Tsubame, then he pursues the same objective targeting Shosuro Aishi. If the PCs join with him in these objectives, he will share any information he uncovers in the process (such as the advantages, disadvantages, demeanor, and skills of these characters). If he completes both of these objectives, he begins to pursue the same objective targeting the PCs.

Multi-day Arbitration

Kāgi does not intend to let anyone leave the conference hall until the decision is made. However, the PCs (or NPCs) might want to take a break to remove strife, gather new testimony, or make alliances and change tactics. As an action during the intrigue, any character may make a TN 3 Courtesy check (Earth 1, Water 4) to convince Kāgi to call for a respite. Each PC and NPC may then undertake one downtime activity or narrative scene (or simply rest). However, as Kāgi is under significant pressure to render judgment quickly, increase the TN of this check to call for a reprieve by 2 each time a character succeeds at it.

Managing the NPCs during the Intrigue

When Tsubame and Aishi make their checks to persuade Kāgi, the GM can deliver the following talking points, reading or paraphrasing them as necessary. The GM can also have these NPCs address the PCs’ points instead, trying to cast doubt on the testimony they have offered with insinuations or counter-testimony from a source of comparable status.

The GM can roll for NPC uses of the Persuade action (using the ring listed with the talking point and the character’s Social skill ranks), or simply grant the NPC a number of momentum points equal to the listed ring to save time.

Ide Tsubame’s Arguments

Ide Tsubame can make the following points:

“We won the Snow Plain from the Lion, and no other clan can claim a right to it.” (Earth)

“The Snow Plain belongs to the Unicorn, so there should be no doubt the mine also belongs to the Unicorn.” (Water)

“Shinjo Kamoko, niece to Shinjo Kamu, wrote of his considerable ire toward the Scorpion in several of her later letters. Would he really have given the mine to the Scorpion if he hated them?” (Air)

“Where was this Scorpion claim to the mine for the last few centuries? What could be sparking their need for it now besides treachery?” (Fire)

“Surely, this is a chance to put the bloody wars of the past behind us and unite as a single, peaceful Rokugan.” (Void)

Shosuro Aishi’s Arguments

Shosuro Aishi then makes the following points, each of which gains 1 momentum point for the Scorpion cause unless refuted by a PC. Assuming the PC does not have status greater than the courtier, the PC must stake glory equal to their glory rank to contest Aishi’s arguments.

“Without the assistance of my clan, the Unicorn would not have won the Battle of Snow Plain at all. The mine was given as a gift in gratitude for this help, and to refute that now dishonors our ancestors who fought for the plain.” (Earth)

“I have here my ancestor’s letter detailing the positioning of the mines that were discovered and dug by the Scorpion. If the Scorpion dug the mine, surely we owned it.” (Water)

“Why have the Unicorn never worked in it all these years? Wouldn’t they use a mine they owned?” (Air)

“You’re born of the Lion Clan, aren’t you Kitsuki-sama? The Matsu family, if I’m not mistaken? It seems like it can be only fate that you would be allowed to make the decision over whether the Unicorn shall once again presume to seize territory they willingly abandoned…” (Fire)

“I am sure you will make the wisest choice.” (Void)

The Decision Is Made

In any outcome, at least one clan is left disappointed. War might yet be prevented, however. One or both disappointed courtiers can be convinced the decision was made fairly and correctly. This could spark further conflict, someday even leading to war, but the PCs can also attempt to smooth things over. If the PCs can offer something of value to the losing party, be it knowledge of their ancestors they previously lacked, a valuable alliance, or some other consolation, they can potentially keep the matter from escalating—if this is something they even desire, based on their own interests!

SHOSURO AISHI

Aishi can be represented with the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Trickster template (Ambitious demeanor).

She is a tall, elegant woman with expensive tastes. She dreams about wearing diamonds retrieved from the Unicorn mines. She is as greedy for expensive silk as she is for information and is only happy when she’s wearing finer robes than everyone around her. This isn’t something she has to worry about in

present company.

IDE TSUBAME

Ide Tsubame can be represented with the Seasoned Courtier profile on page 313 of the core rulebook, with the addition of the Socialite template (Assertive demeanor). She has studied the customs and traditions of all the clans, and she considers perfect manners and a display of impeccable taste to be necessary parts of her job. She is a practical woman who would prefer to be out riding, and preferably hunting, but she puts her duty to her clan

before all else.

Conclusion and Epilogue

Conclusion and Epilogue

Once Kitsuki Kāgi makes a decision, he tells the PCs that their task is complete. Shosuro Aishi and Ide Tsubame return to their respective clans, and Kāgi writes a letter to the acting Emerald Champion letting her know how the PCs fared and what the clan representatives’ reactions to his decision were. If Aishi or Tsubame return home disappointed and unpersuaded, they may encourage their champion to seize the mine by force.

If the players wish to continue the adventure, Kitsuki Kāgi entrusts the PCs with the letter to acting Emerald Champion Agasha Sumiko. During the PCs’ journey, news reaches them that Akodo Toturi has won the right to serve as Emerald Champion. If desired, the GM can redirect the PCs to Toshi Ranbo, where Akodo Toturi is visiting, or to Otosan Uchi, where political tensions are coming to a head. The PCs could also run into the Army of the Rising Wave and have to contend with the Dragon. If one or both clans are likely to send an army to the plains surrounding Toshi Ranbo, the Emerald Champion sends the PCs with a detachment from an Imperial Legion behind them to keep the peace, which is its own adventure.

Player Rewards

Player characters’ success is not dependent on fulfilling the acting Emerald Champion’s mission exactly. If the PCs have been virtuous and dutiful, and have achieved their goals, they receive appropriate rewards. Each PC gains 3 XP for completing the adventure, with the following additions:

5 glory: For successfully determining the outcome of the Imperial investigation in Part Three (see page 28).

3 honor: For attempting to make peace or choose peaceful solutions.

2 honor: For promising Yū to help spread the truth and attempting to do so; if a PC promised to do so and did not try to keep that promise, they instead lose 2 honor.

If Kitsu Ayako becomes a shugenja, the PCs gain the advantage Ally [Kitsu Ayako] (Water).

If the PCs revealed everything they knew to Kitsuki Kāgi, they impressed him, and he writes a favorable report to the acting Emerald Champion. The PCs are awarded an additional 5 glory, and gain the advantage Ally [Kitsu Kāgi] (Water).

Credits

EXPANSION DESIGN AND Alexis Dykema DEVELOPMENT

WRITING AND ADDITIONAL Lisa Farrell with DEVELOPMENT Max Brooke

EDITING Christine Crabb

PROOFREADING Riley Miller and Emily Reiner

RPG MANAGER Sam Gregor-Stewart

LEGEND OF THE FIVE Daniel Lovat Clark RINGS STORY REVIEW and Tyler Parrott

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Katrina Ostrander OF STORY AND SETTING

EXPANSION GRAPHIC DESIGN Sebastian Koziner

GRAPHIC DESIGN Joseph D. Olson COORDINATOR

GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER Christopher Hosch

FRONT COVER ART Mauro Dal Bo

BACK COVER ART Nele Diel

INTERIOR ART Francesca Baerald, Marius Bota, Joshua Cairos, Lin Hsiang, Pavel Kolomeyets, Polar Engine, Andreia Ugrai

ART DIRECTION Jeff Lee Johnson

MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Tony Bradt

QUALITY ASSURANCE Zach Tewalthomas COORDINATOR

VISUAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brian Schomburg

PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Justin Anger and

Jason Glawe

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER John Franz-Wichlacz

EXECUTIVE GAME DESIGNER Nate French

HEAD OF STUDIO Chris Gerber

PLAYTESTERS Roger Ashton-Winter, Cady Belicki, Joe Belicki, Howard Brandon, Martin Brimacombe, Ernie Brow, Lucinda Charles, Stephen Calomino, Lachlan Conley, Nicole Conley, Sam Davies, Zak Estrada, Jon Ferenczy, Jim Friedman, Adam Fry, James Gibson, Marty Hehman, Matthew Hehman, Stephen Hehman, Laura Heilman, Sean Holland, Ian Houlihan, Brian Lewis, James

“Jamie” Lewis, Fraoncois Martinez, Michael Molyneaux, Tom Nys, John Pope, Dan Pritchard, Kyle Pritchard, David Robotham, Karol Rybaltowski, Tony Somerville, Jon Stachon, Marie Stachon, Erik Strijbos, Joris Van der Vorst, John Vilandre, Kris Van

Beurden, and Thomas van den Berg

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ISBN: 8435407637634 SKU: ESL5R15EN Printed in Lithuania

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BECOMING A SHUGENJA

Kitsu Ayako has been affected by the experience of the vision and is now deeply connected to her ancestor Yū and wants nothing more than to make the true history of the Battle of Snow Plain known. Her abilities are like Yū’s, and she could learn the Ancestral Summons invocation. If she becomes a shugenja, she will be a powerful one, and indebted to the PCs.

Recover or rewrite the history of the Battle of

Snow Plain.

BLOOD OF THE LIONESS

The Battle of Snow Plain is remembered as a bitter defeat for the Lion Clan at the hands of their northern neighbors, the Unicorn Clan. A group of samurai is sent to research this historic battle and scrutinize the official accounts, but studying the past is not as simple as it seems, especially when the ancestors are involved.

Step onto the battlefield and charge into the fray with Blood of the Lioness. This adventure for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game tests the mettle of scouts, soldiers, shugenja, and scholars alike. Yet in order for your players to achieve victory, they must first face the past.

Blood of the Lioness includes:

A 32-page book with a complete adventure for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game.

A double-sided fold-out poster map depicting the lands of the Lion Clan, the Castle of the Swift Sword, and the battlefield of Snow Plain.

More than 40 tokens to represent the warriors and leaders of the battlefield, including army cohort tokens to represent Lion and Unicorn forces.

EDGE-STUDIO.NET

BLOOD OF THE LIONESS

SKU : ESL5R15EN

ISBN : 8435407637634