Imperfect Land

Abertura

An Adventure Uncovering the Secrets of the Perfect Land Sect

Imperfect Land

Imperfect Land

Imperfect Land

Imperfect Land is an adventure for the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game. It places the characters at the heart of a religious conflict: as debate over the unorthodox and controversial Perfect Land Sect threatens to tear the Brotherhood of Shinsei apart, the PCs have a chance to shape the spiritual future of Rokugan— and their own futures as well.

This adventure is best suited to characters who have opinions on the sect, whether positive or negative. Dragon and Phoenix PCs are ideal for the story, because their clans are at the forefront of the argument, as are spiritual characters like shugenja (priests born of the samurai caste) and monks. However, any PC with an interest in the subject can be involved. If this adventure is incorporated into an ongoing campaign, the GM may wish to engineer one or more encounters with adherents of the Perfect Land Sect prior to the adventure’s gathering of the Brotherhood, building up a history to shape the players’ decisions. It is strongly recommended that the GM read through Imperfect Land in its entirety to become familiar with the cast and storylines before running it with a group of PCs.

Adventure Overview

Imperfect Land begins with the leaders of the Brotherhood’s various orders gathering at the Mountain Song Temple in Dragon lands (described on page 76 of Writ of the Wilds), under the hospitality of Dragon family daimyō Mirumoto Masashige. The Brotherhood holds such a conclave each year and conducts other points of business during the event, but everyone is aware that this year’s main agenda item is a vote on whether to formally bestow the label of False Path on the Perfect Land Sect. Failure to achieve a sufficient degree of consensus in one direction or the other would mean the Brotherhood would risk falling into a violent schism. Masashige requests the PCs help with the gathering, acting as guards, clerks, or other assistants, depending on their skills and backgrounds.

In Part One, the PCs have a chance to sway the vote toward support for or opposition to the Perfect Land Sect. Their duties to the conclave give them many opportunities to speak with the leaders who are still undecided, using a variety of tactics to make those leaders more receptive to their arguments.

In Part Two, a delegation of Perfect Land adherents arrives, including their leader, Hige. This provides an opportunity to investigate the origins of the sect more closely, gives rise to a familial confrontation, and presents a chance to uncover a spy.

In Part Three, an eruption of the elemental imbalance brings the constant melody of the Mountain Song to an abrupt halt, possibly in response to the strife of the conclave. The PCs are tasked to investigate, which takes them outside the temple to a tengu ruin, where they may confront a variety of enemies to save a stranger.

In Part Four, the final segment of this adventure, the PCs return to the conclave, thwart an assassination attempt, and help decide the ultimate fate of the Perfect Land Sect—along with that of Rokugan itself.

The Perfect Land

The origins of the controversial Perfect Land Sect lie in the late ninth century, when Yuzue, a young monk who belonged to the Shrine of the Seven Thunders, theorized that the Little Teacher’s conversation with Hantei had begun the Age of Celestial Virtue in Rokugan: a period lasting eight centuries (one hundred years for each founding deity who heard his teachings), during which the Empire prospered and was spirituality strong.

But that age had ended, and according to Yuzue, Rokugan was suffering in the Suijindai, the Age of Declining Virtue. Corruption was undermining the Celestial Order, the Tao itself insufficient to free people from the shackles of rebirth. Because of this, Yuzue prayed ceaselessly to Shinsei, beseeching his return, with the mantra Shoshi ni kie (variously translated as “devotion to the Little Teacher” or “absolute trust in the Little Teacher”).

The sect as an organized movement came into existence only after Yuzue’s passing, thanks to the efforts of her student Gatai. The sutra she allegedly wrote before her death described a realm within the Celestial Court, the Perfect Land, which Shinsei had created to help the suffering souls of Rokugan. Those who chant the kie are not subject to rebirth according to their karma: instead; their souls go to the Perfect Land, where they can work toward Enlightenment under the guidance of the Little Teacher himself. Following the teachings of this sutra, Gatai gathered followers, and the sect grew rapidly in Phoenix lands.

To more orthodox minds, however, the Perfect Land Sect’s teachings are heresy. The key difference lies in the concepts of jiriki and tariki, “self-power” and “otherpower.” Mainstream Shinseism is founded on the idea of jiriki, holding that Enlightenment is achieved through one’s own efforts via meditation, ascetic practices, the study of esoteric texts, and other methods. Tariki means relying on the assistance of an outside power— in this case, Shinsei—to reach that end. According to the founding sutra of the Perfect Land, while jiriki was sufficient during the Age of Celestial Virtue, in the Age of Declining Virtue, it has become too difficult for most souls to achieve liberation on their own. Shinsei therefore created the Perfect Land and the kie out of his boundless compassion and his desire to relieve the suffering of people in the Mortal Realm.

Key Characters

The following are the most significant NPCs involved in this adventure. Full profiles and mechanics may be found in the Appendix, beginning on page 25.

The Brotherhood

of Shinsei

Naigen (he/him): Abbot of the eastern branch of the Four Temples and leader of the anti-Perfect Land faction

Iwa (she/her): Abbot of the southern branch of the Four Temples and a sōhei warrior monk allied with Abbot Naigen

Anmoku (she/her): Abbot of the Stone Sages (see A Guide to the Brotherhood, page 7) and leader of the pro-Perfect Land faction

The Perfect Land

Delegation

Hige (he/him): Leader of the Perfect Land Sect

Ichirō (he/him): Rōnin and secretly the adopted son of the Mirumoto daimyō

Kanbei (he/him/they/them): Heimin merchant and a Kolat master

Yuki (she/her): Peasant woman and actually the shinobi Shosuro Miyako

Satto (she/her): Bitter rōnin who is willing to resort to violence to protect Hige

Neutral Parties

Mirumoto Masashige (he/him): Daimyō of the Dragon Clan’s Mirumoto family, bushi, and host for this gathering

Ajari (he/him/they/them): Tengu and master illusionist

Senzai (she/her): The reincarnation of Shinsei. Known as "the injured woman" until her identity is revealed

Yohori (she/her): Abbot of the Mountain Song temple

TIMING

By default, this adventure takes place in the summer of 1124, when the Emperor is dead, the princes are missing, and Rokugan is in turmoil. GMs may choose to place it in another era, but only so long as it is a time of many problems, lending credence to the notion that this is the Age of Declining Virtue. If it is set more than a century before 1124, however, the section The Adopted Peasant should be omitted, because the Dragon will not yet have made a widespread practice of raising up peasants as samurai.

A SPLIT PARTY

If the PCs have differing views on the Perfect Land, this adventure may lead to intraparty conflict. The GM should consult with the group and determine whether everyone is comfortable with a competitive game in which the PCs may be working at cross-purposes to support or undermine the sect—but they should be aware that as PC efforts cancel each other out, a violent schism becomes much more likely.

This difference might pass as a matter for philosophical debate were it not for the political implications of the Suijindai concept. Virtue has not been lost equally everywhere; most of the sect’s followers agree that it is the samurai in particular who have faltered in their duty to lead the Empire. Some followers hold that the remedy for this is moral remonstrance, but others have taken up arms in rebellion against their unjust samurai overlords.

The Perfect Land movement has accelerated in recent years, owing to rumors that Shinsei will return to Rokugan soon if enough people chant the kie with true belief (read about Senzai in the Sympathy section below). Although it has been outlawed in Phoenix lands, the Dragon Clan’s tolerance of the sect means it has a very strong foothold there—and in truth, the movement is difficult to stamp out. Believers need no temples or libraries, only three simple words they can chant in secret.

While the sect technically has a leader, its decentralized nature means that it is difficult to root out, and doctrinal variations abound. If the Brotherhood of Shinsei formally declares it a False Path, that will obligate samurai—including the Dragon Clan—to move against believers, in force if necessary.

Sympathy

The ultimate resolution of the conflict is based on a mechanic called Sympathy, which measures the general attitude of the conclave toward the Perfect Land Sect. Sympathy can be either a positive or a negative number, and PC actions can move it up or down the scale, depending on whether the PCs are working to ensure the sect will be acknowledged or condemned.

What About

the NPCs?

If nobody else is doing anything to affect the final vote, the players may wonder why. Other NPCs are indeed lobbying; however, for simplicity’s sake, the Sympathy rating treats those actions, which are occurring on each side, as canceling each other out. Since plot events in later parts will change the balance of Sympathy in ways the PCs can’t foresee, at no point can they safely assume they’ve secured their desired outcome. If the players seem too complacent, the GM should feel free to introduce fluctuations into the current Sympathy rating to keep them on their toes—though these fluctuations should ultimately return the number to the point earned by the PCs.

Players can determine the general state of Sympathy at any given moment with a TN 2 Sentiment check, which yields answers like “mildly positive” or “strongly negative.” Spending on a successful check yields the exact number. Depending on the number at the end of the adventure, the following results are possible:

–12 or more: The Perfect Land Sect is declared a False Path, and the Brotherhood makes a formal declaration condemning Senzai (whom the Perfect Land followers believe is the reincarnation of Shinsei) as a heretic.

–11 to –4: The Perfect Land Sect is declared a False Path, but a small number of Brotherhood leaders dissent and support Senzai. (The exact number, and which NPCs, are up to the GM to decide based on how the adventure has played out.)

–3 to +3: The failure state of the conclave. If Sympathy is not swayed out of this zone, the Brotherhood collapses in a violent schism, leading to outright warfare among the resulting sects going forward.

+4 to +11: The Brotherhood does not condemn the Perfect Land Sect. There is a division over Senzai, but not a violent one, and approximately half the Brotherhood’s leaders support her.

+12 or more: The Perfect Land Sect changes its views to follow the reborn Little Teacher and becomes a recognized order, and the Brotherhood makes a formal declaration in support of Senzai.

Of course, the PCs are not initially aware of Senzai’s role in the outcome. At the outset, their understanding of the Sympathy mechanic should be that any result of –4 or below means the Brotherhood will declare the Perfect Land a False Path, whereas a result of +12 or higher will see the sect admitted to the Brotherhood as a recognized order of Senzai’s followers. +4 to +11 simply means the sect will be neither condemned nor supported, instead continuing in its same ambiguous state.

At the beginning of the adventure, Sympathy starts at 0. Tension is high enough to make schism likely if nothing changes; far too many monks can be heard suggesting that perhaps some officially recognized orders should never have been admitted to the Brotherhood, or that the more established orders need a lesson in humility. The opportunities for affecting Sympathy are calibrated such that it’s easier to achieve a strong result against the Perfect Land than a strong one in its favor, reflecting the existing bias against the sect. Getting a formal declaration in support of Senzai will require both skill and luck on the part of the PCs.

Part One: The Brotherhood Gathers

Part One: The Brotherhood Gathers

If the GM wishes to provide a more gradual introduction to the NPCs, the party may be tasked with the job of escorting Abbot Naigen and a few others to the conclave from the border between Phoenix and Dragon lands. Otherwise, the adventure begins at the Mountain Song Temple. Read or paraphrase the following:

The temple seems to grow out of the mountains themselves, blending harmoniously with the surrounding terrain. Within its perimeter lies an extensive complex of halls, libraries, sleeping chambers, and shrines, all with an austere beauty that complements the constant rise and fall of the Mountain Song. This is a place of peace—but the assemblage of fractious monks gathered here threatens to crack that peace.

The conclave’s usual leadership is lacking. The Emperor is the official head of the Brotherhood, but he is dead, and the throne is empty. Dōri, the Grand Master of the Four Temples (see Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, page 185), would ordinarily lead this conclave, but she is too ill to travel, and without her guidance there is division among the Brotherhoods. Even the Dragon Clan Champion is gone, having departed for the south with his armies.

Instead, Mirumoto Masashige, a bushi who is daimyō of the Mirumoto family, is the leader who welcomes the gathered members of the Brotherhood and the assorted personnel assigned to serve for the duration of the conclave. Abbot Naigen delivers a long and moderately pompous speech (which the GM can summarize instead of forcing the players to sit through!) about the importance of the Brotherhood’s leadership in these troubled times. Although he does not come out and say it directly, the implication is clear that he considers the Perfect Land Sect a trouble to be ended.

The Brotherhood’s representatives have many items of business to handle during this conclave, but the most significant is a vote on whether to declare the Perfect Land a False Path—in other words, a heresy to be stamped out across the Empire—or whether to acknowledge it as one of the many orders within the Brotherhood of Shinsei. During this part of the adventure, the conclave’s ordinary business is going on in the background while members of each side try to sway others to their cause in preparation for that vote.

Although the PCs are not Brotherhood leaders, their roles as attendants should offer them many opportunities to speak with key NPCs and influence their opinions. Some of the NPCs are of venerable age and might need anything from medical treatment to a steady arm to help them from place to place; others are eager to hear observations about the state of the Empire outside their monastery walls. No checks should be necessary to arrange a conversation with anyone but Naigen, Anmoku, or Masashige.

Many of the monks in attendance have already made up their mind and cannot be convinced to vote the other way. The NPCs listed in The Undecided (page 8) are those who can be persuaded to join one side or the other, raising or lowering Sympathy by 1 for a successful check, and an additional 1 for each bonus , except where otherwise specified. The PCs are not expected to interact with all of these characters, or to succeed at all of their attempts; their best tactic will be to prioritize those with whom they stand the best chance.

There are three primary modes of interacting with these NPCs. For the best chance to sway an NPC to their side, the PCs should investigate an NPC to discover their preferred activity (or gain blackmail material), prepare by engaging in the activity (or broaching the blackmail subject), and then try to persuade the NPC via a Social skill check.

Investigation: Discovering an NPC’s preferred activity (see above paragraph) requires a successful TN 2 Sentiment check. Each result lets the PC learn the preferred activity for an additional NPC. If the party includes unscrupulous characters, the GM may also choose to supply some NPCs with blackmail-worthy secrets, such as a broken vow of celibacy or a scandalous premonastic life. Discovering these requires a TN 3 Sentiment check. Investigation is a downtime activity unless the GM wishes to flesh it out narratively.

Preparation: A PC approaches the NPC and engages with their preferred activity, as listed in the NPC’s profile (see The Undecided, beginning on page 8). This should be treated as a narrative scene, as it is a prime opportunity for roleplay. Succeeding at the relevant skill check reduces the TN for the subsequent persuasion check by 1—but if the PC allows more than one day to pass between the preparation and the persuasion attempt, that benefit is lost.

SHOWING RESPECT

Even if the PCs are all samurai, it is appropriate for them to show respect to the Brotherhood’s leaders. Addressing such people with the honorific sensei is an appropriate way to acknowledge their wisdom. Failure to do so may render some interactions more difficult.

A Guide to the Brotherhood

In theory, all of Rokugan is united in the official Imperial religion of Shintao, which venerates both the Tao of Shinsei and the Thousand Fortunes. In practice, most holy people focus on one path of religion, possibly to the exclusion of the other. Broadly speaking, priests and shugenja practice kami-no-michi, the worship of the gods, fortunes, and other spirits, while monks focus on the Tao of Shinsei. It is these monks who form the Brotherhood of Shinsei, a sort of religion within the religion of Shintao.

These orders have differing philosophies on how to reach Enlightenment. Following is a brief primer on the orders mentioned in this adventure; page numbers, where provided, indicate where more information can be found in the L5R sourcebook Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan.

Four Temples: A single Grand Master leads the Four Temples, which are located at the corners of Kyūden Seppun, the Seppun family palace. Together, the Four Temples arguably form the Brotherhood’s most influential order, albeit one with no formal authority over other orders within it. Each branch of the Four Temples has its own abbot and emphasizes a different aspect of Shinsei’s Way: the east focuses on introspection, the north on understanding the world, the south on mastering body and mind, and the west on spreading Shinsei’s wisdom. (Emerald Empire, page 185)

Heaven’s Fist: More worldly than most orders, Heaven’s Fist devotes itself to rooting out corruption and injustice. Its sōhei do not, however, strike against samurai, because their ultimate goal is to restore and support the proper harmony of the Celestial Order—not to mention that such action would bring deadly retribution.

Order of Eternity: Monks of this order believe time is an illusion and that the enlightened mind can see past, present, and future as an integrated whole. Through their meditations, they seek to understand the true shape of time, thereby finding the moment at which a single action, like an iaijutsu strike, can change the world.

Order of Longevity: This order arose during an epidemic, when its members devoted themselves to treating the sick. Its adherents are renowned for their skill at healing both diseases and wounds, which makes them beloved among peasants who will never experience the miraculous prayers of a shugenja.

Order of Osano-wo: Famed and feared for its belligerent sōhei, this order encompasses various temples and shrines dedicated to Osano-wo, the Fortune of Fire and Thunder. Sharing a philosophy that views the physical body as a gift from the Heavenly Realm, adherents seek to perfect the body’s capabilities, especially for the purpose of displaying strength in combat. (Emerald Empire, page 181–182)

Pure Song Shrine: Followers of this path take the ideals of nonviolence and purity to a greater extreme than any other. They adhere not only to a vegetarian diet but also to one omitting even root vegetables (eating root vegetables requires killing the plant). They refuse to wear silk, and they adorn their ankles and staves with bells to warn away even ants they might crush as they walk.

Silent Ones: These Scorpion-affiliated monks, devoted to the Fortune of Secrets, take vows of silence; indeed, some say that when initiates speak their vows, their divine patron removes their ability to speak entirely. They spend their lives in meditation and take on the burden of secrets others can entrust to no one else. (Emerald Empire, page 193)

Stone Sages: Most of this order’s members are hermits who devote themselves to the Fortune of Wisdom and Mercy through contemplation. They are found primarily in the mountains of the Great Wall of the North, but from time to time, they leave their seclusion to interact with society before returning to consider what they have learned.

Temple of Celestial Knowledge: Like the Stone Sages, this order reveres the Fortune of Wisdom and Mercy, but in a very different fashion. Originating in northern Crane lands and heavily supported by the Crane, the Lion, and the Phoenix, this order teaches that fundamental truths underlie all human activity, and that these truths can be grasped through logic and study.

Persuasion: This requires a Social skill check using a Social approach, with a TN equal to the NPC’s vigilance, representing how difficult they are to persuade. If the PC making the check succeeded at a preparation interaction (see the previous bullet point), the TN is reduced by 1; blackmail also reduces it by 1, and these benefits can stack.

If a PC fails to persuade a target, they can try again. However, a shortfall of 2 on the second attempt means the PC achieves the opposite of their intent as determined by the GM: for example, if the PC is trying to influence the target to condemn the Perfect Land, they inadvertently lock the NPC into supporting the sect, increasing Sympathy instead of decreasing it.

As time passes, the NPCs become more difficult to persuade. After the first three attempts, the TNs to persuade them rise by 1, plus an additional 1 for every two attempts after that. After the PCs succeed in shifting Sympathy in their preferred direction by 2 points, they are invited to meet with either Naigen or Anmoku, who sounds them out about further supporting that abbot’s faction. Presuming the PCs make a good impression, the abbot they meet with offers them advice that reduces the TN of one subsequent preparation check by 1.

The Undecided

Kaimoku (Four Temples,

northern branch)

Vigilance: 5

Demeanor: Meticulous (+1 Fire, +1 Water, –1 Air, –1 Earth)

Check: TN 3 Government As the northern temple is dedicated to understanding the world, Kaimoku seeks to understand how the Perfect Land fits into Rokugani society. They are interested in hearing tales of peasant resistance and rebellion, whether justified or otherwise. Because of their influential position, swaying Kaimoku has double the usual effect on Sympathy.

Kūen (Order of Eternity)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Watchful (+2 Fire, –1 Earth, –1 Void)

Check: TN 2 Meditation (Earth 1, Void 1, Fire 4) A woman of few words, Kūen embodies her order’s philosophy of seeking the right moment to act. She will listen to those who show their patience by first meditating with her.

Rekigan (Order of Osano-wo)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Direct (+2 Air, –1 Fire, –1 Water)

Check: Sparring bout duel This scarred and heavily muscled sōhei respects those who show their strength. He is more willing to heed those who first acquit themselves well in a bout of sparring (use the Skillful Rōnin profile with the Spiritualist template for Rekigan; see pages 316 and 311 of the core rulebook).

Fuchō (Temple of Celestial Knowledge)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Fervent (+1 Air, +1 Water, –1 Fire, –1 Void)

Check: TN 3 Theology This scholarly woman wants to bring everyone to Shinsei’s way. Fuchō appreciates theological arguments about the dangers of heresy or the possibility that Perfect Land practices will redirect peasant attention from the Fortunes to the Tao.

Shōka (Heaven’s Fist)

Vigilance: 3

Demeanor: Sociable (+1 Air, +1 Earth, –1 Fire, –1 Water)

Check: TN 3 Fitness (Water or Earth 2) Not all monks are contemplative and ascetic. Shōka still likes to drink, and this elder sōhei will happily discuss the Perfect Land with someone who can hold their sake.

Tanbu (Pure Song Shrine)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Refined (+1 Earth, +1 Water, –1 Air, –1 Fire)

Check: TN 3 Performance Clearly a former courtier, Tanbu finds his attention drawn to an argument’s elegance as much as to its content. He can be persuaded by those with a flair for the dramatic.

Yoshi (Four Temples, western branch)

Vigilance: 5

Demeanor: Meticulous (+1 Fire, +1 Water, –2 Earth)

Check: Scholar approach to a relevant skill, TN 3 Yoshi knows two of his fellow abbots are firmly set against the Perfect Land, but he has not yet made up his mind. Historical arguments are the most persuasive to him, especially ones citing previous examples of False Paths or unusual sects admitted to the Brotherhood. Because of his influential position, swaying Yoshi has double the usual effect on Sympathy.

Yuro (Order of Longevity)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Compassionate (+2 Water, –2 Void)

Check: TN 3 Medicine Followers of Jurōjin, the Fortune of Longevity, have seen much suffering in their mission to heal the injured and sick. Yuro’s heart is moved by stories of individual suffering, whether peasants hurt by samurai injustice or innocents hurt by Perfect Land fanatics.

Zenjō (Silent Ones)

Vigilance: 4

Demeanor: Patient (+1 Fire, +1 Water, –1 Air, –1 Void)

Check: TN 3 Composition (Air 2, Fire 4) Like others of her order, Zenjō has taken an unbreakable vow of silence, expressing herself instead through writing. While her hearing is fine, she admires fine calligraphy and gives more credence to arguments expressed through that medium.

The Puzzle of the Conclave

In addition to speaking with the monks, a single PC may spend one action investigating an oddity overheard in conversations between the monks: why is the conclave being held at the Mountain Song Temple, and why is Mirumoto Masashige hosting it? Most of the time, the conclave is in the lands of the Phoenix, the Crane, or an Imperial family, and any samurai host is a shugenja or perhaps a courtier, not a bushi.

Uncovering the answer to this requires a TN 3 Government check (Fire 2, Void 2). Success gleans that adherents of the Perfect Land Sect lobbied Abbot Anmoku and certain others to advocate for this location, on the principles that more abbots sympathetic to them would attend an event in Dragon lands and that the traditional peace of the Mountain Song Temple would give them a better chance in the debates. However, no one seems to know why the sect’s followers requested that Masashige host.

results from the check can have a delayed effect: in the At the Gate section of Part Two, the PCs learn that arrangements had been made for the Perfect Land delegation to be admitted to the conclave, but Abbot Naigen specifically interfered with those in the hope of keeping the delegation out.

Part Two: The Perfect Land Arrives

Part Two: The Perfect Land Arrives

Depending on how efficiently and successfully they act, the PCs may believe they have their intended goal more or less secured by the end of Part One, even though the vote has not yet occured. However, the arrival of a delegation that includes the leader of the Perfect Land Sect unbalances the conclave, threatening to send everything into chaos.

At the Gate

If possible, the PCs should be assigned to keep watch at the temple gate a few days into the conclave. If their roles do not suit that duty, then some other activity or task should bring them to the gate, where the guards look to them for guidance. Read or paraphrase the following:

A handful of people in clean but patched clothing are climbing the rocky stairs to the temple entrance. Two bear daishō on their hips and look wary, while a woman helps the oldest of the men up the uneven steps.

Where Are the Others?

Players who have followed the canon LCG storyline may be aware that Ichirō and Yuki were last seen settling in for the winter with Togashi Mitsu, Iuchi Shahai, and the runaway prince Hantei Daisetsu. Because those three are important enough that their presence as NPCs in this adventure would risk derailing it, turning the plot into something the PCs can’t influence—not to mention prompting a debate about the Imperial succession rather than the spiritual fate of Rokugan—they should be assumed to have parted company with the Perfect Land followers before the conclave.

These new arrivals are members of the Perfect Land Sect: Hige, the sect’s leader; Ichirō and Satto, two rōnin; Kanbei, a merchant; and Yuki, a peasant. All of the followers address their leader as Hige-sensei; if the PCs choose to do the same, it will be read as a clear signal of their attitude toward the sect.

Since the Perfect Land is not a recognized order of the Brotherhood, this group has no formal invitation to attend the conclave. Hige claims arrangements have been made for their presence, but the PCs (or the gate guards, if the PCs do not have that task) have heard no such thing. Deciding whether to let the delegation in therefore falls to the PCs.

Letting Them In

If the PCs choose to admit the delegation, they must pull strings to find lodgings for the group because no preparations have been made for them. This requires a TN 2 Command or TN 3 Courtesy check, success meaning Hige and his followers receive a proper room instead of a hastily cleared shed. Regardless of the check’s success or failure, earns the PCs Hige’s gratitude, and means the rest of the delegation is grateful as well. If the PCs do something creative like offering their own rooms for Hige, they earn the delegation's gratitude without making a check.

Keeping Them Out

If the PCs choose to refuse entry to the delegation, then Hige and the others kneel at the entrance and begin to wait patiently, chanting the kie under their breath. If the PCs instead send someone to ask what they should do, the first authority they encounter is Abbot Iwa. She tells them to keep the sect out: “Dogs don’t get to speak up when their masters decide their fates.”

A successful TN 2 Sentiment check (Void 1) alerts the PCs that the lack of courtesy shown by leaving the delegates outside is likely to generate positive Sympathy in the conclave. If the PCs persist in refusing entry, this stalemate lasts for several hours until Anmoku learns the delegation is outside, at which point she insists that Hige and the others be allowed in, and Sympathy increases by 1. Regardless of how long the PCs refuse entry to the delegates, their initial refusal earns the hostility of Hige and his followers.

Hige Speaks

Once Hige has been admitted into the Mountain Song Temple, with the support of Anmoku, he formally addresses the conclave. Because this sparks a lengthy debate between him and the Brotherhood’s leaders, one replete with learned theological arguments, the GM may wish to summarize the scene rather than playing it out in full.

Alternatively, the PCs do not even have to be present for this scene; instead, they can learn about its events through a later conversation with an NPC (one they interacted with earlier in the adventure). If so, the account they receive should not be too heavily biased, or else the GM should correct the bias with additional information—enough people should be talking about the debate that the PCs can assemble an accurate picture of its content.

Hige’s Vision

The vision Hige experienced took place on the same night when the ise zumi Togashi Kazue, a tattooed monk from the Dragon Clan, used her knot tattoo to enlighten Senzai, as described in the novella The Eternal Knot. He correctly sensed that “the right words” would bring Shinsei back to Rokugan, but the words in question were not the kie: they were the kōan Kazue used to snap Senzai out of her delusion and bring her to the realization that she is Shinsei reborn. During the final scene in Part Four, or in the denouement, Senzai can describe her encounter with Kazue, making the connection clear.

Hige’s behavior toward the other leaders is polite but not humble; in no way does he acknowledge them as superiors to whom he is a mere supplicant. The key point within his address is that in 1118, on the tenth night of the Month of the Goat, he had a prophetic vision. Shinsei came to him in a dream and took his soul into the Perfect Land, where the Little Teacher told him that if enough people chant the kie with true belief, then Shinsei himself will return to Rokugan and save it from the myriad woes that beset it now. Therefore, it is imperative that the Brotherhood promote the recitation of the kie among all Rokugani.

Unsurprisingly, this sparks many conflicting reactions within the conclave. Both Anmoku and Naigen question Hige about his vision, though it is clear that the former is doing so out of intellectual diligence, while the latter is looking for weaknesses to assail. A successful TN 3 Theology check (Void 2) tells a PC that Hige seems to have had some kind of real spiritual experience, though his interpretation of it may very well be flawed. Anmoku reaches a similar conclusion, and she encourages the conclave to investigate further, while Naigen dismisses the whole thing as the delusions of an uneducated mystic. If the PCs speak either for or against Hige’s vision after the meeting breaks up, as a group they can influence Sympathy by 1 point in the appropriate direction. If the group is split, the majority gains a point for their side. If there is no majority, no point is gained by either side. This requires a Social approach to an appropriate skill check at TN 2.

The Adopted Peasant

Hige’s speech is not the only event to set off a furor within the conclave. The rōnin Ichirō has come with his own purpose in mind, and he launches his attack soon after the debate over Hige’s vision.

Although the Dragon Clan tries to keep the full knowledge of this from outsiders, Dragon PCs are aware that their clan’s fertility has been in decline for a long time and for unknown reasons. Peasants and samurai alike are having fewer children. As a result, to keep their numbers up, samurai families have been quietly adopting peasant children judged to have “sufficient spiritual merit”—a practice considered to undermine the hierarchy of the Celestial Order.

Ichirō is peasant-born, but his adoptive father is no ordinary samurai: he is none other than Masashige, the Mirumoto family daimyō and host of the Brotherhood’s conclave. When Ichirō learned of his origins, shortly after his gempuku, he denounced his father as a hypocrite. How could Masashige criticize the Perfect Land Sect on the one hand and, on the other, adopt a peasant as his own son? Ichirō abandoned his position and became a rōnin, joining Hige as a follower of the Perfect Land.

Peasant Adoption

It is not unheard of for a samurai to adopt a peasant, but such a decision usually comes with a clear justification: the child is the by-blow of a samurai with a commoner, or they demonstrate the gift of speaking to the elemental spirits, or they have served their clan well enough—for example, as an ashigaru in war—to earn their elevation. Adopting ordinary infants is much less common, and the scale on which the Dragon have mixed heimin with samurai is simply unprecedented.

Ichirō’s Challenge

This history, kept secret until now, comes out in a public confrontation between Ichirō and Masashige. The exact timing and location are flexible, depending on what circumstances best facilitate the PCs’ witnessing of it. Ichirō wants witnesses, and he will not act until he can get them.

In front of the PCs and any assembled NPCs, Ichirō reveals not only his own identity and his father’s hypocrisy, but the sheer scale of peasant adoption among the Dragon Clan. He recites the names of samurai he knows have heimin blood within the last three generations, and the list covers at least half of the clan’s most influential lineages. (If there are any Dragon PCs who have not already written such an ancestry into their backgrounds, the GM might choose to include their families in Ichirō’s list.) At the end of this recitation, Ichirō proclaims to all who are watching that the decline in the fertility of the Dragon Clan is more evidence of the Suijindai—the Age of Declining Virtue—and of the failure of the samurai.

Some of those at the conclave take up this line of argument, hoping to increase support for the Perfect Land’s critiques of the problems within Rokugan. The sect’s opponents instead use it as a weapon against the Dragon Clan’s decision to tolerate that heretical group: if the Dragon are willing to overturn the Celestial Order, what else are they wrong about? The PCs can choose to promote one argument or the other, using a Social approach to an appropriate skill check at TN 2. One point is gained for the view the majority of the PCs hold, but if there is no majority no point is gained for any group.

But the PCs may also choose to get more personally involved in the conflict. As part of his denunciation, Ichirō challenges his father to an iaijutsu duel. Masashige, as a family daimyō, answers only to his Clan Champion and the Emperor; with the former absent from Dragon lands and the latter dead, he has the freedom to accept or decline the challenge as he pleases. Masashige refuses, citing Ichirō’s lack of status: a samurai of high rank has no obligation to acknowledge the words of a mere rōnin.

If the PCs wish to make the duel happen anyway, a TN 4 Courtesy check (Air 2, Fire 6) can back Masashige into a rhetorical corner until he has no choice but to change his mind and accept the challenge. (This need not be done within the same scene as the challenge.) Alternatively, a clan samurai PC with skill at dueling may offer to serve as Ichirō’s champion. Because Masashige chose to base his refusal on his son’s rōnin status, he cannot then refuse a clan samurai. However, if the PCs have been opposing the Perfect Land during the conclave, such as by refusing Hige entrance to the temple, they must succeed on a TN 5 Courtesy check to persuade Ichirō to accept one of their number as his champion. (If the PCs let the Perfect Land delegation into the temple, reduce the TN by 1. Also, a character with Martial Arts [Melee, Ranged, or Unarmed] 3 or higher reduces the TN by 1, as does one who stakes three times their honor rank, minimum 15.)

Should Ichirō duel Masashige himself, Ichirō wins the fight. Whatever their relative skills may be, Ichirō is passionately committed to the confrontation, while Masashige is clearly reluctant to hurt his son. If a PC stands in Ichirō’s place, the duel proceeds according to the usual rules, though an underhanded PC who is hostile to the sect may choose to throw the fight (which is a massive breach of the Bushidō tenet of Honor). A victory for Masashige decreases Sympathy for the Perfect Land Sect by 2 points, as the Heavens have clearly spoken against Ichirō. A win for Ichirō or his PC champion increases Sympathy by 2.

Reconciliation

At any point prior to the duel’s beginning, a TN 2 Sentiment check (Air 4, Water 1, Void 1) reveals that Masashige is deeply torn. While he feels a strong duty toward his clan—which includes fear of the upheaval threatened by the Perfect Land—he clearly loves his adopted son, and Ichirō’s rejection years ago left an unhealed wound in his heart. He wants more than anything to mend that rift somehow. Spending from the check reveals similar feelings within Ichirō. While he has dedicated himself to Hige’s cause, beneath it all, he does not truly hate his father.

Armed with this knowledge, the PCs may choose to attempt a reconciliation between the two—but it won’t be easy. They must first persuade both Ichirō and Masashige to meet with each other in private, which requires a Social approach to a Courtesy, Sentiment, or Meditation check at TN 3 for Masashige (Water 2) or TN 5 for Ichirō (reduce the TN by 1 if the PCs let the Perfect Land delegation into the temple). On a success, reduces the momentum point target for that character by 1 in the subsequent intrigue. On a failure, means the PCs can try again—but only once, and the TN is 1 point higher the second time. Once Ichirō and Masashige are in a room together, a complex intrigue begins. Ichirō and Masashige each require the PCs to accumulate a certain number of momentum points before father or son will agree to reconcile. Progress is measured on separate tracks. It’s possible to persuade Masashige to speak in support of the Perfect Land Sect or to persuade Ichirō to abandon it; the one who changes their stance requires 10 momentum points, while the other requires 5. (This assumes a party of four PCs; for each PC above or below that number, increase or reduce the requirement for each side by 2 momentum points.)

The PCs have three rounds to bring both to the point of reconciliation, but they can spend once each round to buy an additional round of time. In addition, they must spend 1 momentum point the first time they buy an additional round of time, and this increases by 1 momentum point for each subsequent extension. If time runs out before both tracks are complete, if one round elapses with no PCs working to persuade a given NPC, or if one of the NPCs unmasks in a hostile manner, then the intrigue fails and cannot be attempted again. Given that both father and son are saying things to anger the other, unmasking is a real danger! However, once one NPC has been convinced to reconcile, any PCs working on him can switch to target the other during the remaining rounds.

Successful reconciliation has a significant effect on the conclave. If Masashige abandons his position of neutrality and speaks in support of the Perfect Land Sect, Sympathy increases by 3. If Ichirō renounces his affiliation and returns to the fold, Sympathy decreases by 3.

The Infiltrator

In launching this element of the adventure, the GM is encouraged to choose whichever PC has recently had the least active role in the business of the conclave. This scene can take place at any point after Hige’s address to the conclave, and it may run concurrently with The Adopted Peasant.

Late in the night, one of the PCs is awake for guard duty or to relieve themself and sees something out of place: Yuki, the peasant woman in the Perfect Land delegation, moving through the temple. Usually Yuki’s manner is shy and humble; she tends to fade into the background whenever she is present. Now, however, she stands tall and moves with confidence. It is this change in her demeanor that allows the PC to realize they’ve seen her before. Yuki was at the temple prior to the arrival of her delegation—but she wasn’t a peasant then. Instead, she was a Crane scholar come to study the Mountain Song.

Discreetly following Yuki requires a successful TN 3 Skulduggery or Fitness check. If the check fails, prevents her from spotting the PC. If the PCs fail but are not spotted, they lose sight of her. If the PCs fail and are spotted, she immediately reverts to her humble demeanor and does not proceed to wherever she was heading.

If the check succeeds, the PC sees her meet in a shadowed garden with Zenjō, the representative of the Silent Ones. lets the PC draw close enough to hear Yuki speak: she relates that she saw Kanbei meeting with some of the peasants in Twin Streams Village (the settlement nearest the Mountain Song Temple) when she went to rejoin the Perfect Land delegation. She is now certain he is “a master,” and she fears he is planning something at the conclave. Zenjō’s replies cannot be overheard, as she responds to Yuki only in writing. If the check did not generate any , the PC can only see Yuki speaking to Zenjō and the monk scribbling notes in response.

Miyako’s Inside Scoop

Hige: A good-hearted and humble man, absolutely sincere in his beliefs. He regrets any acts of violence caused by followers of the Perfect Land, but he reluctantly acknowledges that if samurai cannot be persuaded to see the truth, sometimes they must be forced. (Miyako does not say she’s grown fond of the old man, but it comes through.)

Ichirō: A wounded bird hiding behind a façade of toughness. If the events of The Adopted Peasant have not yet been resolved, Miyako says she believes Ichirō still loves his father deep down and might reconcile if Masashige is also willing to bend.

Satto: A bitter and disillusioned woman whose only remaining faith is in Hige. Miyako suspects Satto has secretly taken a number of dishonorable and violent actions for the benefit of Hige and the sect without letting her kindly sensei know.

Kanbei: A man with a private agenda. Miyako doubts he has any faith at all; he only wants to use the sect for his own ends. He has actively encouraged both the antisamurai and anti-Fortunist strands of rhetoric in Hige’s preaching. If a PC overheard Miyako speaking to Zenjō and asks Miyako about Kanbei being “a master,” she very reluctantly admits that she believes he leads a sect of the Kolat, a group working to overthrow the Hantei line—she clearly expects the PCs to laugh at this theory. She isn’t certain what Kanbei is planning, but she fears it may be violent.

SCORPION PCS

If any PCs are members of the Scorpion Clan, the GM might instead choose one of them to notice Yuki’s movements. Should she notice them following, or later be confronted by that PC, she privately reveals her

true identity.

The Face behind the Mask

Whether the PC follows Yuki or not, they now must decide how to act on the evidence of her dishonesty. Publicly denouncing her as a spy requires a TN 3 Command check (Earth 2, Water 4) to persuade others the PC was not mistaken in their identification; success reduces Sympathy by 1. Spending from the check, regardless of success or failure, convinces Hige that his delegation cannot afford the suspicion Yuki brings, and he dismisses her from the conclave—though she remains in the area and still intervenes during The Assassins scene in Part Four.

It is likely, however, that the PCs will want to approach Yuki first, whether that night or after. (Approaching Zenjō accomplishes nothing; she simply refuses to write anything in response to their questions.) Getting Yuki to talk requires a a TN 4 Sentiment or Courtesy check (Earth 3, Fire 5), with the TN reduced by 1 if the PC is a clan samurai. Failure means Yuki clings to the façade of being a simple peasant woman. Success means she drops her act and confesses her real identity and mission:

she is the shinobi Shosuro Miyako, sent to investigate the Perfect Land Sect. If the PCs do not react with hostility, she can answer many questions they may have about the sect’s plans and other members of the delegation.

Unless the PCs publicly denounce Miyako, this element of the adventure does not immediately affect the deliberations of the conclave. It has the potential to affect other segments, however, including The Adopted Peasant, The Founding Sutra, and The Assassins.

The Founding Sutra

Following the initial disturbances caused by the arrival of the Perfect Land representatives, a new challenge to their legitimacy arises. Hige has in his possession the founding sutra of his sect, which has never been properly examined by scholars. Naigen demands that he produce it, but Hige refuses. He does not trust the conclave: he fears that a hostile monk will destroy the precious scroll, or will simply declare it a forgery regardless of the truth.

Miyako’s Help

If the PCs have learned Yuki’s real identity and formed a rapport with Miyako, she can be of use during this section. During the intrigue to examine the sutra, her advice grants 1 additional momentum point at the outset. If the PCs wind up choosing to steal the sutra, a TN 3 Courtesy (Water 2) or Skulduggery (Water 2) check convinces her to do it for them instead. She automatically succeeds without waking anyone, but the theft is a minor breach of Righteousness for the PCs who know about it.

If the PCs need encouragement to involve themselves, either Anmoku or Naigen ask them to speak to Hige. Naigen is certain the sutra can be discredited— perhaps a little too certain for comfort. Anmoku candidly admits to wariness, but she believes that ultimately an examination is necessary; otherwise, no one will ever trust the sect or listen to its arguments.

If the PCs do not attempt to intervene with the sutra or if they fail in their attempts, then Sympathy decreases by 2, as Hige’s refusal to hand the scroll over increases suspicion. If PC actions destroy the sutra, Sympathy increases by 2.

The Diplomatic Route

The PCs can attempt to persuade Hige that the sutra should be examined. The GM may choose to run this as a narrative scene or as an intrigue. Convincing Hige to allow an examination of the scroll requires 10 momentum points, and the PCs have 3 rounds to achieve this total; any longer and Hige becomes impatient with them for wasting his time. (Increase or decrease the total by 3 for a party larger or smaller than four PCs.) Unfortunately for the PCs, they are opposed in this goal by Kanbei and Satto, who argue that others cannot be trusted with the priceless sutra. Those NPCs pursue the Discredit Someone social objective, characterizing any PC who unmasks as disruptive to the scene, which casts doubt on their contributions and removes all momentum that PC has contributed.

If any PC chooses to pursue the social objective Discern Someone’s Qualities, they can learn some valuable things about any of the NPC participants. Hige is completely sincere in both his faith in the sutra and his fear that others will not treat it respectfully. Satto seems to have no opinion on the sutra itself—all her faith is in Hige—but she does not trust anyone in the Brotherhood to evaluate the text honestly. Kanbei is the most cynical of the three. He seems not to believe in the sutra’s legitimacy, and he is worried that if his disbelief in it becomes known, it will gravely undermine the sect.

If the PCs tried to keep Hige out during At the Gate, the intrigue requires 1 additional momentum point, reflecting his experience of their hostility. If they spent on the Courtesy check to find lodgings in Letting Them In, it requires 1 point fewer, reflecting his friendly feelings toward them. If they spent to gain the friendship of the entire delegation, then Satto does not argue against having the sutra examined; only Kanbei represents the opposing side.

The Underhanded Route

If the PCs fail to persuade Hige to allow the sutra to be examined or choose not to try, they can instead attempt to steal the sutra in the night—or even to destroy it. This requires a TN 4 Skulduggery check (Air 2) by a solo PC; because the entire Perfect Land delegation sleeps in the same room, more than one person entering will guarantee they wake up. (The other PCs, however, can wait immediately outside.) Taking this approach is a major breach of Honor for any PC who enters the room, and a minor breach of Honor for any other PC who is participating in the theft.

Failure with means the PC gets away without being spotted. Failure without means Satto awakens and immediately initiates a skirmish conflict scene (use the Skillful Rōnin profile on page 316 of the core rulebook), with Ichirō waking and joining her one round later; a shortfall of 2 means Ichirō joins the skirmish in the first round. They do not fight to the death, but Hige will sacrifice his life to protect the scroll if a PC attempts to destroy it, and Yuki will do her best to protect him without revealing her fighting prowess. Any PCs waiting outside can join the skirmish in the second round. Kanbei does not intervene.

The skirmish’s most likely outcome is a 3-point increase in Sympathy, as many of the conclave’s members are outraged by the deceitful and violent action.

This increase rises to 5 if Hige dies. The only way to avoid a Sympathy increase is to kill Hige, Ichirō, and Satto; Kanbei and Yuki surrender without a fight and offer to help conceal the crime in exchange for their lives. The PCs must accept a massive breach of Honor, but the cover-up automatically succeeds, as both surviving followers seem uncomfortably adept at such matters. (Should the PCs be bloodthirsty enough to kill them as well, then covering up the skirmish requires a TN 4 Skulduggery check [Void 3].) Kanbei and Yuki leave the temple immediately afterward, and the PCs are free to tell the conclave that Hige and his people, outraged by the conclave’s insistence on seeing the sutra, chose to depart in the night. This decreases Sympathy by 4 points.

If the PCs succeed in purloining the sutra without waking anyone, they can deliver it for evaluation. Hige accuses the conclave of theft, but the focus shifts from his outrage to the sutra itself.

Examining the Sutra

Once the sutra is obtained and handed over, Naigen arranges for Fuchō (the scholar from the Temple of Celestial Knowledge) to examine it. Unfortunately for Hige and his allies, she concludes that the sutra is false. Based on textual evidence, she says it was composed not by Yuzue, the monk whose visions and teachings form the foundation of the sect, but by her student Gatai well after Yuzue’s death. This significant finding decreases Sympathy by 4.

Although Fuchō is generally known for honesty, PCs who have doubts about her have two alternatives. The first is to make a TN 3 Courtesy check (Fire 4, Water 2) to arrange instead for a different monk, a man named Chōzui, who accompanied Abbot Yoshi from the western temple, to perform the examination. Chōzui announces that the sutra is genuine, increasing Sympathy by 4.

The second option is for a PC with a strong scholarly background to examine the sutra. They may do this before handing it over, but persuading the conclave to accept their conclusions without further evaluation by an NPC requires a TN 3 Courtesy or Theology check (Air 2, Earth 2, Fire 4). Even if this check fails, spending means the conclave takes the PC’s conclusions into account alongside those of Fuchō or Chōzui, affecting the shift in Sympathy by 1 point (direction dependent on whether the PC agrees with the NPC). If the check succeeds, then the PC’s verdict has the same effect as an evaluation by Fuchō or Chōzui.

Evaluating the validity of the sutra requires a TN 5 Theology check (Air 3, Void 3). (The Reflections of P’an Ku invocation is not a suitable approach, because it requires immersing the object in water, which would destroy the fragile sutra.) Success leads the PC to the same conclusion as Fuchō: the sutra was composed by Gatai, not Yuzue, and its contents are suspect. If they choose to lie about the result, doing so is a major breach of Sincerity or Righteousness, depending on whether they justify it as being “for the greater good” or not. The same is true for any PC who knowingly conceals the truth.

Either way, the examination of the sutra does not end the debate. Not everyone trusts the judgment of whoever examined it, and it is possible for the sect to offer a valid path or a critique of Rokugan’s current state, even if its founding text has a questionable origin.

The Missing Monk

Any PC with a vigilance of 4 or higher notices that Abbot Iwa is not present for the discussion over the results of the examination—an odd absence, for Naigen’s main supporter. This becomes relevant in Part Three.

Perfect Land vs. Pure Land

Some players may recognize that the Perfect Land Sect is inspired by Pure Land Buddhism, and they may find it troubling that in the end, the Perfect Land Sect's beliefs are disproven. However, the Rokugani character of Shinsei is entirely fictitious and is not intended to represent Amida Buddha, and the lack of a Perfect Land in Rokugani cosmology is not intended as commentary on any real-world religions. In Rokigan's specific cosmology, neither Shinsei nor Senzai have the power to create a new Spirit Realm or region within the Celestial Court; in the canonical setting, the Perfect Land does not exist. However, GMs concerned with the implications of this should remember that shifts in the balance of the Spirit Realms have happened before. Senzai would readily agree that it would be a good thing if the Perfect Land did exist, and she might well vow to petition the Heavens themselves to show such compassion to the suffering souls of humanity.

Part Three: The Silent Song

Part Three: The Silent Song

During this act, an elemental imbalance disrupts the conclave. Seeking its cause, the PCs leave the Mountain Song Temple for a time and journey out into the wilderness that surrounds it.

Silence Falls

At the height of the arguments that follow the evaluation of the sutra, something happens that halts the business of the conclave entirely: the constant melody of the Mountain Song falls silent.

There were times in the past when it became faint and difficult to hear, as the winds do not always blow with enough force to make the song easily audible. But this is a true and lasting silence, and although the air still rushes through the mountains, there is no music to it.

Naturally, the monks of the temple greet this development with horror. Hige claims the Heavens are angry at those who question the validity of the sutra, while Naigen insists it is the blasphemy of Perfect Land beliefs that has offended the Heavens. The abbot of the Mountain Song Temple, Yohori, has her own theory. She says the temple is meant to be a place of peace, and that the increasingly acrimonious nature of the conclave has disrupted the spiritual aura there. She demands the conclave stop its business until those present have made amends.

While the attending monks prepare to perform rituals of atonement, Masashige summons the PCs to him. His shugenja retainer has communed with the elemental spirits; she says something has disturbed the spirits of the air, and the source of the disturbance lies on a nearby peak. A PC who successfully performs the Commune with the Spirits ritual gets the same results; spending on that roll allows the PC to narrow the source down to an old ruin atop the peak.

Masashige has not informed the Brotherhood’s leaders of this, because he fears how heated the arguments have become, and he believes it will do the conclave good for them to work together for a time on their religious duties. Instead, he wants the PCs to leave at dawn the following morning to investigate the source of the disturbance—and to resolve it if they can.

To the Peak

If the PCs have been opposing the Perfect Land Sect, Abbot Iwa approaches them before they depart. She bears some troubling news. She and Naigen are concerned about someone Iwa describes—truthfully, in her view—as a delusional heretic, a follower of the Perfect Land, who has been wandering through Rokugan. A short while ago, they received word that the woman was approaching the temple. When Iwa went out to intercept her before she could disrupt the conclave’s proceedings, a tengu attacked Iwa and carried the heretic off in the direction of the peak. Iwa is certain the woman is the reason the Mountain Song has fallen silent, and she begs the PCs to take her with them to deal with the woman so the Song can resume. (If the PCs have been working on behalf of the Perfect Land, Iwa does not approach them.)

Either way, the PCs’ journey to the peak takes roughly three hours and is a race against a competing party of monks, either a group Anmoku sends to rescue the stranger or one led by Iwa to eliminate her. The PCs can make a TN 4 Survival check (Air 2, Water 2) to spot signs of the other group’s presence. The PCs should only have three chances to make the check. If they fail all three, they spot the group automatically, and the race is handled using momentum points.

This should last for a number of rounds equal to the number of PCs, with each PC getting one chance to either speed their group along (for example, by finding a better route) or slow the opposition down. Creativity is encouraged; the PCs may benefit as much from prayers to the elemental spirits of the mountain as from their exceptional fitness. The opposition earns 1.25 momentum points per round; if the total is a decimal, round to the nearest whole number. For each failed Survival check to notice the other group, the opposition begins with 1 additional momentum point. When the race ends, the group in the lead arrives at the peak.

At the Ruin

The setup at the ruin atop the peak is a simple one, but how it plays out will depend on who arrives first. Before anyone else reaches the peak, a tengu named Ajari has brought the wounded Senzai to safety in an old ruin of his people’s there. He is reluctant to allow anyone near her.

Ajari, however, is a master of illusion magic: unlike most tengu, he can not only mask himself in human form, but also take on the appearance of a specific person. Because of this, the PCs’ first sight of him is as “Senzai”—he’s disguised himself as her to keep anyone from realizing that Iwa badly injured the real woman, and that she’s hidden in the room behind him. He fights anyone he thinks intends to harm her, but in deference to his understanding of Senzai’s wishes, he uses only a staff, and he doesn’t strike to kill. Anyone entering the ruins begins at range 3 from him.

If the opposition wins the race by 3 momentum points or more and is hostile to the Perfect Land, then its members have had enough time to attack and kill Ajari (whose corpse resumes its natural tengu form). They’ve found Senzai and are about to kill her when the PCs arrive. If the opposition wins by 3 and is friendly to the Perfect Land, its members have had enough time to persuade Ajari to support them in any conflict with the PCs.

If the opposition wins by 1 or 2 momentum points and is hostile, Ajari has the Dying [two rounds] condition and falls after he acts in the second round (though a PC can attempt a TN 4 Medicine check to remove that condition, as the local elemental spirits favor him for protecting Senzai). If opposition members win by 1 or 2 points and are friendly, they’ve persuaded Ajari that they are no threat, but he doesn’t intervene in any conflict.

USING NAMES

For clarity and ease, the text throughout here refers to Senzai by name. However, Ajari does not know her name and Iwa did not use it, so to the PCs she should be called “the injured woman,” “the heretic,” or other such terms until they have a chance to learn her name.

If the PCs and the opposition tie, they arrive simultaneously outside the ruin and must confront one another, verbally or violently, before they can enter and encounter Ajari.

If the PCs win by 1 or 2 momentum points, they encounter Ajari disguised as Senzai outside the ruin and may either speak with him before the opposition arrives or remain outside and ready themselves for a confrontation. Should the conversation lead to a skirmish, they have one round to fight Ajari alone outside the ruin before the NPCs arrive.

If the PCs win by 3 momentum points or more, the same is true, except they have two rounds to fight Ajari alone. Alternatively, if they’ve persuaded him they mean no harm to Senzai; he supports them in fighting the NPCs. Should the PCs have chosen instead to prepare for the opposition’s arrival, the GM should reward this with a bonus success on the first check each PC makes in the subsequent interaction.

Killing the Little Teacher

If the PCs kill Ajari or trick him into allowing them to approach Senzai, they are quite free to kill Senzai. Even once she awakens, she is unarmed and not a master of combat. However, her immediate vicinity, whether she is awake or not, is Hallowed (All) terrain, and any spiritually aware PC can sense this. Furthermore, Senzai’s insight means she can detect murderous intent; if she’s awake, she will attempt to talk the character down first. This should be handled not as a skill check, but as a heartfelt plea (and a final chance for the player to change their mind). If a player is truly set on their course, though, nothing save perhaps their fellow PCs stands in their way.

Senzai’s murder is a profound offense against the harmony of the world, and it should leave spiritual scars. Possibilities the GM may consider include:

The location of her death becomes Defiled terrain.

The instrument of her murder awakens as a cursed, unholy nemuranai (see Nemuranai, on page 307 of the core rulebook).

Her murderer is afflicted with a new Spiritual Adversity, such as Haunting, Cursed Lineage, or even Momoku.

When the PCs arrive, read or paraphrase the following:

Harsh northern winters and nature’s relentless grasp have nearly obliterated whatever once stood here, but a few stone walls remain, cloaked in moss and ferns. While most are low enough to step over, a little cluster farther in seems almost to be a surviving room.

A group led by Iwa probably attacks the PCs; a group sent by Anmoku is more willing to begin with a parlay. A skirmish conflict scene is probable, but not inevitable, and if the PCs wish to pursue a diplomatic or underhanded resolution, the GM should allow for that possibility. The monks use the Trained Ashigaru profile (see page 314 of the core rulebook*), but they fight unarmed, each employing an appropriate Elemental Fist *kihō (see pages 183, 185, and 187 of the core rulebook), which they already activated before the start of combat. The number of monks should bring the encounter rank up to the PCs’ group rank.

Any combat is unlikely to end in a total slaughter of the losing side. Opposing monks can be taken prisoner, and losing PCs are left bound in the ruins.

The Wounded Woman

Assuming the PCs don’t wind up fighting Ajari and he doesn’t get killed by the NPCs, the PCs need to befriend “Senzai” before they’re allowed to see the real Senzai.

The story Ajari (as Senzai) tells differs in some key respects from Iwa’s: as he describes it, a corrupt monk matching Iwa’s description ambushed him, but a tengu intervened and whisked him to safety. (If Iwa is accompanying the PCs, he accuses her directly.) The timing of the attack matches the moment at which the Mountain Song fell silent, though whether the cause was the violence itself or the nature of the target is uncertain. If the PCs ask Ajari why the monk attacked, he says that she, like many in Rokugan, has become complacent with the way things are, and she fears “the upheaval of everything she knows.” Spending on a TN 3 Sentiment check (Air 2, Fire 2) means the PCs can tell that “Senzai” is speaking truthfully; with a success, they detect that he is nevertheless concealing something important. A TN 2 Theology check supplies the knowledge that some tengu are capable of crafting illusions.

If the PCs tell Ajari that they know his true nature (or at least that he isn’t the real Senzai), he reverts to his tengu form. Whether they succeeded at the Sentiment and Theology checks or not, he only shows them to where the real Senzai is if they persuade him of their good intentions. Because he is profoundly wise, he can read the sincerity of the PCs’ words; no check is needed if they truly mean Senzai no harm. Only if the PCs are attempting to deceive Ajari do they need to make a TN 4 Social skill check (Air 3). A failed check begins a skirmish, but mitigates that and allows the PCs to try again with the TN increased by 1.

When they find Senzai, she’s badly injured and in a deep meditative state. Her injuries can be treated with a TN 3 Medicine check (Air 2) or a suitable invocation or kihō, but even after treatment, she remains in her trance. Spending on the check, regardless of success or failure, means the PC giving treatment can confirm (and later testify) that her injuries are consistent with an attack by a sōhei like Iwa. In Senzai Wakes (on page 23), this increases Sympathy by 1.

Because the assault on Senzai is clearly related to the silence of the Song, the PCs’ duty obligates them to bring her back to Masashige at the temple. They can rig up a stretcher or some other means to transport her. Ajari will permit them to go if they sincerely assure him they will protect Senzai. Optionally, if the PCs saved Ajari’s life during the NPCs’ attack or otherwise greatly impressed him, he may agree to go with them to the monastery and testify about the ambush. In Senzai Wakes (on page 23), Ajari’s testimony increases Sympathy by 1.

It’s possible for the PCs to choose to wait with Senzai until she awakens from her meditative trance, but this leaves them in the mountains overnight, likely without supplies. If this happens, the GM can have Senzai make her Part Four revelations to the PCs first, after which she will head to the conclave (unless she is prevented or killed).

Part Four: Shinsei Returns

Part Four: Shinsei Returns

Obviously, the shape of the adventure’s final act will be greatly affected by whether Senzai is dead or alive. If the PCs have killed her, it is up to them what report they wish to give to Masashige, but Naigen and Iwa announce to the conclave that the Song was disrupted by a Perfect Land heretic. Because the PCs in this scenario were almost certainly working to undermine the sect and there is no Senzai for dissenters to support, the Perfect Land is declared a False Path, and no schism results.

In that scenario, the GM may choose to make Senzai’s death the climax of the adventure and to treat everything else as denouement. Alternatively, and presuming Hige was not killed during an attempt to steal the sutra from him, Kanbei’s assassination attempt (see The Assassins) can still happen—Kanbei will have even more reason to want Perfect Land followers to rise up in violent rebellion.

For simplicity’s sake, the rest of this adventure assumes a scenario in which Senzai is still alive.

Reporting to Masashige

The PCs return to the Mountain Song Temple just after sunset. Masashige tells them to take Senzai to the infirmary (if they have not done so already) and then hears their report. Telling him about Iwa’s ambush of Senzai has no effect on Sympathy; the PCs must make that information public if they wish to influence the conclave.

Masashige is gravely troubled by everything they have to say, because his own intelligence network has brought him rumors of a Perfect Land follower who has been preaching against the Celestial Order: not merely offering a critique of samurai, as Hige has done, but apparently promoting the complete removal of the Heaven-sent structure of society. He fears this may be that same woman, which would only increase the uproar within the conclave and the ferocity of sentiment against the sect. He promises to place a reliable guard over Senzai in the infirmary until she awakens.

The Assassins

By the time the PCs finish their report, it is full night. Most of the temple has retired to bed, except those keeping vigil to pray for the restoration of the Mountain Song. The PCs’ journey into the mountains has been a tiring one—but as they head for their own beds or for prayer, they stumble upon a very disturbing discovery:

one of the temple’s guards, bubbling out his last breath through a throat freshly cut.

Immediately upon encountering this, they hear a cry from the direction of the Perfect Land delegation’s lodgings. Heading in that direction, they see Yuki/Shosuro Miyako fighting ferociously to hold off a trio of attackers in dark, nondescript clothing, with Hige taking cover behind her. Unless the PCs intervene promptly, first Yuki and then Hige are slain before other defenders (such as Ichirō and Satto) can arrive, and the attackers do their best to escape.

If the PCs intervene, the attackers are peasants trained in underhanded combat. Two attackers use the Desperate Bandit profile (see page 315 of the core rulebook), and one uses the Experienced Bandit profile (see page 316 of the core rulebook). If these profiles mean the attackers’ encounter rank is below the PCs’ group rank, the assassins can be made stronger with the Warrior or Trickster templates (see page 311 of the core rulebook); they can be made stronger still by making the Desperate Bandits adversaries. For each conflict rank the assassins gain, their endurance increases by 2 and their composure by 1.

If the PCs haven’t shouted an alarm or otherwise caused an unusual amount of noise, then the fight ends quietly enough that it goes unnoticed by others. Yuki begs the PCs to help her conceal the scuffle, promising an explanation as soon as they’ve done so.

Once that is dealt with, and if “Yuki” has not yet been publicly revealed as Shosuro Miyako, Hige demands to know who she is, because she’s clearly revealed herself as no ordinary peasant. With clear regret, she admits her real identity to him, then tells him and the PCs that the attackers were sent by Kanbei. She explains that Kanbei has no true belief in the teachings of the Perfect Land; he only wants to use its ideology to undermine Rokugani society—which is why he’s been encouraging Hige’s preaching in antisamurai and anti-Fortunist directions. (If the PCs have not already received this information from Miyako, a TN 3 Skulduggery [Fire 2] or Government [Fire 2] check allows a PC to connect this to the idea of “the Kolat.”)

According to Miyako, Kanbei has decided that the best way to galvanize the followers of the Perfect Land is to martyr Hige and blame his death on the sect’s enemies. Because Kanbei is influential in the sect, however, she fears that if his treachery becomes known, it will poison opinion against the Perfect Land Sect. Her preference is therefore to hide the entire attempt and to deal with Kanbei herself.

Hige is profoundly unwilling to believe Miyako, given her confessed allegiance. If the PCs fail a TN 3 Sentiment check (Void 2) or TN 2 Courtesy (Water) check to p. 23 persuade him (or if they refrain from attempting the check), he leaves the monastery that night, taking Ichirō, Satto, and Kanbei with him—a move that results in the deaths of both Hige and Miyako after the adventure, as she secretly follows him in a doomed attempt to protect him.

After Miyako and Hige’s discussion, it is up to the PCs how they wish to handle Kanbei and any surviving assassins. They may choose to make the assassination attempt public or work with Miyako to keep it secret, and they may remove Kanbei or publicly accuse him. They might instead simply hand the matter over to Masashige. In the latter instance, he quietly arrests and imprisons Kanbei and any surviving assassins, intending to deal with them after the conclave has resolved. Kanbei is waiting in the Traveler's Inn, believing his cover is still intact. If any surviving assassins reach and warn him, the remains of the cell immediately attempt to flee the temple.

If the alarm sounded and others came to help, however, there is no chance to hide what has happened: the attempt on Hige’s life becomes public knowledge, increasing Sympathy by 1. If the PCs reveal who sent the assassins, Sympathy drops by 1 (canceling out that increase); if they reveal Kanbei’s Kolat affiliations, Sympathy drops by 3 instead.

Senzai Wakes

The following morning brings uproar of a less violent sort. Naigen has learned of Senzai’s presence in the infirmary, and he is spreading the word to all and sundry that a Perfect Land heretic has broken the Mountain Song— though he says nothing about Iwa’s attack on her. He demands Senzai’s immediate removal from the holy site. Anmoku, on the other hand, argues that Naigen has no proof and that the temple, being a place of peace, is obligated to give shelter to an injured woman. Meanwhile, Hige (if still present) is trying unsuccessfully to gain access to Senzai: while he isn’t personally familiar with her, if she is a follower of the Perfect Land as everyone says, then he sees her as his responsibility.

If the PCs wish to denounce Iwa effectively, this is one time when they can do so; the other time comes later, when Senzai addresses the conclave. A convincing denunciation requires a TN 3 Command or TN 4 Courtesy check; success increases Sympathy by 1. An additional Sympathy point can be earned from on a PC’s earlier Medicine check to treat Senzai. If the PCs persuaded Ajari to testify, they earn an additional Sympathy point.

By default, Senzai can awaken at any time the GM deems suitable after sufficient time has passed for reactions and fallout. The purpose of her trance is to restore the spiritual balance that was disrupted by the violence against her, and so a short time before she awakens, the familiar melody of the Mountain Song rises once again in the peaks, bringing great relief to everyone present.

However, the GM may instead choose to present this as an open-ended challenge to the players: what method will they use to wake Senzai from her trance? Although the temple holds many people knowledgeable in subjects that might be useful in waking her, such as meditation, theology, and medicine, Masashige is reluctant to let anyone near Senzai, given the high tension. Because the PCs brought her back safely, he is more willing to grant them access. Taking this approach creates an opportunity for a more spiritual experience, as the PCs might find themselves communing with the very spirit of Shinsei reborn.

Regardless of the approach taken, the Song resumes before Senzai awakens, and if the PCs are not in her presence when that happens, she asks to see them. Despite having been in a trance, she is aware of their assistance, and she wants to thank them personally before she faces the larger assemblage of the conclave.

In this conversation, the GM should leverage Senzai’s remarkable insight into those around her. That insight is not supernatural, because it is based entirely on observation and a profound understanding of human nature. She cannot glean information completely without context—looking at a PC will not tell her that in their childhood they owned a cat named Faithful. But she automatically succeeds at checks to detect a character’s true emotional state, and she can infer details such as a PC’s ninjō from the merest hints: a conversation about home might evoke a flicker of wistful longing, from which she concludes that the character pines for a distant sweetheart. Her comments may even be unnerving to the PCs, as she tends to strike to the heart of things that polite society says should be left unspoken. This has the potential to create profound moments for one or more PCs, especially those who may have been struggling with personal or ethical problems.

If questioned about herself, Senzai gives a brief, simple biography: she was born a peasant in a Dragon village, and she ran away for a time into the wilderness after being driven from her home by those who found her perceptive nature upsetting. There she almost lost her way, but since her rescue by an ise zumi named Togashi Kazue, a tattooed monk of the Togashi Order, she has been wandering the Empire in search of “greater understanding.” Any mention of the Perfect Land Sect brings an expression of great sadness to her face as she denies any connection with their movement.

KOLAT PCS

If any PCs are members of a Kolat cell, they might choose to free Kanbei instead. Unless they come from Kanbei’s own Mountain Sect, though, he doesn’t involve them in his assassination plans— different sects rarely have any knowledge of each other or coordinate their efforts.

If asked about Masashige’s worry that she preaches the complete destruction of the Celestial Order, Senzai does not answer outright. Instead, she looks thoughtful and asks the PCs their opinion of the current state of Rokugan: of the wisdom and moral authority of its leaders, the peace and stability of its society, and the physical and spiritual health of the land. It is clear she will not judge them for voicing their honest opinions; emotionally charged responses bring no shame in this moment.

Whatever answers they give, she tells them that a choice is coming, and that she needs to address the conclave. Whether the PCs choose to help her in this goal or not, soon the announcement goes out that the stranger will be speaking to them all.

Shinsei Reborn

All the members of the conclave, along with the temple’s servants, guards, and other attendants, gather in the largest hall to hear Senzai speak.

If Hige is present, she addresses her first words to him. With gentle regret, she says that his theology is incorrect: the Perfect Land does not exist, and the words of the kie have no power to free souls from the wheel of rebirth. Strangely, although many others in the conclave have made similar declarations to no effect, Senzai’s words leave him stricken and silent.

But she goes on to say that while his theology is wrong, his moral message is correct: the samurai of Rokugan have indeed lost their way. And not only they, but the Empire as a whole; all of Rokugani society is out of balance. Over the last thousand years, the very concept of the Celestial Order has been warped over time, becoming a too-rigid system used to justify the oppression of those below for the gratification of those above. Although karma is indeed carried forward into the next life, nothing is fixed; a heimin or a burakumin can rise to high station while they still live, and a samurai who neglects the responsibilities and obligations of their rank should be stripped of it—not made rōnin, but demoted to commoner status. The failure to reward virtue and correct error in life has brought the world out of balance, and the suffering that results from that is everywhere.

Needless to say, this manifesto creates a massive uproar, with Naigen’s voice the loudest. He condemns Senzai as an unspeakable heretic with no understanding of the Celestial Order or the Tao of Shinsei. What right has she to say such things to this audience?

At that moment, someone speaks: Hige if he is present, or Anmoku if he is not. Alternatively, if one PC is particularly drawn to the Tao, has been receptive to the criticisms leveled by the Perfect Land, or was especially touched by their conversation with Senzai, the GM can pass them a message representing a moment of sudden, profound insight.

“She is Shinsei reborn.” Whoever says it, Naigen laughs in disbelief. Many heretics over the centuries have claimed to be Shinsei reborn, and every last one of them was an imposter—naturally so, since Shinsei has escaped the bonds of fleshly existence! This heretic is no different, and he announces that he will pray for her to be healed of her ignorance and delusion. Unperturbed by his doubt, Senzai says she has come to the conclave to ask: will they close their ears to the truth—or will they accept her message and work with her to restore Rokugan to balance?

For every person present, including the PCs, it feels as if that question is directed specifically to them. And in this moment, they have a choice to make.

They may not believe Senzai, in which case the logical choice is to reject her call and work to keep those who follow it from bringing destructive chaos to an Empire already in peril.

Alternatively, they may believe her so wholeheartedly that they give themselves to her cause. Joining Senzai in her calling to heal the world might mean leaving their current lives behind them: clan samurai will renounce their allegiances, the wealthy will give away their gold, the warlike will embrace peace.

Finally, they can instead choose to remain where they are and work for change from within. But that is not without its own risks because their lords may well consider them traitors if the PCs’ sympathies are revealed. And for those who live inside the system, complacency is an ever-present temptation, whispering to them that the changes made so far are enough…

The moment of choice has come.

Disbelieving Senzai

When official source material states that Senzai is the reincarnation of Shinsei, it may seem obvious that the PCs should support her. But in real life, people often reject the truth and hesitate to support someone who threatens to upend their world. If the PCs are types who would doubt such a claim, the players should be encouraged to hold onto that disbelief. Whether they side with her now or not, the stage is set for an excellent story to develop from this moment!

Conclusion / Appendix: Key Non-Player Characters

Conclusion

The precise outcome of Senzai’s declaration depends on the final Sympathy rating, as described on page 5. The GM should describe the mood of the conclave as in an uproar during her address, but the swings that result from her comments don’t change the final number; the only effect on Sympathy in that final scene comes from the PCs. They can move the final total by 1 in the desired direction by making a speech (using a Social approach to a relevant skill check at TN 2)—but if any given PC speaks up in opposition to their own previous opinion, then any NPCs that PC persuaded in Part One shift with them.

If Hige is present, he always chooses to go with Senzai, as does Miyako. The disposition of other specific NPCs depends on whom the PCs have interacted with and to what purpose. As for the PCs themselves, they can choose to cast away their old lives and take up a greater cause—a campaign-changing decision! At the extreme opposite end, truly hostile PCs could even try to kill Senzai at the conclave. Should the decision go badly against her, she flees if she can, helped by what supporters she has (including Hige, who willingly dies if necessary to aid her escape).

Whatever Senzai’s fate is—anything from death or denunciation to a complete transformation of the Brotherhood—the effects will ripple far beyond the conclave itself over time. Even a proclamation that Senzai is Shinsei reborn would be met with mistrust by many clergy and denizens of the Empire. Some Perfect Land communities break up over the revelation that the kie has no power; others vow to create the Perfect Land in the Mortal Realm, by righting what has gone wrong. Conflicts break out between those with an interest in defending the status quo and those who want to reform it, with the Brotherhood potentially being on either side of that struggle—or on both.

A new day for the Empire dawns…

The Great Flip

It is possible that a group of PCs who have steadfastly opposed the Perfect Land throughout the adventure will find they believe Senzai and want to join her at the end. This can feel like “losing,” since their own efforts may have brought about her condemnation. As with PCs who doubt her claims, the players should be encouraged to see this not as failure, but as a profound and powerful story—one that doesn’t have to end here.

Appendix: Key Non-Player Characters

Naigen

The Phoenix-born abbot of the eastern branch of the Four Temples is not an evil man. He is, however, entrenched in a theology that happens to support the status quo and his comfortable position within it. Therefore, he rejects out of hand anything that threatens to upset the balance of Rokugan, while justifying that rejection to himself as being grounded in unassailable wisdom.

To him, the Perfect Land is the greatest threat of his generation. Because he condemns it as a heresy, every critique its members make of Rokugani society is a priori invalid, and any faction that tolerates them—such as the Dragon Clan—is tainted by their heresy. Tragically for Naigen, this rigid worldview means he cannot recognize the Little Teacher, even when she stands before him.

Naigen can be represented using the Scholarly Shugenja profile (see page 314 of the core rulebook), replacing the invocations with kihō and adding the Socialite template (see page 311 of the core rulebook).

Iwa

This militant sōhei, likewise born into the Phoenix Clan, has long since tied her fate to Naigen’s. It was through his support that she rose to become the abbot of the southern branch of the Four Temples, and she takes all her political cues from him—to the point that some refer to her as Naigen’s attack dog, though never where she can hear. She believes even more strongly than he does that the Perfect Land Sect should be stamped out, because where he is inclined to work through political channels, Iwa stands ready to crush the sect with force.

Iwa

VIGILANCE

+1, +1, –2

DEMEANOR - FANATICAL

4

Inflexible: Scholar; Mental

Paragon of Strength: Martial; Mental, Physical, Spiritual

Old Wounds: Martial; Physical

Unrelenting: Social; Interpersonal, Mental

FAVORED WEAPONS & GEAR

Vicious Bisentō: Range 2, Damage 4/6, Deadliness 6, Cumbersome, Durable, Razor-Edged, Wargear

Gear (equipped): Sōhei robes (Supernatural 2, Durable)

ABLILITIES

MASTER SŌHEI

Iwa may sustain two kihō enhancement effects at the same time and may perform any polearm-related kata.

CONQUERING THE MOUNTAIN

Iwa’s blows make the world tremble. She starts any duel, skirmish, or mass battle conflict scene with the Way of the Earthquake kihō’s enhancement effect activated.

TRIAL OF FIRE

The first time Iwa would otherwise become Incapacitated during a scene, she refuses to accept defeat and is able to activate the effects of the kihō The Body Is an Anvil, with its burst effect aimed at whoever has dared to approach her. Then, she removes fatigue until it equals half her endurance.

Note: If the PC party is small, has a low group rank, or is not combat oriented, replace her bisentō with a bō, remove the Trial of Fire ability, or reduce her Earth and Fire rings from 4 to 3.

Anmoku

Through her devotion to the Fortune of Wisdom and Mercy, Anmoku has come to have an enlightened view of wisdom: however much humans know, there is always more that lies beyond their ken. She and the Stone Sages order she leads embody the Dragon philosophy of mental openness, and she fears that the Brotherhood of Shinsei and Rokugani society as a whole have become too entrenched in the comforts of what they know.

Because of this, she supports the Perfect Land Sect and wants to see it admitted to the Brotherhood as an order—though she is understandably troubled by Hige’s growing tendency to demand that his followers abandon the worship of the Fortunes. Anmoku hopes he can be persuaded to agree that there is benefit in showing proper respect to the powers of the world, even if escape from the wheel of rebirth comes through Shinsei.

Anmoku can be represented using the Scholarly Shugenja profile (see page 314 of the core rulebook), replacing the invocations with kihō and adding the Sage template (see page 311 of the core rulebook).

Hige

There may be few truly good-hearted people in the world, but the old man who leads the Perfect Land Sect (insofar as such a far-flung and decentralized group can be led) is one of them. Generous and humble, Hige used to be a monk of the Brotherhood, serving in a small shrine dedicated to the Fortune of Compassion and Forgiveness. Now, despite his leadership position, he refuses the fine robes and ostentation of many established orders and instead regularly labors alongside his followers to keep their community fed and clothed.

Behind that kindly exterior, however, lies a firm will. Hige believes with every shred of his soul in Shinsei’s benevolence, especially after his dream five years ago (actually a distorted echo of Togashi Kazue’s interaction with Senzai). He will not back down from his belief, and under subtle pressure from Kanbei, it has steadily become a more strident opposition to samurai rule and Fortunist worship. Nothing short of meeting the Little Teacher herself will change his faith.

Hige can be represented using the Seasoned Courtier profile (see page 313 of the core rulebook) with the Spiritualist template (page 311 of the core rulebook), adjusting his skills to Artisan 0, Trade 3.

Ichirō

This passionate young man grew up believing he was the biological son of Mirumoto Masashige and believing firmly in the karmic right of samurai to rule over heimin. Once Ichirō reached his gempuku, Masashige confessed the truth—that Ichirō was adopted from a peasant family—and Ichirō’s world shattered.

With everything he believed in revealed as a lie, Ichirō renounced the name he had taken and the family that had adopted him, turning to the Perfect Land for meaning. He has convinced himself that his father is a manipulative hypocrite, but the love between them is not so easily erased. If Masashige either gives his support to the sect or, conversely, persuades Ichirō that the “spiritual merit” that justified his adoption is real, that rift might yet be bridged.

Ichirō

VIGILANCE

+1, –1

DEMEANOR - IDEALISTIC

3

Bitter: Social; Interpersonal, Mental

Burning Conviction: Social; Interpersonal, Mental

Pragmatist: Martial; Mental, Physical

FAVORED WEAPONS & GEAR

Pure Earth Dao: Range 1, Damage 3, Deadliness 6, Ceremonial, Durable, Razor-Edged

Pure Heavens Gao: Range 1, Damage 5, Deadliness 3, Ceremonial, Durable, Snaring

Wakizashi: Range 0–1, Damage 3, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-Edged

Gear (equipped): Austere robes (Physical 2, Ceremonial, Durable)

ABLILITIES

TWIN DRAGONS STRIKING Ichirō may perform any Iaijutsu kata. Once per scene when dual wielding, he may reduce the cost of activating a kata to .

EMPATHIC OBJECTION Once per scene, when the Pure Land Sect or his faith are being challenged, Ichirō may vocally object and reduce his strife by a number equal to his focus. Any character who voices support of his objection also receives this benefit. In an intrigue, this ability cancels 1 momentum point gained from attacking or discrediting the sect.

Kanbei

The wealthy merchant Kanbei almost wishes the Kolat could take credit for the creation of Perfect Land theology, as he finds it so conducive to his goals. He is the master of the Mountain Sect, a Kolat organization dedicated to controlling the Perfect Land movement and directing it toward the overthrow of the current samurai order.

In pursuit of this goal, he has been steadily encouraging Hige to condemn the samurai outright, and also to forbid the worship of the Fortunes by his followers (on the grounds that they should need only Shinsei’s mercy). He is utterly ruthless and does not hesitate to shed blood if someone threatens his efforts.

Kanbei can be represented using the Seasoned Courtier profile (see page 313 of the core rulebook) with the Trickster template (page 311 of the core rulebook).

Yuki (Shosuro Miyako)

Seemingly one of the many peasants who have flocked to Hige and the Perfect Land, Yuki is in truth Shosuro Miyako, a Scorpion shinobi sent by Yogo Hiroue to investigate the sect, with a particular eye toward its relationship with the Dragon Clan. In her time among them, however, she’s developed fond feelings toward the grandfatherly Hige. Although she’s aware of Ichirō’s and Kanbei’s secrets, she is reluctant to act without orders from her superior—the exception being if Hige’s life is threatened. Miyako’s first glory and status values reflect when she is acting as Yuki; the second values reflect when her identity is revealed.

VIGILANCE

+1, –1

DEMEANOR - CAUTIOUS

3

Low Profile: Social; Interpersonal

Attentive to Detail: Scholar; Mental

Risk Averse: Martial; Interpersonal, Mental

FAVORED WEAPONS & GEAR

Shuriken: Range 0/1–3, Damage 2, Deadliness 4, Concealable

Gear (equipped): Inconspicuous clothes (Physical 1, Mundane, Subtle)

Gear (unequipped): Shinobi outfit (Physical 2, Concealable, Subtle)

ABLILITIES

MASTER INFILTRATOR

Miyako is a crafty operative with a wide arsenal of tricks. She may perform any ninjutsu techniques and any Air shūji. When doing so, she may suffer 1 fatigue and 1 strife to count her target’s vigilance as 1 lower.

SNOWPETAL OF NO IMPORTANCE

When Miyako is disguised, any character who does not know her true identity and has no reason to pay attention to her treats their own vigilance as 1 lower.

CLEAN ESCAPE

Once per scene, Miyako can use servants’ tools to create improvised Obscuring terrain that extends around her up to range 1 and lasts one round.

Mirumoto Masashige

Many cares weigh down the shoulders of the Mirumoto family daimyō. His Clan Champion having left the fastness of the High House of Light, leadership of the Dragon falls to Masashige at a time when the Empire is in the greatest state of upheaval it has seen since the Day of Thunder. And thanks to the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Perfect Land Sect, he finds himself with the responsibility of hosting the Brotherhood’s conclave.

Masashige’s feelings toward the sect are complicated. He has long been worried about its destabilizing potential, but because his Clan Champion’s policy has been one of toleration, Masashige has taken no direct action against the Perfect Land. When his son— for he truly considers Ichirō to be his son—abandoned him to join its ranks, Masashige’s heart was thrown into even more turmoil. Although his official position is one of neutrality toward the sect, the Empire’s ongoing troubles mean he’s open to being persuaded that the Perfect Land is correct about the Age of Declining Virtue and reconciling with his son.

If he were to be persuaded, his support would carry weight with the conclave, even though he is not a member of the Brotherhood of Shinsei.

Masashige can be represented using the Venerable Provincial Daimyō profile (see page 315 of the core rulebook), with two kata of the GM’s choosing.

Ajari

This solitary tengu has haunted the wilderness surrounding the Mountain Song Temple for many years, listening to the music of the winds and contemplating the mysteries of reality. From time to time, he visits the temple itself, disguising himself as a human monk or scholar and conversing with people there before returning to his solitary life. These long years of ascetic contemplation give him a spiritual attunement that recognizes Senzai as Shinsei, but he does not believe it is his place to reveal that secret. Instead, he acts only to protect her so that events may take their own course.

Ajari has an unusually powerful command of illusion magic for a tengu, allowing him to take on the appearance of a specific individual rather than only a generic human form. He is a capable fighter as well, though he prefers not to kill if it can be avoided. His spiritual gifts also give him a resilience that makes healing easier if he is wounded.

Ajari

VIGILANCE

+1, –1

DEMEANOR - OTHERWORLDLY

4

Elusive: Martial; Interpersonal, Physical

Good-Hearted: Social; Interpersonal, Mental

Indirect: Martial; Interpersonal, Mental, Physical

Hollow-Boned: Martial; Physical

FAVORED WEAPONS & GEAR

Bō: Range 1–2, Damage 6, Deadliness 2, Mundane

Gear (equipped): Traveling clothes (Physical 2, Durable, Mundane, Subtle)

ABLILITIES

TRICKSTER TENGU

Ajari is especially aligned with Air. He can perform any Air shūji, Air kihō, Air ninjutsu, or Air invocation. However, he may not repeat techniques obtained this way within the same scene, as his tricks grow thin.

CRAFTY VISAGE

Ajari’s Mask of Wind invocation is especially refined, allowing him to impersonate a specific individual.

MASTER OF THE STAFF

Ajari can use a staff to perform any polearm or blunt weapon kata.

CARRIED BY THE WIND

During his turn, Ajari may choose to replace his current enhancement effect with the Riding the Clouds or Way of the Willow kihō. He can also move vertically and ignore the negative effects of terrain.

Senzai

The Little Teacher was reborn nearly thirty years ago as a peasant woman in Dragon lands. In her youth, she had no awareness of her identity, but from a very early age she showed uncanny insight into those around her, understanding their motivations and deducing their secrets from the tiniest of clues. This gift was far from welcome, and eventually her neighbors accused her of being a yōkai disguised as a human. She fled before they could attack her and lived for a time as a beggar before taking refuge in the wilderness.

The ise zumi Togashi Kazue found her there a few years later. By then Senzai’s isolation was beginning to transform her into a yōkai in truth: a kobukaiba, a hag of the deep woods, created when someone with deep spirituality and religious dedication cuts themself off from human society. At night, Senzai transformed and attacked Kazue, and during the ensuing battle, Kazue used her mysterious tattoo of an interlaced knot. This tattoo’s power brings a moment of kenshō, a flash of insight into the true essence of the world, through the words of a kōan. Such insight can shatter an unprepared mind, but for Senzai, her kōan (“The last and the first— are they not the same?”) brought her to Enlightenment and an understanding of her true nature as the reincarnation of Shinsei.

Credits

She did not share this understanding with Kazue, instead choosing to depart and travel through the Empire. Through her journeys, she sought to understand how Rokugan had transformed since its early days. Last year (if this adventure takes place in 1124), the events surrounding the Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow awoke her past-life memories of the dawn of the Empire, and Senzai faced a grievous truth: that the guiding principle of the Celestial Order has become a too-rigid hierarchy, with those above oppressing and exploiting those below, and even much of the Brotherhood of Shinsei losing itself in doctrinal squabbles and the jealous defense of each order’s privileges.

Now Senzai’s purpose is clear to her. She has been reborn to break the ossified structures of Rokugani society—not to overthrow divinely based rule, as Kolat adherents wish, but to bring the true justice of the Celestial Court to the Mortal Realm. Though she has not publicly announced her identity, she has said enough in response to the injustices she sees that rumors have begun to spread of a “wandering heretic” who preaches revolution. These rumors naturally connect her with the Perfect Land, due to the sect’s doctrinal belief in the Age of Declining Virtue, but Senzai has no connection to that movement.

In person, she is serene, gentle, and firm, with the same uncanny insight that made her an outcast in childhood. She can anticipate any attack from those around her, through the subtle cues that give away hostile intent, but she can be ambushed (as Iwa does), and if forced into combat she has little ability to defend herself.

Credits

EXPANSION DESIGN Marie Brennan

AND DEVELOPMENT with Alexis Dykema

EDITING Christine Crabb

PROOFREADING Thais Carreira

Afonso Dias, Neha Patel and Joris Van der Vorst

RPG MANAGER Sam Gregor-Stewart

GRAPHIC DESIGN Paco Dana

COVER ART MAD Boceto

INTERIOR ART

Francesca Baerald, Stefano Baldo, Diego Gisbert Llorens, Gong Studios, Lin Hsiang, Marion Kivits, Andrey Pervukhin

ART DIRECTOR Antonio Mainez

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Curro Marín

and Luis E. Sánchez

EDITORIAL MANAGER Croc

STUDIO COORDINATOR Stéphane Bogard

HEAD OF STUDIO Michael Croitoriu

Franchise Development

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Katrina Ostrander

OF STORY AND SETTING

© 2022 Edge Studio under licence of Fantasy Flight Games. Legend of the Five Rings, the L5R logo, and the white FFG logo are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games. Fantasy Flight Games and the FFG logo are registered trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games. Published by Edge Studio - Asmodee Group. 18 rue Jacqueline Auriol, Quartier Villaroy, BP 40119 Guyancourt Cedex, France. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Edge Studio.

For more information about the world of Rokugan and Legend of the Five Rings, visit us online at: edge-studio.net

IMPERFECT LAND

Decide the fate of every soul in Rokugan.

For centuries, the Perfect Land Sect has preached a dangerous message. The Emerald Empire is in decline, corruption has poisoned the Celestial Order, and the Great Clans and samurai have failed in their duty to lead and protect Rokugan. Now, as a gathering of samurai, monks, and scholars meet to determine whether the sect's members are heretics or visionaries, events are stirring that could shake the Empire to its very core.

Venture into the mist-shrouded mountaintops of the Dragon Clan with Imperfect Land. This adventure for the Legend of the Five Rings gives your players a chance to help determine the fate of beliefs that have endured for centuries. Will they protect tradition and save the Empire from radical upheaval? Or will they put their faith in an idea that promises salvation for everyone in Rokugan, both in this life and the next?

Imperfect Land includes:

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

Valuable information about the Brotherhood

of Shinsei and the Perfect Land Sect.

A chance to change the fate of the Emerald

Empire forever.

To enjoy the book and play its adventure, you need to possess the sourcebook Writ of the Wilds and the Core Rulebook from The Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game.

EDGE-STUDIO.NET

IMPERFECT LAND

SKU : ESL5R17EN

ISBN : 8435407637658