The Group’s Place in Society
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A final, but crucial, point to consider is how the religious group fits into society. The Emerald Empire has an especially rigid social structure, which is based on the Celestial Order: divine beings such as Fortunes are preeminent, with samurai being below them in the Celestial Order, and commoners being beneath the samurai. Any religious group is judged in Rokugan, at least in part, by the extent to which it conforms to the Celestial Order. If a group conforms well, then it is more likely to be accepted by the Empire and, critically, its authorities. If it doesn’t—if, for instance, the group’s core belief system places the needs and welfare of commoners above those of samurai—then the authorities and much of the population will see it as heretical and treat it accordingly.
The other important aspect of a religious group is how it interacts with established religion in the Empire. For example, a group that is essentially an offshoot of Shinseism or Fortunism is more likely to win acceptance than one that reveres something untraditional, such as a deity it has newly recognized or one with gaijin roots. The mainstream may be wary even of offshoots of traditional religions, however. As described in Chapter 1, Lord Moon is a recognized part of Rokugani divinity, but groups that worship him are still considered strange. Groups like these may not be outright forbidden, but they are likely to be watched closely by the Empire, as heresy and blasphemy can more readily take hold among such fringe elements.
Finally, any religious group based on something considered entirely unacceptable in the Empire is unlikely to be tolerated at all. The worship of anything related to Jigoku, for example, is certainly not accepted and will inevitably be ruthlessly crushed by the Imperial authorities. The same applies to any belief system that accepts something the mainstream religions consider blasphemous. Nearly all groups that do this have an extreme need for secrecy.
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Celestial Realms · Chapter 3: Power of Worship › Inside a Religious Group › The Group’s Place in Society · p. 122 p. 123
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A final, but crucial, point to consider is how the religious group fits into society. The Emerald Empire has an especially rigid social structure, which is based on the Celestial Order: divine beings such as Fortunes are preeminent, with samurai being below them in the Celestial Order, and commoners being beneath the samurai. Any religious group is judged in Rokugan, at least in part, by the extent to which it conforms to the Celestial Order. If a group conforms well, then it is more likely to be accepted by the Empire and, critically, its authorities. If it doesn’t—if, for instance, the group’s core belief system places the needs and welfare of commoners above those of samurai—then the authorities and much of the population will see it as heretical and treat it accordingly.
The other important aspect of a religious group is how it interacts with established religion in the Empire. For example, a group that is essentially an offshoot of Shinseism or Fortunism is more likely to win acceptance than one that reveres something untraditional, such as a deity it has newly recognized or one with gaijin roots. The mainstream may be wary even of offshoots of traditional religions, however. As described in Chapter 1, Lord Moon is a recognized part of Rokugani divinity, but groups that worship him are still considered strange. Groups like these may not be outright forbidden, but they are likely to be watched closely by the Empire, as heresy and blasphemy can more readily take hold among such fringe elements.
Finally, any religious group based on something considered entirely unacceptable in the Empire is unlikely to be tolerated at all. The worship of anything related to Jigoku, for example, is certainly not accepted and will inevitably be ruthlessly crushed by the Imperial authorities. The same applies to any belief system that accepts something the mainstream religions consider blasphemous. Nearly all groups that do this have an extreme need for secrecy.