Topaz Championship 3eR

Tournament of the Topaz Champion

A One-Round Introductory Adventure for Heroes of Rokugan (Champions of the Sapphire Throne)

by Rob Hobart

Revised for 3eR, October 2008 Promising young samurai from across the Empire are invited each year to participate in a gempukku tournament in Crane lands, where the finest competitor will be named Topaz Champion by the Emperor himself. You are honored to be a part of this fine tradition… and failure before the Son of Heaven would be unthinkable. LEGEND OF THE FIVE RINGS is a registered trademark of Alderac Entertainment Group. Scenario detail copyright 2005, 2008 by the author and Alderac Entertainment Group. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This scenario is intended for tournament use only and may not be reproduced without permission.

A four-hour time block has been allocated for playing this game. The actual playing time should be about three and a half hours. It is a good idea to ask each player to put a name tag in front of him or her. The tag should have the player's name at the bottom, and the character's name, race, and gender at the top. This makes it easier for the players to keep track of who is playing which character. The players are free to use the game rules to learn about equipment and weapons their characters are carrying. Some of the text in this scenario is written so that you may present it as written to the players, while other text is for your eyes only. Text for the players will be in bold italics. It is strongly recommended that you paraphrase the player text, instead of reading it aloud, as some of the text is general and must be adapted to the specific situation or to actions of the player characters.

GM's Information THIS SCENARIO SHOULD NOT BE RUN COLD! Please read the scenario thoroughly before attempting to run it. This adventure is an Introductory adventure, and should only be played by Rank 1 characters, preferably characters who have not previously played any other adventures. All bulleted information is just that, pure information. Feed it to the players through an NPC when appropriate. Sometimes, reading it straight just doesn’t sound right. Remember that family names come before personal names. Akodo Toturi is from the Akodo family and his personal name is Toturi. A note on commerce in Rokugan: Samurai are not supposed to care about worldly possessions, especially money. A samurai pays a commoner as if the money is meaningless, a concession to the commoner’s silly needs. Between samurai, the exchange of money and merchandise is an exchange of “gifts.” CREDIT WHERE it is DUE: This adventure is based on the “Topaz Championship” adventures published by Alderac, both the original by Andrew Heckt and Edward Bolme (published in 1997) and the revised version by Shawn Carman (published in 2005).

Glory and Honor Awards and Penalties This adventure contains suggested Glory and Honor awards (and penalties) for dealing with the challenges presented herein. However, at times the players may take extra actions which the GM judges worthy of additional reward – or punishment. The following may be considered as guidelines: • Performing an act of selfless, sacrificial loyalty to

one’s daimyo or clan: +1 point of Honor. • Abiding by the tenets of bushido when one could

gain an obvious advantage from breaking them: +1 point of Honor.

• Betraying or disobeying your duty, Clan, or family: lose 1-10 points of Honor and Glory, and possibly Status, depending on the severity of the failure. Gain the same amount of Infamy.

• Crying out in pain when injured: lose one point each of Honor and Glory.

• Using sneaky, underhanded, or treacherous methods when at an Honor rank higher than zero: lose 1-5 points of Honor. If caught, also gain 1-5 points of Infamy.

• Using poison: lose 1-10 points of Honor, depending on the circumstances (there is always an Honor loss for using poison). If caught, also gain the same amount of Infamy.

• Performing a socially acceptable public act of extreme courage and skill: +1 point of Glory.

• Drunk, insulting, or otherwise ill-mannered in public: lose 1-5 points of Glory. For extreme abuses, also gain an equivalent amount of Infamy.

• Playing entire adventure without doing anything of note: lose 1 point of Glory.

• Made ronin: Status removed.

Adventure Summary and Background

The PCs are young samurai who are about to be tested before undergoing their gempukku ceremony, signifying their status as adult samurai. This is a very important rite of passage for samurai, showing that they are adults and worthy of serving their Clans and Families.

The vast majority of samurai in Rokugan regard the Topaz Championship as the most prestigious gempukku ceremony in the Empire. The ceremony is open to any who wish to attend, but the Great Clans tend to be very selective in determining who represents them at the Championship. To permit just anyone to enter the contest would risk embarrassment, and no Great Clan

Tournament of the Topaz Champion Page 2

would risk such a thing in front of their Crane hosts. Minor Clan samurai and ronin candidates require a Great Clan sponsor to be admitted to the competition. The Topaz Championship has been held in the Kakita town of Tsuma for centuries, at one of the largest dojo for the Kakita Dueling Academy.

Upon arriving in Tsuma, the PCs will have a day to prepare for the competition, explore the city, and meet the major and minor NPCs who are present. Once the contest begins, the PCs will witness several strange and difficult incidents, some of them disrupting the competition itself.

Introduction: Arrival in Tsuma

It is spring of the year 1499 of the Imperial Calendar, the sixteenth year of the reign of Toturi XII, the Joyous Prince, also known as the Sapphire Emperor. A fresh spring breeze carries the scent of cherry blossoms to you from a nearby orchard. To the south, just visible on the horizon, is the splendid tower of Shiro Sano Kakita, the ancient seat of the Kakita family. Ahead of you is the village of Tsuma, a modest-sized city located next to a minor river, and home to one of the major dojos for the Kakita Dueling Academy. Here you will compete in the Topaz Championship, the most famous gempukku ceremony in the land. Here you will show yourselves worthy of bearing the title “samurai.”

Tsuma is a modest city of about 1,500 people – essentially a very large village. Located in the peaceful Crane lands, it has neither walls nor a military garrison. There are no formal embassies maintained by other clans, since most only have business within the city once per year. The largest structure in the village is the Kakita Dueling Academy, a sizable compound of buildings and gardens, linked under a shared roof and protected by a high stone wall… the only fortification in Tsuma.

The PCs arrive in Tsuma by land, as do most of the other attendees and competitors – the road is crowded with samurai, both mounted and on foot, as well as noblewomen in palanquins. Crane magistrates patrol the roads carefully, and the PCs are stopped at least once to show their travel papers.

Since there is no castle in Tsuma, most of the visitors must stay at the popular and prestigious House of the Laughing Carp, which offers free housing to all contestants in the Topaz Championship (see below).

Status of the PCs All of the PCs are here to compete in the Topaz Championship. Since the Championship is also a gempukku ceremony, it can be assumed that none of the PCs have gone through one yet – although they have been granted their swords in order to participate in the competition, they are not yet considered “adults” and their functional Status is zero until they complete their gempukku and are acknowledged as full-fledged members of their Clans. Crab bushi and shugenja PCs are an exception to this – in Crab tradition, they complete their gempukku by going into the Shadowlands and returning with the head of a monster. It can be assumed that any such Crab PCs have already done this, and have been sent here afterward (like Hida Chorotaku) simply to compete and represent their Clan well. Ronin PCs can choose whether to have already completed a private gempukku (in which case they are simply here in search of glory and reputation) or not (in which case they must succeed in the Tournament in order to complete it). Also, ronin players should choose which Clan their character has managed to wangle into sponsoring their admission to the tournament. What’s in Tsuma? Some contestants will have little interest in the city beyond the contest. Others, however, may wish to explore. The following locations within the city may be of interest to the PCs: The House of the Laughing Carp: A venerable and notable tea house and inn, the House of the Laughing Carp offers free room and board to all contestants in the Topaz Championship, and the PCs will be staying here along with all of the NPC contestants except Matsu Nimoro (who stays with his father in the Dueling Academy). The house is typically busy in the evenings, particularly so during the Championship, and sees a wide range of patrons. Food and drink here are of excellent quality.

Poisoned Water Sake House: Down the street from the Laughing Carp, this tastelessly named business is a small brewery and sake house. It is frequented mainly by ronin during the off-season, but grows crowded and popular during the Topaz Championship. The house sake made here is sold in small, black clay bottles and is famed for its potency. The Crab and Mantis contestants spend much of their


time here, even on the first evening when the other visitors are still finding their feet.

Foreign Curiosities: A Unicorn-owned shop which sells a variety of strange gaijin goods. Its selection has grown considerably in the last half-century as the Empire has relaxed the prohibitions on importing such things. PCs seeking the exotic or bizarre can find it here. (Gunpowder and other foreign weapons are of course still unavailable.) Arrival of the Imperial Party On the evening that the PCs arrive in Tsuma, a large mounted party will ride into the village, escorted by a half-dozen Imperial Guardsmen: the Emperor and his entourage. All of the local samurai and contestants gather in the streets to bow and greet the Son of Heaven. Toturi XII is still a handsome and vigorous man, only a few gray streaks in his hair betraying that he is approaching the age of forty. He smiles politely to the bowing crowds as he strides forward. Walking behind him are his two eldest sons, the twins Hatsu and Kobashi, sporting the mons of the Crane and Lion schools where they have been fostered. Between the two handsome young men is their youngest sister, six-year-old Toturi Chisa, whose birth took the life of her mother after twelve fertile years. More than one maiden in the audience flutters her fan and sighs at the sight of the two handsome young men protecting their innocent youngest sister. Following closely behind the Emperor is Miya Shikan, the Imperial Herald, who will serve as master of ceremonies for the tournament. Shikan’s pale, narrow face and clean-shaven scalp make him look almost monastic, he his gaze is sharp and faintly disapproving as he acknowledges the bows of the crowd. Behind the Emperor’s party come two other large groups, the leaders of the Lion and Crane with their retinues: The Lion daimyo and Emerald Champion, Matsu Hoketsaku, is a powerful-looking man in his mid-thirties, moving with the energy of a warrior even in these peaceful times. He is accompanied by a young man of thirteen years or so, who you realize must be his son and heir, Matsu Nimoro, named for the famed hero from the reign of Toturi III. Also with them is a lean, hard-faced older man with thinning hair and prominent cheekbones.

A roll of Intelligence/Lore: Heraldry at TN 10 will recognize the lean older man as Akodo Gintaku, the Akodo family daimyo. PCs who pay attention to the two Matsu can roll Perception/Lore: Heraldry at TN 15 to notice that Matsu Nimoro does not yet have a school mon. This implies he has not yet completed his gempukku… which further implies that he is almost certainly a fellow contestant in the Topaz Championship. Alongside the Lions, the handsome Crane Champion, Doji Sarutomo, smiles charmingly but with a slightly distracted air as he follows the Emperor. He is accompanied by an elderly woman whose tottering pace is supported by both a cane and a pair of young handmaidens. This can be none other than the legendary O-Doji Koneko, the Crane Clan matron, widow of the previous Champion. Have the PCs roll Raw Perception at TN 20. With a success, they overhear someone muttering “here comes the old ghoul” as O-Doji Koneko hobbles past. A PC who looks back immediately will see the Mantis contestant, Yoritomo Kagetora, sharing a chuckle with a crowd of Crab bushi. If any PC tries to confront him, Kagetora will deny saying it, and the Crab will back him up with grins and nudges. PCs who pursue this matter too far will find themselves creating a public spectacle, possibly drawing a rebuke from someone of higher Status. After the honored guests have arrived, they are welcomed by Kakita Saburashi, the daimyo of the Kakita family and one of the senior sensei at the Dueling Academy. Saburashi is a grim, stern-looking man in his early forties, with white-dyed hair in a severe samurai topknot. Any Crane PC, and any other PC who rolls a suitable Intelligence/Lore skill (such as Lore: History or Lore: Crane Clan) at TN 10 will know that Saburashi is universally acknowledged as the finest duelist in the Empire, and earned a peculiar sort of fame a decade ago when he won the Tournament of the Emerald Champion but refused to take the office, claiming his skills were not worthy of it. Saburashi gives a brief speech welcoming the contestants, and reminding them how honored they are to have the Emperor in attendance. “This is only the third time in his reign that the Son of Heaven has graced the Topaz Championship with his presence. Let us make it one worthy of his gaze.”


Meeting the Contestants The PCs will have several chances to meet their fellow Topaz contestants, both NPCs and PCs. All of the contestants (except Matsu Nimoro) will be staying in the Laughing Carp Inn along with the PCs. The more prominent NPCs will not visit the Inn yet, nor will Matsu Nimoro stay there. (The Emperor’s two sons will grace it with their presence on the next evening.) The GM should use “Appendix #1: Contestants” and “Appendix #2: Other NPCs” as guidelines for playing the various NPCs. The number of NPC contestants is designed to ensure that there is an even number of total contestants. If the number of PCs is odd (5 or 7), add Tonbo Kenshiro to the list of NPC competitors. The first evening, before the tournament begins, should be devoted to role-play and introducing the characters to each other (intrigue and trouble will not begin until the second evening). In particular, Bayushi Tenmaku will make a point of socializing with all the contestants in order to seek out targets for his future blackmail and seduction efforts. What’s in the Tournament? Some PCs may attempt to seek out information on what sort of competitions await them on the morrow. Bayushi Tenmaku can helpfully offer this information, or the PCs can find it out on their own by asking around and rolling Awareness/Courtier (Gossip) at TN 20. Either way, the PCs can learn that the first day of the tournament will feature sumai, heraldry, athletics, horsemanship and mounted combat, and a discussion on the elements of law, etiquette, and the code of bushido. (Sumai is generally considered among the Championship’s most difficult tests, as few sensei place as great an emphasis on that skill as they once did.) For the second day, the competitions will test weapon skills, poetry, courtier skills, go, and hunting. It is said to be the most grueling day, as the weapon and hunting tests are lengthy and exhausting. Also, the hunting competition is different from the others, since it requires contestants to work together in small teams to accomplish their goal. Finally, the tournament will conclude on the third day with the Topaz Championship itself, an iaijutsu dueling competition.

Part One: First Day of the Topaz Championship

The Topaz Championship is a three-day competition that tests young samurai in almost all the skills they are expected to know. Points are awarded to those who receive the highest marks in each contest, and the competitor who achieves the most points overall is declared the Topaz Champion (and, if a PC, will receive the “Topaz Champion” cert). Individual competitions during the Championship usually take either the form of a match, wherein two contestants compete directly with one another, or tests, in which elder samurai ask questions of the contestant. Each successful competition completed awards a single point – for the matches, this means only the winner, while for the tests all the competitors can potentially win a point. A competitor must attain a total of five points to “pass” and complete their gempukku. (See “Conclusion” for more details.) The highest total number of points will determine who is named Topaz Champion. The first day of the Topaz Championship contains tests of sumai, heraldry, athletics, horsemanship, and a discussion on the elements of law, etiquette, and the code of bushido. Choosing Competitors At the beginning of any contest which is in “match” format, Miya Shikan will step forward and draw small ceramic tiles from an exquisitely crafted vase. Each tile has the chop of a single contestant on it, and Shikan draws two at a time to determine who will face each other. For the “test” competitions, Shikan draws the tiles to determine in what order the contestants will be tested. If possible and time allows, the GM should choose the competitors in the same way, by using slips of paper (Handout #1 is designed for this purpose). Otherwise, roll a die or simply choose pairings. First Competition: Sumai Primary Roll: Agility/Jiujitsu (Wrestling) The sumai match is held in the main training ground of the Kakita Academy, on a large ring of hard-packed bare earth. Competitors are stripped down to hakama and gi (shirt and pants), and all weapons are forbidden. The contest is judged by Matsu Hoketsaku, the Lion


Champion, who was himself known as a sumai wrestler in his youth. For each match, the contestants roll Initiative and then try to engage in a Grapple, as per the L5R rules for Grappling (page 179 of the 3rd Edition Revised rulebook). The contestant who can maintain a Grapple against their opponent for three consecutive rounds is the winner. Contestants can also win by inflicting enough damage to force their opponent to concede (which is the approach Hida Chorotaku will take, successfully if he is up against an NPC), but this will meet with strong disapproval from the audience, and results in the gain of 2 points of Infamy. A Crane shugenja will be quickly summoned to heal the injured competitor. Second Competition: Heraldry Primary Roll: Intelligence/Lore (Heraldry) Each contestant will be brought individually before Miya Shikan. The Imperial Herald’s eyes bore into the contestants as he orders them to identify a mon or chop. Five are presented, each more difficult than the last, and a contestant must successfully identify four of the five in order to pass the test: TN Example

5 The mon of a Great Clan (Shikan always chooses a different Clan than the PC’s own Clan)

10 The mon of a Great Clan family (again not from the PC’s Clan, if any)

15 The mon of a Minor Clan (again, never the same as the PC’s own Clan, and also excluding any Minor Clan closely allied with the PC’s Clan)

20 The mon of a vassal family serving a Great Clan (not from the PC’s own Clan)

25

The mon/chop of an individual samurai (in honor of the attendees, these will all be the chops or mons of guests at the tournament, such as the Emperor’s sons and the Clan Champions)

Among the NPC competitors, the weakest performances come from Hida Chorotaku, Kakita Toru, and Moto Tsuto, while strong performances are offered by Matsu Nimoro, Doji Keitomaru, Bayushi Tenmaku, and (unexpectedly) the two ronin. Third Competition: Athletics Primary Roll: Various (see below) The famous athletics competition is a foot-race and obstacle course, requiring the contestants to display

both speed and athletic coordination. The course consists of three major obstacles separated by lengthy runs. Two contestants race against each other, trying to finish first. To reflect the progress of the competitors through the course, the GM should use tokens or check-marks. Each Raise a competitor makes on a successful skill roll awards one token, and each failed skill roll subtracts one token. At the end of the course, the higher total of tokens wins the race. If the racers are still tied at the end, they should make an Opposed Roll of Stamina/Athletics (Running) to squeeze out that last burst of speed. Course Start: Stamina/Athletics (Running) roll, TN 10. Obstacle 1: The first obstacle is a narrow wooden bridge crossing a wide, muddy-bottomed stream bed. Crossing the narrow bridge requires an Agility/Athletics roll, TN 10. Only one contestant may cross at a time, although they may be close behind one another. A contestant who fails the Athletics/Agility roll falls into the mud (losing two tokens), and must make a Raw Agility roll, TN 15, to escape – otherwise the racer is trapped in the mud and automatically loses. Contestants who wish to force one another into the mud while on the bridge must make an Opposed Raw Agility roll. The winner has forced his opponent off the bridge, although this is a dishonorable act (lose 1 point of Honor and gain 1 point of Infamy). Running: Stamina/Athletics (Running) roll, TN 15. Obstacle 2: A large wooden wall blocks the path, reaching a full 15 feet into the air. The racers must climb over the wall, using handholds on its crude wooden construction. This requires an Agility/Athletics (Climbing) roll, TN 15. Final Sprint: Stamina/Athletics (Running) roll, TN 20. Unsurprisingly, the best competitors in this match are the more athletic bushi, such as Hida Chorotaku, Doji Keitomaru, the two Lions, Yoritomo Kagetora, and Moto Tsuto. The worst performances are from Isawa Tsutakito and Shosuro Morito, neither of whom has the “wind” to see the competition through. Fourth Competition: Horsemanship Primary Roll: Various (see below)


Much like the athletics competition, this contest is a match between two competitors, riding horses through a course, attacking targets with melee and archery, and finishing as quickly as possible. The mechanics of this competition are the same as for the athletics race – the competitors earning tokens for making Raises on their rolls, and losing tokens by failing rolls. The contestants are supplied with horses (high-quality Rokugani ponies) and weapons if they do not already have them in their outfit. Action Roll TNRide the course to the firsttarget

Agility/Horsemanship 5

Strike the target from Agility/Kenjutsu o

horseback (use sword ornaginata)

rAgility/Polearm

10

Ride to the second target area Agility/Horsemanship 5 While riding, fire an arrow attarget

Reflexes/Kyujutsu 15

Return to the start line Agility/Horsemanship 10 Contestants who do not have at least one Rank in Horsemanship will not be able to make the attack rolls, and are thus very likely to lose this portion of the competition unless they are facing an equally inexperienced opponent. As one might expect, Moto Tsuto dominates this contest, although the Lions and Cranes also do well. The Crab, Dragon, Phoenix, Scorpion, and ronin competitors all do poorly, as does Yoritomo Kagetora. Law, Etiquette, & Bushido Primary Rolls: Intelligence/Lore (Law or Bushido) and Intelligence/Etiquette The Imperial Herald again serves as judge to this contest, after a discussion with the other high-ranking guests. (PCs who roll Perception/Investigation (Notice) at TN 15 realize that Shikan expected the Crane to officiate this contest, but both the Clan Champion and Kakita Saburashi were oddly unwilling to do so. Akodo Gintaku did want to judge the contest, but Shikan cold-shoulders him.) Shikan questions each contestant privately regarding matters of Imperial law, appropriate social behavior, and knowledge of a samurai’s code of conduct. Most of these questions are simple, and can be answered with an appropriate Intelligence/Skill roll (Lore: Law, Lore: Bushido, or Etiquette). PCs who role-play well can get a Free Raise on their rolls.

Each contestant is asked a series of questions covering basic knowledge of Rokugani customs. The GM should use one question per PC, based on the following list (with appropriate skills listed after each): • “Who owns the land of the Empire?” All land is

owned by the Emperor, who permits his Clans to govern it in his name. (Law TN 10)

• “What does the law require for dealing with the

dead?” After death, a samurai’s body must be cremated. In this way, his soul ascends to face judgment and his body can never be defiled by blasphemous black magic. (Law TN 10)

• “How are a samurai’s crimes punished?” Samurai

found guilty of serious crimes may be allowed by their lord to commit seppuku, a ritual suicide that cleanses their family’s honor upon their death. Other crimes may result in the samurai being cast out as a ronin, or more severely, executed without honor. (Law TN 15)

• “What is the proper etiquette for accepting a gift?”

A gift must be refused twice before it is accepted, or else you show that you believed the first offer was insincere. (Etiquette TN 10)

• “How should one deal with matters of commerce?”

Matters of commerce are distasteful to a samurai, and should only be discussed if doing so is to the benefit of both one’s family and clan. (Etiquette TN 10)

• “How does one acknowledge those of the same or

superior station?” Bow to someone of equal social standing. Kneel to those of superior standing. If someone of equal standing has superior rank, then you must bow deeply to them. (Etiquette TN 10)

• “How should a samurai treat those of lower

classes?” A samurai shows compassion and mercy to those beneath him, because only the weak must prove their power by dominating others. (Bushido TN 10)

• “How must a samurai treat his name?” A samurai

bears the name of his ancestors, and must live a life of honor so that the name can be returned to them without blemishes upon his death. (Bushido TN 10)


• “What is the significance of a samurai’s blades?” The katana is a samurai’s soul, and his wakizashi is his honor. To allow shame to come to one’s blades by unclean or dishonorable acts is to stain one’s soul. (Bushido TN 15)

• “How does a samurai face death?” A samurai’s

heart is filled with courage. He has no fear of death, for to die in the service of one’s lord is the greatest fate a samurai can hope for. (Bushido TN 10)

Most of the Clan competitors do reasonably well in this category, although a few are exceptional (the two Kakita, for example, and Matsu Nimoro). The ronin Kenji also unexpectedly does well. Weak performances come from the usual suspects (the Hida, the Yoritomo, the Moto, and the ronin Maeda) but also from Matsu Chigitsu, who is tripped up by his ronin background.

Part Two: Incidents on the First Night

After the contestants finish the first day’s competitions, they return to the House of the Laughing Carp for an evening of celebration, talk, drinking, and (for the more serious) practice and meditation. With many samurai in a small city that offers little for them to do, interesting things are bound to happen, especially when some of the high-ranking guests visit the Inn, notably the Emperor’s two sons. There are several possible events and encounters which the PCs may experience this evening. The Challenge: Tamori Ryuko and Isawa Tsutakito Tamori Ryuko will spend much of the evening goading Isawa Tsutakito, making comments that the “peaceful Phoenix” have no business competing in this tournament, that if they wanted to send a shugenja who knew how to fight they should have sent an Agasha, that it took “stealing” a family from the Dragon for them to learn how to fight, and so forth. Ryuko wants a duel, to prove that a “mere Isawa Air shugenja” has no business pretending to know the way of the sword. Tsutakito tries to ignore her at first, especially since an illegal duel could jeopardize his place in the tournament, but Ryuko will eventually goad him into accepting a secret duel in the garden behind the Laughing Carp.

If any PCs try to enter this conversation, Ryuko will do her best to ignore them and focus her attention on Tsutakito – unless some of them are Isawa as well, in which case she will also begin needling them. Clever and articulate PCs may be able to defuse Ryuko and force her to abandon her efforts – this will require skillful and persistent role-play. It is more probable that eventually, either a PC or Tsutakito will accept the duel. Although the duel is “secret,” Tsutakito will ask any Phoenix PCs to be witnesses, and Ryuko will likewise ask any Dragon PCs to observe. Smart PCs will realize that since this is not a sanctioned duel, there may be serious problems for the participants, especially if one of them is injured – the duel is to first blood, but Ryuko is clearly driven by her passions, and Tsutakito will also be in danger of losing his temper. PCs who intervene to stop the duel, or at least ensure that it does not injure anyone, will need to role-play an effective appeal to the duelists, urging them to think of their honor and control themselves, and roll a suitable social skill, most likely Awareness/Etiquette (Sincerity) or Awareness/Courtier (Manipulation), at TN 15. If no PCs intervene, Ryuko and Tsutakito will duel, and both will be injured, Tsutakito seriously. He will try to conceal the injury the next day, but unless a friendly PC is able to heal him at least 10 Wounds, he will be forced to withdraw from the tournament immediately after the Weapons competition. Ryuko remains in the competition, but much hostile gossip circulates around her and her reputation is badly damaged. If Ryuko fights a PC, the GM should run it as a normal duel to first blood… but Ryuko will keep high dice on damage, and spends Void as well. Her goal is to wound the PC as seriously as possible. PCs who witness the duel without preventing it will each gain 1 point of Infamy, and if Isawa Tsutakito is injured, they gain him as a Sworn Enemy. PCs who participate in the duel gain 5 points of Infamy (and lose 1 point of Honor if their Honor is 3.0 or higher). If the PCs manage to prevent the duel, or heal Tsutakito afterward, they gain a Favor with the Phoenix Clan. The Drinking Contest Hida Chorotaku has been accompanied to the Topaz Championship by a half-dozen of his fellows from the Crab Clan. During the evening, they will take over the Poisoned Water sake house and begin a boisterous


drinking contest, roping in Yoritomo Kagetora and, surprisingly, Kakita Toru, as well as any PCs they can browbeat into joining them. Once the drinking contest is underway, the Crab will not allow anyone to leave until they pass out – which, with Crab stamina, means they will be here until the wee hours of the morning, becoming progressively louder and more belligerent as time passes and the rows of empty bottles grow longer. Kakita Toru will pass out about halfway through the evening. Yoritomo Kagetora proves to be more resilient, and lasts out the evening, singing and carousing with the toughest of the Crab. PCs who actually want to try to “win” the drinking contest will need to make a series of Raw Stamina rolls at TNs of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and finally 30. (A failed roll means the PC passes out.) A PC who actually manages to “win” the drinking contest will lose 1 point of Glory but gains a 1-point Ally (0 points Influence, 1 point Devotion) in the Hida family. A PC who passes out drunk loses 3 points of Glory and gains 1 point of Infamy. • A PC who speaks in a friendly way with the

drunken Kakita Toru during this evening will hear the Crane mumbling about his unrequited passion for Kakita Amiko. A dishonorable PC can choose to take Blackmail against Toru, although such an action costs 1 point of Honor.

• PCs who want to escape the drinking contest

before it is over must find a way to do so without antagonizing the drunken and belligerent Crabs. (“What? You’re too good to drink with us? Don’t have the stomach for it?”) This is a pure role-playing challenge – PCs who cannot come up with a way of soothing the Crab will be beaten to a pulp, showing up at the competition the next day with a Rank of Wounds and prominent bruises and black eyes (lose 2 points of Glory).

The Scorpion Maneuvers Bayushi Tenmaku will begin his campaign of accumulating blackmail material in earnest this evening. • If he has targeted a female PC for seduction, he

will converse with her at some length, attempting to worm his way into her confidence. He will pretend to be whatever will get him a sympathetic ear, depending on how he judges his target – most likely an honorable “junshin” Scorpion unhappy

with his Clan, but he can also play a straightforward “duty is everything” samurai, a witty courtier, or a sinister-sexy “bad boy.”

• If no female PC target is available, he will instead

circulate around the town, trying to pick up damaging information on the other PCs and NPCs. He will certainly witness the duel with Tamori Ryuko (if it happens) as well as any embarrassing incidents elsewhere, such as a PC passing out in the Crab drinking contest, a female having an affair with one of the Emperor’s sons, or a male PC consorting with Maeda Oroko.

Sibling Rivalry Toturi Hatsu and Toturi Kobashi, the Emperor’s twin sons, will visit the Inn this evening, socializing and (moderately) drinking with those competitors who are not dragged away by the Crab. The brothers are for the most part honorable and cheerful young men, obviously close friends, and will chat amiably with the low-ranking samurai, offering friendly advice and making half-joking wagers on the matches tomorrow. However, they will also indulge their one weakness – women. The two brothers will choose one female PC or NPC and begin competing to attract her favor and attention. They will choose a female PC if a remotely attractive one is available (and not already monopolized by Bayushi Tenmaku) – otherwise they will choose Tamori Ryuko. The brothers will offer poems, compliments, and other such inducements to the chosen female, while jokingly putting each other down (“my unfortunate simple-minded brother can only think of flowers while gazing upon you, but surely the Heavens themselves would be blessed by your presence”). The purpose of this “competition” is for one of the brothers to win the young woman’s favor and attention – actually seducing her is not necessary, although neither brother will turn down a chance for an illicit night of passion. (If Tamori Ryuko is the target of the brothers’ competition, regardless of whether or not she fights a duel with Isawa Tsutakito, she does indeed end up spending the night with Toturi Hatsu, the Crane-trained brother.) • A female PC who succumbs to passion with one of

the Emperor’s sons will gain 5 points of Glory and a Favor from the Imperial Families, but loses 3 points of Honor and gains a Dark Secret (and will also be the target of Blackmail by Tenmaku).


• A PC who is aware that a fellow competitor did such a thing with one of the Emperor’s sons can choose to take Blackmail on that competitor – this costs the PC 1 point of Honor.

• Bayushi Tenmaku will certainly learn about any

samurai-ko who violates her oath of chastity with the Emperor’s son.

Frustrated Love Maeda Oroko is attracted to the ronin Kenji, but he refuses to pay attention to her, instead sitting in a corner of the Inn and brooding over his dreams of vengeance. Oroko, angry and frustrated at her apparent rejection, will instead turn her attentions to a suitably attractive male PC (she prefers slim to bulky and handsome to rugged). Being a ronin, Oroko will be fairly open in her come-ons, and is not above making a Seduction attempt – an Opposed roll of her Awareness/Deceit (Seduction) against the PC’s Awareness/Etiquette – to try to get the PC into her arms. A PC who spends the night with Oroko will lose 2 points of Honor and gains a Dark Secret (fathered an illegitimate child). The Missing Lion Matsu Chigitsu intends to sabotage the Weapons contest (the first contest in the morning) in an effort to bring down his hated enemy Isawa Tsutakito. He knows Tsutakito fights with the yari, so he will secretly replace the competition’s blunted yari with weapons that appear safe but are actually dangerous. Chigitsu will keep away from most of the drinking and socializing, and retires early in the evening. PCs who have paid attention to him, or tried to befriend him, can roll Raw Awareness at TN 15 to get a sense of decision and purpose from him. If a PC, for whatever reason, happens to be up in the hour immediately before dawn, s/he can roll Raw Perception at TN 15 to notice Chigitsu leaving the Inn. A PC who follows Chigitsu will have to make an Opposed Roll of Agility/Stealth (Sneaking) against Chigitsu’s Perception/Investigation (Notice) – if they fail, he will notice them and will pretend to merely be out for a walk. (In this case he will not be able to sabotage the Weapons competition.) Chigitsu will slip into the tournament area and replace the padded yari with real weapons, then returns to the

Inn. PCs who see him do this can, if they choose, switch the weapons back (or warn the Crane that the weapons have been switched). They can also choose to do nothing and gain Blackmail on Chigitsu (and lose 1 point of Honor).

Part Three: Day Two of the Topaz Championship

The second and most grueling day of the competition involves tests in weapon skill, poetry, courtier skills, go, and hunting. Fifth Competition: Weapons Primary Roll: Agility/Weapon Skill Other than the Iaijutsu tournament that ends the Championship, the weapons test is the most anticipated and most prestigious of the individual contests. The weapons tournament is held on an open field outside the village, surrounded by gentle slopes. A large and cheerful crowd gathers to watch, the town and the Kakita Academy alike almost emptying as samurai and commoners gather to witness the event. There is quite a bit of surreptitious gambling on the outcome, especially among the commoners. As the tournament gets underway, the atmosphere gradually lightens as the results of each match are met with gasps, murmurs, applause – and the rustling, clinking exchange of money. The contestants are allowed to choose any weapon they wish from a large number of specially prepared, non-lethal padded weapons. These include katana, wakizashi, no-dachi, tetsubo, naginata, nage-yari, yari, tanto, ono, and dai tsuchi. • No ranged weapons or “dishonorable” ninja

weapons are included, but to accommodate the Unicorn and Mantis (with both of whom the Crane are interested in improving their relations) some padded scimitars and peasant weapons have been included.

• Combatants who have armor will be allowed to

wear it for this contest. The Emperor’s two sons serve as the judges of this contest, and watch closely while making comments to each other – in low voices, but still audible to many in the audience. They are completely unbiased, but their innocent remarks on poor-quality contestants are likely


to inadvertently cause the targets of their disapproval to lose 1 or 2 points of Glory. The blunted weapons in this competition have DR 0k1, and the competitors are expected to fight until one of them surrenders, usually when they are disarmed or unable to stand. Honorable competitors do not try to cripple or kill in this contest (although the Mantis and Crab NPC competitors have trouble remembering this in the heat of battle), and a samurai who kills someone in this contest will certainly acquire a large amount of Infamy, as well as losing Honor. After the contest is over, all wounded combatants are healed by Kakita Saburashi’s court shugenja. Matsu Chigitsu has probably sabotaged this contest in an effort to bring down his hated enemy Isawa Tsutakito (see Part Two earlier). Unless a PC detected and prevented his plans, all the blunted yari in the contest have been replaced with more potent weapons, which have a DR of 1k2 instead of 0k1. If a PC does not discover this first, Tsutakito will realize the truth when he strikes for the first time, keeping high dice (since he assumes the blow cannot kill). This could potentially kill or cripple his opponent, depending on who he is facing. A shocked Tsutakito will offer to commit seppuku for his deed, but the Crane will quickly conclude that he was not at fault. Any PC who rolls Perception/Investigation (Notice) at TN 20 will see a brief look of disappointment on the face of Matsu Chigitsu when the Crane spare Tsutakito. (They can also spot this if they prevented the sabotage and the contest proceeds normally.) See Part Four “Consequences of the Weapons Contest” for follow-up on this matter. Aside from this possible disaster, all of the NPC contestants are able to acquit themselves honorably in this competition. Some stand out from the crowd – Hida Chorotaku and Matsu Nimoro in particular. Doji Keitomaru, while clearly in his element here, winds up trying too hard and collapsing under the strain, losing ignominiously (if need be, the GM should keep low dice to simulate this). PCs who roll Raw Awareness at TN 15 notice that Keitomaru keeps shooting glances at one of the Crane courtiers in the audience. A PC who rolls Raw Intelligence at TN 10 realizes the courtier was not there for the first day’s competition. See Part Four “Father and Son” for further development of this plotline. Sixth Competition: Poetry Primary Roll: Awareness/Storytelling (Poetry)

This contest is simple but challenging – two contestants are given a topic on which they must compose a poem. Typical topics would include the various virtues of bushido (courage, compassion, courtesy, etc), the Fortunes and Kamis, famous heroes and ancestors, great moments in history, nature and animals, and so forth. Haiku is the normal format, the traditional 5-7-5 syllable poem of Rokugan. PCs can choose to compose more exotic poems, but must make Raises to compensate for the negative reaction which such formats will attract. The superior poem (as represented by the skill roll) is the winner. However, some additional factors apply: • The poems are judged by Doji Sarutomo. PCs who

try to get a read on his preferences can roll Raw Awareness at TN 20 to realize that, unusually for a Crane, he prefers poems on heroic and military topics. A poem which uses or exploits such topics will get a Free Raise – two Free Raises if the PC finds a clever way of working such themes into a non-violent topic such as nature or the spirits.

• A player who actually composes a poem gets a

Free Raise on the skill roll. As one might expect, the best NPC performance in this competition comes from Tamori Ryuko, followed by the Kakita and Scorpion competitors. The worst offerings, also predictably, are from Hida Chorotaku, Matsu Chigitsu, and Maeda Oroko. Yoritomo Kagetora and Kenji the ronin, while not top-level, both perform better than expected. Seventh Competition: Go Primary Roll: Awareness/Games (Go) Another traditional contest, pitting paired contestants against each other in Rokugan’s most ancient and revered game of strategy. The contest is judged by Akodo Gintaku and O-Doji Koneko. The Akodo daimyo mostly observes in silence, his eyes narrowing when he spots an especially strong or weak move. Koneko’s ancient, rheumy eyes seem to miss nothing, and she makes loud and scathing comments on poor play (lose 2 to 3 points of Glory for having Koneko criticize your play). The competitors make Opposed rolls, and the winner of the roll wins the match. Hida Chorotaku does better than expected in this competition, showing that there is more to him than a crude warrior, while more


predictable excellence comes from Matsu Nimoro, Tamori Ryuko, the two Kakita, and the two Scorpions. Doji Keitomaru starts out strongly but chokes in the endgame. The worst performances come from Yoritomo Kagetora (who has never played Go), Isawa Tsutakito, Matsu Chigitsu, and Maeda Oroko. Eighth Competition: Courtier Primary Roll: Awareness/Courtier This contest also is judged by the formidable O-Doji Koneko, fresh from the Go contest, and by Miya Shikan. Two contestants are brought before the judges and given a subject to debate, while the judges observe their discussion and take stock of the points they make. There are no real rules to this contest, and no time limit. At the end of the discussion, the contestants make an Opposed skill roll to determine the winner. If the GM is pressed for time, this competition should be handled with simple die-rolls. However, if time permits, it is preferable to run this through role-play: • If two PCs face each other in this contest, the GM

should have them debate each other in role-play, and award them Free Raises or TN penalties based on how well, or how poorly, they speak.

• If a PC faces an NPC, the GM should role-play a

brief discussion with the PC, and again award bonuses or penalties based on quality of role-play and argument.

Suitable debate topics may include the following: • Where does a samurai’s loyalty ultimately lie: with

the Emperor or the Empire? • Which tenet of bushido is the most important? • What is the most important aspect of spirituality:

the Tao, the Fortunes, or one’s ancestors? This competition is rightly feared by many bushi who have neglected the social and academic sides of their educations. The Crab, Lion, and ronin competitors are clearly uneasy going into this competition, and both Hida Chorotaku and Matsu Chigitsu make thorough fools of themselves. Surprisingly, Yoritomo Kagetora proves to be adept in courtly ways – a benefit of his years spent with the Scorpion Clan.

Ninth Competition: Hunting Primary Roll: Perception/Hunting (others required as necessary) Hunting is the most complex contest, and the last one of the second day. It is introduced by Miya Shikan, who explains that the contestants must seek out and retrieve the eggs of the famous Tsu Fish, a much-admired delicacy. Shikan adds portentously that in former times, this hunt was performed by individual contestants, but since the beginning of the Toturi dynasty it has been a team competition. Shikan implies strongly that this is due to the deep desire of the Emperor for peace and harmony between the Clans. (Actually, it is due to the increasing rarity of Tsu Fish.) The contestants are organized into teams, each team numbering three. For the sake of speedy play, the GM should place the PCs into teams together, rather than randomly selecting their teammates. Each team must successfully recover at least one Tsu Fish egg. One point is awarded to each team member for this, and an additional point is awarded to the members of the first team to return successfully. If there are “leftover” competitors, Shikan will create one or two teams of four members. The teams have two hours to successfully retrieve the eggs, and the Tsu Fish breeding area is located in the mud of a riverbank two miles away. A Stamina/Athletics roll at TN 15 will get the contestants there in half an hour, otherwise it takes 40 minutes. Once there, the PCs will need to search the muddy, reed-choked bank of the river for the breeding area of the Tsu Fish. Each search attempt takes 10 minutes and requires a Perception/Hunting (Survival) roll at TN 15. A total of five successful rolls (between all the members of the team) are needed to locate the eggs: Resting on a muddy riverbank are the distinctive puffy, spiny bodies of Tsu Fish, famous for being able to leave the water for extended periods of time. They look almost as though they are sunning themselves. Floating in the mud near them are several clusters of pale, glistening eggs, the size of frog’s eyes. The fastest NPC team – consisting of Matsu Nimoro, Kakita Toru, and Moto Tsuto – will bring back the eggs in one hour and forty minutes. If the fastest PC team is tied with them, whichever PC is carrying the eggs will need to make an Opposed Roll of Athletics/Stamina


(Running) against Nimoro in order to beat him to the finish line. Chigitsu Attacks Tsutakito During this contest, if Isawa Tsutakito is still in the tournament, Matsu Chigitsu will confront him while he is searching the swampy, reed-choked bank of the river. A PC will notice this by rolling Perception/Investigation (Notice) at TN 25 (TN 20 if the PC is trying to keep an eye on either of these individuals, or is watching for anything strange or suspicious). Chigitsu faces Tsutakito amid the shoulder-high reeds, snarling that he has sworn vengeance against the Isawa’s bloodline, and drawing his sword. Tsutakito has only his wakizashi (he left his yari and scroll satchel behind, as being inappropriate in such a competition) and will try to back out of the confrontation, pleading that he does not understand Chigitsu’s quarrel with him. PCs can intervene and force a halt to this incident. Chigitsu will snarlingly back down if others interrupt, promising “we will settle this matter later.” Otherwise, Chigitsu will eventually draw his blade and cut down the Isawa, leaving the body to be discovered later. PCs who witness this and do not either intervene or immediately report to higher authority will have to decide whether to take Blackmail on Chigitsu or keep quiet and acquire a Dark Secret (losing 1 point of Honor either way). See Part Four for additional consequences of this event.

Part Four: Guests of the Kakita (The Second

Evening) On the evening after the second day of the competition, all the contestants are invited to the Kakita Dueling Academy to spend an evening in the company of its students and sensei – as well as its high-ranking guests, including the Emperor himself. This is a great honor for such lowly samurai, of course, and the PCs should feel properly gratified for such an opportunity. Dinner is a highly formal affair, held in the main hall of the Academy, with the Emperor, his family, Miya Shikan, and the Clan Champions isolated at their own table at the head of the room. During this dinner, any PC who specifically pays attention to what the other contestants are doing can roll Raw Perception at TN 20 to notice that the ronin Kenji, while he is keeping his head lowered over his meal, is keeping his gaze

fixed sidelong on the Lion Clan Champion at the head table. Afterward, however, a slightly more informal tone prevails, with the guests circulating around the room and conversing. During this time each contestant, in turn, goes forward to offer prostration and veneration to the Emperor, closely watched by Matsu Hoketsaku. The guests also take this fortunate opportunity to tour the Dueling Academy grounds, visiting the dojos with their long lists of famous students, as well as the beautiful gardens and shrines which surround the facility. (Those seeking privacy quickly gravitate to the gardens, with their sparse lighting and dark corners.) During this time, the following plot elements will occur: Father and Son A prominent Crane courtier, Doji Sokoji, has joined the other guests for dinner. This man is the father of one of the contestants, Doji Keitomaru, and his presence in the audience during the day threw the young man into a panic. Keitomaru is the “black sheep” of his family, a swordsman among courtiers, and is desperate to win the iaijutsu contest in order to prove himself to his father. During the evening, he is clearly in deep distress and will carefully avoid going near his father. If any non-Scorpion PC speaks to him in a sympathetic manner and rolls Awareness/Etiquette (Sincerity) at TN 15 or Awareness/Courtier (Manipulation) at TN 15 (depending on their approach), Keitomaru will break down and pour out his fears – that failure here will prove his family right about his choice of school, and may lead to his own dishonor and even exile. He will mutter about finding some way, any way, to win – and looks speculatively at the Scorpions present. A PC who makes a well role-played effort to “buck up” Keitomaru can convince him to follow the path of Honor. If no PC offers this encouragement, Keitomaru will approach Bayushi Tenmaku and Shosuro Morito (and any Scorpion PCs), trying delicately to suggest some way in which his victory might be assured in exchange for some future favor. PCs who could not convince Keitomaru to behave honorably can still keep him from making arrangements by “heading him off” or otherwise preventing him from getting a private moment with the Scorpions.


If Keitomaru does make contact with the Scorpions, they will agree to “take a fall” if they face Keitomaru in the dueling contest, and to use any Blackmail they may have developed to force other competitors into doing the same. Consequences of the Weapons Contest Much gossip will circulate around the Academy about the sharpened yari which appeared in the Weapons contest. The Crane have been unable to determine who was responsible for this, and there is uneasy speculation that someone may be trying to sabotage the Tournament. A roll of Intelligence/Lore (History) at TN 20 will recall that the Tournament was sabotaged once before, during the reign of Toturi III. PCs who are aware of Matsu Chigitsu’s involvement may choose to expose him, or to Blackmail him, as they wish. Consequences of the Hunting Contest Unless a PC interrupted, Matsu Chigitsu will have killed Isawa Tsutakito during the Hunting contest. The body is discovered by Crane bushi about an hour after the competition concludes, and news of the discovery will begin to circulate during the dinner at the Dueling Academy. The Crane will clearly be engaged in “damage control,” since they are facing a potentially very embarrassing situation: the death of a contestant from another Clan while under their protection. It is quickly announced that the Topaz Championship will conclude as scheduled tomorrow, while Crane troops are dispatched to seek the “bandit” who murdered Tsutakito. If a PC witnessed the crime and said nothing, that PC now possesses either a Dark Secret, or a devastating Blackmail on Matsu Chigitsu. Bayushi Tenmaku is also aware of what happened (he watched without revealing himself) and will certainly use this information to blackmail both Chigitsu and any PC who has the Dark Secret. (PCs who are blackmailing Chigitsu themselves will not be targeted by Tenmaku, who finds their ruthlessness refreshing.) If the PCs publicly expose or accuse Chigitsu, he will be arrested by the Crane authorities. The incident is hugely embarrassing to the Lion Clan, and all Lion PCs lose 1 point of Glory from the backlash.

If one or more PCs managed to intervene and prevent the murder of Tsutakito (by forcing Chigitsu to back down), the young ronin-turned-Lion will make a point of trying to slander and insult those PCs throughout the evening, and will regard them as Sworn Enemies thereafter. If any PCs respond aggressively to such insults, Chigitsu may try to browbeat them into an illegal duel. This will have consequences for the participants similar to the Ryuko-Tsutakito duel from the previous night. The Scorpion Stings! If Bayushi Tenmaku made any headway with a female PC on the previous evening, he will now attempt to complete his mission by subtly propositioning the PC (a Seduction attempt). The GM should conduct some suitable role-play, attempting to maneuver the PC into expressing interest (or at least not open rejection). At that point, Tenmaku will make an Opposed Roll of his Awareness/Deceit (Seduction) against the PC’s Awareness/Etiquette. (As always, a PC can make an Honor Test as a back-up.) A PC who fails the roll is overcome by passion and spends a night of illicit indulgence with Bayushi Tenmaku – losing a number of points of Honor equal to their current Honor Rank, and gaining the Dark Secret disadvantage. Although Tenmaku will be in position to Blackmail this PC, he will not do so immediately unless this offers an opportunity to help Doji Keitomaru (see above).

Part Five: Death of the Lion Champion

During the evening at the Kakita Dueling Academy, one major metaplot event will take place. Late in the evening, as many of the other plotlines are resolving, the ronin Kenji approaches the Lion Champion, Matsu Hoketsaku, bowing low and speaking in a low voice. A PC can notice this by rolling Perception/Investigation (Notice) at TN 15. After a few brief words, Hoketsaku nods apologies to the other high-ranking NPCs and follows the ronin into the darkened Academy gardens. Aside from the PCs, the only one who seems to pay attention to this is the Akodo daimyo, Akodo Gintaku. He follows them after a few minutes, with a slightly speculative expression on his face. The Murder Kenji has deceived the Matsu daimyo, claiming that a Lion courier is waiting for him in the gardens with an important message. Once he is in the garden, Hoketsaku will look around impatiently, demanding of


the ronin, “Well, where is he?” The answer comes when Kenji draws a poisoned knife and strikes, shouting, “This is for the Tsume family and Shiro Kyotei, Lion dog!” Any PCs who were watching this can, of course, rush up to deal with Kenji, or try to help the Lion Champion. Akodo Gintaku will also charge forward, uttering an ear-splitting kiai shout, and cuts down Kenji with a single devastating blow. This will certainly attract the attention of the others in the Academy, and a crowd rushes out into the gardens to see Gintaku cut down the ronin (who meets his death with a defiant snarl). It will not be possible to save the Matsu daimyo, who dies in convulsions, foaming at the mouth. The Crane send for their shugenja, but they arrive too late. Aftermath Chaos and confusion erupt in the aftermath, with the furious Lion hurling accusations of collusion between the Crane and the self-confessed Tsume ronin. The PCs will see O-Doji Koneko in the center of the storm, gesturing sharply with her fan as she directs the Crane courtiers back and forth. By contrast, her son Doji Sarutomo, the Clan Champion, seems bewildered and lost. Meanwhile, the Akodo daimyo Gintaku takes control of the Lion side, urging the young Matsu Nimoro to leave immediately, along with all the Lion competitors. Miya Shikan hurries about, eyes blazing, as he tries to rescue the situation. Clever PCs may think to ask how Kenji was able to attend the Topaz Championship, since all ronin competitors must have sponsorship from a Clan. Once the Crane are reminded of this question, they will look through their records and determine that Kenji was, in fact, sponsored by the daimyo of the Seizuka, an Akodo vassal family. This takes the heart out of the Lions’ rage, and Akodo Gintaku is forced to promise the seppuku of the unfortunate daimyo for allowing such an untrustworthy character to attend the Championship. The Lion reluctantly agree to remain, but Matsu Nimoro withdraws from the tournament – as the heir to the Clan Champion, he is no longer free to indulge in such personal competitions. If none of the PCs think of this solution, Miya Shikan will eventually come up with it on his own, and the crisis will be resolved by morning (in time for the iaijutsu tournament).

Consequences for Ronin PCs Ronin PCs will be carefully questioned by the Doji magistrates to learn their connection, if any, to Kenji. If any of the ronin PCs claim the Tsume name, or can be connected to it, they will be arrested and charged as co-conspirators. Such PCs will spend several very uncomfortable days being intensively questioned and tortured by the Crane (missing the end of the Topaz Championship). They must roll Raw Willpower at TN 10 to avoid “cracking” and confessing to the crime (in which case they are executed). Otherwise, the Crane finally conclude they were not involved and release them.

Part Six: The Topaz Championship, Day Three The third and final day of the competition has but a single contest: the iaijutsu tournament, the highlight of the event. Given the number of possible points in the tournament, by this time it is generally obvious which contestants will achieve their gempukku. However, the iaijutsu tournament awards a significantly higher number of points than the other contests, and can radically alter the standings of the competitors. It is rare for the winner of the iaijutsu competition not to be declared the overall Topaz Champion. In the past, shugenja competitors often bowed out of this competition, since few of them were trained for it. However, in recent years, the Tournament has tended to attract more “militant” and martially-inclined shugenja, and it is now considered somewhat disappointing for any competitor to skip this part of the tournament – such PCs will lose 1 point of Glory, although they suffer no loss of Honor. The iaijutsu tournament, like the weapons tournament, is held on an open field outside the village, surrounded by gentle slopes, and once again a large crowd gathers to watch. The crowd is less boisterous than before, however – the death of the Lion Clan Champion has left a pall over the whole event. Despite the somber tone, there is still quite a bit of surreptitious gambling on the outcome, especially among the commoners. As the tournament gets underway, the atmosphere gradually lightens as the results of the matches accumulate. Observant PCs will notice Miya Shikan’s face is compressed into an angry scowl throughout the competition – he disapproves of the glorification of dueling, and is still fuming over the disaster from the night before.


The tournament consists of a series of iaijutsu duels, fought to first blood, and using bokken (wooden swords, 0k2). Use the standard Iaijutsu dueling rules from the L5R 3rd Edition Revised Rulebook (page 180). The judge for this contest is Kakita Saburashi, the sensei of the Dueling Academy, who personally calls the beginning of each match. The contestants are paired off by Miya Shikan in the usual manner, and fight in single elimination matches, with the victors proceeding to the next level until only two remain. If at any point exactly three contestants remain, the two with the highest total of points for the overall competition advance to the final match. Every victory in the iaijutsu tournament is worth two points. The overall winner also receives one additional point. Doji Keitomaru’s Performance If one or more of the PCs managed to talk Doji Keitomaru into abandoning his dishonorable approach to the Scorpion, he will perform up to his full potential in the iaijutsu tournament (spending his Void, among other things), and is rewarded with a small smile and applause from his father. The PCs who helped him stay honorable gain him as a 3-point Ally (1 point Influence, 2 points Devotion). If the PCs did not stop Keitomaru from approaching the Scorpions, both Bayushi Tenmaku and Shosuro Morito will “take a fall” if they are matched against him, and Tenmaku will use any Blackmail he has acquired to force other competitors to do the same. Keitomaru does well in the tournament, and gains the approval of his father, but dishonors himself. Any non-Scorpion PCs who are blackmailed into helping with this arrangement lose 1 point of Honor. (If they refuse, the Scorpion dishonor them with gossip and slander, causing them to gain a full Rank of Infamy.) Scorpion PCs who help Keitomaru do well in the tournament gain Blackmail against him. Other Notable Performances Kakita Amiko is absolutely determined to win this part of the competition, in order to show her devotion and love to her sensei, Kakita Saburashi. (For his part, Saburashi is oblivious to her obsession, and judges her matches with the same remote disinterest as the others.) Amiko will defeat any NPCs she faces in the tournament, and is coolly gracious in victory. If a PC beats her, however, she will be coldly furious, and that PC gains her as a Sworn Enemy.

Hida Chorotaku proves to be quite unsuited to Iaijutsu dueling, but shrugs off his defeat with a laugh – he considers his performance in the Weapons competition to be a far more important measure of his worth.

Conclusion With the completion of the iaijutsu tournament, the Tournament of the Topaz Champion is over. The GM should determine who has won. Determining the Winner The GM should use Handout #2 (Tournament Points) to keep track of the score for the PCs and NPCs in the Topaz Championship. • Points are listed on Handout #2 for the

performance of the various NPCs in the three non-match competitions (Heraldry, Law/Etiquette/Bushido, and Hunting). Note that Matsu Nimoro, Kakita Toru, and Moto Tsuto will earn an extra point each if a PC team does not beat their time in the Hunting competition.

• For the match-format competitions, if a PC is

facing a fellow PC or an NPC, the skill rolls should be made as normal, with any role-play modifiers listed under the specific competition. EXCEPTION: Doji Keitomaru should keep low dice in the Weapons and Go competitions to reflect his collapse of nerve.

• If two NPCs are pitted against each other in a

match, in the interest of timeliness the GM should choose a winner based on the competitors’ stats and the nature of the particular match, as well as the guidelines to their performances listed under the individual competitions (e.g. Hida Chorotaku will lose in the Courtier competition).

At the end of the Topaz Championship, compare the total points to see who is the overall champion of the tournament. The Emperor himself congratulates the winner of the tournament: “Behold the Topaz Champion! Let this samurai’s skill, honor, and dedication serve as an inspiration to all the Empire!” The crowd applauds as the Emperor places a silk sash around the neck of the victorious young samurai. If the Champion is a PC, s/he gains a full Rank of Glory and a half-rank (5 points) of Status, as well as the “Topaz Champion” cert.


After the Champion has been named, each competitor who succeeded in accumulating at least 5 points over the course of the Tournament is allowed to complete his or her gempukku ceremony. This is considered a great honor, since the gempukku is witnessed by the Emperor himself. All PCs who complete their gempukku here gain 2 points of Glory. If any PCs fail to get the minimum 5 points needed, they are not allowed to complete their gempukku. It can be assumed that they will do so once they return to their own dojo, but failing to pass the minimum threshold of performance required by the Topaz Championship is damaging to their reputation – they lose 4 points of Glory. The Topaz Championship is over, but there is a lingering sense of unease as the attendees depart, led by the funeral procession of the Lion Clan daimyo and Emerald Champion. The death of such a prominent member of the Empire will surely have repercussions.

The End

Rewards for Completing the Adventure

At the end of the scenario, any PCs with Shadowlands Taint must make a Simple Earth roll with a TN of 5 + (5 x Taint Rank). If the roll is failed, the PC acquires one additional point of Taint. Experience Points Playing through the adventure: 2 XP Good role-playing: +1 XP PC passes gempukku: +1 XP Total Possible Experience: 4 XP Awards and Penalties The Topaz Champion gains the cert and also gets one rank of Glory and half a rank of Status. All other PCs who pass their gempukku at the Topaz Championship gain 2 points of Glory. PCs who fail to pass their gempukku lose 4 points of Glory.


Appendix #1: Topaz Contestants The following NPCs are contestants in the Topaz Championship. Like the PCs, they are all young samurai who have either not yet passed their gempukku, or have just done so. All of them will be staying at the Laughing Carp Inn. The NPCs are listed in Clan order, followed by ronin. Tonbo Kenshiro is optional and should only be used if there is an odd number of PCs (5 or 7) at the start of the adventure. Hida Chorotaku – A bluff, brash, large, archetypal Crab. Chorotaku has actually already passed his gempukku – he brought back the head of a minor Oni from the Shadowlands – and as a reward for that accomplishment he is here with the task of representing the Crab Clan in the Topaz Championship. Chorotaku conforms very much to all the Crab clichés: loud, crude, bullying, ill-mannered, and brutishly strong. He is accompanied by a swarm of his Crab brothers here to cheer him on.

FIRE 2 AIR 2 Agility 3

EARTH 3 WATER 2 Strength 4

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 14 (24 in heavy armor) School/Rank: Hida Bushi 1 Rank One: Add Earth ring to the total of all

melee attack and damage rolls. Ignore TN penalties for Heavy Armor for all skills except Stealth.

Honor/Glory/Status: 1.5/1.0/1.0 Skills: Athletics 2, Battle (Shadowlands) 1, Defense 2, Games 1, Heavy Weapons (Tetsubo) 2, Hunting (Survival) 1, Iaijutsu 1, Jiujutsu (Wrestling) 2, Kenjutsu 1, Kyujutsu 1, Lore (Shadowlands) 1 Advantages/Disadvantages: Bishamon’s Blessing, Large, Strength of the Earth (rank 1)/Brash, Compulsion (sake, 2 points) Equipment: Kimono, heavy armor, daisho set, tetsubo Doji Keitomaru – A moderately handsome young man with the traditional white hair of the Crane. Doji Keitomaru is the younger son of a prominent Doji courtier, Doji Sokoji, whose family have followed the path of courtly excellence for many generations. Keitomaru, however, is trained as a swordsman, and hopes to become a magistrate, perhaps even an Emerald Magistrate. His family disapproves of his path, and he feels a powerful need to prove himself. This is his chance, and he will do whatever it takes to make a name for himself. The arrival of his father to watch the second day of the competition will throw him into a panic.

FIRE 3 AIR 2

EARTH 2 WATER 2 Perception 3

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 18 (23 in light armor) School/Rank: Doji Magistrate 1 Rank One: TN to be Hit is always

increased by twice his Perception rank.

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.5/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 2, Defense 1, Etiquette 1, Games 1, Horsemanship 1, Hunting (Tracking) 1, Iaijutsu 2, Investigation (Interrogation) 1, Kenjutsu 2, Kyujutsu 2, Lore: Heraldry 1, Lore: Law 2 Advantages/Disadvantages: Wealthy/Driven (to win the tournament) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Kakita Amiko – A very beautiful, calm, coldly self-controlled young woman who, unlike many Crane, chooses to leave her hair its natural black. Amiko is a personal student of Kakita Saburashi, the family daimyo and revered sensei, and is here with the expectation of victory. She is infatuated with her teacher and daimyo (who has never married), and rebuffs any and all romantic overtures from others. She will consider it an affront against her sensei if she loses, especially in the Iaijutsu competition.

FIRE 3 AIR 2

Reflexes 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2

VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 15 (20 in light armor) School/Rank: Kakita Bushi 1 Rank One: Add twice her Iaijutsu skill to

all initiative rolls. May use Iaijutsu skill in place of Kenjutsu, and may Focus one additional time in an Iaijutsu duel

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.9/1.5/na


Skills: Athletics 1, Courtier 1, Games 1, Etiquette 2, Horsemanship 1, Iaijutsu 3, Kenjutsu (katana) 2, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: Bushido 1, Lore: Heraldry 1, Lore: History 1 Mastery Abilities: May Focus an additional time in an Iaijutsu duel. Advantages/Disadvantages: Dangerous Beauty, Great Potential (Iaijutsu)/Driven (to impress Saburashi), Overconfident, True Love (Kakita Saburashi) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Kakita Toru – A rather ordinary young man who tries to impress with carefully-coiffed white hair and elegant dress. Toru is another student of the Kakita school, and a rival to Amiko, toward whom he also feels a deep and compelling lust. She generally treats him with distance and reserve, and Toru obsesses over her endlessly, trying to catch her eye and win her admiration.

FIRE 3 AIR 2

Reflexes 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 15 (20 in light armor) School/Rank: Kakita Bushi 1 Rank One: Add twice his Iaijutsu skill to

all initiative rolls. May use Iaijutsu skill in place of Kenjutsu, and may Focus one additional time in an Iaijutsu duel

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.3/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 1, Courtier 1, Games 1, Etiquette 2, Horsemanship 1, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu (katana) 1, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: History 1 Advantages/Disadvantages: Luck (rank 1)/True Love (Kakita Amiko) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Tamori Ryuko – A fierce, hawk-faced young woman who wears a kimono and hakama rather than shugenja’s robes, and carries a daisho set. Although Ryuko is indeed a shugenja, in the true Dragon tradition she is also trained with the sword, and has a militant and aggressive attitude. Like most of her family, she feels a rivalry to the Phoenix Clan (due to their absorption of the Agasha family centuries ago), and will make a point of setting herself against Isawa Tsutakito, as well as any Phoenix PCs who attend the tournament. Also like many Dragons, she is a skilled poet, and often recites brief compositions before entering the various competitions.


Reflexes 3

EARTH 3 WATER 2

VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 23 School/Rank: Tamori Shugenja 1 Tamori Technique: Affinity to Earth,

Deficiency to Water. Always adds twice her Earth to her TN to be Hit. May spend a Void point to add this same bonus again to herself or one other character for a number of rounds equal to Insight +1. (Need not spend Void to enhance another character who is a Dragon.)

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.5/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 1, Courtier 1, Deceit 1, Defense 1, Divination, Etiquette 1, Games 2, Iaijutsu 1, Kenjutsu 1, Medicine (Wound Treatment) 1, Lore: Shugenja 1, Meditation 1, Spellcraft 1, Storytelling (Poetry) 2, Theology 1 Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, (Earth 1) Fires From the Forge, Force of Will, (Earth 2) The Mountain’s Feet, (Fire 1) Fires of Purity, Katana of Fire, (Air 1) Tempest of Air. Advantages/Disadvantages: Quick/Contrary Equipment: Kimono, daisho set, scroll satchel Tonbo Kenshiro (optional) – Kenshiro’s pleasant, rounded face and unremarkable physique, combined with a soft-spoken and moderate tone, make him seem harmless and humble. However, Kenshiro is actually quite militant, a Mirumoto-trained swordsman who aspires to be one of the Empire’s greatest duelists. He considers Lions to be his enemies, due to the destruction of the Dragonfly Clan at their hands two generations ago. His soft-spoken tone will gradually dissolve in the presence of Lions, potentially leading to a confrontation with Lion PCs.


Reflexes 3


VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 23 (28 in light armor) School/Rank: Mirumoto Bushi 1 Rank One: When fighting with katana and

wakizashi together, adds 5 + School


Rank to his TN to be Hit. May substitute Kenjutsu for Iaijutsu at any time. Adds Fire Ring to all attack rolls.

Honor/Glory: 2.5/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 1, Defense 1, Etiquette 1, Iaijutsu 1, Kenjutsu (katana) 2, Kyujutsu 2, Lore: Shugenja 1, Meditation 1, Storytelling 1, Theology 1. Advantages/Disadvantages: Bland, Heart of Vengeance (Lion) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Matsu Nimoro, son of the Clan Champion – A handsome and fit young man of 13, in excellent shape and with a keen eye and noble heart. He should impress all the PCs as a fine young man, albeit somewhat inexperienced and anxious to please his father.


Reflexes 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2 Willpower 3 Strength 3

VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 17 (22 in light armor) School/Rank: Akodo Bushi 1 Rank One: Ignore armor or gain a Free

Raise when attacking. Gain a Free Raise on first melee attack, or against any opponent who declared a Raise against him since his last turn. Add Water to total of rolls for Damage and for Opposed Battle rolls.

Honor/Glory/Status: 3.8/2.0/6.0 Skills: Athletics 2, Battle (Mass Combat) 1, Defense 1, Etiquette 1, Games (Go) 2, Horsemanship 1, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu 2, Kyujutsu 2, Lore: History 2, Spears 1, Storytelling 1 Advantages/Disadvantages: Benten’s Blessing, Death Trance, Social Position (heir to the Clan Champion), Tactician, Wealthy/Frail Mind, Idealistic Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Matsu Chigitsu (elevated ronin) – A thin, hollow-cheeked man in his late teens, older than any of the other contestants. Chigitsu is a ronin who earned admission to the Clan for valiant service on the Lion Clan’s western frontier, rooting bandits out of the foothills of the Spine of the World Mountains. This ceremony is a “delayed gempukku” for him, a chance to prove he truly belongs in the Lion Clan (and to make up for never participating in the famously tough Matsu gempukku). He has pledged to commit seppuku if he does not succeed.

Unfortunately, Chigitsu has a past – his father was a Phoenix who was Forgotten after being framed by a political rival in his Clan. As a result, Chigitsu is determined to bring down Isawa Tsutakito, the son of his rival, even if this fatally disrupts the tournament itself.


Reflexes 4

EARTH 3 WATER 3

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 22 (27 in light armor) School/Rank: Ronin Warrior 1/Matsu Berserker 1 Ronin Rank One: If he is the declared

target of an attack, he gains +1k1 to either his attack or his damage roll against that opponent (must choose attack or damage at the beginning of each round).

Matsu Rank One: Add Honor rank to all damage rolls. Gain Free Raises (for damage only) equal to School Rank when in Full Attack posture.

Honor/Glory/Status: 1.5/2.1/1.0 Skills: Athletics 2, Battle 1, Deceit 1, Defense 1, Hunting 2, Iaijutsu 1, Investigation (Notice) 1, Jiujutsu 1, Kenjutsu (katana) 2, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: Heraldry 2, Lore: History 1, Stealth (Sneaking) 2. Kata: Striking as Wind (roll two additional dice on all Initiative rolls, but one fewer die on attack and damage rolls). Advantages/Disadvantages: Crafty, Fleet, Multiple Schools, Luck (rank 2), Strength of the Earth (rank 1), Way of the Land (Lion lands)/Dark Secret (father was Forgotten), Momoku, Sworn Enemy (Isawa family) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Yoritomo Kagetora – A slightly pudgy fellow with muscle-corded forearms, a sailor’s tattoos, and a disarming grin. He also has a formidable drinking capacity and a risqué sense of humor. Kagetora spends most of his time hanging out and drinking with the Crab, but also gets along well with Scorpions, and is personal friends with Bayushi Tenmaku. Kagetora was one of the hostages exchanged between the Scorpion and Mantis Clans during the crisis seven years ago, and spent four years living among the Scorpion. He does not resent the experience, and his personality and skills are a balance between the rough-and-ready practicality of the Mantis and the cleverness and subtlety of the Scorpion.



Reflexes 3

EARTH 2 WATER 3 Stamina 3

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 19 (24 in light armor) School/Rank: Yoritomo Bushi 1 Rank One: Suffers no penalties for off-

hand fighting or for using a small weapon in his off-hand. May ignore TN penalties for uneven footing if they are less than his School Rank x 5. Opponents gain no advantage against him from flanking or higher ground. May add his Water to all damage rolls.

Honor/Glory/Status: 1.2/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 2, Battle 1, Courtier 2, Commerce 2, Craft (sailing) 2, Defense 2, Etiquette 1, Hunting 1, Iaijutsu 1, Kenjutsu 1, Peasant Weapons (kama) 2, Storytelling 2 Advantages/Disadvantages: Allies (Scorpion Clan), Ambidextrous, Fleet/Greedy, Hostage Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set, pair of kama Isawa Tsutakito – A slim, almost skeletal young man with a sunken chest, pale skin, a low hollow voice and deep-set eyes with a slightly “spooky” look to them. Tsutakito is an Air shugenja who has also studied the ways of battle, very unusual for the Phoenix, and the main reason for his being assigned to the Topaz Championship. Tsutakito is well-educated, able to converse on a variety of intellectual subjects, but is also eerily swift and agile, able to make a sword or yari dance like a living thing. He is somewhat inept in social situations, since despite his education he tends to be slightly oblivious to the subtleties of the Rokugani courts, and likes to drone on about subjects that interest him.

FIRE 3 AIR 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2 Willpower 3

VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 17 School/Rank: Isawa Shugenja 1 Isawa Technique: Affinity to Air, no

Deficiency. Spend as many Void

points as desired on spellcasting, and Void spent for Air counts double.

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.5/1.0/na Skills: Calligraphy 1, Courtier 1, Defense 1, Etiquette 1, Iaijutsu 2, Kenjutsu 2, Lore: Bushido 1, Meditation 2, Spellcraft (Elemental Knowledge: Air), Spears 3, Theology 1. Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, (Air 1) Nature’s Touch, Wind-Born Slumbers, (Air 2) Call Upon the Wind, (Fire 1) Biting Steel, Extinguish, (Water 1) Reversal of Fortunes. Advantages/Disadvantages: Blessing of the Elements (Air), Crab Hands/Benten’s Curse Equipment: Robes and kimono, scroll satchel, daisho set, yari Bayushi Tenmaku – A handsome, athletic young Scorpion bushi with a ready smile, smooth wit, and charming voice. Tenmaku has actually already completed his gempukku, and has been sent here with orders to accumulate blackmail and influence over other contestants (who are supposed to be the most promising young samurai of their Clan, and therefore the most likely targets). He is completely ruthless and utterly without scruple, but also is quite skilled at posing as a non-villainous Scorpion who is wounded by the reputation of his Clan.

FIRE 3 AIR 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 17 (22 in light armor) School/Rank: Bayushi Bushi 1 Rank One: Roll additional Initiative dice

equal to School Rank. Enemies cannot use Combat Reflexes to trade initiative with him. Adds +5 to his TN to be Hit against opponents with lower Initiative.

Honor/Glory/Status: 1.1/1.0/1.0 Skills: Athletics 1, Courtier (Political Maneuvering) 2, Deceit (Lying, Seduction) 3, Defense 1, Etiquette 1, Forgery 1, Games 1 (Go), Iaijutsu 2, Investigation (Notice) 2, Kenjutsu 2, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: History 1. Advantages/Disadvantages: Crafty, Heartless, Voice Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Shosuro Morito – This quiet young man is actually a Shosuro actor who has been sent here as a test of his skills at infiltration and deception. He plays the


role of a straightforward, loyal Scorpion bushi who believes in his Clan but is not especially sneaky or underhanded personally. PCs who watch him fighting or exercising will notice that his fighting style is unusually formal and relies heavily on kata and set stances – a legacy of his original training as a stage performer.

FIRE 2 AIR 3 Intelligence 3

Awareness 4


VOID 3 TN to be Hit: 18 (23 in light armor) School/Rank: Shosuro Actor 2 Rank One: Roll extra dice equal to School

Rank on Acting rolls and when attempting to persuade someone with a Social Skill. Add Air Ring to TN to be Hit.

Rank Two: Free Raises equal to School Rank on the Knives skill. Add Fire Ring to Initiative. When attacking an unaware opponent, your Raises are unlimited.

Honor/Glory/Status: 1.1/1.0/1.0 Skills: Acting (Disguise, Kabuki) 4, Athletics 1, Courtier 2, Etiquette 2, Games 1, Iaijutsu 1, Kenjutsu 2, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: History 1, Meditation 3, Theology 1. Mastery Abilities: Can disguise himself as a member of another Clan, profession, or social caste, and can imitate a woman’s voice. Advantages/Disadvantages: Clear Thinker, Quick/Dark Secret Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set Moto Tsuto – A squat, bandy-legged man with dark skin and long, flourishing moustaches. Tsuto’s short stature is something of a sore point for him, especially since outside of his own lands he can’t compensate for it by riding a horse. As a result, he behaves in an exaggeratedly masculine fashion, often ostentatiously and boorishly boasting of his martial skills, his horsemanship, and his alleged female conquests. Although skilled as a warrior, he tends to “over-promise” on his skills, leading to frequent embarrassments and losses of face.


EARTH 2 WATER 2

Willpower 3 Strength 3

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 12 (22 in heavy armor) School/Rank: Moto Bushi 1 Rank One: May wield a non-polearm two-

handed weapon in one hand, and rolls an extra die for damage when doing so. When mounted or making a Full Attack, rolls two additional dice for attack. Add Earth to total of damage rolls.

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.1/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 2, Defense 1, Heavy Weapons 2, Horsemanship 3, Hunting 2, Jiujutsu 1, Kenjutsu (Scimitar) 2, Lore: Horses 1, Storytelling 1. Mastery Abilities: May use Full Attack and Full Defense while mounted. Advantages/Disadvantages: Bishamon’s Blessing, Death Trance, Quick Healer/Benten’s Curse, Overconfident, Small Equipment: Kimono, heavy armor, Unicorn warhorse, daisho set (scimitar in place of katana), ono Maeda Oroko – A young woman in her late teens, with an impish smile and sparkling eyes. Her skin is tanned and roughened by outdoor life, and her hair is cropped short and tied back in a short pigtail. Oroko is a descendent of Takuhito, one of the original founders of the Maeda ronin family. The Unicorn Clan, which acts as patrons of the Maeda, has sponsored her participation in the Topaz Championship. She has a taste for slim and “dangerous” men, and will make an unsuccessful pass at Kenji.

FIRE 2 AIR 2

Reflexes 3


VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 21 (27 in light armor) School/Rank: Maeda Brotherhood Technique New Path: Adds her rank in Hunting to her

TN to be Hit at all times. When attacking a criminal or lawbreaker, rolls additional unkept dice equal to her Honor rank.

Honor/Glory/Status: 2.5/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 1, Defense 2, Hunting (Tracking) 2, Jiujutsu 1, Kenjutsu (Katana) 2, Kyujutsu 2, Lore: Heraldry 1.


Advantages/Disadvantages: Allies (Unicorn Clan), Benten’s Blessing, Strength of the Earth (rank 1)/Social Disadvantage (ronin) Equipment: Kimono, light armor, daisho set. Kenji, concealed Tsume family ronin – A thin, feverish young man with deeply sunken eyes and poor-quality equipment… except for a high-quality katana, a legacy of his family. Kenji is a Tsume family ronin, but keeps his name concealed here, especially from other Tsume. He is here to murder the Lion Clan Champion, and managed to convince an Akodo vassal family to sponsor him so he could attend. He will be distinctly anti-social, brooding and avoiding contact with the other contestants, and rebuffing Oroko’s romantic overtures.


Reflexes 3

EARTH 2 WATER 2 Willpower 3

VOID 2 TN to be Hit: 19 (22 in poor-quality light armor) School/Rank: Ronin Duelist 1 Rank One: Add twice your Agility to total

of all Initiative rolls. Honor/Glory/Status: 1.3/1.0/na Skills: Athletics 2, Deceit (Lying), Defense 2, Hunting 1, Iaijutsu 2, Jiujtutsu 1, Kenjutsu (Katana) 2, Kyujutsu 1, Lore: Bushido 1, Lore: Heraldry 2, Sleight-of-Hand (Conceal) 3, Stealth (Sneaking) 2. Advantages/Disadvantages: Ally (sponsor), Crafty, Heart of Vengeance (Lion), Quick/Antisocial, Driven (vengeance against Lion), Social Disadvantage (ronin) Equipment: Kimono, light armor (poor quality), poor quality wakizashi, fine katana (+1 Iaijutsu skill when striking first in a duel), poisoned tanto in concealed sleeve-sheath.


Appendix #2: Important Non-Competitor NPCs This section contains NPCs who are not part of the Topaz Championship, but with whom the PCs might still have interactions during the adventure: O-Doji Koneko, the Crane Clan Matron The elderly mother of the current Clan Champion, and widow of the previous Champion – she served as regent for fifteen years while her son matured, and is still the “power behind the throne” in the Crane Clan. She is a decrepit old woman, elaborately made up and dressed, her gray-white hair tied back in an elaborate arrangement. Her eyes are rheumy, her swollen face sags unevenly, and her mouth contains only a few stubs of teeth. Role-Play: Despite her outwardly frail appearance, Koneko is very sharp and perceptive. She has a viperish tongue and an acidic temper, and exploits the deference owed to age to indulge both. Doji Sarutomo, Crane Clan Champion Koneko’s son is a handsome, charming man in his early thirties, with youthful features and a distracted air. He dislikes the responsibilities and courtly duties of being Clan Champion, and secretly longs to be a heroic swordsman. Still, he knows enough to get by in most situations, and his mother ensures that he is never allowed to screw up too badly. Role-Play: Sarutomo is charming, well-spoken, and highly educated, but intellectually lazy and slightly dim – the Rokugani equivalent of a British upper-class twit. Kakita Saburashi, Family Daimyo and Sensei Saburashi is the daimyo of the Kakita, but spends most of his time in the Dueling Academy, where he is the senior sensei. A grim, stern-looking man in his early forties, with white-dyed hair in a severe samurai topknot. He is universally acknowledged as the finest duelist in the Empire… except by himself and the ghost of his great-uncle. He has never married, and his cousins are jostling each other to be named heir. Role-Play: Saburashi is a humorless, deadly serious man, driven to near dementia by his lifelong futile quest to perfect his swordsmanship and achieve the “Divine Strike.” He thinks of nothing but swordsmanship, and when he is forced to deal with something else he is irritable, distracted, and ineffectual. Matsu Hoketsaku, Champion of the Lion and Emerald Champion A powerful-looking man in his mid-thirties, vigorous and intelligent. Hoketsaku is the latest in a recent line of skilled Matsu who have served as Champions of the Lion Clan, and he has also fulfilled the duties of the Emerald Champion with honor and solid competence. He loves his son, but as a true Lion never shows such weak feelings to others. Akodo Gintaku, daimyo of the Akodo family The Akodo daimyo is a fierce, driven man in his mid-thirties, with a narrow, pale, hawk-like face, prominent cheekbones, and dark, piercing eyes. Gintaku is determined to restore the Akodo family to a preeminent place in the Lion Clan, and bitterly resents the dominance of the Matsu. However, he is careful not to show any public emotion on either topic. Miya Shikan, Imperial Herald The daimyo of the Miya family is a slim, severe, coldly handsome man in his early forties, with a clean-shaven scalp and face. He has never married, pouring his whole being into his quest for peace throughout the Empire, a quest for which he is willing to do anything – anything at all. He has brokered numerous treaties and agreements, many of them quite convoluted, over the last fifteen years. Role-Play: Shikan is a driven man, determined to maintain peace in the Empire no matter what the cost, and obsessed with the evil, suffering, and horrors of war. Given the chance, he always delivers lectures on how the “glory” of war is meaningless to suffering peasants. Toturi XII, the Joyous Prince, the Sapphire Emperor The Emperor is a handsome man in his forties, still showing the vigor and good looks of his youth, but with a faint aura of distance and sadness about him. He still mourns his wife, seven years after her death, and has refused to


take any concubines since then. He cares deeply about his Empire and his subjects, but is also quite remote, even from his own court, and allows the Imperial Court and the various high officials to run the Empire for him. Toturi Hatsu and Toturi Kobashi, the twin eldest sons of Emperor Toturi XII These two are fit, handsome young men, twenty years of age, and nearly identical in appearance except for the different colors they dye their hair (Crane white for Hatsu, Lion gold for Kobashi). They have been fostered to the Crane (Hatsu) and the Lion (Kobashi) since the age of 13, as part of a plan by the Imperial Herald to bring the two Hands of the Emperor closer to the throne. The brothers are honorable and cheerful young men, and are obviously close friends. They do suffer from one shared weakness – women.


Player Handout #1: Chits for Selecting Matches Hida Chorotaku Doji Keitomaru Kakita Amiko Kakita Toru Tamori Ryuko Tonbo Kenshiro Matsu Nimoro Matsu Chigitsu Yoritomo Kagetora Isawa Tsutakito Bayushi Tenmaku

Shosuro Morito Moto Tsuto Maeda Oroko Kenji Player #1 Player #2 Player #3 Player #4 Player #5 Player #6 Player #7


Player Handout #2: Scoring for the Topaz Championship Points are listed for the performance of these NPCs in the three non-match competitions (Heraldry, Law/Etiquette/Bushido, and Hunting). Note that Matsu Nimoro, Kakita Toru, and Moto Tsuto will earn an extra point each if a PC team does not beat their time in the Hunting competition. Hida Chorotaku: 1

Doji Keitomaru: 1

Kakita Amiko: 2

Kakita Toru: 2

Tamori Ryuko: 1

Tonbo Kenshiro: 1

Matsu Nimoro (withdraws): 3

Matsu Chigitsu: 1

Yoritomo Kagetora: 1

Isawa Tsutakito: 1

Bayushi Tenmaku: 2

Shosuro Morito: 1

Moto Tsuto: 1

Maeda Oroko: 2

Kenji (killed): 2


Documents

Topaz Championship 3eR