Monk (TCG)

Monks in Rokugan were the followers of Shinsei Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, pp. 14-15 and seekers of enlightenment. Beginner Game (Akodo Masako portfolio) They could be peasants or former samurai, The Topaz Championship (Beginner Game adventure) who became priests, temple caretakers, charity workers in their local community, librarians, teachers, or pilgrims. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 89 Monastic orders were fairly common throughout Rokugan, especially in the lands of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans. They renounced on worldly affairs and search for greater truth within the universe and themselves. Some monks trained in the arts of battle to unify their bodies and minds, and even wielded powerful kihō, unlocking their inner energy to shape the universe around them. Legend of the Five Rings: Roleplaying Game (Beta), p. 197 Beginner Game: Rulebook, p. 43
== Vows ==
Individuals might become monks at any point in their lives. They must swear vows of nonviolence, poverty, chastity, honesty, temperance, and austerity; shave their heads; garb themselves in white, brown, or saffron; and dedicate themselves to a teacher. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 169 Initiates of a monastic order usually changed their name as they left their old life and family behind. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 187
== Duties ==
Some monks were outward-facing: they ministered to lay Shinseist flocks, conducted festivals and funerals, offered counseling, and maintained public temples. Other monks were inward-facing: they sequestered themselves in monasteries and devoted their entire life to contemplating Shinsei's lessons, recopying Shinseist texts for popular consumption, and undertaking other activities of meditation and improvement. 
== Monk Acolytes ==
Monks nominally stood aside from society, but many samurai entered monastic life, most commonly toward the end of their lives, but some much earlier. As a result, at various points in history, monks had been known to wield considerable political influence. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 56 Monk Acolytes had put aside their clan affiliation, shaved their head, and became a monk, living out their remaining days in quiet introspection and contemplation. Such individuals were greatly revered, being sought by younger samurai for their guidance and wisdom. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 250
== Fortunism and Shinseism ==
Fortunist monks revered and worshipped the Fortunes, a fundamentally outward-looking philosophy focused on understanding the surrounding world. Shinseist monks were devotees of the teachings of Shinsei, more inward looking than Fortunism, seeking Enlightenment from within. To be one with the universe in th is way was the most natural thing in the world. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, pp. 237-238
== School Abilities ==
* Blessing of the Fortunes - Fortunist
* Embrace the Void - Shinseist
== Monks of Rokugan ==
Clan 	Family 	School
Brotherhood of Shinsei	- 	Fortunist
Crab Clan 	Kuni family 	Kuni Warden
Dragon Clan 	Mirumoto family	Mirumoto Taoist Blade
Dragon Clan 	Togashi family 	Togashi Chronicler
Dragon Clan 	Togashi family 	Togashi Tattooed Order
Phoenix Clan 	Kaito family 	Kaito Shrine-Keeper
Scorpion Clan 	Yogo family 	Yogo Penitent
Rōnin 	- 	Mystic of the Mountain
== See also ==
* Warrior Monk/Meta
* Fortunist Monk/Meta
* Shinseist Monk/Meta
Category:Brotherhood of Shinsei (TCG)