Rōnin

A rōnin, literally “wave-man,” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 12 was a masterless samurai. Her Father's Daughter, by D. G. Laderoute
== Becoming a Rōnin ==
Some rōnin were simply the children of rōnin born to their station, while other rōnin were samurai who had forsaken their duty and left their clan. Many samurai voluntarily became rōnin for a single year, typically in the year or the second following their gempuku, as a way to prove themselves, allowing them to sharpen their skills and temper their attitudes with experience, known as musha shugyō. Others became wave men with the passing of an heirless lord, instead commiting seppuku, or because they were dismissed by his lord as retainers. From a Shinseist perspective, a human being's birth as a samurai indicated that their conduct in previous lives accrued a great deal of good karma, so a samurai who became rōnin then, lived as the ultimate failure. Path of Waves, pp. 9-10, 13
== Position in the Empire ==
Rōnin were of the warrior class, but they lacked prestige, financial backing, and the privilege of status. What set a rōnin apart from any other rootless warrior was honor: a desire, on some level, to uphold Bushidō and its virtues in the way of the samurai class. They fought for money, but nominally did so for noble ends. Beginner Game: Rulebook, p. 42 Rōnin who took on their status voluntarily might be the most hated and denigrated of all, especially by lorded samurai. Path of Waves, p. 9 Rōnin were forced to find work as mercenaries or bodyguards, eating dumplings bought from foul heimin merchants, or even joining banditry or crime. Even the lowest rōnin was member of the buke caste. 
== Rōnin Path and Schools ==
* Artisan of the Roads (Artisan)
* Mystic of the Mountain (Monk, Courtier)
* School of Leaves (Shinobi, Courtier)
* Student of the Talon (Bushi, Shinobi)
* Treasure Hunter (Courtier, Bushi)
* Voice of the Wilds (Shugenja, Courtier)
* The Wandering Blade (Bushi)
* Worldly Rōnin (Bushi, Courtier)
== See also ==
* Rōnin/Meta
* Ruffian/Meta
== External Links ==
* Wandering Ronin (Core Set)
Category:Rokugani Language (TCG)
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