Rokugan (Country)

**Rokugan**, meaning “Sapphire Land” in the Han tongue, is a massive archipelago off the coast of central Kara-Tur.

## Lands

Rokugan is a rocky, mountainous land. There are nearly two hundred active volcanoes, approximately fifty of them active, and hundreds of hot springs dotted across the mountainous regions. Only about a fifth of the land is flat; the majority is rolling hillsides, steep gorges, narrow valleys, ravines and mountains. The closer one gets to the ocean, the flatter the land gets. This is where the farms are found. The nobility have used the mountainous region to their advantage, building castles in tight or inaccessible passes. The flatlands are used for farms, ports, and cities.

There are many rivers running through Rokugan, flowing from mountain springs across the landscape and emptying out into the ocean. Cities and rice farms build up around the flatlands where the rivers run, on stilts for protection from the spring floods.

All land is owned by the Emperor. The prefectures and all land bequeathed to the Great Clans and their respective vassals was granted for the lords to act as stewards, not as owners. In return for permission to live on the Emperor’s land, the clans pay taxes to the Emperor. Should the Emperor believe that a clan cannot protect their lands, he can turn stewardship over to another clan. This is how many wars have begun in Rokugan, when one clan attempted to show the Emperor that another clan could not sufficiently protect their land and therefore should be stripped of it.

The two largest cities of the Empire are its capital, Azure City, and the trading city of Ryoko Owari. From these two hubs, commerce flows to the prefectures of the noble daimyo and their servant **samurai**. Though many other powerful cities dot the Empire, these two trade centers—one in the north, one in the south—are considered the twin heartbeats of the nation.

### Weather

The climate in Rokugan is diverse. Winter is generally short and harsh, while summer is long and sultry. Fall is cool and spring is very wet. Just one look at the buildings and clothing of the Rokugani can tell a foreigner that the natives of Rokugan find the oppressive heat of summer much more unpleasant than the chill of winter. Rokugan experiences heavy snowfall during the winter, enough so that travel nearly grinds to a halt.

### The Fury of the Elements

Rokugan is no stranger to disaster. Over the thousand years of Hantei rule, the Sapphire Empire has seen hundreds of earthquakes, tsunami and hurricanes.

Earthquakes occur regularly; at least a few times a year, a minor tremble is felt under the earth. Earthquakes occur as slight tremors that rumble a few moments, or as great earthquakes that rip down buildings and pull up the earth for minutes at a time. There have been five Great Earthquakes in recent history, all of which were quickly followed by tsunami.

Tsunami is the Rokugani word for “tidal wave”. After an earthquake, Rokugani always begin preparation for a tsunami. They can usually count on the tsunami arriving within three days or so. Even minor quakes can cause tsunami, but the severity of the quake always foreshadows the severity of the tsunami.

Hurricanes are also frequent visitors to Rokugan’s shores. These great storms destroy entire villages, but also bring great bounty to the fishermen when they’re over.

Another sign of nature’s force takes the shape of volcanoes. As mentioned above, there are many volcanoes in Rokugan, not all of them dormant. The Rokugani people usually build their villages in the lowlands, but the nobility build their fortresses high in the mountains, near the threat of eruption. Although the mountain fortresses are not built near the active volcano chains, most Rokugani know the (doubtless apocryphal) tale of a group of shugenja who cast a powerful ritual that awakened the fire of the earth to devour an enemy’s castle.

## The Prefectures

By the dictates of the Emperor, all land in Rokugan belongs to the Imperial Hantei. It is ceded to the Great Houses for their use, and taxes are collected yearly in order to support the populace of the Empire.

Each of the Great Houses has its own territories, provinces, cities and other holdings, centered around the ancestral palace of their founder.

### Crab Prefecture

The lands of the Crab are rocky and mountainous. The palaces of the Crab dot the mountains like watchtowers, looking down upon their enemies with a careful eye. The Crab lands do not grow much rice or foodstuffs, and so they are forced to trade heavily to keep their troops alive. However, their mountains are rich in iron and other ores, and they are the finest weaponsmiths and armorers in all of Rokugans.

### Crane Prefecture

The Crane lands, in comparison, are filled with plenty and prosperity. As the closest family to the Emperor, the provinces of the Crane are wealthy and covered with rice and fields of grain. Their palaces are opulent, artistically designed to take advantage of their sea-cliffs and magnificent forests. Commercial routes weave through the lands of the Crane like veins and arteries, keeping the Empire’s outermost provinces fed and clothed in rich silks. Their lands stretch along most of Rokugan’s ocean paths, and of the Great Houses, only the Crane have any expertise in shipping and utilizing the ocean waves for transport.

### Dragon Prefecture

The high, rugged mountains of the Dragon are located in the far northern reaches of the Empire. The families of the Dragon pride themselves on their independence, making food grow wherever the land could possibly bear fruit. Though the tops of the mountains are covered in snow more than half the year, the palaces that hide in the mountain crevasses are comfortable and sturdy, protected from the weather and the assault of enemies by the great cliffs and twisting roads that cling to the far northern marches of this solitary clan.

### Lion Prefecture

Of all the prefectures of the Empire, none stretches so far and wide as do the golden plains of the Lion. Though they command the largest portion of Imperial lands, the Lion clan is not wealthy. All their money goes to the upkeep of their massive armies, and encouraging all preparedness for war.

Their constant feud with the families of the Crane do not leave them much time to develop or cultivate their otherwise profitable farmland, and the demands of travel through their lands (located in the heart of the Empire) restricts their use of land for other purposes. Although the Lion are by no means poor, their fields have little to offer beyond food and a rich supply of copper, located in the southern provinces, along the mountain range that breaks Rokugan in two.

### Phoenix Prefecture

The Phoenix provinces lie along the upper coast of the Empire, hugging the edge of the mountains and stretching down to the cold northern ocean. Their forests are lush and undisturbed, and spirits live deep within their shadowed mountains, keeping to the sacred groves and holy places that cover the Phoenix Lands.

The Phoenix are a peaceful clan, and their open palaces show their philosophy. Beautiful, ornate gardens and elaborate shrines and temples dot the landscape, shrouded by the thick, green canopy of forest and glen.

### Scorpion Prefecture

Once, the Scorpion lands were beautiful and forested, with wide rivers of fresh water sparkling in the sunlight. But after several military losses and decades of greed have left their lands bitter and empty as the hearts of their people. Their palaces, once labyrinthine and regal, now lie in smoking ruins. Their forests, too, have been burned, and their plains torn apart by the iron-shod feet of marching armies.

Little remains in the Scorpion lands, save the slowly-moving rivers, and the secrets hidden somewhere deep beneath the darkened fields.

### Unicorn Prefecture

The gentle windswept prefecture of the Unicorn is almost as untamed and wild as their steeds, rolling from hill through valley and over a wide lake shore with gleeful abandon. Although they do not produce much rice, they are sufficient, and the diamond mines in the southern mountains provide the clan with an almost inexhaustible supply of wealth.

Unicorn palaces are strange, built with wide pathways and high ceilings, pointed towers and curved walls. Those who visit Unicorn lands find them to be somewhat unsettling, but somehow, strangely beautiful.

### The Forest of Voices

Only one area in the Empire is not claimed by the Great Houses. It is a single tremendous forest, reaching for hundreds of miles. The trees stand wider than three men abroad, and reach into the sky with massive limbs of iron oak and thick pine. This ancient and mystical forest is known as the Sunomen, and has been the safe haven of Spirit Folk for over a thousand years.

## Politics

Rokugani society is based on a clan structure, with seven Great Clans ruling prefectures, bequeathed to them by the Emperor. Each of the Great Clans has dozens of vassal clans who serve them, each of which commands a small military force. The Emperor retains all ownership of lands, with the clans essentially renting the lands they used by paying taxes.

### Political Landscape

Rokugan is divided into prefectures, each of varying sizes. Each is controlled by the Shogun of one of the seven Great Clans, each of which are made up of several families descended from a common ancestor who had inherited control over their respective lands and the people living in them. The Great Clans command vast armies of samurai and foot-soldiers, and each Great Clan can call upon the service of a vassal house to aid them in times of war.

Beneath the Great Clans are the Vassal Clans, who are ruled by a Daimyo. These clans are still quite powerful, with each Daimyo ruling large swaths of farmlands and at least town or city, if not two or more. The daimyo also commanded a personal force and had several samurai swear fealty to them. The daimyo were answerable to the shogun but largely control their lands how they see fit.

### The Great Clans

* **Crab Clan**
* **Crane Clan**
* **Dragon Clan**
* **Lion Clan**
* **Phoenix Clan**
* **Scorpion Clan**
* **Unicorn Clan**

### Notable Vassal Clans

* **Badger Clan:** A vassal of the Crab Clan.
* **Bat Clan:** A vassal of the Dragon Clan.
* **Beetle Clan:**A vassal of the Unicorn Clan.
* **Boar Clan:** A vassal of the Lion Clan.
* **Centipede Clan:** A vassal of the Scorpion Clan.
* **Dragonfly Clan:** A vassal of the Phoenix Clan.
* **Falcon Clan:** A vassal of the Lion Clan.
* **Fox Clan:** A vassal of the Crane Clan.
* **Firefly Clan:** A vassal of the Phoenix Clan.
* **Goat Clan:**A vassal of the Crab Clan.
* **Hare Clan:** A vassal of the Crab Clan.
* **Horse Clan:** A vassal of the Lion Clan.
* **Mantis Clan:** A vassal of the Dragon Clan.
* **Monkey Clan:**A vassal of the Unicorn Clan.
* **Oriole Clan:** A vassal of the Phoenix Clan.
* **Ox Clan:** A vassal of the Crane Clan.
* **Snake Clan:** A vassal of the Scorpion Clan.
* **Sparrow Clan:** A vassal of the Unicorn Clan.
* **Spider Clan:** A vassal of the Scorpion Clan.
* **Tanuki Clan:** A vassal of the Dragon Clan.
* **Tortoise Clan:** A vassal of the Crab Clan.
* **Wasp Clan:** A vassal of the Lion Clan.

### Champions

Each clan, regardless of status, has a Champion. The Champion—usually a Samurai but it doesn’t necessarily have to be one—is the hero and defender of the Clan’s honor. The champion performs tasks and quests on behalf of the clan, they take part in duels for the clan or their lord’s honor, and are given a small parcel of land on which to live and work. The champion also accompanies their lord to any and all councils and official gatherings with other clans.

A champion is named by the lord of a clan—whether daimyo or shogun—through whatever criteria the lord of the clan deems fit. This decision is never made lightly, as the champion is the representative and defender of the honor and reputation of the entire clan, and choosing a poor champion can lead to disastrous consequences. The position of champion is held as long as the lord sees fit. There can only ever be one champion at a time.

A champion can be appointed from outside a clan (though never from a clan of higher status), making the Champion and their families a part of the clan in the process.

### Imperial Families

In addition to the clans, a very powerful faction in Rokugan—arguably the most powerful—are the Imperial Families. The Emperor of Rokugan has no clan of his own, but he does have his own family, currently the Iweko Family, and three families that serve his interests directly—the Miya, the Otomo and the Seppun family. The Imperial Families have no standing army of their own, though they control the Imperial Legions, which recruit soldiers from all the clans of the Empire. Unlike the Great or Minor Clans, though, the Imperial Families have no Champion, as the Emperor himself leads them.

The Imperial Families are often smaller than the families of the Great Clans, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for with political influence. With the Emperor at their head, the Imperial Families are possibly the strongest political group in all of Rokugan.

## Social Structure

While the culture of Rokugan may seem quite foreign at first glance, it is very much like the feudal societies of Athas, with a regimented societal structure that makes up its society. Rokugan society is based on a hierarchical structure called “The Celestial Order”. The Rokugani believe that everything is part of a divine pattern. Even humanity has a role to play in this order, and they believe everyone has a place and a destiny, and must work toward fulfilling it, even if it means discomfort, pain or death; for as terrible as one’s path may be, an even more terrible fate awaits those who try to cheat their destiny.

### The Four Tiers

Rokugani society is very formal. The universe operates under a tiered structure: men and women are born into one of three tiers of the Order, and must live the rest of their lives in the roles they were born to play. There are times when those of one tier may move to another, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

There are four classes of people in Rokugan: Nobility (those who govern), warriors (those who make war), Clergy (those who pray), and Peasants (those who do work). Those who fall outside this structure are considered “hinin”, or non-people, and are not protected by the Emperor’s justice.

Rokugan itself is a feudal state. There is a single Emperor who owns all the land. Everything under the sun belongs to the Emperor because his bloodline traces back to the first Hantei who won the Tournament of the Sun and Moon (according to legend). Shogun swear fealty and become stewards of a prefecture, and lesser nobles (daimyo) swear fealty to the shogun and, ultimately, to the Emperor. They govern the territory they are given and make sure the Emperor’s laws are obeyed and enforced. In exchange, they gain the right to tax the land they govern. Likewise, they can give some of his land in exchange for fealty.

Peasants work the land in exchange for protection from other nobles. Unfortunately, the feudal contract is a little lopsided. Daimyo and samurai are not *technically* *required* to protect the peasants. Those that do so act out of courtesy rather than obligation.

### Warriors

The next highest social class in Rokugan, beneath nobility, is the warrior, or samurai. All born into the family of a samurai are technically members of the warrior caste, regardless of their actual profession. This rung of the social ladder is for Samurai-Senshi, who have sworn fealty to the family daimyo or shogun, and under them are those who have been born into a samurai family but have not taken up training to become a warrior. Lastly are the ronin (“wave men”, called so because of their wandering nature), the masterless warriors who wander the countryside.

Only a samurai-senshi (“samurai warrior”) is allowed to wear the daisho: two swords tucked into the belt, or obi. The first is a katana and the second is called a wakizashi (which is ling a shortsword). Samurai live by a code of conduct called Bushido. This complicated system governs all of a samurai’s actions.

Some Clans are highly devoted to the Way of the Gods, while others are less so. The samurai of the Phoenix Clan, for example, must study many holy texts as well as learning bugei (fighting skills). They undergo a religious ceremony upon their receiving of the daisho, in which the front of their heads are shaved and anointed by a shugenja (priest, someone who can talk to the Kami and have them answer). The Crab Clan, on the other hand, do not hold with such frivolities. A Crab learns how to fight and how to die. That is all he needs to know.

### The Bonge (BOHN-gay)

At the bottom of the political scale are the masses of commoners, hinin and heimin, known as the *bonge*. This class includes not only the peasants and merchant class, but also the social untouchables known collectively as *eta*. These poor unfortunates have the lowest social ranking beside *gaijin* (non-Rokugani).

Because of the lack of segregation in the political field, non-eta commoners are therefore eager to distinguish themselves any way possible, hoping to one day be allowed to join the ranks of the buke, or be accepted (by marriage) into a vassal clan. Members of the bonge class are unable to approach the Emperor or the great Clans of the kuge under any circumstances, although if they rise to become members of the buke class, they are allowed to speak to them about military matters.

Geisha are not officially included in the bonge, but are considered a separate class. Because of their position, they are allowed to speak to members of the samurai class and are expected to comport themselves as if they were samurai, although they gain none of the social rank, social prestige or political power held by the kuge or buke.

### Heimin: Half-People

The heimin, or “half-people”., are the common folk. The highest commoner in the Order is the farmer, for he provides what is most necessary in life: food. Without the farmer, everyone goes hungry. Next is the craftsman, for he creates things that people need. The merchant is the lowest in the structure since he does not create anything; he sells what others create.

It is quite legal for a samurai to kill a heimin if his honor has been compromised by their rudeness. What constitutes rudeness is usually up to the samurai who has been offended, so heimin always try to be as humble as possible in the presence of a samurai.

### Hinin: Non-People

The hinin (“non-people”) include criminals, entertainers (including actors, musicians and geisha), charlatans and gamblers. Also included are the eta. Eta are people who inherit “dirty” jobs that involve touching the corpses of humans or animals. Rokugani—with the notable exception of the occasional Unicorn—detest touching anything dead. They believe touch corpses (or anything relating to them, such as blood) stains their souls.

Jobs such as leather workers, morticians, and torturers, are left to the eta. While a samurai may need a good reason to kill a farmer, killing hinin is not considered a crime because they are not actually a part of the Order. However, killing certain hinin (such as a geisha) can cause serious reprecussions.

### Ninja

The ninja are considered eta, and therefore non-persons. It would not be a crime to kill a ninja, and no consequences could be derived from such an action. A samurai would lose face for dealing with a known ninja, but no one knows for sure that the ninja actually exist. The threat of a ninja is all one needs to make peasant and noble alike shudder beneath their kimono. A shuriken left behind in a dead servant’s body is warning enough, but is not concrete evidence of the existence of ninja.

## **Women**

In Rokugan, a woman’s caste—not her gender—constitutes her position in the Celestial Order. Women are equal to men as far as caste; however, there are a few differences that must be noted.

### Samurai-ko

*“Samurai maidens who remain faithful to their lords get their names in history books. The ones who fall find their names in tragic love songs.”—Doji Shizue*

One of the favorite stories of Rokugani poets is of the sister of  a murdered samurai who put on her brother’s armor and took up his sword to avenge him. “Hitomi’s Tale” has moved many young women to become bushi, and has justified the act in the eyes of many daimyo. The samurai ritual of changing one’s name has brought many samurai-ko—female samurai—to take the name “Hitomi” upon taking the daisho, including the renowned Dragon Clan samurai-ko Mirumoto Hitomi.

One of the “perks” of this position is the ability to, like all samurai, take on lovers as they wish and are not expected to remain celibate. In all things, including love, Samurai-ko are treated as samurai-senshi in the Celestial Order, and are treated no different from male samurai in that regard.

Samurai-ko are treated with the deference due a lady of her station, ignoring their ability as a bushi unless they are dressed and prepared for war. If a samurai-ko is dressed in masculine attire, she is referred to with her military title, instead of her social one. Samurai-ko have all the rights of men, including the ability to rule a house or land, speak for their clan and go to war on behalf of their daimyo. In no way are they restricted in their actions, so long as they dress and act appropriately to their station.

Samurai-ko, however, are also female and there are many social conventions to which female members of the samurai class are expected to conform. Women are expected to speak more softly than men, use smaller gestures and motions, and move more slowly. While samurai-ko are not expected to be perfect ladies, they are still expected to remember their sex.

### Wives

Marriage in Rokugan has nothing to do with love. A marriage is strictly a business matter, arranged by the parents of the couple and a middle man. In Athas, the bride or groom is technically allowed a say in the proceedings and may refuse the marriage (though that usually has severe consequences). In Rokugan, no such failsafe exists; a man and women will marry whomever their parents choose, no question or objection about it. One is not necessarily expected to love one’s spouse. However, a slight against a samurai’s wife is a slight against her husband.

In Rokugan, the wife handles all of the money and is in charge of the household in every respect. A male samurai is given a stipend by his wife which he is allowed to spend in any way he wishes, but the wife determines how the rest of the money is allocated. She manages the finances, hires workers to repair and improve the house and handles all of the entertainment for visitors.

However, other than that, a wife has little to do but gossip with the wives of other samurai and read the various romantic books (called “pillow books”) that are sold in the marketplace.

### Geisha & Wu-Jen

While there is very little romance to be found in marriage, the same cannot be said for affairs outside of marriage. Although the extramarital affairs of a samurai of either gender are ignored by society, they are expected to be discreet, so they do not offend their spouse’s family. When samurai seek such company, they often find it in the arms of a geisha.

Geisha are entertainers. They are trained in the arts of music, poetry and conversation. While highly respected for their beauty and their skills, they are still only hinin in the Celestial Order. When entering a geisha tea-house, samurai are expected to leave their katana at the door. Legends are filled with tales of samurai falling in love with a geisha, and the danger that such passion brings.

The Wu-Jen are essentially geisha-mages, though their duties extend beyond those expected of a geisha. For more information, see **Wu-Jen**, below.

## **Political Ranks**

*“The will of the Emperor is the will of the land. The death of the Emperor is the winter, and his rebirth is the springtime rain. What can harm our Empire, while the favored child of Amaterasu tends it?” –Shinjo Yokatsu*

In addition to advancing within the elaborate social system in Rokugan, a great deal of the Empire’s politics come from moving within a single societal level: for example, a Samurai might wish to become a great general, or a courtier might hope to become one of the Emperor’s advisors in his court. These “political rankings” may appear arbitrary, but they are strictly adhered to in the Sapphire Empire, and their relevance is taken into account every day.

Further, such moves are easier to achieve then advancing to a higher social class: it is likely that a samurai maiden of low family might be allowed to marry into a more prestigious family if her dowry is exceptional, while it is extremely unlikely that a heimin will be allowed to marry even the lowest samurai.

## **A Heimin’s Life**

A heimin’s life is very different from the life of a samurai. A farmer spends his entire life relying on the predictability of nature and the certainty of the seasons. When disasters occur, the farmer is convinced he has done something wrong to bring misfortune upon his house. Farmers are always suspicious of strangers and change, as they disrupt the Pattern; they can mean nothing but trouble.

### The Seasons

The four seasons define life for a farmer. Spring is full of rain, making the ground good for planting. Plums and cherries mark the beginning of spring, while the falling of the cherry blossoms tells the farmer that summer is on its way.

Summer is a season to be endured rather than enjoyed. It is the time when the rice is growing and little manual labor can be done without profuse sweating. This is also the time of typhoons which can ruin all of a farmer’s hard work.

Autumn is a welcome season. The temperature cools and the rice is harvested. Winter is short in Rokugan, but bitter and cold. Winter the time for brewing sake (rice wine that is one of the two most popular drinks in Rokugan), weaving silk and other clothes, and practicing other industrial skills.

Of course, the end of winter brings the beginning of spring when the market places open and the crafts that were made in the winter can be sold and traded.

### The Fruits of the Farm

Rice is not the only crop on most farms; they also produce fruits, nuts and vegetables. The most valuable commodity of a farm is, of course, silk. Silk is so valuable that even bad silk is kept to be sold in the marketplace in the spring. Rokugan’s two favorite beverages—tea and sake—are also grown and brewed in farms across Rokugan.

### Craftsmen and Merchants

While craftsmen and merchants may fall very low on the social order, they are also the richest. Samurai and peasant alike always need cobblers, carpenters, coopers, smiths and other craftsmen to repair or replace their tools, weapons, houses, and clothes.

In Azure City, the capital city of the Empire, a samurai can find bladesmiths, sword-sharpeners, scabbard workers, silversmiths, lacquerers, fletchers, dye-makers, perfumers, jewelers, scores of sake, tea, and noodle houses, and the best turtle soup in Kara-Tur. All of these craftsmen find steady work from the peasantry, the citizens of the city, and the lord of the land.

In recent decades, the wealth of the merchant class in particular is slowly becoming more influential, as the right amount of money is able to relax even the most traditional daimyo. While their role in the Order has not shifted—yet—it cannot be denied that the life of a merchant has been rapidly changing for the better.

### Economy

The basis of Rokugan’s economy is called the *koku*, a gold coin that represents enough rice to feed a man for a year (approximately forty gallons). A single koku is broken down into 5 bushels, or silver coins called ichibukin, or “bu”. Each bushel can be further broken down into ten copper pennies called “zeni”. The actual monetary system of the Empire breaks down like this: 1 koku=5 bu=50 zeni.

Each daimyo has advisors who maintain the value of currency each year, and keep accurate records of how much has been minted. Each season, the shogun of the family takes the rice of his villages, and the daimyo of the estate receives a small share of it in return, in the form of koku.

Because Rokugani barter with one another almost exclusively, the concept of “cost” is a difficult concept. Few samurai have an understanding of money (such matters are left to wives and money-lenders), and as a result the introduction of the koku into Rokugani society was, for the most, misunderstood by all except the merchant class.

The desire to represent the value of one’s farm was the original intent of koku, but the fluctuating value of coinage made it nearly impossible to discern its exact merit. Ambitious courtiers and wily merchants quickly devised methods for making the koku system work for them.

Never once would a samurai stop to ask an item’s cost (to ask a cost would imply that they do not know, insulting them, as if telling them they are wrong). Rather, samurai give whatever they believe is fair, in barter, for items they desire.

An honorable samurai always gives something, but others just take what they like. Ronin are notorious for terrorizing peasants who cannot defend themselves, taking whatever they wish. Bear in mind that an honorable weaponsmith would not make a katana for anyone he does not know without the order of his lord, and katana are not found on shelves waiting for ronin to come around and buy them (all are forged by specific orders, for specific people).

## Culture

Many aspects of Rokugani society are different from Athas. From their traditional greetings and naming practices to the food and clothing they choose, the Empire is unique and richly traditional.

### Language

There are two distinct languages spoken in Rokugan: the Han tongue, which is the traditional language of the Rokugani people, and the Trade Tongue—what the men of Athas would call Common. This is so they are able of trading with foreigners, and most refuse to speak Chiang, the tongue of the Jade Empire.

### Literacy

Members of the samurai class are assumed to be able to read and write. As a general rule, a shugenja will be more literate than a samurai of his clan. Heimin and hinin, for the most part, don’t read well, if at all. Their traditions and histories tend to be oral and told as stories or songs.

### Food

Rokugani do not greet each other with “hello” or “how are you?”. They ask each other if they’ve had anything to eat, and the one product that makes its way into every meal is rice. Rice is the staple of the Rokugani diet. It is steamed and served as a main dish, boiled into a thick gruel, or mixed and shaped with vinegar. It is often crushed and made into rice cakes or ground into flour to make dumplings or noodles. If rice is not available, or is too expensive, millet—the poor man’s rice—is used instead.

Rokugani also eat a variety of vegetables (always served with rice). They are almost never eaten raw: they are steamed, friend, pickled or stewed. Popular vegetables are beans, most notably the soy bean, which are stewed or mashed into paste.

Seafood is a delicacy across Rokugan. Fish is boiled, fried, stewed, or served raw on vinegar-treated rice (called *sushi*). Typical types of seafood include abalone, bonito, clam, crab, eels, herring, jellyfish, kelp, mackerel, octopus, oysters, pike, pufferfish, sardines, scallops, sea bass, sea cucumber, sea urchin, shrimp, squid, swordfish and tuna.

Red meat is not eaten in Rokugan. Cattle are very rare and their milk is considered much more valuable than meat. Both peasants and nobility eat chicken and pork regularly, while eta eat game meat, such as boar and stag. Nobility stay away from eating meat most times; they believe it makes them smell dirty.

Tea is the most popular drink in Rokugan. An entire ceremony is dedicated to the proper preparation and serving of this drink. Rokugani do not add sugar or milk to their tea. Rice wine, called sake, is very popular for those who can afford it. It is served hot (at body temperature) and is drunk from small cups that can be held in one hand. A more potent version of sake is call *shochu*. Only very serious drinkers partake of sochu. For the lower classes who cannot afford sake, there are fruit brandies, beers, and meads.

### Clothing

The clothing of a samurai is designed to be functional. Cottons are only used during cold periods, and then only with the least amount of material possible. A sweating samurai knows not to wear cotton, and if she does, changes her clothes often. Several extra kimono are kept in one’s pack, and changed of clothing are not uncommon for the honorable and stately individual. A *yakuta* is a thin, informal cotton robe that is worn on cool summer evenings and washed often.

Samurai and nobles wear a variety of colors and designs. Every kimono is unique; no two kimono look the same. Some work to keep on the cutting edge of fashion trends found in the capital while others wear simpler clothes from year to year, regardless of trends.

Clothing is designed to keep a person warm and dry. You can tell a person’s station by the clothes they are wearing.

The Samurai caste wear silks and cotton. The *kimono* is the robe-like, full-sleeved garment that most men of Athas are familiar with. In summer, Rokugani wear light silk kimono. In winter, they wear heavier kimono, padded with cotton. During the rainy months, an umbrella is deployed to keep the kimono dry. Small items can be kept in a kimono’s sleeves. A sash, called an *obi*, is worn about the waist. The obi is pleated, which serves the purpose of pockets. The daisho is tucked under the obi.

A *hakama*, a pleated, divided skirt worn over the kimono, is often worn on formal occasions. A *haori* (an upper garment, worn to give the impression of large shoulders) is also sometimes worn on formal occasions.

### Women’s Clothing

Women also wear kimono, but often wear a set with complimentary colors. A women does not wear a hakama. Her kimono is often very long, trailing behind her. Her obi is usually wider than a man’s and is tied with an elaborate bow. Her complexion is often painted white, including the lips. Usually, it is the ladies of the Imperial Court who determine the “proper” style of the season, although many women (such as those of the Scorpion Clan or Crab Clan) often ignore the Court’s attitudes on style.

Samuri-ko, on the other hand, usually follow in the footsteps of their male counterparts; they are seen wearing hakama, haori and daisho as they choose, but can also be seen in more femiseven dress.

### Peasant Dress

The clothing of heimin and hinin is usually made of cotton, hemp or wool. The colors are very drab (they can’t afford the expensive dyes that make the nobility so colorful). Instead of umbrellas, the lower classes employ hats and overcoats made of straw. Peasant hats are very practical; they are round and wide-brimmed to keep the sun and rain out of their eyes. They wear kimono and obi with a cotton undershirt and loincloth.

### The Mon

Heraldry in Rokugan is less formal than heraldry in Athas. The *mon*, or Clan symbol and colors, are worn by all samurai and nobles. A *kamishimo*, which is a small vest worn over the kimono that bears the symbol of the Clan, is worn on formal occasions. A samurai wears the mon of their Clan on their back and the mon of their house on their left sleeve to be close to their heart, or his right sleeve to guide his sword.

A samurai usually incorporates clan colors into formal clothing, while private clothing tends to be drab grays, blacks and browns. Samurai often wear hats for formal occasions, which can be simple or extravagant.

### Hair

The traditional hairstyle for samurai is the shaved pate and top knot. However, this hardly a rule; there are many in Rokugan whose hairstyles can be used to identify them with their clans.

Some Crane dye their hair white or a sky blue. The Dragons often shave their heads completely, decorating their bald head with tattooes. The Lion often let their hair grow long and wild, dying it gold. The Phoenix are very traditional, while the Scorpion Clan often keep their features hidden. The Crab Clan usually couldn’t care less about hair.

A woman of the samurai caste, however, never cuts her hair. Samurai-ko sometimes do so in an attempt to emulate their male counterparts, usually cut short to around the ears but never entirely shaved. Typically, women wear their hair long, cutting it only when she is widowed or in mourning.

### Etiquette

Rokugan is a land obsessed with etiquette. There is a proper way to do everything. All of this stems from the Celestial Order. Each action which one takes reflects their social standing, their family and their ancestors—and each is treated with equal seriousness.

### Time

Time in Rokugan is measured using the Soon Calendar, instituted by Emperor Soon, which measures the number of years since the founding of Azure City. This calendar contains twelve months of 28 days. The reign of an Emperor is marked by an “Age”, which is named after the respective Emperor.

### Marriage

Marriages are arranged by the parents of the bride and bridegroom, and only occasionally do the two find themselves in the throes of romance. A middleman frequently arranges the marriage; this is very often a journeyman member of the Crane Clan, as they are always aware of births in the noble families of Rokugan. The two are usually introduced to each other sometime after their gempukku ceremony, though the arrangements are often made much earlier.

On the wedding day, the bride wears white, the color that is symbolic of death, to show that she is now dead to her family. During the ceremony, she peels away the white vestments to show a red dress underneath, symbolizing her rebirth. After the ceremony, there is little chance for romance to bloom. The bride is taken away by the groom’s mother to be taught the skills she will need to be a good wife (household management, finances, etc), while the husband goes on a pilgrimage to a holy place to celebrate. The celebration usually includes meditating on this new phase of life and the changes he’ll need to make to the lifestyle.

### Love

While the concept of love is often tragic in Athan literature, it is also found to be uplifting. Not so in Rokugan. Passionate love has no place in the heart of a samurai; there is only room for complete, unquestioning devotion to one’s daimyo. Any other emotions conflict with one’s devotion, clouding loyalty.

Passionate love is frowned upon in samurai circles; that is an emotion for “lower people”, such as courtesans or geisha. Only very rarely does a love story end happily for a samurai. While this may be an accepted truth in Rokugan, lovers who can overcome the odds are often seen as heroic in a way, while those who fail are tragic and sometimes even vilified.

## **Architecture**

### Settlements

Houses are typically built of stone and wood, with sliding wooden frame doors, covered in thin rice paper. Although this does not allow for any actual privacy, the culture of Rokugan considers it quite rude to pay attention to the occurrences on the other side of such a screen. Once the door is closed, others in the room must act as if they do not hear or see any events transpiring on the other side.

### Farmers

Farmers do not live on isolated farms. Farms surround a village in which all the farmers and their families live. A farmer’s home is very simple. It often has two rooms: a living room and a sleeping room for a total of approximately 500-600 square feet. More important villages (such as the headman) will sometimes have a larger home, complete with a Quality Room, in which he can entertain visiting samurai.

### Villages

All villages are surrounded by fire ditches to help prevent the all-too-frequent fires that occur in the dry summer. They are also surrounded by trees, giving the villages constant shade to protect them from the summer heat they so despise. Roads that run along a village are lined with trees for that same purpose, as well as hedges.

### Cities

Rokugan’s cities are crowded and the hustle of the streets can become quite pressing on one’s personal space. A typical city of several thousand people consists of one castle, a large number of “districts”, and an eta village located outside the city’s walls or boundary. Some of the major distinctions between the classes of the Rokugani people can be seen in their architecture—the artisans are allotted a district, as are those of the “pleasure class”, and the merchants and the craftsmen as well. Members of the warrior and noble classes are typically given houses out of the city’s central body and well away from the commoners.

Districts are usually separated from each other with walls or distance. They are also controlled by a guild headman, or *chonin*, who reports directly to the daimyo head of the city. Small businesses and shops, separate from their homes, run alongside the major streets, while the houses and residential areas of the district are usually some distance from the busy roadway. Homes are extremely close together, pressed against one another by the need for space within the city.

### Eta Villages

The ranks of eta increase whenever a samurai or peasant is banished from the whole of society. The true eta of Rokugan are permanently unclean, and are therefore not permitted to live among even the lowliest peasants. Their villages, located outside of the city they work within, is where the services of leather workers, butchers, morticians and any other “dirty” profession can be procured.

Under no circumstances can an eta be made a samurai. If they are extraordinary, they be given rank and made heimin, by the Emperor himself—but this is an extraordinarily rare thing.

## **Religion**

The people of Rokugan are a deeply spiritual people, though they usually worship privately.

### Way of the Gods

The primary religion in Rokugan is known as *Kami no Michi*, or “The Way of the Gods”. It is an ancient religion that has been observed by the people of Rokugan for millennia. There is even a following on the mainland, where it is known as “The Old Ways”.

The Rokugani believe that the world is  an animistic place populated by countless spirits and deities—called Kami--and that these beings have the power to affect reality and the course of their lives. These spirits range from beings who embody such powerful and universal forces as Romantic Love and Strength, to those that embody a far more limited and parochial concerns, such as soil.

Such divine beings also included mortals deified by the Emperor postmuously, such as Osano-Wo, who was declared a kami of fire and thunder after his death, to the individual spirits of the elements residing in the natural world all around. Every rock, river, tree and mountain had its own mikokami—“little god”—protecting and watching over it.

These kami each have two distinct natures. Their beneficial nature bestowed blessings on those who earned their favor, whereas their wrathful natures cursed those who earned their ire. Rokugani are very careful to stay within the good graces of the Kami, no matter how inconsequential their position and divine portfolio might be. No one—peasant nor emperor—wanted to draw the wrath of any of the kami.

The Way of the Gods involves ancestor worship as well. The Rokugani believe that after death, the spirits of the departed live in one of the Spirit Realms, and that they can see and interact with their descendants. These spirits can offer aid in the way of blessings or advice, or offer correction in the form of a haunting. People offer gifts of food, prayer, and incense to their ancestors, either as thanks for their aid or appeasement from their haunting.

### Shinseism

Also called the “Tao of the Five Rings”, or sometimes just “The Tao”, it is a series of lectures and discussions which became the basis for the religion. The whole of it was recorded by a Wu Jen known only as Shiba and consists of the teachings of Shinsei-Lao, primarily of his famed discussion with Hantei, and also Shinsei’s teachings as he traveled through Kara-Tur to find the Seven Thunders.

It consists of many dozens of scrolls, divided in the three books. *The Book of Discussion* details the conversations Shinsei held with the Kami, as well as various tales of Shinsei’s travels. The second book, *The Book of Duties*, is essentially an instruction manual for monks, detailing 225 laws governing monk behavior. The third book, *The Book of the Soul*, was not Shensei’s, but was added later by the Phoenix founders of the Brotherhood of Shin, as an attempt to resolve discrepancies between the Tao and Kami worship. It contains discourses on mysticism, dissertations on shugenja doctrine and behavior, and a highly developed treatise on psychology.

It is also a widespread religion throughout Kara-Tur, primarily in the land of the Samsaran. It is illegal in some realms.

### The Thousand Fortunes

A religion revolving around luck, fortune, karma and the rising of the sun and moon. The religion involves coins or cards being used in games of chance, the results of which guide practitioners and their actions.

### Children of the Last Wish

A dark cult dedicated to the Void; a Kami of supreme evil and entropy. The Void is the overall ruler of all things dark, terrifying, disgusting, vile and evil. The Children of the Last Wish operate as terrorists, assassins and necromancers, practicing blood magic and worse, more vile deeds.

### Hands of the Goddess

A cult dedicated to the revival of “The Great Mother”; a goddess who they believe created everything and was destined to destroy it again upon awakening somewhere under the seas. The cult is known to capture young women—usually virgins—and use their blood in dark rituals, which they believe is key to the Awakening.

## New Game Statistics

The following classes are available to any character hailing from Rokugan. Not that Clerics, Druids, Paladins and Wizards are not options for Rokugani characters to choose from (unless, of course, the DM rules otherwise).

The new classes are:

* **Ninja:** A mysterious figure who partakes in acts of espionage and assassination, among other shady dealings.
* **Samurai:**A noble warrior sworn to a code of honor, obedience, and loyalty.
* **Shaman:**An intermediary between the mortal world and the realm of the spirits, and a master of divine magic.
* **Shugenja:**A master of elemental forces, a religious figure who wields divine magic.
* **Sohei:**A warrior monk, sworn to the defense of a temple or monastery.
* **Wu Jen:**A potent arcane spellcaster, who serve as courtiers, advisors and concubines.