Roleplaying game

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Chapter 2: Creating a Character
The Scorpion Clan
Ring Increase:+1 Air
Skill Increase: +1 Skulduggery
Status: 35
With six terrible words, the Kami Bayushi set his followers in the newly 
founded Scorpion Clan on a dark and dangerous path. Enemies loomed 
beyond Rokugan’s borders, but they also lurked within them. Bayushi 
swore to protect the Empire by any means necessary. Where the Code of 
Bushidō tied the Emperor’s Left and Right Hands—the courtiers of the 
Crane and the mighty legions of the Lion—the Emperor’s Underhand 
could still reach. To combat the liars, the thieves, and the traitors within 
the Great Clans, Bayushi’s followers would have to lie, steal, and cheat in 
turn. The weapons of the Scorpion became blackmail, poison, and sabo-
tage. The Scorpion dirtied their hands so that others’ could remain pure.
Yet, in spite of—and perhaps because of—the clan’s fearsome reputa-
tion, there is none more loyal than a Scorpion. In a clan of deceivers 
and manipulators, trust is a hard-earned treasure to be cherished and 
guarded. Betrayal is punished with swift retribution, the souls of the 
treacherous forever bound into the horrific limbo of the place known as 
Traitor’s Grove. Such fierce loyalty is a small consolation, at least, given 
the dangerous but vital role the Scorpion have played in the Empire 
from the moment their Kami spoke his fateful words: “I will be your 
villain, Hantei.”
The Unicorn Clan
Ring Increase: +1 Water
Skill Increase: +1 Survival
Status: 30
A thousand years ago, the Ki-Rin Clan rode out of Rokugan, seeking to dis-
cover enemies hiding beyond the Emerald Empire’s borders. Their journey 
was arduous, and they found many strange and powerful threats. In defeat-
ing each one, the clan learned, changing its fighting styles, magical practic-
es, and even philosophy. To survive, it was forced to adapt—and overcome. 
After eight centuries of wandering, the Clan of the Wind returned to the 
Empire as the Unicorn Clan.  They wear fur, speak foreign tongues, and 
wield strange weapons. Although they still revere the Kami Shinjo, they 
have drifted far from the traditions and ways of the Emerald Empire. 
Scorpion Clan Culture
The Scorpion Clan is a group united by grave purpose: to preserve 
life by killing, and to let others live out the ideals of honor by stain-
ing themselves in dishonorable acts. Most Scorpion stake their hu-
manity on one ideal of honor they can uphold or a personal bond 
that keeps them from slipping—while others vanish completely into 
their masks, truly becoming the villains others believe them to be.
What specialized knowledge do you have?
All Scorpion Clan characters have a greater awareness of the 
following topics:
•  You have a strong awareness of the politics within Scorpion 
lands, and you can name major family heads and other leaders 
and know their respective positions and allies.
•  You know about the general state of political affairs between 
the clans.
•  You are aware of the most substantial criminal cartels in the 
Emerald Empire, especially as their interests overlap or conflict 
with those of the Scorpion Clan.
•  You know the state of court matters in the Imperial Capital.
What does Bushidō mean to your clan?
Duty is the most core tenet of the Scorpion Clan. They must be pre-
pared to do—and sacrifice—anything and everything in the service 
of the Empire.
Honesty, Justice, and Honor all fall by the wayside for most Scor-
pion. While they are not wholly unimportant, obsessing over such 
matters would make many vital tasks impossible.
See page 183 for more information on how these can affect your 
honor and glory.
Unicorn Clan Culture
The Unicorn Clan values novelty and flexibility of tradition in a way 
that other clans do not. Members of the Unicorn Clan tend to be very 
receptive to new ideas and cultural elements without fearing the loss or 
erosion of their own, for they preserved a consistent culture through-
out their long centuries of journeying. However, the Unicorn are driv-
en by an ambition that is not easy to quell, and those seen as lacking in 
drive are often pushed out by more aggressive members of the clan.
What specialized knowledge do you have?
All Unicorn Clan characters have a greater awareness of the 
following topics:
•  You have a general awareness of the politics within Unicorn 
lands, and you can name major family heads and other leaders 
and know their respective positions and allegiances.
•  You know many basic facts of life about foreign lands, particu-
larly the Burning Sands, Ivory Kingdoms, and beyond, even if 
you have not journeyed there yourself.
•  You know at least some foreign words from numerous 
languages, such as Mekhem, Ivindi, Banatu, and Portuga, and 
might fluently speak one of these or even a language wholly 
unknown in the Emerald Empire.
•  You know the basics of mounted combat tactics, along with 
various other aspects of the proper handling and care of horses.
What does Bushidō mean to your clan?
Compassion is the most significant tenet of Bushidō to the Unicorn 
Clan, for mutual understanding and cooperation was the key to the 
clan’s survival during its long journey across the wider world. On 
this journey, members of the Unicorn Clan met many people with 
a wide variety of beliefs, cultures, and values, and they became far 
more accustomed to coexistence with strange outsiders than are 
most Great Clan samurai.
The Unicorn Clan has had several centuries to acclimate to 
the Emerald Empire to which it has returned, but certain cultural 
practices they abandoned or adopted during the journey have only 
mildly altered the clan’s culture. The focus on Courtesy and proto-
col that pervades many courts is one such practice that was let go, 
and certainly the most contentious way in which Shinjo’s clan dif-
fers from those of her siblings.
See page 183 for more information on how these can affect your 
honor and glory.

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