General Rokugani Personal Effects
Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2020 3:39 pm
Personal Effects
Even the fiercest warrior cannot get by with arms and armor alone, and humans use many tools to make their lives more comfortable, edifying, and enjoyable. Rokugani samurai often carry some of the following items, depending on their specific needs, duties, and passions
Bottle of Sake
Sake, a wine made from fermented rice, is popular throughout Rokugan and is readily available at any inn. The quality of sake varies widely depending on the maker and the seller.
Bowyer's Kit
A bowyer’s kit is a small tool kit used to maintain bows and arrows. It typically includes a selection of small hand tools, spare string, some feathers, wax, bamboo fibers, arrowheads, and other items needed to keep a bow and arrows in working order.
Calligraphy Set
These ornate boxes contain items a practiced calligrapher needs to craft books, letters, scrolls, and other written communications. It consists of a small wooden box that contains a variety of brushes, inkstones, and pigments; a small bowl for water; and a small bag of sand for drying. Calligraphers and scribes customarily carry a calligraphy set, as so do some samurai and courtiers who prefer to write their own correspondence.
Chopsticks
Chopsticks are the primary Rokugani eating utensils. Sold in pairs, these slender utensils are normally made of wood or bamboo, although some wealthy individuals use chopsticks of ivory, bone, or metal instead.
Daishō Stand
This is a small, collapsible wooden stand used to dis-play a samurai’s daishō. There is a particular etiquette to displaying the daishō on a rack that speaks to an individual’s ease or readiness to fight. If the swords are displayed with their pommels facing right, this means that the individual is ready to fight, as they can easily draw the swords from the rack with their right hand. If they are displayed with the pommels facing left, this means that the individual is less ready to fight but still guarded. If the pommels are facing left and the tsuba are on the inside of the rack arm, making drawing the swords impossible in one motion, this means that the individual is completely at ease.
Dice and Cup
These are used to play a variety of dice games through-out Rokugan. Gambling is extremely popular in the Emerald Empire, but it is largely frowned upon by samurai. Organized gambling is controlled largely by various criminal syndicates and is often a source of corruption among local officials.
Divination Kit
Popular among both superstitious peasants and the mystical shugenja, divination kits are used to tell the future or otherwise commune with the Spirit Realms. A divination kit may contain special coins, sticks, bones, or other small items with metaphysical import. Diviners use these kits by casting their coins or sticks on the ground and reading the patterns they create for any omens or portents.
Finger of Jade
A finger of jade is a length of the precious green stone worn about the neck on a thong to ward off the corrupting effects of the Taint. Bit by bit, the finger of jade is consumed by this process.
Games
These are small, portable, sturdy versions of games made to be taken on long journeys. Go, shōgi, and other games popular among bushi and courtiers are the ones most likely to be found in a travel-sized set, but there are as many different types of travel games as there are full-sized versions.
Kubi Bukuro
These are simple net bags used to carry the severed head of an enemy, which is considered both a trophy and a good omen. Lion Clan samurai use them to carry their trophies without touching dead flesh, but the Kuni family uses them for collecting samples of Shadowlands creatures for study.
Lucky Cricket
Very popular among the Mantis Clan, a small live crick-et in an ornate metal cage is thought to bring good fortune to whomever carries it.
Medicine Kit
This is a simple first aid kit that contains all the necessary items to treat many kinds of injuries. A typical kit contains needle and thread, cloth bandages, herbal disinfectants, various balms and tinctures, and other healing items.
Musical Instrument
Rokugani musical traditions are rich and varied. Many people in the Empire can at least pick out a simple tune on a flute or drum. Instruments also include the shamisen, biwa, and koto. Many courtiers carry an instrument to display their talents, and drums are popular among the samurai class for signaling troops and sending messages.
Omamori
Omamori are protective charms, sold at many shrines across the Emerald Empire, often in the form of a small envelope or bag containing a written or inscribed prayer to a particular kami (often one of the great For-tunes, but occasionally others). Most examples provide protection against ill fortune of a specific variety such as illness or accidents, or encourage good luck in some sphere, such as farming, travel, or marriage, but are never put to the test in any rigorous manner—the kami move by paths unseen by mortal eyes, after all, and it is hard to determine if a talisman was truly responsible for one’s safety.
Shugenja and other powerful servants of the kami are capable of creating especially efficacious protective charms. These frequently contain appeals to the seven Great Fortunes, but can also offer other protections by appealing to different powers.
Personal Seal or Chop
A personal chop is used by samurai to verify their identity and sign documents, among other official business. Each one is a unique design that is registered with the Miya family. Using another samurai’s chop is considered both an insult and a serious crime.
Pillow Book
This is a small, loosely bound, cheaply made book written in a genre some samurai consider insufficiently serious, such as romance, adventure, or poetry. A pillow book can also be an account of a famous person’s life or an adaptation of a diary. Occasionally, important literary or academic works are converted to pillow books to make them more portable
Poison (One Vial)
In the courts of the Emerald Empire, the wheels of politics are sometimes turned by unsavory means. Members of the Scorpion Clan are certainly not above using poison to weaken or eliminate political rivals—not that one could ever prove their culpability—and many samurai turn to such measures in times of desperation or fear.
Noxious Poison: A catchall term for a wide variety of deadly compounds (many of which have perfectly legitimate uses in medicine and other trades), these sorts of poisons often act by attacking the heart, organs, or brain directly.
Fire Biter: A poison that wracks victims with searing pain, fire biter is easily identified by its bitter taste, which makes it difficult to disguise its presence in food or drink.
Night Milk: A favorite of the Shosuro family, night milk is a dizzying concoction that must be injected or otherwise delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Quiver
A quiver is a cloth or leather container used to carry arrows. Worn at the waist or slung over the shoulder, a standard quiver can hold sixty or more arrows. There are also quivers or equivalent carrying pouches for crossbow quarrels, blowgun darts, stones, and other ammunition, and they function in the same manner
Rope
Rope is made from a variety of materials and is used for tasks as varied as binding enemies, restraining live-stock, climbing, and rigging sailing vessels. Low-quality ropes are made of hemp and tend to be both rough and stiff. Higher-quality ropes are made of hair, silk, or more exotic fibers.
Sake Cup
These are small wood, porcelain, or metal cups used for drinking sake. In many areas of the Empire, it is customary for a guest to bring their own cup to gatherings and official functions. Wealthy or influential people tend to carry ornately decorated cups made from expensive materials to better impress fellow drinkers.
Spices
Spices are important both for flavoring food and as a trade commodity throughout Rokugan. While some important varieties are native to the Emerald Empire, such as wasabi and sanshō pepper, many are import-ed from abroad. Depending on their provenance and rarity, spices can be extremely expensive. Much blood has been spilled by various factions in attempts to control the spice trade.
Sweets
These are candies, small cakes, and other confections that are popular during the Empire’s many festival seasons. Typical Rokugani sweets are made from bean curd or honeyed rice, but a few gaijin treats made from exotic and foreign ingredients are produced here and there throughout Rokugan. This is especially true in the Unicorn lands.
Tattoo Needles
Extremely popular among the Dragon Clan, these are steel or bamboo needles used to apply tattoos. Tattoo needles are ordinarily part of a kit that includes needles, various pigments, and other tools used by tattoo artists in their work. Widespread not only in the Drag-on Clan, tattoos are also prevalent among the Empire’s numerous criminal cartels, which use them both to identify members of specific cartels and to record individuals’ criminal exploits.
Tea Set (Portable)
The tea ceremony is exceptionally important in Rokugani society. These small, portable tea sets are designed to withstand rough handling and travel. They allow samurai to enjoy the harmony and relaxation of the tea ceremony even when they are far from home
Tent (Chomchong)
Chomchong are large, elaborate, portable homes popular with the Unicorn Clan. Sturdy and well protected from the elements, these tents can accommodate up to a dozen people in relative comfort. They are also used to house small noble families in as much luxury as can be afforded in the field. Chomchong take quite a bit of time to set up and tear down, and carrying them requires several oxen and a large wagon.
Tent (Small)
These basic shelters are just big enough to keep two individuals warm and dry in the wilderness. They are extremely easy to set up and take down, pack down relatively small, and can be carried on a person’s back, in a cart, or slung over a horse.
Tent (Yurt)
Bigger than basic tents but not as big or luxurious as chomchong, yurts were brought to Rokugan from the far-off steppes by the Unicorn Clan. Made from thick leather or canvas with a felt floor, a yurt can house a group of four indefinitely in relative comfort. They are heavy and awkward to build or take down, and require either a horse or oxen dedicated to carting them around.
Traveling Pack
An assortment of items carried within a furoshiki, or decorative wrapping cloth. Traveling packs consist of the following:Blanket, bowl, chop-sticks, four days of travel rations, flint and tinder, and usually have room for three other small items
Traveling Rations
Traveling rations consist of a mix of preserved foods sufficient to keep an individual fed and healthy while on the road. They typically consist of a mix of dried fish, rice balls wrapped in paper, water or tea, pickled vegetables, and other hardy foods that can withstand expo-sure to the elements.
Umbrella
Normally made of wicker and silk, umbrellas keep both the sun and the rain off of those who carry them. Stories tell of umbrellas being used as improvised weapons by masters of the sword, though such fantastical feats would prove difficult for most to replicate.
Whetstone
Whetstones are portable grinding stones used to sharpen most bladed weapons, save for a samurai’s katana and wakizashi, which must be sharpened by an accomplished weaponsmith or professional polisher.
Even the fiercest warrior cannot get by with arms and armor alone, and humans use many tools to make their lives more comfortable, edifying, and enjoyable. Rokugani samurai often carry some of the following items, depending on their specific needs, duties, and passions
Bottle of Sake
Sake, a wine made from fermented rice, is popular throughout Rokugan and is readily available at any inn. The quality of sake varies widely depending on the maker and the seller.
Bowyer's Kit
A bowyer’s kit is a small tool kit used to maintain bows and arrows. It typically includes a selection of small hand tools, spare string, some feathers, wax, bamboo fibers, arrowheads, and other items needed to keep a bow and arrows in working order.
Calligraphy Set
These ornate boxes contain items a practiced calligrapher needs to craft books, letters, scrolls, and other written communications. It consists of a small wooden box that contains a variety of brushes, inkstones, and pigments; a small bowl for water; and a small bag of sand for drying. Calligraphers and scribes customarily carry a calligraphy set, as so do some samurai and courtiers who prefer to write their own correspondence.
Chopsticks
Chopsticks are the primary Rokugani eating utensils. Sold in pairs, these slender utensils are normally made of wood or bamboo, although some wealthy individuals use chopsticks of ivory, bone, or metal instead.
Daishō Stand
This is a small, collapsible wooden stand used to dis-play a samurai’s daishō. There is a particular etiquette to displaying the daishō on a rack that speaks to an individual’s ease or readiness to fight. If the swords are displayed with their pommels facing right, this means that the individual is ready to fight, as they can easily draw the swords from the rack with their right hand. If they are displayed with the pommels facing left, this means that the individual is less ready to fight but still guarded. If the pommels are facing left and the tsuba are on the inside of the rack arm, making drawing the swords impossible in one motion, this means that the individual is completely at ease.
Dice and Cup
These are used to play a variety of dice games through-out Rokugan. Gambling is extremely popular in the Emerald Empire, but it is largely frowned upon by samurai. Organized gambling is controlled largely by various criminal syndicates and is often a source of corruption among local officials.
Divination Kit
Popular among both superstitious peasants and the mystical shugenja, divination kits are used to tell the future or otherwise commune with the Spirit Realms. A divination kit may contain special coins, sticks, bones, or other small items with metaphysical import. Diviners use these kits by casting their coins or sticks on the ground and reading the patterns they create for any omens or portents.
Finger of Jade
A finger of jade is a length of the precious green stone worn about the neck on a thong to ward off the corrupting effects of the Taint. Bit by bit, the finger of jade is consumed by this process.
Games
These are small, portable, sturdy versions of games made to be taken on long journeys. Go, shōgi, and other games popular among bushi and courtiers are the ones most likely to be found in a travel-sized set, but there are as many different types of travel games as there are full-sized versions.
Kubi Bukuro
These are simple net bags used to carry the severed head of an enemy, which is considered both a trophy and a good omen. Lion Clan samurai use them to carry their trophies without touching dead flesh, but the Kuni family uses them for collecting samples of Shadowlands creatures for study.
Lucky Cricket
Very popular among the Mantis Clan, a small live crick-et in an ornate metal cage is thought to bring good fortune to whomever carries it.
Medicine Kit
This is a simple first aid kit that contains all the necessary items to treat many kinds of injuries. A typical kit contains needle and thread, cloth bandages, herbal disinfectants, various balms and tinctures, and other healing items.
Musical Instrument
Rokugani musical traditions are rich and varied. Many people in the Empire can at least pick out a simple tune on a flute or drum. Instruments also include the shamisen, biwa, and koto. Many courtiers carry an instrument to display their talents, and drums are popular among the samurai class for signaling troops and sending messages.
Omamori
Omamori are protective charms, sold at many shrines across the Emerald Empire, often in the form of a small envelope or bag containing a written or inscribed prayer to a particular kami (often one of the great For-tunes, but occasionally others). Most examples provide protection against ill fortune of a specific variety such as illness or accidents, or encourage good luck in some sphere, such as farming, travel, or marriage, but are never put to the test in any rigorous manner—the kami move by paths unseen by mortal eyes, after all, and it is hard to determine if a talisman was truly responsible for one’s safety.
Shugenja and other powerful servants of the kami are capable of creating especially efficacious protective charms. These frequently contain appeals to the seven Great Fortunes, but can also offer other protections by appealing to different powers.
Personal Seal or Chop
A personal chop is used by samurai to verify their identity and sign documents, among other official business. Each one is a unique design that is registered with the Miya family. Using another samurai’s chop is considered both an insult and a serious crime.
Pillow Book
This is a small, loosely bound, cheaply made book written in a genre some samurai consider insufficiently serious, such as romance, adventure, or poetry. A pillow book can also be an account of a famous person’s life or an adaptation of a diary. Occasionally, important literary or academic works are converted to pillow books to make them more portable
Poison (One Vial)
In the courts of the Emerald Empire, the wheels of politics are sometimes turned by unsavory means. Members of the Scorpion Clan are certainly not above using poison to weaken or eliminate political rivals—not that one could ever prove their culpability—and many samurai turn to such measures in times of desperation or fear.
Noxious Poison: A catchall term for a wide variety of deadly compounds (many of which have perfectly legitimate uses in medicine and other trades), these sorts of poisons often act by attacking the heart, organs, or brain directly.
Fire Biter: A poison that wracks victims with searing pain, fire biter is easily identified by its bitter taste, which makes it difficult to disguise its presence in food or drink.
Night Milk: A favorite of the Shosuro family, night milk is a dizzying concoction that must be injected or otherwise delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Quiver
A quiver is a cloth or leather container used to carry arrows. Worn at the waist or slung over the shoulder, a standard quiver can hold sixty or more arrows. There are also quivers or equivalent carrying pouches for crossbow quarrels, blowgun darts, stones, and other ammunition, and they function in the same manner
Rope
Rope is made from a variety of materials and is used for tasks as varied as binding enemies, restraining live-stock, climbing, and rigging sailing vessels. Low-quality ropes are made of hemp and tend to be both rough and stiff. Higher-quality ropes are made of hair, silk, or more exotic fibers.
Sake Cup
These are small wood, porcelain, or metal cups used for drinking sake. In many areas of the Empire, it is customary for a guest to bring their own cup to gatherings and official functions. Wealthy or influential people tend to carry ornately decorated cups made from expensive materials to better impress fellow drinkers.
Spices
Spices are important both for flavoring food and as a trade commodity throughout Rokugan. While some important varieties are native to the Emerald Empire, such as wasabi and sanshō pepper, many are import-ed from abroad. Depending on their provenance and rarity, spices can be extremely expensive. Much blood has been spilled by various factions in attempts to control the spice trade.
Sweets
These are candies, small cakes, and other confections that are popular during the Empire’s many festival seasons. Typical Rokugani sweets are made from bean curd or honeyed rice, but a few gaijin treats made from exotic and foreign ingredients are produced here and there throughout Rokugan. This is especially true in the Unicorn lands.
Tattoo Needles
Extremely popular among the Dragon Clan, these are steel or bamboo needles used to apply tattoos. Tattoo needles are ordinarily part of a kit that includes needles, various pigments, and other tools used by tattoo artists in their work. Widespread not only in the Drag-on Clan, tattoos are also prevalent among the Empire’s numerous criminal cartels, which use them both to identify members of specific cartels and to record individuals’ criminal exploits.
Tea Set (Portable)
The tea ceremony is exceptionally important in Rokugani society. These small, portable tea sets are designed to withstand rough handling and travel. They allow samurai to enjoy the harmony and relaxation of the tea ceremony even when they are far from home
Tent (Chomchong)
Chomchong are large, elaborate, portable homes popular with the Unicorn Clan. Sturdy and well protected from the elements, these tents can accommodate up to a dozen people in relative comfort. They are also used to house small noble families in as much luxury as can be afforded in the field. Chomchong take quite a bit of time to set up and tear down, and carrying them requires several oxen and a large wagon.
Tent (Small)
These basic shelters are just big enough to keep two individuals warm and dry in the wilderness. They are extremely easy to set up and take down, pack down relatively small, and can be carried on a person’s back, in a cart, or slung over a horse.
Tent (Yurt)
Bigger than basic tents but not as big or luxurious as chomchong, yurts were brought to Rokugan from the far-off steppes by the Unicorn Clan. Made from thick leather or canvas with a felt floor, a yurt can house a group of four indefinitely in relative comfort. They are heavy and awkward to build or take down, and require either a horse or oxen dedicated to carting them around.
Traveling Pack
An assortment of items carried within a furoshiki, or decorative wrapping cloth. Traveling packs consist of the following:Blanket, bowl, chop-sticks, four days of travel rations, flint and tinder, and usually have room for three other small items
Traveling Rations
Traveling rations consist of a mix of preserved foods sufficient to keep an individual fed and healthy while on the road. They typically consist of a mix of dried fish, rice balls wrapped in paper, water or tea, pickled vegetables, and other hardy foods that can withstand expo-sure to the elements.
Umbrella
Normally made of wicker and silk, umbrellas keep both the sun and the rain off of those who carry them. Stories tell of umbrellas being used as improvised weapons by masters of the sword, though such fantastical feats would prove difficult for most to replicate.
Whetstone
Whetstones are portable grinding stones used to sharpen most bladed weapons, save for a samurai’s katana and wakizashi, which must be sharpened by an accomplished weaponsmith or professional polisher.