The New Winds

Forbidden Beliefs
Shintao is not the only faith practiced in Rokugan. Cults to Lord Moon, who hates all mortals, seek to empower him and hasten his judgment upon his children. Blood-speakers, organized users of blood magic, work to free Iuchiban from his bindings. The selfish who seek power turn to curses and bargains with oni. The world is filled with many dangers, and the Spirit Realms are no exception

Dark Shrines, Noble Goals
Not all spirits are benevolent. Some, like the dreaded oni, come from Jigoku to sow evil in Ningen-dō, the Realm of Mortals. Others are victims of imbalance, like the cursed dragon P’an Ku, who became trapped in Ningen-dō. Still others, like the dreaded Fortune of Pes-tilence, are simply performing their duty.

Such dreadful spirits are to be feared and held in reverence, just like any other. Clans maintain shrines to malicious spirits as well as good, and offerings are still made at their altars. Such shrines are common through-out the Empire. The Doji keep the largest of the Fortune of Pestilence’s shrines, and a portion of every major crop is burned at Ekibyōgami’s altar so that he will not seek his dues himself. In Dragon lands, the Agasha tend shrines to Tōshigoku and Gaki-dō in order to balance the benevolent shrines hon-oring Meido and Tengoku. Some may ask why anyone would keep cursed shrines, but some forces cannot be defeated, merely appeased. It is better that they dwell in a cursed shrine than roam the world free!

Enshrining The Foul
Hidden in the world, there exist secret shrines honoring spirits that are the enemies of the Celestial Order or all humankind. These are maintained by heretical cults devoted to dark forces. Such a cult might be nihilistically self-destructive, devoted to a corrupt-ed philosophy, or simply desperate and disillusioned with the way of the Fortunes. Such shrines are wildly disrup-tive to the natural harmony and a direct threat to Rokugan’s spiritual well-being. Their existence is a shame to any clan that harbors them, and they should be eradicated on sight.

Corrupted Shrines
When a shrine falls into disrepair, the enshrined spirit flees, or a blighting element is brought into the sacred space and allowed to fester, a once-benevolent shrine may become corrupted. This also happens when a realm of punishment, such as Tōshigoku or Gaki-dō, takes hold of the shrine grounds and supersedes Ningen-dō. When this occurs, the spirits of those realms take the place of the enshrined spirit or turn it into a malicious entity

Corrupted shrines are insidiously indistinguishable from normal shrines, except to those who can sense the corruption. Dust motes hang in the stale air, the blessed waters seem tepid, and no matter how diligently swept, the shrine never seems clean. The grounds resist consecration, as the Fortunes and ancestors abandon the site. The bound kami are not so lucky, becoming angry at the shrine’s state, or worse, transforming into kansen, malicious spirits Tainted by Jigoku’s influence.

A shrine can fall into disrepair if it is not cared for, but this alone is not enough to corrupt it. The corruption comes from outside the shrine. Sometimes it occurs by accident, such as when a person bypasses the torii arch and enters the grounds unclean.

More often, malicious forces are to blame, such as mahō. A shrine’s descent into corruption can be reversed midway by those who are wary, but once a shrine has fallen entirely, it becomes far more difficult to wipe the stain clean again. If the Shadowlands are involved, it is nearly impossible

Haunted Shrines
Every shrine by its nature is at least partially “haunted,” but by benevolent ghosts. However, the shrines that are called haunted shrines are choked by the grip of malicious spirits, and living beings are driven out. A number of things can cause this, including a botched funeral, an angered ancestor, or, in some cases, the release of a malicious spirit the shrine was intended to imprison. Whatever the cause, such a shrine becomes infested with ghosts, which foil consecrations and drive out its enshrined spirit. This renders the shrine useless, with rippling consequences on harvests, festivals, and blessings.

Fortunes value their shrines, and when one becomes haunted, often its Fortune tries to reclaim it. Earthquakes shake the foundation, floods attempt to wash the ghosts away, or storms erupt to drive the ghosts from the grounds. These attempts always cause collateral damage to nearby settlements, and the For-tune is not always successful in removing stubborn ghosts. Thus, it is in a shugenja’s best interest to exorcize such a shrine, sparing innocent lives and winning the favor of the Fortune in the process. Of course, such a feat is easier said than done, as few ghosts can be combated directly. Many must instead be appeased

Shadowlands Shrines
The most vile, profane shrines are those erected by mahō-tsukai for oni or kansen. Kept far from civilization, these shrines empower Jigoku’s forces, creating places that attract kansen and where oni may manifest. The Shadowlands’ corrupting touch can be felt here, and those who worship at the profane altar leave Tainted.

In these shrines, corruption and filth is desired, so dirty elements like bone or blood are incorporated into the architecture. Living beings may be entombed in the foundation, their torturous suffering giving birth to otherworldly guardians in service to the enshrined demon.

The purpose of these shrines is to create a power base for mahō-tsukai. In the shrine, they conduct their dark rituals undetected and experiment with kansen. An enshrined oni might be safely lobbied for an audience and bargained with; a supplicant might even offer the oni their own name in exchange for a fragment of its power. In such shrines, sinister libraries of forbidden knowledge lie beneath the twisted spires, while cursed objects wait patiently to be unleashed.

These brooding places are sought out by Kuni Witch Hunters, Phoenix Inquisitors, and members of the Scorpion’s Black Watch, the Kuroiban. When one of these groups encounters a cursed shrine, they put it to the torch and salt its ground. It will be decades before the land can function again, and generations before it can be consecrated—if ever. Nevertheless, these consequences are far preferable to permitting the shrine to exist.

Forbidden Rituals
As the head of Rokugani religion, the Emperor has decreed a number of practices to be heretical. Engaging in any of the following practices is a supreme offense to the Celestial Order and highly treasonous. A Rokugani who embraces one is a living shame to their family, their very existence staining the honor of all who share their name. For attempting any of the following, a person can be killed on sight, erased from clan records, and forgotten by their descendants. Yet, those who are willing to risk such things in exchange for vengeance are seemingly without number.

Curses
A curse is any recurring misfortune caused by super-natural forces. A curse may be caused by a spirit, which follows the cursed person and invisibly incites calamities, or it may be tied to a person’s karma, manifesting whenever specific behaviors occur. Powerful curses can last generations, afflicting everyone in the cursed person’s bloodline. Because most methods for cursing others are rooted in folklore and superstition, they are not derived from the writings of shugenja. Therefore, they lie outside the realm of Rokugani religion and are not sanctioned practices.

Folk tales suggest numerous ways to inflict a curse, such as by driving nails into a tree on which the target’s likeness is drawn during the Hour of the Ox, or leaving the ashes of one’s hearth sprinkled at their doorstep several nights running. However, most curses involve making a deal with a trickster spirit or ancestor.

A shugenja’s curses are among the most feared. Since they can directly bargain with spirits, the curs-es tend to be more potent. These curses affect the very karma of the target and could last forever. A well-known example is the curse of the Yogo family. For thwarting him, Fu Leng cursed Yogo’s entire line. Members of the Yogo family are cursed to betray the one they love most. They can never tell when the curse will manifest, nor how minor or great the betrayal will be, but a thousand years and many generations later, the curse still affects every Yogo.

In the eighth century, the Grand Master of the Elements arrived at Kakita Palace to find the gates closed. Insulted, he laid a curse on the gates: any child born within the palace while the gates were closed would doom the family if they ever drew steel. To avoid the curse, the family has ordered that the gates be left perpetually open. Nevertheless, a few unfortunates have been born in the palace while the gates were closed. Such Kakita are not taught the ways of their family and are forbidden to even touch a blade.

Mahō
The most profane practice is known as mahō, or “blood magic.” Explicitly forbidden, mahō invokes kansen, kami that are corrupted by the Shadowlands Taint, and calls upon the forces of Jigoku itself to aid the caster. By practicing this art, a person can raise the dead, summon demons, inflict curses, and obtain favors from evil spirits. Every time mahō is invoked, it attracts Jigoku’s forces and invites the Realm of Evil into Ningen-dō

One does not need the shugenja’s gift to use mahō. Instead, one offers the correct prayer to Fu Leng, fol-lowed by an offering of fresh blood, either one’s own or someone else’s. Blood is an unclean substance that stains the spirit, but for Jigoku, it is the essence of mortal life and the supreme offering. By giving their own blood, mahō-tsukai compel kansen to commit profane acts, and by utilizing blood rituals, they embrace the vile gifts of the Shadowlands Taint.

As an animal that has tasted human blood will for-ever crave it, so are users of mahō compelled to call upon it again and again. The power offered by mahō is great, but the cost is an addiction to power, harboring the Taint, and, ultimately, service to Fu Leng

Name Giving
Blood is not the only offering the denizens of Jigoku prize. There is also power in a mortal’s name. Oni are born formless, shapeless, and without identity. Because they come from a profane place, they have no name to call their own. Instead, they take the names of mortals. This increases an oni’s power a hundredfold.

There are those who would trade their name in exchange for some of an oni’s power. Because a samurai’s name belongs to their ancestors, this is a terrible betrayal of their bloodline. The name becomes forever besmirched, and even writing it could draw forth misfortune and uncleanliness. In exchange for the name, the oni becomes linked to the name giver. The name giver obtains the powers of the oni and can summon it at any time. Each can hear the thoughts of the other, and they must heed each other. Nothing can break this bond except the banishment of the oni or—if the name-giver is fortunate—death