Reference: Shadowlands Taint

[Vutall]

The Shadowlands Taint
The Shadowlands Taint is the corruptive infl uence of Jigoku on the mortal world. It seeps into the world through various spirit gateways – most notably and fearsomely, the Festering Pit in the center of the Shadowlands – and spreads relentlessly through Ningen-do, infecting the living, re-animating the dead, perverting and distorting plants and animals, even the very soil and water. Rokugan fi rst encountered the terrible power of the Taint during the First War, when Fu Leng’s legions of oni, goblins, and other horrors spread it into the Empire. In the countless centuries since then, the Rokugani – especially the Crab, who face its power every day – have come to know the Taint far better than they would ever have wished. Early generations of Rokugani shugenja and scholars speculated that the Taint was a “sixth element” in the world – the element of Corruption – and that it sought to consume the other five. In more recent years they have come to a somewhat more sophisticated understanding, recognizing the Taint as the contamination of Jigoku, the Realm of Evil.

The Taint behaves much like an infection or disease, spreading through contact and infestation, but it possesses a will and purpose that no real illness can match. As the direct manifestation of Jigoku, its goal is to corrupt everything it touches, and it subverts the mind and soul just as readily as the body. And unlike a normal disease, the Taint is almost impossible to get rid of – once its touch has corrupted something, it remains forever after, growing steadily and eating away at the purity of its victims. Living creatures infected by the Taint succumb to strange mutations, exhibit unnatural strength and eerie powers, and become violent and malicious as the Taint subverts their thoughts and dreams. Corpses suffused with the Taint re-animate as undead abominations, seeking to destroy everything around them. Nor is the natural world safe from the Taint.

As it spreads, Jigoku’s contamination replaces the natural kami, the innate spirits of the material world, with twisted and malignant kansen, evil and Tainted spirits. Plants become swollen, distorted, and malignant, the air fi lls with foul odors and poisonous fumes, the soil itself ceases to support normal life and sprouts only strange and unnatural things. In heavily Tainted areas like the Shadowlands, it actually becomes difficult for shugenja to cast their normal spells, as the kami who answer their prayers become sparse and unresponsive. The Taint can spread in a variety of ways. The simplest is through passive contact. Anything in close proximity to a strong source of Taint will be in danger of acquiring the Taint.

The Festering Pit, a gate directly into Jigoku, is the most powerful source of Taint in the world, and the continual spread of its power has created the dreaded Shadowlands, the realm of evil that lies to the southwest of Rokugan. The Shadowlands is vast, but its power is diffuse, and its spread can be resisted fairly easily. Since the construction of the Kaiu Wall in the eighth century, the Shadowlands’ border has not expanded. The Taint is spread more easily and readily by Tainted creatures, and eruptions of Shadowlands monsters into the Empire can often leave Taint behind. Using forbidden maho spells also causes and spreads Taint, and free-roaming kansen spirits slip through the Empire, trying to find souls who will listen to the Taint’s siren song.

Simple contact with a Tainted object or person can be enough to spread contamination, although the native Earth of living things can resist this infection with some success. Closer contact is more dangerous – actions such as eating or drinking Tainted food and water, getting bitten by a Shadowlands creature or wounded with a Tainted weapon, being splashed with the Tainted blood and ichor of such a creature, or being kissed by a bog hag.

Mechanically, Taint infection is represented by Ranks and Points, similar to the way in which Glory and Honor are tracked, with each Rank divided into 10 Points. When a character accumulates 10 points of Taint, he gains one Rank and his points reset to zero. However, whereas Honor, Glory, and even Status can go up or down as events dictate, Taint generally only goes in one direction: up.

Jade Petal Tea
Notwithstanding its evocative name, Jade Petal Tea does not actually contain jade. Rather, it is an herbal concoction created from a rare type of blossom, cultivated by the Brotherhood of Shinsei in a handful of monasteries. Drinking Jade Petal Tea causes most of the physical and mental symptoms of the Taint (such as discolored skin, bad odor, nightmares, etc) to go into remission, and also temporarily deactivates any Shadowlands Powers the character may have acquired. It does not, however, reverse serious mutations.

So long as a Tainted character faithfully drinks his tea every day these protections will remain in effect. In addition, the character will be much more resistant to any further growth of his Taint. Due to the well-known effects of Jade Petal Tea, those who wish to keep their Taint secret will often go to great lengths to procure it. The Kuni WitchHunters coordinate with the Brotherhood of Shinsei to keep track of who is receiving the tea and ruthlessly hunt down those who smuggle it. In fact, unauthorized possession of Jade Petal Tea is often considered to be proof of Taint.

LIVING WITH THE TAINT
Oddly enough, it is not illegal in Rokugan to be Tainted. It is, however, illegal to conceal it. This is known as “harboring the Taint” and is considered a very serious crime, since anyone with the Taint has the potential to spread it, endangering the rest of the Empire. An individual who is found to be Tainted, or who admits to it, is placed under severe social restrictions, and many such persons commit seppuku immediately to purge the shame of their state from their family line. Those who do not commit seppuku must endure a life of constraint and self-discipline. They are forbidden from marrying or bearing children (lest they spread the Taint), and are generally excluded from visiting court, attending festivals, or otherwise participating in public life. The Crab Clan’s Kuni Witch-Hunters are notifi ed of their condition and visit them regularly to check on their status and make sure their Taint does not grow. In return for all these restrictions, they are permitted to drink Jade Petal Tea – a special herbal infusion that enhances the body’s ability to resist the Taint’s growth.

If a person is found to be severely Tainted – Level 4, or even Lost – they are not allowed to live. Those of the samurai caste will sometimes be offered the chance for seppuku, especially if they still seem to be in control of their own mind, but if they refuse, they are immediately executed, without exception. Concealing the Taint is diffi cult. The more Taint someone has, the more physical mutations and odd behavioral tics they will display. Kuni Witch-Hunters are trained to watch for these symptoms and behaviors, and some of the other Clans also have internal organizations which hunt for evidence of maho and Taint, notably the Phoenix Inquisitors and the Scorpion Kuroiban (Black Watch). Keeping one’s Taint hidden from such observers and avoiding the sort of public breaches of etiquette that can expose the Taint can be quite challenging. Of course, the Taint itself sometimes offers subtle assistance to those who are trying to conceal their secret, granting powers that make contamination easier to hide.

GAINING THE TAINT – ACTIVE INFECTION
The Taint is infectious and malignant, always watching for a chance to spread. Any time a character is exposed to the Taint, however briefly, he must make an Earth roll to resist it. The TN of this roll depends on the severity of the exposure. Passive exposure to a Tainted environment (such as traveling through the Shadowlands without jade) is much less dangerous than direct contact with a Tainted creature, for example. In situations where multiple conditions apply at the same time (such as being bitten by a Tainted creature while within the Shadowlands), roll once using the highest applicable TN. Each time a character fails one of these rolls, he immediately gains 1 point of Taint.

SOURCE OF EXPOSURE TN
Traveling in the Shadowlands without jade (per day) 10
Injured while in the Shadowlands 10
Exposed to Tainted blood/ichor 10
Physical proximity/contact with a heavily Tainted creature 10
Using a Minor Shadowlands Power (where applicable) 15
Injured (bitten/stung/clawed) by a Tainted creature 15
Struck with a Tainted weapon 15
Bearing an Oni Mark (per week) 15
Submerged in Tainted liquid (water or otherwise) 15
Using a Greater Shadowlands Power (where applicable) 20
Eating/drinking Tainted food or water 20
Swallowed alive by an Oni 30


GAINING THE TAINT – GROWTH OF INFECTION
Once a character has the Taint, it will attempt to grow, slowly eating away at his body, mind, and soul. Minor infection can be resisted fairly easily, but the Taint is persistent and never tires, and will seize on any moment of weakness. A character who is Tainted must make periodic Earth rolls to see whether his Taint has managed to grow. The frequency of these rolls, and the TN required, goes up as the Taint becomes stronger, as shown below on table 4.2. Each time such a roll is failed, the character gains 1 additional point of Taint.

TAINT LEVEL CHECK INTERVAL CHECK TN
Seeds of Darkness Once/month 5
Level 1 Once/month 10
Level 2 Once/two weeks 15
Level 3 Once/week 20
Level 4 Once/day 25

A character who is drinking Jade Petal Tea on a daily basis gains a +2k2 bonus to these Earth rolls. Living a life of strict piety, meditation, and moral and physical purity can also make it easier to resist the Taint’s growth, awarding anywhere from a +1k0 to a +3k0 bonus to the Earth rolls, at the GM’s discretion. Many individuals who learn they possess Taint choose to retire to special monasteries, administered by the Brotherhood of Shinsei and regularly visited by the Kuni Witch-Hunters, where they can live pure and simple lives, drink their Jade Petal Tea, and hopefully die without becoming Lost.

PROTECTION FROM THE TAINT
The chief protection against the Taint is the sacred substance known as jade. Formed from the tears of Lady Sun at the dawn of creation, jade possesses intrinsic powers of purity that resist the influence of Jigoku. A character who carries a piece of jade on his person gains a +10 bonus to all rolls to resist gaining the Taint. Likewise, touching jade to a potentially Tainted wound within a minute of the injury will award a +10 bonus to a roll made to resist being Tainted.

Jade does not protect against growth of Taint which the character already has. Furthermore, over time as jade absorbs more and more of the Taint, its protective qualities fade. It turns soft and brittle, discolors, and finally becomes corrupt and foul, eventually dissolving into black sludge. Crab bushi who go into the Shadowlands normally carry small pieces of jade to protect themselves and their food and drink from the realm’s background Taint. These are referred to colloquially as “fingers of jade” and are considered standard issue equipment for anyone venturing into the Shadowlands.

A finger of jade will normally last for one week, and the Crab seldom venture into Fu Leng’s realm for longer than that. Multiple fingers of jade can extend the time, but since both are absorbing the Taint at the same time, they do not extend the duration by a full week each. Ultimately, there is an upper limit on how long jade can protect someone from the Shadowlands, as shown below

NUMBER OF FINGERS LENGTH OF PROTECTION
1 7 days
2 13 days
3 16 days
4 19 days
5 21 days
6 or more 22 days

EFFECTS OF THE TAINT
The Taint is the manifestation of Jigoku’s power, and as such, it seeks always to spread the nature of the Realm of Evil – to spread violence, hate, terror, pain, and destruction. It twists and mutates everything it touches, perverts every urge and desire into the worst imaginable outcome, destroys life and empowers death. Living creatures who are badly Tainted begin to exhibit unpleasant mutations – skin turns pale, hair falls out or becomes coarse or greasy – and as the Taint grows these mutations become more and more grotesque. Even worse are the mental and spiritual symptoms. Those who are Tainted begin to feel violent and sickening urges, hearing voices in their minds that urge them to evil and destruction. Eventually, if left unchecked the Taint will wholly consume its victims, turning them into terrible monsters Those who have studied the Taint, chiefly the Kuni family of the Crab Clan, have learned to recognize its symptoms and effects. They describe six levels of Taint infection, ranging from minor passive infection – almost undetectable – to the final dissolution that they refer to as being “Lost.”

LEVELS OF TAINT INFECTION
LEVEL 0: SEEDS OF DARKNESS
A character who has less than one full Rank of Taint is not actually considered to be Tainted. Such minor levels of infection show no symptoms, and cannot be detected by any known means – even spells like Jade Strike that specifically target Tainted individuals will not harm a person at this minor level of infection. At worst, the victim might experience a few bad dreams.

LEVEL 1: PASSIVE INFECTION
Any character who has at least one full Rank of Taint, but whose Taint has not reached Rank 2 or higher, is considered to be at Level 1 infection. At this level, actual symptoms are still minimal – the character will experience occasional nightmares, for example, and will sometimes feel sickly or tired. However, jade will now burn the character’s skin, and Taint targeting spells such as Jade Strike and Ward of Purity will now affect him.

LEVEL 2: ACTIVE INFECTION
Once a character’s Taint Rank reaches Rank 2 or higher, he is considered to be actively manifesting the Taint. He will begin to experience a variety of unsettling physical and mental symptoms, such as nightmares, nausea and vomiting, muscle tremors, and mild hallucinations. His skin may become pale, he may experience sudden sweats or chills, or he may develop excessive body odor. He gains one Shadowlands Power of the GM’s choice (typically Minor, but can be Major if the GM prefers).

LEVEL 3: CONSUMING
When a character’s Taint Rank reaches Rank 3 or higher, the Taint begins to consume and transform his identity and nature. The character becomes increasingly paranoid and angry, seeing enemies everywhere. He will begin to hear whispering voices, urging him to unnatural or violent acts. Physical symptoms can include infected gums, bad vision, hair turning coarse or starting to fall out, thick horny fingernails, and so forth. He now suffers a –1k0 penalty to all social Skill rolls, and gains a Shadowlands mutation, along with an additional Shadowlands Power (Minor or Major). Mutations and powers are the GM’s choice in all cases.

LEVEL 4: DEADLY
When a character’s Taint Rank reaches Rank 4 or higher, the Taint has nearly claimed him. At this point, he is an active focus of infection, capable of spreading the Taint to others through contact or sustained proximity. He may develop unnatural and blasphemous tastes, such as a desire for raw meat or a fascination with dead bodies, and begins to feel a powerful urge to travel to the Shadowlands. Physical symptoms become worse and worse, and can include blackened gums, deeply sunken eyes, coughing blood, and worse. The maddening voices of kansen fill his mind night and day. In any confrontation or stressful situation, he must make a Willpower roll at TN 15 or react with violence. By contrast, the call of Honor and proper behavior becomes increasingly hard to answer – he suffers a –2k0 penalty to all social Skill rolls. (If the GM is using the optional “Honor Rolls” rule, he also suffers a -2k2 penalty to all Honor rolls.) His connection with the Elements also falters, and his maximum Void Points are reduced by 1, although his Void Ring does not change. The character gains one additional Shadowlands mutation and two more Shadowlands powers, chosen by the GM. At this level, concealing the Taint becomes extremely difficult, and if it is discovered, the character will typically be forced to commit seppuku, or else simply executed as a lethal threat to the Empire. Some Kuni have been known to dissect commoners who are discovered at this level of corruption in order to learn more about the Taint’s effects.

LEVEL 5: LOST
Typically, as soon as a character’s Taint Rank reaches Rank 5 or higher he is considered Lost, completely consumed by the Taint. However, characters of exceptional strength may be able to hold out slightly longer. If the character has at least one Ring at Rank 6 or higher, he is not Lost until he reaches Taint Rank 7. Regardless, once a character becomes Lost he is the property of Jigoku, and if he dies his soul will be sent to the Realm of Evil to be tortured and probably devoured by oni. While he still lives, his mind and body are utterly suffused with Jigoku’s malignant power and will. Several things, none of them good, can happen when a character becomes Lost. Sometimes the Taint completely overwhelms the body, which proceeds to mutate out of control. This is especially likely to happen to someone who becomes Lost while in the Shadowlands or close to another major source of Taint, as the continual flow of Taint into the body completely destroys it. In such cases the body gruesomely and agonizingly disintegrates, turning into a mass of twitching distorting flesh, finally ending as a puddle of lifeless sludge. If the victim is spared this grisly fate he may simply go utterly and permanently mad, becoming an uncontrolled, bestial predator who attacks everything nearby – the so-called “screaming madmen” of the Shadowlands. Such fallen men and women lose their Void Ring completely.

All their mental Traits are reduced to 1. Their Taint is permanently set at their highest Trait. Mechanically they are now considered Shadowlands creatures, and are governed by the Creature rules from the Book of Void.

On somewhat rarer occasions, however, Jigoku may find use (or amusement) in allowing its victims to retain their memories and knowledge even as it subverts the remnants of their personality to the cause of evil. It is these latter beings, capable of subtle planning and organization in the cause of evil, which Rokugani typically refer to as “the Lost” (or sometimes as Akutsukai, servants of evil). Those who become Lost retain their Void Ring but no longer possess any Void Points. Their Taint continues to grow normally (until it reaches the ultimate maximum of Rank 10) but they no longer have the ability to “embrace the Taint” to enhance their physical rolls (see below). Instead, they now continuously add their Taint Rank to the total of all their rolls that use physical Traits.

They gain 0-3 additional mutations, 0-5 additional Minor Shadowlands Powers, and 0-3 Greater Shadowlands Powers, at the discretion of the GM. They can gain additional mutations and powers later if the GM thinks it appropriate. The Lost are often mistakenly perceived as being self-willed. In fact, although they retain intelligence and self-awareness, their desires, beliefs, and intentions have been completely transformed by Jigoku. Thus even though they may seemingly retain the same personality they possessed before they became Lost, they are completely evil entities, incapable of doing or thinking anything that goes against Jigoku’s quest for corruption, cruelty, and death. In game terms the Lost are NPCs, since they no longer have true volition or self-will. Encountering one of these Lost who was once a friend or family member is a deeply horrifying experience, and most Rokugani attempt to destroy such blasphemies immediately.

CALLING ON THE POWER OF JIGOKU
Part of what makes the Taint so sinister and seductive is that it can seem to offer benefits to those who have it. The most obvious of these is the unnatural physical strength, speed, and endurance which the Taint grants to those who embrace its power. Anyone with at least Level 1 infection will be able to sense a new power within themselves, a strength begging to be used. A Tainted character may call on Jigoku’s power at any time. He will not necessarily realize what he is doing, or where this unexpected strength is coming from – he simply reaches for this new power instinctively. Wise samurai are cautious of such gifts, but even the noblest warrior may succumb to temptation in moments of desperation. The ever-pragmatic Crab have been known to actively take advantage of this gift, forming special carefully-supervised assault units from their Tainted bushi, turning the very power of the Taint against the Shadowlands. A character may “embrace the Taint” on any die-roll that uses a physical Trait (that is, any roll that uses Strength, Agility, Refl exes, or Stamina, but not damage rolls). Any time he does this, he immediately gains 1 point of Taint, but in return, he gains a +1k1 bonus to the roll. A character may, if he wishes, spend a Void point on the same roll (if otherwise legal). Those who have become Lost are no longer capable of gaining this bonus, but instead continuously add their Taint Rank to the total of all rolls they make using physical Traits. Of course, the formidable array of Shadowlands Powers they can access also make them far more powerful than those who have not yet succumbed to the Taint.

SHADOWLANDS POWERS AND MUTATIONS
Those who succumb to the Taint begin to exhibit both physical mutations – often quite grotesque ones – and to display strange and terrifying powers. Shadowlands powers and mutations manifest as a character’s Taint level increases. The GM should typically choose appropriate ones according to the nature and desires of the character, since the Taint always seeks to offer the temptation of power to its victims. Employing the powers granted by the Shadowlands usually results in gaining more Taint. Any Shadowlands power that has a incident-specific or activated effect (such as gaining a bonus to resist magic with Above the Elements, or moving farther than normally possible with Uncanny Speed) requires the user to make an Earth roll to avoid gaining another point of Taint. Powers that create a continuous effect, such as Blessing of the Dark One, do not require such rolls. In cases of ambiguity, the GM has final discretion on whether using a particular Shadowlands power requires a Taint roll. It should be noted that the list of powers and mutations here is by no means exhaustive. The GM should feel free to create additional mutations and powers according to the needs of the game. Examples of additional mutations could include foul breath, hairlessness, premature aging, or discolored/unnatural fingernails.