The New Winds

Blessed Treasures
Most blessed treasures are nemuranai—awakened items that to level the playing field when confronting the evils of the Shadowlands. Others are items and concoctions that use jade or obsidian in their makeup. All blessed items should be rare and hard to come by, and especially in the case of weapons, samurai must prove themselves worthy to wield them. After all, if a samurai falls while wielding such an item against the minions of Fu Leng, it could be lost forever!

Nemuranai, meaning “unsleeping” in reference to the object’s kami, are miraculous artifacts of spiritual power. They are items that, through centuries of use, miraculous origins, or other incredible events, have attained power and even a degree of awareness.

The Impermanence of Jade and Obsidian
All Crab know what happens to jade in the presence of the Taint: it slowly turns from vivid emerald to soft, black sludge. In the Shadowlands, this process appears barely noticeable close to the Wall, but as a person carrying jade moves deeper into that corrupted land, the deterioration becomes fast-er with each league traveled. The blackness might first appear where the jade touched a Tainted creature, from within like a cancerous growth, or as a network of fine lines that grow thicker each day. Legends say that jade near the Festering Pit is consumed so rapidly that the progression can be witnessed like the sun setting into darkness

Some scholars, such as Kuni shugenja, study these remains, seeking out any useful properties they might contain. Most samurai, though, merely dispose of the material as they would dirt clinging to their sandals.

What few know is that obsidian also perishes, though in this case, it is from exposure to sacred lands. It most commonly transforms into black smoke that drifts away into the air, but its effects upon those who wield it may last a lifetime.

Using Jade and Obsidian
While many objects use jade and obsidian in these materials’ unaltered forms (such as the fingers of jade issued as basic provisions for patrols into the Shadowlands), some artisans craft jade and obsidian into items of greater potency. Even simple additions of these blessed materials to weapons can turn common katana into powerful forces against Tainted beings.

One common tactic is coating a weapon in oil and then dipping it in powdered jade. This bestows jade properties onto ordinary weapons, albeit temporarily. This can be done with obsidian powder as well to similar effect, but because obsidian is connected to Lord Moon and known to attract negative emotions, most are loath to resort to it.

Another method is affixing written blessings to the weapon or ammunition, especially arrows. Selections from the Lotus Sūtra, which are believed to be too pure for oni to endure, are commonly used for this purpose, as are Fortunist writings, especially excerpts from the Sun Goddess’s doctrine

Treasures Of The Crab
The following are but a sample of items from Crab lore that are part of that clan’s struggle against the denizens of the Shadowlands and the effects of the Taint—or that others use to further their own desires for power.

The Jade Cups of Taira
Most of the disgraced rōnin Taira’s creations are lost and forgotten, but his jade cups are still remembered. These appear as ordinary sake cups, but upon closer inspection, their interior is almost invisibly lined with white jade. It is not known how many Taira made, but now and again, one appears in a market or among a daimyō’s prized possessions. Rumor says the jade cups are even a nemuranai

Jade Petal Tea
One of the only medicines known to combat the Taint, jade petal tea is not a true tea, but instead a tincture made from rice shōchū and a special flower known as a jade lotus. These flowers are grown in Crab lands using water infused with jade powder, resulting in edible petals containing the jade’s spiritual properties. The considerable time and expense involved makes jade petal tea a rare medicine. When consumed, grants temporary resistance to the Shadowlands Taint and suppresses its effects.

Kuni Wardens carefully control production and distribution of the tea and maintain records of all in the Emerald Empire to whom they provide it to. This is done both to monitor its effects on those suffering from the Taint and to ensure there are no Tainted individuals outside of their records. There are frequent attempts to steal tea supplies, and the Kuni are ruthless in tracking down and punishing anyone caught with illicit quantities

Kishu: The Oni-Cutting Sword
To prove their worthiness, Hida tasked Hiruma, Kuni, and Kaiu with the destruction of Hajimeno Tatakai no Oni. To this end, Kaiu created Kishu, known colloquially as the “Oni-Cutting Sword.” Designed for a left-handed warrior, the iron of this ancient tachi is blended with powdered jade. It cuts through oni armor, no matter how thick. Kishu has been lost in the Shadowlands, some believe it still sleeps in fallen Daylight Castle

Obsidian Ink
Obsidian inksticks, which contain pulverized obsidian in addition to the usual ingredients, are insidiously visually identical to ordinary inksticks. When mixed with water on an inkstone, the resulting obsidian ink temporarily bestows the spiritual properties of obsidian on any scroll, canvas, or other surface. But when blood is used instead of water, the resulting ink attracts kansen and imbues mahō rituals with even greater power.