Because they are members of the kuge, the senior nobility of the Empire, the Imperial families stand apart from the bulk of the samurai, the buke. This distinction is expressed in a variety of ways. Most obviously, the Imperial families have a degree of access to the Emperor and the senior Imperial authorities, such as the Emerald Champion, Imperial Advisor, and Imperial Chancellor, that the Great Clans can only envy. They tend to have few lands and holdings, but those they do have are protected by standing Imperial decree from attack or seizure by the clans. When addressed, a member of one of the Imperial families is always entitled to be addressed by the honorific -sama, regardless of the status of the speaker. Also regardless of the
relative status of a samurai and a member of an Imperial family, the latter is always treated with the same respect and consideration that would be given to a higher-status samurai. However, these rules don’t apply if the other samurai in question is another member of an Imperial family, a senior Imperial official, or of course, the Emperor.
Families:
Miya: +1 Reflexes +0.5 Status
The Miya family is the youngest of the Imperial families, formed only after the passing of the first Hantei. Miya, a loyal follower of Otomo, was a young, quick-witted and charming man who quickly became a favorite among those close to the Emperor. When the war against Fu Leng was finally won, it was Miya who brought the news of the victory to the first Hantei, who lay dying. The Emperor commanded Miya to continue spreading the news of the war’s end across the Empire. As he did so, he and his retainers assisted the war-ravaged Empire in rebuilding, leaving a sense of hope and purpose in their wake. When he returned to Otosan Uchi a hero, the wily Otomo saw an opportunity. He convinced the new Emperor, Hantei Genji, to allow Miya—still Otomo’s loyal follower—to found his own family, and a new Imperial family was born.
The Miya have always been the smallest of the Imperial families, and the one with the least direct influence on and access to the Throne. They are, however, generally beloved across the Empire, so they wield their own brand of influence. Miya Heralds carry the edicts and pronouncements of the Emperor across the Empire, while Miya Cartographers survey the lands in order to create maps that properly delineate the various holdings of the clans. The Miya are, therefore, generally welcomed and trusted by all of the clans, which means they have acceptance in places that would view a Seppun or an Otomo much more warily.
This allows the Miya to act as the dispassionate eyes and ears of the Imperials, noting and recording events affecting the Empire with a minimum of bias and reporting them back to the Emperor and the other Imperial families. Their relatively guileless and open nature allows the Miya an unparalleled degree of access across Rokugan while also ensuring that they remain reasonably unscathed during their travels among the clans.
In terms of other roles in the Empire, the Miya are frequently found among the ranks of the Imperial Legions and the Emerald Magistrates. Their reputation for loyalty to the Emperor and impartiality in their dealings with others serves them in good stead in both of these stations. For the same reason, members of the Miya family are often found serving as arbitrators and judges, overseeing matters ranging from simple disputes over land and property, to sanctioned and formal duels between samurai, to complex trials over serious transgressions of Imperial law. It should also be noted that one particular Imperial office, that of the Imperial Herald, is a hereditary one traditionally held by the Miya family daimyō.
A final important role played by the Miya is the delivery of the Emperor’s Blessing, the name by which Miya’s original journey through the Empire came to be known. The Blessing is now a formal event of rebuilding and repair, an annual activity of carpenters and craftspeople drafted for the purpose and deployed to whatever places in the Empire are deemed to most need it. This typically includes areas affected by the aftermath of war or natural disaster. Competition to receive the benefices of the Blessing is fierce among the clans, but its final deployment remains solely at the discretion of the Emperor, in consultation with the Miya daimyō.
Otomo: +1 Intelligence +0.5 Status
The Otomo family was the second Imperial family to be founded, after the Seppun. The original Otomo, the younger son of a great tribal warlord, was glib, clever, and subtle. Thanks to his formidable powers of persuasion and manipulation, he was an expert at defusing conflicts that threatened to destroy his tribe. His wit and cunning soon proved of enormous value to the Kami Hantei as he sought to unite the disparate people of the nascent Empire of Rokugan. Otomo was instrumental in establishing the Miya family as an Imperial family, a move that only enhanced his standing in the young Imperial Court. His subtle and indirect approach to not only politics, but just about every aspect of life, has been the hallmark of the Otomo family ever since.
The particular role of the Otomo family in the Empire is to sow discord among the clans. Several times throughout the Empire’s history, conspirators sought to gain control over the Throne. In order to prevent the clans from uniting and gaining undue influence— or even seizing control of the Throne altogether—the Otomo employ methods that are often vexatious and harmful, sometimes even to loyal samurai of Rokugan. They are never malicious simply for the sake of it, though. The Otomo recognize a greater good, that of the security of the Throne, and they devote themselves utterly to it. They employ flattery and favors, but don’t hesitate to employ underhanded tactics as well, such as deception, bribery, and blackmail.
Many samurai consider such ruthless and unabashedly manipulative actions to be unworthy of samurai and the Seven Tenets of Bushidō, which they are expected to uphold. However, the Otomo see their role as absolutely essential, preventing the clans from ever coming together against the Throne by keeping them off-balance and, ideally, focused on one another as rivals and even enemies. There is no record of how many inter-clan conflicts during the Empire’s history may have had an Otomo hand nudging it along. The great danger, of course, is that some among the Otomo themselves—also imperfect mortals—may succumb to the temptations of ambition and power. The Otomo, of course, deny that such a failure of duty has ever happened, and they acknowledge that measures are in place to prevent it. It is certain that there are watchers among the watchers, leading some to imagine that life among the Otomo family is constant intrigue and glancing over one’s shoulder, to the point of paranoia. The Otomo do not deny this.
The Otomo fulfill other duties for the Empire as well. Many key positions in the Imperial bureaucracy are filled from the ranks of the Otomo family. The family rivals the Crane as a cultural leader for the Empire. Music, art, and literature created by members of the Otomo family are some of the most influential in Rokugan. Like the Crane, the Otomo realize that every note of every musical composition, every strike of a mallet on a sculpting chisel, and every brushstroke must serve a specific political purpose. To the Otomo, beauty is simply another tool for either gaining power or ensuring that power doesn’t go to those who should not have it.
One important Imperial custom is the adoption of the Otomo name by those younger children of the Emperor who are not expected to inherit the Throne. Following the Ritual of Abdication, such younger Imperial siblings usually join the Otomo family, undergoing gempuku regardless of their age and taking the Otomo name. In this way, the Otomo helped preserve the Hantei bloodline, such that if an Emperor died without an heir, efforts could be made to trace the bloodline back to the most direct Hantei relative. Typically, this would be an Otomo, who would then reverse their abdication and assume the Throne as the new ruler of Rokugan. This is yet another subtle way in which the Otomo maintain their tight grip on power in the Empire.
Seppun: +1 Agility, +0.5 Status
Like the Otomo, the Seppun family can trace its origins to the very dawn of the Empire. When the Kami fell from the Celestial Heavens, the eight who landed together did so at a place that came to be known as Seppun Hill, named for the first mortal to meet with the Kami after their fall, a woman called Seppun. Seppun was so moved by the sudden arrival of the Kami that she offered herself and her followers as servants. The Kami Hantei accepted her offer, making them the first mortal followers of the Kami. As a result, while others may vie for the Emperor’s favor, the Seppun always have it simply by virtue of who they are. While some Seppun are courtiers, and many are functionaries in the Imperial bureaucracy, the Seppun are best known in the Empire as the Emperor’s protectors.
When the divine Kami fell into the Realm of Mortals from the Celestial Heavens, they took on some of the vulnerabilities of mortals. The Seppun therefore took it upon themselves to guard and protect the Kami. This devotion has continued ever since, leading the Seppun to become the foremost defenders of the Emperor. They are therefore always prepared to sacrifice themselves to protect the Emperor. This isn’t simply fanaticism: rather, this is their duty and their very reason to exist in the Celestial Order. To facilitate carrying out their duty, the Seppun have established two basic types of protectors: the Palace Guard, or Seppun Honor Guard, who form the personal bodyguard of the Emperor and protect the Hantei from physical threats, and the Hidden Guard, who guard the Emperor against spiritual and supernatural threats.
The Palace Guard are among the most accomplished warriors in the Empire. All of their considerable skill is focused on a single purpose: protecting the Emperor. Defense and acting as bodyguards are their ultimate purposes, and all of their combat tactics and techniques are designed to that end. Even their great skill in iaijutsu is intended only to allow them to draw their blades quickly against sudden attack, rather than during formal dueling.
The Hidden Guard, on the other hand, is made up of bushi and shugenja who have devoted themselves to understanding the kami and the teachings of Shinsei. They are just as prepared to place themselves between the Emperor and spiritual harm as the Seppun Honor Guard are regarding physical threats. Many members of the Hidden Guard are adept wardmasters capable of crafting durable defenses to guard areas frequented by the Emperor and their family from magical intrusion or attack. There is a close relationship—albeit a very discreet one—between the Hidden Guard and groups such as the Kuni Witch Hunters of the Crab, the Asako Inquisitors of the Phoenix, and the Kuroiban, or Black Watch, of the Scorpion.
Like the Otomo, the Seppun fulfill other roles aside from their primary one of guarding the Emperor. For instance, many members of the Imperial bureaucracy are from the Seppun family. More notable, however, is the devotion of the Seppun to the teachings of Shinsei. The original Seppun, having met Shinsei when he appeared shortly after the Fall of the Kami, became a fervent disciple of the “Little Teacher.” Seppun advocated strongly for the teachings of Shinsei and after her death, her children started four temples venerating his philosophy in various parts of Rokugan. To this day, the Seppun remain among the most devoted adherents of Shinseism and the most fervent guardians of its teachings and records.
The Seppun also maintain a vast Imperial Library, one that is less focused on the facts of history and more on the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of those involved in past events. This Imperial Library contains many poems, stories, plays, journals, and diaries of those who lived at the times when certain historical events were occurring. Such documents are, of course, very subjective, but much can be learned about the people from these sources: how they interacted, how they viewed and subsequently recorded events from their own perspective, and how they judged events of history.
Imperial Schools
Miya Cartographer School [Artisan, Courtier]
-New School, Created from scratch
Miya Cartographers travel throughout the Empire, gathering information to update the Imperial maps and charts. Accordingly, they have standing authority to travel as they see fit, regardless of clan or other boundaries. Cartographers often travel to remote, inhospitable, and largely uninhabited parts of the Empire to make their observations and measurements. They must be self-sufficient, but frequently travel with groups of retainers and yōjimbō. The cartographer school puts great emphasis not only on the academic topics related to gathering and recording information, such as writing, drawing, and memorization, but on athletics, riding, and stamina. Cartographers must be prepared to face long periods of privation and hardship, away from civilization and at risk from any number of threats, from bandits, to wild animals, to hostile spirits.
Miya Herald School [Courtier]Techniques
- Benefit: +1 Stamina
- Skills: Craft: Cartography, Athletics, Courtier, Etiquette (Courtesy), Horsemanship, Lore: Geography, any 1 Lore Skill
- Honor: 6.5
- Outfit: Sensible Clothing, Wakizashi, Paper (10) Horse (Rokugani pony), 10 koku
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- Rank 1:
You gain Absolute Direction Advantage, After spending at least two days in any city or province-sized area, you may make an Intelligence / Craft Cartography TN 20 to create a map of that region. Anyone who possesses the map is considered to have the Way of the Land Advantage for that region as long as they keep the map in their possession and gains a +1k0 to all Skill rolls.- Rank 2:
When making Social rolls, you gain +1k1 if the topic is about geography, terrain, clan borders, or holding disputes. Additionally, you gain a number of free raise on these rolls equal to your school rank if you have a map of the area you made using your Rank 1 technique. Your food and water supplies last for double the usual time.- Rank 3:
You are assigned an Imperial Yojimbo. The yojimbo remains at your side during all hours of the day, ensuring that you are protected from both scandalous accusations as well as threats against your life. If you are involved in a duel, the yojimbo will serve as your champion, unless they are incapacitated or otherwise unable to do so. The yojimbo has a rank of 2 in all Traits, a Void Ring of 3, two ranks in Defense and Kenjutsu, and three ranks in Iaijutsu. You may increase your yojimbo's Traits or Skills by spending additional experience points to do so, just as if you were increasing your own Traits or Skills. The yojimbo is equipped with a Daisho and Light Armor, and rides a Rokugani Pony.
If involved in a skirmish, the yojimbo acts on your initiative but remains adjacent to you at all times and will not voluntarily leave your side; if you are reduced to the Down wound rank or below, the yojimbo will attempt to remove you from the situation using the fastest means available. If your yojimbo is slain, they are replaced after 24 hours of your lord being notified.- Rank 4:
You ignore all terrain penalties. Anyone who has a map you created using your rank 1 technique gains this benefit as well. You gain a bonus of xK1 to all Animal Handling and Horsemanship rolls, where X is equal to your School Rank.- Rank 5:
At any time, you may let out an audible signal and your horse will come to you during the reactions stage. If your horse is slain, its spirit will find the nearest horse and posses it. Mounting your horse is a free action. You gain a bonus 10 to your TN while mounted
-Miya Herald, Core Rulebook
Miya Heralds are the messengers of the Emperor. It is their duty to move throughout the Empire delivering Imperial edicts and messages accurately and succinctly. Miya Heralds travel across clan and other boundaries without question, and only a fool would delay them in their duties. While they are able to defend themselves as much as any samurai, they employ speed and evasion to ensure that their messages are delivered to those who must receive them. Miya Heralds speak with the words of the Emperor and the authority of an Imperial representative. Only the most influential or foolish samurai would openly gainsay a Miya Herald's word.
Otomo Schemer School [Courtier]Techniques
- Benefit: +1 Awareness
- Skills: Courtier (Rhetoric), Defense, Etiquette (Courtesy), Horsemanship, Lore: Heraldry, Sincerity, any 1 High or Bugei skill
- Honor: 6.5
- Outfit: Sensible Clothing, Wakizashi, Calligraphy Set, Horse (Rokugani pony), 10 koku
- Rank 1: Voice of the Emperor
While inside the borders of the Empire, you may spend a Void Point to gain the Way of the Land Advantage for the province you currently occupy - this effect lasts until you next sleep. Also, any Rokugani who reveres the Emperor and who knowingly and deliberately attacks you will automatically lose a number of points of Honor equal to twice your School Rank.- Rank 2: Eyes of the Emperor
You may add your Honor Rank to all Etiquette (Courtesy) skill rolls made to resist others' attempts to influence you.- Rank 3: Hand of the Emperor
At the start of a skirmish, or during the Reactions Step of any later round in a skirmish, you may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to prevent any Rokugani who reveres the Emperor from being able to harm you before the next Reactions step. (They can still attempt to capture or restrain you in a non-damaging way.) This Technique only takes effect as long as the Miya is not participating in the skirmish or in a duel.- Rank 4: Blessing of the Emperor
This may be done a number of times per session equal to your School Rank, but you may only use this Technique against honorable samurai (Honor Rank 1.0 or better) who revere the Emperor - criminals, bandits, the Lost, and nonhumans are immune to its effects. To use this Technique, you take a Complex Action to step forward and forcefully demand an end to violence. ("This brawling will cease, in the name of the Emperor!") You make a Contested Roll of your Courtier (Rhetoric) / Awareness against the Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower of all affected person within hearing. All individuals who lose the roll must immediately cease all aggressive action, and cannot attack or cast offensive spells until they take damage or you give them permission to fight. (They can still use defensive abilities and the Defense and Full Defense stances.) The effect lasts for one minute, and the Technique can be used on the same targets again if it is resisted or expires. This Techniques affects both enemies and allies.- Rank 5: Glory of the Emperor
When rolling with the Courtier or Etiquette skills against a target with at least Honor 1.0, you may add a +5k0 bonus to the roll.
-Otomo Courtier, Core Rulebook
Otomo Schemers are consummate politicians. They attend the various courts of the Empire, from the Imperial Court in Otosan Uchi to those of the Great Clans, and even smaller courts deemed worthwhile. They advance agendas across the spectrum of Imperial politics on behalf of the Emperor, the Imperial families, and other Imperial authorities. Successful Otomo Schemers are ruthless and manipulative, using their considerable political acumen to earn favors, cultivate allies, and destroy enemies. To the Otomo Schemer, the ends—preserving the power and authority of the Emperor and the Imperial authorities—almost always justify the means.
Seppun Astrologer School [Shugenja, Artisan]Techniques
- Benefit: +1 Awareness
- Skills: Courtier (Manipulation), Defense, Etiquette, Intimidation (Control), Investigation, Sincerity, any 1 High Skill
- Honor: 5.5
- Outfit: Traditional Clothing, Wakizashi, Knife, Calligraphy Set, 10 Koku
- Rank 1: The Voice of Heaven
You do not lose Honor for using the Intimidation (Control) Skill. Any time you are in conversation with someone from one of the clans (Great or Minor), you may make a Contested Roll of your Courtier (Manipulation) / Awareness against their Etiquette (Courtesy) / Awareness to provoke a disagreement or argument between them and someone from another clan or faction of your choice.- Rank 2: Destiny Has No Secrets
If you have the opportunity to seek out your contacts, you may spend a Void Point to roll Courtier / Awareness at TN 25 to learn one piece of critically useful information (chosen by the GM).- Rank 3: My Master's Voice
You may only use this Technique against honorable samurai (Honor Rank 1.0 or better) who revere the Emperor - criminals, bandits, the Lost, and nonhumans are immune to its effects. To use obiesaseru, you must take a Complex Action to pause, gather your willpower, and shout an appropriate command (typically something like, "Stop in the name of the Emperor!"). You make a Contested Social Skill roll of Intimidation (Control) / Willpower against the target's Etiquette (Courtesy) / Willpower. (If the target sincerely believes he is acting honorably, he gains a Free Raise to his roll.) If you win the roll, on his next Turn the target may not move, attack, cast spells, or perform any other action that would directly obstruct or threaten you or your immediate friends/allies (GM's discretion as to who is considered your ally). He may, however, attack others who are not your allies, and regardless he can always use the Defense and full Defense Postures.- Rank 4: The Emperor's Protection
Any time you are in an argument or debate with another person, you may spend a Void Point to make a Contested Roll of your Courtier (Manipulation) / Awareness against their Etiquette (Courtesy) / Awareness. If you win the roll, they must either agree with your position or immediately lose 5 points of Honor.- Rank 5: The Virtues of Command
When making an Contested Social Roll against someone who reveres Imperial authority, you may gain a +5k0 bonus on your roll.
-Seppun Shugenja (Owl), Imperial Histories. Additionally, add Seppun Astrologers, Book of Water and chose either technique.
As the Palace Guard protect the Emperor and other Imperial authorities from physical threats, the Seppun Astrologers guard against supernatural and spiritual harm. To this end, their specialized training in astrology, practices of divination, and fortune-telling help to not only react to threats, but also anticipate and even preempt them. Beyond astrology and invocations of the elemental kami, they employ methods such as kawaru (the casting and discernment of patterns in coins, stones, etc.), the reading of omens, and even more esoteric practices. The Seppun Astrologers also work extensively with wards and similar measures to provide constant protection against magical intrusion. They work closely with the Palace Guard, coordinating their efforts and complementing one another’s roles.
Seppun Palace Guard School [Bushi]Techniques
- Benefit: +1 Intelligence
- Skills: Calligraphy, Defense, Investigation, Lore: Nonhumans, Lore: Theology, Meditation, any one High skill
- Honor: 6.5
- Outfit: Robes, wakizashi, bo staff, scroll satchel, traveling pack, 4 koku
- Affinity/Deficiency: Fire/Water
- Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, 3 Fire, 2 Air, 1 Earth
- Rank 1: In Defense of Nigen-Do
You gain a Free Raise on any spell which targets a "nonhuman". When casting a spell which inflicts damage on others, you may expend an additional spell slot (of the same Element or of Void) to have the spell ignore Reduction on the target(s) equal to twice your Void Rank. If the target is "nonhuman", this Technique also ignores all damage mitigation effects from creature abilities (other than Invulnerability).- Rank 1: Wisdom of the Heavens
Once per month, you may clarify a person’s place in the great tapestry of fate and thereby confer one Spiritual Advantage or Spiritual Disadvantage on that person. (This is a ritual effect and cannot be performed during a skirmish.) This effect lasts for one month or until you use this Technique on a different person, whichever comes first. If you are attempting to confer a Disadvantage, you must also succeed at a Contested Void Roll against the target.
-Seppun Guardsman, Core Rulebook. Replace Rank 4 with Tsudao’s Legion, Imperial Histories 2
The Seppun Palace Guard are the personal bodyguards of important Imperial family members and officials. The best of them are entrusted with the protection of the Emperor themself. Each Palace Guard is utterly devoted to the welfare of their charge; they will not hesitate to place themselves between their charge and danger, even at the cost of their life. To carry out their sacred task of protecting the Emperor, Seppun Palace Guard hone their skills until they are among the most accomplished warriors in the Empire and able to react instantly to any attack, no matter how sudden or unexpected. Palace Guard are supremely patient, trained to stand utterly motionless in their place of guard, yet remaining acutely aware of their surroundings and constantly ready to burst into action at the first hint of any threat.
Techniques
- Benefit: +1 Perception
- Skills: Battle, Defense, Etiquette, Iaijutsu, Kenjutsu (Katana), Kyujutsu, any 1 High Skill
- Honor: 6.5
- Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, any 1 Weapon, Traveling Pack, 10 koku
- Rank 1: Never In Darkness
Any time you are rolling to resist a Social Skill roll which could tempt or lead you away from your duty - such as Temptation, Intimidation, or even Courtier - you roll additional unkept dice equal to your School Rank. You gain a +1k1 bonus any time you are making an Investigation roll to detect an ambush or surprise attack.- Rank 2: The Clouds Part
At the start of your Turn, you may spend a Void Point to add your Honor Rank to the total of your attack and damage rolls until your Next Turn.- Rank 3: Sun's Light Reveals
At any time you may choose to spend a Void point as a Free Action to roll Investigation (Notice) / Perception at TN 25. With a success, you immediately see through all disguises and illusions around you, whether normal or magical in nature. If you are in the presence of the Emperor, his immediate family, or a major Imperial Official (Chancellor, Shogun, etc) you do not need to spend a Void Point to activate this Technique. Once you have pierced a specific disguise/illusion, it no longer has any effect on you (although a new disguise or illusion you encounter later will function normally).- Rank 4: All Things Through Honor
When making a Skill Roll with a High or Bugei Skill in which you have at least 1 Rank, you may spend a Void Point to make that roll as though your Skill Rank is equal to your Honor Rank.- Rank 5: Heaven Never Falls
Any time you are within 20' of a person you are guarding, you may spend a Void Point to leap in front of a blow or spell which is targeting your charge. The damage is automatically applied to you instead of your charge. If you are still standing (not Down or Out) after this damage, you may immediately take an extra Simple Action, which may be used for any purpose including an attack. This Technique can be used even if your character is Blinded, Prone, Stunned, Dazed, Entangled, or at the Down Wound Rank (but not Grappled or at the Out Wound Rank).