Official Game Adventure

Swords of the Daimyoby David �Zeb� Cook

Adventure Book of Miyama

Table of Contents

Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Adventure 1: Over the Waves We Will Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Adventure 2: Riders of the Black Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Adventure 3: Lord of the Black Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Timeline of Kozakura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16New Creatures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Player Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Kozakuran Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Shoen Map of Miyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Tamanokuni Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Mura Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Monastery/Temple Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Shoen Residence of a Jito or Zussho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Small Town House of a Samurai/Commoners’ Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CREDITSAdventures: Zeb Cook and Kelley FooteEditing: Mike Breault

with Anne Gray McCreadyand Karen Martin

Interior Art: Jeff EasleyCartography: David C. Sutherland III

Dennis KauthMarsha Kauth

Typography: Linda BakkKeylining: Colleen O’Malley

Distributed to the book trade in the United Statesby Random House Inc. and in Canada by RandomHouse of Canada Ltd. Distributed to the toy andhobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed inthe United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D,PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and theTSR logo are trademarks of TSR Inc.

This adventure is protected under the copyrightlaws of the United States of America. Any repro-duction or other unauthorized use of the materialor artwork contained herein is prohibited withoutthe express written permission of TSR Inc.

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

TSR Inc. TSR UK Ltd.POB 756 The Mill, Rathmore RoadLake Geneva, Cambridge, CB1 4ADWI 53147 United Kingdom

Printed in U.S.A.ISBN 0-88038-273-29164

THE ADVENTURES

This book contains three adventures foruse with the AD&D® Oriental Adventuresrules. Each adventure is set in the Koza-kuran province of Miyama, described inthe accompanying Province Book. Alsoincluded is a color map of Miyama Prov-ince. On the inside of the adventure coveris the Ocean Voyage Map for use withAdventure 1. The remaining maps andtables for the adventures are found in theback of this book.

The adventures given here aredesigned for use with a complete OrientalAdventures campaign. With the exceptionof Adventure 1 (“Over the Waves We WillGo”), they are meant to be played in theorder listed. Characters are expected torise in level as they play. The level rangefor each adventure is listed at its start.Adventures of your own design (or otherTSR adventures) can be used betweenthe different adventures listed in this book-

let. The adventures given here do notneed to be played uninterrupted, but theyshould be played in the order listed. By thetime you have finished with these adven-tures, most player characters in your cam-paign should have from five to sevenlevels of experience.

Before playing these adventures, youshould read the Province Book up to theGazetteer section. You may also read theGazetteer if you wish, but it is not neces-sary at this time.. You are now ready toread the first adventure. While reading it,you should also read any Gazetteerdescriptions of locations mentioned in theadventure. Once you have read every-thing thoroughly, you are ready to play theadventure. At the end of this book (onpage 20) are some beginning charactersfor use in an Oriental campaign. Theseinclude character statistics, physicaldescriptions, personalities, backgrounds,

ancestries, and families.Adventure 1 (“Over the Waves We Will

Go”) is a special adventure that enablesyou to introduce gajin characters to theOriental world. Play it first if you wish totake non-Oriental AD&D characters fromyour campaign into the world of OrientalAdventures.

There is more to Swords of the Daimyothan the adventures it contains. A numberof the maps at the end of this booklet arenot used in the adventures. Some of thesemaps are keyed to one or more places onthe Province Map. You can use these andthe other maps for your own adventures.Furthermore, the Gazetteer section of theProvince Book describes many locationsthat are ideal for mystery and adventure.These should provide you with campaignactivities for a long time to come.

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ADVENTURE 1OVER THE WAVES WE WILL GO

This adventure should be used only if youare introducing characters from a normalAD&D® campaign into an AD&D OrientalAdventures campaign. No pregeneratedcharacters are supplied for this adventure.The characters either come from your ownAD&D campaign, or they are created forthis adventure. Since nearly all of thisadventure occurs at sea, it is strongly rec-ommended that player characters be atleast 6th level, although characters of 10thlevel or greater may not find the adventurechallenging.

It is essential to this adventure that theplayer characters be enticed to undertakethe dangerous sea journey to Kozakura. Itis more fun if the player characters do nothave a clear idea of where they are going.If you are using this adventure in your owncampaign, decide on the most appropriateway to introduce the information. Listedbelow are several suggestions.

* The player characters find the scrapsof an old map. In scrawled notes arevague statements about what direction tosail, about how long it will take, the dan-gers encountered, and the riches availa-ble. Of course, about half of thisinformation is dead wrong or greatly exag-gerated. You can make a map on a tornscrap of paper.

* The player characters meet a crazedseaman. He may be young or old, but he isdefinitely not in his right mind. He babblesout the information about the voyage—how wonderful and terrible it was. He isobviously poor and wretched, but showsthe player characters a marvelous trea-sure (a giant pearl) he swears is from thatforeign shore.

* There is a fabulous stranger frequent-ing the inns and taverns on the waterfront.He is different from all others in appear-ance, dress, speech, and behavior. Noone has ever seen anyone quite like him.He claims to come from across the ocean(clearly impossible!) and tells wild storiesabout his homeland. The stranger caneither be rich or poor. If he is rich, he isattempting to hire a ship to return him tohis native lands. If he is poor, he offers hisservices as a navigator, promising richesand wonders from across the ocean.

* Rumors abound of a fabulous treasure

armada. It arrived in a nearby port, whereit is said to have unloaded its cargo of silk,spices, gold, silver, exotic art objects, anda few powerful magic items. Supposedlythis armada makes a single voyage everyyear to some place far across the ocean.The captain and the navigator keep theirdestination a close secret. For years noone knew where they sailed. Now, how-ever, a rival captain claims to know theirport of call.

* There are rumors of a fabulous trea-sure galleon that sails somewhere out inthe ocean. Several captains claim to havesighted it (although their testimony ishardly reliable) and one says he capturedits cargo, only to lose it later to pirates. Thecrew is said to be human but of some dif-ferent and far distant land. The PCs musttalk to the captains to gain the informationbelow.

Other methods of intriguing the PCs canbe devised as appropriate for your cam-paign. All of the preceding methods yieldthe following information:

1. The journey is long, taking at leastone month with good weather and longer ifthe winds are bad.

2. Sail west! Follow the setting sun toreach the lands of the East.

3. Be prepared for dangers—storms,sea monsters, and terrible terrors.

4. The land you sail to is different. Yourwelcome may not be what you expect. It isa deadly land for the unwise.

The Ship

If the player characters have a ship oftheir own, allow them to use it. If they alsohave a loyal and hand-picked crew, youcan ignore this section.

Upon investigating the port, the playercharacters find they have three choicesfor captains who will either sail for hire ortake the player characters on as seamenor passengers. Looking at their ships tellsthe player characters nothing. All seem tobe in good repair and seaworthy. Thecharacters can meet the captains, if theywant to.

Alonso de Bartuella (Fighter, 12th level;hp 68; AC 4; MV 12”; #AT 3/2; THAC0 9;Damage 1d8 + 2; AL N; magical +1 long

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sword+ 1 chainmail): Alonso is a portly,middle-aged man. A bristling mustacheand beard hides most of his drink-flushedface. He dresses in shabby clothes andswears continuously while he talks.

Alonso meets the characters over ameal, where he displays outrageous tablemanners—slurping, belching, spitting,throwing scraps on the floor, and wipinggreasy fingers through his hair. Hedemands the most exorbitant price possi-ble for his ship or passage (whichever isdesired). Furthermore, he tells the charac-ters they will have the pleasure of diningwith him on the trip. Alonso is, however, agood captain and navigator. His crew isdependable and competent. He beginswith a Mutiny Rating of 10.

Iyawaei of Konghani (Barbarian, 8thlevel; hp 38; AC 5; MV 12”; #AT 3/2;THAC0 14; Damage 1d8 + 1; SA see Bar-barian in Oriental Adventures book; AL N):Iyawaei is a wiry, black man of unknownage. His face is weather-lined and crackedbut when he smiles, which is often, itbreaks into a happy, youthful glow. Hespeech is thickly accented, almost incom-prehensible at first. Sprinkled liberallythroughout his conversation are foreignwords and phrases that he never explains.

In addition to the sword carried at hisside, he has a dirk strapped to his left fore-arm. His clothes are a hodge-podge ofstyles and tastes, none of which match.Although good humored, he has a veryquick temper and rules his ship with a sav-age, occasionally cruel, discipline. Flog-gings and irons are not unknown to hiscrew, and he has ordered the hanging ofat least two mutineers in the past. His crewfears and respects him. He begins thegame with a Mutiny Rating of 12.

Rupert Brock (Fighter, 9th level; hp 52;AC 7; MV 12”; #AT 3/2; THAC0 9; Dam-age 1d8 + 3; AL N; magical + 2 longsword; potion of extra-healing): Brock is ahealthy warrior in his early thirties. He isneat in appearance. His clothes are sim-ple and clean. His hair and beard, whilelong, are clean and groomed. He is gener-ally well-mannered, although he is notabove using highly colorful language orflailing away in a bar-room brawl.

For all his easy outward appearance, heis a savage taskmaster. Once at sea, he is

seldom seen without a crop in his hand tospur his sailors on. He is only a fair naviga-tor. He cares little for the needs of his crew,seldom stocking adequate or nourishingsupplies for them. Disease is commonbelow decks. Good sailors seldom sign onwith him, and his crews often consist of cut-throats and hard-luck men. He begins thegame with a Mutiny Rating of 20.

If the PCs need to gather a crew, deter-mine the crew’s Mutiny Rating as follows.If the characters do not need a captain ornavigator, but still need a crew, roll 1d10and add eight. Add four to the die roll if theplayer characters openly announce theirgoal. Add two to the die roll if the playercharacters do not announce any destina-tion. Subtract two from the die roll if theplayer characters announce they are pick-ing the best sailors. Subtract two if goodpay is given or a bonus is promised. Sub-tract one for every day spent gathering acrew. The final result is the Mutiny Ratingfor the crew.

If the player characters screen everycrewmember taken on (through spells orother powers), and only select the abso-lutely trustworthy sailors, the crew has aMutiny Rating of 4. The player characterscannot charm crew members, as suchsailors are sluggish and lack the initiativeneeded for sailing. The player charactershave no difficulty raising a crew, evenwithin a single day.

SAILINGTHE OCEAN

The Ocean Voyage Map (found on theinside of the color cover) shows the coast-line of a continent where the charactersbegin their voyage, as well as the coast-lines of Kara-Tur. Between the two are anumber of Encounter Areas. Ships sail fromone Encounter Area to any other adjacentEncounter Area. Ships cannot move diag-onally from area to area (i.e., where onlythe corners of two spaces touch).

The player characters begin their voy-age at one of the three ports on the east-ern edge of the map. The only exit from themap is on the island of Kozakura (at Miy-ama Province). When the player charac-ters sail out of a port, they must announcetheir direction of travel in one of eight com-pass directions—north, northeast, east,southeast, south, southwest, west, ornorthwest. From the current position of theplayer characters, select the adjacent

encounter area that is closest to theirdesired direction. The characters sail inthat direction into the next EncounterArea. Once in an area, any encounters areresolved and then the players choose anew area to enter.

In most cases, the amount of timeneeded to travel from one Encounter Areato another is two days. Some areas, how-ever, have arrows indicating the directionof a major current. When a ship is sailingwith the current (in the direction of thearrow), the time is normal, as given above.When a ship is sailing against the current(in the opposite direction from the arrow),the sailing time is four days for every areaentered.

The Mutiny Rating

During the dangerous sea journey,there is a chance that the crew mutinieseach six-day period at sea. At the begin-ning of each period, the Mutiny Rating isadjusted as follows, and a check is madeto see if a mutiny occurs.

+ 2 if the period was spent entirely at sea+ 4 if the ship left a favorable island

(friendly natives, ample food, etc.)+ 4 for harsh treatment during period+ 2 if in doldrums+ 2 if passed through storm+ 1 for every point of hull damage+ 1 for every crew member lost to

monsters+ 2 for every officer lost to monsters+ 8 for every officer or PC slain in

previous mutiny+ 4 for inadequate rations during period

-2 for every mutineer slain in previousmutiny

-10 if previous mutiny failed-1 for good treatment during the period-6 if sailing east

Add all appropriate adjustments to theprevious period’s Mutiny Rating to get thecurrent rating. A percentile dice roll ismade and the result is compared to theadjusted Mutiny Rating. If the dice roll isequal to or less than the rating, a mutinyoccurs.

When a mutiny occurs, not all the crewrise up in arms. Naturally, the captain isnot among the mutineers. There is only a10% chance that any of the other officersjoin the mutiny. Of the remaining crew,61% to 80% (1d20 + 60) take up armsagainst the captain. The mutineers do nothave weapons better than knives and cut-

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lasses. There is only a 5% chance of any-one in the group having a magical item.

The mutineers attack at the leastexpected moment, hoping to surprise theofficers. They fight at least until the situa-tion looks hopeless and, if assured of agruesome fate otherwise, fight until theyare slain. Captured mutineers can hope atbest to finish the voyage in irons (only ifthey are needed to crew the ship), and arefar more likely to be keelhauled, beaten todeath, or hanged.

The following statistics can be used forthe crew: AC 9; MV 12”; 1st-3d level; #AT1; Damage by weapon type; AL various.

Ocean Encounter Areas

Doldrums: In the center of the map arethe doldrums, areas of extremely calmwaters. No winds or currents are presentto aid navigation. The effect of the dol-drums is built into the size of the areas.When these are entered, you can informyour players that the wind has died downand the ship sits on still quiet waters. It islike this day after day, with only a littleprogress made. If the ship is fitted withoars or magic is used to create a constantregular wind, the amount of time requiredto cross a doldrum area is halved.

Icebergs: The sea gradually becomeschoked with floating masses of ice and theweather becomes more and moreunpleasant. The ice becomes so thick andfrequent that forward movement becomesimpossible. The ship must turn back or betrapped in the ice and slowly crushed. Forevery two days spent in the area, there is a20% chance the ship runs aground on aniceberg. If this happens, 10-100% (1d10 x10) of the ship’s hull points are lost in thecollision.

Storms: When a ship enters. a stormEncounter Area, it has been caught in afierce, raging gale. True navigation isimpossible. The crew can barely keep theship from capsizing. Secretly roll 1d6 todetermine the number of areas the ship isblown off course. Then roll again to deter-mine the direction: 1 = Northeast, 2 =East, 3 = Southeast, 4 = Southwest, 5 =West, 6 = Northwest. If no EncounterAreas exist in that direction, roll again.Unless the characters are able to magi-cally lessen the strength of the storm, theywill move in that direction for the numberof areas indicated by the first die roll. Anyencounters in the new areas entered areignored. Do not inform the players of theirnew location.

While running before the storm, there isa 20% chance per eight-hour period thatthe ship suffers 1d6 points of damage toits hull. Such damage may result in brokenrudders, fallen masts, or even stavedhulls. Any damage taken cannot berepaired until the storm is over.

Lettered Encounter Areas

A: Leaping through the waves at thebow of your ship is a school of dolphins.They splash playfully through the water.An old salt pauses to look over the rail andthen beams a wry grin at the PCs, “ ’Tis asign o’ good fortune t’ave the little darlingsdance for ye ship!” With a wink he turnsand stomps away.

The dolphins are indeed a sign of for-tune. The next leg of the voyage (until theship reaches a new Encounter Area) hasfavorable winds and requires half the nor-mal travel time. The crew’s moraleimproves, reducing their Mutiny Rating bytwo.

B: A barely sunken atoll presents a haz-ard to navigation. Roll 1d10. On a 1-5 theencounter occurs during the day. On a 6-10 the encounter occurs after dark. Duringthe day, the sea shows signs of a roilingsurf where there is no land. Anyone foolishenough to sail into this obvious dangerruns the ship aground. At night, the look-out hears the sound of crashing surfsomewhere. Unless specific efforts aremade to sail on with great caution, there isa 70% chance the ship strikes a reef. Ifprecautions are taken (more lookouts onduty, depth soundings, etc.), the chance ofrunning aground is reduced to 20%.

If the ship runs aground, it suffers 2d10points of hull damage. Furthermore, it isstranded on the reef. It takes all the crewand 1d4 days to tow the ship free.

C: A confluence of small currents hascreated a dangerous, spinning flow capa-ble of drawing even large ships into itsdepths. Even worse, the whirlpool comesand goes with the vagaries of the current.When the ship enters this Encounter Area,roll 1d10. On a result of 1-4, the vortexbegins to appear 10d10 yards from theship. It expands quickly, 10 yards perround, up to a maximum of 100 yardsacross. One check is made to escape thewhirlpool as soon as it appears. Roll per-centile dice and if the result is equal to orless than the distance (in yards) the whirl-pool appeared from the ship, the shipescapes and can sail away unharmed. Ifthe ship is captured by the whirlpool, it has

a 20% chance of sinking. Should it avoidthis fate, the ship suffers 2d6 points of hulldamage before escaping the vortex.

D: These Encounter Areas are filledwith tangled, floating masses of oceankelp. In areas of current, these seas areformed by eddies in the current. In otherareas, stagnant water allows the kelp tocollect. These seas are dangerous, for afoolish sea captain may become hope-lessly mired in the weeds. The PCs’ ship isable to cross these areas without becom-ing trapped. However, 2d3 days of effortare needed to cross. During this time,there is an additional + 2 applied to theMutiny Rating of the crew. (The DM mayalso create encounters with monsters andhumanoids living among the sargasso, ifdesired.)

E: Roll 1d10 to determine if theencounter occurs during the daytime (1-4)or night (5-10). During the day, the lookoutspots a ship on the horizon (a large mer-chant ship). It is flying tattered sails. Theplayer characters may attempt to outrunthe ship. This is successful if they are sail-ing in a faster vessel. At night, the shipappears 10d6 yards off the bow.

Next roll 1d6. On a 1-5, the ship is a der-elict vessel and nothing more. The crewmay have been slain by sahuagin or othermonsters or may simply have disap-peared. On a die roll of 6, the ship ismanned by fearsome undead. The captainis a lich and the first mate is a spectre wholurks below decks by day with five ghoulofficers. Twenty skeletons serve as crew.

They try to board any ship they catchand slay all they find. In the hold of theirship is 2,000 sp, 3,000 ep, and 5,000 gp.The ghost ship is rotted and cannot betaken as a prize. Indeed, it has only threehull points and a fierce boarding actionmay cause enough damage to sink it.

Lich Captain— AC 0; MV 6”; HD 13; hp68; #AT 1; Damage 1d10; SA spells, para-lyzation, cause fear; SD + 1 weapon to hit,immune to charm, sleep, enfeeblement,hold, cold, polymorph, electricity, insanity,and death; AL NE

Magic User Spells per level(select any desired spells)

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9# of Spells 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 2 1

Spectre Mate— AC 2; MV 15”/30”; HD7 + 3; hp 39; #AT 1; Damage 1d8; SA 2-level drain; SD + 1 weapons to hit,

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immune to sleep, charm, hold, and cold;AL LE

Ghoul Officers— AC 6; MV 9”; HD 2;#AT 3; Damage 1-3/1-3/1-6; SA Paralyza-tion; SD immune to sleep and charm; ALCE

Skeleton Crew— AC 7; MV 12”; HD 1;#AT 1; Damage 1d6; SD edged weaponsdo half damage, immune to sleep, charm,hold, and cold; AL N

F: The lookout sights land — just a small,verdant island, but it appears to have togood harbor. As the ship comes closer, it isseen that the island offers fresh water andfruit trees. Indeed the island is just what itseems. It is uninhabited and is coveredwith lush growth.

If the island is bypassed without land-ing, add six to the crew’s Mutiny Rating. Ifthe ships lands, the crew’s Mutiny Ratingimmediately drops by two. However, afterthe first week spent on an island, theMutiny Rating of the crew is increased byone point every week. Some of the menbegin to grumble about returning home,while others grumble at the thought ofleaving the island.

G: This island appears fair and lush,covered with green plants and ample freshwater. But this island is populated by hos-tile natives. If the ship bypasses theisland, the Mutiny Rating of the crew isincreased by four. If the ship lands, thenatives hide in the jungle until the crew isashore. Then they try to attack with sur-prise. They keep attacking until at least200 natives are killed or the ship leaves.The Mutiny Rating of the crew is increasedby one for every crew member killed.

Tribesmen— AC 7; MV 12”; HD 1; #AT 1;Damage 1d6. The tribesmen attack inwaves of 70 men. The following leaderscan be seen in the background, urgingtheir men on:

1 5th-level fighter, 34 hp2 4th-level fighters, 33 & 23 hp7 3d-level fighters, 14 hp each1 6th-level druid, 20 hp

Creature Encounters

The remaining Encounter Areas are allareas of possible encounters with crea-tures The information for each is pre-sented on the following table.

Creature No.Hai nu 2 2Wako 130 12”Ningyo 6Giant Octopus 1Giant Sea Snake 3Pteranodon 6Vampiric Ixitxachitl 1Sahuagin War Party 5 0

EncounterArea

HIJKLMNO

AC MV HD #AT Dam7 6”//15” 1d4 1 1d6 * 1 1 by wpn7 //18” 4 1 1d67 3”//12” 8 7 1d4x6/2d65 12” 8 2 1d6/3d67 3”/15” 3+ 3 1 2d46 1 2 ” 1+1 1 3d45 12”//24” 2+2 1 1d6

Table Notes

Hai nu: immune to water-based attackswant to trade with ship

Wako:65 men with hara-ate-gawa & sword13 men with sword & bow20 men with do-maru & sword13 men with kote & spear6 men with kote, domaru, sword, & bow13 men with haramaki, sword, spear,

& bow

Wako leaders:1 10th-level samurai captain, AC 3,

hp 55, katana + 1 halberd + 1+ 1, + 2 vs. larger than man-sized,

potion of growth2 7th-level barbarians, AC 6, hp 47 & 362 6th-level bushi, AC 3, hp 33 & 24,

+ 1 splint armor, + 1 tetsubo4 5th-level bushi, AC 3, hp 29 each,potion of super-heroism,philter of love

The magical items are divided betweenthe leaders of the same level.

Ningyo: Spells as 4th-level shukenja andwu jen

Giant Octopus: Constriction attack,pinning, ink

Pteranodon: Lands on deck, tired andhungry

Vampiric Ixitxachitl: Spells as 3d-levelcleric, energy drain, regeneration

Sahuagin: Led by 4+4 HD chieftain andfour 3+3 HD aides

Arriving in Kozakura

When the ship reaches the island ofKozakura, select from two possible end-ings provided with this scenario (or youmay create your own). The first ending,“Shipwreck!,” can be used if you wish tobegin an Oriental Adventures campaignusing the material provided here. This waythe player characters are trapped in Koza-

kura and have no choice but to take part inOriental-setting adventures. However, thisending has drawbacks.

The “Shipwreck!” ending requires thatthe player characters lose their ship andare beached on a strange shore. Little canbe done to prevent this result. They mayalso lose a large number of their posses-sions and treasure in the process. Someplayers might become angry and upsetwith this treatment. This is not an unrea-sonable feeling on their part. You shouldconsider your friends (the players) care-fully before using this ending; be sure thatthey are not likely to remain unhappy for-ever. The second ending, “Port of Call,” can be used if you do not want to strandthe player characters in Kozakura or if youdo not want to anger your players with the“Shipwreck!” ending. This ending is bestused if you wish to introduce the worlds ofKozakura into your own campaign. Sinceit leaves the player characters with a shipand the knowledge that there is a portacross the ocean, they can travel backand forth between the two worlds whenthey desire.

Shipwreck!

For several days the crew have beenseeing signs of land. Flocks of shorebirdspass overhead. Branches with greenleaves, fruits, and flowers are occasionallypulled from the sea. The crew is eager tosee land. They have even been bathingand washing their clothes!

Now, however, it is night. All day the skyhas been gray and looming. The captainhas passed word to his officers to be alertfor anything. The weather could change atany time.

Around ten o’clock at night, the windbegins to rise. The swells of the oceanslam against the ship. Water washesacross the deck. A light rain slashesthrough the rigging. Everything is soaked.By midnight, a full-strength gale hasarisen. Every hand is called to deck and

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still the storm increases. By the light ofmorning, the player characters find them-selves in the rending coils of a majortyphoon.

If nothing is done to escape the storm,the ship is suddenly heaved up on a greatwave. It rises ten, twenty, thirty, then fortyfeet out of the water, which suddenly under-goes a transformation. The cascadingwater becomes the shimmering scales,and the froth the hoary whiskers, of a greatdragon-like serpent. With a hiss, it bellowsin a foreign language, “Defilers of mysacred home! I, Lord of the Sea, curseyou!”

Suddenly the wave, only secondsbefore stretched 50 feet above the sea,collapses! It almost seems the great shipcould sail through the sky. And then thewild waves leap upward. Planking andbeams scream as they twist and split. Jag-ged splinters, smashed casks, andscreaming men wash astern on a ram offoam. The bow disintegrates against thesea as if dropped on a giant’s anvil. A fistof water smashes through the lowerdecks, gutting the hull. And above all thescreams of the men and shrieks of wood isthe throaty laughter from under the waves.

The wreck of the ship is a violent anddangerous event. All characters standingon deck have one round in which to actbefore the ship hits the water and disinte-grates. When the ship hits, all charactersmust make a saving throw vs. death with a-4 adjustment to the roll. No magicalbonuses apply. For characters on deck, ifthe saving throw is failed, they areslammed into a convenient beam andknocked unconscious. They also suffer2d10 points of damage. Characters whomake the saving throw slam into a beamand suffer 2d6 points of damage, but theydo not fall unconscious. Characters whoare below decks automatically suffer 3d10points of damage. If the saving throw isfailed, they too are knocked unconscious.Two rounds after this, what remains of theship sinks.

Unless weighed down with heavy armoror equipment, both conscious and uncon-scious characters float to the surface ofthe ocean. There is ample wreckage tocling to. Quick-thinking characters canalso save those who otherwise would sink.After a few rounds of drifting at sea, agroup of ningyo surface around the char-acters, signaling their friendly intentions.They fix ropes to the characters and begintowing the characters to shore. After 12grueling hours, the characters land on awhite sand beach. All but the most hardyare utterly exhausted. (If the players arguewith this, point out the immense physicalstrain all of this entails.) The ningyo alsorescue unconscious characters (theyregain consciousness midway through thejourney to shore).

Port of Call

Should the characters either survive thestorm or not suffer its effects at all, theyeventually arrive at Kozakura. Sightingfirst the mountains, then the long coast-line, the characters do not know whetherthey have found an island or a major conti-nent. As they sail closer, they can begininspecting the coast for a suitable landingpoint. Choose a hex on the southerncoastline of the Miyama Province Map andfollow the coast from there in the directionthe characters sail. Use the Province Mapto describe what they see. Many towns onthe coast can provide the ship with suffic-ient shelter to drop anchor.

Upon arriving in port, the ship is greetedby a fleet of fishing boats. The boats,sailed and rowed by peasants, are filledwith curious fishermen and wary warriors.If the town has a resident jito or zussho, heis present along with the samurai andbushi he commands. Speaking Koza-kuran, he demands that his men beallowed on board and that all weapons beseized. Any attempts to resist are met withviolence, although an attempt is made totake a few prisoners for questioning.

If the characters cooperate, they areallowed ashore, but only under constantguard. Everyone is questioned, if at allpossible—where do they come from, whodo they serve, what kind of ship is this,why are they here, etc. Characters wholook like commoners or who foolishly statethat they have no lord are stripped of allweapons and locked up under heavyguard. Characters who look wealthy ornoble or who claim to serve a powerful for-eign lord are given quarters in the house of

the jito or zussho. They remain under awatchful guard. Any attempt to escape isstopped with whatever force is necessary.

Once the characters are in the hands ofan official (not the peasantry), they arecarefully secluded and questioned. Theirpresence is not revealed to anyone but theofficial’s lord. He in turn keeps this infor-mation secret until he has determinedwhat threat or usefulness the characterspresent. During this time, the characterseither languish in prison or are graduallyintroduced to Kozakuran culture.

If it is ultimately determined the charac-ters pose no threat, they are allowedgreater freedom of movement. However,the player characters, unless they escape,are never free of their escorts. They arealways watched and supervised. Theybecome the responsibility of the lord, whotreats them as oddities, greater than peas-ants but less than samurai. It is likely thathe will find some use for the characters,given their different abilities and unusualnatures. High-level player characters mayeventually reach a level of acceptancesimilar to that of a samurai.

As the player characters adventure inKotakura, it is likely that one or more willbe permanently slain. When this occurs,you should allow the player to generate anew character. This character should be aKozakuran, from the classes given in theOriental Adventures rule book. The newcharacter may be one of the guardsaccompanying the other player charac-ters, a samurai who has become intriguedwith the foreigners, or even a wu jen whohopes to learn something new from thestrangers. Gradually, more and morewestern player characters will be replacedby Kozakurans. Eventually you will haveintroduced your players to the rules andworld of Oriental Adventures.

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ADVENTURE 2RIDERS OF THE BLACK TEMPLE

This is the first adventure you should run ifyour players are all using Oriental charac-ters. (If your players are using charactersfrom the other AD&D® rule books, first play“Over the Waves We Will Go,” whichbrings them to Kozakura and introducesthem to the Oriental world.) Player charac-ters in this adventure should be first level.

This adventure presents a raid on asmall mura (not far from the village ofTosa) by the sohei of the evil Black Temple.Several weeks ago, couriers from theBlack Temple arrived in the mura with amessage. The message demanded a por-tion of the coming harvest as rent paymentto the Black Temple. The myoshu of themura, knowing nothing of this temple,refused to make the payment. His village,he pointed out, already paid rent to theproper shoen officials. The messengerleft, threatening retribution.

The myoshu sent a message to the jitoof this shoen (located at Tosa), but the jitohas done nothing. Now a force of soheihave appeared, intent upon destroying thevillage and all within it in revenge. If thepregenerated player characters are used,they have gathered in this town for theirvarious purposes. It is their first stop ontheir journeys into Miyama. If non-Orientalplayer characters are used, they just hap-pen to be passing through this mura whenthe attack occurs. If Oriental characters ofthe players’ own design are used, findsome method of gathering the players allin one place.

For this adventure, you will need theMura Map (on page 29 of this book). Thedescriptions below are used with the map.

Mura Descriptions

Most of the buildings are minka, homesof the families of the community. Whileeach is different in detail, the general con-struction of each minka is the same. Theroof is made of a thick layer of rice strawthatch. The walls are wood lattice or, insome cases, rough-hewn planks. Themain area of the floor is bare earth with anopen hearth in the center. Around this areaare wooden-floored platforms. The minkaserves as a home, a workshop, and occa-sionally a barn for the family’s livestock.

In this mura, each minka contains 1d6+ 2 peasants of all ages (to a maximum of

79 people in the village). However, thereare only eight men capable of fighting(bushi, 1st level). They are unarmored andarmed with spears. They do not fight as aunit, each attacking individually and with-out plan. However, if brought under thecommand of a strong leader (by scoring85% or greater on an encounter reactioncheck) they will follow simple commandsissued by him. However, this leader mustremain with them at all times and must beat the front of any fight. Any sign of weak-ness from their leader and they will breakand run.

Choose one minka to be the myusho’shouse. Although slightly larger than all theothers, it is similar in appearance and con-struction. It is the minka of Gobo (AC 10;MV 12”; HD 1-1; hp 4; #AT 1; Damage 1d6;AL LG), the myusho or leader of the mura.To outsiders of wealth or power he is obse-quious and fawning, to all others he isstern and inhospitable. Since the murahas no inn, he offers the use of his home topersons of rank while he sleeps in the sta-ble. If the important person is a stranger,Gobo does not offer any more than this. Ifthe person is a local official or greater,Gobo produces his finest foods (which arenot much) and sees that the traveler hasrice to eat every day. If the stay is a shortone, he puts up with this expense. How-ever, if the visit is protracted, he begins togrumble and secretly complain. Hebecomes less cooperative, hiding food-stuffs while protesting poverty. He is bynature stingy and manipulative.

The buildings shaded on the map arethe godown (storehouses) of the wealthierpeasants. Each has a stone foundationand plaster walls. Normal godown haveonly thatched roofs, but these have tiledroofs. These buildings are actually stouterand more fire-proof than the minka sincethey hold all the treasures of each family.Each godown is partially filled with balesof rice straw, bags of rice and millet, jars ofbeer and sake, lumber, and other farmgoods. The godown are sturdy buildings.Holes can be knocked in the walls forarrow slits and other improvisations cantransform these into reasonable defensivepoints.

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The Sequence of Events

The Player Characters Arrive: Havethe player characters come into the muraby whatever means you prefer. They mayenter as a single group, arrive in smallgroups, or saunter in alone. If the pregen-erated characters are used, it is likely thatEtsu-no-kami-Makoto and Saisho enter asone group, Annen and Akirakeiko asanother, Kanari Taro and Penri as thethird, with Roben and Kani each enteringalone. Samurai player characters (andthose pretending to be samurai) who act inthe appropriate lordly manner are housedin Gobo’s house at no charge. All othersmust find sleeping space with the otherfamilies in the village, paying only a fewfen.

The Warning: Allow the player charac-ters to get settled in the village. Charac-ters can introduce themselves to eachother (if they entered separately),although they do not have to. If any char-acter inquires about local affairs, tell theplayer about the demands of the BlackTemple messengers. Do not offer any indi-cation that the mura may be attacked.

After this minor business is done, apeasant boy, about 15 years old, runs intothe village. He does not say anything, butis obviously upset. He runs to the minka ofhis father, tugs at the man’s sleeve andpoints excitedly across the fields. Theplayer characters are too far away to hearwhat is said and may not notice this sceneat all. The father in turn runs to the myushoand repeats the scene. If the myusho iswith any of the player characters, thefather draws him to the side and whispersin his ear. A look of distress comes acrosshis face. He leaves hastily, runs to the cen-ter of the village and begins pounding thealarm block (a piece of wood he hammerswith a large mallet). Heads pop out of win-dows and doors slide wide. Screamingand crying, the villagers rush into thestreets, whirling about in panic, finallyclustering at the dusty base of the alarmmound. Many of their faces tear-streaked,they shout and scream at the myoshu.Over their voices, the myoshu bellows,“Family! Riders are coming! They arebandits!”

These words only increase the utterpanic of the villagers. A chorus of screamserupts from the older women and severalof the weaker-willed men fall to theirknees, sobbing. The outer fringes of thecrowd begin to run away. Some take shel-ter in their homes, others hastily prepareto leave the mura. Only a few run for theirspears, determined to fight. The womenclaw at and cling to these, pleading withthem not to die foolishly.

There is very little time before the attackcomes. The myoshu knows no more thanhe has said. If the player characters canquickly find the boy (by demanding that hebe brought to them), they can learn more.The riders were armed and armored.There were about 20 or more of them.They were coming from the east. Theywere very close by and were riding fast.The player characters can also attempt toorganize a defense with the eight bushi ofthe village, if they act quickly. They havejust enough time to gather these men andget them into simple positions.

The Attack: Suddenly, 26 mountedsohei sweep down the main road. Theirforms are barely visible in the dusk, out-lined by the fading sun and the torchesthey carry. Galloping into the mura, theymercilessly cut down any who foolishly getin their way. Shouting and screaming; theyorder the peasants into the center of themura. All who resist are attacked. Onerider, wearing better armor than the oth-ers, demands to see the myusho andknow which is his house. He is quickly dis-covered, since the others in the muramake no attempt to protect him.

The leader of the sohei makes a quickspeech. “You ungrateful curs haverefused to pay rent to the Black Temple!For this, your rent is doubled! And this willbe your punishment, should you refuseagain!” With these words, he orders hismen to burn the myoshu’s house and exe-cute Gobo. This is done without hesita-tion. After this, the riders pillage theremaining houses and godown, and col-lect the rent, which leaves the villagersbarely enough to survive on.

Leader of the Black Riders: 4th-levelsohei (AC 5; MV 12”/18” mtd.; hp 23; #AT1; THAC0 16; Damage 1d8 + 2)

He is wearing do-maru, kote, and sune-ate (-1 to Dexterity) and is armed with a +1trident. He also has a pearl of protectionfrom fire in an earring. He rides a mediumwarhorse. He carries 2d10 yuan.

15 Black Riders: 1st-level sohei (AC 7;MV 12”/24” mtd.; hp 5; #AT 1; THAC0 19;Damage 1d6 + 1)

Each rider is armed with a spear and iswearing hara-ate and haidate. None ofthem have magical items. Each carries1d10 fen. All are riding light warhorses.

The Player Characters: Exactly whatthe player characters do during thisengagement is entirely up to them. Theyare in no way required to stay and fight.Indeed, you may want to encourage themto flee at a convenient moment. The BlackRiders are tired from their day of travel andhave no desire to pursue what they con-sider to be fleeing peasants. If the playercharacters choose to stand and fight, theirbest chance is to retreat to one of thegodown (with a tile roof) and make a stand.If several sohei are slain without hurtingthe player characters, the riders surroundthe godown while they collect taxes fromthe rest of the mura. They will then leave.They do not wish to be drawn into a pro-tracted battle.

The Aftermath: Once the riders haveleft, the player characters have severaloptions. They can ignore the plight of thevillagers and leave. The raid did not con-cern them and is not their problem. Theycan take the noble course and seek toavenge the villagers. The villagers canhire the player characters (although formeager wages).

The adventure can continue as follows:The morning after the raid, a group of 10

soldiers enter the mura, led by a mountedsamurai (Sato Masako, 8th level). He care-fully surveys the damage and hears thecomplaints of the villagers. Hearing of theactions of the player characters, hedemands their presence. He questionsthem closely. If the characters fought todefend the mura, he respects them, realiz-ing they are more intelligent and percep-tive than the villagers. At the end of thequestioning, he makes the following offerto the PCs.

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“The Black Riders are new to me, butthey have no rights to this shoen. It isowned by the Niwa family whom I serve. Imust go and present a report of this to mylord, but he will task me for my inactivity. Imust show him that I am doing something.You can do me a great service and I will beunder obligation to you. Defend this vil-lage and learn what you can of these BlackRiders. In several weeks I will return.Report to me at the village of Tosa then.”

He acts as if the player characters areexpected to automatically accept thisoffer. If they protest, use whatever persua-sive arguments seem appropriate—payment, honor, his friendship, or threatsof dire consequences.

If the player characters showed coward-ice during the recent attack, he stillinstructs them to learn what has hap-pened. As coercion, he threatens themwith punishment and exposure of theirshameful behavior to the shugo-matadaiof the region.

LORD OF THE BLACK TEMPLEADVENTURE 3

This adventure is for a party of 4-8 charac-ters of 3d to 5th levels. It continues thestory of the Black Temple begun in the sec-ond adventure. It is assumed that sometime has passed between that adventureand this, allowing the player characters toreach the proper levels. During this time,the player characters may have otheradventures of your own creation or maysimply have spent the time searching forclues and information about the BlackTemple.

Information the player characters cangain in the course of the adventureincludes the following:

The name of the sohei commander whoattacked the mura

The names of other mura that havebeen forced to pay the Black Temple

A history of the practices of the templeThe general location of the temple

Armed with one or all of these bits ofinformation, the player characters shouldeventually be led to the mura of Myudo.This rests in one of the secluded valleysthat reaches up into the Kurisammyaku.As referee, you should decide the exacthex location.

The Road to Myudo

All morning, the trail you have been fol-lowing has been winding through athick grove. The weather has beenpleasantly cool and the flowers of thewood have added soothing bursts ofcolor to the dark green background.Several times you have seen signs ofprevious travelers—churned earth,droppings, broken branches, and dis-carded bits of gear. They are a fairlylarge group and do not seem to be mak-ing any effort to hide their movement. Itis unlikely they are bandits or malevo-lent creatures.

Following the trail along a youngstand of bamboo, the situationchanges. Broken bamboo lays acrossthe trail, the stalks spattered with bloodand slashed by sword cuts. An openingof crushed and cut plants plunges intothe dark grove. In the shadows at theend is an unmoving form, standing with

his back to you.Hung up in the broken stalks of bam-

boo is a dead swordsman. He ispitched forward into the bamboo, hissleeves tangled in the sharp stalks. Hisshoulders sag and his legs are limpunder him. Thick blood soaks the backof his slashed shirt.

The swordsman is quite dead andobviously has been robbed. Investigat-ing the area shows many signs of asmall battle—slashed bamboo, blood,and another dead body, also pickedclean of anything valuable. The bodiesare still slightly warm, so the attackcould not have occurred too long ago.The trail leads out through the bambooand disappears across a patch of rockyground.

Pressing on a little farther, you see atraveler on the road ahead of you. He isheaded in your direction. He is about40 yards away, and you can tell by hisdress he is wealthy. As the travelerapproaches, it is obvious that he hasbeen in a recent battle. He is woundedand weak.

If the characters attack he begs formercy, unwilling to put up any resistance.

He introduces himself as a trader, Kudano Nito. But it is his sorrow to report thathe was set upon and robbed by bandits.They took all his goods and slew his twoassistants. It is only by great fortune thathe escaped. But unfortunately, all hisgoods were stolen. He was carrying a loadof weapons and suspects that the peas-ants of one of the nearby mura may havearranged the raid.

He then asks the characters if theywould recover his goods. If they seem hes-itant, he offers them a reward of 10 ch’ien.If the characters take him up on his offer,he tells them where the mura (Myudo) isand warns them that the peasants mightbe well-armed now. After all, he points out,they did steal weapons from him.

Nito: AC 10; MV 12”; 0th level; hp 4; #AT1; Damage 1d8; carrying 100 tael

MyudoWhen they arrive at the mura, the play-

ers notice that it is a poor and backwardvillage. The minka are in sad repair andthe villagers are particularly thin andhungry-looking. Several of the buildingsare nothing but burned-out shells. A fewanimals are nosing around the corners ofbuildings. It is getting dark.

Myudo is a mura of 98 inhabitants of allages. There are 38 large minka or similarbuildings; ten of these on the outskirts ofthe mura have been burned or crushed.There are only 12 effective warriors in themura (all 1st-level bushi). The myoshu ofthe mura is Ochio, a middle-aged andquite worn-down man. His responsibilitiesare great, and this does not sit well withhim, since he is by nature indecisive. Hislot is made even worse by his shrewishand nagging wife. Although she is out-wardly meek and obedient, in privatemoments she is loud and domineering.

Not all of Ochio’s problems stem fromhis personality or his family, however.Myudo is currently under a woeful oppres-sion that is taxing the resources of all inthe mura.

As the player characters enter the mura,they are the objects of suspicious stares.There seem to be no friendly faces here.Suddenly the mura’s alarm gong sounds,ringing through the village. The peasantsrun from their huts toward the west end ofthe village.

A poorly dressed old man strides fromthe minka nearest the characters. Withbarely a nod in their directions he shouts,“Hurry, you must flee before the dai-onisees you, hurry!” He then turns and runsafter the other villagers. If the player char-acters chase, follow, or talk to this peasantor any others, run “The Ritual” encounter.If the characters leave the village or hidesomewhere nearby, go to the “Dai-Oni”encounter.

The Ritual

Quickly you follow the small stream ofvillagers. In small clumps and knotsthey gather at a circle of packed dirt. Inthe center is a large stone slab topped

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with a huge drum. An old man, perhapsthe village elder, climbs up to the drumand begins beating it with slow, rhyth-mic strokes. Between each beat hechants praises to the “dai-oni” (greatoni). The villagers slowly begin to shuf-fle in and out, ignoring you while theyperform their ritual dance. With eachverse of his chant, they give a shout,punctuating the ritual. Finally, on anoutward turn of the dance, a prettypeasant maiden turns to you with herhead bowed and says, “Please, honor-able strangers, leave so our village willbe spared.”

The first two peasants the charactersattempt to question refuse to say anythinguseful. The first is evasive, trying to avoidsaying anything. The second refuses out-right to talk to the player characters. Ifpressed, he becomes hysterical, demand-ing they leave and claiming that this is alltheir fault. If the characters find the oldman they saw in the village, he is willing totalk, but also quite fearful of something.He tells the player characters to meet himin his hut later that night.

Dai-Oni

As the villagers perform their ritual,there suddenly comes a loud voicebooming over the heads of the crowd.Instantly the villagers fall silent. The oldand the cowardly drop to their knees,shivering. “Kneel!” cries the echoingvoice. Looking upward, you see a hugecommon oni standing on the hill over-looking the west side of the village.

After the dai-oni speaks, three menin armor and two in robes come downthe hill toward the stone slab. As themen approach, the dai-oni againspeaks. “Now, insects, what tributehave you brought for the Black Tem-ple? Approach and present it!” Threeof the village women approach the altarwith wicker backpacks. At the stoneslab, they empty their backpacks,unloading an assortment of weapons.

Player characters recognize the weap-ons from the merchant Nito’s descriptions.

If the player characters are among thecrowd and do not kneel, one of the menwithout armor brusquely orders them tokneel. If the player characters refuse or

are slow to react, he imperiously stridesover and knocks them into the dirt. Seeingthem close up, he realizes they are notfrom this village. If the player charactersdo not resist, he orders his men to take theplayer characters and bind them.

If the player characters attack the menor resist them, a melee erupts. The vil-lagers flee in panic, some screamingcurses at the player characters. As soonas a fight starts, the dai-oni turns andstrides away over the hill, disappearingfrom sight. If the player characters man-age to reach the dai-oni before it disap-pears, they discover it is only a costume.Inside is a puppeteer on short stilts. He is awu jen/ninja.

Two rounds after the dai-oni disappears,the wu jen/ninja appears at the top of thehill to help in the fight. He attacks the char-acters from a safe distance. If things lookbad he drinks a potion of invisibility andmakes his escape, reporting what hastranspired to the Black Temple. If heescapes, the PCs meet him again in the“Tengu Discovered” encounter.

The five men fight until either theirleader (the kensai, see NPC statistics fol-lowing) falls or they lose three men.Should either of these events occur, themen attempt to flee, crossing the hill anddisappearing into the woods.

If the player characters kneel with thevillagers, it may appear as if they are goingto escape safely. The men come down tothe slab and admire the weapons, loadingthem into baskets. At this point, a scruffypeasant not far from the player charactersstarts toward the men. His actions andintentions are obvious to any watchfulplayer character (i.e., anyone who is spe-cifically watching the entire crowd, not justthe men). Unless restrained by subtlearguments, such as the gentle pressure ofa knife in his back, the peasant runs for-ward to the men and flings himself at theirfeet. Pleading mercy for himself, his fam-ily, and his village, he turns the playercharacters in. The men then attempt tocapture the player characters asdescribed above.

If the player characters manage to avoiddetection, the men gather the weaponsand go back up the hill. The dai-oni roarsout, “This time you have pleased me! Myblessing and my protection is over you. Onthe next moon I will return.” With that, theentire group turns and strides away.

Darkness prevents any immediateattempts to track the group. In the morn-ing, however, it is easy to find the trail. The

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footprints of the dai-oni go a short distanceinto the woods on the other side of the trailand then disappear. However, the tracks ofthe men remain and are easy to follow.

Wu Jen/Ninja: AC 7; MV 12”, 4th/2dlevel; hp 14; #AT 1; Damage 1d8 + 1; S15; I 16; W 12; D 17; C 16; Ch 15; AL LE

SpellsKnow HistoryAccuracyElemental BurstEnchanted BladeApparition

Magical Items: + 1 short sword, potion ofinvisibility

Kensai Leader: AC 6; MV 12”; 4th level;hp 36; #AT 3/2; Damage 1d6 + 2; S 17; I 9;W 16; D 17; C 15; Ch 10; AL LE; chosenweapon is a three-piece rod

Equipment: quality jitte

Armored Bushi (x3): AC 5; MV 12”; 3dlevel; hp 27, 16, 21; #AT 3/2; Damage1d10 + 3; AL NE; all have double speciali-zation with katana. Each wears do-maru,haidate, kote, and sune-ate.

Yakuza: AC 6; MV 12”; 3d level; hp 12;#AT 1; Damage 1d8 + 1; S 16; I 15; W 10;D 16; C 12; Ch 17; AL LE

Midnight Meeting

This encounter occurs if the player char-acters meet the old man at the pre-arranged midnight meeting. His house isclean and modest in size. Standing in theshadows inside the doorway, he greets theplayer characters with a motion to be silent.Ushering them inside, he takes them to themain room, shooing out his aged wife and ayoung woman. A man, possibly his son,remains in the room with him.

“Welcome most respected sirs. I amMyudo Ichiro. This is the husband of mydaughter. I am sorry you had to arrive atsuch a bad time. We are being punishedfor evils of our other lives. All the sutras wechant cannot save us from our sins. Forwhat we may have done, the gods havesent a monster into our lands. Six moonsago, just before the harvest time, it arrivedand proclaimed itself the master of theBlack Temple. Rent was demanded of us.At first we refused. We are not foolish ortraitorous—we know who our true lord is.But the monster has troops and the shu-go’s men have ignored our little village.

“Once we refused, but only once. Weare not warriors. For our refusal, the hot-

headed sons of several families were slainand their houses were fired. Those are theburnt-out hulks you see outside.

“Every moon his followers come andcollect a monthly rent. Already we havebecome unable to pay in rice. Last moon,we were forced to pay with our best crafts-men and daughters chosen by lot. For thisrent, in desperation we set upon a mer-chant and took his goods. It was a shame-ful act, but otherwise we would have todraw lots for our daughters again.

“We are dust—nothing. We haveshamed ourselves and our families. In afew days I will leave this village and go toTamanokuni. There I will present myself tothe court and plead mercy for my small vil-lage. They will kill me, I am sure. I will beexecuted for my village. Knowing this, Iwill go and die. I beg you to destroy theBlack Temple. Avenge the death of an oldman. Avenge me for what they have doneto my village. I am old and I am alreadydead. I am a presumptuous old fool whooffends his guests. I will die with somesmall honor.”

His face pale as aspen bark, he wipes atrickle of tears from his cheek and bowsforward, exposing his neck to the touch ofthe swordblade. “Aiieee!” wails his son insorrow and agony. The cry is echoed bythe women in the room beyond, theirvoices ending in choked and wrackingsobs.

The Village in Ruins

After following the trail of the dai-oni’smen for five hours, you arrive atanother small mura nestled at the baseof the mountains. The village is a well ofsorrow. The buildings are decrepit, thethatch rotting on some. Garbage is castaside in small piles near side doors.Small children throw stones at eachother and young men in rags lounge indoorways. Bony dogs sprawl undershady trees. Monkeys clamber throughthe branches above them. No oneseems happy or cheerful.

As the characters enter town, they aregreeted by a little man who introduceshimself as Hoseki. Bobbing obsequiouslyto the characters, he tugs at their sleevesand tells them he has most pleasant andwonderful accommodations for travelers.If questioned about the dai-oni or his men,Hoseki feigns fear and caution. Pulling the

player characters into a shadowy corner,he says the men passed through the vil-lage this morning and went up into themountains. He attempts to learn what theplayer characters are doing in his townand what they intend to do next.

If asked about the dai-oni, he goes into ahorrible tale of what has become of the vil-lage. This story is very much like that toldin the previous village. However, Hosekifreely embellishes the story with tales ofdire magical powers, huge bands of men,and terrible events. Any informationgained from him is generally overstated ormisleading. As an agent of the dai-oni, histask is to learn as much as possible whilerevealing as little as possible.

Once finished with his story, he againpresses the player characters to stay athis house. If they accept, go to “A Night atHoseki’s.” If the characters refuse, he isgreatly disappointed. No other building inthe mura offers them shelter. Unless theyreturn to his house, they are forced tospend a night in the open air. In this case,run the “Chill of the Night” encounter.

A Night at Hoseki�s

That night the player characters aregiven rooms in Hoseki’s household. Hislarge minka is fairly barren. Gatheringhimself a simple comforter, he apologizesfor the disarray. He is a widower and haslittle talent for housekeeping. With no chil-dren, he has a girl come in a few times aweek and see to his needs. Tonight hesleeps in the kura (storehouse) while thehonorable strangers use his house. After asimple dinner of a very small bowl of riceand pickled radishes, Hoseki lays outcomforters and headblocks for everyonein the party. As a finish to the dinner, hegoes outside and brings back a basket offruit and a jar of hot sake. He apologizesfor his meager fare. With this he saysgoodnight.

If the player characters have told Hosekiwhat they are doing, asked about theBlack Temple, inquired about other stran-gers, or have shown an unnatural interestin temples of the area, the fruit and sakeare drugged. Wait about five minutes ofreal time and then require a saving throwversus poison for every character who ateor drank the drugged substances. If acharacter only had one drink or a fewbites, he is allowed a +2 on the savingthrow. For every additional drink or pieceof fruit, the saving throw is reduced by -4.If the character fails his save, he falls into

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a deep sleep. Otherwise, aside from a mildcase of indigestion, the character does notnotice any effect.

If all of the characters succumb to thedrug they awake the next morning with ter-rible headaches. Not only that, but all theirpersonal possessions (including theirclothes) are gone. Indeed the only clothesin the minka are several women’s robes! Asearch reveals that Hoseki is nowhere tobe found.

If some or all of the characters are notdrugged, but all are asleep, roll percentiledice. If there is an undrugged barbarian,ninja, or yakuza with the party, add 10 tothe die roll. If the result is 70 or less, thecharacters are robbed as describedabove. If the die roll is greater, one or moreof the undrugged player charactersawaken during the robbery. Randomlydetermine which and how many charac-ters awaken.

Robbing them are six men dressed inblack clothing and carrying weapons.When discovered, their first objective is tosilence those awake before they canspread the alarm. They do not care howthey accomplish this, as long as they aresilent. They are all ninjas and areequipped with a number of weapons anddevices. Secondly, they wish to finish thetask they came here to do. Finally, theynaturally wish to avoid unmasking. If theleader is unmasked, the player charactersdiscover the whereabouts of their genialhost, Hoseki.

If the player characters keep a watch,the ninja attempt to dispatch the guardsilently before commencing with the rob-bery. To accomplish this, Hoseki entersthe minka through the upper story. Movingsilently, he attempts to backstab the guardfrom behind with his drug-coated ninja-to.If successful, allow the player characters apercentile die roll as described above.This may result in one or more charactersawakening. Drugged characters neverawaken before dawn.

If the ninjas lose Hoseki or half of theirparty, the survivors attempt to run away byjumping through the open windows andinto the darkness.

If any ninja is captured, he steadfastlyrefuses to answer any questions. Indeed,he goes to any extreme to avoid answer-ing questions. So long as the player char-acters hold the ninja prisoner, they are thetarget of further ninja ambushes. Theseambushes have the express purpose ofkilling the party members quickly. As suchthe attacks are sudden and deadly.

Hoseki (sohei/ninja): AC 6; MV 12”; 5th/3d level; hp 28; #AT 1; Damage 1d6 + 3; S17; I 15; W 15; D 16; C 15; Ch 11; AL LE

Equipment: +2 kusari-gama, ninja-tocoated with sleeping drug (save vs. poisonwith +2), three dust grenades, shukenjascroll of calm and cure critical wounds,haramaki-do

Bushi/Ninja (x5): AC 8; MV 12”; 1st/1stlevel; hp 6,6,4,3,2; #AT 3/2; Damage 1d8+ 2; AL LE; all specialize in wakizashi

Equipment: wakizashi, dust grenade,leather armor

Chill of the Night

If the player characters spend the nightoutdoors, they do not have any combatencounters. However, if the guards arewatchful, they notice a figure moving inthe shadows. Player characters able tomove silently and hide in shadows are ableto follow this figure. Other player charac-ters are only able to tell that the figure isstealthily slipping out of the mura.

If the figure is successfully followed, heleads the characters a short way into thewoods. At a particularly large willow treehe takes a scroll from under his robes andtucks it in a large hole. With this he turnsand slips back into the village, returning tothe house of Hoseki.

Ten minutes after the message isdropped off, another figure appears at thetree and disappears into the woods.Again, characters able to move silentlyand hide in shadows can attempt to follow.The figure darts quickly to an old, standingtrunk. Rummaging a large stick fromunder the leaves, he beats the trunk inrhythmic strokes. It echoes like a reverber-ating drum. After several seconds hepauses and waits, his head cocked. Thirtyseconds pass with no sound. He repeatsthe performance. This time a faint echoingthump floats through the forest. He tossesthe stick aside and returns to the edge ofthe village. There he hides himself care-fully.

Thirty minutes later, four men dressed inblack robes join him. After a few whis-pered words, one cups his hands to hismouth and imitates the hoot of the nightowl. Three times he hoots, then pausesand calls once more. In 10 minutes, thebushes rustle and a sixth figure joins thegroup. With a few abrupt hand signals, thegroup spreads out in a line and stealthilyenters the village.

The men are Hoseki and his bushi/ninja

companions. They are searching for theplayer characters, whom they intend toslay. They attempt to approach the playercharacters undetected. If this is not possi-ble, they use their grenades to create con-fusion in the midst of the party and thenattack from what they think is the leastlikely direction. They fight until half ormore of the player characters are slain,half their number are fallen, or until Hosekifalls. Their statistics appear at the end ofthe previous encounter.

Next Morning

If the player characters were attackedand survived, they can attempt to followthe trail of their attackers (provided some-one has tracking skill). If successful, thistrail leads to the “Tengu Discovered”encounter. If unsuccessful or if the charac-ters are unable to follow a trail, they haveto return to the mura for more clues.

Talking to the adult villagers gains theplayer characters nothing. It is painfullyclear that no one wants to talk to them,that they are not even wanted here. Thevillagers are terrified of the dai-oni and hismen and are fearful of retribution if theyassist the player characters at all.

However, the children of the mura arenot as oppressed as their elders. If any ofthe player characters has the presence ofmind to talk to them, the characters gaininformation. The children describe a horri-ble monster who lives in the cleft of a cliffnot far from the village. Once they used toplay there secretly, but the monster cameand now they are afraid to go there. Theycan give the player characters precisedirections to the cleft.

Tengu Discovered

Striking off through the woods, the char-acters travel for 30 minutes and finally topa low rise. Ahead they can see a cleft in alow cliff. As they move out, the sounds ofbattle reach their ears.

At the base of the cliff just ahead is ahuge oni, fighting a group of four men. Ithas them cornered, and it seems fairly cer-tain to win the fight. Upon sighting theparty, the men begin to scream for helpwhile the oni bellows in rage.

If the characters attack, the oni con-tinues to attack the four men during thefirst two rounds of the fight. After this, itattacks whichever character seems topresent the greatest danger. If given achance the men try to flee.

The men are members of the gang thathas been terrorizing the neighboringmura. Through clever deceptions, theyhave convinced everyone that the gang isled by a dangerous and fearsome oni. Thisis not the case. The oni intends to kill themen in revenge for their vile trickery. It isnot that the oni minds being viewed as aterror of the countryside, it is just that itdoes not want the blame for these things.Now men are hunting it because of evil ithas not done.

When the player characters arrive, themen begin to scream and shout that thedai-oni is attacking them. The dai-oni inturn also begins to shout its side of thestory. If the men escape (through the aid ofthe player characters), the oni stillattempts to make peace with the playercharacters. If this is impossible, it flies intoa fury and attacks relentlessly, fighting tothe death.

If the oni makes peace with the playercharacters, it explains the complete situa-tion to them. Should the player charactersreveal they intend to destroy the dai-oniand his men, this oni volunteers to accom-pany them. It is bent on vengeance and iswilling to work with humans (and others) ifthat will help. It is quite rash, however, notgiven to subtlety. Upon reaching theenemy camp, its only desire is to attackthe false dai-oni. It becomes quite uncon-trollable at this point.

If the player characters slay the oni andthe men are still around, they look at eachother in a quick panic. Then the cleverestof the group suddenly falls to his knees infalse gratitude. “O honorable and valiantwarriors, it is a great deed you have done!You have slain the dai-oni and freed theland from his evil grip!” The others hastilyfollow suit, heaping praises upon theplayer characters. They do everythingthey can to convince the player charactersthat the mission has been accomplished.“Surely now the oni’s evil followers will beforced to flee.” They want to take theplayer characters back to the mura toannounce their great deed and honorthem.

If the player characters insist on push-ing forward into the cleft, the men ask ifthey can go along to help. If the charactersrefuse, the men leave the party and thentrail behind to join in the ambush intowhich the player characters are sure tostumble.

One of the men is a yakuza. He and theyakuza encountered in the first mura areboth members of the same kumi. Hidden

13

on his upper arms are tattoos identical tothose worn by the other yakuza. If anycharacter is particularly observant duringthe fight, he sees these tattoos. If theplayer characters have seen the tattoos onthe other yakuza, they know the designsare identical. What conclusions are drawnfrom this is up to the players.

Oni: AC 4; MV 9”; HD 8; hp 39; #AT 2;Damage 1d8 + 2/1d8 + 2; SA polymorphself, fly, become invisible, cloud trapeze;has a carved ivory snuff box hung from ajeweled silken cord worth 1,000 tael

Yakuza: AC 8: MV 10”: 2d level: hp 10:#AT 1; Damage 1d8; AL LE; standardsword

Sohei(x3): AC 7; MV 12”; 3d level; hp 7,17, 18; #AT 1; Damage 1d8 + 1; armedwith naginata and wearing hara-ate-gawa,sode, and sune-ate

Ambush

The cleft the characters must traveldown is a narrow, rocky gorge. At the farend of the cleft is a small valley, nestledinto the rocky walls. At the far side is amodest-sized temple.

As the player characters study thisscene, roll for surprise, subtracting onefrom the die roll. While the group stands atthe bottom of the cleft, four bushi armedwith daikyu attack. They are stationed atthe top of the cleft. From their vantagepoint they rain down arrows on the playercharacters, hoping to kill or pin themdown. Since the men are stationed onboth sides of the cleft, it is impossible forthe player characters to find total cover. Atbest the PCs can get 100% cover from twoattackers and 25% cover from the remain-ing two. The bushi in turn have 25% coverfrom all missile attacks by the player char-acters.

The cliffs to either side of the playercharacters are 50 feet high and can onlybe scaled with ropes or by those withclimbing skill. During the climb, theclimber is exposed in full view of the bushion the opposite side and has no Dexterityadjustments to Armor Class. Likewise,climbing characters are not able to useshields. The characters are attacked atthe point where the cleft opens into thevalley. One hundred yards from their posi-tion is the entrance to the temple. How-ever, the ground between is open andbare.

If the NPCs from the previous encounterare following the player characters, theyjoin the bushi in the attack. The bushi rec-ognize the men and do not fire upon them.These men attempt to gang up on somecharacters while the bowmen keep therest of the party pinned down.

Two rounds after the ambush begins,the occupants of the temple are aware thatintruders are in the valley. They begin toorganize a defense. On the fifth round ofthe fight, the first of the reinforcementsarrive. As referee, you should decide howmany reinforcements are needed and inwhat order they arrive. The tengu neverbecomes involved in this battle.

Bushi (x4): AC 6; MV 9”; 2d level; hp15,15, 14, 14; #AT 2; Damage by weapontype; AL LE; all specialize in daikyu

Equipment: daikyu, 15 normal arrows,two armor piercers, three leaf heads, waki-zashi, brigandine armor

Tengu Revealed

For this encounter use the Monastery/Temple Map in this book. If the playercharacters managed to quickly silence thebushi guards from the previous encounter,all the NPCs in this encounter are attend-ing a convocation in the back (meditation)hall of the temple. If the player charactershave caused an alarm, they encounterseveral different groups within the temple.Use the sections, below, that best matchthe situation.

A. Party Undiscovered

As the characters enter the temple, theysee the halls are empty. The building is oldand somewhat run-down. However, thereare clear signs that someone or some-thing is living here. They do not seem to beoverly neat. From the distance come thefaint sounds of voices.

In the meditation hall are all the NPCslisted in this encounter—the humanoidtengu, 10 sohei, and two yakuza. In addi-tion, if the wu jen/ninja of the firstencounter or Hoseki have survived, theyare also here.

By the time the player characters reachthe meditation hall, they know people arepresent there. The sound of voices chant-ing makes this perfectly clear. Peering intothe hall, they see a man dressed in blackand orange robes standing in front of thebroken statue of a goddess. He is lookingout over a group of hooded men. The manbefore the statue is actually a humanoid

14

tengu polymorphed into human form. Heis the leader of the Black Temple and theorganizer of the sohei raiders.

If the characters watch the ceremony,they can tell it is a quasi-religious service.In part, the tengu intones chants to the dei-ties of the Black Temple. After a little ofthis, however, the tengu starts into a ser-mon for his faithful. In it he attempts torouse them to fanatical action against agroup of strangers who are threateningthe very survival of the temple. Hedescribes the horrible punishments thesestrangers will receive for their impiety. Hethen details a plan to increase the tem-ple’s power and lay claim to the localshoen.

Characters who listen to this realize thatthe dai-oni is nothing but a hoax. It is clearthat it was nothing but trickery on the partof the tengu—a clever costume,stilts, andproper staging were all it took to convincethe local peasants. Now for the next part ofhis plan, the tengu explains that the dai-oni must be replaced by something morebelievable and useful. With these words,he concludes his sermon and the meetingbegins to break up.

If the player characters are hiddensomewhere near the exits, there is a 50%chance they are noticed by one of the fol-lowers. As soon as he sees the PCs, heshouts a warning to all others and theyattack en masse. In this situation, the con-gregation cannot be surprised. However, ifthe player characters attack the congrega-tion before the sermon is over, they sur-prise the followers on a 1-3. If the oni ispresent with the player characters, itimmediately attacks upon spotting therobed men, not waiting to listen to any-thing.

During the fight, the tengu attempts toduck behind the statue and revert to histrue form. He then flies to the top of thehall and attacks with his spells. If the fightgoes badly, he flees.

B. Party Detected

If the alarm has been raised by the bushiguards, the followers in the temple take uppositions in several places attempting toambush the player characters as theypoke around.

Main Gate: In the guardroom to the sideof the gate are three sohei armed withnaginata. At the same time, there are twomore in the outer courtyard, standing atthe entrance to the main hall. They havedaikyu and standard arrows. Their task is

to pin the characters in the gateway whilethe other sohei strike them from theflanks.

Main Temple Hall: If the player charac-ters attempt to pass through this hall, thetwo yakuza hear them coming and take uppositions behind the various statues in thehall. When the player characters reach thecenter of the room the yakuza attack. Oneof them carries a biwa of calm (proficiency15) and a spear + 1, + 2 vs. smaller thanman-sized. He is stationed behind a groupof statues toward the center of the room.As the characters approach, he attemptsto calm them with his music. Meanwhile,his partner, armed with a + 1 short bow ofdistance, takes advantage of their hesita-tion to rush out and gently disarm the char-acters. He has prepared for the music bystuffing wax in his ears. He is able to dis-arm up to two calmed characters perround. Once this is done, he and his part-her attack. Of course, if they are attackedfirst, they fight back.

If the player characters bypass the mainhall, the two yakuza happily take advan-tage of this to escape.

Meditation Hall: In this hall are theremaining characters—five sohei and thetengu. The sohei fight with fanatical furywhile the tengu acts as described above.

Searching The Temple: Searching thetemple, the characters find nothing of

trick to play on the humans.One of the cells is particularly interest-

ing. It contains the costume of a giant hor-rible creature (the dai-oni), a pair of stilts,three flashpowder grenades, three sets ofninja garb, and a ninja-to.

Also hidden in the floor of this room is aset of spell scrolls such as a wu jen woulduse. The book contains the followingspells— know history, accuracy, elementalburst, hail of stone, enchanted blade,apparition, and rope trick.

The player characters find the weaponslost by the merchant on the bodies of thevarious sohei.

Humanoid Tengu: AC 4; MV 12”/15”;HD 7; hp 40; #AT 2; Damage 1d10 +2; SAknows karate with Feint, Circle Kick, andIron Fist; SD invisible at will

Spells: cure light wounds (x2), bless,deflection, aid, hold person, withdraw,castigate, dream vision

Yakuza (x2): AC 6; MV 12”; 3d level; hp16, 15; #AT 1; Damage 1d8; AL LE

Magical Items: Biwa of calm; spear +1,+ 2 vs. smaller than man-sized; + 1 shortbow of distance

Sohei (x10): AC 6; MV 12”; 2d level; hp12 each; #AT 1; Damage 1d8; AL LE

value in the front half of the structure.However, scattered throughout themonks’ cells are many personal belong-ings, obviously the property of the soheiand others who operated out of the tem-ple. Going through all these goods takessome time and the player characters canspend up to 10 hours searching beforethey find everything. Each hour spentsearching—going through chests, pullingup mats, etc.—gains the PCs 500 fen and50 tael.

Imprisoned in a number of the monks’cells are five men and eight women. Themen are burning for vengeance againsttheir oppressors. The women are horrifiedwith shame and want nothing more to dowith this world.

In addition to these items, there is abeautifully done sutra scroll in the libraryworth 500 tael to the Konjo Temple. How-ever, only characters with religion profi-ciency are able to identify the true value ofthis scroll. There are also two otherscrolls, one telling the history of this tem-ple and the other telling the activities andplans of the tengu. Reading this, itbecomes apparent that the tengu, under-took this scheme because he thought thewhole idea was some type of grand cos-mic joke. Apparently, he really had noburning desire to rule—he only thoughtthe whole thing was a cruelly humorous

15

TIMELINE OF KOZAKURA

There were several semi-mythical erasbefore the written Timeline of Kozakurabegan. The first of these eras, called theAge of the Gods, begins with the creationof Shinkoku and the settlement of Koza-kura. Legend maintains that this eralasted over 10,000 years. Next came theReign of the Earth Spirit Emperors. Thesedemi-gods supposedly received their titlesfrom the Heavenly Deities. Many colorfullegends of Kozakura come from thistime—the War of the Oni Kings, the Stone-Bearing Empress, and the deeds of Nakano Moriya. The tales of this time combinefiction and fact, embellishing and exag-gerating known events. Those of laterages call the rulers of this age emperors,in an effort to legitimize their own imperiallines. Only after these two ages did therise of the human emperors occur.

In the following timeline, the names ofemperors and empresses are listed incapital letters next to the dates when theyascended to the throne. The Kozakurancalendar groups years into cycles ratherthan centuries. Each cycle is 60 yearslong. The calender begins with the ascen-sion of Mori, the first human emperor, tothe throne. The year in which an, eventoccurred is given in terms of the cycle(preceding the slash), the year within thecycle (following the slash), and the cumu-lative number of years since Year 1 (inparentheses).

Timeline of Kozakura1/1 (1): MORI2/19 (79): ITONIN2/34 (94): Prince Miki begins his cam-

paigns to subjugate the northernkorobokuru.

2/45 (105): The northern korobokuruoverwhelm Todaijo, the strongholdof Prince Miki. He and all his fol-lowers are slain. The korobokuruchieftain Inoyep begins to recoverlands lost to Prince Miki.

2/47 (107): Emperor Itonin leads an armyagainst the northern korobokuru. Inthe midst of the campaign, Inoyep istreacherously assassinated byAkarweop, one of his sub-chiefs.Itonin accepts Akarweop’s peaceoffer. At the peace council, Akar-

Leadership of the northern korobo- empress. Prince Sagi, half-brotherkuru is destroyed. of Emperor Toakimi, was persuaded

2/52 (112): DAIGEN by the Nagato family to rebel when3/13 (133): Chiro no Maasate establishes the Honda family supported Prin-

a Kozakuran colony on Tenmei. cess Kodaiku after the death of her3/30 (150): TENSHO childless husband, Toakimi. The

4/5 (185): OKURI northern rebels name their own5/28 (288): KOSHU emperor and establish a separate6/13 (313): The last resistance of the capital at Senita. The northern court

northern korobokuru is overcome. survives for 68 years. During thisThe northern provinces are formally time three emperors are proclaimeddeclared part of the imperial lands. by the rebels: Sagi (11/54; 654),

6/22 (322): The first envoys from the Gosagi (12/46; 706), and Ouizu (12/Shou Lung court arrive at the impe- 59; 719).rial capital of Fukama. Shou Lung 12/41 (701): The Kanchai school of thehistories record this as the “discov- Way of Enlightenment is founded.ery” of Kozakura. 12/52 (712): Suffering from the political

7/10 (370): SENTAI and financial strain of the Zakura7/25 (385): The korobokuru hero, Poiy- Insurrection, Empress Kodaiku is

opepoen, leads the remainder of his compelled to name Honda nopeople in a great migration to Ten- Okumi as regent for her young son,mei. There they settle in the deep Bidamu. The Honda control of thewoods, hidden well away from the imperial court is now complete.small human settlements. 12/53 (713): BIDAMU

7/46 (406): Under the guidance of Prince 13/2 (722): The last stronghold of theSanetomo, the Prime Minister, Zakura Insurrection is captured.Emperor Sentai begins the Great The war is officially ended and theLand Reforms. Much property is rebel court is destroyed.redistributed and the status of koro- 14/58 (838): SUREIbokuru and hengeyokai is formally 15/19 (859): The Konjo school is intro-defined as outside the Kozakuran duced to Kozakura.government. The action sparks 15/38 (878): Ichiro the Swordsman fightsmany fierce uprisings. The end his first duel at the age of ten. In theresult is the strengthening of Prince next 83 years, he becomes the fore-Sanetomo’s family, the Honda. most swordsman of Kozakura. Leg-

8/26 (446): SHOTOKEN end maintains he was the finest8/42 (462): The Way of Enlightenment is swordsman who ever lived or ever

introduced to Kozakura. will live. Living the life of a wastrel9/23 (503): JUMEI (Empress) and vagabond, he is never beaten in9/24 (504): Empress Jumei begins the a duel. Shortly before his death, it is

construction of a new capital at said he achieved his ultimate goal,Dojyu. making the perfect weapon, infus-

10/23 (563): SANOE ing it with the very essence of his10/38 (578): The Black Castle is founded life. It is the Breath-Floating-Sword.

by Aga (Miyama). The weapon has never been found.11/10 (610): The Black Castle is destroyed 16/16 (916): KOKAN

by Kinusake no Yori. 17/9 (969): SUKO11/23 (623): The village of Kuda is

founded as the provincial capital ofMiyama by Kinusake no Yori’sgrandson.

11/31 (631): TOAKIMI11/53 (653): KODAIKU (Empress)11/54 (654): The Zakura Insurrection

weop and his allied chiefs are slain. begins in the north against the

16

17/24 (984): An invasion fleet from Wacommanded by Hidegari Iegusalands on the southwestern tip ofShinkoku, conquering several prov-inces. The shogunate organizes acounterattack, but the effort is ham-pered by the defection of severalpowerful southern lords. After theinitial battles, both sides are unableto make further progress. Raidingalong the borders of the occupiedprovinces becomes a common prac-tice of the Kozakuran families in thearea.

17/35 (995): Hidegari Iegusa attempts tobreak the deadlock in the SouthernWar by invading the Dai plain fromthe sea. The regent, Honda noMototsune, launches a force ontothe Inland Sea. In the midst of afierce storm raised by Mototsune’ssorcerers, the two armies meet. Fortwo days a fierce hand-to-hand bat-tle rages across the decks of over300 ships. In the end, his shipablaze and most of his men dead,Iegusa refuses to surrender or leavehis ship. With Iegusa dead and hisarmy broken, Mototsune begins therecapture of the occupied southernprovinces.

17/36 (998): The Great Hunt begins in thesouthern provinces. As the survi-vors of Iegusa’s naval expeditionreturn to their conquered territories,fell creatures and oppressed peas-ants exact a horrible revenge on thestragglers. Many villages overthrowtheir oppressors and proclaim theirfreedom. As Mototsune’s armyarrives, many of these communitiesrefuse to give up their indepen-dence. Mototsune savagelydestroys these rebellious hyakusho,leaving a wake of devastationbehind him.

17/44 (1004): Honda Mototsune com-pletes the reconquest of the south-ern provinces.

18/1 (1021): Dorumiji Monastery built(Miyama).

18/4 (1024): Konjo Monastery built (Miy-ama).

18/38 (1056): KIMAYAKU

18/42 (1062): SOYOKU (Empress)18/48 (1068): MURAKAKU19/28 (1108): Prompted by the weakness

of the imperial court, the Hojo familyprecipitates the Tennu War. Thecountry splits between supporters ofthe emperor, under the control of theHonda family, and the Hojo cause.

19/30 (1110): SAGO19/32 (1112): Hojo forces win the Battle of

Kurisammyaku, conquering Miy-ama. During the campaign in theprovince, a great fire sweeps Kuda.Niwa Ozuchi sacrifices his life tosave the family charters. Theemperor Sago is assassinated.

19/33 (1113): SHOWAJI19/39 (1119): Under the authority of the

puppet emperor Showaji, the Hojofamily assumes the title shogun.Although fighting continues off andon for many years, the Tennu War isconsidered to have ended. Thepower of the Honda family is broken.Most of its members are exiled orexecuted. The few that remain havetheir power carefully restricted.

19/40 (1120): The Bakufu is officiallydeclared at Gifu. Most of the lords ofKozakura come to present them-selves to the Hojo shogun. Thosewho do not come are consideredenemies of the shogunate.

19/56 (1136): GOTENSHO20/1 (1141): GOSOYOKU (Empress)20/3 (1143): With the arrival of its first

shugo, the provincial capital of Miy-ama is moved from Kuda to Tamano-kuni.

20/4 (1144): KAMEDAI20/15 (1155): GOSUKO20/18 (1158): Gizu Hanashi is appointed

shugo of Toyaki. All provinces arenow directly or indirectly under Hojocommand. The country is unifiedunder a shogun.

20/23 (1163): NIJO20/50 (1190): GOITONIN20/52 (1192): SHUJO20/56 (1196): KAMMU21/15 (1215): The wu jen Ch’u Tei Zao and

Goboro the Lame engage in a mur-derous duel of sorcery. So great aretheir powers that one stands atop

Mount Kaza and the other on theneighboring peak of Dagorayama.For an entire night the sky in the areais changed to a horrid violet-green.The villages, fields, and forestbetween the two are burned to cin-ders. The 237-year-old feud appar-ently ends with the climacticexplosion of the peak of Mount Kaza.The site is now called Broken-Dish-Mountain for the shape of theremaining mount. No bodies arefound, so it is difficult to say if thefeud has ended or is postponed.

21/28 (1228): TOKURA21/42 (1242): IJO21/44 (1244): GODAIGEN21/49 (1249): GOMORI

22/7 (1267): The career of Ichi the High-wayman ends in his death.

22/19 (1279): The mines at the Mountainof Iron are closed (Miyama).

22/25 (1285): ENCHIGO22/38 (1298): GOSAGO22/42 (1302): FUKAKUJI22/47 (1307): Dorumiji Monastery is

destroyed by hostile sohei (Miy-ama).

22/52 1312): GOFUKAKUJI22/59 1319): SUTOPEI23/23 1343): Takenaka family is founded.23/27 1347): GOIJO23/44 1364): GOKIMAYAKU (Empress)23/52 1372): REIJO24/18 1398): The Hori family is founded.24/19 1399): GOBIDAMU24/21 (1401): Shrine of the River Dragon

is built in Miyama.24/26 1406): GOKAMMU24/35 1415): The Hojo War begins.24/41 (1421): The Battle of Norinoshima

ends the Hojo War with the defeat ofthe Hojo forces.

24/42 (1422): Hojo Kawakubo is namedshogun.

24/43 (1423): Niwa appointed shugo-daimyo of Miyama.

24/45 (1425): GONIJO; Village of Ananburned by troops of the shugo-daimyo (Miyama).

24/48 (1428): Construction begun onAtarashijo (Miyama).

24/50 (1430): The beginning of the PCs’campaign.

17

NEW CREATURES

Following are a number of creatures thatare peculiar to the islands of Kozakura andWa. None of these monsters are featuredin the short adventures given in this book,allowing you to introduce them when youwant; for example, after your players thinkthey have discovered all there is to knowabout Miyama and its dangers.

Rokuro-Kubi

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1d4ARMOR CLASS: 8MOVE: 12”HIT DICE: 4 % IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4/by weapon typeSPECIAL ATTACKS: ConstrictionSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AverageALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: MPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/XP VALUE: III/85 + 4/hp

The rokuro-kubi are humanoid crea-tures that are indistinguishable fromhumans, under most circumstances. Theycan, however, can stretch their necks in asnake-like manner to the prodigiouslength of 20 feet. In addition, their mouthsare filled with sharp fangs, allowing themto bite for 1d4 points of damage. In combatthey fight adjacent opponents with theirweapon, stretching their necks to attackthose behind or to the side of them. Inaddition, instead of biting, they canattempt to constrict a victim. On a suc-cessful to hit roll, the snake-like neckwraps around the victim and squeezes for1d6 points of damage per round. Whileconstricting, the rokuro-kubi can onlyattack the constricted victim. The victimcan escape the constriction by making asuccessful bend bars/lift gates die roll orby slaying the rokuro-kubi.

Rokuro-kubi are sly and cunning by nat-ure. To avoid suspicion, they seldom havea fixed home, preferring to wander fromvillage to village. They delight in the suffer-ing they cause and sometimes befriend a

group of travelers or a peasant family, onlyto slay them one at a time in secret. Acommon practice for them is to disguise

themselves as travelers and, upon meet-ing another traveler on the road, suddenlylengthen their necks and attack.

Utoyasukata

FREQUENCY: RareNO. APPEARING: 1d4ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVE: 3”/18” (MC: B)HIT DICE: 3% IN LAIR: NilTREASURE TYPE: NilNO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4SPECIAL ATTACKS: PoisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: Surprised only

on a 1MAGIC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: AnimalALIGNMENT: NeutralSIZE: SPSIONIC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/X.P. VALUE: III/105 + 3/hp

The utoyasukata is a brightly coloredbird found in the coastal areas of temper-ate lands. Its flesh is greatly prized as adelicacy by nobles and wealthy mer-chants, who are willing to pay good sumsfor the bird. The bird is extremely difficultto catch as it is very wary and flees at theslightest sign of danger. Likewise its nestis virtually impossible to find. It is hiddenso well that the utoyasukata cannotremember where it is and must call to itsyoung to find the nest. Alas, this leads toits undoing, for hunters have learned toimitate these calls, luring the utoyasukatawithin range of their nets and weapons.

Still, the hunting is dangerous since theblood of the bird is a deadly poison. Any-time a successful hit is scored with amelee weapon, the wielder must make asuccessful saving throw versus poison( + 2 on the die roll) or die. Once the bird is

18

slain. care must still be taken in the han-dling of the carcass for the poison remainsdeadly for up to one hour after the crea-ture’s death. Placing the carcass in a bagis insufficient, as the poison rapidly soaksthrough several layers of cloth. Utoyasu-kata have even been known to prick them-selves with their beak and shake a fewdrops loose in an attempt to defeathunters.

Even eating the utoyasukata is danger-ous, a situation that actually enhances itsreputation as a delicacy. It can be properlyprepared only by a skilled cook (who mustcheck against his proficiency for success).If prepared unsuccessfully, or by anuntrained person, all who eat it must makea saving throw versus poison. Those whomake the saving throw have enjoyed ameal of great delicacy. Those who fail thesaving throw suffer intense illness (ordeath if the saving throw result is a 1). Theonset of the illness occurs 1d6 hours aftereating and lasts for 1d8 hours. During thistime the character is afflicted by severestomach cramps and weakness, prevent-ing him from doing all but the simplestactions.

Yuki-On-Na

FREQUENCY: Very rareNO. APPEARING: 1d3ARMOR CLASS: 1MOVE: 12”HIT DICE: 8% IN LAIR: 85%NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10SPECIAL ATTACKS: See belowSPECIAL DEFENSES: See belowMAGlC RESISTANCE: StandardINTELLIGENCE: HighALIGNMENT: Chaotic evilSIZE: MPSIONlC ABILITY: Nil

Attack/Defense Modes: NilLEVEL/XP VALUE: VII/1, 175 + 10/hp

Similar in appearance to graceful youngmaidens with long, black hair, yuki-on-nacan be identified by their snowy whiterobes and pale blue skin. Yuki-on-na dwellin sub-arctic forests and wintry mountainforests, particularly in the northern parts ofKozakura. They virtually never appear out-side of these regions.

The yuki-on-na is malicious and cruel,but has been known to live in harmonywith other intelligent creatures within its

domain, ignoring the presence of beingssuch as solitary hengeyokai. However, it ispossessed with a fanatical hatred of allthings human and anything or anyoneassociated with them. It invariablyattempts to kill lone human travelers fool-ish enough to enter its territory.

The yuki-on-na always attempts toattack in the midst of snowstorms or insnowy conditions. Its white robe makes itvirtually impossible to spot at a distance.As such, it surprises on a 1-3 and theencounter distance is always 10d3 feet. Itis a dangerously seductive creature, andany who meet its gaze (up to one personper round) must make a saving throw vs.paralyzation with a -2 modifier. Those whosuccessfully save are unaffected by thecreature. Those who fail their saving throware hypnotically paralyzed for 2d4 roundsby its striking appearance. It can use dis-guise, know history, comprehend lan-guages, and ESP at will, one per round.Once per day it can use lose the path(reversed find the path). In combat theyuki-on-na attacks with its icy touch, caus-ing 1d10 points of damage. It is immune toall cold-based attacks, but suffers an extrapoint of damage per die from fire-basedattacks.

19

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Etsu-no-kami-Makoto(Makoto of Etsu)

1st-Level Bamboo Spirit Folk Samurai

Alignment: Lawful Good

STRENGTH 16DEXTERITY 12CONSTlTUTlON 13INTELLlGENCE 14WlSDOM 15CHARISMA 14COMELlNESS 12Hit Points: 7Family Honor: 51Personal Honor: 52

Birth: 4th RankNPC React Mod: 70%Birthright: Three horses (one sold)

Proficiencies: Katana, horsemanship (18),calligraphy (18)

Starting Money: None, owes 2 tael toSaisho

Background: You are the son of Etsu-no-kami-Yasutoki, a minor samurai of Miy-ama Province. Your mother was a gracefulnature spirit of a great willow in the forest.For years your father held a small shoennear Kuda. However, a plot at the provin-cial capital in Tamanokuni disgraced yourfather and ruined the fortunes of your fam-ily. The shugo-daimyo was forced to ban-ish your family and strip your father of thecharter to his shoen. The shugo-daimyoreassigned the shoen to Inoue Kanemori,a retainer of the Igi household. You do notknow if the Igi or someone else wasbehind the plot. Now your father is deadand it is up to you to restore his name. Fur-thermore (just to make matters worse), thegrove of your lifeforce is located on yourfamily’s old shoen. With your meagerresources and your friend Saisho (whomyou owe money), you have secretly re-entered Miyama from neighboring Shi-zume Province.

Roben

1st-level Human Kensal

Alignment: Lawful Good

STRENGTH 15DEXTERlTY 16CONSTITUTlON 10INTELLIGENCE 11WISDOM 13CHARISMA 10COMELINESS 8Hit Points: 6Family Honor: 29Personal Honor: 39

Birth: Upper ClassNPC React Mod: 35%Birthright: None

Proficiencies: Naginata, daikyu,navigator (12)

Starting Money: 3 tael, 17 yuan

Equipment: Naginata, wicker backpack,tobacco pipe, one lb. of tobacco, tent(small), lacquered chopsticks, tinder box(flint and steel), iron pot, one lb. of tea, oneweek’s ricecake, hooded lantern

Background: Born the son of a ship-ping merchant, you have lived a good lifeup to now, indulging in most harmlesspleasures. But this has proven unsatis-fying. So, by your own mental disciplineand the training of an old man in your vil-lage, you have entered on the path of thekensai. You have a natural talent for it. Butnow, having learned to meditate and thebasics of handling your weapon, your oldmaster has taught you all he knows. It istime to seek a new teacher. Stories havebeen told of a master of the naginatasomewhere in Miyama and you havecome searching for him.

20

Saisho

1st-Level Human Wu Jen/Ninja

Alignment: Neutral

STRENGTH 14DEXTERlTY 16CONSTITUTION 10INTELLIGENCE 17WISDOM 11CHARISMA 14COMELINESS 11Hit Points: 5Family Honor: 15Personal Honor: 25

Proficiencies: Bo stick, herbalist (17),animal handling (14), dagger,reading/writing ancient Kozakuran,ninja-to, kusari-gama

Starting Money: 2 yuan, 57 fen

Equipment: Bo stick, ninja-to, kusari-gama, dagger, mino (straw raincape), lightwarhorse, riding saddle, bit and bridle,large saddle bags, saddle blanket, oneweek of ricecake, one jar sake, cord (10feet), 10 tallow candles, three sticks ofincense, flashpowder eggshell grenade,dust eggshell grenade, iron pot

Background: You are the life-longfriend of Etsu-no-kami-Makoto. Perhaps itwas his supernatural heritage that drewhim to you, for you were always a wildyouth. Your family died when you were achild and a kindly uncle adopted you. Hetook you to his village and raised you.

He was a talented wu jen who livedamidst a village of ninjas. From him youlearned sorcerous skills; from the myushoof the village you learned ninja skills. Yourdays were long and hard, devoted entirelyto study and exercise. Then, one day, amessage came from the capital. Yourchildhood friend had been banished! Sud-denly ninjo (human compassion) over-came your giri (obligations). Quietly youleft your uncle, leaving all you had withhim, and set out to find your friend.

Since that time you have led a wander-ing life. Only recently have you foundEtsu-no-kami-Makoto, just as he was pre-paring to return to Miyama. Your uncle hassent you messages saying you might beforgiven. Now you are returning to yourhome to learn your fate.

Kani

1st-level Crab Hengeyokai Bushi

Alignment: Neutral Good

STRENGTH 14DEXTERITY 10CONSTITUTION 14INTELLIGENCE 16WISDOM 15CHARISMA 12COMELINESS 12Hit Points: 6Personal Honor: 20

Proficiencies: Spear specialization,heraldry, gaming

Starting Money: 3 yuan, 94 fen

Equipment: Spear, buckler, wicker back-pack, coarse blanket, one lb. spices

Background: You have lived most ofyour life on the lonely and barren sea-shore. Until recently, you were content towatch the fishing boats of the humans andmind your own business. But now you aredissatisfied and curious. You have tired ofthe tricks of your friends, Rabbit andTanuki. So, shouldering your meager pos-sessions, you have set out to learn aboutthe world of men.

Annen

1st-Level Human Shukenja

Alignment: Chaotic Good

STRENGTH 9DEXTERITY 15CONSTITUTION 10INTELLIGENCE 11WlSDOM 18CHARISMA 16COMELINESS 12Hit Points: 4Personal Honor: 29

Proficiencies: Tetsubo, gunsen, religion,calligraphy, reading/writing Shou Lung

Starting Money: 6 yuan, 46 fen

Equipment: Tetsubo, jingasa, prayerbeads, small bell, 10 sticks of incense, 20paper prayer strips

Background: You are a follower of theKonjo school of the Way of Enlightenment.For most of your adult life, you havestayed at the provincial Konjo temple ofMiyama, studying sutras and perfectingyour mind. However, your master decidedthat these activities, while worthy, areinsufficient to prepare you. Thus, he

ordered you out of the temple to seekenlightenment by your own path.

Suddenly thrust outside the peacefulwalls of the temple with no guidance butyour own spiritual instincts, you are con-fused and perhaps a little frightened. For-tunately, you have made a friend ofAkirakeiko, a sohei. Still, you must seekenlightenment, but how? What will youdo? Where will you go? Now your truetraining as a shukenja begins.

Akirakeiko

1st-Level Human Sohei

Alignment: Lawful good

STRENGTH 13DEXTERITY 9CONSTITUTION 10INTELLIGENCE 15WISDOM 15CHARISMA 14COMELINESS 9Hit Points: 5Personal Honor: 24

Proficiencies: Spear, fishing, sailingcraft, swimming

Starting Money: 1 yuan

Equipment: Spear, jar of sake

Background: You were once a sohei ofthe Konjo school in Shizume where youguarded and protected the temple fromyour fierce rivals of the Kanchai school.The two temples had been feuding foryears. Neither gained the upper hand ormade progress against the other. Mostactivities were confined to small raids.Then, the Kanchai followers suddenly out-maneuvered your temple. Gaining thesupport of the shugo-daimyo of Shizume,they launched a full-scale assault on theKonjo temple. You were away, at an iso-lated outpost, when this happened. By thetime you learned what had happened, itwas too late. Now the shugo-daimyo,swayed by those of the Kanchai school,has made it impossible for you to remain inShizume. So, nearly empty handed, youhave come to Miyama. You still consideryourself a Konjo sohei and were travelingto a Konjo temple in Miyama to offer yourservices. Now, on your journey, you havefound a Konjo shukenja, Annen, wholooks like he could use your protection.

21

Kanari Taro

1st-Level Korobokuru Yakuza

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

STRENGTH 12DEXTERITY 15CONSTITUTION 14INTELLIGENCE 15WISDOM 13CHARISMA 16COMELINESS 9Hit Points: 4Family Honor: 5Personal Honor: 17

Birth: Lower Middle ClassNPC React Mod: 15%

Proficiencies: Gaming, long sword,iaijutsu, chu-ko-nu

Starting Money: 10 yuan

Equipment: Long sword, wicker back-pack, one week of ricecake, five jars ofbeer, hara-ate-gawa

Background: You are a rare thingindeed—a korobokuru living and dealingwith the humans! You have never knownwho your real father was. As a child, youwere a street urchin, tough and wild. Whilestill a youth, you were adopted by ayakuza kumi of one of the northern prov-inces. You lived among them for severalyears. Your unusual appearance andsmall size made you both the butt of jokesand an asset. Finally, you formally joinedtheir kumi. But shortly after, in a wild rage,you slew a yakuza of a rival kumi whoinsulted you.

For your own safety, your oyabun hasordered to travel far away for severalyears. You have become a matatabi, awandering and homeless yakuza. Youroyabun has advised you to travel to Miy-ama, where you can find shelter with theoyabun Ebi. You are guaranteed his hospi-tality, but in return you must serve him,faithfully executing his wishes. If you arefaithful to him, he may adopt you into hiskumi for as long as you wish to stay.

Penri

1st-Level Korobokuru Barbarian(Forest)

Alignment: Chaotic Good

STRENGTH 18 (74)DEXTERITY 14CONSTITUTION 16INTELLIGENCE 9WISDOM 13CHARISMA 13COMELINESS 10Hit Points: 14

Proficiences: Spear, shortbow, shortsword, animal handling, survival, soundimitation

Starting Money: 13 yuan

Equipment: Spear, leather armor, buckler

Background: You are the son of an ordi-nary tribesman from the Bear Clan of thenorthern lands. For years your peoplehave been at war with the humans ofKozakura, a war your clan has been stead-ily losing. Now, your people have beenoverwhelmed by the more populoushumans and have been forced deep intothe mountainous and snowy forests. It isno longer an issue of continuing the waragainst the humans, now your tribe simplystruggles to survive. In desperation youhave been sent out to search for allies andto help others of your race in need. Theydo not expect you to return, but perhapsyou will found a new branch of the BearClan, far from the troubles of the north.Your journey has brought you southwardto the province of Miyama.

22 ©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

23 ©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

KOZAKURAN PROVINCE NAMES1 - Kagochi 30 - Shizume2 - Toyaki 31 - Horosawa3 - Miko 32 - Tsuko4 - Nakaido 33 - Waya5 - Sogai 34 - Shogitsu6 - Naredo 35 - Hira7 - Iwari 36 - Wakinasga8 - Ike 37 - Hochi9 - Dosaki 38 - Takako

10 - Gizan 39 - Maeshi11 - Kumaike 40 - Kanahanto12 - Naga-ido 41 - Ashi13 - Fukudo 42 - Yokozu14 - Chibana 43 - Migri15 - Tochiko 44 - Haso16 - Okiga 45 - Kyotoge17 - Sanyo 46 - Ishinuma18 - Futesama 47 - Senike19 - Oie 48 - Watsu20 - Kodo (Imperial Capital) 49 - Eiga

50 - Akime21 - Sudai22 - Yama-no-Taichi 51 - Kumachi23 - Azuma 52 - Sai24 - Tairayama 53 - Niie25 - Unetgeso 54 - Gumi26 - Moro 55 - Ibasuido27 - Doku 56 - Mito28 - Okane 57 - Tenmei29 - Miyama

1 hex = 40 miles (approx.)

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.25

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.27

MURA

29©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

MONASTERY/TEMPLE

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

30

SHOEN RESIDENCE OF A JITO OR ZUSSHO

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

31

SMALL TOWN HOUSE OF A SAMURAI Commoners� Houses

32

Official Game Adventure

Swords of the Daimyoby David �Zeb� Cook

Province Book of Miyama

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Kozakura Geography and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The Politics of Kozakura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Miyama Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Geography and Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Provincial Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7The Armies of Miyama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8The Religions of Miyama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The Estates of Miyama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10The Social Order of Miyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

The Gazetteer of Miyama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Empty Province Hexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Gazetteer of Hex Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CREDITSEditing: Mike BreaultInterior Art: Jeff EasleyCartography: David C. Sutherland III

Dennis KauthMarsha Kauth

Typography: Linda BakkKeylining: Colleen O’Malley

Distributed to the book trade in the United Statesby Random House Inc. and in Canada by Random

House of Canada Ltd. Distributed to the toy andhobby trade by regional distributors. Distributed inthe United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D,PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION, and theTSR logo are trademarks of TSR Inc.

This adventure is protected under the copyrightlaws of the United States of America. Any repro-duction or other unauthorized use of the materialor artwork contained herein is prohibited withoutthe express written permission of TSR Inc.

©1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Pr in ted in U .S .A .ISBN 0-88038-273-2

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Cambridge, CB1 4ADUnited Kingdom

INTRODUCTION

Swords of the Daimyo is a campaign set-ting and a series of adventures for usewith the AD&D® Oriental Adventuresrules. Obviously, you need the OrientalAdventures rules and the Dungeon Mas-ters Guide. In addition, it is helpful to havethe Monster Manual handy for easy refer-ence.

This module includes a small color mapof the continent of Kara-Tur, a larger mapof Miyama Province on the island of Koza-kura, a book of adventures and maps, aswell as the book of background informa-tion that you are now holding. This book,the Province Book, has information aboutthe island of Kozakura and the province ofMiyama. Most of this book deals with Miy-ama, the starting point for your adventuresin the mystical Orient.

Before describing Miyama Province, itis necessary to know something aboutKozakura. Thus this book begins withsome general information about the geog-raphy, climate, government, and politics ofthe island of Kozakura.

After laying this foundation, the Prov-ince Book focuses on Miyama Province.Information about Miyama includes itsgeography, resources, history, govern-ment, politics, towns, castles, monas-teries, temples, landholders, monsters,notable NPCs, and a gazetteer that givesdetailed information on many of the hexeson the Miyama Province Map. Thus Miy-ama Province can be the starting pointand center of your Oriental campaign.

Read this book before starting theadventures in the Adventure Book. Thisbook enables you to provide your playerswith the necessary background they needfor the various adventures. As you read,feel free to highlight important sections oftext, make notes in the margins, or changedescriptions as you see fit. Miyama Prov-ince is your campaign world and you arefree to shape it to your purposes.

The lands of Kara-Tur are inspired byhistorical time periods of the Orient, usingthe culture and way of life of those times.Miyama Province is inspired by the Japa-nese culture of the Kamakura throughSengoku periods. This time of Japan’s his-tory was marked by civil war and the rise ofthe independent daimyos, each strugglingto gain and keep the title of shogun, the

supreme ruler of Japan.Oriental Adventures is a fantasy game,

however, and the information here is nothistorically exact. Furthermore, the for-eign words (and their translations) aremeant to convey the flavor of the Orientand are not necessarily exact Japaneseusages.

KOZAKURAGeography and Climate

Kozakura is west of Kara-Tur, the islethat separates the Celestial and EasternSeas. Kozakura consists of the islands ofShinkoku, Tenmei, Mikedono and Hino-moto. Of these, Shinkoku is the largest,forming a sweeping arc 1,400 miles inlength. On the northern side lies Tenmei,separated from Shinkoku by the InnerSea. On the southern side are Hinomotoand Mikedono. Between them runs Ama-kaikyo, the Straits of Ama.

The islands of Kozakura rise from theocean abruptly, extensions of the moun-tain ranges reaching down from the north-ern peninsula. A mountain range runs thelength of Shinkoku’s inside arc. The rangewas formed by volcanic action and severalof the peaks are still active, erupting atinfrequent intervals. While extremelyrough, the mountains are low and only afew reach above the permanent snow line.The sides are usually steep and heavilyforested, poorly suited to rice farming.

Narrow valleys of fertile land windthrough the lesser ranges, the slopes ris-ing abruptly along the mountainsides.Streams and rivers cascade down theseslopes, fed by natural springs, meltingsnows, and the seasonal rains. These pro-vide water for the rice paddies in the val-leys.

Life in these small valleys is hard andlonely, unappealing to the majority ofKozakura’s people. Most of the populationlives on one of three large plains. Theseareas, although not perfectly flat, providebroad expanses of fertile agricultural land.The largest of these plains is centeredaround the imperial capital. Rich in riceproduction, the Dai Plain has been theobject of political struggle for centuries.Whoever controls the Dai Plain controls

2

the heart of Kozakura.The second great plain is located on the

northern end of the island. This, the JodoPlain, is the second largest in size and foodproduction. Although far from the imperialcenter and somewhat isolated, it has proveda useful power base for rising warlords.

The third area of plains is a small groupof river valleys in Miyama Province.Although not large in land area or foodproduction, these plains rest astride thenarrow neck of land connecting the north-ern and southern halves of Shinkoku. Hewho rules Miyama Province controls themovement of trade, messages, and troopsto both ends of the island.

The land of Kozakura contains muchfarmland and forest. The farmland isdivided into two types. Where the rains fallheavily or mountain streams are divertedto the fields, the farmers grow rice. Thefields are divided into small squares andrectangles, crisscrossed by many dikesand irrigation ditches, for the growing ofrice requires water. Each spring the pad-dies become flooded, muddy pools, thedikes narrow paths. As the rice grows thefields are drained and become passableagain. The farmland that cannot be irri-gated properly is given to the growing ofother crops—vegetables and millet.

Forest covers most of the islands ofKozakura. Those who have the resourcesand money gradually work on reclaimingfarmland from the woods. It is difficult andexpensive work. The forests are thick withbamboo and trees and the ground is rug-ged and broken.

Still, even in its wild state, the forestholds a bounty of resources. Workers goout every day and cut bamboo. Hunterssearch for game. Loggers take trees forlumber. Peasants gather mushrooms andother exotic growths for food and medi-cine. It is also a place of refuge for humansand nonhumans alike. Bandits andescaped prisoners hide in the mountains.Korobokuru and hengeyokai live in remotevalleys, safely away from intruders.Dragons haunt lakes and swamps.

Although located well north of the equa-tor, the weather of Kozakura is generallymild. The great length of the island allowsa wide range of climates, from semi-tropical lands in the south to frigid winters

in the north. Warm ocean currents givemost of the island mild, wet winters andhot, humid summers. The northern half ofShinkoku receives heavy snowfall duringthe winters. Spring is the monsoon sea-son, when it rains virtually every day.

Place Names

Part of creating a campaign world is togive places authentic-sounding names.Normally this is not too difficult. The worldof Oriental Adventures, however, is unfa-miliar to most DMs and players. Look at agood map of Japan and note the styles ofnames used. You can use these names oryou can create new names that have thesound and feel of Oriental names.

You can also use the list of suffixesbelow to help create proper meanings foryour Oriental place names. Simply addsyllables to the start of the proper suffix tocreate an appropriate-sounding name. Amountain could be named Ujoyama, usingthe -yama (mountain) suffix. A river couldbe named Furagawa, again using one ofthe suffixes given below.

Bay . . . . . . . . . . . -wanBeach . . . . . . . . -bama

. . . . . . . -hamaChannel . . . . . . -suidoGulf . . . . . . . . . . . -umi

. . . . . . . . . -kaiwanHarbor . . . . . . . . . . -koInlet . . . . . . . . . . . . -tsu

. . . . . . . . . . . . . -uraIsland . . . . . . . . .-jima

. . . . . . . . . . -to. . . . . . . . .-shima

Island chain . . . . . -rettoIslet . . . . . . . -koshima

. . . . . . . -kojimaLake . . . . . . . . . . -ko

. . . . . . . . -umiMountain . . . . . . . . -dake

. . . . . . -take. . . . . . -mine. . . . . . . -san. . . . . . -yama

. . . . . -zanMountain Pass . . -togeMountain Range . . . . -sammyakuPeninsula . . . . . -hantoPoint . . . . . . . . . -bana

. . . . . . . . -hana. . . . . . . . . . -kubi. . . . . . . -misaki. . . . . . . . . -saki. . . . . . . . -zaki

Pond . . . . . . . . . . . . -ikeReef . . . . . . . . . . . . -se

. . . . . . . . . . -zeRiver . . . . . . . . . -gawa

. . . . . . . . . -kawaRock . . . . . . . . . . . . -neSea . . . . . . . . . . -nadaStrait . . . . . . . . -kaikyo

. . . . . . . . . . -setoSwamp. . . . . . . . . -numa

History

The deities presented in the following his-tory are created specially to provide back-ground for the campaign. DMs who arefamiliar with Japanese mythology or whohave already created a mythology for theircampaign may want to substitute this forwhat is provided.

No one knows when the first humansarrived in the islands of Kozakura. Thekorobokuru, who had inhabited theislands for ages, keep no written records.Their oral tales are filled with stories oftheir heroes battling foreign chiefs andgaining wondrous and rare gifts. The koro-bokuru themselves maintain that thehumans came from over the sea. Humanshave no recorded history of this migration.

According to the chronicles of varioustemples and monasteries, the islands ofKozakura were the creations of one ormore gods, of which Shinkoku was first.There is no agreement on which godswere responsible, but a general consen-sus maintains that it was HeavenlyBrother and Heavenly Sister. The korobo-kuru believe the world (and thus theislands of Kozakura) were created by oneof the Animal Spirits—possibly the BearGod or the Eagle Goddess.

All agree that Shinkoku has been thehome of the gods for untold millennia.Gradually, the other islands came intobeing. Tenmei was created when Heav-enly Sister was banished from Shinkokuby Fierce Wind Son. Hinomoto was cre-ated when Heavenly Brother declared hisretirement and Mikedono was createdaccidentally in the war between Fire Brightand Fierce Wind Son.

The korobokuru were the first settlers ofthe islands and their stories tell how theislands were given to Poinpeyuan, a greathero of their race, as a gift from the gods.The korobokuru could keep the islands solong as they paid proper reverence to thegods and obeyed special taboos. Laterstories tell how the korobokuru peoplebroke these taboos and the humans came

3

to take the islands away.Recorded human history begins with

the accounts of several powerful familytribes. Each tribe controlled a small por-tion of Shinkoku and constantly struggledwith the other tribes and the korobokurufor more territory. Then, the Akimatsu tribepresented the claim that its tribal chief,Mori, had been chosen by the gods to leadall the peoples of Shinkoku. Severalmiraculous events occurred that helpedsubstantiate his title as emperor.

THE POLITICSOF KOZAKURA

The way Kozakura is governed and thepolitics that control it seem strange tomany outsiders. To understand how thepolitics of Kozakura work, it is helpful toknow a little of their background.

The politics begin with the Akimatsuclan and the Emperor Mori. The rise of theAkimatsu family was accomplished byskillful use of military might and diplo-macy, primarily marriage alliances.Through these marriages, the Akimatsuwed their daughters to the powerfulnobles of other clans. From there, theymaneuvered and worked to see that chil-dren of these marriages assumed controlof the other clans. Such maneuvers gavethe Akimatsu huge influence.

However, the Akimatsu family wasnever able to put together a strong tradi-tion of imperial authority. Too much of theircontrol relied on the cooperation of alliedfamilies, who had to be rewarded withtitles, offices, and land. Alone, the Aki-matsu lacked the might to defeat theirenemies.

To maintain the position of emperor, theAkimatsu quickly dominated the Dai Plain.There they gave lands to branches of theirown family, cadet families (lesser familiesrelated to their line), and allies. Over time,their daughters married into more outsidefamilies, cementing the bonds of furtheralliances. Lastly, the Akimatsu launched aseries of campaigns against the korobo-kuru who still held large portions of thevarious islands. The land captured inthese campaigns was dispensed to loyalfamilies or added to their own territories.

In time, the policies of the Akimatsuworked against them. After the first sev-eral decades, the family became quitelarge and split into several branches.Although only those from the main family

could become emperors, the otherbranches sought to control the emperor.Most often this was done through marriage,wedding a daughter to the emperor or hissons. A child of such a marriage could benamed emperor and the grandfather of thechild could effectively control the court.

Naturally, with such a system, the reign-ing emperor was often too young to actu-ally govern. This task was done by aregent (sessho), almost always the child-emperor’s grandfather from his mother’sside. This was the most powerful positionin the imperial court. The sessho con-trolled most appointments, grants of land,and tax immunities.

Furthermore, the old emperor had toretire, since there could not be two emper-ors at the same time. But the retiredemperor was not necessarily eager to giveup what little power he had. For severalreigns, the old emperor was forced intoretirement after a difficult power struggle.

With time, this retirement became a tra-dition and the Office of the Retired Emperorwas established. The retired emperorbecame a force to be dealt with. Usuallyretiring in their twenties or thirties, retiredemperors controlled many of the functionsof the court. Indeed, at times there weretwo retired emperors, the father and grand-father of the current emperor. In suchcases, the senior retired emperor (In) heldthe greater power of the two.

Thus there were sometimes three mainfactions in the imperial court—the regent(sessho), the retired emperor, and theemperor. Each held some degree of powerand influence, the regent having the mostand the actual emperor the least. At thesame time, other groups and families werealso striving to gather power.

The politics of the capital were compli-cated and demanded all the attention ofthe nobles. Indeed, to be forced to travelmore than 20 or 30 miles from the capitalwas a terrible banishment. The provinceswere the home of the uncultured and infe-rior and very little attention was paid to thefamilies in the provinces.

Forced more and more to manage withoutassistance from the capital, provincial fami-lies grew in armed strength and landhold-ings. Temples also grew in power as theywere granted lands by emperors, regents,retired emperors, and other nobles. Theyattracted and trained sohei and oftenengaged in skirmishes and wars with rivaltemples. They allied themselves with thosenobles who would advance their cause (orenrich their coffers). They sometimes

entered the capital in force, threatening direcurses unless their demands were met.

The power of the Akimatsu and theother nobles of the court eventually weak-ened. They lacked both the trained troopsto win battles and the landholdings tofinance their enterprises. More and morethey called upon provincial familiesrelated to their line. These families, inreturn for more land and rights, providedmilitary muscle.

Blind to the danger, the noble familieskept courting their own destruction. Even-tually, the provincial families, their ranksswelled with samurai, were stronger thanthe nobles. Seeing that the imperial courtwas weak and in disarray, one family, theHojo, forced the emperor to grant theirfamily head the title of shogun. The sho-gun became the supreme military com-mander of the land.

Although of a lower position than theemperor and the sessho, the shogun hada great advantage—military might. Theshogun was the real ruler of Kozakura.However, a careful pretense was main-tained that the shogun obeyed the will ofthe emperor. This was necessary since thecommon folk believed the emperor wasdescended from the gods (and indeed wasa god himself).

A daimyo could not just proclaim him-self shogun. Only those of the proper fam-ily line (one related to the emperor,however distantly) could be shogun. Healso had to receive his title from theemperor. While this was a mere formality,it meant only those who controlled theemperor could become the shogun.

Still, Kozakura was quite large and eventhe shogun could not control all of it. Hispower base was the same as that of theearly emperors—a collection of families.These included the main family line, vari-ous branch families, cadet families, andallies. None of these alone were sufficientto maintain control or defeat the others.Retaining real power was a careful balanc-ing act. Very soon the title of shogunbecame hereditary, passing from father toson or grandson. With this came all the illsand maneuvering that haunted the impe-rial succession. Other families used mar-riage politics to dominate the shogun.Children too young to govern were giventhe title, resulting in shogunal regents(shikken). The position of shogun was onits way to becoming what the emperor hadfallen to—an empty title.

Currently the off ices of the imperial gov-ernment of Kozakura are:

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In Order of Power In Order of PrestigeShikken EmperorRetired Emperor Retired EmperorShogun ShogunEmperor ShikkenShikkenTakenaka Okawa (NPC), male, age 42

The Takenaka family is currently themost powerful in Kozakura. A southernbranch of the Hojo family, it gained the posi-tion of shikken nine years ago when thecurrent shogun was named. The currentshikken is Takenaka Okawa, head of thefamily and grandfather of Hojo Kawakubo,the current shogun.

The position of the Takenaka family isnot yet secure. The family reached theposition of shikken through a favorablemarriage with the Hojo family and alli-ances. These alliances range from quitestrong to extremely tenuous. In general,the cadet families of the Takenaka and thelesser branch families of the Hojo line arestrong supporters of the Takenaka. Themain Hojo line and the other imperialbranches are less loyal allies of theTakenaka. Given the opportunity, thesefamilies would seize power from theTakenaka.

The Takenaka family was founded 87years ago as a branch of the Hojo family.At that time, the family held a small castleand landholdings in southern Shinkoku.For the next 72 years, the Takenakaexpanded their territorial base and sup-ported the cause of the Hojo line.

When Hojo Kikutake died prematurely,his son and grandson became candidatesfor the title of shogun. Neither was of legalage (18) and a power struggle ensuedwithin the Hojo clan for the position ofshikken. Support was divided between theson and grandson and the Hojo War wasthe result.

During this war, Takenaka Sugawara,half-brother of Okawa, distinguished him-self in support of the grandson’s claim.This culminated in the battle ofNorinoshima, where the forces ofTakenaka Sugawara were arrayed againstthe armies of the Hojo alliance. In thedawn just before the battle commenced,the Hojo general Nikken Yamashita,defected with his forces to the Takenakaside, guaranteeing the defeat of the Hojoalliance. With Hojo Kikutake’s son ban-ished and the grandson named shogun,the Takenaka claim to shikken wasassured.

However, Takenaka Sugawara, havingno direct blood tie to the shogun, could notbecome shikken. Thus the responsibilityfell to his half-brother Takenaka Okawa.The Takenaka clan has been left in a diffi-cult position. Takenaka Sugawara, an ableand competent leader, has been forcedaside by his brother. Although unitedagainst their enemies, the situation threat-ens to split the Takenaka family.

ShogunHojo Kawakubo (NPC), male, age 17

Hojo Kawakubo is the titular military rulerof Kozakura. However he controls littlepower. The grandson of Hojo Kikutake, thecurrent shogun was given his title at theage of eight. Since that time he has beencarefully controlled by his mother and hisgrandfather, Takenaka Okawa. He is nowclose to coming of age and realizes hisfuture is bleak. His grandfather is not likelyto give up control. The choices for HojoKawakubo’s future are early retirement orsudden death. He cares for neither.

The shogun’s only real hope is to some-how break the power of the Takenaka.Obviously, he has allied to him the mainline of the Hojo family. In addition, a num-ber of once-powerful families are allied tothe Hojo cause.

Before the Takenaka regency, thesefamilies were strong allies of the Hojo,receiving grants of land and gifts accord-ingly. Since the defeat of the Hojo, theyhave been stripped of lands and weak-ened in power as much as possible. Theyhave no love of the Takenaka, but cur-rently have little power to act. Both HojoKawakubo and his allies await someappropriate event to act.

Retired EmperorGokammu (NPC), male, age 36

Gokammu is the current retiredemperor and head of the Office of theRetired Emperor. Thus he wields signifi-cant power within imperial circles. By tra-dition, he has the power to grant thegovernorship of some (but not all prov-inces), grant tax exemptions for lands,become the protector of lands, andapprove and disapprove of imperialappointments (within limits). Since the riseof the shogunate, the power of the retiredemperor has decreased significantly.Although the office is still revered andtreated with respect, previous retiredemperors have found it convenient to with-draw to temples or monasteries, taking up

a religious life.Gokammu has no intention of disappear-

ing quietly. He has ambition of regaining thetitle of emperor (retirement does not neces-sarily prevent this) and restoring imperialpower. Although a grand dream, such a res-toration is highly unlikely It would requirethe defeat of not only the shogun, but of allthe lords who would have any hope ofbecoming the shogun or the shikken.

Still, Gokammu has support from someof the families, particularly the old noblefamilies whose fortunes have collapsedwith the rise of the samurai. He has alsobeen courting those families slighted bythe Takenaka, promising them land andposition. Some have responded favorably,though each plans to betray Gokammu’sdream in the end.

Currently Gokammu is playing a waitinggame. The division between the Hojo andthe Takenaka is to his advantage, as is thegrowing rift between the Takenaka brothers.He is carefully cultivating an image of neu-trality.

EmperorGonijo (NPC), male, age 15

The emperor Gonijo is hardly a factor inthe current power struggle. His life hasbeen very carefully directed by Hojo andTakenaka counselors. Treated with greatrespect, his few tasks in life have been tounquestioningly approve the edicts of hisadvisors and perform the appropriate rit-uals to ensure the welfare of the state.Gonijo has little interest in the affairs ofstate and has already indicated he wouldgladly retire to a temple if allowed. How-ever, as yet he still has no male child tocontinue the imperial dynasty.

Titles and Ranksin the Imperial Court

Following is a list of titles, offices, andranks that are assigned in the ImperialCourt of Kozakura. You can use thesetitles when you need to create animportant-sounding NPC or give a rewardto a player character. No explanations aregiven of these titles. In most cases thefunction of the office is clear, but often thetitle was little more than an empty honor.The true power of the office dependedmore upon the resources of the holder.

Titles marked “*” should be availableonly to powerful NPCs or extremely powerfulplayer characters. Titles marked “**” areinherited titles, passed from father to son.

5

Ajari* — Head holy teacherChi-daijokanji* — Acting great minister of

the council of stateChue-taisho* — General of the middle

imperial guardsChunagon — Middle counselorDai-ajari* — Great holy teacherDaijin* — Great ministerDaijo-daijin* — Great minister of the

council of stateDainagon* — Major counselorGon-dainagon — Provisional major coun-

selorKonoe-jisho — Assistant head of the inner

palace guardsKonoe no shogen — Lieutenant of the

inner palace guardsKotaigo** — Empress dowagerKurodo no ben* — Controller of the

emperor’s off iceMinbu-kyo* — Minister of people’s affairsNagon — CounselorNaidaijin* — Minister of the centerNairan — Imperial examinerNaishi no kami — Chief of the palace

attendantsNakatsukasa-kyo* — Minister of central

affairsOkura no sho — Junior assistant minister

of the treasurySachuben — Middle controller of the leftSadaiben — Major controller of the leftSaemon no kami — Capt. of the left, outer

palace guardsSakyo no daibu — Master of the left

division of the capitalSama no kami — Director of the Bureau of

Horses, left divisionSangi — Imperial adviserSataisho* — General of the leftShikibu-kyo — Minister of ceremoniesShinno** — Imperial princeShonagon — Minor counselorShuri no daibu — Master of palace repairsSojo* — High priestSo-tsuibushi* — Chief of the military

policeTaisho* — General of the inner palace

guardsTandai* — Shogunal deputyUdaijin* — Minister of the rightUemon no kami — Capt. of the right, outer

palace guardsUhyo no kami — Capt. of the right, military

guardsUkon no chusho* — Middle general of the

rightUkyo no gon-daibu — Provisional master

of the capital, right divisionUtaisho* — General of the rightZasu* — Chief priest

MIYAMA PROVINCE

GEOGRAPHYAND CLIMATE

Miyama Province is located in the verycenter of Kozakura. It is the strategic keyto controlling Shinkoku and Kozakura.The province is divided into two mainsections—the Northern Plain and theSouthern Plain. Running through the mid-dle of the province are the wooded peaksand ridges of the Kurisammyaku (Chest-nut Mountains). Twisting through the hillsand mountains, fast-rushing streams havecut narrow valleys. Most of these valleysare choked with the forests that carpet themountain slopes. Some slopes have beencleared for farming.

Of the two plains, the Southern Plain isthe larger. Located on the shores of Miumi(Gulf of Mi), the plain is divided into twofertile regions by a branch of the Kurisam-myaku. To the east is the plain formed bythe Tara-gawa Basin. The other area iswatered by the run-off of a number of smallstreams that rush out of the mountains.Both of these areas are heavily irrigatedfor rice crops.

In the hills between the two ‘areas areNora-ko and Uji-ko, two freshwater lakes.The larger of these, Nora-ko, is extremelydeep. Indeed, in its lowest depths it con-nects with a vast network of subterraneanrivers and seas. Horrific and monstrousthings have been known to rise from thedepths of Nora-ko. Understandably, the lakehas an evil reputation and the local peasantsdo not venture out onto it for any reason.

The Northern Plain is smaller and moreisolated. Most of the fertile land is close tothe coast, where the mountains descendsuddenly into the sea. The main growingregion is formed by the joining of severalstream valleys. Jutting out from this plainis a rugged cape covered with forests andmarshy reeds. The end of this cape breaksinto a number of smaller islands, equallyunsuitable for habitation.

The weather of Miyama, although vary-ing with the seasons, is generally temper-ate. Springtime gradually warms the landfrom winter’s below-freezing tempera-tures to an average of 60 degrees F by theend of spring. With the coming of summer,the rainy season begins. The weather

becomes quite humid and oppressive.There is little wind and much rain. Thingsare continuously damp and mildewed. Assummer continues, the rain relents andthe temperature rises, becoming quite hot(95 to 100 degrees F at times). The airremains stiflingly humid in the lower val-leys. In late summer, typhoons sometimesstrike the coast. These vicious storms canbring 12 or more inches of rain in a singlestorm. Huge tidal waves batter the coastalong with winds of gale force or worse.

The typhoon season marks the end ofsummer. The weather once again becomescooler and more tolerable with the advent offall. The humidity drops and the lower slopesand valleys are pleasant. The autumn foli-age changes into its colorful array. As thedays grow shorter, heavy frosts come.Almost at the end of the year, the first snowsof winter fall. Sweeping in from the CelestialSea, the cold winds bring heavy snows tothe highland regions of the province. As win-ter progresses, a rare snowfall may coverthe province, lighter on the lower plains andquite heavy in the mountains. The tempera-ture drops below freezing and the lakes andstreams ice over.

The following table can be used to deter-mine the weather at any time in Miyama. Todetermine the weather, find the propermonth on the table. Note the average tem-perature for that month. Then roll 1d10 todetermine if that temperature is adjustedup or down. Roll 1d6 and add or subtractthat number of degrees from the averagetemperature. Each day of the adventure,

MIYAMA CLIMATE TABLE

MonthTsouJu 5Yu 25KaoKao IIChuHsiangChuangHsuanYangKuTu

Av. Min. Max.Temp Temp Temp

35 10 6040 20 6245

3070

55 7560 35 8068 45 9072 55 10072 55 10568 45 9560 30 8550 25 7040 15 55

Temp

Gain1-41-41-51-61-61-51-51-61-31-31-31-3

ChangeNo

Change5

6-77-87

6-76-77

4-544

4-5

(1d1O)

Loss6-106-108-109-108-108-108-108-106-105-10 5-106-10

Precip(In-)

5% (1)5% (1)10% (1-2)10% (1-2)10% (1-2)10% (1-3)10% (1-3)10% (1-3)15% (1-8)10% (1-8)5% (1-2)5% (1)

6

you can adjust the previous day’s temper-ature (up or down) using the samemethod. The temperature should never belower than the minimum listed for themonth or higher than the maximum listed.

The percentage listed under the Precipcolumn is the chance of rain per day duringthat month. The number in parentheses isthe number of inches that fall. Rains last for2d6 hours. If the temperature is belowfreezing, snow falls instead of rain. Thenumber of inches of snow is triple that listedfor rain. Snow remains on the ground untilthe temperature rises above freezing, soseveral snowfalls can accumulate. Forevery two days the temperature is abovefreezing, one inch of snow melts. In addi-tion, every 10 degrees above freezingmelts an additional inch of snow per day.

RESOURCESThe principal source of income in Miy-

ama, as in all other provinces of Kozakura,is rice. It is used to pay the land tax, theharvest tax, and sometimes even the labortax. It is used to pay for other foods, fin-ished goods, animals, and servants.

Consequently, one of the principalresources of every peasant or lord is therice he can produce himself or collect fromothers. Peasants work hard to grow asmuch rice as possible. Some even havesecret rice fields in the mountains, hiddenaway from the tax collectors.

Nobles, officials, and temples gather

rice by collecting rents and taxes from thepeasants. They also fund massive projectsto reclaim land, transforming the new terri-tory into usable rice fields. Such efforts arenot easy. Forests must be cleared, bogsfilled in, irrigation ditches dug, mountain-sides terraced, streams diverted, and fieldsbuilt—all by hand. The rewards of more riceproduction and more rent money makesuch projects worthwhile.

Rice is not the only resource of Miyama.Tea is rapidly becoming an important com-modity. Recently introduced to Kozakura,tea has quickly become highly fashionablewith the samurai and noble classes. It isgrown on the warm slopes of the mountains.Currently the production is not large, butmore and more of the suitable mountainland is being converted to this crop.

The third natural resource of Miyama islumber. Taken from the mountains and thewooded valleys, most of this wood is usedwithin the province. Enough is harvestedto send some by ship to other provinces,particularly the capital. Lumber is some-times demanded as payment for taxes,especially after fire has struck the capitalor a daimyo’s palace.

Of finished goods, Miyama producesvirtually every type—cloth, woodworks,paper, baskets, and pottery. This merelyallows the people to be self-sufficient, asare most of the provinces of Kozakura.However, Miyama does support a smallbut famous pottery industry. Several smallfamilies around Hiwasa Village (hex 0121)produce a noted style of pottery. It isrenowned for its ashen blue crackedglazes and textured surfaces. Well-madepieces are found in the households ofsamurai and daimyos.

RESOURCE PRODUCTION RATESResource Production Range1 tan* of good 1-3 koku of rice

rice land annually1 tan* of poor 1-2 koku of rice

rice land annually1 tan* of tea 1-6 koku of rice

equivalent annually1 day of lumbering 1 tree or 20 poles of

bamboo1 potter family 10 pieces per week

* A tan is 1/10 of an acre, 4,356 square feet.

PROVINCIALGOVERNMENT

Like the imperial government, the govern-ment of Miyama is a confusing, factional

affair. The power struggles at the topbetween the shikken, shogun, and imperialline are reflected in the official posts andappointments made in Miyama. Each fac-tion has some representative within theprovince.

The top two positions in Miyama are theshugo-daimyo and the kokushu, or provin-cial governor. The shugo-daimyo isappointed to the province by the shogunalauthorities. The kokushu is the imperial rep-resentative. Each of these has a number ofminor officials under him. In addition, thereare the samurai jito of the many estates(shoen) found throughout the province.

Shugo-daimyoNiwa Hirotada (NPC), male, age 38

Niwa Hirotada is the shugo-daimyo ofMiyama Province. Appointed by theshikken as a reward for assistance in thestruggles with the Hojo, Niwa is a loyalsupporter of the the Takenaka cause. Heand his family have been retainers of theTakenaka for several decades.

Niwa is a small, wiry man of keen intelli-gence and cunning wit. He is normallyquite straightforward and honest, althoughhe seldom reveals any unnecessary detailsin conversation. He is extraordinarilypatient and has developed a long-sightedview of affairs. Although concerned aboutthe immediate effects of his actions, hismain goal is to strengthen and maneuverhis family into a dominant position. To thisend, he is building a base of power in theprovince. He sees that the factions of thecourt and bakufu (shogunate) are slowlydestroying each other. The time is comingwhen he will have to rule the province ofMiyama without outside assistance.

He is married and quite devoted to hiseight-year-old son, Yukiie. His wife, thedaughter of Takenaka Sugawara, is alsoexpecting another child. His loyalty to thehead of the Takenaka family and his wife’srelationship to Takenaka Sugawara placeNiwa in a difficult political position. Cur-rently, he is attempting to remain neutral inany family rivalries.

Kokushu (Provincial Governor)Tsu Gonsuke (NPC), male, age 42

Miyama is a gift province of the retiredemperor. He can give the governorship ofMiyama to any he desires, normally as areward for service. The position has veryfew required duties and allows thekokushu to collect a salary of rice from thetaxes on the province. Currently the posi-

7

tion is held by the Tsu family. This family isnonaligned in the developing power strug-gle in the capital. The retired emperor isboth courting the Tsu family and building apower base in Miyama:

Tsu Gonsuke, head of one of the largernoble families, is a particularly gruff man,little given to artistic pursuits. Extremearthritis does little to lighten his personality.

The Tsu family has a long history ofinvolvement in imperial affairs. Indeed,Tsu Gonsuke’s ancestors were one of theoriginal supporters of the imperial cause.Since that time, the family has fallen onhard fortune, losing its prominent positionin imperial favor to more vigorous families.

During this decline, the family wasforced to focus its attention on provincialaffairs, much to its ultimate advantage.While other noble families gradually weak-ened and collapsed, the Tsu strengthenedtheir military might and political influencein the harsh provinces.

Tsu Gonsuke, like all kokushu, spendsnearly all his time in the capital. The actualgoverning of the province is handled by themokudai (governor’s deputy) at the rusudo-koro (provincial office of the governor). Thisoffice is located in Tamanokuni of Miyama.

Mokudai (Deputy Governor)Igi Tajima (NPC), male, age 55

The Igi family is a branch of the Tsu line.Originally a warrior family of the prov-inces, the Igi managed to make a favor-able marriage of a son to a daughter of theTsu family. The arrangement has workedto the advantage of both. The Tsu havegained military power while the Igi havegained the mantle of respectability.

Igi Tajima has been given the position ofmokudai, deputy governor of Miyama. Heactually lives in the province. Officially hisduties are to handle the civil governmentof the province, particularly of the publiclands. However, most of these functionshave been usurped by the shugo-daimyo.Still, the mokudai retains enough powerthat the shugo-daimyo must consult himon some affairs. In return for his work, themokudai receives a portion of the taxesfrom the province.

Igi Tajima is well aware of the decliningpower of his position and the growingpower of the shugo-daimyo. He has no illu-sions about the likely outcome of anystruggle between him and the shugo-daimyo. Therefore, he is working to gatheras much power as possible, in the form ofland and followers. When the time comes,

he is prepared to defy all authority andestablish himself as a powerful daimyo inhis own right. Ambition has made IgiTajima sly, venal, two-faced, and corrupt.Outwardly he is very pleasant and trust-worthy. Inwardly, he will do anything toreach his goals.

Organization of Local Government

In addition to the officials listed previ-ously, each has a number of lesser offi-cials to handle the everyday managementof the province. The following diagramlists these lesser officials and the chain ofcommand to the kokushu or shugo-daimyo. If a location is listed in parenthe-ses after the title, it indicates that officialdoes not reside in the province.

The shugo-daimyo is the samurai mili-tary governor of a province. Most of theterritory in the province is held by his fam-ily or related families (hence the titledaimyo). As shugo, his family wasappointed to its post by the shogun ofKozakura. Now the position passes fromfather to son almost automatically. Theshogun could step in and reassign the titleof shugo, but seldom does. Such a punish-ment is reserved for families that threatenthe shogun, either through treachery orambition.

The shugo-daimyo spends nearly all histime in the capital of the shogun, keepinghimself at the center of the political scene.

One or more samurai (usually of thesame family as the shugo-daimyo) areappointed shugodai, or deputy shugo.These men split their time between thecapital of the shogun and the province.Each is responsible for a province or a dis-trict of a province. They are appointed totheir position by the shugo-daimyo andare accountable to him. The shugodaihandle most of the administration of theprovince and carries reports to the shugo-daimyo in the capital. Immediately underhim are a number of offices, boards, andcouncils that handle the necessary affairsof the province.

The shugo-matadai is the lowest level ofshugo, the sub-deputy shugo. Playercharacter samurai are sometimes given ashugo post at this level. Shugo-matadaiusually belong to the main family, or abranch family, of the shugo-daimyo. Insome cases, the position of shugo-matadai is given as a reward for loyal serv-ice. The shugo-matadai is responsible forthe administration of a district within aprovince.

Daikan are often samurai, the localagents of the shugo-matadai. They collectthe taxes and oversee the public lands.Their duties are similar to those of the jito.Unlike the jito, daikan are not bound to asingle estate.

The jito are samurai representatives ofthe shugo-daimyo to each estate, whetherthe land is owned by the shugo or some-one else. They oversee the collection oftaxes and the implementation of edicts.They are often in conflict with the civil offi-cials and nonshugo landowners.

The civil governor (kokushu) has virtu-ally no power in the province and thusspends all his time in the capital. Nearly allhis duties have been assumed by theshugo-daimyo. However, as governor, heis entitled to a certain amount of the taxesfrom all public lands, provided that the

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shugo-daimyo can be convinced to giveup this tax money.

The deputy governor (mokudar) actuallylives in the province. There he exerts whatlittle authority the civil governor has. Whiletheoretically in control of all public lands,these are more often managed by the jitoof the shugo-daimyo. The mokudai is sup-posed to protect the interests of the gover-nor, emperor and the people. However,with no authority, he can do little morethan file formal protests and rubber stampdocuments. Indeed, his main purpose is togive official approval to the actions of theshugo-daimyo for the sake of appear-ances.

Seal bearers assist the deputy governorin the details of administration. The posi-tion has no power and very few duties. Assuch, it is given as a reward to local men inthe province, especially those not favoredby the shugo-daimyo.

THE ARMIESOF MIYAMA

As military governor and principal land-owner of Miyama, it is the shugo-daimyo’sresponsibility to keep the peace in Miyamaand protect it in times of war. In addition,the shugo-daimyo must also be ready tofield troops at the command of the sho-gun. The numbers and types of troops theshugo-daimyo has available or can raiseare listed below.

On Constant DutyAT CAPITAL RESIDENCE50 Mounted samurai (2d or 3d level)150 Samurai (1st level)100 Bushi (1st level)

Troops Available in Province*FORCES UNDERNIWA FAMILY COMMAND3,800 Bushi (1st level)800 Mounted samurai (1st level and

commanders)

THE RELIGIONSOF MIYAMA

370 Foot samurai (1st level and com-manders)135 Marines (1st-level bushi)9 Warships

FORCES UNDERHIRO FAMILY COMMAND2,000 Bushi (1st level)200 Mounted samurai (1st level and

commanders)200 Foot samurai (1st level and com-manders)

FORCES UNDERSHOGUNAL/SHIKKEN COMMAND400 Bushi (1st level)30 Samurai (1st level and commanders)

FORCES OF OTHER ALLIES360 Sohei from shrines and temples

(1st level and commanders)

* These numbers are approximations ofthe forces available from the variousestates held by the shugo-daimyo.

In addition to these troops, the variousother estates and temples of the provincemaintain their own troops. Depending onthe situation, the shugo-daimyo may beable to use them in times of emergency.Many of these troops are given under thespecific listings for each estate or temple.Finally, the shugo-daimyo can raise a levyof 1,000 additional bushi (1st level) and5,000 poorly trained soldiers in times ofemergency.

In Miyama, as in all of Kozakura, thereare two principal religions—the Way ofEnlightenment, and the Eight MillionGods. The Way of Enlightenment isdivided into several schools while theEight Million Gods is split into many sepa-rate shrines. While different schools (orshrines) may hold essentially similarbeliefs, the exact methods of worship, dei-ties, and outward manifestations may beradically different.

Within each school or shrine, there aretwo groups of worshipers. The first groupis more or less devoted to that particularschool or shrine. This includes the priests,monks, shukenja, sohei, and devout wor-shipers of the group. These people do notentertain or practice the beliefs of otherschools or shrines. In other lands, suchdevoted worshipers are very common; in

Kozakura, they are somewhat rare.The second group of worshipers, those

who practice the rituals of more than oneschool or shrine, are far more common.This group includes the majority of thecommon people. They make offerings toone or more of the Eight Million Gods atplanting time, pray for their departedaccording to the rituals of the Way ofEnlightenment, and make donations andofferings to temples of both religions.

Of the two religions, the Eight MillionGods is by far the older. Indeed, it is notreally a religion as such, but rather a col-lection of rituals and beliefs that relate tovarious gods and goddesses of nature.

There is no great teacher or book for theEight Million Gods; there are no set prac-tices, either. The observances andrewards vary from shrine to shrine anddeity to deity.

Most often the shrines are associatedwith some site of natural beauty or legend-ary significance. Thus there are shrineson the slopes of major mountains, alongthe banks of rivers, by the ocean, or hid-den away in forests. There are also impor-tant shrines to the sun goddess and theemperor (who is assumed to be of divineancestry).

Normal worship at these shrines is fairlysimple—ritual purification, offerings offood, donations of money, and prayers. Atleast once during each year major shrineshave more elaborate festivals, involvingsacred dances, bonfires, and processionsthrough the streets. These festivals,intended to entertain the deity, canbecome quite rowdy.

Within Miyama there are several differ-ent shrines devoted to the Eight MillionGods. Unlike the temples of the Way ofEnlightenment, each shrine of the EightMillion Gods is independent, unrelated tothe others. Although the practices aregenerally similar, each shrine has its ownunique features and beliefs.

The other major religion is the Way ofEnlightenment. This religion was intro-duced from the mainland of Kara-Tur cen-turies in the past (see the Timeline in theAdventure Book). After initial resistance,the Way of Enlightenment has become thereligion of the ruling class and has beenaccepted by the majority of the Kozakuranpopulation.

Unlike the Eight Million Gods, the Way ofEnlightenment is a well-organized religion.Drawing lessons from the life and speechesof its great teacher, the Way of Enlighten-ment guides men to spiritual perfection.

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Over time, however, this religion hasdivided into several different schools. Cur-rently there are three main schools activein the Way of Enlightenment. The mostpopular school (Toro-dai) simply requiresthe repeating of a single verse over andover. It is very popular with the commonfolk, since it is very easy to follow.

The next school (Kanchai) reveals to itsfollowers an elaborate structure of invisi-ble spirit creatures, some good and someevil. These creatures seek to help or harmaccording to their natures. Worshipershope to gain the favor of good spirits andavoid the wrath of evil spirits.

The Kanchai school freely uses manyideas and beliefs of the Eight MillionGods—deities, spirits, and fantastic crea-tures.

Finally, there is the highly esotericschool of Konjo. This school uses the strictmethods of meditation and contemplationto show that material things are only pass-ing illusions that will change and decay.What matters is the strength of the per-son’s spirit.

This school of the Way of Enlightenmentis very popular with samurai and the rulinglords. Much of their thinking is affected bythe Konjo school. Of all the schools, it isthe most difficult and most true to the origi-nal intention of the Way of Enlightenment.

There are many shrines and templesthroughout Miyama. The shrines are usu-ally associated with the Eight Million Godsand are divided into First Shrines and nor-mal shrines.

First Shrines have been officially recog-nized and supported by the Emperor andother nobles for centuries. They are oftenlocated in the old district and provincialcapitals. The First Shrines are larger andmore powerful than other shrines. Outsideof Miyama Province, many First Shrinesestablish branches throughout other prov-inces to promote their particular beliefs(and get more money). This has neverhappened in Miyama.

Normal shrines are often built and sup-ported by the local peasantry. Theseshrines may commemorate past events,ensure good harvests, ward off evil influ-ences, or even appease powerful evilbeings. Local nobility also supportshrines, particularly in towns or villagesnear their home. Most often the site ofboth First Shrines and normal shrineshave some special meaning—the placewhere one of the Eight Million Godswashed his hands, the slopes of the moun-tain spirit’s home, etc.

The temples are associated with theWay of Enlightenment: Temples are builtto venerate a specific deity or group of dei-ties. Sometimes the site of the temple hasa special meaning—the village of afamous holy man of the school or a placewhere the deity manifested itself tohumans. In almost all circumstances, thetemple is connected with a particularschool. If the same site has meaning toseveral schools, there will be several dif-ferent temples clustered around it. It ispossible for the same deity to appear intwo different temples, sponsored by differ-ent schools of the Way of Enlightenment.

The sponsorship of temples allows thevarious schools of the Way of Enlighten-ment to be far more organized than thelocal shrines. Each school is a nationwideorganization. In or near the imperial capi-tal is the main or original temple of theschool.

Provinces contain a provincial templeand subscription temples. The provincialtemple is a branch of the main temple andpart of the taxes it collects are sent to themain temple. In return, the main templeacts as a protector of the provincial tem-ple’s property and rights.

The provincial temple in turn sponsorssubscriber temples. These have anarrangement similar to that of the maintemple and the provincial temple. Thesubscriber temple makes donations andobeys the commands of the provincialtemple. In return, the provincial templeprotects the interests of its subscriberswithin the province and acts as theirspokesman to the main temple.

The arrangement has enormous advan-tages for all. The main temple, locatednear the capital, ensures that the school isalways represented in the affairs of thecourt. The provincial temples give themain temple a broad power base. Thesubscriber temples receive political pro-tection they could not otherwise get. Thevarious payments guarantee enoughmoney for construction and adventurism,and the network of temples allows theschool to quickly raise a large force ofsohei in times of trouble. The main templesimply calls upon its provinces (who inturn call upon the subscribers) and theyprovide the troops.

The power of the temples has not beenoverlooked by the powerful families ofKozakura. Many noble families have gen-erously endowed the temples with money,land, and special privileges. With thesegifts, they hope to sway the temples to

their side. But it takes more than just giftsand money; the nobles must also have acommitment to the school and its beliefs.

All this does not guarantee the supportof the temple; several noble families havecollapsed into ruin through the stubborn-ness or treachery of a temple ally. To pre-vent this, powerful nobles and samurai(particularly of the imperial line) some-times retire to temples and monasteriesand rise within their ranks. This allows thefamily to control the temple from theinside. Many temples have thus becomeassociated with particular families.

This domination by family factions and,to a lesser extent, the natural differencesin religious beliefs have led to long-standing feuds between different temples.Normally these feuds take the form ofpolitical maneuvering. When such politi-cal dealing fails, however, direct action inthe form of raids and temple-burning is thefrequent result. The sohei of each templeare necessary to actively protect the tem-ple from attackers.

Also associated with each school aremonasteries. Generally built on secludedmountain slopes or other places well awayfrom cities, monasteries are centers oftraining and religious instruction for thosewithin their walls. Because of these quietand peaceful surroundings, emperors,nobles, and samurai find it fashionable toretire to monasteries when they grow tiredof the physical world. This retirement isoften permanent, but many a retired war-rior or statesman has returned to the worldwhen needed by his family, emperor, orcause.

Many monasteries are no more thanmeditative centers, while others incorpo-rate harsh training in the martial arts.Those coming from such monasteriescompose the monk character class. Thesemonks are zealots, fiercely dedicated totheir cause.

In addition to the shrines, temples, andmonasteries, there are also a number ofhermits or religious recluses in the forestsand mountains of Miyama. These menhave cut themselves off from the rest ofthe world and do their utmost to avoid dis-covery. In their lonely mountain huts andcaves, they put themselves through gruel-ing trials to purify their minds and bodies.

Their lives are difficult and extreme.Many live on simple diets of nuts, roots,bark, berries, and water. They live unshel-tered through freezing cold and pouringrain. They sit under waterfalls, enduringthe battering torrent. They fast for days,

10

meditate for hours, and generally putthemselves through extreme hardships.These hardships cleanse their minds,enabling them to rise above pain anddesire.

After long periods of such cleansing,hermits may reach an enlightened state.Of the few who reach this state, somecome down from the mountains to foundnew schools or shrines that are based onthe enlightenment they have received.They may also bring new styles of martialarts as part of their teachings. Hermits arerare and hard to find, but sometimes takepupils to train in their esoteric beliefs.

THE ESTATESOF MIYAMA

The farmland of Miyama is divided intopublicly owned land and private estates(shoen). The public land is owned not bypeasant farmers or local nobles, but ratherby the emperor who then gives chartersfor the land to lesser nobles. These lessernobles hold the right to use the land andcollect the harvest from it. The actual workis done by the peasants, who pay taxes tothe emperor through the noble who holdsthe charter.Most of the nobles who hold charters to

public land are related to the imperial line.Thus the emperor, his family, and hisbranch families control the majority of thepublic land under a system similar to thatused for the shoen lands.

Most of the farmland of Miyama is underthe control of the shoen (estate) system.This, technically, is also public land. How-ever, the estate owners have gained spe-cial tax exemptions and rights, effectivelymaking the shoen land private property.As is normal with affairs in Kozakura, theownership and management of shoen is acomplicated business.

There are three different forms of shoenland ownership. The simplest occurswhen a samurai or daimyo holds the entirecharter to the land. The samurai or daimyooversees the peasants on the shoen, col-lecting rent from them and paying anytaxes the emperor (or shogun) requires.The samurai or noble either lives in theprovince or has close ties to the region.His family may have risen to power in thearea or he may have conquered the terri-tory from an opposing daimyo.

The second type of ownership is for anoble to hold the charter to the shoen but

The noble usually has a local represent-ative on the estate to handle the actualwork. If the property is under the control ofthe shugo-daimyo, this representative isthe jito. If not, the representative is thezussho (who is normally a samurai). In thelatter case, the shugo-daimyo of the prov-ince appoints a jito to keep an eye on theshoen too (just to make sure there are nosecret threats to his power). The zussho orjito has powers very similar to that of a sim-ple owner. As representative, he is allowedto keep a portion of the rent before send-ing the remainder to the manager. Themanager, in turn, must pay whatever taxesare due on the shoen.

not directly control it or live there. Thisnoble has managerial rights to the shoen.He collects a portion of the crop as rent inreturn for providing the necessary admini-stration for the shoen.

The third type of shoen owner is the pro-tector. This person is an extremely high-ranking noble—the dowager empress,emperor, or retired emperor are notuncommon protectors. The protectorholds the charter to the shoen, but doesnot become involved in the actual man-agement of the property. Instead, he useshis influence to secure special privilegesfor the shoen (tax exemptions, etc.) andsupports any legal claims involving theshoen. In return, the protector receives ashare of the rent.

A protected shoen has a manager (whousually does not live on the shoen) and alocal representative. These two are alsoallowed a share of the rent.

The original intentions of the land-ownership system have become cloudy. Itis possible for the zussho or jito to defy hislord, keeping all the rent. In such cases,there is little the manager or protector cando unless he has the might or connectionsto force payment. Indeed, many now-powerful samurai and families rose inwealth this way.

The entire estate system is currently inturmoil. Complicated legal claims, weak-ening imperial authority, and conflictingloyalties have made shambles of the once-orderly system. Some shoen in Miyamaare still run by the old system of protector,manager, and representative. Others havebeen taken over by jito of the shugo-daimyo, ignoring the complicated old sys-tem of ownership. This turmoil allowsadventurous player characters ampleopportunity to rise in power and wealth.

It is also possible for a person to holdmore than one position. Thus a samurai

might be the local representative of oneestate and the manager of several others.A shugo-daimyo might be jito of oneshoen, the manager of 13 others, and theprotector of 23 more. The only limit to thenumber of shoen a person can hold isgiven by his power and influence.

Because land rights and land ownershipmatters are so complicated, proper char-ters and papers are vitally important. Eachtype of ownership has its own set ofpapers recording the rights of the family.Some of these papers are centuries old.Without these papers, a family has nolegal claim to any estate.

If a fire were to destroy the charters of ashoen then, although a family might havemanaged the shoen for decades, it sud-denly has no legal proof of its rights. Theemperor, shogun, or even shugo-daimyocan suddenly take the property and give itto another family.

Thus the safety of its charters is theparamount concern of a family. To protectthem is one of the primary duties of a truesamurai. A vivid example of this is that ofthe samurai Niwa Ozuchi who forfeited hisown life to save the charters of the Niwafamily when a disastrous fire swept theircastle compound. For this valorous deed,he is a revered ancestor of the Niwa familyand is still consulted (via speak with deadspells) on critical policy decisions of theNiwa family.

In part because of Niwa Ozuchi’sactions, the majority of shoen in Miyamaare held by the Niwa family or its branchfamilies. The Hiro family, staunch allies ofthe Niwa, have the second largest hold-ings. The rest of the arable land is dividedbetween various temples of the province,the emperor, the governor, and variousother nobles who have holdings in theprovince. The Shoen Map (in the Adven-ture Book) shows the location of majorholdings within Miyama.

THE SOCIALORDER OF MIYAMA

Kozakura is a land where social class isof importance. The differences betweennobles, peasants, craftsmen, and warriorsare found throughout the land, both in cus-toms and laws. Listed below are the levelsof social importance within Miyama. At thetop of the scale are a few powerful familieswho hold the ruling power within the prov-ince. Below these families are general

groups of people organized by occupa-tion.

The Niwa Family

As noted before, the Niwa hold most of theland, the position of shugo-daimyo, andseveral of the shugodai posts. In addition,a number of the lesser family membershold jito positions on the largest shoen inMiyama. The Niwa family is the most pow-erful in Miyama. Its efforts are aimed atretaining that power and perhaps someday conquering their neighbors.

The Hori Family

The Hori are a branch of the Niwa fam-ily, founded 32 years ago. The Hori holdposts of shugodai and shugo-matadaiwithin Miyama. They control Hori Castleon the Northern Plain. They have lessproperty than the Niwa, but act as jito onmany Niwa shoen. Today, all members ofthe Hori family are distantly related to theNiwa. Thus the Hori are part of the Niwafamily council, advising on major familydecisions. The fate of the Hori is closelyconnected to that of the Niwa. The Horihope to someday acquire control of theNiwa family, either through marriage ormight of arms.

The Igi Family

As mokudai, the Igi have managed togain control over several shoen of public(imperial) land. The Igi have been espe-cially lax in making the payments to theemperor and the distant nobles who holdmanager and protector rights. Althoughthese nobles have filed many complaintswith the shogun, little action has beentaken. The Igi make certain the shogunand the shugo-dai both receive theirproper payments, perhaps ensuring theirneutrality in the matter of property rights.The Igi are working hard to convert publicland into private shoen, installing theirown zussho wherever possible. In thefuture, the Niwa may be forced to deal withthe Igi, but currently they are blind to thethreat.

The Tsu Family

Once a powerful court family, the Tsunow retain only a limited presence in Miy-ama. Although they hold the title ofkokushu, the Tsu have left most affairs inthe hands of the Igi. Once they weregreater and more powerful than the Igi;

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now the situation is reversed. The Tsu arenow considered an ally family of the Igi.They have only a few possessions in Miy-ama and these are carefully controlled bythe Igi.

The Tsu would dearly like to see a returnto the days of imperial authority, since theycould then regain their old power. Theyknow, however, that the chances for thisare slim. They are dedicated to preservingtheir declining power within the province.

The Samurai Families

In addition to the four principal familieslisted above, there are a number ofsmaller samurai households. Most ofthese are retainers of one of the four listedabove. They are either unrelated to themain family or only very distantly related.Those in the service of one of the mainfamilies are listed below. Player charactersamurai can choose to belong to one ofthese families or they can create one oftheir own.

Niwa Hori Igi TsuMatsue Daidoji Inoue KatoIshii Kadokawa Ebisawa SakaiNaoki Fukuda Koda IkedaKishimoto Ooka NogamiSato KurodaMushakoji MaedaNogamiWatanabe

The Clergy

Ranking below the ruling samurai arethe various clergy of the shrines and tem-ples. At some of the shrines, the positionof priest or caretaker has been in the samefamily for centuries. It is the occupation ofthat family. Such families include theWajo, Mizuno, and Takeuchi. Some of thetemples are dominated by the Niwa andTsu families who control the politicalpower of that temple. In most temples,however, people from all ranks of life arefound.

Within the ranks of the clergy may befound retired samurai, peasant sons, andeven widows. Monks and shukenja alsobelong to this social group.

The Peasants (Hyakusho)

The hyakusho are the peasants of Koza-kura. They form the bulk of the population.They are divided into several groups,listed below:

Farmers: The farmers of Miyama are thebackbone of the province. Miyama is anagricultural province and the farmers areresponsible for its production. As farmers,they are more important than craftsmen ormerchants, both of which are relativelysmall groups.

Farmers, like all other groups in Miy-ama, are organized into families. Mostfamilies are quite large and include verydistant relations. The head of the familygroup is the myoshu. He is responsible forthe collection of rent and taxes and is con-sidered the cultivator of the land. Playercharacters may be the sons or daughtersof farmers, particularly if they are bushi,monks, or wu jen.

Craftsmen: The social status of craftsmendepend on their craft and skill. Workers incommon crafts (carpentry, silk production,etc.) seldom rise to great heights orachieve great notice. Those involved inmore artistic crafts can sometimesachieve great fame if they possess nota-ble skill. Still, while such fame increasestheir wealth and acceptability, it does notalter their social level. The children of afamous craftsman are still craftsmen,regardless of how high the father rises.

Merchants: Since Miyama is mainly anagricultural province, it has little need formerchants. Indeed, this class is treatedwith a touch of contempt by all. These arethe people who make a profit from theeffort of others.

This social group also includes themoneylenders and financiers. These inparticular are in an awkward situation.Even the powerful samurai houses find it

necessary to borrow money from thesemerchants. However, due to the differencein social class, the merchant often finds itimpossible to recover his investment, letalone collect any interest, unless he hasextraordinary resources.

Entertainers: Of all the common people,entertainers are by far the lowest in socialstatus. These include actors, singers,musicians, and other groups. They aresimultaneously favored for their skills anddespised for their tawdry occupation.

The higher classes find the entertainersseductively attractive. The entertainerslive by imitating the life of the nobles, butare free of the social restrictions that sur-round and restrict the higher classes.They often dress in garish imitations of thepowerful and wealthy. Indeed, they oftenset the styles that are later copied by thesamurai families.

Yakuza often come from and live amongthis social group. The town of Tamanokuniis the only major center of artistic life inMiyama.

Outcasts (Eta): Below all other socialgroups are the outcasts. They are the low-est of the low. Indeed, in most instances,they are literally nonpeople. All otherclasses despise them. Marriages are notpermitted with outcasts and even contactwith outcasts is undesirable. The outcastsexist primarily to fill occupations unthink-able to the other classes, occupations thatare ritually unclean or forbidden by thevarious religions. These include execu-tioners, butchers, tanners, and morti-cians. Yakuza sometimes come from thisclass.

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THE GAZETTEER OF MIYAMA

This section lists specific informationabout places of interest within MiyamaProvince. This information can be used tocreate adventures and provide the basisfor an Oriental campaign.

The type of information given for anentry varies depending on the nature ofthe site. Thus the entry for a hermit’s cavedescribes the surroundings and givesdetails on the hermit, while that of a towndescribes the factions, major establish-ments, and notable NPCs who residethere. A castle description lists its militaryforces. An ancient ruin may be populatedwith creatures suitable for an adventure.

Entries in the gazetteer are arrangedaccording to the hex number found on thecolor province map. Lower-numberedhexes are listed before higher-numberedones. Not all hexes have an entry; onlythose hexes that contain one or morenotable features are listed. In some cases,a hex has more than one feature—a townwith a castle overlooking it, etc. Each isdescribed separately under the listing forthat hex number. Proper names of loca-tions, structures, and people are alsolisted in the index for your convenience.

EMPTYPROVINCE HEXES

Not all hexes on the Miyama ProvinceMap are listed in the gazetteer. Suchhexes lack notable sites that are shown onthe map. This does not mean the hex is ablank void, however. Many of these hexescontain small features, such as mura(small villages), tiny shrines, beautifulglades, or even skeletons. To see if thereis a minor feature, roll 1d10 and use thetable that matches the terrain of the hex(or the terrain the characters are in).

Agricultural/Fertile

1-5: Fields — The landscape is criss-crossed by a rectangular pattern of ricepaddies. Irrigation ditches and dikes markthe boundaries of each field. Water flow iscarefully controlled by a series of sluicegates and run-off channels. There arealways peasant workers in the fields dur-ing the daytime.

6: Small Shrine — Located in the centerof the fields or along the roadside is asmall, dilapidated shrine. This can be arow of statues, a tiny pagoda, or a smallbamboo hut. The shrine is dedicated toone of the deities of the fields or a protec-tor of travelers. There may be a small,carved plaque dedicating the shrine in thememory of some person or local event (thespirit of a virtuous villager or the defeat ofan evil monster).7-9: Mura — A mura is a small villagecommunity, the home of the local farmers.Each mura contains 10-100 (1d10x10) vil-lagers of all ages. The village has oneminka (peasant house) for every 10 vil-lagers, plus another 1d10 minka. Thesevary in quality and size from impoverishedto small (i.e., no samurai mansions orhouses of wealthy merchants).

Each mura has a myoshu, or villagehead, who represents the mura whendealing with the landowner or other offi-cials. In the center of the mura is a gather-ing place, often with an alarm (a woodenblock and mallet) for summoning the peo-ple of the village.

The services available vary from murato mura, but are generally quite limited.There is always food and shelter (usuallyof simple or poor quality). Other possibleservices include a mill, a drinking house,smithy, carpenter, fishermen (alwayspresent on the coast), boatbuilder (on thecoast only), and possibly even a wise oldman (who always lives on the edge of themura or in the nearby forest). Villagers of amura can be hired for simple tasks—porters, servants, grooms—although onlya few are willing to leave the area of theirvillage.10: Deserted Building — Located in anout-of-the-way place, deserted buildingsmay be the remains of a destroyed village,the former abode of a hermit, or even theremains of a temple. Most often they aredilapidated, in sad repair. However, some-times they are occupied by hungry bake-mono or other hideous creatures whokeep the building in reasonable repair.They do so in hope of tricking the unwarytraveler into staying the night. Naturally,they do not intend to offer kind hospitalityto their guests.

Forested

1-6: Forest — The area is ordinaryforest—bamboo thickets, cryptomeria,cypress, pines, and other trees. Sunlightfilters through the overhanging branchesto dapple the leaf-strewn ground. Mush-rooms and fungi grow around the bases oftrees and over fallen logs. Rivulets windthrough small channels.7: Deserted Building —This is the sameas for Agricultural/Fertile terrain.8: Hermit —The small bamboo shack of ahermit is tucked away on the edge of aclearing. The shack is in good repair. Thehermit, usually an old man with long,white, stringy hair and beard, has retiredfrom the world to contemplate the mys-teries of the cosmos and seek his ownpath to enlightenment. Hermits are sel-dom evil or malicious, although a few maybe possessed by evil spirits or may be evilspirit creatures in disguise. Hermits nor-mally welcome strangers and offer toshare their simple fare—boiled nuts,buds, bark, roots, berries, and mush-rooms. Many hermits are quite adept atmartial arts.9: Hengeyokai Abode — Located deep inthe woods is the well-made home of anNPC hengeyokai. Such houses are in thestyle of samurai or nobles—hengeyokaido not dwell in common minka. The hen-geyokai has prepared defenses againstintruders to the best of its ability (takinginto account its character class). If thehengeyokai is good, it extends hospitalityto nonhostile visitors and may evenreward visitors who show exceptionalgrace or kindness. If neutral, the hengey-okai gives shelter to characters overnight,most likely without revealing its hengey-okai powers. If the creature is evil, itattempts to deceive the characters aboutits true intent, which is to destroy themthrough trickery or ambush.10: Creature Lair —The characters comeacross the den of some wild animal or thetracks of a creature (which lead to its lair).Such creatures are seldom intelligent,although they may be quite fantastic. Ifcornered in its lair, the creature attackswith ferocity, especially if it is female andhas young.

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Hilly/Mountainous

1-8: Rugged Ground —The ground isvery rough off the paths and trails. Theslopes are thickly wooded (with bamboo atthe lower elevations and various treeshigher up). The ground is broken byravines, bluffs, and boulders.9: Hermit — This result is the same as thatfor Forested terrain.10: Creature Lair — This result is thesame as that for Forested terrain.

Waste

1-9: Reed Plain —The area is a marshyflat, with reedy thickets four to seven feethigh. The ground is boggy and charactersmay often sink three to four feet into themuddy water. Narrow, barely discernible,channels wend through the reeds. Flat-bottom boats can travel these channels.Out of the channels, however, charactersmust pull their craft through the mud,struggling through waist to shoulder deepmud. Movement on foot through the flatsis virtually impossible. Characters willprogress 900-1900 (2-12 x 100 + 700)yards per day! Movement by boats allowsthe characters to move at their normal rateof travel, provided the characters have aguide. Without a guide, boat movement ishalf normal.10: Hut —Built on stilts in the midst of thereedy plain is a small thatched hut. Thehut may be deserted or occupied by an oldcrone, hermit, hengeyokai, spirit creature,sage, or even a banished samurai. If goodor lawful, the occupant welcomes visitors(although evil occupants attempt to causeharm later during the visit). Otherwise, thereaction depends on the type of occupant.Banished samurai often refuse visitors outof shame at their condition.

GAZETTEER OF HEXLOCATIONS0121

Hiwasa village: Located slightly inlandfrom the beach of Miumi, Hiwasa is one ofthe major fishing villages of Miyama. Thevillage has 300 buildings, mostly minkaand godown (storehouses). The majorityof the 1042 people live by fishing andfarming. There are also a number ofskilled craftsmen present in the town.Services present in the town include aninn, several shipwrights, salt makers, two

smiths, several potters, a family of weav-ers, numerous carpenters, a freight mer-chant, sake makers, three tofu makers,two teahouses, and a small theater.

The villagers also gain a small incomefrom pearl diving. The divers are alwayswomen, who have a greater talent for itthan men. The pearls are only found atgreat depths and the divers must be ableswim deeply into dark and chilling waters.Aside from the normal dangers of diving togreat depths, pearl diving in the area hasadditional risks. The prime oyster beds areoccasionally visited by a clan of underseacreatures who wreak death on those whopillage the treasures of the sea. Many apearl diver has disappeared, only to haveher body found in the village center withthe break of dawn.

The village is also the managerial basefor the Niwa estate on which it is located.Living in a walled compound on the edgeof town is the jito of the estate, Hiro Koji.He keeps 10 samurai and 90 bushi asretainers and employs an armorer andbowyer. In addition, he has a score ofhousehold servants—grooms, maids,cooks, washing women, etc. Hiro Koji (ofthe Hiro family) is loyal to the Niwa (andTakenaka) cause. He keeps careful tabson the movement of strangers through theestate and within the town.

0122Shrine of Obun the Traveler: Branch-

ing off from the Great Road is a weedytrack that winds into a small grove of trees.Set back among these trees, on the bankof a marshy pond, is the shrine of Obunthe Traveler. The shrine is maintained byKiro, an aged shukenja (6th level, CG), afollower of the Eight Million Gods. He isquite cheerful and talkative, althoughsomewhat infirm from old age. The shrineis a small and simple affair. The building isa single main hall with a personal room forKiro in the back. Surrounding the buildingis a wide porch and an immaculately main-tained garden.

According to legend, Obun arrived inthe district several centuries past when agreat serpent was terrorizing the the peas-ants in the area of this pond. At that timethe district was ruled by a wicked lord,Nosaki, who took no action against theserpent. Indeed, he seemed to enjoy theterror and suffering it caused. Upon learn-ing of this situation, Obun spent the nighton the banks of the pond. During the nightthe serpent arose from the waters and

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attacked him. The two fought a fierce bat-tle, but in the end Obun prevailed. In themorning the peasants found him col-lapsed from exhaustion next to the corpseof the wicked lord.

Obun was so shocked and ashamedthat he had struck down a lord that heimmediately had his head shaved andbecame a follower of the Eight MillionGods. Through the donations of the grate-ful peasants the shrine was built and Obunremained there for the rest of his days.Since this time, the shrine has beenextremely popular with the local villagers.

It is said that the descendants of thewicked Nosaki still live and that their bloodis tainted by his evil deeds.

0225Raven Wood Castle: Located on the

highest ridge of this thumb of Kurisam-myaku, Raven Wood Castle can only bereached by a tortuously twisting trail. Thestructure is not really a castle, but a singlewalled tower. It is used to garrison troopsand also as a final fortification in case ofinvasion. From the top of the four-storytower, one has a clear view of the Tara-gawa Basin and the Great Road as itcomes out of the hills.

On the uppermost story is an unlit signalfire. In the event of invasion, this fire canbe used as the first link of a chain thateventually stretches to the capital of theprovince. Thus alarms can be raised with-out magical means. The outpost was builtand maintained by the Niwa family.

During times of peace, a garrison of sixsamurai and 50 bushi man the tower. Dur-ing war, the garrison is increased asneeded. If the Niwa are defeated on theplain, they will use this tower or one of theothers they have built as a last stand. Thusthe tower has been built in an inaccessibleplace, making it difficult to approach andattack. The head of the garrison at the cas-tle is currently Saito Nobunga (samurai,8th level), a retainer of the Niwa family.

0321Gomen Village: Gomen is the largest

fishing village in the Tara-gawa Basin. Thevillage is built in terraces on the steeplysloping shore of Miumi. It overlooks asmall harbor that can provide anchoragefor ocean-going ships. Although it has thefacilities of a major port, Gomen is usuallybypassed in favor of Tamanokuni.

Gomen is a center of activity for thelocal population. The village has 1621

people and 300 assorted buildings—minka and godown, primarily. The majorindustries of the town are fishing and boat-building. The majority of each day’s catchis dried and salted for shipment else-where, providing a lucrative income to thefishermen. The shipwrights of Gomen arerenowned for their skill and are oftenemployed to build seaworthy vessels forrich merchants and lords of the province.

In addition to these industries, the vil-lage supports two smithies, an armorer, asake brewer, two inns, a gambling house,two temples, one shrine, one weaver, andnumerous carpenters. One merchantmakes a modest living maintaining a smallwarehouse and shipping concern of threeships. Most of his runs carry crops fromthe surrounding countryside to Tamano-kuni or Kuda.

Gomen is located on the borders of twoshoen, one owned by the Hori and theother belonging to the Tsu family. Bothfamilies would like to control the townsince it produces a healthy income. Butthe town has recently received a specialcharter from the shugo-daimyo, exempt-ing it from the control of these two estatesin return for tax payments directly to theshugo-daimyo. Thus the town is currentlyunder the control of the the Niwa family.The overseer of the town is Matsue Fusu(samurai, 9th level). He has a small garri-son force of five samurai and 15 bushi.

0322Iyo Village: Iyo is a minor farming com-

munity of 737 people. The majority of thepopulation are cultivators of the Tsu estatewhere the village is located. Within thetown are only a few craftsmen—mostlycarpenters who maintain the 100 build-ings of the village and the home of the zus-sho of the shoen. This zussho is OtsabeKanchi, a samurai (5th level). He has at hisservice two samurai retainers and 10bushi. These men are loyal to him, not theTsu family.

Otsabe is an ambitious man. Althoughtechnically part of the Tsu household, hefeels little affection or attachment to them.They are too distant, too removed from theaffairs of the province. Otsabe would verymuch like to become part of the shugo-daimyo’s household, so that he would feelpart of a closer-knit family. Anyone on inti-mate terms with the Niwa household isgiven preferential treatment when visitingOtsabe.

Because of his ambitions, Otsabe is

quite negligent in ensuring the estate rentreaches the Tsu family. Although this dis-pleases the Tsu house, they can do littleas Otsabe is protected by the shugo-daimyo, who prefers that Otsabe remainwhere he is.

0323Fox God Shrine: Located in the heart of

the farming plain, this shrine is dedicatedto the Fox God. The Fox God has manyroles, but here he is honored as a protec-tor of the rice crop. The shrine is a smalltemple, run by four shukenja and twomonks. These men are followers of theKanchai school. Most of their days arespent maintaining the temple, providinginstruction to pupils, settling disputes,overseeing the harvest, and tending to thehyakusho (peasantry).

The elder priest of the shrine (shukenja,7th level) memorizes spells that are bene-ficial to crops and weather. The hyakusholook to the shukenja of the shrine for theblessings they feel are necessary for agood harvest. At the end of the harvest,the shukenja and the hyakusho hold a fes-tival honoring the Fox God. During thisfestival, traveling actors put on perform-ances and there is generally much drink-ing and revelry. The highlight of thefestival is the torchlight procession of theFox God, in which his portable shrine iscarried from the Fox God Shrine toTamanokuni. Like the rest of the festival,this is a loud and boisterous affair.

0325Toro-dai-be: This village is an oddity

within the province of Miyama. Locatedwithin the boundaries of a Toro-dai shoen,the villagers of Toro-dai-be are all devoutfollowers of the Toro-dai school. Indeed,they are quite fanatical about their reli-gion, willing to go to any extreme in itsname. A 10th-level shukenja acts as theleader of the 326 people of the village andmanager of the shoen.

Within the village are 68 buildingsincluding minka, godown, a mill, and aToro-dai temple. Unlike most villages,Toro-dai-be is protected by a rude stock-ade and a series of irrigation ditches andmoats. Although the village has no samu-rai or bushi, the 127 able-bodied men andboys all have arms (spear and naginata)and act as a militia for the village in timesof need. Furthermore, in times of trouble(war or during the frequent bandit raids)and at harvest time, the provincial temple

15

of the Toro-dai school dispatches 20 soheito aid the villagers and protect the rentshipment.

0406Kuroijo: Located on the island of Kuroi-

joshima are the remains of Kuroijo, or theBlack Castle. This was once the site of alarge and fantastic fortress, raised by thesorcerous powers of its master, the wu jenAga. He was said to be a master of the seaand earth, commanding great and hid-eous forces. According to legend, heappeared 800 years ago. At first there wasno more than an odd, glistening blackstone on the island, but the stone grew—forming buildings, walls, and towers.When all was done an oily black castlestood on the site.

From Kuroijo Aga terrorized the main-land. He made no attempt to rule. Insteadhe bent others to his will, demanding spe-cial privileges and immunities. He capri-ciously brought destruction and death.Finally, aided by the wu jen Omo, generalKinusake no Yori led a force against thewicked might of Aga. In the final battle,Yori landed his army on the island andassaulted the fortress. The battle that fol-lowed was tremendous and horrific.

Aga called upon every minion andunclean servant at his command, drawinghideous things from the the bowels of theearth. It is said that as the assault suc-ceeded the fortress itself gave out a howlof rage and despair. Although the castlewas taken, Kinusake was brought down bya horde of goblin creatures and Aga wasnever found among the bodies that werecounted. Nonetheless, he never reap-peared and the castle was pulled downand the stones (if it was made of stone)were broken up.

Now only the ruins of the foundationremain on the island. The rest of the islandis covered by marshy reeds. According tolocal legend, tunnels under the castle leadto some place where Aga (or his spirit) stilllives, Every year on the anniversary of thebattle, strange shapes are seen and howlsare heard coming from the island.

0409Wajo Shrine: This small shrine is main-

tained by the Wajo family and is dedicatedto the spirit of a nearby grotto. Accordingto legend, this grotto is the site where O-Sukii, once a consort to the emperor, diedin banishment from the capital. Laterevents indicated that she was falsely

accused by the scheming Prime Minister,who wanted her out of the way. Althoughshe suffered terrible hardship and embar-rassment, she never spoke against thosewho hurt her and raised her children withcare.

Only after death was her devotionrewarded as her son eventually suc-ceeded to the title of emperor. In her mem-ory, this shrine was erected and cared forby the Wajo family, a distant branch of theimperial line. She has been elevated to thestatus of Protector of Children. The shrineis a very popular place for local pilgrim-ages, especially among mothers seekingsuccess for their children. Currently theshrine is managed by three priests andfour nuns (all shukenja). All but one aremembers of the Wajo family, one of thenuns being a former imperial consort.

0410Kan-oji Village: This dilapidated and

sleepy fishing village was once a minorport, shipping produce from the surround-ing estates to Kuda. However, times havegone against the village. The river rushingdown from the mountains has silted up theharbor, rendering it nearly useless. Thecompletion of the Great Road has divertedmost of the trade away from the town.Fishing is difficult and poor. Extensivemud flats appear with every low tide. Thetown has a population of 202 people andthere are 100 buildings, over half of whichare deserted and collapsing. Only thepresence of the jito of the Niwa shoenkeeps this village from totally disappear-ing.

Lately things—bakemono, evil hengey-okai, goblin rats, and oni—have been slip-ping down out of the mountains intoKan-oji. Their movements have been verysecretive. Several of the deserted build-ings of the town have become the meetingplaces and strongholds of these crea-tures. They remain inactive during theday, venturing out at night to stalk victims.

So far they have been very careful andthere. have been no witnesses or evidenceof their activities. The jito, KishimotoEndai (samurai, 7th level), and the vil-lagers have begun to suspect something,although no one has any proof. Kishimotois not an effective manager and spendstoo much time with emergencies for histhree samurai retainers or his 10 bushi toinvestigate the matter. He is not muchloved by the hyakusho.

0423Dorumiji: Dorumiji is the remains of a

temple of the Konjo sect. Built 409 yearsago, the temple was burned 123 years agoby sohei of the Tore-dai temple at Tamano-kuni. What remains today is the main tem-ple hall. Protected from the blaze bymagical means, the hall was the finaldefense of the Dorumiji sohei. Unable toburn them out, the Toro-dai followers tookthe building by storm. None of theDorumiji sohei survived.

All attempts to destroy the main hallfailed. Convinced that the building wasaccursed, the Toro-dai men left it to rot.The building is doing just that, the verandarotting through and the roof beginning tocollapse. The old building is a popularmeeting place for bandits, fugitives, ninja,burglars, and lovers.

0427Tengu Lair: Located on the lower

slopes of the mountain near an old burialmound is the simple hut of five humanoidtengu (AC 4; MV 12”/15”; HD 5,5,7,8,9;hp 18,14,35,34,53; # AT 2; Damage 1d6/1d6; SA spells; SD Invisible; Al CN). Thesetengu are the nemeses of nearby Tosa.They take great delight in playing prankson the villagers—especially if theyencounter a lone victim.

Their pranks, though seldom deadly, areinsidious and comical. They particularlylove jokes that publicly embarrass their vic-tim, exposing some secret or characterflaw. They will play upon a person’s greed,vanity, pompousness, etc. The villagersfeel powerless to stop the tengu, especiallysince they do not know the exact location ofthe tengu hut.

Buried under the floor of the hut are sev-eral jars filled with 4,000 yuan and onegem.

Tosa Village: Located on the banks ofthe Furo-gawa, a small tributary of theTara-gawa, Tosa is the center of the Niwaestate on which it stands. The village issmall, only 259 people and 49 buildings.The largest of these is the dwelling of thejito Sato Masako (samurai, 8th level) andhis retainers—three samurai and 12bushi. Sato Masako’s greatest problem atthe moment are the tengu living some-where in the hills. Being somewhat obese,he has been the object of many of theirpranks. As manager of the estate, Satohas little time to settle the matter with thetengu. Furthermore, wounding or killingthem is likely to only make the matter

16

worse—enraging the tengu and whateverallies they may have in the hills. Thus thevillagers continue to live in fear of thedeeds of the tengu.

0502Posthouse: Located in a mura that

straddles the Great Road is an imperialposthouse. The posthouse is maintainedby the shugo-daimyo and is one of hisresponsibilities to the province. The post-house is used by messengers of theemperor, shogun, and shugo-daimyo, pro-viding fresh horses, messengers, andshelter.

The posthouse consists of a small walledcompound with living quarters and stables.Only those on official business (or bearingthe shogunal seal) can use the posthouse.This particular station is manned by KyoEnoki (kensai, 5th level), three bushi, agroom, and two servants. Two fresh horsesare always kept in the stable.

0506The Reed-Grass Mound: Rising above

the reedy plain is large, oval barrow cov-ered with thick grasses. Although every-one knows the mound is the ancient graveof some important personage, no oneknows who was buried in the mound. Allattempts to learn the identity of the occu-pant have failed.

Some maintain the mound is the graveof Emperor Okuri, who was banished fromthe imperial court after he retired. Anotherstory says it is the resting place of the leg-endary Thousand-Spear-Brother, the lastof the Earth Spirit emperors. With hispassing, the imperial title passed intohuman hands. Further claims are madethat the mound is not a grave at all, that itwas built by Naka no Moriya to imprisonthe spirit of a terrible, cruel oni who haddiscovered the secret of immortality.

0509Kabe Village: This fishing village is

located on the shores of Kobawan (Bay ofKoba) where a small stream pours into thebay. The shoreline is a steep bluff that risesimmediately behind the white sand beach.The village is located at the top of this bluff.Fishing boats are dragged up on the beachand moored to posts set in the sand. Duringthe highest tides, the beach is entirely cov-ered with water. Villagers reach the beachby either a winding trail or a staircase theyhave built at great expense.

Aside from its fishing industry, this vil-lage of 348 people (93 buildings) has twoother important features. First, it is themanagerial headquarters of the Niwaestate it stands on. Maintaining a househere is Niwa Sutai (samurai, 7th level),nephew of Niwa Hirotada and great-great-grandson of Niwa Ozuchi, who saved thecharters of the Niwa line. Niwa Sutai hasfour samurai and 10 bushi under his com-mand.

As a sign of respect to Sutai’s ancestorand his rank within the family, Sutai alsohas command of two warships. The natu-ral harbor and the location of Kabe at themouth of Kobawan make this village astrategic naval position. Each ship ismanned by 10 sailors and 15 bushi (actingas marines). Generally one ship is con-stantly on patrol, protecting shipping frompirate attacks while the other remains inport. Each ship is commanded by a 4th-level samurai captain.

While all this attention to their villageensures their safety from the normal dan-gers of bandits, the people of Kabe are stilldispleased with their lot. They arerequired to support not only Niwa Sutaiand his samurai, but also the seamen andbushi under his command. This greatlystrains their resources and so, unlike mostother fishing villages, the people here arealways on the brink of abject poverty.

0511Imperial Posthouse: This posthouse,

like nearly all others, is located in a smallmura of 50 hyakusho. The posthouse itselfconsists of a main building, stables, andgodown surrounded by a walled com-pound. The posthouse provides freshmounts and riders for official messengersand shelter for important travelers.

This posthouse, maintained by fundsfrom the shugo-daimyo, is located in theheart of an imperial shoen and has beencaught up in the struggle for powerbetween the two factions. The posthouseis commanded by Watanabe Kanzo(samurai, 12th level), a man who has dem-onstrated his strong loyalty to the Niwacause. Under his command are 20 samu-rai and 100 bushi. This is far more thanneeded to run the posthouse. The shugo-daimyo has used the posthouse as anexcuse to station a large force within theboundaries of this imperial shoen.

0512The Shrine of the War God or Monage

Yukate’s Shrine: Located alongside theroad, this shrine is dedicated to the God ofWar. The shrine is only a single smallbuilding—a hall with a statue of the God ofWar inside. There is no one minding theshrine, but the local peasants take respon-sibility for keeping it clean and repaired.

The shrine is built on the site of the Bat-tle of Kurisammyaku during the TennuWar. This war, fought between the forcesof the Hojo family and the followers of theemperor, established the power of theHojo as shoguns of Kozakura. The battleoccured when the Hojo troops forced thepassage out of the Kurisammyku to theeast and entered the plain. There theywere met by the arrayed troops of theMonage and Tsu clans, supporters of theimperial cause.

In the battle, the imperial forces weresoundly defeated. The Monage clan wasdestroyed and its properties confiscated.The Tsu clan suffered severely, but sur-vived the battle. The shrine was built tohonor the victory of the Hojo, but in timethe true legendary hero of the battle hasbecome Monage Yukate, the defeatedgeneral. Although crushed, beaten, andfinally forced to his ultimate end, his tragicand sad fate has raised him to the positionof a great and legendary hero in the popu-lar imagination. Many stories, plays, andsongs have been composed about his lifeand exploits, particularly his tragic end.The shrine is now a popular stoppingplace for travelers, who pray for protectionfrom bandits before entering the moun-tains.

0514Atarashijo: Located at the southern

entrance to the pass between the plainand Nora-ko is the outpost known asAtarashijo (New Castle). The structure is asimple three-story tower surrounded byearthworks. The work was begun only twoyears ago and is still underway on theouter walls and buildings. The castle isbeing built in response to increased banditactivity in the area. Without the castle as abase of operations, the shugo-daimyocould not maintain a force in the mountain-ous country long enough to hunt down anddestroy the bandits. In addition, the fin-ished tower will control movement throughthe pass, increasing the shugo-daimyo’sgrip over the province.

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The castle workers have built a small vil-lage around the base of the hill where thecastle stands. Currently there are 590workers at the site. The village (calledAtarashi-mura) has 80 buildings, mostlysimple minka. Among the workers thereare a number of skilled artisans—mostlycarpenters and stonemasons. The con-struction is supervised by the commanderof the castle, Hori Chomin (samurai, 14thlevel), brother to the head of the Hori clan.Under his command are 20 samurai and100 bushi (who also double as laborers).

0515Gobo Village: This sleepy little village

of 549 (78 buildings) is noted for theexceptionally fine landscape in which it isset. Consequently the town is popular withtravelers, poets, artists, and nobles. Thevillage maintains a fine inn and servicesfor these visitors. In addition, the villagehas a mill and active fishing industry.

The village is headquarters and occa-sional home of the samurai Fukada Shiro(9th level), who holds the shoen surround-ing the village. Fukada holds the title to theproperty and directly manages affairs, buthe is often called to the castle of the Hirofamily. When he is gone, his son Takaujihandles the business of the shoen. TheFukada family, a minor family allied withthe Hiro, has 36 samurai and 60 bushiavailable at its disposal.

0519Miki Village: This large fishing village of

1398 people has grown steadily throughthe years. As the Tara-gawa becomesmore silted over and treacherous to navi-gate, more and more shipping is divertedto Miki. From here it is transportedupstream by barges to the Great Road andthen shipped overland throughout theprovince. Naturally goods are also beingsent downstream to load on the emptyships.

Thus merchants formerly based only inTamanokuni are finding it expedient tomaintain warehouses in Miki. Currentlythere are 347 buildings in the village,including five major warehouses. Two ofthese belong to merchants of Tamano-kuni, another two are the property of amerchant monopoly from the imperial cap-itol, and the last is owned by a shippingconcern based at the bakufu (shogunalheadquarters). Other buildings of impor-tance within Miki include the salt-making

house, two sake breweries, a temple of theToro-dai school, another of the Konjoschool, and a shrine to the Lord of the Sea.Most importantly, the headquarters of theNiwa shoen is just outside the village.

Miki is thus quite a bustling village. Thegrowth has left the jito of the shoen some-what unprepared. This jito, MushakojiNariakira (samurai, 8th level), normallyhas at his disposal 10 samurai and 30bushi, barely enough to manage the restof the shoen. Because of the growth ofMiki, he has recruited a police force of 15bushi to patrol the village. These men arenot enough to oversee a population of1300. Thus most of the peacekeepingduties have fallen upon a newly arrivedkumi (a yakuza family). These fellows, 37strong, have set themselves up as thelocal law and order. Their oyabun is knownonly as Miki-san (yakuza, 12th level). Theycurrently aid the peasants, protectingthem from outsiders, seamen, and greedymerchants—for a price, of course. Theyalso run a small gambling house thatcaters mainly to seamen and visiting mer-chants, although a few samurai have beenknown to slip down for a game. So farthere have been only a few confrontationsbetween the police and the kumi. Thesehave ended in unofficial agreementsbetween the two groups.

0521Tamanokuni: Tamanokuni is the largest

town of Miyama and the capital of theprovince. It contains the local residence ofthe Niwa family, the site of the First Shrineof Miyama, and the Provincial Temple ofthe Kanchai school. It is also the majorshipping port on the southern coast of theprovince.

The town has a population of 10,997people and is divided into eight wards inaddition to the shugo-daiymo’s residenceand the samurai district. The eight wardsare divided between three districts—theBridge District, the Temple District, andthe Castle District. In addition, there is aneta (outcast) community outside the town.As far as others are concerned, these out-casts are invisible—they do not exist. Themain features of each district aredescribed below.

In recent years the port of Tamanokunihas undergone several troubles. Therehave been a number of damaging fires tothe principal warehouses of the city, possi-bly caused by competition betweenunscrupulous merchants.

More serious is the gradual silting-up ofthe Tara-gawa’s delta. The channelsdownstream of Tamanokuni have becomenarrower and narrower over the years,making it difficult for sea-going vessels toreach the port. Several attempts havebeen made to dredge portions of the chan-nel, but the shugo-daimyo and the prov-ince lack the resources for a full-fledgedengineering effort. One of the goals of thecurrent shugo-daimyo is to obtain the sho-gunal financing needed for the task, with-out giving too much to the shogun inreturn.

Bridge District: This district, located onthe waterfront, is the main business centerof the town. It consists of four wards, eachcontaining between eight and 18 blocks.Branching off the Tara-gawa are numer-ous canals built to allow barges access tothe various warehouses of the shippingmerchants. The district gets its name fromthe high-arched wooden bridges that spanthese canals. During the daytime this dis-trict is bustling with activity as cargoes areloaded and unloaded from ships. Every 2dand 7th day (of a 10-day cycle) is marketday when the open markets are set up tosell goods.

Within the Bridge District are twoyakuza kumi, vying with each other forcontrol. The larger of these kumi isheaded by the oyabun Ebi (yakuza, 19thlevel) and has has 340 members. Theother kumi is headed by the oyabun Musu-kosan no Hashi (yakuza, 15th level). Thereare 286 yakuza in his organization.

Ebi’s organization has been operatingin the town for several decades. Theyderive a lot of their profit from severalgambling houses. Most of these are veryclose to the docks and attract many sailorsfrom the merchant ships. There is also afairly prestigious gambling houseattached to one of the prominent tea-houses close to the samurai district.

Very little of this kumi’s income comesfrom protection money. Ebi maintains thevery proper public persona of a successfulshipping merchant. His gang has becomean integral part of the community and istolerated (indeed almost supported) byNiwa’s samurai. The two groups have anunofficial understanding. The officials donot harrass the gambling operations,unless they become excessive. The Ebigang, in turn, restricts its operations togambling houses, running an honestgame, and preventing any samurai or per-sons of position from ruining themselves(with excessive debt).

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The Ebi gang has recently been gettingcompetition from the Hashi gang. Thisgroup set up its operations about threeyears ago. Initially very small, it hasattracted the rougher and more violenttypes. The Hashi run several gamblingoperations, all but one being quite lowclass. The main source of Hashi incomecomes from shaking down the local mer-chants and shippers. The Hashi normallydemand payments from every ship thatarrives in the port. While not excessive, ifthese payments are refused, the Hashi willtry to prevent the unloading (or loading) ofany shipment. Their tactics are simple andviolent—beating sailors, destroyinggoods, and terrorizing stevedores. TheEbi gang has met the Hashi several timesin fierce battles on the waterfront. Thingsmust soon come to a head, for only one ofthe two gangs can survive.

Temple District: This district, composedof two six-block wards, is centered aroundthe First Shrine of Miyama, which sits on asmall rise overlooking the river. The FirstShrine is also known as the Emperor’sShrine, since it is dedicated to the imperialcult. It is staffed by 20 shukenja and alsomaintains a small monastery that trainsmonks and shukenja in the beliefs of theshrine.

There is also a major temple and mon-astery of the Toro-dai school which is theprovincial temple of the school in Miyama.From here they supervise the manage-ment of all their shoen. The monasterytrains monks of the Toro-dai school. Themajority of the pupils come from thehyakusho classes. There are also templesof the Kanchai and Konjo schools. Theformer is popular with the merchant ship-pers and seamen, while the latter ispatronized almost exclusively by thesamurai and upper classes. The temple ofthe Konjo school is located not far from thesamurai district.

There are also numerous shrinesthroughout the district, dedicated to theFire God, the Sun Goddess, the Goddessof Disease, the Gods of Luck and Fortune,and the Goddess of Mercy. There are twoshrines that serve as memorials: one tothe emperor defeated at the Battle of Kuri-sammyaku, and another to the samuraifamily Massatsu, who founded the townand later were instrumental in saving itfrom a disastrous fire which swept the city.

Aside from the temples, a great numberof artisans and craftsmen live in this dis-trict, doing work for either the temples orresidents of the Samurai and Castle Dis-

tricts. There are no established yakuzagangs in the district, but the Ebi gang doesextend its power unchallenged over thearea. Yakuza activities within the districtare more subdued than those in theBridge District, as they would incur thewrath of the Niwa overlords.

Castle District: This district has grownup along the bank of the Tara-gawaupstream from the Bridge District. Nor-mally one must pass through the CastleDistrict to reach Niwa Castle, which is onthe island in the center of the river. The dis-trict consists of two wards, one of fiveblocks and the other of 13 blocks.

The majority of the people living in thisdistrict are low-rank samurai, upper classnonsamurai, and the attendants of bothgroups. Even the poorest of the samurai inthis district attempts to maintain a lavishhouse here—a walled compound enclos-ing a garden and several buildings is com-mon. Some of wealthiest merchants intown keep splendid homes here, enclos-ing an acre or more of property. Althoughthey cannot maintain any samurai, they dohire ronin and bushi as special guards.Thus within a single household may live100 or more people.

The most powerful of all those livingwithin the Castle District is Yukio the RiceMerchant. His home is a fortified com-pound. Within its walls are his house witha separate wing for his wife, three godownstocked with rice and other supplies, afamily shrine, a garden complete withpond and stream, a business office, sta-bles, barracks for his guards, and anarmory. Aside from his family, which totals20, he employs 30 servants in variousoccupations, six business clerks, ‘and anoverseer to mind them ail. For protection,he has 250 bushi (1st - 3d level) com-manded by 10 ronin (4th - 9th level). Fur-thermore, he sponsors the school of thekensai Oshio (10th level, spear expertise)and his five students, which is located onthe grounds. indeed, Yukio’s own sontrains under Oshio.

Few live as Yukio does. It is quite com-mon for the lower rank samurai to be seri-ously in debt to the moneylenders andyakuza of the town. Many of the homes,although large and outwardly lavish, aresadly in need of repair on the inside. Manya servant has been let go by a masterunable to support his staff.

Although most of the ward is the domainof the wealthy and powerful, the areabounded by the river and the Bridge Districtis home of many unsavory and disreput-

able characters. These people—actors,singers, geishas, puppeteers and thelike—are concentrated into an area of afew blocks filled with diverse entertain-ments for the commoner and wealthyalike. Here one can find popular plays, sto-rytellers, puppet theaters, geisha houses,teahouses, gambling dens, balladeers,and wandering actors. The samurai of thetown, the wealthy merchants, and thehard-working commoners all come andmingle here for the entertainments.

The people of the district are colorfuland flamboyant. Some are widely popularand famous for their skills. Others arescruffy strangers, perhaps short-tem-pered ronin, who come to town with only asword. The unpredictability and low-lifeactivities of the area make it all the moreattractive to the upper classes, allowingthem to go “slumming.” Nonetheless, asfamous as an actor may be for his perform-ances, he is still of the lowest class. Theyare revered and praised for their skill whileat the same time shunned for their socialposition.

Within these few blocks is a flourishingyakuza kumi, simply known as the Actors’Gang. The organization is headed by theoyabun Emonsaku and is 218 strong. Thegang fiercely controls all gambling andillegal activities within the area. Severaltimes the Ebi and Hashi gangs haveattempted to make inroads into the areaonly to be savagely driven off by theActors. The authorities are very tolerant ofthis violence, feeling that so long as inno-cents are not involved, the matter is bestignored. Furthermore, the Actors’ Gang atleast ensures relative harmony in this dan-gerous and wild part of town.

Samurai District: Located across theriver from the rest of the town is the areaknown informally as the Samurai District.This is not a proper district of Tamanokuni,but is gradually being absorbed into thetown. The area is fined with the homes ofimportant and powerful samurai whoattend upon the shugo-daimyo. Althoughthe master of the household is usuallypresent for only part of the year, thesehomes are always occupied and main-tained. Like those of the wealthy of CastleDistrict, most homes here are walled com-pounds, equipped with heavy gates, guardtowers, and complements of armed men.

The area is reserved for samurai andnobles, commoners are almost neverseen on the streets unless they are in theservice of some lord. There are homes forthe Hori, Tsu, Igi, and all their retainers.

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Many samurai build their homes here sothey can be at the center of power. Someare shugo-matadai and must live in ornear the capital. Others are forced to do soby the shugo-daimyo, who holds theirfamilies hostage.

This area is both very rich and very dan-gerous. Commoners run the risk of insult-ing or offending samurai at every turn.Accidental meetings of gangs of feudingsamurai can erupt into bloody fights. Ninjaoccasionally prowl the streets, destinedfor some secret rendezvous. Twistingintrigues simmer below the surface of thisdistrict’s life.

Niwa Castle: Located on an island in theTara-gawa between the Samurai Districtand Tamanokuni is the castle of the Niwaclan. The entire island has been claimedas a Niwa stronghold. On the island areboth fortifications and the palace of theNiwa family. The island is divided by sev-eral moats and walls that separate the dif-ferent palaces.

The Outer Court (San-no-maru) housesthe barracks of the garrison—a force of500 samurai and 2,000 bushi, ail drawnfrom the retainer families of the Niwa clan.The Middle Court (Ni-no-maru) holdsstorehouses and the palaces of the shugo-dai and the uncles, nephews, and closecousins of Niwa. Thus both Hiro and Niwahave homes on this part of the island. TheInner Court (Maru) is divided into the pal-ace grounds—home of Niwa Hirotadawhen he is in the province—and thetenshu-kaku, or main tower of the castle.This tower is five stories high.

Each court is surrounded by walls andmoats connecting to the river. Entry is onlypossible through the masugata, specialgates designed to slow down attackers. Inaddition to the garrison, walls, and towers,the Niwa family also keeps seven war-ships at quays built on the upstream endof the island. Crews for these ships arealways present along with 15 bushi pership, to prevent any attempts to blockadeor starve out the occupants of the castle.

0523Shrine of Taro the Poet: On the side of

the road is a simple building of carvedwood and thatch. it is only a shrine to theRice God, unexceptional except for thesplendid cherry trees that grow around it.The shrine and ifs cherry trees wereimmortalized in one of the most famousworks of the poet Taro, a master of classi-cal poetry. In spring the blossoming

branches are festooned with prayer stripshung among the buds by travelers andpeasants. The shrine is now a popular pil-grimage for other poets who arrive to seethe blossoms on the trees. Indeed, theexpression “to have visited Taro’s shrine”means to have traveled greatly for thesake of one’s art.

0524Posthouse: This posthouse, part of a

mura of 35 peasants, is a simple minkaand godown surrounded by a woodenstockade. Close as it is to Tamanokuni, itsservices are seldom needed. Currently theposthouse is manned by Daidoji Tadako(samurai, 9th level) and three bushi.Daidoji Tadako is a old man who has seenmany hard years. He has been stationedat this quiet and restful posthouse in honorof his faithful service. Here he is still ableto perform valuable service for his lord andenjoy a peaceful old age. Once a month heis visited by his son Daidoji Kiyotomo(samurai, 8th level) who lives in Tamano-kuni. The elder Daidoji knows many of theold stories and legends of the province.

0603Ekawashi Village: Nothing is unusual

in this village of 309 people and 93 build-ings. It is the perfect example of the sleepybut industrious peasant village. Althoughthe largest community in this Niwa shoen,the jito of the shoen has found it morepleasant and desirable to make his baseof operations in Kuda, only a short dis-tance away. Thus the peasant’s life is littledisturbed by powerful samurai lords. Thisalso makes the village a very popular stop-ping place for disreputable travelers andnoblemen incognito, since there is littlechance of trouble.

0613O-Suzuki Shrine: This lonely shrine

commemorates the site where the Prin-cess O-Suzuki died with her son, who wasto be emperor, when escaping the forcesof the Honda army during the Zakurainsurrection. The death of this pair wasinstrumental in the failure of the Hondafaction to seize the imperial line. However,the deaths are not remembered for whatthey accomplished, but rather for theirpathos and tragedy. Kozakurans believethat the deaths were fated to occur and theoutcome was inescapable.

The sad tragedy of the mother and child

has become a popular story and PrincessO-Suzuki and her son have become heroicfigures. During their lives they performedno notable deeds, and both eventuallyfroze in a blinding snowstorm, but thesethings only add to their greatness. Thusthe shrine of O-Suzuki is known through-out Kozakura and is popular in stories andplays. The princess is said to sometimesappear to travelers, rewarding them fortheir virtue or providing them with wiseand maternal advice to help them throughsome difficult crisis. Although nothingmore than an unoccupied and decayingbuilding, the shrine is a popular overnightstop for travelers. Indeed, the shrine radi-ates protection from evil enclosing allwithin its walls.

0614The Cave of Gobo the Hermit: Hidden

among the trees on the slopes of a moun-tain is a small cave, the home of a religioushermit named Gobo (shukenja, 7th level).Gobo lives an austere and simple life whilesearching for true enlightenment. He is akindly but intense man of middle age.Before withdrawing from the world he hadbeen a successful and talented carpenter.

Gobo is not a follower of any religion,but is attempting to find his own path tounderstanding the cosmic forces and bal-ance of the world. Perhaps he is close;who can say? Perhaps he will never findwhat he seeks. Indeed, even if he doesfind enlightenment, he may be content toremain here the rest of his life, telling noone what he has done. But he may alsocome out of the hills, taking pupils andinstructing them to follow his path. Theywould then spread his word to others andhis way would grow throughout Miyama.This is speculation, however, for Gobo’senlightenment has yet to occur.

0625Niiashima-jo: Situated on the island

formed by the ox-bow of the Tara-gawa isthe main Niwa outpost for eastern Miy-ama. The Niwa Island Castle is not a mag-nificent structure like other castles in theprovince, but it is an extremely effectivefortification.

The island is reached by crossing one ofthree high-arched bridges, two of woodand one of stone. Once on the island, anattacker must surmount an earthworkembankment topped by a wooden stock-ade, cross a moat, clamber over a secondrevetment, wade a second moat, batter

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through a stone wall, and seize the maintower (tenshu-kaku), which is built on a 30-foot-high foundation.

Of course, any assault would be mademore difficult by the garrison of 100 samu-rai and 500 bushi maintained on theisland. In addition, there is a fleet of 10river boats docked on the island at alltimes. The garrison is led by Nogami Sado(samurai, 8th level), a trusted retainer ofthe Niwa family. He is a battle-scarred vet-eran of several campaigns against thebandits, having lost his left eye in one bat-tle. He is considered a martinet and task-master by the troops under him. He is,however, a canny and bold tactician.

0626Awa Village: With a population of 408,

this village is thriving community. It has atotal of 127 buildings, including severalwarehouses of the Niwa family. The villagesits at the junction of the Tara-gawa andFuro-gawa. Most of the produce of theupland shoen, which is destined for mar-ket or collected as rent and taxes, isbrought to Awa for shipment downstream.This shipping business is maintained as amonopoly of the Niwa family. Thus,although the shoen of Awa is managedfrom Tamanokuni, the Niwa maintain aforce of 10 samurai and 30 bushi at Awa.They are under the command of KurodaSaga (samurai, 4th level).

0704Toro-dai Temple: This temple is part of a

mura of 90 people. Staffed by five priests,three nuns, and one monk (4th level), it is asubscriber temple of the Toro-dai school.Currently there are two shukenja staying atthe temple (4th and 6th levels). Also resid-ing at the temple are 50 sohei, led by asohei commander (10th level), who is rest-less and irritated with the small size of hiscommand. The temple serves as the head-quarters of this Toro-dai shoen. The soheiof this shoen and the nearby Kanchaishoen are fierce rivals and there is muchbitterness between them.

Originally the Kanchai shoen borderedthe Toro-dai lands and there was constantraiding between the two. However, 10years ago, the shugo-daimyo was pres-sured by the Toro-dai into partitioning theKanchai shoen. A large section was takenby the Niwa family and a smaller sectionwas given to the Ishii family, retainers ofthe Niwa. Only a small section was kept bythe Kanchai school. This, of course,

increased the bitterness between the twoschools, but did provide a buffer betweenthem. Because of this deed, the Kanchaihave no great love of the shugo-daimyo,whom they accuse of attempting to breaktheir power.

0705Kuda: Kuda is the second largest town in

Miyama. Kuda was formerly the provincialcapital under imperial rule. With the rise ofthe shogunate, the capital has been movedto Tamanokuni. Kuda has gradually declinedin prestige and size since that time. Cur-rently it is a town of 7,386 inhabitants. Thetown is divided into five wards in two dis-tricts: the Old District and the New District.

The Old District: This district consists ofthree wards of five to 10 blocks each. It isindeed an old district: some of the build-ings have stood for more than 700 years.Located on the waterfront, the Old Districtis the shipping and trade center of Kuda.Of the three wards, one is almost entirelydevoted to the homes of several shippingmerchants, as well as their warehousesand employees’ homes. Stored in thesewarehouses are rice, lumber, and somepottery. The warehouses also containmuch pig iron, tea, silk, paper, fine sake,and other goods imported and domestic.

A reminder of better times is the busi-ness of the merchant Joei the Aged (wujen, 11th level). This eccentric old manruns a small but profitable importing busi-ness under license from the emperor andshogun. He specializes in rare and exoticitems from distant lands. He often disap-pears for months, sometimes years, at atime pursuing these wares. Invariably hereturns with his ship laden with exotic trea-sures and unfamiliar magical devices.Even when he is home, his activities are amystery. His small business employs onlyone clerk, Lu, a foreigner from Shou Lung(wu jen, 6th level). Lu is a small, dark, andmysterious fellow, given to speaking inone-word sentences.

Joei is also known to have three perma-nent guards: two giant men, alsoforeigners (barbarians, 7th level) and asmall wiry Kozakuran (bushi/ninja, 6th/5thlevels) called Saigo. Saigo appears veryopen and friendly, often drinking and gam-bling with other workers on the waterfront.Still, for all his companions, Saigo nevertalks about his employer while learningmuch about everyone else. These fourmen are Joei’s only known employees.

Numerous, stories are whispered about

Joei. It is said that his warehouse is filledwith devious traps and unspeakable guard-ians. Although a few brave thieves haveentered the warehouse only one or twohave ever come out. They are reported tohave died within hours of their exploit, andtheir ill-gotten goods vanished.

Apparently shipments are unloaded byJoei himself or the work is done in secretthrough unknown agencies. It is said hisclerk Lu always knows in advance whenhis master will return and can consult himfor advice even if he has been gone for ayear. Competitors and enemies of Joei aresaid to be fated with bad luck and acci-dents, many crippling or lethal to theirbusinesses and lives. Such is his reputa-tion that none in town challenges him onthe quality of his goods or their origin. It iseven rumored that he holds his licensesfor unnatural services rendered to theemperor and shogun.

Also within the Old District is the yakuzakumi of Ishi the Hairy (yakuza oyabun,16th level). His organization has 129members. They operate the usual yakuzaactivities—gambling and protection rack-ets. They have a standing rule, rigidlyenforced, that they never bother the activi-ties of Joei the Aged. It is not known if thisis due to fear, bribery, or common sense.

The New District: The New District is thatpart of Kuda that was rebuilt after a disas-trous fire destroyed almost a third of thetown during the Tennu War. This district isonly new when compared to the Old Dis-trict, as most of the buildings are severalhundred years old. Located on the gentleslopes away from the shore, the New Dis-trict consists of two wards of nine blockseach. The streets wind through the ter-raced slopes, easily confusing strangers.

Prominent in the district is the Shrine ofNiwa Ozuchi, ancestral hero of the Niwafamily. During the burning of Kuda, it washe who saved the charters of the Niwafamily at the expense of his own life. Thisshrine is staffed by three members of theMizuno family (shukenja, 3d, 5th, and 8thlevel), a position given their family as anhonor. As a further honor, the shrine isallowed to maintain a special fire-brigadeof 100 sohei who organize the populationin the event of fire. The shrine also does agood business selling magical and non-magical charms intended to protectagainst fires. Worshipers at the shrinegenerally seek safety from fires or pray forthe same loyalty and devotion to duty aswas shown by Ozuchi. Attached to theshrine is a small monastery where monks

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are trained. It is headed by Roben (monk,14th level), a quiet man who generallytries to find peaceful solutions rather thanuse his martial skills. Under him are 20monks of various levels.

In the heart of the New District is thehousehold of the local administrator, theshugodai Niwa Onshi (samurai, 14thlevel). Often referred to as Niwa ni Kuda,Onshi’s branch of the Niwa family is begin-ning to break away from the direct controlof the head of the Niwa family, Niwa Hiro-tada. But Niwa Onshi still spends much ofhis time in Tamanokuni or the bakufu, con-sulting with his cousin.

When Onshi is absent, his work is han-dled by the shugo-matadai, Hiro Masaru(samurai, 10th level), who lives year-roundin Kuda. Hiro Masaru is efficient, butbored with his duty. He would be veryhappy if a war or rebellion were to breakout, so he could command troops in thefield. Stationed throughout the town are300 samurai and 1,000 bushi retainers ofthe Niwa household.

Kuda is also the home of Junyu, aswordsman turned priest (dual-classhuman kensai/shukenja, 14th/16th levels)and his rising pupil Miyoshi (river spirit folkkensai, 8th level). Junyu is famousthroughout Kozakura as a skilled swords-man who has fought many duels. As hisskill and fame grew, however, he saw thefolly of pointless fighting. His near-religious approach to swordsmanship hasmade it easy and natural for him to enterthe ranks of the priesthood.

He has now given himself over to a lifeof austerity and meditation in the Konjoschool. He still accepts and entertains afew kensai pupils, but his training nowstresses the mental and religious aspectsof his swordcraft. Still, dedicated kensaiavidly seek him out to train their spirits inthe true way. His training is hard and dan-gerous. Pupils are forced to sit unflinchingunder ice-cold waterfalls, fast rigorously,and fight seemingly impossible matches(sword against fan, sword against oar,sword against scarf, etc.). Many a pupilfails or gives up on the training.

Junyu’s current pupil is Miyoshi, astrange youth with no known past (at leastnone that he will speak of). Miyoshi hasproven to be a brilliant fighter, but has awild and fiery temperament. It is clear toJunyu that the boy will never master histeachings, but he is reluctant to send hishandsome and charming pupil away. ThusJunyu indulges Miyoshi to some extent,hoping he will yet prove himself.

0 7 0 7Mihara Village: Little remains of this

fishing village, only a few minka stand afterthe disastrous fire that recently sweptthrough the community. Before the fire, thiswas a peaceful community of 389 peopleand 138 buildings. By the end of the blaze,only 17 buildings remained standing and147 people had died. Most of the survivorsare now homeless and have lost their for-tunes and means of livelihood. There aremany orphans, widows, and parents griev-ing for the dead. The jito of this Niwa shoencannot afford to provide relief. Currently adelegation is preparing to travel to Tamano-kuni to appeal to the officials of the prov-ince for aid. The people are a sad anddispirited group, sorely in need of aid,financial, physical, and spiritual.

0720Muroto Village: This village and the

shoen on which it stands was a gift fromNiwa Hirotada to the Ebisawa family, in anattempt to bind them closer to the Niwafamily (drawing them away from the Igi fam-ily). The transfer of the title occurred onlyrecently and Muroto (population 320 with79 buildings) has not yet felt the effects ofthis change. The new owner has not hadtime to install his administration, althoughthis is expected very soon. It has beenannounced that the jito will be establishinga residence in the village and workers havealready begun building his manor. In gen-eral, the town is busily preparing to greet itsnew overseer, hoping to establish a goodrelationship from the start.

0721Posthouse: This posthouse consists of

a single minka and attached stable, with-out a walled compound. It is built on amarshy stretch of ground around whichflow several streams. The air here is par-ticularly unhealthy and infested by mos-quitoes. This is not a very popular postand is often assigned to those out of favor.Currently the posthouse is run by KodaYoshiuji (samurai, 6th level), a fanaticalsupporter of the Igi family. He has only twoservants to assist him in his duties.

0731Shrine of the Dark Ones: At the end of

a secret trail is a gloomy old shrine in athick grove of bamboo. The doorway isflanked by two statues of hideous oni.Inside is a towering statue to the God of

the Dead. Caring for the shrine is ahunched and sly-looking old man withlong, matted hair and a wild beard. He issimply called the Unwanted One (henge-yokai badger wu jen, 9th level). Somethink that he is a hengeyokai and othersbelieve him to be an eta (outcast). Theshrine has an evil reputation and all hon-est travelers and peasants shun it.Although no one has ever seen any wor-shipers at the shrine, it is said that ninjaand hideous creatures gather there to per-form forbidden services.

0801Bamboo Gorge Tower: A simple

wooden watchtower sits on the edge of acliff overlooking the place where the trailbelow runs through a thick grove of bam-boo. This structure is a single crow’s nestbuilt atop a 40-foot-high wooden frame-work. The top is reached by a basketraised or lowered by ropes. The top of thetower allows a clear view of the country-side for miles around; Kuda is faintly visi-ble in the distance. In the tower is a largebrazier filled with wood for a signal fire.The tower is manned by one samurai,Ooka Kanetomo (3d level), a slovenly fel-low, and two bushi (both 1st level).

0807Posthouse: Because it is located in the

heart of a Niwa shoen, this posthouse isquite a sleepy place. Built in a mura of 37people, the posthouse consists of a simpleyet elegant building and a stable. It ismore lavish than most posthouses, since itis a frequent stopping place of Niwa samu-rai when touring the shoen or travelingfrom Tamanokuni to Kuda. Thus the man-agement of this posthouse is a moreimportant role than most and the job isgiven to honored retainers.

The current head of the posthouse isHori Gutsu (samurai, 5th level). He isassisted by Kadokawa Yori (samurai, 3dlevel), who acts as his chamberlain. Undertheir command are 10 samurai (all retain-ers of the Hori household), 30 bushi, and 20assorted servants. Hori Gutsu is extremelyproud of his position and strives to be wor-thy of it. Should any flaw in the perform-ance of the posthouse be noted, he ispersonally shamed. Furthermore, if a flawis maliciously claimed, he will instantlyseek revenge (through personal combat)against the slanderer, regardless of level.

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0808Shrine of the Monkey God: Located in

the fields is this small shrine to the Mon-key God. Currently residing at the shrine isa monkey hengeyokai shukenja (6th level)posing as a human. As the master of theshrine, he carefully plays his role andattends to the needs of the local peasants.However, at night he changes into monkeyform and roams the countryside, playingtricks on others. His tricks cause greatharm and woe to those who are secretlycorrupt and evil, and thus he helps theoppressed and downtrodden.

0812Posthouse: This waystation, located on

a Niwa shoen, is far from the centers ofpower or control. Situated in a cool andshaded hollow, the posthouse is run byKate Kenkichi (samurai, 5th level). Kate isa retainer of the Tsu family and hasreceived this appointment through specialfavors. He bears no love of the Niwa familyand secretly allows the posthouse to beused by bandits and other opponents ofthe Niwa family. In this he is assisted byhis brother Akiie (samurai, 3d level) andthe 10 bushi of the posthouse.

0814Yoshiie the Bandit’s Stronghold:

Tucked away in this secluded valley is thestronghold of the bandit Yoshiie (bushi,20th level). He has gathered a force of dis-affected, homeless, and evil warriors. Hisband is as follows:

Foot Ronin, 1st level — 30Mounted Ronin, 1st level — 20Foot Ronin, 2d level — 10Mounted Ronin, 2d level — 15Mounted Ronin, 3d level — 10

Foot Bushi, 1st level — 180Foot Bushi, 2d level — 30Foot Bushi, 3d level — 10

Korobokuru Barbarians — 20(all 1st level)

The korobokuru have joined Yoshiie’sband to strike back at the hated samuraiwho stole their homelands.

Yoshiie has a 10th-level kensai sub-commander and three 5th-level bushi lieu-tenants. Furthermore, he has the servicesof a 7th-level wu jen. Occasionally shu-kenja enter the camp, offering their serv-ices to those in need.

The stronghold is a wooden stockade

built out from the face of a cliff. A waterfalltumbles from the top of the cliff face andflows out through a grating in the front ofthe stockade. A narrow and twisting trailclimbs the cliff, providing an emergencyescape route. Well in advance of thestockade are several hidden guardpoststhat watch the entrance to the valley. If allgoes according to Yoshiie’s plans, theseguardposts will be able to warn the mainstockade of any intruders before theyreach the stockade.

Within the stockade are several rudebuildings that serve as barracks, stables,and storehouses. The bandits are armedand armored with a ragtag collection ofequipment, some brought with them andmuch more scavenged from their raids.Most of their equipment is in very poorrepair, although usually quite decorative.They are a savage group who neither expectnor grant mercy. They have no illusionsabout their fate if captured. The standardpunishment for bandits if captured is humili-ating and painful public execution, normallybeheading or cruxifiction. Thus they will fightto the death rather than surrender.

Yoshiie himself is a tough character. Hehas not reached his position by being anice fellow. He rules this bandit gangthrough force, brains, and fear. His disci-pline is iron tough and unforgiving. At thesame time, he treats the members of hisband as his children. He is protective andkind, yet harsh and stern. The members ofhis band respect him and often refer tohim as their chichi (father).

Yoshiie has no intention of remaining atthis hideout forever. Currently it suits hisneeds, since he receives support andinformation from Kato Kenkichi, the samu-rai of the posthouse in hex 0812. Sooneror later, his band will separate, each mem-ber taking his loot and going his own way.

0817Shrine of the River Dragon: Built on

the banks of the Nora-gawa is a smallshrine dedicated to the dragon-spirit of theriver. The shrine was built 29 years agoafter a disastrous flood swept away all theinhabitants of a small mura that stood onthis site. Thereafter, many incidents ofhauntings by the drowned spirits of the vil-lagers were reported. Many attempts weremade to appease these spirits, all withoutsuccess. Finally, upon the advice of a wan-dering shukenja, the peasants built asmall shrine to the river dragon. Theshrine seems to have had the desired

effect, since the hauntings have all butceased. Still, it is said the village reap-pears in ghostly fashion each year on theanniversary of the flood. A common ghoststory told by mothers to their children tellsof the terrors faced by a samurai travelerwho stopped for the night at this village onthe anniversary of the flood.

Fuchu Village: Built on part of theshoen of the shikken of Kozakura, this vil-lage of 347 enjoys the special privilege ofbeing exempt from taxation. The villageearned this special status for the valiantstand it took during the Hojo War. At thattime, the shoen belonged to the Hojo fam-ily. Defying their rule, the jito of the shoeninspired the villagers to declare for theshikken. The attempt was hopeless andthe village was destroyed and nearly allthe villagers were put to the sword. How-ever, with the end of the war, the shikkenrewarded the survivors by exemptingthem and their descendants from taxation.Consequently, although the village is onlya small fishing community, its people arethriving and prosperous.

Posthouse: This waystation is more thana posthouse, it is also the home of the jitoOsamu Muraoka (samurai, 16th level). He isa loyal supporter of the shikken and has littlelove for the Niwa family. Upon orders fromthe shikken, Osamu maintains a largehousehold—30 samurai and 400 bushi. Thisshoen controls the strategic entrance to thepass through the Kurisammyaku and theshikken intentionally maintains a strongforce here. This shoen is also a thorn in theside of the shugo-daiymo, for it is a visiblepresence of the shikken in his lands.

0822Anan: These ruins are what is left of the

village of Anan. It was burned to theground five years ago by the soldiers ofthe shugo-daimyo. It was a small andpeaceful farming village until the day afarmer’s son struck down and killed the jitoof this shoen. He fled to the house of hisfather, an evil thing for a good son to do.But even worse, his mother and fatherfoolishly gave him shelter.

When the officers of the shugo-daimyoarrived, the parents claimed they did notknow where their son was, nor did anyoneelse in the town. But the criminal wasfound when the village was searched. Aspunishment for the terrible crime of con-cealing him, the entire community was putto the sword and all the buildings wereburned. The fields were reassigned to

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farmers of nearby mura and all records ofAnan were destroyed. The ruins of Ananare left as an example to all others ofwhere their true duty lies.

0907Shrine of the Sun Goddess: This impos-

ing structure is built on the site where theSun Goddess was supposed to have placedthe Spear of the Sun which spanned the gapbetween the Land of the Gods andShinkoku. The shrine is quite lavish andconsists of a walled compound enclosing amain hall and several smaller buildings. Liv-ing at the shrine are 50 priests and 300 soheiunder the command of a 15th-level sohei. Inaddition, there are normally 2d6 shukenja ofvarious levels visiting this shrine at anygiven time. The shrine is managed by theTakeuchi family, who have supplied prieststo the shrine for many centuries.

The shrine stands in the heart of animperial shoen, and the priests of theshrine are strong supporters of theemperor. It is by his leave that the shrinemaintains a strong force of sohei. Thesesoldiers, ostensibly warriors of the shrine,are often employed by the zussho of theimperial shoen for various duties. Theirpresence has been one of the major fac-tors in keeping this shoen intact andensuring that its rent money reaches theimperial courts. Naturally, the shikken andshugo-daimyo would both like to find away to break the power of this shrine, butnone has come to light yet.

0926Goblin Spider Lair: Located deep in

the tangled woods is the lair of two goblinspiders (AC 4; MV 18”; HD 7; hp 23, 43;#AT 2; Damage 1d8/1d8; SA surprise,grasp; SD + 1 weapons to hit; MR 20%;AL NE). These creatures have been livingin a complex of tunnels for decades, prey-ing on game and the few unwary travelerswho come their way. Littering the floor oftheir main chamber, among the bones oftheir victims, are 4,000 yuan and a jadestatuette worth 20 ch’ien.

1006The Stone and Moss Field: Scattered

throughout a small area of boggy groundis a tumbled collection of rough-hewnstones. The area is not a natural boulderfield, so it is obvious that these stoneswere brought here from the mountains.Furthermore, they show signs of having

been worked with tools, although verycrudely. Now they are covered by largepatches of moss and lichen. Thehyakusho of the area have no idea whatthe stones were for or how they got there.Some believe they were mysticallybrought there by a powerful wu jen. Othersthink it was the work of the korobokuru.The most popular belief is that it was somestructure of the gods from the time thatthey lived on Shinkoku.

1010Korobokuru Castle: Covered by wild

grasses are the remains of the last strong-hold of the korobokuru who once lived in thisarea. Now all that remain are the roundedoutlines of the earthworks that formed thewalls. From this stronghold the korobokurumade their final stand before being drivenfrom the lowlands of the province. Korobo-kuru still make pilgrimages to this site toleave offerings to the ancestors whodefended this place. They are not loved bythe locals and hence most of the offeringsappear mysteriously during the night.

1014Shrine of the Spring: This shrine is

built to a local nature spirit, said to inhabitthe spring that bubbles up through theground. The shrine is a simple, well-tended building, surrounded by an elabo-rate garden of stones and a protectivewall. At the far end of the compound is aseparate building, built for Nado Tori (seaspirit folk ronin, 10th level). Although a fol-lower of the Konjo school, Nado Tori hasvaliantly protected and generouslyendowed this shrine in the past. Now, withthe family line of his lord extinguished,Nado has retired to the peacefulness ofthe shrine.

In consideration of his virtue, the priestsand shukenja of the shrine have preparedhim a modest dwelling in the shrine. Nadohas built the graceful rock garden (a fea-ture of many Konjo temples) and quietlypractices his Konjo beliefs. He also assiststhe commander (6th-level sohei) of theshrine’s small sohei force (10 sohei) intraining the men. Nado is still in his primeand could easily find service with someother lord. This he will not do, since enter-ing the service of another would be abetrayal of his duty to his dead lord.

The spring around which the shrine isbased is inhabited by a charming andgraceful nature spirit. She has becomeattracted to Nado Tori’s dedication and

character. Of late she has been appearingat the shrine as a woman of refined char-acter and intelligence. From these visits,she has become quite smitten with theexceptional Nado, and he, likewise, hasbeen charmed by her grace. The head ofthe temple suspects the true identity of thewoman, but, feeling it is not his place, hasnot spoken against this romance.

1019The Korobokuru Shrine: Standing

atop a hummock overlooking the local ricepaddies is a simple thatched minka. Out-side the entrance are several carefullyplanted cryptomeria trees and carvedwooden posts. The entire building isringed by a crude wooden fence of wovenbranches. The local villagers treat thebuilding and its occupant with greatrespect, presenting offerings during theplanting and harvest times.

This humble abode is the home ofRaven, a korobokuru spirit god. When thekorobokuru were first driven from thisarea, Raven’s house was destroyed. Forthis, bad luck constantly plagued the localsettlers. Finally a wandering shukenjadetermined that Raven was angry andshould be appeased. The minka wasrebuilt and a korobokuru of power wasinvited to become the caretaker of Rav-en’s house. Since that time the villagers’luck has improved.

Living in the minka is the korobokuruKim-un-guru (wu jen, 6th level), a stocky lit-tle man with bushy black hair. His teeth arequite bad and his voice is loud and boister-ous. He is quite given to drinking, singingthe “old songs,” and dancing. He super-vises this special shrine to Raven. Awarethat he is considered a barbaric outsider, heplays the role. His behaviour is intentionallyoutrageous and insulting, violating theunspoken but strict social rules of the Koza-kurans. Among other things, he openlyvoices his opinions, is unashamed if otherslaugh at him, wanders through the streetsloudly drunk, and (worst of all) gleefullyembarrasses others in public. Although heis offensive and occasionally quite rude, heis a popular figure with the locals, as he isable to do and say the things they secretlywish they could.

1106Kurisammyaku Shrine: Located at the

entrance to the valley through the Kuri-sammyaku, this shrine is a required stop-ping point for travelers using the trail to the

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north. Here they stop and pray for a safejourney through the mountains.

The shrine, enriched by the donations oftravelers, is a large and well-fortified struc-ture. It consists of an outer wall pierced bythe main gate and two lesser side gates,an outer prayer hall where travelers offertheir prayers, an inner main hall (actually afortified tower), and the quarters of thepriests, monks, shukenja, and sohei of theshrine. Outside the boundaries of allshoen, the shrine can easily maintain itsstanding force of 250 sohei. These troopsare often called upon by the shugo-daimyoto suppress bandit activity in the area. Ofcourse, there is always a price the shugo-daimyo must pay for this service.

In addition to the sohei, the shrine alsoboasts a monastery. The leader of thismonastery is Zomyo (monk, 17th level).Under him are 50 monks of various levels.This monastery is considered one of themajor centers of the martial arts withinMiyama.

There are always 2d4 shukenja stayingat the shrine at any time, resting for a fewdays before beginning their wanderingson the road.

1113Konjo Provincial Monastery: Set in a

rocky hillside, facing west towards Nora-ko, is the largest monastery of the prov-ince. In this secluded shoen, the priests,monks, and sohei of the Konjo schoolmeditate and train. The monastery wasestablished 406 years ago, when a bandof Konjo hermits established a small com-munity here. Gradually they cleared theland and attracted hyakusho, since thelands were exempt from taxation. In time,a temple and monastery were built at thesite of the hermit community. Finally, withthe burning of the Konjo temple in Kuda,this temple was given the status of provin-cial temple for Miyama.

The temple and monastery are dividedinto two separate areas. At the core is thesecret monastery. This is a walled com-pound only entered by the Konjo monks.Although it does not manage the Konjoshoen, all actions of the priests must meetwith the approval of the Grandmaster ofFlowers who resides therein. Within thewalls are 250 monks, training and sharp-ening their skills. Frequently one or morewill leave to travel, returning with practicalexperience.

Surrounding the secret monastery is theopen monastery. This is a place of contem-

plation and refuge for those who wish toremove themselves from the world. Thesepeople are not priests, shukenja, orcharacter-class monks. They are normalpeople who have taken up a religious life.Often a samurai of rank will come here topurify his spirit, or the wife of a samurai willmake a retreat here to protest injusticeson the part of her husband.

Currently Igi Saturo (samurai, 16thlevel) is staying here. Formerly the head ofthe Igi clan, he has officially retired, pass-ing his duties on to his son. Of course, hestill has influence and is consulted on mat-ters of great importance. Although retiredto the religious life, he still has three ser-vants who attend to his needs, as is fitting.

Attached to the open monastery, butindependent of it, is the Konjo temple.This small temple is staffed by 10 priestsof various families. In addition, there are1d4 wandering shukenja present at ailtimes. The temple handles the manage-ment of the shoen. The commander of theKonjo sohei, Ichi (sohei, 14th level),reports on the activities of his 420 men tothe temple authorities. The myoshu paytheir rent to the temple authorities. Thetemple provides for most of the religiousneeds of the people around Nora-ko.

1124Stone-Icicle-World: At the base of the

mountains, hidden in the deep woods, is anarrow, rubble-clogged cave mouth. Thisis the entrance to a vast series of cavernsthat underlie all of Miyama Province andmore. Although the exact location of theentrance is unknown to the general popu-lation, there are a few hengeyokai andkorobokuru who can guide one to the site.

According to local legend, Stone-IcicleWorld is the place where O-Miyama-no-mikoto, a local deity, entered into theRealms of the Dead to visit his mother. Thecaverns are believed to extend for hun-dreds, perhaps thousands of milesbeneath the earth, magically reachingeven into other planes and dimensions. Itis also said that the caverns are filled withall manner of horrible creatures, althoughthis is somewhat uncertain as few tell talesof this subterranean region.

1206Watchtower of the Kurisammyaku

Shrine: Set on top of a ridge several milesfrom the Kurisammyaku Shrine is thissmall watchtower. Built by the sohei of theshrine, it is a stone pagoda five stories tail.

Originally the pagoda was part of one of thefirst Toro-dai temples built in Kozakura bymissionaries from Shou Lung. Thus thetemple was modeled after Shou Lungbuilding styles. Later the temple wasattacked and ail but this tower wasdestroyed. The stone construction of thepagoda has proven useful as a stronghold.The standard garrison of the tower is 10sohei, commanded by Yosai (sohei, 7thlevel). He is quite clever and thoughtful, butis bored and irritated by his current duties.

1208Susa Village: Isolation at the upper end of

a narrow valley suits the villagers of Susajust fine, since they are far from normalpeasants. The entire population of Susa(176 people) are either ninja, the family ofninja, or involved with the ninja in some way.With only a few exceptions, the entire villageis a single clan. Furthermore, the ninja ofSusa consider themselves Niwa ninja; thatis, they work and serve the shugo-daimyo ofthe province almost exclusively. Because oftheir abilities and services, the shugo-daimyo has bound them to him and hasgiven them special privileges. The leader ofthe village, Yonin (bushi/ninja, 16th/14thlevels), is also the zussho of the shoen. NiwaHirotada has not assigned a jito to theshoen. Furthermore, Yonin is the son-in-lawof Niwa Hirotada, married to the daughter ofNiwa Hirotada and one of his consorts. Thisgives the Niwa family a familial tie to theninja of Susa.

Outward appearances suggest thatSusa is a normal peasant village, the truthcould hardly be more different. Through-out the village and its approaches aretraps, bolt holes, alarms, and hiddenguards.

The village is located in the woods awayfrom the fields tended by the villagers. Thetrails to the village are especially narrowand twisting and always pass through thedensest part of the woods. Hidden short-cuts allow the villagers to reach any pointon the trail ahead of their enemies. Onewatcher is hidden along each trail to warnof intruders. Unless the special signal isgiven, the watcher gives a bird call as awarning to the village. At the end of eachtrail are a series of traps, easily avoided bythose in the know. Some are pits withspikes, others are snares.

Within the village are more traps, againeasily avoided once pointed out. There arespirit chasers, spikes, pits, and snares.Each house has a secret escape tunnel

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that connects with a series of tunnels andexits in and around the town. Thus inhabit-ants can disappear instantly and reappearwith reinforcements in unexpected loca-tions. Most of the houses are fitted withsecret caches of weapons and hidingholes. Most of the floors are uguisi-bari(nightingale floors), which squeak whenwalked upon. Several large open areas,looking like nothing more than publiclawns, are actually practice and traininggrounds for archery, martial arts, and thestealthy ninja arts. The villagers maintaina disguise as hyakusho, ready to dressand act like them at any time.

On rare occasions when the secret of thevillage is discovered, the ninjas have twooptions. Most often they instantly track downand remove the person. On rare occasions,the intended victim actually hires the ninjafor some mission. If this is done, they natu-rally do not kill him, but threaten to implicatehim in whatever deed he asked done shouldhe reveal their secret.

When strangers arrive in the town, theninja are polite and friendly, suspendingall secret activities for the moment. Shouldthe stranger foolishly decide to remain inthe village for any length of time, the ninjawill efficiently remove him. Since they con-trol the town, they have no reason to besecretive or discreet. Indeed, such remov-als are often assigned to younger mem-bers needing practice.

1211Ibara Village: This village of 289 is

located not far from the shores of Nora-ko.Nonetheless, it is a farming not a fishing vil-lage. Nora-ko’s evil reputation is such thatonly the bravest or most foolish of the vil-lagers venture upon it. Effectively pre-vented from rapid communications withother parts of the lake, Ibara has become asleepy backwater. The sleepy attitude suitsthe myoshu, Gobo, since he is actually acat hengeyokai (wu jen, 4th level). This issuspected by the other villagers, but theyare not openly hostile since he holds agreat deal of power over their lives. He istyrannical and impulsive, demanding muchfrom the hyakusho under him. Fear of hisstrange powers keep the others in line. Thevillagers would like to see him out of theway, but are afraid to do the job them-selves. Meanwhile, he is trying to learn thesecrets held in the depths of Nora-ko.

1212Norijo: Close to the shore of this island

is a strange ruin. From a distance, Norijoappears to be a twisted mass of blackenedplants. As one gets closer the massassumes a form and structure vaguely likethat of a building. However, it is like no otherstructure ever built. Close examinationshows that it is formed out of crystallineseaweed, woven and braced together. Thegeometry and styles are almost completelyalien to the homes of a normal Kozakuran.

According to local stories, Norijo beganto appear shortly after the Sun Goddessthrew a flaming coal into Nora-ko. Afterthis, creatures, neither human nor fish andnot quite anything in between, appearedon the shore of the island and began build-ing Norijo. Quite naturally, the locals wereterrified of these creatures and kept a safedistance. Indeed, it is not known whetherthe structure is completed or if the crea-tures are still there. They have not beensighted in many years, so the Norijo is nowconsidered a ruin by the locals.

1407Jishin Mushi Lair: Located in the

swampy ground at the bottom of a draw isthe nest of a jishin mushi (AC 3; MV 9”/3”;HD 5 + 4; hp 29; #AT 1; Damage 2d8; SAtremor). The nest is made of reeds andbent saplings cemented together with thebeast’s spittle. These form a gloomy tun-nel through the overgrowth to the eggchamber. Hanging from the walls of thischamber are four egg cases, nearly readyto hatch. When they do, each case willrelease hundreds of baby jishin mushiwho will swarm over the countryside.

Although far back in the hills, the nestwas seen by a lost traveler who cameacross it accidentally. Curiosity prompt-ing him to enter, he saw the horror that layinside and fled in panic. Eventually hereturned to civilization and told what hehad seen. Having been lost, he only hasthe most general idea of the nest’s loca-tion. The reports have reached the shugo-matadai for the area and he has offered areward to any who can guide his soldiersto the nest or destroy the eggs and crea-ture before the hatching occurs.

1412The Rowboat Shrine: Located on the

shore of Nora-ko, this shrine is a simplestone memorial built by the peasants ofIbara. The stone marks the spot where twolovers allegedly held secret trysts. Onenight, during a terrible storm, the man dis-appeared while trying to reach his love.

The broken remains of the boat washedashore where she was waiting. After this,she wasted away and died in sorrow. Nowtheir spirits are sometimes seen, he in hisrowboat and her on shore, separated fromeach other by the lapping waves. It is saidthe sandpipers of the area have a uniquecry like the sorrowful crying of his name.

1413Itsuki Village: This village of 210 rests

exactly on the boundary between a Konjoshoen and the shoen of the samurai SakaiKazuhiko. The zussho of the Konjo shoen,Tu-shun (sohei, 12th level), and SakaiKazuhiko (samurai, 9th level) have beenlocked in a dispute over ownership of thevillage for years. Each shoen is an armedcamp and Itsuki is the battleground.

Each side has captured one end of thevillage. Holding a fortified house on theeast side is Tu-shun with 75 1st-level soheiand two 6th-level sohei aides. At the west-ern end of the village, in his manor house,is Sakai Kazuhiko with 10 1st-level samu-rai, 50 1st-level bushi, and three 5th-levelsamurai aides. Between the two are thehelpless villagers of Itsuki. PeriodicallyTu-shun or Sakai leads a foray against theother side and then beats a hastily retreat.Were it not for the deadly earnestness ofthese raids, the whole affair would beutterly comical. A typical raid begins with awild and noisy charge up the street towardthe opposing camp. This is met by anequally noisy charge from the defenders.There is more noise than action as bothsides hurl more invectives at each otherthan blows. Finally a few build up theircourage, rush at each other, exchange afew frenzied blows until one falls. As if onsignal, the losers grab their wounded andrush back to the safety of their fort.

It is fortunate for both sides that neitherTu-shun nor Sakai are brilliant com-manders. Indeed, from their perform-ances, both are barely competent tocommand the men they lead. The situa-tion in the village is a carefully balancedscale. Even the smallest new elementcould cause a drastic change in the bal-ance of power. But unknown to both Tu-shun and Sakai, there is a third element inthis battle—the villagers. They are activelyseeking a savior from the incessant war-fare that is destroying their homes.

1416Tani Shrine: This small valley shrine

was built by the farmers of a village that no

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longer stands. The shrine is still main-tained by an old shukenja (9th level) whohas come to this place. He has decided toend his days here, since it is a good place.Lately he has become intrigued by the fateof the villagers. The old records of theshrine tell of a village nearby, but he hasnot been able to find any sign of it. Somemysterious and powerful magic has sweptthem away. The aura does show that amalevolent force was at work here.

1521Divine Empress Shrine: About 2,000

years ago, according to legend, the DivineEmpress was traveling through the lands ofShinkoku raising an army to battle the OniKings. Three times during the journey thechild she carried cried out that it was readyto be born and three times she bade it wait.Finally, when she reached this spot thebirth could no longer be delayed and shegave birth to a stone. Angered at her child’simpiety for assuming such an appearance,she ordered her soldiers to break the stoneapart. With the fall of the first blow the stoneshattered and out leaped her full-grownson, Stone-Storm-Wind.

There is no proof that this event everoccurred or that this is the site. There arefive other shrines to the Stone-Bearing-Empress throughout Kozakura, all of themmore popular than this one.

The shrine was once a large compound,but it now suffers from neglect and decay.Many of the outer buildings are semi-collapsed and the compound wall hastumbled in many places. In the heart of thecompound is the main worship hall, builtaround a huge split boulder. The roof onthis building leaks badly and the red pillarsare sadly in need of a new coat of paint.The shrine is managed by three old men,once fairly adept shukenja now weakenedin their powers (4th, 3d, and 2d levels).The first is nearly totally deaf, the secondis almost blind, and the third mostly sitsabout, fondly remembering the “olddays.” They are quite friendly and want tobe helpful, but are not accustomed to visi-tors. Thus they have a hard time adaptingto the needs of strangers and remember-ing the proper behavior when others arearound. Of late that have been botheredby raiding parties of bakemono (from thelair at 1720) and would accept assitance, ifthey can make themselves understood.

1720Bakemono Lair: Standing in an area of

partially cleared forest, amid fields nowfalling into decay, is a small and ill-keptmura. Once it was the home of a band ofpeasants who had fled the reach of theshugo-daimyo. Here they were going tomake a better life for their community.Unfortunately they discovered the reasonso few peasants leave the protection of theshugo-daimyo. Quickly and viciously,bakemono overran the village, putting themen to the sword and enslaving thewomen and children. Five years havepassed since this occurred. The bake-mono have driven the game from the areaand are now forced to range further afield(the shrine at hex 1521 has been the sub-ject of several minor forays).

Normally, the bakemono mura houses62 bakemono and several leaders. Thecreatures are organized into houses, oneto each compass point. Each house isresponsible for the security of the villagein that direction, thus the North Housedefends the north, etc. The bakemono areequipped as follows:

3 with katana12 with naginata and short sword25 with spear

6 with tetsubo and short sword6 with short sword and shortbow3 with chain and shuriken7 with kurasi-gama and trident

(AC 6; MV 6”; HD 1-1; #AT 1; Damage byweapon type)

The bakemono are led by a common oni(AC 4; MV 9”; HD 8; hp 24; #AT 2; Damage3-10/3-10; SA spells) who also carries a+ 1 kumade he took off an unfortunateninja. The oni is aided by four bakemonolieutenants (HD 2; AC 4; Damage 1d8),one for each house. These live in the cen-tral building of the mura. They are waitedupon by six slaves, peasant women theycaptured. when the village was overrun.The oni has a special bodyguard of 12human children (AC 10; MV 12”; HD 1-1;#AT 1; Damage 1d6). Captured when theywere five to six years old, these childrenhave been reared by the bakemono andthe oni. Their lives have been hard andthey are almost totally wild and savage.They are armed with spears but are notallowed armor. Knowing no other life, theyare almost perfectly loyal to the oni.

The oni holds the treasure of the group,keeping it buried under his throne. Thetreasure is 2,000 fen and two scrolls(which none of the creatures can use). Allother treasure the band has found has

been in the form of rice, which the groupeither eats or lets rot.

1723Ichi’s Camp: Not far from the trail are

the remains of the last stronghold of Ichithe Highwayman, a folk hero of Miyama.Ichi, who lived 162 years ago, was lovedby the commoners and despised by theruling class. Although in real life he was nomore noble than most, he made his livingat the expense of the rich, powerful, andpompous. Many a wealthy merchant,deceitful bonze (a wandering priest), andavaricious samurai was the victim of Ichi’sjustice. He never maintained a large bandof men, relying on spies in the towns andthe friendliness of the peasants for hisinformation and support. Neither was hemiserly, spending his ill-gotten gains freelyand generously, further cementing hissupport among the down-trodden.

Naturally, such a free spirit and per-verter of the social order could not beallowed to remain free. Many efforts weremade to capture and punish Ichi, but hehad an amazing ability to slip through thenets of the shugo-daimyo. At last he wascornered and driven to this strongholdwith a small group of men (including themonk Benzai). This small stockaded hutwas put to the torch and Ichi and all withhim perished.

Now many stories are told of Ichi and hisexploits. With each retelling, his reputa-tion becomes greater. He is described as aclever rogue, slippery as a fish, a defenderof the common peasant, a clown, and thepeasants’ Harlequin to the daimyos’Guignot. There is even a story that heescaped the fire of his last hideout and,under a new identity, married the daughterof a powerful samurai. He is a popular sub-ject of puppet plays and singers, althoughnot when performed for the nobility.

The ruin of Ichi’s last stand is now noth-ing but a small grass-covered mound sur-rounded by fire-scarred trees.

1808Camp of T’an-zao the Gajin: Hidden in

this valley is a large camp of 390 bandits.They are led by T’an-zao (barbarian, 15thlevel) originally from the Plain of Horseson the mainland of Kara-Tur. A brave trav-eler and explorer, he and his bodyguardwere shipwrecked on the shores of Koza-kura 10 years ago. After escaping captureby a neighboring shugo-daimyo, T’an-zaorallied a group of malcontents and ex-

27

soldiers to form this bandit camp.For all his courage and cleverness,

T’an-zao is also a totally vindictive andunreformed criminal. Raised in truly sav-age lands, he understands only death andplunder. His savageness has increasedhis reputation such that the north-southtrail through Miyama is traveled at one’speril. Still, he is intelligent enough torecognize his own weaknesses.

Several expeditions sent by the shugo-daimyo have burned the camps of T’an-zao and occasionally fought with hisrearguard, but he has always chosen toretreat before greater strength. To date hehas never been caught.

T’an-zao’s camp is located in a rockygorge. Three sides are protected by largeboulders and a wooden wall closes off thefront. His forces (and their commanders)consist of the following:

40 light horsemen with spear andbrigandine (T’an-zao)

80 light horsemen with sword, compositeshortbow, and padded armor (Huai &Hanazo)

150 footmen with spear and hara-ate-gawa (Ukaru, Gyogi, & Kiro)

40 footmen with naginata and hara-ate(Wariunekuru)

40 unarmored footmen with daikyu (Futaii)40 footmen with katana and hara-ate-

gawa (Soga Mikemono)

T’an-zao, having a very military mind,has combined the tactics of his homelandwith those of Kozakura. His cavalry is con-stantly drilled and well-trained. The menare divided into units of 40 to 50 strongand are commanded by the following:

Huai—barbarian, 7th levelHanazo—fox hengeyokai bushi, 8th levelUkaru—korobokuru bushi, 7th levelGyogi—kensai, 5th levelKiro—bushi, 6th levelWariunekuru—korobokuru barbarian,

10th levelFutaii—bushi, 6th levelSoga Mikemono—spirit folk samurai, 5th

level

In addition to his commanders, T’an-zao has a bodyguard of 10 3d-level barbar-ians, all survivors of the shipwreck whichbrought him here. Since they are for-eigners to Kozakura, they are utterly loyalto him. Also among T’an-zao’s entourageis an old man, known only as Aged One(wu jen, 10th level, specializes in earthspells).

1906Deserted Graveyard: Once there was a

small temple and mura in this vicinity. Bothhave long since vanished. The only sign ofhuman habitation is the remains of agraveyard. This place has an evil reputa-tion and no local will approach it at night.

2020Bandit Camp: This camp is a second-

ary base of T’an-zao (1808)—part of hispreparations for any eventuality. Thecamp is a wooden stockade set just belowthe crest of a forested hill overlooking thetrail. Currently the camp is garrisoned by10 1st-level bushi, led by Onagata (bushi,8th level). Their duty is simply to protectthe camp and maintain the buildings. As agroup the bushi are lazy and have no loveof Onagata, who is a vicious martinet.

2106Konjo Subscriber Temple: This small

temple is built on a rocky outcropping andhas a magnificent view of the distant sea.The temple is a branch of the provincialtemple to the south. It has only recentlybeen established (seven years ago) byGodokyo (shukenja, 8th level), who hasdecided it is time to settle down. The tem-ple has no monastery and only has a staffof 18 priests. It also maintains a force of 29sohei. Although adjacent to a Konjoshoen, the manager of that estate hasrefused to move his headquarters to thetemple. This has led to minor squabblingand feuding between those of the templeand those of the estate. Each maintains awatchful eye on the moves of the other.

2206Takeo Village: This village has 288 peo-

ple of all ages. It is a peaceful place, theheadquarters of the Niwa shoen on whichit stands. The shoen, though large, is aquiet estate with many sites of naturalbeauty. Consequently, the jito position ofthe shoen is often given as a reward toolder and distinguished samurai.

The current jito of the estate is DaidojiRazan (samurai, 9th level), an aged manof 80 years. He is hardly a doddering oldfool, however. Although well past his phys-ical prime, he is still able to lead an armyon campaign, break a horse, swim a river,and wield a sword with the best of them.He does not tolerate comments on his ageand supposed feebleness, consideringthem insults.

2207Arita Village: This village has a popula-

tion of 396 people of all ages (83 build-ings). In the past it was a happy and quietfarming village, the gathering point for thelocal peasants who send their goodsdownstream and the merchants whocome from Okahira.

Recently, however, Arita has comeunder the sway of the hu hsien whooccupy the outpost at 2208. Shortly afterseizing control of the tower, the hu hsiensent one of their kind to the village.Through trickery he slew the myoshu andtook his place. Now he and the hu hsien ofthe tower are pillaging the village and thesurrounding area under the guise ofproper authority. The villagers still believethat the hu hsien are their proper overlordsand have submitted to these injustices—for now. However, the situation is a pow-derkeg. The hu hsien are becoming moreand more avaricious but are finding lessand less, while the villagers are only await-ing a strong leader to inspire and leadthem.

2208Tower of the Hu Hsien: This fortified

tower was an outpost of the Niwa clan,built to keep watch over the northern endof the Kurisammyaku Pass. A few weeksago, however, a band of eight hu hsien (AC7; MV 15”; HD 6; #AT 1; Damage 1d8; SAspells; SD +3 weapons or better to hit,regeneration; MR 50%) seized the tower,slaughtering all the occupants. The crea-tures then assumed the forms of the com-mander of the garrison, Maeda Kori, andhis lieutenants. One of them also slew andassumed the role of the myoshu of Arita.

Since the garrison is seldom visited andreports are still being sent out, no one atOkahira has yet realized the vile decep-tion. In the meantime, the hu hsien havebeen requisitioning all foodstuffs andgoods in the area and further fortifyingtheir outpost. They hope to be able to holdoff any attackers once they are discov-ered. Finally, they feel that if they fail, theycan always assume fox form and slip awayduring the confusion.

The tower itself is a three-story woodenstructure surrounded by an earthworkembankment. In front of the embankmentis a ditch 20 feet wide and seven feetdeep. On the floor of the ditch are abatis ofbamboo and wood.

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2213The Mountain of Iron: This region of

Miyama once produced a modest quantityof low-quality iron ore. In most places itwas never profitable or possible to extractsufficent ore to warrant the effort. In thisarea, however, large quantities of ore werenear the surface, and the Mountain of Iron(as it was known) was mined heavily. How-ever, 150 years ago the quantities of oredwindled as the veins slowly tapped out.Gradually the miners and the towns theybuilt disappeared and the mining ceasedaltogether. Now all that is left are the crum-bling ruins of their homes and the collaps-ing mine shafts.

Mysteriously, some of these shafts nowgo to greater depths than the miners everreached. Something, some unknownagency, has been extending them—goingdeeper and longer—slowly spreadingthem like a net under the Kurisammyaku.Fell creatures have been sighted in thearea of the old shafts. If given evidence ofthe activity in the area, the shugo-daimyowill order troops to build a watchtoweroverlooking the Mountain of Iron as a pre-caution.

2214Chitu Village: Once the main village of

the miners who worked the Mountain ofIron, Chizu is now a decaying village of134 souls. Since the collapse of the min-ing industry, more and more people havebeen leaving the village. Visitors now seea village of squalor and poverty. The outly-ing buildings have been long aban-doned—their roof beams sag and theirthatch rots. Closer to the center, more ofthe buildings are occupied. Ragged anddirty-faced women peer from behind sag-ging shutters and naked brats occasion-ally dart across the street. The men of thevillage look sad and broken, their dreamsand hopes shattered as they toil to eke outa miserable existence. These are peoplewho have had the spirit ground out of themby hard fate and cruel taskmasters.

Furthermore, the people of the villagelack the will to resist the new arrivals in thevillage. Bakemono and goblin rats openlyoccupy the houses on the edge of the vil-lage. Some came from the mines underthe Kurisammyaku, others gravitated herefrom the wooded hills. Word has spreadthrough their communities of the fatalismof the Chizu villagers, attracting theunwholesome like a plague.

The situation is made no better by the

incompetence and venality of the jito ofthis Hori shoen, Fukuda Sueji (samurai,7th level). He has absolutely no interest orcompassion for the peasants of his shoen,concerned only with his own luxuries andpersonal advancement.

2215The Bakemono Shrine: A little way off

this seldom-traveled path is an old andstately temple. Originally a subscriber tem-ple of the Kanchai sect, the place wasneglected by its superiors with the declineof the Mountain of Iron. Now it is lookedafter by a middle-aged shukenja (12thlevel) who is quite blind. This has not, how-ever, impaired his abilities, rather it hassharpened his spiritual perception. Hearrived at this temple nearly a year ago andsensed that it was a worthy place to restfrom his travels. Since taking up residence,he has engaged in teaching the precepts ofhis faith to the few who come by.

Currently he has only a handful of stu-dents, and most peculiar ones at that. Twoarrive each morning bringing gifts of fruitand sake. They patiently recite sutras andcopy various holy books for the blind shu-kenja. These students are not human,they are monkeys—two lesser nature spir-its of the world of animals. The shukenja isaware that his students are different,though he does not realize just how differ-ent. The two monkey spirits are faithfullydevoted to their master, for whom theyhold great affection.

Nighttime brings the shukenja’s secondgroup of students, a small band of 16bakemono from the nearby hills. Originallythey came to torment the shukenja but,impressed by his holiness, now receiveinstruction at his feet. The shukenja is wellaware that these students are creatures ofthe other world, but does not refuse them.His choice is risky. The bakemono arefavorably inclined to him but are not pre-dictable in their behavior.

2422The Great Cave: Yawning open in the

mountainside is a huge cave mouth. Theground outside is scattered with brokentrees and crushed bones. The cave reeksof a foul stench. Living here is a humanoidgargantua (AC 4; MV 21”; HD 35; hp 152;#AT 2; Damage 4d10/4d10; SA trample;SD regeneration). The beast has livedhere for almost a century. The villagersknow of it through rumor as the “Mon-sta!”; none have ever seen it (not that they

ever want to). It seldom causes muchdamage, being far from civilization andpeacefully inclined by nature.

2511Bingo Village: This village, set in the

shadow of Pine Tree Mountain, has a pop-ulation of 470. Located at the base of amajor farming valley, it is a collection pointfor the rent and taxes collected farther upin the mountains. Built to handle thesegoods are two large godown, constantlywatched by a sentry. These godown areloaded primarily with rice, but other goodsinclude cloth, tea, iron ore, and even somegold and silver ore. It is rumored amongthe underworld and outcasts that evengreater treasures are hidden in thesegodown.

Bingo is also the headquarters for theNiwa shoen on which it stands. Living in afine home, attended by 20 servants, isNaoki Katasube (samurai, 7th level). He isan indolent and spendthrift fellow, prefer-ring to live in great luxury rather than riskhis life against various dangers.

He has also run up a huge debt with themoneylenders and yakuza of Okahira. Toreveal his debt would bring an end to hisgood living and shame him before his lord,so he has resorted to doctoring theaccounts of all shipments entering theNiwa godown here (for which he is respon-sible). Even with goods stolen from theserents and taxes, he is only managing to gofurther into debt.

Naoki Katasube has at his commandone samurai (2d level) and 30 bushi (1stlevel). None of them are aware of his ille-gal activities.

2513Ruins of Hayashiro village: Once

standing on this spot was the small butprosperous village of Hayashiro. Now ailthat remains are a few scorched buildingsand the blackened stumps of others. Twoyears ago the village was attacked bycreatures coming down out of the moun-tains. In a bloody night raid, they slaugh-tered all the occupants, looted thebuildings and set the village afire. Only thefortunate timing of a midnight rainstormsaved the few remaining buildings.

Although the village was destroyed,there were two survivors: a small boy anda young man who had been gone for thenight. Each has adopted the other andthey now live in one of the charred houses.The young man, Nichu, thirsts for venge-

29

ance. He is desperate to become a pupil ofa kensai or other warrior to learn the fight-ing arts. He will attempt to convince anyadventurers that they should eradicate themonsters who destroyed his village. Ofcourse, he has nothing to offer. The seven-year-old boy with him, known only as LittleChild, is unnaturally quiet, no longerengaging in the boisterous play of littlechildren.

2608The Temple of Purification: The town

of Okahira is one of the famous sites of theKanchai religion. Here it was that thefounder of the school spent many years incontemplation. It has become a populargoal for Kanchai pilgrims. These pilgrimsmust ritually purify themselves beforeentering the town, so as not to sully theholy ground where their founder walked.Built well away from town, the temple iswhere the pilgrims stop and complete theirpurification.

The temple is manned by a staff of 16caretakers, all followers of the Kanchaischool. During the summer months, there

are also 2d10 shukenja and 10d6 pilgrims present. In the winter, there are 1d6 shu-kenja and 2d8 pilgrims. The temple isheaded by Ninkai, a serious-mindedelderly sea spirit folk. He has a natural bril-liance for oratory and rhetoric and deliversmost of the sermons.

Pilgrims come to the temple for purifica-tion before entering Okahira. This act con-sists of fasting, hot and cold baths, andmeditation. The process takes two days.At the end of this time, the pilgrim is givena yellow robe to wear into the town, show-ing his mission. The robes are to bereturned when the pilgrim leaves Okahira.Pilgrims are expected to make a donationto the temple in return for these services.

2615Huts of the Shan Sao: Deep in the

thickest part of this valley forest is a smallclearing. Built around the edges are 17bamboo huts. Although quite primitive indesign, what is more exceptional aboutthem is their tiny size. These are the hutsof 27 shan sao. The local farmers andhunters know of the presence of shan saoin this valley and carefully avoid them, par-tially out of respect but mainly out of fear.In turn, the shan sao secretly aid the peas-ants of the area: they lure game into trapsor drive it before hunters, keep animalsout of the fields, etc. The two groups, the

shan sao and the peasants, have a deli-cately balanced relationship. On the rareoccasions when a peasant offends the shansao, they withdraw their aid and support,much to the dismay of all the peasants.

Scattered throughout their huts, the shansao have 3,000 fen, 3,000 yuan, and twogold and jade statuettes (three ch’ien each).These have been left by the villagers asofferings to the shan sao.

2708Okahira: Okahira is the largest town on

the northern coast of Miyama province,with a population of 6,732 people of allages and races. The town is divided intothree wards: the Seafront Ward, the High-way Ward, and the Nobles’ Ward. Okahirais ruled by Hiro Yoshitoki (samurai, 15thlevel), the shugodai of the area. A draband colorless fellow, he is rarely in attend-ance, spending most of his time at thebakufu capitol.

In Hire Yoshitoki’s absence, the town isgoverned by a council headed by Kado-kawa Shigetada (samurai, 12th level), theshugo-matadai of the town. Of late, Kado-kawa has fallen under the influence of agajin wu jen, Hu Chien (14th level).Through Kadokawa, Hu Chien has beenintroducing many foreign ideas, much tothe consternation of the local peasantsand nobles. Ideas he has introducedinclude new taxes, restrictions on dressand weaponry, new titles used whenaddressing the shugo-matadai, and more.Others are convinced there is some terri-ble evil being plotted with these regula-tions, but have not been able to seethrough Hu Chien’s plan.

Kadokawa is completely enamored withHu Chien and his ideas, so much so thathe will not even hear the slightest criticismof Hu Chien. To make matters worse, garri-soned in the town are 1,038 bushi and 123samurai of various levels, all under thecommand of Kadokawa. With these, hehas been able to enforce his new ideas,reigning by terror and the sword.

Indeed, the only effective protector ofthe common people left in Okahira isNaifu’s yakuza kumi. This is the onlyyakuza group in town, having long sincedriven out all competition. The kumi num-bers 420 yakuza of all levels and is led bythe oyabun Naifu. The gang has never hadany love of the shugo-daimyo’s troops andnow has new reasons to hate them. Sev-eral attempts were made to destroy theNaifu kumi, none successful. As a result,

the Naifu yakuza are working to spreadmore dissent among the common folk,becoming the de facto leaders of the grow-ing rebellion. For both sides, the situationis ready to explode.

Seafront Ward: This ward of 19 blocks isthe strongest center of Hu Chien’s reforms.He has been able to establish a power baseamong the foreign merchants and sailorsliving in here. Many of the foreignersarrived at his request and rely on Kadoka-wa’s protection. Local merchants hatethese foreigners because they steal busi-ness and receive special tax privileges.

Unfortunately there is little they can doabout the situation. At first they attemptedto protest to Kadokawa. He arrested andexecuted the spokesmen of the protestand fined the remaining merchants heav-ily. Since then, their activity has been lim-ited to secret support of the Naifu yakuza.In this area the yakuza attempt to destroythe goods of foreign merchants and keeplaborers away from their doors. Their tac-tics include arson, beatings, illegal gam-bling games, extortions, and occasionallymurder. In retaliation, the shugo-matadaihas declared a strict curfew and issuedpasses that are necessary to enter orleave the Seafront Ward. Those found inviolation are bound to pilings in the harborduring the low tide.

Unknown to Kadokawa, Hu Chien isbuilding a secret garrison in the SeafrontWard. Entering under the guise of sailors,soldiers of the Shou Lung empire are sta-tioned in the warehouses of foreign mer-chants in league with Hu Chien. Currentlythere are 800 Shou Lung soldiers (1st-level bushi) in the ward. Every week 10d6more enter via the merchant traffic.

The Highway Ward: This ward, enclos-ing 15 small blocks, is the heart of theNaifu kumi, the area of the city where theyakuza are the most powerful and bestsupported. During the day, the streets areruled by the forces of the shugo-matadai;at night, the yakuza openly run their gam-bling games and swagger through thelanes. Here they have the strong supportof the locals, especially the merchantssqueezed by the new regulations of Kado-kawa. Most importantly, the merchantsshelter the yakuza from the sweeps of thesoldiery. Naifu’s headquarters is located inthis ward. The name Naifu is known to allas the oyabun of the kumi, but only a fewknow who he really is. Lately the kumi hasbecome suspicious of certain sailors in theSeafront Ward and is watching them formore information.

30

The shugo-matadai has created manyrules in an attempt to destroy the yakuzakumi. First and foremost, no one other thansamurai and the soldiers of the shugo-daimyo are authorized to carry swords orsimilar weapons. Violators are subject toimprisonment. The ward is under a strictsundown curfew and passes are requiredto leave any given block. The merchants ofthe ward, none of them foreign, are subjectto special taxes and restrictions. They arenot allowed to stock certain merchandise—tea, pearls, gold, silver, or silk. All suchgoods are handled by the foreign traders.They cannot load or unload goods fromships without special licenses. They cannotship goods out of Okahira without speciallicenses. All these permissions andlicenses cost money, enriching the coffersof Kadokawa and Hu Chien.

The Noble Ward: This small ward of fourblocks houses most of the town’s nobility.Included in this ward are the homes ofKadokawa and his retainers, the Hirohousehold (normally run by the chamber-lain), and the home of Hu Chien. Thishome, not far from Kadokawa’s, is a smallbut richly embellished affair. Within thewalls of Hu Chien’s compound is his per-sonal guard—10 barbarians (6th level)and 200 bushi (1st level). Hu Chien is verysecretive about this bodyguard, eventhough Kadokawa is well aware of it. Whatis not known to Kadokawa is that Hu Chienis secretly bringing troops into the Sea-front Ward. Once he has gathered enoughmen (2,000 or more), he will attempt acoup, overthrowing Kadokawa and install-ing himself as ruler. At the same time, hewill attempt to seize Hiro Castle by sur-prise. Failing that, he will cut its communi-cation with the south and attempt toreinforce his small army with troops fromoverseas. Unknown to all but Hu Chien isthat these actions are the orders of theGreat Emperor Chin of Shou Lung.

2709Sumomo-jo: Located at the base of

Sumomo-yama are the remains ofSumomo Castle. Built by the militarilyincompetent governor Tsu Miiya, thisimpressive-looking castle was never aneffective fortification. There were severalflaws with the castle’s location. It stood onthe valley floor instead of the end ofSumono-yama. It was too far back fromthe two streams that bracket it, renderingthem ineffective in its defense. It was toofar from Okahira for the garrison to aid in

the defense of the town and it did not blockmovement on the trails in the area.

Given all its flaws, it is surprising that itwas able to resist at all! Taken for the Niwafamily when they were consolidating theirgrip on the province, the Hiro family ledthe assault and were rewarded with per-mission to supervise and maintain a fortifi-cation in the Okahira area (Hiro Castle).Much of the stone of Hiro Castle was takenfrom the Sumono-jo. All that remains ofthe castle are the foundations and someas-yet-undiscovered cellars.

2808Hiro Castle: Built with the permission of

the Niwa family, this castle is garrisonedand maintained by their close ally, the Hirofamily. Situated on the slopes of Shiroi-ni-Kaiga-yama, the castle has a fine view ofOkahira and its harbor. Central to the for-tress is the white-washed four-story tower,the main building of the castle. Connectedto this are three smaller towers enclosedby a 40-foot-high wall. Outside this wallare two more walls and a dry moatspanned by an arched stone bridge.Although the Hiro family maintains a com-pound in Okahira, the bulk of the familyand its retainers reside in this castle.

Garrisoning the structure are 800 bushiand 200 samurai (most of 1st level). Thecommander of the garrison is the highestranking Hiro family member in attend-ance. Under most circumstances, this isHiro Ieyuki (samurai, 10th level). He is thehalf-brother of the head of the Hiro familyand is entrusted with the responsibility forthe castle. Hiro Ieyuki is loyal to his familyand generally quite responsible. Lately, hehas been approached by emissaries of HuChien (hex 2708, Okahira), who is trying tofind a weakness in the castle defense.Hiro Ieyuki, who has no love for what ishappening in Okahira, is leading Hu Chienalong, trying to learn more information.

2908Shrine of the Setting Sun: Built on pil-

ings in the area of shore between high andlow tide is a large two-story shrine. Thisshrine is aligned so its main entrancefaces due west, in the direction of the set-ting sun. Set further out in the waves is thered-painted torii (gate arch), built so theevening sun shines directly through it.

The shrine was built to honor the pass-ing of the Heavenly Sun Goddess foranother day. The shrine is hard to get toand it does not have a great number of vis-

itors, though most of those who do visit arehardy Kanchai pilgrims who are stoppingat Okahira. Thus the caretakers, an oldman and his wife, lead a quiet, rustic life.Also staying at the shrine for an indefiniteperiod of time is Pien-Hung (shukenja, 7thlevel). Wan and sickly when he arrived, hesays he came for the sea air and peacefulsurroundings. These seem to have agreedwith him, for he is now in quite robusthealth. Quiet and respectful, Pien-Hungradiates an aura of cheer and good nature.

2913Kanchai Temple: The temple is one of

the first founded by the Kanchai school.Because it is outside the imperial capital,the temple is not the seat of the Kanchaireligion. It is, however, the provincial tem-ple of Miyama Province. The temple islocated in the wooded groves near theheart of this Kanchai shoen. The founderof the Kanchai school spent his final yearshere.

There are separate managements forthe temple, shoen, and monastery. Thetemple is headed by Goryu (shukenja,20th level), who has chosen this place toretire after many years of traveling. Hehandles the administration of templebuildings and grounds, copying of holytexts, instruction of young pupils, religiousneeds of the peasantry, accommodationof pilgrims, preparations for holy days,and delivery of sermons. To assist him, hehas a staff of 25 shukenja of various levelsand 10 servants. Much to his dismay, hisretirement has become more work thanhis wandering life of poverty ever was. Heis now obliged to continue his work, hav-ing willingly accepted the position.

The shoen is managed by the com-mander of the sohei, Toragawa (sohei,16th level). As both the commander of atroop of 500 sohei and the manager of asizable estate, he has little time for either.Preferring to retain a strong control overhis men, he delegates most of the shoenmanagement to his lieutenants. Most ofhis time is spent in drilling his men anddefending the wilderness borders.

The monastery is divided into a monas-tery and a nunnery. Both provide instruc-tion in the mental and physical secrets ofthe Kanchai school to a limited number ofpupils. The selection of pupils is normallydone once a year when eager applicantsarrive to be tested. Standards are strict andonly a few are accepted. Applicants areconsidered at other times, but they must

31

have exceptional promise to be accepted.Currently there are 17 monks (various

levels) and nine nuns (monks, variouslevels). The monastery section is headedby Kazan (monk, 17th level). His counter-part in the nunnery is Kitashi (monk, 16thlevel). Each supervises the training ofthose of lesser rank. Kazan has onlyrecently become the head of the monas-tery, while Kitashi has held her post formany years. There is a cooperative butlively rivalry between the two. This feelingaffects their students, making the trainingsessions both fun and intense.

2916Kanchai Tomb: At the end of this nar-

row valley is a small monument hiddenamong the rice paddies. This marks thetomb of the founder of the Kanchai school.The tomb is virtually unmarked, bearingonly a short poem describing the beauty ofthe fields. Only a few pilgrims learn of itswhereabouts and come to pay a respectfulvisit to their master. Two to four times ayear, a group from the Kanchai Templecomes to repair any damage. The site isdeserted otherwise. This is the way thefounder wanted things and his wisheshave been obeyed for centuries.

3018Cave of the Kuei: This cave was once

the camp of Zaku the Bandit, a wicked andhorribly cruel highwayman. Using this as abase of operations, he raided the NorthernPlain and other nearby provinces. Nowhaunting the cave is the kuei of one of hisunfortunate victims—a young woman whowas about to be married (AC -4; MV 18”;HD 4; hp 18; #AT 1; Damage 1d8; SA pos-session; SD spells; MR 10%; AL LG).

As a kuei this woman is compelled topossess the body of another woman, sothat she can complete her marriage oath.Having died centuries ago, her intended isno longer alive. If she marries into his fam-ily, however, her oath will be fulfilled.

To aid her in this task, she knows thelocation of Zaku’s treasure cache of goldand silver objects worth 500 ch’ien. Thisshe will reveal only to her intended, whomshe knows lives in Okahira. Upon seeingany character possessed by her spirit, thisyoung man falls in love with her. His par-ents, impressed by her wealth and grace,consent to the marriage. Once married,the kuei remains in possession for oneyear. Then, its oath fulfilled, it departs inpeace forever.

NAMES GLOSSARYTo help you add color and detail to your

Kozakuran campaign, the following glos-sary of words and terms is provided. Someof these are used in the province andadventure books and are defined here foryour convenience.

Bakufu —The headquarters and capitalof the shogun’s government

Benkan — A jeweled headpiece of theemperor

Byobu — A folding screenChichi — FatherChodai — A curtained sleeping platformDotaku — A bronze bellEmakimono — A picture scrollFusuma — A sliding wallGeisha — A courtesan trained in the arts

and accorded high prestigeGodown — Storehouse, particularly for

rice or other grainsHaka — Burial moundHi no goza — The raised platform of the

emperorHoden — A treasure houseHon-maru — The innermost castle court-

yardHyakkan — Court officialsHyakusho — The nonsamurai classes:

farmers, artisans, merchants, entertain-ers, etc.

Ishiotoshi — Chutes built on castle para-pets for dropping stones on the enemy

Inkan — A personal seal for documentsand letters

Izumi-dono — A water pavilion, a smallbuilding built over the water of a gardenpond for entertaining

Jo — Ward, a section of a cityKakemono — A vertical picture scrollKamidana — A household shrineKanshofu — A charter granting a shoKoburi — A headdress reserved for those

of 5th Birth Rank and aboveKodo — The porch section of a templeKofun — A burial moundKongo rikishi — Guardian figures at the

entrance to a templeKotatsu — A small brazier found in many

homes used for warming the sleepingquilts

Kugyo — High Court Nobles, those of 1stthrough 3d Birth Ranks

Kura — A fireproof storehouseMakimono — A horizontal picture scrollMaru — A castle courtyardMasugata — A double gate; the outer gate

is small and set at a right angle to

Oriental characters usually have manydifferent names that depend on their age,their profession, their family, etc. (seepage 141 in the Oriental Adventuresbook).

Given below are several lists of namessuitable for use in Kozakura. The namesare organized into family, male, female,religious, and artistic groupings. All thenames are historical and you might findthat you recognize some of them.FamilyAjiroAriharaAsukaiEmiFujiwaraHaraItoIzumiJobojiKamoKanokobataKarasumaKiKitamukiMakabeMinamotoNaitoNasuNijoOnoOshikochiOtomoOzekiRokusoSatoTachibanaTodoTokugawaYamabeYoshimine

MaleAkahitoAntekiArihitoAsakariAzumabitoChomeiChuemonGoheiHeishiroKinnoriKiyosukeMasaakiMasutsuneMinbuMitsuhiroMitsuneMotoharuMunesadaOshikatsuSaberoSanekataTadahiroTadanobuTakakatsuTamenakaTananTomonoriToshichiroToyoToyoakiTsugunobuTsurayukiUmakaiUnchikuYakamochiYasuhiraYoichiYoshihideYoshimotoYoshitadaYoshitomoYoshitsuneYoshituneYukihiraYukinari

FemaleAbutsuHaruInoeIratsumeIshihimeJuteiniKikuKishiKitashiMatsukazeMurasameSeiSeishiTakeTamamoTokiwaToshiYuki

ReligiousBenkeiBucchoDaitenEigenEiseiHoshinKenbutsuKukaiMoritakeShokuSohaUngo

ArtisticBashoBusonGassonHenjoKikakuKyoraiSaigyoSampoSenginSoboSoinTeitokuTosei

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the larger inner gate, slowing theadvance of attackers.

Minka — A traditional peasant houseMura — A small village communityNi-no-maru — The second or middle

courtyard of a castleNishiki-e — A colored woodcutOte-mon — The main gate of a castlePagoda — A multi-storied tower of wood

or stone, dedicated to a deitySakadono — A special temple building for

brewing sake used in ceremoniesSake — Rice wineSan-no-maru — The third or outer court-

yard of a castleSento — A public bathhouseShoen — An estate or fiefShoji — Sliding doors covered with paper

in a latticed wooden frameSutra — Religious scriptures, usually as

short sayings or dialoguesTakuhatsu — The life of poverty adopted

by some shukenjaTamon — A roofed building set atop the

castle wall and used as a barracks orstorehouse

Tatami — A three foot by six foot wovenmat used as flooring in houses. Roomsare normally measured by the numberof tatami mats they contain.

Tenno — EmperorTenshu-kaku — The main tower of a cas-

tleTofu — A staple food made from the con-

gealed protein of soybeansTorii — The pillared red gate-arch at the

entrance to a shrineUguisi-bari — Nightingale floor, made

with boards that creak or squeak whenstepped on

Uji no choja — The head of a family orclan

BIBLIOGRAPHYAkiyama, Nobuo & Carol. Japanese at a

GlanceArnesen, Peter Judd. The Medieval Japa-

nese Daimyo: The Ouchi Family’s Ruleof Suo and Nagato

Baedeker’s JapanBatchelor, Rev. John. The Ainu of JapanBuruma, Ian. Behind the MaskHall, John Whitney. Government and

Local Power in JapanKitabatake Chikafusa (H. Paul Varley,

tran.). A Chronicle of Gods and Sover-eigns

Schmorleitz, Morton S. Castles in JapanWurman, Richard Saul. Tokyo Access