Please comment and
critique
. I would like to make these as favorable to the playerbase as possible. If you feel any of these should have gotten different bonuses or if my description is too lacking, I am happy to change the details. Feedback on this will also obviously be taken into account when I work on the future clans. Also, if you have created a vassal family for the crab of your own that you would like to add to this project, I would be happy to add it to the list.
The purpose of this project is to add additional lore-friendly families to every Great Clan. These are all vassal families that serve the main families of the Great Clans. The family these families serve is includes as often within Rokugan, they are referred to by their lord's family name followed by their own name, for example "Endo Ujimasa" would be called "Hiruma no Endo Ujimasa", sometimes even just calling him "Hiruma Ujimasa". However, if you want to play in a Rokugan that has a bit more diversity then you may drop the first part and simply refer to such a character as "Endo Ujimasa" under all circumstances.
The distinction here between "branch family" and "servant family" is not an official designation, but indicates whether the family came from outside the family they serve (usually entirely outside the clan, and often from ronin or peasant backgrounds) and were adopted by the family as permanent servants, which I have referred to as "Servant Family" or where a family designated some of its own members to focus on specializing in a certain task, which I have called "Branch Family". While these have never been used as terms within Rokugan canon, there is every indication that those from Branch Families get treated better than those from Servant Families.
Mechanically all of these families are a bit worse than the 4 to 5 you will find in the main RPG book. This is because these families are canonically of lower status within the clan. In fact, these characters should start off with 5 less status than regular member of their clan in addition to the lower glory and usually lower wealth found here. If GMs find that these few points of honor, glory and wealth are too great of a detriment for players to consider even playing these families, then they are encouraged to bump the glory here by 5 points, the wealth by an extra koku and not implementing the status loss for being from a branch family. The ultimate goal here is to increase the options for both PCs and NPCs-- obviously a balance between realism and enjoyment should be struck.
The Bokudo Family
Shinjo Servant Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Earth
Skill Increases:
+1 Labor, +1 Medicine
Glory:
32
Starting Wealth:
3 Koku
The Bokudo live outside of Rokugan proper, but nonetheless in a region of the Sand Road claimed by the Unicorn. They are ji-samurai who are primarily goat and sheep shepherds. The work they engage in would be considered that of burakumin in Rokugan, but due to the Unicorn’s unique perspective, within the clan they can rise even to the rank of being personal guard for the Clan Champion’s heir. Despite being foreign, the Bokudo still entirely resemble Rokugani and have adopted the language, naming practices and many of the customs so that they are able to pass. Although they primarily live outside the borders of Rokugan, it is not impossible to encounter them within Rokugan.
The Battue Family
Iuchi Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Earth or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Meditation, +1 Theology
Glory:
34
Starting Wealth:
3 Koku
Soon after the Unicorn returned to Rokugan, a shugenja named Iuchi Nagol made a sanctuary for himself within a forest known as the Forest of Dreamers. He and his order began practicing maho in secret. Three of his students realized the corruption of his order and worked to destroy it from within. They were successful and reported what had happened to the Iuchi daimyo. They then became the Battue family. The family continues to reside within the Forest of Dreamers and is dedicated to researching dark magics such as Khadi and Maho, as well as hunt down those who would use such mystical arts to corrupt the clan. They primarily only leave their forest sanctuary when on the hunt for maho-tsukai.
The Ganzu Family
Shinjo Servant Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Courtesy, +1 Fitness
Glory:
32
Starting Wealth:
3 Koku
The Ganzu live outside the empire, the furthest west along the Sand Road that the Unicorn indisputably control, and halfway to the Qamarist Caliphate. In fact, the Ganzu are followers of the Qamarism religion. They are known to dress in striped robes and turbans and would be entirely unable to pass for true Rokugani despite having adopted the language to some degree. However, they are people of the crossroads and are known to be polite, accepting, friendly and sincere.
They live in a mostly subterranean city known as the Hidden Valley, and, unlike most of the Unicorn, have no skill when it comes to riding horses, though they do use some camels as beasts of burden. For these many reasons it would be quite rare to encounter a member of the Ganzu family unless one were to travel to the Ivory Kingdom along the Sand Road.
The Hateru Family
Ide Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Sentiment, +1 Skulduggery
Glory:
33
Starting Wealth:
4 Koku
During the dawn of the empire, after the Kirin clan abandoned their lands to wander outside of Rokugan and those same lands were claimed by the Lion, the Hateru family was born. The family infiltrated the Dragon Clan and spent centuries infiltrating the Kitsuki. They were only able to identify one another through the use of Kirin tattoos. They became spies and assassins for the highest bidder, all the while being able to hinder any investigation the Kitsuki may attempt. When the Unicorn returned Rokugan, the Hateru rejoined their long-lost brethren. As they were a much needed asset, they were welcomed back and put into service for the Unicorn with only the mildest of reservations.
The Hyuga Family
Utaku Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Government, +1 Survival
Glory:
38
Starting Wealth:
5 Koku
The Hyuga Family dates back to the 3
rd
century during the time when the Unicorn’s travels in the burning sands. Utaku Hyuga captured the original wild horses that the Utaku used to escape from the City of Sorcerers during its destruction. He was granted a family in order to see to the breeding of the horses thereafter. They have done a fine job of breeding their horses for power and speed. The Utaku steeds they produce are famous all across Rokugan and beyond. If you want one of the finest horses in Rokugan, you should seek out a Hyuga.
The Kenshin Family
Iuchi Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Fire or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Meditation, +1 Tactics
Glory:
35
Starting Wealth:
4 Koku
The Kenshin come from a branch of the Iuchi that developed an odd quirk that the sons were born without any talent for communicating with the kami while the daughters were born with twice the talent of the typical Iuchi. Ironically, due to one of the sons having saved the heir of the Iuchi daimyo, the branch has now become more famous for its sons serving as talented yojimbos than its powerful shugenja daughters. The Kenshin family also does not live in a palace, instead content to reside in a village of gers. The family is still rather small, but the need for talented yojimbos means that their sons can be found traveling with Iuchi shugenja wherever they may go while the daughters may be found anywhere uniquely talented shugenja may be needed.
The Kijuro Family
Utaku Servant Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Earth or +1 Fire
Skill Increases:
+1 Fitness, +1 Games
Glory:
37
Starting Wealth:
5 Koku
The Kijuro are a family of ronin who are descended from yobanjin, the foreigners to the north of Rokugan who initially rejected service to the Kami. Despite their foreign lineage, they have had a long service to the Empire. Before the return of the Kirin, they served the Imperials as investigators who would follow up on rumors of ghostly hauntings and deal with the problems. They had made their homes in the northwestern part of the former Kirin lands, and when the Kirin returned, they chose to serve them rather than fight them. They are now technically assigned to protecting the border of Rokugan, but they still maintain ties with the lesser imperials who occasionally request their assistance on following up on rumors of hauntings. In addition, this family has been known to particularly enjoy sake houses and geisha. Thus, despite their homes being about as far from the heart of Rokugan as one can get, it is not too uncommon to find them outside of Unicorn lands.
The Marta Family
Shinjo Servant Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Fire
Skill Increases:
+1 Culture, +1 Performance
Glory:
38
Starting Wealth:
5 Koku
Descended from Shinjo’s favorite storyteller, Martazera, who was a foreign explorer who had long adventured in the Burning Sands before meeting Shinjo, the Marta family was tasked with recording the history of the Unicorn clan. However, as there was very little paper or functional way to carry a library of scrolls during the Unicorn’s centuries of nomadic life, the history of the Unicorn had to be recorded by oral tradition. Thus, those within this family became the storytellers of the Unicorn in order to instruct members of the clan on its past and the lessons that were to be learned from it. Even after the return to Rokugan and the Unicorn’s history being recorded in written form, the Marta family continues to be important to the Unicorn clan. They can often be found both instructing and entertaining the youths of the clan.
The Naoko Family
Utaku Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Earth
Skill Increases:
+1 Command, +1 Culture
Glory:
38
Starting Wealth:
4 Koku
The Naoko branched from the Utaku fairly early on during the Unicorn’s travels in the Burning Sands, starting with one of Utaku’s granddaughters. They serve to keep the heritage of the Ujik alive, resolutely taking on Ujik names, wearing Ujik clothing, utilizing Ujik style gear and engaging in Ujik traditions. All women of the Unicorn who feel a greater affinity with their Ujik heritage than their Rokugani heritage are welcome to join the family. Any men who carry the name were born into it. While women occasionally marry out of this family, no men marry in. And yet, even though the women have no husbands, they bear children nonetheless who are raised within the family and by its traditions. The Naoko family is not at all rare, and are also perhaps mostly responsible for the characterization many Rokugani have of the Unicorn in general.
The Onshigawa Family
Moto Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Earth or +1 Fire
Skill Increases:
+1 Fitness, +1 Survival
Glory:
36
Starting Wealth:
4 Koku
The Onshigawa are named for a brave Moto scout who died while racing Moto Khatalan in an attempt to win her hand. They serve two very important roles for the Moto, the first being scouts just as their founder was, but the second is that they maintain many stables throughout the Unicorn lands for the Moto so that a brave, strong and fast horse is always available for any Moto who needs it. The Onshigawa are mostly found within Unicorn lands at these stables, but their role as scouts can sometimes take them beyond its borders.
The Shiko Family
Ide Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Earth or +1 Fire
Skill Increases:
+1 Smithing, +1 Theology
Glory:
37
Starting Wealth:
6 Koku
The Shiko are a smithing family in service to the Unicorn. They are also practitioners of the Meishido arts which allow them to bind kami to the items they create. They can not only create the finest armor and swords in all the Unicorn lands, they can gift them with powerful magical properties. Their most powerful creations naturally require both great skill and a great amount of time, but may be some of the most powerful and valuable in all the empire. If you need a weapon or armor while in the Unicorn lands, one should seek out the Shiko family.
The Suio Family
Ide Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Earth
Skill Increases:
+1 Courtesy, +1 Culture
Glory:
39
Starting Wealth:
5 Koku
The Suio family was originally formed when the Unicorn were wandering the Burning Sands, their task was to study and learn the various gaijin languages and customs in order to help diplomatic relations go smoothly. When the Unicorn returned to Rokugan, the Suio family had a new purpose—to study the culture of the various Clans of Rokugan in order to help the Unicorn integrate as smoothly as possible. Even now they serve as teachers for those members of the Unicorn clan who come from outside Rokugan in order to mitigate the embarrassment they might cause their clan while engaging in their traditional customs. Although there are some who might criticize their success at their task of smoothing over relations between such very different and often stubborn groups, it is only due to underestimating what a difficult task they have been given. The Suio family is by no means small and it isn’t at all unusual to encounter them. However, they have very little power to act on behalf of their clan and are generally seen supporting others of their clan rather than taking the lead in diplomatic contacts.
The Ujin Family
Moto Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Fire or +1 Void
Skill Increases:
+1 Meditation, +1 Theology
Glory:
33
Starting Wealth:
3 Koku
The Ujin family comes from the Ujik tribes that serve the Moto. They are primarily known for being priests that worship the Lords of Death. Their strange magics are entirely foreign to Rokugani, and they and their homes are often decorated with the skulls and bones of creatures and they may even dawn disturbing white face-paint when engaged in rituals. Most of Rokugan would deem them to be heretical witches and cut them down. However, they generally live beyond the borders of Rokugan and so there is little reason they should be encountered within its borders. Those that may visit Rokugan would surely be warned not to practice their religion openly.
The Zeshi Family
Iuchi Branch Family
Ring Increases:
+1 Air or +1 Fire
Skill Increases:
+1 Design, +1 Smithing
Glory:
35
Starting Wealth:
5 Koku
The Zeshi are descended from a branch of the Iuchi family who unfortunately found themselves without the ability to communicate with kami. They found a new purpose as craftsmen. The Zeshi are responsible for creating much of the riding armor that the Unicorn Clan employ. However, their true gift is with leather-working, naturally specializing in saddles and satchels. Traditionally working with the skin of dead animals is seen as the work of burakumin in Rokugan, far below the station of a samurai. This naturally means the Zeshi family is not held in high esteem beyond its clan. However, their art often rises to such a level that even the most staunchly traditional within Rokugan must begrudgingly admit the fine craftsmanship.