Foreword

This document is an unofficial sourcebook for the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, 3rd Edition.
It describes a small Lion clan city for use in your campaigns. Some canon characters from the CCG have
been used, but their background story is my own unofficial creation. The idea of Oshi no Koda came from
Wind of Honor, the unofficial book about Toturi Tsudao.
—Mathieu “Okuma” Brebouillet
Foreword

Written by Okuma
Proofread by Kakita Tsuyanoshi and Kakita Seigi
Edited by Mikael Brodu and Wendell Katerenchuk
Layout design, maps and character portraits* by Mikael “Otaku Mike” Brodu
* except Matsu Fujiwe (©April Lee), Kuso (©Mike Raabe), and Tsuno Ketedore (©Malcolm McClinton)


 Table of Contents
Foreword.......................................................... 2
History.............................................................. 4
Map of the Region. ..................................... 5
The City.......................................................... 6
The Upper District............................................ 7
The Temple Quarter.......................................... 7
The Temple of the Fu Lions.............................. 7
The Temple of the Lotus................................... 8
The Shrine of Discussion................................. 9
The Yellow Blossom Quarter.......................... 10
The Red Vine Quarter..................................... 10
Inn of the Kind Lioness.................................. 10
Inn of the Tired Cat....................................... 10
The Purple Rose Quarter................................. 10
The Shrine of the Evening Star...................... 11
The Governor’s Residence.............................. 11
The Garrison................................................. 13
The Mikan Quarter.......................................... 14
The Armory................................................... 14
The Dojo of the Golden Claw......................... 15
Boxed Inserts
The City’s Mechanics........................................... 6
Kitsu Sanako........................................................ 7
Kitsu Noroko Taikyo............................................ 8
Ashida.................................................................. 9
Matsu Metigaru . ............................................... 10
Kitsune Akinitsu................................................. 11
Kitsu Samatsu.................................................... 12
Kitsu Ise Torasu................................................ 12
Ikoma Renshi..................................................... 13
Matsu Fujiwe...................................................... 13
Ide Tanoshiko.................................................... 14
The Lower District.......................................... 16
The Bottle Quarter........................................... 16
The Snake Pit................................................ 16
Happy Cricket Sake House............................ 17
The Eta Quarter............................................... 17
The Nazuna Quarter....................................... 17
The Shichimi Togarashi Quarter..................... 18
The Inn and Teahouse of the Retired Scorpion.. 19
Outside the City......................................... 20
The Standing Stones....................................... 20
The Forgotten Shrine...................................... 20
The Lake of Foul Tears................................... 21
Table of Contents
The Region................................................... 22
The Kitsu Tombs............................................. 22
Shiro Matsu, the Castle of the Last Breath....22
Kyakuchu Mura, Footnote Village...............22
Map of Oshi no Koda............................. 23
Toritaka Tokonishu............................................ 14
Akodo Takuni..................................................... 15
Rumaru............................................................... 15
Yellow Snake...................................................... 16
Kuso................................................................... 16
Yoritomo Hoji Yukihira...................................... 17
Bayushi Osaku................................................... 18
Hoshi Kokori...................................................... 18
Tsuno Ketedore.................................................. 21
Tsuno House Guard........................................... 21

 History
The old Kitsu town of Oshi no Koda, the city of
the blazing lion (after the mon of the Kitsu family),
was founded more than a thousand years ago as a
small village when the Kitsu Tombs (L19) were built
a couple of days of travel to the south. It is a minor
town on the Road of the Ancestral Castle that links
Shiro Matsu (L18) and Kyakuchu Mura (L16), in the
middle of the Matsu province of Yama.
At the dawn of the Empire, a small tribe of humans
chose to settle here, south of the Heigen no Otaku,
the Plains of Battle (EE), and near the Flowing Mane
River, a small tributary to Kawa Mitsu Kishi, Three
Sides River (X). It was a good place to create a
new village because of the warm climate,
fertile land, and the long distance from
the growing empire of Hantei. The
tribe settled here and quickly created
History
a busy village. When the tribe
of Matsu started to grow up and
conquer the neighboring lands, the
tribe of Oshi bowed to them instead
of fighting. They were a peaceful lot,
and already had too much to worry
about with what they had discovered
hidden in the nearby hills.
Living in those hills was a group of great
intelligent felines, later known as the Kitsu, that
lived in buildings and showed great skill with magic.
The Kitsu built a series of standing stones next to a
road that goes west into the mountains, where they
lived. The peasants of Oshi preferred to leave the
felines alone as long as they did not interfere. The
creatures did not care about humanity either. The
two races lived near each other without contact.
However, the empire of the Kami had grown
and finally the inhabitants of Oshi no Koda found
themselves integrated in the Lion clan’s growing
territory. They and the Matsu tribe bowed to Akodo
and some of them were selected to be samurai. Then,
the war with the Kitsu started. Akodo-Kami believed
the reclusive Kitsu to be dangerous creatures and
tried to eradicate them all. However, Akodo

recognized his error before it was too late and made
peace with the last Kitsu. The five remaining Kitsu
turned into humans and married the daughters of
the Lion champion. The Kitsu family was founded.
The place where Amaterasu arranged the first
meeting between Akodo and the newly-human Kitsu
was chosen as the location of the the Kitsu Tombs
(L19), built to hold the ashes of the transformed
Kitsu. This is why the small village of Oshi no Koda
is so important to the Kitsu family, even though it is
in the Matsu family territory. The young Kitsu family
obtained permission from the Matsu to keep control
of this village, as it is very close to the Kitsu Tombs
and provides a place for the shugenja to stop
on their way to and from the secret site.
Oshi no Koda slowly grew up from a
small village to a small town.
Centuries passed. The small
town kept expanding, becoming
the training place for the Kitsu that
didn’t choose the path of the Sodan
Senzo, and would later be sent to
Last Breath Castle (Shiro Matsu).
Due to the convenient location on the
road of the ancestral castle, inns and sake
houses catering to the travelers going to and
from the ancestral house of the Matsu family started
to appear. Thanks to constant Lion troop movement
and exercises in the province, Oshi found a way to
grow to the size of a prosperous small town.
The town started to suffer when Kyakuchu Mura
(Footnote Village) was created during the reign of
Hantei XXXVIII to spy on movement within the
Bayushi provinces, and later as a relay point for
the Imperial Legions that were patrolling the empty
Scorpion clan provinces during the destruction and
exile of the clan. People no longer stopped in Oshi
no Koda, but instead went to Kyakuchu.
When Kitsu Okura, the first Jade Champion of
the modern era (Kuni Tokiaji being the first Jade
Champion ever), started his maho cult to Akuma
no oni in an attempt to protect the Lion during the
war against the Shadow, he quickly noticed Oshi no
Koda, and turned it into an important place for his
cult. His cult recruited first among the shugenja of
the Kitsu Tombs, with the help of the bloodspeaker
Kitsu Gongsun, but soon needed to hire bushi. As
a result, warriors like Ikoma Ryozo and Matsu
Daoqan started to flock to Oshi no Koda, the place
nearest to the Kitsu Tombs where legions of bushi
could gather. The small town’s growth resumed with
this influx of corrupted Lion soldiers.
After the Battle of the Valley of Storms (a small
valley southeast of Oshi no Koda) where the
corrupted legions of Kitsu Okura summoned oni
to defeat the Otaku battle maidens’ army, Oshi no
Koda lost its status as the dark Lions’ meeting place
and dwindled again. The town went back to being a
footnote among the Lions’ holdings for many years,
until the rise of the Tsuno. Tsuno
ravagers on their way to the Kitsu
Tombs attacked Oshi no Koda and the
town suffered great damage. The city
is still rebuilding, but slowly, because
most resources allocated to the area were
diverted from Oshi no Koda to Kyakuchu
Mura after the latter’s rise and fall. Footnote
village has fallen out of use since the destruction of
Beiden pass, though it began growing again when
Toturi Tsudao installed a small command post for
the Imperial legions and her fight against the Tsuno
during the troubled period of the Four Winds.
Nevertheless, in the end, Oshi no Koda is becoming
more and more forgotten as just a minor stop on the
road.

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History
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 
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 


 The City
This small city is rebuilding, having been
severely damaged by small packs of wandering
Tsuno on their way to the Kitsu Tombs. Lacking
resources, Oshi no Koda still shows the scars of the
battles. Like many other cities in the Lion lands,
Oshi no Koda is enclosed within a thick wall. The
land immediately outside the walls is scorched,
but slowly recovering. Many of the buildings
constructed in the area surrounding the city during
the time of Kitsu Okura, to host his followers, were
destroyed during the Tsunos’ attack. The ruins of
these settlements have now been mostly cleared and
nature is reasserting its right over them.
The city itself is shaped like a long oval, centered
upon the ancestral castle road, which cuts Oshi no
Koda in two: the upper and the lower districts. The
lower district is west of the road, closer to the river.
The City
It’s where all the cheapest places are and the lower
castes live. The upper district is on the other side
of the road, built around the governor’s house and
the temples. The southern entrance to the city is the
Maw of the Lion, a large gate that has been modeled
after the mon of the Ikoma family, a gift of Ikoma
Komori, son of Ikoma the first daimyo of the family.
He built this gate to honor the legends of the Kitsu
race. It is quite an impressive sight as sometimes the
wind blowing through gives the impression that the
door is roaring like a lion through its stone fangs.
Damaged by the Tsuno attacks, the gate has since
been restored.
The northern gate is called the Doorway to Two
Worlds. The panels of the gate’s double door are
The City's Mechanics
Oshi no Koda (Small town, 20 points)
Location: Accessible Location, Simple Terrain (3 points)
Waterway: Normal (3 points)
Craft Holdings: Average Mine (2 points); Average Sake Works (2 points)
Military Holdings: None
Spiritual Holdings: Sacred Site: the Standing Stones (5 points), Temple: Temple of the Fu Lions (4 points)

horizontally cut in two in the middle and adorned
with carvings. A carved arch spans over the four
panels on both sides, acting as a frame for two
different scenes. On the side visible from within the
city, the lower pair of panels shows a road starting
from the bottom of the arch going to the top. There
it continues on the upper pair of panels, where it
disappears in the distance among grey plains. On
the other side, visible to visitors coming to Oshi no
Koda, the lower half of the door shows a battlefield
covered with hundreds of broken weapons and sets
of armor, and the upper half depicts a distant city in
the background, showered by light rays from a rising
sun placed at the top of the arch. These carvings are
the living symbols of the Spirit realms.
The primary resources of the city are the harvests
from the surrounding rice and barley fields. South
of the town, there are some small iron mining
operations and a small wood that provide just
enough for the needs of the community. The second-
most important sources of income for the city are
the inns and the teahouses. Even though Kyakuchu
Mura (Footnote village) has attracted most of the
travelers of the region for a long time, since its fall
they have begun to visit Oshi no Koda in steady
numbers, increasing the modest resources of the
town’s governor. All this allows the town to get by,
but the lack of funds normally allocated by the Yama
province’s governor to the town considerably slows
down the reconstruction effort.
The Upper District
The upper district is where samurai live and
prosper. It is located on the higher ground of the
town, away from the river. Water here is provided
mostly by numerous wells. The upper district is
divided into many smaller quarters, all packed with
places of interest.
The Temple Quarter
As befits a town controlled by the Kitsu, the temple
quarter is one of the most important and beautiful
quarters of Oshi no Koda. Only the shugenja and
the monks are permitted to live in the few dwellings
nestled between the three main temples.
The Temple of the Fu Lions
The first, and oldest, temple is the Temple of
the Fu Lions, a large temple built on a small hill.
Visitors can access it by climbing up a flight of stairs
flanked by two big Fu lion statues that symbolize
a small garden with tall trees that are
nearly all centuries old, blocking the
sunlight and making the place even
shadier.
The main entrance of the temple is
a small room with five doors, four each
adorned with the mon of a different Lion
family, and the fifth with the symbol of Okura
no oni. Each door with a family mon leads to a small
family shrine filled with incense and candle smoke,
with a small altar where visitors can pray to their
ancestors. Monks can access each shrine through a
small inconspicuous door at the back of each room
that leads to their accommodations. These are small,
plain cells, accommodating only six monks and the
elder shugenja leading them. The door with Okura no
oni’s symbol remains closed at all times, as it leads
to the extinct Shimizu family’s shrine, a dishonored
family the mention of which is forbidden.
There are three other shrines on the temple
grounds. One is an altar dedicated to the spirits of
the Lion clan, and another to the families following

The Upper District

the temple’s spirit guardians. It’s a simple temple,
made of stone, darkened by the years. All the
exterior walls are decorated with depictions of acts
of courage by the Lion families’ founders: Akodo’s
death in the Seikitsu Pass, Matsu’s departure to
the Shadowlands, Ikoma’s brawl with a group of
bandits, and Kitsu leading his four brothers in a
ritual to transform themselves into humans under
the light of Lady Sun. The temple is surrounded by
the spirit of Akodo-kami. Unassumingly nestled in
the roots of the garden’s oldest tree is a small altar
dedicated to Okura no oni, the keeper of Tengoku’s
gates. The altar is a simple block of pristine white
stone engraved with the oni’s name.
Monks of the Order of Heroes tend to the temple.
This order is a small splinter group of the Order of
Bishamon, recently founded when Matsu Goemon
became the Fortune of Heroes. Until Goemon’s

Kitsu Sanako, Headmistress of the Temple of the Fu Lions

Kitsu Sodan-Senzo 4 / Master Keeper 2
Kitsu Sanako was once the apprentice of Kitsu Osuji, the sodan-senzo tending to
the imperial family’s shrines (Unexpected Allies, p. 66), and she quickly made use
of her sensei’s reputation and influence to move up in the Lion courts and build her
own web of influence. She rapidly became a talented courtier, using rumors and
smiles to obtain what she wanted. She also quickly learned to use her ability to talk
with ancestors to discover the weaknesses of her opponents. After the death of her
sensei during the Scorpion Clan coup, she secured her place in the Lion courts, where
she stayed until she eventually grew too old and lost her edge. She is now a retired
old woman; the dangerous beauty of her red hair and painted face are long gone and
now turned into the mask of a mannered but bitter old woman. Shunning the temple
cells’ austerity, she resides in a small but comfortable house nearby. She lives in the memories of her past glory
at the courts, and keeps pestering the poor monks and the members of the Kitsu family sent to the temple to
assist her. She was sent here by Kitsu Juri because he thought she had outlived her usefulness to the Lion clan,
and had become likely to be an embarrassment at court.


 ascension, this temple was devoted
to Bishamon. It was rededicated to
Matsu Goemon, with Bishamon’s
blessing, to honor the former Clan
Wars hero. The leader of the temple is
always a Kitsu shugenja, currently elderly
Kitsu Sanako.
The Temple of the Lotus
The second-most important temple of the city is
the Temple of the Lotus, built by Kitsu Agunori, a
famous shugenja who taught Ikoma Tsanuri during
her youth. He was a powerful sodan-senzo with some
skills in divination. Agunori ordered the construction
of the temple not long before his death, which was
nearly ten years before the Scorpion Clan coup. The
small structure was built a short distance from the
Temple of the Fu Lions, and was originally devoted
to Hamanri, fortune of regency and stability. It was
quickly extended, and the temple now consists of
two buildings, each of them nearly as big as the
Temple of the Fu Lions, encircled by a wall.
The Temple Quarter
show nearly no decorations, just sample kanji and
representation of Hamanri, with the recent addition
of a lotus. The entrance leads to a small room with
double doors and a stand where visitors can take
mantras, candles and incense sticks. The doors lead
into the main room of the temple, an immense dark
room where the only lights are those of the numerous
candles and the lamp that stands just over the statue
of Hamanri. The statue once held a chrysanthemum,
but now holds a lotus. The walls are covered with
extracts from the True and the New Tao, along with
quotes from the Elemental Keepers.
Behind the temple, the second building houses
the monks of the Order of the Thousand Fortunes
(formerly the Order of the Seven Fortunes) and the
Kitsu shugenja who serve at the temple.
Before the death of Rosoku, the temple was a
place to pray for the stability of the Empire. However,
after the end of Shinsei’s line, Kitsu Noroko Taikyo
decided to change the temple’s dogma in an attempt
to understand the new enlightenment the Empire was
forced to follow with the emergence of the Keepers.

A stone path leads visitors to a circular gate in Despite the lack of respect the Lion clan generally
the temple’s wall. Placed just beyond the gate, the has for most of the Keepers, due to their ties with the
older building is the temple itself. The exterior walls Crane clan, Taikyo really hopes the Empire of Toturi

Kitsu Noroko Taikyo, Headmaster of the Temple of the Lotus

Kitsu Shugenja 4
Since the fall of Kitsu Okura, the Noroko vassal family has maintained
a presence in Oshi no Koda. This vassal family’s duty is to hunt down the
corruption that could grow in the houses of the Kitsu, and since Oshi no
Koda was once used by the forces of the Dark Lions, the Noroko always had
one of their own assigned here.
Taikyo was sent here with his parents to investigate any possibility that
Okura’s cult had survived. His parents died during the Tsuno attack, never
having found any trace of maho activity, and Taikyo made their duty his
own. When the previous head of the temple died, with still nothing to
show for his investigations, Taikyo decided that moving in and leading the
temple would be a better use of his time. He dutifully prayed for Hamanri’s
protection over the new imperial line all his life, until Rosoku’s death. At this time, the old shugenja started to
wonder. How could the Empire survive the end of Shinsei’s line? Then the Elemental Keepers appeared in the
Empire, and Taikyo had a vision in which he saw Honzo and a possible new way to enlightenment. Spurred into
action by this vision, he rededicated the temple to the search for a new path to enlightenment. He thinks the
Keepers are here to be the beacons on the way to this new path, and that a new Shinsei will rise up — for Asahina
Sekawa cannot be the new Shinsei.
Taikyo shows his old age. He is nearly bald, with only wisps of white hair on the sides of his head, and the
smiling face of a grandfather. He has brown eyes, and his body is old, thin and always trembling. He can barely
walk, using a cane to help him. He wears a yellow kimono showing lotus motifs.


III can rediscover the wisdom of the Little Teacher. of the seven Fortunes. This shrine
He has sent monks to keep track of the deeds of the is a place for offerings and quiet
Elemental Keepers. meditation; that is why the monks
The new dedication to the Lotus has rapidly wait until nobody is praying to clean
increased the influence of the temple. It has been it and maintain its sanctity. The monks
quickly extended to accommodate the new monks do their exercises behind the shrine,
and shugenja who have come in search of a new in a small Zen sand garden bordered by
way. old cedars. Half of the monks officiating at
the Shrine of Discussion are from the Order of the
The Shrine of Discussion Thousand Fortunes, and the other half are from the
“The fortunes are divine and the Tao worldly. Four Temples. They dwell in small houses nearby.
Together, the two speak perfectly to every soul.”
This quote from Hantei Genji is engraved on the torii
arch placed at the entrance of the temple grounds.
This small shrine is the city’s second-oldest temple,
located in a remote part of the temple quarter. The
Shrine of Discussion was built a short time after the
Temple of the Fu Lions, a couple of years after the
end of the first war against the Shadowlands, to
honor the second Emperor’s decree that merged the
Tao and the cult of the Fortunes into the one and
only religion of the Empire.

The Temple Quarter

The temple itself is very simple. Under a wooden
roof bleached white by the years, the red walls of
the single room are only adorned with the kanji for
“discussion.” Inside, copies of the True and the New
Tao are placed on a stand, between representations

Ashida, Abbot of the Temple of the Lotus

Brotherhood Wayfinder 1 / Monk of the Thousand Fortunes 3
Ashida is a former Kitsu shugenja who retired upon reaching forty. He
has never been much of a warrior and his soul called for understanding of
the intricate enigmas of the Tao. During the numerous wars the Lion clan
waged, he was ready to help his clan even though he was retired. Ashida
has always been devoted to his clan, and will remain so until his death.
Ashida is an old man now; he is nearly sixty and has seen much pain and
sorrow. His face is covered with the scars of age and sadness, the marks
of the tears he wept for all those he knew who died on the battlefield.
Ashida knows he is soon going to die, and he is preparing his successor as
abbot of the rechristened Temple of the Lotus, a middle-aged monk named
Akho. Ashida knows it’s a difficult time for the people of Rokugan, a people
mourning the death of the last descendant of Shinsei and the loss of his wisdom. He knows that on Taikyo and
himself, and their successors, weights a heavy duty: to give hope to the population of the Empire. This is why he’s
looking so hard for an answer in the writings of the True and New Tao, following the footsteps of Taikyo. The
Empire needs a new hope, as it did during the first war against the Shadowlands. A new Little Teacher needs to
rise, and until this happens, it’s the brotherhood of Shinsei’s duty to foster hope in the people’s hearts.
Ashida is still a muscular monk despite his age. He’s entirely shaven and wears only the minimal attire,
showing off the mantras tattooed on his body.


 The Yellow Blossom Quarter
The Yellow Blossom quarter is the
part of Oshi no Koda where most of
the ruling class lives, and thus mostly
consists of average samurai dwellings. The
vast majority of the residents are samurai
of the Lion clan, and nearly all from the Matsu
family. Aside from the rare illegal duel, this place is
usually very quiet, as it is heavily patrolled. At night
drunken samurai can occasionally be seen returning
from the Red Vine quarter.
The Red Vine Quarter
This quarter runs along the main road, thus facing
the lower district. It is where most of the town’s inns,
sake houses and tea houses are, and where travelers
usually stay. It doesn’t look very different from a
pleasure district, although it doesn’t harbor that
The Yellow Blossom Quarter
beastmaster’s lioness that protected a child during
a bandit attack. It’s a warm place, decorated with
paintings of its namesake lioness, where Matsu
samurai and travelers can usually be found drinking
and listening to tales told by Kano’s wife, Miko. The
beds and drinks are of good quality at good prices.
The Inn of the Tired Cat
This inn of good quality belongs to an old ashigaru
officer who was lucky enough to retire from the Lion
armies after many years of valiant service. He lives
here with his second wife and the eight children of
his two marriages. The inn is small, and so are the
bedrooms, but it’s comfortable and, because it’s
less crowded than the Inn of the Kind Lioness, more
relaxing. The drivers of the nobles’ wagons have
a habit of stopping here for short breaks; a driver
will light some incense on a small altar dedicated to
Koshin, the Fortune of roads, chat with other drivers
exchanging news, and leave when his incense stick

many illegal or dishonorable establishments. This is completely burned down.

is where samurai come to relax and take a break
from their difficult lives. Geisha are uncommon, but
those available are skilled in massage, poetry, music
and discussion, and they will never stoop to more
carnal activities. The magistrates of the town patrol
the quarter frequently to deter drunkard fights. The
heimin installed here often have a samurai patron,
and all dutifully pay their taxes to the governor.
The Inn of the Kind Lioness
The Inn of the Kind Lioness is one of the
town’s most famous inns. It belongs to the Ikoma
family. Kano, the innkeeper, named it after a local
The Purple Rose Quarter
The largest quarter of the upper district, the
Purple Rose quarter is also one of the oldest. It’s
where the most important inhabitants of the town
live, in the oldest and most beautiful samurai
houses, which naturally include the residence of
Kitsu Samatsu, Oshi no Koda’s governor. It is a very
pleasant quarter to live in, with many gardens and
trees. Its paved streets are heavily patrolled by the
city’s Matsu guards and intruders of any kind are
swiftly dealt with.

Matsu Metigaru, Chief Magistrate of Oshi no Koda

Matsu Berserker 3
Matsu Metigaru’s job is not difficult. He is the chief magistrate of a quiet
little town, with little criminal activity. The few drunkards’ brawls are quickly
dealt with by a good jitte and a firm show of authority. He keeps the town clean
and he is proud of it. But Metigaru is not satisfied with that. He is yearning for
something else. He wants to experience the thrill of battle—the blood, the white
veil that covers the sight of the warrior lost in the fight. He is tired of this nice
town where nothing happens.
He has shoulder-long bleached blonde hair, and always wears the martial
outfit of a warrior. His light armor displays the Matsu family mon and his Shiro
Matsu dojo mon. He has a pair of jitte conspicuously tucked next to his daisho,
and his eyes burn with intensity every time he sees an occasion to fight.


The Shrine of the Evening Star
This small shrine is located in the most important
garden of the Purple Rose quarter, under some
apple trees. It’s a simple shrine: a stone altar placed
in front of a lion statue holding the ancient sword of
a fallen hero in its maw. The hero in question was
a Lion clan samurai who died protecting the young
Kitsu family at the dawn of the Empire. He wrote a
final haiku before his death, and the shrine’s name
is a direct reference to this haiku.
“I stand here looking,
At this star in the evening,
My duty is done.”
The sword is a tachi made of poor quality steel,
as this sword predates the Agasha’s katana forging
techniques and the Tsi’s two steels technique. The
monk Tetsu, a retired expert weapon
smith, is in charge of the sword’s
maintenance. Every time Tetsu
removes it from the shrine, a shugenja
blesses it and renews the protective
spells placed on the old sword before
returning it to its place.
The Governor’s Residence
Without question the town’s largest building, the
long house of the governor functions as both the
residence of the assigned governor, Kitsu Samatsu,
and the court where she carries out her official
duties.
On the ground floor are the accommodations
for the governor’s guards and advisors, the
scribes’ offices where the secretarial work is done,
the archives where taxes and harvest results are

Kitsune Akinitsu, Troubled Soul

The Purple Rose Quarter

Woodland Tracker 1 (Special: Maho Tsukai 2)
Kitsune Akinitsu is a young bushi who came to Oshi no Koda on his way
to the Seikitsu Sano Yama no Oi (the Spine of the World Mountains) while
retracing Kitsune Ryosei’s footsteps. Kitsune Ryukan, daimyo of the Fox and
cousin of Ryosei, had sent Akinitsu on a mission to confirm Ryosei’s death.
Fresh from his gempukku, the impatient Akinitsu had been hoping for a much
more prestigious and challenging task. Grudgingly, he eventually determined
Ryosei had left to the Shadowlands and never came back, and sent a message to
inform his daimyo of his findings. His clan barely acknowledged the message,
only further increasing his bitterness. It’s at this time that the Rain of Blood fell
on the Empire.
Caught unprepared in the wilderness, Akinitsu was corrupted by the Rain as he was consumed by bitterness
and anger. However, in a strange blessing of the fortunes, he didn’t completely become a bloodspeaker. Instead,
Akinitsu developed a double personality.
Unaware of his condition, Akinitsu continues to live in a small house in the quarter of the Red Vine, when he
isn’t busy studying the wildlife of the Seikitsu mountains in the name of the Fox clan. He hopes that one day he
will be called back. He has headaches and nightmares, but he just thinks it’s because he misses the woods and
the soothing effects of Kitsune Mori.
But sometimes, the bloodspeaker in him takes control. Stranded in this remote place that offers little of
interest to the other bloodspeaker cells, Akinitsu’s dark side is left to its own devices. He has taken upon himself
to learn the secrets of Okura’s fallen bloodspeaker cult to increase his own power and one day take revenge
against the Fox clan that has abandoned him. Sometimes, a traveler disappears in the wilderness, a victim of
Akinitsu’s experiments. Maybe one day his corrupted shadow will render the poor Fox too insane to hide his
“problem.”
Kitsune Akinitsu walks around in a brown and green kimono, good clothes for trekking in the wilderness.
He has short brown hair and the famous strange green eyes of the Fox clan, but this is the only indication of his
origins as he doesn’t wear any mon. He can often be seen playing his small flute, which has been covered with
mother-of-pearl in the traditional fashion of the Kitsune family.


 recorded, and, largest of all, the
governor’s court room itself. In an
adjacent small building are located
the kitchens, cellars, and small rooms
for the governor’s servants.
On the upper level are the governor’s
apartments. They aren’t small and spartan
in the fashion most Akodo and Matsu bushi
usually favor. The governor’s quarters are actually
comfortable by Lion standards and provide enough
rooms for a family of six. Kitsu Samatsu resides there
with her husband, Kitsu Torasu, and their two sons,
Tagehiro and Unanoki. Unanoki, the elder, lives
with his wife Wachigai and their child Yabu. The
remaining apartments have been given to Samatsu’s
karo, Ikoma Renshi and his wife Ikoma Kaori.
The court is simple. The room’s walls are
decorated with ink drawings on rice paper. Most

Kitsu Samatsu, Governor of Oshi no Koda

Kitsu Shugenja 4/ Master Keeper 1
Samatsu has always striven for excellence in everything she did, possibly a
result of the Kitsu blood running in her veins, and in many ways she has reached
her goal. She began with such outstanding results at the Topaz Championship,
where she passed her gempukku, that despite her young age she secured herself
a prestigious assignment in the Temple of the Western Wind (Way of the Daimyo,
p. 75), at the Lion-Unicorn border. She successfully trained many young shugenja
who in turn made their sensei proud with their aptitudes. When the War of the Rich
Frog began, she had much to do, but once again she carried out her duty without
The Purple Rose Quarter

flinching, organizing efficient supply lines and tending to the many wounded
soldiers who were sent to her. Many samurai families are in her debt for a parent or a sibling she saved from
death. In recognition of her efforts and growing fame, she was given the position of governor of Oshi no Koda.
Samatsu reluctantly gave up her duties in the temple and passed them on to her best student, Jimaru, as she
was apprehensive to be put in charge of a whole town. However, as she had always done before, she tackled her
new responsibilities and made things work. She is now proud of her accomplishment in Oshi no Koda, to be in
a position where she can provide her people with what they need, even if much still remains to be done with the
modest resources. Eventually, she will retire and return to a temple, a place where she still thinks she belongs.
Samatsu is a short woman, with long raven hair interwoven with white silk threads. She is always smiling,
warm and kind with everybody, whatever their station.

Kitsu Ise Torasu, Guardian of the Standing Stones

Kitsu Shugenja 5
As a member of the Ise vassal family, whose duty is to protect the secrets of
the Kitsu, Torasu knows perfectly why he is in Oshi no Koda. He is there to make
sure no one tries to use the ancient Standing Stones. Those stones were created as
an entrance to the Kitsu kingdom, a link to Yomi, and hold a lot of power. That’s
why the Tsuno attacked here once before. When the previous Ise guardian died,
the Kitsu needed someone powerful but discreet to replace him. Torasu’s talented
wife was a suitable candidate to be the governor of this small Kitsu town far from
the Kitsu province, so Torasu was a perfect choice for this assignment.
Like his wife, Torasu misses the calm and quiet Temple of the Western Wind,
but he knows his duty. He patrols the standing stones frequently but discreetly to
detect any supernatural activity. He has discovered that something is wrong, but he doesn’t know yet what is it.
Taller than his wife, Torasu looks more like a bushi than a shugenja. He dyes his hair black, but it would
naturally be completely white and he is starting to go bald. He exercises every morning in the guards’ small
dojo.


depict tales of great Lion heroes, particularly Kitsu
and Matsu samurai. The elite Matsu guard, led by
Matsu Fujiwe, maintains a visible presence here
at all times. Samatsu holds court two days per
week, and listens to the heimin’s pleas on a third.
When holding court, Samatsu keeps things simple,
as nearly only members of the Lion clan attend it.
Oshi no Koda is a small town, and official visitors
from other clans are rare. When they come, they’re
usually only on their way to another more important
place.
The Garrison
To the visitor’s eye, Oshi no Koda’s
garrison may seem too large for such a
minor city. However, the 100 ashigaru
posted in the city’s barracks know their
purpose is not only the city’s defense, but
also be able to quickly move to defend the
Kitsu Tombs, even if most are ignorant of their
exact location. The city’s guarrison is maintained at
top efficiency by Matsu Fujiwe, the Captain of the
Guard. She keeps herself and her men always ready
to mobilize and quickly protect one of her clan’s
most precious relics.

Ikoma Renshi, Gozoku Informant

Ikoma Courtier 3 / Hatamoto 1
Ikoma Renshi is a bitter man; he always thought the town would be his after
the death of his uncle, Kitsu Rayumi, the previous governor. Everything was going
as planned; he had many powerfully allies in the Kitsu family, including even

The Purple Rose Quarter

Kitsu Juri. Then the daimyo changed his mind and appointed Samatsu. Renshi
was horrified. He became the karo of the town, a post he has dutifully carried
out since, but that doesn’t satisfy him. He doesn’t hate Samatsu, and will never
do anything to threaten her life or her family, but he wishes to see her sent away.
Renshi joined the Gozoku, providing information about the Lion in Shiro Matsu.
He hopes to be able to remove Kitsu Samatsu politically and secure her position
for himself. His wife, Ikoma Kaori, is unaware of his plots and allegiance.
Renshi is a small man, often smiling, with dark brown eyes and heavy eyebrows. His hair is tied in a ponytail
that he likes to swing from one side to the other as he recounts grand tales and legends. He is a good storyteller
and often puts in a short story during his discussions with other courtiers.

Matsu Fujiwe, Captain of the Guard

Matsu Berserker 3 / Lion’s Pride 1
Matsu Fujiwe was sent directly from Shiro Matsu (Last Breath’s castle), in the
wake of the Tsuno attacks, to lead the soldiers posted to Oshi no Koda. She is an
accomplished chui from the Lion’s Pride, who has honed her skills on many battlefields.
Her task in Oshi no Koda was to make sure the bushi and ashigaru of the city were
ready in case of other assaults. She has since carried out this duty brilliantly and was
instrumental in repelling the last Tsuno packs and the occasional bandit raids. Lately,
she is troubled that the Tsuno she fought for years, even before her assignment to this
city, are now nowhere to be seen. They vanished just as quickly and mysteriously as
they appeared. Fujiwe is aware of Kitsu Torasu’s mission, which is why she is keeping
an eye on him. She thinks he knows something about the Tsuno, and she wants to know too.
Matsu Fujiwe is a woman in her mid-twenties, with long dark hair covering her shoulders. She usually wears
a martial kimono when resting and light armor when patrolling, both brown and adorned with the Matsu family
mon. She is stern and direct when speaking; she is an experienced officer used to shouting orders and having
them followed without question.


 The Mikan Quarter
This quarter, named after the
Rokugani tangerine, consists in equal
parts of middle-class samurai residences
and merchant shops. It is a really vibrant
and nice place to live, one of the best in
Oshi no Koda, second only to the Purple Rose
quarter. The quarter is less patrolled by the guards,
so thieves are a bit more common here, but it is still
a safe and quiet place.
This quarter is also where some of the finest inns of
the city are located. Though the Red Vine quarter has
a far greater number of inns to choose from, retinues
of important visitors will typically reside at the inns
of the Mikan quarter, in particular the Emerald Leaf.
The Emerald Leaf currently accomodates a recently
arrived Imperial Cartographer, Ide Tanoshiko, and
her assistants.
The Armory
The city’s garrison is in the north of the Purple
Rose quarter. The main armory is on the opposite
side of the street, in the Mikan quarter. This building
is not only the repository for most of the city’s
unused weapons, it’s also where the master smith,
Kitsu Kashiru, and his two apprentices reside.
Whenever samurais need new blades, pieces of

Ide Tanoshiko, Imperial Cartographer

Ide Courtier 3
The young Ide Tanoshiko is proud of her accomplishments. Five years ago,
she obtained such a good score during the Topaz Championship that she was
appointed as an assistant to an imperial cartographer. Now she is an imperial
cartographer herself and has her own assistants. She has been sent to Oshi no
The Mikan Quarter

Koda to update maps of the Seikitsu Mountains, which have changed quite a bit,
and maybe discover some new passes to be used by the trade caravans. She arrived
in town recently and is just starting to become acquainted with its inhabitants.
Oshi no Koda is going to be her base of operations. She’s expecting the arrival of a
group of young samurais who will assist her. What she doesn’t know is that one of
them is a spy sent by the Scorpion, who are worried she could stumble upon some
secret mountain paths they use. And in case she discovers new ones, the Scorpion
will be able to move in quickly and claim them before anyone else.
Tanoshiko is a charming young woman, with long chestnut-brown hair that she keeps in a braid. She is shy
and doesn’t talk a lot, preferring to stay among her books.

Toritaka Tokonishu, Assistant Cartographer

Hiruma Scout 3
Trained at Far Runner Dojo, at the feet of the new Shiro Moto, this young
Toritaka has never seen much of the Crab lands, with the exception of Tani
Hitokage. He has no experience of the Shadowlands, and doesn’t plan to have
any. He was happy to be chosen as an assistant to an imperial cartographer,
mostly because sending him to the Hiruma lands would be more likely to be
a death sentence. He is a nice fellow, always quick to make a joke and to take
the good side of any situation. He loves to drink and can often be found at the
Happy Cricket Sake House.
His hairstyle is probably his most distinctive feature: he uses sap to shape
his black hair into two spread “wings”, one on each side of his head, making
it look like a soaring falcon silhouette from a distance. He usually wears
practical clothes made for traveling and hiking, in grey with falcon patterns.


armor or equipment, or simply for maintenance of
such items, they come to Kitsu Kashiru.
The Dojo of the Golden Claw
Akodo Takuni’s dojo is actually the mansion
where he grew up, where he now lives with his wife,
Akodo Mirei, and a couple servants.
He converted the residence to a dojo
when he retired, and this gives the
dojo an odd cosy feel that is in stark
contrast with Takuni’s spartan training
style.

Akodo Takuni, Renowned Lion Sensei

Akodo Bushi 4 / Lion Kensai 2
Akodo Takuni is a Lion sensei renowned among all the Lion clan for his
expert knowledge of many kata, his sword techniques and also his mastery
of the “art of the sword” martial art (Way of the Open Hand, p. 71). He has
become too old, at fifty-three, to go into battle, so he retired to Oshi no Koda,
his hometown, and created there the town’s most famous dojo, the Dojo of
the Golden Claw. He trains only a dozen of students per year, keeping his
secrets for only those who catch his eye. He has known the banishment of the
Akodo family by Hantei XXXIX and doesn’t trust most of the new Akodo that
returned, so he doesn’t teach too many of them. Matsu bushi are rarely calm
and focused enough to learn his secrets. For these reasons, the vast majority of
his students come from the Ikoma family, mostly the Murame vassal family. He calmly waits for the Fortunes

The Mikan Quarter

to call him to Yomi, but until that day he is going to do all he can to help his clan, teaching the Lion ancestral
techniques to the new generations.
Takuni admires the Shogun, who as Akodo Kaneka studied under Tanuki in Shiro Ken Hayai. He will readily
go into a lengthy discussion about what the book of Sun Tao says about the Shogun’s function, or about the
martial prowess and keen intellect of the Emperor’s half-brother.
Akodo Takuni has white hair. His face and body are covered by the scars of age and battle. He usually wears
a sleeveless short vest and a simple hakama (loose pants). His clothes sport the Akodo mon, the Shiro Ken Hayai
dojo symbol and the mon of the Shogun (a glove breaking a sword). He usually carries only his wakizashi and
a bokken; his sword rests with his armor in his dojo.

Rumaru, Cast Out Duelist

Gaze of Sun Tao 1 / Ronin Duelist 1
Rumaru is the son of Doji Sadako, a famous Crane duelist samurai-ko who
apparently died at the Battle of Oblivion’s Gate. Raised by his father, a prominent
courtier named Doji Tenkazu, Rumaru has always been a spoiled brat, never
satisfied and always needing more. He wants to be more famous than his mother
ever was, but his cocky attitude got him expelled from the Kakita Dueling Academy.
To save his father’s face and to protect the Crane clan reputation from this reckless
boy, his daimyo offered Rumaru the chance to go on a musha shugyo and live as
a ronin. With no choice, he left, angry and bitter. On the roads, he learned a couple
of techniques until he heard of sensei Akodo Takuni. He made his way to Oshi no
Koda, and ever since he has tried to be accepted in the Golden Claw dojo. His attitude, of course, does nothing
to ingratiate him with the master sensei, who keeps telling Rumaru that he doesn’t have what it takes to be his
student and that he’s a disgrace to the samurai principles. That just makes Rumaru more bitter, and he can often
be found drinking in an angry mood at the Snake Pit. He frequently plays the dojo breaker at the Dojo of the
Golden Claw, brazenly challenging its students to duels to prove his worth.


 The Lower District
The Lower District stands west of
the road that cuts Oshi no Koda in two.
It is the poorer part of the city, where
the heimin and eta quarters are located.
Most samurai prefer to avoid going there,
and the town guards rarely show up in those
streets. Unsurprisingly, most criminal activities take
place there, but fortunately, as Oshi no Koda is a
small town, there is not much going on anyway.
The Bottle Quarter
This area takes its name from the many sake
houses and poor quality inns that are located in
this quarter. This is the most animated quarter of
the town. Drunks can be seen wandering the streets
at nearly every hour of the day or night, and brawls
are not uncommon. Many ronin and samurai of
lesser houses dwell in the Bottle Quarter, or stop
there to rest while on their way to others towns. The
occasional guards coming here to patrol are usually
quick to round up everyone on a scene and ask
questions later.
The Snake Pit
The most infamous inn of the town, the Snake Pit
has a small arena built in its center where, officially,
dog and rooster fights take place, but more often
than not, it’s a brawl fight that goes on. The owner,
Yellow Snake, is also the bookmaker running the bets
on this lucrative activity. The Snake Pit is always
packed, and a large part of its regulars is made of

Yellow Snake, Owner of the Snake Pit

Black Lotus Smuggler 1 / Ronin Warrior 2
The Lower District

Yellow Snake has been a smuggler as long as he can remember, joining early
the Black Lotus organization. He’s known as a thug in one hundred different places,
most of them Crane ports. He was very active around the Crane coasts, mostly around
Mura Sabishii Toshi, until the Doji magistrates started to close in on him and the
Daidoji port officers became too expensive to bribe. Before things got too heated, he
chose to move on and came to Oshi no Koda. He bought the Snake Pit and, because
Lion magistrates are more suspicious, he kept a low profile for nearly seven years
before restarting a small smuggling operation. It’s only small scale trafficking, using
a grotto near the town for storage and dealings.
Yellow Snake is a tall man built like a Hida sumai-brawler, with scars all over
his body. He is missing an eye and has a big yellow snake tattoo going from behind his left ear, under his dirty,
short, brown hair, to his right shoulder. He speaks boorishly with a loud voice.

Kuso, Heartless Mercenary

Ronin Warrior 1 / the Weavers 1 / Cutting the Weave 1
Kuso is a mercenary. Burning villages, killing innocents, assassinating samurai;
all these are part of his everyday life. He is always on the run, putting some distance
between his latest job and himself. He is the incarnation of all the worst aspects of
the ronin; he knows that and he is proud of it. He has been trained by the Weavers,
a ronin organization that serves as a curtain for kolat activities. The Ten Masters
always prefer to use ronin instead of kolat agents for missions, whenever possible,
to ensure the secretive sect’s safety. Kuso works for the Weavers whenever they
need him, because the pay is good. The Snake Pit is one of the inns where he stops
to rest because there is no warrant for his arrest in Lion lands, and the local magistrates don’t know him.
Bald with a little moustache, missing teeth, lack of hygiene and dirty patched clothes, Kuso really is the evil
ronin of the classic drama stories.


thugs and other seedy types. The inn offers many
shadowy corners, perfect for discreet meetings.
The Happy Cricket Sake House
The Happy Cricket Sake House is the town’s
favorite gaming venue. It is always packed with
heimin and ronin playing Fortunes and Winds.
This establishment belongs to a Mantis samurai,
Yoritomo Yukihira, and takes its name from the
many crickets, sold as lucky charms, that are kept
in small cages all around the main room. It is one of
the cleanest sake houses of the bottle quarter, and
usually a colorful place with a lot of patrons playing
and drinking. The sake house is pretty simple, with
tables to play Fortunes and Winds all around. Two
anchors adorn the walls. They are from the ships
Yukihira lost during a storm, and the reason he has
The Eta Quarter
The eta quarter is a located at
the extreme northwest of the city.
Great wooden walls keep it out of the
samurai’s sight. The eta live here in poor
conditions, but they can’t complain too
much. The quarter is much cleaner than many
in the Empire and they aren’t too badly treated. The
leader of the eta quarter is Banasu. The leatherworks
and others bad-smelling jobs are done outside of the
town.
The Nazuna Quarter
This large quarter takes its name from the Nazuna,
a spring herb also known as Shepherd’s Purse. This

The Eta Quarter & the Nazuna Quarter

been forced to settle on the mainland. Many pieces
of the house’s furniture are made of bits saved from
the shipwrecks. The sake sold here comes from the
Islands of Silk and Spice, which greatly contributes
to the popularity of this sake house. Troublemakers
are not tolerated, and they are quickly thrown out
by two burly heimin bouncers, sometimes with the
help of hired ronin.
heimin quarter occupies half of the lower district,
and its streets are all named after herbs, cereals
and vegetables (such as daikon, gogyo, hakobe,
hotokenoza, seri, suzuna, etc.). Most of these plants
are ingredients used for the traditional gruel made on
the seventh day of the year, during the New Year’s
celebrations. Always practical, the Lion founders
reserved a small section of the Nazuna quarter for
vegetable gardens. Located along the wall near
the river, and irrigated via narrow canals passing

Yoritomo Hoji Yukihira, Owner of the Happy Cricket

Yoritomo Courtier 2 / Yoritomo Emissary 1
Fourth son of Yoritomo Hoji Hartuisun-wo (Unexpected Allies, p. 116), the
current daimyo of the dying Hoji vassal family, Yukihira never had a great future
to hope for. His father put him in charge of a few ships, but they sank during a
storm. Disheartened, the young courtier came to this small Lion town to set up
a sake house. He didn’t choose the place, his father did. His father owned a piece
of land there and said that it would be a good place to start business anew.
Two years later, Yukihira’s father contacted him to explain that he wanted
to use the sake house as a stopover place for his budding smuggling operations
between the Scorpion and the northern Crane provinces. Hartuisun-wo built his
fortune with smuggling, mostly from the Crane to the Crab provinces, but when
he retired, he planned to expand his operations into Scorpion territory. He is
now giving his son a chance to prove his worth. This smuggling route is run by a few members of the Rolling
Wave Mantis vassal family, without knowledge of the Scorpion or the Mantis. It is a small operation—mostly
transporting opium to the Crane provinces—but the Hoji daimyo is using it to test his son before relocating him
to a better place, should he succeed. Yukihira has discovered that the Black Lotus is also operating in Oshi no
Koda. Both operations are small and really discreet, so he hasn’t decided yet if starting a war between the two
gangs is worth the trouble it could cause.


 through small openings in the wall,
these gardens are farmed by a few
heimin families and are kept inside
the city as a source of food in case
of attack or siege. In practice, a large
part of these gardens is used to grow the
plants the artisans use in Oshi no Koda’s
trademark seven-taste pepper, and one patch is
even reserved to grow vegetables for the governor’s
table. Aside from the gardens, which are only a small
part of the Nazuna quarter, there are many small
shops, cheap food street vendors, children playing,
and activity in general.
Flooding happens occasionally in some parts, as
this quarter is the closest one to the river, but most
houses are built on short stilts, so it’s not really a
problem.
The Shichimi Togarashi Quarter
The shichimi togarashi (seven-taste pepper), a
popular rokugani spice mix made of red pepper,
brown pepper, poppy seeds, dried orange peel, rake
seeds and nori (dried seaweed) ground together,
aptly gives its name to this small quarter. Born at the
crossroads of other quarters, this area is a strange
mixture with a distinct flavor. Samurais from minor
families or other clans, heimin, and even some
foreigners live here, talk together and cross each
other’s paths everyday. Small garden patches can be

Bayushi Osaku, Honorable Scorpion

The Shichimi Togarashi Quarter

Bayushi Bushi 2
Bayushi Osaku smiles every time a magistrate shows up in his establishment,
and it has been like that for 15 years. Everybody assumes that the old man, because
he is a Scorpion in Lion territory, must be here with some hidden purpose, some
dark mission for the Clan of Secrets. Nothing could be further from the truth. Osaku
has been banished from the Bayushi provinces because he was a junshin and kept
pestering his clansmates to change their ways. His clan didn’t know what to do with
such a burden, so they just cast him out with some koku and let him fend for himself
elsewhere. He retired and set up a perfectly legal small teahouse, where he does
nothing against anyone and doesn’t break any law. Every time somebody investigates
his place in vain, he just keeps smiling serenely like a true Scorpion.
Osaku is an old man with long peppered hair and peaceful grey eyes. He is tall and thin, yet doesn’t look frail
despite his age. He doesn’t wear a mask, which of course makes him even more suspicious to the townsfolk.

Hoshi Kokori, Haunted Monk

Mirumoto Bushi 2 / Tattooed Monk of the Three Orders 1
Hoshi Kokori was once known as Mirumoto Kokori, a student in the first group
that was sent to be trained by Mirumoto Narumi in her own technique. But Kokori
failed to master the technique and went to Kyuden Togashi in an attempt to find
his place in this world as a monk. Kokori was one of the three Hoshi monks to be
granted tattoos last year, and his life has been going from bad to worse since. The
tattoos triggered some strange kind of enlightened madness. He is reliving some of
his past lives, especially their failures, during schizophrenic fits. At least that is what
he thinks, as no one has been able to understand the visions haunting him, not even
the Kitsu shugenja he came to see in Oshi no Koda for help. Among his multiple
past lives, the personality of Matsu Teruzumi has been asserting itself more strongly
since Kokori arrived in town. Teruzumi was a Lion bushi who committed seppuku to cleanse his shame in Oshi
no Koda a long time ago. Guided by his bad kharma-induced visions, the monk tries to atone for the errors of
his past lives, hoping to be eventually free of their burden.


found in some shops’ backyards, where the artisans
grow selected rare pepper plants themselves. Oshi
no Koda’s shichimi togarashi is renowned in all Lion
territory and beyond, and the artisans take great
care in the production of their valuable pepper mix.
At one corner of this colorful quarter is located Oshi
no Koda’s largest marketplace. Here, merchants and
artisans meet with suppliers and buyers, and farmers
from the surrounding villages come into town once a
week to sell their produce.
The Inn and Teahouse of the Retired Scorpion
This charming teahouse doesn’t really fit in the
lower district. With its beautiful gardens, its high
class geisha, the songbirds kept in
the numerous suspended cages in the
main room and excellent tea, it would
be more likely located in the upper
district. But both the owner, Bayushi
Osaku, and the Lion clan prefer it this
way. The teahouse’s owner is a Scorpion,
so inevitably everyone in town suspects that he
is hiding something. Nothing has ever been proven,
but everybody believes it.
The inn’s most talented geisha is Shinju (Pearl).
Her body is always painted entirely in white. Her
poetry is exquisite and she is a skilled biwa player.
The Shichimi Togarashi Quarter

 Outside the City

The Standing Stones

The Standing Stones are located half a day
distance south of Oshi no Koda, right on the road
to the Kitsu Tombs. They are unique structures
unlike anything else in the Empire. The “stones”
are actually six giant pillars, about 80’ tall, three
on each side of the road. The base of each pillar
is as big as a small square pagoda, and actually
looks like one, with its curved roof. From the base
rises a tall column that ends in a sharp point, with a
structure shaped like a pagoda roof placed half way.
On the tip of the needle, defying the laws of nature,
Outside of the City

is a relatively small spherical crystal on which rests
another spindle-shaped stone structure, with two
other pagoda roof elements vertically stacked in the
middle. The upper half is just as big and tall as the
lower half, with the crystal wedged right between
the two. The pillars are clearly enchanted with some
ancient magic to maintain this uncanny equilibrium,
and when the sun rises or sets, the crystals shine like
blazing beacons.
These edifices predate the birth of the Rokugani
humanity. They were created as a doorway to
the Kitsus’ last retreat. Their shape and magical
properties are enduring testimonies to the power
and greatness of the ancient Kitsu civilization. The
stones have a special affinity with shugenja who
master ancestor magic, and all characters with the
ancestral guidance technique or the Kitsu full or half
bloodline advantages can see that the crystals are
always glowing. A shugenja casting Sense can feel
the energies that flow around here. In the past, these
stones could open a portal to the spirit realms, Yomi
in particular, but it seems the passage has been
mostly closed. Some powerful Kitsu have been able
to open passages to Yomi from here, but legends tell
that this place may have had other uses or leads to
yet unknown realms.
Kitsu Ise Torasu can be seen looking around
here frequently, making sure no one disturbs the
ancient magic of the Standing Stones. He noticed
alarming evidence of tampering in his investigations
and he suspects some intruders, possibly Tsuno, are
still lurking around. His top priority is to find the
intruders and stop them.
The Forgotten Shrine
Some years ago, a man stole the idol of a small
stone shrine dedicated to the Fortune of Stone, lost
in the wilderness south of Oshi no Koda. Soon after
this misdeed, the thief died during an earthquake
that struck his village. In punishment for his crime,
his soul was sent to Gaki-do, cursed to be a gaki
bound to the shrine he robbed. After the death of the
Fortune of Stone at Fu Leng’s hand, during the war in
Tengoku, the shrine grew more sinister and the stone
turned black. Very few peasants tended to the shrine
before that, scared as they were by the gaki, but no
one came back after it turned black. This gaki, who
most of the time appears like a mundane beetle, is
a Jiki-min-gaki (Fortunes and Winds, p. 41): he can
consume nothing but the wigs of temple idols. Once
he has fed enough, his spirit will be able to go back
into the kharmic wheel. But since the shrine has
been abandoned, he has run out of “food” and this
is making him crazy, turning him into a Muzai-gaki


(Creatures of Rokugan Third Edition, p. 105), a gaki
that attacks humans.
If somebody were to take care of this shrine
again, he would be able to complete his sentence
and atone for his crime.
The Lake of Foul Tears
This swampy lake, located to the southwest of
Oshi no Koda, was once a pleasant fishing lake on the
Flowing Mane River, but after a landslide diverted
the river, it stopped receiving fresh water and turned
into a fetid swamp that everybody avoids. It smells
bad and harbors terrible diseases (water imbalance,
boiled mind or air imbalance, see L5R 3rd Edition,
p. 162-163) due to the toxic gas and the swarms of
insects found there.
In this forsaken place lives a small
group of Tsuno bushi: three average
Tsuno (The Four Winds, p. 75) and
two ravagers (Creatures of Rokugan 3rd
Edition, p. 177-179) set a camp there
under the command of Tsuno Ketedore, a
dangerous and power-hungry old pack leader.
This group of Tsuno was stranded there, in
Ningen-do, after the death of their soultwister and
the banishing of the remaining of their race to the
spirit realms by the Nezumi. Unable to cross through
the spirit realms without a soultwister, they are
desperately searching for a possible way out, trying
to use the Standing Stones to open a passage. They
keep a low profile for now, trapped as they are in
enemy territory, with few resources.

Tsuno Ketedore, Stranded Tsuno Pack Leader

Tsuno Bushi 3 / Tsuno House Guard 1
Ketedore is an experienced ravager pack leader. He was assigned to a

Outside of the City

scout team during the attacks of the Kitsu Tombs. During his pack’s recon
missions to keep an eye on the Lion troop movements from Shiro Matsu, he
found the Standing Stones. When he reported his discovery to Tsuno Nintai,
Nintai surprisingly ordered him to stay there with his pack. As a veteran
of Nikushimi Shinden (Way of the Samurai, p. 88), he felt humiliated by
his assignment. When the rest of his race was banished, he was left alone
in Ningen-do. Ketedore is bitter and full of hatred. He wants to destroy all humanity, but his survival instincts
restrain him. He knows he can’t slaughter all humans around because he no longer has a soultwister to resurrect
the few soldiers he has left. So he makes sure one of his warriors is always spying on the shugenja that studies
the Standing Stones, in hope they’ll find some way to use their magic, either to regroup with their race or take
as many humans as they can with them in a final heroic sacrifice.

Tsuno House Guard (New Path)

Technique Rank: 4
Path of Entry: Tsuno Bushi 3
Path of Egress: Tsuno Bushi 4

Technique: the Dark Scourge

The Tsuno House Guard are the elite warriors of the ravagers, second in command to the pack leaders. They
are ferocious bushi dedicated to breaking the lines and the morale of enemies, allowing the rest of the ravagers
to slaughter the survivors. If a Tsuno House Guard, while in the Full Attack posture, kills his opponent, then all
other Tsuno within X feet from him gain two Free Raises for their next attacks (X is the Tsuno House Guard’s
Water). The bonus only remains in effect for a number of rounds equal to the Tsuno House Guard’s Insight Rank
and doesn’t stack with itself or the bonus given by another Tsuno House Guard.


 The Region

The three locations closest to Oshi no Koda
are the Kitsu Tombs, Shiro Matsu and Footnote
Village. Here’s a short description of their mutual
influences.
The Kitsu Tombs
The Kitsu Tombs are one of the Lion clan’s best
kept secrets. Their existence is known by only few
high-ranking samurai, and their exact location by
even fewer. Revered by the entire Lion clan, and the
Kitsu Sodan-Senzo in particular, the Tombs are the
Kitsu family’s most sacred holding, as it is where the
five last kitsu, the ones that swore fealty to Akodo,
are interred. Even after death, their mortal remains
The Region
Oshi no Koda hasn’t decreased much, because the
Lion clan keeps the fortress fully manned and battle-
ready as a show of respect for Matsu Nimuro’s
son, Yoshino, but the resources allocated to Shiro
Matsu have been cut down, consequently hindering
the business it brought to Oshi no Koda. The two
shrines of Shiro Matsu, dedicated to the bushido
virtues Rei (courtesy) and Makoto (sincerity), are of
more interest to the Kitsu lords and visitors of Oshi
no Koda, so they keep an eye on it.
Kyakuchu Mura
Once an important village, Footnote Village
(Secrets of the Lion, p. 70) is nothing more than a

still radiate power and maintain an open passage to footnote now. The governor of the village, Matsu
some spirit realms. During the Jade Champion Kitsu Makuora, is planning to move some of the interests
Okura’s time in power, the Tombs suffered from of his village to Oshi no Koda, in an attempt to
the corruption his Maho cult fostered. But after his annex it for the Matsu family.
fall, they were quickly purified and restored as the
sanctified place of worship they were before for the
Kitsu family, and remain so today.
Oshi no Koda is crucial to the Tombs’ operations,
as it is where all their supplies are stored. The city’s
governor knows Oshi no Koda is the Tombs’ first line
of defense, and it’s the first place the keepers of the
Tombs will go to ask for help if they are attacked.

Shiro Matsu
Once the most important castle of the Lion clan,
the Castle of the Last Breath (Secrets of the Lion,
p. 69) slowly lost its usefulness when Beiden Pass
was destroyed. It still retained some of its prestige
as the home of Matsu Nimuro, but now that Ikoma
Otemi is the Lion champion, the ancestral home
of Lady Matsu is losing power. This situation has
weakened the Yama province governor’s position and
adversely influenced the resources directed to Oshi
no Koda. The number of travelers passing through


 To Kyakuchu Mura and
Kenson Gakka
Eta
Doorway to Two Worlds Gate
Workshops

Mikan
Quarter
10 9
Eta Gate 8

11
Eta Quarter
1

12

6 Purple Rose
Bottle Quarter
Garden

Quarter Red Vine

Quarter
s

Map of Oshi no Koda

14 5 7
3
River Pier Gate
Temple
Quarter
Shichimi
Gard

2
Togarashi
ens

Quarter 4
Flow

13
ing M

Yellow
Blossom
ane R

Quarter
Nazuna
iver

Quarter
N

Maw of
the Lion
Gate

To the Kitsu Tombs

and Shiro Matsu
Map of Oshi no Koda
1 - Governor’s Residence 6 - Inn of the Tired Cat 11 - Snake Pit
2 - Temple of the Fu Lions 7 - Shrine of the Evening Star 12 - Happy Cricket Sake House
3 - Temple of the Lotus 8 - Garrison 13 - Inn and Teahouse
4 - Shrine of Discussion 9 - Armory of the Retired Scorpion
5 - Inn of the Kind Lioness 10 - Golden Claw Dojo 14 - Market Place

