Emerald Empire: Fourth Edition

Emerald Empire: Fourth Edition Cover

Emerald Empire was the fifth source book for Fourth Edition of the Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game. It was published in April 2011.

Credits

• Written by: Shawn Carman, Robert Hobart, Nancy Sauer, Brian Yoon, Richard Farrese, Douglas Sun
• Edited by: Robert Hobart, Todd Rowland
• Proofreaders: Mike Brodu, Greg Long, Maxime Lemaire, Edward Reynolds, David Whitney, Richard Whitney
• Art Director: Todd Rowland
• Cover Design: Hal Mangold
• Layout: Al Mangold
• Original Graphic Design: Edge Entertainment
• Artists: Christopher Appel, Steve Argyle, Gonzalo Ordonez Arias, Mathew S. Armstrong, Daren Bader, Drew Baker, Jason Behnke, Tom Biondolillo, Leonardo Borazio, beet, Manuel Calderon, Mike Capprotti, Paul Carrick, Miguel Coimbra, Conceptopolis, Audry Corman, Ed Cox, Edwin David, Molly Denmark, Thomas Denmark, Randy Elliot, Steve Ellis, Jason Engle, Anthony Francisco, Carl Frank, Randy Gallegos, Joachim Gmoser, Anthony Grabski, Troy Graham, Andrew Hepworth, Jeff Himmelman, Quinton Hoover, David Horne, IFS, Paul Prof Herbert, Jonathan Hunt, Llyn Hunter, Hugh Jamieson, Michael Kaluta, Michel Koch, Michael Komarck, Heather Kreiter, Amandine Labarre, Stephanie Law, April Lee, Monika Livingston, Eric Lofgren, Anson Maddocks, Slawomir Maniak, Thomas Manning, Britt Martin, David Martin, Malcolm McClinton, Patrick McEvoy, Peter Mohrbacher, William O'Connor, Glen Osterberger, Jim Pavelec, Ben Peck, Ramon Perez, Eric Polak, Mark Poole, Angga Satriohadi, Erich Schreiner, Chris Seaman, Douglas Shuler, Steve Snyder, Ron Spencer, Beth Trott, Charles Urbach, Luis Vasquez, Diana Vick, Franz Vohwinkel, Byron Wackwitz, Corene Werhane, Mario Wibisono, Matt Wilson, Jarreau Wimberly, Wackwitz & Daily
• Artists - Uncredited: Alex Drummond, Oliver Specht, Tony Moseley, Dærick W. Gröss, Stanley Morrison, Michael Dixon, Veronica V. Jones, Steven Belledin, Esabra Studio, Brandon Leach, Viktor Fetsch, Jason Juta, Anna Christenson, Attila Adorjany, Jon Hodgson, Janine Johnston, Anthony Grabski, Rhonda Libbey, Mike Raabe, Jeff Carlisle, Bob Stevlic, Tyler Walpole, Chris Dien
• Production Manager: David Lepore
• Senior Brand Manager: Todd Rowland
• Chief Executive Officer: John Zinser
• Head Playtester: Brian Bates
• Playtesters: Team 1 (Dave Smith, Patrick Chen, Aien Elmi, Jason kang, Ki Chang Kim, Roger Liang, Arthur Nguyen), Team 2 (Lucas Twyman, Lee Masheter, Amanda Martyn, Chad Kirby, Andrew Flynn, Lauren Murray), Team 3 (Kit LaHaise, Catherine Pickett, Bret David Hewes, Francois Martineau), Team 4 (Becca Hobart, Todd Stites, Will Stampley, Kevin Blake, Lewis Fleak, Daniel Briscoe), Team 6 (Dace, Erykah Fasset, Tracy Pinkelton, Daniel Walters, Laura Harvey), Team 7 (Jason Shafer, Nathan Shafer, Matt Strout, Liza Strout, Joe White, Terry “Dingo” Moore, Eric Newlin), Team 8 (Robert Knight, Brebouillet Mathieu, Aaron Rubman, David Whitney, Richard Whitney, Stuart Biggs, Edward Reynolds, Ryan Gossens, Jean-Phillipe Lanfond), Team 10 (Luke Fleman, Joseph Schuster, Andrew Snow, Christopher Myers, Michael Neer, Paul Siebuhr, Ryan Flynn), Team 11 (Cory Mills, Caitlin Mills, Molly Poole, Darren Walters, Lynne Ahlgren, Jeremy Bullens, Albert Koenig), Team 12 (Don Eisele, Kate Adams, Matt Ussary, Janet Bozarth, Nate Hedrick, Mike Shimek, Chester Decker), Team 13 (Howard Hooven, Jen Oney-Hooven, David Farmer, Scott Smith, William Hart, Gentry Trimble, Kevin Witt), Team 14 (Stephanie Dane, Mike Brodu, Greg Krywusha, Bob Martin, Reginald Garth, Ryan Reese, Elliot Smorodinsky, Randy Schneider), Team 15 (Mason Crawford, Allen Cantrell, Julien Vallette, Kristof Parker, April Hamilton, Mark Butler, Luis Fernando de Vasconcelos), Team 17 (Tom Lewis, Jamie Kipp, Gavin O’Hearn, Shawn MacLean, John Taylor)

Contents

Introduction (page 9)

• Fiction with a Scorpion sensei and a Bayushi student.
• Behold the Emerald Empire!

Chapter 1: Geography (page 15)

Bamboo Forest

• Environments and Terrain
  • Mountains
  • Forests
  • Plains
  • Coastline
• Wildlife
  • Flora
  • Fauna
• Unaligned Lands
  • Hazards of the Umprotected Lands
  • Risks and Rewards
  • Ruins and Forgotten Places
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Shinjo Bushi

Chapter 2: Customs (page 35)

• Ritual and Routine
  • The Samurai
  • Monks
  • The Bonge
• Way Stations of a Life
  • Birth and Death
  • The Gempukku Ceremony
  • Weddings
• Everyday Manners and Mores
  • Gift-giving
  • Guests and Hosting
• Food in Rokugan
  • Dining Customs By Clan
  • Chopsticks
• Unique Customs of the Great Clans
• Pastimes and Entertainments
  • Games of Strategy
  • The Game of Letters
  • Reading
  • The Bonge
• New Mechanics
  • New Advanced School: Minor Clan Defender

Chapter 3: Social Structure (page 67)

Shiga

• The Celestial Order
• The Mandate of Heaven
• The Emperor
• The Kuge, Servants of the Emperor
• The Buke, Servants of the Kuge
• Ronin
• Budoka and Ashigaru
• The Clergy
• The Bonge
• The Hinin
• The Gaijin
• The Shadowlands
• New Mechanics
  • New Advanced School: Imperial Scion

Chapter 4: Politics (page 83)

Bayushi Kindebu, a Courtier

• The Goings-On in the Court
  • The Imperial Court
  • The Courts of the Clan Champions
  • Family Courts
  • The Courts of the Minor Clans
  • Provincial Courts
• Positions of Power
  • The Emperor's Chosen
    • The Imperial Advisor
    • The Imperial Chancellor
    • The Imperial Herald
    • The Imperial Treasurer
    • The Shogun of the Empire
    • The Voice of the Emperor
  • The Jeweled Champions
    • The Emerald Champion
    • The Jade Champion
    • The Amethyst Champion
    • The Turquoise Champion
    • The Ruby Champion
    • The Topaz Champion
    • Related Positions
• The Life of a Courtier
  • The art of Insult
  • Courts of the Empire: What to Expect & How to Act
• Play Aid: Random Events at Court
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Ikoma Lion's Shadow
• Random Events at Court

Chapter 5: The Arts (page 113)

Heavenly Daisho of the Dragon

• The Role of the Arts
  • Dance
  • Ikebana
  • Landscape Gardening
  • Painting
  • Poetry (Waka)
  • Prose Literature
  • Sculpture
  • Storytelling
  • Tattooing
  • Tea Ceremony
• Prominent Artisan Traditions
  • The Kakita Artisans
  • The Shiba Artisans
  • The Ikoma Bards
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Shiba Artisans

Chapter 6: Money and Commerce (page 127)

Deathless

• Money in Rokugan
  • Money and the Bonge : Merchants
  • Money and the Bonge : Peasants
  • Money and the Clergy
  • Trade Routes: Overland
  • Trade Routes: Rivers
  • Trade Routes: Seagoing Trade
  • Agriculture, Mining and Craft
• Regional Supply and Demand
  • Price, Availability and the Curse of Interesting Times
• Optional GM Tool: Availability of Goods
• New Mechanics
  • New Advanced School: Kobune Captain

Chapter 7: Law & Order (page 149)

Seppun Katsura, Emerald Magistrate

• A History of Law Enforcement in Rokugan
  • Early Legal Developments
  • The Era of Saibankan and Hatsuo
• Officials and Organizations
  • Peasant Enforcers
  • Yoriki (Deputies)
  • Clan Magistrates
  • Emerald Magistrates
• The Charter of the Emerald Magistrates
  • Jurisdiction
  • Duties
  • Restrictions
  • Rights
• Crimes and the Punishment Thereof
  • Dishonorable Conduct
  • Corruption
  • Violence Against Persons
  • Organized Crime
  • Treason
  • Criminals of the Empire: Bandits
  • Criminals of the Empire: Gangs
  • Criminals of the Empire: Pirates
• GM's Toolbox: Who Are These Outlaws?
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Doji Magistrate
  • New Basic School: Soshi Magistrate

Chapter 8: Religion (page 175)

Shrine of the Moon

• The Religions of Rokugan
  • Worship of the Kami
  • The Rulers of Tengoku
    • The Seven Fortunes
    • The Lesser Fortunes
    • The Celestial Dragons
    • Shintao
    • Fortunism
• Shrines, Temple, and Monasteries
  • Shrines
  • Temples
  • Monasteries
  • Shinden
• The Birth and Death of Gods
• Religious Festivals of the Empire
• New Mechanics
  • New Monk School: Shinmaki Order
  • New Advanced School: The Dark Paragons

Chapter 9: Education (page 211)

Tsuruchi Ki

• Education in Rokugan
  • The Apprentice System and the Dojo System
  • Common Methods of Instruction
  • Academic Studies
• Educational Institutions
  • The Typical Dojo
  • The Typical Temple
  • The Typical Court School
  • The Typical Artisan Academy
• Graduation: the Gempukku Ceremony
  • The Wandering Year
  • Ongoing Education
• GM's Toolbox: Students in Training
  • Dojo Days
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Mirumoto Taoist Swordsman

Chapter 10: War (page 225)

Mirumoto Ayabe, Commander

• A Bushi's Role in Rokugan
  • Bushi Duty Posts
• Military Traditions
• Military Organization
  • Traditional System of Ranks
  • Traditional Unit Structure
  • Command & Specialized Forces
• Waging War in Rokugan
  • Logistics
  • Maneuver and Battle
  • Sieges
  • Martial arts in Rokugan
• GM's Toolbox: Adapting the Mass Combat Rules to Siege Warfare
  • Heroic Opportunities for Siege Battles
• New Mechanics
  • New Basic School: Hida Pragmatist

Chapter 11: The World Beyond (page 251)

A Rakshasa

• The Xenophobia of Rokugan
• The Known Gaijin Nations
  • The Ivory Kingdoms
• The Kingdom of Merenae
• The Senpet Empire
• The Kingdom of the Thrane
• The Yobanjin Tribes
• The Yodotai Empire
• The Caliphate of Medinaat al-Salaam

Appendix Two: The Way of the Daimyo (page 276)

Shosuro Jimen, Emerald Champion

• Playing at Higher Stakes
• Samurai Stations
  • Ambassador
  • Governor
  • Keeper of the Temple
  • Master Sensei
  • Merchant Patron
  • Warlord
• Duty Points: An Overview
  • New Advantage: The World of the Daimyo
  • New Advantage: The Daimyo's Path
• Ambassador Options and Features
• Governor Options and Features
• Keeper of the Temple Options and Features
• Master Sensei Options and Features
• Merchant Patron Options and Features
• Warlord Options and Features