Secrets of the Shadowlands

Secrets of the Shadowlands was the ninth source book for the Shadowlands in the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game. It was published in April 2004.

Credits

• Writting: Rich Wulf, Shawn Carman, Seth Mason, Aaron Medwin, Chris Hand, Fred Wan, Jed Carleton, Kim Hosmer, Brian Yoon
• Editor: D.J. Trindle
• Creative Director: Mark Jelfo
• Art Director: Jim Pinto
• Graphic Designer: Steve Hough
• Cover Artist: Matthew S. Armstrong
• Interior Artist: Cris Dornaus
• Cartographers: Cris Dornaus, Robert Lee
• Typesetter: Steve Hough
• Chief of Operations: Maureen Yates
• Brand Manager: Raymond Lau
• Production Manager: Mary Valles
• Playtesters: Mikel Burns, Ryan Carman, Jacobe Callahan, Jed Carleton, Jacob Cheatham, Andy Cowell, Robert Dake, Joel Parker Kinstle, Chris Lesinsky, Paul Meador, Dan Moenster, Christopher Osborn, Marc Quintard, Matthew Schenck, Sam Sheddan, Cynthia Steward, Louis Veal

Table of Contents

Introduction (page 4)

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part One: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken, who revealed as a cleansed Pekkle no Oni and former minion of Shahai, the Dark Daughter of Fu Leng.
• Customs of the Shadowlands
• History of the Shadowlands

Description of Akkuai-uo, the Dark Lord's blade

• New Mechanics
  • The Daigotsu family
  • The Chuda family
  • The Goju family

Chapter 1: The Daigotsu (page 11)

Daigotsu Manobu

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Two: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the Lost.
• Daigotsu Lands
  • City of the Lost
    • Temple of the Ninth Kami
    • The Black Finger River and the River of the Dark Moon
  • Ruins of the Kappa
  • The Forgotten Tomb of Fu Leng
  • The Festering Pit of Fu Leng
• Important Daigotsu NPC's
  • Daigotsu, the Fallen Lord
  • Daigotsu Manobu
• Daigotsu Mechanics
  • Ancestors (Yokai)
    • Daigotsu Mizushai: Mist of the Black Finger River
    • Daigotsu Hyotaru: Thirst for Blood
    • Daigotsu Hochiahime: Mother of Darkness
  • Tainted Items
    • Yakamo's Claw
    • Blade of Truths and Blade of Secrets
  • Shadowlands Material
    • Living Bone
    • Blacksteel
    • Oni Chitin
    • Pit-Forged Obsidian

Chapter 2: The Chuda (page 23)

Blood Familiar

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Three: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the Chuda family.
• The Chuda roads
• Major Chuda holdings
  • Kyuden Chuda
    • The Field of Blood
    • The Temple of Venom
  • The Bloodworks
• Minor Chuda Holdings
  • The Teeth of the Serpent
• Important Chuda NPC's
  • Chuda Mishime
  • Shahai
• Minions of the Chuda
  • The Maho-Born
    • The Maho-Born Dojo
  • The Desiccated
    • The House of Dust and Ash
  • Blood Familiar
• Chuda Mechanics
  • Ancestors (Yokai)
    • Chuda Barakun: Potent Blood
    • Chuda Sinjuko: Dark Beauty
    • Chuda Tenkazu: Hidden Threat
  • The Chuda Shugenja school
  • The Temple of Venom
  • New Spells
  • Chuda Creations
    • Blood Familiar
    • Maho-Born

Chapter 3: The Tsuno (page 37)

Tsuno Soultwister

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Four: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the Tsuno and their alliance with Daigotsu.
• Major Tsuno holdings
  • Toguchi Shinden
  • Nikushimi Shinden
    • Nikushimi Foundry
• Minor Tsuno Holdings
  • Tsukuroi Shinden
  • Vault of the Tsuno
• Important Tsuno NPC's
  • Tsuno Nintai
• Minions of the Tsuno
  • The Mikata
• Tsuno Mechanics
  • Tsuno Characters
  • Tsuno steel
  • Tsuno Magic

Chapter 4: The Goju (page 47)

Goju Assassin

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Five: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the Battle of Oblivion's Gate and the Goju.
• Major Goju holdings
  • House of Goju
  • Mountain of Shadows
    • Kyuden Adorai
  • Ninube Temple
    • The Egg of P'an Ku
• Minor Goju Holdings
  • Adorai's Grave
• Important Goju NPC's
  • Goju Kyojiro
  • Ninube Eisai
• Goju Mechanics
  • Ancestors (Yokai)
    • Goju Adorai: Heart of Darkness
    • Goju Kyoden: Blackened Honor
    • Ninja Mystic: Faceless Soul
  • Touch of Darkness
    • Shadow Points
    • Child of Shadow
  • The Ninube
    • The Ninube Shugenja

Chapter 5: The Bloodspeakers (page 57)

Suru's Mempo

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Six: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the infamous Bloodspeakers.
• Bloodspeaker Cells
  • Demon's Breath Acolytes
  • The True Sons of Isawa
• Important Bloodspeaker NPC's
  • Iuchiban
  • Asahina Yajinden
  • Jama Suru
• Minions of the Bloodspeakers
  • The Beauty of Death
  • The Workers of Flesh
• Bloodspeaker Mechanics
  • Ancestors (Yokai)
    • Kitsu Gongsun: Stand Tall in the Shadow
    • Isawa Takeshi: Peace with the Darkness
    • Doji Hirofumi: Dark Tongue
  • Alternative Maho Rules
  • Bloodspeaker Defenses
    • Bleeding the Elements
    • Blood-Forged
    • Elemental Disassociation
    • Gonsung's Cloak
    • Mohai's Legacy
    • Strike the Ancestors
    • Taint Repression
  • Bloodspeaker Spells

Chapter 6: The Beasts (page 73)

Hounds of the Lost

• Fiction: "Plumbing the Darkness", Part Seven: with Miya Hatori and Miya Gensaiken telling about the oni, goblins, and ogres.
• Beast Lands
  • Fallen Chrysanthemum Lake
    • The Keep of Final Regrets
  • Kyoso's Retribution
    • Kyoso's Sanctuary
  • Basher's Legacy
    • Basher's Hut
  • The Ogre Barracks
  • The Onikage Ranges
• Important Beast NPC's
  • Omoni
• New Shadowlands Beasts
  • Hellbeast
  • Hounds of the Lost
  • Koku no Seishin
• Beast Mechanics
  • Ancestors (Yokai)
    • Orschat: Reckless Assault
    • Kyojin: Feared Duelist

Chapter 7: The Wall of Bones (page 83)

Wall of Bones

• Fiction: Hiruma Maikun and his group of Hiruma Stalkers reached the Wall of Bones.
• Using the Wall of Bones in an Adventure
  • Wall of Bone Forces
  • The North Tower
  • The South Tower
  • The East Tower
  • The West Tower
    • The Engine

Chapter 8: Behind the Veil (page 89)

• The Dark Oracles
  • The Restraints of Power
  • The Blessings of Darkness
    • Soshi Jomyako, Dark Oracle of Air
    • Tamori Chosai, Dark Oracle of Fire
    • Yasuki Nokatsu, Dark Oracle of Earth
    • Matsu Turi, Dark Oracle of Water
    • Tonbo Toryu, Dark Oracle of Void

Advantage: Dark Blessing of the Elements

• The Shadowlands Taint
  • Corrupting Environments
  • Mechanics
  • Effects of the Taint
  • Living with Taint
• The Maw, Forgotten Oni Lord
• Undead and the Lost

Maps (page 96)

Shadowlands territories