Ninja
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
Literally, one who endures. Ninja (忍者) mostly come from the Scorpion Clan, although it has been rumoured that other clans have ninja of their own. Even though they are believed to be gone there are still ninja operating in Rokugan.
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[edit] Attempt at Dismantling
During the rule of Hantei X the Otomo family, jealous of the role of the Bayushi ninja network (whose functions overlapped theirs) started a campaign of rumors. When these reached the ears of the Emperor, he ordered the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Hajioki to dismantle the network. The order was given, and many ninja, including Hajioki's own brother Bayushi Aramoro, committed seppuku. Since his time and for much time later, the ninja were considered gone.[1][2]
[edit] The Ninja Myth
Even though Bayushi Hajioki was ordered to dismantle the network, he didn't obey that order. Instead, he planned together with the daimyo of the Shosuro, Soshi, and Yogo families, and decided to charge Shosuro Nodage with the mission of creating a false conspiracy that would divert the attention from the real operations of the Scorpion.
Nodage did his best job. The Scorpion spread rumors of a group of ninja that didn't obey Hantei X's order. That group called themselves "the ninja" (which was most probably the first use of the term). According to the legend, the ghost of Bayushi Aramoro appeared to them, urging the group to gain revenge for his death and the destruction of the Scorpion spy network. The men faked their own deaths out of respect for their dead master, and then used dark magics to transform their bodies and souls into shadow itself. These "ninja" were said to be the power behind the wave of deaths that followed, of every person that was responsible for the death of Aramoro. Each murder was specially gruesome, and no trace of the assassin was left behind.
As soon as the illusion was gaining momentum, low-ranking Scorpion spies began dressing in black clothes and provoking "ninja sightings" all over Rokugan. While they would distract the credulous and superstitious people of the Emerald Empire, a more discreet assassin would stealthily complete the murder. With time, the myth continued gaining momentum even without the Scorpion's direct action, as many greedy and ambitious people found the stories of men made of shadow that employ maho never seen before to be a perfect cover for their own ploys.[2]
[edit] Enemies
The biggest enemy of the ninja have been the Kitsuki family of the Dragon Clan. In their quests for the truth, the Kitsuki occasionally pick up the trails of ninja who do not wish to be traced back to their missions. As such, quite a few Kitsuki have been assassinated over the years, and each time, more Kitsuki fill their place to investigate the new clues and learn more about the ninja, although rarely who they are.[3]
[edit] A Deeper Shadow
There was something more to the ninja story than a simple myth though. Many trustworthy sources claimed that the ninja indeed used the dark magics they were famous for, and many samurai dedicated their lives to uncovering the deeper truth about this conspiracy. Among them was Kitsuki Kaagi, a magistrate who dedicated himself to the study of what really were the ninja. However, he disappeared without a trace before the Scorpion could learn what he was able to uncover. The only thing that was left behind was his journal. Only one Bayushi gained access to that journal, and he was maddened by whatever he saw. The man attacked the Shosuro Daimyo of the time, Shosuro Hametsu, screaming "He isn't human!" as he struck a dagger into the daimyo's chest. Luckily, Hametsu lived, and the mad attacker was killed on spot.[2]
[edit] Ninja Customs
Due to the nature of their duties, ninja have to violate the tenets of Bushido at every turn. For this reason, ninja groups usually adopt a slightly different code of honor. These vary from family to family, but almost always involve some form of the Three Oaths, originally devised by the Scorpion:
- Secrecy: Ninja almost always operate under a cover identity or another. Often, even their own family does not know about their covert activities. This protects not only the ninja himself, but also his associates.
- Loyalty: A ninja can only depend on his compatriots, and they only on him, making loyalty even more important than for normal samurai. He must also be prepared to deny allegiance to his lord when caught, and face the consequences alone.
- Duty: A ninjas duty is even more arduous than for others, as it often alienates him from his friends and family. In addition, he must be ready to solve difficult tasks on his own, often at the price of his own life, without the prospect of eternal glory and veneration a bushi enjoys.
Few ninja decide to retire to a monastery, instead turning into advisors, low-risk yojimbo or other tasks where their experience is valuable, but their failing flesh not too much of a hindrance. Those that do sometimes become targets for their former brethren, who fear some of their secrets may be revealed to the outside world.[4]
[edit] Scorpion Ninja
The Scorpion themselves do not refer to themselves as "ninja". Their official term is "shinobi", but they see themselves as plain samurai. If their lord commands them to dress in black, lurk in the shadows, and kill with poison, so be it. Their honor is stronger for not questioning what must be done. As a matter of fact, they strongly resent the term "ninja" because of the Goju assassins who proudly bear the name "ninja". The Scorpion shinobi now spend a large amount of resources to hunt down Goju and kill them.[5]
Scorpion shinobi are largely run through the Shosuro family's Shinobi School, which often recruits members from other Scorpion schools if they show the proper talent.[6]
[edit] References
- ↑ The Way of the Ninja page 7
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Way of the Scorpion pages 27-28
- ↑ The Way of the Dragon page 34
- ↑ Way of the Ninja, page 13f
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Third Edition, page 141
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game, Third Edition, page 141
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