The monks of Osano Wo stood in a firm line, watching the doors of the temple. Outside, the metal clank of armored troops drew nearer. The scarred sohei clutched their ono firmly, waiting for what was to come.
With a heavy, thunderous sound the doors of the temple crashed open. Two dozen samurai in brilliant green armor stood in the hallway outside. Several held bows, aiming them at the sohei. The leader stepped forward, his sashimono flapping in the wind that forever surrounded the temple. His lean face was fixed in a thin smile.
The leader of the sohei stepped forward. “If you would bring violence, you will find we are obliged to return your gift, Mantis.”
“My men bare their weapons only so that you will know that we are strong, priest,” the Mantis replied. “You honor the Thunderer, and since his blood flows through my veins that means you honor me as well.”
“What do you want here?” the sohei demanded.
“You keep a helmet here,” the Mantis said. “That helmet carries a piece of the essence of the mother of Osano Wo, the Thunder Dragon. That helmet rightfully belongs to my clan, and I have come to claim it.”
The sohei’s eyes narrowed. “I recognize you,” he said. “You are Yoritomo Naizen. The pirate.”
The Mantis bowed slightly. “I am pirate no longer,” he said. “I have found a new life in bushido and now fight in the service of Yoritomo Kitao, Champion of the Mantis. Were I still the cutthroat you believe me to be, we would not be having this conversation.”
“Ha,” the sohei laughed. “We are masters of the martial arts. Your bushi would not stand a chance.”
“I could have used my siege engines to set your temple ablaze from the foothills,” Naizen replied. “The helmet is quite indestructible. I could have picked it from the ashes at my leisure.”
The sohei’s eyes narrowed. “You are arrogant, Naizen.”
“I follow my great ancestor’s example,” he replied. “Osano Wo was not meek. To you, the helm is nothing but a curiosity. For me, however, it is a powerful legacy. I will not rest until I claim it, priest. I will make you kill me if I must.”
The sohei nodded sharply, then turned to one of the others. “Fetch the helm,” he said.
“But master,” the other sohei replied.
“You heard me,” the sohei whispered. “If Naizen-san wants the helm so badly, then we shall give it to him. If he is unworth of its power, it will not be we who judge him…”
Yoritomo Naizen
Earth 3
Water 3
Strength 4
Fire 3
Air 2
Reflexes 4
Void 2
School/Rank: Yoritomo Bushi 2 (Dojo Raiden)
Honor: 3.3
Glory: 2.4
Advantages: Blood of Osano Wo, Crafty, Social Position (Kitao’s hatamoto)
Disadvantages: Brash, Overconfident, Sworn Enemy (Yoritomo Komori)
Skills: Athletics 4, Battle 2, Climbing 3, Commerce 1, Defense 3, Gambling 3, Horsemanship 2, Intimidation 4, Jiujitsu 4, Kenjutsu 4, Nofujutsu 5, Sailing 5, Stealth 3
The Dragon Helm of Thunder
(from Magic of Rokugan)
Mortal minds have ever sought to understand the enigmatic and powerful Dragons of the Celestial Heavens. Long ago, a clever Soshi shugenja learned the way to contain a portion of a dragon's power within a nemuranai, just as a shugenja would harness the power of a simple elemental kami. Though the shugenja was immolated to death by the Oracle of Fire shortly thereafter, the Scorpion's apprentices passed on her secrets. Over time, a handful of Scorpion shugenja have secretly used her discoveries to create the dragon helms.
Dragon Helms come in seven forms - one for each of the dragons of Tengoku. The Dragon Helm of the Heavens - which corresponds to the Celestial Dragon - is a recent creation, as that dragon's existence was not a proven fact until thirty years ago. The statistics for each type follows:
The Dragon Helm of Thunder renders the wearer immune to all Fear effects as well as any spell or ability that would cause the wearer to fall asleep. This does not prevent the wearer from the natural need to sleep, it merely protects him from outside influences that would cause such a thing. In addition, the helm increases all of the wearer’s rings (but not the associated Traits) by one as long as it is worn. This affects all the number of dice kept on all rolls as well as the potency of shugenja’s spells and the number of wounds a character can take before dying. Finally, the helm allows the wearer to see the Elemental Dragons and their oracles in their true form, no matter what disguises they may take. If the bearer encounters the Thunder Dragon, he may request one favor in return for giving the helmet to the dragon. The Thunder Dragon’s power is such that nearly any request can be granted, though if the wearer is cowardly or selfish the dragon may twist the letter of the wish, granting it in an unexpected way.