Note: The following notes are for GM eyes only, or for people who don't plan on playing Rokugan 2000 for the rpg and are just interested in some background information on the Shadow. That being said, here is everything you ever wished to know about Bayushi Taigo and company....

"We're so proud of you, son."

The young man closed his eyes, as he heard his father's voice echo in his mind. Behind him, a black padded dummy stood rigidly. Before him, three men advanced, holding pistols trained at the dummy. The boy opened his eyes, and let his gloved hands fall to his side, where two pistols waited underneath his trench coat. Beneath his silk mask, a young jaw clenched in controlled anger.

The man in the middle began to move, pulling the trigger on his gun. A split second later, the two men on his sides jumped, attempting to flank the boy and the dummy. As the masked youth drew his guns, he took the first man's shot in the shoulder, a shot meant for the dummy's face.

The other two didn't have a chance to fire.

The young Scorpion holstered his guns, and rubbed his shoulder where the paint pellet had impacted. On the ground before him, the three men had crumpled, each with a bright red paint explosion on their foreheads. Over the intercom, his sensei said, "Most commendable, please await further instruction."

The three "dead" men stood, bowed, and quickly exited the steel room. The boy simpled turned to the dummy, bowed lowly, and knelt in front of it, eyes closed.

"We're so proud of you, son."

"Bayushi Taigo," the Enforcer sensei said from the viewing room above the practice dojo where the young man had just defeated the three others. The sensei flipped through a thin folder, "Age 12, parents deceased. Lives here in the barracks with the Bayushi soldiers. A year ago he passed the marksmanship test around thirty percent of the Shosuro Sniper Academy cadets fail."

Next to the sensei, Bayushi Kazama, the Scorpion Champion, nodded. "Hai. I have read the reports. Young Taigo's parents were destroyed by the Matsu during a minor mission." Out of habit, he rubbed the chin on his black faceplate mask. At nearly 60 years, the stocky man would retire, but not before Project Shinobi would claim its first batch of recruits. Shinobi would be left in the care of his son, a capable leader, Bayushi Dairyu. The Project would have its leader, but the men who would be changed by it would need a man they could look up to from their own ranks. If Shinobi were ever to be a success, a Scorpion with a will of steel would be needed to hold the nineteen other soldiers firmly in reality.

"Pack his bags. He is being moved to Shiro Bayushi," Kazama finally said. He took one more look down at the boy in the training room. Taigo's eyes were closed, and the Champion knew where the young Scorpion's mind wandered to. Only a man who clung to his memories so strongly could hold out against the Darkness. Kazama swore to ensure Taigo would grow into such a man.

Days later, Kazama had brought the young Taigo into his office. The large door opened quietly, and shut quickly behind the pair, with the younger Bayushi a respectful distance behind his Champion.

"It is good to see you," came a whisper from behind them both. Taigo spun instantly, his hand on his sidearm. Kazama simply turned to regard the man in the corner with no expression.

From the shadowed corner, the man in an old black kimono seemed to glide to one of the chairs in Kazama's office. "I trust the preparations for the Shinobi Project are going well, Bayushi-sama?" The man smiled slightly, and bowed his head in deference.

"Hai," the Scorpion Champion said, motioning for Taigo to relax and sit opposite the stranger. "Hakono, I wish you to meet the first of the students I have selected for you. This is Bayushi Taigo, a promising young marksman. He will serve us well."

Taigo looked into the man's eyes. They were dark, like nearly all Rokugani, but they seemed to be rips in the very fabric of space. Hakono's eyes were of the darkest midnight, and Taigo was suddenly aware the man was staring right back at him. It unsettled the young Scorpion to find it took some effort to look away from Hakono's gaze.

"Taigo," Kazama's voice brought the younger man's mind back to the office, "bow to your new sensei."

"His name is Goju Hakono."

A Scorpion's katana cut through thin air, where a man was standing an instant before. The bushi was caught off guard, and Bayushi Taigo appeared suddenly from the man's right, holding his own blade to the bushi's throat. Taigo had grown, and was now a broad shouldered man, his eyes as hard as the steel in his hand.

"Again."

Eighten students sat in a circle around the two, in a dojo painted pitch black. The students and the two men on the sparring mat were also garbed in black, their faces shrouded in masks of midnight.

Taigo did not waste time with his attack. He was a patient man, but the lesson of the day was not in patience. It was in survival. Taigo's blade slashed with the wind's own speed and silence. The student fell back against the assault, then spun to the side, and began a counter to Taigo's flank. The sensei dodged twice, and lashed out with a killing blow to his student's neck. The blade moved cleanly through the flesh, but as it cut, the man's form became insubstantial for a moment, and the katana seperated nothing but a wispy shadow from itself.

Taigo stepped back and bowed to his student. "That is all for today," he said, and motioned for the students to file out of the dojo. As they passed, he saw his lord enter through a hidden door. And with him was another man, dressed in a simple, ancient kimono. He bowed low to Taigo and Bayushi Kazama in turn.

Kazama looked to Taigo, then to the Goju man. "You have trained my men well, Hakono." The Champion's old eyes turned to the dojo entrance, as the door opened again.

"What is this?" Hakono whispered, eyes narrowing. The door shut behind a tall, thin youth, perhaps a few years older than Taigo. He walked in, wearing a modern-cut kimono, with the reds and mon of the Scorpion. Hakono regarded the young man, who he recognized as one of his students. "Number twelve." he said. Hakono had insisted the students of the Shinobi Project quit using their names, instead being assigned a number. Hakono had said it protected their identity, should the security of the Project be compromised.

Twelve bowed low to his sensei, Hakono.

"You and your students have exceeded my expectations for the Shinobi project, Hakono-san," Kazama said to the Goju. Hakono was about to speak his thanks, but the Champion cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Except one." his gaze turned to Twelve, and he pointed his finger, "This one."

"He is one of my finest students, Lord Kazama," Hakono said, a little confused, "I do not understand how you would find failing with him that I would not."

"Because you weren't training him as you were training the others, Goju," Kazama said quietly.

Hakono backed away, suddenly aware that the three Scorpions had the look of wolves in their eyes.

"His name is Bayushi Dairyu, and he was training to kill you."

In one swift motion, Hakono drew a blade from the folds of his kimono, and shuffled back, trying to find the door he had entered with Kazama.

But he was too slow. Dairyu drew a katana of the purest crystal and assaulted his sensei with lightning speed. Hakono attempted to defend himself, but he was quickly brought down by Dairyu, who had watched his every move for the past five years. The ninja sensei fell to his knees, laying his blade to the ground.

Hakono opened his mouth to speak, but the young Dairyu silenced him forever with a quick strike from his crystal edge. The sensei's form seemed to dissapate like black smoke into the air, and a faint wail could be heard.

"Act One of the Shinobi Project is complete, father," Dairyu said quietly to the Scorpion Champion.

"On your word," Taigo whispered motioning for Dairyu to step away from where the Goju died, "Act Two will commence."

Kazama nodded. "Hai, my Shadows." With that, the Scorpion Champion nodded in respect to Taigo, and his son Dairyu. "You have serve me well. Bayushi himself would be proud to call you his children."

Taigo's eyes did not leave the fading swirls of darkness as Kazama left, followed shortly by his heir, Dairyu. The Scorpion ninja could feel the Darkness already begin to test his will.

He just closed his eyes and smiled inwardly to himself. He was as close to Kazama's heart as a son now.

And that was all he ever wanted.

Bayushi Taigo
Grandmaster of the Bayushi Enforcer School

EARTH: 4 (Willpower: 7)
WATER: 6(Perception: 7)
FIRE: 6 (Intelligence: 8)
AIR: 7
VOID: 4
Shadow Points: 2

SCHOOL/RANK: Bayushi Enforcer 5, Bayushi Dairyu,the true daimyoof the Scorpion Clan, is considered his master (Glory Rank of 9).

Skills: Defense - 4, Marksmanship - 5, Intimidation - 5, Jiujutsu - 4, Stealth - 5, Driving - 3, Ninjitsu - 5, Kenjutsu - 4, Iaijutsu - 3, Computer - 2, Engineering - 3, Lore: Ninja - 4, Lore: The Shadow - 3, Lore: Scorpion Clan - 4, Sincerity - 3, Acting - 4

HONOR: 2.4
GLORY: 6.7

Advantages: 3 points of connections (Underworld spies), technophile, clear thinker, kharmic tie - Bayushi Dairyu.

Disadvantages: Lost Love (parents).

Equipment: As the head sensei of the Enforcer School, and personal bodyguard of the Scorpion Champion, Taigo may obtain nearly any item or amount of money neccessary.

Note on the Father's suit - An original design by Dairyu, later modified and enchanced by Soshi Isawa, the Father's costume is a small exoskeleton which enhances the speed, strength, and senses of the individual wearing it. The wearer rolls an additional 2k1 when making Awareness, Perception, and any sort of physical test. Also, the Mask of the costume is equipped with enhanced optics, including infrared, telescopic lenses, and night vision.

Note on Taigo's Shadow Points and Abilities - Taigo draws on a somewhat controlled essence of the Shadow, which the Scorpion have been able to duplicate from the original Darkness. While the Points do not limit his Void in a particular way, Taigo (and any of his peers from the Shinobi Project) will take an additional 2k1 damage from crystal weapons, and are uncomfortable when exposed to sunlight.

Taigo has the following new Shadow Abilities -

Shadow Walk - Taigo can move from any shadow to another within 100 feet in one action.

Meld with Shadows - Taigo may simply dissapear into any shadow large enough to fully conceal him. If the shadow is exposed to the light of Lady Sun, Taigo is brought back into the physical plane, taking 3k2 damage in the process.

Face of Darkness - Taigo has the ability to alter his form, like the servants of the Darkness. He may alter his height by six inches from his true shape, and his weight by 75 pounds. Also, he may alter his facial features to match someone if he is able to study their face, and make a successful Intelligence + Ninjitsu (keeping Intelligence) check at a TN of (35 - the minutes spent studying the face).

(see Way of the Shadow for details on Shadow Abilities, the Lying Darkness, and the ninja of Rokugan in general)

Plot Hooks -

The Shadow is weak within Rokugan, but has agents outside of the Diamond Empire, as the arrival of Fatima has shown. Anyone familiar with Way of Shadow can apply many of the different adventure hooks described in the book to Rokugan 2000. If you haven't been able to read Way of Shadow, you should really do so before attempting to add any hint of the Lying Shadow to your campaign, R2K or not. Also, there is a small group withing the Scorpion, called the Kageshi, who have a single purpose - To destroy any trace of uncontrolled Darkness. Should any of the player characters happen to make a deal with the Darkness, it's practically inevitable that they will be getting a visit from the Hidden Clan.