"There is no worship here," Hitomi Shougo said. "No tribute to any gods or divine power that accounts itself as superior to man."

There is only mercy, compassion, and justice," Hitomi Mayonaka finished. "It is one of the many shrines to Hida Sukune. Many do not understand their purpose, so they remain secret. The press have dubbed these places the Cult of the Shadow Samurai."

"Heroes never die." - Hida Yakamo

EARTH: 4
WATER: 2 (Strength: 5)
FIRE: 3 (Intelligence: 4)
AIR: 4
VOID: 3

SCHOOL/RANK: None

Skills: Shadowlands Lore 2, Hunting 2, Defense 2, Theology 5, Medicine 3, Bojutsu 2, History 3, Meditation 3, Oratory 5, Rokugani Language 2, Ratling Lore 4, Shintao 4, Stealth 3, Ratling Dance 3, Ratling Poetry 5, Lore: Sukune 6 (Allowable because he founded the religion and speaks with Sukune's spirit regularly)

HONOR: 2.5
GLORY: 0

ADVANTAGES: Irreproachable (5 points), Perfect Memory Voice, Sensei (Asako Ishikint, now deceased), Ratling Allies (Third Whisker Tribe), Blessing of Sukune
DISADVANTAGES: Social Disadvantage: Nezumi, Idealistic,

Spells Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, Benevolent Protection of Shinsei, Fires From the Forge, Jade Strike, Hands of Juroin, By the Light of Lord Moon, Essence of Air, Know the Mind, Amaterasu's Blessing, Fire From Within, Bo of Water, Torrential Rain, Reflections of Pan Ku

Paraphernalia:
Thi'kwithatch usually carries nothing with him except for his robes (red and grey, styled after the colors of Sukune) and a short walking stick which he can wield as a weapon in case of emergency.

Thi'kwithatch was born to the chieftain of the Third Whisker tribe, the second oldest in a litter of eighteen. Of all the Nezumi tribes that dwell in Rokugan, the Third Whisker are regarded to be the most inquisitive and intelligent. Their shugenja can wield extraordinary magics, and their Rememberers can craft great epics that, in their own fashion, rival the great legends of the Doji and histories of the Ikoma. Thi'kwithatch began training to become a Rememberer the moment he was able, eager to be one of those honored Nezumi whose duty it is to recall and embellish upon those who have gone before.

But this was not to be. While deep in meditation upon the Carpenter Wall, that ancient weathered structure that once guarded Rokugan against the hordes of Jigoku, Thi'kwithatch had a vision. He saw the form of a man, ephemeral, indistinct, and sad beyond imagining. He reached out to Thi'kwithatch, and the nezumi could see gaping holes torn into his palms. He wore the armor of a Crab, torn, battered, and scorched. He wore the war makeup of the Hida, allowed only to the family of the daimyo, but his face was bloody and pale. He seemed to be something out of a terrible nightmare, some demon from Jigoku, but Thi'kwithatch looked into the man's sad, compassionate eyes and saw that he meant no harm.

"A Nezumi?" the man said, sounding surprised. "What business does a nezumi have on the Wall?"

"Who are you?" Thi'kwithatch asked. "How can I help you?"

The man looked astonished. "I have battled my way back to the realm of man, through the foul pits of Jigoku, past the vengeful hordes of Toshigoku, through the hungry claws and gaping maws of Gakido, to serve as I did in life. Now you would help me?"

"Of course," Thi'kwithatch said. "You look hurt. What can I do to help you?"

"You have done enough already," the man replied, a smile spreading across his weary face. "You have shown me that there are those who are still worthy in this world. My journey has not been in vain. Now, let us go forth and help others."

Though Thi'kwithatch did not become a Rememberer, his family understood his choice and honored him for it. Thi'kwithatch's younger brother, a prodigy named Asako Ishikint, even offered to teach Thi'kwithatch some of his Phoenix magic to help him along on his quest. The Phoenix would consider this an outrage. Ishikint knew this, so simply did not tell the Phoenix. He knew they would never understand the sense of family, the sense of unity, the Nezumi share. Ishikint trusted Thi'kwithatch as he trusted himself; to the Nezumi way of thinking, there was no reason for him not to. They are both of the Third Whisker. They are blood unto blood. There is no word for "secret" in the Nezumi language, and "treachery" is a word of the humans with no meaning.

For the last several years, Thi'kwithatch has wandered Rokugan preaching the message of Sukune. The Shadow Samurai's message is a simple one. Show others the love and respect you would be shown yourself, no matter their station. Speak not in anger. Forgive. Goodness and truth come only to those willing to work for it, not those who stand idly by and wait. Sukune's message has caught on like wildfire among the peasant populace of Rokugan, and even a few samurai have been seduced by the simple beauty and wisdom of the words. The Church now consists of several hundred members, spread across the Diamond Empire. Some, like Thi'kwithatch, have been chosen to become speakers for Sukune himself.

Thi'kwithatch is not certain how to feel about the notoriety and expectations that come with his position, but he believes earnestly in Hida Sukune's message. He believes that the best way to fight against evil is to work towards good. He is a peaceful creature, generous to a fault and willing to forgive nearly anything. His only fault is that he is perhaps occasionally a bit too naive for his own good.

Some call it Thi'kwithatch's group "Church" of the Shadow Samurai. Some call it "Cult" of the Shadow Samurai. What is the difference? Mostly whether or not you believe in Hida Sukune's teachings. Those who don't, tend to think of it as a cult, dangerous and blasphemous. Those who do, refer to it as a church, despite the fact that Sukune neither asks for or desires worship.

Though many believe that Hida Sukune was merely a hallucination brought on by the fastings typical for a Remember-in-training, he is quite real. He is an ancient and powerful spirit, whose intent for the Diamond Empire is exactly what he claims it is: he is a bringer of peace who has battled his way through the heart of Jigoku itself.

His father was Kisada, a daimyo of the Crab, and allied himself with the Shadowlands for what he believed was the good of the clan. When the Shadowlands asked for a life in return for the bargain, Kisada agreed. Hida Kisada was an old man, and had lived a full and distinguished life. His eldest son, Yakamo, was a capable samurai. Kisada assumed that the Shadowlands wished for his own life. Instead, they took his youngest son, Sukune, strapping his body to the Terrible Standard of Fu Leng before he had even died from the tortures they inflicted upon him.

Kisada was enraged, but was bound by the bargain. Kisada's son, Yakamo, was not. When Kisada was wounded in battle and Yakamo rose to become daimyo, he broke the alliance and began a mighty crusade against evil. He became a Thunder. He became a hero. He became a legend. Yakamo's heroism awakened his brother's spirit, giving him enough strength to fight his way through Jigoku and return to the world of mortal men. He still bore the power of the Shadowlands, but none of its taint. He had become a creature unique to Rokugan. He was the Shadow Samurai.

When the Day of Thunder came, Yakamo broke the Terrible Standard and brought his brother's body home. Sukune was burned and his ashes were distributed over the Carpenter Wall in the hopes that his strength would protect the Crab. Sukune's spirit returned to its rest, though it is said he emerged a time or two to look over his brother and other descendants.

Now, another Day of Thunder looms and Sukune has returned once more. This time, Thi'kwithatch is his chief prophet and his mission is simple. Sukune has not returned to fight. Violence only breeds violence. He demands no worship (though he often gets worshipped despite this). He is not a god or a kami or a Fortune and does not claim to be. He only wishes to help people, to spread a message of good before the Empire is overwhelmed once more by evil.

Some fear the cult, feeling that a creature who openly refers to himself as "The Shadow Samurai" must be a minion of Jigoku or the Lying Darkness. However, the followers of Sukune have never been associated with any acts of violence. They are a loving, giving, merciful group. Still, that one simple word, "Shadow," has been a major obstacle to the growth of the church. Sukune never imagined that his title would be a problem, he felt certain that his reputation would speak for itself. Sadly, Rokugan has lost much of his history. While the name of Yakamo, the Crab Thunder, is still noted, no one remembers an unfortunate young samurai named Hida Sukune.

1.) No creature with the Shadowlands Taint or the touch of the Lying Darkness (Shadow Points) may enter, unless the Taint was not inflicted upon them by their own will

2) Maho does not function, even maho cast from outside the boundaries into the church will be canceled. Any scrying magics cast by a maho-tsukai will not function, even if the scrying spell itself is not maho.

3.) Infections of the Shadowlands Taint, whether the result of a wound or exposure to the Shadowlands itself, do not worsen while within the church. On the other hand, they don't go away, either.

4) Those who have made a concerted effort to learn the teachings and beliefs of Sukune (at least Lore: Sukune 1) or have the Blessing of Sukune Advantage can roll an extra dice for all skills while inside of a Church of the Shadow Samurai. They also heal from wounds as if their Earth was two ranks higher.

5) Everyone inside the church has a general feeling of contentment and well-being. Any skill rolls that involve deception, betrayal, violence, or any other sort of generally deceptive or destructive behavior must raise twice to be effective. This applies the same to Sukune's followers as it does to anyone else.

Note: The preceeding effects also hold true outside of the church, but only when three dozen or more devoted followers of Sukune are gathered in one place with a unified goal, and are lead by someone with the Blessing of Sukune Advantage, Lore: Sukune of 3 or greater, and Insight of over 200. Ironically, not even Thi'kwithatch is aware of this, and he is one of the few individuals that meets all the requirements to lead such a group. Thi'kwithatch is indeed aware of the other effects of Sukune's presence, and has thus become a firm believer in the power of miracles.

New Advantage
Blessing of Sukune (5, 10, or 15 points) You carry the message of the Shadow Samurai in your heart. You may not have ever even heard of Hida Sukune, but your heart is noble and the Shadow Samurai watches over you. As long as you maintain a good and noble heart, creatures of the Shadowlands or the Lying Darkness have little power over you. In game terms, this means that the advantage goes away whenever your Honor dips below 1.5, and leaves for 24 hours whenever you do anything mean, spiteful, vengeful, or selfish. The advantage is that any creature with the Shadowlands Taint or any Shadow Points must has all their TN's to affect your character raised by the amount of points you spent on this advantage. This includes attack rolls, spells cast upon the character, or even something so simple as a salesman who happens to have the Taint making an opposed Willpower roll to try to make the character purchase a used car. The character need not even know of the attempt. Sukune's protection always works, so long as the character's heart is true.

New Skill
Lore: Sukune This is effectively a knowledge of Sukune's philosophies and how they apply to daily life. A Lore: Sukune of 3 or higher serves the same effective purposes as Lore: Shintao in raising a character's Rings. A character with this skill must be careful; in many places in Rokugan, the teachings of the Shadow Samurai are seen as dangerous or even blasphemous.