Mirumoto Kuro
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CFS by Advantage[edit]
- The Lost Scholar- Absolute Direction
Challenge
Iuchi Washi, a shugenja of moderate status, but small skill has been missing for a few days. The PCs are to take part in the search for the shugenja (either because they are trying to gain favour with the Iuchi family, because they are known as expert trackers and huntsman, or whatever reason suits your party best).
Focus
Washi is known for his fascination on the birds that live around Shiro Iuchi and often undertakes trips to observe and study such birds. Unfortunately he is also known for being “able to lose his direction inside a ger”, as a few of the more sardonic Shinjo and Moto would put it. To compound this flaw he also tends to forget bringing along a guide or yojimbo when undertaking such trips.
Strike
As expected Washi got lost while observing birds within the Seikitsu mountains and entered a cave (actually a maze) to shelter himself during the night, where, unsurprisingly, he managed to become even more lost.
The maze should be complicated enough that even shugenja using magic should have a hard time navigating it. Optionally it can also contain hostile creatures or traps of a magical nature.
In my game the maze was in fact an old Scorpion outpost used to spy on the Lion before the return of the Unicorn. When the Unicorn returned the maze was abandoned because it was to close to Shiro Iuchi to remain secret. They then left wards (somewhat inspired by the wards of the Imperial Palace in Otosan Uchi and one of the traps in the Tomb of Iuchiban) that seamlessly teleported passers-by to another, similar, section of the maze.
At your choice this maze could be somehow related to the City of Night or be an old Zokujin lair.
If they successful find and rescue Washi, the PCs now have the gratitude of the Iuchi family and of Washi himself.
CFS by Disadvantage[edit]
CFS by Skill[edit]
- To Be or Not To Be- Acting
Challenge
The Characters are ordered by their lord to seek the favour of a Akodo Noriyori, a mid-rank lord. A average Courtier or Lore: Lion Clan roll should provide the PCs with the information that he is extremely fond of theater
Focus
The characters are introduced to Noriyori while he is staging a play. He seems to be frustrated at the lack of skill of the actors but is demeanour instantly changes at the sight of one of the PCs (preferably the least social capable or the one with the poorest acting skills). The PC is an extraordinary likeness to the play's lead, and the daimyo refuses to discuss anything else until the PC agrees to enter the play.
Strike
It should become clear that the Akodo lord will not be amenable to anything less than an exquisite performance and failure to do so will probably mean that the PC will not accomplish their ordered mission. How will the PCs deal with this?
The GM may make it obvious before the PCs accept to perform, that Noriyori is extremely harsh to bad actors by having him berate the NPCs for their lack of skill. This way the PCs may have a chance to excuse themselves out of the play (this shouldn’t be made easy however), through the use of etiquette, deceit flattery or any other option the players come up with.
He may also insist in having the entire party performing in the play instead of a single PC.
It can also lead to problems with the original actors, or alternatively the PCs may try to have them aid the poor victim(s) not to make a fool of him or herself, indebting themselves to the actors.
- The Prodigy- Artisan
Challenge
A famed seer predicts that one of the PCs will greatly enhance the fortunes of his clan by crafting a legendary item to be gifted upon the Emperor/Clan Daimyo/Rival Clan Daimyo/Friendly Clan Daimyo etc…
Focus
The PC is greatly promoted in status, showered with gifts, sycophant hound him night and day, all his wishes being catered too.
Strike
The PC is also expected to display great proficiency in the chosen artisan skill, enemies of his clan may try to prevent the “great fortune” from happening, often in violent ways, the sycophants may rob him of any relaxing time, rivals will be even more bitter, and his superiors won’t be all that patient about the time required to produce the great piece of craftsmanship.
Note: the "Item" may very well be simply a poem or a perfect display of the Tea Ceremony.
- The Playwright- Calligraphy
Challenge
A PC is commissioned to scribe the latest work of a known poet/playwright as a gift at the work’s premiere.
Focus
The work itself should be fairly easy, but halfway through the task the PC should realize the work is in fact a plagiarism of an old less known piece.
Strike The PC now has damning evidence on the NPC. How will he handle it?
Misc. CFS[edit]
- Filial Piety
Challenge
The Character’s father recalls him while preparing for retirement. At the end of the process he requests the character to be his second.
Focus
Killing one’s parent shouldn’t be an easy task, and having a lord killed by his heir may prove suspicious. How will the character handle this?
Strike
The father is suffering from a debilitating condition and wants to die on his own terms. He may leave a letter explaining the situation or testify to a magistrate before the fact. Alternatively his illness may be so debilitating he his no longer capable of performing the ceremony to the finish casting even more suspicion over his death.
- Missing Girls
Challenge
Young girls have been missing. The characters are tasked with the investigation.
Focus
One of the girls is found dead, the body abandoned in a marsh outside outside of town. A dirty cloth is found by the body. The dirt is plaster.
Strike
The killer is one of the many plasterers that work in the construction or renewal of buildings in town. He is a dangerous psychopath and the responsible for the disappearance (and death) of the missing young girls.
Additional hooks may include finding the dumpsites of the remaining victims.
- Security Risk
Challenge
The PCs are traveling through a province. On their path they come across several deserted villages, and the agricultural fields seem to be completely unatended.
Focus
Any encountered peasant should appear dejected and somewhat afraid. Samurai should be suspicious, but once the PCs give a valid reason to be crossing the province they will be warm and agreeable.
Strike
The province's peasantry had risen in revolt just before the arrival of the PCs. The rebellion was swiftly crushed and reconstruction is already restarting. However the province's lord does not want news of the rebellion to reach outside and may very well decide the PC's are a security risk. The PC's will find themselves alone in hostile territory. Maybe they can recruit the aid of the peasantry?
- The Trade
Challenge
As part of a political agreement two shugenja families decide to share a parcel of their libraries including some less sensible magical scrolls.
Focus
A shugenja PC is instructed to prepare a few copies of the scrolls to be delivered to the other family and to escort the texts to its destination, returning with the exchanged texts.
Strike
Carrying unciphered spell scrolls would be an invitation to have them stolen or distributed around, something that neither school wants to happen. The detail on how this will be handled is for the GM to decide, but the sensible solution would be having shugenja with the memorized spells write the scrolls at the destined library or have one of the families carry the ciphered spells to the other library, uncipher them, receive the new unciphered spells the other family prepared, cipher them, and return home (the solution with the most role-playing potential).
- Wings of the Bird, Fangs of the Beast
Challenge
The PCs are to winter at the remote village of Gōmori-Juku, famous for its Hot Water Springs, or they are caught by an early winter at the village on their way to their winter destination.
Focus
The village is occupied by bandits who use it as their winter hideout and intend to stay until the end of winter, or of the entertainment, whichever comes first. Depending on how large or agressive the party in your game is, you may want to have the bandits arrive after the PCs so that they can ambush them.
People at the village:
- 30-40 villagers. Mostly terrified of the bandits and merely interested on surviving.
- 20 bandits, most rank 1 insight with the Ronin school techniques but a few with clan techniques, including:
- Monnosuke (Bayushi bushi 2), a former Bayushi with a knack for throwing knives
- Shigarami (Akodo Bushi 4/Ronin Yojimbo), the best swordsman of the gang he functions as a yojimbo to the gang's leader.
- The Boss (Seppun Bushi), a dishonored Imperial, who while not very skilled martially, displayed enough cunning and leadership to unite a ragtag bunch of brigands into a dangerous bandit gang.
- Seven Strangers trapped like the PCs in the village:
- Genji, a runaway smuggler who is searched by his cartel for "losing" goods.
- O-Sen, a prostitute and thief. She is searching for a skilled, reliable warrior with a flexible sense of morality.
- Shōyohei, an itinerant merchant.
- Tekkan a wandering monk.
- Jirokichi, a pickpocket.
- Izawa, a former Kakita, who has come to Gōmori-Juku in the hope that the hot springs would alleviate his ill health. If the PCs think of enlisting his aid his bad health make him more of a liability than anything else, as he is tubercular.
- Rokuzuke, Izawa's servant.
Some events:
- The only safe exit out of Gōmori-Juku is a rope bridge which is guarded (or cut) by the bandits. The only other way to escape would be to navigate through the hot springs and vents, and then climb the cliffs on the other side without being detected by the bandits (Multiple Stealth and Athletics rolls, with possible Navigation rolls).
- Right after taking the village the bandits execute a peasant as an example to the remaining villagers.
- Monnosuke will have the urge to prove himself against any PC he feels to be a skilled warrior. Of course, if he finds himself on the losing end of a fight, he won’t fight fair, and if he dies his fellow bandits won’t be kind on the PC. Some fast-talking might be in order.
- Bandits not on guard duty get drunk, rowdy and don’t let anyone rest. On the other hand is not like bandits on guard duty are very conscious either so the PC may escape during the night.
Just be careful on how you use these events. Some of the above entries are quite unpleasant, so make sure your group can deal with them, and the situation maturely. Most players also like playing the hero, and don’t like feeling disempowered, so they may be spurred to action in order to stop any wrongdoing. If the GM doesn’t take that into account he may very well end up with either a TPK or a pretty little railroad.
Strike
The bandits intend to kill all strangers as a warning to the villagers and to prevent their actions from being known.
The PCs may decide to confront the bandits on their own, stealthily escape the village, enlist the aid of the villagers and strangers, challenge the bandit leader for a duel, and so on.
- Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
This CFS is meant to remind the players that the Shadowlands are not the only source of supernatural danger in the Empire, although the Big Bad can easily be reconverted into an Oni or Maho-Tsukai. The basic premise can also be changed so that the Big Bad is in fact a human killer, a wanted outlaw or any possible situation where someone could be impersonating a holy-man.
Challenge
While travelling on assignment for their Lord the PCs come upon a small village, for shelter from the weather or for rest. While suitably polite the villagers are obviously nervous and afraid, even more than usually expected when dealing with samurai.
Focus
If somehow convinced (through etiquette, intimidation or any other means the players come up with) to tell what is scaring them the villagers will talk about some kind of beast that stalks and kills them while working the fields. All attempts to capture or kill the beast have failed and they have simply become too afraid to even leave the village. The PCs now have the option to aid the village or continue on their way.
Strike 1
The beast is in fact a malicious shape-shifting (Bakeneko, Pekkle, anything that is not tainted) posing as the village’s monk. The monk should look as friendly and helpful as possible but, when praying, successful Theology roll should warn the PCs that something is not quite right. Maybe the verses are unusual, slightly wrong or the prayer is one inappropriate for the occasion this roll should not be easy in any way.
Remember that the creature is a patient stalker and unlikely to trying taking down a heavily armed and capable party unless it needs to, and even then it will only done so after carefully studying the PCs for any flaws and weaknesses.
If the players decide to leave the village to its fate, have them pass by in the return trip only to find a group of Emerald Magistrates puzzling over the deserted remains of the village
Strike 2
If the players decide to stay, they should, after some time and a few extra villagers killed, become aware that the monk is the only person to have been unaccounted for during every single attack.
Strike 3
The monster simply decides that the PCs should be rapidly dealt with. It will attack them at the earliest opportunity after making sure to know as much as possible of their weaknesses. For extra pain you may decide that while the players are in the village they stayed at the monk’s home.
