Mirumoto Kuro

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CFS by Advantage

• 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 Skill

• 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 obvious 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?

This CFS is fairly easy to alter.

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.

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Misc. CFS

• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.