Legend of the Burning Sands RPG - Kaze no Shiro

Legend of the Burning SandsCampaign Sourcebookfor use with the Legend of the Five Rings RPG (1 st edition)In the heart of this wasteland, this burning land, there was a city. Ah, but not just any city, but the mostbeautiful city in all the world; the Jewel of the Desert. It was a city built on the only river Lady Sun allowedto survive her Day of Wrath. Within this city, thousands of merchants barter over fruits, milk, silks and Ð ofcourse - life-giving water. It was a city where sorcerers sold their hearts for arcane power and thechildren of the smokeless fire that we call the jinn can be bound with a single word. It was a city whereshadows breathed and legends walked with men.Her name was Medinat al-Salaam, the City of Peace. But everyone called her the City of One ThousandStories.This is one of her stories

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingWritten by:Jason C MarshallFormatting:Stephen David WarkDisclaimer:LBS CCG Quotes and L5R RPG/CCG Quotesare all copyrighted to WOTC and AEG.All rights reserved on all trademarked materialby AEG and Wizards of the Coast. Thisdocument should not be sold, just used by fans tohelp add to the enjoyment of the game. Nodisrespect intended towards AEG or WOTC inany way shape or form. Just love the systemsand want to see them go on.ContentsThe Book of Sand.................3The history of the Burning Sands.Outlander's Guide...............................3Kingdoms..........................................10Factions.............................................13Cultural Elements.............................15The Book of Sea.................23Character creation in the Burning Sands.Character Creation............................23Character Concept............................24Character Sheet................................24Example of Character Creation........26Equipment........................................27Skills.................................................28Advantages/Disadvantages..............30Culture Sheets..................................30Schools.............................................31The Book of Flame.............63The armouries of the Burning Sands.Using the System.............................63Weapons..........................................63Armour............................................64Animals...........................................64The Book of Wind..............65The wild magic in the Burning Sands.Religion...........................................65Spellcasters......................................65Jinn..................................................66Spells...............................................69The Book of Ka.................76Creating your own world in the Burning Sands.Building Your Campaign................76Important People.............................77Enchanted Items..............................88Avatars and Prophets.......................88Creatures..........................................882Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBOOK ONE: THE BOOK OF SANDAn Outlander's Guideto the Burning SandsWhat follows is a basic outline of The BurningSands history, culture and socio-politicalstructure. The history is told in a narrative formto give you an idea of how the people of theBurning Sands view their past.The First Age: CreationIn the beginning, there was only the Sun, theMoon and their children, the stars. They werealone, boundless within infinite space. This wasthe First Age of the World, and little of it can becomprehended by us. Eventually, they createdthe Jinn, who were the first to walk this place.The Jinn were powerful, akin to godsthemselves, and even after they created others tolive within the world with them, they remainedthe most favoured children of Shilah and Kaleel,the Sun and Moon. Then, over a thousand yearsago, the world was a verdant, lush place, withgreat seas and mountain ranges and forests as faras one could travel. The Jinn and their creations– the Ashalan and humanity – rejoiced in theirnewfound paradise.The Second Age: The FirstJinn WarThe Second Age was to be granted to the Jinn, sothat the gods would be able to retire back to theirhomes beyond the sky. The Jinn were offeredgreat power, and tutored in its use. They were tobe the gods of a new dawn. But somethingterrible occurred; many of the Jinn were notbenevolent beings. Seizing the free will theircreators had blessed them with, several of themost powerful Jinn, including their Champion,who had taken the name of the Moon, staged acoup against the gods. The Jinn Kaleel and hisfive brothers lashed out with their new strength,together toppling the Moon and casting him intoan eternity of quiet slumber.Other Jinn responded in kind. Striking withoutwarning, a horde of them invaded the night sky,dousing thousands of stars and capturing the rest.Together, the Jinn imprisoned the eveningheavens, quickly becoming more than a matchfor the few who would stop them. With thedawn, Shilah arrived to behold their crimes, andwas horrified by what her beloved creations hadbecome. In an instant, the shambling hordes of anew Kaleel descended upon her, trapping theSun within a prison built of their awful face. Cutoff from all that she had envisioned, and thinkingher cherished family dead or destroyed, shequickly fell into madness, loosing her own powerfor the eager Jinn to collect. Within one cycle,Kaleel and his Legion had captured the world.Soon, they embarked on a campaign of terror,reducing their own creations to subjects orslaves, or consuming them whole in a lustfulrampage of destruction…There were a few that opposed them, however.Ashalan and human were forced to work togetherfor the first time in history against a common foe– their own progenitors – with all creation atstake. Weapons were conceived and forged tofight the new menace, but few were effective,and countless lives were lost. At first, it seemedas if the Jinn were unstoppable, that the new Agereally would be theirs to corrupt until nothingwas left of the original vision of the Sun andMoon…But twelve Ashalan refused to submit to the willof the Jinn. They conspired in secret, workingwith the most skilled humans to devise a way tofight back. Together, they discovered the secretof sandsmithing, and constructed swords madeof crysteel, which could cut through theinsubstantial bodies of the Jinn like flesh.Eventually, a human named Hakhim, aided byLammassar, Katani, and others, stumbled upon afabulous magic – a sigil made of light and smokethat formed a map of all known magic. Lockedwithin its myriad revolving icons were the keysto understanding the nature of the Jinn and thegods that had created them. Hakhim’s Sealbecame the focus of a new direction for thestruggle.The Seal also offered two new and startlingrevelations about the current war. First, itillustrated, in bold and amazing spectacle, howthe efforts of the Jinn would eventually spreadbeyond our own lands, consuming everythinguntil they were the only powers left, replacing3Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingdeities of a lost age. Shilah, the sleeping Kaleel,their children in the night sky – all would perishso that the Jinn could revel in their self-deprivingpower. Second, the Seal offered a way to contactShilah directly, to pierce through the wall of Jinnthat murmured deceitfully in her ear each day,and opened her clenched eyes to the terrible truthof her creations’ design.The humans only sought a new ally in their fightagainst the Jinn, a way to end the awfulcataclysm approaching. They never anticipatedthat their actions would urge it forward.Awakened from her lunacy, Shilah witnessed theJinn through the veracity of the Seal, and –calling upon all the power keeping her sane –lashed out across the beautiful terrain she hadbrought into being. In one climactic moment, theworld dissolved around the Jinn, Ashalan, andhumans. Magic touched by her wrath wasconsumed to add to the destruction, ripped awayfrom those who would carelessly use it for theirown selfish desire. Minor beings – Jinnsubsisting upon the land and within the air, andAshalan both young and weak – were obliteratedin a flash of Shilah’s grace. Those who thrivedfrom magic and lived were forced out of Shilah’ssight: the Ashalan fled into the earth, and the lastthousand Jinn bound themselves into servicewith the humans or fled beyond the boundariesof our world.Kaleel and his brothers, saved by the powerstolen from the slumbering Moon, were severelyweakened during the Day of Wrath. Theyattempted to escape but were hunted down bythose whom they had tried to enslave, theircitadel grounded and buried beneath the sands.With precious little strength left, they fell into along sleep – like their father had before them –not to be seen again for hundreds of years. Intime, the Young Races, who are eternallyoptimistic in their nature, assumed the Adversaryand his brethren to be destroyed. One brother,Israk, refused to accept that Kaleel was dead andventured into the Blighted Realms to find him.The First Jinn War was over.The Third Age: TheSurvivorsThe survivors of Lady Sun's wrath wandered thebarren lands for many days. Groups wanderedoutwards seeking lands that would support them,desperately looking for water and farmable land.Many died as they wandered the land of sand andsun.One group wandered inland, confidant that theywould find salvation, that all the fertile land hadnot destroyed. They indeed found fertile land, onthe banks of a massive deep river that flowedfrom east to west. On the banks of this river thetribe build their first city, calling it Senpet, inhonour of their leader who had brought themhere.Yet another group wandered northwest till theycame across a fertile river delta, a part of thesame might river that the fledgling SenpetEmpire had found. Here they built their villagesand set their farmlands. They tamed the camelsand horses they found there and thanked Fate fordelivering them to this place of peace.A Time of Growth: theGolden AgeThe Tribes of Senpet faired well, their citiesgrowing in size and splendour. Huge pyramidsbegan to dot the landscape of the Senpet cities,marking the tombs of their dead priest-kings.The Senpet also traded with the tribes to thewest. The Senpet possessed incredible artistswho created some the Burning Sands mostdazzling paintings, jewellery, and pottery. Theyare also accredited with creating the first form ofwriting within the cultures of the Burning Sands.Their hieroglyphic writing was adopted by themore learned of the other cultures in order torecord histories, legends, and importantdocuments. Many tribal wise men traveled to thecities of the Senpet to learn the arts of writing.The tribes to the west were perhaps the mostprosperous of the cultures of the Burning Sands.Ruled by person know as the Sultan, theSultanate cities grew incredible fast. The entiredelta was taken under their control. Dozens ofvillages had grown up over the delta, with keepsprotecting them. The capital itself grew in leapsand bounds. Nick-named the City of OneThousand Stories, Medinat al-Salaam becamethe focal point of all trade for the Burning Sands.Ships from the lands of the Senpet regularlydocked on its’ river port. Trade caravansroutinely entered and left the massive gates ofthe merchant quarters, bringing horses, furs andcopper, and taking back worked goods. The rulerof Medinat al-Salaam, the Sultan, declared hiscity the brightest gem in the Burning Sands and4Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingthat all were welcome to trade, negotiate, andlive.It was during this period of growth, that a groupof peaceful soothsayers and their families wereexiled from Medinat al-Salaam. The exact reasonfor this exile was because the leader of thegroup, a person known as the Grey Woman, sawthe current Sultan's son kill his father and family.She cursed him with immortality and theinability to ever use a weapon again. In revengehe had her and her family exiled. He blamed thedeaths on the exiles and circulated it throughoutthe cities of the Sultanate and Senpet empires.Thus, no one would accept them in any city,seeing them as murderers and renegades. Theyleft in large caravans, heading south into thedeep desert.It was also at this time that ships from a land tothe distant west arrived, stating that they werethe ambassadors of the Ivory Kingdoms. Thediplomats presented the Sultan with works ofivory and volcanic glass that appealed to themost greedy. Trade negotiations were openedimmediately.The now immortal Sultan, pleased with theapparent success of his city and its merchants,declared it a golden age.The Fall of the Dark GodIt was but 50 years later that the immortal Sultanvanished into the miles of secret passages androoms of the palace and city. His cousin took thethrone and became ruler. Perhaps as an omen tohis disappearance a star appeared in the sky,naked to the human eye even during the daywhen Lady Sun blazed in the heavens.Senpet priests immediately declared it the lightof Rha, their prime deity while the Sultan'spriests and wise women declared the star awarning that darkness was coming.Shortly after its appearance cults of deathemerged, prophesizing doom and the coming ofdarkness and a new age of power.In the sixth month of the stars’ life the night wasbrought as bright as day as the star expanded andthen vanished. A rumble was heard from thedeep desert and the ground shook as if theancient gods suddenly walked again. Hundredsdied that night, some sacrificing themselves totheir cults of death, others from fright andunknown causes. In the months that followed allseemed to return to normal, even though the5Legend of the Five Rings Fan Bookprophets foretold of a Darkness that now walkedthe sands.The Vengeful SandsIt began almost trivially. The Senpet were thefirst to notice it, as the desert seemed to moveinwards on their cities and croplands. It was ifthe desert seemed to now be alive with a life ofits own, as if what ever had fallen from theheavens had imbued it with a dark, malignantforce.Then came the prophet known as the ShadowedOne. A man of unknown origin he wandered inout of the desert claiming to be the voice of theFallen God. He proclaimed that the Fallen Godwas the true creator of the people of the BurningSands, not the Jinn as legend told. He proclaimedthat the reason Lady Sun seared the land andheld back the soothing rays of Lord Moon wasbecause she was jealous of the Fallen God andwanted to destroy his children.Many cities exiled him, but support for histeachings did occur. Small pockets of followersattempted to take control of cities and towns andfor a time seemed to be gaining strength. Senpetand Sultanate towns became dedicated to theword of the Shadowed One.The respective rulers of the two kingdomsdeclared war on the followers of the ShadowedOne and over the following months the followerswere routed out and butchered. Entire villageswere flattened. It was during this crusade thatarmies of the Senpet ran across their first darksorcerer. A small town of followers wasdiscovered and its populace put to the sword.When it came to the destruction of their chiefpriest they found that he wielded incrediblemagics. Sword strokes bounced off him. Firecouldn’t burn him. The priest screamed of thepower of the Dark God. He taunted the Senpetlegions and fled into the deep desert.The rulers of the two kingdoms were noticeableshocked and disturbed by this discovery and setabout discovering all they could about this DarkGod.It was at also at this time that a group callingitself the Ujik-hai became known to the Empireof the Senpet and the Sultanate. Fierce nomads,descended from the outcast soothsayers, thesepeople rode mighty horse and raided many of thecaravans of the two empires. They quicklybecame a force to be contended with, earning the

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingenmity of the Senpet and the grudging respect ofthe Sultanate.The Fourth Age: theJourney of the Ki-RinThey came from across the Southern Mountainsfifty years after the beginning of the Fourth Age.They wore strange armour, spoke a tongue nonecould understand, flew a flag of a horned horse,and didn't seem to understand the way of thedesert.The Ujik-hai came down out of the steppes, leadby a young woman know as Martazera, andengaged these strange people. Several battlesoccurred till the leader of the strangers cameforth to do battle. Dozens of people died by theleader's hand alone and the Ujik-hai fell backfearful of the power of the strangers. Over thecourse of the next weeks, several Ujik-haijourneyed to the strangers in order to make peaceand teach them the ways of the desert andsteppes. They learned that the strangers calledthemselves the clan of the Ki-Rin and hailedfrom a distant land called Rokugan, far to thesouth beyond the Great Barrier Mountains.The Darkness GrowsTime passed almost uneventfully. A fewassassinations within Medinat al-Salaamoccurred, perpetrated by a group known simplyas the Assassins. Lead by a person know as theOld Man of the Mountain, who in reality was theimmortal ex-sultan, the assassins would becomeone of the dark tales of the great city.The Senpet cities were still slowly beingdevoured by the desert and its people journeyingto Medinat al-Salaam to start new lives awayfrom the ever encroaching sands.Several scouts reported that large hostilecreatures had been spotted in desert, preying oncaravans, small groups of travellers and tribes ofnomads. Named giants because of their immensesize, these vile creatures seemed to take pleasurein pain and torture and it was rumoured that theyhad a dark city deep in the desert where theykept hundreds of slaves for mining silver andcopper, as well as to entertainment them and feedthem.Within the cities of the Sultanate another evilreared its ugly head. Deep in the sewers andruins of sunken cisterns and ancient passagewayscame a race known as Ghuls. They fed on flesh,fresh or dead, finding it wherever they could.Some crept up into the city looking for livebodies to take, especially children.The clan of the Ki-Rin stayed with the Ujik-haifor nearly a hundred years, teaching them theirways while learning of the desert. When theydecided to leave they traveled further west,taking with them the blessings and warnings ofthe Ujik-hai, as well as a large number oftribesmen who had joined their clan and formeda new family within it called the Moto.The remaining Ujik-hai split into two factions.The more militant, the Moto, continued their lifeas raiders, striking at caravans from hidden oasis.The second, peaceful faction took the name ofRa'Shari and wandered into the deep desert,becoming nomads, traders, storytellers andkeepers of the amassed knowledge of history.The Coming of the DarkGodThe Dark God finally made his presence knownto the Burning Sands by sending out a vast armyof evil creatures. Giants, Ghuls, skeletons,mummies and other things terrible to behold laysiege to the cities of the Burning Sands.Hundreds died and were enslaved. Even with thecombined armies of the Senpet and Sultanate andthe tribes of the Moto forged into a singlefighting force, the minions of the Dark God weresteadily reaching out to claim all.It was as the inner cities were starting to fall thata man called Mekhem appeared out of nowhereproclaiming that he could stop the Dark God andhis forces. He walked out onto the battlefield andinto the army of the Dark God. He calmlydeclared that he would face the Dark God on hisown ground and defeat him there. The general ofthe army laughed and took the man to the DarkGod.The people of the cities shook their heads,knowing that the man was destined for agruesome and horrible death at the hands of theDark God. They took hope, though, from theman's courage and in some outer areas, the man'ssacrifice bred faith in the human spirit.As the forces of the Dark God pressed theirattack a new fever ran through the human armies.Bolstered by the sacrifice of one man for thegreater good, they surged forward to destroy6Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingtheir foe, even though the battle seemed fated tobe lost.The Journey of the ProphetMekhemNo one is sure what the man who became knowas the Prophet experienced on his journey intothe heart of the Dark God's forces. One legendtold tells of a journey of pain and suffering thathe endured till finally he reached the Dark God'scastle. Here he endured all the tortures of theDark God till finally the Evil One let him goimpressed that man had such spirit.Another legend tells of a long journey throughstrange places, each with a riddle that had to besolved. As he answered each, another piece ofthe Dark God's power was destroyed till finallyhe sealed the Dark One within his own fortressdeep in the desert.What really happened has been a contentionamong the enlightened Priests of the Prophet foruntold decades and will probably continue to beso for many more. Only two men in all theBurning Sands know the truth. The head of theFaith of the Prophet and the Prophet Mekhemhimself.The Prophet was from a distant land known asTheah. There he’d been heralded as the head oftheir religion, a messenger of their God, Theus.But he soon realized that his presence there wascausing confusion and dissention among noblesand religious groups and so he left, journeying toa land he’d only heard of in legends, in order tobring the Word of Theus to what he believed wasa godless place. What he found were a proudpeople who were both civilized and fiercelyindependent. He brought Gods’ word, but in thebeginning none would listen. When the DarkGod attacked he recognized it as Legion, theDark One of his religion and took it uponhimself to go forth and destroy its presence onthis earth. His trip was long, stretching across thedesert dunes into the heart of the Great DuneSea. Here they came across a massive crater,surrounded by mountains and three volcanoes.Smoke drifted from the tops of these greatmounts, and the future Prophet shivered as hefelt the dark cold emanating from the place.The Darkness RevealedWithin the great crater lay a massive citadel,carved of ebony stone and black volcanic glass.7Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookCreatures of darkness wandered the plains of thecrater and fell flying beasts nested in its walls.He passed into the citadel and soon stood in thethrone room of the Dark God.He confronted the high priest of the Dark Godand brought forth the power and truth of Theus.It is said that the light could be seen from allaround and when it was gone all that remainedwas a ruined castle in which lay a massive stoneof ebon with Mekhem standing before it.He stepped closer and within its depths he couldsee something sleeping. Something dark.Something powerful.Nodding, Mekhem knew that he’d only managedto trap the essence of Legion in the stone and itwould need to be protected by the strong ofheart, soul and mind. He sent word home andoutwards to the lands of the Burning Sands forpeople to come and assist him.Dozens paid heed to the call of Mekhem, takingthe Ritual of the Ebon Stone, becomingprotectors of the Ebon Stone, the most persistentof these were the men and women who onceserved the Dark God, held under its sway by thepower they’d unleashed when they started toworship it. The proclaimed that they and theirdescendants would cleanse the world of evil asrepayment for their crimes.Mekhem himself wandered the lands of theBurning Sands for many years before finallyreturning to the Ebonite Stronghold and,according to Ebonite legend, ascending toheaven.Among the people of the Burning Sands,especially those of the Sultanate, Moto, andRa'Shari, Mekhem was a holy figure whospawned an entire religion. A religion followedas fiercely now as it was then.The Return of the Ki-RinTwo hundreds years had passed since the day theClan of the Ki-Rin had left the Ujik-hai.For all that time the descendants know as theMoto have been waiting for their return. TheWhite Guard were the first to see the darkness onthe horizon, hear the sounds of screams on thewind and see the evil slowly rise from theground. The darkness of the Shadowlands slowlymade its way across the mountains to assault theBurning Sands as Fu-leng, the Dark Kami madehis bid for power and control. It was the Day of

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThunder, as seven heroes made their way into thedark lands of Fu-leng to destroy his power. Theundead, demons and fell things of theShadowlands attacked the White Guard of theMoto with ferocity matched only by the WhiteGuard's own tenacity and combat skill. Days ofcat and mouse games in the deserts and mountainpasses eventually saw the retreat of theShadowlands forces. Shinjo herself thenreappeared with the Unicorn, the descendants ofthe Ki-Rin. They fought alongside the WhiteGuard Moto in the final battle, a battle in whichShinjo lost her weapon and then vanished, sayingthat she would return.The Khan of the Moto took up the sword and hascarried it since then, passing it to his son and soforth through the ages.The Birth of the TyrantThe child that would grow up to rule the city ofMedinaat al-Salaam with an iron fist wasinitially quite benign, her worst traits a touch ofthe dangerously curious and a healthy fear ofdeath. These two pre-eminent facets of herpersonality would dominate her actionsthroughout her adolescence, and would - throughthe malignant warping of the Senpet Book of theDead - form the foundation for her mindset intothe present day.Soon after her discovery of the Book, her fatherwas murdered in the Residential Quarter of thecity, left to bleed to death. The girl was"adopted" by the Merchant King that hademployed her father, the estate she had lived inher whole life absorbed into his holdings. Herworks of art were sold off at auction, and she issaid to have wept a week for each lost memory.The King was a stern guardian, protective andsheltering. He refused to allow her the time shehad always enjoyed alone, forcing her to studythe arts of refinement and courtship instead.He told her that she would make a fine wife oneday, and that she would fetch a handsome priceat market.She hated him. She despised him for every harshword he said about her dead father, for everyloose comment he made about her, and for theone time he ever mentioned her mother.She was eighteen, and had been secretly learningthe language of the Senpet from one of theservants that had raised her as a child. He hadcome to her room every night to tutor her, oftenuntil well after dawn. Soon, they wereconversing, and soon after that, she was readingfrom the Book, the only item she had managed tohide form the vile Merchant King's greed.It contained many discourses on the nature ofwhat comes after the end of life. Where you go,what you do, who you meet, and how your finalfate is determined. She feverishly read everyword as if it had come from the mouth of LadySun Herself, though she knew that statementsthis true could never have come from Her. No,Lady Sun did not cherish truth. She knew thatnow. Lady Sun valued deception, drenched in thejuice of sweet olives.More revelations followed. She found that deathwas not such an honourable, or even desirable,thing. Those that died passed on into a dark landof judgement and arbitrary punishment by tenthousand gods that warred with one anotherendlessly, needlessly. There, you were only onesmall soul, a tool to be used by other, terrifyingbeings of immense power and angrydispositions.As she read, she found herself immersed in theworld of Enala, the dark afterlife that she hadbeen taught to believe was where evil people goafter death. But it was twisted by the foreigncosmology of the Book of the Dead, recreated asan alien hell where nothing human matteredanymore.Yet there was something she could do about it.And on a night only days before she would havebeen auctioned, she struck. The Merchant wasberating her in her chambers after she had"impudently" referred to one of his associates asa "revolting, boil-ridden ghul"."How dare you!" he screamed. "What role doyou think you play here?" His face loomed tooclosely to hers, sweat gleaming from his browand in-between the rolls of fat on his neck."You... are property. To be sold like so muchmeat."She fingered a knife her servant-friend had givenher one night after the Merchant had beaten her.Hidden behind the curtain she was pressedagainst, she could draw it with only a singlemoment's regard."In one week," the fat Merchant continued, "youwill belong to someone else. Why, I'm halfinclined to *give* you to our mutual friend, the'ghul'. Perhaps he would be motivated to teachyou some manners...8Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting"...or at least derive some small pleasure beforetossing you into the river."He raised his hand and began to twirl a lock ofher hair in-between his chubby fingers. "Sobeautiful, and yet so grandly impudent... just likeyour mother...""What would you know of my mother, cow?"She cursed at him."More than you would think... slave." He smiledand blinked irreverently. "Who do you think soldher to your father?"With a maniacal scream of anguish, she lungedforward, imbedding the knife into his sternum.She could feel his ribcage collapse beneath heras they toppled over, and she jerked the knifefree and stabbed him again. And again. Andagain, until there were no more hateful words leftupon his lips, or more struggle from hiscorpulent body. Working quickly, she rippedopen his tunic and began carving. It took longerthan she would have expected to dig out theswollen organ, and when she lifted it before her,her impression was of a huge, rottenpomegranate.Looking across the room at the location of herhidden tome, she laughed. With his heart and alittle effort, she would be able to mold Enala intowhatever he feared the most. And while hisanguish within this personal hell would beimmeasurable, he was only the first of many,many more...It is said that the Senpet Book of the Dead is awellspring for the human mind - that it containsnot only historical and philosophical notes of theglory of the Senpet Empire (spanning back some800 - 1500 years), and a plethora of magical andmetaphysical knowledge, but also anindeterminate element that allows its contents tobe "adopted" by the reader, allowing him or herto form new concepts and create new effectswith every read. The concept of a "living book"has largely been disputed, however, by those notwithin the astrological or mathematical fields.Yet a great many sahir and Senpet Thinkers stillbelieve. Regardless, the future Tyrant managedto take something away from the experience ofreading the Book, and forge it into the Ceremonyof the Hidden Heart, which has allowed her tocreate many undead thralls from the remains ofher enemies. She named them Khadi, whichtranslates as "servants", or "slaves". Since thatday, she has managed to create dozens of them,with hundreds more being slaughtered along theway.The Shadow of the TyrantRuled by a benevolent family of nobles, wholived in a grand palace carved from the earthitself, Medinaat al-Salaam had been at peace forjust over 200 years. The Sultan and his familywere even-handed, and kind, having realised themistakes of the past, and how to correct them.They had bright eyes for the future.But something changed with the arrival of theTyrant and her corps of Khadi. The Tyrant tookthe title of Caliph and it was rumoured that thePrince himself courted her. But disaster struck,when the Prince murdered his own father. TheCaliph had him executed as an example.A new Sultan was appointed, recommendedpersonally by the Caliph. He governed as best hecould, but many claimed he was nothing morethan a figurehead and that the Caliph was the onetrue voice of law in the city. The loudest of thesesoon followed the Prince, however, and thosethat remained came to think twice beforespeaking against the Caliph when their wordscould be repeated, or remembered.Not very long after that, the Khadi beganpolicing the streets as enforcers of the Sultan'slaw. Again, those that complained mysteriouslydisappeared, leaving no one with the will tooppose them.Legends, Alliances, andPlotsFor three hundred years did the Caliph rule frombehind the scenes, making sure that she remainedin power. She sired several children who becameprominent businessmen and nobles of the smallercities that surrounded Medinat al-Salaam.It was early in her reign when the Ashalan werespotted once again. An ancient race from the 1stAge, it became rumoured that the Ashalan had amassive city deep in the depths of the earth underthe City of One Thousand Stories itself. Arumour led credence by the number of Ashalanspotted in the following years. All of themseemed to be hunting for something or someone.Those who talked with the strange creaturestended to walked away confused and not alltogether the same anymore.9Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThis was also the period that the Qabal wasformed as a rebellious order of sahir whoopposed the Caliph and her slave-sorcerers, thekhadi. These Qabal took aide from the variousmerchant princes, know collectively as theHouse of Dahab, in order to further their cause oftaking down the Caliph. The Houses of Dahab,followed a rather different line of thoughtthough. The Houses had long been the home ofan ancient society known as the Qolat. Bent onthe destruction of all sorcerous powers and suchso that mortal man could live and decide uponhis own destiny instead of having various deificpowers make the choice for him, the Housesplotted against all beings of such power, andnothing delighted them more that putting onesorcerous group against another.To combat this new rebellious faction of sahirand merchants, the Caliph made a bittersweetalliance with the Senpet Empire. In return for theright to move massive parts of their population tothe city, they would provide guards for theCaliph. Guards to patrol the city and deal withthe unwelcome elements.TodayAnd so it has been for three hundred more years.The Caliph and her heartless mages never getany older, and no one is bold enough to questionwhy. Sultans have come and gone, yet alwaysthey seem amenable to the Caliph's wishes.Trade and alliances with those outside the cityhas, until recently, dwindled, leaving no newblood to challenge the old.Raiders, pirates, and other outsiders have alwaysplagued the city, and little has ever been done tostop them. But recently, it would seem that theCaliph has taken an interest in foreign affairs.Last year, a large army of well trained men andwomen entered the burning sands from the north.Known as the Yodatai, they are perhaps thestrongest military faction to enter the BurningSands since the time of the Ki-Rin. TheseYodatai have conquered small towns here andthere and even sent two of their legions to campoutside the City of Stories itself, trading foreignsteel and silver for water and food. The Caliphhas made negotiations with these foreigners, butthe extent of the agreements is unknown.Open trade agreements with the various IvoryKingdoms has finally begun to bring wealth backto the city, in the form of both water and materialtreasure such as gold, and silver.Meanwhile, the Caliph, perhaps afraid that otherswould learn enough to challenge her necromanticarmy, has made several curious (and oddly open)orders. All of the libraries in the city have beenshut down, and most burned to the ground. Nopractitioners of magic outside her own Khadi arelegally allowed within city limits. And tithes arerising at an unprecedented rate, including notonly copper dinari but water, a far more valuableresource in these perilous days.All this has done little to prevent visitors frombringing books and sahir into the city. SenpetAstrologers and Moto Traders smuggleinformation and items from beyond city limitsevery day, much of which falls into the hands ofa growing number of people unhappy with theCaliph's totalitarian rule. The renegade sahir ofthe Qabal hide in corners and back rooms,summoning Jinn and casting spells to aid thecause, but many wonder if they are insteadushering in magical annihilation and notrevolution.The resistance to the Caliph and her inhumansoldiers is growing. The city is tiring of the yoke.Soon, it will rise up in force to stand against heroppressive control. Every day, new heroes arebeing born - in the stables of persecution, underthe wing of abusive guidance, and in the hollowhalls of autocracy. Their lives will decide the fateof the world, for a growing feeling of change ishappening, and all can feel it.Kingdoms of theBurning SandsAshalanFor a thousand years they have remained hiddenfrom the other cultures of the Burning Sands.Only in the last few decades have the enigmaticrace know as the Ashalan come back into thepublic eye.The average Ashalan is a tall man or womanwith pale skin though which show luminescentveins of blue. As they use their magical powers,the veins glow.Ashalan are said to live in a city deep in thedepths of the earth under Medinat al-Salaam.This fabled city, known as the City of the SevenStars houses the last of the Ashalan, as the resthave been killed and lost to time.10Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingAshalan are said to be searching the lands ofBurning Sand for four artifacts of great power,holdovers from the 1st Age. It is said that theseartifacts will help guide them to a noble futurewhere they no longer have to hide from the wrathof LadyIvory KingdomsFar to the west lie a ridge of tall mountains, andbeyond them is a lush land of jungles, savannahs,and grasslands. This is the home of the IvoryKingdoms, a loose collection of lands each ruledby a Maharajah, the equivalent of a king orprince. The Ivory Kingdoms frequently bickerwith each other over territory, resources andpeople. While over all they are a peaceful land,the occasional war has flowed across their landsin the past.Within the Ivory Kingdoms exists a secret cult ofdeath know as the Thuggee. Worshipers of theGoddess Kali, they seek to bring about heremergence through what they term holy work.This holy work is simply the strangulation of avictim. In their homelands they are persecutedand have almost been wiped out. In response tothis they summoned an avatar of their Goddess,called Kali-ma, and with it at their head, left theIvory Kingdoms and came to the Burning Sands.Many village oases have felt the power of theKali-ma and its followers, and many of the cultare within the City of One Thousand Stories,practicing their art and waiting for the arrival oftheir Goddess.The Sultanate hosts dozens of trade ships fromthe Ivory Kingdoms each day, as they bring inivory, volcanic glass, exotic foods and slaves,and taking back copper and silver. The variouskingdoms see the Burning Sands as a useful ally.Moto, Ra'Shari, and UjikhaiAcross the arid wastes of the Burning Sands liedozens of oases. Each of these can sustain lifefor years and years. Stories and legends aboundof several massive hidden oasis fed valleys. It isin these valleys that the lands are windsweptplains with rocky outcroppings and windingshallow rivers. Flora and fauna flourishes acrossthese temperate valley floors. It was here thepeople known as the Ujik-hai first came andflourished.The Ujik-hai were a simple people, content withlife in their hidden oasis. When the clan of theKi-Rin arrived they adopted many of their ways.After the Ki-Rin left, two factions rose to contentwith each other. The militant Moto and thebenign Ra'Shari. A man known as a Khan, apowerful warrior who commanded absoluteloyalty of his followers, ruled the Moto. Hedecided that the Moto would raid the deserts forwhat was needed. That the oasis would providethem with a home hidden from the others andthat they would repay the "kindness" shown tothem in the past with their lightning raids andattacks. The Ra’Shari are perhaps one of themost benign cultures of the Burning Sands. Theyfound the idea abhorrent and so left theirbrethren and journeyed out into the deep desert.Since then the tales of Ra’Shari trade caravansand their leader, an enigmatic old woman knowalways as the Grey Woman, have stretchedacross the lands of sun and sand.For the Moto, life became drastically similar tothat of the Rokugani clan that molded them. Astime passed they split into two factionsthemselves, each dedicated to a different duty.The Moto themselves raided the caravans of anywho would travel the sands, even their oncebrothers the Ra’Shari. Operating out of hiddenoases, the Moto strike fast and hard, vanishinginto the sands as quickly as they appear. Theytake no prisoners and leave no survivors.Each Moto oasis is governed by man called a tar-Khan, a powerful warrior of the ruling familywho are descended from the original Ki-Rin. TheKhan listens to his tar-Khans intently, knowingthat they are his ears and eyes to the people andthe land.Unlike Rokugan, there is no separate warriorcaste among the Moto. Anyone who owns aweapon can join the warrior caste and fight.The second group are know as the White Guard,and it is they who stand the borders betweenRokugan and the Ivory Kingdoms, watching fortravelers from either empire entering the BurningSands. The White Guard and the Moto havesporadic contact at best and the White Guard arecloser to being like their Rokugani cousins thanthe Moto are.The Ra’Shari are a nomadic people, wanderingthe deserts with their caravans. They are said toknow the location of all the oases in the BurningSands, as well as all the ruins of the First andSecond Age. It is also said that they are the11Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingchroniclers of the history of the Burning Sands,remembering and writing down everything thathas, is and will transpire. Ra’Shari soothsayersare eagerly sought after by many in the culturesof the Burning Sands.The Ra’Shari travel in large extended familycaravans. Trading with small towns as they trekfrom location to location. Each caravan is ruledover by the eldest woman and all the Ra’Shariare ruled by the enigmatic Grey Woman, eldestof the eldest.SenpetWhere the red flag with black scarab flies, onefinds the Senpet. One of the ancient humancultures, the Senpet are a hardy people with aculture that seems similar to that of Rokugan’sfrom the exterior.The Senpet are broken into a caste structure thatis very similar to that of Rokugan. Above all isthe Pharaoh. He in turn has a royal family.Various noble families also exist, ruling thesmall cities, towns and villages. Next in thepecking order are the Sun Priests and DeathPriests. Considered second to the nobles givesthem great power over the people. Then comesof warrior caste, which is comprised of two lots.The cavalry and charioteers, who are the sons ofthe nobles, and the common foot soldiers, whoare peasants who have joined to better their livesand that of their families. The peasants are on thebottom of the ladder and as such do all the labourneeded.This is where the similarities end though.In the Senpet lands a peasant is actually beneathnotice and can be killed just to amuse a lord orlady. Unlike Rokugan, where such acts would bedeemed un-samurai like and could offend certainlord, in the Senpet lands this is not so. Entirevillages have been wiped out just in order tobetter the training of a noble's personal army.The only saving grace of this practice is that theSenpet seem to have an abundance ofcommoners within their cities.Typical commoner families can easily have eightto twelve children and parents frequently selltheir youngest children to nobles for slavelabour.Slavery exists in the Senpet civilization. Slavestend to be criminals, captured nomads as well asanyone else that is deemed unneeded in thegreater scheme of things. Slaves are treated12Legend of the Five Rings Fan Bookworse than the Rokugani era, often dying ofexposure, lack of food and over exertion whileworking.SultanateMedinat al-Salaam, the City of One ThousandStories, the Jewel of the Desert. This is the homeof the Sultanate. Though the city is the largest ofSultanate’s holdings, it is not the only one, as theriver delta to the east and west of the city isunder the rule of the Sultan and the Caliph aswell. The largest of all the cities in the BurningSands, easily three times the size of the Senpetcapitol and twice that of Otosan-uchi, capitol ofthe Empire of Rokugan, Medinat al-Salaam sitsastride a massive river that connects it to theother cultures of the Burning Sands.The people of the Sultanate are ruled by a figureknown as a Sultan. This is only position ofpower that can be held by a woman within theSultanate culture. Though rare, Sultanas haveruled the lands on occasion. Beneath the Sultanis Caliph, but most know that the Caliph is thereal power behind the throne. After her are theKhadi, the nobility, and clergy, then themerchants and landowners and finally thepeasants on the bottom. Slaves also exits, but areconsidered good only for manual labour, arenafighting and, in the case of young women, toys.Of interest is the group known as the Assassins.They have been cursed, and the curse affectsevery male member of the family. A curse thatprevents them from being able to hold a blade.As such, the inconceivable has occurred. Thewomen have taken the role of assassin, andlearned the arts of death, donning the black robesand taking up the ancient knives of vengeance,following the schemes of generations to returntheir tribe once more to their rightful place in thesun. This is of course inconceivable to the menof the Sultanate, as their society really doesn'thave a place for women except in the place ofchild bearers and keepers of the homes.YodataiThey arrived barely a decade ago, a vast army onthe northern edge of the Sands. Well equippedand heavily armed, they marched across thesands, conquering town after town. Each one wasgiven a simple choice. Live as citizens of theYodatai Empire, or flee into the desert. Thosetowns that fled found their towns turning intoencampments and used as staging points for the

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingarmies of the Yodatai. Those villages thatacquiesced were left largely to themselves.The Yodatai hail form a continent to the Northknown as Theah. They are the remnants of anancient faction who split from the rest of theiroriginal empire in order to strike out on theirown.While their cousins have evolved in the regardsof culture, learning and magic, the Yodataistayed stagnant, keeping what worked as theirstatus quo. Today they would be seen asbarbarians at best in the civilized nations ofTheah.While envoys of the Yodatai have reached theSultanate and Senpet, most are simply requestsfor surrender. The various cultures of the Sands,while recognizing the might of the Yodatai army,ignore these requests.Of note, though is that members of the Yodataiarmy have been spotted in Medinat al-Salaam oflate. Evidently the Caliph and Sultan haveallowed the General of the Yodatai and a legionof his army into the city as "guests".Factions of theBurning SandsThere are other factions operating within theBurning Sands, each worth being mentioned.While not actual cultures, they none the less haveincredible impact on the society of the BurningSands.AssassinsDeep in the walls of the City of One ThousandStories lie many different secrets. The most direand dark of all of them are the Assassins.Descendants of the cursed Sultan of so manyhundreds of years ago and lead by that very manhimself, immortal due to the curse, the Assassinsare some of the most skilled killers in theBurning Sands.The one thing that marks the Assassins is thenumber of women who wield blades within itsranks. This is seen as almost a heresy in therather anti-feminist culture of the Sultanate.The Assassins use this to the very effective endsof their profession. Many men have died fromthe blade held by a young attractive woman whowas supposed to be a toy for the night.Celestial Alliance - JinnWhen the first free Jinn decided to flee thetyranny and slavery of man after the Day ofWrath they took service as equals with hermitmagicians. They whispered power into theirlords' ears and when their lords died, they tookon the guise of the mortal in order to remainhidden until the time is right.As time passed they sought out and freed anumber of their brethren. Soon they realised thata place to live away from the humans wasneeded. So a city was created to house them.Floating some distance of the ground, the Jinncity remains hidden at this point, its locationknown only to a select few in order to protect itfrom the dark Jinn and humans.EbonitesWhen the Prophet Mekhem ascended from thisplane to the next, he left behind a legacy. TheEbon Stone. Within this stone sleeps the DarkGod, or at least a part of its essence.Mekhem knew this and brought together thestragglers of the Dark Gods army as well asmembers of his own people from far off landsand created the Ritual of the Ebon Stone.When a prospective Ebonite, someone whodesires to protect the Burning Sands from eviland darkness, wish to become a member of thesacred brotherhood, he must undergo the Ritual.No one talks of what the ritual actually is, but itis known that it is a test of the soul to withstandthe dark and evil that waits hungrily for all.Some fail and flee into the night, either dying ofexposure or joining the group known as theJackals. Those that pass become full-fledgedmembers of the Ebonites.In its initial time of creation the Ebonites were athing of good, protecting the innocent, but astime passed, they started to adopt more strongarmed tactics.Today the Ebonites are seen to be almost as badas the things that they hunt and kill.GhulsUndead. It conjures forth gruesome images fromthe reaches of anyone's mind. Shambling hordesof evil things moving towards you at an ungainlygait, moaning and dropping bits of themselves asthey come closer.13Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingGhuls are the worst of the undead. Intelligentones and not the mindless horrors left by theJackals and other necromancers that haunt theundercity of Medinat al-Salaam.The Ghuls are largely an mystery to all learnedmen. It is impossible to infiltrate them, as theyare all dead so any information is gathered fromtales, legends, hearsay and rumour. Mostcontradicts themselves, citing cities, hovels, cultsand similar such things as the organisation of theGhuls.What is known is that the Ghuls eat flesh, aliveor dead. They will attack small animals andchildren as well as the helpless, wounded andsick or infirm.Houses of Dahab - QolatWhen the Jinn were finally beaten back at theend of the 1st Age, many decided that manshould not be ruled by the deific powers that be.They decided that man should rule his owndestiny and future. Man should not be dictated toby the immortal ancients and should be able todecide its own fate.To this end, they formed a secret group known asthe Qolat. The meaning of the name has beenlost in the centuries since the founding of theorganisation, but the intent and purpose is stillthere.Qolat are staunch supporters of anything thatwill free man from the chains of in-equality andthe might of the celestial powers, such as Jinn,sahir and even the Ashalan.As time passed, the Qolat soon released thatmoney and water controlled man, thus if theycontrolled that, what better way to steer manaway from the celestial and back to the mortal.Sadly this thinking created one of the mostpowerful factions of the Burning Sands. TheHouses of Dahab.Each house is run by a merchant prince, all ofwhich can trace their lineage back to the originalfounders.It is rumoured that the Houses support Moto andRa'Shari efforts in the Burning Sands, sendingthem water, food and equipment.JackalsThey are perhaps the direst thing to arise in thedepths of the great city since the arrival of theCaliph and her Khadi.No one is sure when the first of these strangepeople first arrived in Medinat al-Salaam, allthey do know is that the Jackals feed on the soulsof the living, sucking them out of their victimslike a man would sip on a glass of water.Jackals are the men and women who fail theRitual of the Black Stone, the Ebonite ritual ofpurification and dedication. For some reasonthey are found wanting and the Dark God takes apart of their very soul as his own. The creaturebecomes dependent on the essence of the soul,needing it to live. Most also become servants ofthe Dark God, carrying out its orders.RakshasaFleeing persecution and possibly extinction intheir homelands of the Ivory Kingdoms, thesebeings have taken up residence in a small sectionof the city.There are few of the Rakshasa left today, perhapsten in all. They are solitary unless mating andtend to like to manipulate things to theiradvantage whenever possible.Rakshasa are evil and highly intelligent beings,part demon, part angel and part fate all rolledinto one.In the Ivory Kingdoms they were worships asgods and hunted to almost extinction as demons.QabalWhen the Caliph took over and began herdynasty of power and tyranny, she unfortunatelyalso created her worst nemesis. The Qabal.Comprised of renegade men and women oflearned quality as well as a great amount ofsahirs, the Qabal seeks to destroy the Caliphshold over the people of the Sultanate.The Qabal are secretly funded by the Houses ofDahab, who seek to have the two groups destroyeach other by playing them off against eachother.The Qabal's goals are rather simple. To have theshelves of the libraries restocked with the scrolls,and books of knowledge taken from them. To14Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingallow the people once more the ability to learn toread and write.Also to see the evil that is the Caliph removedfrom power and the khadi put down into theirgraves.Cultural ElementsWomenWithin the cultures of the Burning Sands womenare a controversial thing. While in the lands ofthe Sultanate they are treated as little better thanchattel, often used as pawns in games of power,in the cultures of the Senpet, Ashalan, Moto, andRa'Shari they are treated as equals.Such diversity between the Sands mostprosperous center of life and the various culturesthat support it and use it to support themselves isa matter of much contrition, as noble ladies andswordmistresses are often insulted, ignored andeven attacked because they are womenpretending to be men. The following gives abetter look at each cultures' view.AshalanAshalan women are treated the same a Ashalanmales. Once they were revered, because theAshalan reproduction rate was so small, withsingle children being born every hundred or soyears at a time.There has not been a new Ashalan child in closeto a thousand years.Ivory KingdomsNo one is sure how the various nations that makeup the Ivory Kingdoms treat their women.Women have come across with trade caravansand ships participating in the same activities asmales, but only in very small numbers. It isassumed that the Ivory Kingdoms treat theirwomen with much the same respect as that of theMoto.Moto & Ra'ShariThe Moto women are free to pursue anythingthey choose in their life. Indeed, a woman canaspire to be leader of her town, head of hertown's guard, even a member of the Khan'scouncil. Among the Khan's family it is possiblefor the daughters to assume leadership of theentire Moto culture, a fact that has been realizedseveral times in the past.The Ra'Shari hold their elder women inreverence, as they see them as depositories ofknowledge. Ra'Shari women always seem tooutlive the men.SenpetWithin the Senpet nation women are treated asmere child bearers and home keepers, much likethose of the lands of the Sultanate. The onlyexception is within the nobility. The second andthird daughters of noble families are always sentto the guard to learn how to defend their citiesalong side the second and third sons.If the woman decides to marry after her tenurewithin the guard she may do so with impunity. Ifshe decides to continue her career in the militaryshe is also allowed to do so.SultanateThe Sultanate has the most restrictive lawsgoverning women in the entire Burning Sands.Among the Sultanate a woman has no rights andis merely the keeper of the family and house.The bearer of the children and the hostess forguests. Older women are sometimes regarded asfonts of wisdom, assuming a position known as aHakima. A Hakima is treated with reverence andrespect, sought out for the knowledge that theyhave accumulated over the years.The daughters of nobles are perhaps the saddestof all. Among the upper classes the women arepampered and looked after like fine china dolls.Each is groomed to be the ultimate vision ofbeauty, poise, and purity. The perfect wife for anobleman. Of all noblewomen only those whoare the first born of a Sultan can hope ofpossessing any power. They alone can hope toattain the position of Sultana.Despite all this, many women turn to a life ofadventure in strict disobedience of the theirparents wishes. The child is often disowned inpublic, but privately still accepted by the family.Such women are regarded as an anomaly in theway of life and many men often regard them asmerely other males, ignoring their femininelooks. The life of such a woman can beexasperating as in public most frown upon theirlife style while in secret it is the stuff of storiesand legends.15Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingYodataiThe Yodatai are an military camp that is slowlymoving forward, capturing territory as it goes.The few women of note in the Yodatai army arewarriors and commanders of legions. Any otherfemales are used for cooking, treating wounded,clothes making, etc, and of course keeping thesoldiers happy at night.Women in the Yodatai homeland are evidentlytreated like the men, but this is hard to prove asno has been to the Yodatai homeland andreturned.NobilityAshalanIt is not known if the Ashalan have a noble classof citizens among themselves. They are certainlyall of regal bearing and look. Perhaps only thenobles come to the surface and deal with thepeople of the Burning Sands.Ivory KingdomsLike the Sultanate, the Ivory Kingdoms possess arather obvious noble class of people. Thesenobles rule their peasants with a mixture of ironfist tactics and velvet gloves depending on thearea and noble. Most are of the former ratherthan the latter.Moto & Ra'ShariThe Moto have but one noble family, that of theKhan. This family operates much like the noblefamilies of the Greater Clans in Rokugan.The Ra'Shari are not concerned with such thingsand so have no 'noble' families.SenpetWithin the Senpet society a noble is the pinnacleof breeding. He or she is given an education,taught to use a weapon, deal with outsiders andthe proper ways of etiquette. Senpet nobles canoften be found lazing in large cool stonechambers, quietly watching slaves entertainthem.Young nobles are all required to learn the arts ofwar as well as the arts of the court. Trainedalmost from birth in these noble arts, theyoungsters grow up well trained and knowing ofthe world around them. Senpet nobles favour thefirst-born sons and daughters of their families,concentrating their education on more courtlymatters than warrior matters. These sons anddaughters are married off to each other in orderto produce more noble children.Nobles control all of the Senpet higher courtfunctions. Scribes, priests, researchers, generals,and officers are all nobles.SultanateThe Sultanate has many nobles, all withinvarious levels of society. From the commontown lord to the Sultan himself, the nobles of theSultanate are perhaps the richest and mostdecadent of their caste in the Burning Sands.The Sultan's direct family is pampered frombirth, groomed to be in command. The noblesbeneath him similarly raise their children thesame way. When born, the parents decide whatthe child shall become and thus have himeducation to meet that purpose.Many male children are raised to be warriors aswell as perform some other function of noblesociety. Daughters can only be one thing,though. Gifts to cement alliances. Child bearersand home keepers. The lucky few manage tolearn a few warrior skills, such as swordplay, butin the end they rarely need it.Nobles stand above the commoners and are ableto dish out punishment as they see fit to thecommoners. Though not as harsh as Rokugan,nobles of the Sultanate can have people publiclyflogged, hands cut off and similar humiliationbestowed upon someone they believe hasslighted them.YodataiThe nobles of the Yodatai are all presumed to bethe generals and commanders of the invadinglegions. It is known that the nobles can buy theircommission and that they also frequently buytheir legions.CommonersAshalanBecause it is not know if the Ashalan actuallydivide their people in a noble and commonerclass, it is hard to tell what a commoners lifewould be like in the City of Seven Stars.16Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingIvory KingdomsThe Ivory Kingdom commoners live lives thatare very similar to the Sultanate.Moto & Ra'ShariAll task of life are done by the Moto andRa'Shari on mass. All such tasks are consideredvital and as such they are done and shared by all.SenpetThe Senpet commoner can be likened to those ofRokugan. They work long hard hours in order toprovide for their lords and nobles. UnlikeRokugan commoners, Senpet commonersactually own property. They own their houses,livestock, and all within.A commoner's life revolves around basic skills.Farming, fishing, papermaking, building,painting, etc. Nobles delegate the tasks to them.SultanateCommoners are the staple of life and backboneof the city. They perform all tasks that the nobleswould never touch. They clean the streets, checkthe cisterns, farm, hunt, trade, and a plethora ofother tasks.YodataiAs with the Ivory Kingdoms and Sultanate,commoners of the Yodatai Empire are thebackbone of their existence. Like the Sultanateslavery exists in the Yodatai Empire.LanguageA variety of languages are spoken among thoseof the Burning Sands. The most commonlyaccepted language is s’Kirt, the spoken tongue ofthe Sultanate. This language serves as a tradetongue for entire land.As written languages go, all three cultures havetheir own, though the Senpet language isconsidered the written tongue of the learned. Thewritten form of s'Kirt is often used by manycommoners as the way to document sales and dodeals with merchants. The Moto language on theother hand is hardly used outside the Moto lands.AshalanThe Ashalan speak a ancient tongue that wasthought lost after the Day of Wrath. It is believedthat they are the only ones still able to speak,read and write it.The Ashalan can also converse in almost all thelanguages found in the Burning Sands.Ivory KingdomsThe Language of the Ivory Kingdoms is brokendown into several different dialects, each specificto the region and kingdom in which the languageevolved.A common polyglot is often used by the tradersand sailors who ply the caravan trains and shipsto the Burning Sands.Moto & Ra'ShariIn their beginning days the Moto spoke a tonguethat was similar to that of the Ra'Shari. Due tothe influence of the Ki-Rin, the Moto tongue wasinfused with terminology based on Rokuganese.The Moto language of today is a bastard son ofthese two languages. The written form is that ofRokuganese, as the Moto did not have a writtenlanguage of their own at the time of the Ki-Rin’svisit. The Moto adopted the written form ofRokuganese.The Ra'Shari tongue and written form on theother hand has stayed very close to the original,having had no need to be changed in thehundreds of years that have passed.SenpetAccredited with the creation of the first writtenlanguage, the tongue of the Senpet is ratherverbose. Long conversations are often had thatwould take less time in other languages. TheSenpet tongue is often accredited as the tongueof the learned and the wise. The written form ofthe language uses a complex form ofhieroglyphics to represent word groupings andmeanings and as such is a difficult language tolearn.SultanateThe Sultanate developed a fluid and quickspeaking tongue over the centuries. Direct and tothe point, the language known as "s’Krit " intheir own tongue is considered the trade tongue17Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingof the Burning Sands, and is the most recognizedlanguage in the lands.The written form of s’Kirt is long and flowing,with entire sentences linked together like onegiant stroke of the pen.YodataiThe Yodatai speak a strange language that ishard to understand. It seems to have a word foreverything and a way to make it mean one thingthen the other.According to the Yodatai it has been unchangedfor at least 500 years.The Yodatai tongue has a written form that issupposedly very easy to master.EconomyWhile all of the cultures of the Burning Sandsare dependent on the trade of goods and items,water is the be all and end all of valued items.Water brings life to the barren soil. Watersustains the body in the deep desert.Among all cultures, water is considered thepinnacle of trade items. Tokens that represent aman's accumulated water holdings are kept safeat ones side, each worth its owners weight ingold. All cultures accept water tokens as coinage.Water Tokens are made of burnished copper,stamped with the symbol of the city in which thewater is held.Barter also comprises a large section of the tradein the Burning Sands. Trade of one item foranother is seen as a way to spread ones wealthamongst others.Coins of copper, silver and gold, plus watertokens are the most common currency and arebroken down as follows.1 Gold coin = 10 Silver coins1 Silver coin = 10 Copper coins1 Water Token = 1-10 gold coins (depending onthe time of year)AshalanThe Ashalan seem not to trade for anything norneed anything, at least nothing that is known.Ivory KingdomsThe Ivory Kingdoms most wanted substance isof course ivory from elephants as well as acouple of other animals. Exotic wines, silks, andslaves make up the rest of the material sent to theBurning Sands from the Ivory Kingdoms.Moto & Ra'ShariThe Moto do not trade their own goods. Insteadthey raid and trade the stolen goods to one of theother cultures. Sometimes they even sell themback to the group they stole them from.The Ra'Shari trade knowledge of the desert forwhatever supplies they need.SenpetThe majority of the Senpet economy is based offtheir immense building capabilities. A legion ofSenpet slaves can build a fortification, house orbuilding in a matter of days or even hours,depending on its size. Senpet taskmasters oftenhire out their work gangs for cash and tokens.Senpet art is also highly sought after, seen as asymbol of culture and status, especially if theitem of question is from the early days of theSenpet Empire.SultanateThey are the heart of the trade that occurs. Notjust the trade of the Senpet and Moto, but of theRa'Shari, Yodatai, Ivory Kingdoms and even theoccasional Ashalan. Every trade is taxed, thecoinage delivered to the treasury of the Caliphand Sultan.Medinat al-Salaam also prospers because of thenumber of traders and their followers who cometo the city, constantly seeking places to stay,food to eat and water to drink.YodataiThe Yodatai do not trade with many of thecultures, instead raiding and conquering theterritories they wish or item needed.Yodatai "merchants" will sell steel if neededitems can not be found.TravelIn the desert there are only three ways to travel.By foot, by horse or by camel. They first is a18Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingdeath sentence, as it is impossible to travel onfoot from one city to the next, much less oneoasis to the next. When on camel or horsebacktravel becomes much easier. The distances areless and the travel time is easily cut in half.Horses though are not ideally suited for thedesert. They are used sparingly in the opensands, usually for quick raids and by messengers.The camel is truly the best animal to use to travelthe desert. Capable of going for many dayswithout water, the camel can carry a heavy loadand rider for a good distance, easily from oneoasis to the next.One other animal is occasionally seen being usedas a beast of burden in the desert, the elephant,though it is usually seen more in settled areasthan the open sands. Easily capable of carryingseveral times its own weight, the only downfallis that they are a slow steed, and unless one isprepared to take a large amount of water withthem on a long trip into the open sands, they arenot a wise choice for long distance travel. Mostoften, they can be found along the banks of theriver, pulling barges or toting howdahs andboxes.FoodThe food of the Burning Sands can best bedescribed as a combination of spicy and sweet.Coffee and tea are drunk at almost every meal.Dates (an easily grow fruit) are seen everywhere, as are various grains and easily growntubers. Rice (a staple of the Rokugani diet) isalmost unknown among the Sultanate and Senpetcultures, though the Moto harvest a decent cropof it, which they trade to the others on a regularbasis.A common meal within Medinat al-Salaamwould consist of a bitter coffee or tea to drink, aplatter of breads, dates and cheeses, a small plateof mixed peppers and tubers.ClothingPerhaps one of the most unusual of subjects forthe Burning Sands. Some garb is quite common.In the open sands one wears light colouredclothing that reflects the sun and always aheaddress to protect one from the heat. At night,a heavy cloak is over put on to protect one fromthe cold.AshalanThe Ashalan wear cloaks and robes that coveralmost 90% of their body, leaving the face free ifanything.Ivory KingdomsThe people of the Ivory Kingdoms wear clothingsimilar to that of the Sultanate, with turbans andloose clothing.Moto & Ra'ShariMoto garb differs from most Burning Sandscultures in two ways. The first is that it is notflowing, allowing them to ride with ease. Thesecond is that it has a distinct Rokugani look to itbecause of the time that the Ki-Rin spent withthe culture. Moto clothing is not really designedfor prolonged desert wear and as such, mostMoto will adopt the standard desert garb whentravelling the open sands.Ra'Shari wear clothes suited for desert travel.Hooded cloaks, warm boots and well wornleathers.SenpetAmong the Senpet, city garb can vary fromperson to person. Most males wear a short kilt ofsome type, and sometimes a tunic with it in theevenings. Women wear a long dress that coversthe torso and legs, but leaves the arms bare.Among the nobles, certain women have adoptedthe style of leaving their midriff bare, crisscrossingthe material over their breasts asprotection and for modesty.Senpet nobles often sport elaborate semipermanenttattoos and make-up designs on theirfaces.SultanateIn Medinat al-Salaam, men's clothing is oftenlong and flowing, with colors varying fromblacks and whites to reds and golds. The womenof the city tend to wear long dresses, whichcover much of their bodies, as it is consideredagainst the teachings of the Prophet to show suchflesh. Noble women often wear dresses ofgossamer material that cover them quitecompletely, but still almost show what isunderneath, flaunting the rule. Fallen women,those that work by pleasuring men, dress in19Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingprovocative low cut halter-tops, with loose pantsof silk or similar material. The practice ofwomen wearing veils is commonplace across theentire Sultanate.YodataiThe Yodatai tend to wear tunics and leggings,mixed with long flowing cloaks or robes.Women tend to wear similar fashions but cut forthe female body.DwellingsAshalanThe City of the Seven Stars is the only dwellingof Ashalan style know to exist in entirety today.Its towering peaks touch the cavern's roof, eachtipped with a spear of burning white light.The walls are tall and no-one has seen withinthem in a thousand years.Ivory KingdomsThe Ivory Kingdoms homes are a mixture ofpoorly built mud/clay dwellings with thatchedroofs of the common class and the high walled,minaret topped towers of the nobles' homes andcastles.Moto & Ra'ShariAmong the Moto houses tend to be made ofstone, most with a distinct Rokugani feel tothem. The Khans castle is actually a massivelong house of stone and thatched roof,surrounded by a massive stone wall. Moto arenot in the business of making their abodesbeautiful or architecturally pleasing, they arethere to make them functional and usable.Ra'Shari have few permanent abodes, tending totravel in their caravans for long periods of time.Most Ra'Shari homes of a permanent natureresemble those of their Moto cousins.SenpetMany of the Senpet dwellings that stand todayare several hundred, if not thousands of yearsold. Their great pyramids are tributes to thebuilding capabilities of the Senpet architects. Theaverage Senpet house is a three or four roomaffair made of clay with a thatched or tiled roof.SultanateThe great city seems to a mixing pot of variouscultures' buildings. Senpet houses stand next toMoto taverns that neighbour Raksashanwarehouses. The actual building style of theSultanate tends to be a square-ish looking edificewith multiple rooms and floors. An open-aircourtyard is usually present in the middle ofmost houses.YodataiIt is not know what the Yodatai homes look like.They have merely taken over the towns andcities they have captured and not built anythingnew.CastlesAshalanThe City of Seven Stars is the only Ashalancastle still standing. It is said to be unassailable,a rumour proven since no one has even enteredits walls.Ivory KingdomsThe castles of the various Ivory Kingdomsresemble the castles of the Sultanate. Massivemany walled structures with minaret toppedtowers.Moto & Ra'ShariThe Moto fortifications are simple affairs. Largestone castles with sturdy walls and a single largegate to allow troops and horsemen through.Ra'Shari have no castles of note.SenpetThe fortresses of the Senpet are massivepyramidal structures, walled with huge towersthat house hundreds of warriors. Filled withsecret passageways and hidden rooms, manyarmies' fear having to invade such a structure.SultanateMedinat al-Salaam is a fortress unto itself.Massive walls surround the city with towersplaced at strategic points. It is said that the daythe walls of Medinat al-Salaam fall the desertwill swallow all there is. The Sultanate hasseveral smaller fortresses some distance from20Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingMedinat al-Salaam, acting as forward posts.These walled fortresses are large stone towerswith several walls around them.YodataiThe castles of the Yodatai are merely capturedSultanate and Senpet fortifications.CitiesWithin the Burning Sands there are now fewcities. Medinat al-Salaam is the mightiest of thethose left. Within the open sands only ruins cannow be found, half-buried in sand and longforgotten memories. One sees most of theremaining cities of the Senpet on the riverbanks,and of course those small outlying communitiesof the Sultanate are also upon the river.The cities of the Ivory Kingdoms dot their landsnear the coastal areas and river ways, leavingmuch of the land untamed.EtiquetteLike the distant land of Rokugan, the people ofthe Burning Sands value etiquette highly. Menare cordial to other men and extremely polite toall women, regardless of their station. The onlytime a man is not cordial is if the person hasslighted them in some form or another andvendetta has been enacted.VendettaIf a man causes a slight to another man thenVendetta can be called. Vendetta was oncemerely a name given to the act of killing onewho insulted you or something you owned. Overthe years the tenants of the custom hasblossomed into a whole code of conduct.It is perhaps the most bizarre yet gentlemanlycode of conduct ever created by any culture.Within the Burning Sands it is perfectly legal fora man to enact the Code of Vendetta uponanother man who has insulted him in some way.This can vary from killing members of hisfamily, to stealing, to looking at his wife thewrong way. Vendetta can only be called upon bya man of noble birth against another of noblecaste. Calling it upon one of lower caste isconsidered to be an act of a coward andbarbarian. The peasants of the Burning Sands aresaid to have their own version of the Code ofVendetta but it in no way compares with thenoble one.When Vendetta is called for, the slighted manmust approach a neutral party and tell him hiscase. The neutral party then calls upon theoffender and discusses it with him. He then hasthe two meet with him for coffee and dates at hishouse. He tries to settle the matter with words,for to call upon Vendetta will surely result in thedeath of one of the two men. Once it has beendecided that Vendetta must be enacted theneutral party acts as judge for the coming events.The slighted party has the right to call uponassassins, warriors, traders and other people toeither financially and/or physically kill hisoffender. The offender has the right to defendhimself in the same manner. Some Vendetta lastmere hours, while some have lasted decades, therespective houses feuding against each other in anever ending war over long forgotten insults.It should be noted that Vendetta used to beunique among the Sultanate. In today's times, theCode of Vendetta is used by any who live withinthe Jewel of the Desert, be they of the Sultanate,Senpet or even outsiders such as the Ra'Shari,Moto or Ivory Kingdom.The Vendetta is not actively practised in anyother of the cultures of the Burning Sands and itis considered bad form to take ones Vendettaoutside Medinat al-Salaam and to other cities andkingdoms. As such, the offending party in a caseof Vendetta can flee the city for another land andbe safe till he decides to return.This is often done in order for an offender toprepare for the coming hostilities by the slightedparty.PoliticsWithin the society of the Burning Sands, politicsdo play a great part of life. From the negotiationsbetween the Caliph and the Senpet to the Motodealings with the Ra'shari about trade routes, thecultures of the Burning Sands constantly dealwith their counterparts in an attempt to bettertheir own lives. The Senpet seek to find a newhome for their people, knowing that the desertwill soon devour their cities forever. The Motoraid all that come within their sight. As for theCaliphs political agenda, no one can tell, but itwill serve her purposes in the end.21Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingReligionSenpetThe Senpet worship a variety of gods, the mostprominent which is their ruler, the Pharaoh.Though not actually a god, the Pharaoh is stilltreated as one. The chief deity of the Senpetpantheon is Rha Annu, Lord of Light, and theGod of the Sun. The Pharaoh is considered to bethe son of Rha.The Faith of the Prophet has a rather smallfollowing within the Senpet lands, as thePharaohs saw it as counter to their power. Still itis allowable for one to worship the Prophet, aslong as one also acknowledges the Pharaoh asthe Son of Heaven.Senpet gather on regular occasions in largetemples dedicated to their gods.Moto & Ra'ShariThe Ujik-hai had many gods. Indeed, theirreligion bears an uncanny resemblance to that ofRokugan. The Moto hold Lady Sun and LordMoon in great reverence, knowing that throughappeasing Lady Sun the days will grow coolerand through the worship of Lord Moon thenights will grow a bit warmer. The Moto adoptedsome of the Rokugan beliefs in spirits, as theyhad their own to deal with. Jinn, as the spirits areknown, are easily summoned within the BurningSands, and the Moto pay them every respect theydeserve.Most Moto families worship in private shrinesinside their own homes, there is no public placeof worship.The Ra'Shari, on the other hand, worship LadySun and Lord Moon and none else.SultanateReligion is a rather difficult subject when talkingabout the Jewel of the Desert. There are severalcultures within the massive city, all worshippingtheir variety of gods, goddesses and deities.Suffice it to say, that Temple Row is the grandestfeature in the entire city as each religion attemptsto draw new worshippers.The Sultanate themselves follow one of tworeligions. That of the Prophet and that of Fate.The Faith of the Prophet is centered around theteachings of the Prophet, which call for thedestruction of darkness through light. Thefollowers of the Prophet are purists, drinking noalcohol, copulating only to have children, andfollowing a strict code of conduct. The Priests ofFate on the other hand seem only concerned thattheir followers understand that Fate is a ficklemistress. Followers of the Fate religion tend tomake sacrifices of something of value beforeembarking on journeys or ventures. Surprisingly,many people of other religions pay lip service toLady Fate almost unconsciously.Incredible temples dedicated to the Faith of theProphet dot Medinat al-Salaam, only rivalled bythe majestic temples of the Senpet. Temples andshrines to Lady Fate are small affairs, hiddenaway in places that you find only when Fateseems to draw you there.AshalanThe Ashalan worship the Lord Moon, Kaleel, aswell as the Four Unnamed Goddesses. TheAshalan respect Lady Sun, but do not worshipher, seeing her as a deity of chaos and fire.Ivory KingdomsThe people of the Ivory Kingdoms worshipmany gods, goddesses, demons and such. Onesuch creature was a thing known as theRakshasa, tiger headed demons of smoke andmist. They delighted in playing with man and hisplans, destroying hope and free will. TheseRakshasa were nearly wiped out some decadesago and many fled to the Burning Sands to hideand begin their work again.Of particular note is the Goddess Kali and herdeath cult, the Thuggee. Stranglers without peer,the Thuggee cult grew in size and power till itnearly split the kingdoms in half and ushered in abloody civil war. The cults were finally putdown and many of their kind destroyed. Finallythey cult, almost extinct, summoned itsgoddesses’ avatar, the Kali-ma and journeyedinto the Burning Sands to begin their holy workanew.YodataiThe Yodatai worship a variety of gods andgoddesses. The primary of these is Theus, thelord of all gods. Following him were gods andgoddesses of war, death, love, spring, summer,etc, etc.22Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBOOK TWO: THE BOOK OF SEACharacter CreationWithin the Burning Sands there are many typesof characters to be. From desert scout to raider tosahir to merchant. Each is an adventure unto itsown. Most players will be tempted to playwarrior types, seeking fame and fortune in theopen sands. This is not to say that that is wrong,but it limits the campaigns a lot if that is the onlytype of PC taken. Merchants, scouts and sahir areequally playable concepts and it should beencourage for people to try them.Character ConceptThe Game of Questions1. What Culture does your characterbelong to?2. How would you describe yourcharacter?3. What school is your character?4. From what caste is your character?5. What is your character's own opinion ofhis culture?6. What is your character's own opinion ofthe other cultures?7. Does your character have anyprejudices?8. Is your character married?9. To whom does your character owe themost loyalty?10. What are your character's favourite (andleast favourite) things?11. Does your character have any recurringmannerisms?12. What about your characterspsychology?13. How would your character's parentsdescribe him?14. What are your character's highestambitions?15. How religious is your character?23Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book16. If you could, what advice would yougive your character?Character TypesBrashThe brash last longer within the cities than in theopen sands. Many a brash youth in the opensands finds himself left in an endless sea of sandwith no oasis in sight and his water canteensempty.NobleThe noble is only at home in the city. He leadsothers by example and shows mercy to hislessers. The noble always treads a thin linebetween being a benefactor and seen as a goodman of the people, and being a Tyrant.MerchantThe life of a merchant is a tough one. Long trips,dealing with officials from several cultures,bandits, and strange cargoes. Of course thebenefits are great. Money, power and water.ReluctantSometimes Lady Fate chooses her servants eventhough they do not want to be chosen. They findthemselves thrust into a life of turmoil and greatdanger whose rewards are often just as great.RogueThe rogue wanders the open sands and cities,lord of his own oasis and master of his owndestiny. The life of such a man or woman cansometimes seem treacherous, for the desert is aharsh master, but to those who survive it, it holdsgreat promise.ScholarA scholar learns all he can about the world, othercultures, and the creatures and people who livethere. A scholar can learn all this from simplybeing in a city or from wandering the world.VengefulSome people take a path of vengeance when theyjourney out into the world. For them, there is

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingnothing but a life of death, blood and destructionahead. Many are born into this life, the result ofage-old vendettas; others merely find themselvesa part of it.PriestlyThe way of the priest is a path of peace andlearning. Following the Gods of one culture orthe fickle Mistress of Fate or even the Way ofthe Prophet is a tough life but full of spiritualreward as one learns more of the faith.Character SheetOne: Rings and TraitsSandThis is the characters resistance and fortitude.The sand is seen as never ending and alwaysthere, a sign of good health is to be told thatyou’re a fit as the desert sands.StaminaThis is the measure of a man's 'wind'. Can he runfor long distances, survive under the hot sun, etc.A low score might indicate that you are hurt orill, or possibly a weakling. The lower the score,the less you can carry.WillpowerThis represents the PCs strength of mind. It ismental stamina. A low score means you are weakminded and easily convinced of things, a highscore means you are one of more steadfast ofpeople.SeaThe sea is viewed by many as the strength of thebody due to its relentless assault upon the rockyshores of the northern coast.StrengthThis is the PCs physical might.PerceptionThis is the PCs ability to perceive things aroundhim.WindThe wind is everywhere, felt by all. It drives thesandstorm that kills and yet can cool one on a hotday. Many whisper that Lady Fate speaks to herfollowers through the wind.AwarenessThis is the PCs intuition and empathy.ReflexesHow quickly the PC can react to stimuli.FlameThe flame is active, always flickering with graceand beauty. A deadly beauty.AgilityThe ability to move with style and grace.IntelligenceThe ability to acquire and applied knowledge.KaThis is the linking aspect of the entire world. Thelife force of all creation. To have no Ka is to bedead, or worse, undead.Ka PointsKa points are used like the Void points in L5R,granted extra unkept dice to rolls or reducingdamage.Fate Points2x Ka is the fate points available to a person. Hemay call upon fate as many times as he has fate.See the rules on fate usage in part seven.Two: SkillsSkills are what the character uses to accomplishhis feats of daring and courage. A full listing ofthe skills will be found at the end of this chapter.Three: Culture, Upbringingand SchoolFirst: Choose an UpbringingChoose the upbringing you want to try to play.Second: Choose a Culture andor FactionFind the culture that appeals to you the most.24Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThird: Choose a Culture,Generic or Faction School.Choose an appropriate school for your PCFourth: Character Points25 points to be spent. Cannot raise a trait or skillby more than 2 ranks. No traits above 4 to start.Skills cost 1 to raise 1 rank. Traits cost 8 perrank. Ka costs 12 per rank. Raising ones honourcosts 3 per rank, though lowering it gets back 2per rank. You may only raise or lower yourhonour by 1 rank. It costs 3 points to raise yourfaith a rank, and you gain 3 points if you lowerit. You may only raise or lower your faith by 2ranks. Advantages and Disadvantages vary incost, see the section on them for exact costs.Four: Advantages andDisadvantagesA way to customize your character and give hima rather unique look on things.Five: WoundsAll characters are going to get bashed. Ether byother characters or by critters. The Wounds scoreis a rating of how much damage a person cantake.Six: HonourIn the Burning Sands honour is as important as itis in Rokugan. Each person is expected to hold tohis word of honour and to act in accordance ofthe codes of honour laid down centuries ago.Treat the honour ranks like those in the MainL5R Rulebook on pages 58 to59.Seven: FateFate points are a way for a character to escapecertain death and make impossible feats ofheroism possible. By spending such a point thePC may re-roll his last roll in an attempt to see ifFate is in a good mood. Of course this can be asgood as it is bad. Fate is a fickle mistress and assuch will allow one to do this once in a while,but not consistently. The first time one callsupon Fate he may re-roll his last action, ignoringall number equal or lower than his Ka Ring or hemay use it to reduce the damage received to 1Rank by rolling his Sand Ring at a TN of 15.Every time one calls upon Fate again, he angersFate a little bit. To represent this each subsequenttime one spends a Fate point he loses 1 off hisignore ability. E.g. A Senpet sahir with a Ka of 3calls upon Fate to help him survive a rather nastyfall. He rolls his Sand Ring (3 dice), ignore all1s, 2s and 3s (his Ka is 3) and succeeds. All thedamage is reduced to 1 Rank. A bit later heattempts to jump over a rather large alleywaywhile running from a pack of Ghuls. He fails anddecides to evoke fate again. He re-rolls, but thistime he may only ignore 1s and 2s. If he were tocall again, he may only ignore 1s. If he wereactually try again he would not be able to ignoreany numbers.You can only try to call upon Fate a number oftimes equal to the number of fate points youhave.Eight: FaithAll people within the Burning Sands have faithto a degree. Most run the middle ground and findthat at some points the Gods help them while atothers they find that the Gods will ignore them.To represent this Faith is rated from 1 to 10. Atthe lower levels one finds that they are notbothered by the Gods and are generallyunaffected by deific situations. Those withparticularly high Faiths find that they are able tobend said deific powers to aid them, almost as ifthey are blessed by their gods.Those who tread the middle ground find thatthey are actually at the whim of the Gods oneway or the other.Faith Rank 1 - The Gods ignore this person tothe such a degree that they do not know heexists. This is useful because it means that thepower of the Gods cannot readily affect the man.All priestly magics are at +10 TN to affect theperson. This includes beneficial magics as well.Faith Rank 2 to 3 - The Gods know you exist,but only just barely, like an infant might exist toa passer-by. All priestly magics are at +5 TN toaffect the person. This includes beneficial magicsas well.Faith Rank 4 to 6 - The Gods see you andmuddle with your life every once in a while, be itgood or ill. This is the normal levels of prettymuch every one in the Three Kingdoms.Faith Rank 7 to 9 - The Gods sometimes listen toyou when you speak. They are more inclined to25Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settinghelp you in times of peril. All beneficial priestlymagics are at -5 TN, all harmful priestly magicsare at +5 TN.Faith Rank 10 - You speak with Gods on aregular basis. All beneficial priestly magics areat -10 TN, all harmful priestly magics are at +15TN. Only the Prophet, The Pharaoh, and theheads of the Three Kingdoms Religions have thislevel of Faith.Nine: Insight and SchoolRankThis is handled exactly like it is in the Legend ofthe Five Rings Main Rules. Add up your Rings.Multiply it by ten. Add all you skill ranks to thenumber and check the chart to see what rank youare.Ten: CasteAll people in the Burning Sands belong to acaste. Each caste has its own rules and laws andoutlooks on how the other castes live and shouldbe treated. Caste can limit a man's ability to learncertain skills and techniques. It is possible toascend from one caste to another, either throughthe accumulation of wealth and/or water or bymarrying into a higher caste, and even by beingelevated by a noble deed.The castes are:-Low - Men and women of peasant and lowerbirthMiddle - Men and women born of richmerchants, landowners, captains of the guard, etcHigh - Those of royal birth.OutfitBecause of the diverse nature of the cultures inthe Three Kingdoms, it is best to look at theschools for the Outfits that one gets. A Genericoutfit is noted below for an average commoner.(All items of average quality) Knife, clothes,travelling pack, possibly a camel if a traveler, 3gold coins, 20 dinari (copper coins), 2 watertokens.Example of CharacterCreationGo through the followingsteps:1. Choose upbringing2. Choose culture of origin3. Record Beginning Faith4. Record Caste5. Choose school of teaching6. Record Beginning Honour7. Record skills, benefits, and techniquesif any are allowed.8. Spend Character Points to increase ringsand skills, buy Advantages andDisadvantages.Customize your CharacterYour character's Traits and Rings all begin at a2; His Faith is 5 and his Fate is D5. You maynow spend 25 Character Points to customizeyour character. You may spend points on Traits,Skills, or Advantages. You may gain additionalCharacter Points by purchasing Disadvantages.Character Point CostRaise a Trait: 8 CPRaise Ka Ring: 12 CPRaise a Skill: 1 CPLowering and Raising Faith: It costs 3 CPS toraise your character's Faith. Lowering yourcharacter's Faith gains you 3 CP. Faith can onlybe raised or lowered by two ranks.Lowering and Raising Honour: It costs 3 CPs toraise your character's Honour. Lowering yourcharacter's Honour gains you 2 Character Points.Honour can only be raised or lowered one Rank.Determine WoundsMultiply your Character's Sand by 2 and fill ineach Wound box with that number. These areyour character's Wounds.26Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingOutfitYour outfit (beginning equipment) is listed onthe school. The Equipment List is on pg. ??. Listyour possessions and money on the back of yourcharacter sheet. Choose your Primary Weaponand how many dice you'll roll and keep whenusing it, your Armour and it's protection, andyour TN to be hit.Determining InsightFind the sum of all your Rings. Multiply thattotal by 10.Then, add the sum of all you Skills.Finally add the totals together. This is yourStarting Insight.EquipmentThe people of the Burning Sands have manyitems to purchase at local markets. All threekingdoms possess similar items that the tradewith one another.Currency1 Dinari (gold) = 5 dirham(copper) = 50 bits (tin)1 Water Token = 10 DinariMiscellaneous EquipmentItemBackpack, clothBooks and scrollsCandleChest, metalChest, woodenCloth, silkCloth, cottonFlint and steelLanternLantern oilCost3 copper3-10 copper1 copper1 gold3 copper2-5 gold1-5 copper1 copper2 copper1 copper/pintItemMirror, smallMirror, largePaper, writingRope, hempClothingItemAbaAgalBeltBoots, ridingBoots, softCaftanChadorCloak, hoodedCloak, plainCloak, furDishdashahDolmanFezGirdleKeffiyehPetticoatRobeSandalsShirt, linenCost2 gold5 gold2 copper/sheet2 copper/10 feetCost7 copper4 copper1 copper1 gold6 copper1 gold6 copper3 copper1 copper4 copper8 copper6 copper1 copper3 gold2-8 copper2 gold9 copper5 tin4 copper27Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingItemSkirtTrousersVeilVestCost2-5 gold2 gold5-8 copper6 copperNotes on clothingThe Burning Sands share many types of clothingbut all three have overall separate and distinctlooks to their clothing styles. The Sultanatefavours simple monochromatic clothing exceptby the rich and powerful, usually a good way tospot them in a crowd so as to give them plenty ofrespects and a wide berth. Sultanate men likebillowing robes while with women tend to weareither all covering robes or pants and halter topwith a gauzy cloak. The Senpet men of class tendto dress in simple kilts, while labourers andslaves often wore a loincloth or nothing at all.Senpet women wore elaborate loose skirts,girdles, petticoats and shirts, usually of silk ifthey were of noble birth. Often these clothes hada gauzy look to them and were skin-tight. Motomen and women wear various clothes similar tothose of the Unicorn clan of Rokugan. Splitskirt/pants, tunics, soft boots and cloaks arecommon among the Moto of the Steppes.Clothing is either made of simple cloth or silk.All items here are made of cloth. Simplymultiply the amount by 10 to find the price for asilk item.What is some of this stuff?Aba - traditional desert robe, simple andflowing.Agal - a cord or group of cords designed to holda keffiyeh (headcloth) in place.Caftan - a flowing ankle length over garmentcinched at the waistChador - a full-body robe for women, completewith a hood and face covering.Dishdashah - a simple tunic worn by the lowercastes.Dolman - a loose, floor length robe that issimilar to the Aba but tends to be worn in morecivilized urban areas.28Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookKeffiyeh - a headcloth worn by most men andwomen.Transport and AnimalsItemDogDog, HuntingDonkeyCamelElephantFalcon, trainedHorse, ridingHorse, packHorse, warHorse, MotoMonkey, trainedSkillsCost3 copper10 gold8 gold50 gold150 gold300 gold75 gold30 gold150 gold300+ gold80 goldMost skills are similar to those of L5R, thoughwith a slight modification. Anyone may take askill from the Main, Warrior or Merchantcategories. High and Middle caste are allowedskills from the High category. Forbidden skillsare generally ignored by most and unfortunatelypossessed by many. Anyone may take aForbidden skill, though they must pay 2x theregular amount to raise it. People caught usingsuch skills are often shunned, arrested andsometimes even attacked. Certain skills can notbe raised above 2 or 3 based on ones upbringingas well. Check upbringing packages to determinewhich there are. Many of the skills are the sameas those from Legend of the Five Rings.Main Skills(Open to all)• Animal Husbandry (Spl)• Athletics (Spl)• Acrobatics (Agl)• Acting (Per)

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Bard (Awa)• Dancing (Ref)• Debate (Int) - The ability to hold yourown during heated discussions,remaining quick-witted and cooltempered.• Disguise (Int)• Fast-talk (Per)• Gambling (Awa)• Haggling (Awa) - The ability to bickerover a price till it meets what you wantto pay for it.• Hunting (Per)• Language (Int) - The ability to speakanother language.• Lore (Int)• Medicine, Basic (Int)• Meditation (Ka)• Music (Int)• Painting (Int)• Poetry (Int)• Riding, Camel (Awa/Per) - The abilityto ride a camel properly• Seduction (Awa)• Storytelling• Stealth (Agl)• Singing (Awa)• Smithing (Per/Agl)• Survival (Int/Will) - The skill ofsurvival in harsh conditions, especiallythe desert.Commoner Skills(Low Social Caste Only)• Armourer (Sand)• Boating (Awa/Per)• Begging (Per) - A skill possessed bymany poor, and can be used to procurespare change, food and scraps ofclothing.• Craft (Spl)• Engineering (Int)• Herbalism (Int)• History, Oral (Int) - The skill of tellingthe history of the Burning Sandseffectively. Differs from the Bard skillin that the history is proper facts anddetails, not embellished legends.• Locksmith (Agl)• Picklock (Agl)• Pickpocket (Agl)• Sleight of Hand (Agl)• Weaponsmith (Sand)Warrior Skills(Open only to warrior schools or those of HighSocial Caste)• Archery (Ref)• Armourer (Sand)• Axe (Agl)• Battle (Per)• Club (Agl)• Defence (Agl)• Display Weapon Prowess (Ref) -Simply the ability to show off yourskills in a demonstration of moves. Canbe useful to intimidate someone.• Fast Draw (Spl) - Identical to Iaijitsu inLegend of the Five Rings.• Hand-to-Hand (Agl)• Horse Archery (Agl)• Intimidation (Will)• Knife (Agl)• Rhumal (Agl/Str) (Ivory KingdomsRhumal Assassin only)• Riding, Horse (Awa/Per)• Shield (Agl)• Swordsmanship (Agl) - The ability touse a sword.• Spear (Agl)• Weaponsmith (Sand)Merchant Skills(Limited to Trader Upbringing or MerchantSchool only)• Appraisal (Per)• Commerce (Awa)• Barter (Awa) - A more advancedversion of Haggling. The merchant witha high Barter skill can easily trade offshoddy merchandise for good money.High Skills(Medium or High Social Caste Only)• Advanced Medicine (Per)• Astrology (Int)• Calligraphy (Per)• Courtier (Awa)• Etiquette (Int)• Heraldry (Per)• History, Written (Int) - Since writingis almost totally restricted to the middle29Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingand upper classes, this the writtenversion of Oral History.• Investigation (Spl)• Law (Int)• Manipulation (Awa)• Political Maneuvering (Int)• Research (Int)• Sincerity (Awa)• SandSmithing (Per/Agl) (AshalanOnly)• Theology (Int)Forbidden Skills(2x normal cost to raise)• Forgery (Agl)• Poison (Int)• Seduction (Awa)• Spellcraft (Int - Sahir/Sorcerer)• Torture (Awa)• Traps (Per)• Explosives (Int/Agl)• Garrote (Agl)Advantages andDisadvantagesAdvantages(The following are used as noted in the Legendof the Five Rings main rulebook)Absolute Direction, Allies, Ambidextrous,Blackmail, Bland, Clear Thinker, DangerousBeauty, Daredevil, Eidetic Memory, ForbiddenKnowledge, Inheritance, Innate Ability (Sahir &Sorcerers only), Keen Eyes, Keen Hearing,Large, Luck, Magic Resistance, Patron(Merchant Only), Perfect Balance, PreciseMemory, Quick, Quick Healer, Read Lips,Social Position, Swift, Tough, Voice, WealthyDisadvantages(The following are used as noted in the Legendof the Five Rings main rulebook)Adopted Blood, Bad Fortune, Bad Health, BadReputation, Blackmailed, Black Sheep, Brash,Can't Lie, Chemical Dependency, Colour Blind,Compulsion, Contrary, Dark Secret, Dependent,Disfigured, Driven, Enlightened Madness,Epilepsy, Frail Mind, Fascination, Forgotten,Greed, Gullible, Hard of Hearing, Haunted,Inbred, Insensitive, Jealousy, Lame, Lechery,Lost Love, Low Pain Threshold, Meddler,Missing Limb, Nemesis, Obligation, OneEye/Poor Vision, Overconfident, PermanentWound, Phobia, Shy, Small, Soft-Hearted,Sworn Enemy, True Love, Unlucky, Vanity,WeaknessCulture SheetsUpbringing SchoolsThese schools are taken as part of the PC andrepresent his upbringing to an extent. Can beused by anyone.All Upbringings start with a Faith of 5, whichcan then be modified to suit the PC.ScoutYour parents scouted the lands for theirrespective kingdom. They traveled light andquickly and you learned how to do this as well.Caste: MiddleInitial Skills: Athletics, Riding: CamelBonuses: All tracking, hunting and survival skilltests are at -5 TN.Trader(No Ashalan)Your parents were merchants and you werebrought up travelling from city to city in massivetrade caravans.Caste: MiddleInitial Skills: Haggling, LanguageBonuses: All Merchant skill tests are at -5 TN.Nomad(no Yodatai)Your parents were members of a wanderingtribe. You grew up a part of the tribe, movingfrom one oasis to another.Caste: MiddleInitial Skills: Survival, Riding: CamelBonuses: All survival, riding: camel skill testsare at -5TN.30Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingNoble(no Ra'shari or Ashalan)Your parents are of noble birth and as such yourwere born with the silver spoon firmly in yourhand.Caste: HighInitial Skills: Swordsmanship, EtiquetteBonuses: All etiquette, courtier, and sincerityskill tests at -5TN.ScholarYour were part of one of the minorities of theBurning Sands, the educated. Oh, many knowtheir letters and such, but there are few scholarsin the three kingdoms, especially in the lands ofthe Sultanate.Caste: HighInitial Skills: Calligraphy, LanguageBonuses: All history, calligraphy, and researchskill tests are at -5TN.Peasant(No Ashalan)Your parents were commoners, nothing more,nothing less.Caste: LowInitial Skills: Knife, HagglingBonuses: All survival skill tests at -5TN.Slave(No Ashalan)Your parents were slaves, a condition that is alltoo frequent within the lands of the BurningSands.Caste: LowInitial Skills: Knife, AthleticsBonuses: All survival and knife skill tests at -5TN.Culture SchoolsBecause of the place that caste holds in theculture of the three kingdoms, those of Low casteare limited to rank 1 techniques and only initialspells. Those of the middle classes are limited toRank 3 techniques, and those of Noble birth maymaster the Rank 5 techniques. This is not to saythat those of low and middle castes can't learnhigher techniques, it just means that they mustfind someone who will teach them thetechniques or spells. Some travel to Moto lands,others develop their own and teach it to otherssecretly.Each culture has its own version of the Warriorand Sahir schools as well as a specific schoolunique to the culture.Generic SchoolsPlease also note that there are a number ofGeneric schools at the end of this section. Thisschools cover professions that are pretty muchthe same across all the cultures of the BurningSands, such as thieves, explorers, merchants, etc.Faction SchoolsThe various factions of the Burning Sands alsohave schools of their own. They are noted afterthe Generic Schools for anyone who wish tobelong to a faction.SchoolsKingdom-Specific SchoolsAshalan"The pride of our ancestors is the burden wemust carry, but there is a path to redemption, apath that lies in the dreams of a fallen god." -MaymunFor almost a thousand years the Ashalan havehidden from the might of Shilah, the Lady Sun,fearing another Day of Wrath and preparing for atime when they would have to pass the secrets ofthe Fallen Star to a new age of heroes. Now, withthe last fading moments of history rapidlyslipping away, they scramble to ensure that all ofthe pieces are set and that the world is braced fora new beginning. If they fail in this, the worldwill share the awful price for their ancientarrogance.Cultural Benefit: +1 KaCultural Advantages: Unageing, Night Vision,QuickCultural Disadvantages: Infertile, Benten’sCurse, Sun Allergy31Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingAshalan Blood Sworn SchoolHoly Warriors, the Blood Sworn are the ultimatefighters of the Ashalan. They train for decades inthe temples of the Four Goddesses and LordMoon in order to be able to defend the worldfrom the coming Awakening.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesSkillsHunting, Stealth, Lore: Sewers, Swordsmanship,Knife, Archery, +1 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesRank 1: Move like the NightAll Bloodsworn learn to walk without sound inthe beginning of their training, for to make anoise when hunting prey is to become the preyitself. A Bloodsworn adds his Rank to all Stealthrolls.Rank 2: Shield of NightThe Bloodsworn can use his knowledge ofshadows, darkness and stealth to make it harderfor an aggressor to attack him. For each raise ona successful Stealth roll, the Bloodsworn adds +5to his TN to be Hit.Rank 3: The Night’s Cold TouchThe Bloodsworn can attack twice per round.Rank 4: The Night is StrengthThe Bloodsworn is capable of using hisknowledge of the shadows and darkness, plusthat of his stealthy movement to make it easierfor him to hit his opponent. The Bloodswornadds +10 to his to Hit roll.Rank 5: As one with the NightThe Bloodsworn has literally become like thenight itself, moving effortlessly and silently inthe darkness. For each success on an opposedStealth vs. Perception test, the Bloodsworn canadd 1 additional attack to his current 2 attacks.He can have up to his Rank in total attacks.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Ashalan desert cloak,clothes, crysteel sword, knife, crossbow, 10quarrels, quiver, 5 dinari, 4 water tokens.32Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookAshalan HeartSeeker SchoolThe HeartSeekers are a special breed of warrior.They are few in number and are diametricallyopposed to the evil that is the Caliph and herKhadi. HeartSeekers look for the hidden heartsof the Khadi in order to destroy them.Benefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 0 + 5 boxesSkillsHunting, Stealth, Disguise, Athletics,Swordsmanship, +2 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesRank 1: The Hidden MoonThis is exactly like the Bloodworn 1st Ranktechnique.Rank 2: The Crescent MoonThe HeartSeeker has learned how to see thecorruption that is the Khadi. He now learns totrack and follow such corruption. This corruptionis also held by Jackals, Ghuls and undead. TheHeartSeeker adds his Rank to all Hunting/Tracking skill rolls, if he is following thecorruption.Rank 3: The Half MoonThe HeartSeeker learns the special technique thatcan kill a Khadi in one blow. This techniquerequire a Full Attack and the user must be armedwith the Ashalan Heartknife. This special daggeris designed to puncture the heart cavity of aKhadi and rupture the magical connection to itshidden heart. If successful the Khadi will keelover in shock and pain. The following round itrises and attempts to seek out its heart. TheHeartSeeker then follows the Khadi to the heartslocation.The HeartSeeker must make a called shot to theheart, while wielding the dagger. If it misses hesuffers all the penalties of a failed full attack. Ifthis technique is used on a normal person, applydamage as normal.Rank 4: The Gibbous MoonThe HeartSeeker has learn the finer arts ofcombat and may attack twice per round.Rank 5: The Full MoonThe final technique of the HeartSeeker is perhapsthe most feared by the Khadi. The Ashalan

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingHeartknife is a notoriously difficult weapon towield, much less throw, yet it is at this point thatthe HeartSeeker is able to do just that,performing a ranged version of the Rank 3technique. All Khadi instinctively fear the soundof a Ashalan Heartknife whistling through the airand as such, must make a Fear 3 roll or retreatfrom the area of combat.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Ashalan desert cloak,clothes, crysteel sword, Ashalan heartknife,knife, 5 dinari, 4 water tokens.Ashalan SandsmithBenefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesSkillsSandsmithing, Athletics, History, Lore(Crysteel),Knife, +2 from the appropriate lists.TechniquesThe sandsmith has no techniques per se. As theSandsmith gains in rank, he learns how tofashion different item of crysteel.The smith learns the most basic of smithingtechniques. He learns how to work the sand intothe glass like material known as Crysteel. Thesmith learns how to fashion knifes, daggers andsimilar small blades in his first couple of ranksof experience.Once the Smith reaches the third rank he starts tolearn how to fashion swords and spear heads.Larger items of Crysteel can be fashioned.The smith's overall goal for reaching rank 5 is tofashion his dreams into a sword of Crysteel.These dream swords are rare and incrediblypowerful artifacts, often named and inscribedwith power and even intelligence.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Desert cloak, clothes,crysteel knife, sand containers, smithing tools,resin, 4 dinari, 4 water tokensAshalan Priest/SorcererThe sorcerers of the Ashalan practice an ancientmagic from before the Day of Wrath. They wieldspells of immense power, capable of bothhealing the almost dead and destroying the mostpowerful of creatures.Benefit: +1 Ka33Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: 10 Ashalani Sorcerer SpellsSkillsSpellcraft(Sorcery), Lore(Sorcery), History,Calligraphy, +3 skills from the appropriate lists.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Ashalan desert cloak,clothes, crysteel knife, robe, 5 dinari, 4 watertokens.Generic Schools available to the AshalanExplorers – Ashalan explorers scour the surfaceworld at night hunting for the four artifacts of theFour Goddesses.The Ashalan Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They come like a plague,consuming all before them. They seeknothing but control. They shall learnthat to gain such a thing is not easy.• Moto - They are welcome in our citybeneath the city.• Sultanate - Within the city lies adarkness that breeds like flies on acorpse. We will deal with it in time.• Yodatai - They do not understand.• Ra'shari - They mistakenly believe thatthey control the destiny of the Sandsand all within them. That what theywrite in their Chronicles will foretell thefuture and preserve the past.• Ivory Kingdoms - They bring withinthem a malignant growth. Like asurgeon, we will carve it out.The Ashalan Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - There is something to be saidabout those that fight for what theybelieve in. We aid them when we can.• Houses of Dahab - Pawns of the Qolatand servants of the most dark ofmistresses…greed.• The Qolat - They control all thatsurrounds them, but not what liesbeneath them.

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• The Rhumal Cult - Death walks withthem. Chaos follows them. Fearproceeds them.• Jackals - Anathema! Insanity!Abominations!• Ebonites - They guard the most terriblesecret of all. True death.• Assassins - To talk within the uppercity indoors is to invite them into yourhome and business, a place you do notneed them to be.• Khadi and the Caliph - She, like herKhadi, are abominations in the face ofthe Goddesses and Kaleel. They willfeel the wrath of the Sleeping God soonenough.• The Celestial Alliance - Many thinkthat a free jinn is a wondrous thing. Weremember the 1st and 2nd Ages and theWar of the Jinn.Ivory KingdomsSituated far to the southeast of the BurningSands, the Ivory Kingdoms are a vast land ofplains, jungles and savannahs.Her many kingdoms, ruled by men and womenknown as maharajah, seem benevolent andtrusting, willing to trade their lands’ ivory, gold,water, silks and spices for similar goods.But the Ivory Kingdoms also bring a cancer tothe Jewel, in the form of the Rhumal cult ofstranglers. These cultists, worshippers of death,seek to bring about a dark age, and will go to anylength to see it.Cultural Benefit: +1 AwarenessCultural Advantage: NoneCultural Disadvantage: OutsiderIvory Kingdom Warrior SchoolThese men and women can be seen on the boatsand near the docks and warehouses of the IvoryKingdoms in the city. They are competentswordsmen.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkills34Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookSwordsmanship, Athletics, Riding, Hunting,Defence, Battle, +1 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesRank 1: The Dodging MonkeyThe Warrior learns how to mimic the quickmovements of the nimble monkey, making itharder for the opponent to strike him. TheWarrior receives +5 to hi TN to hit.Rank 2: Leap of the MonkeyMonkeys are able to leap great distances to avoidharm. The Warrior has watched and studied thistactic and has adapted it to his own style. TheWarrior makes an opposed Agility + Defenceroll versus Attack roll of his opponent. Ifsuccessful he gracefully dodges out of the blowsway.Rank 3: Going to GroundMonkeys sometimes drop to the ground,attempted to snag a leg of their target. TheWarrior is also able to do this, using a controlleddrop and roll, the Warrior hit the ground, strikesat the opponents legs and then rolls to his feet offto one side of the opponent. This attack, even ifnot successful, often confuses other warriors.The Warrior adds +10 to his To Hit roll, as hegoes to ground and attacks at a strange angleRank 4: Rage of the MonkeyMonkeys can actually become quite savage andquick when enraged. The Warrior harnesses thefury and rage of the monkey, and is able to striketwice a round.Rank 5: Strength of the ManyMonkeys sometimes attack in massive numbers,defeating bigger opponents with sheeroverwhelming numbers and strength. TheWarrior has learned to place a heavy hit for extradamage into his target. He gains +2K0 todamage of all sword weaponsOutfit(All items of average to good quality) LongSword, light armour, clothes, cloak, water skin,knife, travel bag, 4 dinari, 3 water tokens.Ivory Kingdom Rakshasa Hunter SchoolAmong the Ivory Kingdoms, there is onecreature that can strike terror into the hearts of allmen. The Rakshasa. Cruel demons of smoke,they delight in playing with their prey. Rakshasa

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingHunters are solitary men and women who havetaken it upon themselves to hunt these fearsomebeing down and kill them. They are some of thebravest and deadliest warriors in the IvoryKingdoms.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, Athletics, Riding, Hunting,Knife, Defence, +1 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesRank 1: The Tiger’s PathTiger, though large, are able to nimbly andagility move. The Hunter can make an opposedAgility + Defence roll versus Attack roll of hisopponent. If successful he gracefully dodges outof the blows way.Rank 2: The Tiger’s RakeTigers often attack quickly, raking their targets,the Hunter has learned a way to simulate this,using his long reach and agility to place quickbut deadly strikes. The Hunter may choosewhere his blows land instead of needing todeclare them as raises.Rank 3: The Savage TigerThe Hunter attacks like the savage tiger. He maystrike twice a round.Rank 4: The Circling TigerTigers will circle their prey before striking, oftenwaiting for the right opening. The Hunter is ableto make a whirling parry, and can attempt toparry all incoming attacks on opposedswordsmanship rolls. This technique counts as afull defence.Rank 5: Fury of the BeastThe Hunter lashes out at his prey with all thesavage fury of the wild tiger, slashing andstabbing as fast as he can. The Hunter almostseems to spin like a top and attack everythingaround him. Attack each target within 5 feetaround you once.Outfit(All items of good quality) Long Sword, lightarmour, clothes, cloak, water skin, knife, travelbag, 4 dinari, 3 water tokens.35Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookIvory Kingdom Jakla SpiritualistThe sahirs of the Ivory Kingdoms. Theseindividuals are often wanderers and usually givemuch leeway in their native country.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsHistory, Calligraphy, Lore(Jinn), Knife, +3 skillsfrom the appropriate lists.Outfit(All items of average quality) Clothes, cloak,water skin, knife, travel bag, 4 dinari, 3 watertokens.Generic Schools available to the IvoryKingdoms• Priests – The Ivory Kingdoms are likethe Senpet, possessing many cults withmany gods and goddesses, not all ofthem pleasant.• Courtesans – The halls of many of thecities of the Ivory Kingdoms haveharems of lovely young ladies. Mostwomen of this profession are owned bya master or mistress.• Merchants – The Ivory Kingdommerchants always bring Ivory to thetable for sale, trade or barter.• Explorers – The vast lands of both theIvory Kingdoms and the Burning Sandsattract them like moths to the flame.• Thieves – The Ivory Kingdoms areplague by these wretches as well.• Courtiers/Advisors – Many of theIvory Kingdoms "genteel" have come tothe city, seeing it as a place to practicetheir statecraft.• Slave – The Ivory Kingdoms also haveslave pens, using the labour for variousexhausting tasks, like building, farming,etc.The Ivory Kingdom Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They are a strange people,with strange customs, but their art isunparalleled. Such works of beauty.

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Moto - Savages. We have no time forthem.• Sultanate - Esteemed partners. Theyhave so much to offer.• Ashalan - The who?• Yodatai - We have dealt with them inthe past and learned to stay clear oftheir encampments.• Ra'shari - Gypsies and nomads. Whatharm can they be?The Ivory Kingdom Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Rebels. They should all be putto the sword.Moto• Houses of Dahab - Our partners. TheMerchant Kings and Princes are ourallies.• The Qolat -The what?• The Rhumal Cult - Long have theyplagued us in our homelands.We thought them destroyed, but nowthat we are here we have seen theirhandiwork again.• Jackals - I have heard of these things.Strange soulless things that hunt in thenight.• Ebonites - Loud, obnoxious and abully. That was all I got from my firstencounter with them.• Assassins - Assassins? Where? I thinkyou’ve smoked a little too much of thewater-pipe.• Khadi and the Caliph - She rules theJewel and has let us trade here. Sadlyshe doesn’t realize how little control shehas. The Khadi are a pain. Suchabominations.• The Celestial Alliance - Free Jinn?Have you been smoking your waterpipeagain?"We protect the Jewel of the desert, as she onceprotected us." -SubotaiThey have wandered in the wastes for a thousandyears, living on the outskirts of the Jewel of theDesert, preying on the weak and dying. But now,36Legend of the Five Rings Fan Bookthe Moto have become the prey. The armies ofthe Senpet Pharaoh hunt down the nomads,leaving their bleeding corpses where they lie.Now, the Ki-Rin raiders fight to protect theJewel of the Desert from the death-worshippingSenpet, the invading legions of the Yodatai andthe dark cults of the Ivory Kingdoms.The Moto are divided amongst two factions, theWhite Guard and the Ki-Rin.Ki-Rin Cultural Benefit: +1 AgilityWhite Guard Cultural Benefit: +1 PerceptionCultural Advantages: Born in the SaddleCultural Disadvantages: HuntedKi-Rin Moto WarriorMoto warriors are a hardy lot, taken from allwalks of life and trained to help defend the landsof the people from invaders and creatures of thedeep desert. Both men and women are trained aswarriors within the Moto people.Note: This school first appeared in ImperialHerald #13.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkillsAnimal Husbandry, Horse Archery,Horsemanship, Hunting, Lore (Burning Sands),Swordsmanship, Stealth.TechniquesRank 1: Under the Cover of NightAt the first Rank, Ki-Rin Moto are trained to useshadows and the cover of night to move aboutwithout detection. They are also shown their firstchronicle, their own passage in the continuingverbal tradition that the Moto keep to give toShinjo on her return. No matter where he walks,or upon what surface he travels upon the Ki-RinMoto leaves no trace of his passing (all Trackingand Hunting rolls to find his trail automaticallyfail). Also, the Ki-Rin may choose one of hisSkills as his "Chronicle" (what he is currentlyfamous for among his clan), which is increasedby one Rank. The maximum for this Skill maynow be 6.Rank 2: Night's Sweet StingBy this stage of their development, Ki-Rin Motoare shown how to use the darkness to theiradvantage during combat, and how to manipulate

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingthe lingering moonlight to confuse their enemies.They are also given their second Chronicle.When fighting outdoors at night, the Ki-Ringains 2 Free Raises to use as he leases. Theseraises may be applied at any point during thecombat, individually or together, to any Skillcheck. These Raises are not cumulative, and goaway at the end of the combat if not used, Atleast five minutes must pass between combatsfor them to refresh for the new fight. Note thatthese Raises can be used in conjunction with theKi-Rin's Rank 4 Technique. Also, the Ki-Rinmay choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle",which is increased by one Rank. The maximumRank this Skill may now reach is 6. This may notbe a Skill that was previously chosen as aChronicle during a former rank.Rank 3: Ride Until DawnKi-Rin are next taught to endure the rigors oftenrequired in the desert wasters, as well as how tooutlast their pursuers across the dunes. They arealso provided with their third Chronicle. The Ki-Rin may operate normally with minimal sleep(three hours per day) for a number of weeksequal to half his Sand Rank. At the end of thisordeal, he will require three extra hours of sleepeach night, for a number of days equal to thenumber of weeks spent using the ability. Also,the Ki-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his"Chronicle", which is increased by one Rank.The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is6. This may not be a Skill that was previouslychosen as a Chronicle during a former rank.Rank 4: Night's Blind FuryAt this, the last true stage of development for theKi-Rin, each is shown the secret of combiningall their previous knowledge into one startling(and quite vicious) attack. Though less thanhonourable by Rokugani standards, this ambushtactic is shockingly effective. They are alsoprovided with their fourth "Chronicle". At nightand outdoors, the Ki-Rin may choose to ambushan opponent by making a Simple Agility +Stealth roll versus the a TN of the target'sPerception x5. Success indicates that the Ki-Rinautomatically gains the initiative for the firstround of combat; no rolls are made for initiative.Further, for every five points the Ki-Rinsurpasses the TN by, he gains one raise duringthe first round of combat (only). These Raisesmay not be extended past the first round ofcombat, or used for anything other than an attackupon the chosen target. These is no limit to thenumber of Raises that may be gained for attackthrough use of this Technique. Also, the Ki-Rinmay choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle",which is increased by one Rank. The maximumRank this Skill may now reach is 6. This may notbe a Skill that was previously chosen as aChronicle during a former rank.Rank 5: The Final ChronicleBy this stage in their life, Ki-Rin Moto havemade a name for themselves among their ownpeople (and probably beyond). They are legendsamong the Ki-Rin Clan, and will be rememberedlong after they have passed from this world.They are granted their final Chronicle, and berecorded in the Great Chronicle of the Age, arecord of the greatest heroes of the BurningSands Moto, which will pass directly into thehands of the Kami Shinjo upon her return. TheKi-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his"Chronicle", which is increased by one Rank.The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is7. Finally the Ki-Rin gains the Legendary Heroadvantage for free.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothing, desertcloak, light armour, helm, long sword, spear,bow, 20 arrows, knife, 8 dinari, 4 water tokens.Moto AskareeMoto askaree are spies, the eyes and ears of theMoto in the other cultures cities and oases.Askaree are trained from birth how toimpersonate the culture to which they are sent.Often, a child of that culture is stolen and raisedwithin the Moto, in order to better the deception.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesSkillsStealth, Sincerity, Disguise, Lore: (Culture inwhich they are), Knife, History + 2 skills fromthe appropriate lists.TechniquesWith each rank the Askaree learns how to adaptto his culture even better. As he slowly gainsexperience he becomes better at hiding withinthe culture he is in. To represent this, each rankgives the Askaree a +1K1 to all rolls he does toconvince someone that he is a member of thatspecific culture.37Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingOutfit(All items of good quality) Clothing, knife, 8Dinari, 8 water tokens.Moto Horse RaiderThe Moto Raider are the progenitors to theOtaku Battlemaiden school, having literally beenborn into their saddles and taught to ride thedesert dunes as easily as they can walk. It takes alot to learn to be a Moto Raider and many do notsurvive the training, but those that do areconsidered the best cavalry on the desert sands.Benefit: +1 ReflexesBeginning Honour: 3 + 5 boxesSkillsArchery, Swordsmanship, Battle, Defence,Riding: Horse , + 2 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesRank 1: Horse and Rider as OneThe Moto Raiders are the ones who taught Otakuhow to ride and fight from horseback. The MotoRaiders keep an extra die for all riding relatedrolls, including combat ones.Rank 2: As the WindThe Moto Raider has learned how to movewithin the saddle, taking blows and striking atthe most opportune times. The rider may switchthe value of his TN to be hit and initiative for thecombat round.Rank 3: The Horse and his RiderThe Moto Raider has now learned how to use hisskill at arms to parry the weapons coming at himand his horse. He may subtract his School Rankfrom total damage done to him each round.Rank 4: Strike from AboveThe Moto has learned how to attack at a over thehead angle with his sword when mounted. Hegets two attacks per round, and a third attack atend of round if he kills his opponent.Rank 5: To be One with the WindThe Raider has learned the final aspects of hisschool and may now re-roll any dice that are lessthan the appropriate trait of the skill he used. Hemay only do this once per round only.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothing, lightarmour, short sword, horse bow, 20 arrows,knife, horse, 8 dinari, 3 water tokens.Moto SahirThe sahir of the Moto are descendants of theRa'shari sahir of the time when both groups wereone. They are often looked upon for advice.Benefit: +1 KaBeginning Honour: 3 + 5 boxes.Beginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, History, Research, +3skills from appropriate categories.Outfit(All items of good quality) Staff, clothes,travelling pack, water skin, writing tools,ledgers, 4 dinari, 4 water tokens.Moto ShugenjaThe shungeja of the Moto are descendants of thegreat Ki-Rin who wandered their lands all thosehundreds of years ago. They are a rare breed andonly ten are thought to exist in the Moto clan.They are seen as the last link to the Ki-Rin.Benefit: +1 KaBeginning Honour: 3 + 5 boxes.Beginning Spells: 8 of any element.SkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, History, Research,Lore: Ki-Rin, +2 skills from appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of good quality) Staff, clothes,travelling pack, water skin, writing tools,ledgers, 5 dinari, 4 water tokens.White Guard Moto WarriorMoto White Guard are a hardy lot, taken from allwalks of life and trained to help defend the landsof the people from invaders and creatures frombeyond the borders of the Burning Sands.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkills38Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingArchery, Swordsmanship, Battle, Defence,Knife, +2 skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1: Under the Cover of NightThe White Guard is able to focus himself to thetask that he has set. He may add his School Rankto all skills rolls.Rank 2: The Darkness RevealedThe White Guard Warrior is able to seeminglysense danger. After years of training andwandering, they are able when something dire isabout to happen. The Warrior is unable to besurprised in any way.Rank 3: The Darkness FalteredThe White Guard Warrior has learned how toenhance his abilities. He may attack twice perround.Rank 4: The Darkness BattledThe White Guard has become surer of his abilityand has learned to harness his body to do thingsthat others cannot. The warrior may spend 2 Fatepoints a round.Rank 5: The Darkness DestroyedIt is said that the White Guard Warrior cansurvive anything and anywhere. This is true to anextent. The warrior is able to ignore vastamounts of pain and continue to fight whenothers would normally die. To represent this thewarrior ignores all wound penalties till hereaches dead. Replace dead with three -3 woundranks, then two -4 wound ranks, then one -5wound rank, then dead.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothing, desertcloak, light armour, helm, long sword, spear,bow, 20 arrows, knife, 8 dinari, 4 water tokens.Generic Schools available to the Moto• Priests – Among the Moto, priests arefew and usually dedicated to the Faithof Lady Fate.• Courtesans – Most women of Motobirth who are captured by the Senpetand Sultanate end up in this profession.Most are no better off than a slave is.• Merchants – Though few in number,Moto merchants often bring valuablehorses and riding gear to the trade tableas well as information on the desert.• Explorers – They are some of theSands best explorers, having traveled itslength many times.• Thieves – Even the Moto will raid forsupplies and water.• Slave – Since the Moto do not keepslaves, this school is taken by a memberof the Moto who has been captured byanother culture and put into slavery,such as the Senpet.• Pit Fighter – Moto are highlydangerous and as such, many end up inthe Senpet and Sultanate pit fightingrings.The Moto Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They move in quiet patterns,speaking with a forked tongue. They arenot to be trusted in any way when onedeals with them.• Sultanate - To them we owe much, butover the recent years their city hasbecome dark and strange to journeywithin. One must always be cautiouswithin such places.• Ashalan - Ancient and wise, they areour salvation in this time of theAwakening.• Yodatai - Fearsome and nearlyunstoppable, we will fight them till thesands are red with their blood.• Ra'shari - Cousins and brethren, westill trade with them in the deep desertsaway from prying eyes.• Ivory Kingdoms - They are too muchlike the Sultanate.The Moto Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - We support their crusade tofree the city from the iron grip of theCaliph. Our knowledge is theirs.• Houses of Dahab - They control thecity with almost as much power as theCaliph does. They are greedy, powerhungry and utterly ruthless. If it weren'tfor their ties with the Senpet, they’d beconsiderably allies.39Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• The Qolat - Our distant cousins havespoke of this rather strange group in theEmerald Empire, and it seems they arehere as well. We do not know what endsthey seek, but we will find out.• The Rhumal Cult - Our scouts havebeen to the Ivory Kingdoms and seenthe destruction that the followers ofKali and Kali-ma have wrought. Wewill butcher them when we find them.No mercy.• Jackals - They are not stories. Theylive. They kill. They must be destroyed.• Ebonites - In the beginning they wereuseful, protecting the innocent, but nowthey are little more than thugs.• Assassins - We remember the sultanwho was cursed. We know he is the OldMan of the Mountain. We also know ofhis descendants. Be wary of theirwomen.• Khadi and the Caliph - Abominations,all of them. Servants of a dark power.The Khadi are powerful sahir,possessing magics of death anddestruction, one must be careful aroundthem.• The Celestial Alliance - Ourdunerunners and scouts have told of amagnificent floating city that sits deepin the open desert, beyond theboundaries of explored sand and theability for mortal man to reach. Manydied to bring us this information.Ra'shariThe Ra'shari claim to be gods, and while thismay be yet another one of their stories, they doappear to have an unusual influence on the Fateof all other factions in the story. What goals arethese mysterious wanderers working towards?Cultural Benefit: +1 KaCultural Advantage: Luck 1, CursesCultural Disadvantage: Benten's Curse, SocialOutcastsRa'shari BoneReaderSahirs of skill, they are they guides of theirpeople, often being female more than male.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 0 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsLore (Jinn), Investigation, History, Calligraphy,Knife, +2 skills from the appropriate lists.Outfit(All items of average quality) Cloak, clothes,camel, large carry bag, knife, parchment andwriting tools, 5 dinari, 5 water tokensRa'shari Dancer SchoolAcrobats, thieves, seductresses, they have calledmany names. The members of a Ra'shari dancetroupe are often viewed with awe as well as fear.They come and go as they please, often givingincredible shows to their audiences, and oftenleaving the same audience minus a few trinkets.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 0 + 5 boxesSkillsAthletics, History, Dancing, Swordsmanship,Knife, +2 skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1: As one Does, the Other followsThe Dancer is able to use his or her hand towield items simultaneously. This means that theDancer can use two weapons at the same time,striking with both. The Dancer rolls on to-hitroll, but counts damage on each weapon if it hits.Rank 2: As One with the WindThe Dancer has learned how to blend hismovements into his combat training, allowinghim to shift out of the way of incoming blows.The Dancer has +5 to his TN to be Hit.1Rank 3: The Dance Goes OnThe Dancer is able to control his movementswith great efficiency. He can strike twice perround.Rank 4: Lord of the DanceAt this point the Dancer has learn how toliterally dance his way around the opponent,always moving and twisting. It is very hard tostrike such a foe. To properly use this technique,40Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingthe Dancer can-not be wearing armour. TheDancer has a +10 to his TN to be HitRank 5: As One with the MusicThe Dancer is like the legendary whirlingdervish, striking outwards at all around him. Hemay now strike three times a round.Outfit(All items of average to fine quality) Cloak,clothes, short sword, knife, travelling pack,camel, 5 dinari, 3 water tokens.Ra'shari Storyteller SchoolThese enigmatic men and women are fullycapable of inciting large crowds to a state ofaction through simple words alone. They hold apower they use with care.Benefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 0 + 5 boxesSkillsHistory, Languages (choose two), Lores (choose2), Knife, +1 skill from the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1 -- The 1st ChronicleThe Storyteller is able to hold an audience inthrall for his Rank x 1 hour, as he spins his tales.Rank 2 -- The 2nd ChronicleThe Storyteller is now able to make a number ofaudience members equal to his Rank, feel likethey are part of the story, thus inciting people tomore willing to listen to the story and lessons itpasses on.Rank 3 -- The 3rd ChronicleThe Storyteller can now convey the emotions ofthe story into 1 audience member, making thatman or woman feel as if they are part of the storyitself.Rank 4 -- The 4th ChronicleThe Storyteller can convey the emotions of thestory into 2 audience members at this point aswell as swaying a number of people equal to hisrank to your side of the story with subtleundertones. These people are more susceptible tosuggestions and ideas that conform to your pointof view.Rank 5 -- The 5th ChronicleThe Storyteller can convey the emotions of thestory into his Rank X2 audience members. Hemay also sway his Rank X2 people to his side ofthe story with subtle undertones as well ascausing his Rank in chosen swayed audiencemembers to act on his behalf to the best of theirabilities.Outfit(All items of average quality) Cloak, clothes,camel, large carry bag, knife, parchment andwriting tools, 5 dinari, 5 water tokensGeneric Schools available to the Ra'shari• Priests – It is known that the Ra’sharifollow Lady Fate’s decree, as well asthe auspices of Lady Sun, but not muchelse.• Merchants – Ra'shari merchants, whilerare, do grace the markets of the variouscultures of the Sands. Ra'sharimerchants usually have strange artifactsfor sale.• Explorers – It is said that the Ra'shariknow every dune of the desert, everyoasis, every rock and every den ofdarkness.• Thieves – Some Ra'shari have taken toliving off the kindness of strangerswhile other merely take when needed.The Ra'shari Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - We tried to warn them of thecoming awakening, but they spurn andhunt us instead. We stay away fromtheir lands when possible.• Moto - Our cousins are alwayswelcome in the caravans.• Sultanate - From here we began andone day it is here we shall end.• Ashalan - Like us they remember anearly time. Before the Day of Wrath.Brothers in soul if not in body.• Yodatai - Three of our caravans havenot returned from their occupiedterritory. Tread softly when you gothere.• Ivory Kingdoms - They are all to muchlike the Caliph and her minions.41Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThe Ra'shari Outlook on the Factions• Qabal- A noble struggle that is worthhelping.• Houses of Dahab - They seek ourdeaths.• The Qolat - Secret rulers of the city,they have amassed so much power thatit has corrupted them, turning them intothe very thing they sought to destroy.• The Rhumal Cult - Killers andmurderers. Their Avatar, Kali-ma is asign of the coming Dark Times.• Jackals - Soulless minions of the DarkGod, they bring about the Dark Timeswith every soul they destroy andconsume.• Ebonites - Fanatics whose cause is just,when they are capable of rememberingthat cause.• Assassins - We created them, so shallwe destroy them when it is time.• Khadi and the Caliph - She seeks torule all and makes gambles that evenLady Fate would not.• The Celestial Alliance - The concept ofa free Jinn alliance is troubling.Senpet Empire"To restore the fire of the great Eye, we mustcapture the fire of the Jewel of the Desert." -Hensatti, Pharaoh of the SenpetTheir civilization is as old as the world itself, butnow the flame in the Great Eye has faded as thedesert winds carve away at their mightymonuments and pyramids. In order tocircumvent an ancient prophecy, the Pharaoh hasturned to the Jewel of the Desert to make certainher mighty civilisation does not fall victim to theunforgiving desert winds and the wrath of LadySun.Cultural Benefit: +1 StaminaCultural Advantages: NoneCultural Disadvantages: PridefulSenpet PriestsPriests of the Senpet follow a massive pantheonof gods, all devoted to various aspects. Of note isthat the Senpet do not worship Lady Sun. Theyinstead have a mad male Sun God know as Rha,who was put down by his brothers and sisters inan ancient battle in the heavens.Benefit: +1 KaBeginning Honour: 2, plus 5 boxesBeginning Acts: 2SkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, Theology, Research,Astrology, +2 skills from the appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Staff, scrolls, clothes,writing material, travelling pack, knife, 8 dinari,4 water tokensSenpet Sahir, the AstrologersThe Sahir of the Senpet are the men and womenthat study the stars in an effort to divine thefuture and past, in order to apply it to the present.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 2, plus 5 boxes.Beginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, History, Research, Lore(Jinn), Astrology, +1 skill from appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Staff, clothes,travelling pack, water skin, writing tools,ledgers, 20 dinari, 5 water tokensSenpet SeersThe Seers are the prophets of the gods, holding aspecial place in Senpet society. While notterribly gifted in the arts of using the spells andJinn, they can see the soul of those about themand tell of their destiny.Most members of the nobility have a seer ontheir personal staff.Benefit: +1 KaBeginning Honour: 2, plus 5 boxesBeginning Acts: 2Skills42Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingCalligraphy, Meditation, Sincerity, Research,Astrology, +2 skills from the appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Staff, scrolls, clothes,writing material, travelling pack, knife, 3 dinari,3 water tokens.Senpet WarriorThe warriors of the Senpet come from manywalks of life. Slaves, peasants and nobility allserve in the military. All are taught the basics offighting, but only those with promise goonwards.Benefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 2, plus 5 boxesSkillsArchery, Swordsmanship, Battle, Defence,Knife, Riding, + 1 skills from the appropriatelist.TechniquesRank 1: Movement of the SnakeThe Senpet Warrior learns to move in a ratherdisconcerting fashion, offering only one side ofhis body to be attacked. He may add +5 to thisTN to be hit.Rank 2: The Weaving HeadThe Senpet Warrior has learned how to move hisweapon in a weaving manner like that of asnake's head, causing distraction for hisopponent. The warrior may strike at a -5 to hisTN to hit.Rank 3: Shifting SandsThe Senpet Warrior has master the art of movinglike the sands of the desert, always moving andshifting position. He may now strike hisopponent from oblique angles and as such maykeep an additional die of damage because thestrikes tend to hit unprotected areas.Rank 4: The Quick StrikeThe Senpet learns how to strike as fast as asnake. He may make two attacks per round.Rank 5: The Eyes of the SnakeThe Senpet Warrior has mastered the arts ofswordsmanship to such a point that he mayalmost mesmerize his opponent with the weavingof his blade. His opponent must make a43Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookContested Willpower test every round or looseone action.Outfit(All items of good quality) Light armour, longsword, shield, spear, bow, 20 arrows, helm, 2other weapons, clothes, water skin, 5 dinari, 2water tokens.Generic Schools available to the Senpet• Priests – The lands of the Senpet arefull of gods, goddesses, demi-gods andsuch, and the priestly caste are many.• Courtesans – Senpet courtesans arehighly sought after, considered to beexotic and quite able to please a man inmany ways.• Merchants – The markets are floodedwith merchants of the Senpet, buying upstalls and land.• Explorers – Some Senpet stillwandered the deep desert looking forartifacts from the days of the 1st and2nd Age.• Thieves – All cultures seem to havethese people.• Courtiers/Advisors – The lesser noblesof the Senpet who have no wish to fightseek these positions of power andstatus.• Slave – Most of the Senpet slaves areforeigners, but their own race are thereas well. Debtors, POWs, thieves, etc areall enslaved and put to work in theJandaq Slave Caravans.• Pit Fighter – The worst of the slavesend up in the slave pit fights. Brutalgladiatorial combat that is used tosatisfy the bloodlust of the people.The Senpet Outlook on the other Cultures• Moto - We shall destroy the raiders andbandits, putting them where theybelong. The Jandaq slave pits.• Sultanate - They will be our future.Their cities and people will follow theScarab and the Burning Sands will beours.• Ashalan - They are enigmatic and trulyalien to us. The secrets they carry are

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingsaid to be able to bring a man fortuneand fame or sadness and loss. Some saythey are guardians of our future, but weforge our own future.• Yodatai - Let them come with theirlegions. We shall make them eat sand.• Ra'shari - The come and go like themirages of the desert sands. Theknowledge they gather is said to be achronicle of all that has happened. Topossesses such knowledge would be agreat and terrible thing.• Ivory Kingdoms - The are like theSultanate, constantly looking to make afortune and cheat fate. Like theSultanate, they will follow the SacredScarab.The Senpet Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Renegades that seek tooverthrow their liege lords. Theydeserved only death.• Houses of Dahab - The are greedy andsadly united in their control of the tradein Medinat al-Salaam, something wewill have to change when we rule.• The Qolat - The what?• The Rhumal Cult - We have heardtales of these stranglers from the distantIvory Kingdoms. Evidence of theirpresence has yet to reach our landsthough.• Jackals - A tale to scare children, that isall they are.• Ebonites - Fanatics and glory hounds. Itis a pity that the Caliph has let them runfree in her city for so long.• Assassins - Another fairy tale to scarethe common man.• Khadi and the Caliph - The Caliph isstrong, and her Khadi are loyal to herand only her. It will take time to destroythem, by we will rule the City of OneThousand Stories, either through her orover her cold corpse.• The Celestial Alliance - We have heardthe rumours of free Jinn gathering at asecret city deep in the desert. Suchthings are tales once again.Sultanate"As this mighty city took my innocence so longago, so shall I take away its innocence." - TheCaliphShe is the heart of the Burning Sands, the Jewelof the Desert, the City of a Thousand Stories.Medinat al-Salaam. For over four centuries, theundying Caliph has ruled her, her heartlessmages--the Khadi-- patrolling the city streets,hunting all who oppose her will. It is the centerof all major trade in the Burning Sands and it iswhere most of the true adventures lie.Cultural Benefit: +1 AwarenessCultural Advantages: NoneCultural Disadvantages: NoneSultanate City WarriorCity warriors are trained in the various noblefamily schools of the city how to literally dancewith their blades. Also known as Dervishes,Sultanate warriors are a force to be reckonedwith.Benefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 2 +5 boxesSkillsArchery, Swordsmanship, Battle, Defence,Knife, + 2 skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1: The Arm is one with the BladeThe Warrior has learned the basics of combatand may add his school rank to his damage.Rank 2: The Wind's ApprenticeThe Warrior has learned how to make the bladenow dance like the wind. He may make 2 attacksper round.Rank 3: The Seeking BladeThe Warrior now is capable of placing his bladewhere it will deal the most damage. He may keephalf his school rank in dice when attacking anddoing damage.Rank 4: The Winds BrotherThe Warrior has begun to learn to move his bodyin the Dervish manner, and as such may now addhis school rank to his TN to be hit.Rank 5: Whirling Dervish44Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThe Warrior spins at his opponent like theWhirling Dervish of legend. He may make 3attacks per round.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothes, light armour,2 swords, bow, 20 arrows, helm, 5 dinari, 4water tokensSultanate MerchantConsidered to be the best of the merchant classin the Burning Sands, the Sultanate merchant is amaster of guile, bargaining and grifting histargets.Benefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 3 + 5 boxesSkillsCommerce, Knife, Haggling, Gambling,Appraisal, Sincerity, +1 skill from theappropriate list.TechniquesThe Sultanate Merchants have no techniques persay, instead they start the game with a number ofitems that they take and trade.Rank 1Average blot of cloth, lantern, pots, averageweapons (knives, arrows, spears), averageclothing, average jewellery, 1 camelRank 2Good quality weapons, good quality clothing,average jewellery, forged city pass, 5 water skinsof water, 1 camel with packs, two rank 1 itemsRank 3Average quality armour, good quality jewellery,illicit maps to locations best not thought about(brothels, gambling dens, etc), 10 water skins ofwater, 1 camel with packs, 1 slave, four rank 1items, two rank 2 itemsRank 4Good quality armour, 3 pack horses, goodquality weapon, excellent quality jewellery, 15water skins of water, pass into a city of theBurning Sands, partnership in a merchant house,2 slaves, 1 camel with packs, eight rank 1 items,four rank 2 items, two rank 3 items.Rank 5Excellent quality armour, excellent qualityweapons, 30 water skins of water, lifetime passinto one city of the person choice, ownership in amerchant cartel, 5 slaves, 1 camel with packs,sixteen rank 1 items, eight rank 2 items, fourrank 3 items, two rank 4 items.Outfit(All of good to fine quality) Clothes, donkey,sleeping roll, knife, 20 dinari, 6 water tokensSultanate SahirThey are few and far between, most having beenexiled, killed, joined the Qabal or worse, forcedto become one of the Khadi.Still some survive though sheer wits, wanderingthe twisting streets as they seek enlightenment.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, History, Spellcraft,Theology, +2 skills from appropriate categories.Outfit(All items of low to average quality) Staff,clothes, travelling pack, water skin, writing tools,ledgers, 4 dinari, 3 water tokensGeneric Schools available to the Sultanate• Priests – On every street there areshrines and temples. Within the Jewelall are worshipped.• Courtesans -- In the Sultanate manywomen have adopted this role as a wayto gain power over men or at least tosurvive. In some quarters it can be adignified profession, but sadly there aretoo many girls who are not in so nice aplace.• Merchants -- The Jewel of the desert isfull of merchants. At every turn someone will try to sell you something.• Explorers -- The deserts hold riches inthe ruins of lost civilizations and manywander to their deaths seeking them.• Thieves -- In such a large city things dogo missing.45Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Courtiers/Advisors -- The Sultanatehas many of these people. They workwith merchant prices, kings and nobles.• Slave -- In the Sultanate many slavestoil all day and night to make the citylarger.• Pit Fighter -- The pits of the Jewel ofthe Desert are the largest and mostbrutal around.The Sultanate Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - We welcome them into ourcity to trade and live. As with all thatcome, they too will live in peace andharmony with us.• Moto - They come and they go. Likethe desert sands which constantly shift,they are. Watch them carefully and keepa hand close to your wives anddaughters when the riders of the Motocome.• Ashalan - We have not seen their kindin nearly a thousand years, and nowthey have come again. What wondersdo they bring.• Yodatai - Invaders who seek to destroyour way of living.• Ra'shari - They are perhaps Gods, onlevel with the Ashalan. They certainlyknow secrets about us that no-one elseknows.• Ivory Kingdoms - Dinari, slaves, silks,water, exotic animals and perhaps bestof all, ivory. All comes from the IvoryKingdoms and we look forward to eachshipment.The Sultanate Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - They are renegades. Rebels.Traitors.• Houses of Dahab - They control themarkets and bring us riches frombeyond the city. Without them the waterwould not flow.• The Qolat - The what?• The Rhumal Cult - A rash ofstrangulations has occurred since thecoming of the Ivory Kingdoms traders.We know it is linked.• Jackals - Some things are best left inthe night.• Ebonites - They walk the streetshunting the things in the dark. It is bestto stay clear of such people.• Assassins - The walls have ears. Theyalso have knives.• Khadi and the Caliph - She has ruledfor over three hundred years. Her Khadiare as immortal as she is. Together theyhold this city in an iron grip.• The Celestial Alliance - Free Jinn? Ithink you have been under the gaze ofLady Sun for too long.YodataiFresh from their Empire beyond the northernreaches, the Yodatai exploratory force hasarrived in the Jewel of the Desert despiteinsurmountable odds and the efforts of thechildren of the smokeless fire. They havetravelled across the barren peaks and acrid dunesfor a reason only they know, fuelled by thebloody victories of their greatest warlords. Theywill succeed, even if it is over the broken bodiesof every man, woman, and child in their path.Cultural Benefit: +1 StrengthCultural Advantage:Cultural Disadvantage: OutsiderYodatai Alchemist SchoolBenefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkillsLore (Metals), Lore (Alchemy), Investigation,Calligraphy, Research, + 2 skills from theappropriate lists.TechniquesThe Alchemist learns the magical properties ofmetals, potions, liquids, herbs and gems. Eachskill opens up a new layer of learning andknowledge.Rank 1 -- MetalsThe skill of identifying the different metals ofalchemical practices. Once fully understood, thealchemist can use this skill along with metal46Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingworking skills to enhance anything made ofmetal.Rank 2 -- PotionsThe skill of identifying, making and usingpotions properly. Common potions are healing,sleeping, and antidote. All potions require a skillroll to make at TN 20.Rank 3 -- LiquidsThe skill of identifying the different liquids ofthe alchemical practices. Once fully understood,the alchemist can use this skill along withpotions, poisons and other such skills to enhanceand create alchemical liquids.Rank 4 -- HerbsThe skill of identifying the different Herbs ofalchemical practices. Once fully understood, thealchemist can use this skill along with herbalskills to enhance anything that uses herbs in itscreation.Rank 5 --GemsThe skill of identifying the different gems ofalchemical practices. Once fully understood, thealchemist can use this skill along with gemworking skills to enhance anything made withgems as well as use gems in spell like functions.Outfit(All items of good to fine quality) Alchemicalpowders, 3 ready made potions, clothes, knife,parchment, writing tools, 6 dinari, 5 water tokensYodatai Centurion SchoolThe Yodatai Centurion is the backbone of theYodatai Empire's Legions. Each Centurion istrained to be a competent warrior, armed withsword and shield.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, Shield, Athletics, Hand to hand,Archery, +2 skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1: Strength of the BearThe Centurion knows how to focus his strengthinto his blows. Instead of normal Strength +weapon damage, he does HeIN2x Strength +weapon damage.Rank 2: Eye of the EagleThe Centurion has learned how to spot theweaknesses of his opponents and then hit themsuddenly. He is able to add his Rank to his to Hitroll.Rank 3: Ferocity of the WolfThe Centurion has become more capable in histiming of his blows. He may attach twice perround.Rank 4: Claws of the LionThe Centurion has learn how to use his shield asweapon, slamming it into opponents. Instead of asecond strike with his sword the Centurion mayelect to do a Shield Bash. The Shield skill isrolled at TN 15. Damage is equal to the Rank 1technique + shield damage.Rank 5: Armour of the TurtleThe Centurion learns how to do a shield parrywith a counter strike. If he successfully parriesan attack, he may then strike at an opponent asnormal. This technique can be mixed with theRank 3 technique for up to four possible hits.The TN for the Shield Parry is a Shield Rollversus the attack roll of the incoming attack.Outfit(All items of good quality) Yodatai long sword,shield, light armour, long bow, 20 arrows,clothes, cloak, 4 dinari, 4 water tokensYodatai Inquisitor SchoolBenefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, Investigation, Sincerity,Meditation, Torture, +2 skills from theappropriate lists.TechniquesWith each rank the Inquisitor learns how to tell ifsomeone is telling the truth and how to get suchtruth out of them. The Inquisitor adds his rank toall Torture and Detect Lie (Perception) rolls.Outfit(All items of good to fine quality) Yodatai longsword, knife, Light Armour, clothes, cloak, 4dinari, 4 water tokens47Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingYodatai Inventor SchoolBenefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkillsLore (Technology) 2, Smithing, Investigation,Calligraphy, Research, +1 skills from theappropriate lists.TechniquesThe Inventor uses no techniques, instead hegains bonuses to his various inventive skills.Research, Armourer, Weaponsmith, andTechnology (Craft and Lore) are all influencedby this. The Inventor may re-roll any 1s at rank1, 2s at rank 2, and 3s at rank 3, but only up to anumber of times equal to his rank. E.g. A rank 3Yodatai Inventor may re-roll three 1s, or two 2sor one 3 per session. This represents thefickleness of inventing.Outfit(All items of average to good quality) Clothes,light armour, writing materials, parchments,slave to carry stuff, small stash of parts, knife, 10dinari, 4 water tokensYodatai Strategist SchoolBenefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 1 + 0 boxesSkillsHistory, Swordsmanship, Investigation, Battle 2,Calligraphy, +1 skill from the appropriate lists.TechniquesThe Strategist is a master tactician, watching andplanning the battles for his general. As a YodataiStrategist gains rank he is able to perceive moreabout a battle. In game terms he adds his Rank toall his rolls for any type of Perception orIntelligence based tests that deal with a battle.Also for each rank of skill, the Strategist canshift the result on the battle result table by oneshift.Outfit(All items of fine quality) Yodatai short sword,clothes, cloak, light armour, knife, writingmaterials, parchments, slave to carry stuff, 10dinari, 5 water tokensGeneric Schools available to the Yodatai• Priests – The priests of the Yodatai areall followers of the Prophet. Anythingelse is considered heresy.• Courtesans – They are a combinationof the camp women who follow thearmy as well as those taken in battle. Inareas other than Yodatai controlledregions, women of the Yodataihomelands are considered rare andexotic because of their often lightcoloured hair and fair skin.• Merchants – While few in number,they do voyage to the Jewel to makemoney selling Yodatai steel.• Explorers – These men and woman actmore as scouts for the army thananything else.• Courtiers/Advisors – All generals andcommanders need people to tell themwhen they are right and rarely whenthey are wrong.• Slave – The life of a Yodatai slave istruly harsh, forced to dig, carry, fetch,clean and even please their master ormistress.• Pit Fighter – Even the Yodatai like abit of sport, and the slaves that areespecially brutal and tough are used tofight against each other in rough rings.The Yodatai Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - Their army is to be respectedas is their general, but as a people, theywill do well as slaves.• Moto - Fierce warriors, they neversurrender, taking their own lives insteadof becoming our slaves. A worthy foe.• Sultanate - The Jewel of the Desert andour prize to be taken. With it we willforge a new empire.• Ashalan - We have seen only a coupleof these strange people. They are anenigma.• Ra'shari - Like the Ashalan they arelike ghosts in the night.• Ivory Kingdoms - We have dealt withthem before and seen their strange cult48Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingof death. Such good pit fighters theymake.The Yodatai Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - We have heard of this dissidentfaction. They would make useful allies• Houses of Dahab - The merchants ofthe great city are its source of power.Crush them and crush the might of theJewel of the Desert.• The Qolat - The what?• The Rhumal Cult - We have capturedthese elusive stranglers before. Theymake good pit slaves.• Jackals - Never heard of them.• Ebonites - Our distant cousins. Wegladly welcome them with open armsinto our ranks.• Assassins - Anyone who is paid to killis an assassin, what makes them thinkthey are any better?• Khadi and the Caliph - She rules theKhadi and in turn the Jewel itself. Shethinks this makes her strong. She iswrong. Our legions are a strength shewill regret ever feeling.• The Celestial Alliance - Jinn?? What isthis thing called jinn?Faction-Specific SchoolsAssassins"Veils hide more than shadows..." - FatimaThe offspring of the Old Man of the Mountain,who exacted his revenge for his curse of eternallife (given to him by the Ra'shari Grey Woman).The Old Man's origin is tied into the origin of theKhadi.Faction Advantages: Fear 1, Major Ally(Assassins), Knowledge of the CityFaction Disadvantages: Major Enemies (Allcultures and factions, at least in public), OutcastOrder of the 7 Oaths Assassin SchoolThe Order of the 7 Oaths is the typical assassinthat is found working in the city. They are thelargest order of assassins.Benefit: +1 reflexesBeginning Honour: 0SkillsStealth, Athletics, Swordsmanship, Defence,Knife, +2 skill from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank1The assassin dodges out harms way with quickmovements. He makes a Agility + Defence rollwith a TN equal the attack roll of the Target. Ifsuccessful the target misses as the assassindodges.Rank2The assassin may attack twice per round.Rank3The assassin trains to move at strange angles andin sudden spurts of motion. He adds +5 to his TNTo be Hit.Rank4The assassin has learned to spot the flaws in hisopponent’s techniques and knows where to placehis hits. The assassin adds +10 to his To Hit roll.Rank5The assassin learns the skills of parrying anattack and then riposte. Requires a successfulopposed attack roll to parry and riposte.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothes, knife, cloak,short sword, 4 dinari, 5 water tokens.Order of the 7 th Gate Assassin SchoolAssassins of the Order of the 7th Gate are theAssassin Factions defenders, often found in theirbases, camps and boltholes, protecting thefamilies of the Assassins themselves.Benefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 0SkillsStealth, Athletics, Swordsmanship, Defence,Knife, +2 skill from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank1:The assassin trains to move at strange angles andin sudden spurts of motion. He adds +5 to his TNTo be Hit.49Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingRank2:The assassin learns the skills of parrying anattack and then riposte. Requires a successfulopposed attack roll to parry and riposte.Rank3The assassin dodges out harms way with quickmovements. He makes a Agility + Defence rollwith a TN equal the attack roll of the Target. Ifsuccessful the target misses as the assassindodges.Rank4The assassin has gotten to the point in histraining that he is almost able to foresee attackscoming at him. He applies his Rank x3 to his TNto be Hit.Rank5The assassin is able to attack twice per round.Outfit(All items of good quality) Cloak, clothes,sword, shield, knife, 4 dinari, 4 water tokensOrder of the Black Star Assassin SchoolAssassins of the Order of the Black Star are unrelentinghunters of their prey, skilled at trackingtheir prey for days across the city.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 0SkillsStealth, Athletics, Swordsmanship, Hunting,Defence, Knife, +1 skill from the appropriate listTechniquesRank1: Moving with the NightThe assassin adds his Rank to all Stealth Skillrolls.Rank2: Scent of the PreyThe assassin adds his Rank to all Hunting Skillrolls.Rank3: Night’s TouchThe assassin can make a silent kill by succeedingin an opposed Perception vs. Stealth roll. If thishits the target immediately takes maximumdamage from the strike. E.g. 3k2 would deal 20points.Rank4: Coiling DarknessThe assassin may attack twice this round.Rank5: From Shadow to ShadowThe assassin able to become one with theshadows, moving from shadow to shadow asthey pursue their prey. On a successful Ka rollthe Assassin can move from one pool of shadowsto another up to 100 feet away.Outfit(All items of good quality) Clothes, knife, cloak,short sword, 4 dinari, 3 water tokens.Order of the Blood Red Tiger Assassin SchoolThe Order of the Blood Red Tiger is small withfew members. Blood Red Tigers are masters ofcombat and often fall into combat rages thatcause them to loose themselves in battle.Because of this berserker rage, Blood Red TigerAssassins are used only when all other optionsare exhausted, for to let one loose into an area isto guarantee both his death and that of many,many people.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 0SkillsStealth, Athletics, Swordsmanship, Defence,Knife, +2 skill from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank1The assassin summons forth his inner strengthand lets loose a massive shout. The shout tearsinto the target, stunning him. The target mustmake a Willpower roll at TN 20 to resist. If hefails, he can only Full Defend.Rank2The assassin channels his fury and rage in hisstrikes. He get his Rank keep 0 to all To Hitrolls.Rank3The assassin can make two strikes per round.Rank4The assassin learns to channel all his strengthinto each shot. He may add his Rank keep 0 toall damage rolls.Rank5The assassin can make three strikes per round.50Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingOutfit(All items of quality) Clothes, knife, cloak, longsword, 2 dinari, 2 water tokens.The Assassin Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They intrude into our domain.We shall deal with them in time.• Moto - They come rarely to our cityand when they do, they cause littletrouble. Few contracts have been takenon them.• Sultanate - Once the Old Man of theMountain ruled this city till he wasbetrayed and cursed. Now a usurperrules, thinking she has absolute power.How mistake she is.• Ashalan - We have seen themwandering the city, beneath the streets,on top of the buildings and between thewalls. They are a strange people bestleft alone.• Yodatai - Invaders like the Senpet, theyhave crossed the sands to meet theirdeaths.• Ra'shari - An ancient enemy, it is theythat created us and thus sealed their ownfate.• Ivory Kingdoms - Their merchantsbring profit, water and commodities tothe city, but also rivals for our services.The Assassin Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Renegades like us. Help themwhen possible.• Houses of Dahab - They have a chokehold over the city and are ruled by themysterious Qolat. Do not trust them.• The Qolat - Dark and secretive mastersof the merchants, the Qolat are an evilthat needs to be purged.• The Rhumal Cult - They are not onlyas proficient but also as silent as we.Destroy them at every opportunity.• Jackals - Soulless creatures ofdarkness. Destroy them if you can.• Ebonites - Thugs and fanatics. Nothingmore, nothing less.• Khadi and the Caliph - She and herdark mages think that they control thecity. How wrong they are.• The Celestial Alliance - I have heard ofthese people but have never seen one ormet an actual member face to face.Celestial AllianceThere is a gentle time between the ages when thefuture of humankind is unset and darkness roamsthe world with impunity. This is that time. Thereare those who gather as guardians during thesetimes of uncertainty; they surrender their lives tothe void between the moments. The CelestialAlliance are those courageous few. Born of apact made in the First War of the Stars, theCelestial Alliance has been the first and last lineof defence against the legions of Kaleel sincebefore the Day of Wrath.Faction Advantages: Major Ally (Alliance)Faction Disadvantages: Major Enemy (Qolat,Houses of Dahab, most sahir)Note: The Celestial Alliance has no schools.The Alliance Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They refuse to admit the truth.That Lady Sun created the lands and assuch she can also destroy them if shewishes.• Moto - They walk the sands and watchthe skies for signs that the wrath ofLady Sun will soon be dispelled. Littledo they know that the Awakening willshatter all their hopes.• Sultanate - It is from here that we willsoon have to lead. Let us hope that itwill be safe when we arrive.• Ashalan - An ancient race and ourbrothers in the fight the Awakening willbring.• Yodatai - We are not sure of their placein the great plan.• Ra'shari - They know the truth of thetime before the Day of Wrath.• Ivory Kingdoms - They bring withthem a dark evil that transcends the timeof the Day of Wrath and that will haveto be dealt with.51Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThe Alliance Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Our allies in the comingAwakening.• Houses of Dahab - They wish to rulethe Jewel. If they manage this theAwakening will go wrong.• The Qolat - They rule the city frombehind closed doors. They wish todestroy all magic, jinn and gods. Theyare the coming darkness.• The Kali Rhumal Cult - They follow adark god. They will follow it to theirdeaths.• Jackals - Soulless minions of the DarkOne, they will fall in the comingAwakening.• Ebonites - They follow the teachings ofthe Prophet Mekhem. He spoke of thetime of the Awakening, hoping hisstudents would listen. Let us hope thatthey were attentive pupils.• Assassins - They are of no concern.• Khadi and the Caliph - She and herkhadi are the bane of the sands and willhave to be dealt with once theAwakening is upon us.Ebonites"We fight to recover yesterday's lost innocence."-- BalanceThe Ebonites are worshippers of the BlackStone, which they claim perhaps is the placewhere the Prophet Mekhem left the world. Theyengage in public-spirited policing of Medinat al-Salaam's populace, although it appears their zealin fighting crime is not particularly appreciatedby the common man. They are the counterpartsto the Jackals, and regularly crusade against theundead infesting the sewers of the city.Hundreds of years ago, the prideful Ebonitesunleashed a dark force into the world, and theyhave sworn to atone by hunting down anderadicating evil in all its myriad shapes andforms. Now, their sacred mission has broughtthem, unwitting, to the forefront of a race for thegreatest secret the world has ever known.Ebonites share a bond of brotherhood seared intotheir souls during ritual rebirth, but one of themcarries a link to the past that none suspect.Faction Advantages: Major Ally (Ebonites),Driving Goal (Destroy the Darkness)Faction Disadvantages: Fanatic, Major Enemy(Jackals)Ebonite CrusaderBenefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, Shield, Ride, Athletics, Battle,Defence, +1 skill from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank 1All Crusaders first learn how to use their shieldproperly in order to parry incoming shots. TheTN for the shield parry is equal to the attack rollof the opponent.Rank 2The Crusader now can strike after his shieldparry. He deflects the blow and then quicklystrikes his opponent.Rank 3The Crusaders can attack twice per round.Rank 4The Crusader can now combine his shield parryand strike with a shield bash. On a successfulparry the Crusader rolls his Shield skill and on asuccessful To Hit roll he bashes the opponentwith the shield. The can be combined with theRank 3 technique.Rank 5At this point the Crusader has learned how tototally reduce the attack ability of his opponentwith a properly place shield parry. If successfulthe Crusader negates the remainder of the targetsattacks and, as he is now left wide open, matstrike with a To Hit roll of 5.Outfit(All items of good quality) Cloak, clothes, longsword, knife, heavy armour, shield, horse, bow,arrows, 6 dinari, 4 water tokensEbonite Priest of the ProphetBenefit: +1 AwarenessBeginning Honour: 2 + 0 boxes52Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingSkillsTheology, Meditate, History, Calligraphy, +3skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesThe Ebonite Priests of the Prophet differ fromthe regular priest of the prophet in one way.They can heal by simple laying on hands.All priests also start the game with 2 abilitieseach. They gain two new abilities with eachrank.OutfitCloak, Staff, knife, horse, clothes, 4 dinari, 4water tokensEbonite Sorcerer/SahirBenefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: Summon, Control, Bind,Unsummon, ContactSkillsLore (Jinn), Spellcraft, History, Calligraphy, +3skills from the appropriate lists.OutfitCloak, Staff, knife, horse, clothes, 4 dinari, 4water tokensEbonite TemplarBenefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, Shield, Ride, Athletics, Battle,Defence, +1 skill from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank 1All Templar first learn how to use their shieldproperly in order to parry incoming shots. TheTN for the shield parry is equal to the attack rollof the opponent.Rank 2The Templar now can strike after his shieldparry. He deflects the blow and then quicklystrikes his opponent.Rank 3The Templar can now attack twice per round.Rank 4The Templar can now combine his shield parryand strike with a shield bash. On a successfulparry the Crusader rolls his Shield skill and on asuccessful To Hit roll he bashes the opponentwith the shield. The can be combined with theRank 3 technique.Rank 5The Templar can now attack three times perround.OutfitCloak, Sword, knife, full armour, horse, bow,arrows, clothes, 10 dinari, 6 water tokensThe Ebonite Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - Noble warriors.• Moto - They are bandits at best, thievesat worst.• Sultanate - The city is the center of thedesert and all life. Protect it as it wasyour own body.• Ashalan - They are a strange race, fullof knowledge and history. Listencarefully if one should speak.• Yodatai - Invaders. We shall stop theiradvances on the city.• Ra'shari - Nomads, they remind us ofthe Moto in many ways. Be wary ofyour purse and water tokens when aboutthem.• Ivory Kingdoms - They are goodpeople. Mekhem spoke kind words oftheir lands.The Ebonite Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Renegades and traitors, weshall put them to the sword.• Houses of Dahab - They run the docks,markets, shops and anything else thatwishes to sell or buy. They perhapscontrol the city.• The Qolat - The who?• The Rhumal Cult - Assassins that needto be put down. How dare they claimthat what they do is holy work.• Jackals - Our mortal foes. Kill them all.53Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Assassins - They say that within thewalls of the city are ruins of other cities.In these cities live a group called theassassins. I’ve only seen their victims,never their members.• Khadi and the Caliph - They bringorder the chaos of the city and shestands amongst them as a sound andrespectful leader.• The Celestial Alliance - Free Jinnliving in the deep desert. We have waysof making sure that the Jinn do nobother us.Houses of Dahab – the QolatThe Houses of Dahab are the most powerfulmerchants' guild in the City of Stories. They arealso the sinister Kolat from Legend of the FiveRings, who have been happily manipulatingthings from behind the scenes in Medinat al-Salaam just as their busybody counterparts inRokugan have. The Qolat decry the influence ofCelestial powers in human destiny (such as isrepresented by the Ebonites, Jackals, andCelestial Alliance), and seek to remove all godsfrom the world so that man can find their owndestiny. Given their egotistical goals and weirdphilosophy, the Qolat have found their agendabest pursued by forming a conspiracy to controlthe world's commerce.The Merchant Guilds of Medinaat al-Salaamhave the final word in all things monetary withinher walls. They barter and trade lives withcallous disregard, drawing wealth from everytransaction within the city.Faction Advantages: Major Ally (Qolat), MajorAlly (Houses of Dahab), Driving Goal (Mankindin control), Caliphs Ear (as emperors ear)Faction Disadvantages: Dark Secret(Qolatmembership), Major Enemies (CelestialAlliance, Jackals, Ebonites)House of Dahab MerchantBenefit: +1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesSkillsCommerce, Knife, Merchant, Barter, +3 skillsfrom the appropriate categories.TechniquesThe Sultanate Merchants have no techniques persay, instead they start the game with a number ofitems that they take and trade.Rank 1Average blot of cloth, lantern, pots, averageweapons (knives, arrows, spears), averageclothing, average jewellery, 1 camelRank 2Good quality weapons, good quality clothing,average jewellery, forged city pass, 5 water skinsof water, 1 camel with packs, two rank 1 itemsRank 3Average quality armour, good quality jewellery,illicit maps to locations best not thought about(brothels, gambling dens, etc), 10 water skins ofwater, 1 camel with packs, 1 slave, four rank 1items, two rank 2 itemsRank 4Good quality armour, 3 pack horses, goodquality weapon, excellent quality jewellery, 15water skins of water, pass into a city of the ThreeKingdoms, partnership in a merchant house, 2slaves, 1 camel with packs, eight rank 1 items,four rank 2 items, two rank 3 items.Rank 5Excellent quality armour, excellent qualityweapons, 30 water skins of water, lifetime passinto one city of the person choice, ownership in amerchant cartel, 5 slaves, 1 camel with packs,sixteen rank 1 items, eight rank 2 items, fourrank 3 items, two rank 4 items.OutfitClothes, 3 camels, cloak, sword, knife, 20 dinari,10 water tokens, 3 slavesThe Dahab Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They need land and building,which we are all to happy to supply.• Moto - Bandits. A bounty on all theirheads.• Sultanate - We control this city andeveryone in it.• Ashalan - They wander like ghosts ofbygone age. We shall deal with themand put them in their place soonenough.54Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Yodatai - They bring well forged steeland supplies from their distant lands.We welcome all trade.• Ra'shari - Nomads and wanderers.They have no time for us and we forthem.• Ivory Kingdoms - They bring manyitems of worth to the city. In severalyears they will be subsistent upon ourtrade and then we shall add them to ourcrown.The Dahab Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - It is funny to play thesefanatics against others.• The Rhumal Cult - We knew aboutthem before the first strangler did his"holy work" in the city. For now wewill let them think that they are safe.• Jackals - Soul eaters from the depths ofthe city. Killing them is a hard, long,drawn out process.• Ebonites - Fanatics, they are use pawnsagainst the other factions.• Assassins - We have used their servicesmany times in the past and will do somany times in the coming times.• Khadi and the Caliph - She has theaudacity to think she controls this city.• The Celestial Alliance - Nothing couldbe more nightmarish than the idea offree Jinn. The last free Jinn broughtabout the Day of Wrath. Do we wish arepeat of this event?Jackals"Immortality is a gift few have the courage to askfor." - EnalaThe Jackals are actually made up of those whofailed the Ebonite's Test of the Stone. They arethe rivals of the Ebonites, and engage innumerous questionable activities throughout theCity of Stories, including murder, slander, theft,and soul-sucking.Hidden deep within the worst nightmares of thepeaceful inhabitants of the City of One ThousandStories, is where they lurk. Their practices defymorality; their purpose defies comprehension.They smother the hopes and dreams of everyonethey touch, bartering the lives of all mortal menfor long-forgotten secrets none should ever learn.They are the abyss itself.Following the mandates of their alien mastersbeyond the Black Stone, the Jackals strive toprevent the prophecy's coming fulfilment. Theirtargets are the Avatars, the beings whose bloodis the key to the Awakening and whom the soulstealersbelieve are harbingers of a dark age forhumankind. Should the Jackals fail, they believethat the world will be plunged into a perilousperiod of history in which the souls of humanitywill be forfeit to a terrifying lord of madness andeternal night.Note: Anyone who decides to belong to theJackal faction cannot have a cultural or genericschool. He must take one of the two followingschools. The only exception is if the person is aSahir. They remain as is.Faction Advantages: Fear 2, Driving Goal(Save the world), Major Allies (Jackals),Knowledge of the CityFaction Disadvantages: Outcast, Soulless (Seebelow), Hunted, Marked (See Below), MajorEnemies (Ebonites)Jackal Soul Hunter SchoolThe Soul Hunter is the most feared thing to walkthe streets of the Jewel of the Desert. Thisvicious creatures hunt the souls of the Avatars,destroying any who come in the way, drinkingtheir souls or worse, trapping them in bottles forfuture torment.Benefit: +1 KaBeginning Honour: 0SkillsSwordsmanship, Hunting, Stealth, Knife, Lore(City Sewers), +2 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesThe Soul Hunter does not use techniques, insteadhe learns how to ‘smell’ the powerful souls abouthim. Many souls are pre-destined for greatnessfrom birth. The Soul Hunter can sense thesesouls and thus track them. A Hunting + Kaopposed by a double Ka roll of the target is made(e.g. Ka 2 = 4k2 roll). If successful the Jackalhas sensed the powerful soul and can now trackit. Each subsequent Hunting + Ka roll brings theJackal closer.55Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingLike all Jackals, the Soul Hunter can literallysuck the soul out of his target. To do this, theJackal makes and opposed Ka test versus histarget. Each raise bid and made sucks away a Kapoint. When all the Ka is spent, the Jackal thensucks away the actual stat. Anyone who loose alltheir Ka points dies, their soul having beenconsumed by the Jackal. The Soul Hunter is alsocapable of storing the stolen soul in a bottle/jarfor later use.While it is possible to reunite a soul with itsbody, it is a rare thing and must be down withinin a moonrise of the soul being taken.Outfit(All items of low to good quality) Clothes, cloak,sword, knife, three soul bottles, 2 dinari, 1 watertokenJackal Thief SchoolA rare few of the Jackals actually attempt to liveabove the sewers, hiding from the public eye andstealing what they need. Most of these wretchesstarve to death, unwilling to succumb to the direaction of eat another’s soul. Some survive,hardened and twisted, they are the nightmaresthat the people talk of when they speak in hushedwhispers of the Jackals.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 0SkillsLock picking, Pickpocket, Stealth, Knife, Lore(City Sewers), +2 skills from the appropriatelists.TechniquesLike all thieves, a Jackal thief gains his Rank in abonus to all thieving skill rolls.Outfit(All items of low to average quality) Clothes,cloak, knife, 2 dinari, 1 water tokenSpecial DisadvantagesSoulless (Jackals only) – 6 pointsAll Jackals have had 95% of their souls removedand replaced with the essence of the Dark God.This causes them to have to feed on other soulsto survive. One soul a month is all that is needed,though tales tell of certain Jackals who feedevery night.Every week that a Jackal goes beyond a monthwithout feeding gives him a wound level. Thesewounds are unhealable until a fresh soul isdrunk. Thus a starving Jackal is easy prey.Also, the Jackal is counted as an Undead for thepurposes of spells that harm undead.Marked (Outcasts and Jackals Only) – 4 pointsSometimes people are banished or outcast forcrimes that they want everyone to know of. Thepractice of branding a sigil into the forehead orshoulder of the outcast is common across all theBurning Sands. The Jackals for example, all havea mystically grafted tattoo of a Jackals head ontheir arm.The Jackal Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - The think they know where thedead go. Hehehee.• Moto - They are beyond ourgrasp…most of the time.• Sultanate - Ahhhhhh, such sweeeetsouls to drink.• Ashalan - They are to be destroyedwhen one gets the chance.• Yodatai - Hmmmmmm, new souls toconsume. Perhaps the Avatar is withinthem.• Ra'shari - Kill.• Ivory Kingdoms - They bring death.We have been to deaths door, goneinside and returned. They will fall likethe others.The Jackal Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - From time to time we will helpthem, secretly, for they wish ourdestruction.• Houses of Dahab - They hold too muchpower.• The Qolat -We heard whispers of thissect.• The Rhumal Cult - Kali-ma is perhapsone of the Avatars we seek. His soulwill be ours.• Ebonites - Brothers dear. Your time isnigh.56Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Assassins - They know the city as wellas we do, but only we know how to useit properly. Still, stay away from thesepeople.• Khadi and the Caliph - They have nosouls to take!• The Celestial Alliance - Bahhhhh!!Jinn. Leave them to the sahir.KhadiThe Khadi are the sorcerer warriors of theCaliph. They are evil people who have tradedtheir very hearts for power. Using an ancientSenpet ceremony the Caliph removes the khadi’sheart, placing it in a mystical ivory box. Thekhadi is now immortal, unkillable and almostunstoppable.The Caliph uses these warriors to patrol the city,destroy the Qabal and serve her purpose. Theyhave no other purpose.Faction Advantages: Ceremony of the HiddenHeart (Special), Caliphs’ Ear, Military Rank,LoyaltyFaction Disadvantages: Ceremony of theHidden Heart (Special), Major Enemy (Qabal,Ashalan)Khadi Sahir SchoolBenefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 0Beginning Spells: Summon, Bind, Control,Unsummon, ContactSkillsAdded to whatever skills the person alreadypossesses.Swordsmanship, Sincerity, Spellcraft, Lore(Jinn)TechniquesRetain the ranks and abilities of whateverprofession they were before the Ceremony of theEmpty Heart. Thus a Rank 4 sultanate warriorkeeps his four techniques as well as gaining thepowers of the Khadi.Outfit(All of fin quality) Cloak, clothes, badge ofoffice, sword, knife, horse, 10 dinari.New AdvantagesCeremony of the Hidden HeartThe Khadi have been subjected to a horrificritual that literally removes their heart and placesit in an ornate ivory box. Once done, the Khadican never die unless immolated or utterlydestroyed in one go. If anything remains, heregrows and heals, getting up within half an hourof their ‘death’.New DisadvantagesCeremony of the Hidden HeartSadly the same ritual that creates such fearsomecreatures also enslaves them to whoever ownsthe ivory box that contains their heart. The Khadicannot raise a hand against the holder of the boxand must obey the orders of the wielder as well.It is said that the Caliph has a secret room onlyknown to her where all her ivory boxes sit onshelves. It is said that the beating sound candeafen any man.The Khadi Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - Interlopers who think that theywill rule.• Moto - Bandits who deserve the slavepits as their reward.• Ashalan - Solitary and powerful, theywould represent a tangible threat if theywere to ever attack en-mass.• Yodatai - Invaders but possibly alsoour salvation. They bring fresh men andwomen to the conflict, new goods andstrange weapons.• Ra'shari - Once they were thesoothsayers of the Sultan. Now they arewanderers and nomads, banished fortheir transgressions. Watch them closelyin all dealings.• Ivory Kingdoms - New wealth andpower from across the deep desert.They need to be watched closely.The Khadi Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - Renegades who will fail anddie.• Houses of Dahab - The merchantprinces of the city. Such greed formaterial things.57Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• The Qolat - I have heard whispers ofthis faction.• The Rhumal Cult - Several corpseshave been dug up of late, their necksbroken and strangled. The similaritiesof the deaths is too much to dismiss.• Jackals - They hunt the weak andhelpless, sucking out the souls of theirvictims. Destroy them.• Ebonites - Fanatics, but useful allies inour struggle to control the city.• Assassins - Shadows and stories,nothing more.• The Celestial Alliance - Free Jinn? youmust be joking.Qabal"Those who oppose us are powerful, but I havealways believed that the tales of great heroesdemand great enemies." -- HekauThe Qabal were founded by a renegade Senpetsahir, Hekau, to oppose the cruel practices of theKhadi who rule Medinat al-Salaam.For over a century, the undying Caliph has ruledthe City of a Thousand Stories. Sorcerers havebeen declared heretics and enemies of the state,while the Caliph's own heartless mages - theKhadi - patrol the city streets, hunting all whowould oppose her will. But in the dark corners ofthe Jewel of the Desert, the Qabal conspires tooverthrow the Caliph and her minions. Theystudy the forbidden arts in hopes of finding away to bind the Khadi and bring down theCaliph.Faction Advantages: Driving Goal (Destroy theCaliph and the Khadi), Major Ally (Qabal)Faction Disadvantages: Outcast, Hunted, MajorEnemy (Khadi and the Caliph)Qabal SahirBenefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 1 + 5 boxesBeginning Spells: Summon, Bind, Control,Unsummon, ContactSkillsLore(Jinn), Calligraphy, History, Meditation,Athletics, Swordsmanship, +1 skill from theappropriate list.58Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookOutfit(All items of low to average quality) Cloak,clothes, sword, knife, writing materials, 6 dinari,4 water tokensThe Qabal Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - They have the nerve to thinkthat they will control our city.• Moto - Bandits that serve a purpose.They harry our foes yet seem to alsoharry our plans as well.• Sultanate - From here we strike at theCaliph and her minions the Khadi. Weshall protect it to the best of ourabilities.• Ashalan - They will be our savinggrace, for they bring with them themagics of an early age.• Yodatai - Invaders, but perhaps oursalvation. They bring a new way ofcombat to the sands and the Caliph fearsthat which is new.• Ra'shari - Wanderers and strangers,they prowl the outer cities telling talesof times long ago. They hold knowledgeworth finding.• Ivory Kingdoms - They are no betterthan the Caliph and her minions. Wemust leave them to their own devicesand watch carefully.The Qabal Outlook on the Factions• Houses of Dahab - They hold the keysto the city in their greedy paws and theyhelp us when the can, supplyingweapons, armour, food and water. Trustthem as far and you can throw wind.• The Qolat - We have heard of thismysterious group that implies that theyrule the city from behind the scenes. Ifthey exist then they are more of adanger than the Caliph and must bedealt with.• The Kali Rhumal Cult - Thesestranglers are evil. We will destroythem when we find them.• Jackals - Foul minions of the darkgods. Destroy them when possible.

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Ebonites - They once served a purpose.Now they serve themselves.• Assassins - Be wary of the walls, forthey have knives and ears.• Khadi and the Caliph - She is the baneof the city and will kill us all if she isgiven the chance• The Celestial Alliance - They arepossibly the salvation for all the sands.They bring a new freedom for the jinnthat we think they deserve.Rhumal Assassin CultGuided by a monstrous being that they believe isthe reincarnation of their ancient goddess ofdeath, members of the cult of Rhumal haverenewed their campaign of terror. They hideamong caravans, slowly growing like a cancer,until in a flurry of bloodshed all are sacrificed inthe name of their angry ruler. But their exploitswithin the Ivory Kingdoms are legendary, andthey are hunted fort heir faith. They have comeacross the desert in the guise of merchants anddiplomats, hoping to find new prey to sate theirgoddess's vicious appetite.Faction Advantages: Driving goal (Kali’sresurrection), Major Ally (Rhumal Assassins)Faction Disadvantages: Fanatic, death trance,outcast, hunted, marked, Major Enemy (IvoryKingdoms, Assassins)Rhumal Assassin SchoolBenefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 0SkillsAthletics, Swordsmanship, knife, stealth,sincerity, Rhumal (Special skill), +1 skill fromthe appropriate list.TechniquesThe strangler does not learn techniques asnormal. With each rank he ascends in statusamong his cult. Rank 1 Stranglers are the onewho carry the gear of the strangling team, andalso dig the grave for the victim. Rank 4 do theactual strangling. Rank 2 and 3 tend to be thedistraction and limb holders. A Rank 5 strangleris a sight to behold, for they are solitarystrangler, possessed of a strength granted to themby their goddess Kali.For each rank the assassin holds he gains oneextra die (1K0) to all strength tests. This reallycounts when he is doing the actual strangling.Outfit(All items are of low to average quality) Cloak,clothes, knife, rhumal, 4 dinari, 2 water tokens.Note: All Rhumal assassins carry their holyweapon, the Rhumal (a strangling scarf) withthem as a sign of status. They never leave itanywhere, much like a samurai with his swords.Unfortunately this also marks the man for whathe is. Most Rhumal assassins have taken tohiding the scarf as a decorative clothingexample.The Rhumal Outlook on other Kingdoms• Senpet - Their cities are dying and sothey come to the Jewel of the Desert toseek a new life. They shall go to Kali.• Moto - Dangerous foes. They trustlittle.• Sultanate - Ample prey for the work ofthe holy.• Ashalan - The who?• Yodatai - They too shall feel Kali’swrath if they seek to harm us.• Ra'shari - We have seen themwatching us from afar. We have nevermet them face to face, yet.• Ivory Kingdoms - They sought todestroy us, now we are here in this newland. They chase us, but it is too little,too late.The Rhumal Outlook on the Factions• Qabal - They think that they arefighting for a cause worth fighting for.Sad.• Houses of Dahab - They areresponsible for us being here. We shallrepay them with Kali’s blessing.• The Qolat -The what?• Jackals - Strange, they do not die whenthe holy work is preformed upon them.• Ebonites - They have killed many ofour number, but we persevere.59Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting• Assassins - They are like the shadowsat night, silent, dark and cold. Keepaway from these people.• Khadi and the Caliph - Like theJackals, the Khadi are immune to ourholy work. Be careful around them.• The Celestial Alliance - The idea of acity of free Jinn is a thing ofnightmares.Generic SchoolsThe Burning Sands have several generic schoolsthat all cultures have in common. Rather than puteach one in the culture area, they have been puthere. Any culture notations have been made.CourtesansThey offer pleasures beyond what man issupposed to feel. Most female, some male, thecourtesan is a class that is seen, yet not seen.Benefit: +1 AwarenessBeginning Honour: 0SkillsSeduction, knife, storytelling, athletics, +3 skillsfrom the appropriate lists.TechniquesA courtesan adds her Rank to each seduction,sincerity or similar skill test.Outfit(All items of low to fine quality) Clothes, workclothes, knife, cloak, 3 dinari, 1 water tokenCourtiers/AdvisorsMost courtiers and advisors of the BurningSands act as go betweens for those who invokethe tradition of Vendetta. Some advise lords andladies on the affairs of the day, and still othersact as ambassadors of types to the various courtsof the Burning Sands cultures.Benefit: +1 IntelligenceBeginning Honour: 2SkillsCourtier, Sincerity, Lore (cultural – pick two),history, 2 skills from the appropriate listsTechniquesThe Courtier adds his rank to all negotiation anddiplomacy situations and skill rolls.Outfit(All items of good to fine quality) Clothes, cloak,knife, servant, 8 dinari, 5 water tokens.ExplorersThe sands of the desert are full of ruins of the 1stand 2nd age. Ancient treasures and artifactsawait those brave enough to find them.Benefit: +1 StaminaBeginning Honour: 1SkillsInvestigation, Athletics, Lore(Desert), History,+3 skills from the appropriate lists.TechniquesAll explorers gain their rank added to all rollsthat deal with Exploration (mapping attempts,reading maps, survival, etc.)Outfit(All items of low to average quality) Cloak,water skin, camel, clothes, knife, 5 dinari, 5water tokens, some ‘artifacts’MerchantsThey stand in every market square, hawkingtheir wares and goods.Benefit: + 1 PerceptionBeginning Honour: 1SkillsAppraisal, barter, haggling, commerce, +3 skillsfrom the appropriate lists.TechniquesRank 1Average blot of cloth, lantern, pots, averageweapons (knives, arrows, spears), averageclothing, average jewellery, 1 camelRank 2Good quality weapons, good quality clothing,average jewellery, forged city pass, 5 water skinsof water, 1 camel with packs, two rank 1 itemsRank 3Average quality armour, good quality jewellery,illicit maps to locations best not thought about60Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting(brothels, gambling dens, etc), 10 water skins ofwater, 1 camel with packs, 1 slave, four rank 1items, two rank 2 itemsRank 4Good quality armour, 3 pack horses, goodquality weapon, excellent quality jewellery, 15water skins of water, pass into a city of theBurning Sands, partnership in a merchant house,2 slaves, 1 camel with packs, eight rank 1 items,four rank 2 items, two rank 3 items.Rank 5Excellent quality armour, excellent qualityweapons, 30 water skins of water, lifetime passinto one city of the person choice, ownership in amerchant cartel, 5 slaves, 1 camel with packs,sixteen rank 1 items, eight rank 2 items, fourrank 3 items, two rank 4 items.Outfit(All items of average to fine quality) Cloak,clothes, knife, 10 dinari, 5 water tokensPit FighterA rare few are taken to compete in the pit fights.Savage Romanesque gladiatorial combat.Winners live, are given perks and sometimeseven let free. Losers die, usually rather brutallyand gruesomely.Benefit: +1 StrengthBeginning Honour: 0 + 5 boxesSkillsSwordsmanship, hand to hand, knife, athletics,shield, +2 skills from the appropriate listsTechniquesRank1The Pitfighter first learns how to hit is targetquickly. He adds +5 to his To-Hit roll.Rank 2The Pitfighter has learned to enhance his hittingability. He may now add +10 to his To-Hit roll.Rank 3The Pitfighter is capable of making two attacksper round.Rank 4The Pitfighter has learned to use two weapons asone and as such treats an off handed weapon asno penalties to hit.Rank 5The Pitfighter channels all his rage into one hit,doing his Rank Keep 0 in added damage.Outfit(All items of low to good quality) Clothes, knife.PriestsThe priestly classes are those who havededicated their lives to the following of specificreligious tenants. They can be found many placeswithin the lands of the Burning Sands.All priests start the game with 2 Acts of Faitheach. They gain two new Acts of Faith with eachrank.Priest of FateMistress of Destiny, Fate, The Weaver of theSkeins of Life. She has many names but they allmean the same thing. A priest of Fate is aperpetual wanderer, walking his way into and outof sandstorms without harm and telling propheticstories of life. Many seek out these priests andgive them alms, so that hopefully Fate will treatthem with kindness.Benefit: +1 Ka, +2 FaithBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesBeginning Acts: 2SkillsSurvival, Meditation, Theology, Knife, +3 skillsfrom the appropriate categories.Outfit(All items of low to average quality) Staff,clothes, travelling pack, knife, 2 dinari, 2 watertokensPriest of the CultureAll cultures of the Burning Sands have their ownpantheon of gods and goddesses to worship.These men and women serve those pantheons,carrying the word of their chosen deity to theears of the unfaithful. Senpet Priests are coveredin their Culture Schools section.Benefit: +1 Willpower, +2 FaithBeginning Honour: 2 +5 boxes61Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBeginning Acts: 2SkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, Theology, Research,Astrology, +2 skills from the appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of average to good quality) Staff,scrolls, clothes, writing materials, travellingpack, 5 dinari, 4 water tokensPriest of the FaithThe Faith is that of the teachings of the Prophet.The priests of the Faith wander the lands of theThree Kingdoms looking for people to help andteach the way of the prophet. Of course noteveryone wants to hear what they have to say.Benefit: +1 Awareness, +2 FaithBeginning Honour: 2 + 5 boxesBeginning Acts: 2SkillsCalligraphy, Meditation, Theology, Research,History, +2 skills from the appropriatecategories.Outfit(All items of average to good quality) Staff,scrolls, clothes, writing material, travelling pack,knife, 5 dinari, 4 water tokensSlavesSome are indentured servants, some are they forthe pleasure of their lord or lady, some work thecaravans and mines and still others perform inthe slave pits.Benefit: +1 WillpowerBeginning Honour: 0SkillsAthletics, Hand to hand, +5 skills from theappropriate lists.TechniquesNone (or the era techniques)Outfit(All items of low quality) Clothes, knife.ThievesThey infest every city, living from job to job,pocket to pocket.Benefit: +1 AgilityBeginning Honour: 0SkillsPick pocket, picklock, stealth, athletics, fast-talk,knife, +1 skill from the appropriate list.TechniquesAll thieves add their Rank at their rolls ofpicking pockets, picking locks, stealth, sincerityand similar skills.Outfit(All items of low quality) Clothes, cloak, somestolen goods, knife, 2 dinari, 1 water token62Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBOOK THREE: THE BOOK OF FLAMECrysteel Sword -- gold 4K3Using the SystemTraitsThese rules use the same system for traits thatL5R does and as such simple use the rules in theL5R core rules on pages 98 - 103. Ka is handledjust like Void.CombatCombat in LBS is once again handled very muchlike that in L5R with the exceptions of duels.The concept of two men facing each other for aone strike, one kill duel is not known. Insteadthey is a tendency is for the two men to duel witheach other in a rapid trading of blow till one isdefeated. The L5R skill of iaijitsu is unknown inthe Burning Sands. Combat is identical to that ofL5R in all other regards.Combat: BattlesMass battles are also fought the same as in L5R,using the Battle Chart. Once again the exceptionis in the duels. These are one on one, one strike,one kill duels.GloryGlory is not used in the LBS game. Ignore allreferences to it at this point.WeaponsSwordsBastard Sword 25 gold 3K3A hand and a half sword, commonly used by theMoto tribes, it is a combination of the Rokuganigreat sword and the Ujik-hai blades.Khopesh 10 gold 3K2A sickle shaped sword with a long handle endingin a pommel. Commonly used by warriors of theSenpet.Long Sword 15 gold 3K2The most common sword found in the YodataiLegions, it is a straight bladed, heavy weaponthat tends to bash more that cut.These weapons are of Ashalani manufacture andare considered to be the rarest of all swords. Theart of forging such weapons is know only to theAshalan. These swords can wound anything eventhose with magical armour and protection.Scimitar 15 gold 3K2A common sword in the Burning Sands, thescimitar has a wicked curve to it and it oftenused one handed. A man who can wield two ofthese weapons at once is a true blade master.Short Sword 10 gold 2K2A short bladed weapon often used by assassins,merchants, bandits and such.Two handed sword 50 gold 4K3Hardly seen anywhere but in the Sultanate thetwo-handed sword is a clumsy but deadlyweapon.Dagger 2 copper 1K2The standard dagger of the Burning Sands. Itcomes in many shapes and styles.PolearmsBattle axe 5 gold 3K3A large double bladed axe,Warhammer 2 gold 2K2A large hammer, weighted for combat use.Javelin 5 gold 2K2The standard throwing weapon of the Senpet,favoured over the spear.Spear 8 copper 4K2Commonly found with the Sultanate, Moto andYodatai.Bows and CrossbowsLight crossbow 10 gold As quarrelCommon among the Sultanate and now only justmaking its way into the Senpet and Moto armies.It has a range of about 50 yards.63Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingHeavy crossbow 20 gold As quarrelCommon among the Sultanate and now only justmaking its way into the Senpet and Moto armies.It has a range of about 100 yards.Composite bow 50 gold As arrowThe Moto bow of choice, it is very much like theDaikyu of Rokugan. It has a range of about 200yards.Long bow 25 gold As arrowThe Senpet and Sultanate use these bows moreoften than the Moto. While not having the powerof the Composite bow it has a greater range ofabout 250 yards.Horse bow 25 gold As arrowThis weapon was designed and created atroughly the same time in all the kingdoms. TheMoto were seeking a bow that could be used onhorseback, the Senpet wanted a small, compactbow that they fire from the back of a carriageand the Sultanate wanted a bow that was easilymade and used. It has a range of about 150 yards.Arrows/QuarrelsNormal Arrow 1 copper 2K2The standard arrow of the Three KingdomsArmour Cutter Arrow 2 coppers 1K2An arrow designed specifically to cut through thehide armour of the Three Kingdoms.Flesh Cutter Arrow 3 coppers 3K3An arrow designed to cut throw flesh like a hotknife through butter. This arrow is ineffectualagainst an armoured target.Normal Quarrel 2 copper 3K3This is the standard ammo for a crossbow.Heavy Quarrel 5 copper 4K3A bolt specifically designed to do a lot of blunttrauma damage when it hits. This quarrel onlyworks in the Heavy Crossbow.ArmourLight 10 gold +5 to TN to be hitA set of light hide armour that covers the chestand upper legs. Almost all people in the BurningSands use light armour.Heavy 25 gold +10 to TN to be hitA set of heavier armour that covers the legs,arms, and body. Very uncommon due to itsweight in such a hot and arid country. TheYodatai and the most frequent users of this styleof armour.Barding 50/100 gold +10 to TN to be hitA set of heavy armour designed for a beast ofburden, such as a horse, camel or elephant. Thelesser cost if for the horse and camel barding.AnimalsHorse, draft 5 goldStandard work horse.Horse, war 50-100 goldA well bred horse trained for warfare. Usuallytraded from the Moto.Horse, riding 10-20 goldA good riding animal.Camel, one hump 5-10 goldThe ships of the desert. One hump camels aregood for city to city travel.Camel, two hump 5-10 goldThe two hump camel makes an excellent beast ofburden.Elephant 100 goldThe standard elephant is a great carrier of cargo,as well as dignitaries.Elephant, war 200 goldThe war elephant is trained for combat. There arefew of these mighty beasts.Hawk/Falcon 10 goldTrained hunting birds. Rare in the BurningSands.Dog, domestic 4 copperThe standard mutts that are found every where.Dog, war 5 goldTrained to attack and guard.Monkey, trained 10 goldAn animal almost unique to the Burning Sands.Trained monkeys are excellent companions.64Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBOOK FOUR: THE BOOK OF WINDReligionThe priest is the backbone of the Burning Sandstheological circles. They man the temples andtend to the faithful. They call upon the gods foraide and even receive it now and again.Each kingdom has its own pantheon of gods,goddesses, demi-gods and the like that theyfollow. Only two faiths are actually observedacross all lands of the Burning Sands that ofLady Fate and that of the Prophet, though manyof the cultures of the Sands have their ownculture specific deities, it is the major two thatwe look at here. The culture specific deities willbe covered in later books.Lady FateThe faith of Fate is a fickle thing, like tossing acoin every time you want to do something andpraying that its heads. Sometimes you are lucky,sometimes you are not, but still, many followHer, as well as pay lip service to Her, depositinga coin in the hat of one of Her priests as theyembark upon a journey.The faith of Lady Fate has existed for as long asthe Jewel of Desert has stood, even longer if theRa'shari are to be believed, for they are Herstrongest supporters.The ProphetThe faith of the Prophet is one of the youngestand strongest religions next to that of Lady Fate.The Prophet was a man who walked out into thedesert and brought the armies of the Fallen Godto a halt. His dedication and courage set anexample for others.The Faith of the Prophet is a severe one,proclaiming abstinence, monogamy, sex forprocreation only, as well as a host of other rulesand tenements. Many who follow the faithactually break most of the tenements, makingpenance later in the month, though most observethe holidays without fail.Death CultsAn interesting development within the Senpetreligious circles has been the emergence of thedeath cults. These groups pray to the Senpetdeath god, Anubis, hoping that through his65Legend of the Five Rings Fan Bookblessings they will not only live a long andeventful life, that their place in the afterlife willalso be set.Some death cults are into human sacrifices,feeling that one soul can save many.The Ivory Kingdoms has many of these deathcults, the most prolific and dangerous being theRhumal Assassins of Kali, Goddess of Death.SpellcastersThe SahirThe sahir are the harnessers of the Jinn, thepowerful spirits of the desert. Through them theycast their spells and summon forth the energiesof the elements. A sahir holds a strange place inthe Burning Sands. Within the lands of theSultanate they find themselves outlaws, hidingfrom the Tyrant and her Khadi. Many are part ofa secret society known as the Qabal. In the landsof the Senpet the sahir enjoy a status on par withthe priests. Within Moto lands the sahir are thepriests, and are treated as such.Sahir bind Jinn to their will, commanding themto cast spells for them. Most Jinn are anythingbut favourable to this idea. Jinn are notoriouslyfree willed and many turn on their masters whenfreedom is obtained. The most common type ofsahir merely summon the Jinn only for themoment needed to cast the spell and then setthem free in return for the service.The ShugenjaThough few in number, Rokuganese styleshugenja exist within the Burning Sands. Theyare not seen in any culture but that of the Moto.Shugenja are users of the elements, differingfrom their Burning Sands counterparts, the sahir,in that they do not actually summon Jinn and usethem to create spells.Shugenja seemingly channel the elementalenergies through themselves to create spells.While considered a better form of magic, as itdoes not require Jinn, others see the limited useof the shugenja as a downfall. Shugenja can onlycast a number of spells per day equal to the Ringof that element (Re, if the Sand Ring is 3, only 3of the Sand/Earth spells may be cast each day).

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThe SorcererThe Ashalan sorcerer is a true enigma to allpractitioners of magic within the Burning Sands.neither a user of Jinn or elements the Sorcererinstead seems to be able to harness the verysubstance of creation and bend it to his will.Ashalan sorcerers are given wide berths whendiscovered.The Ra’shariAll Ra’shari inherently can cast curses upon atarget. The only limitation being that they mustlearn these curses from other Ra’shari. Thesecurses can be very powerful and must be usedwith extreme care. Many are the tales of recklessRa’shari youths who cursed an individual inmere anger or for sport, only to find that thecurse had doubled back upon them instead.The Qabal ElementalistA few of the Qabal have discovered some of theolder magic of the Burning Sands. Magic thatpredates the Day of Wrath. Know simply aselemental magic, it allows the sahir to cast spellsfrom the elements without needing Jinn. Seen asrevolutionary and dangerous by most, theElementalist is more a story than truth it seems.The RehtuRehtu is the Senpet word that is used to representthe dark magics of necromancy, death, disease,and so forth. Some unscrupulous people learnthese spells, harnessing the power of the death togain power over others. Dark sorcerers,necromancers, plague priests, are but a few ofthe names carried by these dark men and women.The PriestsPriests channel the power of their deity intothemselves and others through a series of powersknow simply as Acts of Faith.JinnThe word Jinn is used as a generic term for allthe spirits and forces of nature. Each Jinn can beclassified as belonging to either Flame, Sea,Wind, Sand or Ka.The Jinn are a race of free spirited, strong willedelementals. They exist within nature, apart of it,flowing with it and manipulating it. Jinn are ableto use their affinity with their element tomanipulate it and cast spells.The smaller spells are usually possessed by theJinn while the greater and more powerful spellsare hoarded by the Elder Jinn.Smaller Jinn are usually associated with a singleelement, while the larger Jinns are able tocommand multiple elements.Of course the stronger the Jinn, the harder it is tosummon, bind and control.All of the Jinn kind dislike being commanded bythe sahir, though they are more tolerant of thosewho merely ask a single service than those thatbind them into service. Contrary to popularbelief, the Jinn do talk with others of their kind,trading stories and rumours. This means thatthose sahirs who become sorcerers often find itdifficult to summon new Jinn to bind.Why Summon JinnOne might ask why someone would summonsuch creatures.The answer is quite simple. Power. When onesummons a Jinn and puts it under his control, hegains the power of the Jinn. Usually this is forbut a short time, and usually it consists of gettingthe Jinn to cast spells or perform tasks of service.Jinn are great repositories of knowledge of thearcane and, of course, of history. Many sahirhistorians will confer with summoned Jinn onsubjects of history, legend, myth, magic and soforth.The overall benefit of binding a Jinn is that yougain its services indefinitely, or until it isunsummoned or destroyed. When a sahir has aJinn bound to him he gains the ability to castspells associated with the elements that the Jinnis part of, thus binding a Jinn with an aspectrelated to the element of Sand would allow thesahir to cast Sand spells.Problems with Summoningand Binding JinnBeing a Bad MasterIf a sahir is especially cruel to the Jinn hesummons, this will get out into the Jinncommunity and the sahir will steadily find itharder and harder to summon Jinn. For thosesahir who bind their Jinn and treat them bad, it is66Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settinghighly possible that once freed, the Jinn withreturn and attack or exact some sort of revengeon the sahir.Binding Too Many JinnOne might wonder how many Jinn a sahir canbind. Well that’s easy, up to 2x his Ka. Thoughafter reach a number equal to you Ka you need tostart checking to see if you’ve noticed by theElder Jinn. Jinn do not like to be kept, even bykind old men who treat them like fine china. Acage is still a cage, nor matter how gilded thebars.For every Jinn bound over the sahir’s Ka, thesahir makes a Ka roll at a TN of 5x his Ka. If hefails the elder Jinn have noticed him and as suchcome and pay him a visit in order to find outwhy he is summoning and binding so many Jinn.Anyone can use a bound JinnThis of course is the cardinal problem with abound Jinn. Anyone can use the Jinn within if hemakes a contested Willpower Roll (Sahir have iteasier as the Control Spell gives them bonuses),against the bound Jinn. Therefore a thief whosteals an item with Jinn bound to it can use theitem as long as him makes the roll.Known Jinn of the BurningSandsLegend has it that there are 1000 Jinn left in theworld. All Jinn have names, and all are merelyaspects of a greater whole. There can be severalJinn of one aspect, such as a Jinn of Decay orStrength. This is a short listing of some of theJinn.Common Abilities of the Jinn: All Jinn can fly atthe speed of a fast run. Jinn are magical creaturesand as such can only be hurt by magical means,either spells or crysteel swords. Crystal weaponsfrom Rokugan will also hurt them, but Jade willnot. All Jinn have a Ka from 1-5 depending ontheir rank within Jinn Society. Ka 1-2 Jinn arelesser Jinn. Ka 4 Jinn are elder Jinn, while the Ka5 Jinn are the Lords of their kind.All Jinn when bound give a benefit and adisadvantage to their owner. These benefits anddisadvantages only apply as long as the sahir isusing the bound Jinn.Jinn of a Thousand MidnightsElement: WindBound Effect: The item can make the userinvisible for as long as he wears the item andengages in no combat actions. The negative isthat the owner of such Jinn will slowly beforgotten by all those around him, till he is acomplete stranger to all.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of DecayElement: Wind, FlameBound Effect: The Jinn can immolate an areaabout itself, lashing all within a 20X20 foot areawith searing flames that do DR5. The Jinn is ableto do this only once if bound, becoming unboundand returning to the ethereal afterwards. Ownersof the Jinn of Decay tend to use it quickly, forone becomes susceptible to disease when onecarries this Jinn. Really susceptible.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of DesireElement: Flame, WindBound Effect: The owner of a Jinn of Desirebound into an item is seen as charismatic and fullof grace. He adds +2 unkept dice to allSeduction, Etiquette, Negotiation, Diplomacyand any other skill in which he talks and is seenwith others. The downside to the Jinn of Desireis that if you offend someone it works at 2x theeffect. So instead of being just ticked off, theoffended person might call a Vendetta or hire anassassin.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of DestructionElement: Flame, Wind, Sand, Sea, KaBound Effect: Considered by many to be one ofthe most powerful of the Jinn race, a Jinn ofDestruction is a mighty thing to behold. It iscapable of raining fire, sandstorms, and evenrocks upon its victims. All people in a 100X100foot area are hit by a DR7 attack by variouselements. Anyone who binds a Jinn ofDestruction radiates a palpable aura of dread,fear, and angry. Everyone around them mustmake a Fear 2 roll every time they see the bearer.Noted Jinn: None67Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingJinn of Earthly PleasureElement: Flame, Wind, SeaBound Effect: When bound, a Jinn of EarthlyPleasure can make the owner irresistible to amember of the opposite sex. The target willsacrifice all to be with the owner of the Jinn.Unfortunately the Jinn also bestows a nastystreak of greed and jealousy into its bearer aswell.Noted Jinn: AfshinJinn of Endless DreamsElement: Wind, Flame, Sea, SandBound Effect: When bound the owner can enterthe dreams of others, manipulating them to his orher own desires. Sadly, the owner suffers fromdreamless nights and must walk others dreams ifhe is to sleep properly.Noted Jinn: The Nightmare DevourerJinn of Eternal SolitudeElement: FlameEffect: These Jinn when bound have the abilityto summon lesser versions of themselves to aidethem in defence of the object they are protecting.This object is usually a temple or house, possiblyan item even. There is no known dire effect ofowning a Jinn of Eternal Solitude.Noted Jinn: Keeper of the Marble FlameJinn of GatheringElement:Bound Effect: The Jinn of Gathering whenbound allows the owner to move instantaneouslyfrom one location to another that he knows ofand has memorized. Sadly, the owner of the Jinnsoon comes to rely on the Jinn for its movementability, preferring to teleport everywhere insteadof walking, riding, or running.Noted Jinn: GathriqJinn of Hungry DreamsElement: Wind, SeaBound Effect: The Jinn of Hungry Dreamsalmost seems to empower a user with itsstrength. The user gains (Jinn’s Ka)K0 to all hisstrength related actions. The downside is that theJinn siphons of the strength from those aroundhim, thus a Ka 3 Jinn will siphon 3 Strengthfrom the users friends or enemies, whichever arecloser.Noted Jinn: KaiJinn of Infinite EyesElement: KaBound Effect: This Jinn gains +1K for everyother Jinn that the caster has already bound tohimself. When bound the sahir benefits from theadvantages of Excellent Sight and 6th Sense.Strangely enough those that bind the Jinn ofInfinite Eyes seem only to suffer from mild casesof paranoia.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of Lost HopesElement: KaBound Effect: Another rare Jinn, these Jinn aresummoned when one wants to impersonateanother. The Jinn has the ability, when bound toa "dummy" to become an exact duplicate of thechosen target. So good is the mimic, that itrequires 3 raises on a Perception Roll to noticethe difference. Some of these Jinn have taken onthe whole life of their target, living for manyyears as a person. It’s rumoured that the longer aJinn stays the person it is mimicking, the less theperson is himself, till finally the original justseemingly fades away.Noted Jinn: Al AmaqJinn of MalignityElement: Sand, Wind, Sea, FlameBound Effect: Jinns of the Malignity are notseen as beneficial in any way. All things havetheir bad side, and these Jinn are definitely inthat category.Someone who attempts to use a bound Jinn ofMalignity will fly into a berserker rage, ignoringall wound penalties and fighting until they reach2x their wounds, at which point they drop dead.There are rumours of unscrupulous sahir whosummon and bind these Jinn to items and thenuse them as punishment for people they do notlike.Noted Jinn: Ajbar ibn KaleelJinn of ReflectionType: Lesser Jinn68Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBound Effect: Usually bound into a reflectivesurface, these Jinn when bound allow the sahir tosee other locales that they ask about. The sahircan cast spells into that area if he wishes. It hasbeen made known that possession of the Jinn ofReflection for any period of time will result inone making slight errors in judgement, as theysee things that are not where they are at thatpoint in time.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of Smokeless FireElement: Flame, Wind, Sea, SandBound Effect: These Jinn are rare andsometimes very hard to summon. All Contact,Summon and Control rolls are at +5 for a Jinn ofSmokeless Fire.The Jinn greatly increases its owners overallability to command and lead others. Allnegotiation, leadership, diplomacy and similarleadership based skills and situations are at a –10to their Base TN.Of note is that only three of these powerfulbeings have ever been summoned and bound inthe last 3 Ages. All three of the Sahir’s whobound them were eventually found dead, theirbodies mangled and twisted horribly.Noted Jinn: TahirJinn of the Brutal HarvestElement: Ka, FlameBound Effect: A Jinn of the Brutal Harvest isthe last thing anyone on a battlefield wishes tosee. These Jinn when bound cause their master toradiate immense waves of pain and death. Allwounds taken by anyone in a 20 foot radiusaround the owner take 2 times the woundpenalties. All wounds bleed freely and do notheal while the Jinn of Brutal Harvest ismanifested.An owner of this Jinn is considered by many tobe a soulless killing machine. In truth, the Jinnslows devours the soul of its master, till all that’sleft is a puppet for the Jinn to control.Noted Jinn: Ayna, Jinn of QanonJinn of the Desert TempestElement: Sand, WindBound Effect: Power Wind Jinn, thesescreatures are able to carry their master whereever they go, held aloft on a blanket of winds.This Jinn is also capable of generating a massivedesert sand storm at a moments notice at itsmasters whim.Jinn of the Desert Tempest are short temperedand confer this to their owners.Noted Jinn: Asifet of the FleetJinn of the New MoonElement: FlameBound Effect: When bound the Jinn is able toproduce a claming effect on all around it. Thesahir smashes the object to which the Jinn isbound to create this effect. All inside a 50X50area immediately cease any and all hostileactivity for a time of 1 hour. The act ofdestroying the object releases the Jinn back tothe ethereal. Sadly it has been noted that anyonewho binds a Jinn of the New Moon becomesmore and more nocturnal, till soon he is onlyactive at night.Noted Jinn: NoneJinn of TricksElement: Wind, Flame, Sea, Sand, KaBound Effect: Jinn of Tricks are known for theirclever, yet annoying, fast talking ways. A boundJinn of Tricks adds directly to a persons Agility,Reflexes and Perception, giving the person a+2K0 to all rolls for those stats. Sadly, anyonewho actually binds a Jinn of Tricks becomes anightmare for all those around him, as be beginsa career of nasty, underhand dirty tricks andpuns.Noted Jinn: AlakraiSpellsUnlike the shugenja of Rokugan, the spells of theBurning Sands are somewhat different. Sahirharness the power of the Jinn and use to create aspell-like effect. Standard casting time for anyspell is 3 rounds, (this can be lowered withraises) and has a base TN of 15 (this can belowered by increasing the casting time). Theeffect of the spell is largely left up to the sahir.The more complicated the spell, the harder it willbe to cast. This is represented by a chart ofmodifiers to the Base TN. Some modifiers lowerthe TN, other raise it.Any spell effect can be used repeatedly, and ifdone so, raises the Base TN. Many spells that areof similar nature in the Burning Sands are69Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingbecause of like-minded sahir wanted to createsimilar effects with their harness energies, suchas a healing spell or a fireball spell.Chart of Spell Effect ModifiersActionEvery extra roundspent castingKa spell +5Sand spell -5More than one targetDR(Ring) +1Bonus to Base TN-5 (Max of –15)+5 per extra target+5 for each +1 to theDRCheck spellcraft skill for more modifiersUsing the Jinn for SpellsTo cast a spell the sahir contacts the Jinn of thedesired element. He asks it to cast the spell effecthe desires. Then, if the Jinn is willing, the effectis cast. The sahir can now attempt to bind theJinn to an item or let it go.The Spells of the SahirBindBase TN: Opposed Willpower/KaCasting Time: 3 roundsDuration: SpecialConcentration: FullRaises: Casting timeEffect: Ritual: The sahir attempts to bind theJinn to an object. This requires an opposedWillpower + Rank versus the Jinn’s Ka + Rank.Success determines that the sahir has bound theJinn into an object. The Jinn may now besummoned without need of any of the nuances ofcontact or summon spells. Only the Control spellis used, with a successful roll indicating if theJinn rebels and refuses the action. A sahir canincrease the casting time of his ritual, thusadding +5 for each extra round, to his roll as wellas gaining bonus kept dice for each extra sahirthat joins in the ritual.Bonuses: -5 if Ra’shari or Moto, +5 if Yodatai orJackal.70Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookExample: Besib wishes to bind the Jinn, so anopposed Willpower + Rank versus the creaturesKa + Rank is made. Thus Besib rolls hisWillpower (3) + his Rank (4) getting 7K3 dice.He rolls 26 (-5 for being a Jackal) getting 21.The Jinn rolls its Ka (5) + its rank (3) for 8k5dice. I didn’t say this was easy. Jinn do not likebeing kept prisoner. The Jinn get 38 and so is notbound. The Jinn smiles and vanishes.Contact JinnBase TN: 15Casting Time: InstantDuration: InstantConcentration: FullRaises: NoneEffect: use rank + appropriate ring to roll. If thejinn is of multiple rings, then take the lowestring. All Sahir count raises after the roll for thepurpose of determining bonus for the SummonJinn spell.Bonuses: -5 if Ra’shari or Moto, +5 if Yodatai orJackal. +5 for each additional element the Jinnpossesses. Thus a 4 element Jinn is +15 to theroll.Example: Besib, a Jackal Sahir wishes tosummon a jinn of four elements in order to bindit to a ring for a time. He casts Contact Jinn.Besib’s lowest ring is Flame at 3 so he rolls hisFlame (3) + Rank (4) for 7K3 dice. His initialTN is 15, +5 (Jackal), +15 for a powerful 4element Jinn, making a total TN of 35.He rolls an unprecedented 43 and thus contactsthe desired Jinn, with 1 raise.ControlBase TN: 5 X Jinn’s KaCasting Time: InstantDuration: Varies.Concentration: FullRaises: NoneEffect: Command the Jinn to cast spells orperform other useful actions. Each raise bid andreached equals 1 task either a spell or an action.Example: Now the Jinn forms in front of him.Besib quickly enters into a battle of wills withthe Jinn, casting his Control spell. Is TN is 20,

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Setting(20 (5X the Jinn’s Ka of 5) – 10(2 raises onSummon roll)).Besib rolls a 31 gaining two tasks of the Jinn.Total time is now 5 rounds. (4 for the Summon,and a combined 1 for the Contact and Control. Inthe case of a lesser Jinn being summoned, say aone element Jinn, the time would be 2 rounds).Summon JinnBase TN: 15Casting Time: 1 round per element of Jinnsummoned.Duration: InstantConcentration: FullRaises: Casting TimeEffect: Summon the Jinn to the casters location.As with Contact Jinn, raises are calculatedafterwards for the purposes of determiningControl Jinn bonus.Bonuses: -5 if Ra’shari or Moto, +5 if Yodatai orJackal. +5 for each additional element the Jinnpossesses. Thus a 4 element Jinn is +15 to theroll. –5 for every success on the contact roll.Example: Besib now attempts to summon thejinn he contacted. 4 rounds of casting arerequired with such a powerful Jinn, and so after4 rounds Besib rolls his 7K3 dice again (same aswith contact) at a TN of 30 (15 + 5(Jackal) + 15(4 elements) –5 (one raise on Contact Spell)).He gets 41, another incredible roll, which gainshim 2 raises.UnsummonBase TN: SpecialCasting Time: 1 round per element of JinnDuration: InstantConcentration: FullRaises: Casting TimeEffect: This is basically a reverse Bind spell,meant to break the bonds holding the creature tothis world.If a sahir successfully Unsummons a free Jinn, itis banished to the ethereal for a time of 1 day perthe Ka of the sahir. The sahir rolls an opposedWillpower + Rank with the creature.If the Jinn is a bound entity the sahir mustdeclare which he is attempting, to merely71Legend of the Five Rings Fan BookUnsummon it back to the caster object to free itand thus both unbind it and unsummon it. Thefirst is done exactly like the original unsummonof a free Jinn and if successful, the Jinn isunusable for a time of 1 day per Ka of the sahir.If the later, the sahir enters a contest of wills withthe opposing sahir with a TN of 5X the Ka of theJinn in question. If successful the Jinn isunbound and sent to the ethereal for the sahir’sKa X 5 days. Of course the Jinn is then likely toattempt to hunt down its former master and exactrevenge if the master was unkind.Example: Besib is under attack from a rivalsahir and so attempts to Unsummon hisopponents summoned Jinn. Besib rolls acontested Willpower + Rank with the Jinns Rank+ Ka. Thus Besib rolls his Willpower (3) + hisRank (4) getting 7K3 dice. He rolls 23. The Jinnrolls its Ka (2) + its rank (3) for 5K3 dice. TheJinn gets a 16. The Jinn abruptly stops and fadesaway for 3 days (Besibs Ka is 3).Noted Spell EffectsThe following are actual noted effects that havebeen used many times by different sahir overtime. They have become almost like the spells ofRokugan in that they are stable concrete effects.All Effects have a TN, an effect and the elementthat are required by the Jinn in order to create theeffect.Ashim's Rainbow ShieldTN: 15Element: SandEffect: This effect absorbs damage done to thetarget. Every time the person is hit, the effectabsorbs the Jinn’s Ka in damage dice. (Forexample, a Jinn with a Ka of 3 will reduce asword damage from Strength + 3K2 to Strength+ 0K2. Every time the target is hit a brilliantflash of rainbow light erupts. All attackers are at+5 to their next TN to hit.Blighted FieldsTN: 20Element: SeaEffect: Considered to be the act of a true evilman, this effect will instantly wither crops in a20X20 meter area.Ceremony of the Black HeartTN: 20

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingElement: Flame, KaEffect: When cast this effect will create aduplicate heart of ebony material. Until the heartis destroyed or the effect times out, the target ofthe spell is immune to all damage except frommagical sources. Sadly, if the heart is destroyedthe target drops into a coma for a number of daysequal to the Ka of the target.DiscorporationTN: 15Element: Sand and SeaEffect: This particularly nasty effect literallydissolves the flesh of the target. The target takesa DR4 attack that flays the skin from the bone.Any wounds done by this spell effect that are nothealed magically, leave vicious scars in the areashit. The bearer of such wounds in a visible placetakes a +5 to all social TNs.Dream MagicTN: 15Element: WindEffect: This effect allows the sahir to traversethe dreams of a target, influencing them in subtleways. This effect last one night’s sleep.ForgetTN: 10Element: WindEffect: This effect blanks out sections ofmemory. The length of time forgotten is up tothe Jinn’s Ka in months.Hakhim's SealTN: 20Element: KaEffect: This powerful effect was originallycreated by Hakhim, first of among Sahirs andreputably the first Sahir. When enacted it willenhance all Jinn in the area, giving +3 unkeptdice to all actions.Heart of the BeastTN: 20Element: Ka, FlameEffect: This effect unlocks the inner beast with atarget, give them +3 unkept dice to all combatactions.Lady Sun's WrathTN: 20Element: FlameEffect: The skies open up and a lance of purewhite fire strikes the target. The is a DR6magical attack.Spirit BladeTN: 10Element: FlameEffect: The sahir created a blade of white flamethat acts like a standard longsword. This weaponcan wound Jinn and other magical creatures as anormal weapon. Against all others it a 4K3weapon.Sustain LifeTN: 10Element: SeaEffect: This is a simple healing effect that willcure a number of wound ranks equal to the Ka othe Jinn.The CrossroadsTN: 15Element: Wind.Effect: The sahir and his possessions instantlytravel across a short distance to another point nomore that 500 meters away.The Seed of QanonTN: 15Element: AllEffect: Considered to be one of the mostlegendary of Jinn effects, the Seed of Qanonwhen cast directly ties the life energies of thesahir to a target. The target adds all the sahirsstats to his own (max of 7). If the target dies,then so will the sahir who is linked to the target.The Star's BlessingTN: 10Element: WindEffect: This effect surrounds the target with aprotective shield of air and wind. All rangedweapons (Bows, crossbows, spears, etc) notcounting magical ranged attacks, cannot hit thetarget.72Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingElemental MagicOf recent note is the use of elemental magic, ormore specifically Ice Magic (as it is the only oneseen to date). Qabal sahir have been practisinglost arts of magic, said to have been usedcenturies ago by the various cultures ancestorsbefore the Day of Wrath. Some of the Qabalhave actually learned how to summon forth thepower of the Elements to their command withoutusing Jinn in anyway or form.The Qabal Elementalists will be covered fully inthe Book of Ka’s section on the Qabal.Ra’shari CursesEvery Ra’shari can manipulate Fate to a degree,giving someone an advantage or disadvantage.Most often the Ra’shari use this power to punishthose who have slighted them in some majorway. Ra’shari Curses are not to be taken lightly,and are never bestowed unless the target is trulydeserving of the curse. Curses cast in revenge orin jest often find themselves being turned backupon the curser twice fold.The Curse someone the Ra’shari needs a goodreason. The death of a family member counts,but not because the target is better looking andcharming with the women than the Ra’shari.The Curser then simply rolls his Ka + Rank,keeping a number of dice equal his Ka Ring. Ifhe beats the TN the curse is enacted.All curses have to have the ability to be lifted. Soa condition must be put upon them. Someexamples are; when the sky burns red with fire,when the castle rises above the clouds, or evenwhen the forest walks. These are all goodconditions. Remember, a condition must befeasibly accomplishable. Many campaigns canbe generate around the seeking of the way to lifta Ra’shari curse.Known CursesBlinded by FateBase TN:Casting Time:Effect: Fate Value: 3Curse Reaction: When oneof your Heroes enter a duel, bow one of yourSahir. During the duel, the opposing Hero canonly parry from his or her deck. Cards discardedthis way go to their player's Saved pile.Flavour: Rawif raced through the Caliph'sdungeon until there was nowhere left to go. Oneof the doors led to freedom, he hoped, but theother led only to certain death.Curse of Eternal BeautyBase TN:Casting Time:Effect: Fate Value: 3Open: Bow one of yourSahir. Target a Hero in play. Draw and discard acard. Add the card's Fate value to the Hero'sInfluence. The Hero's controller draws anddiscards a card, adding the card's Fate value tothe Hero's Ka. If the Hero's total Influence nowexceeds his or her total Ka, destroy the Hero.Curse of Lost YouthBase TN:Casting Time:Effect: Fate Value: 2Night Curse: Target anotherHero in play. Until the end of the game, attach a-1K Curse token to the Hero each time the Herostraightens.Flavour: With every lost year, the remaininggrow sharper, until a man can cut another dreamin old, bitter rage.Curse of the Rot WithinBase TN: 10Casting Time: 2 actionsEffect: The target suffers from intense stomachcramps. While under the curse, the target suffersfrom a –1 unkept die to all actions, as well asneeding to use the facilities every 4 odd hours topurge himself or anything he’s eaten.Dust to DustBase TN: 10Casting Time: 2 actionsEffect: Fate Value: 1Spell. Buried Curse Day:Bow a Sahir you control and target an opposingHero. This Sahir and targeted Hero gain a -2 Katoken.Flavour: There is no injustice in the world. LadySun only gives us what we so rightly deserve.Mind ControlBase TN:Casting Time:73Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingEffect: Fate Value: 2 Curse Bow a Sahir youcontrol and target a Hero with less than 4 Ka.Targeted Hero must attack this turn if possible.Flavour: "The Khadi are weak, my dear.Certainly no trouble for a killer such as you..." -Afshan JarrPriestly Acts of FaithAll priests of the Burning Sands possess abilitiesthat are simply know as Acts of Faith. Theseabilities are all similar in nature and can bereadily used by any Burning Sands priest.These abilities are not spells and as such are notcounterable with a Jinn Unsummon spell. Thepriest is not channelling the power of a Jinn, heis channelling the power of his God.Banishment of The Dark God’s TouchBase TN: 10Casting Time: 2 actionsDuration: PermanentConcentration: CasualRaises: Amount of poison/disease healedEffect: The Priest drains the impurities andpoisons from the target in an attempt to heal him.The Priest actually draws a part of the impuritiesinto himself and heals them himself. The Priestusually suffers from the effects of the disease ofpoison for about 1 hour. If the poison is a fataltype the Priest will merely drop into a coma likesleep for the time. The Priest rolls his Ka +Meditation at a TN equal to that of the poison ordisease.Blessings of PurityBase TN: 15Casting Time: 3 actionsDuration: 5 roundsConcentration: CasualRaises: DurationEffect: The Priest bestows a blessing upon atarget. The blessings advantage is based upon theelement that is used to bless. This is a Ka + Rankroll.• Sand – Up Hits. Each raise = +1 Sandthat carries into phantom points to soakup damage.• Sea – Up either Strength or Perception.Each raise = +1 to the stat.• Wind – Up either Reflexes orAwareness. Each raise = +1 to the stat.• Flame – Up Agility. Each raise = +1 tothe stat.• Ka – Increase the Ka trait. Each raise =+1 to the Ring.Illumination of PurityBase TN: 10Casting Time: 1Duration: instantConcentration: noneRaises: noneEffect: This power functions identically to theUnsummon Spell cast by sahir.Looking WithinBase TN: 15Casting Time: 10 minutesDuration: SpecialConcentration: TotalRaises: noneEffect: The Priest enters into a trance and asks aquestion of the sprits. Based on which element isasked, a type of question is answered. (seebelow). He uses his Ka + Rank to make the roll.• Sand – Detect and/or analyse magicitems or spells.• Sea – Analyse an object to determine itsworking.• Wind – Detect hidden places andthings.• Flame – Prophecy. This works like theLuck Level 3 advantage.• Ka – Learn of something you didn’tknow. Get a hint from the GM. Thehigher the raises the clearer the answer.Purity’s MantleBase TN: 10Casting Time: 5 actionsDuration: 5 rounds74Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingConcentration: CasualRaises: TNEffect: The Priest can raise the TN of a spelltargeted on him by +5 for every raise of theopposing element + rank he rolls.The Arms of PurityBase TN: 15Casting Time: 3 actionsDuration: 5 roundsConcentration: FocusedRaises: Area of effect, TNEffect: The Priest raises the TN of a spelltargeted in an area by +5 for every raise of theopposing element + rank he rolls.The Hands of PurityBase TN: 10Casting Time: 2 actionsDuration: PermanentConcentration: CasualRaises: Amount healedEffect: The Priest is capable of healing a target.The Priest accepts a part of the wounds into hisbody while purging them from the target. This isan exhaustive procedure for the Priest, as he isliterally infusing his life force into the targetwhile taking the damaged life-force into himself.For each raise the Priest can increase the numberof wound ranks he heals one a 1 for 1 basis. 1/3of the wound ranks are accepted into the Priest(minimum of one). These wounds heal at the rateif one rank per 10 minutes. The Priest rolls Rank+ Ka and can attempt to heal a target 2x his Rankper day.Removal of Purity’s BlessingsBase TN: 5Casting Time: 1 HourDuration: See BelowConcentration: TotalRaises: Time BanishedEffect: Ritual: This power enables the Priest todrive off malign or harmful spirits. The Priestrolls his Rank + the Element of which the spiritis aligned. Jinn are considered to be associatedwith Ka. The length of time the spirit remainsbanished is dependant on the number of raisethat the Priest attempts to get.0 raises 1 day1 raise 1 week2 raises 1 month3 raises 1 year4 raises 10 yearsThe Word of TruthBase TN: 10Casting Time: 5 actionsDuration: 5 roundsConcentration: CasualRaises: NoneEffect: The Priest is able to see through lies andillusions that muddle the mind. He rolls hisWillpower + Shintao to resist.RehtuRehtu calls forth the power of death, disease, andother insidious forces to do the bidding of thesummoner. Rehtu mages are often known asnecromancers, as they have many undeadservants at their command.Handle Rehtu like L5R Maho spells for nowuntil a definite treatise is finished.Ashalan SorceryThe Ashalan do not summon Jinn and harnesstheir power. Nor do they call upon fate or theelements to do their bidding. No, the Ashalan areshapers and molders of a more pure source ofpower, that of Order and Chaos. Ashalan refer tothemselves as sorcerers, not sahir or shugenja orfate witches. To call an Ashalan Sorcereranything else is to lend insult to the Ashalan.Manipulation of the fundamental forces allowsan Ashalan Sorcerer access to great power, thepower to destroy entire cities if they wished.Fortunately, the number of Ashalan Sorcerers issmall and most are benign and peaceful people.The full range and power of the AshalanSorcerer will be explained in the Book of Ka.Sorcerers are not meant to used a PlayerCharacters unless the GM allows it.75Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingBOOK FIVE: THE BOOK OF KABuilding yourCampaignSoliderThemeWarThe Burning Sands are rife with conflict. TheYodatai expansion into the territories of thenative cultures. The Senpet silent invasion of theSultanate. Even the insurgents of the IvoryKingdoms Thuggee cults. While open warfareseems only to occur between Yodatai andSultan/Senpet, raiders of the Moto andassociated groups continually attack oasis andsmall towns.QuestThe idea of the quest works well with theBurning Sands, as PCs travel on immensejourneys to recover artefacts, save princesses anddestroy evil. Think of the old Sinbad movies.ExplorationThe Burning Sands are full of old temples, lostcities, ancient tombs, and other lost and hiddentreasures and artefacts of a bygone era.MysteryThe everlasting sands have many secrets and notall of them are meant to be known by mortals.The Ashalan are one such secret and mystery. Soare the Jinn and the Jackals.RomanceAll the old Sinbad movies had lovely youngladies falling in love with dashing young heroes.Doesn’t take much to involve romance into aBurning Sands game, though imagine if the herois an adventuring woman and the lover ahomebound man.TragedyThe sands continue to consume all and theSenpet are greedily taking over the locales of theSultanate. The world is full of tragedy.Character RolesBeing a solider in the armies if the BurningSands can be difficult. The armies are often illfed and usually not well equipped. Most areconsider not much more than cannon fodder formass battles. Only officers and heroes surviveand make name for themselves.Renegades/AdventurersThis is the easiest type of PC to have. They areusually ready and willing to do anything to havefun.CourtiersThese are the nobles that live within the structureof the various hierarchies of the cultures of theBurning Sands. From the priests and nobles ofthe Senpet to the merchant princes and theirfunctionaries of the Sultanate, the courtiers arethe voices of these powerful individuals.AmbassadorsThe Ambassadors are those few chosen to speakon behalf of one culture to another. PCs of thisrank are often awarded great rewards if they dowell, but are almost always executed when theyfail. Ambassadors live a rather perilous lifestyle.PlotThe plots of a LBS game are varied and myriad.From saving a young noble woman from the evilDahab Merchant Princes, to hunting for the lostcity of Brass to perhaps seeking the knowledgeof the ancient Ashalan.Running LBSRunning LBS is like running L5R. Keep an eyeon all players and watch the story. The idea ofLBS is make it a grand story like the old Sinbadmovies were. Rent a few and watch them to getthe idea.76Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingImportant PeopleAshalanAlthiraAshalan Priestess, Sahir"Lady Sun is not angry, she is insane. We mustwake Lord Moon to restore the balance that wasshattered so long ago."Anbari KhalilAshalan Champion, Council LeaderOnly three remain from the Council of Twelve,and even the Ishanti Crystal cannot foretell thefate of her dying people.BakiraAshalan Birth-Mother of Onaja, RenegadeShe cradled the precious bundle to her chest,hoping that her cowl would keep the deep bluelines pulsing within her cheeks from showing. -"They Collect Their Due," Part OneDawnAshalan Harbinger of Disaster, SahirShe stepped through the settling dust at the firstlight of day after the Awakening, carrying amessage of ruin for the future.Eyla the ProtectorAshalan Blood-SwornThe Blood-Sworn. Ashalan holy warriors, havetheir blood spilled upon the same Ishanti crystalas every servant of the Council before them.HojynAshalan ExplorerHe chases the sun itself, hoping to find thedoomed city of Laramun in its wake.KataniAshalan Daughter of Midnight, SahirYou have a choice: Leave with my water, orleave with your life.LammassarAshalan Heart-SeekerHe has collected three hearts in their ivoryboxes, and there are three Khadi who cannotraise their hands against him.LaqshaAshalan Desert Guide, Hunter of the QanonHer loyalties are not with her people, but out inthe sands. She knows much about the wastes' lostruins and oases, and though not very friendly,she asks only for water in return for her services.MaymunAshalan Sandsmith, Sahir"There is power in the sand left over from LadySun's wrath. I swear, my lady, I will find it."Mendi-DuadAshalan Priest, Sahir."He stumbled across the wounded Senpet Sahirin a deserted part of the city, clutching a brokenivory case. He did not ask what had befallen theyouth, or what was so precious about his burden,only carried him across the dunes, back to hispeople." -Keseth's Tale, Part ThreeMiraliAshalan GuardThe sewers are yours, with all the filth andputrescence you have given it. But the lake belowis ours, and I will bleed any man who thinksotherwise.SamarhadAshalan Sun-RiderHe bought his horse from the Moto... twohundred years ago.SylmunAshalan Birth-Father of Onaja, Renegade"Please, I can pay! My wife and I must leave thecity at once! We cannot be here when the… whenthe sun sets!" –"They Collect Their Due," PartTwoTaryaAshalan Half-BreedHer mother was the Council Leader of theAshalan, and her father was a stranger from anunknown land. She's the only child born to theAshalan in seven hundred years, and she may bethe last.77Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingAssassinsChandraAssassin Bearer of the Black Star"When all you have is a hammer, everythingstarts looking like a nail." -The Forty-SevenSayings of MekhemFaidaAssassin Keeper of the Seventh GateHer first kill was her brother, a traitor to the Oldman. She killed him in his bed, but she woke himup to savour his fear.FatimaAssassin First-Born.The Old Man trusted only his eldest daughter, todo the deed. "Strike at the heart of the serpent,"he commanded, "and his fangs cannot strikeyou." She nodded and vanished away. -Fatima'sTale, Part OneHarounAssassin Master of the Blood Red Tiger.Not many of the Old Man's sons show the talentfor The Calling, but they all bear the mark of thecurse. Only Haroun seems untouched by themagic cast against his family so long ago.MarishkaAssassin Midwife."Hush, little one. They'll never miss you."Old Man of the MountainAssassin Champion.An eternal curse deserves eternal revenge.SabinaAssassin Lady of the Seven Oaths.Her first love betrayed her to the Senpet.Although her body has healed from the wounds,her soul never will.ShalaAssassin Second-Born.She looks at Fatima with a jealous eye, watchinghow her father favours her elder sister. Shewould pay any price to have that favour, even theprice of blood.TakiyahAssassin Watcher of Omens. Sahir.Her name means pious, but her dark eyes couldruin a man's faith forever.JamilahAssassin Silken Ghost"Spare me, spare me!" "Not even your weight incopper could buy my mercy." -Jamilah's Tale,Part One.AlhenaAssassin ApprenticeWith Chandra's guidance and Fatima's support,Alhena should have been destined for greatnesswithin the family, but her interests lay in lesssavoury arenas.AmberRogue Assassin Confidant"I have known her since before we were givenour Kris. There is no one I trust more." –AdiraHaja the Twice-BornCursed Assassin MasterNo one knows where he is or when he will strike,but his blade is felt often and never where oneexpects it.Celestial AllianceIshrak ibn KaleelCelestial Alliance, Shadow-JinnHe spent many centuries probing the far reachesof the Black Earth and the realms beyond theStone for any sign that the Adversary hadsurvived. He found little until the day he stoppedlooking.LurzaCelestial Alliance, Agent of the Quest,ChampionIts name means "secret," and it has a thousandto share, all of them dark and deadly.Mohandis the EnchanterCelestial Alliance, Sahir"Each new creation is one less warrior upon thefield of the coming war."78Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingSedjemCelestial Alliance, Walking GodThe legends say that one word from him cansway an army, but he has not spoken in an age.Sehai the HealerCelestial Alliance, SahirWithin all this destruction the sight of one whosevery hands can heal with but a touch is a miraclethat the Sun has given us.Dahab & QolatAl'a the Siege MasterDahab Tactician"All of his life he had been a lap-dog for thedemented conspirators at Laramun, but nolonger! The Erba's Alliance had given him thechance to strike back, and his first target wouldbe their precious Merchant Quarter."Eda IshanDahab Merchant King, Qolat" 'Adopted’ by the Tongue as a young child, shehas never forgiven him for the deaths of herfamily."HilaDahab Gorilla, Guardian-Pet of the SilverTongue"The majesty of nature was not meant to beimprisoned. The longer it remains docile, themore ferocious it will be when release." -fromThe Forty-Seven Sayings of MekhemKasib al AtifDahab Champion, Qolat Master"His many journeys beyond Laramun in theeastern mountains have never been questioned."Nedif YamenDahab"He has the ear of so many that it is said thatone word from him can seal or break anynegotiation."RahmidDahab Mercenary, Sahir"Willing to work for anyone who can pay hisprice, Rahmid knows who controls the flow ofmoney and water in the City."Tareekh FarenkhaDahab Emissary of the Ten, Historian"Be still, Pretty, or you'll blur the ink." –Tareekh to a subjectThe Silver TongueHouses of Dahab Master Manipulator, MerchantKing, Sahir"What's your pleasure, my lady?" the fiendishmerchant king invited. His words wereunsettling, but the poisoned corpse between themwas worse. –"Jamilah's Tale," Part TwoWagi al MusakinHouses of Dahab Deformed Enforcer"What do you want, freak?" the trader scowled."The Tongue wants his dinari, thief, or shall Icollect it in flesh?"EboniteAshallaEbonite Sorceress, SahirIn every man, there is a monster. Draw it out,and it may be expunged.BalanceEbonite JudgeAll things must be judged, be it for good or evil.EnigmaEboniteTo destroy the enemy, we must understand him.To do that, we must become him.Jubal the KnifeEboniteHis ferocity will make an excellent addition toour growing forces. His temper will ensure thathe is never judged by the Stone.JudgementEbonite Crusader, ChampionThe Ebonite Champion is said to have been inevery battle the Ebonites have taken part in overthe last 200 years.79Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingKabdar FassalEbonite Defender of the Faithful. Templar.They say they worship the Sun, but their palmsare stained black as the darkest night, the gift ofthe Stone they guard.Kalib al AsimEbonite Wolf-MasterThere is always the chance that we can losecontrol, that the primal natures within us canconsume our humanity. Kalib is one who flirtswith the beast within.Manala ShessimEbonite Guardian of the Seven KeysEven his most trusted advisors cannotunderstand why the Sultan retains an Ebonite toguard the Nine Rooms of Golden Wonder.PashalEbonite Squire"What is this? It is the Awakening. It is thefuture." -JudgementRabah al GaziEbonite Nervous Runaway ,ProselyteThe boy will not speak of his life before joiningthe Order of the Ebonites, and the Council haschosen not to allow him the Test of the Stoneuntil he does. "His fears are his impurity," theysay, "and we would only lose him, this early."Templar Master of StarsEbonite, SahirNepherus once trained her in the cycles of Ra,but now she has found a new purpose...The Twins JananEbonite"Beg us both for mercy and see which one givesit."TruthEbonite Idiot-Savant, Principal, SahirThe victim of a miscast spell, this blind man iswithout temperament devoid of emotion - theperfect candidate for the Principal of Truth.VengeanceEbonite Caretaker of the Shard or the Ancients,Principal"Vengeance is the purity of purpose withremorse." -from The Forty-Seven Sayings ofMekhemYodajin TemplarEboniteHe shares his people's fury, but not theirprejudice.Ivory KingdomsGiyaIvory Kingdoms Deranged Killer, RuhmalLeader"Giya led us here from our homeland. He tells usthat Kali-Ma demanded it, but some of uswonder." -KachaKali-MaIvory Kingdoms Champion, Ruhmal Goddess"She is death incarnate, a walking vessel ofcorruption and destruction."KumpalIvory Kingdoms Caravan Escort"He patrols the Ivory Market from a uniquevantage point, and the stalls tremble as hepasses."Kyurhi the WandererIvory Kingdoms Jakla Spiritualist, Sahir"The past footsteps of his fellows and their preycoursed through his arms, and his heart kepttime with each in turn as he scanned the horizon."I must get to them," his frenzied mind pressed,"before it is too late."OmalIvory Kingdoms, Ruhmal Cultist, Vassal to Kali-Ma"When they found him in the jungle, he had justkilled a gorilla. Nothing much has changed."PunjatIvory Kingdoms Ruhmal Initiate"Punjat has yet to rise beyond the rank ofShumsee within the Kali-Ma cult, and therefore80Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingmust distract the cult's victims or hold themdown when the killing starts. Even after so manyvictims, it never gets any easier."RaniyahIvory Kingdoms Hunter of Rakshasa"She has destroyed all but five of them, four ofwhich reside here in the heart of the Jewel."SarnaIvory kingdoms progeny of the destroyer, Sahir"Yuna was there when Sarna was born, and onlyhe saw for a fleeting moment the horrible visageof the being that sired her."YunaIvory Kingdoms Deific Vessel"For every village to which he travels, anotherscar is drawn across his face and arms. Thewounds do not heal until he embraces the locals'god."JackalAfshan Jarr"Trust me," the dirty little man said. "Thirtycopper pieces is a fair price."Asadhel JumahJackal ThiefThe only soul he cannot steal is the one hedesires most.ChandraJackal, Assassin"When you cannot seduce your enemy, seducethe one he loves." from The Forty-Seven Sayingsof MekhemEnalaJackal ChampionHe can control the dead like a sorcerer oflegend, feeding off them to power his own darkdesires.JangirJackal, Moto, Shugenja, Sahir"We know of your prophecy, and now we knowhow to prevent it." -Monkey ManKalesha SeshShe has a thousand faces for a thousand friends.Monkey ManI can give you the secrets you seek, but you musttrade first.RamontetJackal, Senpet Strategist"Thank you for the advice, Hekau. Soon, we shallhave both hands." -EnalaSeff Seven-FingersSeff is very much like his old friend, Janann.They both love adventure, wine, and women.Many scandalous affairs began as a result oftheir competitive nature - until Seff took a likingto the Caliph. Now the Caliph has four trophiesof their time together.Sibirah"No one pays attention to the Khesir. They arepitiless, wretched, lost souls. We have given thema home and a purpose." -Wardah the UrchinMistressThe Ma'ghulJackal Ally, Ambassador from JigokuA spirit from beyond the southern mountains, itfeeds on the strengths of others, gaining powerand skill.Wardah the Urchin-MistressGypsy Jackal"Every lost soul has a story to tell. I simply waitfor them to come to me and collect them."YaminahShe would just as soon capture a man's heart ashis soul. She is the worst kind of villain -beautiful, exotic, and completely aware of hercharms.KhadiGhiyathKhadi Sculptor of Hearts, SahirIt is not always easy to find someone willing tojoin our ranks, but once Ghiyath has properlytutored them, they are glad to do anything hewishes.81Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingIndiraKhadi Mistress of Pain, Sahir"The senpet who escaped us will be mine, myCaliph. I will hunt him, and I will find him, and Iwill break his heart in two."San'aKhadi Mistress of Mercy, Sahir"She is too young to understand theconsequences of her actions," Giyath protested."So much the better," the Caliph snarled.TasirKhadi Silencer, Sahir"You cannot ignore me. You cannot defeat me.You can only pray for mercy that I will not give."The CaliphSahir, KhadiShe sees the same fire in Hensatti's eyes that sheonce saw in the Sultan's. She captured that fireonce; she can do it again.MotoArgounMoto Clan Youth.The maps he sells tell the caravans how to avoidthe desert's dangers, but not its predators.GaherisMoto Clan Khan"From the East comes the tiger-men. From theWest, those who worship Death. I hunt tigers formy dinner, and I'll help the Senpet on the way totheir god."JangirMoto Clan Shujenga, Sahir"I know nothing of jinn or demons. My way is theway of my ancestors, taught to me by father. Thedance of the elements is my way."KaraMoto Clan Huntress.The Senpet were returning from their victoryover the scorpion when the Moto descendedupon them. But a sudden sandstorm swept uparound them, and the will of the Lady washedthem away into the sand. -Kara's Tale, Part OneKhaiduMoto Clan TraderThe Khan's brother knows that Gaheris must dosomething soon, or the whispers will turn intoknives.KhitaiMoto Clan Dunerunner"She is the best archer in our tribe, her skillrivalled only by the lovely Senpet who guards thewinter caravan." -YesugaiKiyoshiMoto Clan Tar-khan."In his blood lies the fury of the berserker, a giftfrom his ancestors." -GaherisMalakaiMoto Askaree, Royal InformantIn his position as a Caliphate guard, he hasheard many cruel words and seen many violentdeaths. He is always willing to part with them forjust a few dinari.Moto MarikMoto Raid MasterThe dust clouds parted to reveal two figures.One of them was Marik. The other... -Kara'sTale, Part FiveSha-girMoto Clan Master Horseman, SpyUnder cover of darkness, Sha-gir rode from postto post collecting every detail about the troopsaround Medinaat al Salaam. Kiyoshi would bepleased at the results.Shu-kaiMoto ScoutHis father lost his hand to one of those heartlessmages. Now, he has to fend for his family anyway he can.YesugaiMoto Clan Guide"His eyes light up like stars whenever she arriveswith the winter caravan and he looks like aweepy little girl. It's disgraceful." -Khitai82Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingQabalAdilQabal Earthshaker"He knows little of sorcery, but what he doesknow serves us well." -TabariAmruQabal Avatar & Sahir"We must keep her safe, brothers, for the Caliphhungers for what slumbers inside her soul."Badr al DinQabal Renegade, Spellcrafter, Sahir *He waited a long moment before calling theothers, relishing the sight of the Khadi's face asit contorted into a pallid mask of fear."No more," he murmured into the terrifiedsahir's face. "No more."Barda the HawkQabal Sky Shepherd, Sahir"Carpets are for the cowardly. How can you callit flying when there is fabric beneath your feet?"Beda al SinQabal Enlightened One, HunterNot all sahir are prepared for the experience ofsummoning the desert spirits of smokeless fire.Some become unhinged or worse, and many eventake on the most ferocious aspects of theirservants.DawuudQabal Librarian, Sahir"They took our knowledge with a shining light,so we shall take it back with a shudderingdarkness." -AdilHekauSahir, Duelist, Qabal Champion"He is playing a dangerous game. If his Pharaohshould discover his treachery, it will mean theend of his plots and schemes, no matter hownoble or just they are."Kurrat al-AynIce Sorceress, Sahir"The merchants think she is cursed. If she werenot a master of ice magic, she would be exiledwith certainty."Labib al HatimSahir"More have learned our secret. How much deathwill the Star demand?"NizamSahir, Qabal Third Apprentice"He has promise, but what is a man's promiseworth?" -Kurrat al-AynQamusQabal tavern-master, Sahir"We offer the finest in wine, women, and ...discretion."RaghibQabal Reaver, SahirHe scours the prisons buried deep beneath thecity, seeking to destroy the hapless ghuls of thoseleft behind.TabariQabal Shadowmaster, Sahir"Do not mistake allegiance for friendship. Theonly reason he stands with us is to stand besidehis half-brother, Dawuud." -ZinaidaZenaidaQabal Bane of Jinn, Sahir"His voice is like death to the Jinn he meets andchallenges."Ra’ShariAmahlaRa'Shari Bone-Reader of the Fourth Chronicle"The bones are fickle. Perhaps another throw?"BaqiriRa'Shari Thief of the Eighteenth Chronicle, Sahir"Melinda did not foresee this!"FazilAcrobat, Steward of the Coming Age"I have remained to watch, and listen, andperhaps help those who have been left behind."83Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingFerranDancer of the first chronicle of the flame"You may read the ashes, Melinda. I shall readthe flames."MelindaDancer of the first chronicle of the flame"If one reads both the flames and the ashes, amore complete story can be told."RayaResurrected Caretaker, Seer of the SecondChronicle"Death has taught me many things, chief amongthem that we must all strive for greatness-thoughnot always our own."Samand the QuickDancer of the Tenth Chronicle"No, Mistress Caliph. He was not attacked. Thewounds simply appeared. It was most…impressive." –IndiraShagala the DamnedAccuser of the First Chronicle * SahirShe gained all of her mother's power and none ofher father's control.ShalimarDancer."We know so little of her people, only what shehas told us. And if we believe everything shesays, we would believe they are gods." -In'am,Regent of the River ValleyThe Grey WomanGrandmother, Sahir"I tell fortunes for those who are ready to hearthem. It is not always wise to know your owndestiny. Are you ready?"The Living MemoryRa-Shari Champion * Keeper of the GreatChronicleHe remembers a time where all was right in theworld. He remembers a time when all is nothing.He remembers it all as if he were there.SenpetAbresaxUnique. Senpet Fist of the PharaohHe does not see Hensetti as a woman. She is thePharoah, the child of the Ten thousand, andLight of the Senpet. He may not agree with her,but he would die at her command.AsoriSenpet CourtesanAbresax thinks little of his new "acquisition," butAsori looks at the glare in the woman's eyes andknows better.AtepSenpet Sergeant"Get up" he shouted. "I haven't given youpermission to die!"BekhtenSenpet Shield of the Empire"Each drop of his blood exists to serve hisPharoah. It will be a pity to see such loyaltyspilled on dry desert sand." -TakiyahHensattiSenpet Pharoah. Champion.Her Empire is crumbling, so she has foundanother to rule.JaqhabetSenpet Falconer, Foreign InsurgentThe tacticians at the Senpet capital wereconfused by the bold Yodatai scouting mission,given their recent experience overwhelming themin the western mountains. But when Jaqhabet'slatest reports arrived with his war-bird, Ani, theyrealized the terrible truth.KepsatSenpet brother of the black shield"I know now what happened to me when I wastaken on that fateful day so many years ago. Iknow what the Qanon did when they took me tothe City of Orphans, and I know what I must dofor them in return. Farewell, my dear friend." -HekauKesethSenpet Seer. Sahir. Khadi84Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingHis skill with sorcery captured Ghiyath'sattention. It was a matter of child's play tocapture the youth, but keeping him was not assimple as the Master thought it would be. -Keseth's Tale, Part OneKosus of ByrniaSenpet Obsessed Slave Master, Tracker"It is said that he once recovered an escapedslave after the fool ran into a sandstorm," Atepsaid. "I heard the slave was on a carpet at thetime," returned Kepsat.NekhebetSenpet ExplorerHer extensive journey's have brought her manyfabulous artifacts, including that strange ivorybow...NepherusSenpet Astrologer. SahirHe fears the return of Selqet signals thebeginning of dark times, and he watches thestars for an omen of the future.NepherusSenpet Ambassador to Medinaat al Salaam,SahirAfter the Tyrant's fall, Nepherus kept theaccursed Book of the Dead close to him. Neveragain was it opened, nor the terrible secretswithin misused.Qer ApetSenpet Brother of the Black Shield"Those who voluntarily put themselves under theheel of a tyrant get exactly what they deserve." -The Forty-Seven Sayings of MekhemRamontetSenpet Strategist."Hensatti knows nothing of warfare and tactics,but Ramontet does. Remove Ramontet, and youremove the Pharaoh's left hand." -HekauUnalignedAbd al-ZhaynWandererI have traveled the world, and I have seen morethan you could ever imagine. I have seen menwith the heads of tigers, corpses wearingporcelain masks and women whose arms weregreat rainbow coloured wings. The one thing Idon't know is where I'll be tomorrow.AdiraUnaligned Adopted Daughter of the Mountain"She carries the weight of the Old Man's burdenin her heart and fights with a prodigal skill allher own."AdnanTomb Raider"And how many marvels have you seen in yourdays, my boy?" "At least a thousand, my lady."He smiled, and the Caliph laughed.al-HazaadSahiral-Hazaad, the Twice-Exalted, has returned fromRokugan with foreign magic, but he has notreturned alone.Bayushi TangenScorpion Clan Martyr"These foreigners reek of disaster and sin."BonepickerUndead Ghul"What do you do with the bodies of your dead?"asked the Scorpion of his captor. "We bury themunder the city and leave them to dream of thestories they will never see."Dairya, The Eye of NightRonin.They came across the mountains on a carpet offlame and wind. The stranger at al-Hazaad's sidespeaks little, and his language is strange, but hehas a deadly purpose in his one good eye.DenaThiefShe doesn't know what it is, but the cats certainlyseem interested in it.DharrUnaligned Fated OrphanDharr wouldn't understand why the cats lovedhim so, not for many moonless nights. Yet theywere in his earliest memories and with him ever85Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingsince. They are a rare source of happiness in aninsane world.EffendiUnaligned Vindictive Son of the Sultan"Apart from his family, he will be one to take thethrone if all moves right and Fate smiles."EmiralUnaligned Researcher, Sahir, Khadi"Though his heart sits in box, he walks free."EyeslicerUndead GhulEven the Assassins know better than to use thesewers.Felah HassanSahirIt is not certain if he was mad before he bitTashima, but his words have grown wild andmysterious all at once.GashUnaligned GhulWhen they are still fresh, they often try to maketheir way home.GulletUndead Ghul"Mine? Miiiiine..."Haythum Za'nulUnalignedHe hunts Janan for copper and glory. Hiscollection of priceless treasures will be completewith the head of Janan and the hand of Julianna.-The Tale of the Last Pirate, Part OneHitomi TashimaDragon Tattooed Man"The inkings of his body come alive with a powerbeyond belief."Janan BarakahSand Pirate Captain.Your horses are fast, my friend, but nothing isfaster than the wind.Julianna BarakahSand Pirate Wind-Bound, SahirSister of the "Sultan of the Sands," her mysticalskills have aided Janan's escapades - andescapes - for years.MarayidUnaligned Undead Khadi Traitor,"Like Abdul-Malik before me, I have the weightof dreams, but I have not the strength to follow."MatishiyaSahir"I am a free sahir, but I am not Qabal.Summoning jinn is dangerous business, far moreso than anyone yet realizes..."Matsu GoheiLion Clan Butcher, Samurai, TacticianCommanded by his Clan to take the Scorpionsfrom the Emerald Empire, Gohei has to trade hisskills for a single drink of water. Alone andwithout allies, his only goal now is to find a wayhome.NefirUnaligned SwordsmanNefir stumbles through an endless dreamscape,no longer sure what is real and what isimaginary. Armies of silver and white follow,and a laughing man tempts him ever further intomadness.Puja the BelieverUnalignedHis smiled faded quickly when he saw theRuhmal gathered around him. - "Puja's Tale,"Part TwoQashimaUnaligned Nagah Abomination , OutcastWarlord"Within this blasted land lies the secret toeternal redemption."R'adjir, the ThunderfootGiant"Me like horses. Tasty..."86Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingRahjidRakshasa AmbassadorThe silent figure stands in the Sultan's court,never speaking a word. But as they argue, hewatches... and plans.Ratib al' IdeemUnaligned Independent Supplier, StreetMerchant"Desire is a dangerous quality, and more sowhen fulfilled, but I am prepared if you are.Shall we begin?"RohshemUnaligned Rakshasa"We have remained hidden from man forcenturies. Some of us hide in plain sight; others,beyond the veil of darkness." -RahjidRopp'Cht'ChtUnaligned Ratling Traveler"So many baubles, so little time."Shosuro HametsuScorpion Clan Poison MasterUpon his arrival he immediately startedgathering new plants and herbs, knowing thathere were new poison to know.Shosuro TageUnaligned Scorpion Clan InfiltratorRescued from death at the Senpet's hands, Tagewonders why everyone in the foreign camp is sointerested in her - especially the small eldershugenja with the strange mark on his neck.SoraphUnaligned Escaped Slave, Hanif IdolThe Senpet thought they were finally rid of theaccursed slave-icon when they arranged hisescape, but it seemed his influence only grewthereafter. –"The Tale of Soraph the Free Man,"Part TwoThe FerrymanUnaligned"Welcome aboard. Which district, please?"The Wounded ManUnaligned Former PrisonerHis former masters believe that he has achieveda state of physical purity through torture. Nowhe has escaped into the streets.YodataiAdriannaYodatai Strategist"The city's most significant weakness is the river.To approach from any other angle would befoolish."AurelianYodatai Champion, Incarnation of Octavius"I walk with the gods over the broken bodies ofthose you fear."AvitusYodatai Diseased Alchemist, SpyHe walks bent and crippled, yet his eyes aremore perceptive and keen than ever.Balak the HanifYodatai PrisonerImprisoned, branded, beaten, and forgotten,Rawif has little love for the Jewel of the Desert,the Senpet who imprisoned him there, or anywithin its walls. He will follow the EleventhTribe on their quest, regardless of the wishes ofhis brother, Soraph.GaleriusYodatai Inquisitor, SahirHis birth name was Phresex, but that was thefirst of many changes the Yodatai made.Galon TrilliusYodatai Amateur Inventor, ScoutHe helped to build the hand-bow himself, thoughhe is far more accurate with it than it is reliable.Katarine of the SheelYodatai Centurion Lieutenant"Are you confident that this is the best tactic, mylord? Meeting the raiders with an army?"OctaviusYodatai Spectral MartyrHe was the first to set foot on this continent, andhe led the Yodatai into victory against countlessempires. Sometimes, when the conquest is87Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

Legend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign Settingworthy, he can be seen fighting alongside hisdescendants as well.PhyrrusYodatai Centurion, Siege-Master"The first step toward conquest is a foothold.These riders called Moto have provided us withan unexpected opportunity that we cannotneglect.ValeriaYodatai Daughter of Aurelian, PatricianHer father left a long trail of shattered lives-andbroken bodies-behind them, a hundred victims ofher fertile beauty.VespaYodatai Bride of Phyrrus, Patrician"How is it possible for such a beautiful land tobe so utterly barbaric?"Enchanted ItemsThe Burning Sands are full of strange artefacts.CrysteelCrysteel is a magical near transparent metal-likematerial forged from the sand itself by theAshalan. Weapons of Crysteel are unbreakableand the only weapon capable of wounding aJinn. Crysteel weapons come in many shapes andsizes, thought the most common is that of asword.Some known Crysteel weapons are:• Bedayah - A Crysteel weapon wascreated to destroy undead.• Nehayah - A Crysteel weapon has onepurpose. Destruction of Jinn.First Era ArtefactsMany weapons, artefacts and strange deviceswere built during the Golden First Age. Lanternswhich glow forever, animals made of metal thatfly and walk like the real thing, swords that fighton their own and carpets that fly.Some known artefacts are :• The Fallen Star - An ancient piece of astar that fell from heaven. It is said itnow heralds the death of the world.• The Steed of the Goddess - Amagnificent horse made of brass thatcan fly. It is owned by the champion ofthe Moto Raiders.Current ItemsMany items have been created since the Day ofWrath. Most are imitations of the items foundfrom that era, but some are impressive anddeadly.Some known items are:• Shard of the Ancients - A piece of theactual Ebon Stone, it will destroyundead with but a touch.• The Tear of Heaven - A Senpetartefact that can instantly bring a manback from the edge of death through thesacrifice of another.• Qaliraq's Mystical Lute - It is said thatthe music of this lute can seduce eventhe coldest heart.Avatars and ProphetsThe AvatarsThe Avatars the earthly incarnations of theShilah upon earth. They are there to help stop thecoming darkness and end that has beenprophesized.The known Avatars are Amru, a sahir of theQabal, The Twins Janan, twin Ebonites who arenot corrupted by the Ebon Stone and Kara, aMoto Ashalan.The ProphetsMekhem, the 2nd ProphetHe was ousted from his native lands and journeyhere. He sealed the evil of Legion and hisservants within an Ebon Stone. He thensacrificed his spirit into the Stone to act asguardian.He has sat in spiritual form within the stone forhundreds of years watching each initiate as theyare tested with the stone. He tries to reach eachone in order help them but too many are taken bythe evil within the stone. He has saved a few,giving them purpose and a holy mission. Destroythe corrupted souls.88Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book

CreaturesLegend of the Burning Sands RPG Campaign SettingThey are many strange creatures in the BurningSands.GiantsThe giants are massive solitary creatures that plythe deep desert. They kill and eat anything thatthey can catch. Rumour says that once the giantswalked the land as brothers to man, but now theyare agents of evil.GryphonsWith the head of an eagle and the hindquarters ofa lion the Gryphon are hunters of excellent skill.The come from the deep deserts near themountains and are reputed to have muchtreasure.RocLegends speak of the Roc, a massive bird thatcan carry off elephants in its claws. A bird thatmakes its nest out of pure gold and gems. TheRoc is now legend and exists in small numbers.Once in a while, each year, a Roc is sightedpreying upon livestock. Rumours that the greatbirds have riders is merely tall tales…maybe.SalamandersMassive snake like creatures that roam thedeserts in packs, they are ancient descendants ofthe Naga.89Legend of the Five Rings Fan Book