Information
Information, the first principle of warfare, must form the foundation of all your efforts. Know, of course, thine enemy. But in knowing him do not forget above all to know thyself. The commander who embraces this totality of battle shall win even with the inferior force.

Ikoma Yuriko, 1st Head of the Ikoma Intelligence Agency




The infamous World of Dreams, thanks to the low import and export taxes enforced by the Scorpion officials, is the he most important trade hub of the Empire. Because of this, the world ​hosts embassies of every clan and additionally serves as an unofficial home to several large Scorpion aligned crime syndicates, most of which operate through puppet-businesses or reputable storefronts, to mask their true activity. This game focuses on the perpetual war that is fought both in the courts and alleys of the world spanning city, diplomats trying to gather any and all information they can without exposing what they know themselves. The Scorpion, undisputed masters of this game, allow the clans to play on their turf, weighting the benefits of the rather unusual arrangement worth the risk.

While in theory pacts and alliances bind the great clans together, diplomats and courtiers are keenly aware that history of the Empire is filled with instances where a clan champion has renounced an oath he has given, using a convenient excuse to justify their actions. This means that the intelligence agencies of the great clans employ numerous spies and informants, trying to make sure that the clan leadership and commanders are aware of the actual political situation of the Empire at all times. This game takes place during the winter court of 3124 in the Oborozuki province of the World of Dreams, allowing the players a chance to present their faction at the courts and take part to the war fought in the shadows, where diplomats and spies fight over scraps of data and rumors, paying for every byte of data with blood or coin.

There will be many events which reward factions with Information. Additionally every player has the ability to make Espionage rolls to gather invaluable information for their faction. Additional Information may be gained by hiring a ronin agent to perform Heists for your faction. Such clandestine operations offer a high risk, high reward option of those scrupulous or desperate enough to enlist the aid of the underworld.

World of Dreams
夢星 (Musei)

Type: Garden world
Orbital radius: 0.94 JSD
Gravity: 1.03 R
Population: 6,300,000,000
System: Bayushi's Eye
Sector: Southern
Imperial Cartography Designation: HS-205

Designated as a fully terraformed garden world, World of Dreams is the jewel of the Scorpion’s holdings in space. Opened to the public in 2902, the planet has since grown to become the most important trade hub of the Empire with embassies from every clan located there. Today, the cityscape covers over 80% of the planet’s landmass, the massive continent-spanning city housing more ​than six billion souls. Low taxes and lax security have attracted vast investments --and criminal enterprise-- from around the galaxy, allowing the Scorpion to control the largest hub of both legal and illegal trade in the Empire. World of Dreams draws so much attention and traffic that little else is publicly known about the Scorpion Clan and the rest of its settlements. They have invited the entire Empire onto their home planet, granting a smiling façade of openness, while incidentally ensuring that most clans have a strong economic interest in protecting their substantial holdings there.

New buildings constantly push toward the skies, causing the landscape within the sprawling city to change rapidly and constantly. It’s said that if you’ve been away for a few weeks, you might want to hire a guide for a few days while you reorient yourself. The newest goods flow readily through the city, which aims for the appearance of everything being available at any time. Things are always moving, always shifting, and it’s hard not to be just a little off balance, even if one lives there for years.

The giant city has its own provinces, or the provinces have been overtaken by the sprawling city; in any case, it makes for chaotic navigation, with districts that seem to exist only on paper but missing from electronic navigation aids and garnering blank looks from transport drivers when offworlders ask to be taken there. This is a hint of the hidden nature of the city, where-despite its apparent openness-large areas are reserved for members of the Scorpion Clan.

The New Shosuro Academy has a district of its own where many of the Empire’s best actors find their talents nurtured. The ancient tradition of the Painted City comes alive here every autumn, with the quarter transformed into some other place or time and filled with actors playing out dramas upon its vast stage. Deep within the quarter, Illusion's Heart Castle currently serves as home to the Shosuro daimyo and as headquarters for family business.

World of Dreams is orbited by Kisei and Hakusei, two relatively large moons, both housing extensive mining operations as well as relay stations that allow the planet to remain connected to the rest of the Empire. Needless to say, the moons are off-limits to all but authorized Scorpion personnel. The mines there serve as penitentiaries for those convicted of blasphemous or heinous crimes, allowing the Scorpion to minimize the risk of prisoner revolt while gaining the benefit of cheap and expendable labor, essential for such high-risk operations. Such punishment is often considered a death sentence, as it’s exceedingly rare for a prisoner to survive the dangerous forced labor until their release date.

In contrast to the mines, stand the vast, state of the art relay stations, manned by the finest shugenja the Soshi can muster. Service off-planet is often considered a prerequisite for a promotion within the Soshi family hierarchy, so the family’s most ambitious members often put in a few years of service here in hopes of moving on to more prestigious posts.

Besides the two moons, centuries of commercial space traffic and an ever expanding communications satellite network have left a ring of space debris around the planet - the situation so dire that most captains refuse to bring their ships anywhere near World of Dreams without Scorpion traffic control providing them a safe route. This often causes traffic jams in the upper atmosphere with dozens of freighters waiting for their turn to leave. More adventurous samurai have turned this man-made disaster into a business opportunity, using small and agile vessels to explore the vast field of debris in search of precious metals and spiritual alloys to scavenge.


Oborozuki province
朧月県

World of Dreams is divided into 64 relatively autonomous provinces, each managed by a lord governor on behalf of the Scorpion clan champion. Many of these regions have been dedicated to production, with millions upon millions of commoners working in vast forge-factories that churn out everything from advanced communicators to sake and seaweed bars, fueling the Scorpion economy. Eighteen of the 64 provinces have been designated as Trade Zones and are open to visitors, allowing trade to take place across the planet. Each of the Trade Zones is served by a space port, making World of Dreams the busiest world in the Empire with hundreds of ships arriving daily. Oborozuki province, while among the smallest, is the home province of the planetary governor and responsible for hosting the Scorpion Clan champion whenever he resides on world. Oborozuki also houses all the diplomatic missions assigned to the world, many of the clans owning several blocks of land within the province, creating unique opportunities for both courtiers and trade patrons to ply their art, making assignment to the province a privilege few can ever claim.

Heists

A faction may hire a ronin agent to perform a heist [redacted]. This maybe a PC ronin or the faction may seek out a NPC ronin by Seeking Information in Slums (see Slums for details). PC's are expected to manage the negotiation with a PC ronin on the screen while negotiations with NPC ronin will be arranged behind the screens to save GM time.

The heists are high-risk, high-reward operations and should the agent fail too many rolls, they likely end apprehended or killed. However, should the agent succeed, they will be rewarded with high amounts of Information. Should the agent be caught, there is a chance they might be persuaded to reveal the faction employing them, leading to in-game consequences. Too keep things simple and to avoid unnecessary shenanigans an agent MAY NOT implicate a faction not involved in the process.

Also, if we think there is foul play involved, the players trying to game the system will be duly booted from the game.

With at least nine factions involved in the war in shadows, we encourage players to seek out ronin PC to carry out the Heist whenever possible, minimizing the GM work involved. If two factions are already planning to run a heist on a given day, you will be asked to run your heist on the following day. However, slots for Heists won't be given to factions until after they have secured a ronin agent.

While the Skill Rolls involved will inevitably very according to the target and approach, a ronin character planning to sell their services to the highest bidder should likely invest in the following skills. Investigation, Lore: Underworld, Stealth, Use Computers.

Non-ronin characters CANNOT attempt Heists as getting caught would cause a diplomatic incident the Clans simply cannot afford.

Crab: Yasuki Shunji

Kenning: Carp of Many Colors
Age: 41
Yasuki Courtier

Crane: Asahina Tsuruko

Kenning: Nightingale
Age: 26
Doji Courtier

Dragon: Kitsuki Rensuke

Kenning: Wanderheart
Age: 38
Kitsuki Courtier

Lion: Akodo Hisakazu

Kenning: Warbringer
Age: 44
Akodo Bushi

Mantis: Yoritomo Yukie

Kenning: Grey Orochi
Age: 63
Yoritomo Courtier

Phoenix: Isawa Akari

Kenning: Stormclad
Age: 24
Isawa Shugenja

Spider: Susumu Isayo

Kenning: Ironwrought
Age: ???
Susumu Courtier

Unicorn: Ide Qirui

Kenning: Nightrider
Age: 31
Ide Emissary

Imperials: Otomo Seori

Kenning: She Who Casts Shadows
Age: 29
Otomo Courtier

Clan dispositions

Crab
Boasting the third largest fleet in the Empire and having their trade routes firmly secured, the Crab currently seem unassailable. Allied with both the Dragon and Scorpion, the Crab are busy preparing for a war they deem inevitable, the Kaiu forges and shipyards busier than ever. They also have a budding trade agreement with the Phoenix and have deployed a handful of older cruisers to protect Phoenix shipping lanes, earning them a fair amount of goodwill among the Shiba and Asako. In return, a contingent of Isawa and Asako engineers have traveled to Kyuden Hida Prima to instruct the Kaiu and Kuni on modifying the excellent Voidfarer class for military use in hopes of developing a multi-purpose vessel that could serve both as a fleet scout as well as an escort vessel. The seemingly never-ending Mantis-Lion war serves the Crab well, the Kaiu and Hida admirals perfectly happy to watch the other two great powers fight each other even as the Crab fleet slowly grows in size. Recently, seeing a potential ally in Kagami, Yasuki Taiki has dispatched Yasuki Michiko, his most trusted hatamoto, to the court of the Emerald champion to serve as liaison between the Emerald office and the Crab.

Crane
With their wealth and political capital backed up by the Mantis navy, the Crane are in a position of power. Both the Spider and the Mantis are in dire need of Crane resources, allowing the Crane to influence the terms of their budding alliance. Recently the relationship between the Crane and the Mantis has suffered a setback with the Mantis having commandeered some Crane merchant vessels for their campaign in the Crossroads system. While Yoritomo Akifumi is willing to pay reparations to the merchant patrons involved, no actual official apology has been offered, making the Crane seem weak. This has incensed some of the more proud and old-fashioned Daidoji lords, leading to heated arguments behind the screens. While the war in the Crossroads system continues, partially at the expense of the Crane, the Kakita continue low-level talks with the Otomo in hopes of seeing the current Emerald Champion removed from her post one way or another. Meanwhile, Crane-Spider relations are better than ever, Crane trading small quantities of rare earth metals in return for several genetically engineered rice cultivars and political marriages that see a number of prominent Kuchiki agricultural scientists marrying into the Asahina.

Dragon
The Dragon are closely allied with the Scorpion and Crab, trading extensively with both factions. Their embassy on World of Dreams hosts no fewer than half a dozen trade delegations at the moment. Having confiscated the badly battered Ide II as it returned from the galaxy that houses the Karushan civilization, ties between the Dragon and the Unicorn have soured. While the conflict remains one of diplomacy thus far, some bellicose daimyo on both sides have suggested deploying the legions over what is deemed to be a matter of honor. Behind the screens, the Dragon are preparing an expedition to Karushan space, both to allow the captain of the Ide II to uphold his promise to Taushirr nrr-Udatowyn and to properly explore the unknown galaxy. Recently, the Dragon have been in talks with the Lion and while both clans see potential in a mutually beneficial pact, negotiations remain unfinished.

Lion
The proud Lion stand strong, having used the Emerald Champion's campaign in Spider space to launch another invasion of the Crossroads system. Having crippled the 2nd Mantis fleet they are now fighting on three of the system’s four inhabitable worlds, having used ‘volunteer’ ashigaru battalions to force landings despite horrendous casualties. To support their war efforts, the Akodo and Matsu daimyo have sought out trade pacts with both the Crab and the Dragon. Unfortunately, a diplomatic incident with the Crab has complicated negotiations between the two military powerhouses. So for the time being, any sort of Lion-Crab cooperation seems to be off the table, with the Lion too proud to apologize for something they consider an ‘unfortunate incident'. Negotiations with the Dragon have progressed more smoothly, even if the Dragon have been hesitant to commit resources to the Lion cause.

Mantis
The past year has seen the Mantis suffer several setbacks. The sanction of the Otomo upon the Emerald Champion's personal campaign in Spider space forced the Mantis to deploy two of their four fleets in defense of their allies. This left the heavily contested Crossroads system poorly defended, allowing the once defeated Lion navy to invade with impunity, inflicting heavy losses on the Mantis 2nd fleet. Meanwhile the Unicorn and Phoenix have managed to secure their trade routes, leading to several privateer lords losing their ships and lives. Despite these losses, the Mantis are still a force to reckon with, possessing three seasoned and well maintained war fleets. Following the success of the 2nd fleet's counter attack, Yoritomo Akifumi has summoned his bannermen, wishing to resolve the matter of the Crossroads once and for all. Summons for help have been extended to the Spider and the Crane and while the Mantis do not expect either to deploy considerable military forces, the Crane have already pledged hundreds of tons of supplies for this cause they deem righteous. Meanwhile, Ide and Yoritomo diplomats have been brokering a truce of sorts, with the Unicorn bartering some of the technology developed for the Ide II in return for wealth and vessels of war.

Phoenix
The recent deployment of Crab navy ships into Phoenix space as part of the trade pact between the two has given the small and beleaguered Phoenix navy some breathing room while allowing distant Phoenix systems to trade with fewer risks. Despite this arrangement, the Phoenix stands alone, having little to offer to the larger and more bellicose clans. Hoping to reconcile with the Unicorn, Asako Keiko has sent a delegation to Open Hand Castle to see if the two clans can cooperate in the increasingly hostile political climate. These diplomatic talks have yielded few results so far, the Unicorn suspicious of the Phoenix ever since the industrial espionage incident related to the construction of Ide. Despite this lack of progress, diplomats of the two peaceable clans maintain negotiations, convinced that a mutually satisfactory arrangement can be found. The past year has also seen the Brotherhood setting up several shrines dedicated to the Dark Fortunes on Phoenix worlds, a choice that has incised some of the more traditional Phoenix samurai.

Scorpion
The Scorpion remain allied with the Dragon and Crab, trading high-tech equipment and clandestine information for the raw resources they sorely lack. Yet with both the Dragon and Crab building several ships at the moment, many of the Scorpion forges have had to limit their operations due to lack of steel and titanium required. This development has led Bayushi Hazuki to seek trade pacts with both the Unicorn and the Crane. While such costly arrangements have allowed Scorpion industry to achieve its quotas, many Scorpion lords are unhappy with her passive stance regarding the success the Crane have had courting the Otomo and Miya. Fearing that Hazuki's inaction might endanger the Scorpion, the Shosuro hatamoto manage to convince Shosuro Ayami to take action, half a dozen of the most trusted infiltrators and shinobi are heading to World of Dreams masquerading as artists, merchant patrons, and tourists, all seeking to gather information regarding the daily routines of their clan champion--officially for counter-espionage purposes. In reality, the select agents are gathering information to facilitate the assassination of Bayushi Hazuki.

Spider
Besides the Crane and Mantis, the Spider have few friends. The massive and non-conclusive engagement fought with the Emerald fleet left the Spider navy badly mauled. Due to the losses suffered and need to reconstruct their forces, Spider are in no position to directly support Mantis efforts in the Crossroads system. However, Susumu and Daigotsu mercantile fleets are busy ferrying grain and processed spirits to the distant colonies of the Mantis, easing the logistics nightmare caused by the massive redeployment of Yoritomo fleets. To facilitate the rebuilding process, Daigotsu Mai has sent a large delegation of diplomats to Harusame in hopes of deepening ties with the Crane. While the Daidoji courtiers are more than happy to host their allies, the Crane are hesitant to sell all the raw materials the Spider want. Still, some progress is made as the Crane agree to trade small quantities of rare earth metals in return for several genetically engineered rice cultivars and political marriages that see a number of prominent Kuchiki agricultural scientists marrying into the Asahina.

Unicorn
The raids on Ide and Moto shipping lanes have fallen dramatically following Kagami's invasion of Spider fiefdoms and the Lion invasion of Crossroads, allowing the Unicorn some respite. The news of the Ide II's return was widely broadcast on Unicorn networks, the celebrations coming to an abrupt end as the Dragon allowed the crew to return while retaining the ship. Incensed, Shinjo Seo-Yon sent a letter to Mirumoto Yorimitsu, demanding the Dragon return what the Unicorn consider rightfully theirs, only to receive a curt reply from one of Yorimitsu's hatamoto citing ancient laws that allow them to take possession of the vessel--at least as the Dragon interpret them. Moto Tai-Zong and many of his retainers insist that the Unicorn go to war - or at least launch a punitive raid to avenge the insult to their honor, their voices louder every day. However, without allies, the Unicorn have little leverage, leaving the Ide to broker a truce and pact of sorts with the Mantis. This deal sees the Unicorn bartering some of the technology developed for the Ide II in return for cold hard koku and a promise of military aid should the allies of the Dragon invade Unicorn space.

Imperials
While the irreproachable and honorable Otomo daimyo openly supports the Emerald Champion and has sanctioned her actions so far, behind the screens the Imperial families are looking for a chance to oust Kagami or at least curtail the power she can wield. Unwilling to openly act against the Emperor’s Chosen Sword, the Otomo and Seppun lords are building a network of allies, seeking to deepen their relationships with the Crane, Mantis, and Lion in hopes of maintaining the proper balance of power should Kagami ever commit her forces against the wishes of the Otomo. Eager to oust Kagami, the Crane have sworn to aid the Otomo should a need arise while the Lion and the Mantis have been careful to avoid making any promises, the two clans embroiled in a prolonged conflict with each other. Meanwhile, the Otomo that still trust Kagami are working to weaken the Crane-Mantis alliance, seeing that powerful block as a considerable threat to peace, with the Seppun prognosticators predicting a major war within the next five years should things remain as they are.

Spine drake
Growing up to eight inches long with a ten inch wingspan, the spine drake is one of the few species native to the World of Dreams that survived both the world-crafting and the urbanization of the world. Preying on ghost flies and other small insects, this once common flying reptile is now on the brink of extinction with only few thousand individuals remaining. The past few decades has seen the Scorpion set up several herpetological conservatories that aim to preserve the world's unique fauna to the next generations. These programs have seen an attempt to produce a breed of less vicious and feral drakes to serve as pets, the expensive spine drakes now a coveted companion animal for those with means and wealth to acquire one.

In-game
Scorpion characters living on World of Dreams may take spine drake as a pet using their traveling pack as per core rules. Non-Scorpion characters living on World of Dreams ay take spine drake as a pet using their traveling pack as per core rules if they have a Scorpion Ally with Influence of 2 or higher.


Lilac drake
Lilac drakes are diminutive cousins of spine drakes, growing rarely longer than six inches long. Omnivorous and prolific, these small lizards are relatively common sight in the artificial gardens on the city, especially during the evenings as they chase various sluggish fireflies and moths native to the world. Somewhat meanspirited and with jagged small teeth that leave poorly healing wounds, the Scorpion have yet to domesticate lilac drakes. Attempts to breed the ill-tempered lilacs have been met with difficulties, the species seeming to lay no eggs in captivity.


Shimmerwing
Shimmerwings of the few true birds to survive the world-crafting process that drove many of the native species to extinction. Despite their beautiful plumage and regal appearances, the shimmerwings are omnivorous scavengers, eating anything and everything they manage to gulp down. Common sight near and around the food markets, many of the shimmerwings have adopted to their new habitant, eating carrions, offal and even human refuse, thriving in a city as filthy as the World of Dreams.


Classified as a living fossil, lesser foldwings compete for living space with lilac drakes, both species ubiquitous across the parks across the planet spanning city. While drakes tend to hunt during the twilight, the foldwings are diurnal, preferring to hunt between dawn and noon, spending the afternoons dangling from the branches and grooming themselves. Living in large flocks and fiercely territorial, it is not particularly rare to catch a sight of several foldwing males fighting perching spots. Foldwings tolerate humans to a degree, some even willing to be hand-fed by anyone with fried crickets to offer.

Information
Information, the first principle of warfare, must form the foundation of all your efforts. Know, of course, thine enemy. But in knowing him do not forget above all to know thyself. The commander who embraces this totality of battle shall win even with the inferior force.

Ikoma Yuriko, 1st Head of the Ikoma Intelligence Agency




The infamous World of Dreams, thanks to the low import and export taxes enforced by the Scorpion officials, is the he most important trade hub of the Empire. Because of this, the world ​hosts embassies of every clan and additionally serves as an unofficial home to several large Scorpion aligned crime syndicates, most of which operate through puppet-businesses or reputable storefronts, to mask their true activity. This game focuses on the perpetual war that is fought both in the courts and alleys of the world spanning city, diplomats trying to gather any and all information they can without exposing what they know themselves. The Scorpion, undisputed masters of this game, allow the clans to play on their turf, weighting the benefits of the rather unusual arrangement worth the risk.

While in theory pacts and alliances bind the great clans together, diplomats and courtiers are keenly aware that history of the Empire is filled with instances where a clan champion has renounced an oath he has given, using a convenient excuse to justify their actions. This means that the intelligence agencies of the great clans employ numerous spies and informants, trying to make sure that the clan leadership and commanders are aware of the actual political situation of the Empire at all times. This game takes place during the winter court of 3124 in the Oborozuki province of the World of Dreams, allowing the players a chance to present their faction at the courts and take part to the war fought in the shadows, where diplomats and spies fight over scraps of data and rumors, paying for every byte of data with blood or coin.

There will be many events which reward factions with Information. Additionally every player has the ability to make Espionage rolls to gather invaluable information for their faction. Additional Information may be gained by hiring a ronin agent to perform Heists for your faction. Such clandestine operations offer a high risk, high reward option of those scrupulous or desperate enough to enlist the aid of the underworld.

Espionage rolls
Characters can try to gather information via Espionage rolls, which represent the character trying to flatter, coerce, deceive or seduce other diplomats for information. Character may make an Espionage Roll once per session against a TN of 20 to increase the Information Score of their faction by 1, plus an additional 1 for each successful Raise you call on the roll. Additionally, you may (and probably should) call a Raise on the roll to hide your activities. Failure to so can result in the Scorpion to become aware of your actions, which could see your character earning the 'Sworn Enemy' Disadvantage as the Shosuro and Bayushi shinobi keep a close eye on the various diplomatic missions on the world.

Characters with Different School Advantage reduce their Information gains from Espionage rolls by 1 as clans deem their ties to others a liability. This penalty does not apply to Information gained from events or to Information purchased from ronin agents.

There are a number of skills you can use for Espionage Roll: Courtier (Manipulation), Intimidation (Control), and Temptation (Bribery), all of which use the Awareness* Trait. Espionage Rolls are considered to be Social Skill Rolls made against samurai characters, but they are not Contested Rolls meaning that techniques and advantages referring to Contested Rolls do not apply. Since you are trying to pry information out of people, Seven Fortunes' Blessing: Benten does not apply.

*Yoritomo Courtiers may replace Awareness with Willpower when using Intimidation as per Duty Before Honor.

When making your rolls, please list the following in the description of the roll on Orokos: Game session the roll is for, Skill being used, Void usage, other modifiers, and Raises of any sort. We will be lenient for the first few in-character days and provide warnings, after that incorrect rolls will not be counted.

Temptation and Intimidation count as Low Skills and using them causes the character to lose Honor as per the core rules.

Getting caught

Should a character make a Espionage Roll without calling a Raise to obfuscate their identity, the GM's will roll 6k3 against TN equal to 10 + (Status Rank x5) - (Espionage Raises called x5) + Points spent in Scorpion Allies. Should the roll equal or beat the TN, the character is considered a threat that needs to be eliminated and gains the Disadvantage as described above. Notably this rule applies to the Scorpion as well. The Clan of Secrets does not suffer careless buffoons.

Example. Kakita Ai, a Status 2 courtier with a 2 point Scorpion ally (her paramour) decides that the information is worth the risk and makes Espionage Roll with 1 Raise without hiding her identity. The GM's will roll 6k3 against TN of 17. [10 + 2 * 5 (status) - 1 * 5 raises she made) + 2 points spent in Scorpion allies]

Failing Espionage Roll, as long as character has made the Raise to hide their identity, has no consequences (other than failing to accumulate Information for your faction).


Ronin and Information
Ronin thrive by sell the information they manage to gather for highest bidder. GM's must be notified of any and all such transactions. If you don't tell us where and how it happened, it didn't happen. Clans have resources dedicated for this purchase, consisting of untraceable koku and commodities they have at hand. Notably PCs CANNOT use their own koku to hire ronin to perform heists as such transactions can be traced. (Using your koku to hire a ronin guide to Desolation is perfectly fine, though)

Ronin selling information to any non-Scorpion faction will automatically trigger a roll akin to a character not hiding their identity while making an Espionage roll with GM's rolling 6k3 against TN 20 + (ronin's Rank in Lore: Underworld + points spent on Scorpion and/or underworld allies). Should the roll equal or beat the TN, the character is considered a threat that needs to be eliminated and gains the Sworn Enemy Disadvantage as described above. This roll is triggered for each transaction ronin character might make - thus ronin are encouraged to gather a sizeable lump of information before selling it in order to reduce the chances of attracting wrong sort of attention.

Example. Yurie, a cunning hacker with Lore: Underworld 3 and a Scorpion ally with 1 Devotion and 1 Influence has managed to gather some information she wants to sell to the Crane for 10 koku. The GM's will roll 6k3 against TN 25 (20 + her Lore: Underworld skill 3 + points spent on Scorpion allies 2 ) to see if Yurie's antics have caught the eye of the Scorpion spies. Had Yurie sold her information to the Scorpion she would not need to risk this roll. However, chances are that the Scorpion would also pay her far less...


Heists
A faction may hire a ronin agent to perform a heist twice per game. This may be a PC ronin or the faction may decide to seek out a NPC ronin by Seeking Information in Slums (see Slums for details). PC's are expected to manage the negotiation with a PC ronin on the screen while negotiations with NPC ronin will be arranged behind the screens to save GM time.

The heists are high-risk, high-reward, operations and should the agent fail too many rolls, they likely end apprehended or killed. However, should the agent succeed, they will be rewarded with high amounts of Information. Should the agent be caught, there is a chance they might be persuaded to reveal the faction employing them, leading to in-game consequences. Too keep things simple and to avoid unnecessary shenanigans an agent MAY NOT implicate a faction not involved in the process.

With at least nine factions involved in the war in shadows, we encourage players to seek out ronin PC to carry out the Heist whenever possible, minimizing the GM work involved. If two factions are already planning to run a heist on a given day, you will be asked to run your heist on the following day. However, slots for Heists won't be given to factions until after they have secured a ronin agent.

While the Skill Rolls involved will inevitably very according to the target and approach, a ronin character planning to sell their services to the highest bidder should likely invest in the following skills. Investigation, Lore: Underworld, Stealth, Use Computers.

Non-ronin characters CANNOT attempt Heists as getting caught would cause a diplomatic incident the Clans simply cannot afford.

Targets
GM Tassu will provide the faction with a small list of potential targets when the faction agrees to hire a ronin, though players are free to suggest targets themselves. Characters may also to Seek Information in Slums (see Slums for details) to discover more lucrative targets.


Starting Information

Crab: 10
Crane: 20
Dragon: 10
Lion: 10
Mantis: 15
Phoenix: 15
Scorpion: 25
Spider: 15
Unicorn: 15
Imperials: 35

Minor clans will be added should they get players.

Game outcome
At the end of the game, the Information pools of each clan will be divided by the amount of Information they started with. The three clans with the highest fraction are considered having won the game, triggering a vote on how the faction will utilize this information. Other clans suffer no consequences.

Ties will be broken by starting Information, with the faction with least starting Information winning any tie breakers. In case starting Information are tied as well, the faction with most Information gained from Heists is considered the winner. Should the Information gained from Heists be also equal, ties are no longer broken and the two factions are considered to have achieved the same standing.

Game outcome for ronin
The ronin character that has accrued most koku during the game will establish a small mercenary band of their own, affiliated with a faction of the player's choosing. Additionally, the player gets to design a new ronin path (IR2 or IR3), though the contents of such path are subject to GM veto.

Heists are composed of four elements.

Preparation
This part of the heist involves both observing the target as well as using unofficial means to acquire information regarding the target's layout and security measures. A particularly savvy agent might try to seek out forged or stolen security passes to make their infiltration easier.

Infiltration
As the name implies, Infiltration involves the agent finding their way into the target, either by sneaking in or by pretending to be someone they are not, using forged documents to secure an entry.

Data theft
This part involves the agent locating an unguarded terminal and using it to download sensitive information.

Escape
One the agent has procured the data they can, they have to make their escape, either by avoiding detection or simply walking out the way they came in, using whatever documents they have to deceive the security.

HEISTS : PLAYER EDITION

Preparations

Observing the target
Character planning a Heist may spend a time slot at the location, rolling Investigation / Perception against TN 20 go gain a Free Raise that can be used either Infiltrating or Escaping the target. Raises called on this Roll award the character with additional Free Raises. Character may not earn more than 5 Free Raises this way.

Finding forged security pass.
To find a forged security pass, the character must Seek Information from Slums, calling at least one Raise.

Finding stolen security pass.
To find a stolen security pass, the character must Seek Information from Slums, calling at least three Raises.


Infiltration

Infiltration takes a single time slot.

If character has forged or stolen security pass, character may try to simply walk into the target. This will lead to the NPC guards inspecting their papers. If the guards fail to notice foul play, the character may move to 'Locating a console'.

Alternatively, the agent may sneak into the facility. Should character be caught with forged or stolen documents, they will be apprehended.

Sneaking into the facility
[REDACTED]

Locating a console
[REDACTED]

Hacking roll
[REDACTED]

Escape

A character that has secured an access using a forged or stolen security pass has to pass the guards once more, allowing them a chance to roll to detect the foul play, the guards apprehending the character should they be caught. Alternatively, character may try to 'Sneak out of the facility'.

Sneaking out of the facility
[REDACTED]

Should character make the Heist, they will gain 1k2 Information + 1k0 Information for each successful Raise called for the 'Hacking roll'.

BLACKMAIL : PLAYER EDITION

Preparations

Observing the target
Character planning a Blackmail operation may spend a time slot stalking their target (choosing also the faction they are targeting - with Status rank of X decided by the player, where X is value between 1 and 4), rolling Investigation / Perception against TN 20 go gain a Free Raise that can be used either Lure or Deceive the target. Raises called on this Roll award the character with additional Free Raises. Character may not earn more than 5 Free Raises this way.

Character may try to Seek Information regarding their target from Slums - though chances are the underworld has little information on a given diplomat.

For each time slot spent staling their target, the character must roll Stealth/Agility against their target to avoid being caught.

Lureing the target
[Redacted]

Deceiving the target
[Redacted]


Outcome
Should character make the Heist, they will gain 1kX Information + 1k0 Information for each successful Raise called for the 'Deceiving the target' roll. After gaining Information, character must roll on the following table to figure out the outcome of the Heist.

1-7 The Information provided by the target is genuine. No further effects.
8 The Information provided by the target is only partially useful. Halve the Information gained, rounding up.
9 The Information provided by the target is largely useless. Character gains no Information.
10 The Information provided by the target is largely useless. Character gains no Information. In addition, Character gains Sworn Enemy from the faction chosen as target.