Kenburo's Way [Bushi] (Imperial Histories p122)

Akodo Kenburo devised his dueling technique while he was a young ronin, roaming the streets and confronting other ronin, criminals, and thugs. During his tenure as Emerald Champion he taught the technique to a few of his most trusted magistrates, and after his death they preserved it within the Ruby Dojo and passed it down to later generations. Kenburo’s core tenet was that it was not the fastest, strongest, or most skilled duelist who won the duel, but the duelist who most frightens his opponent. “Break their spirit and their skill doesn’t matter,” he commented. “Make them think they are certain to die and even the boldest samurai will falter.”

Kenburo’s Way is only known within the Ruby Dojo and is thus normally only available to Emerald and Jade Magistrates. However, given that it was originally devised by Kenburo while he was a ronin, GMs may also wish to experiment with making the technique available to other ronin—after all, who knows whether Kenburo taught it to anyone before he won the Emerald Championship?

Requirements: Intimidation 5, Iaijutsu 5. Must be a student of the Ruby Dojo.

Technique: The Butcher’s Gaze - During an iaijutsu duel, before Assessment rolls are made, you may spend a Void Point to take a Free Action and make a Contested Intimidation/Willpower roll against your opponent. (This is considered a Fear effect for the purpose of abilities and mechanics that resist Fear.) If you win the Contested Roll, your opponent’s dice do not explode on his Assessment and Focus rolls for this duel.

Order of Five Weapons [Shugenja] (Secrets of the Empire p)

Founded by a Void shugenja named Ekuro, the Order of Five Weapons teaches mastery of the Elemental weapon spells, and also maintains a secret spell taught to its most trusted members.

Replaces: Ronin shugenja 4 (any ronin shugenja school)
Requires: At least Rank 3 in the Skills of Kenjutsu, Heavy Weapon, Spears, and Staves
Special: Must be able to cast at least two of the four Elemental Weapon spells (Yari of Air, Katana of Fire, Tetsubo of Earth, Bo of Water)

Technique: Ekuro’s Weapons - The founder of this order perfected the use of weapons summoned from the Elemental kami. You may cast any of the four Elemental Weapon spells as a Simple Action (rather than a Complex Action). You may spend a Void Point (as a Free Action) to be able to attack with these summoned weapons as a Simple Action for a number of Rounds equal to your Insight Rank. If you have the Ishiken-do Advantage, you may learn the secret spell “Dart of Void.”

Seven Waves Mercenaries [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p203)

The Seven Waves Mercenaries are an older ronin group with a reputation for discrete and effective service. The organization was founded roughly a century after the return of the Unicorn Clan to the Empire. The Seven Waves were created by a group of seven ronin, each one an outcast from one of the original Great Clans – this of course predates the elevation of the Mantis to Great Clan status, and the organization’s leaders never deigned to add a Mantis ronin to their ranks. When the Seven Waves take a job, those of their number associated with the clans in question remain apart to avoid coloring the employer’s opinion of the organization, but still offer expertise and advice to the other members. Over the years the organization has grown, but the leaders of the group, most of them descendants of the original founders, prefer to keep it organized into similar seven-man teams.

Requirements: Clan Ronin only

Technique: Roaring to Shake Heaven – Members of the Seventh Wave draw strength from their diversity. When fighting alongside your allies, you gain a bonus of +2 to the total of all attack and damage rolls for each different Basic School represented among your group. You may not gain a total bonus greater than twice your Void Ring from this Technique.

Sword of Yotsu [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p203)

There are few ronin brotherhoods in the Empire better known than the Sword of Yotsu, and perhaps none who have experienced the same degree of success. The brotherhood is led by an actual family, one of only a handful of ronin families in Rokugan’s history. The founder of the Yotsu performed a glorious service for the Hantei Dynasty, rescuing the Emperor’s youngest son from the clutches of the Bloodspeaker Cult by leaving his own child in the boy’s place. In gratitude and recognition of his sacrifice, the Emperor granted the ronin his father’s personal name as a family name, and the Yotsu family was born. Having lived many years wandering the Empire in his youth, Yotsu understood very well how the poor and defenseless suffered, and he vowed to use what little he had to ensure he and his would never suffer such fates. Over subsequent generations, Yotsu’s children expanded their family’s operations into a true ronin brotherhood, allowing other ronin to swear fealty to them and take their name in exchange for a vow to protect the defenseless. The Yotsu are generally honorable men and women, although they place greater emphasis on their duty than on the niceties of everyday samurai behavior.

Requirements: Kenjutsu 4+, Hero of the People, Honor Rank 5+

Technique: Shelter the Blameless – The Sword of Yotsu draw strength from their duty to protect others. During any Round when you are actively defending or protecting another (GM’s discretion), you gain one bonus Void Point for use during that Round. Unspent Void Points gained from this Technique are lost at the end of the Round (after the Reactions stage).

Weavers [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p203)

Many ronin groups are not well known in the Empire, but few are as completely unknown to the Great Clans as the secretive sect called the Weavers. These men and women rarely associate with one another in person, communicating instead through carefully encoded messages, discrete tattoos, and secret hand signals. They gather together only when there are important matters at hand, typically involving violence or infiltration of the most invasive sort. The Weavers are among the elite agents of the Kolat conspiracy and are only known to its highest-ranking members, or at least so they believe. Although the ten Kolat Masters have access to the entire roster of Weavers, most of their direct subordinates know of perhaps a half-dozen or so they can call upon in dire need. The abilities of the Weavers vary wildly from individual to individual, each having been recruited for a particular skill or set of skills that were needed at the time. In general, however, most have a propensity for violence and an absolute mastery of deceit. One might say lying is a requirement for the job.

Requirements: Allies (Kolat) OR Dark Secret (Kolat) OR Obligation (Kolat)

Technique: Twist the Weave – The Weavers excel at deceit and manipulation, and use such methods as weapons against their foes. If you have ever won a Contested Skill Roll against someone using your Sincerity (Deceit), Intimidation, or Temptation, if you subsequently face that person in a skirmish you gain a Free Raise that can be used on an attack roll during the first Round of the skirmish.