Iron Gauntlet Brotherhood [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p204)

The battered and scarred veterans who make up the Iron Gauntlet Brotherhood are among the most seasoned and fearsome ronin in all of Rokugan. Those familiar with their reputation whisper prayers to their ancestors when they catch sight of the Iron Brotherhood banner. The individual members of the Iron Gauntlet are survivors of other ronin groups that have been wiped out by one force or another. The first few members were lone survivors of groups eradicated during one of the Empire’s greatest conflicts. Some believe it was the First War, while others think it may have been as recent as the Clan War. No one knows for certain, and the Iron Brothers do not speak of it to outsiders. In fact, they rarely speak at all save to negotiate the terms of their contracts. In battle, they are utterly ruthless and without hesitation. Anyone who has seen them on the battlefield understands exactly how they survived their individual units’ destruction.

Requirements: Earth 4, any one Weapon Skill at 5 or higher

Technique: For My Brothers – Members of the Iron Gauntlet stand together against incredible odds and survive. When fighting alongside other members of the Iron Gauntlet Brotherhood, you may expend a Void Point to negate damage inflicted on an ally by an amount equal to your Void Ring x 5.

Shadowed Steel [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p204)

The word "ninja" conjures one of two reactions from the Rokugani: exasperation, because of course ninja do not exist, or fear, because they suspect the substance of the night itself will disgorge and assault them for daring to consider such things. The truth is that to some extent both statements are true. On the one hand, the black-clad assassins of superstition do exist, but are largely a diversionary tactic used by groups like the Scorpion Clan – including through pawns such as the ronin group called the Silent Blade. On the other hand, the primordial entity known as the Lying Darkness unleashes inhuman ninja who can steal faces and names. And then there is the middle ground, where few have ever tread and survived. The men and women known as Shadowed Steel are former vassals of the Scorpion Clan, surreptitiously culled from the clan’s ranks over the course of generations or even centuries, and carefully cultivated into a completely deniable and disposable asset. The Shadowed Steel are few in number and answer only to the Shosuro family, who communicate with them through covert means such as blind drops. When an objective absolutely must be achieved or a foe eliminated at all costs, when the risk is simply two high to utilize the Shosuro family’s own assets, they call on the Shadowed Steel to deal with the matter quickly and with absolute and unwavering finality.

Requirements: Athletics 4+, Ninjutsu 4+, Stealth 4+

Technique: Death’s Dark Shadow – The Shadowed Steel strike from darkness to devastating effect, and rarely need to strike twice. When you succeed at a Contested Stealth Skill Roll against an opponent attempting to detect you, you may spend a Void Point to add the amount by which your Stealth Skill Roll exceeded your opponent’s roll to the next attack roll you make against that opponent. This must be done within one hour of the Contested Roll taking place – otherwise you must wait until the next Contested Stealth Skill Roll opportunity.

Wolf Legion [Bushi] (Enemies of the Empire p204

During the epic conflict history remembers as the Clan War, an unprecedented number of ronin gathered together under the banner of Toturi, the Black Lion. The former Lion Champion, cast out when the Akodo family was dissolved, Toturi assembled thousands of his former clansmen who had become wave men, along with many former Scorpion samurai (whose clan had also been dissolved) and legions of simple ronin looking for the opportunity to be part of something greater than themselves. The organization known as Toturi’s Army fought to protect the people of the Empire and the stability of the Empire itself. After the war, many of the group rejoined their former clans; those who remained formed a new organization, the Wolf Legion. For decades, the Wolf Legion continued to protect the people of Rokugan, alternately ignoring or confronting the selfish politics of the Great Clans.

Generalization: The Wolf Legion are similar in many respects to Tawagoto’s Army (presented in the L5R RPG core rules) in that they are a benevolent organization devoted to the greater good of the Empire. If the GM is running a game in a different era or timeline, they could even represent a more advanced portion of the same organization as Tawagoto’s Army.

Requirements: Honor Rank 5+
Technique: Black Lion Talon – The traditions of the Wolf Legion are steeped in honor and bushido. Whenever you spend a Void Point to add +1k1 to the total of an attack roll, you may add your Honor Rank to the total of that attack roll as well.