#The 6 Retainers — Akihisa's Hands and Feet

Contents

Six people remain at the lord's side. In a domain of 800 people, they are the core who can take up a blade or put their hands to work. They may become the PCs' expedition partners, bodyguards, or even enemies.

Core References

- Required: Three Ways and Six Hearts · samurai · ninpo user · shugenja

- Reference: Outsider · scholar

- In this supplement: Young Lord · Retired Onmyoji · Squad Limitations

[New Rule] Retainer Deployment Rotation

To defend the domain, the 6 retainers cannot all deploy at the same time. At least 2 must remain in the domain. When joining an expedition with the PCs, up to 3 may participate; the remaining 3 stay in the domain. The lord decides the rotation at the start of each session (refer to the PCs' opinions).

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#Roster Overview

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#1. Toma — Old Soldier

#Scent — Toma as a Person

#Appearance

Fifty-four. His height is average, but his shoulders are broad and his arms are thick. A sword scar crosses his left cheek — from a small skirmish with Oda troops in his youth. His hair is heavily mixed with white, though the crown is still black. His beard is kept short. At his waist is a single katana, rough but well maintained.

His everyday dress is a gray everyday kimono and navy hakama. His armor is old tosei gusoku — handed down by Akihisa's grandfather. Toma has worn it for more than forty years.

He limps slightly on his left leg. It is the trace of a battle wound, but his gait is not slow.

#Speech

Thick and short. A sentence often ends after two syllables. Before Akihisa he says "young lord" — not because he refuses to acknowledge him as lord, but because he has not yet learned how to call this child lord after holding and raising him from infancy.

He speaks politely to PCs at first. Once trust builds, he moves from "good sir" to "you" over time.

#Symbolic Items

• Tosei gusoku from the grandfather's generation: One sword scar marks the crown of the helmet. It was there before Toma received it.
• Father's short will: Always kept in his breast. Its contents: "Protect him."
• Old katana: Not a famous long blade. A nameless blade. He says, "A nameless thing is my station."
• A scrap of baby clothing received from Akihisa's mother: From the day Toma escaped while holding the infant Akihisa. Kept in a secret box.

#Past

He is a 3rd-generation retainer of the Sakai family. It began when his grandfather served the Kamijo family. He is the only survivor who has served three lords, from Akihisa's grandfather's era to the present. He was at the scene on the day Akihisa's father suddenly died. He was also the one who fled the castle that day with the infant Akihisa in his arms.

#Law — Stats

Toma (2nd-dan, samurai)
 Courage +2 / Finesse +1 / Physique +2 / Wisdom +0 / Presence +0 / Fate -1  (total +4 = 1st-dan standard +3 + 2nd-dan growth +1)
 Energy 11 (10 + Finesse 1)
 Wounds 6 (3 + Physique 2 + Tough 1)
 Defense 14 (heavy armor — tosei gusoku)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Loyalty (family)

Traits (3 = 1st-dan automatic + background 1 + general 1. Even-numbered dan do not gain traits):

• Immovable Formation [stance, 2 Energy] — core samurai 1st-dan automatic
• Family Name [background, aptitude] — fallen noble background. Domain residents' Domination +1
• Tough [general, aptitude] — Wounds +1

Skills (1st-dan 9 points[class 5+background 2+free 2] + 2nd-dan growth +2 points = 11 points): Swordsmanship trained(2 points), Military Science trained(2 points, 2nd-dan +1 point), Fighting Spirit novice(1 point), Intimidation novice(1 point), Horsemanship novice(1 point, 2nd-dan +1 point), Negotiation novice(1 point), Scouting novice(1 point, the veteran's eye for the field), Perception novice(1 point, instinct that reads danger), Hardiness novice(1 point, thirty-seven healed wounds)

Equipment: nameless katana, wakizashi, tosei gusoku, long spear (emergency)

#Sample Lines

Routine meeting:

"Young lord, if you have decided, I obey. This servant is a blade. If a blade judges by itself, the cut goes crooked."

When a PC proposes an expedition:

"I will go. But do not complain that this old father has grown slow. Even a slow blade cuts when it lands."

After being wounded during an expedition:

(sitting and binding the wound) "I am fine. In fifty years of life, I have healed wounds deeper than this thirty-seven times. The thirty-eighth will heal as well."

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: A 2nd father. Akihisa bows his head to him alone. Toma has never bowed first.
• Kagemitsu: A treasured junior. "If this fool were my child, I would have beaten sense into him three times by now."
• Gensho: They address each other respectfully. Old comrades.
• Hook 1 — Decision to Retire: Toma has recently been considering retirement. When Akihisa reaches 2nd-dan, he intends to hand over the karo post and withdraw from active service. The drift has put that on hold. A PC may advise him to step back or ask him to continue.
• Hook 2 — A Debt From the Past: Toma knows something about the sudden death of Akihisa's father. If Affinity is high, he may reveal part of it.

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#2. Kagemitsu — Young Samurai

#Scent — Kagemitsu as a Person

#Appearance

Twenty-two. Tall and very thin. His facial lines are sharp and his eyes slant upward. He ties his black hair back in one tail, and a few strands at the sides are always loose. He is handsome, but has no awareness of it.

His everyday dress is a navy everyday kimono with dark brown hakama. He is always holding his katana or wearing it at his waist — never carrying it on his back. The katana is proof that he exists.

His left ear is slightly torn. It is a recent wound.

#Speech

Fast and heated. His sentences are short, but he talks a lot. He uses honorific speech correctly, but casual speech slips out when emotion rises. He is polite to PCs at first — but in battle or excitement, "you" and "hey" come out.

#Symbolic Items

• Katana "Gyoei" (曉影): His father's keepsake. Not something his grandfather used, but a blade his father personally commissioned. His father died in battle 3 years before the drift (a small conflict within Echigo).
• Small silver mirror: His mother's keepsake. When he was young, his mother taught him, "Look into the mirror and think about why you are angry." Even now, when emotion runs high, he takes out this mirror and looks into it.
• Old spear manual: A Jigen-ryu training book. Toma handed it down to him.
• Helmet: He has no helmet. Before he could obtain one, he went to the front and had his ear cut.

#Past

Kagemitsu's house is a branch family that joined the Kamijo family 3 generations ago. After his father died in battle, he lived only with his mother. During the drift, his mother also died of illness (a coincidence unrelated to the drift itself). He is now a complete orphan. Because the lord is his only object of loyalty, he is fanatical.

#Law — Stats

Kagemitsu (1st-dan, samurai)
 Courage +2 / Finesse +1 / Physique +1 / Wisdom +0 / Presence +0 / Fate -1  (total +3 = core 1st-dan standard)
 Energy 11 (10 + Finesse 1)
 Wounds 4 (3 + Physique 1)
 Defense 12 (light armor)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Hegemony (sovereign — fanatical loyalty to the lord)

Traits (3 = 1st-dan automatic + background 1 + general 1):

• Immovable Formation [stance, 2 Energy] — core samurai 1st-dan automatic
• Young Loyalty [background, aptitude] — warrior background. Lord-protection checks +2
• Swift [general, aptitude] — Energy maximum +1 (core general trait)

Skills (1st-dan 9 points = class 5 + background 2 + free 2): Swordsmanship trained(2 points), Fighting Spirit novice(1 point), Military Science novice(1 point), Intimidation novice(1 point), Horsemanship novice(1 point, background), Spearmanship novice(1 point, background — Jigen-ryu manual handed down by Toma), Perception novice(1 point, free — vigilance guarding the lord), Scouting novice(1 point, free — patrol)

Equipment: katana "Gyoei", wakizashi, light armor, silver mirror (in his breast)

#Sample Lines

Routine:

"This servant will go first. Better three of me die than the lord be exposed to danger."

When a PC intervenes in a decision:

"I will hear your opinion as well. But if it is my lord's decision, I follow. If my lord says it is wrong, I follow that wrongness."

When angry (casual speech mixed in):

"Hey, you say that in front of my lord one more time. I will cut you. I mean it."

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: As if seeing a god. Sometimes so much that Akihisa feels burdened. He occasionally cannot restrain himself.
• Toma: A substitute father. If Toma scolds him, Toma is right. But if the lord's opinion and Toma's opinion clash, he sides with the lord.
• Komachi: Rivalry. He is uneasy because he does not know Komachi's inner thoughts. Inside, he is interested.
• Hook 1 — Former House: Before joining the Kamijo family, Kagemitsu's house was a mid-ranking house. The reason it became a branch is suspicious. Family secret — revealed if Affinity is high.
• Hook 2 — Romance Option: Kagemitsu has never learned how to hide emotion. When Affinity rises, it shows plainly. His love is fiery and charging. If the other person accepts him, he gains another object of loyalty.

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#3. Komachi — Woman Shinobi

#Scent — Komachi as a Person

#Appearance

Twenty-four. Medium height, very slender build. Her skin is pale — because she almost never moves by day. Her black hair hangs below her shoulders, but she ties it back for work. She does not show her face much — a handcloth or shawl covers her nose and mouth.

Only her eyes show. Their depth is unsettling. Gray-brown.

Her everyday clothing is dark navy daily wear; on missions she wears black shinobi garb. 2 daggers rest above her knees, a ninjato on her back. Several kunai are hidden in dispersed places. Only she knows how many are hidden where.

#Speech

Extremely quiet. A whisper one barely hears. But her word choice is exact. She is originally educated. She speaks little not because she is tight-lipped, but because she deliberately removed the habit of speaking.

She chooses honorific speech by target. Only the lord and Gensho receive it. With PCs she uses plain speech from the start ("who are you" and the like).

#Symbolic Items

• Double-hidden items: 3 hidden pockets inside her clothing. The first holds a dagger, the second poison, and the third many letters of unknown identity — only she reads them.
• Old silver ring: On the ring finger of her right hand. Very small — as if she put it on as a child and could no longer remove it. Who gave it, and whose it is, are unknown.
• Shadow flute: It looks like a soundless flute, but vibrates on Spirit Realm frequencies. A secret object of her shinobi school.
• Black lacquered box: A locked box in her room. The key is worn as a necklace. Contents undisclosed.

#Past

Official story: From a small shinobi school of the Koshi line in Echigo Province. Contracted with the Kamijo family at age 18. Since then: information gathering, guard work, assassination (there were no assassinations; that is the house principle).

Hidden story (GM information): Komachi has another employer. When she entered the Kamijo family, another house gave her a "surveillance" assignment. A double contract. But over 4 years in the Kamijo family, her feelings have begun to waver. Now she is deadlocked between betrayal and loyalty. Because the drift cut contact with her original employer, the assignment's validity itself is unclear.

#Law — Stats

Komachi (3rd-dan, shinobi)
 Courage +0 / Finesse +3 / Physique +0 / Wisdom +1 / Presence +1 / Fate -1  (total +4 = core 3rd-dan standard. Finesse cap +3)
 Energy 13 (10 + Finesse 3)
 Wounds 3 (3 + Physique 0)
 Defense 12 (light armor)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Void (secret)

Traits (5 = 1st-dan automatic + background 1 + general 1 + 3rd-dan class 1 + 3rd-dan general 1):

• Shadow Crossing [aptitude] — core shinobi 1st-dan automatic. Outside Zone↔anywhere for 0 Energy, free entry into the Core Zone
• Master Infiltrator [background, aptitude] — shinobi-house background. Detection contests +1
• Swift [general, aptitude] — Energy +1 (core general)
• Surprise Attack [aptitude] — core shinobi 3rd-dan choose 1. First attack while infiltrating is an automatic Critical Hit
• Tough [general, aptitude] — Wounds +1 (core general)

Skills (1st-dan 9 points[class 5+background 2+free 2] + 2nd-dan growth +2 points = 11 points. At 2nd dan the shared Licensed-or-higher count is 2; only 1 license is taken here): Infiltration licensed(3 points), Poisoncraft trained(2 points), Perception novice(1 point), Negotiation novice(1 point), Disguise novice(1 point, identity concealment), Deceit novice(1 point, hiding the double contract), Scouting novice(1 point, information gathering), Footwork novice(1 point, stealth movement)

Equipment: ninjato, dagger 2, kunai 8, poison 3 types, shadow flute, rope and hook

#Sample Lines

Routine (brief):

"...Report. Three people at the north gate. One farmer, two unknown. Guard."

When a PC asks her true intent:

"You can ask. I will not answer. That is my work. Do not assume there is an answer."

At night, to a PC with high Affinity:

(smoking, low voice) "...There is something you do not ask me. I know. Is not asking courtesy? Or fear?"

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: Officially respectful. Inside: protective impulse + guilt. The contradiction of protecting someone she was assigned to watch.
• Toma: They speak respectfully to each other. Toma has noticed Komachi's double nature (if Affinity is high, he mentions it to a PC).
• Kagemitsu: Wariness and attraction. Komachi envies Kagemitsu's simplicity — a life with no need to hide feelings.
• Minako: An unexpected friend. Both share being "outsiders."
• Hook 1 — Resolving Double Loyalty: In the middle of the campaign, Komachi must choose. PCs have room to intervene. On failure, betrayal → danger of internal domain collapse.
• Hook 2 — Romance Option: Romance with Komachi centers on "sharing secrets." Available only after Affinity 5+ and double loyalty revealed. She has no romantic experience — awkward and blunt, but deeply sincere.
• Hook 3 — Lacquered Box: The box contains a bundle of letters from her former employer. Opening condition: Komachi opens it herself and shows it (Affinity 8+).

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#4. Minako — Woman Physician

#Scent — Minako as a Person

#Appearance

Thirty-one. Average height, lean build. Her skin is one tone darker than most Japanese people, and her brown eyes carry a faint green tint. Her hair is not fully black either, but dark chestnut. Her features are Japanese, yet she feels somehow foreign. Her mother was Nanban — of Portuguese mixed blood.

Her clothing is an odd combination of Western style altered into Japanese style. She wears a Western cloak over kimono, with a leather belt full of pockets at her waist. One bag is always beside her — inside are Western herbs, surgical tools, and a diary.

Her expression changes little. It is not that she never smiles, but even when she smiles, her eyes do not.

#Speech

Precise Japanese. Yet her intonation somehow carries the sound of a foreign language. Her word choice is intellectual. She distinguishes honorific and plain speech accurately, but her emotional expression is extremely restrained. In emotional situations, she tends to grow colder.

#Symbolic Items

• Western medical bag: Leather, brass rings. Inside are Western instruments such as scalpels, forceps, and needles. Some are medicine bottles of unknown names.
• Fragment of a Latin medical book: Part of a book received from her mother (Padre Lorenzo owns the whole).
• Cross necklace: Worn at her neck, but hidden inside the kimono. A relic of the era of Christian prohibition.
• Small wooden doll: Given by her Portuguese mother. Shaped like a mermaid. Minako says even she does not know why.

#Past

Born in Nagasaki. Her mother was a Portuguese mixed-blood woman healer, her father a Japanese merchant. In her 10-something years, she lost both parents to Christian persecution and lost her guardians. During her 20-something years, she studied medicine — both Japanese herbal medicine and Western surgery. At age 30, during a northern journey, she happened to visit Kagamiyama Domain → just before the drift, she was staying there by chance when she drifted. She is now the domain's only doctor.

"I was only passing through this land. But this land caught me."

#Law — Stats

Minako (1st-dan, gaijin — Western medicine)
 Courage -1 / Finesse +1 / Physique +0 / Wisdom +2 / Presence +1 / Fate +0  (total +3 = core 1st-dan standard)
 Energy 11 (10 + Finesse 1)
 Wounds 3 (3 + Physique 0)
 Defense 10 (clothing — core unarmored)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Compassion (coexistence)

Traits (3 = 1st-dan automatic + background 1 + general 1):

• Foreign Gunpowder [aptitude] — core gaijin(外人) 1st-dan automatic. Teppo [Pierce all], fixed target 11 (Minako interprets this as surgical tools and medicines)
• Outsider Affinity [background, aptitude] — gaijin background. Negotiation +1
• Foreign Language [general, aptitude] — Portuguese and Latin

Skills (1st-dan 9 points = class 5 + background 2 + free 2. At 1st dan up to 1 Licensed is allowed; none taken here. Master is possible from 2nd dan): Medicine trained(2 points), Stratagem novice(1 point, Western medical knowledge), Negotiation novice(1 point), Perception novice(1 point), Herbalism novice(1 point, background — Eastern and Western herbs), Hardiness novice(1 point, background — composure that endured persecution), Deceit novice(1 point, free — concealing her faith), Geography novice(1 point, free — the road from Nagasaki to the north) Livelihood (New Rule #11): Livelihood:Nanban medicines (artisan, +2) — Portuguese-introduced surgery and pharmacy. Livelihood:Languages (proficient, +1, Portuguese and Latin)

Equipment: medical bag, potion stores, Western cloak, cross (hidden), small dagger (self-defense)

#Sample Lines

Routine (during treatment):

"The wound is not deep. But it must be stitched. Endure it. This is Western thread. It will not snap."

When the lord tells her to rest:

"My lord, I am a guest. A guest does the work the host orders. If you tell me to rest, I will rest. But if there is a patient, I must go."

When a PC asks about her past:

"My parents burned. It was because of the cross. I survived. Why do you ask?"

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: Polite distance. Akihisa considers the presence of this outside physician a stroke of fortune, but trust needs time.
• Gensho: Medical exchange. Interest in comparing Eastern and Western medicine. Gensho learns the most from her.
• Komachi: Quiet bond. Both are outsiders. They share tea without words.
• Padre Lorenzo: Gladness and caution. Lorenzo is someone from the time when he knew Minako's mother. If Affinity rises, Lorenzo may reveal Minako's origins first (without Minako's permission).
• Hook 1 — Christian Identity: Minako is a secret Christian. If this becomes known, internal conflict in the domain is possible. She hides it deliberately.
• Hook 2 — Romance Option (Cold Love): Minako's romance is an asymmetry between surface coldness and deep wounds. She does not open easily. Only at Affinity 7+ does she show the cross. Even if the relationship forms, she refuses traditional forms such as marriage or cohabitation. She wants only "being together."
• Hook 3 — Nanban-Language Books: Combining Minako's Latin book with Lorenzo's book creates comparative knowledge of Chapter 5's hells and Christian hell. Useful in Chapters 4 and 5.

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#5. Yukichi — Master Blacksmith

#Scent — Yukichi as a Person

#Appearance

Forty-eight. Average height, but his shoulders and forearms are abnormally thick — 40 years of blacksmithing. His palms have many old burn scars. Soot has sunk deep into his face and never fully washes out. His beard is rough and short. His eyes are warm.

His everyday clothes are a shabby gray everyday kimono and a work apron. At his waist are one hammer, one pair of tongs, and an old cloth — instead of a weapon.

#Speech

Plain Japanese. More intellectual than a farmer, rougher than a warrior. He enjoys metaphor — he explains everything through blacksmithing. "The lord is still iron that needs more tempering. Give him time."

His honorific speech depends on the situation. With PCs he is easy from the start — he says he dislikes "good sir." "Hey there" or "you" is about as far as he goes.

#Symbolic Items

• Hammer from the 3rd generation of ancestors: Black lacquer handle, iron head polished bright. More than 500 blades have been struck with this hammer.
• Forge ember: He never lets it go out. A fire that has burned for 20 years. If this fire goes out, Yukichi believes it violates his creed.
• Wooden doll from his son Sanjiro: Something Sanjiro made for Yukichi when he was young. Always on the workbench.
• One unfinished tachi: A work Yukichi has been making for 10 years. "I do not know whether this blade will be finished before I die," he says.

#Past

A Kagamiyama native. His father was a blacksmith, and his grandfather was a blacksmith. When Yukichi was age 20, he lost his father to plague and inherited the forge alone. His wife died after giving birth to Sanjiro. He raised his son alone while maintaining the forge. Before the drift, he made tools and small weapons, but after the drift, the forge became the domain's only weapons supplier.

#Law — Stats

Yukichi (noncombat — artisan NPC)
 Courage +0 / Finesse +1 / Physique +3 / Wisdom +1 / Presence +0 / Fate +0
 Energy 11 (10 + Finesse 1 = 11)
 Wounds 6 (3 + Physique 3 = 6) — when fighting with a hammer
 Defense 11 (clothing)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Truth (truth — fidelity to blacksmithing)

Skills: Perception novice(1 point), Negotiation novice(1 point), Fighting Spirit novice(1 point) Livelihood (New Rule #11): Livelihood:Blacksmithing (artisan, +2) — the domain's finest blacksmith. Livelihood:Woodworking (proficient, +1)

Equipment: 3rd-generation hammer, tongs, work apron, wakizashi (emergency)

Special — Livelihood:Blacksmithing (artisan) Effects (New #11):

• Weapon repair: Fully restores a broken weapon (d10 5+, takes 1 day)
• Weapon enhancement: Weapon gains +1 attack power (d10 7+, takes 2 days, materials required)
• Spirit Realm material forging: Forges strange materials such as yoma bone or Spirit Realm iron into a sword (d10 8+, takes 4 days, consumes 1 core)

#Sample Lines

Routine:

"Hey there. This blade edge is all ruined. Give me two days. I cannot make it new, but I can make it stand until just before death."

When PCs bring Spirit Realm materials:

(eyes shining) "Is this... bone from the Spirit Realm? Good, let us strike it once. But I cannot guarantee it. I have never seen iron like this."

When his son comes up:

"Sanjiro? Ah, that boy says he will become a samurai. Says he does not want his father's hammer. Ha. His dream is to die at the lord's side — and him a blacksmith's son."

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: Reveres him as lord. Privately, however, treats him as "a young lord not yet tempered enough." Akihisa is comfortable with this tone.
• Toma: Friend of 20 years. He has repaired Toma's katana thirty times. They are friends who drink tea together.
• Sanjiro: Love and conflict toward his son. He wants Sanjiro to inherit his forge, but does not force him.
• Ryozan: Occasional conversation. Ryozan comes to the forge and sits a long while before the fire. Yukichi does not disturb him.
• Hook 1 — Sanjiro's Rebellion: Sanjiro declares that he will abandon the forge and become a samurai. PCs may mediate.
• Hook 2 — Unfinished Tachi: A blade he has been making for 10 years. If it meets Spirit Realm materials, a famous sword may be completed. An epilogue-level item.

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#6. Ryozan — Old Monk

#Scent — Ryozan as a Person

#Appearance

Sixty-eight. Short and lean. His head is completely shaved — he shaves it himself every 7 days. The wrinkles of his face fold into gentleness. His two eyes move little. Unlike Gensho's clear eyes, Ryozan's eyes are quiet like deep water.

He wears a brown monk's robe and gray kesa. At his waist is one black monk's bowl, at his neck prayer beads. In his hand is a six-ring staff — a shugenja's staff. When shaken, its metal rings sound.

#Speech

Slow, one word at a time. Even slower than Gensho. Before speaking, he breathes twice. He is respectful to everyone. Age and status do not matter.

#Symbolic Items

• Six-ring staff: A shugenja symbol. During Exorcism, the sound of the metal rings scatters spirits.
• Old Lotus Sutra scroll: A scripture recited for 30 years. Now he can recite it without looking.
• Black monk's bowl: It looks as if it has never been washed, but the inside is very clean.
• Small Buddhist statue carving: A wooden image he carved himself. Not a Buddha, but Kannon Bodhisattva (bodhisattva of mercy).

#Past

Originally a combat monk-soldier. A former monk-soldier of Mount Hiei, he took part in dozens of battles in his youth. In his 40-something years, remorse over killing led him to leave Mount Hiei for borderland practice. He settled in this domain in his 50-something years. A practitioner of Gensho's generation. They respect each other.

Ryozan does not fear hell. Because he knows it is where he will go. He says himself that he bears the Karma of Killing.

#Law — Stats

Ryozan (3rd-dan, shugenja)
 Courage +0 / Finesse +1 / Physique +1 / Wisdom +2 / Presence +1 / Fate -1  (total +4 = core 3rd-dan standard)
 Energy 11 (10 + Finesse 1)
 Wounds 4 (3 + Physique 1)
 Defense 10 (monk's robe — core unarmored)
 Three Ways and Six Hearts: Truth (truth)

Traits (5 = 1st-dan automatic + background 1 + general 1 + 3rd-dan class 1 + 3rd-dan general 1):

• Vow of Fudo Myoo [aptitude] — core shugenja 1st-dan automatic. May use austerity, free Core Zone access, yoma attacks +1 during austerity
• Karma of Killing [background, aptitude] — old monk background. Attacks against yoma +1 (stacks additionally)
• Tough [general, aptitude] — Wounds +1
• Austerity Chain [aptitude] — core shugenja 3rd-dan choose 1. When austerity consumes Wounds, that breath gains Energy +2
• Barrier Assistance [general, aptitude, new in this supplement] — +1 to Gensho's Barrier maintenance checks (while Ryozan remains in the domain)

Skills (1st-dan 9 points[class 5+background 2+free 2] + 2nd-dan growth +2 points = 11 points. At 2nd dan the shared Licensed-or-higher count is 2; only 1 license is taken here): Exorcism licensed(3 points), Sorcery trained(2 points, Buddhist ritual), Medicine novice(1 point), Negotiation novice(1 point), Hardiness novice(1 point, a lifetime of austerity), Prophecy novice(1 point, sutra and karma), Barrier novice(1 point, assisting Genshou's barrier), Perception novice(1 point, discerning karma)

Equipment: six-ring staff, Lotus Sutra, monk's bowl, Buddhist statue carving, dagger (emergency; he carries it but almost never uses it)

#Sample Lines

Routine:

(long breath) "Today as well... that ring sound... travels farther than I do. An enviable thing."

After exorcising yoma:

"Karma does not belong only to yoma. We have it as well. Since we have lightened the yoma's karma, may ours also be... lightened a little."

When Gensho collapses:

(steadying his breath as he heads to the barrier) "The share the onmyoji took on... I will divide for a while. To divide burdens is the duty of a disciple of the Buddha."

#Relationships and Hooks

• Akihisa: Respectful. Akihisa sometimes asks Ryozan for Buddhist teaching. Ryozan answers briefly.
• Gensho: Reverence + fellowship. Mutual respect. They often share tea. A potential substitute for Barrier maintenance.
• Yukichi: Silent friend. Ryozan's habit is to sit quietly before the forge fire.
• Hook 1 — Barrier Substitute: When Gensho weakens, Ryozan can partially substitute. However, Ryozan's lifespan is also the price. At weakening +5, Ryozan collapses.
• Hook 2 — Killing in the Past: The spirit of someone Ryozan cut down in youth calls him from the Spirit Realm. Chapter 3 and 4 quest hook.
• Hook 3 — Choice of Attaining Buddhahood: Near the end of the campaign, Ryozan chooses between "remaining to protect the domain" and "attaining Buddhahood to save one soul in hell." Affects ending branches.

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#Retainer Band Rotation Rules

#Basic Rotation

At the start of each session, the lord (Akihisa) chooses among the 6:

• Expedition companions: up to 3
• Remain in domain: at least 2 (defense and daily work)
• Special work: 1 (Yukichi normally fixed at the forge, Minako at the clinic)

#Companion Conditions

#Affinity System

Separate from core fame and relationships, track each retainer's individual Affinity with each PC (0~10).

Common Affinity Changes:

• Successful joint expedition: +1
• Resolve that retainer's hook: +2
• Rescue that retainer from a personal crisis: +3
• Publicly refute or insult them: -2
• Side with that retainer in a conflict with the lord: +1

Affinity Stages:

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#GM Operation Tips

#Retainer RP Basics

• Each has a distinct voice: When lines are read one by one, the table should know who spoke.
• Toma: thick, short single syllables
• Kagemitsu: fast, heated emotion
• Komachi: whispering, deliberate gaps
• Minako: precise Japanese with a different resonance
• Yukichi: blacksmithing metaphors, rough warmth
• Ryozan: slowness from breathing twice before speaking

#Appearance Frequency

• Toma and Kagemitsu: every session (by the lord's side)
• Komachi: every other session (because of stealth-mission traits)
• Minako: sessions with wounded people
• Yukichi: weapon-related sessions + Sanjiro hooks
• Ryozan: spiritual-issue sessions + when substituting for Gensho

#Romance Operation

• Kagemitsu shows emotion quickly (3~4 sessions)
• Komachi melts slowly (requires 8 or more sessions)
• Minako approaches coldly (6~7 sessions, but does not cross lines)
• The three relationships cannot proceed in parallel — the GM respects the PC's choice while portraying jealousy and distance from the others

#Easy Mistakes

• Overusing scenes where all 6 are together: Each person's uniqueness thins out
• Exaggerating Toma and Ryozan as elderly: Both are still capable
• Making Kagemitsu stupid: It is passion, not ignorance
• Revealing Komachi's secret too early: Holding it until the campaign middle makes it dramatic

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#Connected Documents

• Young Lord — lord of the retainer band
• Retired Onmyoji — Ryozan's comrade
• The 8 Residents — Sanjiro = Yukichi's son
• The 5 Outsiders — Lorenzo = connection to Minako
• Squad Limitations — details for the rotation rules
• Romance System — the 3 romance NPCs

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"Six people divide and carry the shoulders of one lord. It is heavy even for two, and only with six can he barely walk." — Something Toma told a PC over drinks.