Aka-Name



Aka-Name was a creature of the Shadowlands.

One of the more disgusting and reviled creatures of the Shadowlands, the Aka-name is notable for its exceptionally foul appearance. It looks like a bloated, misshapen human with red skin and eyes. The creature moves on all fours, and has long distorted arms and a twisted neck. Its back usually displays a huge hunch, and swollen muscles ripple under its tight skin. The Kuni have recorded instances of both male and female Aka-name, and speculate the creatures must reproduce like humans, although (perhaps thankfully) no concrete proof of this has ever been found.

Aka-name are native to the Shadowlands and are only very seldom encountered inside the Empire. They seem to be scavengers and ambushers, traveling alone or in small groups and feeding on the weak, the wounded, and the dead. They seem to have a special preference for the foulest of substances, and will eat ﬁ lth and excrement when no ﬂ esh is available. They do not seem to posses any true language, communicating in grunts and bestial noises, but do possess a limited form of intelligence and a vicious cunning. When hunting prey they prefer striking from ambush, laying traps and snares, and using their poisonous claws to quickly dispatch trapped prey. They will soon ﬂ ee from tough opposition, and gener ally avoid the presence of more powerful entities like oni and Lost. Despite their bloated bodies they are quick to react to threats, and can run faster on their four legs than all but the swiftest of humans; experienced Hiruma have stated that fighting Aka-name is akin to ﬁ ghting a pack of vicious and clever wolves.

On the rare occasions when an Aka-name manages to infiltrate Rokugan, the creatures’ taste for ﬁ lth often leads them to eta villages, where they can cause great damage before samurai finally arrive to deal with them. Most samurai are extremely reluctant to even listen to a plea from a hinin, let alone enter an eta neighborhood, so these infestations sometimes linger for considerable lengths of time.

The origins of Aka-name are uncertain. Some among the Kuni family believe they were created by Jigoku from Tainted and dishonorable humans. If this is true, it is just one more reason to kill these wretched monsters.