Jade kanji
Jade, the Tears of Amaterasu, [1] was a blessed precious stone that was able to stave off the corrupting effects of the Shadowlands.
Creation[]
Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, shed tears when her children were being swallowed by Onnotangu, the Moon. These tears formed jade when they touched the earth. [2]
Composition[]
Jade and crystal were both composed of all five elements in harmony. [3]
Gold and Iron[]
The Tamori discovered at Serpent's Tail Mine that two angry kami, one of Fire and one of Earth, chased each other until they collided deep in the mountains. Their trails formed a vein of gold and another of iron, and a jade vein was formed in the place where they collided. The reason these two metals can form jade remains mysterious. [4]
Transmutation[]
The Agasha developed methods of transmuting one substance into another, and created artificial jade, but it was not effective against taint. [5]
Protection from the Taint[]
Corrupted Jade
Natural jade was composed of a mystical combination of elements, balanced in such a way as to achieve divine purity. [1] The Kuni discovered that samurai who carried pieces of Jade with them seemed more able to stave off the corrupting effects of the Shadowlands. [6] It absorbs the taint, turning black and soft after a while, transformed into Obsidian. [7] A single piece of Jade, approximately the size of a man's finger, could protect one person from the taint for about a week.[6]
Exceptions[]
The natives of any Spirit Realm other than Jigoku might use jade as protection against control from foreign Realms. [8]
Tainted individuals that became enlightened could no longer be harmed by jade. It only harmed those who suffered from an imbalance, and an enlightened being was balanced. [9] This was discovered during Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo in 1168. [10]
Scarcity[]
The Crab had first claim to all jade in the Empire by Imperial Edict. [11] The Crab stores of jade were depleted to allow the march of the Great Clans towards Volturnum. [12] Following the Battle of Oblivion's Gate at Volturnum in 1133, Emperor Toturi was forced to ration jade to ensure that the Crab Clan could still perform it's duties safely. [13] Jade after 1133 was only given to high ranking samurai by their daimyo. [14] Later, after the War of Spirits, there were still too few new Jade deposits being found. [15] Eventually during the reign of Toturi III the Crab had begun secretly dispatching Yasuki emissaries to foreign lands, seeking jade beyond the Empire's borders. [16]
Devaluation[]
After the Destroyer War, the taint contagion was suppressed as part of the bargain made between Iweko I and Daigotsu. Jade had become scarce in Rokugan, but suddenly it wasn't needed to venture into the Shadowlands anymore. Added to the new stocks to be discovered in the Colonies, the price of jade dropped. [17]
Jade Works[]
A jade figurine
Viewed as a precious material, Jade was often used decoratively. Jade Works were places where skilled artisans would ply their trade sculpting figurines to be sold. [citation needed]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Book of the Shadowlands, p. 34
- ↑ Dawn of the Empire, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ The Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Part 3, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Secrets of the Dragon, p. 52
- ↑ The Book of the Shadowlands, p. 34-35
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 10
- ↑ Ruins of the Past (Training Grounds Story), by Rich Wulf
- ↑ Fortunes & Winds, p. 9
- ↑ Dark Harmony (Rise of the Shogun flavor)
- ↑ Winter Court Kyuden Otomo 1168, p. 6
- ↑ Shinsei's Last Hope, Part II, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ Hidden Emperor, p. 93
- ↑ Jade Works (Spirit Wars flavor)
- ↑ Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 261
- ↑ Jade Works (Gold flavor)
- ↑ Four Winds, p. 97
- ↑ Book of Earth, p. 87
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