Nezumi (TCG)

Nezumi

Nezumi, also known as gesshuirui or shojin, was a race of intelligent small furry creatures, who borrowed with ease. A race of rat-like humanoids, they were called ratlings by Rokugani, and were regarded as little more than vermin or wild animals, and sometimes they were even considered akin to Shadowlands creatures. The Nezumi saw themselves as a proud and heroic species with a history marked by tragedy.

Appearance and Physiology

Nezumi were furred creatures, with clawed feet and hands, ratlike noses, and long tails. They average roughly four feet in height, but this varied wildly between tribes, as did fur color, style of dress and piercings, and whether members prefered to walk on two or four feet. Nezumi lived three or four years on average. Their impressive rate of reproduction kept up the numbers, and Rememberers, Dreamers, and tribal leaders often lived a decade or more. The nezumi tradition of oral histories was universal among the tribes, and Rememberers taught pups through stories, so they learned as quickly as they grow.

Nezumi Cuisine

Nezumi Rememberers told of the mythic days in which their ancestors dined on dishes so nutritious their people grew twice the size of modern nezumi, and intoxicating liquors that rendered those who indulged euphoric, while improving mental capacity. In the Shadowlands the nezumi had to consume whatever they could find to survive. Their robust digestive systems allowed them to partake of Shadowlands weeds that would be highly poisonous to humans, the tainted flesh of Shadowlands monsters, and the indeterminate liquids that accumulated in stagnant puddles.

History

Nezumi Civilization

The nezumi had a sophisticated civilization occupying much of what would become known as the Shadowlands. Their main city was a center of learning and culture ruled by a monarch and council, the nezumi were peaceful among themselves, and their army kept other races at bay. Their philosophers and poets filled a great library with wisdom the likes of which Rokugan has never achieved. Their city was a marvel, and their culture superior to all others. A lush and fertile land, it was free of even a hint of corruption. This was how the nezumi recalled it in stories of their ancestors, whose cities flourished in that region. When Fu Leng fell to Ningen-dō he smashed through its substance, tearing open a hole between the Mortal Realm and Jigoku. The lands surrounding the vile portal—now known as the Festering Pit of Fu Leng—became corrupted and steeped in evil. All of the things living in them were either destroyed or twisted into foul, unnatural forms, while the water, the air, and even the land itself were stricken by the emanations from the Festering Pit. Worse, monstrous things crawled out of Jigoku and into the Mortal Realm. Since then, the Nezumi called Yesterday the accursed lands of the Shadowlands.

Fall into Savagery

A falling mountain crashed through their main city, sending it to Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams. The grand cities of the nezumi were shattered and their vast civilization reduced to scattered bands of survivors in a hostile and hellish land. Nezumi, long-term residents of the Shadowlands, seemed to be miraculously immune to its Taint. Many fled the Shadowlands, but there was no sanctuary for them beyond the Wall. In Rokugan, people called them monsters and killed them on sight. Forced to return to the realm of Fu Leng, they managed to eke out an existence by hiding from the terrors that thrive in the corrupted land. Unable to flee into human lands, the survivors created a new society of nomadic groups that move from place to place to survive. Some of the Nezumi dwelled within the Shinomen Mori.

Nezumi Life

Culture

Their culture lacked the conception of a code of martial honor, and they favored survival over glory, though they fought with wild abandon when cornered or defending their homes and young. Many Nezumi could speak intelligible Rokugani, albeit with a squeaking tone. Nezumi had their own language, a tongue punctuated by clicks and squeaks that made it sound alien to Rokugani ears.

Nezumi and the Taint

Nezumi were fully immune to the Shadowlands Taint. Their tribes eked out a meager existence in the Shadowlands and the wilds of Rokugan. The dogma of the Remembers stated that, unlike humans, nezumi had few hidden evil impulses onto which the Taint could anchor, making Tainted nezumi extremely rare.

Nezumi and the Crab

Crab samurai, particularly from the Hiruma family, sometimes bargained with them for information or supplies. Some of them worked together with the Crab Clan against the threat of the Shadowlands and their foul creatures, such as in 314 when a group of nezumi were convinced by the bravery of a young scout named Hiruma Kazumi to save Daylight Castle from a Shadowlands attack. The Kaiu family relied on the Third Whisker tribe that lives under the Wall to aid in its defense.

Nezumi Magic

The nezumi known as Kir handled a mystical ability, the power of “Names”, while Rememberers told tales of a forgotten yet glorious past. Dreamers were the closest thing nezumi had to shugenja, but they functioned differently. Dreamers were attuned to Yume-dō, the Realm of Dreams. They communed with both Transcendents, the nezumi ancestors who dwelled there, and with dream spirits known as baku. The former offered guidance and wisdom, which was usually vague and difficult to interpret. The latter led Dreamers through the invisible barriers between dreams, granting them access to the dreams of other nezumi, animals, people, and even divine beings.

Uncivilized Nezumi

Some isolated, warlike nezumi tribes considered humans the enemy. These nezumi were hardened by constant clashes with Tainted monsters and remained bitter that Rokugan did not offer aid or comfort to their ancestors in their great time of need. These violent tribes live in the distant, most dangerous parts of the Shadowlands.

Nezumi Villages

Many nezumi villages consisted of a combination of temporary dwellings and permanent burrows. Out of necessity, villages did not stay in any one place for long. However, most tribes regularly returned to the same locations, where they already burrowed out escape tunnels and storage spaces and knew the terrain.

Tribes

A Nezumi

A tribe and its village were essentially the same thing. If a tribe became too small to function as a village, members found another depleted tribe to join and create a new tribe. Conversely, when a tribe grew too large, it split into two or three new ones. All tribes had a leader, but in some this was the greatest warrior, while in others, it was a gifted Dreamer or wizened Rememberer. Most tribes required lookouts, scouts, and scavengers, as well as warriors for defense, but these roles shifted and changed depending on the tribe's needs. The nezumi identified themselves by their tribes, which were usually their extended family. Loyalty was paramount, and betrayers were not granted the mercy shown to outcast nezumi. In fact, this is the one crime most tribes punished by death, and there were written accounts of such occurring.

• The Burnt Paws
• The Cracked Bone
• The Ghost Paws (deceased)
• The Long Claws (deceased)
• The Knotted Tails
• The Round Ear
• The Scorched-Fur
• The Tattered Ear
• The Third Whisker

Outcast Nezumi

When a member of a tribe became obsessed with gaining power over monsters, or so consumed by fear that they endangered or even attacked the tribe, it fell to the leader to judge whether they could be helped. If the Dreamers and healers of the tribe could not mend their minds, they were exiled from the safety of their tribe. Without the protection of their people, most succumbed to the perils of the Shadowlands. Those that endured alone became outcast nezumi, and often grew bitter and dangerous over time.

See also

• Nezumi Pup/Meta
• Outcast Nezumi/Meta

External Links

• Nezumi Infiltrator (The Ebb and Flow)

References

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