The Book of Void

The Book of Void Cover

The Book of Void explores the Void element. The Book of Void is the fifth and final volume in a series of elemental sourcebooks for the Legend of the Five Rings Role-playing Game, books that explore the themes of the five elemental Rings. It was released in September 2014.

Credits

• Written by: Kevin Blake, Marie Brennan, Robert Denton, Chris Hand, Rob Hobart, Dave Laderoute, Maxime Lemaire, Seth Mason, Ryan Reese
• Edited by: Robert Hobart
• Art Director: Robert Hobart
• Cover Design: Robert Denton
• Cover Art: Aurelien Hubert
• Layout: Robert Denton
• Original Graphic Design: Edge Entertainment
• Artists: Aaron Acevedo, Steve Argyle, Randy Asplund-Faith, Stefano Baldo, Stu Barnes, Jason Behnke, Hannah Boving, Dennis Calero, Sergio Camarena, Luis Nuñez de Castro Torres, Brent Chumley, Miguel Coimbra, Conceptopolis, Storn Cook, Michael Dixon, John Donahue, Steve Ellis, Jason Engle, Anthony Francisco, Shen Fei, Viktor Fetsch, Felipe Gaona, Joachim Gmoser, Gong Studios, Hector Herrera, Jon Hodgson, David Horne, Aurelien Hubert, Jonathan Hunt, Lisa Hunt, Llyn Hunter, Imaginary Friends Studios, Veronica Jones, Jason Juta, Dave Kendall, Heather V. Kreiter, Kez Laczin, Brandon Leach, April Lee, Diego Gisbert Llorens, Jorge Matar, Patrick McEvoy, Aaron Miller, Jonathan Moore, Jonathan Morrel, Rebekah Norris, William O'Connor, Glen Osterberger, Chris Ostrowski, Immar Palomera, Ben Peck, Joshua Pinkas, Mark Poole, Erich Schreiner, Chris Seaman, Adam Schumpert, Lee Smith, Danielle Storey, Nikolay Stoyanov, Alberto Tavira, Wenjuinn, Mario Wibisono
• Artists - Uncredited: Amandine Labarre, Nathaniel Arches, Danielle Story, Richard Garcia, Ted Galaday, Thomas Manning, Beth Trott
• Production Manager: David Lepore
• Senior Brand Manager: Todd Rowland
• Chief Executive Officer: John Zinser
• Design Team: Shawn Carman, Robert Hobart
• Head Playtester: Brian Bates
• Playtesters: Team 1 (Dave Smith, Patrick Chen, Aien Elmi, Jason Kang, Ki Chang Kim, Roger Liang, Arthur Nguyen); Team 4 (Becca Hobart, Kevin Blake, Todd Stites, Daniel Briscoe); Team 6 (Timar Long, Erykah Fasset, Chad Kirby, Mike Brodu, Maxime Lemaire, Ray Rupp); Team 7 (Jason Shafer, Nathan Shafer, Matt Strout, Liza Strout, Joe White, Terry Moore, Eric Newlin); Team 8 (Edward Reynolds, Brebouillet Mathieu, David Whitney, Richard Whitney, Stuart Biggs, Robert Knight); Team 8b (Michael Hill, Shane Pheeney, Chaedy Ritherdon, Tarl Cowly); Team 8c (Thomas Atwood, Ryan Castilla, Henry Joiner, Brandon Woodmen); Team 17 (Tom Lewis, Jamie Kipp, Gavin O’Hearn, Shawn MacLean, John Taylor); Team 18 (Dave Laderoute, Mike Clark, Chris Talarico, Chris Masdea, Lee Vollum, Richard Hewitt, Bill Hrenchuck); Team 19 (Charles Caswell, Vincent Stantion, Eddie Sweeden, Chuck Sweeden, Justin Cross, Fox Whitworth); Team 20 (Matt Tyler, Timothy Hill, Stephen Mumford, Matthew Linkswiler, Paul Casagrande, Robert Zapf); Team 21 (James Freeman-Harris, Sarah Koz, David Wright, James Mosingo); Team 22 (Scott Shepard, Dawn Dalton, Andrew Doud, Justin Davidson, Jon Huskey, Trista Lillis); Team 23 (James Wagner, Kevin Pason, Ryan Bataglia, Chris Foster, Jim Friedman, Jason Whiston, Phil Jenicek, Dan Sulin, Izzy Lombardi-Friedman); Team 24 (Tony Love, Kassandra Mullin, Brian Tieken, Kimberly Wajer-Scott, Phillip Scott, Nicholas Love, Jerry Fleenor, Patrick Williams) Jim Friedman, Izzy Friedman, Jay Becknell, Mandy Spice

Table of Contents

Introduction (page 6)

Matsu Rutaro

• Fiction with Koritome Daimyo Matsu Ichitaka, who retired as the monk Ibara after he was visited by the monk Bonsen.
• What Is In This Book?
• The Symbolism of Void
  • Skills and the Void
• Void Advantages & Disadvantages
• The Center Stance
• Running Suspense and Mystery Adventures

Chapter One: Void of War (Page 20)

Dagger of Crystal Wind

• Fiction with Yoritomo Jitsuko and Shiba Gentaro who killed each other in personal duel.
• The Three Sacred Substances
  • Jade
  • Crystal
  • Obsidian
• Legendary Weapons
• The Sacred Weapons
  • Kaiu Blade
  • Kakita Blade
  • Twin Sister Blades
  • Akodo Blades
  • Storm Kama
  • Inquisitor's Strike
  • Shosuro Blade
  • Moto Scimitar
  • The Black Steel Blades

Seeking the Way

• The Mind, the Void, & War: The Moment of Clarity
  • A Samurai's Understanding of Void
  • Mushin no Shin
  • Zanshin
  • Shoshin
  • Gaman
  • Clans Who Embrace The Void
    • The Crane Clan
    • The Dragon Clan
    • The Dragonfly Clan
    • The Phoenix Clan
  • Martial Arts and the Void: Kukan-do

Ikoma Shika

• Mysteries and Enigmas of the Battlefield
  • Ninja in Rokugan
    • The Koga Ninja
    • The Hateru Ninja
    • The Sesai Ninja
  • The Ninja's Touch: Poison in Rokugan
  • Ghost Armies
    • The Lion Ghosts of the Seikitsu
    • The Battlefield of Shallow Graves
    • The Ghosts of Peshkaya
  • Fortunes on the Battlefield
    • Osano-Wo and Bishamon
    • Michio and Goemon

Chapter Two: Void of Magic (Page 48)

Ring of the Void

• Fiction with Hida Chikashi and his son Hida Daitaro, who was taken by Isawa Yurei to be trained as an Ishi.
• The Nature of the Void
  • Elemental Void
• The Ways of Void Magic
  • The Isawa Family of the Phoenix Clan
  • The Other Families of the Phoenix Clan
  • The Asahina of the Crane Clan
  • The Tamori of the Dragon Clan
  • The Soshi of the Scorpion Clan
  • The Kitsu of the Lion Clan
  • The Grand Masters of the Elements

Kitsu Junsuke

• The Nature of Void Magic
  • Sensation
  • Void Spells of Sensation
  • Void Spells of Alteration
  • Void Spells of Disruption
• The Void and the World
  • The Void and Others
    • The Void and the Name Magic of the Nezumi
    • The Void and the Akasha of the Naga
    • The Void and the Five Ancient Races
    • The Void and the Nothing
    • A Great Truth?
• Mysteries and Secrets of Magic
  • Multi-Elemental Magic
  • The Dragon Channelers
  • Ryoshun, the Missing Kami
  • The Children of the Last Wish
• Prophecy in Rokugan
  • The Impact of Prophets
    • False Prophets
    • Uikku, the Boy
    • Jokichi, the Ronin
    • Isawa Norikazu
    • Agasha Hamanari
    • Kitsune Narako
    • Kokujin, the False Prophet

Chapter Three: Void of Peace (Page 80)

Doji Dainagon

• Fiction with Sasuke, a peasant boy who joined the Order of Ebisu, under the care of his sensei Keiji.
• The Courtly Philosophy of Void
  • Groups Who Embrace the Void in Court
  • Courtly Organizations of the Void
    • Phoenix Clan: The Way of the World
    • The Heart of Togashi
    • The Order of Ebisu
    • The Disciples of the Dashmar
• Courts of the Void
  • The High House of Light
  • Shinden Asahina

Chapter Four: The Void Within (Page 98)

Silent Solace

• Fiction with Shinjo Jurei, a samurai-ko near her age of retirement, and her yojimbo Ide Hai-ying .
  • The Order of Heroes
  • The Order of Eternity
• Kiho of the Void
• Mysteries of the Brotherhood: Meditation
  • The Purpose of Meditation
  • Methods of Meditation
• Mysteries of the Brotherhood: Sacred Architecture
• Mysteries of the Brotherhood: Enlightenment
  • What is Enlightenment?
  • The Path to Enlightenment
  • The Enlightened
• The Keeper of Void
  • The Book of Void

Chapter Five: The World is not the World (Page 114)

Void Dragon

• Fiction with the history of Karasu no Mura, founded by the peasant Karasu
• The Natural World of the Void
  • Forges
    • The Souls of Honor Forge
    • The Great Forge
    • Steel Crane Forge
    • The Agasha/Tamori Foundry
  • Temple and Shrines
    • Shrine of the First Five
    • Koten
    • Temple of the Seven Dragons
  • Castles
    • Pale Oak Castle
    • Otosan Uchi
    • Kyuden Isawa
    • The High House of Light
    • Yaruki Jukko no Tera
    • Reihado Uikku
    • The Tomb of Ryoshun
  • Natural Formations
    • Lookout Mountain
    • Isawa Mori
    • Bunya sano Asahina
    • The Pit
    • Chinsei Mori
    • Seppun Hill
    • Kitsune Mori
  • Villages
    • Shinsei no Sumai Mura
    • Village of the Grand Song
    • Shinsei's Last Hope
    • Yushosha Seido Mura
    • East Mountain Village
  • Outposts
    • Shiro no Shinjin
    • Zumiki-mihari
• The Void in the World of Men
  • Heimin and the Void
  • Hinin and the Void
  • Gaijin and the Void
• Creatures and Otherworldly Beings of Void
  • Denizens of the Heavens
    • The Three Gods Whose Names Cannot Be Spoken
    • The Void Dragon
    • The Thunder Dragon
    • Hantei
    • Ryoshun
    • Emma-O, Fortune of Death
  • Supernatural Beings Associated with Void
    • Kitsu
    • Ryu of Void

Ki no Oni is spared

• • Shadowlands Creatures Associated with Void
    • Greater Elemental Terror of Void
    • Lesser Elemental Terror of Void
  • Mundane Creatures of Void
    • Butterfly Cho
    • Crow Karasu
• Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things
  • Famous and Notable Kwaidan
  • Nemuranai of Void
  • Kaidanshu and Koan – The Intangible Magic

Chapter Six: Nazo Mori the Forest of Enigmas (Page 144)

• Fiction with Junchiro, a young peasant boy of the Nazo Mori region.
• The Curiosities of Nazo Mori
  • A Brief History of Nazo Mori
  • The Secret of the Ruins
  • The Villages of Nazo Mori
    • Sacred Forest Village
    • Iron Heart Village
    • Laughing Plains Village
  • Minor Villages
    • Strong Wall Village
    • Rich Frog Village
    • Pure Diamond Village
    • Ekibyogami's Lament
    • Shallow Waters Village
  • Oddities Surrounding Nazo Mori
    • Hotei's Blight
    • The Elder Tree
    • The Ghosts of the Forest
  • Secrets of the Forest
    • The Glade
    • The Lone Tower
    • The Den
• The People of Nazo Mori
  • Kuni Isaya
  • Kakita Sanae
  • Togashi Mutsumi
  • Matsu Kurenai
  • Tsuruchi Akifumi
  • Asako Hinata
  • Ninube Osamu
  • Yogo Wakako
  • Utaku Noriko
  • Seppun Jinpachi
  • Masataka
  • Morito Katsuru
  • Ik'kir
  • Genjiro
• A Campaign for Nazo Mori: Madness of the Stars
  • Act One: Madness Rides the Wind
  • Act Two: Revelation Through Action
  • Act Three: Battle Within and Without
  • Conclusion
    • The Antagonist: Tsunagari
    • Nemuranai: The Whispers of the Stars
    • The Higosha Nazo (Guardians of the Mystery)
  • Adventure Seeds: The Game of One Hundred Tales

New Mechanics (Page 182)

Asako Suda

• Chapter One: The Void of War
  • Legendary Ninja Families
    • The Hateru family
    • The Sesai family
    • The Koga family
• Chapter Two: The Void of Magic
  • Scorpion Clan: The Fading Shadows
  • The Void Mystic
  • The Dragon Channelers
  • Dragon Spells
  • Multi-Element Magic
  • New Void Spells
• Chapter Three: Void of Peace
  • The Order of Ebisu
• Chapter Four: The Void Within
  • Advantage: Reincarnated
  • Disadvantage: Uncentered
  • New Void Kiho
  • The Order of Eternity
  • Abbot
• Chapter Five: The World is Not the World
  • Elemental Terrors of Void
    • Akeru no Oni
    • Kukanchi no Kansen
  • Children of the Last Wish
• Chapter Six: Nazo Mori
  • Advantage: Watanu-Trained
  • Advantage: Iron Heart Native
  • Advantage: Laughing Plains Native
  • Advantage: Sacred Forest Native
  • The Ghosts of the Forest