No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity, but I have known none and therefore am no beast.

Hiruma Basurai was born to a very honorable Hiruma farnily. His father, Hirurna Kabe served his clan with great duty and reverence, scoffing the cynical ways of his clan. Kabe raised his sons (three in all) to share in his care of bushido. Kabe taught his children the inportance of respecting . one's family and kin. The emperor and all his subjects are to be honored and treated well. Even the peasant was here to be protected, and not harmed by the arm of a. Hiruma. Kind words were very important to Kabe, so when he spoke loudly his children knew it was important.

On the day of winter solstice, some few days after first hearing the news of his attendance to the Kuni Witch-Hunter school, Kabe brought his eldest son to a gathering of witch hunters. As a Hiruma, Kabe had to garner many boons to secure an invita tion to this event. Not being a Kuni would be a great drawback to the eldest of Kabe's children, but he had great faith that the duty and dedication by his children would pay off.

When the time came, the castle teemed with children from all over the Kuni stronghold, each eager to prove themselves. As Kabi ushered his oldest into the stronghold, he told his younger two children to watch and observe the strength of being a samurai and being dedicated to a cause - the tsukai-sagasu would show them this.

Fourteen Witch-hunters showed to examine the prospects. Each child was asked to perform tasks of endurance, agility, honor, focus, and guile. Endless tests were given and the children could feel their bodies grow weary and useless as the tests progressed. At the end of the test, all of the children were asked to line up.

The leader of the Witch-hunters walked among the rows of moaning, slouching children. When he stopped before Basurai he spoke and said, "This year only one child will be chosen. What is your name young one?"

Kabe interrupted. "But my lord, he is my youngest is not here to become a witch-hunter eldest is, Yohaiko, it here to test."

The Kuni cut him short, "I have chosen. This boy, is my new apprentice. If you do not wish to have a son among our ranks than by all means remove him from this place. But this child has unmatched resolve will not have you tell me who is a remarkable and who is not."

Basurai looked up at the towering Kuni. He did not wish to be picked. He was still young. His life was full. To choose now would mean the end of his youth. 'Surely his father would not say, yes. Surely he I would understand that he was far to young and weak for such a task. Either of his brothers were suited for the challenge.

"Hai! His name is Basurai and he shall honor my family and our clan." Kabe bowed his head and did not look upon his son's face. Basurai watched to see if he would, and he did not.

So it went that Basurai would join the kuni and hunt evil alongside his sensei. For the next 12 years, he would never see anything but the face of death and the sharp hand and eye of his sensei hunting and cutting away at vile, unimaginable evil.

The training was, daunting and his sensei unassuming, and no matter how impossible the task seemed, Basurai always achieved success as if the tests were just out of reach each time. With each success came a new test and a new challenge would fall before him just like the rest. Basurai could feel himself changing with each day --after mastering walking across a wet log, he walked across a floating log, and then a wet spinning log, and finally a log covered with sea snakes and maggots. Basurai could feel the says slip away and his past begin to melt.

Basurai's gempukku came without thought. His sensei Kuni Utagu came to him in the middle of the night and woke him saying, "You are now a witch-hunter, we will walk together no longer. Be a good soldier. The empire is counting on you. This charm is for you. It will draw out poisons from the body. Its magics are limited, so be careful."

With that he walked away into the night. On the ground where he stood, lay a small ornate piece of wood, sculpted in a disk and inscribed with arcane shugenja markings. Since that time, Basurai has seen Utagu twice, but has never again visited upon his family.

A recent battle with a minor oni has left Basurai horribly wounded in his left shoulder. Permanent severe muscle damage was done by the flying monstrosity when it tore a large hunk of flesh from his body, Basurai swung but was unable to harm the beast as it flew away. Afterwards, he was unable to heal the wound, and has been unable to concentrate for some time as it continues to nag at his senses, a constant throbbing pain as if the body were constantly fighting against something - it could be part of the creature's magic, and Basurai has determined that other tsukai-sagasu should be made aware of its presence. Since then he has tried to use his magical charm to remove any toxins from his body that the attack may have left but, it would seem that the Oni's powers are beyond the scope of medicine,, and his wound may never heal. He has since named the Oni Niku Yaburu until the real name is determined.

Basurai's memories are clouded now. He can no longer envision the sight of his father, nor his look of shame that night, at the Kuni stronghold, when the youngest, weakest child was chosen. He can not imagine being that child any longer, nor can he dream of anything but the, destruction of evil, and the shadowlands; his destiny is set. He cannot imagine a father giving up his youngest child to a stranger to be trained and yet for his own child (if, there ever came a time for such a thing), he can think of no other way. The reluctant child has become a fully indoctrinated warrior of virtue and integrity. What his father did not teach him, he built for himself. What his sensei did not teach, he improvised. What the world would teach him is that independence and interdependence were two vague enemies fighting back to back.

Recent word of an evil shugenja known as Girakuma has begun to surface. Basurai has started his investigation and is traveling north to the Plains of Foul Tears.

New Skills

ANATOMY

This skill is used when deciphering the insides of a creature, animal, or human. Kuni, and some shugeja from the Phoenix are skilled at examining the remains. Anyone using the anatomy skill will be able to learn the various organ functions within a creature, the use of certain muscles, and come to a greater understanding of a creature's origin and place. Shugenja interested in studying the remains of the dead will get strange glances from others as it is dishonorable to touch the dead. Maho- users would most certainly be interested in the anatomy of the creature they wish to use in their blood rituals, This skill is available for each creature that a shugenja wishes to understand, except for unique creatures, and oni.

AUTOPSY

Where anatomy allows a samurai to understand intricacies of the body, autopsy allows the user to understand how these functions cease. When cutting a body, it may become important to understand that t heart stopped because of a poison or the rupture of a vessel. In conjunction with anatomy, a samurai may perform an autopsy on the body of non-human creatures;, as well. Although this skill may determine how someone was killed (after opening them up), with the proper lore skill (poison, weaponry, etc,) the information is vague and inconclusive, For example, a courtier is killed by a rare poison known as green lotus tongue. The samurai using Autopsy will only be able to discern that poison killed the courtier, but will not identify the poison without a poison skill roll. Like anatomy, this skill is considered dishonorable to use.

Oni no Niku Yaburu

Basurai was attacked by this Oni, but it is undetermined whether or not it is a unique or a new creation from Fu Leng. Senseless and tenacious, this is the worst sort of Oni. They follow orders, and do it well. Unable to think for itself, it is a favorite of shugenja bent on domination. With wings, giant claws and fierce strength, the Niku Yaburu tears the flesh of the victim from the body and carries it away to an oni, shugenja, or whatever master it is serving, at the time.

Earth: 3
Stamina: 6
Water: 2
Strength: 5
Fire 2
Agility: 5
Air 2
Reflexes: 6

Attacking: 6k3
Damage: 6k3

TN to be hit: 25 on the, ground, 45 in the air
Armor:1
Wounds: 20: -1; 50: 2; 100,.- dead

Special Ability: Permanent wound. Any damage done by Oni no Niku Yaburu cannot be healed up yo 25% of the full damage. The creature's claws and and salient toxins make the skin weak andthe muscle tissue believes that the flesh is still there and will not try to repair the body. Even magic will only heal 50% of this damage. The toxin is of an unknown variety and so far the Nanko Dokuso nai Omamori has been unable to root it out.

Nanko Dokuso nai Omamori

The healing amulet of Hiruma Basurai has limited uses and each time within a given day becomes more and more difficult to siphon off toxins. If a samurai wishes to implement the power of the Omamori, they must read the arcane words inscribed on its shape while holding the disk against the body of the afflicted individual. The samurai is allowed to roll 2 dice plus their Void, keeping their Void. The TN to remove toxin from the body various with each toxin. Weaker toxins require a TN of 10 or 15; while a more powerful, toxin requires a roll of 40 or 50 or more. Each, use of the Omamori in the same day reduces the number of dice rolled by one, until it can no longer be used. If ever used enough to deplete the power, the Omamari becomes inert for one day.

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