"There are many stories told of our land, a burning waste far to the east of Rokugan, where Lady Sun has gone mad and Kaleel, the Lord of the Moon, is our only salvation from her bitter wrath. Many tales of how the clan called Unicorn ventured across the northern mountains to see what lie beyond - of what they encountered on the other side, and the horrors they faced before returning home. Perhaps the most important tale, however, is that of their first encounter with my people, the Ujik- hai...

Much of what has been told of the Unicorn's journey into the distant realm known as the Burning Sands is true. The rest is little more than a careful aberration of reality, constructed to impress their eastern kin. These lies were conceived and spread by several key members among the Unicorn who returned to the Empire two hundred years ago. These lies were not intended to hurt or deceive the Rokugani, but to protect them from several key revelations they discovered in the awful wastes - and to protect their allies in the desert as well.

The first lie they told was of the Ujik-hai, who were in actuality a peaceful group of wanderers, exiled from their home in the City of One Thousand Stories a generation before (after the Day of Wrath). These gypsies, keepers of the Great Chronicle of Age, welcomed the Unicorn into their ranks without menace; there was no violence between the groups. By painting the Ujik-hai as powerful adversaries, the Unicorn ensured that few would follow in their footsteps, maintaining the sanctity of distance between the two Empires, for the good of both.

Martazera, the gaijin woman who befriended Shinjo (and coincidentally an ancestor of the modern "Grey Woman"; see the Legend of the Burning Sands CCG) established a strong bond between the Ujik-hai and the Unicorn, forging a new faction that would eventually become known along the desert steppes as the Moto, or Ki- Rin Clan. This hybrid group would travel with the Unicorn for some time after their departure from the Ujik-hai (themselves to become known as the Ra'Shari in modern times), only branching out on their own after Shinjo and her disciples split apart following the famed Battle with the Rocs.

The Moto Clan were reunited with Shinjo and her followers two hundred years later, when Fu Leng and the Living Darkness appeared at the edge of the Great Waste. The legendary battle that finally shattered the rejuvenated Unicorn Clan has become legend, and many tales about it have been told. Again, some of these stories are true, while others are fabrications of the Unicorn who returned. One chapter of the saga that is accepted by all, however, is that of Shinjo's departure as a sweeping chain of light across the horizon before succumbing beneath a wave of Darkness. The Ki-Rin remember this event well, but also remember the Kami's Promise - that she would always return.

Though the Moto were cut off from their eastern cousins in the aftermath of the battle, one of their number, a warrior known as Sharad, recovered the Karni's weapon, an immense katana with a pommel of polished ivory, a gift from the gypsy Martazera. From this omen, it was obvious to the Moto that the splintered heritage of the Unicorn, Ujik-hai / Ra'Shari, and Ki-Rin would be mended once more; all they needed to do was wait, and keep the legend of their Champion true until she returned to claim it.

Today, nearly seven hundred years later, they are still waiting, ar the Moto of the Burning Sands have gained their own identity, eve if few recognize them for it. Since the coronation of the current Caliph and the inception of her sorcerous warriors (the Khadi), the Moto have not been welcome in Medinaat al-Salaam. Natives of th city despise them for their mixed heritage, remembering the "atroc ties" of the Ra'Shari so many generations ago and the "anti-social brutes" from the east, whose blood they carry. The Senpet, threehundred year-old allies of the Caliph, hunt them in the desert, calling them thieves and murderers (only half of that claim is true, an, everyone must eat - even if they must steal to do so ... )

The White Guard, who patrol the far side of the northern mountains and the borders of the Ivory Kingdom, remain in loose contact with the Moto of the Burning Sands. Given the distance involved, and the rigors of the terrain between the two realms, however, little information is traded between clans, and what does is a slow-moving trickle; messages sent into the desert typically do not return until long after the sender has passed on to his next life. The White Guard are only in contact with a small number of the Burning Sands Moto, who are unsure of their eastern cousins' role in Shinji's eventual return.

Occasionally - perhaps no more than once or twic a century - members of the desert raiders cross the White Guard line of defense and enter the Emerald Empire, taken by the same curiosity that brought their Champion to them a thousand years ago...

The Clan of the Ki-Rin School

The Moto of the Burning Sands are a nomadic culture - by necessity more than by choice. Still affected by the Ra'Shari's dark history, they are unwelcome in most cities across the desert, and are actively hunted by the Senpet Legions. The Khadi delight in capturing them and penning them in the Janclaq slave caverns with the remnants of other cultures they have subjugated. The Houses of Dahab offer bounties on their heads, and hire armies to protect their merchant caravans, which has turned even the most pacifistic tribes of the Ivory Kingdoms against them. Within their own home land, the Clan of the Ki-Rin have no allies to call upon, and lose as many of their children to hunger as to the knife.

But adversity has been the Moto's greatest teacher. Every child of the clan is taught from birth to survive in the harsh wastes, with or without the tools of civilization. They are shown how to train and ride the famed stallions of the desert, and how to use them in war. And they are taught how to defend themselves from the predators that hunt them - both human and otherwise.

The following school is designed for use in the Legend of the Five Rings RPG, and assumes that the player is creating a Ki-Rin character to be used in the Emerald Empire. If you are playing outside Rokugan, the social restrictions may be ignored.

Social Restrictions

There are several key differences between Rokugan and the Burning Sands. One of the most important is that people raised in either culture see the other as barbaric, or at the least alien. Etiquette differs tremendously between the two lands, as do laws, ritual, and religion. As a result, when designing a Ki-Rin Moto (one who has traveled across the Mountains to the north in their lifetime), certain Skills, Advantages, and Disadvantages are more costly, or not available.

The following options are not available to Ki-Rin Moto characters:

1) Blood of Osano-Wo (Advantage)
2) Chosen by the Oracles (Advantage)
3) Ear to the Emperor (Advantage)
4) Imperial Spouse (Advantage)
5) Moto Curse (Disadvantage). No Ki-Rin Moto are subject to this malady.
6) Ninjutsu (Skill)

The following options cost twice the normal CP (Character Points) to purchase, and advance during play:

1) Courtier (Skill) 2) Craft: Mitsugusari (Skill) 3) Craft: Tattooing (Skill) 4) Etiquette (Skill) 5) laijutsu (Skill) 6) Sincerity (Skill) 7) Tea Ceremony (Skill)

Benefit: +1 Agility
Skills: Animal Husbandry, Horse Archery, Horsemanship, Hunting, Lore (Burning Sands), Scimitar*, Stealth
Beginning Honor: 1, plus 0 boxes
Special: All Ki-Rin Moto begin play with one (1) piece of Gaijin Gear, per the Advantage. They also gain the Bad Reputation (Ki- Rin Moto) Disadvantage.
Rank 1: Under Cover of Night

At the first Rank, Ki-Rin Moto are trained to use shadows and the cover of night to move about without detection. They are also shown given their first Chronicle - their own passage in the continuing verbal tradition that the Moto keep to give to Shinjo on her return (this is very similar to the Ra'Shari Chronicle, being a collection of stories, verbal accounts, and anecdotes which form their understanding of the past). No matter where he walks, or upon what surface he travels upon, the Ki-Rin Moto leaves no trace of his passing (all tracking and Hunting rolls to find his trail automatically fail). Also, the Ki-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle" (what he is currently famous for among his clan), which is increased by one Rank. The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is 6.

Rank 2: Night's Sweet Sting

By this stage of their development, Ki-Rin Moto are shown how to use the darkness to their advantage during combat, and how to manipulate the lingering moonlight to confuse their enemies. They are also given their second Chronicle. When fighting outdoors at night, the Ki- Rin gains 2 Free Raises to use as he pleases. These raises may be applied at any point during the combat individually or together, to any Skill check. These Raises are not cumulative, and go away at the end of the combat if not used. At least five minutes must pass between combats for them to refresh for the new fight. Note that these Raises can be used in conjunction with the Ki-Rin's Rank 4 Technique (see below). Also, the Ki-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle" (what he is currently famous for among his clan), which is increased by one Rank. The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is 6. This may not be a Skill which was previously chosen as a Chronicle during a former Rank.

Rank 3: Ride Until Dawn

Ki-Rin are next taught to endure the rigors often required in the desert wastes, as well as how to outlast their pursuers across the dunes. They are also provided with their third Chronicle. The Ki-Rin may operate normally with minimal sleep (three hours per day) for a number of weeks equal to half his Earth Rank. At the end of this ordeal, he will require three extra hours of sleep each night, for a number of days equal to the number of weeks spent using the ability. Also, the Ki-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle" (what he is currently famous for among his clan), which is increased by one Rank. The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is 6. This may not be a Skill which was previously chosen as a Chronicle during a former Rank.

Rank 4: Night's Blind Fury

At this, the last true stage of "development" for the Ki-Rin, each is shown the secret of combining all their previous knowledge into one startling (and quite vicious) attack. Though less than honorable by Rokugani standards, this ambush tactic is shockingly effective. They are also provided with their fourth Chronicle. At night and outdoors, the Ki- Rin may choose to ambush an opponent by making a Simple Agility + Stealth roll versus the a TN of the target's Perception x5. Success indicates that the Ki-Rin automatically gains the Initiative for the first round of combat; no rolls are made for Initiative. Further, for every five points the Ki-Rin surpasses the TN by, he gains one Raise during the first round of combat (only). These Raises may not be extended past the first round of combat, or used for anything other than an attack upon the chosen target. There is no limit to the number of Raises that may be gained for attack through use of this Technique. Also, the Ki-Rin may choose one of his Skills as his "Chronicle" (what he is currently famous for among his clan), which is increased by one Rank. The maximum Rank this Skill may now reach is 6. This may not be a Skill which was previously chosen as a Chronicle during a former Rank.

Rank 5: The Final Chronicle

By this stage in their life, Ki-Rin Moto have made a name for themselves among their own people (and probably beyond). They are legends among the Ki-Rin Clan, and will be remembered long after they have passed from this world. They are granted their final Chronicle, and recorded in the Great Chronicle of Age, a record of the greatest heroes of the Burning Sands Moto, which will pass directly into the hands of the Kami Shinjo upon her return. The KiRin may choose any of the Skills formerly increased as a Chronicle, and increase it by one additional Rank. The maximum Rank this Skill may progress to is now 7 Finally, the Ki- Rin gains the Legendary Hero Advantage at this Rank for free.

Scimitar (New Skill)
Characters with this Skill are well-versed in the use of many bladed weapons of the Burning Sands, including the Scimitar (a W weapon).

New Advantage: Legendary Hero (7 Points)
Only Burning Sands characters may take this Advantage.
When a character has this Advantage, their die-rolling convention changes. If their Trait and Skill are high enough that he is rolling more than 10 dice, each unkept die beyond 10 is converted to one kept die. For example, if a Ki-Rin were rolling 11k7, they would actually roll 10k8. If a Ki-Rin character reaches 10k10 and still has unkept dice beyond that, each unkept die converts to a +10 modifier to the final rolled total (from 10k10). For example, 12k10 becomes 10k10+20. Note that this is an adjustment from the standard L5R rules, and is only applicable to Ki-Rin Moto.

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