Realm of the Radiant Dragon
The dragon’s tail thrusts up the mountains;
Rivers beat with the currents of his heart;
Talons gird the great walled cities;
His mighty breath bestirs the sea.
So said the court poet Gozoemon the Younger in 472, speaking of the lands of our great Empire. For the dragon is the Empire and the empire, Dragon. The Radiant Dragon; the Emperor who holds us keeps us all in his watchful care.
Welcome to the Realm of the Radiant Dragon, a land of wonder and of adventure, of honor bright as swords and evil dark as shame.
Realm of the Radiant Dragon is a live-action roleplaying game, using the InterAction system, set in a strongly Asian-flavored world. Players take the roles of heroic warriors, cunning courtiers, or learned sages striving to increase the power and prestige of their Emperor, their House, and themselves. The setting is closely based on medieval Japan and China, but is by no means intended as a historically accurate reflection. It is instead a fantastic echo, filtered through tales, stories and our own imaginations. Realm of the Radiant Dragon includes elements of the writers’ own introduction, as well as those taken from many other Asian traditions.
Note also that for reasons of simplicity and good taste, that while the setting and culture of the campaign echo the Asian lands of our own history, the people themselves are very diverse, a cosmopolitan mix befitting a great Empire.
So a word to the wise traveler: Much of what you see here may be familiar, but have a care not to let your expectations run away with you. Be very careful not to assume anything you do not read in these pages, or hear from the lips of a fellow servant of the Empire. In the words of the sages: “Expect only what occurs.”
Great Houses of the Empire
There are eight Great Houses serving the Radiant Dragon. Players must begin as a member of one of the five Houses available for starting players. See the description of each House for information on its availability to players. Further information on choosing a House will be available in future under Character Generation.
The Eight Houses are in some ways quite similar to one another: each one is a major landholder and tributary to the Radiant Dragon him¬self, employing many vassals, soldiers, artisans and tradesfolk. The houses date back to the founding of the Empire, and are all represented at Court. While each house is equal in stature, some are wealthier than others, and each one has been known, since its founding, for a particular quality or specialty.
They have similar interests – after all, they all serve the Emperor, and each enjoys his trust. The Houses are frequently rivals for His favor, a state of affairs which some Emperors have encouraged.and all have long histories which include traditional friendships and rivalries – some more bitter than others!
But they also have their differences, and it is these that make them unique. Each house has a long and proud history stretching back to the dawn of the Empire, and these histories give each house a unique outlook, and a tendency to fill certain roles in the Empire, as sanctified by tradition.
Some of those traditions are outlined below, along with the roles members of the various Houses often take. For travelers who may be new to the lands of the Radiant Dragon, we offer this brief primer on those roles with which you might not be familiar:
• A priest is able to call upon the spirits of his or her House’s ancestors to aid and support him. This feat is made possible by training, by the person’s zeal for their House, or by some other spiritual connection. Of course, no such requests would be possible without the Emperor, who is our link to the celestial realms.
• A shukenja is connected to the kamis, the greater and lesser nature spirits that dwell throughout the Empire. This connection makes the shukenja sensitive to many things in nature others might miss, and able to wield the kami’s influence on his or her behalf.
• A wujen is a sorcerer, one who calls upon raw elemental might to accomplish his will. The wujen’s powers are considered by some unsubtle, even crude, in their often-destructive nature. None deny their effectiveness, however, especially in times of war.
• A courtier is trained in the often elaborate and exacting rituals of the Imperial Courts. A warrior whose weapons are carefully chosen words, or even the smallest of gestures, the courtier aids his or her House by protecting its interests at Court, seeking the greatest share of the Radiant Dragon’s light!
The Jade Tiger
The Jade Tiger are well known as the most passionately warlike of all the Houses. In a land where martial prowess is widely cultivated and highly respected, the Jade Tiger are pre-eminent, famed for their generals as well as their skilled and well-disciplined soldiery. At times, however, this emphasis gives the other Houses pause, as they worry that the Jade Tiger may come to rely on a “might makes right” philosophy. So far, the Jade Tiger’s sense of honor has always kept it from overstepping its bounds.
The Jade Tiger trains courtiers mostly to protect their interests at Court, often those who cannot serve as soliders, for one reason or another. They are respected as necessary, but frequently covertly pitied as non-combatants, unless they are retired bushi, as is often the case. Wujen are esteemed as valuable additions to the combat power of the House. Their priests most often call upon Tiger ancestors for strength in battle, or to heal injured or fallen warriors.
Players may begin the game as members of the Jade Tiger.
The Crimson Bear
The House of the Crimson Bear serve as guardians of the many sacred places across the Empire, as well as the Great Forest where so many kami dwell. They are also known for the skill of their warriors: though slower to take offense than a Jade Tiger, Bear warriors have been known to enter terrible rages in combat, particularly when their charges are threatened, or their honor questioned.
Crimson Bear courtiers are generally concerned mostly with maintaining and supporting the interests of the shrines and sacred places beloved of both the kami and the ancestors. They are also, of all the Houses, closest to the kami, producing many shukenja. The House in general has a reputation for being quite conservative, deferring to historical precedent whenever possible. As such its priests are said to be especially favored by the ancestors. After all, who is more conservative than the honored dead?
Players may begin the game as members of the Crimson Bear.
The Azure Carp
The Azure Carp value creativity above all else, seeing themselves as the foremost protectors of the Empire’s arts and culture. They are well known for producing some of the Empire’s greatest artists and performers, and for the uncanny good fortune that seems to follow them, like their namesake. They are not to be taken lightly, however, as they bring their creative natures to the study of war and politics as well as traditional arts such as painting or poetry. Their masked Kabuki warriors are famed for their unorthodox techniques, and their sorcerers have made many advances in the magical arts.
The Carp’s courtiers are comparatively few in number: Many of the House seem to feel their efforts better spent elsewhere. Their priests are many, and said to have, among other abilities, means of chanelling the skills or arts of their ancestors. Shukenja are not uncommon among the Carp, given their closeness to the kami of water.
Their good fortune and resulting wealth have frequently made others in the Empire jealous, though they have made many allies because of their belief that their gifts should be widely shared. This has often earned the Carp the contempt of the Obsidian Crane, who horde their knowledge.
Players may begin the game as members of the Azure Carp.
The Ivory Turtle
Since the first days of the Empire, the Ivory Turtle have had the duty of protecting the Emperor’s person. The Imperial Guard is almost entirely composed of members of this House. Their defensive fighting techniques, developed over centuries, are second to none. Thus, they often serve as yojimbo for officials, and even members of other Houses - a favor frequently offered by their Courtiers in return for the House’s needs.
Ivory Turtle courtiers often aspire to the Radiant Dragon’s bakufu, the bureaucracy of the Empire, while their sorcerers specialize in protective magics. Priests are greatly honored amongst the Ivory Turtle, but are expected to be exemplars of honor and virtue!
While one of the smaller clans, numerically speaking, the Ivory Turtle are amongst the most honored because of their closeness to the Throne and their reputation for remaining above most Court infighting.
Players may begin the game as members of the Ivory Turtle.
The Amber Falcon
Vigiliance is the watchword of the Amber Falcon. Ever since their founder watched for the First Emperor’s foes, the Falcon has watched for threats, both inside and outside the Empire. Members of the House are often travelling magistrates, wandering prietsts, judges in the bakufu, or explorers, seeking for possible dangers outside the Empire, or in the wild places inside its borders.
Warriors of the House study their well-known “sudden-strike” technique, said to be modelled on the Falcon’s dive on its prey. Its courtiers help to watch for corruption, and its sorcerers often study divination, seeking to read the future and the will of Heaven in the stars, or the flights of birds, or omens more arcane. Shukenja are common, for many of the Amber Falcon travel to wild places in the course of their duties.
Players may begin the game as members of the Amber Falcon.
The Topaz Monkey
Monkey is one of the smallest Houses, and one of the least regarded by the more traditionally-minded. Members of this House have a saying: “Monkey is the wisest teacher - except when he isn’t” - which sums up their irreverent attitude and rather individualistic outlook.
Warriors of the Monkey use strange tricks, exotic styles, and frequently show an unbecoming disregard for the Empire’s duelling conventions. Their courtiers are famed for their complex schemes and unusual objectives - The whole House seems to take a perverse delight in showing up the other Houses, but are also often valuable allies, showing a high degree of sympathy for star-crossed lovers, corrupt officials, and other misfits. The tales of the strange powers displayed, or claimed, by the Topaz Monkey are many: Most observers agree that the House of the Monkey has priests, wujen and shukenja alike, but that it is often impossible to tell which is which!
Players may not begin the game as members of the Topaz Monkey.
The Obsidian Crane
“The Crane keeps its own counsel” The other Houses respect the Obsidian Crane for its dedication to the pursuit of knowledge, but many find that the single-mindedness of that pursuit gives them pause. Magic is considered the highest of learning, literally the lore of Heaven, and is taught and studied in all its forms by the House of the Crane. Many of the greatest wujen and shukenja in the Empire, including the Emperors personal advisors, have come from the Obsidian Crane. Of all the Houses, the Crane is said to have the smallest proportion of priests – even in death, the Crane hold their silence.
All knowledge is valued, though, and for this reason the Cranes are great keepers of lore and nearly forgotten history. The arts of war are looked upon as necessary to protect the knowledge of the House; its greatest treasure. The Crane’s courtiers are very effective - many believe they use sorcery to ferret out their rivals’ secrets and weaknesses. Crane and Carp are traditional rivals, for reasons that the Houses do not generally discuss - It may have to do with the Houses’ opposing philosphies.
Players may not begin the game as members of the Obsidian Crane.
The Indigo Serpent
The Serpent has a reputation for cunning - in the Court, in the arts, and in battle. They have earned this reputation in countless battles, and with it a name for ruthlessness in service to the Empire as great or greater than the Tiger’s. Their cleverness has always served them well: Some of the Empire’s most famous playwrights and poets have been Serpents.
Serpent Courtiers are as patient in planning and swift in action as their House’s namesake. Their priests are few, but said to be so dedicated to their Ancestors that they serve almost as vessels for the will of the honored dead. Shukenja are also few, but wujen fairly common: Indeed , Serpent wujen are well known for their “Coiling Fire” technique.
Players may not begin the game as members of the Indigo Serpent.
Ronin
“Ronin are like arrows from the bow: whether they strike your enemy down or break on his armor, they have served their purpose.” Sanjiro, from his book the Five-Fold Way.
Ronin are those who have lost their noble status and no longer have a place in one of the great houses. Their position is unenviable as without a house they are considered also without honor and are outside the protection of the law. Those that do not forgo their noble ancestry and become peasants or craftsmen often turn to banditry, thus increasing the disdain in which they are held.
Because of their shame, the Ronin’s ancestors turn their face from him and he is left to the mercy of the Yama Kings if he should perish. A Ronin who perishes has never been known to return from the judgment of the Yama Kings.
Player characters may not start the game as Ronin.
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