Bayushi Sachiyo

The Scorpion Clan are respected and feared for their relentless cunning. Their ability to use deceit and treachery as weapons coated in the venomous honey of lies has made them into a potent force across the breadth of Rokugan, and few are the samurai who would a member of that clan lightly. The ideal Scorpion is intelligent, patient, loyal and ruthless. Even those who fall short, willingly or unwillingly, acknowledge that the goal of the clan is to strive for these attributes.

And then… there is Sachiyo.

The only daughter of a prominent Yogo shugenja and a prestigious courtier, people expected great things from Sachiyo. As she approache adulthood, her beauty and charm had several ranking clan members believe that she was going to be one of the distinguished samurai of her generation.

That was of course before she was quietly removed from the Yogo school due to lack of talent. Then, less quietly, removed from the Shoshuro school for lack of patience. Then, loudly, expelled from the Bayushi school for lack of decorum.

Lazy, impatient, impetuous, treacherous, easily-bored and flippant in equal measure, Sachiyo turned out to be a disaster wherever she went. Even now, in her early twenties, she in unmarried in spite of her family connections, without title, and without formal duties. Instead she is shuffled around from court to court, positioned where her natural chaos causes the least harm to the clan and the most harm to their enemies. Courtiers with an ear to the ground know that her arrival to a court is a sure sign that the Scorpion no longer have anything of value to add, and instead are seeking to set off a social bomb without provoking outright war. Thus Sachiyo wanders through a series of provincial postings, backwaters cities, and lonely waystations, using her charm and beauty to sucker others for her own amusement before inevitably being ejected from the premises.

Unbeknownst to her handlers, Sachiyo’s boredom with her lot in life has recently taken a dangerous new turn. A mysterious stranger she shared sake with during one of her journeys on the road has taught her a few minor maho rituals, tricks that she now experiments with in her copious spare time. She still has enough self-preservation to hide the cuts on her arms where she practices her techniques, and she has thus far avoided the Taint, but it is only a matter of time before her inclination toward recklessness spells disaster.

Earth 2 Air 3 Water 3 Fire 3 Void 1

Endurance 8 Composure 12 Focus 6 Vigilance 3

Artisan 2 Martial 0 Scholar 2 Social 3 Trade 2

Demeanor: Mischievous (Fire +2, Air -2)

Honor: 25 Glory: 15 Status: 35

Advantages: Dangerous Allure (Fire, Interpersonal, Social), Sly Charm (Water, Interpersonal, Social)

Disadvantages: Disdain for Sincerity (Void, Flaw, Mental), Reckless (Earth, Flaw, Mental), Whispers of Failure (Fire, Interpersonal, Infamy)

Wakizashi: Range 0-1, Damage 3, Deadliness 5/7, Ceremonial, Razor-Edged

Gear (equipped): Extravagant robes (Physical 1, Ceremonial)

Gear (other): Go set, dice, jug of sake, jug of Tainted water, Rokugani pony

Abilities

Shameless Provocation (Shuji): Once per scene, Sachiyo may make a Social (Fire) check targeting one character in the scene. The TN is equal to the target’s honor rank (to a minimum of 1). If she succeeds, the target suffers 3 strife, plus 1 strife per bonus success. If this causes a target to become Compromised, Sachiyo removes 3 strife from herself.

Whispering Winds (Shuji): Once per session as an action, Sachiyo may make a Social (Air) check targeting one character in the scene. The TN is equal to 6 minus the target’s glory rank (to a minimum of 1). If she succeeds, Sachiyo learns a rumor about the target. 2 Opportunity: Sachiyo learns one of the target’s advantages or disadvantages of the target’s choice.

Fanning the Flames (Shuji): When making a Social skill (Fire) check, Sachiyo may spend Opportunity in the following way: Fire Opportunity: One target gains the Dazed condition.

Dark Reflection (Maho): Activation: As a Support action, Sachiyo may make a TN 2 Scholar (Water) check targeting a person, object, or location she has encountered before. Effects: If Sachiyo succeeds, she scries upon a chosen person or location. However, the image is distorted: one minor detail within it is always incorrect, reflecting instead her fears or desires.