Warriors of the Sonno Joi [Bushi] v1

Warriors of the Sonno Joi [Bushi/Ninja]
Founded by the Kasuga in the aftermath of the Battle of the White Stag, the Warriors of the Sonno Joi are damned with the use of gaijin powder for the good of the Empire. Only through mastery of the mysterious kami-defying polvora can the Rokugani fully learn the capacity their enemies have for destruction. The Sonno Joi (those who revere the Emperor and expel the Barbarians) are a jingoist bunch chosen from the most patriotic of the Seppun, Kasuga, Daidoji, Kaiu and in later generations the Ide and Yoritomo. From the ranks of those who understand that honor is a most precious resource,and one foreign devils will not care about when they bring their weapons of war. The Sonno Joi use the hidden art of teppoudo to pacify gaijin-influenced insurgents, followers of Hawthorne's Shourido, and to ensure that the events of the White Stag will never again be repeated.

The Sonno Joi are conditioned beneath Kyuden Kasuga, in a dark stone room with water up to ones ankle and dim candles glowing. Each Sonno Joi is indoctrinated into a very specific mentality, that they are to be damned so others may live in safety, that their weapon defies Jigoku as much as it defies the Heavens, and that using such weapons for any purpose other than the defense of the Empire will see them executed as traitors. Once their loyalty has been assured by years of training, they are assigned to magistrates in need of specialized expertise.

Benefit: +1 Perception.
Skills: Teppoudo, Meditation, Kenjutsu, Stealth, Forbidden Lore: Gaijin Powder, Forbidden Lore: Gaijin, any one low or merchant skill.
Starting Honor: 1.5
Starting Outfit: Teppo or Bajozutsu or Kakiyari, daisho, sturdy clothing, travel pack, gaijin powder (10 shots worth) and 10 lead bullets, 2 koku.

Rank 1: The Art of Teppoudo
By entering a zen like trance, the Sonno Joi can dispatch his enemies with heathen fire and metal. Without entering into the calm of teppoudo, the samurai would be fully without the kami; only with reflection of the void and a meditative mind can one use such weapons properly. You may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to activate this Technique for a number of Rounds equal to your School Rank. While this Technique is active you add +1k1 to the total of all your Teppoudo rolls and reload your firearm for one less complex action.

In addition, you may add half your Meditation Skill Rank to the total of attack rolls when using Teppoudo.

Rank 2: The Cliffs of the White Stag
From a place of shame and tragedy one can begin to understand what was lost during the Battle. Acknowledgment of cannon-battered rockface and old stonework that still bares the brittle bullet wounds of gaijin longarms. Meditation on these wounds of the earth provide great insight. You may add your ranks in Teppoudo to your TN. When fighting against gaijin or other users of gaijin powder or firearms, you may add your Forbidden Lore: Gaijin Powder rank to the total of your Initiative roll.

Rank 3: The Blind Genmuro
Ikoma Genmuro's tactics prevented the gaijin from gaining greater ground within the Emerald Empire. But for all the good that did him, he was blind to the full power of the black powder. The Sonno Joi must acknowledge that without tactical foresight most samurai will never know the difference between teppoudo and hedge sorcery. Mystery and falsehood can be as powerful a weapon as the gun itself. When fighting with Teppoudo against an opponent who does not understand your weapon (by either lacking the Forbidden Lore: Gaijin Powder/Gaijin, or simply not having seen you fire it before) you may spend a Void Point to subtract their Honor from their TN. Furthermore if you attack from stealth with firearms, you gain an additional +1k0 on your attack roll.

Rank 4: The Raging Sea
The last effort to drive the gaijin from the shores of the Empire saw the full horror and destructive power of the foreign devils when pushed to their limits. Only from meditating on the legacy of this battle, can one prevent it from repeating. The Sonno Joi may now fire a Teppoudo weapon as a Simple Action, and they may reduce the amount of Complex Actions needed to reload Teppoudo weapons by one.

Rank 5: The Art of Sonno Joi
Once the Sonno Joi has fully mastered the art of Teppoudo they can understand the power that mere a gaijin footsoldier carries with them. While other Rokugani will never truly comprehend the destructive powers their enemies wield, the Sonno Joi is able to cultivate a hatred only education can provide. When using firearms on the first Round of a skirmish or whenever you are in Center Stance, you may declare Maneuvers for one less Raise. If you are fighting gaijin or enemies with firearms you gain additional unkept dice on Teppoudo attack rolls equal to your Meditation Skill rank.