Bushido is a game of savage battles, of cunning stratagems and last-ditch defences, and where debts of honour are paid in blood. In Bushido, the fate of the world hangs not on armies but on individual heroes, men and women of extraordinary capacity, attuned to the all-permeating life force known as Ki. This force is the very fabric of the universe, and those with the appropriate training or natural talent can tap into this energy source and gain seemingly superhuman powers. In the world of Bushido, the delicate tapestry of Ki – and thus the universe itself –is threatened by the forces of imbalance, and it is up to you to protect it – or help rip it apart. In a game of Bushido, nothing less than the universe itself is at stake. Are you ready for the challenge of the Way of the Warrior? There are currently nine factions at war within the Jwar Isles: The prefecture of Ryu The Dragon Clan won the rights to colonize the Westward Isles in a series of duels with their rivals, the Shiho Clan. However, when the Emperor's vessel expired, and his young heir, too young and inexperienced to concern himself with the petty disputes at the fringes of his lands, the promise of sole settlement rights died with him. The newly formed Prefecture of Ryu found themselves yet again in conflict with their old enemies, the Shiho Clan. Now, the Prefecture s grasp of power is weakened, due to the recent Tsunami. Their forces are in disarray, they are fighting on all fronts in the aftermath of the disaster. But still the men and women of the Dragon are ready to take their place at Destiny s table, uniting the human world by defending it against all threats. The Temple of Ro-Kan The serene martial artist masters of the Ro-Kan have long viewed themselves as above all mortal and mundane conflicts. Now, following the Han civil war, the rise of the Cult of Yurei, and the incursion of the Savage Wave, the monks of Ro-Kan are being dragged into the clandestine wars of universal balance – a war in which they will reluctantly turn out to be key players. The monks follow an age-old path and know the secrets of Ki better than any others, but they are few and divided – will they be able to unite and join forces before it is too late? The Savage Wave They take the form of evil creatures of myth and folklore. From where they come or why, no-one knows, but one thing is for certain, the wave crushes everything in its path. The Oni and Bakemono demon-creatures that make up the bulk of the Savage Wave appear bent on the destruction of humankind and all that is holy, but they are not mindless – as many opponents have found out at great pain, the Savage Wave is cunning and organized, and it operates according to its own weird and unknowable logic. Some mad hermits and outcast scholars whisper that this is not the first Savage Wave... The Cult of Yurei In the shadows and dark corners of the world, the worshippers of Yurei are gathering force. The many members of this Cult may not even be aware that they are serving the same dark masters, but serve them they do – the Yurei Bargain, which in its various forms allows control over life and death, has proven a temptation to many different people who would otherwise have nothing in common. In the Cult of Yurei, you may think yourself the master of your own Fate but you are always advancing the unfathomable goals of dark unseen masters. Even a puppet master has someone pulling his strings... The Ito The Ito have long been the laughing stock of the ruling clans. Never quite able to understand that it is their own flaws which hold their greater ambitions back. Being untrustworthy is synonymous with the Ito in the Jwar Isles; their support of the Shiho s rise to power followed by their treacherous role in the Dragon Wars against the very same clan, highlights their fickle nature. Now though the Ito on the island of Izu have gone through a transformation, their alliance with an age old and powerful Kami has imbued them with a new

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