On
Usually translated as either “respectability” or the more popular “face,” On (long “o” vowel sound) is the measure of a man’s respect. Respect from society and respect for himself. Often, Rokugan is more concerned with appearance than truth; being considerate of others can win you many favors, while being inconsiderate can cost you your life. A samurai with no On has been disgraced and may only save his On by committing seppuku. Rokugani are respectful of other each other because causing a “scene” brings a loss of On to both parties. Discipline is very important in Rokugan, and showing a burst of emotion means you have lost “face.”
Yes, this is a gross oversimplification. Books over the centuries cannot reach precision on the matter, so don't expect justice in a single paragraph. Take it as a starting point.
So what does that mean to a player? On is divided into two secondaries: Honor and Glory. Honor is your measure of self-worth, dictated by an adherence to Bushido, the ancient code of the warrior (at least, ancient in Hachigoku). Glory is a measure of how well known and famous (or infamous) you are in the Empire.
Both of these may play into your status within the social hierarchies of Hachigoku, but while this may entail titles and responsibilities with very real everyday effects, your position in the Celestial Order is not simply ranked by a single statistic.
Honor
Generally, Honor is your integrity. It is not a straitjacket. It does not determine how you behave; how you behave determines what it is.
While Honor is largely an internal concept, it is not entirely so; it also reflects how others perceive you. If it were purely an internal matter, it could quickly become irrelevant. The greatest of villains merely believed themselves misunderstood but honorable souls. In reality, even the most loyal and cold-hearted Bayushi assassin can only lie to himself so much before he realizes how others perceive his dishonorable actions. Although many uji place different stigmas on different activities, there is a general agreement that a number of actions are ultimately honorable or dishonorable. Thus, the effects and virtue of Honor itself is an objective observation, even if the intricacies and nuances are vigorously debated.
The Virtues of Bushido
Honor is largely defined by Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, a system of warrior beliefs and virtues pioneered by Akodo One-Eye, the Lion Kami, founder of the Akodo uji. Those who do not adhere to Bushido (pretty much anyone not a samurai, especially nonhumans and gaijin) have no Honor. They are considered to have an Honor Rank 0 for game mechanics purposes, although some Techniques and other abilities are completely useless against those with no Honor (ignoring the effective Rank 0 condition). Actions which adhere to Bushido are honorable, and actions that violate Bushido are dishonorable. Some aspects of Honor are ingrained into Hachigoku's social customs as well, permeating society even beyond the samurai caste.
- Gi (Honesty): A samurai is honest in all things. Truth measures the meaning of life so adhering to truth defines the course of the samurai’s life. Those who lead an honorable life are pure and have nothing to fear from the truth. Lies are a tool of the weak and shameful. Even the most dishonest teishin would agree; misdirection crafted from half-truths is always better than a bold-faced lie.
- Yu (Courage): A samurai fears nothing; he must stand above his emotions. Courage is not the absence of fear, simply the determination to carry on regardless.
- Jin (Compassion): A samurai goes out of his way to help others; a wise person tempers power with mercy. Mercy is a fundamental principle of the Celestial Order, and the man who spares his enemy is superior to him.
- Rei (Courtesy): A samurai is always respectful in his dealings with others. Respect is more important than strength of arms to the fabric of the Empire. Order preserves the Empire; chaos destroys it. It is said that a well-armed society is a polite one; Hachigoku is VERY well-armed.
- Meyo (Honor): The only true judge of a samurai is, in the end, himself. Honor is the binding force that elevates samurai above the common man. It cannot be truly defined, for those without any concept of honor will never understand. It is, ultimately, responsibility. The acceptance of the consequences of your actions, and the willingness to stand by and own them. No matter the cost. All other virtues of Bushido lead to meyo, yet meyo is required for all the other virtues to be practiced.
- Makoto (Sincerity): Word and action are the same. A samurai’s word is the cornerstone of his reputation; he need not make promises, for every word he speaks should breathe certainty and sincerity.
- Chugo (Duty): A samurai does not retreat from responsibility. All that exists has a purpose; to recognize and pursue that purpose is the virtue of duty. Even Emperors bow before the Heavens, and all should follow their examples. Duty to the Heavens, the uji, your daimyo, your immediate family, and yourself last of all.
Honor Ranks
Honor has 6 Ranks, from 0 to 5. A character with Honor cannot have it below 0 Ranks or above 5 Ranks.
- Rank 0 (Honorless Dog!): You do not adhere to Bushido and mock those who do. You cannot be trusted, and would likely betray anyone for an advantage. Most criminals have this Rank.
- Rank 1 (Untrustworthy): While you are hardly honorable, you are somewhat reliable. You have some veneer of virtue, a loose morality that even you won’t violate; you can be relied upon to act honorably if the threat of punishment is real. Bushido is imperfect and inconvenient, but not a bad ideal.
- Rank 2 (What is Expected): You follow the tenets of Bushido to the letter, but still have qualms whenever it supplants your own desires. You believe in it, but sometimes Bushido is hard to understand. Still, you are generally honorable, and those who act selflessly are heroes in your eyes. This is the default Rank for most samurai.
- Rank 3 (Exceptional): You have seen the strength of Bushido, and while you feel the temptations of “low” character, you resist them with some effort. Occasionally you allow yourself to ignore virtue for practicality, but these decisions haunt you long afterward.
- Rank 4 (A Soul Above Question): You are a rarity, devoted to Bushido; little can turn you away from your duty and Clan. Others frequently admire you, but often view you as impractical and rigid. For you, honor is its own reward, and wipes away all failure.
- Rank 5 (Strength of a Thousand Ancestors): The paragon of honor and the stuff of legends. Those who dare to question your honor only call their own into doubt. You are selfless, completely devoted to Empire, uji, and family.
Gaining Honor
Honor Ranks are fluid; they rise and fall according to your actions, being the demonstration of your understanding and adherence to Bushido. Your actions gain or lose Honor Points. Once you have more than 10 Honor Points, your Honor Rank rises and you lose all your Honor Points. Essentially, you “reset” at the next highest Honor Rank. This occurs as your soul digests the import and worth of your choices. Your Honor Rank cannot rise above 5, nor can you have more than 10 Honor Points at the end of a Story. If you are Honor Rank 5 with any number of Honor Points, only to be awarded enough Honor Points to put you above 10, you simply have 10 Honor Points.
Incorporating the consequences of your actions into your soul takes some time. After all, a single instance of virtue does not actually make one virtuous; you must know you are being virtuous and doing an activity to embrace your virtue. Only experience of habit can accomplish such a task. Thus, your Honor Rank does not actually rise until the end of the current Story. It is then that Honor Points reset. If your Honor Rank has not changed, your tally of Honor Points carries over into the next Story (and even the next Season).
It is easier for a lower Honor Rank character to acquire Honor Points than it is for higher Honor Rank characters. Climbing to the highest reaches of your soul is easier at first, because the demands on your soul become greater once you yourself are more honorable. Rising in honor should be difficult the farther you travel the path of Bushido, precisely because what was exceptional for an honorless dog is expected of a samurai with the strength of a thousand ancestors. But then, the benefits of actually being honorable rise as well.
Actions that gain you Honor Points can be divided into two broad categories: Acts of Virtue, and Acts of Excellence.
Acts of Virtue
Any time you perform a task in accordance with one of the tenets of Bushido, you gain Honor Points. However, these cannot simply be the execution of your obligations to anyone but yourself, and for no other gain that the correctness of the action itself. Thus, this is not concerning Actions as in a single die roll or momentary impulse. Honor Point awards for Acts of Virtue should occur at the end of a Scene, or even an entire Story so that their dimensions are adequately considered. Not that every deliberation, purpose, or effect possible is accounted for, but just so reasonable expectations are covered. Honor Point awards are for actions that are honorable but not required, or even harmful to you. Risk awards Honor. Duty requires Honor. There's a difference.
Example: Hida Jo discovers a wounded enemy general among the dead after a battle. He quickly seeks a shugenja to heal his wounds as a show of compassion once the fighting is finished. At the end of the Scene he should be awarded Honor Points. If he had to drag the wounded general through a hail of arrows, or brought him aid despite orders to leave no enemy alive, the Honor Points would be even greater. If, however, he aided the general just to gain reward from his daimyo, to use the general as a hostage, or for blackmail, or any number of ulterior motives honorable or dishonorable, there would be no Honor Points awarded.
Whenever you perform an Act of Virtue, you gain 3 Honor Points if it was voluntary and for immediate gain, +3 Honor Points if it was a significant risk to yourself. The risk need not be immediately physical (although it usually is), but also an action that could (or does) imperil your Honor, Glory, status, or anything else of vital importance to you (family, uji, friends, the wa, all of Hachigoku, etc.). This danger must be clear before the action; acting in ignorance is not honorable. Acts of Virtue are defined as being in service to the Virtues of Bushido, and sometimes Acts of Virtue may even be appropriate to more than one Virtue. Then, you must subtract your current Honor Rank from the award, to a minimum of 0 Honor Points. So, an Honor Rank 2 samurai who performed an Act of Virtue with significant risk would be awarded 4 Honor Points (6-2=4), while an Honor Rank 4 samurai committing an Act of Virtue with no significant danger would gain no Honor Points (3-4=-1, round up to 0). Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Gi: Acknowledging a superior opponent (this shows not only honesty in appraising another's skill, but your own). Giving a truthful report (this is usually required, but could likely be dangerous if it could damage or offend your daimyo; could also display Makoto).
- Yu: Facing a clearly superior foe in the name of your uji, family, or someone or something else you have sworn to defend. Overcoming any attempt to coerce you into an action against your will, including magic.
- Jin: Aiding a wounded enemy. Kindness to those beneath your status.
- Rei: Enduring an insult to yourself. Politely ignoring another's dishonorable behavior. Sincere courtesy to your rivals (could also display Makoto).
- Makoto: Fulfilling a promise (could also display Chugo). Convincing another of your sincerity or belief (this cannot be an outright lie).
- Chugo: Acknowledging responsibility for a superior's shameful action (could also display Makoto). Following orders despite personal misgivings. Protecting or furthering your uji or family's interest.
Acts of Excellence
Acts of Virtue put Bushido on display, encouraging others to uphold Bushido as well, but are open to interpretation and argument. Likewise, they put the actor at considerably more peril in return for a benefit that could be quietly internalized. Acts of Excellence are much more static, grounded, and prone to display. The Honor Points awarded by such Acts are not affected by your current Honor Rank, and rarely can they be accomplished without publicity.
Duels: Accepting duels is always honorable, even if it is foolhardy against a clearly superior opponent. Or even against an inferior opponent (doing this may incur a loss greater than the reward, however). Duels need not be iaijutsu duels, although those are by far the most praised. They need not even be strictly affairs of combat—teishin, shugenja, and gakusho throughout history have developed several alternative methods of competition: the taryu-jiai of magic, Winter Court games, riddle challenges, etc. While accepting a duel is always honorable, and may even coincide with an Act of Virtue, increasing the Honor Point award, issuing challenges is not (of course, issuing the challenge may still coincide with an Act of Virtue itself). Broadly, duels are divided into three categories: to the victory, to the injury, or to the death. Duels to the victory are worth 1 Honor Point, duels to the injury are worth 2 Honor Points, and duels to the death are worth 3 points. Victory in any duel is worth the same amount Honor Points as acceptance. Thus, to accept and win a duel to the death is worth 6 Honor Points, and to challenge and win a duel to the injury is worth 2 Honor Points.
Quests: Accepting a quest from a superior (be it your daimyo, an elder relative, an Imperial official, a Fortune, etc.) and accomplishing it is worth Honor Points. This quest must involve significant danger to yourself, and fulfilling the quest's objective is worth a number of Honor Points equal to the Stories it took to complete (remember the limit of 10 Honor Points lest you be tempted to draw out a quest for an unnecessarily long time).
Gifts: Fulfilling the Virtue of Rei by giving gifts is a common activity among samurai, and forms the basis for the samurai economy (although not so much for the lower castes). Simple economic activity can, in fact, be cloaked in the illusion of gift-giving. Simple gifts, or those required by custom, will not gain you Honor Points; Fine Quality gifts or those given in true generosity, usually when you cannot afford to be giving a gift at all, or when doing so is disadvantageous to you do. You must give a gift to receive Honor Points, not receive, and it must not be to your superior. Such a figure demands everything you have and everything you all; “gifting” them anything is absurd. A Fine Quality gift is worth 1 Honor Point, while one difficult for you to give up (an object of sentimental value, an inherited gift, a supernatural one, etc.) is worth 2 Honor Points.
Arts: The soul that beholds beauty becomes beautiful. Creating a work of art, be it a performance or an object, can be highly Honorable. This is only possible for souls of a certain Honor Rank, however, as those less attuned to Bushido cannot grasp the excellency of the artwork. Thus, you cannot gain Honor Points for the arts if you have an Honor Rank below 3. Arts are considered any use of Skills in the Artisan or Performance Subgroup, in addition to the Craft Emphases of Swordsmith and Armorsmith and the Oratory Emphases of Storytelling and Poetry. Under the right conditions, even the Games Skill (perhaps with a masterful game of Go between two sensei) could be exquisitely executed, or a Bugei Skill could be performed as a demonstration of its katas and forms. In any case, the roll for the art has TN 40. Those who produce the art receive 1 Honor Point, and can make Raises to increase the gain by +1 Honor Point per Raise. Those who witness a performance gain half the number of Honor Points, rounded up. Those who absorb a created work (studying it at some length) for the first time also gain half the Honor Points, rounded up, but this bonus fades by 1 Honor Point per Season.
High Skills: High Skills are tools to enlighten the soul, thus increasing your Skill Ranks is seen as an honorable way to spend your time. Whenever you increase a High Skill Rank higher than your Honor Rank with Season Actions, you gain 1 Honor Point at the end of the Season.
Vengeance: Avenging insults and demanding blood for blood is an honorable enterprise in Hachigoku, and highly ritualized. If engaged in a Blood Feud (where entire family lines swear vengeance against another), you gain honor for slaying your enemies. After slaying members of the opposing families, you gain Honor Points equal to the highest Insight Rank or Threat Rating among the slain enemies you engaged, minus your Honor Rank. Vengeance is honorable, but the unrestricted lust for blood begins to trouble the purest souls. It's important to note this involves families, and sometimes individuals. A Blood Feud cannot be granted against an entire uji.
Restoring the Celestial Order: This a polite way of saying “destroy those different!” Any time you defeat groups of Shadowlands creatures, maho-tsukai, ninja, gaijin—pretty much anyone considered to be separate or violently opposed to the Celestial Order by their very existence, you gain Honor Points equal to the highest Ring or Threat Raiting among the slain enemies you engaged. Note the “by their very existence” part; lower castes in rebellion do not count outside the Celestial Order, or violently opposed to it by their very existence. And, of course as everyone knows, ninja do not exist. Nor do Kolat.
Honor Losses
Paradoxically, the more Honor you gain, the easier it is to lose; a samurai at the height of Bushido has longer and more tragic fall than an honorless dog. The effects of the fall are swift, however. Whereas Honor Point gains do not affect your Honor Rank until the end of the Story, Honor Point losses affect your Honor Rank at the end of a Scene. If you lose more Honor Points than you have by the end of the Scene, you lose an Honor Rank. Your total Honor Points reset to 0, just as if you had gained an Honor Rank.
Like Honor gains, losing Honor Points falls broadly into two categories: Acts of Vice, and Acts of Shame.
Acts of Vice
Acts of Vice represent actions contrary to the seven Virtues, and direct violations to the very basic foundations of Bushido. When performing an Act of Vice you lose Honor Points equal to your Honor Rank; the higher your Honor, the harsher the verdict you render against yourself. Such actions may only lose you half your Honor Rank (round up) if the act was done unintentionally or in ignorance. You do not excuse yourself for failing to comprehend or overcome situation, even if the damage is mitigated. These include, but are not limited to:
Dishonesty: Accepting a bribe. Outright lying (without using a Skill).
Cowardice: Fleeing from battle (rather than sensibly retreating). Not resisting orders you know are disastrous to whomever you owe loyalty to.
Cruelty: Instigating unwarranted violence. Subjecting others to injustice.
Disrespect: Being duped into a dishonorable activity. Breach of etiquette (improper introduction, spilling tea, public drunkenness, insulting a host, etc.).
Insincerity: Manipulating another into a dishonorable activity. Breaking your promise.
Disloyalty: Disobeying your superior's commands. Accomplice to a crime.
Acts of Shame
Acts of Shame egregiously violate Bushido, discouraging others from embracing the nobility of the warrior code. Well, that's how Akodo would put it. They put the actor at considerably more peril in a way that is difficult to redeem. These extremes of dishonor are rarely private, or require enormous effort to hide. Most who fall so far so fast rarely see any point in making the long climb back to the even a plateau of acceptable integrity, and simply admit defeat. Acts of Shame are much more static, grounded, and prone to display. The Honor Points lost by such Acts are not affected by your current Honor Rank, and may destroy your Honor entirely in one fell swoop.
Low Skills: Low Skills are a blight on the soul. Spending your time perfecting or practicing Low Skills is can only lead to dishonor. Whenever you increase a Low Skill Rank or successfully use a Low Skill you lose 1 Honor Point.
Impurity: Being clean is of great importance to samurai. By touching things that do not fit their definition of “clean” they anger the ancestors that guide and watch over them. To the samurai’s mind, this act also defiles his soul and violates tenets set down by the Fortunes. Sweat and blood are considered unclean, and it is taboo to touch the flesh of another if either is upon them. Even a kimono and pommel of a katana must be made or wrapped in silk to keep sweat from soaking into the material. Fish, rabbit, and bird are largely considered the only meats that samurai can consume without dishonoring themselves. Certain uji may be more lax about these customs (especially Hida, Shinjo, and Yoritomo). Samurai rarely touch each other as it is, and a samurai’s hands usually fall upon the skin of another during sports, combat, athletic activity, or intimate activity. When it is necessary to touch someone, it is either upon the hands or the clothes alone. If a samurai touches dead flesh, consider the following:
- Those who have touched dead flesh are unclean until the proper rituals are done. Dying in such a state is sure to guarantee rebirth as hinin. Hinin are normally required to move dead bodies, and samurai are wise to let them do their job.
- Entering any religious site (such as a ashram, seido, or shinden) requires at least some nominal purification, such as washing the hands or mouth with water. Failure to do so costs you 1 Honor Point.
- War itself is considered very honorable, so blood and sweat that covers a samurai during battle is not dishonorable. Afterwards, though, a samurai is expected to undergo cleansing rituals, both to clean their body and wash the death from their soul. Having a descendant skilled in war is no dishonor to the ancestors, but having one who carries the stench of death with him is. Entering a new Scene without having cleaned off the detritus of war costs you 1 Honor Rank.
- If a samurai touches dead flesh intentionally, he is reduced to Honor Rank 0 immediately. This may be mitigated by certain factors, such as Skill uses by certain samurai who are exempt from Honor Losses while using the Skill. Also, if it is required to otherwise act honorably, the samurai loses only 1 Honor Rank, but gains no Honor Points he would normally gain for the activity. Example: Hida Jo and his brother are on the field of battle. His brother dies, and there are none left alive to bury him. Hida Jo must do the honorable thing by burning his body and returning the ashes to their family. This requires him to deal with the dead flesh of his brother. He loses 1 Honor Rank, and does not gain any Honor Points he might have gained for fulfilling his duty. If he must face great danger in transporting those ashes, however, and triumphs, he would still gain the Honor Points for doing just that.
Murder: Slaying your enemy is honorable, but only in warfare, a duel, self-defense, or with the permission of your superior. Causing the death of another, especially via dishonorable means such as poison, without lawful sanction is murder. This is a violation of the Celestial Order, one of the most heinous. If you mistakenly cause the death of another of your status or higher without sanction, you lose 1 Honor Rank. If you willingly cause the death of another of your status or higher without sanction, you are reduced to Honor Rank 0. Note that his only applies to those of your station; a samurai is within his rights to slay any heimin or hinin for offending him. However that person may be under another's authority, provoking a response to the insult. And, of course, being an Act of Vice against compassion.
Blasphemy: You turn your back on a tenet of Bushido, or even the entire concept. You betray a thousand years of tradition and Honor. If you voluntarily disregard one of the Virtues of Bushido, considering it a weakness rather than strength, you lose 1 Honor Rank, and your maximum Honor Rank is reduced by 1. If this makes your maximum Honor Rank 0, you lose Honor entirely. You can't even claim to be an honorless dog. For each Virtue discarded, you no longer lose or gain Honor Points connected to it as an Act of Virtue or Vice.
Exiled/Ronin: Your sense of worth is deeply connected to your usefulness in Hachgoku society. If your uji or shinden exiles you from lands they control, you lose 1 Honor Rank. If you are made ronin, either by decree or ill fortune, or exiled by Imperial decree from Hachigoku entirely, your Honor Rank ios reduced to 0.
Taint: The Shadowlands Taint has a terrible effect on the soul of its user, not only causing intense impurity but causing division between the bearer of the Taint and the rest of Hachigoku. The darkness and despair of Jigoku has a foothold in your destiny. Whenever you cast a maho spell or gain a new Taint Rank, you lose 1 Honor Rank.
Honor Rolls
Honor is stronger than steel. This is a mantra every samurai utters during training as a youth. It doesn't matter if you spend long hours repeating katana strikes, mastering prayers to the kami, or memorizing poetry and rhetoric for days on end. Honor is stronger than steel.
Every samurai may differ in their abilities and capabilities, but great honor can overcome liabilities preventing honorable actions, releasing their potential. Whenever you are making a roll to either resist performing an action that causes you to lose Honor Points or Ranks through coercion or manipulation (such as intimidation, seduction, mind control, or even distracting you into abandoning your post), or to accomplish an action which will gain you Honor Points or Ranks, you can attempt to channel your Honor. By spending Honor Points equal to your Honor Rank, you can add a +XkX bonus to your roll, where X is your Honor Rank.
Various Disciplines also use your Honor Rank or that of your foes for special abilities.
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