Wind's Grace Order

Created in the aftermath of the Clan War, the Wind’s Grace Order was home to a great number of formerly serene monks who answered the call to defend the Brotherhood’s temples during that extensive conflict, but who could not regain their former peace and serenity afterward. The Brotherhood seized upon the practice of archery as a way for these unfortunates to find both spiritual focus and purpose, leading to the creation of the Wind’s Grace Order, a new sect with strong ties to the Asahina family and to other prominent archery traditions throughout the Empire, including both the Dragon and the Mantis. Through focus and proper contemplation, the once-lost brothers managed to recover from the horrors of the Clan War and resume the long path toward enlightenment.

Wind's Grace Order [Monk]
 * Devotion: Shintao


 * Benefit: +1 Reflexes


 * Honor: 6.5


 * Skills: Calligraphy, Jiujutsu, Kyujutsu, Lore: Theology (Shintao), Meditation, any two Skills


 * Special: Members of the Asahina family may potentially attend this school. See sidebar for details.

Technique: Pillars of the Mind's Eye
By clearing the mind and embracing absolute serenity and focus, a brother of the Wind’s Grace can grasp the simple truth: the arrow and the target are already one. You make an archery attack as a Complex Action; for every Kiho you have that is presently active, you gain a bonus of +1k0 to the total of that roll. Active Kiho may not have any other effects during a Round in which you employthis Technique, and only one Martial Kiho can confer this benefit. However, any time you use this Technique to make an attack that directly results in the death of an intelligent being, you lose 3 points of Honor.

Sidebar
The Wind's Grace and the Asahina Family

Astute readers will note this book contains two separate archery mechanics that are potentially available to the Asahina family—the Asahina Archer Path and the Wind’s Grace monastic order. However, some GMs and players may see it as unrealistic or mechanically unbalancing for the Asahina to have so many archery options, given the family’s essentially nonmartial nature. It should be remembered that all new mechanics presented in expansion books for the L5R

4th Edition role-playing game are optional, and the GM is under no obligation to allow them if they conflict with his vision of Rokugan. In terms of the setting, the Asahina Archer Path represents the more martial, samurai-like aspect of the family’s archery tradition, developed and maintained in conjunction with the Daidoji family. The access to the Wind’s Grace Order represents the family’s monastic traditions and traditional close ties with the Brotherhood of Shinsei.

Members of the Asahina family who attend the Wind’s Grace School are still considered to be members of the samurai caste, but are samurai who adhere

to a monastic tradition, much like the Henshin order of the Phoenix Clan and the Tattooed Men of the Dragon Clan. Asahina who attend this School still gain the normal Trait Benefit associated with their family; their Outfit consists of Simple Clothing, a Straw Hat, a Yumi, a Traveling Pack, and 3 koku.