The Imperial Families are direct vassals of the Imperial lineage, and serve to maintain the Empire. The Miya are the Emperor's voice; the Seppun are the Empire's shield; and the Otomo manipulate the Great Clans to maintain peace and order. They are the elite of Rokugan's nobility.
The Imperial lineage of Hantei carries a great destiny, and its members may excel in any pursuit.
Miya was assigned the duty of spreading the news of the defeat of Fu Leng, and his family have continued their duty as heralds and peacemakers. They are solemn, quiet, and focused on their responsibilities.
The Otomo are often regarded with dread: predators of the Empire's courts, they use their rank to the utmost. They are manipulative, clever, and remorseless in verbally and politically destroying their opponents. The adage that the court is a battlefield deadlier than combat is proven by the Otomo. Members of the royal family who do not ascend to the throne often renounce the Hantei name and join the Otomo.
The Seppun serve in roles ranging from bureaucrats to warriors. Members of the royal family who do not ascend to the throne sometimes join the Seppun instead of the Otomo.
Imperial messengers travel to even the remote reaches of Rokugan to bring the words of the Emperor and the Imperial Court. This often means travelling through dangerous lands, braving bandits, warfare, weather, and sometimes worse.
While within the Empire's borders, you may spend a Void Point to gain the Way of the Land advantage for the province you are currently in, until you sleep next. Any Rokugani who reveres the Emperor and knowingly and deliberately attacks you automatically loses Honor points equal to 2× your School Rank.
You may add your Honor Rank to all Etiquette (Courtesy) Skill Rolls to resist others' attempts to influence you.
At the start of a skirmish, or during the Reactions Step of any later Round, you may spend a Void Point as a Free Action to prevent any Rokugani who reveres the Emperor from being able to harm you before the next Reaction Stage. (They can still attempt to capture or restrain you without damaging you.) This effect only works if you are not participating in the skirmish or duel.
A number of times per session equal to your School Rank, you may use this Technique on any honorable samurai (Honor Rank 1.0 or better) who reveres the Emperor. Take a Complex Action to pause, gather your will, and demand an end to violence (like "Stop in the name of the Emperor!"). Make a Contested Social Skill Roll of Courtier (Rhetoric)/AWA against the Etiquette (Courtesy)/WIL of everyone within hearing. All who lose the roll must immediately cease all aggressive action, and cannot attack or cast offensive spells until they take damage or you give them permission to fight. They may still use the Defense or Full Defense Stances. The effect lasts for one minute, and the Technique can be used on the same targets again if it is resisted or expires. Both enemies and allies are affected.
When rolling with the Courtier or Etiquette skills agianst a target with at least Honor 1.0, you add +5k0 to your roll.
The Seiyaku, or Otomo courtiers, wield the respect of others against them ruthlessly to enforce the Emperor's will, and to make certain that none of the Great Clans can gather the power to challenge the pillars upholding the Empire.
You do not lose Honor for using the Intimidation (Control) Skill. Any time you are in conversation with someone from one of the clans, you may make a Contested roll of your Courtier (Manipulation)/AWA against their Etiquette (Courtesy)/AWA to provoke a disagreement or argument between them and someone from another clan or faction of your choice.
If you have the opportunity to seek out your contacts, you may spend a Void Point to roll Courtier/AWA (TN 25) to learn one piece of critically useful information (GM's choice).
"Obiesaseru" is the art of using the authority of the Son of Heaven to stun your foes. This Technique may be used against samurai with Honor 1.0 or better who revere the Emperor. Take a Complex Action to pause, gather your will, and shout a command (like "Stop in the name of the Emperor!"). Make a Contested Social Skill Roll of Intimidation (Control)/WIL against the target's Etiquette (Courtesy)/WIL. If the target sincerely believes they are acting honorably, they gain a Free Raise to their roll. If you win, on their next Turn the target cannot move, attack, cast spells, or perform other actions that would directly obstruct or threaten you or your immediate friends and allies (GM's discretion who counts). They may attack others who are not your allies, or use the Defense or Full Defense Stances.
Any time you are in an argument or debate with another, you may spend a Void Point to make a Contested Roll of your Courtier (Manipulation)/AWA against their Etiquette (Courtesy)/AWA. If you win, they must either agree with your position or immediately loe 5 points of Honor.
When making a Contested Social Roll against someone who reveres Imperial authority, you gain +5k0 to your roll.
The Miharu protect the Emperor, the Imperial families, and the Imperial officials.
Any time you roll to resist a Social Skill Roll that could tempt you or lead you away from your duty, you roll additional unkept dice equal to your School Rank. You gain +1k1 to Investigation rolls to detect an ambush or surprise attack.
At the start of your Turn, you may spend a Void Point to add your Honor Rank to the total of your attack and damage rolls until your next Turn.
At any time, you can spend a Void Point as a Free Action to roll Investigation (Notice)/PER (TN 25). On a success, you see through all disguises and illusions around you, whether mundane or magical. In the presence of the Emperor, his immediate family, or a major Imperial official, you do not need to spend a Void Point to activate this Technique. Once you have pierced a specific disguise or illusion, it no longer has any effect on you.
You may make attacks as a Simple Action instead of a Complex Action when using Samurai keyword weapons.
Any time you are within 20' of a person you are guarding, you may spend a Void Point to leap in front of a blow or spell which is targeting your charge. If you are not Down or Out after taking this damage, you may immediately take an extra Simple Action (for any normal purpose, including an attack). This can be used even if you are Blinded, Prone, Stunned, Dazed, Entangled, or Down (but not Grappled or Out).
The Hidden Guard, the Seppun shugenja, protect the Emperor, the Imperial families, and Imperial officials from supernatural threats.
Any time you need to make a Skill Roll, or use your Glory or Honor Rank, you can spend a Void Point to use your Status Rank instead.
After conversing for a few minutes with a lower-Status opponent, you can make a Contested Courtier/AWA Roll. If you succeed, you can reduce their Status by a number of points equal to twice your Insight Rank.
While converting with a lower-Status opponent, you can make a Contested Void Roll against them. If you succeed, you can permanently give them one Social Disadvantage. Alternatively, you force them to become a ronin: this costs you 5 points of Glory, Honor, and Status, and can only be done once every six months.
Otomo Madoka, author of The Subtlety of the Court, is credited with these techniques, used by the Otomo to subtly manipulate other courtiers.
The Imperial Bureaucracy appoints Imperial Observers to oversee the honorable conduct of war, reporting both honorable and shameful strategies back to the Imperial Court. These Observers are trained at the Ruby Dojo.
Kenburo was a ronin who served the Lion Clan as a mercenary against the Crane, and impressed them by slaying a Kenshinzen in a duel. He was adopted by the Lion Clan Champion, Akodo Akihisa. Eventually, he became the Emerald Champion, defeating the Kakita Daimyo, Kakita Taki. He was a direct and ruthless—but efficient—Emerald Champion, and was known as the Emerald Butcher.
Since the time of the Gozoku conspiracy, the Otomo have been tasked with obstructing and dividing the Great Clans, to make sure they never again have the ability to put the Emperor in their power. The Otomo Bureuacrats are experts in subtle obstruction, delay, and obfuscation.
The Seppun maintain an elite cavalry force, the Rising Sun, who have access to the cavalry techniques of all the Great Clans.
The Imperial families rely heavily on astrology. Seppun Astrologers keep constant watch on the night skies for portents to help protect the Emperor and the Empire.
Some Seppun Guardsmen are trained as Investigators, to serve as Imperial magistrates, or to investigate sensitive matters in a discreet fashion.