Memory Sticks
Remembers are not made, they are born. Only one in every few hundred Nezumi is born with the ability to remember clearly. When a young Nezumi is identified as having this gift, one of the tribe’s senior Rememberers will take the young one under his tutelage and begin to teach him about the history of his people and tribe. The young Rememberer learns not only the history of his tribe and people but also the secrets of Memory Sticks and how they aid him to remember events from long ago, a sort of Nezumi racial memory. Memory Sticks are usually about six inches in length and are often decorated with feathers or shiny things to signify their importance to the tribe. Aside from that, they appear to be little more than a short piece of wood that has been chewed on, leaving it knobbled and irregular. However, to the Nezumi these sticks are the key to unlocking memories of their race’s past. The intricate pattern of chew marks that covers each stick are signifi cant in themselves, and each stick is also impregnated with a series of pheromones that temporarily awaken memories within the Nezumi who tastes and smells them. Because the pheromones are temporary, Memory Sticks have to be cared for and refreshed periodically; however, highly experienced Rememberers have learned how to create Memory Sticks that can last almost forever.
Contents
Creating Memory Sticks
Creating a Memory Stick is an arduous and lengthy process. Only Rememberers know the secrets of creating them, and because Nezumi pheromones are virtually undetectable by other races, only the Nezumi may use them. Memory Sticks have a Mastery Level much like spells, and Rememberers may normally only create Memory Sticks of a Mastery Level equal or less than their Rank in the Rememberer School. (However, each Rememberer may create a single type of Memory Stick that is one Mastery Level higher than their Rememberer School Rank.) Creating a Memory Stick from a normal piece of wood takes a number of hours equal to the stick’s Mastery Level. Each type of Memory Stick has a TN required to create it the Rememberer must succeed on this TN with a Skill Roll of Lore: Nezumi Culture / Intelligence. Due to the fleeting nature of Nezumi pheromones, each Memory Stick normally only retains its powers for one week per Mastery Level before it becomes a mundane piece of wood once more. However, any Rememberer who is able to create Memory Sticks of that Mastery Level may “recharge” the stick by examining it for a few minutes and making a Lore: Nezumi Culture / Intelligence roll at a TN equal to half (rounded up) of the original TN needed to create the stick. The most experienced Rememberers (those who have attained School Rank Five) may create Memory Sticks that never become inactive. Each Memory Stick a Rememberer creates has an intangible spiritual connection to that specific Rememberer. Because of this connection, most Rememberers may only create a limited number of active Memory Sticks at one time. A Rememberer may have a number of Memory Sticks equal to his Name Ring + Rememberer School Rank. (There is no limit to how many expired Memory Sticks they can have.) At School Rank Five, a Rememberer is no longer limited and may have any number of Memory Sticks active at one time.
Using A Memory Stick
Any Nezumi with a sense of smell can activate a Memory Stick. To activate a stick, a Nezumi must hold it in either a hand or in his mouth and inhale deeply while either looking at or feeling the chew marks on the stick. This is a Simple Action and activates the power of the stick. A Nezumi can hold up to three sticks at a time (one in each hand and one in the mouth) and thus may use the powers of up to three sticks at the same time. Unless otherwise stated in its description, each Memory Stick may be used once per day and its power will remain active for five Rounds after activation. The Nezumi will only benefi t from its powers as long as he holds it, however.
Mastery Level 1 Memory Sticks
Builder’s Stick
- TN to Create: 10
This stick tells the tale of a clever Builder. It grants the Nezumi a +1k1 bonus to a specific Craft Skill, which must be chosen when the stick is created. These sticks are usually shaved so they are perfectly smooth and uniform wherever there are no chew marks.
Digger’s Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a Builder who dug a huge warren in a single day. For an hour per day, this stick doubles the Nezumi’s burrowing speed. These sticks are usually cut so that one end is fl at like the head of a chisel.
Father’s Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a brave father who rescued his kidnapped pups. The stick is attuned to a specific willing creature (not necessarily a Nezumi) and is usually left behind in the warren. Once per hour, a Nezumi holding the stick can command it to point unerringly toward the creature to whom it is attuned. (The stick cannot sense the creature beyond a distance of ten miles.) Raises may be taken at creation to increase the range at which the stick will work, adding an extra ten miles for each Raise. These sticks are usually made from a piece of wood with a large knot in it.
Happy Stick
- TN to Create: 15
This stick tells the tale of a good-natured Nezumi who always did the right thing. It allows the Nezumi to add +2k1 instead of +1k1 to any rolls enhanced by the expenditure of a Name Point. These sticks are usually fairly unremarkable at fi rst glance. A closer examination, however, reveals that these sticks are made from wood that is exotic for the area. The wood is always of the finest quality.
Mother’s Stick
- TN to Create: 15
This stick tells the tale of a mother’s love. If it is carried for a full day and held for at least an hour during that time, the holder can heal Wounds as if his Stamina is one Rank higher (this does not actually change his Stamina Rank). Rememberers can take Raises to increase the power of the stick: every two Raises increase the holder’s effective Stamina for recovering Wounds by 1. These sticks are generally shorter than other Memory Sticks and painted with comforting colors.
Scout’s Stick
- TN to Create: 15
This stick tells the tale of an extraordinary scout skilled in many things. While it is active the stick grants one Rank in a single Skill in which the holder is unskilled. The holder may choose the Skill when the stick is activated. These sticks are usually thin and short so they may be hidden easier.
Swimmer’s Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the story of a Nezumi who was as at home in the water as he was on the land. While active this stick allows the user to swim in all but the most tempestuous conditions (GM’s discretion). For purposes of swimming the Nezumi is considered to have three additional Ranks of Athletics, and gains the benefi t of the Swimming emphasis even if he does not have it. These sticks are usually made of driftwood that has been bleached white by the sun.
Wanderer’s Stick
- TN to Create: 10
This stick tells the tale of a wandering Nezumi who was always able to fi nd his way home again. The Nezumi using this stick always knows the direction of his home (either the tribe’s current location or their largest established warren). It can be used as often as the holder likes. These sticks are usually longer than most other Memory Sticks and sometimes double as walking sticks for the Nezumi who carry them.
Warrior’s Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a mighty warrior. It grants the Nezumi a +1k1 bonus to any Skill rolls with a single Weapon skill (or Jiujutsu). The Rememberer must choose which Skill the stick augments when he creates it. These sticks are usually sharpened at one end.
Mastery Level 2 Memory Sticks
Food Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a time of great abundance, and provides solace during the winter, which Nezumi call the Lean Times. By holding this stick for one hour, the Nezumi may ignore the penalties for hunger for one full day. This stick may be used every day for up to one week before it ceases to function. These sticks usually have a hollowed end that resembles the head of a Rokugani spoon.
Friend Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a gregarious Nezumi who had many friends. The holder gains a +1k1 bonus to all Social rolls (including rolls with non-Nezumi) while the stick is active. These sticks are usually ornamented with something shiny, often a gift from a friend.
Home Sticks
- TN to Create: 15
Creating Home Sticks actually creates two sticks, attuned to each other. These paired sticks tell the tale of a great friendship. Once per hour, each stick can be commanded to unerringly point in the direction of the other, so long as the other stick is less than fifty miles away. Raises can be used to increase the range, by fifty miles for every two Raises. These sticks are usually made from a single piece of wood, split down the middle lengthwise to create two equally sized sticks.
Lovers’ Stick
- TN to Create: 15
This stick tells the tale of a Nezumi who sacrificed everything for his love. The holder of this stick can heal another by up to 10 Wounds, once per day, by touch. The holder suffers an equal number of Wounds, which must be healed naturally and not by magic. These sticks are usually very nondescript, though the story written upon them is not.
Nose Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of a Nezumi tracker with an extraordinarily sensitive nose. The holder gains an additional +1k1 bonus on Hunting rolls where scent may be a factor. These sticks are usually made from the wood of fragrant flowering trees so that the scent of the wood will not offend the heightened senses of the Nezumi who use them.
Wisdom Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of a Nezumi who spent his life seeking the answer to an unanswered question. By breaking the stick, the holder can ask one question of a Transcendent. The Transcendent will answer to the best of its ability, but there are some questions even the Transcendents cannot answer. These sticks are usually very traditional with little or no ornamentation.
Mastery Level 3 Memory Sticks
Armor Stick
- TN to Create: 30
This stick tells the tale of the Nezumi friendship with the Crab Clan and the many things the Nezumi have learned from Crab warriors. If the holder is not wearing armor, his Armor TN is increased by 10 and he gains 5 Reduction, as if he were wearing heavy armor like the Crab bushi. If the Nezumi is already wearing armor, he may ignore any Skill penalties it inflicts. Some ancient versions of this stick were made of petrifi ed wood, but most are made from simply a very hard wood.
Life Stick
- TN to Create: 35
This stick tells the tale of a wounded Nezumi warrior who was able to overcome his injuries and prevail against all odds. The holder of this stick can call upon its power once per day. It will restore Wounds up to 5x his Earth, or instead it can allow him to ignore all Wound penalties (except for death) for one hour. The Rememberer who creates this stick may take two Raises to allow the user to use both abilities at once. The Rememberer may also take four Raises to cause the stick to heal up to 10x Earth of Wounds. These sticks are usually made with green wood that stays green as long as the stick is active.
Runner’s Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of an extremely fast Nezumi. The holder may move as if his Water Ring were two Ranks higher (this stacks with the Nezumi’s natural Swift ability). Raises can be made to further increase this effect, adding an additional Rank to the runner’s effective Water Ring for every two Raises. These sticks are generally fairly thin and well balanced so the Nezumi using them barely notices their weight.
Scrounger’s Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of an extraordinarily clever Nezumi scrounger. The holder gains a +1k1 bonus on Stealth and Sleight-of-Hand Skill rolls while the stick is active. These sticks are usually made from sharpened and fi re-blackened pieces of wood.
Mastery Level 4 Memory Sticks
Berserker’s Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of a ferocious Nezumi berserker. The holder gains a bonus +1k1 on damage rolls with either a specific weapon or with unarmed damage (the creator chooses when making the stick). These sticks often resemble short clubs.
Demon Stick
- TN to Create: 30
This stick tells the tale of a great demon defeated by a tribe of Nezumi, who used their wits and ingenuity to beat the Invulnerable creature. While this stick is active the holder can harm Invulnerable creatures with any weapon as if it were a crystal or jade weapon. If the creature is Tainted, its Reduction is also decreased by 3 whenever the Nezumi holding the Demon Stick attacks it. The ends of these sticks are often carved into the shape of a demon head.
Dream Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a strange dream. Once per week, the holder can enter the Realm of Dreams (Yume-do) while sleeping but remain aware and in control of his actions. These sticks sometimes have small branches attached to them, woven into an intricate latticework.
Trader’s Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of a wily Nezumi trader. Once per day, it allows the holder to know whether the last thing he was told was a lie. There is usually something shiny hidden beneath the bark of these sticks.
Poison Stick
- TN to Create: 30
This stick tells the tale of a great Nezumi healer and herbalist. Once per week, the holder can remove the effects of a single poison from a target individual (which may be the Nezumi himself). Magically created poisons are usually un-curable by the memories imparted by this stick. The tip of these sticks is usually fi re-blackened.
Shaman’s Stick
- TN to Create: 30
This stick tells the tale of an extraordinary Nezumi shaman. Once per day, a shaman can activate this stick to cause the next spell he casts to not expend a spell slot. For every two Raises made when creating this stick, the shaman may use it an additional time per day. These sticks are usually ornamented and decorated by the shaman who carries them.
Spirit Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells the tale of a terrible spirit that once haunted a warren, and of the Nezumi who overcame it. For one hour per day, the holder of this stick can perceive and understand (and be understood by) any spirit or ghost. These sticks are usually made of some sort of light colored wood, or sometimes from driftwood.
Sunlit Stick
- TN to Create: 20
This stick tells a tale of a hero who never lost his way no matter what conditions he traveled in. The holder of the stick can always see clearly, regardless of blindness, darkness, fog, smoke, or any other kind of reduced visibility. The stick’s effects last for one hour after it is activated and it may be used once per day. These sticks are usually made of dry wood whose bark has been slightly bleached by the sun.
Mastery Level 5 Memory Sticks
Chieftain’s Stick
- TN to Create: 35
This stick tells the tale of a great Nezumi chieftain whose leadership enabled his people to perform feats far greater than they could alone. The holder may bestow Skill Ranks on his companions. He may choose any Skill in which he has at least 4 Ranks, and may bestow up to 2 Ranks in that Skill on up to 10 of his followers. For every Raise made when creating the stick, he may enhance an additional follower. Followers cannot gain a Skill at a higher Rank than the holder of the stick. This stick may be used once per day and its effects last for one hour. Some Nezumi who have learned Rokugani ways will attach a paddle or leaf to these sticks, making them into Nezumi-sized warfans
Evil Stick
- TN to Create: 35
This stick tells the tale of the Terrible Day When Air Became Fire and Heaven Fell From Its Perch to Crush Our Glorious Home Beneath Its Blackened Corpse. The stick’s holder is protected from the beasts of the Shadowlands, or by any individual with the Shadowlands Taint. The effects of the stick last for one hour, after which the stick breaks and cannot be used again. While it is active, Tainted creatures must succeed in a Willpower Roll at TN 35 to be able to attack or harm the holder in any way. However, if the holder attacks a Tainted creature the stick no longer protects him from that creature. For each Raise made when creating the stick, the Willpower TN is increased by 5. These sticks are usually made of the darkest colored wood the Rememberer can fi nd.
Rememberer’s Stick
- TN to Create: 35
This stick tells the tale of a great Rememberer who was able to accomplish miraculous feats. If it is held by a Rememberer when he is creating another Memory Stick, that stick does not count towards his maximum number of active memory sticks. This stick can only be used once per week. Most large tribes have at least one of these sticks, passed down to the most important Rememberer of the tribe as a sign of offi ce. These sticks are often quite large and ornate, as large as a bo staff and able to double as such if necessary.
Tomorrow Stick
- TN to Create: 25
This stick tells the tale of a Nezumi destined to battle Tomorrow and win. The stick must be attuned to a specific Nezumi when created and will not work for anyone else. The attuned Nezumi gains the effects of the Great Destiny Advantage so long as he carries the stick and it remains intact, but he does not need to hold the stick for it to function. As soon as the stick saves the Nezumi’s life, it breaks. If the stick breaks prematurely, the Nezumi attuned to it dies. A Rememberer can only have one of these sticks active at a time, and must wait for that stick to break before making another. These sticks are usually made of green wood with at least one leaf growing from it, which blackens when the stick breaks.
Treasure Stick
- TN to Create: 30
This stick tells the tale of a great Nezumi treasure hunter and the various hoards he found. Once per hour, the stick can be commanded to point to the nearest source of valuable treasure not yet owned by the tribe. This treasure could be food, shiny objects, or any other things the holder’s tribe might value, but it will always be something the tribe could use and conceivably attain. The stick will not point toward any other treasure until the fi rst one is found. These sticks are usually made from a Y junction of a branch, and resemble a divining rod.