What is SHADOWLANDS?

The Shadowlands are the areas of wilderness just beyond the borders of the Empire of Rokugan. Geographic features have made it impossible for the Empire to exploit the area in any meaningful way. Thus, for millennia, the Shadowlands have remained an enigma.

The SHADOWLANDS expansion set to Legend of the Five Rings is the second chapter in the Saga of Rokugan. In the Imperial Edition, the story of the fall of the Hantei Dynasty was told. The great war between the Clans began, and the security of the Empire itself was compromised by the actions of the Crab Clan.

Thousands of years before the Saga began, a terrible Dark Lord was banished from the world. That banishment was accomplished in the Shadowlands, and the remnants of his evil presence warps the area with vile menace to this day. There are many monstrous creatures who lair in its depths. The Oni, evil spirit beings with awesome powers are numerous there, as are renegades who have fled the justice of the Empire.

The Crab Clan accepted the duty of guarding the Empire from the various monsters and Oni who stalked the Shadowlands, and fought honorably and bravely for generations upholding that burden. With the fall of the Hantei and the intercine battles that followed, the Crab have entered into a dark pact with evil forces in the Shadowlands to augment their forces at this critical junction. In return, the monstrous forces of the Shadowlands have gained unprecedented access to the civilized lands of the Empire.

Months before the fall of the Dynasty to the Plague, the Scorpion Clan attempted to overthrow the Emperor by force. Their coup was put down with the might of the combined Clan armies, and the Scorpion Clan was reduced to a few scattered heroes and shugenja, cast to the winds of fate. The Ancestral Sword of the Scorpion was broken, and with it much of their power. Their Diamyo was executed by the Emerald Champion and his widow taken to wife by the Emperor himself. Bayushi Kachiko, the Scorpion Clan Seductress, now schemes from within the Imperial Palace to rescue her Clan and return them to prominence. As her schemes come to fruition, they sow discord and fear throughout the Empire. Rumors fly from the capitol suggesting that she is behind the rampage of the Crane Clan Champion, Doji Hoturi, and his army of madmen.

The Scorpion Clan Shugenja Yogo Junzo has received word of the fall of his Clan in his keep deep in the Shadowlands. Junzo was one of the hereditary guardians of the Black Scrolls, fearsome magic spells used in the forgotten ritual that banished the Dark Lord. Junzo attempted to gain the secrets of that powerful magic by breaking the seal on the scroll his family had protected for millennia. Instead of gaining insight and power, Junzo was reduced to a hideous undead state and his spirit twisted into malevolence. The Empire's most powerful Shugenja, the Elemental Masters of the Phoenix Clan have sensed the breaking of the seal of the Scroll, and have dispatched one of their own, Isawa Tadaka to seek out Junzo and wrest from him the secrets of the Black Scroll. Both Tadaka and Junzo now seek other Scrolls in their hidden sepulchers in the Shadowlands.

In the heart of the Empire itself the Clans have clashed repeatedly as each attempts to gain military supremacy over the others. At the Battle of Beiden Pass, a motley army formed from the remnants of a Dragon Clan force, outriders from the Unicorn Clan, and lead by the dishonored Ronin Akodo Toturi defeated a concentrated attack by the Crab Clan. Near the end of that battle, the youngest son of the Crab Clan Champion was sacrificed to the dark forces from the Shadowlands to seal the Crab Clan pact. His tortured soul now screams from the Terrible War Banner of Fu Leng, an awful reminder to the other Crab samurai of the cost of failure.

To replace the casualties of that battle, Toturi dispatched a young Dragon Clan Samurai, Miromoto Daini to seek out the ancient and mysterious Naga. These reptilian humanoids have recently begun to awaken from a mystical slumber that has preserved them in suspended animation since before the founding of the Emerald Empire. They have entered Rokugan in force to fight against the Shadowlands creatures and their Dark Lord. The Naga care nothing for the antipathy of the Clans - they seek to unite the Empire to fight against the coming tide of darkness.

These events and many more are explored in the SHADOWLANDS Expansion. SHADOWLANDS features 150 new cards, and two new Strongholds: The Ruined Keep of the Scorpion, and the Secret Temples of the Naga. SHADOWLANDS expands and deepens the Saga of Rokugan in many unexpected and exiting ways!

Who designed it?

SHADOWLANDS was designed by the L5R Design Team at AEG and ISOMEDIA.

The Lead Designer is David Williams, who was also the Lead Designer for the Imperial Edition. The Art Director for the L5R project is Matthew D. Wilson. Editorial assistance was provided by D.J. Trindle. Game mechanics, background materials and storyline development was undertaken by John Wick, Matt Staroscik, John Zinser and Ryan S. Dancey.

Other members of the L5R project include: Dave Seay, The Redoubtable Intern Jen, Rob Vaux and Wayne Wallace.

Digital Rendering was provided by Ron Franco & Dragonlight Designs.

Card artwork was provided by: Rob Alexander, Eric Anderson, Julie Baroh, Tom Biondolillo, David Bollt, Heather Bruton, Matt Busch, John Cadice, Ernie Chan, Kevin Daily, Stacy Drum, Randy Elliott, Richard Emond, Sandra Everingham, Steve Firchow, Stacy Fitz, Carl Frank, Dan Fraizer, Randy Gallegos, Pete Garcia, Daniel Gelon, Anthony Grabski, Bonnie Hill, Bob Hobbs, Quinton Hoover, Mike Kimble, KC Lancaster, April Lee, Nicola Leonard, Anson Maddocks, Craig Maher, Brad McDevitt, Ken Meyer, Steve Morales, Jesper Myrfors, William O'Connor, Margaret Organ-Keen, Ben Peck, Mark Poole, Mike Raabe, Chris Rush, Pamela Shanteau, Alissa Shipley, Doug Shuler, Cline Siegenthaler, Ellym Sirac, Brian Snoddy, Ron Spencer, Mark Tedin, David Trowbridge, Susan Van Camp, Diana Vick, Bryon Wackwitz, Christina Wald, Kevin Ward, Matthew D. Wilson and Robin Wood.

Who manufactures it?

SHADOWLANDS is the first product printed under the aegis of Five Rings Publishing Group, Inc.

In April, AEGand ISOMEDIA created Five Rings Publishing to take control of the L5R project. FRP finished development and production of SHADOWLANDS and it went on press in mid May.

Pre-press and film output was provided by Image East of Bellevue, Washington, and The Allied Printers of Seattle Washington.

SHADOWLANDS, and all L5R Cards are printed, cut, sorted and packed by Yaquinto Printing Co. of Dallas Texas. SHADOWLANDS and all L5R expansions and basic sets are proudly Made in the USA!

Who are the Scorpion Clan?

There are Six Clans in the L5R Imperial Edition. SHADOWLANDS adds the Scorpion Clan to the game. SHADOWLANDS Deck Displays include 6 Scorpion Clan Strongholds.

Each of the seven Clans of the Emerald Empire oversees some aspect of the Empire and its defense. The Crane are masters of politics and commerce. The Crab defended the Empire against the depredations of monsters from the Shadowlands. The Dragon learned how to combine shugenja magic with samurai steel. The Lion are the stalwart protectors of the Hantei Dynasty. The Phoenix are masters of the Elemental Forces. The Unicorn have used their fantastic steeds to contact and trade with peoples far from the Empire.

The Scorpion Clan accepted one of the most difficult burdens to bear of all. Before the time of the Empire, a Dark Lord had been banished after much bloodshed. That banishment was accomplished using powerful magics which were enscribed on twelve Black Scrolls. To ensure that the Dark Lord could never return to the world, the Scrolls were magically sealed and entrusted to the various Families of the Scorpion Clan to be hidden away and protected.

To further that mission, the Scorpion Clan became enmeshed in the secret underworld of the Empire. Into their ears was whispered the true secrets of the other Clans. They extended their influence into the Ninja, the Kolat, and even into the councils of the Shadowlands monstrosities. Soon, the other Clans lost all trace of the Black Scrolls.

The Scorpion Clan have access to a prophesy which fortells of a time when the Dark Lord will attempt to return and claim the Empire of Rokugan for himself. They know that this catastrophe will result in the brave warriors of the Empire being enslaved for eternity to serve his vile purposes. As the signs that the prophesy is about to unfold have grown more numerous, factions within the Clan have desperately sought to avert the coming calamity. One portion of the prophesy speaks of the Hantei Emperor doing the bidding of the Dark One.

In an attempt to break the prophesy, the Scorpion Clan lead an attempted coup against the Imperial Family. That coup was put down by the forces of the other Clans, who do not heed the ancient prophesy and see the Scorpion only as vile oathbreakers who have relinquished their honor in a naked bid for power. And in truth the Scorpion have associated with the criminal elements of Rokugan for so long that they are far from the pure idealists they purport to be. They have insisted on maintaining their code of secrecy and intrigue.

Following the failed coup, the Emerald Champion executed the Scorpion Clan Champion. Before his blood was cold, the Emperor had taken his widow into the Imperial Palace and married her. Bayushi Kachiko is beautiful, but deadly. She has taken control of the bureaucracy from behind the scenes, and now plots to return her Clan to its rightful prominence.

Those Scorpion Clanspersons who survived the pogrom launched against them by Doji Hoturi, the Crane Clan Champion, have returned to the Ruined Keep of the Scorpion to serve their dread mistress. Several of their number are still missing. Kachiko believes that some may have retreated to secret redoubts in the Shadowlands.

One such, Yogo Junzo has taken matters into his own hands. Violating the trust placed in his family for generations, Junzo broke the seals of the Black Scroll he guarded and attempted to partake of its power. Instead, the forces unleashed by the Scroll have rendered Junzo Undead, and have twisted his spirit into a vileness unknown in the Empire.

In SHADOWLANDS, the Scorpion become a fully playable Clan. The Ruined Keep of the Scorpion Clan Deck boxes hold many surprises for the unwary. Included is the Broken Sword of the Scorpion, as well as several new Scorpion Clan personalities.

In order to play the Scorpion Clan, you will need to purchase at least one Scorpion Clan Stronghold.

Who are the Naga Clan?

There are Six Clans in the L5R Imperial Edition. SHADOWLANDS adds the Naga Clan to the game. SHADOWLANDS Deck Displays include 6 Naga Clan Strongholds.

Long before the Hantei Dynasty was founded, and the Emerald Empire of Rokugan began to flourish, another vast Empire covered this portion of the world. It was ruled by the Naga, mysterious reptilian humanoids. As their power waned and their people grew weary of life, those who did not wish to see the end of the Naga race were placed into a deep sleep, to spend the next several thousand years in a state of suspended animation.

The rituals used to protect them during their long sleep would only be broken if certain omens occurred. Several years before the fall of the Hantei Dynasty, the first Naga began to stir. Now, they have fully emerged from their slumber to face an ancient evil that they thought long banished from the world.

The brash young Dragon Clan samurai, Miromoto Daini has been sent into the old lands of the Naga to seek the warlord Shahadet by the disgraced ronin, Akodo Toturi. Near death from his brushes with Shadowlands monsters unleashed on Rokugan by the Crab Clan, Daini finally located the Naga council and collapsed after delivering his urgent call for help.

Once he had recovered, Daini lead many of the Naga stalwarts into the heart of the Empire, trying to link up with Toturi's Army of Dragon Clan samurai and Unicorn Clan outriders. Unfortunately, they have been cut off by masses of Shadowlands Madmen, lead by Doji Hoturi, the Crane Clan Champion who has turned his back on his ancestral duties to defend the Empire.

The Naga are a powerful race with deep knowledge of the Five Elements. They understand the forces of the Shadowlands better than any contemporary scholars with the possible exception of Isawa Tadaka, the Elemental Master of Earth who has been combing those terrible wildlands for news of the Black Scrolls and the renegade Scorpion Clan shugenja, Yogo Junzo. The Naga have many abilities unique to their race. They are more unified than the Clans, although there are divisions even among their ranks. Some seek adventure. Others truly wish to help the humans of the Empire. Shahadet knows that he has been awakened to face an old nemesis, and he knows that the Clans must unite or all will be lost.

In SHADOWLANDS, the Naga become a fully playable Clan. The Secret Temples of the Naga have been uncovered, and the Empire will never be the same! Included with the Secret Temple is the Ancestral Spear of the Naga, and numerous new Naga heroes.

In order to play the Naga Clan, you must buy at least one Naga Clan Stronghold.

How many displays do I need to purchase to get a complete set?

At a minimum, you'll need to buy one Naga Clan Stronghold, and one Scorpion Clan Stronghold. There are two cards which appear only in the Strongholds.

Furthermore, to ensure that the Strongholds would be as playable as the Imperial Edition Strongholds, several IE cards were reprinted with SHADOWLANDS borders and inserted into the Naga and Scorpion Clan Strongholds. These reprinted cards are all common, and you should be able to assemble a complete set with five or six Strongholds.

There are 50 rare cards in the SHADOWLANDS set (plus the two Ancestral Items from the Strongholds). A Booster Display has 36 packs, and on average, there is one rare card per booster pack. Thus, you'll have to buy at least two full displays of SHADOWLANDS to have a chance to buy all the cards. After two displays you should have all the commons and uncommons. Statistically, you'll still be short about five rare cards from a complete set. You'll have duplicate rares, so you may be able to trade for the cards you'll be missing. Or, you can start buying additional booster packs until you finish the collection. You'll probably need to buy 10 to 15 more to have an 80% chance of a complete set.

Where can I get it?

SHADOWLANDS is being stocked by the majority of hobby game distributors. That means that almost every hobby retailer in North America can easily order it. Many will have preordered, and will be getting their first shipments soon.

If your local store did not preorder - DON'T PANIC!

Unlike many CCGs, L5R is never printed to order. We've been continuously restocking the distributors since the product shipped. Your store can order from their distributor and be nearly assured of being able to get as many cards as they wish.

Outside North America supply will be much more spotty. We have shipped to the major European distributors, but with the exception of Ludis International in France, none ordered large quantities. We do ship to all the overseas distributors to order, so if you are located outside North America, just ask your local store to order some cards, and you should be able to get them without too much difficulty.

Remember, if your local store doesn't carry L5R they never will unless YOU ask them politely to stock it. It usually helps to ask the store owner directly. Most stores will be helpful once they know there is customer interest in a CCG, but it sometimes takes several inquiries to get the first order placed. Please be persistent!

How long will it be on sale?

We shipped about 1/3 of the press run to preorders. Our current sales rate for the Emerald Edition of the Basic Set suggests that it will be available in most areas until late July or early August.

SHADOWLANDS will be a limited edition. It will never be reprinted, and no cards with the SHADOWLANDS border will be reprinted. Some Personalities from SHADOWLANDS will be rotated into the basic set when we reprint the Emerald Edition later in 1996. The rest of the cards may never appear again.

Currently, we have no plans to print new Naga or Scorpion Clan Decks until at least 1997. The two Ancestral Items in the Strongholds will never be reprinted.

These factors have combined to generate intense interest in SHADOWLANDS. With all the excitement, plus the explosion in L5R sales we're seeing nationally, we expect the expansion to be a brisk seller, and for supplies to be depleted quickly.

If you are told that the product is "sold out" or "printed to order" please ask for the information to be double checked. We will post a message on the Web Site when the expansion is completely sold out, and until you see that announcement, we will be filling restock orders and new orders!

I'm already playing L5R - Should I bother to purchase a new Stronghold?

If you don't care about the Naga or the Scorpion Clans, you may want to buy a SHADOWLANDS Stronghold anyway.

Second, the new Rulebook has information on the Imperial Assembly.

Third, the rulebook has important Imperial Edition errata that are official for all Sanctioned Tournaments.

Finally, there are two cards (the Ancestral Items) that cannot be found in SHADOWLANDS booster packs. If you are trying to collect a complete set, you'll need to buy one Naga and one Scorpion Clan Stronghold.

Shadowlands erratta?

Well, into every 150+ card set, a few errors must fall.

Currently, we've only documented a few problems requiring errata.

There are two cards with the same name: Oni no Ogon.

The Oni which comes in to play via bowing your Stronghold is really named "Oni no Titsu". It is considered UNIQUE, so you may only have one of these Oni in your deck.

There are some cards which have different stats with the same name - play all other SHADOWLANDS cards as written.

Porcelain mask of Fu Leng. The porcelain tokens should go on the Mask, not the Personality, and you only count Porcelain tokens when checking whether the Mask should be destroyed. Also, the placing of tokens is a separate item from the "Battle: Fear 3" ability, and occurs only when the Mask is initially played.

Jade Arrow, Crystal Arrow. These can be aimed at a Personality who has Followers attached, unlike ordinary Ranged Attacks - the text about destroying "any opposing ... card" was meant to convey this. They count as Ranged Attacks so that Reactions and traits that involve Ranged Attacks still apply (you cannot fire a Jade Arrow at an Air Dragon, for instance.)

Ashlim: The removal of the Shadowlands trait is permanent.