Haki Shinpi

Haki Shinpi, a powerless Geist, is the darklord of Rokushima Táiyoo.

Data from the Ravenloft Catalogue

		Ravenloft Campaign Setting
		Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - p801
		Secrets of the Dread Realms - p7 Ravenloft Campaign Setting:Domains and Denizens - pp39-40,81-82

Shinpi was from a land where the Bushido code meant everything to a noble. To deliberately violate the code heaped dishonor on the noble and his family. Virtually all nobles prefered death to that fate. Not only would he be stripped of his title even his own family wouldn't give him any respect. He would be dead to them. The only way to regain his honor in such a case was to commit a ritual suicide. Shinpi was a minor lord of the land and he was in no shape to war with the other nobles. In fact, he was so low down on the totem pole that many nobles were condesending to him. His heart burned to avenge this insult. He would show them all by becoming the new emperor and ruling over them all. But how? His holdings were far too small to challange any of his neighbors. An evil plan came to mind. He would call on the forces of Hell and using the cunning of devils against him. He had his loyal wizards summon a devi from Hell. An ice devil named Chillus answered the call normally the devil would charge an enormous price for any advice and would be unlikely to answer the call in the first place but the devil saw his potential even from the Nine Hells. It showed Shinpi the ways to pit the other samuri against each other which would allow Shinpi to pick up the pieces. Soon he became a force to be reckoned with and eventually the emperor himself moved against him. With the forces of Hell backing him he won. He was getting older now and he had six sons. He felt that none of them earned his legacy. Akihiro was to busy womanizing to take seriously while Atshushi was too lazy. Daiki was great warrior but with little wisdom, while Fumio was the opposite and became a wizard instead of a warrior like a true man should. Hideo was too decadent with his love of alchol and gambling, while Hiroshi was a spendthrift. Chillus was behind Shinpi's lack of faith in his sons. They did have these weaknesses but not to the degree the father felt they did. This is when Chillus gave the idea that Shinpi would become a death knight on his death and have the wills of his sons bound to his. For the ritual to succeed he had to trick them into being willing participants he was able to do so with the help of Chillus. He told him it was neccessary to divide the land and treasure up fairly. All but Fumio had no knowledge of magic and this was an infernal ritual not an arcane one so he was able to be tricked as well. He drank a slow acting poison that would take a few hours and summoned his sons by his side as he needed them close for the ritual to work. The dark powers noticed this betrayal and gave him a domain but as a powerless geist instead of a death knight. The dark powers enraged the sons against each other and compelled them to return to their own castles to make war on each other. Two of the sons were killed within a month, Atshushi and Hideo. Shinpi knows there is only one way to break the curse and that is to have the four sons make peace with each other and remain in peace for at least a month. This, of course, will never happen. After the Grand Conjunction the dark powers gave Shinpi two powers

1) He can project any of three emotions at will: Fear, Rage and Sorrow where the targets get a will save against DC15 2) He can pocess anyone who hasn't been in Rokushima Taiyoo more than a month where the targets get a will save against DC 15

He tried to use his pocessed subjects to talk peace with the three sons but found there is a further curse for him to project the emotions of Fear, Rage and Sorrow around his sons and his sons get no saves. This generally results in one of three things: Their fear is that the other brothers have sent assassins into his very palace which results in great bloodshed in the palace due to parnoia fueled witch hunts and the sending of more assassins in return. Rage at the other brothers resulting in assassination attempts against them and sorrow over what they lost in the wars which is quickly followed by anger.

When the sons die the grandsons take over the feud as all of them have been raised to dispise the other brothers.