Hello! So this is a project I've been working at on and off again for quite a while now, and I figured actually posting stuff might get me to finish it. I ran Jade Regent all the way through once, and I am about 2/3rds of the way through a second run. While the information in the books is great, Minkai is a very big country with a long history and unfortunately there's a lot of blank space. So I've been working on this campaign setting style book. I'll post the first 2 chapters now, with 3, 4 and 5 coming later. Chapter 3 is pretty much done, 4 and 5 need a lot of work. It could probably use a firm edit, given the length, but I hope you enjoy it!
A few caveats, there might be some awful translation errors (I don't speak Japanese, so some of the things I might have been going for could be waaaay off) and there are a few nuggets here from official sources. So if I need to take those out for copyright reasons, I have no problem doing so. Also, if this belongs in the homebrew section, moving it is no issue.
Chapter 1: History of Minkai:
The Age of Dragons
~ -5000: The terrible creature known as Mokushiroku is defeated, and buried deep beneath the Kamifushi mountains.
~ -3500: An unknown dragon begins creating the Dragon Gates, magical portals used to summon the spirits of draconic ancestors for wisdom.
The Age of Ashes
-2414: An unknown clan of humans makes a series of intricate cave paintings dedicated to Shizuru in a cavern on the Sakehiyaku River, becoming the earliest evidence of humanity on the peninsula.
-1820: A foolish clan of humans manages to summon Mogaru in an attempt to kill a rival clan. Mogaru obliges by destroying nearly every human settlement in southern Minkai, including the summoning clans home.
-1349: An army of oni from Shirogoku attempt to slaughter the people of Minkai, but are foiled by kami lords and a small army of humans.
-619: The first ninja, only known as Hannyo, is born.
91: The legendary swordsmith Akasuka Jomon begins his journey across the country, crafting his magnificent weapons along the way.
867: Niicho Iburagi is born, who would later change his clan's name to Teikoku after a divine vision, becoming the sire of the Teikoku clan.
1350: The Yumogu and Utare people continue to be driven north by the expanding Tien-Min population to the south. Eventually both tribes settle in the Osogen Grasslands.
1949: The hero Okirori Tomoko settles the great dispute between the kami of the Warashi River and the Seseragi Forest.
2600: Shizuru bestows her grace on five mortal families, creating the imperial families
The Teikoku Shogunate
2612: The Teikoku Shogunate establishes itself, becoming the first kingdom of minkai
2790: The samurai Zaokoyu and his kingdom are destroyed by the kami of the Forest of Spirits. This land is forevermore regarded as the northern limit to Teikoku’s (and later, Minkai’s) northern expansion.
2831: Uddo is founded, becoming the capital of the Teikoku Shogunate.
2970: General Ishanda Aiko leads a regiment into the throat of Mount Kumiginja and becomes the first to successfully navigate the Ghost Path, although she is forced to abandon all of her soldiers in the outskirts of Shirogoku in order to return to her lord and make her grim report of the strange discoveries within the exposed Sekaminan cavern.
2986: Hiyosai is founded.
3001: Wanshi is founded.
3263: Under the rule of the Crane Shogun, the eastern half of Minkai is strong-armed into officially becoming part of the empire.
3370: Admiral Higashiyama Yagiten routs the pirate lord Fa Xen Khai in the Battle of Okija Straits.
3511: Shogokabe is founded.
3601: A brutal and long winter grips Minkai, snow reaching as far south as Uddo. The Yokai Civil War erupts.
3657: Akafuto is founded.
3698: After much council between the spirits of the forest, the shogunate, and the khans of Hongal, the Spirit Road between Minkai and Hongal is established as a trade route.
3755: After the Battle of Taidami Cavern, a truce is drawn up and the Yokai Civil War comes to an end.
3800: Amatatsu Aganhei establishes the trade route known as the Path of Aganhei between Tian Xia and Avistan over the Crown of the World. Scandalized by this new method of connection to barbaric lands, the shogun of Teikoku orders the explorer executed and destroys what he thinks are all of Aganhei’s maps—but the explorer had feared this might happen and stashed copies his maps and notes somewhere safe. Those copies—and the path itself—would remain hidden for 3,000 years.
3844: Kasai is founded, starting out as merely a small trading outpost.
3913: Shojinawa Itachi funds the building of the Magnolia highway, a series of well maintained roads to connect the major cities of southern Minkai.
4444: A group of demon worshippers kidnaps the Shogun's children and plans to use them in a cult sacrifice. Their plan is foiled by a small group of adventurers, and the Shogun makes the day of their success a national holiday.
4539: Oda is founded.
5218: Explorers officially discover the Seven Venom Springs for the first time.
5391: Sakakabe is founded.
5594: Sangoshi is founded.
6010: Enganoka is founded
6086: Sangoshi crumbles beneath the waves.
6116: The Perfect Swordswoman, Setsuna Kuga, leads the armies of the Minkai against the forces of the Teikoku Shogunate at the Battle of Eight Bridges. With the shogun’s forces routed, Minkai’s armies march upon the old capital and raze it.
The Empire of Minkai
6119: The empire of Minkai is established in Tian Xia. Kasai is named the new capital.
6192: Setsuna Kuga passes away from old age.
6263: A dying kraken washes up at Akafuto, carrying a plague that would kill thousands and become known as the Aya-Maru Taint.
6438: Empress Sugimatu Kairi grants Kitsune and Wayangs the right to be more than hinin in Minkai's social hierarchy.
6569: The Mad Empress, Higashiyama Cho, is slain by Amatatsu Daisuke, who claims the throne as his own. To everyone's shock, the Jade Throne accepts him. His regicide would trigger a civil war in the country that would rage for 8 years.
6571: No fewer than 5 emperors and empresses sat on the throne this year, and it is known amongst scholars as the Year of Five Rulers.
6577: While preparing to deal the death blow to Amatatsu Onoko, Empress Teikoku Kiyoshi is struck by a bolt of divine lightning. Some say the patron that granted her witch powers was collecting her soul, others say the bolt was from Hei-Fang himself, returning a favor to Shizuru. Regardless, this event signified the end of the war.
6741: A bandit warlord named Anamurumon begins gathering power in the foothills of the Wanshi province, eventually leading a barbarian army that would devastate Minkai for 6 years.
6747: Emperor Shojinawa Kenshiro and Anamurumon meet on the field of battle, and both are slain. The barbarian army is routed.
6765: Emperor Shojinawa Ito assumes the throne after his father's mysterious death.
6800: The lost maps of Aganhei’s route over the Crown of the World is rediscovered by another Minkai explorer, and the trade route soon becomes quite well used.
6840: After killing and turning most opposition against him into undead monsters, Emperor Ito begins his war against the Empire of Lung Wa. The eastern coast of the Tian mainland suffered greatly for the next two decades.
6861: Emperor Ito is slain by the sovereign dragon Daidorei, ending his reign of terror. A regent is put on the throne for only the second time in history as the nation recovers.
6912: Emperor Sugimatu Kobashi's birthday party results in the harbor of Kasai being flooded with sake, earning the beloved ruler his nickname
7050: The oni known as the Five Storms launch their plan to take control of Minkai by escaping the House of Withered Blossoms in the Forest of Spirits.
7059: The Golden League is founded, and controls Minkai’s commerce for 12 years.
7071: The Golden League is banished from Minkai.
7106: Aroden Dies. The Emperor of Lung Wa dies and the empire splits apart. Storms wracking the coast prevent Minkai from seizing any kind of power on the mainland. Emperor Teikoku Takamura perishes while at sea in such a storm.
7124: The Sugimatu's begin dying under peculiar circumstances, slowly being poisoned by oni disguised as healers.
7129: The last member of the Sugimatu family dies.
7132: The Shojinawa Manor burns to the ground in cold, black fire, killing all who were gathered inside and ending the line.
7149: The Teikoku family begins to be killed off in large numbers. Most of the family holes up in their mountain manor, isolating themselves from the rest of Minkai. The Amatatsus conclude that someone is targeting the royal families, and start an exodus from the country.
7152: The oni complete the destruction or stealthy subjugation of four of the five royal families of Minkai, leaving the Amatatsu family as the last holdout. Yet when the oni turn their attention to this family, they discover that the Amatatsus have fled Minkai over the Crown of the World.
7208: Emperor Shigure is taken into hiding by the rest of his family. The Higashiyama clan claims assassins are planning to kill the Emperor, and he is replaced by the Jade Regent. Political turmoil in the capital eventually explodes into violence, and the governor of Kasai is executed after being accused of planning to kill the Emperor.
7210: An increase in the number of unexplained sinkings among trade vessels sailing the waters of Xidao strains relations between Minkai and the locathah.
7211: The current year.
Well, it took nearly 2 years, 3 moves, 4 new jobs, a graduation and numerous mini hiatuses, but we finally finished Jade Regent! We did a small epilogue hinting towards future events a few weeks ago, and now I have a little time to write a final review. Spoilers ahead!
Overall? Very, very fun! I'm glad I chose this AP to run, and it was nice to have a little continuity in the world storyline since we ran this after Runelords. There were a few stumbling blocks here and there (I'll get into those more in the book reviews below), but overall I'd recommend this AP to pretty much any group.
Now, I used a pretty big mix of caravan rules I found on the forums, and it worked out pretty well I think! My players weren't super interested in keeping track of caravan stuff, but were invested just enough so that I didn't hand wave it away. For combat each PC had their own turn, either attacking, defending or assisting, and I would liven up the events by narration. I'd recommend this for DMs, as it made the players feel much more important and useful in caravan combat, as well as making later fights in book 3 actually possible.
The Amatatsu Scions
Ilvaria Duskrin (LG Female Drow Paladin of Iomedae)
Uldar, son of Ulduar (LN Male Aasimar Summoner) and his eidolon Alphonse
Anterbok (CN Male Tiefling Barbarian)
Jinkoro (CG Kitsune cleric of Milani, with just a dash of Acrobat)
Book Reviews:
Tide of Honor- This was my favorite out of all the books, as it really captured a lot of classic tabletop adventure themes while giving them a Minkaian twist. The book had a great mix of combat, skill based situations, and puzzles. Maybe our group just had fewer stops while playing this one, but Tide of Honor felt like it had a really good pace compared to some of the other books. The NPCs are fun to play and flavorful too. My only big critique is that the chapter on Minkai at the end is quite short. I know there are only so many pages, but I'd like more information on the country please! (Minkai Campaign Setting book Paizo, I'll buy one the second it comes out!) Also, stat blocks for the two big cities the players visit would have been much appreciated.
Things I did change- Only one big change I made for this book, and that was Kaibuninsho. As he was, I saw him getting steamrolled by the party, even with a surprise attack. The group for this whole book was the 4 PCs, Ameiko and Sandru. 6 v 1 is not a good situation for ANY baddie, even a stealthy one. The action economy would just wreck him. My solution? Mythic. I gave him two tiers of Trickster, and it worked out wonderfully. He turned from a guy the party would almost certainly forget to "THAT f***ing ninja". 2 PC kills and a murdered mount before his death. Even with the mythic tiers, he still was down to single digit HP on the first combat, so I think it was still fair if challenging. The party went out of their way to destroy his corpse and spread the ashes out to make sure he wasn't coming back.
I also added two small events to help the party catch up on EXP. They fought a group of elemental based bandits terrorizing a village, as well as destroying a Gashadokuro that arose from Sennaka starving out a village at the Jade Regent's orders. Both were nice ways to get some rep with the common folk as well.
Things I should have changed- I don't recall anything being a problem. Maybe a little more time spent with the ronin, but honestly the book is pretty good the way it is.
Favorite Moment- I'd have to say the ninja council that went down after Kaibuninsho was defeated and the coin was recovered was pretty phenomenal. The summoner (who had an insanely high diplomacy skill) managed to get all 3 clans to work together, but only after a solid hour of realtime role-play. What may become of the coin and the clans after Ameiko's ascendance is yet to be seen, but it was a great character moment and a lot of fun. Not to mention, getting the clans to work together became a huge help in book 6.
Least favorite moment- The mini bosses, though it's not really the books fault for any of them. They all just got super unlucky and went down very easy. The bandit lord failed his reflex save against acid pit and couldn't climb out, Shosaito got hit every time by Anterbok and Ilvaria after casting displacement, and the party chose the correct room to teleport into in Sennaka's bathhouse (they beat him there in travel and had time to invisibly scope the place out), catching him completely unaware. The final boss fight helped make up for it at least, it was pretty tough.
The Brinewall Legacy- A very fun early level adventure, it does a good job establishing the NPCs and getting the group together. Like I said, this group just finished RotRL before playing this, so being back in Sandpoint was good fun. A few of the Runelords PCs even had brief cameos in the first game! The marsh and castle were both creepy and challenging, and unravelling the mystery of the boat in Brinestump was cool. Even if someone wasn't running Jade Regent, I think this book could be a really good starting point for any adventure, with some tweaking of what is to be found in Brinewall's vaults.
Things I changed- Since our fourth player didn't join until later, I played as Ameiko for the entirety of Brinestump Marsh. Honestly, I think it kind of worked out for the better! It helped form more of a relationship with Ameiko to the PCs, and gave them more of a reason to accompany her to Brinewall. The impetus for everyone coming together was Niska Mvashti's funeral, and that also gave Koya a reason to join the caravan as well. There were a few encounters on the way to Brinewall (some ogres, axe beaks, a mud elemental if I remember correctly), though the most important was a run in with some pretty vicious rimerunner's guild members in Roderic's Cove. They didn't name drop the guild, but I did emphasize the guild symbol and tried to show the group's spreading influence. Also, I had Sandru be possessed by the kami since I knew Ameiko was (probably) getting kidnapped in the next book and I didn't want her turning into a damsel in distress.
Things I should have changed- Not any real issues to change here. There's plenty of info on Varisia out there, so filling in the journey with adventure ideas isn't needed for this book.
Favorite Moment- Old Megus' shack wound up being a hilarious encounter. Lots of good rolls, bad rolls, stuck doors and giant eidolons punching ratmen. By the end of it, both the shack and the small building next to it were piles of moldy rubble. Unexpectedly memorable.
Least favorite moment- …I don't think I really had a bad moment in this book looking back on it. Just a fun, easy to run book with good npcs and encounters. Great way to start off the campaign.
The Hungry Storm- I actually wrote a review for this book already, you can check it out on the page for the book if you'd like. The more I look back on it, the more I enjoy it. Also, when I asked my players which book was their favorite, half of them said this one, so something went right!
Things I changed- I already stated how I changed the caravan combat, which was very important for this book. I also ran two modules in this one, The Baleful Coven when they were crossing the land bridge from Avistan to the Crown, and Under Frozen Stars after they defeated Katiyana. Both were superb and I'd highly recommend using them. The storm tower was moved from its location in the book to the Nameless Spires at the pole. Some big changes, but all were for the better I believe.
Things I should have changed- I have mixed feelings about this one. Before we ran this, I rolled out a weather table for every day of 6 months, to get a better idea of what the weather would be like when they crossed. It was very flavorful, but at the same time I think I spent too much time describing the weather. I do like that it hammered home how difficult this journey was, but at the same time I think there were times when it slowed the game down too much and bored the players. So, positives and negatives with that approach. Also, as written the journey is VERY front heavy. A lot of stuff going on between the Rimethirst Mountains and the High Ice, not so much between the High Ice and the Wall of Heaven. I know it's for EXP purposes, but it feels unbalanced.
Favorite Moment- Despite the flaws this book has, it has a good chunk of really memorable set pieces. The Storm Tower, The Uqtaal Necropolis, and the battle with Vegsundvaag were all excellent to name a few. Ultimately, I have to say the yeti boss fight sticks out the most. It was hard as nails, and my players are still talking about it to this day.
Least Favorite Moment- The battle with Tunuak in his bore wound up being more annoying than fun.
The Empty Throne- The finale! Overall it's a good ending with a solid final boss fight. The paranoia in the city is fun to play up, and the Imperial Shrine is very cool and flavorful. The Kasai article is great, as well as the post campaign story ideas presented. However, the pacing in this book feels a little too fast. I understand the reasons behind it, but the PCs don't have a lot of time to get things together. Also, it's a really combat heavy book, so be prepared for that. Despite those flaws, it's a fun ending and altogether solid.
Things I changed- I played up the ninjas a lot in this book, though their help really isn't mentioned outside of some rebellion points. Since all 3 clans were cooperating, I essentially had them as help for getting around the city unnoticed. They also showed up when the PCs stormed the castle, holding off guards in the city from coming to assist.
At the beginning of the book, I also gave a short tale of how the rebel army and the PCs made it to Akafuto, and after a long siege they took the city and established it as a base. That was the event that drew out the Imperial Army from Kasai, and allowed the PCs to have a chance at taking the castle. I think this plan is mentioned in book 5, but I don't recall if it's in book 6.
And one last thing, I made The Jade Regent stronger while making Anamurumon weaker. I know that Anamurumon is the mastermind behind it all, but having the AP named after The Jade Regent, and spending most of the campaign talking him up as the villain, it felt kinda cheap to me to have him not be the strongest baddie the party faces. So he got an extra level of samurai and Anamurumon was saddled with the young template. It was still a tough fight regardless.
Things I should have changed- I think I changed everything I wanted to ahead of time…the only in moment thing I remember being an issue was when they fought a ton of guards all at once, and that combat took AGES. Should have staggered the guards coming in I suppose.
Favorite Moment- I had an extra character added in the campaign, a Nogitsune witch that tied into the Kitsune cleric's backstory. She was essentially just the worst, and responsible for some of the most awful moments of that character's life. She had popped into the story from time to time, more to taunt and torture the heroes than actually battle. Hell, she would have stolen the Amatatsu Seal had it not been for the "Doesn't teleport" caveat it carries. I replaced one of the ogre mage fights with her, and it was a very tough but ultimately satisfying fight. The players were glad to see her get what was coming to her.
Also, riding celestial orcas back to Kasai from the Imperial Shrine is a phenomenal mental image.
Least Favorite Moment- Just a few too many fights with guards. It makes total sense that they're all there, but they are just tough enough to slow things down more than I would have liked.
Night of Frozen Shadows- I feel weird putting this book this low, because honestly I think it's quite good. It was just that the party I ran this for was not built for it, at all. Skill checks and mystery solving are important for this, two things I found out this team was not stellar at. I'm pretty sure they still have no idea what happened to Snorri Stone Eye, despite the fact they killed his draugr. There were plenty of "Well, now what?" moments that I had to work around. Having said that, this book has very good atmosphere, fun battles, a great dungeon, and a superb city write up. Also, excellent bestiary. And my players really enjoyed this book, so that counts for points!
Things I changed- Quite a bit, though most of it was additions. I'd read the Land of the Linnorm Kings book (highly recommended) and wanted to add as much as I could while they travelled the land. So the party did battle with a Shadow Satyr in his tree of night outside of Solskinn, visited some cities along the way, arm wrestled with enlarged gnomes, and battled a Hala demon destroying the town of one of the PCs.
Things I should have changed- Just some of the skill checks to find clues or piece things together. It worked out eventually, but it took some fudging to get there.
Favorite Moment- The battle with Wodes wound up being quite entertaining. He was down to very low health, so he tried to flee. Anterbok spent a hero point to attack Wodes…and botched with his door plank (long story short, he liked the door plank when they broke in so he made it his weapon). The plank then broke. Ilvaria then had to spend one of her hero points to stop the raven's escape and did. So after 2 hero points there was a dead bird and a broken door plank. Fun times!
Least Favorite Moment- I'd say just the downtime when the PCs were trying to figure out what to do.
The Forest of Spirits- This book starts out SO good, but that dungeon just became a grind. Too many of the same enemies over and over, with what doesn't feel like a great payoff. I do wish I'd done more to change the dungeon, or just scrapped it altogether. It was a bore to me and my players, with only a few good moments. Unrelated to the book, but this was also my first time running anything above the mid levels consistently, so there were some rules arguments about spells and stuff that just bogged the game down. The forest itself is okay, not too bad but not super memorable either.
Things I changed- Not much, though by the end of the dungeon I was switching out hobgoblins for pretty much anything else.
Things I should have changed- The dungeon.
Favorite Moment- Everything in Ordu-Aganhei. Man, this part of the book is GREAT. We all had a blast playing it. I'd bust out my George Takei impersonation for Batsaikhar, which is a fun voice fit for him. It was very refreshing to do an RP heavy section after the NPC barren Crown.
Also, first entering the House of Withered Blossoms was amusing. To quote one of my players "Why are all the spiders WIZARDS?!".
Least Favorite Moment- I think you can guess if you've read this far.
Best Boss Fights
1. Possessed Bormurg and his yeti tribe
2. The Jade Regent and allies
3. Katiyana in the Storm Tower
4. The Oni ambush at the Fortress
5. Chief Gutwad
The most dangerous enemy
You'd think it would be Kaibuninsho, or one of the bosses, but no. There was a terror present throughout the game that the party just could not handle, and nearly cost them their lives many times. That threat? Water. Yep, this party was horrendous at dealing with water. Nearly drowned in Brinestump, nearly drowned when kayaking, nearly drowned in black slush, nearly drowned when capsized by dragon turtles, and nearly drowned when fighting the Omoxes in the Well of Demons (which, by the way, REALLY hard fight). I don't think anyone put ranks in swim at any point, so the only one who was tolerable at swimming was Anterbok because his strength was so high.
Best NPCs
1. Prince Batsaikhar
2. "Nana" Koya Mvashti
3. Amatatsu Ameiko
4. Shayle Andosana
5. Sugimatu Nobinoru
Well, if I think of anything more to say I will, but that's it for now! I have some home-brew Minkai stuff I plan to post sometime in the future, we'll see when I have the time to work on it more. All the info on these forums was super helpful for running this campaign! Thanks for reading along!
Hey everyone! I've had a few weeks off from DMing my group for multiple reasons, and in that time I've been working on fleshing out some of Minkai's history and some new oni for players to fight, and I felt like sharing! The first tab will be for the oni, who I made using the monster creation guidelines in the bestiary. Now, I have not playtested any of them, so they might be horribly unbalanced, being either too weak or too strong. Feel free to try em out though!
The second tab will cover a list of emperor's I made, going back to the fall of the Teikoku Shogunate. The rulers tab has definite spoilers for the Jade Regent story, so players should probably avoid it! I think I included all the mentioned rulers in the books, but I might have missed a couple. The format for the emperors and empresses is; their ruling years (using the Imperial Calendar), name, gender, cause of death, alignment, age when they died, what their class levels were, and any titles they may have gone by. I also included a non canon event for Minkai, a civil war from 6569 to 6577 where four of the five families felt they had the right to rule. 6571 is known to Minkaian scholars as The Year of Five Rulers. Hopefully these inspire people for some adventure ideas!
Oni:
Metal Yai CR 12
CE Large outsider (giant, native, oni, shapechanger)
Init +5; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +18
DEFENSE
AC 26, 10 touch, 26 flat-footed (+6 armor, +1 Dex, +10 natural, –1 size)
hp 160 (16d10+80); regeneration 5 (acid or sonic)
Fort +15, Ref +5, Will +12
DR 5/Adamantine; SR 23
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee mwk katana +21/+16/+11 (2d6+12)
Ranged metal missile +13 touch (4d6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 13th; concentration +13)
Constant—fly
At will—darkness, invisibility (self only), passwall (stone only)
3/day—heat metal (DC 12), chill metal (DC 12), keen edge
1/day—iron body, wall of iron
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +12; CMB +20; CMD 30
Feats Power Attack, Iron Will, Improved Bull Rush, Awesome Blow, Improved Initiative, Cleave, Great Fortitude, Intimidating Prowess
Skills Appraise +17, Bluff +16, Fly +17, Intimidate +24, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +7, Perception +18, Stealth +11, Survival +18
Languages Common, Giant
SQ change shape (Medium, or Large humanoid, alter self or giant form I)
ECOLOGY
Environment any underground
Organization solitary, band (1 plus 4–8 cave giants), or tribe (1 plus 10–20 cave giants)
Treasure standard (breastplate, other)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Amorphous Weapon (Su) A metal yai's blade is an extension of itself. It can form any type of metal weapon to use from its own body, and can change weapon types as a move action. Metal Yai often prefer to use weapons that can be affected by their Keen Edge spell like ability. Weapons formed this way are always masterwork, and disappear back into the oni once slain.
Metal Missile (Su) As a swift action, a metal yai can launch a hunk of metal from its third eye. This metal can deal any type of physical damage, be it slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning. The oni chooses which type when forming the metal.
Armor Master (Ex) Metal Yai are never encumbered by armor that is primarily metal, and take no speed penalties, dexterity penalties, or armor check penalties when wearing metal armor.
Metal Yai are slothful but powerful oni. They take the form of cave giants when they manifest in the world, and use their brute powers to intimidate those whom they wish to dominate. Metal Yai stand around 12 feet tall, but are much heavier than most, weighing 4000 pounds. Their skin is the silver of polished steel, and their eyes a surprisingly vibrant blue.
Metal Yai represent the least of the yai, but they are still terrifying and strong opponents. Like all oni, Metal Yai crave rulership and material wealth, but are perhaps the most lax about acquiring such. Metal Yai would much rather have minions go out and conquer than lift a finger themselves, and want wealth to come to them. Oni scholars suggest that metal yai manifest underground so they have less distance to travel to reach gems, their favorite type of treasure. Most Metal Yai have extensive gem hordes, and decorate themselves with jewelry embedded with rare gems. This lust for gems often puts them at odds with Crystal Dragons and Xorns, who Metal Yai consider their greatest enemies outside of Earth Yai. Earth Yai and Metal Yai never cooperate, each seeing the other as their greatest competitors for minions, treasure, and areas to rule. A surefire way to infuriate a Metal Yai is to suggest that it is weaker than an Earth Yai, as true as that fact may be.
Metal Yai lack the charisma to have any sort true diplomatic ability, and lead only through strength and fear. They rarely use their alter shape ability, believing their true form to be the most intimidating and powerful form they could take. When they do change form, they become exceptionally muscular cave giants, and always make sure they are the largest of the giants they are leading. Subterfuge is beneath Metal Yai, and they would rather have their minions destroy an opponent with power than anything else.
Wood Yai CR 15
NE Huge Outsider (giant, native, oni, shapechanger)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +23
DEFENSE
AC 28, 12 touch, 24 flat-footed (+6 armor, +3 Dex, +10 natural, +1 dodge, -2 size)
hp 230 (20d10+120); regeneration 5 (fire and acid)
Fort +18, Ref +12, Will +15
SR 26
Weaknesses vulnerability to fire
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (good) 40 ft. without armor
Melee mwk greatclub +29/+24/+19/+14 (3d8+12)
Ranged +1 composite longbow +25/+20/+15/+10 (3d6+8)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks underbrush form
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +18)
Constant—fly
At will—darkness, invisibility (self only), tree stride
3/day—quickened freedom of movement, contagion (DC 16), phantasmal killer (DC 16)
1/day—horrid wilting (DC 20)
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 16, Con 22, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 14
Base Atk +20; CMB +30; CMD 46
Feats Point-Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (composite longbow), Deadly Aim, Lightning Reflexes, Skill Focus (stealth), Flyby Attack, Improved Natural Armor, Quicken Spell-Like Ability, Dodge
Skills Bluff +12, Fly +19, Handle Animal +12, Intimidate +22, Perception +23, Stealth +18, Survival +23
Racial Modifiers
Languages Common, Giant
SQ change shape (Medium, Large or Huge humanoid, alter self or giant form II)
ECOLOGY
Environment warm forests
Organization solitary, or hunting party (2-3)
Treasure standard (+2 hide, +1 composite longbow [+7 str], mwk greatclub, other)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Vine Missile (Su) As a swift action, a wood yai can fire a seed from its third eye. This seed deals 4d6 bludgeoning damage, then grows very rapidly over the target. A creature struck by the seed must make a DC 26 reflex save or become entangled for 2d4 rounds. A creature can make a DC 26 strength check to burst the vines, or deal 30 slashing damage to the vines to destroy them. This attack has a range of 180 feet and no range increment.
Underbrush Form (Sp) As a standard action, a wood yai can become a patch of tangling underbrush. In this form it is treated as being under the effects of gaseous form, but it cannot fly and instead has a move speed of 10 feet. Those who enter its space are treated as entering the area of an entangle spell. Those who fail the save in this area take 2d4 damage and must make a DC 26 fortitude save or be poisoned by sassone leaf residue. This poison is more virulent than normal, and has no onset period, as well as a frequency of 1/round for 6 rounds. The effect and cure are the same.
Vicious, cruel, and psychotic would be appropriate adjectives to describe a Wood Yai. Loners of deep forests and jungles, Wood Yai are obsessed with the darkest aspects of the nature they inhabit, such as rot and death. Wood Yai manifest as Jungle Giants, standing 19 feet tall and weighing 4500 pounds. Their skin is a dark green, and their eyes a pale yellow.
Wood Yai are unique among oni in that they don't wish to rule over anyone. Presumed to manifest from the maddest and most insane of oni spirits, Wood Yai still crave material wealth and dominions to rule over, but they have no desire to be worshipped. The point of a life is to be snuffed out, which a Wood Yai does with glee. They pick out an area to claim as their own, and stalk any creatures that enter and slay them. Unfortunately for travelers, Wood Yai do not care to actually mark what they consider their territory, and by the time most folks realize they are in a Wood Yai's domain it is far to late. Their hunting technique is rarely swift, and a Wood Yai goes out of its way to draw out a death when it can. A Wood Yai's home is a self built palace of death and despair, often built of bones, rotted wood and fungus. When it comes to acquiring wealth, Wood Yai primarily take what they can from those who they hunt, feeling that only they deserve wealth where everyone else deserves to die. On rare occasions they go out of their territories to kill and steal from woodland communities, and these times are the few when Wood Yai team up with others. These cooperations never last long and often end messily, with Wood Yai squabbling over treasure. The only other times Wood Yai work together are when they hunt a creature too powerful to kill alone, but still deserves to die for reasons unknown to anyone but the Yai themselves. Other oni dislike working with Wood Yai, as they usually kill too many valuable minions or playthings, but will occasionally attempt to use Wood Yai as assassins to murder opposition.
Another trait that separates Wood Yai from other oni is that they are often religious. While most worship the mere concept of death, worshippers or Cyth-V'sug, Fumeiyoshi, Lady Nanbyo, or Apollyon are not uncommon.
Hitokuchi CR 10
CE Large Outsider (giant, native, oni, shapechanger)
Init +1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +24
DEFENSE
AC 23, 10 touch, 22 flat-footed (+3 armor, +1 Dex, +10 natural, -1 size)
hp 110 (13d10+39); regeneration 5 (fire and acid)
Fort +12, Ref +7, Will +11
Defensive Abilities ferocity SR 21
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
Melee Bite +23 (2d6+12 plus grab/19-20), 2 claws +21 (1d6+8 plus grab)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.
Special Attacks swallow whole (6d6+9 plus 6d6 acid, 15 AC, 11 hp)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10th; concentration +11)
At will—invisibility (self only)
3/day—see invisibility, bull's strength, silence (DC 13), fly
1/day—waves of fatigue (DC 16), true strike
STATISTICS
Str 26, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 12
Base Atk +13; CMB +19 (+21 grapple); CMD 30 (32 vs. grapple)
Feats Improved Natural Attack, Weapon Focus (bite), Greater Weapon Focus (bite), Improved Critical (bite), Lightning Reflexes, Intimidating Prowess, Improved Grapple
Skills Bluff +4, Fly +12, Intimidate +22, Perception +24, Stealth +7, Survival +16
Racial Modifiers +8 perception
Languages Common, Giant
SQ change shape (Medium or Large humanoid, alter self or giant form I)
ECOLOGY
Environment temperate hills
Organization solitary, band (1 plus 2-4 cyclopses) or tribe (2-3 plus 5-8 cyclopses and 7-10 hill giants)
Treasure standard (studded leather, other)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Brutal Bite (Ex) Hitokuchi add 1.5 times their strength modifier to damage on bite attacks.
Bestial brutes, Hitokuchi are oni that manifest into cyclops forms. Instantly recognizable in its true form, it has ruddy red skin, large claws, a single golden eye, and a ravenous maw that almost constantly slavers. Hitokuchi stand 10 feet tall and weigh 1000 pounds.
The primary driving force of a hitokuchi is hunger. They crave all the world's food, and savor the taste of blood and the feeling of bones crunching between their teeth. This cruel beast's appetite is only sated after devouring a village, and even that doesn't last long. Though dull witted, a hitokuchi has a cruel cunning about it, and those who underestimate it often find themselves trapped inside its stomach. Hitokuchi truly enjoy the look of terror on a surprised victims face, and often use their invisibility and silence powers to sneak up on prospective meals at night, and eat unsuspecting meals one at a time. Alternatively, hitokuchi also enjoy disguising themselves as humans, gaining trust, then shattering that trust by transforming when alone with their dinner. In areas where hitokuchi are a known menace, people often have elaborate meal etiquette to root out a disguised oni, as a hitokuchi cannot tolerate waiting or manners when food is present.
Though it takes the form of a cyclops, a hitokuchi shares none of the cyclops' oracular powers. They tend to rule over tribes of cyclopses with power over anything else, and use these minions to terrorize countrysides and gather all meals to them. Just as there are greater cyclopses in the world, so too are there greater hitokuchi. These gargantuan monsters are hunger given flesh, and their ravenous tirades can bring countries to their knees. Thankfully, they are exceptionally rare, and are found only in the dark and truly wild places of the world, where there is enough prey to fulfill their unending appetites.
Rulers of Minkai:
6083-6116- Shogun Teikoku Sokai, M, Killed in revolution, CE, 59, Wizard 15/Aristocrat 3
6116-6119- Setsuna Kuga, Regent, F, Gave up title, died of old age, LG, 108, Samurai 20/Champion 6, "The Perfect Swordswoman"
6119-6152- Amatastu Jiro, M, Old age, LG, 89, Aristocrat 5/Samurai 13
6152-6175- Amatastu Hime, F, Old Age, NG, 73, Aristocrat 8/Bard 5
6175-6180- Amatastu Nara, M, Died at sea, LN, 55, Samurai 7/Ranger 7
6180-6382- Amatatsu Maemi, F, Taken by devils, LE, 251, Cleric of Mahathallah 7/Diabolist 8, "The Barren Empress"
6382-6387- Sugimatu Yoshie, F, Disease, NG, 34, Aristocrat 7, "The Six Springs Empress"
6387-6390- Sugimatu Takamura, M, Killed in an avalanche, NG, 32, Aristocrat 9
6390-6433- Sugimatu Kojima, M, Old age, CG, 75, Fighter 5/Rogue 4/Aristocrat 4
6433-6445- Sugimatu Kairi, F, Heart Attack, CN, 57, Aristocrat 13, "The Empress of Pleasant Rains"
6445-6445- Sugimatu Taro, M, Suicide, N, 30, Aristocrat 10/Adept 2
6445-6525- Sugimatu Nobinoru, M, Old Age, NE, 110, Aristocrat 18, Originally "The Emperor of Eternal Peace", but revoked for genocide
6525-6530- Higashiyama Kansai, M, Old Age, LN, 72, Monk 5/ Aristocrat 11
6530-6544- Higashiyama Maru, M, Killed by Oni, CG, 46, Samurai 10/Aristocrat 3
6544-6566- Higashiyama Haruna, F, Heart Attack, NG, 67, Bard 8/Aristocrat 7
6566-6569- Higashiyama Cho, F, Killed by Amatatsu Daisuke N, 49, Oracle 9/Aristocrat 8, "The Mad Empress"
6569-6571- Amatatsu Daisuke, M, Killed by Shojinawa Shinju, LE, 28 Samurai 14, "The Thrice Damned Emperor"
6571-6571- Shojinawa Shinju, M, Assassinated by Shojinawa Sota, LN, 40, Samurai 15
6571-6571- Shojinawa Sota, F, Killed by Teikoku Kazuma, CE, 33, Ninja 14, "The Great Traitor"
6571-6571- Teikoku Kazuma, M, Killed in the Battle of the Burning Canals, CN, 29, Barbarian 14
6571-6574- Shojinawa Takehiko, M, Killed by Higashiyama Natsuko, NE, 31, Sorcerer 15, "The Dragon Emperor"
6574-6575- Higashiyama Natsuko, F, Killed by Teikoku Kiyoshi, NE, 59, Cleric of Lady Nanbyo 16
6575-6577- Teikoku Kiyoshi, F, Struck by lightning, LE, 31, Witch 15
6577-6602- Amatatsu Onoko, F, Old Age, LG, 70, Paladin of Shizuru 14/Aristocrat 3, "Handmaiden to the Goddess"
6602-6639- Amatatsu Satomi, F, Old Age, NG, 87, Aristocrat 9/Bard 7, "The Peach Empress"
6639-6649- Amatastu Yajirobe, M, Murdered by Yua, LE, 68, Aristocrat 8/Magus 8
6649-6656- Amatatsu Yuusuke, M, Old Age, NG, 70, Aristocrat 15
6656-6662- Amatatsu Jabura, M, Died on expedition to Darklands, CN, 41, Samurai 10/Aristocrat 7, "The Wandering Emperor"
6662-6668- Teikoku Mashiba, M, Killed by bandits, CG, 36, Bard 4/Aristocrat 13
6668-6687- Teikoku Kenshiro, M, Disease, CG, 31, Samurai 1/Aristocrat 11, "The Unprepared Heir"
6687-6712- Shojinawa Kohaku, M, Old Age, LN, 75, Aristocrat 16, "The Emperor in Silver"
6712-6740- Shojinawa Haruko, F, Old Age, LG, 80, Aristocrat 12/Wizard 3
6740-6747- Shojinawa Kenshiro, M, Killed by Anamurumon, LN, 35, Aristocrat 10/Samurai 6, "The Do-Nothing Emperor"
6747-6765- Shojinawa Doro, M, Poisoned by Ito, NG, 45, Aristocrat 13
6765-6871- Shojinawa Ito, M, Killed by Sovereign Dragon, NE, 131, Lich Sorcerer 14/Archmage 4, "The Dark Emperor"
6871-6873- Kinoshita Moru, Regent, F, NG, Aristocrat 3/Expert 6
6873-6887- Sugimatu Ippo, M, Old Age, LG, 95, Aristocrat 9/Cleric of Shizuru 7
6887-6910- Sugimatu Tatanga, M, Old Age, LG, 88, Aristocrat 12/Monk 4
6910-6917- Sugimatu Kobashi, M, Drank himself to death, CG, 66, Aristocrat 14/Bard 2, "The Emperor of the Sake Sea"
6917-6945- Sugimatu Kumi, F, Disappeared, NG, 48, Cleric of Shelyn 6/Evangelist 8, "Shelyn's Chosen"
6945-6958- Teikoku Yuri, F, Chemical Accident, CN, 27, Aristocrat 3/Alchemist 10
6958-7005- Teikoku Honjo, M, Old Age, LN, 67, Fighter 4/Aristocrat 10
7005-7056- Teikoku Kagome, F, Old Age, N, 96, Samurai 20, "Grandmother Judge"
7056-7095- Teikoku Osma, M, Old Age, LG, 78, Wizard 9/Aristocrat 8
7095-7106- Teikoku Takamura, M, Killed in storm, NE, 41, Rogue 4/Aristocrat 4/Shadowdancer 7, "The Hidden Lord"
7106-7127- Higashiyama Sakura, F, Killed in landslide, LG, 41, Aristocrat 14
7127-7139- Higashiyama Samae, F, Killed by Anamurumon, LN, 24, Oracle 11/Aristocrat 5, "The Child Empress"
7139-7168- Higashiyama Tenma, M, Heart Attack, CN, 59, Aristocrat 10/Fighter 7
7168-7208- Higashiyama Raijin, M old age LN 98 Aristocrat 18
7208-7208- Higashiyama Shigure, murdered, M, LN, 24, Aristocrat 14
7208-? - Soto Takahiro, Regent, M, LE, Samurai 15