Pyramid Pick: Bearers of Jade

Pyramid Pick

Bearers of Jade: The Second Book of the Shadowlands

Published by Alderac Entertainment Group

Written by Chris Hepler and Jennifer Brandes

152 pages, $24.95

Perhaps no other land in the Emerald Empire of the Legend of the Five Rings roleplaying game has received as much attention as the Shadowlands. Those who worry that these dangerous territories may suffer overexposure with another book dedicated to them should put those fears away. In 152 pages, Chris Hepler and Jennifer Brandes manage to avoid areas already touched on and expand not only the landscape, but add a nice touch of horror to the setting.

Broken up into six chapters, the book is a gathering of tales, events and histories by Seikansha. While Seikansha's writing style is similar to that found in the original Book of the Shadowlands -- handwriting -- the stories and tales he collects are not. This is great news for those who thought that the original Shadowlands book had a lot of wasted space.

The first chapter covers life next to the Shadowlands. What it means to acquire Taint, and how to treat those who've been plagued with madness. Some tests for Taint include seeing if copper tarnishes after testing. Most players seeking to control the spread of Taint will have to take Tea of Jade Petals, which prevents the spread. The Crab Slang section is useful for getting the feel of the Crab Clan and those others who fight on the wall. For example, "Rutsubo!" means the Oni gains power from eating, . . .

This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.



Article publication date: November 19, 1999

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