Smokeless Fire

Legend of the Five Rings

by Katrina Ostrander

Of all the knowledge that the Unicorn Clan brought back from their exploration of the Burning Sands, none offends the shugenja of Rokugan more than the name magic of meishōdō. When Shinjo-no-Kami and her followers ventured past the borders of the Emerald Empire, her head priest’s prayers to the Fortunes went unanswered. To survive in other lands, this priest learned magic from sorcerers to replace the Fortunes’ blessings. Drawing on the power of the true names of things, this mysterious practice provides an advantage to the Unicorn’s shugenja in the form of talismans, the creation of which the other Great Clans know little about.

And now, the Phoenix Clan believes they have foreseen a great and powerful danger in the use of meishōdō. Their warning will reach the Emperor himself, who will confer with his wisest counselors to determine whether this magic serves the Empire or endangers Rokugan.

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy

8 pages, ebook

First published August 10, 2017

About the author

Katrina Ostrander has served as editor for over a dozen media tie-in novellas spanning multiple genres including cyberpunk, fantasy, Lovecraftian horror, and science fiction. She has worked with emerging writers as well as New York Times–bestselling authors. In 2021 her debut novella, Ice and Snow, was published in the Great Clans of Rokugan Volume 1 anthology from Aconyte Books.

As the Creative Director of Story and Setting with the Asmodee Franchise Development Team, she oversees the internal and licensed development of the company's proprietary IPs. Besides her work as an editor of tie-in fiction and developer of IPs, she has written for or developed over a dozen roleplaying game products, including adventures, supplements, and core rulebooks. Recent writing credits include contributing to Cubicle 7's Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Core Rulebook and Starter Set.

She writes advice and how-to articles relating to gamemastering, adventure design, writing tips, and more at KatrinaOstrander.com.