[dragon] corruption

[Matt Dalen]

At 08:09 AM 11/11/2002,, you wrote:
>The Bloodspeakers have always been ruled by the shadowlands it is only
>recently that they are the rulers and not the rulees.  Dont give me this B.S.
>about how the taint can help you.

Did I ever say the taint can help you?
As for the bloodspeakers, not really.  From what I understand, the source 
of all taint is the touch of Jigoku.  The place where the majority of the 
taint is concentrated is in the area of land known as the 
Shadowlands.  Living in the shadowlands are a large group of bakemono, 
trolls, ogres, tainted humans, and former denizens of Jigoku (oni and the 
like).  This group is what we generally refer to as "The Shadowlands".  At 
the moment it is led by Daigotsu.  In the past, it has been led by Kuni 
Yori, Yogo Junzo, and Fu Leng.  Their control over the everyday member of 
the Shadowlands is not necessarily absolute, however... it's entirely 
possible for a tainted personality to go off on their own.  However, most 
of the members of the Shadowlands have the approximate same 
goal:  corruption of Rokugan and expansion of the Shadowlands.
The bloodspeakers were a cult created by (?) Iuchiban.  Basically, they 
practice maho in secret.  Maho is not the taint, although it may lead to 
the taint.  From what I understand, Maho is a different way of accessing 
Jigoku's power, through the sacrifice of innocents.  The bloodspeakers have 
no connection to the main body of the Shadowlands, other than the fact that 
they are led at the moment by Shahai.  In the past, when Shahai did not sit 
at Daigotsu's right hand, I think the bloodspeakers were fairly 
independent.  They draw their power from the same source as the 
Shadowlands, and they will ultimately fall under Jigoku's sway, same as the 
denizens of the Shadowlands, but they aren't politically affiliated with 
the Shadowlands.  I hope this was comprehensible, and I may have gotten a 
few facts wrong, but I'm fairly sure that the gist of it is correct.

>Hitomi Kenryoku
>Dragon Clan Hitoden * Samurai * Tattooed *
>Double Chi * Tactician

Tamori Shosei (Matt Dalen)
Dragon Clan Alchemist * Shugenja * Jade Hand Webmaster * Self Proclaimed Yu 
Master
"Monkey is not merely a word... it is a way of life."