The Merchant's Guide to Rokugan (1999)

This is a fairly controversial supplement for the Legend of the Five Rings rpg. Please note the spoiler following the cover text below.

Back Cover:
Taka's acquiring lots of koku.
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Merchants. Heimin. Honorless koku-grubbers who prey upon human weakness. The vendors and dealers of the Emerald Empire have always been sneered at by the powerful nobles above them. But times change, and the value of koku has risen more than most would care to believe. While still hampered by class and social position, the merchants have gained power of their own - power that even a samurai would balk at. From the opulent palaces of the Crane to the distant steppes of the Unicorn, they ply their wares: changing fortunes with every deal and controlling fate in ways no warrior ever could. Can your honor resist the call of cold, hard cash?

The Merchant's Guide to Rokugan has everything players and GMs need to know about this deeply underestimated class, from the secrets of the Unicorn caravans to the unseen influence of the Yasuki traders. It contains an updated history of the Emerald Empire, details on merchant character creation and campaign running, and the untold stories of the Crane-Yasuki wars, including the tale of Taka himself. So step up to the vendor's stall and peruse the wares you see: a whole new side of Rokugan awaits.

• SPOILER*

The back cover copy for this supplement is in fact a lie. The supplement actually details the operation of the Kolat, a secretive underground network of agents and ninjas operating within the Legend of the Five Rings setting. The deception even goes so far as to have the first several pages of the volume go through rice quotas and economics in excruciating detail. The stated intent was to drive away any players who might want to read the book.

AEG suffered some backlash from the publication, in that the secret became revealed quite quickly. As well, people who actually bought the volume hoping for the stated material found themselves disappointed.