Kyuden Shika

Monks

Monks are considered neither samurai nor peasants, but able to interact with either. This grants them a certain amount of freedom, although very little protection. There are numerous sects of monks, each with their own philosophies on the path to enlightenment, and how to conduct themselves in life. Samurai or peasants may become monks.

Ronin

Ronin serve no master, but are samurai still. Some come from parents who were ronin, some were the unacknowledged children of clan samurai, and some are clan samurai on a journey to hone their skills. Some are honorable, some are hardworking and some are bandits with swords.

Peasants

Heimen, or half-people far outnumber the number of samurai within the Empire. While they must serve their samurai masters with their lives, if they do so well enough, perhaps they will reincarnate into a better life.

There are three castes of peasant:

Farmers: The most important peasants, without food, life in the Empire would cease.
Craftsman: The second most important peasants who build and make everything from castles to farm tools.
Merchants: The lowest of the merchant class is also the wealthiest. The are the lowest for they make nothing.

Bumakumin

Hinin, or non-people are beneath even peasants handling the jobs that are considered spiritually unclean. They live in special walled off villages, and receive the worst treatment of all. Yet even they divide themselves into castes.

Geisha: A very unusual subset of bumakumin, they do not live with other hinin. and instead train in arts to provide samurai a non-person to let down their On with and be human without shame.
Leatherworkers: Processing leather is spiritually impure and very smelly, though important.
Wastehaulers: Even more spiritually impure and stinkier.
Torturers: All crimes must be confessed to by their culprits before punishment is carried out. Torturers are used to get the confessions from the unwilling, though at a great cost to their kharma.

Gaijin

Far beyond the lands of Rokugan, there are humans whose ways are strange and fall outside of the celestial order. While some clans like the Unicorn and the Mantis have some friendly contact with them, the majority of Rokugan does not trust these strangers.

The tenets of bushido:

Compassion: You have a duty to protect others.
Courage: Fear is a sin.
Courtesy: You are not an unthinking cruel brute.
Duty and Loyalty: A samurai serves.
Honor: You conduct yourself in accordance with society's expectations.
Righteousness: A samurai tells the truth.
Sincerity: To speak inoffensively, without endangering your clan's interests.

Religion of Rokugan:

Three distinct philosophies on the divine have been merged into one religion of the Empire.

Fortunism: Worship of divine beings that can bestow blessings upon the pious.
Taoism: Following the teachers of Shinsei, the mysterious monk whose wisdom guided the founding Kami.
Ancestor Worship: One's ancestors are honored as they look upon you.

Upon death, one's spirit passes to the realm of waiting to await judgement by Emma-O, the Fortune of Death. The majority of souls are reincarnated based on the actions of their previous life. A few souls do not, either having earned the right to eternal rest among the Heavens, or eternal torment in one of the hells.

General etiquette:

Be respectful, the more important the person, the more respectful. Do not publicly show strong emotions. Do not touch others without permission. Do not publicly take note of other's shameful behavior. Do not give in to Fear, Desire, or Regret.

Special example: The game of gift giving:

When presenting a gift to someone, the common etiquette is for them to decline the gift twice, and accept it on your third offer. Each time they refuse it, you must not argue with their reason for refusal, but must instead find another reason for them to accept it.

Enemies of the Empire:

Bandits: Stealing from others rather than serving the Empire deserves death.

Gaijin: Foreigners who are outside of the celestial order and once waged war against the Empire, killing the Divine Empress with their forbidden gunpowder weapons.

Kolat: Secret organization founded by those who seek to overturn the rule of Heaven.

Maho-tsukai: Blood magic is inherently corrupting and strictly forbidden.

Monsters & Oni: Very very bad....assuming you believe the Crab.