Hida Kisada - Champion of the Crab Clan, daimyo of the Hida Family. Known as the "Great Bear" due to his attitude and his great personal size, Hida Kisada is the quintessential Crab samurai. He is dour, taciturn, dismissive of other Clans and possessed of a furious temper. Has two children, son Hida Yakamo and daughter Hida O-Ushi. Yakamo is the elder and will be the next daimyo of the Crab and is also a bully who is spoiled and arrogant but also very skilled and extremely dangerous.
Doji Satsume - Champion of the Crane Clan, daimyo of the Doji Family. Doji Satsume is one of the most respected swordsmen in the Empire. He is not as pretty as a normal Crane - he is weathered, with a scar on the left side of his face that runs vertically from the corner of his eye to his mouth. Satsume is greatly respected throughout the Empire for both his martial abilities as well as his wisdom and is one of the most popular Crane daimyo in recent history. Has two sons: Doji Hoturi, who is not as well-respected as his father due to his frivolous ways and Doji Kuwanan who is currently studying with the Crab after spending several years in Lion lands attempting to secure peace. Satsume has a confrontational relationship with Hoturi over his behavior - Hoturi is the elder son and will become daimyo of the Crane when his father retires.
Kakita Toshimoko - The current headmaster, or soke, of the Kakita School. Considered by many to be the greatest swordsman currently alive and has won enough duels to prove it. While he is seen as an honorable man, gossip states him to be a lecherous old man who drinks and chases geisha, often in the company of Doji Hoturi, his prize student. However, no one has ever caught him in a state where he was unable to handle his sword - everyone who has ever tried is dead. The feud between the Lion and Crane is currently seen as personified between Toshimoko and Akodo Kage, the current soke of the Akodo school. The subject of who would win in a duel is often debated.
Daidoji Uji - Daimyo of the Daidoji family. One of the most talked-about members of the Crane aristocracy. Uji is darker-skinned than a normal Rokugani and no one is sure exactly why, but several rumors circulate. He is skilled with several gaijin weapons, a fact he does not keep hidden. Despite an older Imperial mandate preventing the use of gunpowder, he is rumored to be very knowledgeable in its manufacture and application. Uji also wears a cloth mask, not a mempo, when he dons his armor - a affectation he has copied from the Scorpion after defeating them in several open skirmishes and who knows how many hidden ones.
Togashi Yokuni - Champion of the Dragon Clan, daimyo of the Togashi. One of the least-seen Clan leaders. Very rarely attends any court functions, often sending delegates. Those who have seen him have never seen him outside of his traditional armor, including a full mempo, or face mask. Is also notable for his size, like Hida Kisada - while not as tall, Yokuni seems to be excessively muscular. The major thing Yokuni is notable for is how little people know about him. No one knows where he came from or who he was. Considering the Togashi "family" is a collection of samurai from everywhere around the Empire who came to the mountain to be monks, no one is sure if there's actually a "family" to inherit the position from. He could be from any clan or no clan or even a heimin - who knows what strangeness the Dragon allow? Yokuni apparently achieved the position after his predecessor passed away due to old age, but no dignitaries attended his funeral and no one seems to know anything about the previous Togashi daimyo, either. Togashi Yokuni is not believed to have any children or to even be married.
Mirumoto Hitomi - Daimyo of the Mirumoto family. Her brother was killed by Hida Yakamo in duel in what some consider to be a dishonorable fashion. Hitomi believes Yakamo killed her brother unjustly and without honor and seeks vengeance. She has shaved her head in mourning and refuses to let her hair grow. Her desire for revenge has led her to hone her martial skills to a remarkable level. Without doubt, she is the greatest swordsman who uses the Niten-do style alive today. Hitomi is frustrated by the non-aggressive stance of her Clan. If she had her way, she would drag the Dragon armies south and burn her way through Crab lands until she was able to find and kill Hida Yakamo, consequences be damned. Hitomi has a cousin, Mirumoto Daini, who handles most of the day-to-day running of the family including all court appearances. Daini is considered to be a lightweight flash-in-the-pan of a samurai - he is a braggart and brash and boastful of his skill as a swordsman which is so far unproven and untested.
Akodo Arasou - Champion of the Lion clan, Daimyo of the Akodo family. Arasou has led his Clan and family to victory on the battlefield over and over and over again. He has secured military victory against the Crane, Scorpion and Unicorn leading many to label him as the greatest tactician and military leader alive. Under him, the Lion have become a dominant force in the Empire, slowed only in the courts. Arasou is also rumored to be in love with Matsu Tsuko, the daimyo of the Matsu family, and gossip about their love and relationship fills pillowbooks and sordid conversation across the Empire. The Lion who serve under Arasou seem to be especially devoted - they view him as the closest a Lion general has come to embodying the spirit of the original Akodo in several generations.
Akodo Kage - Soke of the Akodo ryu-ha. One of the most celebrated sensei in the Empire. His teaching methods are legendary and he has produced some of the finest Lion samurai of the current generation. Under his guidance, the main dojo of the Akodo ryu have become the standard by which all other schools are judged. Akodo Kage even had the honor of teaching the young Prince Hantei Jian-mei before he became Emperor, a honor that as reflected well on the Lion as a whole. Kage's personal abilities are also well known - he is a masterful warrior, capable and deadly with several weapons and the purity of his motions are breathtaking to behold.
Matsu Tsuko - Daimyo of the Matsu family. The Matsu are a matriarchal family, an anomaly in the Empire. Despite this oddity, the Matsu are highly traditional and very fierce, born warriors who are renowned and feared for their skills - they're a little like the Spartans of Rokugan. Tsuko is a product of this atmosphere and does her best to embody it. Her personal unit, the Lion's Pride, have won great glory for the Lion and samurai-ko line up in order to fill any empty spots that occur. Tsuko first became notable when she killed a Phoenix samurai who ambushed her parents during a battle when she was very young, around 10 years of age. She is rumored to be in love with Akodo Arasou and the two are often seen together - though no one has ever seen them acting in an inappropriate manner.
Isawa Tsuke - Elemental Master of Fire, Respected Shugenja. Isawa Tsuke is one of the most respected and most feared shugenja in the Empire. He is often tasked to work with the office of the Emerald Champion, provided advice on spiritual and supernatural issues and events. Tsuke achieved the rank of Elemental Master at a young age and has held the post for more than a decade. It is often said that shugenja who focus on one element often begin to act like that element and many believe that to be true of Tsuke. He is brash, quick to act with a powerful if often subtle temper. In our Rokugan, Isawa Tsuke (along with the other four Elemental Masters) is seen as something of a tactical weapon by the Phoenix - he is highly skilled in the most destructive Element a shugenja can master and can do great damage to an enemy, but allowing him to unleash his full potential against a foe would result in harsh consequences for the Phoenix as a whole - consequences that could isolate them or destroy them in court.
Shiba Ujimitsu - Champion of the Phoenix Clan, daimyo of the Shiba family. Shiba Ujimitsu is often considered to be the wisest samurai alive (other than the Emperor, of course). Although he is very young, in his 30's, Ujimitsu seems to have a boundless well of knowledge and wisdom on both mundane and esoteric subjects. This is a trait which has marked previous Shiba daimyo and several are happy to see it continuing with the current generation. Ujimitsu is on very friendly terms with the current Emperor, Hantei Jian-mei. Both spent several summers together as boys and Ujimitsu's family is very well-connected with the Imperial families. Phoenix dignitaries are hopeful Ujimitsu will use this closeness to their advantage, but a recent scandal has set back diplomatic efforts by the Clan. Shiba Ujimitsu's wife passed away after a long, painful illness. When the Emperor came to pay his respects and condolences, Ujimitsu's younger daughter spoke out against the Emperor - some even say she attempted to curse the Son of Heaven and Ujimitsu was forced to end his own daughter's life.
Bayushi Shoju - Champion of the Scorpion Clan, daimyo of the Bayushi family. Bayushi Shoju is one of the least trusted men in the Empire. As daimyo of the Scorpion, he is perceived to be a leader of a clan of liars, thieves and honorless men (though no one would ever be so rude as to put it that way publicly) and that means everyone believes that he must be the most honorless, ruthless liar if he crawled to the top of that pile. They are very wrong about his lack of honor and very right about his ruthlessness. Shoju is a masterful diplomat and politician, never seen without a full face mask from which his honeyed voice issues. He is married to Bayushi Kachiko, formerly a Shosuro and one of if not the most achingly beautiful woman in the Empire. The two cut a dashing figure in court and the idea of having a dangerous pair of wedded Scorpions scheming under your roof along with their impeccable decorum and politeness has made them a popular fixture on the social scene.
Shinjo Yokatsu - Champion of the Unicorn Clan, Daimyo of the Shinjo family. Shinjo Yokatsu is an insider's outsider. He cultivates an air of "backwater bumpkin" that most other samurai associate with the Unicorn that he uses to cover his impressive cunning. He is a free spirit who loves to run free and ride and is possessed with a fierce love of his people - all of his people. While most samurai concern themselves with peasants the same way a farmer is concerned over his animals, Yokatsu actually delights in all of the Unicorn he is in command of, from the highest samurai to the lowliest peasant. Although he is excellent at keeping up appearances at the few static villages that the Clan has, out in the wilds of Unicorn lands, amongst the nomadic parts of his people, Yokatsu allows propriety to slide. In fact, if you are a peasant, being a Unicorn could be the best thing that could happen to you. Everyone is treated as almost an equal, with none of the usual harsh treatment and bullying that usually marks the treatment of the "lesser people" by those in power. This means that almost all of the Unicorn are fiercely loyal to Yokatasu and love him as he loves them. In fact, Yokatsu is so happy with what the Clan has currently, most of his work in Court is simply preservation of what the Unicorn currently has and keeping other spying hands and eyes from Unicorn lands.
Moto Chagatai - Daimyo of the Moto Family. Moto Chagatai is known as the Khan and may be the strongest and most ambitious leader that family has ever produced. While he adores Shinjo Yokatsu like all other Unicorn, he is strongly disappointed by Yokatsu's complete lack of ambition. Chagatai believes that it is time for the Unicorn to demand the respect they are due and to increase their holdings and wealth. The Clan has been carefully marshalling its strength, increasing the size of its armies, preparing for the day when their strength will be tested against the greatest armies in the Empire. Chagatai believes the Unicorn currently have enough strength to begin to expand and has begun to speak of his desires to his fellow samurai. He is very charismatic and several samurai from every Unicorn family have begun to heed his words - including Otaku Kamoko, the current head of the Otaku family and their powerful shiotome - the Battle Maidens. If Chagatai can get her completely on his side, he should be able to pressure Yokatsu into action, or, failing that, convince him to retire or remove him from the Championship.
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