Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

Memories of Koten


Other than the slowly fading echoes of the monk attending to the stone catacombs beneath Koten, the burial halls were empty, the cold darkness creeping along its paths illuminated by but a single torch carried by a giant of a man, clad in armor well used, fitting to his form like a second skin or a shell as others had so often sneered from behind their silken fans. From his obi hung club, a tetsubo studded with sharp shards of jade on a cord of thick rope. It was not as elegant a weapon as those used further within the emerald empire, but its wielder knew each crevice and crack upon its worn haft enough to consider it an extension of his being. Besides, it was not often one was entrusted to teach the heir the true nature of duty. If he allowed one of those whom slipped through the whelp Kuon's defense upon the wall to devour the boy on his watch, he'd never hear the end of it.


"Ichiro-kun, come here. Let us see if you can recall the knowledge i have imparted to you." he gestured towards the son of his grandchild, the boy meeting his eyes without fear, only respect. Sometimes, when beset by old regrets, he wondered what he'd done to earn it.

A daisho belonging to the honored sensei Hiruma Masagaro was identified, the scabbard still bearing the mon of the Kyuden Hiruma, a reflection of the land only recently reclaimed from the horrors beyond the Kaiu wall, battles still to be fought upon the contested castle walls . Speaking emotionlessly as if reciting a string of dry facts learnt within a classroom, the young Crab went on to list his death at the hands of the undead, hampering the dark lord Iuchiban's campaigns barely a year before.

Next was the hammer of the child's grandmother, daughter of their guide, slain by the Crane during the Yasuki war, martyring herself against a enemy duelist as an example to her men to remain strong and hold the line, to buy time for the armies upon the wall to weather the latest onslaught before coming to their aid.

This went on, a string of gruesome deaths, tales of courage and ends that rarely left a body. Soon the trio found themselves deep within the bowels of the castle, the only marks of their passing being the disrupted dust upon the floor and the age of the engraved names upon the walls.

Looking intently upon the kanji engraved upon the wall separating the urn of ashes and old scraps of what remained of a helmet, its top caved inwards by a ugly tear in the metal, the boy answering on cue "Hida Taro. Hero of the Battle of Unshaking Stone."


"So you can read his name from the wall boy. What happened to him?"

"An Oni claimed his life Kisada-Sama. He was slain defending the Clan Champions back as its tentacles pierced his body and tore him apart."

Ignoring the green faced visitor next to them the Great Bear feigned a pained expression. "Call me jiji. I'm sure the young lord here doesn't wish to stand on ceremony all day."


He looked towards the young heir of the Emperor with a small smile, hinting at this break of etiquette as a secret to be shared, one quickly shared by the young boy just itching to spend a few hours from the tedium of sitting motionless beside his parents as they conducted their meeting with the Clan Champion back within the fortress walls of the Kyuden Hida.


"Besides, go back far enough and it's arguable to claim we are related to some degree. Acting as coldly to one another as a Crane is hardly something family should do to one another in private. It is strong bonds within the clan that makes the Crab strong. If you cannot depend upon family, then you exist standing on sand, doomed to tread softly till you make a mistake and drown within the earth for your troubles. When you follow your duty to the clan, you can live knowing someone will defend your back as you are expected to defend theirs. The same is within the empire young Hisao. The Crab defend the wall as is their duty, but in return the empire supports them by doing their own duty in providing us what we need."


"But...what about the Crane? Or the Scorpion. I was told you fight them very often and they are your neighbours? What if they don't help you?" stuttered out the young prince.


The former Champion of the Crab leaned down, his bulk dwarfing the boy, the glow of the torch granting him a menacing light as his intense, dark eyes burned with a inner fire. "Then it is up to those with strength to do their duty and make them." he replied, imparting what he considered the most important lesson of all.


The silence drew out, the corridor a soft orange glow from the flames licking the air from the stick and its burning bundle of rags. The only noise was the breathing of a frightened child, the tension suddenly broken by the wheezing cough of a giant breaking into barely repressed laughter, the reborn spirits large frame shuddering as he mastered himself. It had been far too long since he'd made an Imperial almost wet himself and this was honestly the closest he'd come to revenge against the boy's grandfather.


"My apologies young Totori-sama. Just an old man taking his entertainment where he can. The lessons are useful, the stories within these halls far less frequent then i would like, but the price paid without question in each instance. It's important for a man to grow knowing what duty truly looks like. That way he can accept it without question, rather than wheedling his way out of the cost with half-truths and empty words. I only hope you remember this when you think of the Emperor's servants the Crab."


Taking a moment to gather himself and to present his adult face, just like his tutors had taught him, the next Emperor imperiously decreed "Your lesson has been received Kisada-san. But please, call me Hisao. It would be bad form for family to speak so coldly to one another."


(OOC: Never done an L5R omake before, unsure if i got it right enough.)

In the Empire (Rokugan) your position in life is determined by your caste and the ranking of the castes is part of what is known as the Celestial Order. Codified by Doji, one of the Ten Kami these castes are: Samurai, Clergy, Bonge (peasants, merchants, craftsmen, farmer), Eta (non-people either criminals or those in 'un-clean' professions such as tanners, torturers and morticians, also includes entertainers).

Samurai- Nobility of Rokugan, they are the members of the Clans and Families that make up the Empire. They fill a variety of rolls, Bushi (warrior), Courtier, Shugenja (Mage Priests), Yojimbo (Bodyguard), Magistrates and more. They are also the only one permitted to carry a daisho, which is a Katana and Wakizashi. Of note though Courtiers and Shugenja rarely carry a Katana as doing so indicates a willingness to Duel yourself. The Samurai caste controls Rokugan. Samurai has sub castes, with the most important being the Kuge of whom the Emperor is a part of, then comes the Buke, then Ronin and finally Ashigaru.

Clergy- Those who pray, this caste consist of Shugenja and Monks, though almost all Shugenja are also Samurai and have the status based on where they rank in the Samurai caste. Shugenja here the kami, the elemental spirits that inhabit the land and correspond to the Five Rings, Air, Earth, Fire, Water and Void. Monks also are capable of interaction with the spirits but do so through meditation and kiho (chi technique aligned with one of the Five Rings), Monks can come from any class and leave their past life behind them upon becoming a monk.

Bonge- Known as those who work, the highest ranked amongst the Bonge is the farmer as they fed the Empire and without them none could live. After that comes the craftsmen and artisans and then the merchants, since in the traditional view merchants create nothing. Technically Samurai are not merchants and do not engage in it, if a samurai is involved it is technically as a 'patron' for a merchant, in reality Samurai will engage in merchant activity with the Yasuki of the Crab and the Ide of the Unicorn being the most common families to do so. Similarly some Samurai are also artisans. For criminal purposes a Bonge can accuse another Bonge but cannot do so to a Samurai, while a Samurai is in their rights to strike down a Bonge if they feel wronged. Having said that doing so can be considered a crime against the Bonge's Samurai master and thus the Samurai can be charged by the other Samurai. Also acting against the Bonge without good reason will attach a negative stigma and other Samurai are not going to treat such a Samurai well.

Eta- As non people killing them is not considered a crime by either the Samurai or the Bonge. Once again in practice this is not often the case as most are still performing useful tasks. Technically this group may not speak to a Samurai without permission from the Samurai, in practice it depends on the profession. Torturers are often employed by Magistrates and as such are required to report what they learn to them. Another example is that Geisha are in this class, however to strike at a Geisha would draw the wrath of the Samurai in the area. True Geisha are entertainers and conversationalists, and not there for carnal activities. As such there is no shame for a Samurai to spend time in the company of a Geisha even if married.


Kuge- The highest sub caste and the Elite of the Samurai class, these are the ones who hold positions of power. At the top is the Emperor himself, he is considered to own all of Rokugan with the Clans managing sections, called the Son of Heaven he is considered the voice of the Celestial Heavens. Next comes the Shogun along with the Imperial Family Daimyos, his Voice, Adviser and Chancellor along with the Jade and Emerald Champions. In addition the Daimyos of the Great and Minor Clans and Family Daimyo, finally the lowest of this group is the immediate family of the Family leaders. For Minor Clans only the daimyo counts as Kuge, the rest are Buke.

Buke- This makes up the majority of the Samurai and consist of the vassal houses of the Families. They are in service of a family and bear that's family name as a result. They will use that Family name instead of their House name. Hence a vassal of the Shiba will refer to themselves by Shiba and not their House name. They make up the governors, bureaucrats, magistrates, courtiers and warriors. All of those who have sworn loyalty to a Family are members of the Buke, if not they make up the next caste.

Ronin- Samurai who for reasons, such as birth, punishment or other events do not serve a lord. Due to their status many become criminals as normal labor would be beneath them and they do not have the resources of a Family to draw upon for living. As such they tend to be distrusted. There are exceptions, some Ronin groups have achieved Honor and find backing of a Family without swearing allegiance. Also some have become Ronin on a quest of redemption or some other journey and they tend to be better treated.

Ashigaru- The lowest in terms of status, the Ashigaru are actually peasents. The difference is that their career is that of the soldier and thus while not as skilled as the samurai are still highly trained. Quite often an Ashigaru is from a family that has provided Ashigaru to their Lords throughout their existence. In peace they often fill the role of guards, scouts and extra troops for magistrates.


There are several terms for understanding a Samurai

Clan- The largest organization, this is a group that is tasked with responsibility for a certain area of the Empire though in theory they managed the land for the Emperor. Composed of one or more Families.

Families- Composed of Vassal Houses along with those descended from the Family founder they form the basis of the Clans. The members of the families have sworn allegiance to their family daimyo and are often not all related by bood.

Bushi- A follower of Bushido, which is the Code of Honor of the Samurai they are the Warriors amongst the Samurai.

Courtier- Samurai who spend their time in the political arena both representing their Clan and Family and improving their position. They are often the ones who initiate communication between Clans and work out agreements even if the Champion has the final say. Consider them the politicians and diplomats.

Daimyo- A lord with samurai sworn to their service, the lowest level is provincial who rule a province of the Clan, then is the Family who is in charge of a Family of a Clan and finally the Clan daimyo most often called Clan Champion who rules both the Clan and is the Family damiyo of their family

Magistrate- These are the ones who enforce the law, be it over a province, family, clan or empire. The highest of these are the Emerald Magistrates, who enforce Imperial law and report to the Emerald Champion, and the Jade Magistrates, who deal with crimes involving magic and report to the Jade Champion. The Jade Magistrates also posses many who hunt Blood Magic Practitioners (Maho or Blood Magic is forbidden as it corrupts the user)

Shugenja- samurai priests, they can communicate with the kami and in doing so are able to cast spells aligned with one of the Five Rings or Elements

Yojimbo- Bodyguards assigned to highly ranked members, shugenja and courtiers. They are bushi with training on protecting their charge. For courtiers the Yojimbo is often an accomplished Duelist and will represent them in a Duel.


The Empire is based on a Clan Structure with Eight Great Clans, Nine Minor Clans and 4 Imperial Families. The Great Clans are in turn composed of multiple Families, the Minor Clans however generally only have a single Family. The Great Clans, except the Mantis are all formed by one of the Ten Kami (Seven formed Clans, one, Hantei formed the first Imperial Dynasty, Fu Leng fell into Jigoku and became the enemy and Ryoshu died before the Kami fell to the Mortal world and thus resides in the Spirit world guiding the dead).

Crab Clan- Formed by the Kami Hida, the Crab have the great duty of guarding Rokugan against the Shadowlands. In aid of this they crafted the Kaiu Wall between Rokugan and the Shadowlands to keep the monsters and taint out of Rokugan. The Wall itself has been at times breached but each time the Crab rebuild it stronger than before. It is rare for a day to go by without at least some Oni or Goblins attempting to attack or bypass the wall and the Crab must maintain constant vigilance. They are the first line of defense against the Shadowlands and it shows in their attitude. Often considered rough and brutish, this is true as the Crab have little time for the cultured niceties of the Court. As such they tend to be blunt and direct, they are not stupid however and tend to leave the tasks of the court to the few Courtiers amongst their Clan. While not poor a large portion of their wealth goes to maintaining the Wall and to the constant battle against the Shadowlands as such they often need to establish deals with other Clans to keep resources flowing to maintain their armies, a source of discontent within the Crab. Crab tend to be bigger than members of other Clans and often have facial hair. Their speech also tends to be simple, more along the line of peasant speech, in part because they fight alongside them every day against the Shadowlands. The Crab are composed of six families Hida, Hiruma, Kaiu, Kuni, Toritaka, and Yasuki, the Hida is the Family of the Champion.

Hida Family- Descended from the Kami Hida, they are warriors first and foremost, and it is rare for this family to produce Courtiers. They are emotional, though rarely out of control and channel their temper in battle to great effect. They recognize well the talents of the other families that allow them to fulfill their duties and tend to be even larger than the other Crab. They are also the Crab Family with the most members.

Hiruma Family- Founded by Hiruma, the right hand of Hida and a highly skilled scout and one of the original Crab families. The Hiruma of today continue this tradition and produce some of the best scouts amongst the Crab. They are the ones who sneak into the Shadowlands risking Taint and corruption to bring back crucial information. At one time their family lands were lost to the Shadowlands and it was not until after the Kaiu Wall was first constructed during the same conflict that they were reclaimed and purified to a degree. Even still Taint lingers in some of their lands. They maintain constant watch as their lands are on the Shadowlands side of the Kaiu Wall. Hiruma tend to be silent and grim with little time for activities outside of combatting the Shadowlands.

Kaiu Family- Founded by Kaiu, one of the three great followers of Hida, along with Hiruma and Kuni, Kaiu was known as the smith and constructed Kyuden Hida (Castle Hida) along with much of the armor and weapon of the first Crab. They are the smiths and engineers, and considered the best at both fortifications and sieging fortifications. They supply the Clan with weapons and armor and amongst the Crab Kaiu make is considered the best. Calm and soft spoken, they do not display the temper and emotions normally associated with the Crab, they do though share the large size. Methodical and capable of viewing a problem from multiple angles the Kaiu are one of the families to provide Courtiers and Magistrates for the Crab.

Kuni Family- Founded by Kuni, the scholar and mage, it was he who discovered the means to resist the Taint and uncovered many secrets of the Shadowlands, including weaknesses of the Oni and the protective nature of Jade and crystal. The Kuni family is the Shugenja family of the Crab. Known for their painted Kabuki faces they are regarded with some suspicion by other Clans as they research the Taint and Shadowlands. There is merit to this concern as more Kuni have fallen to corruption and Maho then any other Shugenja family, though part of this is their proximity to the Shadowlands allowing the Taint to be stronger. Despite being Shugenja proximity to the Shadowlands has caused them to train their students in martial techniques as well for a stronger body then most Shugenja. Famous amongst the Family is their Witch Hunters who are trained to track and destroy any Tainted, Shadowlands creature or Maho user that has slipped into Rokugan.

Toritaka Family- Founded in 834 as the Falcon Clan by Yotogi, an Ashigaru, whose father died saving the Emperor from an assassin. Yotogi was able to determine that the peasant assassin had been possessed by an evil spirit. Their specialty lies in understanding and countering spirits from the various realms. Their home lies in lands that are often haunted by spirits and as such posses tremendous insight into them. For the Crab this has proven fortunate as at time the servants of Jikogu will call on spirits from other realms to aid them in fighting against Rokugan. Disaster fell in 1125 when a Maho ritual opened a portal that caused many of the Falcon and their Buke to be possessed. The Emperor tasked the Crab to absorb the survivors into their Clan, since then they have begun to rebuild, aided by Crab resources but are the smallest Crab family. In addition to their Bushi school the produce highly skilled magistrates as they emphasize observation, often able to see the passage of spirits. Thanks to lying next to Crab lands they intermarried often and share a similar large size.

Yasuki Family- Founded by Yasuki, a wise women who aided Kakita in marrying the Kami Doji, founder of the Crane. As such they were originally a Crane Family. This lasted until the end of the 4th Century in which time a conflict broke out between Crab and Crane. As part of the conflict suspicion came between the Yasuki and Crane Champion, the later in the end driving them out of Crane lands. The Crab Champion accepted their allegiance and since then they have been the face of the Clan in the courts. The Yasuki are Courtiers and Traders and are the backbone of the Crab industry. A second war over the Yasuki was fought between Crab and Crane and in the end Toturi II appointed a Daidoji as the new Daimyo on the condition he swears allegiance to both Crab and Crane.

--Kaname
About the Tournament.

You decide in the end that you want to talk to your fiancée, and since you don't want to do too much political stuff with her in public, that means the tournament. Yes she's gotten better about the whole 'saying things that mortally offend people' thing, but tempting the Heavens has never been a smart plan.

So you wave your fan and out of the corner of your mouth ask.
"Shiba-san what do you think of the tournament."

Kaname waves her own fan in thought for a moment.
"Loyalty to my clan says that I should wish that my Clan wins it and that we can return to the ways of old when the Phoenix did the work of the Jade Champion without complaint. However, I do not think that my clan mates will win. It is not that I doubt their expertise or skill, only that I have seen Tamori Wotan-san act...I believe he will win"

Hiroko muffles a snort.

"Do you think he should win?" You ask curious.

"No, I don't think anyone should win. The Jade Champion is chosen on the basis of their power with the kami, not on their ability to do the duty that has been given them. In that respect, I think the best suited would be one of the Crab." She says.

You mentally sigh, improved yes but not one hundred percent. Granted, she had a point, the ability to make large rocks/fire/tornadoes/tsunami fly into people at speeds not conducive for life, while useful in some cases, didn't really apply to the day to day. On the other hand, it wasn't like you could set up fake maho cults for people to find. That was crazy.

"Well the Kuni began the tradition all those years ago, so perhaps one will continue" You muse, even as you watch Kuni Daigo's giant earth armour literally punch a Agasha Tomioko's fire phoenix out of existence.

"Perhaps, but if my Emperor permits, who do you want to win?" Kaname asks.

You wave your fan in thought, did you really have a preferred winner. In terms of politics, having the Unicorn feel heard was almost certainly the best choice. Although there was a case to be made for reinforcing the Lion's position or even Scorpion. But in the end, you just wanted the winner to be strong and capable. Still your answer is probably going to get out...so a non answer it is. Ah the game of politics where you have to sidestep questions even from your wife to be.

You got the Crab sometimes, really you did.
"I want the candidate that the Heaven's chose to win of course. I have no doubt that it will be the right decision to make." You say simply.

Hiroko snorts, and Kaname looks down. You wonder what they're thinking, you're distracted when the crowd roars in surprise. Isawa Kimi's simple star covered Dragon has phased through Kuni Kiyoshi's powerful looking Stone Bear and is now attacking it from above. The bear crumbles to dust as what looked like a clear if tight victory for Kiyoshi was suddenly reversed.

On the surface, it shouldn't be an upset, but somehow, everyone thought that Isawa Kimi was simply a pretender to the position of Mistress of the Void. That your Uncle was certainly more worthy of the title...and she had put all doubts down.

The rounds continue, you watch Tamori Wotan eventually prove unable to get around the powerful but flexible Water Unicorn of Horiuchi Shem-Zhe, and Kitsu Katsuko showing her junior why exactly she was the daimyo of the Kitsu family.

In the end the final match of the day came down to Horiuchi Shem-Zhe and Kitsu Katsuko. You could literally feel the lightning crackling in the air as the two samurai stared down at each other. The Lion and Unicorn had been rivals since the Unicorn returned...today would not be the end of it, but it would be perhaps one of the chief arguments used between them in the future.

Shem-Zhe takes a deep breath pulling out a paint brush, and seeming to draw water in the air. In an instant the water kami gathered from the nearby pool to form the image of one of the Shi-Tien Yen Wang a clear challenge to Katsuko. Katsuko for her part pulls out two scrolls doing a delicate dance before rolling them out on the ground and praying herself. For a moment you can swear that you see two other shugenja helping her...the ancestral spirits are guiding her you realize.

Opposite of the Death god avatar forms Bishamonten.

You hear distantly.
"Impressive Kitsu-san, I must congratulate you on your power and skill. Whatever happens, I am glad that I was able to be your opponent."

"Horiuchi-san, I will concede your power and ability here, but please don't think to ill of me when I defeat you."

"That remains to be seen, let the Heaven's guide us.' Shem-Zhe calls.

"And the Ancestors" Katsuko echoes.

With the exchange over, that seems to be the signal they need to begin their fight. The two avatars of water dance around each other in a brutal mimicry of actual combat. The Death God's long naginata clashing with Bishamonten's over and over, as neither seemed to gain ground....but you look at their legs and see the truth. Katsuko's avatar is shrinking, bit by bit, as it clashes with Shem-Zhe's each blow of their naginata ending with Katsuko being pushed back.

"How did he do that?" Kaname wonders out loud what you were already thinking.

It takes to sundown for Katsuko to admit to defeat, Shem-Zhe's avatar finally crashing through hers and sending her flying. The strain proving too much for the woman as she collapses. Shem-Zhe runs over to her taking out an amulet and kneeling down. You don't hear what is said...but it looks like he is healing her, not because he has to or anything, but because he feels responsible for doing that to her.

Your meeting tomorrow with Shem-zhe was going to be very interesting indeed you decide. With a slight grunt from sitting still so long you stand up and call for the end of the tournament. Well you got what was politically expedient didn't you? You should be happy, but you still feel on edge for some reason.

The feeling doesn't go away as you settle down in your bed after the feast. You think for a moment of going to talk to Kaname or someone, but the thought is gone as quickly as it comes as you hear the sounds of someone yelling outside suddenly cease. You're barely sitting up with a katana in hand when through your doorway comes the one Uncle you've never actually met


Isawa no Toturi Sezaru, the Wolf, the Scourge of the North, The Mystic, and madman, had come to call on you.

In a voice halfway between a blizzard and a stone, he says.
"Hello Nephew, we have much to discuss, you and I"

[] What say?