Families

[Canary]

Imperial Families

Chiyo Family: +1 Reflexes
Founded by a bushi and shugenja couple who became friends and confidants of Shiba, the members of the Chiyo family are united in purpose and philosophy despite their different styles of training. While the Jiyo protect the Emperor’s body and the Yuzuru counsel peace and unity in his courts, a Chiyo samurai’s duty is to nurture the Imperial Families’ connection with all of Rokugan, from the land itself on up. Chiyo priests are often found tending shrines in the new Imperial Capital, but many members of the family also travel extensively, visiting remote shrines and villages and collecting information about regional conditions, natural disasters and fortuitous occurrences, and the mood of local nature spirits. If a province is suffering from bandits or famine, expect a Chiyo scout to arrive to gather the news--or a Chiyo shugenja to enlist the help of the local kami. Although it may be many years until Shiba’s Empire has a formal place for “magistrates,” some Chiyo samurai are also called upon to investigate and arbitrate problems in the course of their travels.

Recent historical details (probably still relevant to PCs in Dawn 3, less so a few more decades on): Besides his consort-to-be Yuzuru, two other Ayakashi tribesfolk followed Shiba in the wake of the Tournament of the Kami: Tsubo, a kind and practical woodsman, and Karanoko, a spiritually enlightened mystic and weaver. During the early years of Shiba’s reign, Karanoko and Tsubo supplied support and counsel to the growing Imperial household, encouraging Shiba to ground himself in the physical and spiritual landscape of the Protected Lands that would be Rokugan. The informal group of shugenja, scouts, and emissaries that formed around the pair was eventually organized as a Family under the leadership of their eldest daughter Chiyo, born in the same year the Kami fell to earth. Chiyo became a precocious shugenja under her mother’s tutelage, while her younger sister Niko, who was only a little older than the Emperor’s eldest child, learned the ways of the land and self-defense from their father.


Isawa Family: +1 Willpower
For many years, it was thought that no one would be able to convince the stubborn, proud Isawa to join the Empire that Shiba was building. He could see a future where his people might be under the heel of these so-called gods. However, the word of his trusted servant Jiyo convinced he and his close family to at least speak with the now-Emperor Shiba after the expedition returned from the lands of the Ratlings far in the South. Eventually, to ensure that Isawa's fears wouldn't come to pass, in addition to Jiyo in his inner circle as Emerald Champion and mother of his children and Sora's equally aggressive insistence that human concerns not be buried, Shiba asked he and his siblings to form a council of close advisors around him. It was enough to finally convince him. Now, the family has joined the Imperial families. There is still a certain force of will and stubborn aloofness to its members, who maintain their traditional tribal strongholds as part of their lands as an Imperial Family, but they have chosen to join their fates to the Empires, wherever that might take them in the future.


Jiyo Family: +1 Stamina
The Jiyo family are the foremost unit of personal bodyguards for the most valuable members of the Empire. Jiyo, the family's founder became the Empire's first Emerald Champion and protector of Shiba I. She provided the first generation of heirs for each of the Imperial families; who consequently all trace their bloodlines back through her. The Jiyo stand at the side of the Imperial families as paragons of Honor, Courage, and Duty; willing to sacrifice all for the safety and well-being of their charges.


Shiba Family: +1 Void
The Imperial Family. The blessings of Heaven hive them a particular sort of enlightenment and connection with the Void that has influenced its members approach to their duties. Its scions have the love of learning and philosophy of their founder. This family is limited to Shiba and his immediate descendants.


Yuzuru Family, +1 Awareness
The early followers and scions of Yuzuru were a disparate bunch of shugenja and mystics that either shared the Imperial Consort's worldview or wished to build and protect the nascent Imperial family. They all had to pass the scrutiny of the Emperor, the Consort himself, and the Consort's Kitsune companion, Han-Han.

As the family solidified they became the spiritual centre of the Imperial Court. Yuzuru's open nature spread through the family, making them more likely to talk things out than resort to violence.

The Yuzuru mon is a nine-tailed fox wreathed in flame.

[Canary]

Bat Clan Families

Ryoshun Family: +1 Void
By its very nature, the Ryoshun family is one of power and mystery. Formed by the union of a dead Kami and one so strong in the Void, the bloodline was destined to have strong mystical influence. Ryoshun Seido itself imbues many Ryoshun with a sense of destiny and otherworldly power. The craftsmen of the family feel as if Ryoshun’s spirit is guiding their work. The Mystics and Spirit Guides feel much the same.


Agasha Family: +1 Perception
The Agasha family is a recent creation. A group of like-minded people slowly coalesced over the unusual adopted daughter of Nazo, eventually being dubbed an official family by Nazo when they became a large enough group. The Agasha as a whole are highly experimental and curious, always pushing the boundaries of what is known and what can be safely attempted when dealing with magic.

[Canary]

Crab Clan Families

Anjing Family: +1 Willpower
Anjing was as stubborn as her husband, Hida, was powerful, a bulwark of personality that complimented her husband's focus on defense. Those who follow her respect her strength and emulate her approach to confrontations - direct and strong.


Hida Family: +1 Strength
Those who follow Kami Hida are among the largest and most powerful people in all the Empire. They take the idea of defense seriously, and they are both incredible warriors and skilled defensive tacticians.


Hiruma Family: +1 Agility
Silent and deadly, the Hiruma are the scouts and yojimbo of the Crab. They are as agile and graceful as the Hida are powerful, and warriors from the two families tend to complement one another very well.


Kaiu Family: +1 Intelligence
Where the Ryoshun of the Bat Clan focus on practical everyday engineering projects and the Agasha push the boundaries of what both magic and crafting can achieve, the Kaiu are the preeminent war engineers of the Empire. Their skill at crafting long term defensive installations and siege engines is second to none, which is proving useful in their new location on the frontier, near where those who refused Emperor Shiba were pushed out.


Yoshitsune Family: +1 Reflexes
Yoshitsune and his followers were charged with protecting merchant caravans from bandits, safely escorting them to the new home of the Crab Clan.

[Canary]

Crane Clan Families

Doji Family: +1 Awareness
The followers of Doji are bound together by an interest in both art and politics, and are bound to have a strong influence on both in the Empire, held back only by the influence of the Imperial consort. Still, they are already influential in forming the basic underpinnings of aesthetics and etiquette, weaving their approach into the fabric of culture itself.


Nanzi Family: +1 Agility
“Our blades defend the clan; never shall they be raised against it.”
Literal cousins to the Doji family, founded by her husband, Nanzi, the premier bushi family of the Crane always stands by the Doji. Good natured and professing peaceful resolution with a hand on their blades. A secretive family they have sworn themselves as the defenders of the Doji and given the founder's oath to Hantei they will never raise a blade against the children of Doji or the clan. To this end they never marry out, always in and if one truly wishes to leave the family, they are made ronin to seek their own path.

The Nanzi family prefers hit and run tactics and fighting with small elite forces when pressed into warfare. Some may even consider their actions less than honorable but thankfully they have the Doji to smooth over such obvious misunderstandings. In court they serve as yojimbo and aggressive diplomats, they are the firm hand to the honorable and more genteel Doji diplomats providing their cousins with Mastery of the Duel to turn aggressive negotiations to their favor.

[Canary]

Dragon Clan Families

Saru Family: +1 Awareness
The Saru was founded by Togashi's wife and the followers of the Dragon who sought her wisdom. While not possessing the divine insight of her husband, Togashi Saruko is considered to be a spiritual person with a greater understanding of the world. Once known as the storyteller Shirayuki of the Ayakashi, she adopted a new name upon her marriage to the Kami Togashi to mark the great change in her life. And some stories say that the name of Saru comes from her possible ancestry of a great monkey-spirit.

With the guidance of their daimyo, the Saru have become a family that embraces beauty, learning, and compassion in their daily life, believing that it improves not only their own self but also the world around them. Most of them are warm and friendly folk, who are more than eager to meet anyone who would visit the mountains of the Dragon Clan, or to travel outside the mountains to speak on behalf of their Clan. While they lack the refinement and skill of the Crane and Stag as courtiers, they make up for it with their friendliness and willingness to entertain. Gregarious and curious, the Saru are never dull people to have around.

Their territory is based on the southern parts of the Dragon mountains, making it a natural location for outsiders to approach if they wish to deal with the Dragon, and also the place one must pass through if they wish to go further north to the mountains of the elusive Togashi. Their seat of power is the Great Falls, a growing town standing on top of a majestic waterfall plunging into a fertile valley below. Here the fledgling Order of Heroes has taken strong root and stands together with other small temples being erected to various kami, as well as a great library that serves as a place of teaching for all the people in the area. It is also a safe haven for children orphaned and left alone in the world, as Saruko has declared that such children will be cared for in her lands. While not more than a handful of orphans live in Great Falls, they are looked after by Saruko's closest and given the same chance to learn and grow as any other child in the lands of the Saru.

Their mon is a monkey holding a peach-branch, protectively encircled by a dragon.




The Togashi Order: +1 Reflexes
A nascent monastic order rather than a true family, the Togashi accept all who wish to join their ranks, provided they are able to embrace the order’s teachings and endure its trials, which many are not. The monks of this order have begun to emerge from the Kami's mountains with mystical tattoos that grant them incredible, supernatural abilities.


Wu Family: +1 Perception
The founder of the Wu familly walked the road to enlightment but refused to remain secluded. He came to believe that introspection could indeed lead to great knowledge but only that of the self. With that in mind, and since oneness also implies the individual within a greater world, it would be necessary to explore and learn from that world as well.

That however is a challenge

The outside is filled with illusions and misconceptions and even the gods can find themselves vulnerable to this. Sometimes the deception is fully intended, in others it is the simple fruit of an honest mistake or lack of full understanding. Thus the Wu familly are trained to see the world as it is and parse the true from the false.

[Canary]

Ki-Rin Clan Families

Chai Family: +1 Willpower
The Chai family was formed by Chaihime, one of Shinjo's early followers. The Kami's kidnheartedness and practical gifts to humanity won her over, and her family now serves as magistrates within the Clan, enforcing the laws Shinjo hands down within the framework the Emerald Champion recently handed down.


Ide Family: +1 Perception
The Ide Family was recently formed by one of Shinjo's followers, an affable and warm-hearted man, in addition to being shrewd and perceptive. It's all in preparation for the exploration that the Clan is rumored to be planning once the leaders of the Clan have recovered from their wounds to as great a degree as possible. Samurai of the Ide family are almost universally even-tempered and eager to forge alliances with others, whether personal or larger in scale.

Jin Family: +1 Intelligence
In the young ages of the Empire the majority who bear the Jin name are shugenja and sorcerers who have found that Shinjo's path of compassion and exploration call to them. Following the lessons and examples of their founder and teacher their goal is the aid and betterment of any they find in need be they family or stranger as long as they are not actively hostile. Even in the case of the latter they are trained and encouraged to find the least violent and destructive means to end a threat. There is no need to harm an opponent if they can be restrained nor to kill if harming is enough. Although they extend this benevolence to all mortals they do not hesitate to stand against supernatural threats to their clan, the Empire, or any innocent soul.


Otaku Family:
Otaku was adopted into the Clan not long after the return from the South, and has taken to the life of a samurai like a fish to water. She had a natural way with horses that lent itself to her cavalry training, and she adopted the ideals of Honor, quickly throwing herself into debates about exactly what that means. With her honor like a beacon, as well as a good amount of strength and charisma, she's already carved out a niche for a family within her Clan.


Shinjo Family: +1 Reflexes
The followers Shinjo are an affable, industrious family whose members adapt easily to almost any task set before them, and who work well with others in virtually any situation. They have been drawn from several different tribes who appreciated the freedom and compassion offered by the Kami Shinjo.

[Canary]

Lion Clan Families

Akodo Family: +1 Agility
The Akodo are the masters of battle throughout the Empire, drawn to Akodo's discipline and strength. The man is a master tactician, acknowledged by the other Kami for his skill in tactics. Only Hida rivals him, and only in the realm of defense. Akodo's followers tend to be calm and analytical.


Ikoma Family: +1 Awareness
The voice of the Lion Clan, the Ikoma speak on behalf of the Clan in court, and they have taken to becoming recorders of history as well, a vital activity to both the Lion themselves and to the Emperor. The family are also consummate storytellers, if not quite so boisterous and... altered most of the time as their founder. For every stoic Lion who refuses to allow emotion to affect him, there is an Ikoma bard who weeps openly when he tells the samurai’s story to others.

Makime Family: +1 Perception
Formed from one of Akodo’s first and most promising followers, the Makime family has already begun to build a reputation as skilled tacticians and shrewd merchants. Emerging from simple trader roots among the former Kuwagaya, the family has carved a niche out for themselves in the growing Lion clan. As Lord Akodo looks to build an army worthy of the new Empire, Makime and her family have turned to providing the foundations of that force. While trained in tactics, the family has truly begun to excel in managing all the minutiae of the army. They see themselves as the first and principal support of the Akodo bushi. Those taking up the sword doing so directly on the field, keeping the Lion lines organized and providing aid to their fellows. Many have also chosen to take up the fan in the new courts, working principally to acquire resources and build trade relations with the other clans. Their merchants are greatly aided in this task by the production of silk, though their forebears' stranglehold on the fabric has long since ended. Regardless of which route a Makime takes, they always believe in careful planning and analysis. This harkens back to their original founder, whose original obsession of patterns matured into a discerning and analytical nature. This has given them the unfortunate stigma of being overly cautious, as their nature makes them adverse to snap decisions...especially when they lack information. Still rare is the one who underestimates the Makime twice.

The mon of the Makime is a Lion curled around a silk moth.

[Canary]

Scorpion Clan Families

Bayushi Family: +1 Agility
Ruthless and deceitful, the followers of Bayushi possess many talents, all of which have been put to sinister use for the benefit of their Clan and their Emperor. The Bayushi are dark, dangerous, and manipulative, and always evaluate any situation in terms of how it can best benefit themselves and the Scorpion to the greatest extent. However, few forget easily that Bayushi himself is the twin of the erudite Emperor, and how close the Clan is to the Throne as a result. In many ways, the brothers are two sides of the same coin.


Shosuro Family: +1 Awareness
The Shosuro dwell in shadows, rarely being seen but always having an influence on those around them. They are secretive and withdrawn, keeping their own counsel but never failing to obey a command from their Bayushi lords. When the Scorpion require some impossible task performed without complication, it is a Shosuro who fulfills the duty. Most people are aware that the Family founder is Shosuro, a young woman who gave the family its name, and know she is close to Bayushi, always in his shadow. However, their exact memories of her are poor, and the descriptions rarely match.


Haka Family: +1 Perception
The followers of a Void shugenja from a superstitious tribe that deals with ghosts, the Haka show similar inclinations as their founder. Bayushi saw the need for those who could deal with the supernatural from the shadows, working effectively with the Shosuro. The Haka have a tendency to be odd at the minimum, ranging into sounding pretty unhinged to most ears, but it does make people underestimate them.


Miyako Family: +1 Willpower
The Miyako and their daimyo have spearheaded the Scorpion's commercial efforts. The trade city they created has blossomed into a major hub in the past twenty years. They can be stubborn, intimidating, and savvy, playing the villain for the Empire in a different way than the Bayushi. They complement their clanmates' style, and if some information slips into their hands that they can make use of for the Clans' commercial ventures, all the more convenient of a "coincidence".

[Canary]

Spider Clan Families

Hisomu Family: +1 Willpower
The followers of the founder of the Spider Clan are a fairly eclectic bunch, ranging from stealth specialists, to seers, to talkative and charismatic people who could talk their way into and out of anything. What unites them is twofold: A deep strength of mind, and an equally deep hatred for darkness and corruption. They are seekers who travel through the Empire, digging into secrets and uncovering corruption wherever it might be found. By the same token, they hold no ill will to the unusual but pure, matching that description themselves as they do, and look to protect such things. Wherever there are secrets, one can find an oddball sticking their nose where it doesn't belong, and the Spider daimyo pulling their threads from his web in the northeast of the Empire.


Reiko Family: +1 Intelligence
'Words have strength'. This was the mantra of Reiko, a nearly blind Prophet of the Isawa tribe. Through her visions she saw the terrible future that could befall the founder of the clan Hisomu, then known euphemistically as Fu Leng, and through her words and deeds she tried to avert this future. This taught her the importance of working together, and this guidance of the Spider has passed down from the seer to each of her students. The Reiko have followed these ideals, and the mantra of their founder, ever since.

[Canary]

Stag Clan Families

Hantei Family: +1 Perception
Hantei was the favored child of Heaven, and while this didn't lead him to victory in the Tournament of the Kami - his brother's motivation to look after the Tribes won out - he, his descendants, and his followers still carry a certain something about them. They're very incisive individuals, and when the Emerald Magistrates formed later, they would go on to form a significant portion of them.


Kenshiro Family: +1 Strength
The Kenshiro family, alongside the Hantei, form the bulk of the fighting people of the Stag Clan. They were formed by the husband of the Seppun's daughter, who loyally showed his support to Hantei during the Tournament.


Seppun Family: Perception +1
The Seppun family was formed by the Seppun herself, a priestess of Lady Amaterasu in the days before the fall of the Kami. When Hantei chased away the rival tribe that attacked her village, she swore loyalty to him. She has kept that oath, and her family forms the bulk of the shugenja of the Clan. They are still a rather distant and mystical group, focused on theology and serving the Fortunes and the elemental kami.

[Canary]

Monk Orders

Order of Heroes

• The Order of Heroes is originally founded by Nozomi (formerly known as Phi), alongside Shinsei. It derived from their reflections on the infinite possibility of human potential and the potential of the mortal soul, which they saw as they traveled alongside Ch’jak’matt and Taochusu and others in their fight to rescue Fu Leng and seal the portal into Jigoku.
• Like future schools of thought based on Shinsei’s teachings, the Order teaches that attachment leads to suffering, and only in putting aside what attaches oneself unduly to this life does one transcend and find the spirit of enlightenment and a hero within. In realizing this potential, anyone of Ningendo can become a hero. Their earliest stories stress how those who died as heroes put aside their fear of death and loss in the name of benefiting others.
• Reflective of the earliest thought of Shinsei, the school is more pragmatic than some. Marriage of monks is permitted so long as the attachment is not impeding the monk. Killing is permitted in the defense of others. The Truth is considered ‘flexible’ when embellishing a tale of heroism, so long as the embellishment causes no harm to others.
• A strong sense of the desire for purity is common, and although monks are ascetic, it is normal to carry items of jade or other protections against something that might corrupt one’s ties to the mortal world. Anything of the mortal world may be a hero, and that tie to this world is protected fervently.
• The order is mobile and itinerant, without much in the way of a base of operation. Early shrines begin to find their place in Saru lands and the Imperial Capital as members of the order seek out heroes to protect the empire, be they as fellow members or as bushi who display great potential. While traveling, they protect the weak, seek out bold hearts, share Shinsei’s sayings and the stories of past heroes like Taochusu and Ch’Jack’matt and help those in need by seeking threats to the empire at large. Ever vigilance is a hallmark of the order.
• As the Order gains traction and its early shrines are built, the Chinsei Tribal member Miyako comes to give a gift of Taochusu's beloved musical instrument, the guqin, to the Order. Though not a group with a need of material possessions, the item carried the sentimental significance of Tao and the Chusu people. It was kept as an heirloom of the order, and a physical reminder of the tale of Fu Leng' Rescue and his part in it.