August Personages of the Empire at Large

Emperor Toturi IV
Toturi IV shares many characteristics with his forbearers. He is a powerful, charismatic figure. A graduate of the Akodo Tactical school, he stood on the Carpenter’s Wall during the last great assault by the Shadowlands fifteen years ago. He assisted Mirumoto Yakuzi, the former Dragon Champion, and Hida Yasura, the former Crab Champion, in driving off the dreaded Kyoso no Oni. This is the conflict that cost him his eye. Since then he has taken a more administrative role, helping to negotiate the last problems between the Clans. When the plague struck, he sought to calm the peasants before mass panic set in and all order broke down. The Forbidden City at the center of Otosan Uchi closed its doors the winter of the plague’s second year. They are just now opening. It is known that the previous Emerald Champion succumbed to the plague. No word has been heard about Shinjo Tamaoko, the Emperor’s wife, or Toturi Dorai, the Emperor’s son.

Seppun Kuron
Kuron is the Imperial Herald. A young man just out of his teens, he has found himself, thanks to the Gaijin Plague, as the Senior Herald. Still, his family has served the Emperor's for generations, so there is no refusal. This position is considered by many to be almost as powerful as the Voice of the Emperor. To Kuron, however, it often means long travel through dangerous terrain. While it is true that he sees many things and has spoken to heroes and champions that most only see from a great distance, he would rather not face marauding bandits, possible infection with the Black Collar, and the scrutiny of the Scorpion that comes upon all who know as much as he.

Otomo Wampei
Wampei is the Voice of the Emperor. As such, he is at the highest levels of the court. His Honor is second only to that of the Emperor himself. His word is the Emperor’s word when the Emperor is unavailable, unable, or unwilling to speak it. Wampei is old, and not much loved by the representatives of the Clans that come to court. He is sly, but arrogant, and is well aware that he has the greatest protector in Rokugan. He is still a powerful figure in his own right, as the Emperor values his opinion. Those seeking to gain the Imperial Favor had best get on his good side, and quickly. He runs the Courts with a methodical mindset, seeking to ensure any one Clan does not have more power than the others. Or him. For this, he is particularly unloved by the Crane and the Scorpion. Many mutter that, thought the Collar claimed so many, it knew better than to try for Wampei.

Seppun Ryoske
Ryoske is a magistrate in service to the Empire, Hatamoto to the Emerald Champion. A powerfully built man of middle years, he carries himself well despite his leg injury. Born to the call of the shugenja and trained in the ways of the Kitsuki Investigators, few details escape his notice or prey from his pursuit. Generally a jovial man, he throws off his opponents with his ever present smiling eyes and grinning face. He travels with another magistrate, the beautiful young woman Twilight Moon, who serves as his trusted bodyguard and companion. He took her under his wing when she was still a child and has come to regard her as a daughter.

Warlord Omanu
Not much was known about Omanu before he claimed the second greatest city in the Empire as his own. Still, Ryoko Owari has, in its own way, thrived under his rule. He responds to any outbreak of the Black Collar by quarantining the section it occurs in and burning it, people and all, to the ground. This draconian measure has made certain elements feel safe enough to return to the city. Omanu is a brutal, cunning man. The City of Lies has become a hive of scum and villainy since he arrived. However, he pays no attention to social rank, only talent and willingness to work, advancing the lowest caste eta while spitting on the noblest samurai. Too mercenary by half, he insists that all those within Ryoko Owari have at least one fair shot to make their on Koku.

Masuko
Masuko appear at Omanu’s side two seasons ago. She does not speak aloud, but occasionally will whisper to Omanu. There are rumors that they are romantically involved, but often those spreading those rumors are found beheaded, with their limbs cut from their body. Masuko is a skilled duelist, and has been known to make use of Crane techniques.

The August Personages of the Lion Clan

Matsu Genai - Clan Champion
Genai is currently the oldest Clan champion and one of the only Great Family daiymos to survive the Collar. He is known for being short-tempered, militaristic, aggressive, and somewhat arrogant. However, his tactical mind has had years to refine itself, and he possess a strategic genius based on experience that is unmatched in the empire today. He also has a strict, almost fanatical devotion to "The Empire" and the cause of honor. He also has a reputation for not tolerating any weakness.


Matsu Tesomi
Tesomi is Genai's daughter. A proud member of the Matsu berserker school, she is a firebrand on and off the battlefield. Her father has very high expectations and she works very hard to meet them. She has been known to lead the unit of Matsu Deathseekers onto the field of battle personally. It is a poorly held secret that there is some sort of bad blood between her and the Dragon Champion, Yokuni. Tesomi is an attractive woman, but it is the sharp, dangerous beauty of her clan's namesake.

Kitsu Barako
The Kitsu family suffered more than most when the Black Collar was at its peak. Their family gift, an ease of speaking with Ancestors and the spirits of the departed, became a curse, and millions of Rokugani poured across the veil. Of those who were not claimed by the collar, most went mad from the cacaphony of voices. Barako is one of the few remaining, though whether she is mad or not is a subject for some debate. Her power alone is enough reason for Genai to keep her around, although the rumor that she is Tesomi's mother may be another.

Ikoma Tokatsu
The Lion Clan's lead diplomat and negotiator, Tokatsu is often tasked with softening the harsh rhetoric of his Champion, which is no easy task. While Genai has expansion in mind, Tokatsu is a moderate voice, seeking to advance his cause through negotiation rather than force. An excellent Shogi player, Tokatsu has minimal tactical ability and only the most basic combat training. Still, in these times after the Collar, he is willing to do what he must in order to help his Clan rebuild.


Akodo Hideaki
A young proud man ready to restore his clan to greatness, Hideaki is the Akodo family daimyo. He is short for men his age but he makes up for that in cunning and intelligence. While a competent warrior, his greatness lies on the field and has much promise to surpass the great Akodo Kage. It is said when he does lose that he harbors a grudge and vows to repay it with interest. He and Genai have a history of not seeing eye to eye, and though he would never show it publicly, there are whispers he now regrets letting the leadership of the Lion move from the Akodo family to the Matsu family.

Akodo Shichiro
A Lion Bushi, though hardly more than a boy just ready to complete his Gempukku. Son of the previous Akodo family daimyo, he lost both of his parents to the initial outbreak of the Black Collar. When Hideaki took over the fragmented Akodo leadership and passed on the duties of Champion to the Matsu family, he took Shichiro under his wing and completed his initial training. Full of eagerness and pride to prove himself to his Clan. He has answered his Lord's call and is ready to lay his young life down for the Empire.

The August Personages of the Scorpion Clan

Bayushi Ken'ichi - Clan Champion
The Scorpion champion seems to have been born for his position. Ken'ichi is a very handsome man in his mid twenties who does not wear a mask as per Scorpion tradition (a favorite saying of his is "Why hide what everyone knows?") and it has become somewhat of a 'trendy' fashion statement of other Scorpion in his court. Ken'ichi's attitude is very friendly and outgoing and has a knack for making friends fast. He has an intense drive to succeed, and there are those who speak of him (usually only once) as having found the perfect mask in using no mask at all. His only failing, if it may be called that, is a known fascination with Gaijin artifacts and culture.

Shosuro Natsumi
Quite possibly the only thing keeping Natsumi from being described as the most beautiful woman in Rokugan is the fact that her father was a Gaijin trader and she inherited a fair amount of Gaijin looks. More full figured, and taller, than most Rokugani women with a paler complexion and 'strange' (to other Rokugani) facial features. Natsumi is a force at court, able to melt the most surly samurai with a smile. But if the smile is insufficient, she is more than capable of using the katana she openly carries.

Yogo Nibori
One of the few Scorpion shugenja, and fewer still shugenja outside of the Phoenix lands to ride into battle, Nibori is the general of the Scorpion armies. Fiercely loyal to his nephew Ken'ichi, Nibori sees that the Scorpion war machine is ready to move at his nephew's whims and carry out whatever needs to be done. A tall six feet with a well muscled build, he is rarely seen without his mask carved of darkwood and inlayed with red enameled metal to look like a kabuki theatre oni's face and red enameled armor. Shunning court, Nibori instead spends his time in the study of tactics.

Bayushi Inari
Jushin. The Honorable Scorpion. No masks and no secrets, just honor. Inari is Ken’ichi’s youngest brother and somewhat of the family’s black sheep due to his insistence to follow the path of honor so few scorpion do. He is a talented investigator and an up and coming general, so much so that Nibori is personally training him. He seems to have an affinity for shugenja and utilizes them proficiently in his tactics.






Shosuro Tatsuachi
There is no one named Shosuro Tatsuachi in all of the Empire. You must be mistaken. Move along.

The August Personages of the Crab Clan

Hida Husaki - Clan Champion
Husaki is in many ways the traditional Crab champion. He is huge, for one. His mind is focused in a single goal: defending the Empire from the Shadowlands threat. However, he also possess one of the keenest tactical minds in the Empire. The Crab, whose usual battlefield tactics revolve around the application of overwhelming force combined with a pragmatic tricky, have recently won some spectacular battles against the Dark Moto who lead the Shadowlands forces. Husaki does remain terse and occasionally dour, when not on the occasional drinking and gambling binge, and has not yet appear at any major court function.

Kaiu Konsimu
A young, hot-headed warrior who excelled naturally on the front lines. Outfitted in a set of coveted armor won in a Hida province tournament, and armed with his dead father's katana, his handsome and subtly aggressive figure draws attention both on the field and in a Court. His skill with a blade is renowned in the lower crab lands, where his reputation for starting and winning duels has prompted a number of communities to dub him "The Kaiu Crane".

Yasuki Tsushira
An attractive young woman widely thought in the Clan to be the most promising Crab Shugenja in 10 generations. Her unusually (For Crab) bookish bearing hides an outstanding tactical mind gleaned from intensive study of historical battles as well as an awesome mastery of offensive magics. Typically dressed in the flowing blue formal kimono and traditional trappings of the shugenja school, she would seem otherwise unremarkable save for an inexplicable sense of power around her.

Yasuki Momaru
Momaru is fond of saying that there are many battlefields, and a Crab should be master of all of them. While he has not neglected his martial training, he has taken it upon himself to ensure the Crab have dominance in other battlefields: in the market, in the court, in the back-alleys. He has a reputation for the same ruthless pragmatism in those arenas as the Crab demonstrate in their battles against the Shadowlands.

The August Personages of the Crane Clan

Kakita Tanaka – Clan Champion
Tanaka is a powerful, handsome man, radiating an aura of fearless authority. He is strong and his eyes seem to hold back a raging inferno of intensity. Polite, and very likeable, he is a generous host. He doesn’t have the gift of strategy, but he is an accomplished duelist, some say a match for the great Ide Morimoto. He is quick to anger if his honor is questioned, and is not hesitant to issue a challenge. He has a reputation as a ladies man.

Daidoji Hoto

Daidoji Hoto, the Daidoji family Daimyo, is a very handsome man, and as such has little trouble attracting the attentions of beautiful women. He stands slightly taller then the average rokugani citizen, with long white hair down to his mid-back. Piercing green eyes, rare for a rokugani citizen, grace his handsome face. Daidoji Hoto is almost as personable as Tanaka. Although Hoto does seem to be a little more Crab-oriented when it comes to speaking in court. Before the Plague, Hoto worked as a Crane Magistrate, patrolling the provinces and attending to his duties.

Doji Akahito
Akahito is an unattractive man, even by other clan’s standards. He also is known to loathe the court, never having mastered the art of the conversation and appearance. He has spent most of his time planning strategies, for use if the Crane should ever be attacked. He has studied the techniques of many other clans. Akahito keeps to himself, even among the other members of his clan.

Doji O-Ushi

Her father is Doji Akahito, a Crane clan General. She is still studying to become a clan shugenja, though she has a reputation for being timid. She does not have a desire to help her father in battle; in fact, she is frightened of large battles. She wishes to help her clan in different ways. She hopes to become a magistrate and help in investigations. Eventually she knows she will come to grips with her fear.

Asahina Reiyoko
A very beautiful woman, Reiyoko is very committed to doing the best she can for her clan. The boring life of court doesn’t suit her very well, and she much prefers delving into the mysterious places of Rokugan. She was allowed to train in the Scorpion Shugenja school in an exchange program that let Shoshuro Natsumi attend the Kakita school.

The August Personages of the Phoenix Clan

Isawa Murasame – Clan Champion
The Phoenix clan suffered greatly from the ravages of the Gaijin Pluage, loosing all of the Elemental Masters. When the call went out for new leadership, Murasame took that mantle unflinchingly. Before the plague, Murasame used his shugenja skills in his weaponcraft, but after the plague hit he turned his mind to forging some sort of treatment. In the recent months, word has leaked out that he has indeed developed a something along those lines. Although frail of body, Murasame is a consummate (if often unorthodox) diplomat and one of the most honored men the empire.

Isawa Razen
A water shugenja, Razen is passionate about analysis and research. A student of knowledge and a keen observationist of people. He spends many hours watching the comings and goings of people in the markets near the monastery where he studied. Very thorough and detailed; he notes trends and statistics, and his reading tends to focus on the intellectual, the strategic, and the systematic. His research has paid off on the battlefield.

Isawa Anzai
A young brash Isawa, interested in knowledge and power. Anzai has always been superior to her piers and looking for respect and admiration from her superiors. She is always the first to try new spells and to do so in a manner that is shows off her talents with little forethought to the situations that might arise because of it. This sometimes gets her in trouble, but the kami must be watching over her, as she always manages to find a way out of trouble.

Isawa Yasukaza
Yasukaza is the only surviving pupil of Murasame. One of the few people who knew him before his discovery of the treatment of the Gaijin Plague. He has taken up Murasame's position as weaponsmith and his craftsmanship is known throughout the Phoenix lands.

Shiba Radae
An untypical Phoenix. At a young age Radae interpreted the Shiba mantra of protection as being a strong offense. After his training he quickly became bored with the disciplined restraint of his fellow Shiba choosing to travel Rokugan looking for action while focusing his mind and body for whatever battles or challenges his travels would deal him.

Shiba Azuna
Shiba Azuma is one of the elite Tatsujin Yojimbo. It has been a few years since the dye in his hair has grown out and been cut short, but still he follows his fateful duty to guard the Elemental Masters as the Tatsujin Yojimbo have done for centuries. Isawa Murasame has just recently requested his aide in his travels as the Champion now feels that Rokugan has become a more dangerous place.