The Crane

[Vutall]

Crane Clan Champion: Doji Hotaru (f)


Asahina Daimyo: Asahina Takamori (m)


Daidoji Daimyo: Daidoji Uji (m)


Doji Daimyo: Doji Hotaru (f)
-See Clan Champion
Married to Doji Kuzunobu, a former Fox Clan samurai

Kakita Daimyo: Kakita Yoshi (m)

[Vutall]

“There is a proper technique for all things.”
Doji Family Mon: A crane displaying an eight-pointed snowflake in its beak.
Kakita Family Mon: A white crane, cradling a drawn sword with its wing
Daidoji Family Mon: A flying crane clutching a spear in its feet, pinning a snake with the tip
Asahina Family Mon: A white crane in flight, holding a peach blossom in its beak


The Crane Clan
When the Kami Doji arrived in the Mortal Realm, she found fragmented coastal domains, cities, and clans competing over resources and warring over borders. Some of these groups had arrived in long-forgotten days, and had developed their rich cultures in these lands. Others had arrived as settlers from distant lands within memory, or even within a scant few generations, and brought with them culture, languages, art, and even weapons technologies from their previous homes—distant regions such as the Land of Four Rivers and the Dawn Peaks to the north, and the Ivory Kingdoms to the south. While the official Imperial Histories state otherwise, the Rokugan that came to be was shaped by eons of human achievements at least as much as by the hands of the newly arrived Kami.

Doji became fascinated by the myriad human cultures before her, by the wondrous things they made and their individual traditions; however, she despaired at the violence humans wreaked upon each other, and despaired even more that she could not be everywhere at once to prevent it. Despite their short lives and limited power, humans had claimed an act Doji had thought the sole domain of gods: creation—of art, of music, and of civilization—and yet they could not find peace. Doji set forth to change this, and she accomplished in her long lifetime what might otherwise have occurred over millennia.

As she and her siblings laid the foundations of what would become the Emerald Empire, winning allies by performing great deeds and wielding terrible power to conquer the opposition, Doji took it upon herself to codify the cultures of these many peoples. She protected the arts she saw as most excellent, bringing them to the forefront where they might be further refined and preserving them for generations to come. In perhaps her most ambitious quest, Doji worked to codify, teach, and spread more broadly a single written and spoken language that all folk of the newly founded Empire could use. Working for nearly a decade with countless other scholars, Doji set forth numerous documents explaining this system of writing, grammar, and rhetoric and taught her first followers how to teach it to others in turn.

Ultimately, the language employed characters derived from the script of the Land of Four Rivers along with elements of other local languages. During this time, she spoke often of her hopes that a common means of communication would allow all peoples of her siblings’ lands to understand one another and thus exist in harmony. Where she could not reach, she hoped, her words would travel, and peace could be attained. This set the groundwork for the vast bureaucracy that would allow the Emerald Empire to establish itself and flourish—a bureaucracy that her descendants would master, assuring their place at the Emperor’s side.

Ever since those ancient days, the descendants of Doji’s followers have considered themselves to be the wardens of Rokugan’s cultural heritage and the guardians of its beating heart. The Crane Clan’s samurai seek both to elevate Rokugan’s culture and to fulfill Lady Doji’s vision of beauty, order, and civility, but different individuals do this in different ways. Some champion the arts, others contribute to the continuing cause of educating the citizens of Rokugan, others seek to elevate its traditions, and still others collect folklore and wisdom that has long been overlooked. And there are those who fight, that others may preserve the arts. Of course, some members of the Crane Clan have been truer to Doji’s vision of a Rokugan unified by shared culture than others—some daimyō have earnestly sought mutual understanding through cultural exchange, but others have wielded Doji’s teachings as a sharp sword to cut down any who stray from the “correct path.”

As the Lion are known as the Right Hand of the Emperor and wielders of the Emperor’s military might, the Crane are regarded as the Emperor’s Left Hand, the stewards of the Throne’s political power. They are traditionally the clan that is closest to the Imperial line and the architects of many courtly institutions, having played a role in establishing laws and political customs throughout the Empire. Although their influence has waned in the wake of a catastrophic tsunami, the Crane are still considered one of the primary political powers of the Empire, and with good reason.

The Cost of Grace
Without Doji, there would be no Emerald Empire, and yet there was also an awful cost to Doji’s actions. Many arts, languages, and cultures that did not become threads in the tapestry she wove were driven to the wayside as the generations passed. Some divergent traditions managed to persist, such as the cultural and spiritual practices that the Isawa brought with them from the Dawn Peaks and the Asako’s venerable ways they work so hard to maintain at Kyūden Asako. But others were lost outright, and many receded to the fringes of society, kept alive in regionalized pockets, in secret, or within groups that rejected the ways of the Kami. In preserving and elevat-ing some elements of certain cultures, Doji set in motion the destruction of others. Her conquest of Rokugan’s preexisting cultures was as absolute as her siblings’ conquest of its peoples, and by the measure of some, no less terrible in its scope.

It cannot be said whether Doji foresaw these consequences of her actions—or if she would have approved of the extreme decisions some of her suc-cessors made in their efforts to spread and enforce the culture she helped codify. Still, in the year 451, an anonymous scholar wrote the treatise The Cost of Grace, not just chastising Doji’s descendants for the destruction of vast amounts of beauty and knowledge in their rigid adherence to her traditions, but going so far as to challenge the Kami herself for fail-ing to prevent this catastrophe. The document was banned under Imperial edict within a month of its mysterious appearance at the doorstep of Kyūden Doji, but copies of it still occasionally surface. Even some revered scholars among the Crane have been influenced by it, and seek to understand and preserve elements of the cultures that existed before the arrival of the Kami—though all would be quick to deny ever having read the actual text


The Year Scroll
Honored guests of Crane households may notice a scroll displayed in a prominent place within the home. This is the “year scroll,” a tradition that unites the four families of the Crane and dates from the clan’s founding. At the start of the year, the scroll is blank to represent the year’s possibilities. As weeks pass, family members chronicle significant life events in poems, ink wash paintings, or simple prose. Anything can be recorded on the scroll, from joyful moments, to great events, to painful loss. All that is required is that the event be significant to the person recording it.

By the end of the year, the scroll becomes a collection of memories, fragments of daily life in the floating world. On the last day of each year, the family reads the scroll and recalls those moments together. Then, at the dawn of the new year, the scroll is carried to a brazier and burned, those moments turning to ash before the Hatsuhi, the “first sun” of the year. In this way, the Crane remind them-selves of impermanence and recommit to live life fully, nobly, and presently

Families Of The Crane
The people of the Crane Clan are devoted to Doji’s vision of an Empire held together by its culture, and even in times of hardship and war, each family strives to uphold her ideals. The Kakita embody the clan’s spirit and pride, earning it glory and wealth with their good works while embracing whatever adventures come their way. Sworn to protect this wealth are the Daidoji, who serve tirelessly as the guardians of not only the clan’s well-being, but also its honor. Promoting harmony throughout the Crane’s lands are the Asahina, gifted shugenja and star watchers tending to the clan’s very soul. Above them all rise the noble Doji, who unite the families and serve as both the voice of the clan and its guiding hand. Like the spokes of an unfolding fan, together these four families are the strength and stability behind the beauty and grace of the Crane.

When looking at the Crane families, one might be taken aback at the contrast between their ways. The Way of the Doji is living a noble life. The Way of the Kakita is living to the fullest. The Way of the Asahina is living in atonement. The Way of the Daidoji is living to protect. Yet while their different perspectives occasionally divide them, these families are united by bloodline, honor, and the obligating bonds of their clan. Their varying colors are ultimately feathers of the same brilliant wing: the Way of the Crane.

Doji
Lady Doji was discovered on a beach by residents of a village of fishers and craftspeople. Recognizing her otherworldly nature, the villagers took her in and tended to her wounds, hoping that she might bless and aid them in their conflicts with neighboring communities in return for worship. As she recovered, Doji became enamored with the people who’d found her, coming to see them as her own. She embraced them, learning their customs, practicing their crafts, and integrating into their ways. Her grace and insights won her the people’s adoration, and as she learned from them, they learned from her as well.

Yet, this peace would not last, any more than the autumn leaves can resist the coming of winter. Power calls to the ambitious, and even Doji’s kind blessings drew their attention. When neighboring communities discovered that a goddess now lived among their rivals, they united and made to claim her as their own, striving forth with spear and blade. With their superior numbers, they swiftly surrounded the town in which Doji dwelt.

It was then that Doji made her choice—she would preserve not just her people, but even those who now sought to do them harm. When the Kami stepped forth, none could raise a weapon against her. Her words pierced their hearts as surely as arrows. Instead of fighting, they listened. Tempers calmed in her presence. Conflicts ended in her wake. By the time her siblings rediscovered her, the coastal enclaves were united, all beneath Doji’s gentle guidance. From this came the banner of the Crane.

Yet, although her people thrived, learning spread, and the arts bloomed around her, her heart still longed for the home she’d left behind. The Realm of Mortals was a transient world of suffering; mortals grew old and died while she remained unchanged. She found herself adrift and without meaning. She didn’t belong there.

Doji Rumors:
Every night I have heard a melancholy song coming from the moonlit beach, yet whoever sings it is gone by the time I arrive. Who would be singing alone at such an hour?

Even in the dead of winter, the lady of the palace leaves her courtyard window open. Perhaps this is why the lady always seems too tired to greet the sun in the morning.

A new flower arrangement appeared in the foyer yesterday: a bamboo shoot surrounded in orange lilies. The pot was once broken, but it’s been repaired with gold lacquer. No one saw who put it there, and no one is taking credit. How mysterious!

1122's Winter Court had unexpected guests—the Emperor invited Yoritomo and his Mantis delegation

Yasurugi and Konishiko
Lady Doji’s and Kakita’s eldest children, the twins Doji Yasurugi and Doji Konishiko are regional folk heroes immortalized in plays, songs, art, and literature. Stories of the pair often begin with the two trading friendly barbs over whether Yasurugi’s blade or Konishiko’s wits are sharper.

In addition to exceeding his father in the art of the duel, Yasurugi was an accomplished black-smith. According to legend, Yasurugi was once walking in the woods wearing a fine robe with glit-tering adornments when he encountered a tengu. Fixated upon his resplendent garb, the bird spirit snatched him away to its kingdom in the clouds. After the tengu realized there was a man within the robes, it offered him a boon as recompense: it would teach a new way of folding steel not just with the hammer and tongs, but with the soul. In response, Yasurugi boasted that he would create the five finest swords the tengu had ever seen, and would not leave until he had done so.

And so Yasurugi forged five exquisite blades and presented them to the tengu. Yet, when the tengu asked their names, Yasurugi stopped. In silence, he returned to his chambers and composed a letter to the one person he trusted to understand him in all things, even from afar—his sister, Konishiko. The tengu sent a crow to deliver the letter, and when Konishiko’s reply came, it consisted of five names. When Yasurugi spoke the names to the tengu, the palace of air swirled around him, delivering him back to his home with the five swords. Among them was Shukujo, which became the ancestral sword of the Crane, and Kunshu, which became the ances-tral sword of the Hantei.

When Shinsei called for heroes to face Fu Leng in battle, Doji Yasurugi was the obvious choice to serve as the Crane Clan Thunder. When the time came for him to join the others, a monstrous assas-sin overtook him on the road and slew him. All seemed lost until Konishiko, who had never studied the sword, picked up the fallen Shukujo and volunteered to take her brother’s place. Because she was his twin, and because Yasurugi had folded a piece of his own soul into the steel of the sword as the tengu had taught him, when she held the blade, the Crane Clan Thunder lived again.

A Mysterious Encounter
One day, during a heavy snow at the height of winter, a mysterious beggar appeared at her palace gates. Made curious when he declined her invitation for shelter, Lady Doji instead went out and sat beside him in the snow. Their conversation made her realize the beauty inherent to an impermanent world, found even in the smallest snowflake. From this lesson, Doji resolved to live keenly aware of each passing moment, to transcend mortality through appreciation of beauty, and in so doing, show all what it meant to live a noble life.

Reputation And Values
As the Crane Clan’s leaders, the Doji stand at the center of the Empire’s high culture. Their reputation for keen judgment and intellect, as well as their honorable and amiable nature, affords them considerable clout. It is a rare lord who does not value the opinions of at least one close Doji friend, on anything from mundane matters to those that affect the entire Empire.

This is the true strength of the Doji family; by conducting themselves with grace and civility, by embracing courtesy and generosity, and by always showing their best face, the Doji have constructed a network of friends and allies larger than that of any other family. There is no end to the favors a Doji can call upon, and a Doji’s friendship is highly valued, even among their traditional rivals. It is better to make friends than enemies, as Lady Doji always taught, and the Doji take this to heart, often accepting short-term losses if it means an enemy can be made into an ally. Throughout the Emerald Empire, the Doji are generally well regarded, and those who do dislike them are hesitant to say so.

To understand the Doji, one must understand the purpose of living nobly. The mortal world is a world of impermanence, where the very act of living results in suffering. But by embracing transience and living with purpose, one transcends the pull of the Realm of Mortals, heightening one’s appreciation for the inherent beauty that can be found anyplace. In short, by savoring each moment, one finds meaning in impermanent existence.

The Doji teach that no action is truly inconsequential. “Tiny winds make big waves,” they commonly say; even the smallest kindness, the slightest gesture, can have momentous results. To this end, the Doji believe that a life should be lived purposefully and mindfully, moment to moment, with nothing taken for granted.

The Doji feel most at home in the courts, owing in part to their founder’s hand in their creation. Even the bushi of the family are expected to have some political and oratory skill. Furthermore, the Doji are inexorably connected to the Imperial family; more often than not, the Emperor marries a Doji, and as a result, Imperial heirs are naturally sympathetic to the Crane. Doji can be found at all levels of government and even in rural courts, serving as advisors, diplomats, nakōdo (matchmakers), judges, governors, and especially magistrates.

However, the Doji are hardly unchallenged in this domain. They find natural rivals in the Bayushi family of the Scorpion Clan, whose skilled agents possess a mastery of the courts akin to their own. The Doji also compete with the Akodo family of the Lion for the Emperor’s favor. The sway of the court is like a pendulum the Doji chase from corner to corner, for the well-being of their clan often depends on the Emperor’s very word.

Among the Doji’s staunchest allies are the Shinjo family of the Unicorn Clan. As siblings, Doji and Shinjo were extremely close. Before Shinjo and her clan left to explore the world beyond Rokugan, Doji gave her beloved sister a sandalwood fan to remind her of their homeland. Centuries later, when the Unicorn returned, the rest of the Empire assumed they were foreign invaders. Unexpectedly appearing in the Imperial Court, their leader, Shinjo Nishijin, approached Doji Ryobu, the Champion of the Crane Clan, and returned Doji’s fan. Recognizing it instantly, Ryobu embraced Nishijin, and the Unicorn were recognized as a Great Clan shortly thereafter. The Shinjo have never forgotten the role that the Doji family played in restoring their ancestral lands and titles, and although their ways are vastly different, the two houses still maintain good relations.

Culture And Tradition
The Doji are among the most traditional families in the Empire, clinging to time-honored custom as a guideline for how to live their lives. As a result, Doji culture is preoccupied with propriety. There is a proper way to do everything. Even the mundane act of pouring tea is methodical, precise, and performed exactly the same way every time. For this reason, many see the Doji as stuffy, haughty, and inflexible. The Doji simply don’t see the point of doing anything in a way that isn’t graceful or elegant.

Speaking Without Words
Members of the Doji are well-known for their wit and cultured tongue. Every Doji is expected to be highly educated, weaving references to history, literature, and the arts seamlessly into conversation. The ability to speak well on a number of subjects, and to effortlessly choose poetic words and apt metaphors, is highly praised among the Doji and considered a sign of good upbringing. Even a Doji bushi is expected to be able to spontaneously compose or recite poetry on the spot. This is because the Doji know that they are only a piece of the rich tapestry of people at court. To retain their advantage there, they master the art of wordplay so that they can use a phrase or even a well-timed pause to communicate different meanings to different audiences. They employ implication and silence as effectively in their diplomacy as they do words.

Another hallmark of Doji culture is layered meaning. Every component of their interactions, from what is seen, to what is heard, to what is done, has unique significance. The colors of an outfit are commonly selected to evoke a season or specific feeling, for example, the serving of ochazuke (a dish of tea poured over rice) politely signifies the end of a gathering, for guests are expected to get the hint, decline the offer, and leave. Where the Doji are concerned, nothing means just what is said, and nothing is just as it appears.

The Doji are not the only family to appreciate the power of subtlety, but they are born into a culture rife with it. Messages are encoded into art and song and displayed or performed for an entire court, their secret meaning comprehended only by the intended few. Even as children, Doji are expected to be able to convey a message clearly to a specific person without onlookers realizing, simply through word choice or an innocent-looking gesture.

One example of this subtlety can be found in hanakotoba, the language of flowers. Flower arrangements are common gifts between courtiers, each flower purposefully chosen to convey a general feeling or tone. But when given by a Doji, the same ikebana arrangement might contain a more specific message, each bloom representing a specific word or emotion, its meaning dependent on its color, size, placement, and proximity to other flowers. To admirers, the surface meaning of the arrangement is all that is seen, but to the intended recipient, it is no different than a written message, but one impossible to decode without the knowledge shared by the sender and recipient. The height of this practice among the Crane is Cadence, a secret code of gestures, colors, and poetic words that allows even the simplest inconsequential actions, like placing the tea ladle just so or holding one’s fan in a specific way, to be rife with hidden meaning. It is never taught outside the Crane, lest rivals realize when subtle messages are being passed right in front of them.

With such opaque tradition and emphasis on propriety, one might assume the Doji to be standoffish or unapproachable. The truth is that Doji are conditioned to be as generous and as open as possible, to know the true value of every connection and extend the hand of friendship even to their own enemies. Even the lowly servant is likely to be greeted and given a token of kindness (but never so much that it would be unseemly). People are naturally drawn to beauty and grace, and the Doji exploit this to subtly increase their influence.

This simple approach opens doors for the Doji that otherwise might remain closed. Entire conflicts could devastate Crane lands are ended before they ever start. The Doji have long understood that mastery of social acumen is their single greatest advantage, and so they take great care in cultivating amiable relationships, even with those who might be considered beneath them. Even beyond the courts, knowing the right person is always handy.

For this reason, members of the Doji closely guard their personal reputation to the point of obsession. Death may be preferable to a significant loss of face or a terrible indignity. Eroding one’s clout or reputation is never worth it, even if it would result in a gain for the clan. Such gains are often “rewarded” with a new title and position, one that places the courtier in a distant and obscure court, far from the eyes and ears of the Empire, where they can contemplate the cost of their “victory.” Unsurprisingly, embarrassing the clan with public failure results in the same. It is not uncommon for a disgraced courtier to request the right to retire to a monastery after such an appointment.

Family Traditions
While the birth of a child is a joyous occasion, the Doji rarely celebrate it. It is believed that to show pride in one’s child is unseemly and may attract unwanted spirits. A newborn Doji does not even receive so much as a nickname until their fifth year of life. When a child is born, friends and relatives casually visit the new parents’ home, offering gifts and complimenting the newborn. The parents are expected to decline the gifts, which are set aside until the child’s fifth year, after which they are finally graciously accepted.

Because Doji are chosen for Imperial spouses more often than members of any other family, the hand of a Doji is especially prestigious. A Doji spouse has become a sort of political bargaining chip as a result. Doji rarely marry out of their clan, preferring to have other families marry in, even if it runs counter to the social convention that a lesser-ranked samurai marries into the family of the greater. Family tradition dictates that the eldest child of a Doji couple never marry out of the clan, regardless of their social status.

Unlike in many other clans, honorable retirement is not dreaded among the Doji, but instead considered a reward for a life in service to the clan. Most retired Doji join the Brotherhood of Shinsei to contemplate the Tao or become monks devoted to their clan’s patron Fortune, Benten, the Fortune of Arts and Romantic Love. It is not unheard of for an officially retired Doji to secretly remain in service to the Crane as a spy. After all, one cannot easily accuse a Brotherhood monk of espionage.

Schools and Dojos
In service of the Crane, the Doji maintain several schools and dōjō. Students are held to high standards, and no matter the school, oratory ability and passable skill in the arts are considered essential, incorporated into all curricula. For instance, the illustrious
Doji Bureaucrat School expects its students to cultivate flawless calligraphy to lend authority to legal documents, while the Doji Rhetorician learns the power of apt poetic metaphor to drive home a point. Even the Doji’s martial schools emphasize the arts; the Inner Court Guard—elite bushi and courtiers maintained by the Doji and sworn to protect the spouse of the Emperor from all threats—rely on skills acquired through study of the arts to maneuver the court and earn the trust and ear of the one they protect.

Recent Concerns
The traditionally vast wealth of the Crane, accumulated over centuries and owing to the keen wisdom and investments of Lady Doji’s children, has finally begun to dry up. Recent natural disasters have shaken Crane farmlands, and an unexpected tsunami has inflicted widespread damage along the Crane’s coastal villages and docks. The cost of rebuilding, combined with sustained military struggles against the Lion Clan in the Crane’s farthest territories, has stressed the clan’s resources to their breaking point, and the Doji’s once-overflowing coffers are starting to show their bottoms. Yet the Doji act as if they do not notice, pressing to take contested lands and continuing their comfortable lives as though nothing were wrong. To admit their tenuous position is to lose face, unthinkable for the proud Doji. It is only a matter of time before something gives.

More importantly, the Crane have begun to slip from their lofty place of power in the courts. The Bayushi claim numerous important positions that are close to the aging Emperor, positions that are traditionally occupied by Crane courtiers. Given this and the loss of their traditional ability to influence the court with a food surplus (and the favors such brings), the Crane have effectively lost control of the courts to their rivals in the Scorpion Clan. The Doji have redoubled their efforts to reclaim what was lost, focusing on befriending and influencing the Imperial Heirs, but they are frustrated by the Scorpion at every turn.

Kakita
It was believed by all that Matsu, the revered champion of Akodo himself, would win the first Emerald Championship and become the personal champion of the Son of Heaven. Matsu swept every opponent aside, not offering so much as a bow or second glance to those she defeated. Her victory seemed inevitable. In the final round, she faced the only other undefeated warrior in the trial: a simple swordsman from a small village in the wild northern provinces. He fought in a strange style none had witnessed before, drawing his blade and striking in the same moment. In a single strike, the duel was over, the strange warrior victorious over Matsu. Although he had shown respect to each of his defeated opponents, he refused to bow to the defeated Matsu, for as she had shown no courtesy to those she had defeated, he would offer none to her. Insulted, Matsu demanded to know the warrior’s name. The man softly replied, “My name is Kakita.”

Enmity Between Us
The Matsu family have never forgotten the slight Kakita offered their founder at the first Emerald Championship. They have burned Matsu’s words into their hearts: “Let there be enmity between us.” This is the longest-running blood feud in Rokugan’s history, and the centuries have done nothing to quell the flame. To this day, many among the Matsu would like nothing more than the destruction of the Kakita, for honor demands nothing less. For their part, the Akodo and Doji attempt to keep the two from warring at inopportune times. But inevitably one side provokes the other, leaving the other families to clean up the mess

The Sword:
Kakita’s treatise on swordplay, The Sword, is one of Rokugan’s earliest such texts. It details not only Kakita’s theories on kenjutsu and the basis for the iaijutsu quick-draw duel, but also his philosophical insights and way of life.

Some brief excerpts from this text, often quoted by his descendants:
“Those who seek advantage by wielding two swords have forgotten that the greatest weapon is oneself. The sword master has conquered their own self long before ever touching a blade—to disregard this in favor of a second sword is foolish. It dishonors you as surely as if two warriors struck the same opponent, and it does not allow strong grip or full motion of the blade. Attempts to achieve victory with a few more inches of steel are a weakness of spirit. In my school, it is a sign of cowardice. It is not The Way.”

“The mind of the opponent cannot be contained. It flows beyond the body. It consists only of thought and is made of pure potential. This is regarded by mystics as ‘the Void.’ When one is said to ‘dwell upon the Void,’ one is merely attempting to know the mind of the opponent. Therefore, to ‘strike the Void’ is to foil the opponent’s action before it can even be conceived.”

“Some will say that your opponent will defeat themself in the moment of your strike. This is not so. The defeat comes from the single imperfection within the opponent’s soul. The perfect spirit, the soul that bears no stain, and the sword whose temper is true—this is the essence of One Strike.”

“The world is constantly changing. Attributes of things exist only in comparison to other things; inherently, they are empty. Have no illusions in your heart, sharpen your spirit as you would a sword, and when you banish your own deceptive thoughts, the victorious path will be clear. People will lie, and your eyes will deceive, and your emotions will cloud the path. Steel never lies, nor deceives, nor hides The Way. In the sword, one finds truth.”

The Heart of Doji
Upon first encountering her, Kakita fell intensely in love with Lady Doji. Sensing this, Hantei offered his blessing for Kakita to court Doji, provided he could win her favor. But Doji was a Kami made flesh, and Kakita a mere mortal who would age, sicken, and die like all others. In hopes of dissuading him, she gave him three impossible tasks: to bring the dead to life, to measure how many days it would take to walk the world, and to present to her something whose beauty could not be matched. If he could accomplish these, she would agree to be his bride. Doji was surprised when he agreed, and Kakita set out that day across the Empire in search of the answers, stopping only to consult with his old friend Yasuki.

In the following months, Kakita’s twin sister, Kiyamori, tended to Lady Doji, telling stories about Kakita’s youth and revealing his true noble nature. Through these tales, Doji fell in love with Kakita, and she began to secretly hope that he would succeed

Eventually, Kakita returned to the court to perform the impossible tasks. For the first, Kakita presented a biwa—lute—he had carved from lifeless driftwood. He played an enchanting song on it, and none could deny that he had brought the dead wood to life. For the second, he argued that a per-son guided by the sun goddess, Amaterasu, would take only a day to cross the world, and the court was amused by his clever answer

Finally, to present something whose beauty could not be matched, Kakita held up a mirror and showed Lady Doji her own reflection. In that moment, a goddess’s heart was won.

Kakita Rumors
A servant overheard insults exchanged between our mutual friend and a brash Matsu, and one challenged the other! If this unsanctioned duel is carried out, there will surely be dire consequenc-es for all involved.

I heard that the dirty beggar getting handouts at the teahouse is actually a kenshinzen in disguise! She must be undergoing a musha shugyō—a warrior’s quest—and is seeking a worthy opponent.

Reputation And Values
Among the most renowned samurai families of the Empire, the Kakita and their exploits are the subject of many plays, songs, and tales. They are well-known not only for the grand adventures of their heroes, but also for their artisans and dueling traditions. No other family is so devoted to the arts, and no family produces as many skilled artisans. The Kakita Academy is the most prestigious art school in the Empire, teaching mastery over all Rokugani high arts, including visual, performing, and practical. The works of the Kakita are consistently in high demand throughout the Empire, each piece adding to the Crane’s wealth and glory.

Among the most venerated arts of the Kakita is the art of the formal duel. The Kakita Duelist School is among the largest within the Kakita Academy, and the Kakita regard the iaijutsu duel not merely as a martial practice, but as the foremost of all art forms. The Sword, Kakita’s text on swordplay, is one of the most-studied martial texts in the Empire. As the descendants of the creator of the iaijutsu martial art, the Kakita are considered iaijutsu’s stewards, and Kakita Duelists are rightly feared throughout the Empire for their skill. To face a Kakita Duelist is to face a student of the oldest dueling tradition in the Empire, the culmination of a thousand years of technique.

This elevation of the duel is a reflection of the Kakita’s philosophy, that the purpose of a life is to be lived to the fullest. The family’s founder, Kakita, lived a wild life, taking great risks without flinching and becoming one of the Empire’s greatest heroes in the process.

Emulating their founder, the Kakita aim to challenge themselves, whether for the mastery of their art or at the end of a blade. Recklessly, they embrace whatever life brings their way. The poet Kakita Kenshiko once observed, “A lightning bolt is merely a brief flash, yet it breaks the very stone, and its thunder echoes long after it has faded. So too is a life lived well!”

It is for this reason that the Kakita have no fear of death. After all, when one has lived a full life without regret, what power does death hold? They understand that preoccupation with what one has to lose makes one a weaker warrior, and although they are cultured artisans, their role is foremost that of the samurai. To this end, the Kakita venerate the Bushidō tenet of Courage nearly as highly as they do Courtesy, for it takes courage to live a life balanced on the edge of a blade. Where others would hesitate, the Kakita dive right in.

The Crane's Troublemakers
This attitude contributes to the Kakita’s reputation as cultured rouges. Where a member of another Crane family might hold their tongue to preserve harmony, a Kakita speaks their mind with a razor wit. Where a Daidoji might seek to leverage an advantage to even overwhelming odds, a Kakita recklessly dives into danger. Many see the Kakita as spoiled eccentrics, and the Kakita’s disregard of consequences have made them many enemies. For their part, the Kakita see little reason to hold back, for the very act of living is an art form. Besides, they believe they have the skill to back up their words. If others are insulted, they are welcome to draw their blades.

In fact, the Kakita are functionally the clan’s assassins. The only true difference is that the Kakita trap their targets in duels of honor and provoke opponents with slights. Instead of dishonorably killing in the dark, the Kakita slay in public, before an audience, in broad daylight, and then are praised for their skill. The mere presence of a Kakita yōjimbō accompanying a Doji courtier is enough to tilt negotiations in the Crane’s favor, as the other party second-guesses themselves, lest they “insult” the courtier and be challenged by the duelist.

Of course, the Kakita are not the only duelists in the Empire, and there are many other warriors who would cross blades with one to prove their worth. Kakita who gain sufficient renown for their deeds with the sword commonly find themselves pursued and challenged by warriors eager to test themselves. Among their greatest rivals are the Mirumoto family of the Dragon Clan, whose unconventional two-handed style was once called “The Coward’s Way” by Kakita himself. The Mirumoto and Kakita schools have engaged in a rivalry for their entire history, with entire texts written to refute each other’s style. Each family has accrued numerous victories over the other and tends to seize on any excuse to show them up. Nevertheless, the foundation of the two schools’ rivalry rests upon centuries of a mutual, if sometimes grudging, respect that began with Kakita and Mirumoto themselves.

Culture And Traditions
The mind-set of the Kakita family is highly influenced by the concept of excellence. The Kakita pursue mastery not only over their chosen art, but over life itself. They believe, as their founder taught, that when one devotes oneself fully to an art and achieves excellence in that art, one embodies excellence in all that one does.

Thus, the Kakita are expected to devote their entire life to the pursuit of mastery over an art or skill. Often that craft is the duel, Kakita’s first art, but no artistic pursuit is considered beneath them. All that matters is complete devotion. “Excellence requires only one attempt,” Kakita sensei often quote, and students are expected to take this to heart.

As a result, the Kakita see their passions as assets, not something of which to be ashamed. This sets them against many other families in the Empire, who believe emotional displays to be unseemly and human passion to make the warrior’s heart weak. The Kakita feel the opposite is true: that pursuing one’s passions is how one lives a life without regret.

The traditions of the Kakita live in their works and the products of their dōjō. Kakita kōdō masters create scents that evoke emotion from even the coldest hearts. The Ashidaka vassal family, master smiths of the Kakita, are the forgers of the legendary Kakita Blades, exquisite swords that can only be made at a sacred forge.

The most famous tradition of the Kakita is that of the kenshinzen, the masters of the Kakita technique and most elite of the Kakita’s warriors. Only a life of complete devotion to mastering the blade grants the skill necessary to achieve this rank, and one must defeat a kenshinzen in honorable duel in order to join. Although there are only a handful of kenshinzen, the head of the dueling academy is always a member. Any kenshinzen must expect to face challenges from the most ambitious sword masters across the Empire.

Open Gates
One unusual family tradition concerns the gates at Kyūden Kakita. Several centuries ago, when denied entry to the palace and consequently insulted, the Grand Master of the Elements laid a curse upon the palace gates. When a child is born within while the gates are closed, should that child ever draw steel, the blades of the Kakita will turn against their masters, and the palace will fall. Because of this, the gates of Kyūden Kakita are left open, and travelers pass through whenever they please.

However, an unexpected siege by the Lion Clan led to the gates being closed when Kakita Yoshi, current daimyō of the family, was born. As a result, he followed the path of the courtier, and to this day he refuses to even touch a blade, lest he invoke the curse and doom his family

Kakita Master Artisan
If the essence of the Kakita’s artistic approach could be summarized, it would be this: the artist surrenders a piece of themselves to the work, and in so doing, makes it real. Those who fully comprehend this secret have unlocked what elevates their chosen art beyond mere technique and skill. This is the ultimate goal of the Kakita Artisan School, and only a handful each generation ever reach this pinnacle, earning the title of Master Artisan.

With each masterwork these artisans create, they grow physically and spiritually weaker. This is because they surrender something of themselves into each masterwork, imbuing it with their very essence. This sacrifice allows a piece of them to live on in the work, granting it uncanny beauty.

These rare artifacts are known to transfix and delight the kami themselves. Legends and myths revolve around such works: paintings that come to life when bathed in moonlight, battle steeds made from folded paper that spontaneously animate, a flawless dance that enthralled an army until a snowstorm swept them, and the performer, into the next life. Many dismiss these tales as fanciful exaggerations, but when spirits are playfully drawn to a masterwork, one cannot ever know for sure what might happen.

Daidoji
Doji Konishiko, the Crane Clan Thunder, never returned from the Shadowlands. For some time, it was believed that Shukujo, the sword forged by her twin, had been forever lost when she fell at the foot of the ninth Kami. Yet in her sleep, Lady Doji saw images of her lost daughter. She was convinced that Konishiko was somehow still bound to the realm of the living.

Swearing to find his older sister, Doji Hayaku embarked alone on a quest into the Shadowlands. As the seasons rapidly passed, all came to believe that the youngest son of Doji had joined his sister’s fate. However, three years after he left, Hayaku returned, carrying the very sword Konishiko had wielded against the fallen Kami, as pristine as the day she’d picked it up. Although Hayaku was alive and untainted, the toll of three years beneath Jigoku’s shadow had changed him. Scars raked his throat, robbing him of his voice, and his raven hair had turned white. For his deeds, Hayaku was made a daimyō of the Crane and charged with the defense of the clan. To honor him, they called him “Daidoji.”

The Yasuki Grudge
The Crab Clan’s Yasuki family once served the Crane. In thanks for Yasuki’s constant guidance, and especially for setting him on the correct path in his quest to earn Lady Doji’s hand in marriage, Kakita made Yasuki’s son a daimyō and granted him the southernmost of the Crane provinces. Late in the fourth century, the Yasuki defected to the Crab Clan, causing a wartime escalation so heated that the Emperor himself had to intervene. The Daidoji have never forgiven the Yasuki for this betrayal, and to this day, they seek to undermine the family whenever possible

The Crane's Feathers
When Doji Hayaku returned from the Shadowlands, not only had he accrued numerous scars, but his once-raven hair had turned ghostly white. Today, many members of the Doji and Daidoji families choose to bleach their hair white in honor of his sacrifice. This is especially true of the Daidoji, who consider it disrespectful not to honor their founder this way.

A not-uncommon feature among the Crane, especially among the Doji, are blue eyes. It is said that Lady Doji’s eyes were the color of the sky in spring, and it is believed that blue eyes are a sign of descent from Lady Doji herself.

Very rarely, a Crane may be born with white hair. The cofounder of the Asahina family, Doji Kiriko, was one such individual, and occasionally one of her descendants will have white hair. It is seen as an auspicious mark among the Crane, but it is extremely rare

Honor's Cost is High
The Daidoji Iron Crane are samurai who fight smarter and leverage every advantage, but they are taught time and again never to forsake their personal honor. After all, their honor is the source of their strength, and without it, they hold, exis-tence is meaningless. A life after losing one’s honor is naught but a prolonged death. That is a line no Daidoji will willingly cross

Or so most believe, because they do not see the full picture as their leaders do. They are unaware of what exactly is required to keep Crane lands safe. Common samurai are unaware of the stakes their hatamoto and daimyō must weigh and the decisions they must make. Such samurai have not faced the same grim choices their superiors have

Champions such as Daidoji Uji present themselves as paragons of honor, and yet they go to lengths that would never even occur to their subordinates. Enemy supplies miraculously spoil, opposing generals go missing, and encampment bonfires inexplicably burn out of control. As lead-ers like Daidoji Uji see it, their soldiers don’t need to know the details on how certain battles have been won. Let their leaders bear the price of war.

But if this were known, it would surely shake the family’s very core.

Daidoji Rumors
There is a place in the marshes near Motsureta Mura where crystal shards as tall as trees jut from the ground at random angles. I swear it is true, but I confess I’ve never been able to find it again.

I overheard two students from a rival dōjō say that their prior class captured our dōjō’s old banner. They have hung it from their rafters as a sign of superiority! I wonder how long we are supposed to stand for that!

You heard this not from me, friend, but someone accidentally discovered tunnels beneath the village. They did not explore beyond a few steps, but they said it looks like the tunnels cross under the border into the neighboring clan’s lands. Yet when they reported this, our lord did not seem concerned.

A shipment of materials has failed to arrive at its destination. A rather large squad of Iron Warriors have been sent to find it...what could warrant that much military might?

Reputation And Values
Compared to their kin, the Daidoji family are an oddity. Where the Doji are sunny, the Daidoji are dour. Where the Kakita are charming and boastful, the Daidoji are quiet and reserved, speaking only when they believe it will improve upon the silence. Where the rest of the Crane see no harm in occasional indulgences, the Daidoji abstain. They are the sentinels who guard the clan, sworn to safeguard Crane lands, lives, and honor.

The bleak attitude of the Daidoji is a reflection of their challenging duty. The Daidoji must protect all Crane provinces from invasion and neutralize military threats. Crane forces are among the least numerous in the Empire, after only the Dragon and the Phoenix, whose provinces are protected by both natural barriers and harsh climates. In contrast, Crane lands run nearly half the length of the Empire, from the provinces near the Imperial City to the Crab border in the South. Vast borders are shared with the Lion Clan, the ancestral enemies of the Crane and the greatest military force in the Empire. To the south, the Crane share borders with another militant clan: the armies of the Crab keep a keen eye on their fertile fields from just across the bay. Is it any wonder the Daidoji cannot relax, even for a moment, when beyond the Crane’s doorstep they are surrounded by enemies? Outnumbered in every conflict and flanked on all sides, the Daidoji’s duty seems impossible.

But so too did the quest of their founder. Doji Hayaku faced impossible odds and certain death, yet he returned with his life and honor intact. The Daidoji draw strength from the memory of their ancestor, emulating him in service to the Crane. Like Hayaku, they rely on their ingenuity, their resourcefulness, and also their honor. To defend the vast lands of the Crane, the Daidoji must do more with less. It is through this lens that they see the world. To this end, the Daidoji value cleverness, watchfulness, and simple determination in their family members. They seek unconventional ways of defending the Crane, utilizing new tactics and tricks to stall enemies. They train constantly to maintain peak performance. Seeking to foster personal sacrifice in all of their members, they emphasize the Bushidō tenet of Chūgi (Duty and Loyalty) more than the other Crane families do. Doji Hayaku gave much for the Crane in his quest, but giving allowed him to survive. Consequently, the Daidoji have learned to accept losses without hesitating, to “sacrifice a finger to save the hand.” There is little the Daidoji wouldn’t sacrifice for the survival of the clan.

However, the Daidoji do draw the line at dishonor. A Daidoji regards their honor as a source of strength and among their greatest assets. Doji Hayaku spent three years in the Shadowlands and achieved his goal without disgracing himself. He returned without a hint of the Taint. The Daidoji reason that if their founder could retain his honor while surrounded by dishonor and death, then certainly so can they.

This attitude and devotion to service has impressed many bushi families throughout the Empire. The Hida and Hiruma of the Crab have little use for the fawning Doji or the smug Kakita, but they speak of the Daidoji with great respect. They have faced the Daidoji on the
battlefield and have also fought beside them against Shadowlands horrors. In return, the Daidoji hold Crab warriors in high esteem, even when they must take the field against them. This mutual respect—and a certain shared pragmatism—is why Daidoji, instead of other Crane families, are usually sent to conduct diplomatic conversations with the Crab.

However, the Daidoji cannot hide their disdain for the Crab’s Yasuki family, whom they regard as traitors. The Hida and the Doji alike wisely keep representatives of these families apart whenever possible.

Culture And Traditions
The Daidoji’s duty and role within their clan shapes all aspects of the family’s culture. They eat only with the left hand so that the right is free to draw a blade. They prefer subdued, unobtrusive furnishings and understated aesthetics. They venerate the arts as do the other families, but they practice them as a means of heightening their perception and coordination. Poetry is a part of martial training because it trains the mind to think spontaneously. Kōdō, the art of scents, is valued for its ability to calm the body and focus the mind. In music, while the Kakita venerate the biwa and the Doji prefer the zither, the Daidoji embrace the shakuhachi, a bamboo flute that is easily carried or stashed.

As samurai, the Daidoji seek to emulate their founder and demonstrate their primary function as warriors. Many dye their hair white in honor of Doji Hayaku, and some leaders take vows of silence to demonstrate the depth of their devotion. The preferred weapon of the Daidoji is the yari (the long spear), which is emphasized in the traditional family martial style even over the sword. Their secondary weapon is the yumi (the bow); Daidoji archers are among the most renowned in the Empire, known for the grace of their form as well as the accuracy of their shot. For indoor fighting, Daidoji train with the wakizashi, the tessen (metal war fan), and all manner of daggers. Some even remark that the Daidoji forget they have katana, and it is certainly true that the family regards the longsword as a “last option” weapon.

The Daidoji also maintain significant cavalry forces, which commonly serve as war heralds, light mounted infantry, and harassing archery units. Unlike the Shinjo, who are notorious for their feigned retreats and advancing assaults, the Daidoji tend to use their sturdy ponies as mobile artillery platforms, stopping or even dismounting to fire rather than shooting while advancing or retreating.

A proverb repeated among the Daidoji is this: “While you rest, your enemy practices.” To this end, Daidoji spend every waking moment in some productive activity, either training their bodies or improving
their minds. This is even true for Daidoji children. Games like shōgi, Go, and box puzzles are taught to children at a young age. Instead of whimsical folktales, children read strategy, history, and tactics. In this way, Daidoji children are raised into the warrior mind-set well before they ever grip a blade.

This rearing and philosophy are well suited to a warrior’s life, but they serve Daidoji on other life paths as well. Daidoji diplomats are stoic and keen, pragmatic enough to know when to give and clever enough to know when to push for leverage. Daidoji blacksmiths know how their weaponry will be used, and this practical knowledge influences their designs. Daidoji quartermasters keep Crane coffers filled and markets bustling without dirtying the clan’s reputation. Whether as magistrates, governors, or court liaisons for their armies, the Daidoji apply their philosophy to every role.

Daidoji Warfare
Conflict is inevitable in a land such as Rokugan, and the Crane have had their fair share of war. When it comes, the Daidoji bring their full training to bear, fighting defensively and stubbornly, buying time for the political machine of the Crane to do its work and end the fighting through diplomatic intervention.

Defending Crane forces are almost always outnumbered. But as the Daidoji often say, “Few can overcome many.” It is possible for a handful of Daidoji warriors to hold off superior forces without sacrificing their dignity or personal honor. They have even gained a reputation for it, through careful planning and tactics, superior knowledge of terrain, some clever resourcefulness, and plain old stubbornness.

The Book of Sun Tao says, “The astute warrior who lives reaps three victories over the foolish warrior who dies.” Even so, there are things that samurai consider to be disgraceful behavior on the battlefield: attacking an opponent while their back is turned or while they are unarmed, purposefully seeking weaker or unskilled opponents or avoiding skilled foes, feigning death to avoid a fight, sabotaging an opponent’s weapon, pretending to be an ally and then betraying those who trusted you, allowing yourself to be captured without a fight, and breaking conditions agreed to before battle all lead to dishonor. These are clear violations of Bushidō; the Daidoji abhor them.

Clever Tactics
But they do not abhor tactics. As Akodo once observed, “War is deception.” While the Daidoji observe Bushidō on the battlefield and do not compromise their principles, neither do they fight unintelligently. To prolong a fight results in needless bloodshed and wastes the Emperor’s precious resources—is such a failure not dishonorable? On the other hand, to end a battle quickly, or even preemptively, brings great honor. For these reasons, the Daidoji seek ways to turn their enemies’ strength against them.

Daidoji scouts covertly follow armies for miles, gathering intelligence for generals to utilize. They choose their battles carefully, outwitting their enemies and maneuvering them into vulnerable positions. They use the terrain and force targets into choke points. They use smoke to create temporary cover for advances and kites to signal units deployed beyond sight of their heralds. They separate enemy officers from their units to make them less effective. Before supplies can fall into enemy hands, the Daidoji set them ablaze, devaluing the opponent’s victory and ensuring Crane resources cannot be turned against the clan. And when all else fails, the Daidoji stubbornly refuse to yield, invoking their founder’s name with their last breath.

But while these tactics have earned the Daidoji a fearsome reputation and the threat of Daidoji defense is often enough to prevent incursions, the uncomfortable truth is that if their neighbors ever truly committed to a full-scale invasion, Crane forces would crumple like a folded origami bird in a rainstorm. In the end, Daidoji warfare is a collection of stalling tactics. The true power of the Crane is in their political prowess. When the Daidoji take the field, it is often to delay invaders until negotiations, economic pressure, devaluation of the attackers’ potential victory, and Imperial intervention ends the fighting. Without these, true protection of the Crane homelands would be impossible.

Family Traditions
Their unique shared duty and daily pressures unite the Daidoji in a way no other Crane family can claim. When two members of the family meet for the first time, they regard one another as siblings or close friends. The bonds of the Daidoji are stronger than steel.

Among the most prestigious Daidoji warriors are the Iron Crane (also known as the Iron Warriors). Named for their heavy armor and unyielding nature, the Iron Crane spend at least one year on the Carpenter Wall alongside the Crab and train in a spear fighting style developed by Hayaku himself.

One tradition among the Iron Crane military units is to tattoo the image of a crane on the wrist or forearm, so as to proudly wear one’s identity as a warrior. Some Daidoji continue to add tattoos as they age, each addition representative of a victory or hardship. This is considered a rite of passage within the Iron Crane. It is common for close friends to be tattooed in tandem with a design that is only completed when they clasp hands.

A lesser-known Daidoji organization is Kuranoko’s Feathers. Founded centuries ago by Hanamofu Kuranoko of the Daidoji, the dōjō is publicly a cartography and merchant-trade school, but it also serves a lesser-known purpose—as a smuggling organization. Its brave souls bypass blockades and covertly move supplies. Kuranoko’s Feathers view themselves as principled couriers and covert suppliers rather than as smugglers. They risk their lives to get medicine to battlegrounds and food to starving villages, or to smuggle artifacts, heirlooms, and people out of besieged cities. Without Kuranoko’s Feathers, the distant territories of the Crane would never survive.

Asahina
In the fourth century, before skirmishes and insults between the Phoenix and Lion could escalate into outright war, the Crane lobbied for Imperial intervention and negotiated peace. While most Phoenix were grateful that conflict was thwarted, Isawa Asahina, the Elemental Master of Fire, believed the Crane had robbed his clan of a chance to defend their honor. Overwhelmed by fury, he unleashed a fiery rampage throughout Crane lands, setting villages and farmlands ablaze.

As he terrorized the coastline, a lone samurai, Doji Kiriko, appealed to him to spare her village from his wrath. Ignoring her pleas, he razed it to the ground and called it justice. However, on seeing her grief at what he had destroyed, compassion moved him and he saw his own wanton cruelty for what it was. Asahina abruptly surrendered, devoting himself to repairing the lives he had destroyed. He forswore the path of Fire and promised that neither he nor his descendants would ever embrace violence again.

Asahina Yajinden
Asahina sensei who sense too much ambition in their students may tell them the tragic and cau-tionary tale of Asahina Yajinden. Born in the fifth century, Yajinden was a brilliant smith and talented shugenja, among the greatest students of the Asahina ways ever to have lived. Although each of his creations was more excellent than the last, he was never satisfied with his own works and continually sought to push his skills to greater heights.

Eventually his exquisite work was noticed, and he was approached by a mysterious stranger who promised to help him unlock his true potential. Intrigued, Yajinden accepted his offer, and with the help of the stranger’s lessons, developed a new tsangusuri technique. The resulting swords and other works were the apex of his craft. He gave many away as gifts and offered others to people to whom he owed favors. Yajinden was recognized for his mastery, and soon he was regarded as a hero by his family.

But one day, the Crane Clan Champion, who owned one of his blades, abruptly and publicly declared his love for a geisha. He slew her clients in a fit of passion, then killed his own family and threw himself from a cliff to his death. Yajinden soon learned that the sword he’d made had driven his champion to these heinous acts, and that every item created by his new technique was cursed. Unable to reclaim the tsang he’d given away and desperate to undo his mistake, Yajinden resolved to forge one final blade that would counter the other artifacts and end the evil he’d unwittingly unleashed. However, he soon died under mysterious circumstances, the sword left unfinished.

The Asahina took the blade and all the artifacts of his creation they could find, and sealed them deep beneath the Shinden Asahina temple. They removed Yajinden’s name from the official genealogies, and now he is only a legend, the secret shame of the Asahina family. None can say how many of his cursed works are still at large in the Empire, or what his final blade might have accomplished

Asahina Rumors
A young child has suddenly started creating beautiful paintings and someone has noticed the mark of a long-dead master painter is showing up on each piece. Could this be the painter’s spirit, reborn?

An Asahina wishes to journey to a remote shrine, along a road plagued by bandits. He looks for aid in his jour-ney, but seeks someone who can convince the bandits to let him pass without a fight.

Reputation And Values
For a family of the Great Clans, the Asahina family is not especially famous. Indeed, most citizens are only vaguely aware that Crane have a family tasked with speaking to the spirits, much less an entire school of shugenja. This is because, in contrast to the other Crane families, Asahina are reclusive, rarely leaving their temples in the southern Crane provinces. For the most part, the other Crane families leave them to themselves out of respect for their ways.

The Asahina are an ascetic, insular family of shugenja, monks, and seers. Living in atonement for their founder’s sins, the Asahina are completely devoted pacifists, refusing even to fight in self-defense. Instead of fighting, they commit themselves to spiritual and artistic pursuits, seeking to promote harmony outside and within.

Those familiar with the Asahina know them through their works: wondrous illusions, beautiful art that invokes the power of the kami, and other such ephemeral creations of beauty. The Asahina are masters of Fu Sui, the art of arranging the environment to attract kami and other positive energies. Gardens and architecture designed by the Asahina exemplify its principles. The Asahina are also storytellers, collectors of lore containing esoteric lessons that they relate to enraptured audiences through displays of illusion. As astrologists, they map the stars and predict the weather, as well as divining the destinies of those who catch their attention.

But if they are noted for anything, it is for their talismans and trinkets. As artisans, tinkerers, inventors, and smiths, the Asahina love to create, and their gifts for artifice marry well with the blessings of the kami. Their best-known art is called tsangusuri, the creation of tsang, items with a kami temporarily awakened within. These talismans contain powers that can echo and even match those of mythical nemuranai, but they can only be used for a short time before the kami returns to its slumber. This protects such items from abuse and is but one of the ways in which the Asahina take care not to unbalance the Empire with their works.

The Asahina’s tendency toward pacifism is rarely seen as cowardice, as they are priests of the kami and devotion to harmony is expected of them. But few realize the depths of the Asahina’s convictions on this matter. The shugenja of other clans use their gifts when necessary, especially in defense of the clan. But to the Asahina, to invoke the kami for violence is a distasteful act that defiles the kami and oneself. The same could be said of those who call upon the kami for personal gain. Such priests use the spirits as mere tools to an end, and they are not truly worthy of the gifts they have received.

The Asahina’s focus on the creation of ephemeral beauty leads other shugenja families to regard them as prideful or even flighty. The Agasha of the Dragon, who are also known for their creation of wondrous items through alchemical arts and ancient secrets of the forge, see the Asahina ways as wasteful, producing minimal effect for maximum effort. And while the Kuni respect the Asahina for their vigilance against spiritual corruption, they see them as weak and aimless.

But the Asahina know better than most the violence of which one is capable. To refuse one’s own dark nature, to resist the seduction of anger and passion, is the ultimate goal of Asahina’s teachings. To the Asahina family, the greatest demonstration of power is using it for humble purposes, to enrich the lives of others.

Culture And Traditions
Most Asahina rarely leave their temples in the southern Crane provinces. Their lives are spent in quiet contemplation and veneration of the kami, seeking inner peace through pursuit of art and the appreciation of beauty. Samurai and even peasants with sufficient means (or sufficiently desperate need) make pilgrimages to Asahina temples for the wisdom and wondrous works of these reclusive priests, often leaving with new insight into their lives or some small token of miraculous assistance. The Asahina believe that by creating artifacts and performing good works, they promote harmony throughout the lands.

However, some Asahina choose instead to explore the Empire with the goal of lessening the suffering of others. These souls wander Crane lands, blessing crops, treating illness, invoking the weather, and entreating the kami for the benefit of all, both peasant and samurai. It is believed that every good act helps to rebalance the family’s karma and to redeem their founder. Isawa Asahina was as skilled with the path of Air as he was with Fire, and it is his peaceful traditions that his descendants have embraced.

Tsangusuri, the creation of the charms and talismans known as tsang, is one major tradition of the Asahina. It is the art of bringing out the inner nature of a creation, of awakening the sentient spirit dwelling within. These spirits are said to have two aspects: the shen, a benevolent and harmonious aspect, and the kuei, a wrathful and malicious one. Thus, an object is no different than
a human being: it is capable of both good and evil. It is the goal of the Asahina to bring out only the benevolent side of objects and, appropriately, themselves.

The artifacts made by the Asahina are not to be confused with the meishōdō talismans created by the Unicorn. While meishōdō talismans bind a spirit to an object, tsang are made through the act of awakening the object’s innate spirit, if only for a time.

While the Asahina shun fighting and warfare, they are still known to use their abilities in defense of the helpless. They do this in honor of Doji Kiriko, whose pain ultimately persuaded Isawa Asahina away from violence. Just as she sought out danger for the sake of others, so too will the Asahina, if provoked. Asahina shugenja use trickery to escape from battle, or they find other creative solutions that allow them to defeat enemies without harming them. Further, most Asahina allow the artifacts they create to be utilized in defense of the clan. Many Asahina are blacksmiths or armorsmiths in addition to practicing tsangusuri. When members of this family do engage in violence out of necessity, such as when facing Tainted beings, they usually undertake far deeper spiritual purifications afterward than other shugenja do, to make amends with the kami whose power they misused and to find harmony in their own hearts.

[Vutall]

Crane Lands
The lands of the Crane are among the most geographically diverse in Rokugan, from the clan’s verdant northern fields and grasslands, to the rich temperate forests along its northwestern border, to the marshy wetlands dominating its southern provinces. The ancestral Crane lands stretch along the eastern territories of Rokugan, and Crane lands account for seventy percent of its coastline, encompassing rocky cliffs, offshore island clusters, deep bays, and serene, pale beaches. Rivers carve valleys through the ancient mountain range dividing the lands into northern and southern provinces. Abundant with rice paddies in the floodplains, docks and fishing villages on the coast, rich orchards around palatial estates, and bustling marketplaces in the cities, Crane lands are considered to be the breadbasket of the Empire. Even in poor growing seasons and with coffers empty, the Crane still boast a surplus of goods for trade.

The Coast And Rivers
For most denizens of the Crane provinces, daily life is connected to the sea. The largest urban centers thrive near ocean bays and along the coastline, and the need for access to their docks provides a constant source of income from other clans. The Crane’s population is most heavily concentrated along the coast, and the abundance of fishing villages and dockside markets make the clan the primary supplier of seafood to the Empire. The Crane also boast the largest navy, although only technically, as the majority of their ships are fishing vessels and pleasure boats.

Farther inland, plentiful rivers and streams teem with life, and rainfall is abundant. The fertile northern plains are rich with rice paddies, cotton farms, silkworks, and numerous other agricultural centers. Seasons are mild and temperate, and the rainy season is brief. Wildlife thrives in the lands of the Crane, and artisans have a wealth of natural beauty from which to draw their inspiration.

North And South
The northern Crane lands are the seat of the Crane’s power and influence. Both Kyūden Doji and Kyūden Kakita are just a day’s ride from the Imperial City, Otosan Uchi. It is said that the Emperor’s own home in the Forbidden City within Otosan Uchi was built with Crane taxes. The southern Crane provinces are less developed and more rural, with a wilder reputation. Due to those provinces’ remoteness, troublesome
samurai tend to be assigned there to remove them from the public’s eye, which only fosters the region’s wild reputation. Assignments to northern provinces are therefore considered an honor, while those to southern provinces are considered punishment. When Crane pass other Crane on the roads running north and south, they are advised to treat each other well, as one never knows when the trip might be reversed.

Shizuka Toshi
The Osari Mori is one of the thickest forests in the Crane provinces. Around a series of cascades and waterfall basins, the rocky terrain is covered with lush maples, tall oaks, and thick bamboo groves. Logging is forbidden, and the lack of roads and villages means the forest teems with animal life. The seclusion of this untouched wood shelters one of the Doji’s most important cities, Shizuka Toshi. Called “the Quiet City,” it is the home of the illustrious Doji Academy, where students train in the Doji’s courtly ways.

As far as cities go, Shizuka Toshi is rather small. Built around the academy with the transient student population in mind, it boasts a few distractions from daily life, such as a theater, a park, and some restaurants, as well as a vibrant nightlife in spite of its size. The permanent residents—mostly civil retainers, magistrates, and sensei—maintain estates close to the Osari Cascades, which wind through the forest. The predominant shrines include a shrine to Benten and one to Doji Nio, Lady Doji’s second son.

The grandest structure is Shizuka Palace, a castle modeled after Kyūden Doji and containing the Doji Academy. In addition to the carefully dug lake and the pristinely shaped waterfalls flowing through the arches crafted into its foundations, the palace incorporates countless classrooms and dōjō into its layout, along with student dormitories, libraries, and a replica of the Imperial Court Chamber. Every student of the Doji Diplomat School spends at least four years within its halls, and dozens of students are in attendance at any given time. Even the servants of this keep tend to know more about court workings than the typical rural samurai.

Students begin their training around the age of ten, their unaccompanied walk through the Osari Mori to the city considered by the clan to be a rite of passage. Students learn the complex social mores of the courts at the feet of retired courtiers and masters of the Doji way. Artisans teach useful crafts while retired arbiters drill students on law and propriety. The rigorous curriculum is designed to hammer out the imperfections in each student while binding them together through their various hardships, creating a network of intraclan allies that will remain useful for life.

Some lesser-known dōjō also exist within Shizuka Toshi. The city magistrates take prospective students as apprentices in the course of their duties, and it is not uncommon for one to be shadowed by aspiring neophytes. The Daidoji also maintain a small yōjimbō dōjō there, where students are “assigned” to guard faculty or late-year academy attendees in order to supplement their training and acclimate them to a courtly environment.

Outsiders are rarely permitted into Shizuka Toshi. Traveling papers permitting entry to non-Crane are hard to come by, and there is little to attract visitors anyway, there being few inns and markets. It is believed that students benefit from the seclusion of the woods, where the influence of outside factors is limited. Students make mistakes, which is necessary in order to improve, and the Doji prefer that these beginners’ mistakes go unobserved by those outside the clan. As a result, Shizuka Toshi is a safe haven for those just starting on their path; it is an unspoken rule that whatever happens within never leaves the boundaries of the Osari Mori. This is why locals often say, “Humble beginnings are hidden beneath the leaves.”

While Shizuka Toshi represents exciting promise for new students of the Doji, and to teach there is a great honor, the city’s secluded nature makes it an unexciting post for other samurai, offering few chances for personal glory or advancement. Those who embarrass the clan may be assigned to this city, where they are unlikely ever to be noticed again. Ordinary samurai consider a permanent station there to be career death.

The Eye Of The Needle
Just within the shadow of Kyūden Doji lies a curiosity of the Crane lands, a small forest colloquially known as The Eye of the Needle. Untouched by any ax for centuries, the magnolias and cherry trees along the border of this tiny wood are hugged by shimenawa ropes, and blessing tags hang from the forest canopy. Outsiders believe this forest to be the Crane Clan Champion’s personal hunting grounds, since the wood is abundant with deer, boars, goatlike serows, and pheasant. However, the truth is that the wood is sacrosanct, left pristine out of respect for Emperor Hantei XXIII.

In the ninth century, when Hantei XXIII was only a child, the Imperial family visited the Crane at Kyūden Doji. As the story goes, the young prince ran away from his retainers and hid in the forest at night. The Seppun Honor Guard searched the small wood but could not find him. The entire night passed without a sign of the prince, and the Seppun feared the worst. But when the morning came, they finally found him safe and sound just outside the forest’s borders.

When questioned, the prince claimed that a silver fox had appeared and led him to a hidden grove deep in the woods. There, he ate berries and listened to the fox’s playful songs until the sun rose. Few believed the child’s fanciful tale, but since he was a Hantei, none questioned him either. When he eventually ascended to the throne, Hantei XXIII declared the wood sacred, and the Doji have left the tiny forest and its denizens alone ever since.

In the centuries following, shugenja have verified the sacred nature of this forest. Whenever the moon is full for the third time within the same season, the barriers between the forest and the Spirit Realms grow weak for a time, allowing one of those realms to overlap with Ningen-dō, the Realm of Mortals. The specific Spirit Realm varies each time, with no discernible pattern. The Doji leave gifts at the forest border on the third full moon of each season to placate whatever spirit denizens may wander beyond the trees.

River Of The Blind Monk
Winding from the Lake of Sorrows and forming a natural border between provinces, the River of the Blind Monk is named for a curious legend dating from the earliest days of the Empire. It is said that sometimes, if traveling alone, one may encounter a blind monk fishing by the side of the river. According to these stories, the monk will ferry anyone across who can answer his riddle, but if one attempts to pay for passage instead, one inevitably ends up tossed into the water. To many Crane samurai, the thought of such an indignity is as chilling as death.

While on the surface, this seems like nothing more than a peasant’s tale, the Crane have recorded sightings of the mysterious monk by famous samurai in their histories. One such record claims that Crane Clan Champion Doji Ryobu encountered the monk just before his gempuku, and another claims a Bayushi general’s ill-fated encounter with the monk all but thwarted a Scorpion attempt to grab Yufuku na Heigen Toshi. While local legends vary wildly as to the spirit’s origins, the true nature of this “monk” remains undetermined.

Motsureta Mura: Tangled Path Village
In sharp contrast to the grassy plains, mountain forests, and glittering beaches of the northern Crane provinces, southern Crane territory is dominated by marshes, swamps, and mangroves. While the southern region is not quite as productive as the northern farming zone, rice grows abundantly in its floodplains and marshes, and coastal fisheries dot the shore to its southernmost point. These settlements are relatively isolated, but they are of great agricultural importance to the clan.

One such settlement is known as Motsureta Mura, or Tangled Path Village. It is so named for the confusing and often-flooded roads that wind through the surrounding barrier swamps, but in true Crane fashion, the name has a double meaning. “Motsureta” also means “confused” and “embarrassed;” an assignment there is generally perceived as a punishment for disgracing oneself or the clan. While that is not always so—samurai are assigned there regularly for other reasons—that fact does little to dispel the stigma.

Motsureta Mura lies in the vast Uebe Marshes. To the northeast, just visible above the swampy canopy, the arched rooftops of the Songbird’s Cage, an ancestral castle of a Daidoji vassal family, overlook the village. Once, the village served as a crossroads between the provinces of Ichigun and Sabashii, but that is no longer the case. Centuries ago, the Daidoji undertook a great effort to convert the southern marshes into useful agricultural developments, pouring a great deal of Crane wealth and resources into the engineering feat. While their efforts proved fruitful, resulting in villages such as Motsureta Mura and rice paddies converted from marshland, a sudden conflict with the Crab required the abandonment of the project. As new distractions arose, the project was never resumed. Nevertheless, the paddies around Motsureta Mura are still maintained by its villagers, as is the simple dam managing the flow of the nearby river.

Although Motsureta Mura has declined since its founding, it still boasts a healthy population for such a rural settlement, owing to the plentiful river fishing and rice farms. An abandoned section of the village still stands, empty teahouses and estates overgrown with weeds a testament to its more vibrant heyday.

When crossing the arched “lantern bridge” at the village entrance, a person is supposed to close their eyes until they have stepped again on solid ground, to demonstrate their trust in fate and to acquire good fortune. The bridge is the subject of a number of legends, most involving kawauso, shapeshifting river otters who sometimes take human form and inhabit the abandoned sector, or so the villagers insist.

The Daidoji maintain several small estates near the winding river, but given that Motsureta Mura is an isolated backwoods village, the samurai stationed there are never more than a handful. These samurai rarely become involved in village affairs, preferring to leave the peasants to their own devices while they focus on attaining more prestigious assignments. The Daidoji use the marshes as training grounds for scouts and new recruits, so passing Daidoji students are not an uncommon sight.

The only true attraction of Motsureta Mura is the Laughing River Otter ryokan, a hot-spring hotel on the outskirts of the abandoned section. The hotel, with its onsen (hot spring), is one of the only remaining businesses from the town’s heyday that is still maintained. The onsen’s salty water flows through the butterburs and is said to be good for one’s complexion.

On cool nights, one can sometimes hear the singing sands of the nearby Uebe Beach, which lies to the east. When the wind passes through the sands, it makes a soft whistling sound, and when stepped upon, the sand makes a flat “wood-block” striking sound. It is believed that this sound comes from the spirits dwelling beneath the sand, trying to recall the beautiful song that a princess once sang while resting on the beach. A shrine to Isora, Fortune of the Shore, rises just offshore, doubling as a lighthouse and maintained by the priest and shrine keepers.

While the Uebe Marshes have their own unique beauty, they are considered less “civilized” than the rest of Crane lands, their people rougher and less refined. Speaking the rural dialect while in northern lands is stigmatizing, causing others to assume the speaker is “backwoods” or less educated. For this reason, visiting Crane are careful not to pick up the dialect. This has its own disadvantage, however, as locals consider those speaking the city dialect to be outsiders and less trustworthy

Musume Mura: Daughter Village
In the bay near Kyūden Doji is a small island known as Michi ni Mayotte Musume, or Lost Daughter Inlet. Stone tablets inside the island’s lone shrine tell the legend of how the first Hantei fell in love with Mioko, a simple peasant hidden and imprisoned on the island by her father, and how they overcame all obstacles to find each other on its sandy beach.

In those days, the nearby fishing village was known as Ikieto, but today it is called Musume Mura, or Daughter Village. The last significant settlement before a traveler reaches Kyūden Doji, it contains a bustling wharf and vibrant fishing industry. A small shrine to both Benten and Hotei stands outside the village, and devoted priests to Doji Mioko, who married the first Hantei, are found only here.

But the true value of this village is in the noble estates on the hill overlooking the square, for they contain the Doji’s most prestigious nakōdo school, and the Crane’s greatest matchmakers are said to reside there. Samurai parents make pilgrimages from miles around for the sage advice of Musume Mura’s nakōdo, whose reputation for happy pairings have spread far beyond Crane borders. The village also attracts those who have been unlucky in pairings or unable to obtain matches (with varying degrees of desperation). It is said that there are more eligible young adults in Musume Mura than in all the surrounding provinces combined.

This village also holds a special significance for the Imperial family. When the Emperor becomes engaged, their intended makes a pilgrimage to Musume Mura and spends a night alone in the shrine on Lost Daughter Inlet. It is believed that the enshrined spirit, that of the first Imperial Spouse, blesses the spouse-to-be and imparts them with ancient wisdom.


Night of Falling Star
Most Crane would rather forget the incident at Yōjin no Shiro, which has come to be known as the Night of Falling Stars. However, the Daidoji speak of it often to remind themselves what is at risk should they falter, and to remember an offense against the clan that has yet to be avenged.

Yōjin no Shiro, just north of Kyūden Kakita on the border of the Lion provinces, was once a castle of the Doji. Just over a century and a half ago, the Lion Clan attacked the castle with overwhelming force. Although the Daidoji fought valiantly, the Matsu overcame them and took the castle. The Lion intended to take the Doji occupants hostage to gain leverage over the Crane, but rather than surrender to the invaders, the courtiers, retainers, and even children of the Crane threw themselves from the castle’s towers into the shallow river at its base. Their lanterns, clutched close as they fell, appeared from a distance as falling stars, giving the incident its name.

It is not commonly known outside the Daidoji family that one of their greatest daimyō was born on the battlefield that very night. The vengeful Daidoji Yūrei dedicated his life to retaking the palace and redeeming his parents’ failure, wearing ghostly white armor and even taking a name—Yūrei, or “ghost”—to suit his self-appointed purpose when he reached adulthood. However, although he led three assaults on the castle during his lifetime, he never succeeded in recapturing it. It is said that his angry spirit haunts the gates of the castle to this day, and on the anniversary of the Night of Falling Stars, one can see the ghosts of the Doji as they plummet to their deaths, trailing fire behind them

The Great Sea Spider
At the center of an atoll off the coast of Daidoji lands churns a dark whirlpool, the cause of which is unknown. But obscure legends, known only to those well versed in Crane folklore, speak of an ancient being resting at its center, deep at the ocean floor, where no light can reach it.

The tales say that this whirlpool is the tunnel web of Daikumo-no-Kami, the Great Sea Spider. This monstrous spider, bound to the atoll by Asahina shugenja, is an ancestral enemy of the Daidoji family. Kumo, the spirits of shape-changing spiders, feed off the negative emotions of living beings. It is said that the Great Sea Spider bound itself to the Daidoji family, and the family’s feelings of anger and vengeance allowed it to grow to its massive size.

Most scholars speculate that this obscure piece of folklore is simply a tale created by Daidoji storytellers as a warning not to become obsessed with revenge. The regional colloquial saying “to feed the spider” refers to harboring such a negative emotion and allowing it to build up without productive outlets. Others say the story is merely a fantasy invented to explain the strange whirlpool phenomenon. But if the legends are true, then the Asahina have done the Daidoji a great service, for if the Great Sea Spider were freed, what could possibly stop it?

[Vutall]

Crane Superstitions:

The Crane know their clan is linked to the Great Kumo, the Giant Sea Spider that lurks in Earthquake Fish Bay. They destroy spiders when they are found in their homes, because they are spies of the Great Kumo. They are taught as children to never allow themselves to surrender to hatred or allow hatred to form in their hearts, because hatred feeds the great Kumo.

Difficulties in childbirth and infant death particularly haunt the Crane. Though the birth of a Crane is a joyous event, showing too much pride attracts evil spirits who risk mother and child. The Crane are unwilling to discuss the birth during pregnancy. During childbirth, the child's father stalks around the house crying out in pain, while his wife must remain as silent as possible so the spirits of dead children, who are attracted to women in labor, will be lured away from the child. After the child is born, neighbors may slip over in small groups to offer gifts and congratulations, but all the gifts are turned down and the compliments are brushed aside as a show of humility. The gifts are saved until the child is four, where they are considered old enough to have survived the trials of infancy and are safe to receive the gifts.

Tickling a baby's feet will cause it to stutter when it is older.

Funerals are quiet, somber occasions, and, unlike weddings, one's lord rarely attends, though a representative will.

The cat is an omen of wealth, comfort and good fortune, common among such wealthy families like the Doji.

A tailor who pricks themself with their own needle will one day be unfaithful.

Erecting a circle of rough stones and praying inside it draws the favor of the Fortunes.

Illness can be cured by throwing seven peas in a well and praying for good fortune.

Carrying rice in one's pockets attracts the protection of Inari, Fortune of Rice. Giving this rice to one of Inari's children (a fox) is extremely good luck.

One should never pour one's own sake.

The spear is the favored weapon of Bishamon, Fortune of Strength. All warriors who seek his favor should know how to use one.

Write the name of your enemy and throw it into Three Sides River. As long as you have been truly wronged, your enemy will have bad luck. If he has not wronged you, the bad luck will return to you threefold.

If you break a sandal strap, you will soon suffer a misfortune.

[Vutall]

The First Empress
In the early days of the Empire, Hantei-no-Kami was in search of a bride. He would not wed any of his siblings, though they were of equal status, and so had to look among the mortal populace for a suitable wife. His sister, Lady Doji, attempted to find the best young women in the Empire, but to no avail. None of her selections were able to impress His Imperial Majesty

The samurai of the Doji family set out to aid their leader and searched for someone suitable to marry their Emperor. At one fishing village, they found no one eligible to bring back to the court. However, Doji Mioko, daughter of a local fisherman who had been adopted into the Crane Clan, had been sent away to a nearby island to keep her from being taken away. Such was her voice and kindness that she could sing the very fish of the ocean to her side, and her father was made wealthy by the catch that she brought to his boat. He would not lose his livelihood—and his daughter—to a far-off nobleman, Emperor or no.

The Emperor spent his days in solitude, forlorn for his lack of a companion. Eventually, he ventured forth among the Crane lands with his retainers and rode to the open sea. The Hantei heard a song borne aloft on the ocean breeze, and he was instantly enchanted.

When he returned to the fishing village, he commanded the sailors to take him to the island in search of the song’s source. Finding no singer, the Emperor asked after the voice that seemed to come from an island. “It is naught but the wind blowing through the coral,” Mioko’s father replied. When her father returned to Mioko that evening, she inquired as to the identity of the man in his boat with him, to which the fisherman replied that the passenger was but a beggar.

Mioko had already fallen in love with the handsome young “beggar,” and tying a haiku to the foot of her pet bird, she prayed to Amaterasu that the goddess would deliver the poem to the beggar. When the bird reached the Hantei and he read the poem, he declared that he would marry its writer. Yet, none of his samurai knew who had sent the poem, and a great search went out across the lands. The Emperor declared, “The maiden who has written these words––her alone will I marry, in all the lands of Rokugan.”

The fisherman relayed this proclamation to his daughter, but she was deceived, believing the Emperor had stolen the words that were intended for the beggar. She agreed to relay her poem to another woman in the village so that the Emperor would marry her instead. But when the Hantei asked the woman to write more poetry for him, he could tell that she was not the author of the original poem. When he confronted her, she revealed that the fisherman had told her the poem, and the Hantei resolved to sail with the fisher-man to the island where the coral sang one more time.

Recognizing the “beggar,” Mioko ran out to the shoreline and revealed herself. Upon seeing her and hearing her voice, the Emperor realized that it was she he had heard along the cliffs so long ago. He wept at the sight of her and exchanged his crystallized tears as a dowry for Mioko’s hand in marriage. Instead of sentencing her father to death for his deception, Hantei agreed to his bride-to-be’s wishes and forced the fisherman to live out his days on the island instead. Henceforth, the island became known as Lost Daughter Inlet, and future Empresses have all journeyed there to meditate on what it means to join the Emperor’s family before they are wed