It occurs to me that, with the addition of L5R to the FFG stable, we might be getting an influx of new players, and this forum might be among the places they come. So, partially inspired by the 'looking for a Clan' thread, I thought it would be a good idea for some of us (relatively) old-timers to share what (we think) makes our Clan special. Being a Lion person myself, I'll start with them, and leave other Clans to others. I originally wrote this up for the Winter Court IV RPG, then reposted it to FRO7, so some people might have seen it before, but now it's in a more public place, and people can add their own insights to it, for the Lion or other Clans. Apologies in advance for length, but hopefully it helps.
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Every Clan and Family has its own traditions and superstitions. The Lion, being deeply conservative, hold to theirs more tightly than most, and everyone should be aware of at least those of their own Family.
Akodo
In addition to the Ten Orders contained in Leadership, Akodo traditionally memorise the Five Measures, here paraphrased rather than quoted verbatim, as the originals are quite wordy:
AIR: The General leads the army quickly and without hesitation; by this, he keeps his eyes forwards.
EARTH: The General understands the ground on which he fights; by this, he ensures victory.
FIRE: The General leads the army in accordance with the Imperial Law; by this, he lights the flame of justice in his soldiers' souls.
WATER: The General understands the flow of battle; by this, he spares his own forces, and wears down those of his opponent.
VOID: The General leads the army inexorably towards the moment of victory; it cannot be understood, only taken.
It is quite common for Akodo to use the Five Measures, Seven Virtues (of Bushido, which I trust I don't need to repeat here), and Ten Orders, as quasi-meditative mantras.
Ever since the Dawn of the Empire, when Akodo One-Eye rejected Shinsei by gripping his saya and saying, "This is my way", and was subsequently ordered by Hantei to show Shinsei more respect, all Akodo dojo contain a copy of the Tao... but it is left pristine and unopened.
Besides their basic gempukku ceremony, Akodo undergo an additional ceremony, called Kyodai, in which they recite all of their ancestors back to Akodo One-Eye, and have their own names added to the list of honoured Akodo. Completion of this ceremony makes all Akodo formally brothers, and equals (resulting in Akodo frequently calling each other 'brother' or 'sister' in place of -san/-sama, irrespective of actual social position). As a result, it is strictly forbidden for Akodo to fight each other, or to cast any other Akodo into dishonour, and those who do so are punished as if they had murdered their family.
In combat, Akodo doctrine builds on the concept of brotherhood - no Akodo will leave another Akodo to fight alone, and they take strength in fighting side by side with each other. Tactically, their strength isn't so much that they have excellent command and control structures - though they do have those - but that every Akodo knows what they are expected to do, and will do it unhesitatingly and unquestioningly. As such, they have a much greater capacity for manoeuvre and response in combat, whereas most Rokugani formations are prohibitively difficult to control once they have been committed, and communicating secondary orders is all but impossible.
Prior to the dissolution of the family during the Clan Wars, all Akodo used to carry distinctive knives in addition to their daisho, that were given to them after Kyodai. That tradition ceased when the family was dissolved, and never reinstated after the naming of the Lying Darkness, and many were lost, so Akodo kaiken are now extremely valuable heirlooms, rather than being ubiquitous.
Akodo have a reputation for arrogance - "No army led by an Akodo general has ever been defeated", and such - but their self-confidence stems from an acute awareness of their own failings. Lion victories are not studied in the Akodo War College, but only their defeats, to remind Akodo officers that victory is never assured, but always rests on the sword's edge.
Ikoma
Ikoma are, by tradition, the only Lion who are allowed to show emotion. Technically, the role of emoting for the rest of the Clan goes to the Omoidasu specifically rather than the Ikoma in general, but being brought up in that milieu tends to result in Ikoma, even the bushi, being much more open in their emotions than the other families of the Lion.
In memory of a famous exchange between Ikoma and Akodo One-Eye (in which Akodo said he could beat Ikoma if they fought, and Ikoma replied, "You could, Son of the Sun. But I would take your other eye."), Ikoma are traditionally quicker to accept defeat than other Lion, but correspondingly quicker to find ways to make the victory hurt for their opponent. For example, where an outnumbered Matsu would tend to just keep swinging until she went down or her enemies did, an Ikoma might identify the enemy leader, and make sure to kill him, even if it guaranteed his own death (a good example of this mindset occurred during the Winter of Red Snow - the Ikoma realised Kyuden Ikoma had fallen, but hid a squad of men in the ruins until Chagatai rode past with his honour guard, then ambushed him). As all of the above illustrates, they also tend to be somewhat less strict in their interpretation of honour and the rules of combat than other Lion.
Ikoma himself was extremely fond of sake and women. Some, though by no means all, Ikoma, choose to follow his example in this as in other things.
There is a super-secret alliance between the Ikoma and Shosuro families to ensure the history of the Empire remains proper and pure- the Ikoma write what is appropriate, and the Shosuro make sure any evidence to the contrary disappears. Needless to say, this is kept secret from the rest of the Lion, and even from the bulk of the family. The Ikoma also have in their possession the uncensored histories, and the only complete copies of Leadership (the edition of the book in common circulation having been censored by various Emperors to avoid offending their sensibilities). Obviously, neither of these things are made public knowledge, either.
Kitsu
The Kitsu traditionally refuse to use their gifts in combat- it is Rokugani tradition for generals to invite shugenja to leave the field before engaging in battle, and Lion follow this tradition (both ways) more scrupulously than anyone else, with the possible exception of the Crane. While they are frequently used in an auxiliary capacity, healing and supporting troops off the battlefield itself, actual "combat shugenja" are very rare. In general, the Lion see it as dishonourable and impious to use the kami against others, rather than steel.
Most Kitsu have no capacity to act as Sodan-Senzo, though they may or may not have some ability to call upon the Ancestors in a more limited fashion. True Sodan-Senzo are identified young, usually have no ability to control when and how the Ancestors speak to them, and rarely leave the Hall of Ancestors/Kitsu Tombs at all.
Kitsu almost invariably dress and speak in a hyper-traditional manner, sometimes to the point of near-foreignness to contemporary Rokugani, as several of them speak as much to the dead as to the living, and even those who don't, carry the responsibility to act as holders and guardians of tradition among the Lion.
Some, though not all, of the Kitsu descended directly from the First Five (the last Kitsu, who turned themselves human to mate with five of Akodo One-Eye's children) have golden eyes, and/or red/golden hair. Those who do are almost always Sodan-Senzo, but not all Sodan-Senzo have the hair or eyes. Either way, those descended from the First Five are almost never married outside the Clan, to anyone but the most important of people, as their power is linked to their bloodline, more so than even among other shugenja families.
Kitsu have an extra-special, and even stronger, grudge against the Spider than other Lion, ever since Nintai - a Tsuno who was returned to his original state as a Kitsu (the storyline was incredibly stupid, honestly... I hate Ratling... but whatever, it happened) - was killed and skinned during the Night of Assassins. Now that the Night of Assassins is known to have been the work of the Spider, the Kitsu have a truly undying grudge against them.
The Kitsu have, on occasion, produced some of the strongest shugenja in the Empire - Kitsu Taiko's connection to Fire was so strong that he was made Master of Fire in 766, being one of a handful of non-Phoenix ever to sit on the Elemental Council. Though their connection with the kami is generally unexceptional, as their 'magic' stems more from the Ancestors than the elemental spirits, they are - sometimes - extremely powerful.
Despite being of generally impeccable honour, there have been a few less-than-perfect moments in the history of the Kitsu; most especially Kitsu Okura, who won the Jade Championship by questionable means, and subsequently gave his name to an Oni, triggering a war between the Unicorn and the corrupted Kitsu (plus other Lion), known as Storms over Shiro Matsu. A substantial number of Kitsu went ronin in protest when Okura's corruption became clear, and were readmitted after Okura was deposed, as the Noroko vassal family. The Noroko's prime holding is in Crab lands, and they focus on maintaining vigilance against corruption within the Lion, and they are generally treated with respect and deference by other Kitsu out of respect for their ancestors' stand on principle, but they have no Sodan-Senzo, as those with Sodan-Senzo blood considered it their duty to remain to tend the Hall and Tombs, regardless of the daimyo's actions. Okura no Oni herself was subsequently reverse-corrupted by Bushido, and is now the guardian of the gates of Tengoku, though she can't actually go inside.
Matsu
As everyone knows, Matsu are traditionally matriarchal. This tradition stems from Lady Matsu's refusal to marry Akodo One-Eye, on the basis that,
"If I marry you, I will not be Matsu, but Akodo's wife."
Given that their founder refused to give her name even for a living God, it is extremely rare for female Matsu to marry out of the family, even to other Lion. Male Matsu can marry in, or out, according to the respective social status of the Matsu and the other samurai; or the arrangements of the nakodo, if they're equal.
Where Akodo generally make decisions based on careful consideration, and consultation of their texts, the Matsu follow a philosophy known as Seven Breaths: as Honour should be your guide in making any decision, and Honour is instinctive, it should take no longer than the space of seven breaths to make any decision. This is the basis of the Matsu's reputation for impulsiveness - as they see it, that reputation is a compliment, as it denotes their pursuit of Honour over practicality.
Matsu are trained to be extremely physically tough and self-reliant - they undergo extreme tests of endurance and strength, and are strictly forbidden from assisting each other. Their gempukku, however, consists not of a physical test (as they're assumed to be capable of doing that already), but of sitting motionless for several days while food and water are laid out around them, and their friends and family beg them to eat and drink. Needless to say, if they do so, they fail. The point of the ceremony is that Matsu should be not only physically tough, but also capable of exercising great self-control - as much of an L5R stereotype as "The Angry Matsu" is, it actually takes quite a lot of provocation to make a proper Matsu angry in a social situation, or rather to cause them to show that anger openly. If a Matsu shows their anger outside combat, that Matsu is VERY angry, and it would generally be unwise to remain in the area any longer than necessary.
Whether they show their emotion or not, Matsu commit fully to everything they do. This is partly a result of the Seven Breaths philosophy: believing that hesitation or reservation is tantamount to sin, and trusting completely that everything they do is the right thing to do, they throw themselves headlong at every challenge, generally preferring to prove their worth by overcoming obstacles with sheer force of will, strengthened by the righteousness of their cause, than by finding ways around them. Reaction to defeat, as rarely as they experience it, varies among Matsu - some barely register it, and continue pressing as if it had never happened; others take it a signal that their original cause can't possibly have been honourable (if it had been honourable, they would have succeeded, after all), and turn their attentions elsewhere.
Because the Matsu were traditionally by far the largest family in the Empire, and individual families were also very large, Matsu generally care less about the particulars of their family than other Lion. Obviously, they care very deeply about their family as a whole, and insulting the Matsu is very likely to result in blood-feud at least, but they are less likely than any other Lion samurai to be able to list all their ancestors, or even to be able to name all their relatives three or four generations back. In general, they are more willing to assume that all their ancestors were heroes, and leave it at that (an assumption aided by the very short life expectancy of Matsu compared to samurai in general).
There is a common misconception that Matsu make no time for themselves, or have no pastimes except training for combat. While it is true that Matsu train a great deal, and often enjoy it as much as anything else, it is untrue that they do nothing else - they recognise that cultivation of art is good for the soul, and they do care for their souls - what is true, as mentioned before, is that they do nothing in half-measures. If a Matsu is into ikebana, you can expect them to be REALLY into ikebana. Failure to commit fully, even to a personal hobby, is a reflection of Doubt, Doubt is a reflection of Fear, and Fear is a Sin.
Miscellaneous
Using the wakizashi in combat is considered borderline blasphemous by most Lion. Primarily, this is because all samurai should be ready to cleanse their honour (ie, commit seppuku) at their lord's order at a moment's notice, which requires that the wakizashi be kept razor sharp, and ritually pure. Using it to stab people goes against both goals. Deathseekers, however, are not expected to commit seppuku - as such, they can, and often do, use their wakizashi in combat. In essence, the wakizashi should only draw blood to cleanse one's honour; for most, that means the gutcut, for the Deathseekers, it means killing as many other people as possible.
Staying on the subject of katana, Lion generally test their katana on condemned criminals, seeing it as a test of both the blade and the wielder to see how many they cut through. The record is six, set by Akodo Mayuko.
Lion of all families are, obviously, much more dedicated to the worship of their ancestors than most samurai of other Clans. Superficially, they perform the same rituals of remembrance and reverence as everyone else (except the Kitsu, who are obviously special), but they do it much more regularly than others. All Lion households have a list of their ancestors at their shrine, even those who don't make a point of memorising said list, and the vast majority keep registers of the anniversaries of their most respected ancestors' deaths, which they commemorate dutifully.
Despite their near-obsessive reverence for their ancestors, the majority of Lion are quite distant, emotionally, from their actual families. Lion children are almost always left in the care of ashigaru and ji-samurai, then sent to the dojo, where they eat and sleep, as well as train, apart from their birth family. Though most Lion could name their families to a few generations without hesitation, they rarely know their actual relatives.
Among Leadership's tenets - one held dear by Lion of all families - is that, "the wise commander needs only the perception to identify the right subordinates for a task, and the intelligence to let them do it." Competent delegation of assignments is a highly valued skill among the Lion, even for the most self-assured of Matsu, and the misuse of assets under your command a swift route to losing the command of those assets.
A frequent subject of debate among Lion is the appropriate role of the Book of Sun Tao. While Leadership is obviously the best thing since steamed rice, and De Bellis Yoditorum has its place (not comparable to Leadership, but useful for fighting Yodotai), Sun Tao is less clear. His tactical insights are generally accepted as worthwhile - if only as restatements and elaborations of the same principles laid down by Akodo - but he was, ultimately, just a ronin, and Lion generally don't like ronin at all (excepting ronin-who-are-actually-Lion, like half the Akodo family during their dissolution, the Noroko prior to their reacceptance, and so on), so accepting that a ronin could have written a valuable treatise on strategy is problematic for the premier strategy Clan. It is ultimately a subject for each samurai to decide for themselves, but it is an ongoing issue within the Lion Clan, especially the Akodo family.
Quotes
Every Clan has some fantastic stories and characters in its history. This is just a small collection of some of my favourites for the Lion, in no particular order. It occurs to me that most of them are Matsu, but that's probably unsurprising, since they're the most stereotypically 'heroic' of the Lion Families. I am leaving Akodo's
Leadership
aside here, as it's kind of its own thing, but I strongly recommend reading up on
Leadership
, too.
"Age slows only those who are afraid to die."
- Matsu Ketsui
Matsu Ketsui was a brash young Matsu, who managed to sufficiently antagonise Ikoma Tsanuri (who appears later in this list) by her impetuosity for Tsanuri to arrange a marriage for Ketsui with a peace-loving Phoenix shugenja. Ketsui naturally laughed off the Phoenix, and kept doing her thing. Rising through the ranks rapidly thanks to her skill, strength, and ferocity, she became Matsu Daimyo at a very young age (for the position), and was forced to mature quickly into the position, as she guided the family through incessant wars against the Lying Darkness, against the Crane, against the Dragon, against the Unicorn (several times), and against internal corruption. As she matured, she came to increasingly appreciate the wisdom, patience, and humility, of her Phoenix husband, and cared for him more and more, bearing him three children. One of these became Clan Champion, and another died returning the remains of Akodo One-Eye to the Lion. Even as she matured, however, she lost none of her badassery, which extended to killing a Kenshinzen in a duel within two weeks of giving birth. She outlived several Champions, but refused the position each time, preferring to guide her family. In the end, she was killed by her daughter (who had fallen to the Lying Darkness), but she was already past sixty by then, and her awesomeness lived on.
"If you must ask what honour is, you will never know."
- Ikoma Tsanuri
Ikoma Tsanuri was (Akodo) Toturi's lieutenant through the Clan Wars, and was witness in that capacity to most of the notable events of that war, including Matsu Tsuko's seppuku. This experience led her to distrust the other Clans, believing that only the strength and honour of the Lion could adequately protect the Empire, a philosophy she pursued as champion of the Clan. As unwitting part of a plot by the Lying Darkness, she led an army to the lands of the Crab, who deployed an army against her - but rather than fighting, the two commanders conferred, and came to terms. Specifically, Tsanuri led her army against the Shadowlands instead, upon hearing that the Emperor had gone to Volturnum, and she personally led her honour guard against Akuma no Oni, preventing it from attacking the Emperor. Though she fell in the combat, the Emperor was saved. A torii arch was erected at the site where she fell, along with her enshrined katana, and the spot remains one of only four places within the Shadowlands themselves that are untouched by the Taint (the others being Shiro Hiruma (at good times), Shinsei's Last Hope, and Amaterasu's Furnace).
"See, fallen hero -
Even the Darkness gives pause -
How a Lion dies."
- Matsu Domotai
Matsu Domotai was one of the children of Matsu Ketsui. Taken captive by the Tsuno during a raid on the Kitsu Tombs, he was finally rescued by his sister (the one who later killed Ketsui, but she wasn't corrupted at this point). In the same raid, however, the Tsuno also claimed the bones of Akodo One-Eye. The Dark Oracle of Water planned to use these as a lure to gain a Lion follower, to further his plans. When he offered the trade, the Lion had little choice but to except, though it was an obvious trap, and Matsu Domotai volunteered to be the 'sacrifice' to the Dark Oracle. The Lion claimed the bones, but before he could be forced to swear fealty to the Dark Oracle, Domotai recited the above death haiku, and committed seppuku. This demonstration of honour sufficed to prevent the Dark Oracle from completing his trap, thereby allowing the Lion to secure the bones properly.
"Why feint when you can just kill him?"
- Matsu Takeko
Compared to the other people quoted here, Takeko is a relatively unimportant figure - she was involved in the Lion/Unicorn wars, and the Lion/Mantis skirmishing in Toshi Ranbo afterwards, then again in the multiple wars that followed Iweko's ascension, but never achieved great prominence or rank. That quote, however, is just so perfectly exemplary of the Matsu philosophy that I had no choice but to include it.
Of course, there are plenty of other excellent quotes out there - check flavour text on the Oracle of the Void, biographies on the L5R wiki, and the fiction archives at Kaze no Shiro - and you can always make up your own and attribute them to your glorious but hitherto unknown ancestors. As the Ikoma say, it is no wonder the Lion are so reverent of their ancestors, when each samurai has more heroes in his own descent than the other Clans can count as their own at all. Those are just some of the ones that have always stuck with me as being perfectly 'Lion'. Enjoy!
