I started with the LCG. I am unfamiliar with all the different families and their histories.
Could someone go through each clan and explain them to me? A bit of their old lore and what has carried over into the new lore? Like I know the Togashi are not so much a family as an order of monks.

Too many families. ?

The wiki for the CCG has a large amount of lore/information.

eg. http://l5r.wikia.com/wiki/Togashi_family

You are asking a big question there, friend.

As my clan of choice, I will start with the Crab

Hida – named for the Crab kami, the main family of the clan. Renown as bushi, fighters to the bitter end, tough as nails and lacking in any airs and graces.

Kaiu – engineers, builders, master artisans. They built and maintain the Kaiu Wall aka the Carpenter Wall aka The Wall aka the only reason the Empire isn’t overrun with monsters

Kuni – shugenja, witch hunters, magical adept people **** bent on seeing that Taint doesn’t enter the Empire and purge the tainted they find in the Empire. Very creepy analysts trying to learn more about the monsters so they can better kill them

Hiruma – scouts, reconnaissance. Their family stronghold and land was lost during the encroachment of the Shadowlands that lead to the building of the Wall and they will do just about anything to get it back.

Yasuki – originally a Crane family but defected to the Crab in what triggered the First War. They have been loyal members of the Crab for 700+ years but the Crane have still not forgiven or forgotten their defection. Merchants, traders, the public face of the Crab clan sent into the Empire to gather resources and funds to fuel the eternal war effort.

(Huh H E double hockey sticks is censored on the forum)

3 hours ago, Radix2309 said:

I started with the LCG. I am unfamiliar with all the different families and their histories.
Could someone go through each clan and explain them to me? A bit of their old lore and what has carried over into the new lore? Like I know the Togashi are not so much a family as an order of monks.

I'll go with Dragon then.

To begin with Rokugani families are a bit of a misnomer. If you're familiar with Game of Thrones or European history House would be more apropos or even clan, but that was already taken in-setting. If you're familiar with the Japanese concept Ie ( 家 ) wich translates directly to household that's what they are. So think, in general not so much of single families but of several more or less related kingroups. Except the Togashi. Those are (probably) not a family although they might share blood. Yeah, the Dragon tend to be the odd one out. Better get used to it.

So to make it clearer the Togashi are better thought of as a order of monks that emulates the wisdom seeking of Togashi. They are made up of Seekers. In the old lore one of the first Togashi monks was a former Lion that was seeking a new path over the conflict with the Kitsu. If they can find the High House of Light they were deemed worthy to join the Order. That's it. Just find the High House of Light, nothing else. Mind you it's possible that the High House of Light moves around. But that may also just be crazy talk or hypoxia talking.

Togashi's status as samurai is unclear. Like I said, the Order accepts anyone that reaches the High House of Light, including peasants. In the old lore Togashi Mitsu was born o peasant stock for example. However samurai also join the order, and while it's not common practice joining a monastic order doesn't always mean that one gave up samurai status, more so among the Dragon and the Phoenix. For real world examples think of samurai lords who took priestly vows or monks that were given domains like Uesugi Kenshin, Takeda Shingen or Ankokuji Ekei. Either way though, even if an outider doesn't think a specific Togashi is a samurai under Rokugani culture monks are worthy of a similar amount of respect so that tends to politely ignored.

The head of the Order is always considered the Dragon Clan Champion. I'm not saying more here because there are tow major trigger that might be pulled and I don't know if you want to risk possible spoilers. One is the almost certainly, but not necessarily, confirmed true identity of Togashi Yokuni, the other is, the as of yet unconfirmed existence from a character from the old lore.

Moving on to the actual samurai families the most important one of those it's the Mirumoto. They are one of the largest samurai families in Rokugan (IIRC only the Matsu and the Hida are larger) and make up the overwhelming majority of the clan. For comparison sake in the old lore the Togashi never seemed to have numbered much more than 300-400, while the mirumoto were over 100000. If you meet a Dragon odds are they are a Mirumoto. These guys are nearly as traditional as you can get, their main quirk being that they favour a two sword fighting style over the more common two-hand style used across the rest of the Empire. Togashi's influence also engendered a culture of contemplation which makes the Mirumoto slighty more introspective and toughtful than many other samurai.

While they, mostly , always, defer to the Togashi in practice they are the ones actually running the clan and calling the shots as very rarely will the Togashi take an interest in such things.

The Agasha descend from Togashi's second follower. They are a family of priests, and scholars but more specifically they are the closest Rokugan has to naturalists. They might be the more scientifically minded family in Rokugan, at least outside the Crab and that mindset carried on to large extent in their offshoots, the Ktsuki, which I will talk in the further detail, and Kasuga which was the ruling family of the Tortoise clan that is yet to be confirmed if they exist in the new lore.

The Agasha scientific mindset is displayed in their mastery of alchemy/chemistry allowing them produce not only amazing potion but also ointments and useful chemical compounds. I Rokugan ever develops proper explosives and firearms expect an Agasha to be one of its main developers.

Moving on to the Kitsuki they are a much more recent family descended from the Agasha, and display much the same tendencies altough, while the Agasha study nature the Kitsuki are more interested i the study of behaviour This pushed them in the role of diplomats but also also of magistrates where their Agasha heritage makes them stand out over the rest of the Empire by their drive to find the factual truth over confortable compromises in the pursuit of justice. Which makes them a bit of unwelcome guests in the rest of the Empire.

If you're dealing with a dragon samurai and it's not a Mirumoto than most likely is a Kitsuki.

Fianly bonus mention to another Clan because of their ties to the Dragon. The Tonbo family which makes the Dragonfly clan and is descended from a Dragon/Phoenix marriage. These guys served as diplomats for the Dragon before the Kitsuki were established and in many ways still do but now more as hosts and gatekeepers for envoys from other clans to the Dragon.

We kinda covered this back in the day...

But it gives me a chance to revisit Phoenix now that the new continuity has actually begun (like yay, no Agasha in the Phoenix!).

Isawa- My old writeup still basically works.

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The descendants of arguably the greatest shugenja ever, the Isawa are generally acclaimed as the foremost spiritual experts in Rokugan. They also have a not-undeserved reputation for arrogance- the Isawa are very, very proud of their family's accumulated spiritual knowledge. They also tend to assume that everybody knows they're right, when often people less in tune with the kami aren't actually clued-in enough to genuinely "get" where the Isawa are coming from. Despite the Phoenix's general reputation for relative pacifism, they field vastly more shugenja in their armies than anyone else, and many of these battlefield priests are Isawa. Members of the family who cannot speak to the kami (and therefore cannot be shugenja) are seen as something of an embarrassment, and often get shunted into out of the way postings.

Shiba- Ditto

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Descended from one of the original Kami (the big K is important in this setting...), the Shiba are unusual in that they do not actively lead the Phoenix Clan- instead, they protect the Isawa. This dates from one of the defining moments in the setting's history, when Shiba-Kami knelt to Isawa and swore that he and his bloodline would protect Isawa's followers in exchange for securing his help in fighting the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands. The Shiba are widely respected for their ironclad devotion to Shiba's Oath, and are some of the foremost yojimbo in Rokugan. They also have more practice than most bushi do in fighting beside shugenja. In addition to serving as warriors, the Shiba also have well-regarded traditions as scribes, artisans, and, rarely, as shugenja. Their daimyo possesses the Soul of Shiba,meaning that the long-dead Kami still guides his family. Their family motto is "Choosing between two evils is still choosing evil." And as my username should indicate, they're my favorite Great Clan family.

Note that the rather shady Sesai Shiba vassal family is acknowledged to exist as well- they tend to do things a bit more in line with, let us say, Scorpion methods than the accepted Shiba norms.

Asako- And again.

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A family who I often (only half) jokingly describe as "invisibly keeping the Clan functioning," the Asako shoulder the burden of most of the Phoenix Clan's courtly dealings. They also have a monastic tradition- the Asako Henshin study means by which humans can transcend their limitations. The Asako also form the core of the Inquisition- an organization which hunts down blood sorcerers and other practitioners of forbidden magics. And they produce a fair number of shugenja as well. In short, for much of L5R's history, the Asako got handed all of the jobs besides being armored bushi or spellslingers that anyone could come up with. As such, their focus isn't exactly narrow, and they're tricky to stereotype. They also have a bit of a rivalry with the Isawa, and at various points in the Clan's history have been on incredibly bad terms with their nominal clanmates. The secrets of the Henshin are a particular bone of contention-it drives the Isawa crazy that Shiba shared the Path of Man with the Asako and not them.

And then the (awesome) new kids- The Kaito Family.

Formerly a vassal family of the Isawa, the Kaito are the inheritors of a combination of Rokugani theology and a dash of Yobanjin mysticism. Where they used to have fairly simple duties as shrine keepers (deeply spiritual and favored by the elemental kami, but not quite shugenja), they have found new duties as they step into the limelight, looking into the root causes of the elemental imbalance that so troubles the Phoenix at present.

For the Crane:

The Doji family is descended from the Lady Doji, the most beautiful & refined of the Kami. She & her followers were given the task of creating the culture of Rokugan. Much of the court, the rules of courtesy & social interaction, was designed by the Doji. The strengths of the Doji rely upon their incredible wealth, and broad network of connections after generations of thoughtful gift-giving and strategic marriages. Often, the Imperial Spouse of a Doji, leading to many strong ties to the Throne.

Kakita was the first Emerald Champion, and a mortal who wooed the Lady Doji. The Kakita family continues their founder's pursuit of perfection. They are the finest artisans, painters and poets, as well as the deadliest iaijutsu duelists, pursuing the single perfect strike.

The Daidoji were founded when Doji Hayaku, youngest child of Doji & Kakitam entered the Shadowlands after the First Day of Thunder to try to save his elder sister Doji Konishiko. Three years later, he came back with her sword, a scar across his throat, and his hair gone completely white. Since then the Daidoji make up the bulk of the Crane armies, and many Crane die their hair white in Hayaku's honor. After the defection of the Yasuki to the Crab, the Daidoji Trading Council also handles mercantile matters for the Clan.

The Asahina are the Crane's shugenja. Isawa Asahina was a Phoenix Master of Air who went on a rampage when the Crane tried to broker peace between the Lion & Phoenix. Kiriko, daughter of the Crane Champion of the time, threw herself repeatedly in front of Asahina's attacks in order to mitigate the damage he was doing until he came to his senses. Shamed by his rage, Asahina nursed Kiriko back to health, and the family they founded are notable as pacifists. As befits a Crane family, Asahina are also known for the beauty of their tsangusuri, small tokens or charms that carry a temporary burst of magic.

In short, each clan has several families. In most cases, at least at this stage in story, the main (ruling) family for each clan is descended from the original Kami that fell from the Celestial Heavens. Then each clan has several other families. In most cases, these families come fron the first original followers of the Kami and the Dawn of the Empire. Some humans particularly distinguished themselves at that era and they earned a place besides the ruling family. In some cases, new families were born later. Most recently, we have witnessed the birth of the Kaito family, for instance, but there have been a few other families born in the 1000 years for a number of reasons. Some have an straigtforward: like the Kaito, the family did a service to the clan. On other instances, that birth has a more convoluted, and sometimes dark story behind. My favourite is the Yogo family of the Scorpion.

Yogo was not one of the original followers of Bayushi. Instead, he was Isawa Yogo, a powerful shugenja who was part of the Isawa family. However, during the first war agains Fu Leng, the Dark God cursed him and his bloodline so that they would always eventually betray those who they loved most. Yogo dropped the Isawa name and chose to follow Bayushi who, he reasoned, was a lord he would never love. And that's the story of the Yogo. And now we have Yogo Junzo, daimyo of the family and descendant of (Isawa) Yogo, who is a loyal follower of Bayushi Shoju, daimyo of the Bayushi and Champion of the Scorpion. Other "later" families are the Yasuki, the Asahina, the Kitsuki, or the Moto.

Vassal families are other thing... Each clan has dozens of those, each dependent to an official Family, and they have never been totally listed. While the regular families are sactioned by the Emperor and recognized by the Empire at large, the vassal families aren't: they are an internal clan affair and, sometimes, their function is kept secret from the rest of the clans and from the Emperor. For instance, the Kaito before they were recently made a family were just one of many such vassal families. To the Phoenix they were the Kaito, vassals of the Isawa, but to a samurai from another clan, they were just some backwater branch of the Isawa. Now, of course, this has changed. Everybody will now know who are the Kaito, who is they daimyo and their mon. and where their lands are.

Here is in more details for the Scorpion:

The scoprion clan is the underhand of the Emperor. They are the most loyal from all Rokugan, ready to forgo their own honor in order to protect the empire from any threat, being it from the outside, or the inside. They are glad to take the blame as the bad guys , following up the direct promess Bayushi made to Hantei " I will be your villain". There is no secret the scorpion does not know about and their role in maintaining the balance of power between the great clans is essential, as by their schemes, they will make sure that other great clan gets too much power. A distinctive thing for all the clan fashion wise is the use of masks in public appearances.

Bayushi: These are the direct heirs of the Kami Bayushi. The daimyo will be the Clan champion. They are the typical scorpions: full of wits in court, deadly with a blade. They will be the main face of the clan. Their moto is "I can swim" which the card with the same name refers to directly. This moto si based after the fable of the scorpion and the toad. (

Shosuro: Was founded by Bayushi's first follower, Shosuro. She was exceptionally gifted in acting, arts disguise and treachery. The Shosuro family became the official courtiers of the clan, and naturally its spies and even assassins. Oh and shinobis as well.

Soshi: The Soshi family is the 3rd in size within the clan. Believed to be founded by Bayushi and Shosuro's son. It is a family mostly composed of Shugenja and traditionally led by one, but multiple professions have been seen to be followed by it members. Soshi shugenja are known for their use of Tejina, or illusion magic.

Yogo: Mon no Oni explained it brilliantly just above:

On 8/7/2018 at 1:14 AM, Mon no Oni said:

My favourite is the Yogo family of the Scorpion.

Yogo was not one of the original followers of Bayushi. Instead, he was Isawa Yogo, a powerful shugenja who was part of the Isawa family. However, during the first war agains Fu Leng, the Dark God cursed him and his bloodline so that they would always eventually betray those who they loved most. Yogo dropped the Isawa name and chose to follow Bayushi who, he reasoned, was a lord he would never love. And that's the story of the Yogo. And now we have Yogo Junzo, daimyo of the family and descendant of (Isawa) Yogo, who is a loyal follower of Bayushi Shoju, daimyo of the Bayushi and Champion of the Scorpion.

The Imperial Families

The Hantei - The rulers of the empire for roughly 1000 years of relative peace. Not much else can be said about them because practically all of them renounce this family and join one of the other imperial families (or renounce the world and become monks) once it is clear that they aren't getting the throne. They seem to like monks/shinseism more than anyone save maybe the Dragons (and maybe the Phoenix). They also have a strong tendency to go evil or be incompetent, because there wouldn't be much of a story otherwise.

The Otomo - The guys who actually run the empire. Tax, regulation, imperial law, handling court cases. It all basically goes through them. Usually the Empire appoints someone from one of the Great Clans as the actual heads of these bureaus, but they are basically just figureheads and the families that have been doing this for generations are the ones that just keep on doing it. They also serve as the official imperial presence in most courts. If the head Otomo in a court says something, it may as well come from the mouth of the emperor. Apparently part of their "job" is to see that the clans keep fighting, it was so stressed in the initial invention of their concept that their family symbol is a snake devouring its own tail (nevermind how they are supposed to set clan against clan if they prominently display a symbol declaring that is their "secret mission"), but it has basically never played a demonstrable part in the story during all the years there has been an ongoing L5R story. Beyond that, they tend to be greedy, underhanded, incompetent and generally corrupt because, if they weren't there wouldn't be a story. Seriously, traditionally if anyone has a name "Otomo" they are either a villain or are going to be randomly killed off for shock value or generally defeated with ease to prove the prowess of some Great Clan character and won't ever get to do much beyond that.

The Seppun - The Imperial bushi family, generally found among the best guards, soldiers and magistrates in the empire. Though, again, Great Clan members tend to get appointed to honorary figurehead positions above them or among their ranks. They were weirdly enough started by a shugenja, but their own shugenja are for whatever reason generally a secret footnote. Anyway, these are usually the all honorable, knight-in-shining armor sort of goody-goodies which starkly contrasts with the first two imperial families. If they are somehow the opposition, they tend to be complete push-overs, but if the story needs a clan-neutral hero, it is usually a Seppun.

The Miya - The official government news source! No fake news here, really! They are the ones who are tasked with traveling around the empire and delivering the official imperial stance on what is going on. (How much of it they make up themselves is unclear). Because they are often on the roads, they often look shabbier and rougher than a lot of Great Clan samurai, but they can clean up good for important occasions. When they appear, stories hardly ever stress the whole "imperial" aspect beyond that it means they are neutral. They are also almost universally trustworthy good guys, but the kind that has 0 meaningful impact on the story.

Tortoise Clan - A minor clan that has a very close relationship with the Imperial families. As in, lives in the same city and answers directly to them. Kind of flagrantly violates imperial laws of all sorts all the time and is generally cast as villains. Black marketeers and such. One has to think that they serve some beneficial purpose to the Imperials, they even initially started as a group that everyone expected to be executed, but was instead made into an official family and granted Minor Clan status and told to set up shop in the Imperial city where they would be safe from aggression by the clans.

Also, note, as they were the rulers that were immediately deposed once the game launched and only occasionally played a part as anything other than background figures, this "clan" for lack of a better word, never had an animal avatar until the very, very tail end of AEG owning the game. At that point they decided to finally assign then the Owl as their animal avatar (maybe because all the good ones had already been taken?), though their concept as a unique clan was a bit too narrow to the point of kind of just sucking (likely because all the good concepts had already been taken). I wonder if we will see any nod to this under FFG and see some sort of owl imagery associated with the Imperials.

Just to add on regarding the Otomo, this is typically the family that non-heir Hantei family members join. So maybe that's part of why they end up so corrupt and villains. ?

6 minutes ago, Kaito Kikaze said:

Just to add on regarding the Otomo, this is typically the family that non-heir Hantei family members join. So maybe that's part of why they end up so corrupt and villains. ?

I seem to recall it being about a 50/40/10 split between the Otomo/Seppun/Miya, but I could be mis-remembering.

1 hour ago, Schmoozies said:

I seem to recall it being about a 50/40/10 split between the Otomo/Seppun/Miya, but I could be mis-remembering.

Well, overlooking those that say "screw this whole samurai thing, I am going to go join the Brotherhood of Shinsei", which even some sitting emperors eventually do let along those who are denied the throne, this sounds about right.

4 minutes ago, TheHobgoblyn said:

Well, overlooking those that say "screw this whole samurai thing, I am going to go join the Brotherhood of Shinsei", which even some sitting emperors eventually do let along those who are denied the throne, this sounds about right.

Even if they are electing for retirement to a monastery, which is actually the norm for most samurai who live to a certain age, they would still join one of the other families just as a matter of form prior to shaving their heads as that is part of the act of abdicating their right to clear the way for the actual successor. Failing to do so would be in effect announcing that they don't believe in the right of their sibling to rule and that they potentially intend to challenge that right at a later time.

On 9/13/2018 at 3:53 PM, TheHobgoblyn said:

Also, note, as they were the rulers that were immediately deposed once the game launched and only occasionally played a part as anything other than background figures, this "clan" for lack of a better word, never had an animal avatar until the very, very tail end of AEG owning the game. At that point they decided to finally assign then the Owl as their animal avatar (maybe because all the good ones had already been taken?), though their concept as a unique clan was a bit too narrow to the point of kind of just sucking (likely because all the good concepts had already been taken). I wonder if we will see any nod to this under FFG and see some sort of owl imagery associated with the Imperials.

That whole owl business was alllllllll @Kinzen 's alternate history chapter in Imperial Histories 2. It had nothing whatsoever to do with mainline canon.