Bat Clan Bushido View?

By FelixFenix, in Lore Discussion

Hey guys, I am stumped with the Bat Bushido view. I have read 4E Secrets of the Empire but it doesn’t give me the feel to determine their take on Bushido. So I wanted to ask what do you think is the most appropriate Bat Clan Bushido View?

From Secrets of the Empire:

”The Komori view it as their sacred calling to protect the spiritual balance of the region and ensure no gateway to the other Spirit Realms fully opens.”

+Duty? or Righteousness?

-?

I would say Righteousness because they have thst holier than thou mentality of the Phoenix.

For the negative one, Honor just because they fall into mahō later.

Wait a sec! When did they fall to the blood side? Old L5R or New L5R?

I know they get infiltrated by the Spider (like some other MC, like the Sparrow) but didn’t know that they all fell to the Mahō...

Edited by FelixFenix

I'd note that the Bat Clan mentioned in New L5R have a different origin from the one in Secrets of the Empire, at the very least. since the Komori were made a clan by Toturi III.

5 hours ago, Tonbo Karasu said:

I'd note that the Bat Clan mentioned in New L5R have a different origin from the one in Secrets of the Empire, at the very least. since the Komori were made a clan by Toturi III.

Yes and this have intrigued me a lot. The bat have been one of my favorite MC of all time alongside the Monkey.

I haven’t been able to find anything related to them in New Canon. If anyone knows anything related to them please let me know, I will really appreciate it.

Well, I was mentioning Old5R anyway

8 hours ago, FelixFenix said:

Wait a sec! When did they fall to the blood side? Old L5R or New L5R?

I know they get infiltrated by the Spider (like some other MC, like the Sparrow) but didn’t know that they all fell to the Mahō...

I was assuming once they had been infiltrated by the Spider, but you are right. I could not find any specific mention of mahō, so take my comment with two grains of salt.

Ok, yes you’re right, those pesky Spider infiltrators were everywhere... 😔

Well not all turned to the darkside. Like in the Sparrow case some of the Spider rejected their ways and became Sparrows. Hopefully this will be the case of the good ol’batty clan. Where they where infiltrated but did note embraced their ways as a whole and became mahō-tsukai.

PS Thanks for the explanation 👍

Edited by FelixFenix

As far as I can find, the only mention of the Bat Clan is on page 18 of the core book, in a sidebar.

Then again, I'm pretty sure that Linmei, wife of Yoritomo, has been identified as a bat shapeshifter. It would be in Heart of the Mountain.

I would go + duty - courage

I’m intrigued @okuma , why courage? 🤔

Edited by FelixFenix

The whole expectation of "there is a most valued creed of bushido and a least valued creed of bushido" expectation across all minor clans strikes me as a bad president when we dig around in the weeds.

Like-- we are going to pretend Shinseism isn't a thing? Like Fortunism isn't a thing? Everything needs to be dictated by Akodo's code? Like... why?

Sure-- maybe in terms of the very military-oriented families it is a predominant thing-- but once we dig around in Shugenia-led families like the Bat clan? Even the Fox Clan?

Frankly-- which of the bushido values they cling dearly to and which they nearly discard are not at all a good metric on which to characterize them-- because they very much operate according to a very different set of values with very different motivations. Which value of Bushido they cling to and which they discard is going to be very situationally dependent.

This is why when I did my write-up for the 20+ minor clans I decided to utterly discard this rather artificial constriction because, more often than not, is very badly served to describe where the Clan was coming from and what they ultimately hoped to achieve.

Of course you had to insert an essay on a subject which has nothing to do with what was asked.

18 hours ago, FelixFenix said:

I’m intrigued @okuma , why courage? 🤔

While I agree with Hobgoblyn that it is a bit forced to try to find two virtues for all the minor clans, I believe that the Bat clan (based on the AEG version) was about the survival of the Komouri and as such, they are more focused on survival that actually earning glory in battle.