The Crane Clan
While others have relied on martial prowess alone, the Crane have learned to keep its feathers clean from bloodshed by using political maneuvering to gain its high position. The beauty of the Crane is worshipped, with samurai from other clans asking for the fair hand of a Crane courtier in marriage. As such, the Crane have sympathy with each and every clan through their spouses… and eventually, their children. The Crane samurai are known for their charisma, their diplomacy, and their inbreeding.
The left hand of the Emperor, and mortal enemy of the Lion Clan. The Crane have always stood for civilization, honor, duty – the epitome of what it means to be a samurai… and the Crane have worked for centuries to maintain that image. It was Lady Doji who first created the rules of civilization, and it is her clan that continues to uphold that tradition.
Of course, every bright light casts a shadow. The darker side of the Crane Clan is sinister and wicked. But they are unlike the Scorpion – who the Crane are more akin to than they’d like to admit – who hide their secrets in the shadows. Instead the Crane prefer to shine so brightly that others are blinded to their indiscretions.
Colors: Light blue, silver, and white
Daimyo: Doji Hoturi
Personalities: Kakita Toshimoto (Emerald Champion and sensei of the Kakita Academy) Kakita Yoshi (Toshimoto’s brother, head of the Kakita family and chief courtier of the Imperial Court), Daidoji Uji (head of the Daidoji family and chief yojimbo of Doji Hoturi)
Families:
- Doji
: The descendants of Lady Doji are known to carry her wit and beauty. They are the masters of the courts and the paragons of civilized lifestyle
- Kakita
: The Kakita are works of art unto themselves. A family so perfectly suited to the arts through generations of breeding and training. They are also the masters of the deadliest art – the iaijutsu duel
- Asahina
: Peaceful and introspective, the Asahina originated out of the Phoenix Clan. They brought with them the Phoenix’s studious nature and non-confrontational attitudes
- Daidoji
: The powerful Diadoji are the loyal servants of the Doji family. Beyond their normal capacity as bodyguards and soldiers, they are often charged with maintaining the image of the Crane Clan. They will use nearly any method to cover up a slight of honor or loss of face
Dojos:
- Kakita Artisan Academy
: Considered the finest school in the Emerald Empire. Here Kakita masters pass on their teachings of the arts to their students. The secrets of the Kakita artisans are mystical and bizarre, and well as beautiful and precise
- Kakita Kenshinzo Academy
: Actually a facet of the Artisan Academy, as the Crane view swordsmanship as nothing less than an art form. The Kakita bushi are the most feared and elegant iaijutsu duelists in the land
- Doji Courtier Dojo
: For a thousand years the Doji have perfected the techniques of mastering the courts. The Doji courtiers are a formidable enemy… and a priceless ally
- Asahina Shugenja Dojo
: The Asahina devote much of their time to the study of nemuranai (great magical items) and their own creations, the tsangusuru (fetishes or lesser magic items)
- Daidoji Yojimbo Dojo
: While most of the Crane schools are dedicated to producing samurai of grace and elegance, the Daidoji Yojimbo are hardened soldiers and iron-willed protectors of their clan.
Special Notes:
- Crane are elegant and know it. They always think they are better than others are even in some cases the Emperor.
- Kakita Bushi are the most elegant and skilled warriors in the Empire. They are very focused (usually being amazing katana wielders, but lacking a true arsenal of weapons). Additionally, the epitome of the Kakita style is the Iaijutsu skill. As a result, all graduates of the Kakita Kenshinzo (swordmaster) Academy must have that skill.
Iaijutsu
Base Cost: 500
Attribute: AGI
Skill Type: Warrior
Extra Dice:res
The art of iaijutsu is a true showing of a samurai's skill with his blade. These duels are fast and deadly. The epitome of the Kakita Academy, "One sword, one strike". While a fairly common skill to many bushi (especially Crane and Scorpion bushi), Iaijutsu is a very difficult skill to use in battle. There are two ways in which this skill may be used. One is the Iaijutsu duel, and one is a common battle.
Several factors must be taken into account before even attempting this skill. The samurai with the skill may never have a higher Iaijutsu skill than their Katana skill. This skill can ONLY be used with a Katana, no other weapon matches the proper training.
For a duel, the opponent MUST also have the Iaijutsu skill. This form of dueling is a show of honor among trained samurai, to use it against an ignorant party is far too difficult for standard use. Now on to the actual duel.
At the start of the duel both samurai stand facing each other with their katanas sheathed at their sides. No roll for initiative is required. Both samurai decided secretly how many dice to roll against the skill. The winner is the one that successfully rolls the most dice versus their skill. In the case of a draw whomever rolled the most below their skill wins (if this is still a draw then neither side wins and it goes for another round). Failing the check means that the samurai drew his sword wrong and can not attack.
The winner of the duel automatically gets one hit against their opponent at normal damage (included magical bonuses and spells). Then the winner may roll "to hit" as normal against the opponents CDV. If this hit is successful, then however many dice they made against their skill becomes the damage multiplier of the attack (multiplying weapon damage only, magical bonuses are not multiplied). This damage increase is cumulative with any additional multipliers such as from a critical hit. As shown, this skill can be very deadly as a skilled and lucky warrior can do several times the normal damage in one attack.
In a normal battle, this skill allows the samurai to strike at superhuman speeds. To use the skill two die check is rolled before initiative is rolled. One a successful check, the user is allowed a single Quick Draw katana attack against any single target in melee range. Then initiative is rolled, and the user may act as normal.
For either use, in no way may this skill be combined with other skills such as Multi-Attack, Precise Attack, Lethal Attack, etc or spells that increase the number of attacks or other related abilities such as Foolhardy.
Lossing a iaijutsu duel makes one unable to strike back during that round of combat. If both sides are still standing afterwards, the fight may continue as normal or another round of dueling may occur.
- Doji Courtiers have abilities far beyond those of normal courtiers. They can make anyone feel at ease, regardless of the situation. Their largest gift is shown in a skill known as Etiquette. All Crane Courtiers have this skill.
Etiquette
Base Cost: 100
Attribute: CSE
Skill Type: Auger
Extra Dice: 2
In Rokugan society, it is very important to know how to act in certain situations. All samurai are considered to have some knowledge of etiquette (even Crab though they tend to ignore it). This skill is far beyond normal manners. It allows a courtier to use their own manners to their greatest advantage. In a society where honor is currency, experienced courtiers are expert merchants.
Note that this skill is only appropriate in Rokugan society and does not work well elsewhere. It just isn’t as effective in Roughtero, such as addressing a Torite as Marsal-sama.
- Asahina Shugenja are thoughtful and reserved. They have contemplated the existence of magic and the power of the elements for centuries. They are powerful and unrestricted mages. The only true barrier for them is their pacifism. They will never attempt to hurt another, and will spend much time in solitary prayer if they accidentally do.
- Asahina Shugenja are quite gifted in the use and identification of magical items. They tend to memorize the history of an item and can usually not only explain what it does, but who owned it and how it was created, for a modest fee.
- The Daidoji are an anomaly in the Crane Clan. They are not the gifted speakers and graceful warriors of the other families. They are more like Crab in their steadfast devotion to the arts of war. Their Yojimbo add strength of sword to the Crane. The Daidoji have been known to use less than honorable practices to defend their charges and their clan’s honor. For this they are most compared to the Scorpion, but unlike the Scorpion the Daidoji are only deceptive on the battlefield.