Other Houses, Other Clans

[Cearnach]

House
Name: Ito of the Mirumoto
Location: 058 016

Defense: 40 [Shiro Yama - Mountain Castle]
Influence: 23 [Rank 3 Max]
Lands: 20 [Mountain pass with a nearby river.]
Law: 20 [-2 House Fortunes]
Population: 20 [+1 House Fortunes]
Power: 33 [1 unit of Elite Samurai Infantry, 1 unit of Veteran Ashigaru Infantry]
Wealth: 38 [7600 koku]

Defense
Castle - Shiro Yama. Castle built into the side of a mountain. [40]
Lands
Mountains. Road. River. [11]
Units
Elite Samurai Infantry [13]
Veteran Ashigaru Infantry [9]

Background/History:

The Ito house was established in the mountains before the Fall, and fate has not seen fit to remove them yet. By the time Shinsei sat with Togashi in the mountains, the tribe that would become the Ito had already seen the way the winds were blowing and had offered their allegiance to Mirumoto. Time saw their fortunes wax and wane as all things do.

1. Favor:
An early ancestor of the current house discovered great stores of jade in the original mines, and when the First War began, she sent this life preserving stone all south. This earned them exclusive rights to the mountain from the Empire, which they used to subsume other tribes in the area. This was the beginnings of what would become Shiro Yama.
2. Favor:
Mirumoto Botai no Ito gave his life defending the Mirumoto daimyo and his family was rewarded for his sacrifice with more lands, and a prize match to the direct bloodline. Shiro Yama was completed at this time, being built directly into the mountain.
3. Invasion/Revolt:
A cruel and tireless taskmaster, Mirumoto Seito no Ito lost his life trying to literally whip a group of miners into going into an unsafe tunnel. The Ito had been ordering digs too deep into certain shafts leading to many collapses and loss of life. This set off a brutal suppression campaign, ending when Seito's daughter took over and put a stop to the violence.
4. Madness:
None of the Ito have ever been entirely normal, but Mirumoto Seiji no Ito, great-grandfather to Jinkan, was downright insane. Despite possessing no obvious priestly or spiritual abilities, he claimed to 'speak for the trees' and 'they wanted meat'. So he would have animals slaughtered on the mountaintop and supposedly would cover himself in their blood. He did not last as lord much longer than a year before a fever took him in his sleep. A joke whispered out of earshot of any of the Ito retainers is that the name of his yojimbo's sword was 'Fever'.

Characters
Head: Lord Shige, a Bushi, Influence 3.
Consort: Lady Henka, a Shugenja, DECEASED.
Me: Mirumoto Jinkan, a Bushi, Influence 2.
Other children
Mirumoto Yumiko, Shugenja, Influence 1.

Three Mandatory questions:
1) Where is the house located? Built into a mountain side, protecting the path to a series of mining villages.
2) What does my house produce/what makes it valuable? The house produces jade, iron ore, and fish. Majority of external trade is jade.
What does my house need? People, and not the crazy kind. There are never enough workers for the demand for jade, so the lands need an influx of people from somewhere. In addition the population of the mining villages has been greying, with fewer births every year. Also the house is down to a heartbroken old man, an heir who talks to himself all the time, and a woman who isn't all there. The next generation won't make itself.

[Cearnach]

Kusama of the Akodo

House Kusama 草間
“The space between grasses”
Location: Domain 1 = 041.028; Domain 2 = 042.029

Defense: 34
Influence: 31
Lands: 33
Law: 28
Population: 34
Power: 56
Wealth: 15

Age: Old House
Events (2)
1. Windfall
2. Invasion

Defense: 34 [Small Castle (30)]
A smaller version of the grand shiros, with a single keep and two towers.

Influence: 31 [Maximum Influence: Rank 4]
A substantial minor house, a cadet branch of the main Family line.

Lands: 33 [Two Domains: Domain 1 = 041.028; Domain 2 = 042.029]
Domain 1 – Terrain: Plains (2). Features: Small Town (20), Road (5), River (3) = 30.
Domain 2 – Terrain: Plains (2). Features: Grassland (1) = 3.

Law: 28 [House Fortunes Modifier -2]
21-30: The typical level of Law in Rokugan. Crime may happen, but it is almost never seen to be happening without a
swift return to order.

Population: 34 [House Fortunes Modifier +3]
Modest population. At least one town + several villages.

Power: 56 [+4 bonus added here]
Subordinate House: Harada = 20 [See below]
Units
Ashigaru Archers (3) – Veteran (5) = 8
Cavalry (5) – Veteran (5) = 10
Garrison (2) – Veteran (5) = 7
Samurai Infantry (6) – Veteran (5) = 11
Total: 56
Wealth: 15 [3,000 koku]

Background/History

Windfall: While little is known about the origins of the samurai Akodo Kusama the Ikoma
Histories state that he was thrust into prominence by saving the life of the Akodo daimyo during
a surprise attack by gaijin invaders from the West. The legends say he emerged silently from
between two blades of grass to cut down an assassin, deflected a hundred poisoned arrows
aimed at his Lord’s heart, and later under the watchful gaze of Bishamon held a bridge against a
horde of attackers. Whatever the truth of the matter, Akodo Kusama was granted his own house
and married one of the Daimyo’s daughters, making the new house a junior branch of the main
family line.

Invasion: With a reputation as the Golden Children of the Akodo House Kusama has had its fair
share of jealous enemies and rivals from within the Lion. Infrequent attacks have been part of
their long history. More recently fortunes turned against House Kusama when three rival houses
joined forces in an attempt to eliminate them. Thankfully the invaders had failed to appreciate
the strength and training of the house’s military, and the rapidity with which their allies in House
Harada were able to muster caught the invaders off guard. Granny Kusama took three heads in
the final battle. While the invading forces were defeated much was lost, the stronghold of the
Harada was burned down, and all of the holdings in the family’s second domain were razed.
Little remains there now beyond the grasslands on which wild horses roam.

Characters
Lord Kusama Rosanjin (Influence 4) (Age: 52)
Lady Kusama Michiko (Influence 3) (Age: 48)
Kusama Tetsuo (Influence 3) (M) (Age: 30). General in the Akodo armies; Chosen of Bishamon.
Kusama Tsukimi (Influence 3) (F) – (Age: 28). Architect. Married into the Kaiu.
Kusama Keiko (Influence 3) (F) – (Age: 25). Gunso in Akodo armies.
Kusama Hiro (Influence 3) (M) – (Age: 21). Engineer and aspiring artist.
Kusama Kenji (Influence 3) (M) – (Age: 19). The Scholar (Player Character).
Granny Kusama (Influence 3) – (Age Good luck with that). The Lady of One Thousand Cuts.


Subordinate House
House Harada of the Akodo
Clan: Lion
Family: Akodo

History: The Harada are related to the Kusama through ties of blood, mutual defense, and
loyalty. They are also close to bankruptcy and dealing with an influx of more and more daring
bandits.

Generations ago a cousin of the Kusama household led an army in defense of his homelands against a mass attack
from their enemies and was rewarded with lands to the south. In the present day the Harada stand alongside the
Kusama as guardians of the Westernmost roads into the heart of the Lion plains. In recent years they have suffered a
number of setbacks with most of their wealth going towards a still incomplete stronghold and an increasing number of
bandit raids causing constant problems.

Holdings
Defense: 23 [Ki (20)]
A small complex comprised of earthworks, trenches, and other non-masonry structures and designed solely for
defense, not for permanent occupation.
Influence: 22 [Max influence 3]
A smaller minor house. The Tsume before they took Toshi Ranbo and became a Vassal Family.
Lands: 23 [One Domain = 040.029]
Terrain: Plains (2). Features: Hamlet (10), Road (5), River (3), Light Woods (3) = 23.
Law: 16 [-5 to House Fortunes]
Lawlessness and banditry are an issue along the fringes of your territory.
Population: 28 [+1 to House Fortunes]
Typical population. Most peasants live in small mura working communal fields, but you might have a couple small
towns and a community around your main fortification.
Power: 39 [+2 Bonus applied here]
Forces TBD
Wealth: 5 [1000 koku’s worth of assets]

[Doji Arai]

House Ishimoto of the Doji

Ishimoto was an artist of great renown. Mostly a painter, she also excelled in sculpting and in playing the shamisen. The stories say that upon listening her play Lady Doji almost wept and allowed her to create a family within the Doji. Others stories say that when Kakita saw her paintings for the first time, he wondered out loud whether she’s a genius or just mad. Unfortunately, the second was closer to the truth. Under her rulership, the Ishimoto lost lands, people, armies, money. They lost and kept losing, but the persevered.

Ishimoto never got married, but she did have a daughter who received her name and carried the fortunes of the family forward. The fact that she wasn’t a legitimate child, left a stain at the newly found family.

In the early days of the Empire, a tsunami hit the coasts of the northern Crane lands and the Ishimoto sustained heavy losses.

The placement of the Ishimoto lands, always made them vulnerable to pirate attacks. During the second half of the 2nd century, these attacks were so frequent that caused a heimin revolt. As a result, they lost their coastal lands which were given to another house.

The 3rd century was also marked by a scandal for the Ishimoto. Their daimyo at the time, Ishimoto Eiji, fell in love with a Kakita samurai with whom he had an unsanctioned marriage. In order to restore their relations with the other family, the Ishimoto offered lands and a garrison, resources they would never get back.

4th century and yet another scandal. This time, the heir to the Ishimoto daimyo killed a Daidoji during a duel to the first blood over a minor disagreement in a game of fortunes and winds. His father had to give lands and a few of his samurai vassals to yet another family.

A few decades ago, an effort of rebuilding began. It was lead by Ishimoto Aito who prepared everything for the great years of her daughter’s rulership that followed.

The Ishimoto heiress, Ishimoto Sakura, wins the Topaz Championship and three years later she attends the Imperial Wintercourt and is named Poet of the Court. A few months later she succeeds her mother. Her successes make the Crane shine in courts at a difficult period for them and she is rewarded by the Crane Clan Champion with whom she maintains a close friendship from then on.

During the recent battle against the invading Matsu forces, Ishimoto Sakura, a renowned kenshinzen by that time, dueled and killed 3 chui and 1 taisha of the Matsu army, a fact that helped a lot in ensuring the victory for the Crane forces. Soon after the battle, she perished and her young daughter, Ishimoto Arai became the daimyo of the Ishimoto family.

Defense [17, 1 tower]
A tower at the west.

Influence [41]
The Ishimoto are a rather influential and powerful minor house. Perhaps on the verge of being recognized as a vassal family. If they were not ruled by a very young and inexperienced daimyo.

Lands [5, hills, stream]
A small parch of land near Kyuden Doji with a small stream. Everyone, samurai and servants, live at the main estate. (078.062)

Law [23]
Occasional crimes do happen and they are answered quickly.

Population [19]
Composed almost entirely of the servants in their estate and a few fishermen who live closer to the shore and have permission to cross in a neighbor’s land in order to fish.

Power [16]
1 unit of trained ashigaru archers (6 points)
1 unit of trained samurai infantry (9 points)
1 unit of elite ronin brotherhood (9 wealth)

Wealth [21]
4.200 koku in liquid funds and their annual production of high-quality fish and seafood.

Family:
Doji Arai, bushi, influence 5
Doji Aito, bushi, sister, influence 4
Sister, influence 3
Brother, influence 2
Father, influence 1
Cousins, aunts and uncles, influence 1