Other Houses, Other Clans

[Cearnach]

House Ozawa of the Mirumoto
Defense: 26
Influence: 4
Lands: 5
Law: 2
Population: 15
Power: 20
Wealth: 27

Ancient
Madness (-3 def, +3 inf, +3 lands, -3 law, +3 pop, +1 pow, -2 wealth)
Scandal (-2 inf, -5 lands, -4 pow)
Madness (+4 def, +0 inf, +1 lands, -5 law, +0 pop, +2 pow, -4 wealth)
Doom (-9 def, -2 inf, -7 lands, -11 law, -9 pop, -6 pow, -5 wealth)

A once-great house that has been reduced to clinging to the scorched stones of a shattered castle perched precariously on a stream in the deep mountains, the Ozawa are, in many respects, a cautionary tale of the frailty of ningen in the face of the kami. Their lord was able, before the founding of the Empire, to look Togashi in the eye while swearing fealty to him. A courageous and forthright man–said to have been unable to countenance going back on his word, he was able to profit enormously from the conflicts that erupted in the mountains between those who chose to follow Togashi and those who refused. Unfortunately, he was never able to fully control his territory. No matter the resources or power he or his successors brought to bear, banditry and sedition plagued the mountain trails and back slopes of Ozawa territory. No sooner than Lord Ozawa’s troops would put down one over-ambitious bandit chief or a local magistrate would put paid to the sinister designs of some murderer or conspiracist then another would arise to do its villainous work.
This state of affairs lasted some 300 years, until at last the current Lord Ozawa’s grandfather discovered the source of the problem: a cult in the service of Gobai, the Fortune of Balance, had consistently worked to undermine the positive works of the Mirumoto Family by sowing chaos, dissension, and criminality. They believed strongly that, unless action was taken to bring balance–and therefore harmony–to the affairs of the region, then events would transpire to rectify the imbalance in such a way that would ensure the primacy of malaise and despair for the same duration as the Ozawa had ensured prosperity in the region. Ozawa Minoru may, had he stopped to think, have eventually seen the wisdom in their position. Had he done so, he may have averted what came next. But he didn’t. Instead, he slaughtered every one of the keepers of Gobai’s shrine, pulled down the Fortune’s statue, beheaded it, and burned its remains.

As it turned out, that was not an auspicious choice.

Gobai’s wrath was total. It took the form first of a great fire that consumed the Ozawa’s villa. Then a cold wind from the north swept down the valley, bringing deep snows in the middle of summer. Then the peasants got upset. When the fighting finally died down, Ozawa Minoru discovered that he had lost nearly all his lands and a huge proportion of his people to the curse. His holdings were burned, his standing destroyed. In the end, he gave his swords to his son and walked barefoot to the ruined shrine of Gobai to spend his days tending the ruins of the shrine. Now two generations have passed, and the Ozawa remain nearly prostrate beneath the weight of Gobai’s wrath. Lord Hanta believes, as his father did before him, that they are cursed to endure 300 years of wretched misery because of the vainglory of Lord Minoru. The lands they were forced to abandon have already been absorbed by their neighbors, all of whom are more or less hostile to the house they see as the madmen up the mountain. Time will tell if one of Lord Hanta’s three surviving children are able to break the curse, or if the Ozawa have another 220 years of misery to look forward to before they can find their place in the sun.

Lord Ozawa Hanta (antagonistic parent) (Influence 1)
Lady Ozawa Anzu, deceased
Children
Son 1, deceased
Son 2, deceased
Son 3
Daughter 1, deceased
Daughter 2
Daughter 3, deceased
Son 4

Extended Family
Brother 1
Brother 1’s wife
Sister 1
Sister 1’s husband
Brother 2
Brother 2’s wife
Sister 2
Sister 2’s husband, deceased
Brother 3
Brother 3’s wife, deceased
Sister 3, deceased
Sister 4 (unmarried)
Brother 1’s son
Sister 1’s daughter, deceased
Brother 2’s 1st son
Brother 2’s 2nd son
Brother 2’s 3rd son
Brother 2’s daughter
Brother 2’s 4th son, deceased
Brother 2’s 5th son, deceased
Sister 2’s 1st daughter
Sister 2’s 2nd daughter
Sister 2’s son

[Cearnach]

House Nishimura of the Agasha
Defense: 50
Influence: 10
Lands: 14
Law: 8
Population: 13
Power: 32
Wealth: 23

Established
Invasion/Revolt (-8 law, -2 pop, -2 pow, -5 wealth)
Madness (+0 def, -2 inf, -1 land, -3 law, +4 pop, +2 pow, -2 wealth)
Infrastructure (+5 law, +6 lands)
Invasion/Revolt (-5 law, -5 pop, -1 pow, -1 wealth)
Glory (+5 def, +1 inf, +1 law, +6 pow)

Lord Nishimura Iyoshi (Indifferent Parent) (Influence 1)
Lord Nishimura Kei (Loving Parent)

Children
M, deceased
F

Extended Family
Sister 1
Sister 1’s husband, deceased
Sister 2
Sister 2’s husband
Brother 1, deceased
Brother 1’s wife, deceased
Sister 3
Sister 3’s husband, deceased
Brother 2
Brother 2’s husband
Sister 1’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 1’s 1st daughter
Sister 1’s 2nd son
Sister 1’s 2nd daughter
Sister 1’s 3rd daughter, deceased
Sister 2’s son, deceased
Brother 1’s children adopted by Lord Iyoshi
Sister 3’s daughter
Sister 3’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 3’s 2nd son
Brother 2’s 1st daughter
Brother 2’s 2nd daughter

The guardians of the Talon of the Water Dragon, a castle of tremendous beauty protected by its remote location, nigh-inaccessible approach, and layer upon layer of spiritual protection, the Nishimura family is nonetheless cursed by the very impregnability of their castle. Remote and under-populated, their lonely mountain ri is plagued by the criminality the peasants must engage in to survive. When times get tough, as they have often enough, the peasants have not hesitated to take up arms, knowing that their tiny numbers make them difficult to replace. This has not stopped the Nishimura from great achievements (their heir famously devised a process that facilitated the purification of gold ore), but they are often forgotten when it comes to winter invitations, in spite of their many accomplishments.

[Cearnach]

House Onodera of the Agasha
Defense: 47
Influence: 14
Lands: 16
Law: 32
Population: 13
Power: 31
Wealth: 32

New
Favor (+5 influence, +2 Lands, +4 law, +3 power)
Invasion/Revolt (-4 law, -6 pop, -3 power, -5 wealth)


Lord Onodera Haruhiko (Influence 2)
Lady Onodera Keiko

Children
Son 1, deceased
Daughter 1
Daughter 2, deceased

Extended Family
Brother 1, deceased
Brother 1’s wife
Brother 2
Brother 2’s wife
Brother 1’s 1st son
Brother 1’s 1st daughter
Brother 1’s 2nd daughter
Brother 1’s 2nd son
Brother 2’s 1st son, deceased
Brother 2’s 1st daughter
Brother 2’s 2nd daughter
Brother 2’s 2nd son, deceased
Brother 2’s 3rd son, deceased


The Onodera were a ji-samurai house in service to the main branch of the Agasha family. A deeply spiritual family, the Onodera have also been more ready than most shugenja families to adapt to changes in doctrine. They were raised to full samurai status by Hantei Muhaki for constructing the first shrine to Sadahako in Dragon lands, and were granted one of Sadahako’s sandals to house in the shrine.

This show of Imperial favor might, in other circumstances, have been a blessing, but it instead provoked the jealousy of the Shinsato house of the Agasha. Covetous of the sacred sandal, Lady Shinsato launched a devastating raid in which she put nearly a third of the Onodera’s heimin to the sword, killed Lord Onodera’s brother, seized the sandal, and returned home. The Onodera have been looking forward to their revenge ever since.

[Cearnach]

House Tsuji of the Matsu
Defense: 32
Influence: 23
Lands: 38
Law: 29
Population: 30
Power: 38
Wealth: 6

Very Old
Favor (+3 inf, +2 lands, +5 law, +5 pow)
Madness (+0 def, -2 inf, -3 lands, +2 law, +0 pop, -2 pow, -2 wealth)
Defeat (-1 def, -2 inf, -2 lands, -2 pop, -4 pow, -6 wealth)

Lady Tsuji Anzu, deceased
Lord Tsuji Tasuku (Influence 2)

Children
Daughter 1, deceased
Daughter 1’s husband
Daughter 2, deceased
Daughter 3 (Influence 3–she is, for all intents and purposes, Lady Tsuji)

Extended Family
Sister 1 (Influence 2)
Sister 1’s husband
Sister 2
Sister 2’s husband
Sister 3
Sister 3’s husband
Sister 4, deceased
Sister 1’s 1st son
Sister 1’s 1st daughter
Sister 1’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 1’s 3rd son
Sister 1’s 2nd daughter
Sister 1’s 4th son
Sister 1’s 3rd daughter, deceased
Sister 2’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 2’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 2’s 1st daughter
Sister 2’s 3rd son, deceased
Sister 2’s 2nd daughter, deceased
Sister 3’s 1st son
Sister 3’s 1st daughter
Sister 3’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 3’s 3rd son
Sister 3’s 4th son
Sister 3’s 2nd daughter

The House of Tsuji began as a prosperous, settled farming community in the heart of what would become the plains of the Lion clan. The head of the village, Tsuji, was fortunate to encounter Akodo and his entourage in the midst of a great thunderstorm. He offered his meager dwelling to the dangerous-looking men for shelter, and in return were folded into the government of the Empire. The House has been largely prosperous and effective in its services for much of the history of the Empire, save a minor aberration during the reign of Hantei Bosai when the then-Lady Tsuji left a good-sized chunk of land to a rival house out of what has since been explained away as a misplaced sense of charity. What really lay behind it has most likely been lost to history.
More recently, Lady Tsuji Anzu and two of her daughters perished in battle against the Crane this summer. A third daughter was ransomed from House Kitagawa of the Kakita at great expense. This has left the house in a decidedly negative position, and while they did not join the Wakamiya in trying to unseat Matsu Tsuruyo directly, to say that there is some resentment of her generalship would be an understatement.

[Cearnach]

House Wakamiya of the Matsu
Defense: 28
Influence: 13
Lands: 22
Law: 10
Population: 37
Power: 27
Wealth: 4

Ancient
Treachery (-1 inf, -2 law, -4 pow)
Treachery (-1 inf, -3 law, -2 pow)
Treachery (-3 inf, -4 law, -1 pow)
Doom (-11 defense, -6 influence, -4 lands, -5 law, -2 pop, -9 pow, -6 wealth)

Lady Wakamiya Reika (Influence 2)
Lord Wakamiya Eisuke

Children
Daughter

Extended Family
Sister 1, deceased
Sister 1’s husband
Sister 1’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 1’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 1’s 1st daughter, deceased
Sister 1’s 2nd daughter, deceased


The name of Wakamiya is uttered in hushed whispers in the dark corners of the castles of Lion lands. It is a house birthed in betrayal, its first lady never having shed her habits of banditry and murder. She made sure to inculcate her children with her ruthlessness. It is thought that only their incredible might stayed the hand of Matsu Zuruko after the Wakamiya slaughtered the family and all of the retainers of the Hamakana family during the Bon festival of 380. This year, however, the Wakamiya went too far. After the debacle on the Osari plains, the Wakamiya sought to petition Akodo Sanae to replace Matsu Tsuruyo as Daimyo of the Matsu. Sanae’s polite refusal became a signal for Tsuruyo to march on the Wakamiya. She burnt their castle, slaughtered a portion of their army, and executed their lady and all her children, leaving her younger sister to carry the family name in shame and infamy forever. Matsu-ke no kashin Wakamiya Reika is no blushing violet, however. She will see her family rise again, and she will have vengeance on Matsu Tsuruyo and all her line. Just watch her.

[Cearnach]

House Ishihara of the Akodo
Defense: 33
Influence: 33
Lands: 27
Law: 13
Population: 34
Power: 35
Wealth: 8

Established
Invasion/Revolt (-8 law, -5 pop, -3 pow, -2 wealth)
Favor (+2 inf, +2 lands, +2 law, +6 pow)
Scandal (-1 inf., -5 lands, -4 pow)
Madness (+1 def, +0 inf, -4 lands, +0 law, +0 pop, +2 pow, -6 wealth)
Invasion/Revolt (-5 law, -2 pop, -3 pow, -4 wealth)

The Ishihara family came to be during the reign of Hantei Ningi. In the aftermath of Togashi Kaze’s execution, the original Ishihara took part in a purge of several under-populated monasteries that refused to stop instructing the peasantry in Kaze’s methods. After a bit of conversation and some wealth was exchanged, Ishihara was permitted to retain the lands that had been attached to one of the monasteries. Thus began a highly successful period in the house’s history, in which several Ishihara lords served as generals in the Akodo armies. That period came to an end during the period of the Gaijin Crisis, in which Ishihara Mamoru, the heir of the house, had become deeply entangled with the Thrane in an effort to get an edge on his house’s economic rivals. The Thrane’s subsequent actions, in which Mamoru took no overt part, nevertheless created an opportunity for the house’s rivals in the Akodo family, backed by members of the Brotherhood of Shinsei with long memories, to destroy him. Even after his formal seppuku, the house was forced to give some lands back to the Brotherhood as atonement.

Unfortunately, Mamoru’s sister Ayano was not perhaps the best suited to take the helm. Although she restored part of the family’s strength through careful management of its subordinate houses, her secret vice was gambling at Fortunes and Winds, and this led to an absolute hemorrhage of wealth. Financially strained, the Ishihara’s then faced a military crisis when a rival house–the Sazama–sought and obtained permission to recoup certain debts they had purchased from Lady Ayano’s creditors by force. While the Ishiharas managed to end the ensuing conflict without great loss in lives, they are currently very much feeling the destabilization of their domain from the ferocity of the invasion and the draining of their coffers. The next generation of the Ishiharas might find it a challenge to restore their house’s fortunes. Fortunately, the army of cousins means the heir of the house has a strong foundation to build on.

Lady Ishihara Ayano (loving parent) (Influence 4)
Lord Ishihara Takehiro (loving parent) (Influence 3)

Children
Son 1, deceased
Son 2, deceased
Son 3 (Influence 3)

Extended Family
Sister 1 (Influence 3)
Sister 1’s husband (Influence 2)
Sister 2 (Influence 2)
Sister 2’s husband (Influence 1)
Brother 1 (Influence 1)
Brother 2 (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s wife (Influence 1)
Sister 3 (Influence 1)
Sister 3’s husband (Influence 1)
Sister 4 (Influence 1)
Brother 3 (Influence 1)
Brother 4 (Influence 1)
Sister 1’s 1st daughter (Influence 2)
Sister 1’s 2nd daughter, deceased
Sister 1’s 3rd daughter (Influence 1)
Sister 1’s son (Influence 1)
Sister 2 has no children
Brother 2’s 1st daughter (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s 1st son (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s 2nd daughter (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s 3rd daughter (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s 2nd son (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s 4th daughter, deceased
Sister 3’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 3’s 2nd son (Influence 1)
Sister 3’s 3rd son (Influence 1)
Sister 3’s 1st daughter (Influence 1)
Sister 3’s 2nd daughter (Influence 1)

[Cearnach]

House Shimomura of the Akodo
Defense: 20
Influence: 12
Lands: 26
Law: 19
Population: 21
Power: 37
Wealth: 5

New
Infrastructure (+5 inf, +4 Wealth)
Doom (-12 defense, -11 influence, -3 lands, -4 law, -9 pop, -4 pow, -9 wealth)

Less storied than the Ishiharas, the Shimomuras have only been a full house for 20 years, raised from ji-samurai status by Matsu Hana at the recommendation of their lords, the Hoshinos, in recognition of their excellent management of a copper mine. Unfortunately, this only seemed to paint a target on their backs. Three years ago, a massive raid by the Kamoshita family of the Ikoma led to the burning of their castle, the death or displacement of almost a third of their heimin, and the loss of tremendous wealth. The corresponding drop in their prestige has stung perhaps worst of all. Their only hope to regain a portion of their former clout may be in wreaking a terrible vengeance on the Kamoshitas.

Lady Shimomura Yasuko (Ill-equipped parent) (influence 2)
Lord Shimomura Naohito (influence 1)

Children (influence 1)
Daughter
Son, deceased

Extended Family (Influence 1)
Sister 1
Sister 1’s husband
Sister 2
Sister 2’s husband
Brother, deceased
Brother’s wife
Sister 1’s son
Sister 2’s daughter, deceased
Sister 2’s son
Brother’s 1st daughter
Brother’s 1st son
Brother’s 2nd son
Brother’s 2nd daughter
Brother’s 3rd daughter
Brother’s 3rd son
Brother’s 4th son
Brother’s 4th daughter, deceased

[Cearnach]

House Kamoshita of the Ikoma
Defense: 13
Influence: 35
Lands: 26
Law: 13
Population: 27
Power: 47
Wealth: 14

Very Old
Defeat (-2 def, -2 inf, -3 lan, -3 pop, -1 pow, -2 wealth)
Doom (-7 def, -8 inf, -4 lan, -10 law, -7 pop, -2 pow, -8 wealth)
Invasion/Revolt (-11 law, -5 pop, -4 pow, -6 wealth)
Madness (-4 def, +0 inf, +1 land, -1 law, +1 pop, +3 pow, +1 wealth)
Favor (+6 influence, +6 lands, +5 law, +4 pow)
Conquest (-3 def, +4 inf, +1 land, -1 law, +2 pop, +4 wealth)
Infrastructure (+3 law, +1 wealth)
Glory (+5 def, +3 inf, +6 law, +2 pow)

The Kamoshita were the leaders of an alliance of three towns and the surrounding countryside when Akodo arrived in the area. They resisted the kami, first by disputation, then by force of arms. They lost. Badly. Their surviving members were granted samurai status after surrendering to Akodo and were permitted to maintain their leadership over their towns in his name, but that state of affairs rapidly collapsed after Fu Leng’s invasion. The war with the Shadowlands saw the Kamoshita’s territories stretched to the breaking point, and even when the Shadowlands forces were driven away after the Day of Thunder, the sense of trust the two satellite towns had placed in the Kamoshita did not recover. Within a few years, each had rebelled and unseated their Kamoshita governor. In response, the Kamoshita began to rearrange their priorities. Under the somewhat quirky Lord Nobu (he stripped the precious wood and metals from the family shrines in order to buy weapons to outfit his troops), the family began Investing heavily into their military. They have spent the past few hundred years choosing violence. They put the Gima to the sword. They raided the Shimomuras. And they have turned their loot into investment in their people and territories, bringing what had become a very fractious territory more under control. As a result, even their fractious attitude has not stopped their political star from rising, much to the dismay of those who have suffered under their attention.

Lord Kamoshita Hozumi (loving parent) (Influence 4)
Lady Kamoshita Makiko (ill-equipped parent) (Influence 3)

Children
Son 1 (Influence 3)
Daughter, deceased
Son 2 (Influence 2)

Extended Family
Sister 1 (Influence 3)
Sister 1’s husband (Influence 2)
Brother 1, deceased
Brother 1’s wife (Influence 1)
Sister 2, deceased
Sister 2’s husband, deceased
Sister 3, deceased
Sister 3’s husband (Influence 1)
Brother 2 (Influence 1)
Brother 2’s wife, (Influence 1)
Sister 4 (Influence 1)
Sister 4’s wife, deceased
Sister 1’s daughter (Influence 2)
Brother 1’s son (Influence 2)
Brother 1’s 1st daughter (Influence 1) [Influence 1 from here on down]
Brother 1’s 2nd daughter, deceased
Sister 2’s son
Sister 3’s 1st daughter, deceased
Sister 3’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 3’s 2nd daughter
Sister 3’s 2nd son
Sister 3’s 3rd son, deceased
Sister 3’s 3rd daughter
Brother 2’s 1st son
Brother 2’s 1st daughter
Brother 2’s 2nd daughter
Brother 2’s 3rd daughter
Brother 2’s 4th daughter
Brother 2’s 5th daughter
Brother 2’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 4’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 4’s 1st daughter
Sister 4’s 2nd son
Sister 4’s 2nd daughter
Sister 4’s 3rd son

[Cearnach]

House Hirasawa of the Ikoma
Defense: 24
Influence: 22
Lands: 25
Law: 24
Population: 26
Power: 39
Wealth: 6

New
Scandal (-2 inf, -4 lands, -1 pow)

A house elevated to samurai status by Ikoma Ryota, the Hirasawa were mere peasants, weavers, who revealed to an Emerald Magistrate that their local lord had been skimming the taxes. Fully expecting to be killed for their temerity, but hoping to see their greedy lord brought to justice, the Hirasawa were more surprised than any when the Magistrate arrested and executed the lord and his entire family and, not three weeks later, a writ arrived naming them lords of the territory. While Lady Airi was, in fact, assassinated by a samurai who felt aggrieved that mere peasants had received land and status, her son has devoted himself entirely to defending what they have gained.

Lady Hirasawa Airi, deceased, loving parent
Lord Hirasawa Shinjiro, loving parent (Influence 2)
Children
Son 1 (Influence 3) Technically he is Lord Hirasawa
Son 2 (Influence 2)
Daughter 1 (Influence 1)
Daughter 2 (Influence 1)

Extended Family
Sister 1 (Influence 2)
Sister 1’s husband (Influence 1) [Influence 1 from here down]
Brother 1
Brother 1’s wife
Sister 2
Sister 2’s wife
Sister 3, deceased
Sister 3’s Husband,
Brother 2. Deceased
Sister 1’s 1st son, deceased
Sister 1’s 2nd son
Brother 1’s daughter, deceased
Brother 1’s son
Sister 2’s 1st son
Sister 2’s 1st daughter
Sister 2’s 2nd daughter
Sister 2’s 3rd daughter
Sister 2’s 4th daughter
Sister 2’s 5th daughter
Sister 2’s 2nd son, deceased
Sister 3’s 1st son
Sister 3’s 2nd son
Sister 3’s 1st daughter, deceased
Sister 3’s 2nd daughter

[Cearnach]

House Kan of the Kitsu
Defense: 23
Influence: 31
Lands: 42
Law: 26
Population: 38
Power: 45
Wealth: 15

New
Favor (+6 influence, +5 lands, +2 law, +3 power)

The Kan were raised to samurai status by Hantei Retsuhime 8 years ago as a reward for a curious interaction–and as an act of cruelty. Retsuhime, under the carping insinuations of Otomo Keihime and Otomo Tooru, had become progressively annoyed with Kitsu Shintaro for failing to offer to put her in touch with the spirit of her mother. That she might have requested it was beside the point, he ought to have anticipated her needs as a good servant ought–or at least, that’s what was repeated and reinforced over many months by her Imperial relations. When Kan Hana, a carpenter, performed a remarkable feat of engineering in repairing a portion of the Emperor’s Way in Otosan Uchi a week early and under budget, the Empress responded by giving her a gift–samurai status and all the lands, property, and rights of the Ogata family of the Kitsu, who had been important supporters of Kitsu Shintaro. The Ogata became homeless and penniless dependents of Shintaro, and the Kan sheepishly and with no small amount of fear for the future, moved into their home.

Family
Lady Kan Hana (Influence 4) (loving parent)
Lord Kan Hayato (Influence 3) (loving parent)

Children
Daughter 1 (Influence 3)
Son (Influence 2)
Daughter 2, deceased
Daughter 3 (Influence 1)

Extended Family
Sister (Influence 3)
Sister’s husband (Influence 2)
Brother 1 (Influence 2)
Brother 1’s wife (Influence 1)
Brother 2, deceased
Brother 3 (Influence 1)
Brother 3’s husband (Influence 1)
Brother 4 (Influence 1)
Brother 4’s wife (Influence 1)
Sister’s 1st son, deceased
Sister’s 2nd son (Influence 2)
Sister’s 3rd son, deceased
Sister’s 4th son, deceased
Sister’s 5th son, deceased
Brother 1’s son, deceased
Brother 1’s daughter, deceased
Brother 4’s 1st son (Influence 1)
Brother 4’s 1st daughter (Influence 1)
Brother 4’s 2nd daughter (Influence 1)
Brother 4’s 2nd son (Influence 1)
Brother 4’s 3rd son. (Influence 1)

[Cearnach]

House Nagashima of the Kitsu
Defense: 25
Influence: 16
Lands: 12
Law: 7
Population: 29
Power: 36
Wealth: 3
Very Old
Infrastructure (+2 wealth, +4 power)
Doom (-6 def, -3 inf, -6 lan, -11 law, -3 pop, -8 pow, -5 wealth)
Decline (-4 inf, -4 land, -2 pow, -3 wealth)
Decline (-2 inf, -6 land, -4 pow, -2 wealth)

Nagashima Yuuko was a village wisewoman who was attached to the Kitsu for training by Akodo following the establishment of the Kitsu family. Like many of the ningen attached to the Kitsu, they intermarried with the main bloodline when their third lord married a great-granddaughter of the first Kitsu. For a century, the Nagashima carefully cultivated their influence and the lands in their domain, rising to become respected members of the Kitsu family.

This came to an end early in the 2nd century. The 2nd son of the heir to the Nagashima family discovered a stone while playing in a stream. The stone was actually a solid piece of jade that fell into the river when Amaterasu wept over the earth during the creation of the world. Unfortunately, the stream was quite fond of that stone, and the kami of the river has made it their business to try to get the stone back by using its resources to undermine the Nagashima, which it has done consistently, if slowly, over the past 200 years. The Nagashima have no idea that the stone, which has become an important family heirloom, is also the cause of their persistent bad luck, nor that the stream is angry with them, but they suffer all the same.

Family
Lady Nagashima Rika (Influence 2, loving parent)
Lady Nagashima Yasuko (Influence 1, ill-equipped parent)

Children (Influence 1)
Daughter
Son 1
Son 2
Son 3, deceased

Extended Family (Influence 1)
Sister
Sister’s husband
Brother 1, deceased
Brother 1’s wife
Brother 2
Brother 2’s wife
Sister 1’s 1st son
Sister 1’s 2nd son
Brother 2’s son

[Cearnach]

House Michishita of the Shiba
Defense: 25
Influence: 26
Lands: 29
Law: 28
Population: 33
Power: 21
Wealth: 29

New
Treachery (-4 inf, -3 law, -3 pow)

The Michishita came to be four years ago when Michishita Kenjiro, a vassal of the Amaya family, took advantage of his lord’s disagreement with Shiba Higashime’s design for the clan. He denounced Lord Amaya in open court as being disloyal to Lady Shiba, claiming that he had enjoined each of his vassals to swear an oath to depose her in favor of her second cousin, Shiba Honoka, and thus return the center of power in the clan to the Elemental Council. Needless to say, Shiba Higashime was not pleased. Lord Amaya was forced by the gravity of the assertion to challenge Michishita Kenjiro to a duel to the death, which he lost. The Amaya were stripped of their lands and status as a result, and the Michishita were elevated in their place.

Lord Michishita Kenjiro (Influence 3)
Lady Michishita Nanako (Influence 2)


Children
Daughter 1 (Influence 2)
Michishita Erina (Influence 1)
Daughter 3 (Influence 1)
Son (Influence 1)
Daughter 4 (Influence 1)

Extended Family
Brother (Influence 2)
Brother’s wife (Influence 1) (All relatives Influence 1 from this point)
Sister, deceased
Sister’s husband
Brother’s 1st son
Brother’s 2nd son
Sister’s 1st daughter
Sister’s 2nd daughter, deceased
Sister’s son, deceased
Sister’s 3rd daughter, deceased

[Cearnach]

House Arai of the Shiba
Defense: 23
Influence: 9
Lands: 15
Law: 28
Population: 17
Power: 21
Wealth: 27

New
Decline (-5 inf, -6 land, -2 pow, -4 wealth)
Invasion/Revolt (-3 law, -6 pop, -2 pow, -3 wealth)

The Arai were a vassal house of the Goda family that recently broke away from their influence, along with the rest of the Goda’s vassals. This was made possible by the Goda’s long struggle with the displeasure of Daikoku–a state of affairs they blame on their inability to offer shelter to a prominent Isawa during a snowstorm some years ago, but which may have more to do with Lord Goda’s aunts’ love of fine clothes and expensive porcelain. The Arai were able to fend off Lord Goda’s inevitable attempt to reassert control, though it cost them dearly in members of their extended family and in heimin. Very few members of Lady Shiba’s court take the Arai seriously, given their effective status as rebels, but they have had some positive meetings with certain Isawa houses eager to profit from the Godas’ fall.

Lord Arai Yuito [Influence 1]
Lady Arai Kahoru

Children
Daughter
Son

Extended Family
1st brother
1st brother’s wife
1st sister, deceased
2nd brother
2nd brother’s wife
2nd sister, deceased
3rd sister
3rd sister’s husband
4th sister, deceased
3rd brother
3rd brother’s wife
1st brother’s 1st son
1st brother’s 2nd son
1st brother’s daughter, deceased
1st brother’s 3rd son
2nd brother’s 1st son
2nd brother’s daughter
2nd brother’s 3rd son, deceased
3rd sister’s son, deceased
3rd sister’s daughter, deceased
3rd brother’s 1st daughter
3rd brother’s 2nd daughter, deceased
3rd brother’s 1st son, deceased
3rd brother’s 3rd daughter, deceased
3rd brother’s 2nd son, deceased
3rd brother’s 3rd son
3rd brother’s 4th daughter
3rd brother’s 5th daughter

[Cearnach]

House Nakamura of the Isawa
Defense: 34
Influence: 11
Lands: 13
Law: 16
Population: 29
Power: 12
Wealth: 13

Old
Decline (-1 Inf, -4 land, -3 pow, -3 wealth)
Treachery (-4 inf, -6 law, -3 pow)
Scandal (-5 inf, -5 land, -4 pow)
Invasion/Revolt (-8 law, -3 pop, -1 pow, -3 wealth)
Treachery (-5 inf, -1 pow, -3 wealth)
Infrastructure (+1 power, +6 inf)
Glory (+5 def, +1 inf, +4 law, +3 pow)

The Nakamuras are the result of a rescue operation. The faultlines between Isawa’s siblings that had manifested even before his disappearance on the Day of Thunder ruptured in the wake of Shiba’s death. The family founded by Isawa Ouno rapidly collapsed under the strain of trying to retain control of his seat on the Elemental Council. When the last of his grandchildren died in a damp squib of a taryu-jiai duel, the other Elemental Masters chose to follow the line of Isawa Ouno’s finest student, picked a second son with a powerful connection to the Earth, and named him Isawa Ouno’s successor, though not an elemental master.

Unfortunately, this new lord and his family were not able to maintain the already diminished household. Over the next few generations, the Nakamura continued to suffer political and spiritual indignities, culminating in a desperate move to reclaim some political clout through an alliance with the Tominaga family, which merely used Nakamura Minami’s word to get closer to the Master of Earth. The Tominaga successfully prevented the Master of Earth from interfering with Shiba Gaijushiko’s Phoenix arm of the Gozoku through carefully crafted invitations to symposia and parties which often featured members of the Nakamura family. When the Gozoku were exposed, the Nakamura were, naturally, found guilty by association. They were forced to spend the next two generations carefully rebuilding their reputation, using a variety of methods, but none more than the oppressive micro-management of their children’s lives.

In recent years, this has paid off. The Nakamura were able to secure a place for their eldest daughter in the tutelage of Isawa Orimitsu. That success has bought them some political credit, which Lady Megumi has used to try to restore the fortunes of their restive territory. They have a long way to go, but the Nakamura are confident that they have begun to turn the corner.

Lady Nakamura Megumi (Influence 2)
Lord Nakamura Chiharu

Children (Influence 1)
Daughter 1
Son 1
Son 2
Son 3
Daughter 2, deceased
Son 4, deceased
Daughter 3

Extended Family
None, Lady Megumi was an only child.

[Cearnach]

House Wada of the Isawa
Defense: 29
Influence: 29
Lands: 36
Law: 30
Population: 19
Power: 22
Wealth: 19

Very Old
Glory (+3 def, +4 inf, +4 law, +4 pow)
Glory (+3 def, +6 inf, +1 law, +5 pow)
Favor (+4 inf, +6 land, +5 law, +1 pow)
Invasion/Revolt (-7 law, -4 pop, -5 pow, -1 wealth)
Defeat (-6 def -3 inf, -1 land, -5 pop, -3 pow, -4 wealth)

The Wadas are descended from a wandering mystic who was introduced to Isawa by Shiba shortly before Fu Leng was rediscovered. The mystic served as an amanuensis of sorts to Isawa as he uncovered the secrets of the Void, and a large number of void shugenja have come from among his descendents. Wada’s grandson was an early Master of Void who contributed to the development of the standard Fill the Emptiness prayer. Their stalwart support of the Elemental Council and their mastery over a difficult element has kept them firmly in the good graces of the great houses of the Isawa family, and as a result, they have accrued land, influence, and the loyalty of lesser houses for many years.

Unfortunately, recent years have seen a turn in the Wada’s fortunes. An unusually deep raid by a Yobanjin group destabilized their territories to the extent that it left them politically vulnerable. Reeling from the difficulties of marshaling resources and drawing on favors to facilitate their people’s recovery, Wada Mayuri was blindsided by the sudden rise of Isawa Takao, who responded violently to her attempt to call in a favor from the Tsuchiya family, one of his closer vassals. The ensuing battle ended in a swift and comprehensive defeat and the reduction of their primary fortress into a heap of smoking stones. While the Tsuchiya were happy not to have to perform an expensive service for the Wada, they were not expecting their lord to rebuke them so completely, and, horrified, they have sent out feelers for a reconciliation that Lady Mayuri is hesitant to entertain, for fear it could send Takao into another rage. Though they have never been an exceptionally warlike family, the restoration of the Wada’s fortunes may well require a souring of Isawa Takao’s own.

Lady Wada Miyuri (Ill-equipped parent) (Influence 3)
Lord Wada Satoshi (Indifferent parent) (Influence 2)

Children
Son (Influence 2)
Daughter (Influence 1)

Extended Family
Brother (Influence 2)
Brother’s wife (Influence 1)
Brother’s son, deceased
Brother’s 1st daughter (Influence 1)
Brother’s 2nd daughter, deceased

[Cearnach]

House Sasaki of the Asako
Defense: 20
Influence: 32
Lands: 29
Law: 29
Population: 26
Power: 20
Wealth: 18

Recent
Windfall (+6 defense, +8 inf, +4 lands, +2 law, +5 pop, +6 pow, +4 wealth)
Favor (+1 inf, +6 land, +2 law, +5 pow)
Scandal (-1 inf, -3 land, -6 pow)
Madness (-1 def, +4 inf, -2 land, +1 law, -6 pop, +4 pow, -2 wealth)
Defeat (-6 def, -1 inf, -2 land, -5 law, -6 pow, -2 wealth)

A very politically active house, the Sasaki are a mere two generations old, deriving from the second son of a potter that happened to have some free time and wrote a solid monograph on the copper pheasant. This endeared him to Asako Daimyo, who elevated him to samurai status, much to the delight of his father. The Sasaki wasted no time, parlaying their newfound status and the wealth they had accrued as artisans, supplemented with gifts from their patron, into a great start as a samurai family.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to shake the stigma of a peasant birth. To say that the Sasaki have been struggling of late is an understatement. Plagued by mass desertions among their ji-samurai over rumors that Lady Shiba intends to audit the family's finances, the Sasaki were reeling even before they were attacked by "madmen from across the sea"--actually a neighboring house using an elaborate system of misdirection to cover their tracks. The Sasaki have thus been on their back foot the past three years, but are well-positioned to take the initiative once more.

Lord Sasaki Hidekatsu (Influence 4) (Indifferent parent)
Lady Sasaki Natsuki (Influence 3) (loving parent)

Children
1st son (Influence 3)
Sasaki Emiko (Influence 2)
2nd son (Influence 1)
3rd son, deceased
2nd daughter (Influence 1)
3rd daughter, deceased

Extended Family
1st brother (Influence 3)
1st brother’s wife, deceased
2nd brother, deceased
3rd brother (Influence 2)
3rd brother’s wife (Influence 1)
Sister (Influence 1)
Sister’s husband (Influence 1)
4th brother (Influence 1)
4th brother’s husband (Influence 1)
1st brother’s 1st son, deceased
1st brother’s 1st daughter (Influence 2)
1st brother’s 2nd daughter (Influence 1)
1st brother’s 3rd daughter (Influence 1)
1st brother’s 2nd son (Influence 1)
1st brother’s 4th daughter (Influence 1)
3rd brother’s 1st son, deceased
3rd brother’s 2nd son, deceased
3rd brother’s 3rd son (Influence 1)
Sister’s Son, deceased
Sister’s daughter, deceased
4th brother’s 1st daughter, deceased
4th brother’s 1st son (Influence 1)
4th brother’s 1st daughter, deceased
4th brother’s 2nd daughter (Influence 1)

[Cearnach]

House Ito of the Asako
Defense: 30
Influence: 30
Lands: 17
Law: 20
Population: 24
Power: 18
Wealth: 19

Ancient
Glory (+2 def, +4 inf, +3 law, +1 pow)
Decline (-4 inf, -5 land, -6 pow, -4 wealth)
Invasion/Revolt (-6 law, -6 pop, -4 pow, -5 weal)
Infrastructure (+2 defense, +5 law)

Lady Ito Yuki (loving parent) (Influence 3)
Lord Ito Kenta (antagonistic parent) (Influence 2)

Children
Daughter 1 (Influence 2)
Daughter 2 (Influence 1)
Daughter 3 (Influence 1)
Son 1, deceased
Son 2 (Influence 1)
Daughter 4, deceased

Extended Family
Lady Ito Yuki was an only child; there is no extended family.

[Cearnach]

House Takaichi of the Bayushi
Defense: 13
Influence: 32
Lands: 11
Law: 18
Population: 15
Power: 16
Wealth: 22
Ancient
Madness (+3 def, +3 inf, -4 land, -3 law, -3 pop, -1 pow, -1 wealth)
Doom (-9 def, -5 inf, -4 land, -11 law, -9 pop, -2 pop, -2 wealth)
Infrastructure (+4 law, +1 lands)
Catastrophe (-1 law, -2 pop, -3 pow, -2 wealth)
Defeat (-2 def, -3 inf, -5 land, -2 pop, -5 pow, -3 wealth)

Takaichi was the keeper of stories–the last in a long line of such men, privileged to think and reflect in a world that demanded physical labor from most–in a small village in what would become Scorpion territory. When Bayushi arrived, he found the wise man’s ideas amusing and, knowing that his offer to follow would be refused, kidnapped him and his family to serve him. It was not always easy having to keep Lord Bayushi entertained, and when, eventually, Takaichi died, his duties were taken up not by his small son (who might have messed up their arrangement and gotten the whole family killed with his unsophisticated concepts), but Takaichi’s sister. And so the family has continued, passing the title not from father to son, but from sibling to sibling until a generation passes, then reaching down to the next generation starting with Takaichi’s direct descendents once again.

This novel approach has meant that the Takaichi have never had to deal with those delicate times when youths sit at the heads of families. However, that has not meant that they have been wildly successful. Rather, the Takaichi have survived a long history of misery and gloom by struggling with all of their skill and ingenuity. They have only just managed to keep their heads above water.

Lord Takaichi Makoto (Influence 4)
Lady Takaichi Kotono (Influence 3)

Children
Daughter 1 (Influence 2)
Daughter 2 (Influence 2)
Daughter 3, deceased
Son, deceased

Extended Family
Brother 1 (Influence 3)
Brother 1’s wife (Influence 2)
Brother 2 (Influence 2)
Brother 2’s wife (Influence 1) [Influence 1 from here down]
Sister 1, deceased
Sister 2, deceased
Brother 3
Brother 3’s husband
Brother 4
Brother 4’s wife
Sister 3
Sister 3’s wife, deceased
Brother 5
Brother 5’s wife
Brother 1’s 1st son, deceased
Brother 1’s 2nd son, deceased
Brother 2’s Daughter (Influence 2)
Brother 2’s 1st son, deceased
Brother 2’s 2nd son
Brother 2’s 3rd son, deceased
Brother 3’s daughter, deceased
Brother 4’s 1st son
Brother 4’s 2nd son, deceased
Brother 4’s 3rd son, deceased
Brother 4’s daughter
Brother 4’s 4th son, deceased
Brother 4’s 5th son
Sister 3’s 1st son
Sister 3’s 2nd son
Sister 3’s 3rd son
Sister 3’s daughter
Sister 3’s 4th son, deceased

[Cearnach]

House Kobayashi of the Bayushi
Defense: 31
Influence: 11
Lands: 20
Law: 25
Population: 14
Power: 21
Wealth: 20

Old
Madness (-2 def, -4 inf, +2 land, -3 law, -3 pop, -2 pow, -2 wealth)
Scandal (-6 inf, -5 land, -5 pow)
Defeat (-1 def, -3 inf, -1 land, -5 pop, -3 pow, -1 wealth)

The Kobayashi have a very local, almost unassuming history. Founded by a third son of the House of Bayushi who was considered far too mad to keep near the main line, the Kobayashi were isolated politically and socially for three generations. Indeed, just when the discovery of a silk process may have brightened their fortunes, it was discovered through shoddy operational security that the Kobayashi had, in fact, stolen the process from another Bayushi house. This led to a quick war that, while not terribly costly for the Kobayashi in terms of resources, did take a toll on the peasantry. Whether the Kobayashi rise to become a truly influential house in this new era remains to be seen, but it’s plain to see that they are due for a change in fortunes.

Lord Kobayashi Kyousuke (loving parent)
Lady Kobayashi Komaki (loving parent)

Children
Son 1, deceased
Daughter 1, deceased
Son 2, deceased
Son 3
Daughter 2
Son 4

Extended Family
Brother 1
Brother 1’s wife
Sister 1
Sister 1’s husband
Brother 2, deceased
Sister 2, deceased
Brother 1’s 1st daughter
Brother 1’s 2nd daughter
Sister 1’s son

[Cearnach]

House Tanose of the Soshi
Defense: 24
Influence: 31
Lands: 23
Law: 12
Population: 17
Power: 21
Wealth: 19

Ancient
Madness (-3 def, +3 inf, -4 land, -6 law, +2 pop, -1 pow, -3 wealth)
Victory (+5 def, +4 inf, +5 pow)
Infrastructure (+2 law, +5 inf)
Invasion/Revolt (-7 law, -1 pop, -1 pow, -2 wealth)

The Tanose are descended from a tribe of mountain-dwelling ningen that were encountered by Shosuro before her association with Bayushi. These people were practitioners of alternative religious rites that at times disturbed and unsettled their neighbors, but allowed them to exert a measure of control over them. Gaining a fearsome reputation because of their ruthlessness during the War Against the Shadowlands, the Tanose entered a long period of prosperity that has only recently been disturbed. Four years ago, Lady Tanose’s sons and youngest daughter were killed defending their mountain fortress against a rival who had become convinced that the Tanose’s reputation was a paper tiger. The horrors that were inflicted on his troops were the stuff of legend, but the losses to the Tanose were likewise high. The local population is still plagued by shadowy specters on moonless nights, and Lord Tanose is finding it challenging to put the demons back in the bottle, as it were.

Lord Tanose Noboyuki (loving parent) (Influence 4)
Lady Tanose Manami (loving parent) (Influence 3)

Children
Son 1, deceased
Daughter 1 (Influence 3)
Daughter 2 (Influence 2)
Daughter 3, deceased
Son 2, deceased

Extended Family
Grandpa Tanose (Influence 3)