The stalwart Crab are the defenders of Rokugan, responsible for ensuring the Empire's southern border is secure against the demons of the Shadowlands. Centuries of constant warfare against inhuman foes have hardened the Crab into tremendously powerful and brutally practical warriors, but they have little sense of civility or manners. As a result they are often considered crude and barbaric by the other clans.
Kuni
The founder of the Crab shugenja school was a capable shugenja and a man who knew more about the creatures of the Shadowlands than any other. Once per session, you may spend a Void point to gain a bonus to your spellcasting roll equal to your Earth Rank in kept dice. Also, when rolling to resist gaining the Shadowlands Taint, you may roll twice and keep the better result.
Kaiu
The legendary master craftsmen who forged the Crab Clan Ancestral Sword that slew Hatsu-Suru no Oni. Kaiu founded the most potent engineering school in the Empire and his descendants built the Great Carpenter Wall. Kaiu's guidance grants you a +3k1 bonus (instead of +1k1) any time you spend a Void Point on a Craft or Engineering skill roll. In addition, once per game year you may call on Kaiu's inspiration and roll an appropriate Craft skill at TN 50 to create a minor awakened nemuranai. The initial powers of this magical item are chosen by the GM, but should start out weak (e.g.
Hiruma
The man who founded the Hiruma family was a pragmatic warrior who employed speed, precision, and stealth to defeat powerful foes. His guidance makes it easier to follow in his footsteps, granting you a +1k0 bonus to your Stealth, Kenjutsu, and Kyujutsu skill rolls.
Hida
Hida was a warrior of unmatched strength and endurance, who relied on that to defeat all foes, never backing down from any of them, even his own Taint-corrupted son. With Hida watching over you, your blows strike hard and true - you gain +1k0 to all damage rolls and may ignore 4 points of an enemy's Reduction, regardless of what weapon you are using. Further, any Crab who fights alongside you in a skirmish are inspired by the spirit of Hida which infuses your frame, and gain +1 bonus Void Points (if they do not use this Void point by the end of the skirmish, it is lost).
Yasuki Taskmaster
Although the Yasuki family as a whole is known for its mercantile and political role, many individual Yasuki serve in the Crab armies, with such members of the family often gravitating toward logistical and organization duties. As a result of this role, Yasuki bushi often found themselves in charge of organizing, training, and leading the Crab army's limited ashigaru forces. Eventually, this led to the establishment of a specific organization dedicated to that role: the Taskmasters.
Yasuki Extortionist
Some among the Yasuki, mainly in the Crab but also sometimes in the Crane, eschew their family's more conventional mercantile pursuits in favor of the practice of moneylending. Although this is considered especially disreputable activity for a samurai, it can also be hugely profitable - there are always both commoners and samurai who need additional funds, and the concept of paying interest is so strange to them that they usually do not realize how badly the Yasuki are taking advantage of them.
Yasuki Enforcer
The Yasuki merchants specialize in all manner of questionable forms of commerce and negotiation, and some few among them are discovered to have an exquisite talent for intimidation. Rather than see such gifts go to waste, the Yasuki lords at Clear Water Village prefer to teach them the methods they need to make their threats a reality. After all, a threat that cannot be followed through on is just poor business.
Tsuru's Legion
Created a few years prior to the Clan War, this unit was founded by Hida Tsuru, younger brother of Clan Champion Hida Kisada. He created a legion of cavalry trained to combine speed and power, delivering overpowering strikes to enemy lines. Over time this force became known as Tsuru’s Legion, a name it retained after the death of its founder. In modern times the Legion is a semi-independent strike force used by the Clan Champion, and stands outside the normal structure of the Crab armies.
Toritaka Exorcist
From the days of their founding as the Falcon Clan, the Toritaka have studied the ways of the spirits, especially ghosts and gaki. Those of the Toritaka who had a gift of the kami undertook special studies in these topics, learning the ways of yorei and goryo, of gaki and kitsune-tsuki, and the ways to purge their influence from the natural world. The near-destruction of the Toritaka by a malevolent Shuten Doji spirit only furthered their determination to learn the ways of all such dangerous creatures.