Crab

The Severed Hand is the term adopted by those Crab warriors who are forced into the courts due to injuries or other physical problems that render them incapable of further military service. Such men and women, usually grizzled veterans, tend to view the courts as a mixture of deadly traps, pointless and puerile ritual, and stultifying boredom; nonetheless, they do their best to represent their clan. Over centuries of trail and error they have developed a Technique to aid them in their duties, and share it with their fellows through personal instruction.

The Rajya ke Varisa are a group of Crab, Unicorn, and Mantis samurai who study the fighting techniques of the Ivory Kingdoms kshatriya and find ways to use them in conjunction with Rokugani combat techniques. The gaijin turned-Mantis known as Yoritomo Singh also contributes to the organization’s training, seeking to preserve some aspects of his former culture. So far they have managed to devise only one technique, albeit one of significant value.

Kuni shugenja dedicate their lives to eradicating the Shadowlands threat from the world. The Oni Slayers are an elite sect of the Kuni family that focuses strictly on dealing with the monsters that are too strong to fight on an equal footing. Their rituals and wards are essential in sapping the strength of these unnatural beasts. Oni slayers see things no man ever should, yet their dedication to their duties remains unshaken.

In the twelfth century, the Kuni begin focusing more intensely on the power and nature of crystal, partially influenced by the struggle against the Lying Darkness and partly by their interactions with other races who used crystal, such as the Naga and even the Nezumi. The Crystal Masters emerged from this research. They are the creators of the Sapphire Strike spell, and specialize in awakening the spiritual powers of crystal and using those powers to enhance their other magic.

"We sometimes play a game amongst each other. One Kaiu devises the strongest fortification possible, and the others must figure out its weakness." - Kaiu Watsuki

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The Crab Clan has maintained a fleet of iron-armored "Turtle Ships" for centuries, but during the age of the Shattered Empire the threat of Mantis raids and the lack of any support from the rest of Rokugan forces them to expand the fleet and to arm and reinforce all of their wooden vessels as well. Hida O-Ushi commands that Earthquake Fish Bay be made impregnable against any naval attack, whether mundane or Shadowlands in origin. This task is given to Kaiu Utsu, the family daimyo and a famed Siegemaster.

Since the first days of the Crab Clan, the athletic and attentive Hiruma have often served as yojimbo for the Crab Champion and his most important vassals. This is not because the Hida lack for physical or martial power, of course, but rather because the Hiruma excel at perceiving threats that other Crab might easily miss. They are also considerably faster than the average member of most other Crab families, and speed is an essential component of any successful yojimbo’s repertoire of talents.

The Snipers are an outgrowth of the fall of Hiruma lands in the eighth century, and the Path does not exist prior to that era. they are trained to stay calm and shoot accurately even when assailed by terrifying monsters, targeting their foes' weak points.

While most samurai despise the masakari as little more than a peasant axe, the Hiruma found value in its combination of relatively small size and the ability to deliver powerful cutting blows against Shadowlands beasts. The Slayers specialize in hunting down dangerous Shadowlands creatures, often operating deep within Fu Leng's realm with little to no support. During wars with other clans, however, the Slayers' skills can also come in handy for raiding behind enemy lines.

A tiny off-shoot of the Falcon Clan's bushi traditions, the Falcon's Strike Dojo becomes much larger and more influential after the Falcon are absorbed into the Crab Clan in the early twelfth century. The dojo selects its students for keen vision and sharp senses, and they learn to reply on focused senses rather than the mechanics of drawing and firing to hit their targets.