The Mantis Clan is adaptable and unpredictable, and many find the Mantis to be much like the seas on which they travel from their island holdings to the mainland Empire. The Mantis were not born a Great Clan, but seized the position during one of the greatest conflicts in history, the Clan War. Comprised of families formed from different Minor Clans, the Mantis are perhaps the most diverse and individualistic of the Great Clans.
Tetsuken
The Mantis Clan remembers Tetsuken as a great and glorious hero who had many adventures and ultimately saved the Empire from attack by a Shadowlands fleet. The rest of the Empire is less familiar with his deeds, in part because they took place during an era which Rokugan was determined to forget. Tetsuken’s hopeless quest for his true love’s hand drove him to ever more spectacular deeds and ultimately to his death. While Tetsuken guides you, you may substitute twice your Glory Rank for your Honor Rank when resisting Fear, Intimidation, and Temptation effects.
Osusuki & Akomachi
The two ancestors known as Osusuki and Akomachi were actually kitsune spirits who forged an alliance with the nascent Fox Clan. They took human form, one man and one woman, and married into the Kitsune family, bonding the two groups by blood forever. Their guidance will only be bestowed on members of the Kitsune family who can claim a direct blood connection. The attention of Osusuki and Akomachi allows you to speak with animals and animal shapeshifter spirits; furthermore, their wisdom allows you to always find food and water in the wilderness.
Moshi Azami
Moshi (formerly Isawa) Azami received the blessing of Lady Sun and shared her insight with her followers, leading the Centipede to become the most devout followers of the Sun Goddess anywhere in the Empire. Prior to the twelfth century Azami is solely an ancestor for the Centipede Clan. Her guidance bestows the favor of the Sun upon you - you suffer no ill effects from the Sun (e.g. dehydration, sunburn, etc) and gain Reduction of 5 against fire (normal or magical).
Gusai
One of the most notorious of Mantis ancestors, Gusai proved the power of a single individual by successfully carrying a knife into the presence of the Emperor - only to see the Emperor prove the limitations of such power when he signs the order for Guasi's execution. When Gusai guides you, you gain +3k3 to any Stealth or Sleight-of-Hand roll made to conceal a weapon on your person.
Kaimetsu-Uo
The original founder of the Mantis Clan was the son of Hida Osano-Wo and his Matsu bride, and one of the most formidable warriors of his day. Preferring actions to words, he carved a clan's founding out a dangerous tropical island, and stormed Kyuden Isawa to avenge his father's death. Those who gain Kaimetsu-Uo's favor are expected to live as he did, carving their way through life with action and sheer determination, using whatever weapon comes to hand, and countenancing no insult form anyone.
Yoritomo Sculptors
Although the Mantis are not known for their artistic traditions, their sailors' penchant for wood-carving on long voyages has developed over time into a modest school within the clan. The clan drew on commercial ties with the Crane or the Phoenix to gain the services of their artistic sensei and develop its casual skills into a true Technique. In modern times, the Mantis use this group as a source of both political favor and personal leverage.
Yoritomo Scoundrel
The Mantis Clan was once a Minor Clan, and the Yoritomo have never shied away from performing questionable activities to make a name for themselves. Over the years they have been smugglers, pirates, and mercenaries. The Mantis have gained legitimacy with time, but old habits are hard to break - especially when those habits are quite effective in fulfilling the Yoritomo's wishes. The Scoundrel may perform feats that are considered beneath a samurai, but he knows what he does is for the good of his clan.
Yoritomo Emissaries
The Yoritomo as a whole are not known for their patience, but they have found that it is occasionally a useful virtue in the courts. Beginning with the era of White Stag, the Emissaries emerged as the exception to the Mantis Clan's general diplomatic habits. They are well-trained court functionaries, schooled to handle hostile negotiations with calm patience, displaying much greater subtlety then "normal" Yoritomo courtiers.
Tsuruchi Swordsman
The origins of the Tsuruchi family are found in the Wasp Clan, the tiny Minor Clan that would later join the Mantis Clan and become the Tsuruchi. The family’s founder, a ronin born of a union of Lion and Scorpion, despised the blade because to him it represented all that was wrong with the clans of his parents, the same clans that robbed him of everything he knew and loved in the world when he was little more than a child. Because of this, he eschewed it completely and expected his followers to do the same; the samurai who served the Wasp did not even carry a katana.