The descendants of the Kami Hida are among the largest and most powerful samurai in all the Empire. The burden of defending the Empire falls upon them, and they are both incredible warriors and skilled defensive tacticians. Hida samurai often resent the other Clans for enjoying their protection even as they mock the Crab for their mannerisms.
Of the eight Kami who competed within the first Celestial Tournament, seven went forth to honor their Emperor by creating Great Clans to serve him. Since that time, one additional Great Clan has been given leave ny the Emperor to serve him in the the same manner as the others, and one other self-titled "clan" has claimed the title but never been recognized.
In theory, the Great Clans command only what power is granted to them by he Emperor. This consists of the power to fulfill their specific duties without interfering with the duties of other clans, and to govern over the Emperor's lands bestowed to them in his name. In reality, of course, each clan commands considerable military, economic, and political power, enough to overthrow the Empire, and only the power of the other clans keeps them in check - that and the fact that no honorable Clan Champion would ever consider such a blasphemous and disgraceful act.
Although all Great Clans are ultimately loyal to the Emperor, they can and do have radically different outlooks on virtually every aspect of life, and conflicts between them are common. Most Emperors have historically chosen not to interfere with inter-clan wars because they permit the clans to vent their hostility honorably. After all, denying a massive force of noble warriors the right to pursue satisfaction in what they consider a matter of honor is generally a poor idea.
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.
The Hida Family: +1Strength [CR]
The Hiruma Family: +1Agility [CR]
Silent and deadly, the Hiruma are the scouts and yojimbo of the Crab. They are as agile and graceful as the Hida are powerful, and warriors from the two families tend to complement one another very well. Hiruma samurai often have the unsavory duty of scouting the Shadowlands for enemies, a task that leads many to death or ruination.
The industrious Kaiu are responsible for th emost impressive and long-standing feats of engineering in all the Empire. They are the siege engineers and architects of the Crab Clan, and are responsible for maintaining the Great Carpenter Wall as well as its defenses.
Sinister in appearance and deed, the Kuni are among the most feared shugenja families in the Empire. Long ago, the family's leadership determined the only hope of defeating the Shadowlands lay in understanding it, and so the Kuni possess knowledge of things that would drive most men mad.
The tiny Toritaka family was once known as the Falcon Clan before tragedy threatened to destroy the Minor Clan completely. It was absorbed by the Crab to prevent a threat from growing within its ranks. The Toritaka hail from a region frequented by spirits, and they are highly knowledgeable about ghosts and spirits of all different sorts.
The Yasuki Family: +1Awareness [CR]
Strangely at odds with the other Crab families, the Yasuki are slight of build and devious of mind. They were once part of the Crane Clan, but joined the Crab in the third century, provoking the first great internal war in Rokugani history. They are merchants and courtiers, always looking for any means to gain an advantage for their Clan, and tend to be more concerned with monetary gain than is considered respectable for someone of the samurai caste.
When the Empire was first formed, the Scorpion were tasked with two sacred duties: one was to safeguard the Black Scrolls in which was bound the power of the fallen dark god Fu Leng, and the second was to serve as a villain against which the Great Clans could unite so they would never unite against the Emperor. It is the latter duty at which the Scorpion have excelled, and in which they revel.
The Bayushi Family: +1Agility [CR]
Ruthless and deceitful, the lords of the Scorpion Clan possess many talents, all of which have been put to sinister use for the benefit of their Clan and their Emperor. The Bayushi are dark, dangerous, and manipulative, and always evaluate any situation in terms of how it can best benefit themselves and the Scorpion.
The Shosuro dwell in shadows, rarely being seen but always having an influence on those around them. They are secretive and withdrawn, keeping their own counsel but never failing to obey a command from their Bayushi lords. When the Scorpion require some impossible task performed without complication, it is a Shosuro who fulfills the duty.
The Soshi are the main shugenja family of the Scorpion Clan, founded soon after the Clan's beginnings, and specialize in using magic to enhance the Clan's efforts in politics, deceit, and manipulation. They often work in close concert with the Shosuro, using their magic to support the Shosuro's ruthless and secret activities.
The Yogo Family: +1Willpower [CR]
No family amoung the accepted Great Clans is more feared or reviled than the Yogo, the Scorpion Clan's second shugenja family. they are descended from a Phoenix who was cursed during the early days of the Empire to betray the one he loved the most. The curse has been passed down into the family's bloodline, and as such many avoid the Yogo whenever possible. The Yogo pay no heed to their reputation, however, and use their powerful magic in service to the Scorpion regardless of how expendable they may be considered.
Known for centuries as the Left Hand of the Emperor, the Crane Clan is responsible for maintaining the balance and integrity of the Empire's courts and of Rokugani society in general. As such, the Crane excel at diplomacy and politics, and are widely regarded as the unquestioned masters of the courts, with all the resentment from others that title entails.
Quiet and serene, the Asahina are among the most monastic of all samurai families. They are also perhaps the most pacifistic, even more so than the Phoenix Clan, and abhor violence, seeking other means of resolving disputes at all costs. The Asahina are also known for their devotion to philosophy and the arts.
The Daidoji Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The so-called Iron Crane are the strong arm of the Crane Clan and the enforcers of the Doji and Kakita's will. They do not employ grace and style as their kinsmen do, but instead focus on sheer strength of arms and employ tactics that some might consider ruthless or even dishonorable. Daidoji means "defenders of Doji," and it is a name the family has earned.
The Doji Family: +1Awareness [CR]
Lords of the Crane Clan, the Doji are the unquestioned masters of culture and politics in the Empire. It is a testament to the Doji's cunning and influence that the Clan has endured for a thousand years despite being beset by larger, more militant Clans who find the Crane's dominance of the courts endlessly antagonistic.
The Kakita Family: +1Agility [CR]
Literal cousins of the Doji, the Kakita family was created by the children of Lady Doji and her husband Kakita during the dawn of the Empire. The Kakita believe in excelling at one's chosen task, whether that task is making war or creating the most glorious pieces of art. Like other Crane families, the Kakita are also well known for their physical beauty.
Enigmatic and mysterious, the samurai of the Dragon Clan have walked their own path since the Empire was first created. More individualistic and less concerned with material wealth than other clans, the Dragon have much in common with the monks of the Brotherhood of Shinsei, despite the considerable variety among their individual families.
The ever-perceptive Kitsuki serve the Dragon Clan as magistrates and court representatives, although they are better suited as the former. Even in court, however, a Kitsuki's ability to perceive truth when presented with lies has proven a tremendous asset to the Dragon in their pursuit of an Empire free of deceit and treachery.
The Mirumoto Family: +1Agility [CR]
The Mirumoto are the broad shoulders that carry the burden of the Dragon Clan. While the Togashi pursue their unique brand of enlightenment, the Mirumoto rule the clan in all but name, overseeing its day to day operations and filling the ranks of its military. Comprising more than half of the Clan's ranks, the Mirumoto are the most commonly encountered Dragon samurai in the Empire.
The Tamori Family: +1Willpower [CR]
Perhaps the most militant shugenja family in the Empire, the Tamori embrace unique magical styles, including alchemy, blacksmithing, and melding of magic and war. The Tamori are more feared than other shugenja because of their willingness to commit to violence when other priests would turn away.
The Togashi Order: +1Reflexes [CR]
A monastic order rather than a true family, the Togashi accept all who wish to join their ranks, provided they are able to embrace the order's teachings and endure its trials, which many are not. Over the centuries, the monks of this order have used the divine blood of the Dragon Kami to create mystical tattoos that grant them incredible, supernatural abilities.
The Lion Clan is the Right Hand of the Emperor, the defender of his lands and his person, although many times the Seppun family and the Imperial Legions are allowed to stand as poor substitutes (or so the Lion believe). The Lion are militant to a fault and possess the greatest army in the known world. They are feared for their prowess and respect for their unflinchingly honorable natures.
The Akodo Family: +1Agility [CR]
The lords of the Lion Clan, the Akodo are the unquestioned masters of battle throughout the Empire. It is said that no army led by an Akodo has ever known defeat, and while this is something of an exaggeration, it is not all that far from the truth. Akodo samurai tend to be calm and analytical, and often lack the fiery nature for which the Lion are so well known.
The Ikoma Family: +1Awareness [CR]
The voice of the Lion Clan, the Ikoma speak on behalf of the Clan in court and in the annals of history. The family provides not only the majority of the clan's courtiers, but virtually all of its historians and storytellers as well, studies that the Clan considers extremely important. For ever stoic Lion who refuses to allow emotion to affect him, there is an Ikoma bard who weeps openly when he tells the samurai's story to others.
Quite and reserved, the Kitsu are the most traditional and conservative, some might say old-fashioned, shugenja family in the Empire. Descended from the union of men and the ancient kitsu creatures that were driven nearly to extinction by the Lion during the dawn of the Empire, the Kitsu possess several bloodlines with strange, otherworldly abilities, such as the ability to walk between the mortal world and the spirit realms.
The Matsu Family: +1Strength [CR]
The Matsu are the largest family in the Empire, and they are the reason for the image many have of the vast legions of the Lion Clan. They are also the source of the tempestuous stereotype for the Lion, and it is largely correct; the Matsu are fiery in nature, quick to anger, and eager for battle at all times. They were founded by a female warrior, Matsu, and have a famous all-female military unity, the Lion's Pride.
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.
Formerly known as the Fox Clan, the Kitsune joined the Mantis Clan decades after the other families founded it, and only then because the Fox were on the brink of annihilation and the Yoritomo could save them, with the only price being an oath of fealty. The Kitsune are a simple, quiet people who prefer to commune with the spirits of nature in the forest rather than travel across the Empire on formal business.
Before the formation of the Mantis as a Great Clan, the Moshi were the Centipede Clan. An extremely devout and matriarchal people, the Moshi devoted themselves to the worship of the Sun for centuries, and find their active role among the other families of the Mantis mildly uncomfortable. Still, the family has sworn an oath to the Yoritomo and refuses to break it, no matter how much their duties conflict with their philosophies.
Formerly known as the Wasp Clan, the Tsuruchi are without question the greatest archers in the Empire, and have focused the majority of their efforts toward maintaining that level of skill. Generally perceptive and highly athletic, the Tsuruchi excel as warriors and magistrates.
The Yoritomo Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The lords of the Mantis are descended from the Crab, and are equally hardy in their own way. They are the unquestioned masters of the seas, having dwelled on the Islands of Silk and Spice for the entirety of their existence. The Yoritomo are a hardy, industrious people ever eager to prove themselves against the other Great Clans.
With regard to the subject of shugenja, the consensus of an entire Empire is that the Phoenix possess both the largest number of shugenja and most powerful of them. The descendants of the Tribe of Isawa and those who have sworn allegiance to them command mystical power unlike anything seen in the other Clans, and the followers of the Kami Shiba have sworn to protect them for all time, no matter the cost.
Once a family of the Dragon Clan, the Agasha abandoned their Togashi masters when they felt the Dragon abandoned their duties to the Empire. The Phoenix have proven much more amenable to their unique brand of magic. The Agasha are highly experimental and curious, always pushing the boundaries of what is known and what can be safely attempted when dealing with magic.
The Asako Family: +1Awareness [CR]
The quiet, reclusive Asako are a very monastic family, living scholarly and ascetic lives more befitting the Brotherhood of Shinsei than a family of samurai. They comprise the majority of the Phoenix Clan's courtiers, and the entirety of the mysterious Henshin monks. Asako are contemplative and inquisitive, but generally without ambition other than to serve and learn.
The Isawa Family: +1Willpower [CR]
The Isawa truly rule the Phoenix Clan, despite the presence of a Shiba Clan Champion. They are unquestionably the most knowledgeable, most powerful, and most numerous shugenja family in the Empire. Unfortunately, this has made them arrogant as well, and many Isawa constantly struggle against their own shortcomings.
The Kaito Family: +1Awareness [HR]
The Kaito were originally yobanjin of the Hyōketsu tribe assimilated into the Isawa family after the defection of Kaito no Momotsukihime, who would become the first Kaito Daimyō.
The Shiba Family: +1Perception [CR]
The Shiba are among the most scholarly and least aggressive of all bushi families. They serve the Clan and the Isawa without complaint or consideration for themselves. Although they prefer peace and compassion, the Shiba will not retreat from a battle once the Phoenix have committed themselves to an engagement.
The Unicorn, once known as the Ki-Rin Clan, were absent from the Empire for nearly eight centuries as they wandered the world, exploring and ensuring that there were no external threats to the Emperor that might remain unknown. Since their return, they have been regarded by many as barbarians and outsiders, due mostly to their embrace of customs that are in stark contrast to the norm for Rokuan. Still, the Unicorn are universally respected because of their cavalry. They use gaijin steeds and their horse-mounted troops are without compare in the Empire.
The tiny Horiuchi family has never claimed more than a few dozen members at most. Created a few decades before the Clan War, the Horiuchi are a branch of the Iuchi family that specializes in defensive and protective magic. Horiuchi samurai are compassionate individuals who tend to intervene in the affairs of others during times of crisis.
The Ide Family: +1Perception [CR]
The public face of the Unicorn, the Ide have worked tirelessly to cmobat the perception many have of the Clan as barbarians and near-gaijin. They flawlessly merge the traditions of their people with the customs of the Empire, and in doing so seek to earn the gradual respect and acceptance of other clans. Samurai of the Ide family are almost universally even-tempered and eager to forge alliances with others, whether personal or larger in scale.
With the exception of the Tamori, the Iuchi family is probably the most militant shugenja family in the Empire. They serve in the armies of the Unicorn Clan in considerable numbers, and while they enjoy friendship and scholarly debate as much as any priests, they do not shy away from conflict when pressed.
The Moto Family: +1Agility [CR]
The Moto exemplify virtually every negative stereotype that the Unicorn Clan as a whole has struggled with since their return to the Empire centuries ago. More than any other family, their gaijin blood is obvious from the look of them, short, and squat as they are. They are alternately boisterous and brusque, depending upon the circumstances, and rarely fit in well with samurai of other Clans. They are respected, however, for their warrior traditions.
The Shinjo Family: +1Reflexes [CR]
The Shinjo family ruled the Unicorn Clan for most of their history, although in the latter portion of the Empire's development they were removed from power by their founder, the Kami Shinjo, due to corruption within their ranks. The Shinjo are an affable, industrious family whose members adapt easily to almost any task set before them, and who work well with others in virtually any situation.
The Utaku Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The matriarchal Utaku family are rigidly honorable and pious individuals with carefully defined duties depending upon their gender. Women are generally trained to serve with the most elite cavalry units in the world, the Utaku Battle Maidens, while the men manage the households and serve among the legions of infantry in the Unicorn army.
The Spider Clan was granted Great Clan status by Empress Iweko I as part of a deal she made with their founder, Daigotsu. So long as its members remain free of the Shadowlands Taint, they are afforded the rights of members of the buke. Despite their being a Great Clan, no clan is as hated, distrusted, or looked down upon as the Spider.
The spiritual heirs of the first Chuda family, wiped out centuries previously, the Chuda are a collection of ambitious and power-hungry maho-tsukai who delve into the secrets of blood magic. Their loyalties are always suspect, since they have changed masters on more than one occasion in the past.
The Daigotsu Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The lords of the Spider Clan are far and away the most numerous of the families who comprise the Spider. Great numbers of samurai from all walks of life who have fallen to the Shadowlands Taint or succumbed to the worship of Fu Leng have embraced the philosophy and methodology of the Dark Lord Daigotsu, and eagerly enact his sinister will without consideration for their previous families and allies. Not all Daigotsu are Tainted, but a large majority of them have felt Jigoku's sinister touch.
The Goju Family: +1Agility [CR]
In a very real way, those who bear the name Goju are no longer human. Once they served the primordial entity known as the Lying Darkness, and were little more than extensions of its will. Since its destruction, they serve its successor, the Shadow Dragon, and possess somewhat more individuality than before, although as often as not they remain faceless, soulless monstrosities.
The Spider Monks: +1Reflexes [CR]
The strangest agents of the Spider Clan are the monks of the Order of the Spider. Many among the order have not succumbed to the Shadowlands Taint at all, but instead embrace the philosophies of the Spider because they resonate with their own desires for personal power and achievement through strength.
The Susumu Family: +1Awareness []
The Susumu family was founded in 1173 after the Imperial declaration making the Spider a Great Clan. The family took the name of Daigotsu Susumu, who is considered to be its founder, even though he was never a Daimyo and the family didnot exist until after his death.