The Ichiro are rude and course in their interactions with the rest of the Empire. They believe in action over words and pragmatics over societal norms. The Ichiro are stocky by nature, and their mountainous lifestyle ensures a heavily muscular frame.
When a samurai performs a feat of great heroism to Rokugan, the Emperor may reward his service by making him the leader of his own Minor Clan. The leader of the new Minor Clan gathers followers eager to join his cause and serve the Empire in their own unique ways. This great favor has been granted many times during the course of Rokugani history, producing an interesting and diverse group of proud warriors.
Minor Clans generally control a small region of the Empire and their populations are quite low compared to the Great Clans. Most Minor Clans have only a single family name, and the smallest ones may only have a few dozen samurai in their ranks.
The founder of the Badger Clan was a powerful Crab warrior who proved his worth in a contest of strength in front of the Emperor. The descendents of the first Badger live on the northern border of Rokugan, and are tasked with guarding the Empire from foreign invasion. The Badger take after their Great Clan cousins, embracing strength at the expense of refinement, and do not accept defeat even in teh face of insurmountable odds.
The Ichiro Family: +1Strength [CR]
The founder of the Bat Clan, Komori, had the blood of bat spirits from Chikushudo flowing within his veins. The Bat Clan is a very young clan, founding during the brief reign of Emperor Toturi III, and has not yet settled into its identity. Bat shugenja are hard at work refining their summoning abilities to provide a new resource to the Empire.
The Komori is a family of shugenja, gathered under the Bat Clan banner by the founder of the clan himself. They are a unique lot with few characteristics to group them together. The two unifying factors of the Komori family are eagerness to learn and the intelligence to apply their newfound abilities.
The Boar Clan was given dominion over the Twilight mountains on the northern border of the Crab Clan's lands. The Twilight Mountains were rich with both iron and jade and the small Minor Clan's importance grew as its samurai mined the precious materials. The Twilight Mountains proved to be a dangerous home, however, as earthquakes, maddened spirits, insane maho-tsukai, and the malevolent spirit Shakoki Dogu assaulted the Boar Clan at every step.
The Heichi Family: +1Willpower [CR]
Few people could endure the dangers of the Twilight Mountains without breaking, yet the samurai of the Boar thrived on the land for centuries. They are a hard and bitter people who will fight with everything within reach to defend what is theirs. Once a Heichi sets his mind to a goal nothing will stop him from achieving it.
The founders of the Dragonfly incurred the wrath of the Lion Clan upon inception, and the Minor Clan has suffered greatly for that legacy. Their importance belies their size; everyone who wishes to trravel to the Dragon lands must first stop at the home of the Dragonfly to seek permission. Their strong ties with the Dragon Clan and their history of tragedy have forged a serene and resilient people, ready to face the dangers of the future.
The Tonbo Family: +1Awareness [CR]
The Tonbo are humble and plain despite their importance in the Empire. Most of the hard-working Tonbo are shugenja, and the few bushi who come from their lands typically use political favors to train with their Mirumoto allies. They are well suited for life within the mountains and can navigate the Dragon lands as well as any Mirumoto.
The Bloodspeaker Iuchiban was a maho-tsukai of epic power, a terrifying madman who repeatedly threatened the safety of the Empire. The ronin Reichin heroically risked his life to combat Iuchiban's rise and was rewarded for his services with permission to found the Hare Clan. His descendents have continued down the same path, fighting Bloodspeakers at every turn, and later also confronting the insidious secret conspiracy called the Kolat. The clan has tiptoed the edge of extinction several times and only survived through sheer dedication to its cause.
The Ujina Family: +1Agility [CR]
Formed during the chaotic times following the Second Day of Thunder, the Ujina family is tiny, usually with less than two dozen members at any one time. Despite their modest numbers, the Ujina are proud to bear a name given by the Emperor. The Ujina are extreme pragmatists, and will not hesitate to perform the most underhanded feats if they will get the results the Hare need.
The Usagi Family: +1Awareness [CR]
The Usagi have seen combat for almost their entire history. Because they know hidden threats like the Bloodspeakers and the Kolat exist, they are always alert and ready to spot signs of corruption. Unfortunately many elder members of the Usagi tend toward paranoia and do not trust strangers, although younger family members are usually more confident and optimistic.
Toku was a cheerful man who was determined to save the Empire in a time of great crisis. He marched in Toturi's Army with samurai who had been discarded by the Great Clans, and loyally served the Toturi Dynasty for decades, fighting always to restore peace and protect Rokugan from evil. His Minor Clan continues to uphold his vision, working as magistrates in search of a peaceful Rokugan.
The Fuzake were given their family name as a reward for continued service to the Imperial line. The Fuzake are a shugenja family of great intelligence and curiosity about life. Outsiders believe the members of the small family are whimsical and flighty, but the Fuzake have proven themselves stalwart and reliable.
The Toku Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The founder of the Toku family, once a mere ronin or less, became the Captain of the Imperial Guard, a hero of the Empire, and ultimately ascended to Tengoku as the Fortune of Virtue. His descendants share that great man's zest for life and compassion for all the people of Rokugan. Toku samurai often become Imperial Magistrates to spread justice and peace across the land. The Toku are known for their cheerful disposition and their strange humor, both of which become apparent within minutes of encountering them.
Emperors often create Minor Clans when they are overwhelmed by a feat of prowess from a single warrior. The Oriole Clan was created because of the Tsi ronin family's constant adherence to their work without recognition. The Tsi family family daimyo was finally granted permission to form the Minor Clan when he created the Sword of the Righteous Emperor for the Toturi Dynasty, a blade of unrivaled craftsmanship.
The Tsi Family: +1Strength [CR]
The Tsi family is quite small, and dedicated the art of the smith. Their uninviting demeanor and lack of social graces make the Tsi smiths seem unfriendly, but their skills with the hammer cannot be denied. They rarely travel outside of their lands, and when they do, typically go to Kaiu lands to observe the masters of engineering at work.
The samurai Morito was cast out of the Unicorn Clan for injuring one of the precious Utaku Steeds. He gathered followers around him and trained them with the same skills he learned from decades of fending for himself on the road. This ragtag band of warriors proved their worth during the War of Spirits and was granted permission to form the Ox Minor Clan as a reward for their services. The insidious Kolat dug its manipulative roots in the Ox from the clan's inception and often used Ox warriors as defenses for the conspiracy's Hidden Temple.
The Morito Family: +1Stamina [CR]
The samurai of the Morito family are determined to make a name for themselves. Their great ambition gained the interest of the Kolat, who accepted them into their ranks as enforcers and warriors. A Morito's skill in the saddle is better than anyone else outside the Unicorn lands. The Morito keep an ear open for murmurs of the Rokugani underworld, looking for opportunities to increase their power.
The tale of the Snake Clan began with auspicious heroism and ended with tragedy. Isawa Chuda earned the right to his own Minor Clan when he deduced and foiled a maho attack against the Emperor's life. Unfortunately, the malevolent create Shuten Doji later took hold of the Snake land and turned all of the Snake into mere puppets for its will. The Phoenix Clan eradicated the Snake Clan in the Five Nights of Shame, and those who survived escaped with knowledge of their dark arts.
The Chuda Family: +1Strength [CR]
Isawa Chuda was a man of conviction and wisdom, and his family reflected that purity for generations. The Chuda were completely loyal to Rokugan and hated the dark forces that menaced its borders. Their hatred of maho-tsukai was well known and the Snake Clan often hunted down illegal cults with vigor.
The Sparrow Clan was founded in poverty and continues to make an existence for itself in the barren lands between the Crane and Crab territories. Their founder was a Crane who had a life of luxury before his exile into the Sparrow lands. The hardship forged him into a better man, a lesson taught to every Suzume since. The Sparrow Clan has remained tiny over the years and has made little impact on those outside its borders. Still, they do their best to uphold their principles of compassion and virtue, joining the Three Man Alliance during the Clan War to help protect their people from the ravages of war.
The Suzume Family: +1Awareness [CR]
The Suzume are humble, tenacious, and easy-going. Their interests make them stand out from the rest of the Minor Clans. They appreciate the arts more than the average samurai, with a particular interest in the art of reciting tales, one of the few forms of entertainment available in their poverty-stricken land. The Suzume feel a stronger connection to the peasantry than most believe a samurai should, some going as far as to work in the fields if extra hands are needed - and they often are.
The Tiger are descended from the Yotsu, a ronin family created during the eleventh century. The daughters of the family founder were appointed as governors of the city districts in the Imperial capital, Otosan Uchi, and after the destruction of the city by the Dark Lord Daigotsu during the Four Winds era the growing family assumed responsibility for the ruins.
In the Heroes of Rokugan timeline, the Spider Clan is eventually cleared from the ruins of Otosan Uchi and the Yotsu fight in the vanguard of that effort, hunting Lost and Shadowlands monsters through the streets of the wrecked city. Afterward they are proclaimed the Tiger Clan and given permanent responsibility for protecting the city and ensuring the power of Jigoku can never again be unleashed within its boundaries. Sadly, the process of cleansing the city of Taint also makes it unable to support crops or animal life, so in order to live and fulfill their duties the Yotsu are forced to hire themselves out as mercenaries across the Empire. This allows them to earn enough koku to scrape by, especially since their skills at hunting foes through cities make them quite popular as yoriki to magistrates.
The clan colors of the Tiger Clan are yellow and black. Their mon shows a stylized image of a tiger springing from ambush.
The Yotsu Family: +1Intelligence []
After the Fall of Otosan Uchi the Yotsu stayed behind in the ruined and tainted city to defend those who were unable or unwilling to flee their homes. They remained here until 1166 when Jade Champion Asahina Sekawa attacked Otosan Uchi in an attempt to confront the Ninube infestation there. In thanks for their aid in the battle the Yotsu family were granted territory within the Crane lands.
Founded after the Empire's first violent encounter with gaijin, the Tortoise Clan is nearly an Imperial family, yet remains distinctly separate from the rest of the families. The Kasuga family has performed crucial feats for the Emperor and is ready to commit all manner of devious acts to maintain the Emperor's power. In many ways, the samurai of the Tortoise Clan serve as the true underhand of the Emperor, with a strong tie to the criminal organizations of the land. They act as the Minor Clans' representation in the Imperial Court, giving voice to those who are too small to attend.
The Kasuga have little ambition, as the recognition of the Emperor outweighs any need for widespread fame. They are pragmatic and bitter from years of fighting for the cause with the scum of the Empire. They are smugglers, thieves, and often quite brutish, although they are also capable of being smooth diplomats when the clan requires such.