The Soshi magistrate school is descended from a set of techniques taught to the yoriki of Soshi Saibankan during his many years as a judge, and some rumors claim the first three techniques were invented by Saibankan himself. Whether this is true or not, the school remains the principle method the Scorpion use to educate those who must maintain order within their lands - magistrates, yoriki, city guards, and border patrols.
The greatest villains in Rokugan's most successful plays are always Scorpions, because it is so easy for most samurai to believe. It is the actions of students from the Bayushi Bushi School that have brought this stereotype to life and reinforced it over and over again. Every student in the Bayushi dojo is trained to be the perfect weapon of discord, capable of turning the Clans against one another with minimal effort.
The Shiba Bushi are well known as a relatively peaceful group, at least as bushi are concerned. Their training emphasizes a number of non-martial skills in addition to the traditional weapons training, which has led to a reputation as warrior-scholars in some circles. A Shiba bushi considers all options before committing to combat, searching for any possible alternative other than the loss of life. If those a Shiba protects are threatened, however, or if combat is an inevitability, he attacks swiftly and without reservation, committing himself fully to the act until it is done.
Description forthcoming.
Note: This school is a house rule and are not part of the standard 4th edition ruleset.
The Yoritomo are masters of the sea, and as a result of centuries spent fighting from ship to ship and on the beaches, their fighting style is highly unusual. The pitching and rolling of the waves has been incorporated into their style, which uses more movement than many major Schools. Likewise the Yoritomo have learned that protracted fighting is almost always detrimental to naval combat, and they have learned to ruthlessly exploit any weakness in their opponents' defenses.
During the early days of the Tsuruchi family when they were known simply as the Wasp Clan, the vassals of Tsuruchi were well known for two things: their incredible skill at archery and their unwavering tenacity as bounty hunters. The clan was authorized by the Emerald Champion to hunt down fugitives from justice for a fee, and for many years the Wasp survived largely on the income generated by this practice. Although many samurai condemned this mercenary practice, no one could deny Tsuruchi prowess and few clan magistrates refused to employ them.
Even before joining the Mantis, when they were the Wasp Clan, there was little question that the Tsuruchi were the greatest archers in the Empire. That they have so embraced this as to virtually put aside the study of the blade, however, has often caused others to look at them with great suspicion. The Tsuruchi rarely care, however; they believe in the purity of the bow, and while their sensei teach proficiency with other weapons as well, such are purely secondary concerns.
For most of its history the Mantis Clan has included a strong element of disreputable piracy and black-market smuggling. Although the clan has occasionally made efforts to purge these criminals from its ranks (especially after it attained Great Clan status), they have never been fully eliminated. The various efforts to purge them have, however, ensured that their fighting techniques may be found among ronin, commoner wako (pirate gangs), and numerous smuggling cartels as well as within the clan's own ranks.
The great majority of the vast legions of Matsu samurai study at the family's home School, if for no other reason than that most Matsu believe other fighting styles are too conservative and reserved. A true Matsu has no fear of death, and as such the Techniques imparted by their sensei embrace absolute, unwavering commitment to battle. Although this leaves the Matsu vulnerable to an opponent's attacks, the philosophy behind the Techniques is that an opponent who has been defeated has no opportunity to retaliate.
The Beastmaster organization is completely unique in its approach to war and to animals. Many other clans train animals for combat, but the Matsu Beastmasters take a personal approach to each beast. The lion is a savage creature that fights as part of a group called a pride. The Beastmaster adopts lion warcats into his own pride, bonding emotionally and spiritually to each warcat that charges into battle beside him. The Beastmaster treats his warcats as equals, fostering a sense of family and belonging.