Courtier

While many see being assigned as a tender of the Emperor’s favored menagerie as a sign that one has clearly displeased a superior of great influence, many of those who ‘earn’ such a promotion have taken to it with all the devotion and duty that such an important role requires. A small number of them have even managed to learn something from studying such proud and self-important animals.

Sponsored by the Imperial house, the Legion of Two Thousand - recruited from some of the best soldiers in Toturi’s ronin army - enjoys resources and support which most ronin can only dream about. As a result, it has been able to develop extensive martial techniques, an extremely rare accomplishment for wave-men.

The Disciples are an ancient ronin band based around Sun Tao’s legendary book. The leaders of the band believe they possess the only complete copy of Sun Tao’s writings. Due to the band’s age and dedication, it has actually developed multiple Techniques. Those raised within the band usually learn the Gaze of Sun Tao initially before moving on to study the Disciples’ advanced teachings. However, the Disciples also recruit other ronin who have learned different basic Techniques.

The Imperial families are not generally given a great deal of consideration by the average citizen of Rokugan. Even most members of the samurai caste go their entire lives while glimpsing only one or two true Imperials, and many of the more remote family branches never encounter one for generations at a time. The Imperial families are simply smaller than most of those who serve the clans, and their spheres of influence are relatively limited in comparison to their clan counterparts.

The Scorpion Clan is the Clan of Secrets, and the Scorpion Instigator strives to maintain mastery over that domain. These courtiers are given access to rigorous training designed to exploit their own weaknesses until they become strengths. The Instigator learns to control the flow of conversation so that his falsehoods can pass undetected even against the most trained investigators. His ability to mask the truth keeps his opponents unsettled and unable to perform at their best.

The Doji Courtier School thrives on alliances, maintaining a vast network of friends and favors. The elite order known as the Children of Doji claims absolute dominance over the Crane system of allies and favors. Each of these elite courtiers is trained to understand that nothing is beyond one’s reach- so long as one has the aid of a few dozen friends. The Children of Doji know everyone desires something and all samurai below the Emperor must bow to the will of another. Know the correct favor to offer, know the right ear in which to speak, and an entire court will dance to one’s tune.