Perhaps no family in the Empire is so keenly attuned to the ways of the Realm of Animals as the Kitsune family. Throughout their long history, first as the Fox Clan and later as a family of the Mantis Clan, certain individuals within their ranks appear to be able to slip free of the normal confines of Earth magic and accomplish amazing feats through their pacts with the animal spirits of Chikushudo.
The guidance of the Oracle of Thunder allows the shugenja of the Mantis Clan to discover new ways to call on the power of Thunder.
Formed during the twelfth century, the Spirit Legion is comprised of a handful of Kitsu shugenja with the ability to reach across the boundaries of the Spirit Realms and summon the spirits of those realms to serve them. The ability cannot be taught - one must be born to it = and those with the gift are quite rare.
Founded by Kitsu Sonosuke, the Disciples recruit those in the Kitsu family who are talented shugenja but lack the pure bloodlines to become Sodan-Senzo or the militant spirit to join Bishamon’s Chosen. They devote themselves to venerating the spirits of the Empire’s rivers, great and small, and their power serves the Lion Clan in many ways, from irrigating local rice paddies to defending the clan’s northern border or moving troops and supplies safely along waterways. The Disciples are seen as eccentric but well-meaning and honorable by the rest of their clan. New Alternate Path:
The Lion Clan is home to the greatest armies and generals of the Empire. The martial tradition is the center of every Lion samurai, be he a priest or a warrior. The Kitsu family largely favors the traditional paths of priesthood, but the Kitsu shugenja do not shirk their duties to the clan. Bishamon's Chosen learn to wield weapons and march into battle beside their bushi brethren. Their fervor and dedication to the Celestial Order remains pure, however, whether in the sanctity of the temple or in the chaos of the battlefield.
The Tamori are an intensely pragmatic family, far more so than most shugenja families, and have a number of ideas that more conservative groups view as almost heretical. In particular their embracing of martial traditions, taking the field not merely in support of the bushi but as actual weapon-wielding combatants, has earned them the ire of many other families. Similarly, their desire to craft their own weapons, which they consider necessary to ensure proper quality, is something many others find distasteful.
The Tamori family has been brave and combative ever since its inception. Tamori shugenja often train alongside their Mirumoto brothers to improve their coordination. The yama-bushi (Warrior Priest) consider his martial training equally as important as his connection to the kami. The Warrior Priest can use his bond with the elements to increase his observation of the field of war, allowing him to perform awe-inspiring feats of prowess.
The ancient techniques of Togashi Kaze, which formed the basis for almost all modern Rokugani martial arts, still survive in a somewhat abbreviated form among the Dragon Clan tattooed monks. The technique is rare and those who know it usually pass it down privately to a few select students, preserving its secrets from the samurai who Kaze opposed.
Founded in the years immediately after the creation of the Centipede Clan, the Sisters of the Sacred Light were originally created to deal with infestations of mischievous spirits. Although founded by the Centipede, they recruit women from several clans, and those women are expected to forsake their former loyalties in order to follow the path of purity and wisdom which the Sisters teach. They dress in the traditional garb of a temple priestess (a red hakama and white gi), bereft of all markings save for a single clan mon to indicate their ancestry.
The Asahina family are known both for their devotion to peace and for their appreciation of beautiful things, and it is not uncommon for individuals in the family to pursue the creative arts, including sculpture - many of the Asahina monasteries and temples are filled with splendid and famous statues, with admirers traveling from all over the Empire to look upon them. A lesser-known artistic tradition within the family depends not on the permanence of stone but instead on the fleeting beauty of fire to create its sculptures.