Shugenja

The Isawa are the greatest shugenja in the Empire, and while the family would never claim this openly, the behavior of those who have trained in their prestigious School bears this out. Fortunately, most others recognize the truth of it as well, and accept it with varying degrees of resentment or resignation. The Isawa are nearly twice as a large as the next largest shugenja family in the Empire. Indeed, there are so many among their ranks that they are nearly the size of a typical bushi family.

During their centuries of service to the Dragon Clan, the Agasha pursued many unconventional paths of magic, pursuits which were carried out with the full resources and endorsement of the Agasha Shugenja School. In addition to their alchemical interests, the Agasha have always had an interest in the creation of spells that invoked kami of multiple elements simultaneously. Among the Phoenix the Agasha have been given leave to pursue this area of study as far as they wish, and have made tremendous strides in the area of multi-elemental spells.

There are few families in the Empire as diverse and ambitious as the Yoritomo, so it is no surprise the family supports a small number of shugenja. The tradition stems back to the earliest day of the Mantis Clan. Kaimetsu-Uo, the clan's founder, had no capacity to speak to the kami, but one of his daughters did and she married a ronin who possessed the same ability. Thus began a branch of the Yoritomo family that possesses an unparalleled ability to commune with the spirits of the sea and storm.

The practices of the Moshi shugenja were developed over the course of many years spent in unwavering devotion to the Sun Goddess. Despite the celestial upheaval that has occurred within the Celestial Order during Rokugan's history, the Moshi have managed to retain their devotion even if the nature of their magical studies has changed somewhat. Since joining the Mantis Clan, their focus has shifted from one of pure theology to more practical concerns, and they excel at invoking the kami who hold sway over the weather.

The Fox Clan is located next to one of the largest forests in Rokugan, a fact that has shaped the direction of their lessons. Each Kitsune shugenja gains a love for the spirits and the tranquility of the deep forest after countless hours meditating within its borders. This connection between man and beast is encouraged and strengthened with comprehensive lessons.

The ancient rituals of the Kitsu School have remained virtually unchanged since the family's creation, and the notion of putting aside the relics of the past has never even occurred to the family. Because of the Kitsu family's unique origins, they have always possessed insights into the relationship between the mortal world and the realms beyond. Their ability to perceive the bonds that tie the living to their ancestors have gradually expanded to the point that they area also able to sense and even manipulate the bonds that an individual might possess to other realms.

Formed from the remnants of the Agasha family following their defection to the Phoenix Clan, the Tamori have inherited centuries of experimental studies conducted by their predecessors, and have embraced it just as they did. The most prominent among these unusual disciplines is the study of alchemy. The Tamori have mastered the abandoned Agasha secret of containing the essence of a spell within ritually prepared liquids, allowing them to be used later.

Much like the family as a whole, the Asahina sensei who teach at the various branches of the Asahina Shugenja School extol the virtue of preserving life over heedless destruction. As much monks as priests, the Asahina focus on scholarly pursuits and meditation as a means of finding their path in the world. They conduct the same rituals on behalf of the Crane that other shugenja families perform but they use the opportunity to raise questions for those participating or observing the rituals. The Asahina regard everything as a teaching opportunity.

Once misunderstood, the Kuni Shugenja School has frequently been painted as a collection of obsessive madmen who delve too deeply into secrets no one should explore. Most Kuni would object to the label of madman, but beyond that they would admit the stereotype fits fairly closely with reality. The Kuni understand they must sacrifice certain inhibitions and reservations in order to serve their Clan and Empire to the best of their ability, and they do so without protest.

Since the war in the heavens, the Shadowlands has stilled, with even random attacks on the wall now extremely uncommon. Enough time has passed now that many samurai do not believe in the Shadowlands, and even those with reason to know better outside of the Crab are beginning to question the levels of resources that the Crab get from the rest of the empire, until and unless a threat is shown.