Bayushi Paneki

Bayushi Paneki was a left handed bushi and tactician of the Scorpion Clan. Paneki became the Scorpion Clan Champion in 1166 and held the position until 1172 when he became a plague zombie.

Demeanor
Paneki was intelligent, ruthless, beautiful, and patient.

Defender of the Empire
Paneki first received recognition during the War of Spirits after destroying one of Hantei XVI's armies by poisoning their food stores in Unicorn lands in the Battle of Shiro Iuchi, which took place roughly midway through the war. The Steel Chysanthemum's armies had surrounded Shiro Iuchi and had almost stormed it until the Imperial Legions, Bayushi Paneki leading the Scorpion armies, and the forces of Morito arrived, eventually routing the spirit armies. Paneki had poisoned the food of the spirit army the day before the attack. For his service he was named Defender of the Empire by Toturi I, a title he always took very seriously.

Battle of Drowned Honor
In 1150 the spirit's legions threatened Ryoko Owari, the second largest city of Rokugan. Paneki reported the Crab Clan Champion's husband, Hida Yasamura, that the Scorpion could not stand against the Hida Tsuneo's armies. Hida O-Ushi, who had been supporting Hantei XVI since the beginning of the war, decided to send Yasamura leading the Crab cavalry to fight her own kinsmen. The Crab and the Scorpion won the day in the Battle of Drowned Honor, but Yasamura died by an arrow in his throat.

Imperial Legionnaire
Paneki served for a time as a Shireikan and Commander of the Eighteenth Legion.

Mirumoto Junnosuke
In 1158 Paneki came to the Iron Mountain Dojo to see Mirumoto Daimyo Mirumoto Uso. The Scorpion gave Uso a scroll explaining that Mirumoto Junnosuke was dishonored as a result of a poor command decision, but rather than bear his shame he chose to blackmail a superior officer into concealing it and Junnosuke was dismissed from the Imperial Legions with honor. He was charged with bringing news from Uso to Junnosuke. The Scroll ordered Junnosuke cast out from the Dragon Clan, making him a ronin. Paneki took the command of the Dragon army Junnosuke had been leading against the Lion Clan.

First Legion
Paneki served in the First Legion and became one of the most trusted advisors of Toturi Tsudao and a true friend. He had some differences with Doji Jotaro but when it was necessary, both samurai would put aside their differences to help Tsudao in the best way.

Tsuno
Paneki was with the First Legion and Tsudao pursuing the Tsuno in the Shinomen Forest.

Commander
Paneki became the shireikan of the First Legion after Tsudao proclaimed herself as Empress Toturi II. Since the day that she sacrificed herself for the Empire, he has worn a small symbol of the sun over his heart to represent his loyalty to her. He gave up the position to Toturi Miyako after he succeeded Bayushi Sunetra as Scorpion Clan Champion.

Aramasu's Dead Aftermath
Paneki and his fellow Scorpion considered the ambition and desires of Yoritomo Kitao to make her the perfect pawn. They secretely encouraged her ambition, resulting in the death of Yoritomo Aramasu and her rise as Mantis Clan Champion.

Supplying the Dragon Clan
In 1159, during the Dragon-Phoenix War, Paneki supported their allies, the Dragon Clan, supplying food. After the volcano which had erupted in Dragon lands, they would face starvation in winter time.

Fall of Otosan Uchi
In 1159 while the legions were figting the Tsuno in the Shinomen Mori the news of the Fall of Otosan Uchi came to them. Tsudao, Paneki and other Imperial Legion commanders where magically transported to Otosan Uchi by the naga Ghedai.

Shadowed Tower
The same year Paneki was part of the cabinet Bayushi Yojiro made to plan the activities against a secret group rising in the Scorpion heart, the Shadowed Tower. After a failed attack in a holding of the Tower, it was clear a traitor was within the cabinet, all the advisors were dismissed.

Kaede's Return
Paneki was beside Tsudao when she returned to Kyuden Seppun and met the returned Empress and Oracle of Void Toturi Kaede. Tsudao had to gather her brothers to face Daigotsu, and after that Kaede would decide the next Emperor. Paneki asked the Oracle what would happen if Tsudao took the Imperial Throne after Kaede, without following the Oracle's path. Kaede foresaw millions would risk their lives in the stead of the Four Winds.

Death of Yojiro
After the death of Tsudao in 1160 Paneki resigned from the Legion and he was at the command of the Scorpion Clan Champion, Bayushi Sunetra. In 1164 Sunetra and Paneki knew Yojiro had been killed when he retired as a monk. He did not know the assassin was Shosuro Aroru, and the death was feigned to allow Yojiro, in the guise of Masatoyo, to aid Shosuro Yudoka and Aroru to root out any remaining Shadowed Tower cells.

War of the Rich Frog
In 1166 Paneki, still Shireikan of the First Legion, reached the Dragon Imperial Legions position near the City of the Rich Frog in Lion lands. Paneki delivered a message to Mirumoto Kei from Sunetra, her wishes the Dragon to limit their involvement in the War of the Rich Frog. Kei could not let it being the Dragon involved in the war at Emperor's will. Paneki offered himself as legionnaire to combat by her side, and Kei also refused.

Saving Mirumoto Kei's life
The situation of the Dragon Legions had become impossible. They were outnumbered, cornered out of retreat in a canyon by the junghar led by Shinjo Shono, with no hope for survival. Paneki met Shono and requested to let him pass toward Kei. If the Dragon could leave the area unmolested, Paneki swore the Unicorn would not be interrupted again by the Imperial Legions. Shono saw the possibility to turn a bloodshed into a quick victory and accepted. Paneki explained the Dragon had completed his duty to the Empeor, being the War to an end, and Kei accepted the terms as well, saving their lifes.

Scorpion Champion
The same year, the Scorpion Champion, Bayushi Sunetra, disappeared in the night, with no reason or warning, only a sealed note addressed with Paneki's name. He found that he was the new Scorpion Champion, and the Chamber of Swords answered to him. Paneki wielded Churetsu, the Celestial Sword of the Scorpion, as a way to openly inform the new charge.

Emperor's Wedding
In 1166 at Ryoko Owari the Emperor Toturi III married Akodo Kurako in a secret ceremony at the spur of the moment before the unveiling of the Toku's Shrine, in honor of the Fortune of Virtue. It was presided over by Seppun Kiharu, master of Toshi Ranbo's Ten Thousand Temples, witnessed by Yasuki Hachi, the Emerald Champion. It was not informed in advance to the Imperial Court and Naseru did it in the opening ceremony of the temple. Paneki began a spontaneous Utz salute in honor of the dead hero, Toku. He swore the temple would stand, strong and pure. Yoritomo Naizen, Rikugunshokan of the Mantis armies, offered their forgiveness to the Scorpion, closing the Blood feud initiated with Yoritomo Aramasu's death. Paneki gently accepted it.

Sunetra's Fate
This day Sunetra had finished a mission against the Gozoku, and had reported Naseru. She was intercepted by Paneki, who requested Sunetra explanations of her silent departure. Sunetra told she had stepped down to become the Underhand of the Emperor, Naseru's spy and assassin personal agent. She swore Paneki that never would claim the Scorpion Championship.

Hida Kisada
After the return to life of Hida Kisada, the Fortune of Persistence, the Scorpion Clan watched hin closely. They saw the Great Bear as traitor who turned against the Scorpion Champion Bayushi Shoju during the Scorpion Coup and later sought to betray the Emperor Hantei himself. In 1167 Paneki and Yudoka tasked Shosuro Aroru with the mission to follow him and know if he was a hero or a villain.

Lost Ambassador
This year near the Kaiu Wall Aroru saw Daigotsu Soetsu, a Lost, to enter Crab territory and surrender himself without fight. He was kept prisoner until Kisada met him. Soetsu told the Shadowlands were in a subtle civil war, Lost followers of Bushido against demons of Jigoku. He requested Kisada military aid, the Damned, and in return Daigotsu would show Kisada a way to restore his grandson, Hida Kuroda, from the abomination Kyofu he currently was. Aroru reported his masters what had been said.

Vendetta Against Hida Kisada
Since the return of the Fortune of Persistence, Kisada, to Ningen-do in 1166 there was open hostility between the Scorpion and Crab. This was largely due to Kisada's unwillingness to aid Bayushi Shoju during the overthrow of the Hantei dynasty in Kisada's original lifetime, an act most Scorpions (including Paneki) still viewed as betrayal. For this reason, as well as the strife caused by other spirits who returned to take part in the War of Spirits, Paneki decided it would be best if Kisada was returned to the spirit realms rather than meddle in the affairs of mortals. In 1167 Paneki and Yudoka decided to plan the death of Kisada.

Kisada sends a message to Paneki
This attitude spilled over into many assassination attempts on Kisada's life ordered by Paneki, which accomplished little more than taking the lives of some of those who served Kisada. A package was sent to Kyuden Bayushi addressed to Paneki. It was open by Shosuro Maru's yojimbo, Bayushi Muhito. Inside was a bloodied mask of one of the Scorpion assassins and a note.

""Keep your dogs on a shorter leash. K""

- Kisada

The Lost
After the newly known Oracle of Thunder, Mitsu, was presented to the Imperial Court at Toshi Ranbo, Kisada brought the Lost emissary Daigotsu Soetsu before Emperor Toturi III. Kisada's goal was to demonstrate to the Scorpion he was a ruthless and determiend opponent. The Emperor banished Kisada from the Imperial City and declared that the Great Bear could not return on pain of death unless he was summoned by the Emperor. Soetsu was made a guest of the Scorpion Clan to be questioned by Doji Tanitsu. As a gift, Daigotsu gave the Scorpion the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, now cleansed of all Taint.

Naseru seeks Enlightenment
Naseru met Paneki in a secret meeting held in the Castle of the Emerald Champion, and told he would seek Enlightenment. The Emperor requested the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng as a matter of disguise. Unexpectedly Satsu appeared and made a tattoo over Naseru's missing eye, giving him both a disguise and protection from the Mask or the danger of the taint.

Bishamon's Wrath
The rice production of the Scorpion Clan lands in Kagoki had been devastated by a manifestation of the Fortune Bishamon, angered that the Scorpion did not protect Rosoku, Shinsei's heir. Paneki sent Bayushi Tsimaru to make a rice trade agreement with their allies the Monkey Clan. Officially Tsimaru would be dealing with matters regarding his betrothal to the Monkey Clan Champion's daughter, Toturi Miyako.

The Wanderer
In 1168 Paneki questioned Soetsu in his prison at Kyuden Bayushi about the Tomb of the Seven Thunders, but the Lost knew little of it. Toturi III had traveled alone into the Shadowlands to find it, and the life of Soetsu would be short if the Emperor died, because his petition in the court would become pointless. Aroru, Soetsu's guard, was sent by Paneki to find the Emperor.

Crab-Scorpion War
Though he survived the attempts on his life made by Scorpion ninja, Kisada was outraged, and personally took command of Tsuru's Legion to begin a brutal series of raids on Scorpion villages. To end the attacks on their villages, Paneki and Shosuro Higatsuku devised a plan to sate the Great Bear's thirst for revenge. Higatsuku was sent to intercept Kisada, and explained that it was he who had ordered the attempts on Kisada's life, not Paneki. Kisada killed Higatsuku and led his troops back to the lands of the Crab Clan.

Shinjitsu
Shinjitsu was the final gift of Tsi Xing Guo, the Fortune of Steel, to the Scorpion Clan in 1167. When it was first delivered to Bayushi Paneki, he gave the blade to Shosuro Yudoka to guard. After Yudoka's death in 1168 the blade passed to the young diplomat Shosuro Jimen.

Investigating the Spider Clan
Paneki dispatched Bayushi Eisaku in 1169 to investigate Spider Clan activity in Zakyo Toshi, with information provided by Shosuro Maru. Eisaku discovered that the two Spider in Zakyo Toshi were tainted, and returned to Kyuden Bayushi to inform Paneki of this.

Winter Court - 1170
During Winter Court at Kyuden Bayushi in the winter of 1169-1170, Paneki approached Ide Daimyo Ide Tang and ordered him to steal a gaijin spoon that had been given as a gift to Togashi Kanaye by Ide Eien. Paneki did not reveal to Tang why he wished the spoon stolen. Later Paneki approached Master of Earth Isawa Emori and thanked him for his assistance in saving the Scorpion crops. Paneki also "let slip" that he was supporting Otomo Hoketuhime for Empress.

The Bride of Secrets
His bride Toturi Miyako was kidnapped by a group of bandits made up of Mantis or former Mantis samurai. Miyako was rescued by Dragon Clan magistrates Mirumoto Narumi and Kitsuki Nagiken, who defeated the kidnappers in their lair in an abandoned jade mine in Spine of the World Mountains. Paneki arrived in the cave as the fight with the bandits was ending. Miyako's face and throat were severely damaged by the bandits. Bayushi Paneki removed his own mempo and placed it over Miyako's face, telling her that it would remain there, covering her wounds as long as she wished.

Children
Miyako was two months pregnant in the Month of the Hare in 1170, and gave birth to a boy. The child, named Bayushi Ichiro, was blessed by the Empress Iweko I herself as the Empress attended her first Winter Court at Kyuden Bayushi in the Month of the Boar later that same year.

Paneki's Disgrace
In 1172, during the Plague War, Paneki became infected with an illness. Unable to find a cure, and the prognosis leading to his death within months, he began to make arrangements for his seppuku. Slowly his health worsened, until they day came where he could no longer postpone his death. He travelled to Bayushi's Shrine where he commited seppuku, with Bayushi Shinobu as his second and designated heir until such a time as his son would come of age. After performing the three cuts, however, Paneki's body rose as an undead and killed the entire retinue who had followed him there, including Shinobu. The creature became known as Paneki's Disgrace and Bayushi Miyako tasked Bayushi Keirei with its destruction. Keirei tracked the creature to a village, but was unable to attack it as Keirei was swarmed by undead. Paneki's undead corpse disappeared, and Keirei was forced to flee.