Toturi I

Akodo Toturi was the Lion Clan Champion before the Scorpion Coup. In response to his actions following the assassination of Hantei XXXVIII he was cast out by Hantei XXXIX. He became the ronin Toturi the Black. When the emperor was consumed by Fu Leng, Toturi and the other Clan Thunders battled him. With the Hantei family extinct, Toturi was crowned Emperor Toturi I.

Appearance
Toturi was a pale man, with his long mane of hair dyed gold. He stood nearly six feet tall, and rarely wore his armour, instead preferring the robes and kimono of monks. His attitude and courtly words caused the Lion to uncomfortably mutter, but his intelligence gained a reputation, both on the battlefield and in the courts.

Childhood
As the first son of an Akodo and a Matsu, Toturi's life was one of balances. Before, samurai from the Akodo and Matsu families were not allowed to marry, not only because of the competition between the two houses, but also to prevent the strife a child would create. When his father married his mother, they agreed that any male children would be raised as Akodo, so when Toturi was born, the Matsu, expecting a girl, turned on him and branded him weak.

At the age of 5 Toturi was taken to the dojo's to be trained in kenjutsu, but his training proved to be disastrous, for Toturi was meek, and full of thought. Despite the many sessions of instruction, Toturi seemed to have no interest in martial pursuits, and Akodo Daio began to agree with his wife Matsu Sodohime, and sent Toturi to a monastery within the Phoenix lands, where he lived for more than ten years.

There, he dedicated himself to the study of tactics, strategy and the Tao. His mentor was an Acolyte of Water in the Brotherhood by the name of Master Suana. Occasionally, Akodo Kage would visit the monastery and teach Toturi the basics of kenjutsu and bushido.

Toturi and Arasou
Toturi's brother, Akodo Arasou was born three years after Toturi, and quickly became his parents favorite, displaying an aptitude and liking for violence that Toturi lacked. After his first major victory against the Unicorn Clan, Arasou was proclaimed heir to the Akodo. Toturi and Arasou met only rarely, usually when Toturi was home for festivals and other formal occassions.

When Toturi was twenty, Arasou was engaged to Matsu Tsuko, the daughter of the Matsu daimyo. For a year Tsuko and Arasou put off their wedding, with Arasou promising his bride Toshi Ranbo wo Shien Shite Reigisaho, but Arasou was killed trying to take the city from the Crane Clan. Toturi's uncle, the Lion Clan Champion was wounded, and died later, causing Toturi to be recalled.

Akodo Daimyo
Although Toturi was not ready to be a daimyo or a war leader, he threw himself into his tasks applying the wisdom he gained from Master Suana, and although Toshi Ranbo wo Shien Shite Reigisaho was never retaken, the Lion thrived.

Scorpion coup
Toturi was not present when Hantei XXXVIII was assassinated and when the son of the emperor was believed dead, then-Akodo Toturi claimed the throne to stop bickering between the other clans. When Hantei XXXIX returned alive, Toturi immediately abdicated, but under the influence of Bayushi Kachiko's manipulation the new emperor decided to dishonor Toturi and the Akodo name. Toturi became a Ronin and the emperor refused his request to commit seppuku. As Toturi the Black, he roamed Rokugan gathering followers.

Second Day of Thunder
Toturi was the Lion Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder in 1128 and together with Doji Hoturi he struck down Fu Leng.

Light of Heaven
After the death of Hantei XXXIX he was proclaimed the new emperor, Toturi I. Ruling from a newly crafted jade throne, he oversaw a brief period of relative peace and cooperation between the clans as they worked towards the common goal of rebuilding Rokugan.

The Disappearance of Toturi I
In 1130 the Emperor's chambers were found ruined, his bed bloody. A thorough search of Otosan Uchi turned up clues implicating the Scorpion, and Bayushi Kachiko was brought to the Imperial City to answer for her clan. Countless courtiers and nobles were assembled to bring testimony against the Scorpion. The Emerald Champion Kakita Toshimoko calls in the aid of the Kitsuki, acknowledging the Kitsuki method of evidence for the first time in history. The Kitsuki find nothing implicating the Scorpion, but nothing implicating anyone else either. As the Scorpion are unable to answer for the testimonies brought against them the acting Regent Takuan orders them to be exiled to the Burning Sands and all Scorpion children under 12 to be fostered to the Crane. (3E p. 20-21)

The Lying Darkness
In 1132 Toturi was found shackled and beaten in the ruins of Morikage Toshi by Unicorn scouts. The forest and castle was filled with apparitions of ghosts and shadows the Naga called The Foul. The truth was revealed that Toturi had been held by the Lying Darkness which was trying to allow the Empire to fall into chaos. The Unicorn, led by Otaku Kamoko brought the weak and sickened Emperor back to Otosan Uchi, igniting a small flame of hope in a dark Empire. (3E p. 22)

The Madness of Toturi
After his torture by the Lying Darkness Toturi was never the same, and begun a cleansing of Otosan Uchi in 1132 of everyone he deemed to be a Kolat (a word nearly unheard of). On even the loosest evidence people would be executed. Among the dead was Isawa Osugi. Takuan, horrified by his lords actions, commited seppuku. (3E p. 22)

The Gift of the Emperor
In 1132 Toturi held a contest to win a boon from the Jade Throne. All clans were invited to attend, each sending one candidate. The winner of the contest, a ronin candidate entered by the Dragon Clan, turns out to be Bayushi Aramoro who requests his clan be allowed to retake their lands. The Scorpion are then restored to their place in the Empire. (3E p. 22)

The Lucid Moment
In 1133 Toturi broke free of the hold the Lying Darkness had over him. In this moment of clarity, he realized that if the Darkness took the soul of an Emperor, the Empire would be lost. In a hasty ceremony, he married his fiancee Isawa Kaede, committing seppuku shortly after. In doing so he denied the Lying Darkness his soul. With no named heir at the time, this left Kaede as the Empress, and as she was the Oracle of Void, the Lying Darkness could not touch her. (3E p. 23)

Death and Legacy
Kaede bore him three children after his return. The eldest, a daughter, Toturi Tsudao, the eldest son, Toturi Sezaru and the youngest, another son, Hantei Naseru, named such as a concession to Hantei XVI at the end of the War of Spirits. Toturi also had an illegitimate son, Kaneka. He was born to the geisha Hatsuko, who had prevented Toturi from being present during Bayushi Shoju's attempted coup. Toturi was killed when his caravan was attacked by Fushin, the Onisu of Betrayal. It is believed, though it can never be proven, that he was on his way to Ryoko Owari Toshi to proclaim Kaneka to be his rightful heir. Kaede disappears shortly after leaving no clear leader of Rokugan. This starts the four heirs in a two year struggle for the throne. (3E p. 25)