Ichiro Rinko

Ichiro Rinko was a samurai-ko of the Badger Clan, daughter of the Badger Clan Champion Ichiro Kihongo.

Appearance
Rinko had a stocky body which stood on bandy legs. Her eyes were sharp, and her mind was even sharper. She developed a knack for lulling opponents into a false sense of security, then striking when they least expect.

Claiming in the Court
Rinko was only fourteen when her father, the Badger Clan Champion Ichiro Kihongo, sent her south to Otosan Uchi in 1126. The Imperial Magistrate who discovered the clan's destruction, Kuni Osuki, had claimed that he and his men destroyed the rampaging oni, Hideo no Oni. This was a lie, and Rinko arrived at Imperial Court claiming to represent an extinct clan and challenging the honor of an Imperial Magistrate. One of Osuki's men, shamed by Rinko's steady accusations, who recanted to the Emperor. Rinko was vindicated and her clan's honor restored; while Osuki was forced to commit seppuku.

Courtier
Rinko remained in court afterward, serving as the Badger Clan's official representative to the Emperor. She fulfilled her duties as best she could, ignored by most of the court. Her peers referred to her as “the little burrower” behind her back.

Toturi III's Reign
Under the rule of Toturi III the Badger Clan's secret duty, to defend the Ryoshun's Grave, was exposed. The Clan finally had the respect it was earning all along, and Rinko's stock rose in the courts. She was aware of the toll of her duty in the Court had exacted on her, and she mjore resembled the painted courtiers of the capital than her kin at home. For this reason, Rinko sent her son and future Bqadger Chqamjpion, Ichiro Ryozan, home at an early age to live with his grandfather.