Doji Domotai

Doji Domotai was a bushi and duelist of the Crane Clan. Domotai became the Crane Clan Champion in 1167.

Family
She was the only child of Doji Kurohito and Doji Akiko, and was called Sakura.

Gempukku
She trained in both the Kakita and Matsu schools. Her Kakita teachers during four years were the twins Kakita Yozo and Kakita Kaneo, and Matsu Atasuke was her sensei during her five years at Shiro no Yojin. Atasuke had fought alongside Matsu Domotai and talked about him as a true hero. In 1165 Domotai arrived to Tsuma as contender of the Topaz Championship. She met the ronin Hyou and defeated in the weapon contest the Mantis Yoritomo Juchiro. Domotai won the contest and passed her gempukku. She chose the name of Doji Domotai in honor of the dead Lion hero, and guessing that so long as she carried a Matsu's name, her father would remember the friendship the Cran clan promised with the Lion. She was appointed as Imperial Guard in Toshi Ranbo.

Hoshi, the Celestial Wanderer
The night after her gempukku Domotai was talking with Nagori when both saw a half man, with a long, serpentine lower torso, its torso swirled with countless mystic tattoos. Doji Reju told he had been visited by the Celestial Wanderer, Hoshi, who had returned to warn him about three strangers conspired against Togashi Satsu, the Dragon Clan Champion.

Betrothal
In 1166 Domotai was betrothed to Ikoma Kusari, the son of the Ikoma Daimyo Ikoma Korin. It was a political maneouver engineered by Akodo Setai to avoid a war between both Clans and accepted by Doji Seishiro and her father to reduce the risk of the uprising of a peasant rebellion in the small Crane city of Hitsu Taekeru.

Marriage
In 1167 Domotai was married to Kusari at Kyuden Doji. The two young samurai did not love one another, as usually happened in most samurai arranged marriages Kusari took the family name of his wife. They were coming to appreciate one another in the months since their wedding.

Topaz Champion - 1167
In 1167 Domotai was one of the judges in the Topaz Championship.

Crane Clan Champion
Akiko was killed by her husband after her connection to the Gozoku was announced before Toturi III by Ikoma Masote and Doji Takeji. Masote had gathered evidence of caravans of goods being redirected from where they were needed to the stronghold of Bayushi Atsuki in the Unicorn provinces. The Emperor denied Masote to follow the tradition that a treason to the Emperor had to be atoned by the death of all the traitor's family line. The Righteous Emperor spared in that way the life of Akiko's daughter Domotai. Kurohito committed seppuku shortly after and Domotai was appointed as the new Crane Champion. Domotai took her father's blade, her own daisho having been set aside to await the birth of her first child. She ordered any edict from the Imperial Court bearing the chops od Doji Nagori and Doji Seishiro was to be treated as if issued by herself.

Seeking Revenge
Domotai asked Akodo Setai traveler papers to see her husband's father and Ikoma Daimyo, Ikoma Korin. Domotai exposed the fact that Masote had withheld the news of Akiko's treachery for months, in the hope of making a greater name for himself by revealing it directly to the Emperor. Ikoma Otemi ordered him to die a coward's death for this treachery, and Domotai herself dealt the killing blow. The ancient wounds Kurohito's death had opened were bound again. Domotai did not know that Ikoma Yasuko had worked to remove Masote's support, convincing the Ikoma Daimyo, Ikoma Korin, that his failure to neutralize Domotai when he engineered the death of Akiko was a sign of weakness.

Yotsu family
The Jade Champion, Asahina Sekawa, lobbied to Domotai to grant Crane lands to the Yotsu family, for their effort in the protection of the ruins of Otosan Uchi. The Yotsu had aided the Jade Legions to cleanse the city's ruins of the Ninube.

War of Silk and Steel
The War of Silk and Steel began in 1167 between Lion and Dragon Clans but the Crane was also involved when a group of Dragon Nemuranai Hunters, operating in Crane provinces without authorization, inadvertently discovered gaijin pepper hidden by Daidoji Harriers. A group of harriers attempted to kill the Dragon and after the gaijin pepper detonated, only a single combatant on each side survived seriously wounded. Domotai appointed Kakita Nakazo as taisa of the Crane army in the conflict. It quickly ended when the Unicorn Clan Khan Moto Chagatai invaded Toshi Ranbo in 1169. During the assault on the city, the Dragon Clan Champion, Togashi Satsu met with Domotai and the two settled their differences quickly.

Domotai and the Harriers
The Dragon Clan daimyo Togashi Satsu recently drew Domotai's attention to the dishonor that was concealed within the Daidoji family, more specifically the Harriers and their use of gaijin pepper which was forbidden by Imperial Law. Outraged, Domotai swore to see the Harriers' operations dismantled, and had ordered the Daidoji Daimyo Daidoji Kikaze to do so. He had agreed to this, rather reluctantly, but when Domotai sent Doji Fumisato to investigate, it appeared that Kikaze had not done as instructed in the wake of (and perhaps because of) the march on the capital by Moto Chagatai. Fumisato returned with the lord of the Harrier castle's head, Daidoji Hakumei for the crime.

Third Yasuki War
A meeting between Domotai and Hida Kuon sparked a war between the Crane and the Crab. Kuon claimed to have evidence which proved that the late Emerald Champion Yasuki Hachi was not the rightful heir to the Yasuki family, and demanded the next Yasuki daimyo swear fealty to the Crab alone. Domotai refused to accept that, as she would not allow him to contradict the word of Doji Kurohito.

When the war dragged on and the Crab found themselves unable to keep their army supplied through the winter, Yasuki Jinn-Kuen was sent to Domotai to ask for terms. In exchange for Crab testimony that Kurohito's word was true and the Crane's claim to the lands was legitimate, Domotai arranged for Jinn-Kuen to marry a Crane woman, and gave him control of the Yasuki lands as her dowry.

Winter Court - 1170
Domotai attended winter court at Kyuden Otomo in 1170. Domotai had chosen to wear fashion from the time of Hantei X, causing a mad scramble by most courtiers to obtain similar clothing. Placing orders at all the kimono shops in the city, she placed a stranglehold on who could and couldn't obtain the proper fashion. Those who were gifted with the fashionable clothing or allowed to place orders included; Master of Fire Isawa Ochiai, Otomo Daimyo Otomo Hoketuhime, Amethyst Champion Yoritomo Yoyonagi, various Lion, Crane and Phoenix dignitaries, and Bayushi Saya.

Domotai entertained Akodo Setai, attempting to learn how the Lion were faring against the Unicorn. Setai himself wished to learn how the Crane were faring against the Crab. Domotai had also chosen to send the Daidoji Daimyo Daidoji Kikaze to spend the winter at Kyuden Ikoma, perhaps as punishment for the debacle with the harriers.

Children
Domotai was with child around the time of the crowning of Empress Iweko I.