Lion Clan



The Lion Clan are the Right Hand of the Emperor, recording the military and political interactions between the Clans. They are the epitome of bushido and the picture of valor. Next to the Seppun family, they are most likely to serve as the Emperor's guardsmen, and they make up the greatest share of the Imperial Legions. The Lion Clan was founded by the Kami Akodo.

Disposition
The Lion are the most militant and aggressive of all the clans, revering bushido and loyalty to the Emperor as life's two most essential governing principles. The Lions rigidity and strict adherence to tradition has made diplomatic relations with other clans very difficult, especially with the Crane and Scorpion Clans. To the Lion, an ancestor is more than simply a spirit of the past; they guide the current generation of Lion in their everyday life, and shape destinies. They are more than the Clan's past - they are its present and future.

Military
The Lion Clan army is widely known for two things: ferocity in battle, and its massive size. Over half a million men, organized into many thousands of units, make the Lion army almost double the size of any other army, save perhaps the Unicorn Clan.

The organization of the Lion Clan's armies reflects the level of discipline with which each Lion samurai directs their daily lives. Although the command structure is incredibly complex, they are strictly defined and enforced. From the youngest Lion bushi to the Lion Clan Champion himself, each and every Lion samurai knows his place and duty in the giant war machine that is the Lion army.

The most important breakdown within the Lion army is between two families - that of the Akodo family, and that of the Matsu family. The rivalry between the two is clearly shown in the prime focus and training of the armies as much as it is in individual samurai.

The Akodo Army
The training of Akodo children is begun under the words of the house motto - "Duty, Honor, Leadership". These three words reflect the beleif that strength can be gained when warriors support each other. Most Akodo drills are designed to emphasize coordinated efforts of two or more bushi working in concert to maximize their combined strengths. Akodo bushi train constantly to wheel and march on command, and to perform complicated tasks with speed and efficiency.

While every other family in Rokugan relies upon individual glory to inspire their fellow bushi, the Akodo knows that with his brothers and sisters he is stronger than his opponent can be. If he trips, his brother will pick him up. If his sword arm is severed, his sister will step in and fulfill his duty. If his courage should ever fail, his ancestors will bolster him and fill him with the spirit of the Lion Clan.

Flowing like water around their opponents' attacks, an Akodo army redirects the opposing force and crashes into them like waves from the sea.

Ranks
Lion samurai depend on glory to understand their place in the Celestial Order. To all Akodo, all men are sons of the first Akodo, and all are considered equal in his eyes. Their daimyo is the "eldest son", the incarnation of Akodo One-Eye. Other Lion must prove their worth to the family, and thus earn their place in the heirarchy, rather than relying solely on birth to bring them glory. The Akodo are more united than almost any other family in Rokugan, so this rarely leads to bickering and glory-hounding.

When a soldier rises in rank, his comrades cheer and conragulate them rather than envy that bushi because of his success. This comradeship is part of what it means to be an Akodo, and it is widely known and accepted that to insult a single Akodo is to insult all Akodo.

The Matsu Army
Bushi of the Matsu Bushi school are taught warfare through a series of brutal tests of endurance and courage. Each day is designed to forge weakness out of the prospective bushi, and to shape the chi residing inside the soldier. Bushi who fall are left to lie in the dust, so every student seeks to prove his worth. The Matsu army also includes the specialized forces of the Deathseekers and the Lion's Pride.

Akodo and Matsu
After the Tournament of the Kami, Akodo went out in search of men and women worthy to stand beside him in protection of the Emperor. For each man who stood upto Akodo's challenge and succeeded, a hundred more stood and failed.

Akodo's bloody search was said to have been chastised in the courts of the Emperor by those who witnessed it, and proclaimed him a scourge upon the land of Rokugan. Each year, for the Hantei's coronation anniversary, Akodo returned to his brother's palace, with no followers, nor brilliant generals to lead his waiting armies.

Led by Ikoma and Kitsu, the Lion clan grew slowly. Still, Akodo was not satisfied. The Lady Matsu, who was possibly the greatest mortal warrior known, had not come to be tested. When he finally convinced her to fight, the sky and the earth is said to have shaken. (WoLion pages 16 & 17)

The Lion Thunder
When the first monk, Shinsei, gathered the seven men and women who would become known as the Seven Thunders, Ikoma Jujinin, eldest of Ikoma's nine sons, stepped forward. Before he could follow, the Lady Matsu struck him down with a fist to the face. She stood before the monk with a firey passion burning in her eyes, as if daring anyone to refute her claim. None did, and Lady Matsu became the Lion Clan Thunder. (WoLion page 17)

Storms over Matsu Palace
In 1131, the recently rescued Toturi I commanded Unicorn Magistrates to force the Lion to answer for their crimes in his absence. The Lion had been practicing maho, and the Jade Champion himself, Kitsu Okura, had a hand in the corrupting of the Lion. The Unicorn marched upon the Matsu, but were eventually repelled by foul arts, maho-tsukai, and the terrible Oni no Okura. (3E p. 22)

Current Events
The Lion are currently suffering from a sting they have not felt in living memory – they lost the War of the Rich Frog. The Lion desperately need to reapir not only their lost honor but also their wounded pride. Ikoma Otemi, the regent Lion Clan Champion, must find a way to revive the faith of his own demoralized clansmen. Otemi realizes his limitations in the areas of combat and tactics, especially when he compares himself to Matsu Nimuro, but he has found a solution, nonetheless. Matsu Yoshino, Nimuro's heir, is too young to assume the Championship, but there is great potential within the boy. Otemi arranged for Yoshino to have his gempukku years earlier than normal so that the boy could be an honorary member of Otemi's own personal guard, shadowing Otemi through his duties. In this way, Otemi is allowing Yoshino to gain valuable knowledge and insight into the duties of the leader of a Great Clan. Now, with the Khan and the Unicorn clan making their winter assault to the capitol, Otemi and Yoshino are quickly forced to lead the Lion Clan against the Khan.

Statistics

 * Capital: Kyuden Ikoma
 * Population: 5 280 000 (approx)
 * Military: 292 000 samurai
 * Imports: Raw Materials
 * Exports: Copper

Families
The following are the families of the Lion Clan:
 * Akodo family
 * Ikoma family
 * Kitsu family
 * Matsu family
 * Shimizu family (now defunct)

Schools
The following are the schools within the Lion Clan:
 * Akodo Bushi
 * Akodo Forward Sentry
 * Akodo War College
 * Ikoma Battle Crier
 * Ikoma Omoidasu
 * Ikoma Tactical
 * Kitsu Shugenja
 * Kitsu Sodan Senzo
 * Matsu Bushi
 * Matsu Elite Guard

Samurai
See Samurai of the Lion Clan for a listing of notable members of the clan, both current and historic. For the leaders of the clan, see also:


 * Lion Clan Champion
 * Akodo Daimyo
 * Ikoma Daimyo
 * Kitsu Daimyo
 * Matsu Daimyo
 * Shimizu Daimyo

Major References

 * Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition Page 6.
 * Way of the Lion Pages 1-22, 26, 36-37.
 * Samurai Edition website Samurai Edition Website