Otaku Kamoko

Otaku Kamoko, also called The Mistress of the South Wind, was the Otaku family Daimyo during the Clan War and the Unicorn Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder.

Early Life
Kamoko's mother, also named Otaku Kamoko, was killed in battle with the Lion Clan. She was believed to have been killed by Matsu Agetoki, and Kamoko devoted her life to tracking him down and finding out the truth behind the killing.

Kamoko's Horse
Kamoko was only twelve years old when her mother's favourite mare Kouchi died while givin birth, a couple of months after Kamoko's mother had died. The foal had been promised to Kamoko by her mother, and when it was declared a stillborn by the Stable Master Otaku Kojiro Kamoko refused to listen. She breathed air into the foal's mouth, resussitating the foal. Iuchi Daiyu was noticed a mark on the foal's ankle, and deemed it a symbol of Osano-Wo. He deemed it an omen of war, but not death, and predicted that by the time the young Kamoko reached her gempukku there would be war.

""You can make it. I'm here - I'm with you. Neither of us will be alone again.""

- Kamoko

Choosing Names


Over the next few years Kamoko and the foal grew up together, and Iuchi Daiyu even took her as his student. When she reached her gempukku she chose to take her mother's name, and the Unicorn Clan Champion Shinjo Yokatsu himself spoke to the assembly at the ceremonies. It was Yokatsu who also noted how excellent a steed her foal had become, and when he realised she had not yet named him he called the horse Hachiman, thinking him as "rash and as impetuous as his mistress".

Otaku's Chosen Heir
Iuchi Daiyu had been at Kamoko's gempukku ceremony, but his demeanor was troubled during the evening celebrations. Kamoko noticed and asked what had affected him so and he told her of an old prophecy that Otaku herself was to appear and designate her chosen heir, but no such manifestation had appeared. Kamoko told Daiyu to forget old legends and instead enjoy the festivities. As she rode off he was still troubled, recalling how the Unicorn were prophesized to lose an upcoming war if the heir was not found.

Later that same evening Kamoko was seeking solitude, contemplating her battles and victories to come when she decided to head down to the fields where Hachiman would be waiting. The two rode for a while, even ignoring the lightning as a dry storm started. Lightning struck dry grass, and within minutes a flash fire was burning through the fields towards the location of the nearest barns where horses were stabled. Kamoko and Hachiman raced to the stables where the man who had once been the stable boy Otaku Masero was waking up. Kamoko made him aware of the approaching fire and he ran to ring the alarm bells. Masero pointed out that the fire would head towards the north fields where the pregnant mares were being kept in a barn.

""Then we must be faster then the flames.""

- Kamoko

Kamoko and Hachiman raced towards the north field, dodging past heimin trying to strat a line of buckets with water. The two sped through smoke filled air, reaching the barn where Kamoko began herding the mares out. Kamoko carried Hachiman's own son in her arms, and lay him across the back of Hachiman. The two drove the mares, driven mad by fear, through the nearby forest. Trees on fire all around them, they were almost to safety when a treebranch came falling down towards them. Resigned to her fate, Kamoko wrapped her arms around the colt in an attempt to shield it. At the last moment, the branch was cut out of the air by a silvery sword wielded by a ghostly samurai-ko on horseback. As the horses broke out of the burning forest and past the water brigade, they were greeted by cheers from the heimin and Otaku Kojiro. Kamoko revealed to Iuchi Daiyu that she had seen Lady Otaku in the fire, and Daiyu confirmed that Otaku had indeed chosen Kamoko as her heir.

Clan War
Kamoko led a small Unicorn army supporting Phoenix defence. With newly recruited peasants. she increased her cavalry troops.

Battle at Isawa Palace
Yogo Junzo marched on Isawa Palace, knowing the Phoenix held two of the cursed Black Scrolls. Strengthtened by the blackened wastes that surrounded the Isawa Palace, the combined Phoenix and Unicorn army was no match for Junzo's. In the Battle of Blackened Ground Junzo captured the Black Scrolls in the castle and set the palace ablaze. Shortly after the battle Kamoko was notified about the Dark Moto attacks in Unicorn lands and returned home.

Iuchi Temple
Yogo Junzo, who was seeking the descendant of Shinsei, split his army and stormed several temples of the Brotherhood. In a Iuchi temple, Kamoko and her battlemaidens defeated him, and it became known as the Battle of Iuchi Temple.

Defeat of Moto Tsume
In 1128 Tsume and his Dark brothers were ravaging Unicorn villages when Kamoko halted the attacks, in a campaign that lasted several months. She was wounded by a tainted spear in the month of the Rooster, but Isawa Tadaka eventually removed the spear-tip and healed her.

Second Day of the Thunder
Kamoko was the Unicorn Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder in 1128 and rode down Yogo Junzo in the assault on Otosan Uchi. During the attack on Fu Leng Kamoko was the first to attack the Dark God, but her reckless attack resulted in her being knocked out and almost killed very early in the fight.

Hidden Emperor
In 1129, Otaku Kamoko disappeared, intent of searching for her mother's murderer. Matsu Agetoki also disappeared around the same time.

They had their first encounter in a plague village, where Agetoki defeated her but did not take her life. Instead Agetoki tried to teach her about making a choice to harm innocents to avoid worse consequences.

Later, during her search for Matsu Agetoki, Kamoko was joined on her quest by Iuchi Karasu, also known as the Doomseeker, and it was while with him she first heard of the mysterious Kolat.

Kamoko's behaviour become so twisted from her vengeance that at one point she even issued a duel against his own Clan Champion Shinjo Yokatsu. Yokatsu refused.

Rescuing Toturi
Kamoko was almost sacrified by Jama Suru in Morikage forest, while she was under a Suru's charm. Otaku Xieng Chi saved her, fighting Suru and Kyoso no Oni. But she fled tainted.

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. It was revealed that Toturi had been held here by the Lying Darkness, which was trying to allow the Empire to fall into chaos. The Unicorn, led by Kamoko, brought the weak and sickened Emperor back to Otosan Uchi, igniting a small flame of hope in a dark Empire.

Confronting Agetoki
It was also during this time that Kamoko finally caught up with whom she thought was her mother's killer, Matsu Agetoki. Agetoki claimed it had actually been the Kolat and their machinations. Kamoko killed Agetoki, though honored him, as he had finally given her the knowledge she needed to find peace with her mother's death.

Death
Otaku Kamoko made a bargain with Kyoso No Oni so she could lead the Dark Moto to their destruction in 1133 at the Battle of Twilight Mountains. She let the oni lord into her body so that it would appear to the shadowlands horde that she was tainted, all the while remaining pure.

When the right time came, Kamoko managed to get close enough to Moto Tsume for Kyoso No Oni to defeat him. As she lay dying at the hands of Moto Tsume, Kyoso No Oni offered her a bargain to join the lost and she refused. Kyoso killed her.

As a reward for her sacrifice, Lady Shinjo put her among the stars and commanded the Otaku family to change their name to Utaku so Kamoko would be the last Battle Maiden to bear the Otaku name.

After death
Kamoko later joined the Legion of the Dead in an attempt to aid in the fight against the Legion of Blood.