Hantei

The First Hantei was the first Emperor of Rokugan, winner of the Tournament of the Kami. He reigned until the end of the War Against Fu Leng.

Fall from Tengoku
Hantei was born to Amaterasu and Onnotangu in Tengoku. After his birth, his father became jealous of the attention his mother paid to their children and fearful that they would usurp him. Led by this, Onnotangu sought out and swallowed whole each of his children. But Amaterasu, giving him sake after each child, poisoned Onnotangu with each cup.

By the time Onnotangu sought out Hantei, he had consumed his nine brothers and sisters, and nine cups of poisoned sake. While the poison could not kill Lord Moon, it made him so drunk that he mistook a stone for Hantei and swallowed it instead.

Amaterasu secreted Hantei away, protecting him from his father, who believed him swallowed. She taught Hantei of character and virtue, and of the man his father used to be. In this time Hantei also learned the art of the sword.

When Hantei next faced his father, there was an epic duel between the two. Hantei could not kill his father, but he did cut off his hand and cut open his stomach. When Onnotangu's stomach was cut open, Hantei's siblings fell out, and fell past Tengoku and to Ningen-do below. Hantei, still off balance from his fight, was pulled along with them by Fu Leng, who had grasped onto Hantei in an effort to save himself.

Fu Leng fell past Ningen-do and into Jigoku, the Realm of Evil. Ryoshun had been inside the stomach of Onnotangu the longest and went to Meido, the Realm of the Dead. Eight Kami fell to Ningen-do, the Realm of Man.

Rokugan
After their fall, the Kami realized that the world to which they fell needed guidance and organization. Hantei looked out and saw Rokugan as a child, that should be taught the wisdom it would need to flourish. The Kami realized they were just the ones for the task. The siblings organized a tournament, and the victor would be the ruler of the land and of the siblings. Hantei was the last contestant in the Tournament of the Kami. Besting Akodo, he proved his worth over his siblings and was made the first Emperor of Rokugan.

Fu Leng
Some time after the foundation of the Empire, Fu Leng appeared in Hantei's court. The Dark Kami demanded a chance to best Hantei, because he was not asked to the first Tournament. The assembled Kami refused him the chance, saying that they had sworn to protect Hantei. Shiba suggested instead that Fu Leng choose another to fight as Hantei's champion. Fu Leng chose Togashi, and told the Dragon kami to choose his weapon.

Togashi chose "all that lives in Rokugan." Fu Leng agreed. And with that, the War Against Fu Leng began. (Jade pp. 124-26)

The First Wedding
The story goes that Hantei searched the entire lands for a wife. When he arrived in Crane lands the Crane searched frantically for the most beautiful women they could find to gain the Emperor's approval. They searched a small village called Ikieto, but found only old women. The samurai left without knowing that the a fisherman had heard of their impending arrival and hidden his daughter, Doji Mioko, on a small island far from the village. Meanwhile the Emperor was shown beautiful and honorable women, but none stirred his heart. One day he was riding through the lands of the Crane, seeking sport and amusement when he got separated from his entourage. He found himself on the ocean shore, where he heard a haunting melody on the wind. He told the Crane of the voice, and they took him to Ikieto and commanded the fishermen there to take the Emperor to the island. The Emperor found nothing on the island, and returned to the palace empty handed. Mioko had been hiding in a cave on the island, and asked her father about the young man he had taken out to the island. He lied, saying it was a beggar, but that night she penned a haiku, and attached it to the leg of her pet bird and sent it in hopes of reaching the "beggar". The same night the Emperor heard a disturbance in the bushes and found a white dove entangled in the branches. He read the poem and decided then and there that the girl who had written the poem was the one he would marry. The fisherman attempted to pass off a simple maiden of his village as the girl who had written the poem, but the Emperor saw through the farce when he asked the girl to compose a new poem. Demanding the fisherman tell him who the real girl was the fisherman told him about his daughter. The Emperor was again taken out to the island, and when he finally saw Mioko he cried Jade Tears. The pair were wed, and the island was named for the fisherman's lost daughter. (Crane pp. 109-110)

Death
Most records agree that Hantei was Emperor until shortly after the end of the War with the Shadowlands in 45. Some records say that he died because of wounds he received during the war (and records do clearly show that he was wounded in the Battle of the Four Winds in 42), but the most accepted version is that at that time he quit the mortal world and ascended to Tengoku. (WC:KS p. 82, OU2, p. 7)

Notable Events
The following notable events occured during the reign of Hantei:
 * Pre-calendar - Foundation of the empire
 * ? - 42 - War with Fu Leng
 * 42 - The Day of Thunder