Bayushi Kachiko

Bayushi Kachiko was one of the most important Scorpion in the 12th century. She was the wife of the Scorpion Clan Champion as well as the Champion herself later, the Empress of Rokugan and the Scorpion Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder.

Birth
Kachiko was born Shosuro Kachiko, the first child of Shosuro Daimyo Shosuro Koshurin and elder sibling of Shosuro Hametsu. Despite being the first born, she was not the designated heir to the Daimyo because she was not male.

Childhood


Kachiko never liked her brother Hametsu and spent her childhood taunting him. She learned that she could manipulate boys, especially in physical matters, as she would use older boys to taunt Hametsu.

Training
Kachiko was sent to train at the Bayushi Courtier school. She learned to use rokugani politness to her advantage, and all the courtier tricks of the school.

In addition to her charm, it was rumored that she had two other ways of obtaining secrets. She was rumored to carry a magical mirror, as well as being able to use Divinitory Pools.

Betrothal, Marriage and Lover


Kachiko had been betrothed to Hiruma Maruku as a child, until the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju saw her beauty and decided to marry her himself. Not caring for the hideous appearance of Bayushi Shoju, she loved him for the man he was underneath. Kachiko was only sixteen and just past her gempukku when Hiruma Maruku challenged Kachiko's father to a duel at the court over the change in marital arrangements. The son of the Emerald Champion, Doji Hoturi, stepped in and fought for her honor in the place of her father, cutting the crab duelist in two. Hoturi and Kachiko would later become lovers until she became pregnant, at which point she ordered her bodyguard Bayushi Aramoro to tell Hoturi he was not to come see her anymore and that she didn't love him.

Bayushi Dairu
Kachiko secretly had a son with Doji Hoturi, Bayushi Dairu. Shoju was aware that the child was not his, but still accepted him as the heir to the Scorpion Clan and Bayushi family. Hoturi killed Bayushi Dairu at the end of the Scorpion Coup in 1123, as the allied forces under Akodo Toturi attacked the palace. Hoturi did not know that had killed his own son until his dying moments at the Second Day of Thunder five years later.

Bayushi Yojiro


Bayushi Yojiro was tasked by Shoju to keep a subtle watch on Kachiko, to make certain her indiscretions did not endanger the clan. Yojiro followed his daimyo's orders to the letter, staying close to the Lady of the Scorpion as often as he could. And while he was not immune to her allure, his loyalty proved to be a suitable shield to her more dangerous charms. Such virtue was found frustrating by Kachiko on more then one occasion.

Yojiro was later forced to plot the shame of Matsu Ino and the murder of his lord, after Ino had made an accusation against Kachiko. Ino woke up the next morning, without memories, near the bloody corpse of his daimyo.

Imperial duty
In 1120, Kachiko was appointed the personnal aide of Emperor Hantei XXXVIII. The position had little "official" political power, as she was mainly tasked with assisting the aging Emperor in reading and compensating for his failing eyesight. She was chosen because of her devotion to the imperial court as a Scorpion courtier.

Scorpion Coup
Shoju, fearing the leadership and tactical brilliance of the Lion Clan Champion Akodo Toturi, enlisted Kachiko in a plot to eliminate Toturi. Kachiko used the geisha Hatsuko to lower Toturi's guard, and then ordered Hatsuko to poison Toturi shortly before the Coup began. Hatsuko, who had fallen in love with Toturi, could not kill him and fed him a paralyzing poison instead. Toturi survived and recovered, and led the united clans against the Scorpion Clan at the capital.

Clan War


After the death of Shoju in the Scorpion Coup, Kachiko convinced Hantei XXXIX to take her as his wife. In her heart she always remained true to her husband, and continued his work after his death. Her marriage was a ploy to manipulate the Emperor and be capable of aiding her hunted Clan from the very heart of the Empire. During the Clan War Kachiko did her best to meddle with other leaders of the clans as a form of revenge for Shoju.

Emperor's Illness
Kachiko slowly began poisoning the Emperor, which the Imperial Doctor incorrectly diagnosed as the plague that had been ravishing the lands.



Assassination Attempts
There was an assassination attempt made against Hantei XXXIX, in the begining of the Clan War. It was unknown who instigated the attempt, or why, but the Emperor survived thanks to Kachiko, who was wounded in the process. It was secretly a plan of Kachiko's to gain credit in the court, and the assassin gave his life for this plan.

Later, a second attempt was made when a ninja named Tantoko failed to kill Hantei XXXIX using one of the Jade Goblets of Taira as a weapon. Yasuki Taka supected that Bayushi Kachiko had been behind the plot.

Against the Empire
Hida Kisada came to the Imperial Court, but could not meed with the Emperor due to his illness. Meeting with Kachiko instead, she mentioned to him how disappointed she was that Crab had neglected their duty to guard the wall, because Kakita family lands were vulnerable to shadowlands invasion. She pointed out that if an army heldBeiden Pass, the southern and northern Clans would be isolated from each other. Kisada later attempted to use this to his advantage, as Kachiko had planned.

Against the Dragon
In 1127 in the month of the Goat, she offered Onnotangu's Hand to Mirumoto Hitomi, in exchange of her participation in the test of the Emerald Champion. The hand caused much of turmoil within the Dragon Clan for the next five years.

Against the Crane
In 1127, in the month of the Monkey, when the Test of the Emerald Champion was held, she used the cursed nemuranai the Egg of P'an Ku on her former lover Doji Hoturi because he had killed their son, Dairu. The False Hoturi went on a rampage through Crane lands until it was finally killed by Hoturi.

Against the Lion
After the Battle of Beiden Pass the Unicorn were guarding Beiden Pass. As true followers of the Emperor, the Unicorn were used by Kachiko to seek pain and destruction against the Lion. Shinjo Yasamura did not let to Toturi the Black's army pass, and as a result Toturi was obliged to cross Lion lands to reach the menaced Crane lands. Kachiko foresaw a bloody battle between Lion and their fallen Clan Champion. Kachiko also suggested the Lion make a pact with the Unicorn: they would share the newly conquested Crane lands to gain their assistance in destroying Toturi.

Against the Crab
Shortly before the Battle at Beiden Pass, Kachiko gave the Obsidian Hand to Mirumoto Hitomi to aid her against Hida Yakamo. Kachiko's desire was that the Great Bear would be without an heir when the Clan War was over.

Black Scroll
Kachiko got the ninth Black Scroll, the Return of the Fallen Lord, from a Lion. She passed it on to Soshi Bantaro, though forbade him from using it.

Naga aid Refused


Mirumoto Daini and naga arrived at Otosan Uchi seeking an audience with the Emperor. Hantei Kachiko explained that the Emperor was ill, and could not be seen. The Naga decided instead to their support to the first individual who shared their concerns about the rising darkness.

Return of the Fallen Lord
After Bantaro read the Black Scroll Shoju was summoned back to Ningen-do, as an undead. Bantaro arranged for a meeting between Kachiko and her husband, but neglected to explain the circumstances of his return. When Kachiko met her undead husband only the presence of Bayushi Tasu saved her from Shoju's vile caresses in his attempt to carry her into the land of the dead.

The Great Bear invaded Imperial City
Hida Kisada converted his merchant ships into troop transports and loaded his army to sail along the coast to the Imperial Palace. Matsu Tsuko with a Lion army were there waiting for them, having been provided information by Kachiko herself. She had learned of the plan through the Great Bear and had passed it on to her ally in the Lion Clan, the Kolat Master Akodo Kage. Kachiko saw an opportunity to crush the Lion Champion's heart and destroy the Lion armies once and for all. And so, just before the armies met, Tsuko received a message bearing the Imperial Seal. The message ordered her to stand aside and let her army fight by itself. Tsuko had no choice but to follow the Emperor's order. She rode her steed to a nearby ridge and watched as the Great Bear smashed her army.

Second Day of Thunder


The old prophecy had been fulfilled, the last Hantei Emperor would bring the downfall of Rokugan. The Emperor's body had become weakened from Kachiko's poisons that Fu Leng had managed to possess him. When Kachiko realized her mistake she sought to join Toturi the Black to stop what she had started. She fled with fear in her eyes, heavy rain covering her escape, but Togashi Yokuni stopped her on the Plains of Otosan Uchi and reminded Kachiko the duties of a Thunder. Kachiko returned to the Imperial Palace.

Commands to the Scorpion
When Kachiko's last hope, Hida Kisada, had been mortally wounded in the throne room, she panicked and wrote to the Scorpion Clan. She commanded them to flee to the Burning Sands, while she would remain behind to face the destiny Yokuni had told her about.

Confronted by the Emperor
The possesed Emperor, who now knew his wife's betrayal, confronted Kachiko in her chambers. As he readied to kill her she reminded him what Yokuni had explained to her; that every creature in the world had rules it must follow and her murder now would violate laws that were greater than even Fu Leng's power. He could not kill any Thunder until all seven were assembled.

Final Battle
Kachiko was the Scorpion Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder in 1128. She used her knowledge of the secret passage ways of the Imperial Palace to guide the other Thunders to the throne room where the final confrontation with Fu Leng took place. Kachiko used her hair pins, which were broken shards of Ambition, and stabbed Fu Leng in the eyes. Toturi, together with Doji Hoturi, struck down Fu Leng. Hoturi was mortally wounded in the struggle, and the couple had a last tearful goodbye before he died.

Hidden Emperor
Toturi I returned the Scorpion Clan to its seat in the Imperial Court, and the Great Clan status, and Kachiko continued to lead the Scorpion Clan after the Clan War and Second Day of Thunder.

The Hunt Begins
In 1130, the Emperor Toturi I disappeared and Kachiko knew that the Scorpion Clan would be exiled for that. Aramoro suggested the ninja Matsu Hiroru as the man to seek Toturi. In a meeting in Otosan Uchi, Kachiko tasked Hiroru, aided by the ronin Ginawa, with the quest to find Toturi.

The Scorpion Exile
It was Kachiko and the Scorpion which were accused of abducting the Emperor. Emerald Champion Kakita Toshimoko had no choice but to exile the entire clan into the Burning Sands, his lands where put under Crane control and the children below twelve remained in the Empire to be cared by the Crane.

In the Burning Sands


During his travel in the Burning Sands the Scorpion were discovered and slaughtered in battle. The survival Scorpion were taken as slaves by the Senpet. Kachiko was believed to be an avatar of Selqet, and was somewhat spared to rough a lifestyle.

Fate of Kachiko
In 1132, Kachiko was warned by Bayushi of an impending attack from Shosuro who had just escaped her crystal prison beneath Kyuden Hitomi.

Kachiko passed leadership of the Scorpion on to Bayushi Yojiro before she made her way to the lake hidden beneath Kyuden Bayushi. Shosuro found her there and attacked, but the spirit of Bayushi contained within the lake confused Shosuro long enough for Kachiko to help contain the Shadow-tainted essence of Shosuro by drowning herself.