Kisada

Kisada was the Fortune of Persistence, as named by Emperor Toturi I. In life he was Crab Clan Champion Hida Kisada. Kisada married Hida Tsuriko. The couple had two sons, Hida Yakamo and Hida Sukune, and one daughter Hida O-Ushi. In addition, his younger brother was Hida Tsuru and Hida Amoro was his nephew. Kisada was known as the "Great Bear", and he was one of the strongest, and certainly the largest samurai in Rokugan.

Family
Kisada was son of Hida Atsumichi and Hida Narumi, and brother to Hida Tsuru and a sister who would be Hida Amoro's mother. Hida Shiroi was a distant nephew.

Youth
At the age of five, Kisada traveled with his father to the Imperial City, and they stopped at a inn in Lion lands on the way. While Atsumichi arranged for the rooms, Kisada wandered into the village, taking in the new world. He was startled from his stroll by the sound of children, and he turned the corner to see a group of three Lion boys tormenting the son of a peasant. The peasant stood by helplessly while the three boys shoved his son into the mud repeatedly.

Kisada watched in silence, and then asked the peasant why he did not intervene. The peasant replied that he was forbidden to intervene, as the three Lion were sons of a local magistrate and therefore nobility. The next day it rained, and Kisada's father was forced to remain in the inn, so Kisada again went into the village. Again he came upon the three bullies attacking another child even more savagely this time. Kisada stepped forward and asked the three what they were doing, and the lead boy told him to mind his own business. The boy struck Kisada, who fell to the ground. The three Lions quickly tired of the beating of the peasant and went their own way, but Kisada was seething with fury at this point.

The next morning the weather had cleared and Kisada's father was making ready to continue his journey when he found Kisada all covered in mud. Kisada asked his father if the trip could be delayed for an hour, and Atsumichi agreed. Kisada then went to seek out the three boys, who he found lounging outside the village tea house amusing themselves with tales of their accomplishments the previous days.

Kisada positioned himself twenty feet away and cursed at the boys with the foulest language he could muster. Kisada turned on his heels and ran, the three boys in hot pursuit. They were so taken up with chasing him that they missed the trap Kisada had laid out for them. All three tumbled into the hole Kisada had dug that night, breaking bones. Kisada left them there and went to his father.

Three weeks later, on their way home from the Imperial City, they stopped in the village again, and Kisada went to the pit to see what had happened to the three Lions. He found their rotting bodies, and all he said was, "This is what it means to challenge a Crab."

Life
Since the incident with the three Lions he consistently demonstrated a tactical genius and lust for battle, and none could compare to the sheer combat prowess of Kisada. He disdained combat with other clans, seeing Fu Leng as the only enemy worth his efforts. He would be dismissive and condescending to all non-Crabs. He rarely left Crab lands and his contempt for Hantei XXXVIII was no secret. He was easily the tallest man in Rokugan, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, and would use his size to overpower enemies in combat, relishing close quarter combat with Shadowlands creatures.

He was happy with the progress of his children Yakamo and O-Ushi, but less so with Sukune. Even though Sukune displayed a knack for strategy his physical ailment was a source for great concern. Kisada would constantly wonder if Sukune could be trusted to defend the Empire.

Personality
Kisada was a quiet man, who spoke with the power of a gathering storm, wearing the Ancestral Armor of the Crab Clan, Ketsuen, at all times. On the rare occasion he would take it off his personal armorer, Kaiu Bugati, would keep it for him. It was widely rumored that no man had ever wounded Kisada and lived. Kisada in his fifties was a huge man, with a deep grey heard, iron grey eyes and many battle scars, dressed in the dark colors of his clan.

Death of Kisada's Wife
Kisada's wife, Hida Tsuriko, mother of Hida Yakamo, and Hida O-Ushi, became ill after prematurely giving birth to the infant that would become Hida Sukune. Tsuriko died five years later from a protracted illness. Kisada never remarried, and as far as the Empire knew, had no more children.

Reign of Hantei XXVIII
Kisada believed Rokugan needed strong leadership, and he could think of no one better suited to lead than the Crab Clan. It was time for the Empire to unite and destroy the Shadowlands once and for all. Kisada called Hantei XXXVIII the "Old Man on the Throne", and he had not the will to do the task.

Confronting Tsume
In 1115 Kisada gathered an army when he heard rumors of a Shadowlands army that had been assembled. A group of Crab and Ronin scouts were sent to harass the enemy force, and they were decimated by the enemy force led by Moto Tsume. Only one ronin survived, her hair became white from the experience.

Siege of Shiro Kuni
In 1118 the arrival of Kisada to Shiro Kuni thwarted the assault of the Shadowlands during the Battle of Twilight's Honor. His entrusted castle's Daimyo, Hiruma Makasu, had been maddened during his station there, misleading the Crab forces, which were nearly obliterated.

Scorpion Coup
Kisada led the Crab Clan army to the capital Otosan Uchi in 1123 after the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju assassinate the Emperor. Shoju had hoped that Kisada would side with him, providing the strength to hold the throne. Kisada decided to join the united clans against Shoju, and Shoju's fate was sealed. Kisada revealed to his daughter Hida O-Ushi in a letter that it was Shoju's act of asking for aid that led him to side against the Scorpion.

Alliance with the Shadowlands
Hida Kisada formed an alliance with the Shadowlands in 1126, and the combined forces began to march on Beiden Pass.

Kisada manipulated by Kachiko
Kisada came to the Imperial Court and had to talk with Kachiko, due to the Emperor's illness. Kachiko mentioned to him how disappointed she was that the Crab had neglected his duty to guard the wall, because Kakita lands were vulnerable to shadowlands invasion. She pointed out that if an army held Beiden Pass the southern and northern Clans would be isolated from each other. Kisada attempted to use this to his advantage, as Kachiko intended.

News about the death of Kisada's wife
Hida Tsuriko, Kisada's lovely wife, who had died many years ago, was found she died as the victim of a ninja's poison.

Marching North
Kisada's army made it's way north. Hida Sukune commanded the Crab army that sacked Kakita Castle. Crab forces also seized and pillaged Ryoko Owari Toshi after defeating two of the Imperial Legions guarding the city.

Battle of Beiden Pass
Crab forces under command of Sukune seized Beiden Pass at the south end, but discovered at the northern end a combined army of ronin, Dragon, Unicorn and Naga troops led by Toturi the Black.

Sukune's forces were struggling at first, driven south.

Dealing with Shadows
Kuni Yori convinced Kisada to make another bargain with the Shadowlands. He gave the cut hand of Hida Yakamo to a summoned Oni, linking Yakamo and the Oni, and in return he got a tainted claw.

Assassination Attempt
Kisada was the target of a Kolat assassination plot, but the Goblin Kappuksu saved his life. In return, Kisada made him a samurai on the spot.

Sukune sacrified to Fu Leng
As a last chance to turn the tide, Kisada unwittingly allowed Kuni Yori to sacrifice his son, Sukune, to Fu Leng. After a dark ritual Sukune was nailed to the war banner known as the Terrible Standard of Fu Leng.

Crab fleet
Kisada sent many members of the Kaiu family to the southern islands of the Mantis Clan. Kaiu Suman was in charge of the building a Crab fleet there, to be used for Crab sea deployment in the shores of Otosan Uchi. Kisada loaded his army onto the war barges and proceeded to sail along the coast to the Imperial Palace.

Invading Otosan Uchi from sea
When the Crab army arrived, they found a Lion army waiting for them. Matsu Tsuko had moved her armies out of Crane territory to the north where she could protect the capitol. The information was provided by Bayushi Kachiko herself, who had learned of the plan through the Great Bear and had passed the information on to her ally in the Lion Clan 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.

Possessed Emperor


In 1127, believing the Emperor was dying, the Crab stormed Otosan Uchi to place Kisada on the throne. Instead, they found Fu Leng had possessed Hantei XXXIX, who mortally wounded Kisada, lodging Akkuai-uo, the Ancestral Sword of the Hantei in his gut. The Crab army was forced to retreat from the capital as Yakamo pulled his father from the palace through the tunnels below the Imperial Palace guided by a servant of Kachiko. .

Kisada became despondent, and intended to commit seppuku to cleanse the Crab of the shame from allying with the Shadowlands. Yakamo convinced Kisada to help plan the attack on Otosan Uchi instead, giving the dying Crab Champion one last purpose.

Joining Toturi
Kisada offered Toturi the Black a truce in exchange for Crab's assistance in the incoming battle against the shadowlands Dark Lord's forces. He had studied Otosan Uchi to plan his invasion, with Kisada's guidance, the army of the Seven Thunders defeated Fu Leng's hordes.

Death
The wound finally caused his death in 1130, nearly two and a half years later, but his aid had been instrumental in the success on the Second Day of Thunder.

Fortune of Persistence


Although many saw him as a traitor to the Empire for attacking Otosan Uchi, others, including Toturi, understood his actions and gave him the funeral pyre of an honorable samurai. To honor the Great Bear, Emperor Toturi I named him the Fortune of Persistence at his funeral, a tribute to Kisada's unwillingness to die, even after being mortally wounded by Fu Leng himself. Others saw it as a clever move by the Splendid Emperor to win the Crab Clan's support early in his reign. A temple, Kisada's Shrine was made in his honor. What happened to the previous Fortune of Persistence, Kaiu Sudaro, was unknown.

A Hero's Tale
The tale of the rise, fall, redemption, and death of Hida Kisada was recorded in the book Persistence.

Legion of the Dead
In 1166 Kisada joined the Legion of the Dead. He had stepped forward to answer Matsu Goemon's call, to fight the Legion of Blood. As the two forces initially battled for control over the newly forming realm in 1166, Isawa Tsuke released a massive explosion intending to stop the First Oni, but it also disrupted the realm and knocked everyone in it into private memories of critical choices in their lives. The Realm of Thwarted Destiny was testing each of them, to see if they would embrace their destines or reject them. The realm could become a place where those who failed their destinies could repeat their failures for eternity or a place where those who failed could embrace their fates and find redemption.

Selected to be Returned
Naka Kuro guessed the new Realm had a connection with the Mortal Realm through the Oblivion's Gate. The Legion of heroes were afraid that crossing to pass the Gate could destroy whoever not enough strong who tried it. Kisada was selected as the most viable option. Kuro had talked with Toku, to know where the Monkey kept the Hidden Heart of Iuchiban, who would be necessary to defeat Iuchiban.

Return
In 1166 Kisada returned through Oblivion's Gate by Rezan, as he was the only person in Rokugan who knew how to find the location of Iuchiban's heart.

Two Lords
Kisada returned to Kyuden Hida, and his Clan offered him a great reception. His grandson Hida Kuon even offered the position of champion to him. Kisada declined, but the presence of two such strong leaders created a rift within the Crab. Hiruma Todori later told words to Kisada that disturbed him. There were so many among the Crab that wished to follow the Great Bear rather than Kuon. He met his grand-grandson, Ichiro, and Kisada knew the future of his clan was in good hands. Koman the horse which Kisada used to ride after his return had been a present of Hida Reiha, wife of his grandson.

Seeking the Hidden Heart
Kisada had to began his quest to recover the Hidden Heart of Iuchiban and requested Hiruma Rikiya, Hida Benjiro, and those who found him at Oblivion's Gate as his side. Their first movement was to march to Lion lands. Aoiko was unaware that Kisada had returned to life and blocked the pass of Kisada's army into Lion lands, requesting him to turn back. Kisada struck Aoiko across the face, confirming who was he. The Lion joined Kisada's quest. In the Hall of Ancestors Kisada retrieved a piece of the Hidden Heart of Iuchiban, which would be key to locating and killing the Bloodspeaker.

Attacking the Bloodspeakers
Kisada and Aoiko led the united armies of the Lion and Crab Clans against the Bloodspeaker, who was waiting in his Iron Citadel at Otosan Uchi. Isawa Sezaru joined them and told that in every city his hidden cultists have struck out in a wave of murder, betrayal, and destruction. Daigotsu, who had recovered his full power came by sea to the city to fight the Heartless.

Death of Iuchiban
Kisada stood locked in hand-to-hand combat with Iuchiban himself, distracting the Bloodspeaker from the presence of Isawa Sezaru. The armor he wore gave him partial magical protection. The Wolf took the heart and Iuchiban fled the battlefield, to reach Sezaru. When the two powerful shugenja fought the immortal Iuchiban died. Kisada had survived the battle, but he did not know what to do with his life.

Retired
Kisada retired to Koten with his great grandson, Ichiro, and trained him. Aoiko was a frequent visitor.

Daigotsu's Bargain
In 1167 near the Kaiu Wall Daigotsu Soetsu, a Lost, entered Crab territory and surrender himself without fight to Hiruma Tokimune and Hida Kosedo. He was kept prisoner until Kisada met him. The Great Bear when Fortune had seen how Soetsu, a former Hiruma, prayed to him. Soetsu told the Shadowlands were in a civil war, Lost followers of Bushido against demons. He requested Kisada military aid, the Damned, and in return Daigotsu would show Kisada a way to restore his grandson, Hida Kuroda, from the abomination Kyofu he currently was. The Lost made repeated trips to Koten, to meet Kisada. but Kisada only was learning on his enemy, and he would strike when the time comes.

Demon Uprising
At Koten Hiruma Hiroji told to Kisada that the northernmost regions of the Shadowlands were in upheaval. The beasts that dwelled there had been driven into a maddened rampage by forces unknown. They destroyed everything in their path save on another, and were marching south to the City of the Lost. The armies of demons faced the hopelessly outnumbered Lost in battle in its journey. It was the Time of Demons. The report confirmed Kisada whether Daigotsu Soetsu was sincere in his offer of peace and his request of support.

The Damned
Kisada began to prepare to fight the Shadowlands. working with the Damned alongside with Kyofu.

Animosity with the Scorpion
Following Kisada's return to Ningen-do, there was open hostility between the Scorpion and Crab Clans, partly due to Kisada's actions when Bayushi Shoju tried to overthrow the Hantei dynasty in Kisada's original life. Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Paneki decided that in the wake of the War of Spirits, it would be best if Kisada was returned to the spirit realms rather than meddle in the affairs of mortals.

Kisada sends a message to Paneki
This attitude spilled over into many assassination attempts on Kisada's life ordered by Paneki, which accomplished little more than taking the lives of some of those who served Kisada. A package was sent to Kyuden Bayushi addressed to Paneki. Inside was a bloodied mask of one of the Scorpion assassins and a note.

""Keep your dogs on a shorter leash. K""

- Kisada

The Lost
Kisada brought the Lost emissary Daigotsu Soetsu before Emperor Toturi III in the Imperial Court at Toshi Ranbo. As a result, the Emperor banished Kisada from Toshi Ranbo and declared that the Great Bear could not return on pain of death unless he was summoned by the Emperor. Kisada's goal was to demonstrate to the Scorpion he was a ruthless and determiend opponent.

Crab-Scorpion War
Kisada had survived the attempts on his life made by Scorpion ninja, but he was outraged. In 1168 Kisada sent a unit led by Hida Sozen into Scorpion territory. They attacked and burned to the ground villages and farmlands that had no strategic importance, giving the Scorpion the opportunity to take their deserved punishment and felt no need to retaliate. It would made the peasants feel unprotected hurting its production. It marked the beginning of the open hostilities at the Crab-Scorpion War.

The Unknown Son
After his death in 1130, Kisada learned that he had unknowingly had another son with a woman named Kita. The mother, an honorable samurai, never told Kisada, nor anyone else. She found the Great Bear's actions during the early days of the Clan War so shameful that she felt it better that her child live not knowing his father was a villain. After his return through Oblivion's Gate he vowed to track down his son, if still alive, and get to know him. After completing his duty to bring down Iuchiban, Kisada tried to find his son. Learning that he had been taken in by the Kitsuki family he discovered that his son, Kitsuki Yasuo, had become a magistrate but had been killed by bandits.

Granddaughter
Kisada alone unleashed his anger upon the bandits while in Dragon lands, searching for his granddaughter. With the aid of the zokujin Kjgkt, Kisada was shown to where his grandaughter Kitsuki Yoritoko could be found, in the Last Step Castle. Kisada and Yoritoko spoke, and Kisada gifted her his famous helm. A pained expression was on Kisada's face when he knew Yoritoko was betrothed with a Doji.

Kisada attacks the Scorpion
In 1169 several gunso at Kisada's command were killed by Scorpion assassins, in retaliation for the attacks. Kisada personally took command of Tsuru's Legion, and joined the brutal series of retaliatory raids on the Scorpion villages. To end the attacks on their villages, Paneki and Shosuro Higatsuku devised a plan to sate the Great Bear's thirst for revenge. Higatsuku was sent to intercept Kisada, and explained that it was he who had ordered the attempts on Kisada's life, not Paneki. Kisada killed Higatsuku and led his troops back to the lands of the Crab Clan.

Yasuki heritage exposed
Feeling a distraction was needed in order to prevent Kisada from suspecting duplicity, Higatsuku also had given him a scroll with information on the Yasuki family's line of succession. This led to the Third Yasuki War.

Race for the Throne
With the Imperial Throne empty, many Crab believed Kisada would be the best option as new Emperor, and Sozen was the champion of this cause. Since the Great Bear seemed uninterested in the notion of the Race for the Throne there were those who were beginning to believe Sozen might be a suitable man to take it.

Winter Court - 1169
During winter court at Kyuden Hida, Kuon appointed Sozen as the Crab candidate for Emperor. His connections with the Dragon Clan could bring support from other quarters and there were many that claimed he had gained enlightenment. Kisada disagreed that Sozen was the best option, but Kuon kept his decision unchanged, despite he maintained support for Kisada's option to the Throne.

Second Death


Kisada was murdered at Koten in 1170, but the Crab did not know who was responsible.

Kisada had been attacked by ninja during the night, and managed to kill two dozen of them with his bare hands before a blow to the back of the head rendered him unconscious. He was then executed by Yogo Kazunori. While Kazunori was not acting on orders from the Scorpion Clan, Kisada's death benefited them by exacerbating the Third Yasuki War (as the Crab blamed the Crane for his murder).

Upon his death, Kisada returned to his position as Fortune of Persistence.

Dead for a greater good
Kazunori was a mastermind who sought to lure the Emerald Magistrate Seppun Tashime to investigate on Kyoso no Oni. Kazunori knew a great threat, Kali-Ma, could destroy the Empire through her link with Kyoso, and manipulated many events to avoid it. Kisada was a pawn who died for a greater good. His death was the first of many events prepared by the Scorpion priest which would save Rokugan.