Ikoma Tsanuri

Ikoma Tsanuri became the Lion Clan Champion after the Second Day of Thunder. Tsanuri did not gain the position through right of birth, as is standard with most Clan Champions, but through the strength of her history as a reknowned general of the Lion Clan.

Childhood
Ikoma Tsanuri was born under highly auspicious circumstances - she was born on New Year's Day, and a crow landed on her crib and cawed when she took her first breath. Later, her family learnt of a leper who had been cured of his disease, and they rejoiced, for she was surely destined to become great.

Choosing her Destiny
Even at an early age, shugenja watched and waited for some sign from the child, and they marvelled at how quickly she learned. Kitsu Agunori suggested that she be allowed to choose her own destiny, so on her fourth birthday, she was placed before three objects - a fan, representing the courtier, a mempo, representing the samurai, and a scroll, representing the shugenja, and whichever item she chose would be the path she followed. Tsanuri spent some time looking at all three items, then she looked to the throne of the Lion, then to the daimyo of the Lion Clan. Finally, she stood up, and walked past the three items, past the throne, and past the daimyo, to stand before the man standing in the shadows - Akodo Toturi. She took his hand and turned to face her parents with a smile on her face.



Her mother and father were outraged, even going as far as accusing Kitsu Agunori to be a spy from the Scorpion Clan, sent to dishonor the family. Agunori responded with "If I had a sword, I would make you pay for those words," leading Tsanuri's father to toss him his own katana. It was then that Tsanuri stepped forward, still clutching Toturi's hand, and returned her father's blade to him. Her father in turn, gave Tsanuri over to Toturi's care, saying that he was her father now, for "her true father has failed her". That night, he fell upon his own sword.

Studies with Toturi
Tsanuri left the Lion lands with Toturi and went to live with him in the monastery for ten years. Whilst there, Akodo Kage taught her kenjutsu and kyujutsu.

At the age of 15, some of the monks in the temple began to question Tsanuri's presence among them, but, by conincedence, Akodo Arasou was killed at that time, leading to Akodo Toturi being called back to the Lion Clan lands to serve as the Akodo daimyo.

Tsanuri and the Matsu
A few years after Toturi became Daimyo of the Akodo and Champion of the Lion, Tsanuri began to notice a disturbance among the Lion bushi, especially those of the Matsu family. Many of the bushi began to question Toturi's authority, and to head off any difficulties, Tsanuri begun to spend time with the Matsu samurai, and Matsu Tsuko in particular. She quickly began to learn at Tsuko's feet, and became her favored student.

Trap against the Fallen Lion
Matsu Tsuko prepared an army commanded by Tsanuri to trap Toturi the Black in Lion lands with it. Toturi was trying to move his own forces through Lion territory to aid the Crane Clan. Because he had sent secret messages to his sensei, Akodo Kage, Lady Kachiko was fully aware of his position and movement. Every time he made a maneuver, Tsanuri cut him off, informed by the Empero's bride.

Defending the Empire
By the climax of the Clan War, Tsanuri became one of the most vocal supporters of the Fu Leng-possessed Emperor. As she had once been Toturi's student, she was chosen to lead the front lines of the Lion in defense of Otosan Uchi on the Second Day of Thunder.

At first, her Imperial armies clashed with Kitsu Motso's Lion, and Lion slaughtered Lion with abandon while Yogo Junzo's army simply watched and laughed. When Toturi's Army arrived, Toturi the Black raised his sword high and pointed it at Junzo, and united the Lion with five simple words: "For Tsuko and for Rokugan!" Shown the error of her ways, Tsanuri turned her forces around to attack the city.

The undead Hida Amoro fell against her blade in the assault of Otosan Uchi.

New Champion
After Toturi's ascension to the throne he choosed Tsanuri as the new Lion Clan Champion, beign dead Matsu Tsuko, and over the more popular Kitsu Motso. In the stronghold of the Akodo, Tsanuri sought to rebuild her fractured clan. Tsanuri knew his weakness as a governor, but was a great tactician in the field.

The Unexplained March
In 1131, without preamble or explanation, Tsanuri gathered a legion and marches south in Lion Clan lands, presumably to the lands of the Crab Clan. Matsu Daimyo Matsu Ketsui and Jade Champion Kitsu Okura had no inkling of her purpose.

In response, the Unicorn Clan moved to attempt to prevent what they perceived as the prelude to an attack on the weakened Crab Clan. The assistance of the Unicorn, however, eventually proved to be unnecessary, as Tsanuri's march was eventually shown to be aid the Crab for their fight against the Shadowlands. Tsanuri aided the Crab in the second assault of the recently fallen Kyuden Hiruma, and the corpse of hida Yakamo was recovered. Later he joined the forces marching to the Battle of Oblivion's Gate.

Race to Volturnum
Tsanuri delayed the Shadowlands forces led by Akuma no Oni, allowing Kitsu Motso to reach Volturnum with one thousand of Ikoma samurai in aid of the Empire at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate.

Death
Tsanuri died a few days before the actual Battle of Oblivion's Gate, en route to Volturnum, in a heroic fight against the Shadowlands forces, in order to distract them from Volturnum.

The place of her death is kept pure, blessed with a torii and worshipped by the Lion Clan samurai.

Major References
Way of the Lion pages 67 & 68