Dojo of Lies

The Dojo of Lies came about when the Scorpion Clan needed to train many students after their near total destruction during the Clan War. Shortly after the reinstating of the Scorpion Clan in 1132 and the War Against Shadow the following year the dojo admitted it's first class. Situated in the heart of Ryoko Owari under the watchful eyes of the Unicorn magistrates the Scorpion claimed that the location of the dojo would allow them to train their courtiers in an environment suited to the lessons. In exchange the Unicorn were allowed to come and go as they pleased in the dojo. With a name such as the Dojo of Lies would anyone be foolish enough to bring suspicion upon it, and anyone who wished to learn it's secrets needed only to come to study, in exchange for a favor or two of course. The Unicorn quickly realized that those who walked into the dojo had a tendency to wander in again and again, the Scorpion finding it easy to cater to anyones entertaining or distracting needs. Several members of the Unicorn and other clans have become agents of the Scorpion due to a visit for training here, not that anyone would be able to prove it.

Training
Unlike many dojo the doors of the Dojo of Lies are open to all who wish to enter. This was first believed to become a security problem, but the few outsiders interested in studying with the Scorpion caused no such problems. All invariable ended up as either pawns, agents or dupes for the Scorpion. Initial training within the dojo generally involves gaining the trust of the non-Scoprion students at the dojo. The most talented students are the ones who do this most quickly and firmly. Naturally the other basic studies are about hte history of the other Great Clans, the current status' of their families, social niceties and protocol. Those who come to the dojo seeking an adventurous life of a villainous and bold Scorpion usually find their calling somewhere else, usually realising to late that the most common pawns of the Scorpion are those of lower station within the Scorpion. The training can go on uneventfully for years, and many students seek "outside eductaion" elsewhere to integrate themselves with other part of the Ryoko Owari social structure. Only the most perceptive students realise this is just another part of the training, and perhaps the main reason for the dojo's location.

Gempukku
The gempukku ceremony is performed once a year in the winter court of Ryoko Owari and the Empire. Those who wish to attempt their gempukku merely inform their sensei, and are sent with a proven Scorpion ambassador to the court. The student may not request which court to be sent to, and the sensei usually send the student where he believes the student will be the most challenged. To pass the student must return to the Dojo of Lies the following spring with the favorable opinion of the courtier they were assigned to. The students career will now be plotted out by the sensei, according to what contacts and plots the student came across during the winter (if any).

Sensei
The position as sensei of the Dojo of Lies is perhaps the most taxing compared to any any other position in Rokugan of a similar stature. The sensei must not only oversee the future of his clan, but also stay up to date of all events in the political climate within Rokugan. If the sensei of the school are lacking in knowledge then the students will be in for disaster.

Notable Sensei

 * Shosuro Taberu

Notable Students

 * Shosuro Yasuko
 * Ide Makano

Major References

 * Way of the Samurai Pages 63-64.