Asahina Sekawa

Asahina Sekawa was the daimyo of the Asahina family, the Jade Champion, and the Keeper of the Five Rings.

Jade Champion
Trained in the Shinden Asahina since his youth to become a holy man, he has undoubtedly succeeded admirably at this task, albeit at great personal cost: During the finale of the Test of the Jade Champion held at Kyuden Nio, the Onisu Hakai attacked the event and could barely be stopped. Sekawa with the aid of Naka Tokei drove the demon away. Among the casualties were Sekawas closest family: His sister Kimita and his venerable uncle Asahina Tamako, officially the family's daimyo, who had lived in isolation due to taint infection. A scar across his cheek is a constant reminder of that day.

Personality
The deaths of his sister and uncle have changed Sekawa. He had the reputation of being a morose and bitter man. Despite his talent, he was obsessed with his past failures and his inadequacies. As a result, he felt easily slighted, especially when responsibilities of his office were assigned to the Wolf, the Emperor's brother. His no-nonsense behavior also frequently put him at odds with the Imperial Chancellor, Bayushi Kaukatsu.

Nizomi, Son of Naka Tokei
Sekawa ventured with his bodyguards Daidoji Tae and Asahina Keitaro in the wild on the behest of the Asahina seers who have seen a temple that would "plant the seeds of war and set the Empire ablaze." He found the temple and inside was the Grandamaster of the Elements, Naka Tokei, and a three years old child, called Nizomi. This child was the result of Naka Tokei's travel in other Realms; either Nizomi or Tokei held all the pain, agony, and darkness the Grand Master experienced through this journey. Tokei put Nizomi under the protection of the Jade Champion. Tokei gave Nizomi to the Jade Champion to be trained, distancing himself so that, if the need arose, Nizomi could stop the Grand Master.

Tadaka's Children
Sekawa was advised by a peasant named Jiru that he had sawn many clay soldiers inside a cave. He and the Crane commander in the area, Doji Seishiro, found the Tadaka's Children who joined Sekawa against the Shadowlands. Sekawa gave the command of the Children to Toturi Tsudao, the selfproclamated Empress Toturi II.

Four Winds March
In 1160 Sekawa was at Kyuden Seppun with the Four Winds and the returned Empress, the Oracle of Void Toturi Kaede. Sekawa offered the army for the Four Winds March, the Tadaka's Children.

Tainted Refugees
Daidoji Rekai told Sekawa that one of his men, Daidoji Gudeta had had a meeting with a tainted shugenja, Katsu. The shugenja had healed Gudeta when he traveled one year ago alone in the Shadowlands, but the Crane had lost the memory of that day. Through dreams Katsu contacted him and went to Oni Mura. There asked Gudeta if the Crane Clan could receive refugees of the Shadowlands that, just like him, wouldn't be willing to submit their minds to the Taint. Rekai and Sekawa agreed, hoping to get information of Daigotsu. The first of this refugees was the monk Komaro, and put him under the supervision of Sekawa and the Jade Magistrates.

Journals of Kuni Nakanu
In 1165 the Rain of Blood had covered the Empire, and Iuchiban had returned and wandered free again at Rokugan. Moto Najmudin sent him a copy of the Journals of Kuni Nakanu, his research was the foundation of all maho, and also the foundation of the Empire understanding of the Shadowlands Taint. It must be deciphered and studied.

Isawa Sezaru
In 1166 the Emperor Toturi III authorized Isawa Sezaru to commandeer whatever resources he desired to combat the Bloodspeakers. All shugenja in Rokugan were commanded to offer their magical aid in his hunt, even the Jade Champion was subject to Sezaru. Sekawa was disgusted and met the Wolf. Both finally agreed to join efforts. Despite the agreement Sekawa believed the hunters were unnecessary, an unchecked chaotic force that interfered with his Jade Magistrates. When Sezaru disappeared after he fought against a massive bloodspeaker army Sekawa told the Emperor he would dismiss the hunters if they were placed in his command.

Blood Hunt
When Iuchiban forced his servants to action, driving them to self-destructive acts of chaos, Sekawa knew he had to go to the ruins of the Beiden Pass. The pass had been ruined in the War of Spirits, when the armies of the Black Chrysantmum were lured there and the Toturi's loyalist used their magic to destroy the pass and the soldiers that were passing there. This place was the perfect point for a bloodspeaker, who could summon a horde of undead in minutes. Sekawa planted strong guards, to prevent the event. When a local bloodspeaker, Magobei, and his cell used their maho to raise the corpses, they were surprised that Tadaka's Children awaken instead. Sekawa and the clay soldiers killed them all.

Phoenix Cultist cell Rooted
Mirumoto Narumi and Kuni Yaruko returned after a mission were they destroyed a Phoenix bloodspeaker cell, aided by an infomation provided by the Mantis courtier Yoritomo Yoyonagi. Sekawa believed they had been manipulated by the Mantis, who sought to diminish the Phoenix at the eyes of the other clans, being involved both clans in the War of Fire and Thunder.

Rosoku's Death
In 1166 after the death of the descendant of Shinsei, Rosoku, the Imperial forces and Jade Magistrates were mobilized to find the last remnants of the bloodspeakers. Sekawa appeared in the Imperial Throne room and saw the two corpses, Rosoku and the murderer. He departed and in a tunnel below the Imperial City he met with Daigotsu Rekai, a Lost and former Daidoji Daimyo. Sekawa had received a letter from her with detailed information of the Rosoku's assassin. Rekai knew the name of the murderer, Shukumei, and details of his special nature. Shukumei was a thing assembled from bits and pieces of torn souls and forced into an unliving body. He was pieced together from the pain and memories of Bloodspeaker assassins who died in their service. Throughout the centuries, he had perished many times, usually while clutching the heart of his enemy and it would be raised again. Despite Rekai had willingly given information Sekawa stamped a ward against evil with the ink on the bottom of his sandals walking around the room while they spoke. The Jade Champion tortured Rekai, and later imprisoned her under Asahina Keitaro's watch at Kosaten Shiro.

Keeper of the Five Rings
Sekawa went alone to a place told by Rekai, a monastery barely visible, tucked away in the natural camouflage of the wild mountainside. There Sekawa not only found and killed Shukumei alongside with another cultist, he also found the Book of the Five Rings after completing his mission. Itako, a Rosoku's servant that had been tortured by the cultists told Sekawa the monastery had been where the descendants of Shinsei hid for generations. Itako and his brothers were sworn to protect Rosoku, hide them, serve them. He felt the enlightenment had been doomed when the bloodspeakers had been found first the Book, and had lost all hope shortly before he passed away. Sekawa spent all the night pondering if he could claim to be enlightened, or it would be foolish.

Resolution of the Challenge
Sekawa realized Enlightenment was not doomed. It merely belonged only to those who dared to grasp it when all others had lost hope. The Jade Champion had completed the challenge and proven he was Enlightened. He gained the right to bear the title of Keeper of the Five Rings. The Empire must find a new path, a path of hope. Rokugan saw him as the heir to Shinsei's wisdom. Enlightenment, however, did not seem to change his brusque attitude in court.

Proclamation
The emperor knew this news would bring violence if openly exposed. Four Crane Keepers standing as the spiritual leaders of Rokugan would not sit well with many. The Scorpion would seek to interfere with his influence. The Crane's alliance with the Lion might decay even more than it had. The Elemental Masters look upon the Crane as their allies but it could change, because they did not share power quietly. Naseru's brother, the Shogun Kaneka believed if Naseru said nothing every clan would blame the others for Rosoku's death. Naseru proclaimed Sekawa the Master of Enlightenment in a ceremony at Toshi Ranbo.

Anvil of Despair
Asahina Juneko, an Imperial Cartographer, and her Phoenix yojimbo Shiba Gyukudo came across the Anvil of Despair in the Twilight Mountains. They retrieved it to Shinden Asahina, under the protection of Sekawa. Gyukudo swore to keep the secret of the Anvil's location.

Xing Guo's Last Gift
In 1167 Xing Guo, the Fortune of Steel, crafted the Lotus Swords, ten blades so that the heroes of the Empire could carve out their own futures. He went to explore the Realm of Lost Heroes, Maigo no Musha, in mourning for Rosoku's death. He would not return to the Celestial Heavens again, nor offer mortals any further aid. These were his final gifts to mankind. The blades were given to Sekawa who had to distribute them to worthy samurai of each Great Clan, one for the nezumi, and the final of them had to be gifted to the Dark Lord, Daigotsu. The very existence of the Shadowlands blade, Nokemono, was considered a grievous insult to all of the Great Clans, since it seemed to place them on equal footing with the hated Shadowlands.

Lost Ambassador
Asahina Sekawa was one of the men present at the Imperial Court when the Lost ambassador, Daigotsu Soetsu, was presented to Toturi III. The ambassador told the Emperor of Daigotsu's plan to form a Great Clan from his followers in the City of the Lost and the ultimate destiny of Fu Leng to be just as his brothers and sisters. He claimed that Fu Leng's centuries of aggression towards Rokugan was the result of brainwashing by the forces of Jigoku, and that the honor of Daigotsu was beginning to overcome that and would allow the Empire and the Lost to co-exist as peacefully as any of the other clans. The Emperor was ready to refuse the petition, but Sekawa demanded to speak to him in private. Sekawa, the Emperor and another Crane gathered. Sekawa explained to the Emperor that this Crane was Daidoji Uji, but not the Daidoji Uji who fought at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, but one from an alternate reality. This Uji was not a spirit, but a true man. Sekawa explained that in this alternate reality, Rokugan was dominated by Fu Leng. Sekawa feared the Shadowlands would prevail too in Ningen-do. To avoid this fate, he wanted the Emperor to agree to the Lost ambassador's petition. When they returned to the court, Naseru ordered that Soetsu would become a guest of the Scorpion Clan and that the Emperor would retire to his private chambers to meditate about Soetsu's petition and Enlightenment. Sekawa was pleased.

This decision would come to haunt him however, when the emperor later died on his journey for enlightenment.

The Ninube
Sekawa sensed a great imbalance in Otosan Uchi. With Doji Reju and an army of Jade Legionnaires, he travelled to the city's ruins. In a great battle, with the aid of the Yotsu ronin family, a group of Unicorn and Reju's daughter, Mirumoto Ryosaki, he confronted the Ninube. Reju saved Sekawa's life at the cost of his own. Sekawa, as Keeper of the Five Rings, cast a spell of crystal and jade light, as crystal and jade are composed of the five elements in harmony. The spell harmed all the Ninube. Sekawa prepared to confront Ninube Chochu, the enemy leader, but Mirumoto Ryosaki killed Chochu, ending the battle and avenging her father.

Leaving the Empire
Ten days after the Khan's assault on Toshi Ranbo wo Shien Shite Reigisaho in 1169, Sekawa and the other Keepers arrived at the city. While there Sekawa announced to the Protector of the Imperial City and Master of Void, Bayushi Norachai and Shiba Ningen, that he was retiring from the position of Jade Champion. Later the following day he announced to his Champion, Doji Domotai, that he was also stepping down from the position of Asahina Daimyo and Keeper of the Five Rings. He travelled north out of Rokugan, carrying the young child of Rosoku with him, to teach and protect the child so that in the future the Empire would have the guidance of Shinsei's line again.