Rezan

Rezan was the ronin poet who return through Oblivion's Gate alongside the heroes of Rokugan, he returned to seek the reincarnation of his wife. He was famed as a great poet and swordsman, but was lost to the Shadowlands. Some of his work can be found in the compilation work Manyoshu.

Rise to Fame
Many critics claim him to be the greatest poet in history. They are wrong. He was a terrible poet, but a fearsome duelist. While in the Doji court, Rezan argued with a Doji about who was the most beautiful woman at the court. The argument ended in Rezan challenging the Doji to a duel. As the challenged party the Doji was within his rights to choose the weapons for the duel. The Doji declared that it would be a duel of poetry, and that each would write a poem about a woman at the court. The Doji's choice was a young Crane while Rezan choose a woman that was revealed to be the Emperor's daughter in disguise. The Doji could not win without shaming the Emperor's daughter, so he lost intentionally and declared that Rezan was the greatest poet in the empire.

Wife
Rezan married the daughter of the Emperor, joined the Miya family and become Miya Rezan.

Death
The marriage lasted only three years, until Rezan was killed in a duel and went to Yomi. Shortly after his wife died from grief and joined him there. They spent the next two centuries together until she realised he did not truly love her. She chose to be reincarnated, and after a time Rezan realised that he missed her and did love her after all.

Criticizing Poetry
Every year a poetry competition is held by the Emperor, and sponsored by the Crane Clan. Thousands of people enter their waka on a topic chosen by the Emperor himself. It was at one of these competitions many years ago that Rezan saved his own life by winning the competition. He had criticized the imperial policies of the then Emperor, and was subsequently commanded to commit seppuku. His victory in the competition spared his life.

Haiku
Rezan was also the first to develop the shortest form of poetry known as haiku. Until that time, most poetry shorter than five lines was considered frivolous.

Return
Rezan returned through Oblivion's Gate in the twelfth century. He was surprised to discover the reputation he had gained since his death as a master poet, and used this reputation to travel the Empire and visit many courts. Rezan had in fact returned to find the reincarnated soul of his wife. His wife believed he did not love him, and chose to be reincarnated. Rezan realised he did in fact love her, and returned through Oblivion's Gate to do so but the thirst first years of searching did not reveal her to him.

Murdered Spirits
In 1159 he was in Kyuden Seppun when Miya Shoin arrived with a group of investigators. The group wished to speak with Rezan, and informed the ronin that several prominent spirits had been murdered recently. They offered Rezan their protection, and set off together the next day because of news of Kakita Rensei's murder.

Kyuden Doji
The investigation goes to Kyuden Doji, where Shoin asks Yu-Pan and Kakau to investigate the place of Rensei's death. They discover very little. Rezan possibly has a romantic encounter with Agasha Chieh, but is interrupted by Moshi Kakau. Kakau and Rezan have a lengthy discussion about returned spirits and the real reason Rezan returned; to find his reincarnated wife. Kijuro convinces Shoin that they must travel to Shiro Morito next.

Ox Lands
The group travels for two weeks to get to Ox lands. Once there Kijuro discovers the body of a warden he knows, Isuto. Kijuro reveals the existance of a spirit in Ox lands, Yasuki Kaneko. Shoin dispatches Kijuro, Yu-Pan, Akemi and Kakau to save Kaneko. Meanwhile Shoin, Chieh and Rezan will travel on to meet Morito.

Shiro Morito
Shoin, Chieh and Rezan travel for two days and reach Shiro Morito. Two days spent there yields nothing, Rezan meets a young woman named Moshi Shimiko, so the three leave to try and catch up with the other four. While nearing in on the others, Shoin is attacked.

Revealing the Traitor
The assassin kills Shoin and flees. The others arrive at the campsite, and it is revealed that the murdered Shoin was merely a dummy with an illusion on it. Rezan, who witnessed the attack, recognized the assassin as Gusai. Gusai revealed certain details that only one of the group could have known, and Chieh deduces that Kakau is the traitor. Kakau admits it and the group puzzle out that Gusai intends to kill Naseru. Shoin orders Kijuro to return to Shiro Morito as quickly as possible to obtain more horses. They intend to return to Otosan Uchi.

Final Confrontation
The group laid a trap for Gusai but Gusai sprung the trap intentionally, mortally wounding Kijuro. Rezan attempted to kill Gusai, but his strike passed through the shadow harmlessly. Yu-Pan charged Gusai, wounding him with a crystal spear. Kakau sacrificed himself to momentarily stun Gusai, allowing Shoin the killing shot with a crystal-tipped arrow. Rezan was offered the positon of Emerald Magistrate for his service, but declined. He wrote Kijuro's death poem, which he gave to Shoin to take to Kijuro's funeral.

Rezan's Madness
In 1165, Rezan's quest for the reincarnated soul of his true love was dealt a devastating blow. A letter was delivered to him from Dragon lands, apparently written by a young Mirumoto girl. Rezan was certain the girl was the reincarnatation of his lost love, but unfortunately the woman had been caught in the Rain of Blood and fallen to the taint. Rezan was distraught, and allied himself with Daigotsu in an attempt to seek revenge upon Iuchiban and locate his love.

Rezan and Kisada
Hida Kisada was recently returned through Oblivion's Gate by Rezan. When the Lion and Crab Clan armies prepared to face the forces of Iuchiban, Rezan again appeared to Kisada, and explained that the forces of Daigotsu would aid in combating the Bloodspeaker army.

Redemption
During the Winter Court of 1170, Rezan joined an oratory contest under the guise of being a Hare Clan functionary. He told a story of redemption, narrating the life of a samurai who turned his back on his Empire and embraced the darkness after loosing all that mattered to him. However, the samurai in the story had a revelation at a critical moment and sacrificed himself to restore some vestige of his honor. The story was so moving, that the judges awarded him with the victory. When he was awarded the prize, however Rezan refused to accept it, revealing himself to be the samurai in his story and presented the Empress with a gift, a netsuke which once belonged to the Kami Ryoshun in the name of his lord. He then explained that is was his intention to prove to the Empress that even those tainted among the Spider are capable of recognizing their place in the new order. The Empress then offered the fallen poet a chance at redemption, by means of seppuku, which he accepted.