Daigotsu

Daigotsu was the second son of Emperor Hantei XXXVIII (by his fifth wife Hantei Hochiahime) and the half-brother of Emperor Hantei XXXIX. He was the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands and the founder of the Spider Clan. As the result of a dark ritual performed during his birth, Daigotsu is more than just a mortal; his soul has been bound to that of an unnamed Oni, forging a new being with the qualities that best define both demon and man. Even worse, Daigotsu spent a good portion of his life early exiled to Jigoku, the Realm of Evil, and became the most powerful servant of the Ninth Kami, Fu Leng, after he was summoned back to the Mortal Realm by the same cult of Bloodspeakers that had altered him at birth and banished him in the first place. After committing seppuku as required by the Empress Iweko I to gain minor clan status for his Spider Clan within the Emerald Empire, Daigotsu became the even more powerful Master of Jigoku.

Appearance
The Dark Lord was a tall man with long white hair; he wore a kimono of black and silver, padded here and there with the light battle armor of a shugenja. He is described as having a "handsome young face tinged eternally with amusement," though this was often hidden behind a white, red-streaked demon mask.

Bloodspeaker Cultists
In the year 1111, The Cult of the Blood-Red Moon, a cell of Bloodspeakers living near the Imperial City of Otosan Uchi, discovered an ancient prophecy hidden by the Scorpion Clan; this prophecy stated that the Dark God Fu Leng would rise again when the last emperor of the Hantei bloodline sat on the throne. The Bloodspeakers sought to quicken this apocalypse by kidnapping the current Emperor's wife and children.

Hostages
While pregnant for the second time, Empress Hochiahime and her caravan were attacked by the cultists of the Blood-Red Moon, who took her and and her children hostage. The cultists chose to slaughter the family ritually. While they prepared the ritual, a ronin named Yotsu snuck into their camp (located in the Treacherous Pass) and secretly exchanged his young son with the young Imperial heir, Hantei Sotorii, in order to save the future of the royal bloodline. When the Bloodspeakers prepared the sacrifice, the ronin's son spat in their faces and told them that their plan had been ruined. Realizing they had been decieved, the Bloodspeakers saw no further purpose in slaughtering their prisoners. They saw their worth as hostages as they fled for Unicorn Clan lands. Though they no longer held the Imperial heir, they still had custody of the pregnant Empress, and the idea of raising her child as a Bloodspeaker was immensely appealing.

That child was Daigotsu.

Binding Ritual
During Daigotsu's birth, the Bloodspeakers performed a ritual that would bind his soul to an unnamed Oni, combining the strongest qualities of both demon and man. Before being used on Daigotsu, this ritual was first tested on two other subjects. The first was a child named Omoni, whose ritual went wrong and instead of an oni, his soul was bound to the unquiet spirit of a bakemono. A second, more successful attempt was performed upon the ronin Yotsu's son, who would grow up to become Goju Kyoden, the personal bodyguard to Daigotsu. Finally, the child Daigotsu underwent the ritual, and it proved successful. In later years, it made Daigotsu's maho magic potent, and gave him the abillity to posess other bodies.

Exile to Jigoku
The cultists could not hide a child of Hantei within the Empire for long, so they performed another ritual whereby Omoni, Kyoden, and Daigotsu were all physically exiled into Jigoku. This left only one remaining Hantei (Satorii) in the Emerald Empire, and the prophecy of Fu Leng's return was fulfilled on the Second Day of Thunder in 1128.

Return to the Empire
Nearly two decades later, the same cult of Bloodspeakers (now led by Iuchi Shahai) summoned Daigotsu, Kyoden, and Omoni back to the Empire.

Engineering the Return of Fu Leng
In 1150 Daigotsu travelled with Omoni, Kokujin and his bodyguard Kyoden to Oblivion's Gate in the hopes of finding a means of travel between the Spirit Realms. Daigotsu intended to use this knowledge to return the Dark God Fu Leng to the mortal realm (Ningen-do), but the gate had no magic to offer for this purpose.

Instead they encountered Oracle of Thunder Tonbo Toryu, who was guarding the Gate. Daigotsu took advantage of the Oracles' obligation to answer one question from any mortal; Toryu told Kyoden that the Tsuno mastered travel between the Spirit Realms.

City of the Lost
In 1150, having united the Lost under his leadership, Daigotsu oversaw the foundation of the City of the Lost, deep within the the haunted Shadowlands to the south of the Empire. He and Kokujin mused upon their future plans, and Daigotsu offered the mad ise zumi a place in his city. Kokujin refused however, claiming he had more pressing matters to attend to back in Rokugan.

""I have studied the Tsuno magic. All the Spirit Realms are one. All I need do is find the proper passages and Fu Leng will be restored to his proper place at the heart of Jigoku. We could even send him into the Celestial Heavens if we wished.""

- Daigotsu

Alliance with the Tsuno
In 1157 Daigotsu summoned Tsuno Nintai to his stronghold in the City of the Lost, the Temple of the Ninth Kami. Nintai explained that travel between Spirit Realms was easy, but safe travel was not. Links between Ningen-do (the Mortal Realm) and Tengoku (the Celestial Heavens) could be found wherever the Oracles of Light worked their magic, and the Steel Throne. To link with Jigoku (Hell), any tainted place was sufficient. One could also travel to Meido, the Realm of Waiting, from any place that had seen death.

Creating the Onisu
In 1152 Daigotsu created the fearsome Onisu from the raw material of Yume-do, the Realm of Dreams.

Kitsu Okura's Journals
Nintai enlisted Daigotsu's aid to obtain Kitsu Okura's journals. The tainted Jade Champion had researched travel between the different Spirit Realms and was able to plant the noble heart of a shiryo within an Oni, which redeemed its dark spirit. Daigotsu agreed, but requested that the Tsuno attack against the Lion Clan should wait until the rest of the dark forces were prepared to attack together. Shokansuru came to the City of the Lost and joined the forces of Daigotsu.

Anchor between the Realms
Nintai also revealed to Daigotsu that he would need an anchor, an item which focused the energies of the Realm being travelled to. It had to be something that once belonged to the person Daigotsu sought. The Dark Lord sought the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng for this purpose.

Return of Fu Leng: New Way
In the meetings with the Tsuno, Daigotsu realized he could potentially use his new knowledge to unleash the Dark God Fu Leng into the Heavens themselves.

The Gaijin
Daigotsu recruited the undead gaijin sea captain Garen, releasing him and his vessel the Revenant from seven centuries of never-ending warfare on the Sea of Shadows. Garen gave to the Dark Lord the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, which had been unearthed from a collapsed shrine in Crane lands.

Achieving the Dark Oracle of Earth
Daigotsu, wishing to bind Yasuki Nokatsu to his service, captured, imprisoned and tortured him for nearly twenty years until he finally submitted in 1158. Pledging his life and loyalty to Daigotsu, he became the Dark Oracle of Earth.

Kyoso no Oni Banished
The Demon Kyoso no Oni challenged Daigotsu for rulership of the Shadowlands. By then, Daigotsu's powers were so great that he slew Kyoso, and her soul was banished to Jigoku.

Lord of the Shadowlands


Daigotsu proclamed himself Lord of the Shadowlands, and backed his claim with achievements. In 1158 he began construction of the Wall of Bones using tainted Kaiu Engineers, and his Temple of the Ninth Kami was tended by dark monks gathered from Volturnum.

Death of Toturi I
Daigotsu sent the Onisu of Betrayal, Fushin, to kill Emperor Toturi I as he was travelling to the city Ryoko Owari. Possessing Fushin's body, Daigotsu murdered the Emperor.

Shahai and the Dark Daughter
Shahai was a member of Daigotsu's former order, the Bloodspeakers; it was she who had summoned Daigotsu back from his exile in Jigoku all those years ago. Seeking him out at the Temple of the Ninth Kami, she murdered his second-in-command (the Dark Daughter of Fu Leng) and usurped her position.

An Oni's Fury
Daigotsu sent the Onisu of Desire, Yokubo, to kill the strongest of the dead Emperor's four children (known as the Four Winds). He considered that of the four, Hantei Naseru's heart was most filled with betrayal, Toturi Tsudao's with regret and fear, and Akodo Kaneka's with ambitions drove him to destroy wantonly. That left Toturi Sezaru as the strongest Wind, who survived the attempt on his life.

Carpenter Wall Falls
Daigotsu ordered his forces to assault the Crab Clan's Kaiu Wall, which stood along the Empire's southern border to protect it from the Shadowlands. Using unknown magic, he also also transported a portion of his forces beyond the wall, successfully storming it from both sides. Hida Kuroda, the Crab Clan Champion, was killed by Kyofu, the Onisu of Fear, below the Wall. The Wall's Sixth Tower was captured and renamed the Tower of Fear.

Meeting with Kuon
Daigotsu offered a meeting to the next Crab Clan Champion, Hida Kuon, in the fallen tower of the Kaiu Wall. The Dark Lord offered to return Hida Kuroda's corpse if the Crab surrendered their wall. Kuon raised his tetsubo against Daigotsu as his answer, and Kuni Kiyoshi was forced to help Kuon flee from Daigotsu's counterattack.

Fall of Otosan Uchi


To prove the power of the Shadowlands, Daigotsu engineered the Fall of Otosan Uchi, attacking the Imperial City from the sea. Knowing that the city would be impossible to hold, he sought only to leave it in ruins and watch the Great Clans blame one another for failing to defend it.

True Plans Revealed
Once the Forbidden City was under his control, Daigotsu began a ritual targeting the Steel Throne, raising wards that permitted only members of the Hantei family to approach it. He traveled to Meido, where he used the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng to force Emma-O, the Fortune of Death, to release Fu Leng's spirit. Fu Leng then began an Invasion of the Celestial Heavens, while Daigotsu returned to Rokugan so that he could protect Fu Leng's temple in the City of the Lost. Arriving back in the ruined Otosan Uchi, Daigotsu was forced to battle Toturi Tsudao, losing his right arm before fleeing through a portal back to the Shadowlands.

Temple of the Ninth Kami
The true purpose of Daigotsu's Temple of the Ninth Kami finally came to surface. The power of Fu Leng was increased through worship at the Temple, which channelled every twisted prayer the minions of the Shadowlands uttered. Fu Leng gifted Daigotsu with the Obsidian Mempo of Fu Leng, a reminder that he bore the favor of a Kami.

Avenging Kyoden
Once safely back in the City of the Lost, Omoni created a new arm for Daigotsu. The loss of Goju Kyoden, who had been killed by Matsu Nimuro, enraged the Dark Lord and in vengeance he set the Onisu upon the homes of the Four Winds. Daigotsu then planned to visit the Shadow Dragon to recover Kyoden's soul, so that it could be restored. Daigotsu gave a fraction of his soul to the Shadow Dragon to restore his yojimbo, and the Shadow Dragon returned Kyoden to life.

Kuroda and Kyofu
After the eventual slayings of the Onisu, Daigotsu decided not to recreate them because the ritual to do so was long and extremely taxing. However, he made an exception in the case of Kyofu when he summoned the undead Hida Kuroda and Omoni. The half-goblin combined the undead Crab general and the Onisu into a single body. Thus Kyofu returned.

Restoration of the Chuda
Asako Mishime was able to infiltrate the Isawa Provinces and retrieved the Mukizo, the blade used to kill the Steel Chrysanthemum. He returned to the City of the Lost and gave the sword to Daigotsu, asking only for the opportunity to restore the Chuda family and the Snake Clan. Daigotsu granted his request, and he became Chuda Mishime, the Chuda's first daimyo in centuries.

Visions
Almost a year in advance of his death, Daigotsu learned from the Dark Oracle of Void the circumstances of his eventual death. Knowing the Lost would not stay united without him, Daigotsu gave a portion of his soul to the Shadow Dragon for safekeeping, planning his resurrection.

A Dark Bargain
Daigotsu sent an emissary to Hantei Naseru, believing him to be the most reasonable of the Four Winds. The emissary gifted him a jagged shard of crystal, as a message that Naseru's presence in the city on Ryoko Owari was known to Daigotsu. The Dark Lord offered him a truce, a non-aggression pact. Naseru looked upon it as acceptable, but asked where he could contact Daigotsu if needed. The dark emissary magically revealed to Naseru the location of the City of the Lost, whereupon Naseru killed him with the gifted dagger, rejecting the Dark Lord's offer.

Ancestral Sword of the Hantei
When Fu Leng invaded the heavens, the Shadow Dragon followed, and for reasons known only to itself, the dragon took Akkuai-uo, the Ancestral Sword of the Hantei, and brought it back to the Shadowlands. It gave the blade to Omoni, as a gift to Daigotsu. Fu Leng gifted the Dark Lord with his blessings, and the blade could only be drawn and wielded by members of the Hantei line.

Daigotsu Hoturi
Shahai found the Egg of P'an Ku and gave it to Daigotsu. When Daigotsu activated the Egg, it took the last shape it had known, that of Doji Hoturi. The False Hoturi then swore allegiance to Daigotsu and became Daigotsu Hoturi. The False Hoturi led forces in an attack on Kyuden Kakita in 1160 but was defeated by Yasuki Hachi.

Preparing the Defense
Daigotsu knew the Four Winds were gathering at Kyuden Seppun and preparing to march against the City of the Lost, as the Dark Oracle of Void forseen. Kyoden and Mishime were sent to increase the defenses of Toguchi Shinden, the temple of the Tsuno, which was at the time unknown to the Empire. It was a maneuver to take Kyoden away from the City, because he would be instrumental in the resurrection of Daigotsu after his prophesized death in the upcoming battle. Daigotsu only revealed his plan to Shahai, whom had become his lover..

Death
In 1160 the Four Windsand their armies marched to the City of the Lost with the intention of destroying Daigotsu once and for all. The Tadaka's Children attacked from the North, while the Winds slipped into the City and the Temple of Fu Leng from the South. Daigotsu was guarded by the Onisu Kyofu, Yokubo, Hakai and Muchitsujo. While both sides were fighting, Naseru rested aside, communing with Fu Leng and sewing doubts in the Dark God's mind about Daigotsu ,saying that the Lost did not worship Fu Leng but followed Daigotsu instead. Naseru's plan worked; Fu Leng's doubt cut the power he received from his worshippers, and was cast out of the Celestial Heavens. The Onisu all faded except for Kyofu, who retreated. As Daigotsu began a powerful spell that would destroy the Temple and all within it, Toturi Tsudao leap forward through the beginnings of the spell and struck down the Dark Lord, sacrificing her own life in the process. All that remained of Tsudao was her golden amulet.

Resurrection
Shortly after his death, Omoni mended the fatal wounds Tsudao had inflicted and left the Dark Lord's body whole again. Goju Kyoden came to the House of Goju and committed seppuku to sacrifice his soul to the Shadow Dragon in order to resurrect Daigotsu. The vengeful Fortune of Death Emma-O still retained part of Daigotsu's soul, which purified Daigotsu of his Taint, severing Daigotsu's connection to Jigoku, and left him unable to call upon Fu Leng's blessing. Other men would have leapt at this chance to escape the Shadowlands taint but Daigotsu's faith in Fu Leng was not diminished. Daigotsu chose instead to hide his "weakness" to all but his closest followers and resume leadership of The Lost.

The Third Rise of Iuchiban
Seeking help in restoring her lover's powers, Shahai opened the Tomb of Iuchiban and released Iuchiban in the year 1165. Instead of assisting Shahai, he betrayed her and captured the City of the Lost, ousting Daigotsu after a ferocious battle. Daigotsu was only able to save his live when a timely arrived Kyofu took him to escape flying on an onikage. In one fell swoop, Iuchiban had gained control of Daigotsu's city, Daigotsu's armies of the Lost and even Daigotsu's sword, Akkuai-uo, which through a strange twist of fate gave Iuchiban control over Omoni and his goblins. The Goju stood back and decided not to interfere in the struggle, but the Chuda family immediately swore fealty to Iuchiban. The ogres also joined the Heartless, but Kyofu was joined by Kokujin.

Enemy of my Enemy
The Dark Lord began to fight the Heartless, in a direct or an indirect way. When Daigotsu knew Shiro Hiruma would fall upon Iuchiban's forces, he ordered Kyofu to aid the defenders. The Onisu and Kokujin attacked the bloodspeaker army that was besieging the Hiruma Castle, saving the day for the Crab Clan. Kyofu let it be known that Daigotsu offered a truce with the Crab so that they could focus on Iuchiban. Kyofu gifted Hiruma Todori with a map to the current hiding place of Tsuburu no Oni. The Oni Lord had changed his loyalty towards Iuchiban.

Burning Sands
In order to defeat Iuchiban, Daigotsu had to leave Rokugan. He ordered Kyofu to kill Shahai if he would not return from the journey. Daigotsu, Noekam and Katsu traveled across the fringes of the Empire to the Burning Sands, to met an ally, the master Khadi Ghiyath. They were guided by the Ghul Lord Th'lazz and reached the Crimson Stronghold of the Khadi deep in the desert. There the Jinn of the Dark Hour, servant of the Khadi, attacked them but was imprisoned in the Daigotsu's katana which had a Bronze Lantern as tsuba, a trick learned by the Dark Lord from their Lost Scorpion fellows. Katsu was obliged to undergo the same ritual that created Iuchiban and became a khadi, and Daigotsu truly saw how the ritual was.

Kolat Alliance
Before return to Rokugan Daigotsu came to see Ruqayah of the Houses of Dahab, a Qolat Master. Th'lazz had advised Daigotsu how to manage his visit there. The Dark Lord and the Kolat agreed in the proposal made, an alliance against Iuchiban, revealing what the Kolat knew about bloodspeaker's cells to him. Daigotsu had the strength to act, and the secrecy of the Kolat would not be compromised. Ikoma Tsai, the corrupted Kolat Master, was chosen as the liaison for the new alliance.

Restoring to full Power
Yajinden and the Shadow Dragon worked together to deceive the guardians of Meido, the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang and Emma-O. The Daigotsu's soul was retrieved from Emma-O's fortress by Daigotsu Hoturi, giving Daigotsu back his full power. Yajinden sought the destruction of his master, Iuchiban, and had aided the only man who could defeat him.

Retaking the City of the Lost
Daigotsu then moved to retake the City of the Lost while Iuchiban and his strongest followers were at Otosan Uchi. Iuchiban, who had Shahai under constant monitoring, sensed Daigotsu arrival and transported him to the city, fighting the Dark Lord wielding Akkuai-uo. The Dark Lord was again near defeat at the hands of the bloodspeaker, but Katsu had interfered with the control Iuchiban exerted to his followers, breaking it. Shahai took the Ancestral Sword of the Hantei away of Iuchiban. Omoni, who swore to follow whoever wielded the blade, was free to send his bakemono against Iuchiban. The bloodspeaker sensed his armies withdrawing or turnin on him, and decided to escape toward his Iron Citadel in Otosan Uchi, casting a parting spell that set the City ablaze.

Fall of Iuchiban
Daigotsu came by sea to the city, to fight Iuchiban, while Isawa Sezaru, Hida Kisada, Matsu Aoiko and their combined Crab and Lion forces besieged Iuchiban's citadel in Otosan Uchi. He dispatched Rezan to offer his greetings to Sezaru and Aoiko, who had retrieved the Hidden Heart of Iuchiban. The Dark Lord had promised that his soldiers would do them no harm. Daigotsu played an instrumental role in the Bloodspeaker's defeat by having Katsu sever Iuchiban's ties with his followers, giving Sezaru enough time to destroy the Hidden Heart of Iuchiban so the Bloodspeaker could be slain.

Daigotsu Yajinden
Daigotsu accepted Yajinden in his ranks, becoming Daigotsu Yajinden. The smither explained he was instrumental in the recovery of the Dark Lord's soul, and serviced him pursuing his art.

Visiting Shokansuru
Daigotsu went with Suiteiru no Oni to the Forgotten Tomb of Fu Leng, where dwelled Shokansuru. The half-oni had used the powerful connection the place had with Jigoku to summon great oni. They existed only in the physical realm, their ties to Jigoku severed, and if they would be destroyed, all that they were would cease to be. The summoner gathered them to show the oni to Daigotsu, binded to the souls of the former friends of Shokansuru, when he was an Emerald Magistrate called Isawa Shokan: Munemitsu no Oni, Yojireru no Oni, Hasaiki no Oni, and Sentei no Oni.

Kyoso no Oni
Kyoso no Oni saw weakness in Daigotsu after his City of the Lost was ruined, and attacked Shahai to remove a supporter of her enemy, but Daigotsu arrived on time and she was saved. The Time of Demons had begun. Kyoso's forces were larger and more powerful and Daigotsu began to rebuild his own.

Gathering the Bloodspeakers
In 1167 the Shadow Dragon gathered the bloodspeakers that were without a leader after the death of Iuchiban. In the City of the Lost they saw how Katsu ordered to kill themshelves to all who had followed Iuchiban for years. Only remained those who fell in the Rain of Blood, who were offered to join Daigotsu. In this way Daigotsu showed the betrayers would be easily found and punished, being tightly bound to Katsu's will as any others, and by extension to Daigotsu as well.

Lost Refugee Camp
The camp for redeemed tainted Samurai from the Shadowlands situated in the Crane lands, bargained by Katsu was destroyed by Daigotsu Rekai commanded by Daigotsu. She took the information gathered regarding Daigotsu's weaknesses.

Akuma no Oni
Daigotsu used the knowledge of Shokansuru discovered by Chuda Mishime to summon Akuma no Oni in the Forgotten Tomb of Fu Leng, but severed the Oni Lord's connection to Jigoku. If Daigotsu were to die Akuma would also die, and without hope of respawning the Oni Lord was compelled to follow Daigotsu's orders.

Lost Emissary
This year Daigotsu sent Daigotsu Soetsu to meet Kisada, the returned Fortune of Persistence. The Dark Lord's forces had been greatly weakened after the Iuchiban's struggle, and it was raising a subtle civil war between his followers of Bushido, the Lost, against the demons of Jigoku. Soetsu surrendered himself to the Crab, and requested Kisada military aid, to send the Damned to protect them. In return Daigotsu would show how the soul of Hida Kuroda could be returned from the abomination Kyofu.

Daigotsu True Agenda
The Dark Lord sent Kokujin, the Prophet of the Dark Lotus, to gather weak-minded in the Empire to spread peasant revolts. Daigotsu expected that by the time the demons that stood against him were well and truly destroyed, Kokujin and his adherents would have torn Rokugan's spirit apart with their lies and misdirection. After the tide of destruction that he would unfold the Dark Lord would stand over Rokugan's corpse.

Ambassador to the Empire
Daigotsu made many unusual moves in the time since Iuchiban's defeat, the most major and controversial of which was sending Soetsu as ambassador to the court of Toturi III to petition for the right to become a Great Clan. The resulting political, philosophical, religious and moral issues involved with his petition caused a flurry of debate between the Clans and led Toturi III to travel the Empire in secret seeking enlightenment. Soetsu was made a guest of the Scorpion Clan and as a gift, Daigotsu gave to the Scorpion the Porcelain Mask of Fu Leng, now cleansed of all Taint. In 1168 the reanimated body of Moto Tsume gathered Mirumoto Taishuu, the Empire ambassador to the Shadowlands, to the City of Lost.

Battle of the Tomb
In the Tomb of the Seven Thunders the Emperor Toturi III died during the Battle of the Tomb under an oni attack. With an empty throne there was no one who could accept or reject Daigotsu's claim as a Great Clan.

City of the Lost Attacked
This year the Oni Lords attacked the City of the Lost, and Munemitsu no Oni entered the Temple of the Ninth Kami. It was destroyed by the ogre Kayomasa and the Lost Daigotsu Eiya. Eiya was rewarded with the Lotus Sword of the Shadowlands, Nokemono.

Birth of the Heir
During the fght in the Temple his long time lover Shahai gave birth to Daigotsu's first child, a son, named Daigotsu Kanpeki. Kayomasa, who protected Kanpeki during his birth, became his yojimbo.

Rosoku's Ashes
During Rosoku's funeral Shadowlands agents stole Rosoku's ashes. Daigotsu gifted the urn to Shahai after she gave him his heir.

Comunnion with Fu Leng halted
Daigotsu was worried, his communion with Fu Leng had halted. He guessed the birth of his son, and his love to Kanpeki and toward Shahai could be the cause to lose Fu Leng's favor.

Tao of Fu Leng
Daigotsu tasked Omoni to find the Tao of Fu Leng, one of the Artifacts of the Tomb of the Seven Thunders. The half-goblin sent his creations to find the book with the symbol of a spider. Other beasts also looked for it.

Founding
In 1169 Daigotsu declared the birth of the Spider Clan. Toturi III died without passing judgment on Daigotsu's petition as Great Clan, and the Empress Toturi Kurako would not sanction or deny the issue. The City of the Lost was abandoned and the Spider's Lair was located in the Shadowlands Marshes of Shinomen after he moved with his followers. He had found the Marshes during a meeting with Michio, Roshungi's student.

Menace from outside of Rokugan
Daigotsu had been informed by gaijin from the Burning Sands, the Jackal Monkey Man, that a menace was growing in power beyond the borders of Rokugan, something that would consume the Shadowlands and use its forces as pawns in its struggle. The Dark Lord moved his forces out of the target. This threaten appeared later as the Destroyers, the avatar of Shiva Kali-Ma, and the Plague War followed with the Destroyer War.

Heir's Prophecy
Daigotsu's son, Kanpeki, would grow to be a powerful warrior and shugenja. Daigotsu vowed that his son would, upon the day of his gempukku, inherit the Empire of Rokugan, and from that Empire conquer the world, as prophecied. It was the Spider Clan's duty to fulfill this prophecy.

Inflitration of the Clans
The Dark Lord had learned repentant Lost were escaping the Shadowlands, escorted to safety within the Empire by traitors within his midst with the help of agents of the Jade Champion Asahina Sekawa. Using this means of entry, the Lost had been infiltrating the Empire establishing hidden strongholds: the Shadowlands Marshes of Shinomen, the abandoned ruins of Otosan Uchi, and the collapsed and abandoned Beiden Pass. These strange samurai, representatives of the Spider Clan, offered their targets their heart's desire, and for so small a price. Gradually the Spider's web entangled the foolish and selfish.

Emerald and Jade Championship
Daigotsu had sent disguised as ronin Daigotsu Iemitsu to become the Emerald Championship and Daigotsu Eiya to kill Dairya's last student, Kakita Noritoshi. Both failed and the dramatic way Eiya used in his try sent the Jade Magistrates against any suspicious ronin. When the Jade Championship was called the Dark Lord decided to send Katsu, who bore no taint. He chose to went alongside Chuda Mishime and Chuda Kyuwa. They had minimal taint and were more than skilled enough to hide it, even without Jade Petal tea. If they were discovered, Katsu could prove his virtue to all present by destroying them himself. Katsu reported Kuni Daigo had won, and their secondary objectives were accomplished. Daigotsu commanded Chuda Genkei to send a message to Omoni, who was still living in the Shadowlands.

Shosuro Jimen
Daigotsu questioned Daigotsu Hotako, the new Obsidian Champion, about the current Emerald Champion, Shosuro Jimen. She said he was previously a dangerous courtier feared for many, and rumors spoke that Jimen had blackmailed Kakita Noritoshi in the contest's final to gain his position. Daigotsu tasked Hotako to murder Jimen when the time came.

Prophecy
Daigotsu, Katsu, and the Master of the Order of the Spider, Michio, pondered the prophecy Kitsune Narako exposed in the Jade Championship. The prophecy spoke of dark warriors, perhaps beckoned by the song of jackals. It spoke of a wind of death blowing on the breath of a forgotten daughter that shall bring ruin to the Empire. It brought the same message that the Monkey Man had foretold to the Dark Lord.

Mass Assassinations
In 1170, Daigotsu launched dozens of assassinations across the Empire during the Night of the Spider. The assassinations caused the deaths of many important people including Moshi Amika, Tamori Shaitung, Ikoma Korin, Tamori Nakamuro and Kaiu Umasu.

Rescue of the Tao
A Yasuki had sold a false location of the Tao to the Lost. The Tao of Fu Leng was recovered and was handed over to Daigotsu.

Iweko I
When news of the Celestial Tournament reached to the Black Silk Castle, Daigotsu's court, he decided the Spider Clan had to be represented at it. He expected the patronage of Fu Leng, the Dark Kami, met the conditions imposed to be there. Four Spider were allowed to compete under Tengoku's acknowledgement of their true nature.

Burning the Shinomen
The winner, the Empress Iweko I, trascended to divine and gained truth about the Spider. The bases in the Shinomen Mori and the Ruined City were exposed to the Empire and chased by the new Shogun Moto Jin-sahn. In the other hand, she decided to do it secrecily, so the rest of the Empire was unaware of Spider's connection to Jigoku. Even more, Daigotsu Susumu, who did not bear taint but was loyal to Daigotsu, was appointed as Imperial Advisor. Daigotsu ordered to set to fire the Shinomen Mori.

War of Dark Fire
Daigotsu Usharo was attending winter court at Kyuden Bayushi when arrived news of a massive yobanjin army wielding some unknown form of fire magic. The Shogun's stopped to chase the Spider and his forces were sent to North Rokugan. Before they had time to be redeployed the Northern Towers of Flame had been overrun and the Dragon territory assaulted. Susumu believed, and Usharo had come to agree, that the Spider ally Chosai, the Dark Oracle of Fire, had betrayed them for some agenda of his own. It was the beginning of the War of Dark Fire.

Meeting with the Empress
In 1173, during the final battle of the Destroyer War, Daigotsu met with Empress Iweko I, Voice of the Emperor Togashi Satsu, Imperial Advisor Susumu, and Shogun Moto Jin-sahn in the courtyard of a temple in the Scorpion provinces. At his arrival, the Shogun tried to strike him down, and Daigotsu struck back to defend himself. Susumu protected the Shogun from Dagotsu's magic, taking its full blast, and when his loyalty was put in doubt by Daigotsu, he responded that he served two lords with equal devotion.

Empress' Proposition
The Empress informed Daigotsu that she would be willing to accept the Spider as a Minor Clan under her reign with Daigotu's son, Daigotsu Kanpeki, leading it inside the Celestial Order and the Empire. All non-Tainted Spider Clan members would be granted amnesty and the right to bear the mon of the Spider; and Daigotsu's heir would receive the blessings of the Celestial Heavens, severing his connection to Jigoku. Additionally, Kanpeki would become a noble of Rokugan, trained in the Imperial houshold as was fitting for a descendant of the Hantei Dynasty. The price for this, the Empress said, was Daigotsu's life, and she offered the Dark Lord a sword with which he would be required to commit seppuku, suicide. After some consideration of the benefits, Daigotsu accepted the blade and the Empress' offer.

Death
After accepting the Empress' offer to elevate the Spider Clan in return for his own death, the Dark Lord of the Shadowlands knelt in the middle of the courtyard and plunged the blade into his own heart.

Master of Jigoku
After his death, Daigotsu's soul crossed over into Jigoku and he was welcomed as the new Master of that foul Realm because his soul was both demonic as well as mortal. After Kali-Ma killed Fu Leng, Daigotsu's soul manifested on the battlefield and ripped Kali-Ma's heart out of her chest, ending the Destroyer War. He now rules the Realm of Evil and has the power to make Dark Fortunes, the first being Susumu (the Dark Fortune of Deception) and Shahai, (the Dark Fortune of Blood).