Bayushi Kachiko

Bayushi Kachiko was one of the most important Scorpion in the 12th century. She was the wife of the Scorpion Clan Champion as well as the Champion herself later, the Empress of Rokugan and the Scorpion Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder.

Birth
Kachiko was born Shosuro Kachiko, the first child of Shosuro Daimyo Shosuro Koshurin and elder sibling of Shosuro Hametsu. Despite being the first born, she was not the designated heir to the Daimyo because she was not male.

Childhood
Kachiko never liked her brother Hametsu and spent her childhood taunting him. She learned that she could manipulate boys, specialy in physical matters, as she would use older boys to taunt Hametsu.

Training
Kachiko was sent to train at the Bayushi Courtier school. She learned to use rokugani politness to her advantage, and all the courtier tricks of the school.

Betrothal, Marriage and Lover
Kachiko had been betrothed to Hiruma Maruku as a child, until the Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Shoju saw her beauty and decided to marry her himself. Not caring for the hideous appearance of Bayushi Shoju, she loved him for the man he was underneath. Kachiko was only sixteen and just past her gempukku when Hiruma Maruku challenged Kachiko's father to a duel at the court over the change in marital arrangements. The son of the Emerald Champion, Doji Hoturi, stepped in and fought for her honor in the place of her father, cutting the crab duelist in two. Hoturi and Kachiko would later become lovers until she became pregnant, at which point she ordered her bodyguard Bayushi Aramoro to tell Hoturi he was not to come see her anymore and that she didn't love him.

Bayushi Dairu
Kachiko secretly had a son with Doji Hoturi, Bayushi Dairu. Shoju was aware that the child was not his, but still accepted him as the heir to the Scorpion Clan and Bayushi family. Hoturi killed Bayushi Dairu at the end of the Scorpion Coup in 1123, as the allied forces under Akodo Toturi attacked the palace. Hoturi did not know that had killed his own son until his dying moments at the Second Day of Thunder five years later.

Bayushi Yojiro


Bayushi Yojiro was tasked by Shoju to keep a subtle watch on Kachiko, to make certain her indiscretions did not endanger the clan. Yojiro followed his daimyo's orders to the letter, staying close to the Lady of the Scorpion as often as he could. And while he was not immune to her allure, his loyalty proved to be a suitable shield to her more dangerous charms. Such virtue was found frustrating by Kachiko on more then one occasion.

Yojiro was later forced to plot she shame of Matsu Ino and the murder of his lord, after Ino had made an accusation against Kachiko. Ino woke up the next morning, without memories, near the bloody corpse of his daimyo.

Imperial duty
In 1120, Kachiko was appointed the personnal aide of Emperor Hantei XXXVIII. The position had little "official" political power, as she was mainly tasked with assisting the aging Emperor in reading and compensating for his failing eyesight. She was choosen because of her devotion to the imperial court as a Scorpion courtier.

Scorpion Coup
Shoju, fearing the leadership and tactical brilliance of the Lion Clan Champion Akodo Toturi, enlisted Kachiko in a plot to eliminate Toturi. Kachiko used the geisha Hatsuko to lower Toturi's guard, and then ordered Hatsuko to poison Toturi shortly before the Coup began. Hatsuko, who had fallen in love with Toturi, could not kill him and fed him a paralyzing poison instead. Toturi survived and recovered, and led the united clans against the Scorpion Clan at the capital.

Clan War
After the death of Shoju in the Scorpion Coup, she convinced Hantei XXXIX to take her as his wife. In her heart she always remained true to her husband, would continued his work after his death. This was all part of a cunning ploy to manipulate the Emperor and be capable of aiding her hunted Clan from the very heart of the Empire. During the Clan War Kachiko did her best to meddle with other leaders of the clans as a form of revenge for Shoju.

Emperor's Illness
Kachiko slowly began poisoning the Emperor, which the Imperial Doctor incorrectly diagnosed as the plague that had been ravishing the lands.

Assassination Attempt
There was an assassination attempt made against Hantei XXXIX, in the begining of the Clan War. It was unknown who instigated the attempt, or why, but the Emperor survived thanks to Kachiko, who was wounded in the process. It was secretly a plan of Kachiko's to gain credit in the court, and the assassin gave his life for this plan.

Against the Dragon
In 1127 in the month of the Goat, she offered Onnotangu's Hand to Mirumoto Hitomi, in exchange of her participation in the test of the Emerald Champion. The hand caused much of turmoil within the Dragon Clan for the next five years.

Against the Crane
In 1127, in the month of the Monkey, she used the cursed nemuranai the Egg of P'an Ku on her former lover Doji Hoturi because he had killed their son, Dairu. The False Hoturi went on a rampage through Crane lands until it was finally killed by Hoturi.

Second Day of Thunder
Kachiko was the Scorpion Clan Thunder on the Second Day of Thunder in 1128. She used her knowledge of the secret passage ways of the Imperial Palace to guide the other Thunders to the throne room where the final showdown with Fu Leng. In the ensuing fight Hoturi was mortally wounded, and the couple had a last tearful goodbye before he died.

Hidden Emperor
Kachiko continued to lead the Scorpion Clan after the Clan War and Second Day of Thunder. In 1130, when Emperor Toturi I disappeared it was Kachiko and the Scorpion which were accused of abducting the Emperor. Emerald Champion Kakita Toshimoko had no choice but to exile the entire clan into the Burning Sands.

While exiled Kachiko tasked Bayushi Aramoro and Matsu Hiroru with finding the ronin they suspected of having attacked Toturi.

In the Burning Sands


During their time in the Burning Sands the Scorpion were taken as slaves by the Senpet. Kachiko was believed to be an avatar of Selqet, and was somewhat spared to rough a lifestyle.

Fate of Kachiko
In 1132, Kachiko was warned by Bayushi of an impending attack from Shosuro who had just escaped her crystal prison beneath Kyuden Hitomi.

Kachiko passed leadership of the Scorpion on to Bayushi Yojiro before she made her way to the lake hidden beneath Kyuden Bayushi. Shosuro found her there and attacked, but the spirit of Bayushi contained within the lake confused Shosuro long enough for Kachiko to help contain the Shadow-tainted essence of Shosuro by drowning herself.