Daigotsu Yajinden

Daigotsu Yajinden was born Asahina Yajinden. He was the lieutenant of the maho-tsukai Iuchiban and the creator of the Bloodswords. He joined Iuchiban because his thirst for knowledge and power was greater than his will. It was whispered for centuries that Yajinden never truly died, but in any case the exact date of his death was forgotten and never celebrated.

Appearance
Yajinden was tall and broad-shouldered, with thick arms. He had white hair tied back in a careful topknot.

Porcelain masks
Yajinden created the infamous Porcelain Masks which, when put on a dead body, would animate it as a Zombie.

Bloodswords
The Bloodswords were four katana forged by Yajinden in 508 using the Anvil of Despair. Each weapon was of exceptional quality, and granted its wielder unnusual abilities as a powerful nemuranai. Each sword was also cursed, however, and its owner would eventually be obsessed by the trait for which each katana was named. The bloodswords were each gifted to a daimyo of a Great Clan with the intent that the weapon would destroy them, causing confusion in the Empire and aiding Iuchiban's attempt to dominate Rokugan. Three of the four cursed blades resulted in the deaths of their wielder before the Scorpion Clan Champion, Bayushi Rikoji, became suspicious and started the investigation that led to Iuchiban's downfall.

Hantei Jama
Yajinden become a close friend with the Imperial Prince, Hantei Jama, son of the Emperor Hantei X. Suru, Yajinden, and Doji Tsugiko were the only friends of Jama, being his older brother, the Imperial Heir, who was beloved and worshipped by all around him, the charismatic boy that would one day be Emperor. When the heir became terrible ill and Hantei Jama looked as the future Emperor, the children turned on him, including the heir's best friend Matsu Arashige. Suru, Yajinden, and Tsugiko were left apart. As soon as Jama's elder son recovered, the things became as before the illness.

Jama's Gempukku
In his gempukku Hantei Jama abdicated the throne and abandoned the Hantei name, becoming Otomo Jama, as was tradition. Shortly aftr Suru and Yajinden were called by Jama and Tsugiko, and they saw the body of Arashige, stabbed to death. They hid the corpse and the assassin was not exposed.

The First Rising of Iuchiban
In 499 Yajinden helped his friend Jama in the research of the journals of the corrupted sorcerer Kuni Nakanu, which had been found by the Otomo. Jama and Yajinden studied the notes, learning the secrets of maho. Jama forced Jama Suru, a former vassal of the Shiba family who had pledged himself to Jama's service, and others to use such dark arts in his stead, while he and Yajinden remained pure.

Marching to the Burning Sands
When Jama went on a diplomatic mission out of Rokugan, Yajinden followed him. They journeyed to the Burning Sands, but their travel through the Ujik-hai deserts was a disaster and only four remained. The first was Suru, the second was Yajinden, and the fourth was a young maiden named Doji Tsugiko, bride of Iuchiban. Yajinden used his magic to sustain them, supplying sparse food, fresh water, and shelter from the fiery sun, but even him pleaded with Jama to turn back. Jama endured and they were granting shelter in the palace of Adisabah, a Rakshasa demon.

Imprisoned
Adisabah imprisoned the four, in a prison designed that if Jama were to escape, he would die and the others would be free. Should another escape, they would live and their companions would die. Should any attack another, all would die. During their imprisonment Jama learned much of gaijin magic in the library of his captor, and about the people and places where he could find the knowledge that he sought. Afterwards, Jama ordered Tsugiko to kill herself, which she did willingly, freeing Jama, Suru and Yajinden. The three went to Medinaat al-Salaam.

The Khadi
Adisabah helped Jama to learn the secrets of the Khadi from the sorcerer Chephren. Jama later took the name Iuchiban. Adisabah realized that it had made a mistake. Iuchiban was growing in power and might eventually be able to kill the Rakshasa. Adisabah plotted with Yajinden to destroy Iuchiban.

Return to Rokugan
After his return to Otosan Uchi Yajinden became his most trusted second. Iuchiban founded the Bloodspeakers, an organization of maho-tsukai, and began making plans to raise an army of the undead to help him overthrow his brother and conquer Rokugan. Iuchiban asked Yajinden to use magic of tsangusuri and Kuni Nakanu's writing, to make four Bloodswords with the Anvil of Despair. They were gifted to four Clan Champions. After the death of three of these gifted champions, the surviving one, Bayushi Rikoji, started an investigation into the origin of the blades.

Battle of Stolen Graves
In 510 at the Battle of Stolen Graves Yajinden acted as Iuchiban's shireikan and was called Teh Kurai no Iuchiban (The Dark Hand of Iuchiban). After the battle Yajinden was captured by his family, the peaceful Asahina, but they decided not to kill him. They magically erased his memory and let him live out his final days peaceful as a gardener. Or so they believed.

Servant
This was not the end of Yajinden's story. He had discovered a method of immortality that involved trading bodies with another person, allowing him to transfer his conciousness between bodies for centuries. Iuchiban had used this soul-shifting capacity to escape his Tomb the first time.

Betraying his Master
Yajinden somehow aided in the enhancement of the Tomb of Iuchiban, and expected his master would never be freed a second time, for eternity.

Corrupting the Kuni Daimyos
In 1109 Yajinden had corrupted the Kuni Daimyo Kuni Kaiden. The smither gave him one of the Four Masks of Iuchiban, and told how the four could release the entombed Heartless. Kaiden betrayed Iuchiban and enacted a ritual to find the other three Masks to free Iuchiban, but he activated a curse laid by Yajinden on the mask which brought his own downfall. His own sons killed him, only surviving his elder son Kuni Yori. Yori was able to unlock the curse and took the Mask. Yajinden appeared and bargained with Yori, to teach the Kuni all the Yajinden's knowledge. Yajinden won a future ally, and Yori became more powerful and the new Kuni Daimyo.

Betraying his Master
In 1124 Yajinden believed he was finally Iuchiban's superior, than he had broken free of his servitude and could force his former master to become his slave. He intended to remove the threat his master posed, and Yajinden only intended to use Iuchiban's power to continue the perfection of his art. He, disguised as Meishozo Nisei, manipulated a band of samurai into aiding him in finding the Four Masks of Iuchiban, the tomb's lost keys. When he needed them no longer he had sent Shinko Kamiko to dispose of them, but she had failed. They had escaped his ambush and pursued him into the tomb. The centuries of imprisonment had only increased Iuchiban's power. Iuchiban imprisoned him, desperate for any form of companionship, any form of amusement.

Third Rise of Iuchiban
In 1165 Yajinden was still Iuchiban's prisoner in the Tomb of Iuchiban. Shahai was able to enter the Tomb and bargained with Iuchiban. She would free Iuchiban, if the Heartless would help her make Daigotsu whole again. Shahai commanded Iuchiban to bind himself to a special Ruby, but Iuchiban fouled her and Yajinden entered the Ruby instead. After the wards of the Tomb were released Iuchiban made his way out of the Tomb and Yajinden occupied the body of Kaiu Kuma, who was an unwitting accomplice in Shahai's plan.

Rain of Blood
Iuchiban beeing free, his third rise of Iuchiban began and Yajinden was forced again to serve the Bloodspeaker. He and Mohai marched to the Northern mountains to capture the last Ki-rin. The unicorn was sacrificed by Iuchiban to enact a terrible ritual that covered the entire Empire in a Rain of Blood.

Serving the Master
Iuchiban forged new weapons but they were weaker than the first true Bloodswords by far. Omoni told him the Anvil of Despair was not destroyed in the battle Kokujin had had with the Dragon Clan. Yajinden would grant Omoni any favor within his power if the half-goblin helped him to find the Anvil. Iuchiban tasked Yajinden in the mission to find the Rakshasa Adisabah.

Maigo no Musha
In 1165 Yajinden discovered the existence of this previously unknown Realm of Thwarted Destiny. He could not enter safely himself and neither did he pass this information to his hated master Iuchiban, so the artisan sought for an ally instead. The swordsmith had spent decades imprisoned in Iuchiban's tomb, suffering all manner of torture at the hands of his master. During that time Yajinden had sought out all possible avenues of escape, and found none. By the time Yajinden made his escape he had prepared his defenses and this realm could no longer claim him. Curious about the potential of this place but unwilling to risk himself personally, he prepared to assemble an army of wretched, expendable spirits to investigate. Iuchiban knew nothing of this.

Hidden City
When Iuchiban was seeking his lost Bloodswords, Yajinden he sensed Ambition in the Phoenix lands, which was in a Hidden City, a city with great power. He called Iuchiban through the Oracle of Blood, and the Heartless was interested. An army of skeletons were summoned to aid Yajinden. Even with this army led by an Akodo general, Akodo Tadenori, Yajinden alone was not sure he could take the city. Yajinden and Iuchiban marched to seize the city and to take the magical artifacts. Before Iuchiban arrived Yajinden began the attack and tried to kill Isawa Nakamuro, who was at the city to defend it, but his yojimbo, Shiba Koseki, took the spell for him instead. The battle fared badly for the Phoenix during three days until the arrival of Dragon and Monkey forces under the command of Mirumoto Kenzo and Toku, who were able to enter the city.

To protect the Black Scrolls inside the City, Nakamuro and Toku, who had come to the rescue, agreed to a counter-attack to attract Yajinden. Toku, his son Toturi Kyoji (carrying the Scrolls) and Doji Midoru fled the city on horseback and at great speed. Yajinden followed in pursuit. When they reached a canyon in the mountains, Toku made the mountains crumble on him and Yajinden together. While Yajinden was trapped under the avalanche, it gave enough time to his son to take the Scrolls to safety and to Nakamuro to hold the City walls longer and reinforcements to arrive.

Yajinden's Return
Asako Misao was unfortunate enough to discover the body of Yajinden, who was fatally injured by the landslide caused by Toku's explosive sacrifice. In his panic, he failed to defend himself from Yajinden, who proceeded to steal his body, effectively ending his life. Yajinden despised how weak Misao's body was.

Kuni Yori
From the vaults of Gisei Toshi he had recovered a naga Magic Pearl that contained the imprisoned soul of Kuni Yori and Iuchi Karasu. Yajinden bargained with Yori, offering freedom in return for investigation of the Realm of Thwarted Destiny. The Kuni gathered damned spirits to aid in his conquest of the new realm, the Legion of Blood.

Legion of the Dead
When the Legion of Blood first began searching for this place, it began to react to their presence. It grew and fed upon them; it began to develop into an independent realm. When the Celestial Heavens sensed the imbalance, the Legion of the Dead was created by Goemon, Fortune of Heroes, to stop it. He simply assumed that his enemy was the army of Bloodspeaker spirits and marched out to stop them, never realizing that they sought this mysterious new realm on Yajinden's behalf, not Iuchiban's.

Legion of the Dead
Iuchiban sensed the spiritual activity of the Legion of the Dead to combat Kuni Yori. The Heartless believed this Legion had been assembled to destroy him, and commanded Yajinden to mount a defense. Yajinden gladly complied, adding the damned spirits Iuchiban offered.

Talking with Adisabah
Adisabah was back in Rokugan and met Yajinden in the Plains Above Evil. The Rakshasa pondered with the artisan the events about the Realm of Thwarted Destiny. He guessed the smither wished to distract Iuchiban with a war in realms beyond while Daigotsu and his other mortal enemies gathered to finish him.

Tempting the Lords of the Death
The Shadow Dragon was the secret ally of Yajinden. The artisan sent the Dragon to meet the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang in Meido in 1166. The Dragon revealed the existence of the new realm, the Realm of Thwarted Destiny, to tempt them with the desire to rule it. He was swiftly dismished by the Lords of the Death, casting aside a powerful ally and made a powerful enemy.

Daigotsu's soul Recovered
While the Lords of the Dead had been diverted from guarding Meido when they aided the Legion of the Dead at Volturnum, and Emma-O embroiled with Doji Satsume thanks to a Shadow Dragon's deception, Daigotsu Hoturi sneaked in the Emma-O's fortress and rescued the imprisoned half of Daigotsu's soul. The Dragon would gift it to Daigotsu, fully restoring the Dark Lord's former power. The plan made by Yajinden had been completed. He guessed that Daigotsu's back would be the doom of his master.

Golden Obi
In 1166 Skub discovered the Golden Obi of the Sun Goddess in the City of the Lost, and brought it to his master Omoni. At Yajinden's suggestion, Omoni sent one of his creatures to deliver the obi to Isawa Sezaru.

Seeds of Revolution
Yajinden engineered a peasant revolt to harm the Empire. He traveled to a small Crane city near the Lion border, Hitsu Taekeru, that had suffered a lot during the Rain of Blood. All the samurai were tainted and later killed by the villagers. With no more bushi to control them, Yajinden supported their wishes of freedom from the caste obligations, breaking the Celestial Order. No more Crane were delivered and the villagers were rampant in bandit activities. The Lion seized the city and Yajinden ordered the heimin to begin a murdering serial of Lion officers, expecting to begin a Lion-Crane war. The arrangement of a Lion-Crane marriage between Ikoma Kusari and Doji Domotai halted the possible war, but the Yajinden's activities were not exposed.

Iuchiban defeated
When Kisada, Matsu Aoiko led the united armies of the Lion and Crab Clans against the Bloodspeaker, supported by Sezaru, Yajinden fled, free from Iuchoban's control. Daigotsu came by sea to Otosan Uchi to fight the Heartless. After the destruction of Iuchiban, Yajinden became a sworn servant of Daigotsu, and eventually took the Daigotsu name becoming Daigotsu Yajinden.

Asako Kinuye
Yajinden had a strange relationship with Asako Kinuye, the Phoenix Clan Bloodspeaker. It seemed that she owed her life to Yajinden, but the exact manner of the debt and who was aware of their connection was unknown.

Spider Clan
Yajinden joined the Spider Clan following it's creation by Daigotsu.

In 1170, shortly before the ascension of Iweko I, Yajinden retook possession of the Anvil, killing it's keeper, Asahina Keitaro with his bare hands. He also sent a letter of recommendation for Kinuye to Daigotsu.