Togashi Mitsu

Togashi Mitsu was a legendary Ise Zumi of the Dragon Clan. Born a Tamashii, Mitsu prepared himself to one day offer his body to host the soul of the Kami Togashi. The death of Togashi on the Second Day of Thunder left Mitsu free to pursue his own interests.

Tattoos
Mitsu was known to have a Dragon tattoo, as well as a Centipede tattoo.

Youth
Soh raised in Fukurokujin Seido, having been left there as a child. He was an acolyte in 1114 at age 14, when he was approached by the Dragon Clan Champion Togashi Yokuni. Yokuni offered Soh the opportunity to join the Togashi family, gain magical tattoos and become an ise zumi. Soh immediatley took to the idea, and decided that he would take the name Togashi Mitsu.

""Why should I regret? I have no life but this one. All I can do is to live it.""

- Soh

Some of his teachers at the temple were outraged at this apparent disregard for their traditions, but one wise sensei said; "Do not expect the crow to swim just because you tell him he is a goldfish."

Appearance
Almost all of Mitsu's body was covered in tattoos, and he would show off these tattoos by only wearing leggings and sandals. He was quite tall, standing almost six feet, completely bald and heavily scarred on his face from years of close calls. He never carried any weapons, favoring the powers of his tattoos should it come to a fight. He could almost always be seen with a smile on his face. He could talk to anyone about anything, be it peasants about rice crops or an Utaku about her saddle. The only matter he was ever shy about was himself.

Tales of Mitsu
Mitsu was a fun-loving and carefree monk who frequently wandered Rokugan helping those in need and dispensing justice as needed. There are many tales of Mitsu's exploits, including defending villages from ogres, catching Scorpion attempting to blackmail honest daimyo and leaping off a mountain to impress a Phoenix shugenja. He traveled the Empire for over ten years, appearing in small villages or the courts of nobles, acting the tattooed jester. He would make friends with those who displayed a noble nature, regardless of status. In his prime, Mitsu was one of the most recognizable Ize Zumi to ever live, as he did not choose the standard path of seclusion and meditation.

Thrill seeker
Some would go as far as to say that Mitsu was just another thrill seeker. In truth he never undertook any course of action without having carefully weighed the outcome first. He saw the mountain jumps near Kyuden Togashi as a way of relaxation. He could occasionally be seen flirting with geisha, going hungry at great feasts and drinking sour tea during sake festivals. When asked why he would torture himself so he would merely say that he found it as exhilarating as jumping off a cliff.

Clan War
During the Clan War, Mitsu was a staunch ally of the ronin Toturi. Mitsu, along with many other members of the Dragon Clan, joined Toturi's Army before the Battle of Beiden Pass and fought with the Black Lion throughout the war. He never held any rank in the army, and came and went as he pleased. His service to Toturi however was invaluable.

The False Hoturi
After the Battle at Iyosha Hill Akiyoshi delivered the recently freed Doji Hoturi to Toturi. Hoturi said that Hantei Kachiko used some kind of magical egg to make a duplicate from him, which Mitsu recognized as the Egg of P'an Ku.

Tamashii
Mitsu was one of the tamashii, the rare ise zumi capable of serving as a host to the soul of the Kami Togashi himself. Mitsu had known that he would one day be called upon to become the next Dragon Clan Champion, and hold the soul of Togashi, but when Togashi Yokuni was killed on the Second Day of Thunder Mitsu doubted his purpose in life.

""Togashi died before I could fultill my destiny. Hitomi killed him.""

- Mitsu

Hitomi Kobai's Vengeance
Mitsu was sought out by Hitomi Kobai in 1133 following the Battle of Oblivion's Gate. Kobai wished for Mitsu to aid him in exacting vengeance upon Kokujin, who had betrayed Hitomi and stolen Togashi's Daisho. Mitsu would have no part in the petty quest for vengeance.

""For vengeance and trinkets. You have learned nothing, Kobai.""

- Mitsu

War Against the Darkness
Following the Second Day of Thunder, Mitsu was one of the many Togashi who refused to take the Hitomi family name. His once eternal optimistic demeanor vanished, and he retreated from the public eye. Many assumed that he was disgusted with the civil war that consumed his brethren, but the truth was more complicated. His true concern was that of his destiny as a tamashii.

Mitsu came to Morikage forest in 1132 together with Hoshi and Suana, fighting the goju.

Mitsu joined the combined forces lead by Shinjo in the assault of Otosan Uchi against the Lying Darkness and its hold over Toturi.

Kokujin
Mitsu was approached in 1151 by Hoshi Kaelung, and asked to aid in the defeat of Kokujin. Again Mitsu refused.

""You ask for truth, Kaelung, but I do not think that there is any. I have made enough sacrifices for the Dragon Clan. Go and hunt Kokujin if you must. I wish you good fortune.""

- Mitsu

Retirement
After a time Mitsu's age was catching up with him, and he began to doubt his destiny. At this time he happened to be nearby when a patrol led by Mirumoto Rosanjin was attacked by a Lion patrol led by Matsu Tejin. The Lion were winning until the timely arrival of Mitsu, who disarmed Tejin. Tejin and his men fled, but not before Tejin swore he would have his revenge. The dead and wounded around him reminded Mitsu that he still had to remove the greatest threat to the Dragon, Kokujin. Mitsu secretely took up residence in Seikitsu Pass following the re-opening of the pass in 1150, living off of the fresh water and blind fish there for six years.

In 1151, Kaelung sought out Mitsu in the Seikitsu Pass. He hoped to enlist the aid of the legendary ise zumi in finding and killing Kokujin, but Mitsu refused to help.

Matsuo
Mitsu's depression lasted until Dragon Clan Champion Togashi Hoshi introduced him in the Seikitsu Mountains to another young Ise Zumi, Togashi Matsuo, in 1156. Hoshi revealed that Matsuo was a tamashii, and Mitsu agreed to take Matsuo as his student, to teach and to study so he could find Matsuo's purpose as well as if he himself had one once more.

""How is that possible? Togashi is dead. There is no more need for the tamashii.""

- Mitsu

Mitsu was surprised to learn of the existance of Matsuo, as he believed that with Togashi dead, there would be no more tamashii. Matsuo was very much like Mitsu, and several veterans of the Clan War had commented on how he was exactly like a young Mitsu. He was a vigorous and pleasant man who preferred the simple to the complicated and the mundane to the glamorous.

Dragon-Phoenix War
Mitsu and Matsuo were sent to the village of Mikoto Mura by Togashi Satsu in 1158 during the Dragon-Phoenix War, to aid in any way they could.

Mitsu later intervened in a skirmish between a patrol of inexperienced Mirumoto led by Mirumoto Rosanjin and a patrol of Matsu led by Matsu Tejin. The Dragon were losing until his timely arrival. Mitsu disarmed Tejin, forcing the Matsu gunso and his men to flee. Mitsu let slip that he now understood that he must deal with someone sooner rather than later, but would not reveal who that someone was to Rosanjin.

King of the Trolls
In 1159 Mitsu and his student Matsuo where scouting the southwestern Dragon provinces when the King of the Trolls was, again, awakened. The cause was the Unicorn excavations in his home, the City of Night, below the Great Crater. The King of the Trolls started his travel from the last place it was slumbered, the Dragon lands, to the Unicorn lands. When the monks looked for shelter they found Zgkol, who then put them in contact with Bayushi Ogura, the descendant of Asako Gohiro, the shugenja who slumbered the first time the King of Trolls. Ogura then enlisted the help of the Kuni Witch Hunter Kuni Junji and together, they were able to recreate Gohiro's spell, sending the King of Trolls back into slumber. Ogura, knowing the ritual took the life of its performer, backed out in the middle of the spell, which resulted in the death of Junji. The Troll Mountain laid near the Great Crater, at the mouth of the Seikitsu Pass.

Kokujin, Once Again
In 1159, Mitsu again become involved in the quest to end the shame of Kokujin. While training with his student Togashi Matsuo, he encountered Togashi Satsu. Satsu revealed that he knew the location of Kokujin, but again Mitsu did not become involved. His student Matsuo joined the seven Dragon samurai who travelled to the Twilight Mountains to confront Kokujin.

Kaelung
Eventually, Mitsu decided that he would have to take part in the conflict with Kokujin and sought out Kaelung, the former Hoshi sohei. He tracked him down to the Lion city of Foshi where the two fought. After fleeing the city following the trouble they caused, Mitsu explained why he had come seeking Kaelung. Togashi Satsu and six other Dragon had accepted Kokujin's Challenge, and Mitsu needed Kaelung's aid in helping them defeat Kokujin. Kaelung accepted and the pair began their journey south.

The two arrived in the Twilight Mountains exhausted from their use of their Centipede tattoos. Mitsu suggested they start looking in the ruins of Shiro Heichi, as he suspected Kokujin would think them a good place to hide. Kaelung made it clear to Mitsu that he was only here to defeate Kokujin, and warned the ise zumi not to get in his way. Mitsu in turn explained that he was only there to rescue Satsu and the others, and warned Kaelung not to get in his way either.

More Allies
The two became lost in the mountains until they encountered Togashi Matsuo, Mirumoto Rosanjin and Heichi Jianzhen, who had been led to the two monks by the Shakoki Dogu. Rosanjin, Kaelung and Jianzhen began bickering until Tamori Chieko's scream echoing through the mountains brought the pressing matter back to their attention.

Jianzhen and Rosanjin created distraction outside Shiro Heichi, allowing Mitsu, Matsuo and Kaelung to enter Kokujin's lair. Mitsu and Kaelung confronted Kokujin while Matsuo freed Togashi Satsu and Hitomi Hogai. Matsuo escaped with the severely wounded Chieko, and when it appeared that the gathered Dragon had the upper hand Kokujin sacrificed his vassal Kokujin Kobai upon the Anvil of Despair, releasing the First Oni from it's prison beneath Shiro Heichi. This revealed Kokujin's true plan all along, to release the First Oni in exchange for Fu Leng's true name.

Apparent Death
Mitsu and the Mad Dragon became locked in single combat. Using the Anvil of Despair as a weapon, Mitsu knocked Kokujin, himself, and the Anvil into a lava-filled pit, presumably to their demise and the Anvil's loss.

Continuing the Legend
Despite his apparent death, many had since claimed to have seen the Ise Zumi helping wounded escape from battles. Recently, Mitsu has returned to Rokugan as the Oracle of Thunder. Around the same time, Kokujin has returned as well. Few see this as a coincidence.