Hiruma Todori

Hiruma Todori was a grim and driven lord of the Hiruma family of the Crab Clan, not unlike many of the Hiruma Daimyo before him.

Childhood
In 1138, Todori followed Hiruma Masagaro over the Wall, where two other children who followed were killed, one of which was Todori's younger sister. Todori's father chastised him, and sent him to Unicorn lands to prevent him from doing such a foolish thing again. Thus, Todori left Razor's Edge Dojo to reside at Far Runner Dojo. Todori was isolated from the rest of the Crab Clan and focused on his training. Upon his gempukku at fifteen, he requested to stay at Far Runner Dojo as a senior student, hoping to eventually become a sensei to the Crab there. His uncle sent back a short note telling him that Todori's father and mother had been killed in a goblin raid on the perimeter of Hiruma Castle. His uncle offered that he could stay in Hiruma lands with him, or remain at Far Runner Dojo. In shock and denial from his parents' death, and perhaps still shaken by his childhood trauma, he chose to stay at the school. For Todori, there was nothing outside the dojo's walls that mattered.

Fall in Love
In the Shinjo lands Todori found his inner peace and began to learn painting. He was taught by Shinjo Haruko, a beautiful Unicorn bushi who took his hear, and Todori intended to ask Haruko to marry him.

Sensei
Todori eventually had to drop his plans for marrying. In 1158 Hiruma Hoshiro, the sensei of the First Strike Dojo, was slain by an Oni spawn. When Masagaro, now daimyo, sought a replacement, Todori was recommended by the Far Runner sensei. Masagaro agreed, and under the pressure of both his sensei and daimyo, Todori accepted the position reluctantly. Upon arriving in Hiruma Castle, he found that First Strike Dojo was unlike anything he had experienced at Far Runner. Instead of training in peace, he was expected to lead strike forces against the Shadowlands creatures in the area. It was test in willpower to keep himself from running back to the open plains of the Unicorn lands. One week into his new post, a Taki-bi no Oni attacked Todori and his group of twenty scouts on the borders of Hiruma lands. With superior numbers, they would have easily become victors over the demon, but instead, Todori dwelled on the failure of previous sensei. Paralyzed in fear, he could not even shout orders to run before the Oni destroyed them. Todori reached Hiruma Castle two days later, nearly dying. As he was recovering, Masagaro visited him and demanded an explanation. Todori honestly told him what had happened and begged the daimyo for permission for seppuku to atone for his weakness. He refused and told Todori of what the daimyo's mother had told him in the past. "Some are defined by their failure. But the stronger among us are defined by what it teaches us." Masagaro gave him the choice to either return to Far Runner Dojo or to remain sensei at First Strike Dojo. He stayed, and became one of Masagaro's closest advisors.

Carpenter Wall Falls
In 1159 Todori was defending the Kaiu Wall from the Shadowlands attack. After the Wall fell the Shadowlands attacked Hiruma Castle three times in a row.

Shogun's Support
Hida Hitoshi requested aid to the Shogun, and Akodo Kaneka send part of his troops to the Wall. Todori did not trust Kaneka and studied the movements of the Shogun's troops.

Hiruma Castle under Siege
The same year the Oni Lord Shikibu no Oni had Shiro Hiruma under siege. It was a distracting movement trying to lure Crab forces from the defence of the Kaiu Wall. The Hiruma Daimyo, Hiruma Masagaro, send Todori to see Hida Kuon and got the promise that no Crab forces would be diverted from the Wall. Kuon send Iuchi Hari, emissary of the Unicorn, to tell Yasuki Daimyo, Yasuki Jinn-Kuen, that forces in that lands had to be gathered to aid the besieged. The only forces available were the Daidoji Iron Warriors army led by Daidoji Rekai, and the Kuon's desire was in fact to ask the Crane his support, in the middle of the non concluded Second Yasuki War. Rekai took the message and aided the Crab against the Shadowlands and swiftly crossed the Kaiu Wall with aid of the Iuchi to assist Hiruma Castle.

Daimyo
In 1165, Iuchiban attacked Hiruma Castle with a legion of the Shadowlands Horde that outnumbered the defenders seven to one. Hiruma Masagaro was killed early in the battle, and Todori led in his place, feeling guilty that he was unable to save him. They dug in at the castle, prepared to withstand the siege until help arrived from the Wall. Instead, help came from a legion led by Kokujin and Kyofu, who attacked Iuchiban's troops and left them unable to mount such an easy offensive against Hiruma Castle. Kyofu let it be known that Daigotsu offered a truce with the Crab so that they could focus on Iuchiban. Todori neither accepted nor refused the offer, respecting Hida Kuon's vow, on behalf of the Crab clan, to never ally itself with the Shadowlands again. When Hida Kuon finally arrived with reinforcements was met by Todori who held Masagaro's tessen, symbolizing Todori was the new Hiruma Daimyo. Kyofu had gifted Todori with a map to the current hiding place of Tsuburu no Oni, and the Hiruma Daimyo passed it to Kuon.

Blade of Penance
Kokujin, however, had left a gift for Todori: a Shamesword, the Blade of Penance. The mad Ise Zumi expected Todori to use the blade against his enemy Kuni examined the sword and found no Taint in it, but considering its source, it was obviously dangerous. When attempted to destroy it failed, Todori secured it in the castle vaults. Soon after, Todori left to recover Masagaro's daisho for the halls of Koten, and found that the creatures that had defeated Masagaro's party were still there, and they attacked him. After dispatching them, he realized that he was wielding the Shamesword. Upon Kuon's advice, he traveled to the High House of Light to ask the Dragon for help to destroy the blade.

Traveling Unicorn Lands
In his journey Todori had to cross the Seikitsu Pass and he was detained by the Unicorn Clan, who was at war with the Dragon Clan, Todori's final destination. The Hiruma Daimyo saw the ravaged lands near the City of the Rich Frog, in open fight between Unicorn, Dragon and Lion. Moto Kumari, taisa of the Khol, finally granted Todori the permission to travel through Unicorn lands. Before he departed Todori saw the dead in duel of Akodo Tsuri and Ikoma Kyuso at the hands of the Dragon general Mirumoto Kei.

High House of Light
Once in the Dragon lands Todori had difficult to find the High House. The people gave him the direction, but there was no tracks of roads. A bear attacked him in the mountain and killed it, and Todori realized the blade he used was Penance. He met a tattooed Dragon, Togashi Jusai, who did not guide him better than the others, but eventually found the castle. Hoshi Oki introduce him to Togashi Satsu, who told Todori the used blade could not be destroyed, because Todori would share the fate of the blade. Todori, who admitted he regreted his cowardice, and this regretful was used by the blade, decided to let Penance with the Dragon.

Iuchiban
Before Todori left the castle Hitomi Vedau asked him to find Toku, Mirumoto Mareshi and Mirumoto Kenzo, who were hunting bloodspeakers in the Phoenix mountains. Satsu foresaw Iuchiban would face them and the group was in danger and needed help.

Hiruma School
In 1169, following the re-discovery of the lost ancestral Hiruma Bushi school techniques, Todori was flooded with requests to join the new school. He had to turn down many requests, including that of Hida Fubatsu. At the same time there was a Naga named Zamalesh visiting Shiro Hiruma, seeking the reincarnated soul of the Jerish. It was revealed that Fubatsu was the reincarnated soul, and Todori ordered Fubatsu to join the Zamalesh in Shinomen Mori for study, and to keep track of Unicorn and Scorpion troop movement at the same time.

War of Dark Fire
While in Dragon Clan lands in 1170, Todori heard of the attacks on the Northern Towers of Flame. He rode out and joined the forces of the Fouth Imperial Legion under the command of Hida Tonoji.

Todori was captured by the Yobanjin, who attempted to force information from him. Todori was later rescued at Pale Oak Castle by Crab scouts led by Hiruma Tama. Todori planned to sacrifice himself to prevent the invaders from stealing anything from the Kanjiro Library, but was knocked out by Tama, who instead sacrificed his own life to burn down the library.