Emperor of Rokugan



The Emperor of Rokugan is the title given to the ruler of the Empire of Rokugan. It is a hereditary monarchy that passes, with few exceptions, from eldest son to eldest son. Three dynasties have held the title of emperor: the Hantei family, under whom the title was established and held for over a thousand years, the Toturi family, and the current Iweko family dynasty.

The last Hantei of the line was possessed by Fu Leng and then slain as a result. The Toturi line, whose last blood member Toturi III died heirless, threw the line of succession into confusion. Toturi III's wife Toturi Kurako acted as regent until her death in 1169, which caused more turmoil. Toturi III's remaining lsiblings had been slain in 1169, leaving no clear succession. Following the Celestial Tournament of 1170, Iweko I became the first Empress of the new Iweko family dynasty.

Creation
The position of emperor was created by the Kami Hantei, who was son of Amaterasu and Onnotangu and victor of the Tournament of the Kami. After the Tournament, Hantei was declared ruler of all Rokugan, but this was not truly so until the reign of his grandson, Hantei Ningi, when the Imperial Court and post of Emerald Champion were offically established. The Emperor of Rokugan is the highest authority in the Empire of Rokugan. Inherent in the position is absolute administrative, judicial, religious and military control of the empire, although many of these roles can be delegated to trusted subordinates.

Titles of the Emperor
The Emperor could be referred to as tenno, or "Heavenly Sovereign". The heir apparent could be referred to as kotaishi.

The Emperor can also be known as the "Son of Heaven"

Religious Leader
The Emperor is considered the highest member of the Samurai caste in the Celestial Order, above the Kuge. He is also the head of Rokugan's religion, and is even believed to be the voice of the Celestial Heavens. As such, the training of the Emperor's children, the prospective future Emperors, has a great focus on the Tao of Shinsei as well as the religion of the Fortunes.

Succession
Imperial succession is generally father to eldest son. If an Emperor has no surviving son, a daughter can claim the throne as Empress. If the Emperor has no surviving children, the Emperor's younger brother or sister can be called to take the throne. In the rare occasion when an Emperor dies without a clear successor, the empire's historians will search through the histories of the Otomo and find the living person with the closest blood tie to the ruling line.

Name
Upon rising to the throne the Emperor casts aside their former name and are referred to by their dynasty. This tradition was begun with Emperor Hantei X in 487. The Emperor will also traditionally take on a unique title, such as Emperor Toturi III, the Righteous Emperor.

Abdicating Siblings
Historically, the children of the emperor who did not ascend to the throne ritually abdicated their claims to the throne upon the coronation of their eldest brother. They abandon the dynastic name, and join either the Seppun or Otomo families. The only people allowed to bear the Emperor's dynastic name are the Emperor, his wife and his children. On the occasions when the Emperor's siblings were needed to take the throne, they were allowed to renounce their abdication.

Power
The Emperor owns all land within the Empire, and allows his vassals to manage these lands for him. The Emperor is the final arbiter in matters of law, and his commands are immediately considered Imperial Law. Most Emperors wielded this power carefully to prevent contradicting themselves or previous Emperors or erode the faith placed in them by their followers. The Emperor's Laws are enforced by the Emerald Magistrates, and the Imperial Legions are his armies.

Hantei Dynasty
Begun with Hantei at the foundation of the empire, the Hantei Dynasty ruled Rokugan for eleven centuries.

Interregnum
After his assassination of Hantei XXXVIII during the Scorpion Coup, Bayushi Shoju claimed the empire, crowning himself Emperor Shoju I. His reign lasted five days, from his assassination of the emperor in the evening of 14th day of the Rooster in 1123, until his death at the hands of Akodo Toturi in the evening of the 19th day of the Rooster.

Toturi Dynasty
After the posession of Hantei XXXIX by Fu Leng and his death on the Second Day of Thunder, the throne was claimed by Toturi, the Lion Thunder.

Iweko Dynasty
After the Celestial Tournament, the Voice of the Jade Sun and Voice of the Obsidian Moon declared Kitsuki Iweko to be the first of a new dynasty.