Otosan Uchi

Otosan Uchi, the city of the Emperor and the Imperial Capital, was the seat of power of Rokugan, the home of the Emperor and the Imperial Court from the dawn of the empire for over a thousand years. Over those thousand years the city saw many invasions and conflicts. Most notable of these are the Battle of White Stag, the Scorpion Clan Coup, the Second Day of Thunder and Daigotsu's invasion of the city.

City Layout
Otosan Uchi was divided into sixteen districts, with two gigantic walls surrounding the city.

The areas outside the first and outermost wall are unnamed and consisted of eight districts (clockwise from Golden Sun Bay, direction as gauged from the Imperial Palace):
 * Tsai, to the southeast.
 * Hidari, to the southeast.
 * Juramashi, to the south-southeast.
 * Hayasu, to the west.
 * Half of Hinjaku, to the west-northwest.
 * Hojize, to the northwest.
 * Other half of Hinjaku, to the north-northwest.
 * Toyotomi, to the north-northeast.
 * Meiyoko, to the east-northeast.

The area between the first wall and the second wall, known as the Enchanted Wall, contained the same 8 districts as the outskirts and two other districts that bordered the mouth of the river:
 * Higshikawa, to the east.
 * Kosuga, to the east-southeast.

Within the Enchanted Wall was the heart of Otosan Uchi, the Forbidden Palace district, and four other districts that surrounded the palace:
 * Hito, to the north.
 * Kanjo, to the east.
 * Chisei, to the south.
 * Karada, to the west.

Finally, at the center of the city on top of Seppun Hill is the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden Palace district. The Emperor and many of his personal attendants resided there, and the Imperial Court frequently gathered in the palace to hold court.

The Scorpion Coup
On the evening of the 14th day of Month of the Rooster in the year 1123, Otosan Uchi was seized by the Scorpion Clan following Bayushi Shoju's assassination of Emperor Hantei XXXVIII. This unprecedented act was the first major battle to take place in or near the city since the Battle of White Stag over seven hundred years ago. The armies of the Phoenix under Shiba Tsukune arrived that night, with the Unicorn Clan forces led by Shinjo Yokatsu arriving the following morning. During this time, open fighting was raging in many of the districts, with the Seppun Miharu conducting guerrilla warfare against the much larger Scorpion forces.

The night after the coup, the forces of the Lion and Crane, led by Matsu Tsuko and Doji Satsume respectively, arrive at the capital. After joining with the Unicorn and Phoenix, the seige began in earnest, as the Lion penetrated the Outer Southern Wall shortly after the Crane also began their attack on the western portion of the city. On the 16th, two days after the coup, Bayushi Shoju rode out and fatally wounded Doji Satsume. The defeat (and subsequent death) of the Emerald Champion dealt a serious blow to the morale of the coalition armies.

On the day of the 17th, two independent events occur that doomed the Scorpion armies and the new Emperor, Shoju I. Akodo Toturi, who was trapped in the outer city after being poisoned by the geisha Hatsuko, managed to escape and join with the assembled Clan armies. At the same time, Hida Kisada and the Crab arrive and join up with the coalition forces. With the might of the Crab and the skill of Toturi, the clans retake the outer city by nightfall.

Five days after the coup, The Elemental Masters of the Phoenix arrived and managed to temporarily defeat the Enchanted Wall on the morning of the 19th, allowing the Great Clans to enter the inner city, where the southern gate of the Forbidden Palace was also breached by the Masters. That night, Toturi dueled and killed Shoju, and freed the remaining hostages in the Imperial Palace, ending the Scorpion Clan Coup.

Crab Invasion of 1127
After their stunning defeat at the Battle of Beiden Pass, the Crab armies regrouped and Kisada, alongside his son Hida Yakamo, planned a new offensive. Together they sailed to Otosan Uchi and invaded the city alongside their Shadowlands allies, swiftly crushing the Lion garrison. Lion commander Matsu Tsuko was ordered by the Emperor himself not to take command of the Lion armies, and without her leadership, the forces crumbled. When Kisada strode into the Imperial Palace to take the throne with his son at his side, he found Hantei XXXIX standing in wait. There, the Emperor revealed himself to be possessed by Fu Leng, and before Kisada or Yakamo could act, the corrupted Hantei drove his ancestral blade into Kisada's gut. Yakamo and his wounded father managed to flee the palace, and Yakamo announced to his soldiers that their alliance with the Shadowlands was at an end, tearing off Yakamo's Claw and boarding the ships for home.

The Second Day of Thunder
In 1128, on the 9th day of the Month of the Ox, the major powers of the Emerald Empire united under a single banner and focused on one goal: to destroy the corrupted Emperor Hantei XXXIX and free the heart of the Empire from the Shadowlands' control. The battle was fought by the six Great Clans, the Scorpion forces, the Naga, the Brotherhood of Shinsei, Toturi's Army, Yoritomo's Alliance and many smaller factions. The Naga used their powerful pearl magic and tactics to defeat the Horde's outlying units, while Toturi rallied the divided Lion Clan and reunited them against the Emperor.

After taking the outer city, the clans suffered a major setback when Master of Fire Isawa Tsuke succumbed to his Taint and unleashed his powerful magic upon the allied forces before Shiba Ujimitsu sacrificed himself to stop the insane Master. At the same time, the Unicorn forces swept through the city and trampled many of the Shadowlands beasts. Yogo Junzo himself was defeated when Otaku Kamoko crushed him beneath her steed.

While the fighting raged outside, the Seven Thunders, the Hooded Ronin and Togashi Yokuni entered the Imperial Palace to destroy Fu Leng, who by now was in complete control of the Hantei emperor's shell, but was still immortal enough that the Thunders could not defeat him. The tide turned when Yokuni, who revealed himself to be the original Kami Togashi sacrificed himself so that the Twelfth Black Scroll could be opened, fully binding Fu Leng to the mortal realm. After being blinded by Bayushi Kachiko, Fu Leng was sent back to Jigoku by the dual sword strikes of Toturi and Doji Hoturi. With their leader dead, the Shadowlands forces fell into a rout and were swiftly defeated by the allied forces. The Clan War was over.

Shinjo's attack on the Capital
In 1132, after completing the Kolat purge of the Unicorn Clan, the Kami Shinjo assembled the armies of her clan and marched on Otosan Uchi to destroy the corrupted Emperor Toturi. As the armies arrived, the Great Sea Spider spun a web of darkness around the Capital, and the minions of the Lying Darkness began to slaughter the inhabitants as they fled. The Emperor's forces, who were already engaging the Unicorn, were suddenly aided by an avatar of Lord Moon.

During the battle, Takao stepped forward and engaged the Moon's avatar, defeating him in a single round of combat. The death of his avatar weakened Onnotangu enough that he could be slain by Hitomi, thus beginning the Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness. Meanwhile, after Toturi fled the city with Isawa Kaede, Shinjo arrived in the throne room alongside Yoritomo, who she then offered the Jade Throne. Yoritomo refused, saying he did not earn it, and the throne remained empty for the time being. (Hidden Emperor, p. 54)

Daigotsu's invasion of Otosan Uchi
On the seventh day of the Month of the Ox in the year 1159, the Dark Lord Daigotsu culminated months of planning and manipulating by assaulting the Imperial Capital. The invasion forces come by sea courtesy of Garen's Tainted navy, and the surprise attack quickly overwhelmes the meager defenders. As his armies descend upon the city, Daigotsu captures the Imperial Palace and activates the ancient wards, preventing any without Imperial blood from entering or leaving. Using the city as a nexus between the Spirit Realms, Daigotsu enters Meido and frees Fu Leng from Emma-O's prison in the Realm of the Dead. Fu Leng finds that the mortal realm is forever barred to him, so instead he turns his anger on his celestial kin, and launches a massive attack on the Celestial Heavens.

Soon after the attack begins, Matsu Nimuro and the Lion armies, Akodo Kaneka and his followers, and Toturi Tsudao and her followers arrive to retake the city. Hantei Naseru and Yasuki Hachi meanwhile organize the evacuation of the capital while the battle rages. During the battle, Nimuro slays Obsidian Champion Goju Kyoden but is unable to enter the Palace. Eventually, Tsudao enters the Palace but arrives too late to stop the ritual. With the assistance of Bayushi Tai, Tsudao manages to cut off Daigotsu's arm as the Dark Lord escapes.

In the wake of the attack, Otosan Uchi is gutted by fires and retreating Shadowlands forces. With a heavy heart, Matsu Nimuro orders the city destroyed, declaring it cursed for allowing Fu Leng to return twice.

Relocation of the Imperial Capital
In the wake of the attack, the division between the Four Winds grows wider as each blames the other for failing to stop Daigotsu. Each Wind declares a different city to be the new capital, with Kaneka in Yasuki Yashiki, Naseru in Ryoko Owari, Sezaru in Kyuden Tonbo and Tsudao in Kyuden Seppun.(3E p. 25)

The Empire went without a centralized place of power for almost a year until in 1160, when the new Imperial Capital became Toshi Ranbo. After the Four Winds March and the death of Tsudao, Toturi III orders a new Imperial Palace be constructed. The rebuilt Imperial Court takes up residence in the city shortly thereafter.

Empty Ruins
During the Third Rise of Iuchiban, the city became the home of Iuchiban; now, Otosan Uchi stands leaderless, though it is likely someone will claim it before long. Since it is severely Tainted, the new inhabitants will likely be Nezumi or Shadowlands creatures. The Ninube had a secret refuge among the ruins, but Asahina Sekawa exposed their plots and, with a coalition army, destroyed the Ninube residing in the city. The ronin Yotsu family still reside here, refusing to abandon the city and protect those who remain to the best of their abilities.

Major References

 * Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition Page 301
 * The Fall of Otosan Uchi, Parts 1 and 2, by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carmen ,
 * Revelation, by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carmen
 * Rebuilding the Empire, by Rich Wulf
 * A New Emperor, by Rich Wulf
 * Map of Otosan Uchi, from the Otosan Uchi box set
 * Timeline of the Scorpion Clan Coup, from The Scorpion's Sting: A Game Master's Guide to the Scorpion Clan Coup
 * Kisada's Last Charge
 * Crab Clan Letter, Imperial Herald v1 #4
 * Ryan Dancey's Timeline, Parts 1 and 2 and
 * Time of the Void Stronghold Stories