Isawa Ochiai

Isawa Ochiai was the younger sister of Master of Air Isawa Nakamuro. Even though both siblings were gifted with the kami, neither were considered particularily powerful. Whereas Nakamuro managed to become a student under Agasha Gennai, Ochiai had no interests in such things and pursued the path of an artisan, taking delight in painting, dancing and other creative endeavours. Her youth and beauty brought a great deal of attention from suitors.

Discovering Her Powers
After the deaths of their parents, Nakamuro chose to allow Ochiai to choose who she would marry, as he could not bear to see her shackled in a loveless marriage. It was her focus on her arts which led her to discover her gift for incredible precision. She found that while others might be able to turn a tree to ash she could target and incinerate individual leaves without as much as scorching those around it. Even the great Isawa sensei Isawa Sachi could not help but be impressed.

Appointed Master of Fire
When it came time to select a new Master of Fire after the death of Isawa Hochiu in 1159, it was Master of Void Shiba Ningen who suggested Ochiai. There was some deliberation, but even the stubborn Isawa Taeruko could not deny her worth. With Ochiai's skill tempering her gift for fire magic, the Council of Five believed there would be no more shame heaped upon the position. Ochiai accepted the position shortly after Doji Akiko was accepted into the Council.

Rain of Blood
In 1165 Ochiai and the rest of the council were warned of the Rain of Blood and decided to only advise the Emperor and the Crane Clan. The Phoenix Shugenja coordinated a ritual that protected the Phoenix lands of the Rain. The masters also aided in the rituals.

Hidden City
The four Isawa Masters were summoned in the Grove of the Five Masters. What they would discuss was not for Ningen's ears. Shiba Ningen was the only Elemental Master who was not Isawa, and there was only one secret the other Masters kept from him, Gisei Toshi, the Hidden City. Agasha Hamanari, the Phoenix prophet, had had another vision regarding blood, hammer, and the hidden city. The Masters understood that Yajinden, the bloodspeaker smither had contacted with Ambition, the Bloodsword he had crafted centuries ago, which was kept at Gisei Toshi. There were many powerful nemuranai in the city, and even two Black Scrolls. Nakamuro was outvoted, he lobbied for asking aid and sharing the knowledge of the city, while the rest voted to maintain the secrecy and defend the city, or destroy Gisei Toshi if it was not possible.

Kusatte Iru
While Iuchiban began the Siege of Gisei Toshi he unleashed the Kusatte Iru toward Kyuden Isawa as distraction for Isawa Sezaru and the Council while the Bloodspeaker carried out his true plans at Gisei Toshi. The four available members of the Council and Naka Tokei began a ritual in the Grove of the Five Masters, while Togashi Satsu and Sezaru fought the immense oni gaving time for the ritual. Isawa Taeruko completed the spell with her sacrifice, and the monster was sent to its slumber again.

Division of the Council
After the death of Taeruko and the appointment of Sachi as Master of Earth in 1165, the Council seemed to have started going in new directions. Sachi and Akiko formed a close bond, and Nakamuro and Ningen were loathe to oppose the other Masters too much. This situation left Ochiai frequently with the swing vote of the Council, a position she found very enjoyable but uncomfortable at the same time.

Hamanari's Visions
Agasha Hamanari was executed as a Bloodspeaker by one of Isawa Sezaru's agents because of falsified evidence in 1166. The last prophecy of Hamanari was echoed and reached Ochiai "The Master of Earth will endure after all others have fallen."

War of Fire and Thunder
This year the cargo of a Mantis captured vessel was found a Black Scroll, the Wasting Disease. This scroll had been used to destroy a Phoenix village several days ago. Being a devout pacifist, she sided with Nakamuro in attempting to prevent hostilities with the Mantis Clan, but Ningen sided with Sachi and Akiko and the war was the result. The War of Fire and Thunder placed Ochiai in a very difficult position. She would gladly use her magic to protect and defend her people, but she would not harm others. Ochiai has turned to the dragon spirits in the City of Rememberance for aid in trying to end the conflict without more loss of life. Shiba Tsukimi was sent to Toshi Ranbo to deliver the scroll to the Emperor Toturi III, so that he might choose an appropriate guardian. The Council politely refused Kaneka's aid in the Phoenix Clan's war against the Mantis. It was Akiko's belief that the Shogun served the Empire more efficiently in the capital.

City of Remembrance
In 1167 Ochiai was in the City of Remembrance and helped keep the Mantis at bay. She, as other Phoenix, followed her beliefs and did not kill their enemies. At the same time she dealt with the offer of the Kitsu family to foster a student to the Council of Five. Kitsu Katsuko went to the City to make the arrangements with her. They met in the Temple of the Seven Dragons the Grand Master of the Elements Naka Tokei and his son, Asahina Nizomi.

Schism in the Council
Ochiai returned at Kyuden Isawa to be present in the Council. Nakamuro sought to end the bloodshed, being the war in a stalemate for months. The Master of Air requested to give him leave to further investigate the allegations the Mantis have levied against them, which suggested a Phoenix used the Black Scroll to incite this war. Sachi and Ochiai refused, being absent the leader of the Council, Akiko, who was witnessing her daughter's wedding. Ningen kept neutral.

Akiko's Death
After the connection of Akiko to the Gozoku was exposed by Ikoma Masote in the Imperial Court, the Master of Water was killed by her husband, Doji Kurohito. The Council lost its leader.

End of the War
The entire Mantis Clan fleet sailed on the Isawa coastland in a winner-take-all assault, in a point surmised by Asako Bairei, and the Shiba Army and the Council were waiting for them. Ochiai remained apart of the battle, following her pacifist way. As the battle progressed the Dark Wave Fleet under the command of Yoritomo Kitao appeared and assaulted both forces. After the defeat of the Dark Wave, Nakamuro negotiated the surrender of the Phoenix. The Mantis got the island they had seized during the war, the new one created in the Battle of Broken Waves, Kaigen's Island, as well as trading rights along its shores. Mirabu refused to withdraw the Phoenix claim that the Mantis were still a Minor Clan. The Council now recognized a cancerous evil within the Phoenix, one that brought war, suffering and loss of self.

Leader of the Council
Nakanuro had ceded leadership of the Council to his sister Ochiai due to his impending marriage to the Tamori Daimyo Tamori Shaitung. Isawa Emori was appointed as the new Master of Earth.

Masakazu
In 1168 the Phoenix accepted the rulership of the Shogun Kaneka over the capital Toshi Ranbo while the Emperor Toturi III was absent in his quest for enlightenment. In return one of the Shogun's Advisors joined the Phoenix. Masakazu met Shiba Naoya at Nikesake, and the former ronin introduced himself as the terror of Friendly Traveler Village and the ogre of the Twilight Mountains. Isawa Ochiai was fond of the brute and appointed him as her personal yojimbo. Naoya was concerned with Masakazu's behaviour and how the couple would act in the future.

Isawa Sezaru
The Council was worried with the behaviour of Sezaru because he had grown more and more troubled of late. The Council and Mirabu did not wish to involve him in any matter if it could be avoided.

Cultists in Phoenix lands
Mirabu informed the Cult of the Dead Moon devoted to Onnotangu had been destroyed. After decoding the ciphered scrolls retrieved in the cultist lair a Shiba magistrate patrol had been set to investigate another possible cell in the City of Tears. They had not returned and were lost without any possible tracking. The Council guessed that darkness had grown inside their territory. Bairei volunteered to talk with Asako Kinuye. Bairei exposed Kinuye as a leader of a bloodspeaker cell. In the ensuing battle with Kinuye he barely survived, and returned significantly wounded to Kyuden Isawa. Emori and Shiba Tsukimi led a legion of Shiba to the City of Tears and destroyed the cult. Asako Kinuye barely escaped, and was taken in by Kokujin.

Aikune's Death
Hitomi Maya had returned from the Battle of the Tomb to Phoenix lands, at Nikesake. There she was introduced by Masakazu to Naoya, Ningen and Ochiai. Maya told Aikune, her Lord Mirumoto Rosanjin, and the Emperor had died, as many others. She had been entrusted to deliver an artifact retrieved by Aikune from the Tomb of the Seven Thunders to the Phoenix. The Master of Void, Shiba Ningen, recognized it as the Egg of the Void, a way in which humans could become one with the Dragons.

Phoenix Champion Vacant
During the Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo Isawa Angai announced that the Phoenix Champion Shiba Mirabu had died the previous month. Ochiai declared that all representatives of the clan at the Winter Court were in mourning. The Soul of Shiba had not been chosen who was the next Champion andd the position left vacant. Mirabu's brother, Shiba Naoya, became the acting Shiba Daimyo.

Bethrothed
Ochiai was so sorrowed by Mirabu's death that the Mirumoto Tsuge approached her to meet and talk. They finally began to fall in love one with each other.

Imperial City
Ochiai used the Egg of the Void to summon the Dragon of Fire above the Imperial City Toshi Ranbo in 1169. The Phoenix moved in and stopped the fighting between the Unicorn forces and the defenders of the city, and maintained the peace in the city for months afterwards with the Dragon watching over them.

Marriage
Ochiai married Tsuge shortly after the Lion and Mantis were banished from Toshi Ranbo.

Marriage
Shortly after the banishing of the Lion and Mantis from the Capital Ochiai married Mirumoto Tsuge. It was rumored that the wedding was an attempt at distracting from the banishings.

Winter Court 1170 - Kyuden Otomo
Ochiai attended the Winter Court in 1170 at Kyuden Otomo, where she was among the select few able to procure the proper fashion (as set by Doji Domotai).