Isawa Sezaru

Toturi Sezaru was the third child and second son of Toturi I by Isawa Kaede. During his contention for his father's throne, he was known as The Wolf and Son of the Void. He has one older sister Toturi Tsudao a younger brother Hantei Naseru and a half brother Kaneka.

Youth
The second child of Toturi and Toturi Kaede was born under signs of great fortune. Sezaru's hair became white (an omen of an Ishiken) shortly after birth and his aptitude for magic study surpassed even his mother's at the same age.

On the day of his gempukku, he killed an oni sent to murder him. Sezaru always carried a curved silver dagger since that day. The dagger was filled with the purity of Void. His Isawa mentors gifted him with a mask which was the symbol of Sezaru's lineage - child of the Son of Heaven and the Oracle of the Void.

Voice
Shortly after Sezaru had learned to summon the Void a Voice had appeared, and filled his mind. The Voice was always stronger when he was within the Void.

Toturi Kaede
After the death of Toturi I in 1158, Kaede took the throne in the Month of the Boar. After ascending to the Throne Kaede realized that she had overstepped her bounds as the Oracle of void. She had tipped the balance of the elements.

Disappearance of Kaede
Kaede gathered the Four Winds, including the revealed bastard, and told that they should decide what would be the best for the Empire. She disappeared into the Void leaving the Throne empty.

Utagu's Suspicions
He was suspected by Kuni Utagu, the Jade Champion, to practice maho, an unfounded suspicion. Kuni Utagu then died in mysterious circumstances, and Sezaru was suspected. The truth is that the murderer was no one else than Asako Ryoma, who did not accept the Jade Champion's accusation on his master. Ryoma may have been further motivated by ongoing animosity between Phoenix Inquisitors and Kuni Witch-hunters. Sezaru was not involved in the actions of his servant.

Another Servant
The Master of the Secrets, Bayushi Yojiro, assigned one Scorpion Clan member to follow and monitor each of the Four Winds, and Soshi Angai was chosen to monitor the emperor's eldest son.

Toturi's Funeral: starting a quest
At first, the Wolf was not interested by the Throne, and only wished to avenge his father's death by discovering and killing his murderer. Sezaru was able to perceive the Oracle of Air at Toturi's Funeral. He hoped the oracle could guide him with regards to the death of his father. He began wandering the Empire, seeking the answers and wisdom of the Oracles.

Second Servant
Toturi Koshei, being regretful of his intervention on the Dragonfly banishment, came to Sezaru and asked to be his personal yojimbo. The Wolf willingly accepted Kosei's oath, granting upon him the name of the Imperial Line.

Failed Winter Court
In 1158 Sezaru attended the Winter Court at Kyuden Miya to meet the other Winds. It ended as a complete disaster after a Pekkle no Oni was unmasked at Court by Miya Gensaiken. Sezaru took Gensaiken as follower, who was secretely another disguised Pekkle no Oni.

After the court he travelled to Phoenix lands and met Isawa Nakamuro. On the day of Toturi's funeral, Sezaru had witnessed a strange sight related to the Oracle of Wind, and he asked Nakamuro about the Oracle.

Meeting with the Oracle of Wind
Sezaru met Oracle of Air at Sunset Tower obtaining the name the person who slew his father. It was revealed to have been Fushin, the Onisu of Betrayal, who had been summoned by Daigotsu. The oracle also informed Sezaru and his allies about the location of the next oracle.

Oracle of Earth
The man once called Hiruma Osuno was located at Shiro Heichi, the home of the Boar Clan, hidden deep in the Twilight Mountains of the Crab. Sezaru reached the Tower of Vines, where the Oracle lived. Toturi Koshei asked the Oracle where to find the Oracle of Water.

""Seek the Oracle of Water where rebirth was forged. Seek the Oracle in the flaming castle where no fire burns.""

- Oracle of Earth

Osuno also said that Sezaru could not avenge his father's death through hatred alone.

When Sezaru asked where Daigotsu was, the Oracle replied that the Dark Lord was waiting for him outside, in Yokubo's body. Ryoma had been killed by the onisu, and Yokubo and Sezaru fought. The Wolf would have perished if not for his yojimbo, because the Onisu of desire could not draw power from Koshei, who desired nothing. Sezaru and Koshei fled, though Yokubo took Sezaru's Mask as a prize. The mask was later returned to Sezaru by Bayushi Kaukatsu, who had obtained it from Bayushi Tai who recovered it during the Fall of Otosan Uchi.

Oracle of Fire
The Oracle of Fire could not answer the questions posed to him, and instead gave the Wolf a Dragon Puzzle Box. Inside was the location of the most elusive Oracle, the Oracle of Water. Sezaru was unable to open it and invited every samurai at the Izaku Library to attempt to open it. Anyone to manage it would be rewarded by the Wolf. Kaiu Ryojiro solved the puzzle.

The Four Winds struggle
Gensaiken wished that Sezaru claimed the Throne and worked for it, and the Wolf finally did.

Sezaru's Blessing
Following the advice of Gensaiken Sezaru sought the favor of the Dragon and magically fertilized the crops, and the harvest was plentiful. The Tamori family openly supported Sezaru in his claim to the Imperial Throne.

Kyuden Tonbo
After the Fall of Otosan Uchi the Wolf looked for his own center of power. The Dragon Clan offered a home to Sezaru in any of his castles, in exchange for the Sezaru's aid in the rejuvanation of failed crops and staved off starvation. The Wolf chose the ruins of Kyuden Tonbo and sent Toturi Koshei and Miya Gensaiken there.

Ruling his Lands
Sezaru took care of his domains, pursuing bandits and outlawed. In one of this skimishes he knew the ronin Kamiya when she was being assaulted. After the Wolf murdered the brigands offered her to enter in his guard at Kyuden Sezaru.

Dealing with his Voice
Deep within the structure of Kyuden Sezaru was the personal shrine of Sezaru. He was the only person allowed within it to daily cleansing his soul, trying to diminish the demanding Voice he heard in his mind. The Wolf was scared of what the future would lay upon that matter.

Kitsu Sodan Senzo
The Kitsu Daimyo Kitsu Juri had offered Sezaru to be trained in the Kitsu Sodan Senzo school. He accepted and traveled to Castle of the Swift Sword with Soshi Angai and Koshei. The Kitsu also gifted the Wolf with his favor toward the Throne claims. Sezaru was the only non-Lion to have trained beside the sodan-senzo in over five hundred years. During the travels in the Spirit Realms Sezaru's form was a wolf much larger than his physical body.

First Travel
Sezaru wanted to speak with his father's soul, and Juri accompanied him to the passage to Meido. From there he had to find a way to Yomi and later to Tengoku, where the soul of Toturi was resting. In Meido Sezaru reached Emma-O, the Fortune of Death, and while talking the Wolf guessed Emma-O was who released Fu Leng. The Fortune enraged and refused to help him. Sezaru could not go further, being all the ways sealed.

Hantei Sotorii
In the Emma-O's palace was Hantei Sotorii's soul, the remains of the once possessed Emperor Hantei XXXIX. Sotorii gave counsel to Sezaru.

""Keep our fathers' dream alive. Triumph where I failed.""

- Hantei Sotorii's soul

After his return, three days after he began his journey, Sezaru send half dozen messages.

After the Death of Tsudao
After the death of his sister, Toturi Tsudao, Sezaru abdicated his claim to the Steel Throne and joined the clan of his mother, the Phoenix Clan, swearing fealty to the clan and the Isawa family, becoming Isawa Sezaru. Despite his fealty, the clan generally gives him free reign over his studies and duties as the Voice. When the Phoenix Clan was granted the position of Voice of the Emperor by Toturi III, Sezaru was named to be the Voice of the Emperor.

The Fall of Iuchiban
It was Sezaru who first uncovered Iuchiban's capture of the last Ki-Rin, and he rushed to protect Toturi III from the taint of the resulting Rain of Blood. After seeing the horrors of the Blood Rain, Toturi III commanded Sezaru to hunt down and eradicate all bloodspeaker cells in Rokugan. This caused friction between Sezaru and Asahina Sekawa, the Jade Champion, whose traditional duty it was to command the empire's shugenja and hunt down maho-tsukai. However, Sezaru was ultimately successful in his post, with the help of Iuchi Katamari, the Doomseeker, Hida Kisada and Matsu Aoiko. Sezaru himself defeated Iuchiban, destroying the bloodspeaker's heart and body after Hida Kisada's fight with Iuchiban ended with neither of them being killed.

Conflict between Brothers
Sezaru believes that the differences between Toturi III and Kaneka will be disastrous for the Empire. The Wolf has warned Kaneka that when he inevitably must choose a side, only one of his brothers will remain. Sezaru does however not know which one it will be yet.

Seeking the Emperor
When his brother the Emperor Toturi III left on a search for enlightenment Sezaru sought his brother disguised as The Mystic.

Madness
Sezaru struggled with some form of insanity during his lifetime, hearing a voice that eventually revealed itself to be an alternate personality, The Wolf.

Sezaru attained a sense of balance after the conflict with the other Winds. He unfortunately resumed his descent into madness when he carried out his brother's command to exterminate the Bloodspeakers. During this time the persona of the Wolf again emerged.

Mirabu
In his hunt for bloodspeakers, Sezaru accused Isawa Nomi in Honored Treaty City. Phoenix Clan Champion Shiba Mirabu, who was possessed by Isawa's Last Wish, confronted Sezaru. A fierce battle ensued, but Sezaru prevailed thanks to a illusion of Shiba Aikune created by his wife Isawa Angai. Sezaru destroyed Mirabu and the Wish.

Death
Sezaru appeared above the capital Toshi Ranbo wo Shien Shite Reigisaho in an apparent maddened state during the Khan Moto Chagatai's assault on the city in 1169. Sezaru's alter ego The Wolf was distracted long enough by Isawa Angai for her to plunge the remnants of Isawa's Last Wish into Sezaru, killing him.