Akodo Ginawa

Akodo Ginawa was already a taisa to a unit of samurai at the age of seventeen, and showed a huge amount of promise for his future. His promising future was destroyed when he was manipulated into killing his master. He became a ronin for approximately two decades until his service to Toturi the Black earned him the daimyoship of the Akodo family following it's rebirth after the Battle of Oblivion's Gate.

Death of his Master


His downfall began when his master sent him to deal with a band of ronin bandits that were plaguing the locals. Although the leader of the bandits was easy to dispatch to Jigoku, one of the bandits followers battled with un-natural speed and power, and proved a challenge to destroy. When the bandit leader died, the strange follower turned to Ginawa and swore that he would get revenge, upon which he melted into black smoke. Ginawa reported the incident to his master and was commended for his actions.

Unknown to Ginawa, the strange follower was a shapeshifter, and posed as Ginawa's master to present him with a new sword, a sword that he stated was the true sword of Ginawa's father. This was the bloodsword Revenge. After taking up his new sword, Ginawa's master began to act out of character, insulting the sensei of Ginawa's dojo and disrespecting his ancestors. Soon after this he ordered Ginawa to attack a dragon outpost. Before Ginawa followed the orders, he realized that the bandit's follower must have been a changling and replaced his master. Ginawa challenged his master and in the struggle slew him with revenge. His master did however not melt into shadow though, but laid bleeding at Ginawa's feet. The shapeshifter had been impersonating Ginawa's second in command, goading him into action against his master, and revealed his actions upon Ginawa's masters death before vanishing into smoke. Ginawa swore he would find the true killer of his Master, and he would know that man by his eyes.

The Ronin Ginawa


Ginawa became a ronin, and was a loyal follower of the ronin general Toturi the Black during the Clan War. He fought in the assault of Otosan Uchi on the Second Day of Thunder.

The Search Begins
After the disappearance of Toturi in 1130, Bayushi Kachiko charged Matsu Hiroru to search for Toturi, with the expected aid of Ginawa.

Hiroru came to Ginawa's chamber, who was drunk and self-pity. Ginawa was reluctant to began any task, and Hiroru swore the ronin to find the killer of Ginawa's master after they found Toturi.

Meeting with Lions
During the unexplained Lion march into Crab lands, Ginawa tried without result to convince the Matsu Daimyo, Matsu Ketsui, to stop the march.

Kaede Returns
Isawa Kaede returned to Rokugan as the Oracle of Void to help in the search of Toturi. She instructed Ginawa and Hiroru to find a Dragon, whose face had yet not vanished.

Complications
They followed Moshi Hito to the Isawa Woodlands. Beside the ruins of Kyuden Isawa a messenger were shouting to the people that the Emperor had been rescued and was safe at Otosan Uchi. Hito had fouled them, and disappeared inside the castle, while Hiroru held Ginawa not to follow Hito in the Shadows. Others succeed where Ginawa had failed. Toturi was found in the Morikage Castle by Otaku Kamoko and Tsuruchi between others, and put in safe place by Otaku Xieng Chi and Unicorn scouts.

Siege of Sleeping Mountain
For a while Ginawa was commanded by Takuan in the Imperial Legions that fought the Naga in the Siege of Sleeping Mountain.

Madness of Toturi
They came back to Otosan Uchi and after the seppuku of the Imperial Chancellor Takuan both were convinced that the Emperor was not himself. Ginawa was shocked by the actions Toturi took after his return.

Kolat
Ginawa and Hiroru did not believe that the man who was found in the ruined castles of the Isawa was the Emperor. They met secretly at night with Doji Shizue, when two kolat appeared. First one was Kage, who through gaijin words forced Shizue, a Sleeper Agent, to stab Hiroru. Kage lobbied to retrieve Hiroru under his tutelage, to become his succesor. Ginawa did not allow it and managed to kill the second kolat, Asahina Dorai, but Imperial Guards lead by Toku arrived in time to think Ginawa was a murderer. Kage fled with Shizue, while Ginawa was apprehended by Toku for murder. They were imprisoned for weeks in the Imperial Palace, being Hiroru still not recovered from his wounds. Ginawa and Hiroru came to the presence of Toturi I, who in his madened state hardly recognized his old friend Ginawa. Toturi ordered them into exile, and Ginawa saw he was the real Toturi, but something had entered the Emperor's mind. The Emperor had been found but not yet saved.

The Emperor Married
Ginawa managed to smuggle the mad Emperor to an outskirt where Hiroru where recovering from the wounds. Kaede, the Oracle of Void appeared there, healed Hiroru and transported Toturi to Phoenix lands, where the Oracle married Toturi to save his soul.

Volturnum
Kaede sent Hiroru and Ginawa to the ancient city of Volturnum, in the Shadowlands. When passing Kyuden Kakita on their way to the Shadowlands, they met Kakita Kaiten and told him the Shadows was destroying the very souls of the dead, ancestors had been slaughtered by the hundreds. When they reached Volturnum Hiroru talked with the Tenth Kami Ryoshun. While Hiroru came back to Rokugan with Ryoshun, Ginawa walked his own way. Ginawa sought the Ninja who had killed his master, in order to take revenge. Ginawa found and killed him.

Oblivion's Gate
Ginawa reached the Oblivion's Gate, killing many minions of the Shadows in his way. He had a vision of his friend Hiroru. and saw through the gate many faces of dead people, as Togashi, Doji Shizue, Yoritomo Tsuyu, Matsu Agetoki, or Kakita Yoshi. In the other side of the gate the Goju were slaughtering the souls of the dead. He heard the sounds of the battle where the Shadowlands had blocked the Empire armies, and they could not reach Volturnum. From nowhere appeared one thousand samurai marched down to conquer the city, covered by the magic of Phoenix shugenja and Scorpion guile. Ginawa guessed their assault to the walls of Volturnum with such pity army was a complete madness.

Spirit Army rallied in Jigoku
Another army had begun to gather with the banners of the seven Great Clans. It was an army of the dead, led by Doji Hoturi, Isawa Tadaka, and Toturi. In both sides of the gate the Goju began to kill, in jigoku the souls of the raised amry, at Volturnum the samurai that assaulted the city. Then the Darkness was broken by the appearance of Rysohun. A light grew above the armies in Jigoku, tearing apart the sky with its sudden blaze. But Goju Adorai used his magic to seal the Gate.

The Emperor Returns
Ginawa reached Toturi's hand and pulled him through to the Empire as the gate was sealed.

Hiroru's Goodbye


Ginawa followed his friend to the brink of Amaterasu's Furnace, and watched him walk into the flames in search of Shizue's soul there.

The Daimyo Ginawa
Following the Rokugan's victory at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate in 1133, and the naming of the Lying Darkness by Lady Moon through Takao, Emperor Toturi I reinstated the Akodo family. Because Lady Moon named the Lying Darkness "Akodo", a name no longer in use, the many Goju serving the Lying Darkness became members of the Akodo family. Toturi named his old friend Akodo Ginawa the new Akodo Daimyo.

Sensei
Restored in his family he began to teach new Akodo bushi. One of his finest students was Akodo Ijiasu.

Allegiance to the Shogun
Ginawa joined Kaneka before the death of Toturi, giving the support of the Akodo family.

Kaeru Join the Lion
In 1159 Ikoma Sume met the Kitsu Daimyo, Kitsu Juri, and Ginawa, to inform about the achieved agreement with the Kaeru family. The Kaeru could remain as governors of the City of the Rich Frog and they would provide the Lion with funds. Juri objected, due to the dark Kaeru trades and its ronin lineage, but Sume assumed his responsability about the trade, and Juri forgave to formerly ronin Ginawa about mixing the word ronin with the word dishonor.

Akodo's Remains
Ginawa was present alongside the other daimyo of the Lion Clan in 1159 when Lion Clan Champion Matsu Nimuro revealed the letter from the Dark Oracle of Water Matsu Turi announcing the discovery of the remains of Akodo. Turi demanded a Matsu vassal of true lineage in exchange for the remains, which became Matsu Domotai after he volunteered in 1160. Domotai commited seppuku rather than serve Turi once the remains were safely in Lion hands.

Kaede's Return
In 1160 the Empress and Oracle of Void, Toturi Kaede had returned to the Mortal Realm at Kyuden Seppun. She comanded to gather the Four Winds at the city to defeat Daigotsu and to destroy the City of the Lost with its Temple of the Ninth Kami, channel of the Shadowlands worship to Fu Leng. Ginawa was present as one of the most prominent and powerful samurai in the Empire when the Winds were gathered and prepared the Four Winds March.

War of the Rich Frog
In 1165 the Unicorn unleashed a full-scale assault on the City of the Rich Frog. The young commander of the City, Akodo Ijiasu was one of the first casualties. [Akodo Ginawa}] appointed Ijiasu's senior officer, Akodo Tadenori, as new commander.

Successor
Ginawa served the Lion as daimyo until 1165. During this time, Akodo Shigetoshi was believed to be Ginawa's chosen successor.

Heigai
Ginawa stepped down as the Daimyo of the Akodo, retired the samurai life and became a monk named Heigai. He served the Shogun Kaneka as an advisor, and was one of the few men Kaneka trusted.

Gozoku
In 1166 Heigai, already a Gozoku member, was horrified when Doji Takeji told the connections the Gozoku had with the Shadowed Tower. Whoever was in charge of this new Gozoku were the same people in charge of the Shadowed Tower. Takeji was kept safe and pressured to inform who was the leader. Doji Yasuyo, Kaneka's wife-to-be, irrumped in the house Takeji was at Toshi Ranbo, believing the Shogun had kidnapped the Crane. Heigai knocked her down, and waited the arrival of Kaneka. The Shogun explained the Takeji's situation, that the Emperor was surrounded by Gozoku, and that he was a Gozoku member, but trying to prevent the Emperor from making any more idiot mistakes and giving the conspiracy another chance to sink their hooks into him. Yasuyo undrestood his focus, and joined Kaneka.