Nezumi



Nezumi were one of the other races that walked Ningen-do after the Naga entered their slumber and before the fall of the Kami. The Nezumi had a vast empire, conquering the kingdom of the Ogres and occupying most of the area currently taken by the Shadowlands. Most of the Nezumi civilization was destroyed when Fu Leng fell from Tengoku.

The nezumi called themshelves Chi'ch-tch.

Nezumi and Humans
In 314 a twelve year old named Hiruma Kazuma developed a strange rapport with the Ratlings and forged bonds of trust with them. This resulted in the Nezumi - Crab Alliance.

Nezumi Culture
Nezumi culture is divided into several tribes, each with their own distinct power structure. The most important members of a Tribe are the shaman, the Rememberer, and the Chieftain. Second to the Chieftains were the Chuk'tek, their advisors future chieftains of the tribe.

The Rememberer is the tribe's storyteller, and must remember and tell the great tales of the tribe's past. As guardian of powerful name magic, the shaman keeps the spiritual well-being of the tribe in hand.

The Chieftain, meanwhile, functions much like a daimyo in any other clan. He is first in war and politics, just as the shaman is the tribe's chief priest. Much of this structure remains within the newly-unified One Tribe.

Nezumi Burrows
Most Nezumi tribes live underground in burrows. This originates from, or so the tale suggests, an event where a Dragon from the Celestial Heavens came down to rescue what he thought to be a human lost in the Shadowlands. The Nezumi the Dragon picked up hoped to steal some of the Dragon's treasure, and pretended to be one of the Emperor's sons. The Dragon asked the Nezumi if he knew of Otosan Uchi, and the Ratling replied he was one of his closest friends. The Dragon was outraged at this blatant lie, and threw down the Nezumi. The Ratling burrowed deep underground to avoid further punishment, and to this day they believe they must live underground in burrows to avoid the wrath of the Heavens.

It is also worth noting that in such a harsh environment as the Shadowlands there are few other places the Nezumi could survive but underground.

Nezumi Speech
The Nezumi believe that time is somewhat immaterial. As such, death is known as "Tomorrow," and any time in the past might be referred to as "Yesterday." The repetition of words is also a common characteristic of Nezumi speech. It is rare that a Nezumi will repeat adjectives or adverbs, instead generally repeating nouns and verbs. For example, an old Nezumi who as a child had a brush with death might say "I saw-saw Tomorrow, many Yesterdays ago, and I ran-ran." This shows up in many other incarnations, as Daigotsu or any great Oni might be called Tomorrow due to their deadliness. However, many of these impracticalities disappear when a skilled speaker utilizes the Nezumi's native tongue. Few Rokugani would debase themselves to speaking in squeaks and chitters, though, and so this crude approximation of Nezumi speech is what is most often seen by Rokugani contacts with the Nezumi.

Nezumi Religion and Magic
The Nezumi do not worship Kami and Fortunes as do the Rokugani. Their religion is mostly based around the idea that life is a great dream, and that death is an awakening from that dream. This leads to their relatively strange perceptions of time, as exhibited by their speech. Within the dream, Names have great power. The Nezumi utilize the power of names and dreams to perform most of their magic. Dreams are where the Nezumi shamans find their visions of the future and guidance. Names can be used to identify a person's status or past deeds, or wipe them out completely. A powerful Nezumi can remove one's Name, totally severing a person from their former deeds and life. Omen underwent this process, though other sources claim that the Nametakers, as these powerful Nezumi were called, are extinct.

Nezumi were not born with an immortal soul. After a Nezumi is born is given with a name. When he died, what there was of him returned to the tribe. The Rememberer could bind the names of important nezumi to memory and they will live forever in the realm of dream. Other Nezumi after his death lived on only in memory.

Only the Transcendent, ancient spirits of the Nezumi shamans, are awake after death living int the real of dream.

The One Tribe
The Nezumi hold a very strong position when the tribes stood united as the One Tribe under the leadership of Kan'ok'ticheck. They have defeated the Tsuno and the Tomorrow Chieftain. They are being aided by Nintai, an ancient Kitsu spirit who is helping the Nezumi rediscover the ancient magics that gained them their lost empire.

Sometime after a wondrous blade, called Asatte, made its way to the Nezumi in 1167, the nezumi went into Yume-do to confront Tomorrow.

Tomorrow
Tchickchuk aided Kan'ok'ticheck against the Shadow Dragon leading an army of Transcendent. After the defeat of the Dragon the link the nezumi had to the waking world was severed and nezumi will be unable to awake and return to their lives. Tomorrow caught all nezumi who had traveled to Yume-do. Very few remain in Ningen-do to this day.

Tribes
The following are known tribes of the Nezumi:


 * Blazing Gullet Tribe (destroyed)
 * Broken Shinbone Tribe
 * Chipped Tooth Tribe
 * Crimson Paw Tribe
 * Crippled Bone Tribe
 * Crooked Tail Tribe
 * Grasping Paw Tribe
 * Green-Green-White Tribe
 * The One Tribe
 * Shadow Runners Tribe (destroyed)
 * Squeaky Eyeball Tribe
 * Stained Paw Tribe (formerly corrupted)
 * Tattered Ear Tribe
 * Third Whisker Tribe

For the known Nezumi through history, see the listing of notable Nezumi. For the known leadership of the race, see the listing of the leaders of the Nezumi.

Major References

 * "The Last Rememberer" parts 1, 2, and 3
 * Legend of the Five Rings, Third Edition p. 280.
 * Prayers and Treasures, p. 182, Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG)