Kyuden Kakita Curse

The Kyuden Kakita Curse was placed there centuries ago. It came about when a wandering ronin shugenja sometimes called the Master of the Elements had declared that he would visit the Kakita. The daimyo of the Kakita was afraid to let the shugenja arrive to closed doors, so he ordered the doors left open until the man arrived. Six years passed, and still the master did not arrive. Some Crane believed he never would, but finally he did. Just as he was about to enter the palace a gust of wind blew shut the doors in his face. The Master was so outraged that he called upon his powers and laid a curse upon the palace; "Should any child born surrounded by the walls of Shiro sano Kakita ever draw steel, then the blades of the Crane will turn against them, and the Kakita palace will fall.". For fourhundred years there were not children born within the castle without the gates being opened first. The first exception was Kakita Yoshi, who was born during a siege by the Lion. The second was the son of Kakita Noritoshi. (Crane p. 86)