Council of Five

For over a thousand years since, the Council of Five has guided the Isawa family, as well as the Phoenix Clan as a whole and the course of magic throughout Rokugan.

History
At the founding of Gisei Toshi, the Tribe of Isawa was led by Isawa and his six siblings. During the War Against Fu Leng, the changes to the Isawa were drastic. Isawa Ariminhime was killed and Isawa himself was called to his death in order to defeat Fu Leng. To his five remaining brothers and sisters, Isawa gave this advice upon his departure: "Guide our people."

Succession
New Masters are generally chosen one of two ways. Ideally, the outgoing Master will have a named successor who will take the seat without controversy upon the Master's death or retirement (although it is sometimes the case that a Master will name his successor upon taking his retirement, and such choices are not always the most welcome among the other Masters). Otherwise, upon the death of a Master, the remaining Masters will decide upon the replacement.

In the beginning, all claimants to the Master's seat were required to fight to the death to settle the claim. In this manner, a clear victor would be seen and all who might have opposed his succession would be eliminated. Using this method, it was very obvious who the most powerful shugenja was, but the killing of powerful shugenja created an unnecessary drain on the family's resources. Today, multiple claimants often compete in harmless tests of skill instead.

The Phoenix Clan
The Phoenix Clan has a Shiba Champion. The Champion speaks for the Phoenix in the courts and on the battlefields of Rokugan. But the Council tells the Champion what to say. The Elemental Masters hold sway not only over their elements and magic as a whole, but also over the Phoenix. Depending on the demeanors of the Champion and the Masters at any given time, the Champion may have great sway in the affairs of his clan, but the Council truly holds the power within the Phoenix.

Elemental Masters
The following is a list of the known Elemental Masters:

Unknown Dates and Positions
The following were Elemental masters, but either their position on the Council of Five or the dates of their leadership are not recorded.

Related Topics

 * The Forgetting
 * Phoenix Inquisitors

Major References

 * Way of the Phoenix Pages 28-29.