Minor clan

A minor clan is a clan recognized by the Emperor of Rokugan that was formed after the foundation of the Empire. Minor clans are officially under the Emperor's protection, and the Great Clans are forbidden to begin an offensive war against them. The minor clans are all considerably smaller and less powerful than the great clans, and most have only a single recognized family name.

Creation of a Minor Clan
Only the Emperor may create a new minor clan, and the formation of a new minor clan is a very rare event. When a samurai has performed a great service for the Empire or has gained unusual and valuable insight, the Emperor may chose to allow him to gather samurai to his service and form a new minor clan, settling in a tract of land granted to the new Champion by the Emperor. The new minor clan daimyo is expected to teach those who swear to his service to follow his example. The new minor clan will quickly form their own bushi or shugenja school to teach and develop the techniques of their founder.

In the past, several minor clans were created without the Emperor also recognizing a family name for the clan. The Tortoise and Mantis clans are examples of minor clans that through most of their history had no recognized family name. Emperor Toturi III ended this practice when he granted a family name to the Ox Clan, the only minor clan left that did not also have a family name.

Ascension to Great Clan Status
For most of Rokugani history, no minor clan managed to attain anywhere near the strength or influence of a great clan. This changed on the Second Day of Thunder, when Yoritomo, through the power gained from his alliances with other minor clans, forced the other great clans to accept the Mantis Clan into their ranks. This is the only example of a minor clan ascending to Great Clan status in history.

Minor Clans
The minor clans currently recognized by the Emperor's court are:

There are also several clans that were once minor clans, but which have since been destroyed or absorbed by other clans: