| Akodo Yokutsu (TCG) | |
|---|---|
| Born: | Unknown |
| Died: | 711 |
| People | |
Akodo Yokutsu was a general of the Lion Clan. [1]
Broken Betrothal and Battle of Kyūden Tonbo[]
Akodo Yokutsu was betrothed to Phoenix samurai Isawa Moroko as part of a series of negotiated agreements between the two clans. Moroko's family held many of the plains to the north of Toshi Ranbo, east of Dragon lands and west of Drowned Merchant River. Before the marriage could take place, Moroko's family broke off the betrothal so that Moroko could marry her true love, Mirumoto Ashijin, and allowed her to retain her inheritance even after she joined the Dragon. Enraged at the loss of Moroko's lands and what he perceived as a personal slight, Yokutsu was granted by his champion for leave to marshal an army and attack the Dragon, but limited the size of Yokutsu's army to avoid any appearance of starting a war unsanctioned by the Throne. In the year 704, Yokutsu led his army to take Kyūden Tonbo, or Dragonfly Palace, Ashijin and Moroko's new holding in the southern Dragon lands. A combined Dragon and Phoenix Clan army had been summoned to defend the couple. In the ensuing Battle of Kyūden Tonbo, Yokutsu made some initial headway, but his army's limited size soon meant he had to commit his small reserve force. Unable to maintain the momentum of the attack, Yokutsu's army was forced on the defensive, and eventually they tried to retreat, but Phoenix shugenja led by Mirumoto Moroko used their elemental power to block the Lion forces' withdrawal. Yokutsu refused an agreement sent by the other party and swore that he would still have Moroko's lands for his own. The agreement negotiated between the Lion, Dragon, and Phoenix Clans prompted the Emperor to recognize Moroko, Ashijin, and their followers as members of a new Minor Clan, the Dragonfly. [2]
Revenge[]
For seven years, Akodo Yokutsu had continued to brood over his failed attack on Kyūden Tonbo. In 711, when a Dragon ambassador spoke some rash and poorly chosen words in the court of Shiro Akodo, it was all the pretext Yokutsu needed to resume his quest for revenge. He marshaled another army which met the Dragon defenders in the Battle of the Great Climb. The Dragon forces withdrew into the stronghold of Shiro Mirumoto, unable to hold against the Lion, because Yokutsu had obsessively developed specific tactics against the Dragon, who relied on their mountainous terrain to bolster their defense. [3]
Death[]
Yokutsu surrounded the castle and offered to face Tonbo Ashijin in a duel instead to start a starving siege. The Dragon agreed for the duel to take place, and Ashijin allowed the vengeful Akodo to slay him. Yokutsu declared himself the new Champion of the Dragonfly Clan. Tonbo Kuyujin, a young samurai adopted by Ashijin and Moroko as their son and heir, challenge Yokutsu shortly after. Kuyujin, trained in the art of dueling by the Shiba, managed to kill Yokutsu, and was recognized by the Emperor as the new Champion of the Dragonfly Clan. Akodo Yokutsu went down in history as being synonymous with selfish grudges—his unwillingness to relent ended up costing the Lion Clan lives as well as reputation. [4]
References
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