Asahina Handen

Please note: This article is about the shugenja. For other uses of the term, please see Handen (disambiguation).

Asahina Handen

Asahina Handen was a Crane Shugenja and Asahina Sekawa's nephew.

Training

Handen was trained in the Crane magic ways, but also in the Unicorn meishodo, taught by his father who had studied with the Ide for a time.

Sekawa's Hatamoto

A merchant sponsor, he would use his magic only to garner knowledge and resources that would profit his clan. During Sekawa's appointment as Jade Champion he seemed to have taken over day to day rulership of the Asahina family as his hatamoto.

Tragedy

During a wedding celebration, the Kagaku Master Asahina Maryoku went mad and poured a potion that burned into contact with water on a pond. The outcome was a burned house, many guests injured, the betrothed incinerated, and Maryoku himself ablaze. Handen stripped Maryoku's students of their name, and cast them out of Crane lands. They would eventually join the Tamori as the Hiasobi vassal family.

Fall of Otosan Uchi

Handen was stationed in Otosan Uchi during Daigotsu's attack on the city in 1159, and faced the Onisu Yokubo in battle. Exhausted and desiring his own life more than the successful defence of the temple he was fighting for, he fell under its influence, and fled while being taunted by the demon. For the rest of his life, Handen's carefully concealed the shame at his failure of courage would haunt him.

Toshiken's Death

A year later he visited Kyuden Kakita to aid a very ill Kakita Toshiken. His travelling party was attacked by bandits, who made off with several valuable scrolls. The Emerald Champion Yasuki Hachi, who was at Kyuden Kakita at the time, took the opportunity of pursuing the bandits to escape the tiresome politics happening at the palace.

Imperial Scrutiny

In Shinden Asahina Handen worked under the command of his lord Asahina Sekawa. There they visited by the historian Miya Hatori and his aide Fuzake Sekkou.

Imperial Court

In 1160 the Crane Clan Champion, Doji Kurohito, selected Handen as part of the new Imperial Court at Kyuden Miya. Handen seemed to be seeking to prove himself to the Crane Clan, as if atoning for some sin, making him a more willing and competent vassal. After five years he believed the skills of the mambers at the Imperial Court was far less than in the previous ones. He managed to trade Crane rice for Crab steel.

Crane Manipulation

In 1167 Handen was met by Hida Benjiro was aware of a Crane manipulation of rice price by Kakita Osei, actually dead, and wished to talk with the highest Crane representative at Toshi Ranbo. Handen sent him to the Lion Estates where Doji Nagori would be enjoying falconry with his friend Matsu Atasuke.

Passing a message

He passed to Doji Nagori and Doji Seishiro a summoning message from the Crane Clan Champion Doji Domotai following the news of the Battle of the Tomb.

Passed over as Daimyo

When word of Sekawa's disappearance in 1169 had reached Handen he drank, and he drunk far too much. He alluded to some secret shame he had committed in the past, some incident of cowardice that haunted him and assured him he would never be worthy to take his uncle's place. Despite his experience and being next in line by blood, he was passed over for Daimyo of the Asahina, the office instead went to Asahina Keitaro.

Jade Championship

He had been tutored Asahina Beniha, a gifted courtier and shugenja. Handen recommended her as one of the Crane shugenja chosen to compete in the Jade Championship. After Kakita Hideo accounted him about the prophet Kitsune Narako, Handen instructed Hideo to report to Doji Domotai at once.

External Links

• Asahina Handen (A Perfect Cut)

References

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