Gates of Persistence
The Gates of Persistence was a torii arch created by Kaiu Sudaro in the third century. It stood near the site of the event it commemorated, the saving of his son's life by the naga in Shinomen Forest. [1]
Location[]
Sudaro erected the Gates at the border of Crab lands, half a mile into the Shinomen Forest. [1]
Appearance[]
A single stone was used to carve the Gates, shaped and polished to glossy perfection by Sudaro and his son. Deeply-etched kanji ran along its height, reading "Nothing, Tomorrow, Forever, Today". [1]
History[]
Kaiu Sudaro was a ji-samurai, forced to work as a stonemason to support his family. His skill failed to please a powerful Scorpion daimyo, who took Sudaro's only son as recompense for what he perceived as unacceptable work. Sudaro followed after, determined to recover his only source of solace but without any idea of how to effect the rescue. [1]
In 200 [2] the Scorpion lord and his retainers spent a night of their return trip within the Shinomen Forest. There, they tied the boy to a tree to torment him. Seeing his plight, though they did not understand his words, the few naga in the area slew the Scorpion and stood guard of the frightened lad. Late at night the boy heard his father calling his name, and cried out in excitement. The naga saw his relief at this new voice and disappeared into the trees, allowing the two to be reunited. [1]
To honor the strange creatures for saving the life of his boy, Sudaro spent years moving the single stone from Kaiu lands to its current position without help, though the stone was so massive that a small team of horses should have been needed. With his son's help he stood it upright, and dedicated more years carving. [1]
The arch had since become a destination for monks, who would travel across Rokugan to visit it, and rumors persisted that visitors who slept under the arch were given visions of Sudaro and the naga. Centuries later Hantei XXI named Sudaro the Fortune of Persistence for the years Sudaro spent in honoring the naga for his son's life. [1]
References
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