Ide Tang

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

Ide Tang
Born:	Unknown
Died:	1170
Parents:	Ide Buodin (adopted)
Titles:	Ide Daimyo
People

Ide Tang was the only known name of a Shosuro Actor who impersonated the true Tang after his death. He was appointed as daimyo of the Ide family until his death in 1170, when he was exposed as a Scorpion spy.

Shosuro Actor

Tang was in fact a Shosuro Actor, working directly for the Scorpion Clan. Tang's father, Ide Buodin, who was stationed at Ryoko Owari, had been blackmailed by the Scorpion with his huge gambling debts, and the illness of his son, the true Ide Tang. Buodin got the medicines to diminish the suffering of his son until death. In return the Scorpion replaced the dead with one of his kinsmen, that was sent to the Ide provinces, where nobody knew the real face of Buodin's true son. Buodin died three weeks later. Tang found out that it was difficult to chose who to be loyal to. His master Shosuro Yudoka sent Shinjo Nakaga, another Shosuro impersonating a Unicorn, to remind Tang whom he truly served.

War of the Rich Frog

Tang is the one who discovered that the law forbidding Great Clans to war against each other was written while the Unicorn Clan was not in Rokugan, thus allowing Moto Chagatai to go ahead with the War of the Rich Frog in 1165.

Ide Daimyo

After the dead of the respected Ide Tadaji, the Ide family continued without decisive leadership for months, until the Khan, Moto Chagatai finally stepped in and promoted Tang to the position. One of his first duties was overseeing the transfer of Ryoko Owari to Scorpion control, part of the treaty between Scorpion and Unicorn in the War of the Rich Frog.

The Mad Ronin

In 1166 Tang suffered an ambush by enraged Kaeru who believed the Scorpion had broken the promises made in the War of the Rich Frog about breaking the Lions' control over Kaeru Toshi. Tang lost his yojimbo, Idomu, and ran. The Kaeru pursued him into the forest to Traitor's Grove, where Tang found a madman ronin that struck the Kaeru down. His nezumi companion, Chirtk, explained to Tang that the Mad Ronin had been wandering for years, and that he had tried to make the Mad Ronin remember who he was since the day the madman saved his life. The Grove was a place linked with his madness in some way, as were the words "tower of shadow". Tang made helped put the pieces together and the ronin remembered his history, gaining his sanity back. He was Bayushi Kageki and his family, members of the Shadowed Tower, had been killed after he betrayed them. Their souls were bound to the Grove and Kageki was driven mad by regret and haunting nightmares. The Scorpion returned with his kinsmen. Tang returned back to Ide lands with his life and a mask that once was owned by Snak.

Bayushi Atsuki

When aiding Kageki Tang realized that Bayushi Atsuki had not in fact been killed several years ago. The ghosts of Kageki's family haunted him because they were unavenged. They were executed for the Tower's crimes and its leaders remained unscathed. The ghosts knew that Atsuki's death was a masquerade. This information could easily reach the Scorpion.

Winter Court - 1168

During Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo in the winter 1168-1169 the Unicorn Clan and Mantis Clan agreed that on the day Tang named an heir, that heir should take a Mantis Courtier to be his bride. She would take his name, and provide the new Ide Daimyo with an heir worthy of his steed.

Khan's Defiance

In 1168 Tang was tasked with the creation of stockpiles of rice in Shiro Ide for the next long winter. The Khan was seeking a covert path to Toshi Ranbo, prior to the beginning of the Khan's Defiance. Tang stockpiled supplies throughout the Lion lands working with non Unicorn merchants. There was no obvious connection to the Unicorn and they would sack and burn the warehouses Tang had filled while the army advanced.

Spider Clan revealed

The Khan's Defiance had ended in a total disaster and the Lion began the march to Shiro Moto in 1169. Utaku Katiro presented Tang to representatives of an unknown ronin group, self-proclamated as the Spider Clan. Daigotsu Susumu and his yojimbo Daigotsu Gyoken arrived at the courts of Shiro Ide, introducing the Spider to the Unicorn, and offering their services in helping with the war against the Lion. While Tang was no fool, the prospect of further help against the Lion was appealing, so after the meeting, Tang agreed to take up the courtier's request to the Unicorn Clan leaders.

Winter Court - 1169

Ide Tang

Tang visited Winter Court in Kyuden Bayushi in the winter 1169-1170. While he was there he was ordered by Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Paneki to arrange for a gaijin spoon to be stolen from Togashi Kanaye. The spoon was later found in 1170, alongside the dead body of Otomo Hoketuhime, the Otomo Daimyo.

Death

In 1170 the Unicorn were spared from Daigotsu's campaign of assassinations, but Susumu brought evidence that the Spider Clan had thwarted the assassination attempts and incriminated the Scorpion Clan. They also delivered a letter to Moto Chen that revealed to him that Ide Tang and Shinjo Nakaga were Scorpion infiltrators. Chen identified a cipher in the scroll as one used by the Scorpion Clan, but Tang claimed his innocence. Susumu threw a knife at Tang, who easily plucked it out of the air, showing his Scorpion training. Angered at this betrayal, Moto Chen ordered the execution of Tang (by quartering) and Nakaga.

Succession

It was initially believed that Ide Yusuke would succeed Tang as Ide Daimyo, but following his death shortly after the Celestial Tournament in 1170 the position instead went to Ide Eien.

See also

• Ide Tang/Meta

External Links

• Ide Tang (Heaven and Earth)
• Ide Tang Exp {Wrath of the Emperor)

Preceded by: Ide Tadaji

Ide Daimyo 1165 - 1170

Succeeded by: Ide Eien

References

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