| Kitsu family (TCG)
| |
|---|---|
| Clan: | Lion Clan (TCG) |
| Founded: | Unknown |
| Daimyo: | Unknown |
The Kitsu were a family of the Lion Clan. They linked the Realm of Mortals with the Realm of Sacred Ancestors, their sodan-senzo acting as spirit mediums for their honored dead. These powerful shugenja summoned the experience and wisdom of their ancient heroes to serve them in the heat of battle, guiding the Lion Clan's armies to victory. [1] Hayaken no Shiro, or Castle of the Swift Sword, was its seat of power. [2]
Within the Family[]
Mon[]
The Kitsu family mon was a stylized profile of a lion's head with a flaming mane. Members of the Kitsu family claimed this depicted one of the five founders of their family. [3]
Kitsu Ancestry[]
When the Kami Akodo first set out to tame the heartlands of Rokugan, among those he encountered were a feline warrior people known as the kitsu, powerful supernatural beings who had aspects of both humans and lions. Akodo's war against the kitsu people started when he and his followers mistook the lionlike beings for monsters. When the extermination of the kitsu seemed inevitable, a single kitsu made their way to Akodo, confronting him in his war tent, offering his surrender. Akodo realized the kitsu were intelligent, apologized to the last of the kitsu people and offered them a place within his clan. Those who accepted took human form, founding the Kitsu family. The Kitsu were the descendants of these mortal kitsu and their human spouses. Many Kitsu inherited their unique spiritual abilities to communicate with the blessed ancestors of Yomi, summon their spirits into the Realm of Mortals, and even travel to other Spirit Realms. Those members of the family with golden eyes, elongated canines, bushy eyebrows, and thick red manes of hair, carried the blood of their kitsu ancestors. [4]
“Embrace your history, warts and all.”
-Ancient Kitsu proverb [3]
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Duty[]
The Kitsu family believed it was their duty to keep the ways of their ancestors alive. Akodo promised this to the last of the kitsu in atonement for his misunderstanding that destroyed their people. [3] The Kitsu were known for being traditional and conservative. All Kitsu answered to the ancestors, and those without the talent to speak to spirits kept genealogies, tended to the tombs and shrines, and otherwise honored the noble dead. [5]
Lands of the Kitsu[]
Kitsu family territory was at the heart of Lion lands, protected by other Lion territory on all sides but north. These were the most fertile of the Lion's provinces, due in part to the blessings invoked by the Kitsu themselves. Terraced hills, buckwheat fields, trickling streams, and vast plains roll along Kitsu provinces, dotted occasionally by humble shrines, small farming communities, and ancient crumbling tombs. [6]
Notable Holdings[]
- Blue Chrysanthemum Village
- Castle of the Swift Sword (Hayaken no Shiro)
- The Kitsu Tombs
Kitsu Daimyō[]
The following is a listing of the known daimyō of the Kitsu family:
| Kitsu Takeko | c. 1123 |
See also[]
References
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