Shinjo

Shinjo
Born:	Pre-calendar
Died:	1159, Month of the Tiger
Parents:	Onnotangu, Amaterasu
Siblings:	Akodo, Bayushi, Doji, Fu Leng, Hantei, Hida, Ryoshun, Shiba, Togashi
Children:	Shinjo Martera, Hachiman, Takakan, Umakorn, Aranat
Titles:	Unicorn Clan Founder, Shinjo Family Founder, Unicorn Clan Champion
People

Shinjo was one of the Kami, the children of the Sun and the Moon, and the founder of the Ki-Rin (later known as the Unicorn) Clan. Shinjo once called herself the 'Master of the Four Winds'.

Demeanor

Shinjo was resilient, honorable, personable, aggressive, and a tireless explorer.

Children of the Moon and Sun

Fu Leng

When the Kami still stood in the Heavens, Shinjo and Fu Leng were great friends. Shinjo loved her brother, who was the only one who made her laugh.

Eaten by her Father

Shinjo's father Onnotangu hunted his children down and swallowed them one by one, believing in a fit of paranoia that they were conspiring to kill and supplant him. Bayushi and Akodo fell first. Hida, Doji, and Shiba were likewise found and consumed. Togashi led Shinjo to Fu Leng's clever hiding place and exposed them all to his father. Togashi, with his talent of future sight, knew they had to be found by Onnotangu, thus allowing the Celestial Order and Fate to proceed. Lord Moon consumed them all, except Hantei.

Founding Rokugan

As soon as the Children of the Sun and the Moon touched the soil of the Mortal Realm, they ceased being divine. While they were still not truly mortal men, they were also no longer gods. They soon set off from Seppun Hill in order to explore and understand the mortal world they had fallen into, pledging to return five years later.

Tournament of the Kami

The Kami realized that the mortals of the world to which they fell needed guidance and organization. Hantei saw the people of Rokugan as children who should be taught the wisdom required to flourish. The Kami realized they were just the ones for the task. The siblings organized a tournament, and the victor would become the ruler of the new-formed Emerald Empire of Rokugan and leader of his or her siblings and their mortal followers, an oath which was known as the Promise. Shinjo's speed and cleverness enabled her to defeat Hida in the Tournament of the Kami, but the underhanded tactics of Bayushi then eliminated her.

KI-Rin Clan

Shinjo went on to found a clan called the Ki-Rin. The Ki-Rin would later become the Unicorn Clan. In the year 31 Otaku and her husband Ide joined Shinjo’s Ki-Rin Clan.

War Against Fu Leng

Shinjo confronts Fu Leng

"It is my brother, Fu Leng. We thought he perished as Ryoshun did, but Fu Leng has returned. He has been driven mad somehow. He has pledged to undo everything Hantei has wrought and claim this land for his own. He commands an army of oni from the deepest pits of Jigoku." -Shinjo

Attempted Alliances

At the beginning of the War with her brother, Shinjo sent her vassal Ide and his student Shinjo Bairezu with a message to the Yobanjin. Shinjo wished for the Yobanjin to join the Ki-Rin, to offer protection from the war with Fu Leng. The Yobanjin chieftain Battul would not accept and warned Bairezu to tell his master never to send messengers to them again.

Meeting Fu Leng

Shinjo informed her brother Hantei that she wished to know why Fu Leng had begun the war. The Emperor was enraged with her, but allowed the journey. During the War Against Fu Leng, Shinjo was the only one of her siblings to try and reconcile with their fallen brother. She visited his citadel in the Shadowlands, but her efforts were rebuffed. Shinjo had met Fu Leng for love, love of everything that suffered, even her lost brother. She knew why she had to oppose Fu Leng and Shinjo returned to her siblings to fight by their side.

Gathering Thunder

At the height of the war, the armies of Fu Leng were pushing the defending Crab back slowly. None of the Kami were willing to confront their mad brother, and defeat seemed inevitable when a wise man named Shinsei appeared. He revealed that a small group of individuals could infiltrate the Shadowlands and defeat Fu Leng, but that they would have to be mortals. Hantei, grievously wounded from a recent battle, declared that one individual from each clan be sent to join in this endeavor. Shinjo sent her finest vassal, Otaku, to be the Ki-Rin Thunder. Shinsei assembled the remaining Seven Thunders personally and joined them on the quest to defeat the Ninth Kami.

Day of Thunder

The Seven Thunders and Shinsei made their way deep into the Shadowlands, where they found Fu Leng and defeated him. The cost was heavy, as only Shinsei and Shosuro survived the fight. They fled north, with the First Oni and many other creatures in close pursuit. The timely intervention of Shiba allowed Shinsei and Shosuro to reach Rokugan, but at the expense of Shiba's life. Fu Leng had been defeated, but at a very high cost.

Burning Sands

Ki-Rin's Exodus

"Fu Leng has been defeated, but I take no joy in our victory. Perhaps there is a land where the Ki-Rin might find peace." -Shinjo

After the defeat of Fu Leng, Shinjo and her clan were tasked by Hantei in the year 45 with ensuring there were no other threats to Rokugan from outside its borders. Shinjo assembled the Ki-Rin Clan and released her followers from their obligation to serve her. Shinjo left Rokugan and was accompanied by the Ide, Iuchi and Otaku families, who followed by choice due to their devotion. Shinjo and the Ki-Rin rode north into the Burning Sands to explore the world leaving only a small remnant of the clan behind (who went on to found the Fox Clan). She was given a blessed mirror, one of a pair, to keep in contact with Hantei, and Doji gave her a small sandalwood fan to remind her that Rokugan was with them during their journey.

First Encounter

After months of travel through the Burning Sands, one of the first groups the Ki-Rin encountered were the Ujik-hai, a warrior people who lived on the harsh steppes. The Ujik-hai had seen the scouts of the Ki-Rin and their chieftain wished to take their equipment and horses for his people. Approaching the Ki-Rin under a banner of peace, the Ujik-hai lured Shinjo, the heads of the Ki-Rin families, and a small retinue to a meeting. Once they had the retinue surrounded the Ujik-hai attacked, but Shinjo slew several Ujik-hai men, and the other family daimyos slew a dozen more, which caused the attack to falter. The chieftain himself was beheaded by Shinjo, and the son of the chieftain watched as his father's head was cloven in two before it struck the ground, whereupon he fled with the remaining Ujik-hai. Over time the Ujik-hai came to join the powerful Ki-Rin, the vows of the Promise were exchanged, and so their numbers grew steadily. The addition of the Ujik-hai was fortunate, for they brought key survival techniques such as how to find food, water and shelter in the harsh environment of the Burning Sands. Shinjo would become very close with one of the Ujik-hai elders, named Martazera, who would open Shinjo's eyes to the differences between the Ki-Rin and other peoples. By the time the Ki-Rin exited the Ujik-hai steppes, they had grown to over a thousand strong.

Qolat Influence

The encounter with the Ujik-hai had been devised by the Qolat, the counterparts of the Rokugani Kolat. They expected the outcome of the Ambush, part of the Ujik-hai being accepted within the Ki-Rin. In such a way many Qolat infiltrated the Rokugani, and some heavily influenced the clan, such as Martazera, a secret Qolat member. Even the Meishodo magic which was researched by Iuchi was part of the Qolat plan, a magic to only be used by mortals. In doing so, the Ki-Rin would be slyly steered away from the influence of the Kami by the Kolat.

Encounter with the Ashalan

In the year 50 Shinjo met the Ashalan, a race of immortal tattooed beings. The race began to build the City of the Seventh Star beneath the settlement which would become Medinaat al-Salaam.

Shi-Tien Yen-Wang's Curse

The Ujik-hai came to the realization that the so-called heathens were not only worthy, but were honorable, more so than their own death gods, the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang Gods, whose corruption was becoming more evident. The vast majority of the Ujik-hai, remembering true honor, followed a man named Moto and swore fealty to Shinjo. These people became the Moto family of the Unicorn Clan.

No one was left to worship the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang and without worshippers they began to weaken. These dark Gods cursed the Moto, and pursued them angrily. Their curse made the Moto the most nomadic family of all, as they attempted to constantly move and escape the revenge of their fallen masters.

Shinjo's Promise is Broken

Shinjo had made a promise to her followers that she would never leave them. During the Exodus of the Ki-Rin, she was lured beyond a stretch of mountains. In its foothold a strange oasis appeared and Shinjo suddenly vanished there. She returned after seven days, and a halo shone about her. Shinjo offered her life to Otaku Shiko, to atone her broken promise, but only after her children would be born. Shiko had waited for her until she reappeared, and when she did, she was pregnant with five children, who were Ki-rin. Shiko decided she could not kill Shinjo for breaking her promise, and instead told Shinjo she could amend her promise to say that while she might leave her clan, she would always return to them.

Children

After several months Shinjo gave birth to a Ki-rin. Shiko and Iuchi, bathed in its mystical fire, saw Shinjo with five children. The children that were born of Shinjo also carried the blood of the creature of ghostly fire, the Ki-rin. Kemuri was the one child of Shinjo who took human form. While his brothers and sisters, Hachiman, Takakan, Umakorn and Aranat, chose their final form as unicorns.

New Promise

Instead of taking her life, Shiko asked a new promise.

"I will always return." -Shinjo

Blocked From Return

When the Ki-Rin tried to return back from the stretch of mountains, they encountered the Rocs ridden by long-haired, pale-skinned men and women, which attacked the Clan. Using a powerful spell, Iuchi caused a rockslide in the mountain pass that killed not only the Rocs but also a large number of Ki-Rin samurai and one of Shinjo's sons.

Mirror Divided in Four

After the Battle with the Rocs the pass that led back to Rokugan, the Ujik-hai steppes, and the Burning Sands had been blocked. Shinjo decided to divide the clan to find another passage. She used her katana to divide her blessed mirror into four pieces, aided by the magic of Iuchi. This broke the communication line with Rokugan, but allowed messages to be relayed between the divided groups. A piece was given to each family and the fourth was kept by Shinjo. When the blessed mirror's counterpart back in Rokugan went dark, most assumed the worst.

Lying Darkness

In 442, two hundred years after the mirror was broken, each of its wielders saw how Shinjo was ravaged by talons of Darkness. The three groups gathered and rushed to their Lady's aid. They found her embattled near a stronghold controlled by the Lying Darkness. The land was as barren as the Shadowlands. They assaulted the building but left the flank exposed and quickly were surrounded by minions of the Darkness. Shinjo ordered them to flee and she, alongside three of her children, charged against the Darkness. The Ki-Rin fled, believing that Shinjo always would return as promised. Shinjo's light faded behind the dark tendrils of her foe. Shinjo barely survived, saved by the timely arrival of her son Shinjo Kemuri, who sacrificed himself so his mother could live. Shinjo was deeply weakened and ultimately fell into a deep sleep for centuries, but her soul and sanity were preserved. Shinjo Yonaru, one of the descendants of Martazera, took leadership of the clan.

Qolat Again

The first disappearance of Shinjo, which had broken the trust of her Clan in Shinjo's promises, had been subtly organized by the Qolat. It drove a wedge between her and her followers, one which the Qolat would attempt to widen over time. With Shinjo out of the way, the Qolat could now move without fear of the Kami's retribution.

Black Earth

Shinjo imprisoned at Black Earth

Shinjo had been kidnapped by the Lying Darkness. For centuries she was held in the Black Earth, with dark djinn whispering in her ear. Even though no one tried to find her, the Nothing did not taint her soul. The Lying Darkness, an ally of Fu Leng, was forbidden by the Dark Lord to twist her, and Shinjo remained uncorrupted. Beneath the city of Medinaat al-Salaam laid a gate to the Black Earth, a world ruled by Shadow where the Goddess slept.

Ashalan Prophecy

In 332 the Ashalan found the Fallen Star, and they determined the nemuranai was linked to Shinjo. Maymun built a crystal tomb for Shinjo in the City of the Seventh Star to allow her to sleep. When the time would come, the prophecy known as the Awakening would free her, and the magical enchantments bounds in the Tomb would release the jinn of the Qanon from their human hosts, which would be instrumental in the defeat of the Jinn Lord Kaleel after its return.

The Awakening

The Avatars gather

In 1132, Hojyn gathered with the four Avatars, Shosuro Tage the Scorpion, Amru the Qabal, Moto Kara of the Ki-rin, and Zahra the Ebonite. Together, they roused Shinjo using the power of the Fallen Star.

Moto Gaheris

The former Moto Khan Gaheris had undergone a divine experience and felt an urge to travel to the Black Earth. The Tenth Kami, the Guardian of the Rift Ryoshun, guided him. Powered in some way by the Avatars, the great goddess Shinjo awoke from her slumber beyond a rift in the Black Earth and fled forth from it into the Black Earth where Gaheris was waiting.

Ryoshun's Fate

Shinjo feels Ryoshun's death

Shinjo felt the killing blow against her lost brother Ryoshun and cried, filled with remorse, as she soared out of the barren realm. Jama Suru had performed a maho ritual to trap Shinjo, but Ryoshun answered the spell's call instead. Ryoshun had taken the place Suru reserved for her and the tenth Kami was killed under Suru's knife.

The Prophecy Fulfilled

The Awakening

Gaheris and Shinjo eventually escaped the Black Earth, and Shinjo's freedom was complete. The very act of the Goddess waking destroyed a large part of the city of Medinaat al-Salaam, which destroyed the armies besieging Medinaat al-Salaam and the Shattering of the Jewel ended. Shinjo left for her distant homeland.

Back in Rokugan

After Bayushi Aramoro's victory in the Emperor's tournament the main Scorpion force returned to Rokugan to reclaim their lands. Shinjo herself led them. When told that a mortal-Toturi-had slain the rightful heir to the throne, she was incensed. She did not care that Hantei the 39th had been possessed by an evil power. Hantei XXXVIIII had been of the line of her brother, and she would avenge his death. Shinjo gathered her clan and marched on Otosan Uchi. The Scorpion Clan was reinstated by force of deeds. Even when the Emperor did not remove its status as exiles, none opposed the return of a clan led by a Kami.

Purge of the Kolat

Shinjo's Judgement

Meanwhile, in Rokugan, Toturi's return to the throne had unveiled the Kolat, a secret order that sought to control Rokugan with puppet strings. Toturi's unusual insight into the Kolat led to the exposure of several Kolat in the Unicorn, among them the daimyo himself, Yokatsu. As the clan reeled with these revelations and teetered on the brink of collapse, Shinjo and the Moto returned to Rokugan. Shinjo sensed the Unicorn general who knelt to her was a Kolat and executed him on the spot. Otaku Tetsuko confessed her involvement in the Kolat and described the members she knew, then committed seppuku. Shinjo personally executed hundreds of members of her own clan, revealing them to be Kolat, but try as she might she could not find Yokatsu. Moto Gaheris was appointed by Shinjo as the new Unicorn Champion, and spared the life of the Daimyos Shinjo Shono and Otaku Kamoko.

March to Otosan Uchi

With the help of the Scorpion Shinjo learned of the Lying Darkness and its hold over Toturi. Shinjo assembled the combined forces of all the clans in the Assault on Otosan Uchi, which had become dark and bleak since the return of Toturi. Toturi tried without success to bribe the Scorpion Clan, offering to restore their lands and titles in return for the death of Shinjo.

Shinjo and Yoritomo

The Imperial armies defended the Imperial City but the battle stopped when all realized that Toturi had disappeared again. Shortly after the Mantis' defeat in Phoenix lands, Yoritomo was approached by Lady Shinjo, who offered to install him on the Imperial Throne. Yoritomo refused, saying he would never become a pawn of the Kami, even if it would make him Emperor.

Twenty-Seven days of Darkness

In anger at the death of her husband Onnotangu, Amaterasu fled the Celestial Heavens, beginning the Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness. Before she departed she had commanded Shinjo to take all the Ancestral Swords of the Clans and throw them to the stars. In the fifth day of the twenty-seven Amaterasu committed jigai, and on the seventh day Hitomi appeared at Otosan Uchi and visited the Imperial Throne room, while Shinjo stood to one side, watching her.

The Moto War

Gaheris led the Moto to the Twilight Mountains, were the Dark Moto had gathered at the command of Otaku Kamoko. When the two armies clashed Kamoko raised her sword against the Dark Moto she commanded, and was mortally wounded in personal combat with Moto Tsume. Shinjo arrived to see how Kyoso no Oni appeared from Kamoko and killed Tsume. When the oni turned to consume Kamoko, Shinjo made Kyoso to flee. Gaheris crushed the rest of the undead Moto.

The Departure of Shinjo

Shinjo ascends

Shinjo left the mortal realm and ascended to the Celestial Heavens in 1133. Gaheris was in charge of the Unicorn Clan believing the Kolat influence of the Shinjo family not entirely gone. She set Otaku Kamoko among the stars to honor her sacrifice and commanded the Otaku family to change their name to Utaku so Kamoko would be the last Battle Maiden to bear the Otaku name.

Death

Shinjo was killed in 1159 after her brother Fu Leng, freed by Daigotsu and equipped with Emma-O's Spear, invaded the Celestial Heavens. Shinjo sought out Fu Leng to try and convince him to turn from his path, as she did long ago. The conversation between the brother and sister was brief, and so was the battle - Emma-O's spear proved too much for Shinjo and she was killed.

Shinjo's Journey

The Kami found herself in the Realm of Waiting, Meido, where she saw that the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang were trying to wrest control of the realm from Emma-O, claiming the Fortune could no longer discharge his duties properly. She was met by her brother Ryoshun, the steward of lost souls, who was with one of the Lords of the Death. They showed Shinjo a portal which resembled the Oblivion's Gate, and which bring new life to the spirits who passed through it by means of reincarnation. Shinjo crossed through the portal, there to await rebirth when the time was right. Later Kitsu Hisashi arranged an agreement to share control of Meido between the Lords of Death and Emma-O.

Reincarnation

It was believed that Shinjo reincarnated in Shinjo Shono and Moto Genki's daughter, Shinjo Min-Hee. Ninube Chochu wanted to steal the power from the reincarnated Shinjo, as well from the soul of Togashi, and the Shadow Dragon. Chochu tried to take Min-Hee, but Akasha fought the creature which fled.

Moto Naleesh

It was later known that Akasha's daughter, Moto Naleesh, was the reincarnation of Shinjo.

External Links

• Shinjo (Dawn of the Empire)

Preceded by: None	Ki-Rin Clan Champion c.5 - 442	Succeeded by: Shinjo Yonaru
Preceded by: None	Shinjo Daimyo c.5 - 442	Succeeded by: Shinjo Yonaru

Sources Conflict The sources relating to this article are in conflict with each other.

Four Winds page 53 claims Shinjo involved in the arrangement between Emma-O and the Shi-Tien Yen-Wang. The fiction Lifeless, part One and Two described Shinjo passing a portal to be reincarnated (Part One) and Kitsu Hisashi made the arrangement (Part Two). I consider the fiction over the RPG book. --Oni no Pikachu 15:26, February 5, 2011 (UTC)

References

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