Shokansuru | |
---|---|
Born: | Unknown |
Died: | 1167 |
Titles: | Topaz Champion |
People |
Isawa Shokan lived around the eight century IC. He won the Topaz Championship, and in turn became an Emerald Magistrate. While on duty his soul was twisted by a maho curse and became a Maho-tsukai, Shokansuru. After bargaining with an Oni Lord he became half-oni. Shokansuru excelled at binding demons to the souls of mortals, and dreamed with a world where the Oni rule over humans, sacrificing himself to allow the return of The Maw.
Topaz Championship[]
Shokan was one of the most promising shugenja of his generation. He was the first shugenja to lay claim to the Topaz Championship. [1]
Hunting Jama Suru[]
In 705 Shokan stumbled onto the trail of Jama Suru. [2] At the height of his career, he was chosen to lead a group of magistrates on a mission to kill the infamous maho-tsukai, Jama Suru. The group was composed of Ichiro Munemitsu, Kitsu Yojireru, Mirumoto Hasaiki, Shiba Sentei, [3] Matsu Iwane, and Kakita Eriko. [4] In 709 [2] they found his prey deep in the Shadowlands, inside the tower Kuni Nikoma had researched six centuries ago. Just before Suru died killed by Sentei, the bloodspeaker cursed Shokan, twisting his soul. They quickly took several scrolls with Nikoma's research and burned the tower. In less than a year, Shokan was already a Maho-tsukai. [3]
Shokansuru[]
One year later [2] Shokansuru was preparing for his first attempt to summon demons to the mortal realm when his friends discovered his betrayal and attempted to kill him. [1] While being hunted down he found a cave in the Shadowlands were Nikoma no Oni was imprisoned. Now calling himself Shokansuru, he bargained with the oni, trading a portion of his soul with it, to free it, and to become half-demon himself. Nikoma no Oni did not kill Shokansuru because the oni grew in power when the mortal shared with him part of his soul, and if Shokansuru died, the Oni Lord would diminish its power. [3] While the oni rampaged onto Crab lands, resulting in the Battle of the Cresting Wave, [5] Shokansuru destroyed his former friends and absorbed their souls for later use. In a matter of years he became a legend in the Shadowlands, a master of demons but not in the service of Fu Leng. [3]
Cult of the Destroyers[]
At some point Shokansuru was visited by Feydn Rafiq, leader of House Rafiq and a member of the dreaded Cult of the Destroyer. They made a bargain and summoned an oni for the gaijin. [6]
Kuni village Destroyed[]
In 1152 Shokansuru destroyed a Kuni village which had been the home of a prominent Witch Hunter, and the summoner had claimed many intriguing scrolls from the woman's confiscated materials. [3]
Gathered by Daigotsu[]
He remained alone like this until Daigotsu approached him this year [3] seeking his aid in creating the Onisu, together with Tsuno Nintai. [7] Shokansuru came to the City of the Lost and joined the forces of Daigotsu. [8]
Third Raise of Iuchiban[]
Forgotten Tomb of Fu Leng[]
The Onisu were a brilliant innovation giving Shokansuru many new ideas. When Iuchiban arrived in the City of the Lost in 1165 Shokansuru fled south and inadvertantly discovered the Forgotten Tomb of Fu Leng. There he heard again the voice of Nikuma no Oni, now known as The Maw. His spirit was in Jigoku but the connection here was strong to the Realm of Evil and could hear it. The Maw could not enter the Mortal Realm as long as the skull of it physical incarnation hung suspended over the gates of Kyuden Hida. [3]
Dreaming Oni rule over Humans[]
The Oni Lord told the summoner by drawing upon the power of Jigoku directly, he would completely incarnate powerful oni. There, he could touch the realm of Jigoku and craft oni more powerful than any that had existed. They would exist only in the physical realm, their ties to Jigoku severed. When they were destroyed, all that they were would cease to be. Shokansuru created oni more powerful than had existed before, using his friends' souls to bind them: Munemitsu no Oni, Yojireru no Oni, Hasaiki no Oni, and Sentei no Oni. Shokansuru dreamed with a world where the oni ruled over humans. [3]
Return of the Dark Lord[]
Visiting Shokansuru[]
With the destruction of Iuchiban Daigotsu went with Suiteiru no Oni to the Forgotten Tomb of Iuchiban. The summoner used the connection he had with his creation to show them to Daigotsu, and again returned to the City of the Lost. [3]
Shadowlands Discontent[]
With his deeper knowledge of oni than any other living soul, Shokansuru could sense the growing discontent in the Shadowlands. The Oni Lords were growing weary of the Lost's usurping of the rightful place of demon kind. When the reign of the demons was upon them it would be Shokansuru who opened the gates to the City of the Lost for them. [1]
Omoni[]
The Goblin leader Omoni was trusted above all other's in Daigotsu's court, but Shokansuru only saw him as a simpering fool and believed the prestige of that position should be his. He did, however recognized the parallels between Omoni and himself, their similar zest for creation. [1]
Death of Shokansuru[]
In 1167 Shokansuru traveled to the gates of Kyuden Hida, his presence masked with his powerful dark knowledge. He sacrificed his spirit to cause a small fracture in the stone where the skull of The Maw hung, that at the time was a monument on the palace's entrance. This monument had been the seal preventing the Maw from returning, and now the Time of Demons serving mortals was at an end. With his sacrifice, the Maw would return to the Shadowlands to spearhead the growing movement of dissatisfied Oni. [9] [10]
Celestial Tournament[]
In 1171, the night before the Celestial Tournament, a group of renegade maho-tsukai and followers of the Shokansuru conducted a ritual in the Ruined City to summon an army of lesser oni, including some wanyudo. A group of Lion bushi led by the Lion Clan Champion Akodo Shigetoshi arrived at the scene as the ritual was being performed, and managed to stop the group's plan. [11]
Known Shokansuru's Creations[]
See also[]
External Links[]
- Shokansuru (Fire and Shadow)
Preceded by: Unknown |
Topaz Champion Unknown |
Succeeded by: Unknown |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Lotus Personalities: "Shokansuru, Master of Demons" (Biography), by Shawn Carman
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Imperial Histories 2, p. 131
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 A Demon's Coin, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Creatures of Rokugan: Third Edition, p. 113
- ↑ Way of the Crab, pp. 31-34
- ↑ Shokansuru (Fire and Shadow flavor)
- ↑ Nightmares, Part I, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ Clan Letter to the Lion #21 (Imperial Herald v2 #6)
- ↑ Dawn of the Lotus, The Shadowlands, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ News of Rokugan (The Crab Clan)
- ↑ Defenders
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