| Tonbo Moroko | |
|---|---|
| Born: | Unknown |
| Died: | Unknown |
| Spouse: | Mirumoto Ashijin |
| Children: | Tonbo Kuyujin (adopted) |
| People | |
Isawa Moroko was a shugenja of the Phoenix Clan who became Mirumoto Moroko after her betrothal with Mirumoto Ashijin, and Tonbo Moroko after her husband was granted his own Minor Clan and the new family name Tonbo. [1]
Broken Betrothal and Marriage[]
Isawa Moroko and Akodo Yokutsu, a skilled commander of the Lion Clan, had been engaged to be wed as a political move to secure a large amount of land. [2] Moroko's family held many of the plains to the north of Toshi Ranbo, east of Dragon lands and west of Drowned Merchant River. [1] Eventually Moroko began to feel trapped by her engagement and she asked to join a diplomatic attaché on their way to Dragon Lands as a means of reprieve. When the delegation returned to Phoenix lands, Moroko obstinately stayed behind. Mirumoto Ashijin was assigned to her as an informal yōjimbō, the two of them travelling Dragon Clan lands together. Moroko went first to her teacher, Isawa Ejuko, who was the Master of Water at the time. While the older woman could not do much for the young couple, she performed a marriage ceremony for them in secret. Ashijin went to speak with his lord and the older man willingly released him from his service. The young couple travelled to settle in a small valley before the Great Climb. The valley was a part of Maroko's inheritance but had long been abandoned due to the unease surrounding the moon echoes that appeared there, building what would soon become Shiro Tonbo. [2]
Battle of Kyūden Tonbo[]
Yokutsu called upon both the Dragon and the Phoenix for help retrieving Moroko but both refused. [3] Enraged, in 704 Yokutsu marshaled an army and marched against Kyūden Tonbo, or Dragonfly Palace, Ashijin and Moroko's new holding in the southern Dragon lands. A combined Dragon and Phoenix Clan army had been summoned to defend the couple. In the ensuing Battle of Kyūden Tonbo, Yokutsu's army was forced on the defensive, and eventually they tried to retreat, but Phoenix shugenja led by Mirumoto Moroko used their elemental power to block the Lion forces' withdrawal. Yokutsu refused an agreement sent by the other party and swore that he would still have Moroko's lands for his own. [1]
Dragonfly Clan[]
The agreement negotiated between the Lion, Dragon, and Phoenix Clans prompted the Emperor to recognize Moroko, Ashijin, and their followers as members of a new Minor Clan, the Dragonfly. The Dragon ceded to the newly minted Dragonfly Clan the lands south and southeast of the Great Climb (including Moroko's territory). The Dragonfly would act as the Dragon's gatekeepers, receiving visitors and ensuring that only those with approved or important business were permitted to journey onward into the mountains. Ashijin and Moroko adopted a young samurai, Tonbo Kuyujin, as their son and heir. [4] Inspired by a local parable, the couple had chosen the Dragonfly as their mon. [3]
Ashijin's Death[]
For seven years, Akodo Yokutsu continued to brood over his failed attack on Kyūden Tonbo. In 711, when a Dragon ambassador spoke some rash and poorly chosen words in the court of Shiro Akodo, Yokutsu resumed his quest for revenge. He marshaled another army which met the Dragon defenders in the Battle of the Great Climb. The Dragon forces withdrew into the stronghold of Shiro Mirumoto, unable to hold against the Lion, because Yokutsu had obsessively developed specific tactics against the Dragon, who relied on their mountainous terrain to bolster their defense. The Lion surrounded the castle and offered to face Tonbo Ashijin in a duel instead to start a starving siege. Ashijin came to understand that Yokutsu would not rest while he remained alive—and that the brash Lion's descendants would probably perpetuate the grudge even if Ashijin were to slay Yokutsu. The Dragon agreed for the duel to take place, and Ashijin allowed the vengeful Akodo to slay him. Yokutsu declared himself the new Champion of the Dragonfly Clan. Yokutsu's tyranny was short-lived. Kuyujin, who had been trained in the art of dueling by the Shiba, challenged Yokutsu and managed to kill him. He was recognized by the Emperor as the new Champion of the Dragonfly Clan. [4]
Legacy[]
Moroko was the founder of the Tonbo Shugenja school. [5]
References
 |
This Phoenix Clan related article is a stub. That means that it has been started, but is incomplete. You can help by adding to the information here. |
 |
This Dragon Clan related article is a stub. That means that it has been started, but is incomplete. You can help by adding to the information here. |
 |
This Dragonfly Clan related article is a stub. That means that it has been started, but is incomplete. You can help by adding to the information here. |