| Utaku Yu-Pan | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born: | 1138 |
| Died: | Unknown |
| Siblings: | One unnamed brother and three unnamed sisters |
| Titles: | Utaku Daimyo |
| People | |
Utaku Yu-Pan, the Hunter, [1] was born into the Utaku family during the time when Kamoko's blessing was upon them. Her birth, as well as her three older sisters births, were joyous events, but her life would not be one. [2]
She used a spyglass when looking farther. [3]
A String of Bad Omens[]
Birth[]
Utaku Yu-Pan
Yu-Pan was born on the very same day that the Steel Chrysanthemum began his war upon the Empire. [4]
Father[]
Yu-Pan's father was killed fighting the armies of spirits the same day that Yu-Pan was allowed to join the Utaku Battle Maiden school. [4]
Her Remaining Family[]
The same day as Yu-Pan was to take her gempukku her village came under attack by forces led by the spirit Bayushi Tozasu. Yu-Pan's mother, brother and three sisters were all killed. [4] [2] As she had still not passed her gempukku, she was not truly a samurai. Thus, Tozasu spared her. [1] Since that day Yu-Pan possessed a intense hatred for any spirit who had returned through Oblivion's Gate, swearing she would not let any dishonorable spirit live, no matter who they were. Even Utaku Shiko was not above her suspicion, and both Shiko and the Utaku Daimyo Utaku Xieng Chi were saddened to see the young Battle Maiden consumed by such fury. [2]
Horse[]
Dango was the Utaku steed of Yu-Pan. [5]
Mission for Naseru[]
Utaku Yu-Pan
Gathering the Investigators[]
In 1159 Yu-Pan recieved a letter delivered by Miya Shoin from Otomo Kakasu who wished to gather together certain individuals to meet them in Otosan Uchi as soon as possible. Yu-Pan was not easily convinced by Shoin, who was half-spirit, but travelled to the capital none the less. There she met the other five, Agasha Chieh, Miya Shoin, Kijuro, Toritaka Akemi and Moshi Kakau. When all six were finally gathered it was revealed that Otomo Kakasu was none other than Hantei Naseru himself. [4]
The Mission[]
Naseru revealed to the group that their mission was to investigate the murders of several returned spirits from Oblivion's Gate. The murders included Mirumoto Tokeru, Isawa Ijime and Gusai. Kakau revealed that he had met Gusai in 1158 in Ryoko Owari Toshi. When Kakau met Gusai in the House of Plum Blossom, Gusai was assassinated by a murderer who blended in and out of shadows. Miya Shoin was put in charge of the group, which Chieh objected to. Yu-Pan was not pleased to be investigating the deaths of spirits. [6]
Rezan[]
Yu-Pan and the group first travelled to Kyuden Seppun where they met the returned spirit Rezan. Shoin told Rezan about the murders, suggested Rezan might be a target and offered him protection. Akemi announced that Kakita Rensei, another spirit, had been found murdered. [7]
Kyuden Doji[]
Utaku Yu-Pan
The investigation goes to Kyuden Doji, where Shoin asks Yu-Pan and Kakau to investigate the place of Rensei's death. They discover very little. Akemi and Yu-Pan have a lengthy conversation about the returned spirits. Kijuro convinces Shoin that they must travel to Shiro Morito next. [3]
Ox Lands[]
The group travels for two weeks to get to Ox lands. Once there Kijuro discovers the body of a warden he knows, Isuto. Kijuro reveals the existance of a spirit in Ox lands, Yasuki Kaneko. Shoin dispatches Kijuro, Yu-Pan, Akemi and Kakau to save Kaneko. The four arrive just in time to save Kaneko's life. They also discover that the assailant is not a spirit but a man. [8]
Tracking the Assassin[]
Kijuro, Yu-Pan, Akemi and Kakau track the assassin into the wilderness, and only manage to keep on it's trail because of Kijuro's knowledge of the land. Kakau and Yu-Pan are becoming friends, but tradgedy strikes as the assassin attacks their camp while they are away, killing Yu-Pan's horse. [9]
Revealing the Traitor[]
The assassin kills Shoin and flees. The others arrive at the campsite, and it is revealed that the murdered Shoin was merely a dummy with an illusion on it. Rezan, who witnessed the attack, recognized the assassin as Gusai. Gusai revealed certain details that only one of the group could have known, and Chieh deduces that Kakau is the traitor. Kakau admits it and the group puzzle out that Gusai intends to kill Naseru. Shoin orders Kijuro to return to Shiro Morito as quickly as possible to obtain more horses. They intend to return to Otosan Uchi. [10]
Final Confrontation[]
The group laid a trap for Gusai but Gusai sprung the trap intentionally, mortally wounding Kijuro. Yu-Pan charged Gusai, wounding him with a crystal spear. Kakau sacrificed himself to momentarily stun Gusai, allowing Shoin the killing shot with a crystal-tipped arrow. Yu-Pan was awarded the positon of Emerald Magistrate for her service, but had to return to Utaku lands to arrange some matters before assuming her positon.[11]
War of Dark Fire[]
In 1171 after the Army of Fire circumvented Shiro Shinjo, they marched toward Shiro Utaku during the War of Dark Fire. [12] Yu-Pan, Captain of the guard at Shiro Utaku Shojo demanded that she remained and coordinated the defense of the estate. When she was told the Utaku Daimyo Utaku Xieng Chi had been encircled, and her sister in risk of damnation, Yu-Pan left the castle guarded by a small garrison and joined the fight. [13] It stopped the encirclement of Xieng Chi's forces, but not before Xieng Chi was grievously wounded. She made Yu-Pan her successor as Daimyo and died. The yobanjin were killed until the last man on the Battle of Shiro Utaku Shojo. [5]
Utaku Daimyo[]
Utaku Daimyo Yu-Pan
Yu-Pan had been trained by Xieng Chi during five years, and she already had all the knowledge needed to command the Utaku. The ceremony of Yu Pan's proclamation was held shortly after the victory with the presence of Moto Chen and his daughter Naleesh. [5]
Oni attack the Wall[]
In the month of the Monkey, [14] a Lion army led by the Lion Clan Champion Akodo Shigetoshi himself and a Unicorn army led by Yu-Pan arrived to bolster the Kaiu Wall defenses. They had answered a desperate call made by the Crab Clan Champion Hida Kuon, who advised the Wall was menace to become overrun by a relentless oni attack. [15]
Destroyer War[]
Horiuchi Nobane became the general Unicorn in the Crab lands after the Fall of the Wall and the dead of the Crab Clan Champion Hida Kuon. [16] In 1172 after the Fall of Shiro Kuni the remnants of the Kuni fortress defenders took rest at Crane lands. They returend from the fight in the Scorpion lands were a gigantic creature took the field. Yu-Pan ordered Nobane to rest, [17] and took the Unicorn forces to confront a Plague Zombie mob who was threatening the Crane supply route. [18]
God Beast[]
The majority of the Crab lands had been occupied by the Destroyers, who invaded the Scorpion lands. The God Beast of Kali-Ma, a gigantic creature supposedly divine, took the field. The Empire dispatched reinforcements to deal the new menace. Crane, Scorpion, Mantis and even Spider forces gathered to the area. [19] Yu-Pan's outflank maneuver did not slow the pace of the beast which marched toward Ryoko Owari. When the creature stopped, it provoked a tremor, creating a massive chasm, from which it summoned serpentine creatures with heavily armored carapaces. The chasm-spawn attacked the Empire forces. [20] The spawn were defeated and the God-Beast killed. [21] Yu-Pan's left arm was severed below the elbow and her shireikan Shinjo Dun assumed command. [22]
Blessings refused[]
Yu-Pan realized her loss with anger. Matsu Benika, the bearer of the Hand of the Jade Dragon, offered her blessings to to alleviate the loss. Yu Pan refused due to the costs that came with them. [23]
Winter[]
The cold reduced the abilities of the Destroyers, and the Lion already had gained ground against them. The Crab general Hida Benjiro planned to attack and advance during whole winter. Yu-Pan retorted his plan could retake all the lost Crab territory, but only to be lost again during a second spring offensive launched by the invaders. She devised a plan, aided with the Kaiu Engineers, which allowed them to advance slowly, purifying and fortifying the reclaimed ground, and then continue to push forward. Benjiro eventually agreed. [24] The forces of the Empire had retreated to the Ikoma lands. There Shigetoshi pondered with Yu-Pan the impending assault of the Destroyers. [25] The Destroyers resumed the assault when the snow began to chill in the end of the winter. [26] [27]
Making a Stand[]
In 1173 Yu-Pan led the Battle Maidens as part of the Rokugani forces who confronted the Destroyers in the Battle of Kyuden Ashinagabachi. [28]
End of the Destroyer War[]
In 1173 Yu-Pan and many other leaders of the Empire arrived to a small Scorpion temple were the Empress was. Near this place Daigotsu, Shahai, Susumu, Fu Leng, and Kali-Ma had died. The drawback was that Daigotsu had returned in a phantom form, as the Master of Jigoku. Satsu told the Empress had proclaimed the end of the Destroyer War with the victory of the Empire. They were told the Spider Clan had been conferred the status of Great Clan. Those free of taint could remain in the Empire, and the tainted were put under guard of the Dragon Clan, to extend the Empire in the Ivory Kingdoms. For first time since Iweko was ascended as the Child of Heavens, she spoke, proclaiming the Spider Iweko's Conquerors. [29] The Destroyers fled in disarray and the Imperial forces did not have the horses and the blades to stop their escape, but they ensured that their path took them back past the Kaiu Wall. [30]
Death[]
The exact fate of Yu-Pan was unknown but she was dead before the end of the 12th century. [31]
See also[]
External Links[]
- Utaku Yu-Pan (Spirit Wars)
- Utaku Yu-Pan Exp (Rise of the Shogun)
- Utaku Yu-Pan Exp2 (The Plague War)
| Preceded by: Utaku Xieng Chi |
Utaku Daimyo 1171 - ? |
Succeeded by: Unknown |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 L5R RPG & Rokugan d20 – A Hero's Death, by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carman
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Way of the Samurai p. 71
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Hero's Death, Chapter Four, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 A Hero's Death, Chapter One, by Rich Wulf and Shawn Carman
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Burden of Becoming, by Nancy Sauer
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Two, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Three, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Five, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Six, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Seven, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ A Hero's Death, Chapter Eight, by Rich Wulf
- ↑ The War of Dark Fire, Part 11, by Shawn Carman and Nancy Sauer
- ↑ The War of Dark Fire, Part 12, by Shawn Carman and Nancy Sauer
- ↑ Imperial Histories 2, p. 249
- ↑ The Path of the Destroyer, Part 2, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Logistics of Death, by Brian Yoon
- ↑ Scenes from the Empire 10, by Brian Yoon & Shawn Carman
- ↑ No Rest, by Brian Yoon
- ↑ Story Rulebook (Empire at War)
- ↑ Wrath of the God-Beast, Part 1, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Wrath of the God-Beast, Part 2, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Scenes from the Empire 11, by Shawn Carman & Nancy Sauer
- ↑ Scenes from the Empire 14, by Rusty Priske, Brian Yoon, & Shawn Carman
- ↑ The Dead of Winter, Part 1, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Kotei 2011: The Destroyer War, by Shawn Carman (Imperial Herald v3.6)
- ↑ Kotei 2011: The Destroyer War
- ↑ The Destroyer War, Part 1, by Shawn Carman & Lucas Twyman
- ↑ Imperial Histories 2, p. 247
- ↑ Goddesses, Part 4, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Aftermath, Part 3, by Rusty Priske
- ↑ 2012 Winter Court Season: The Saga of Heroes
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