Horiuchi Shoan

Iuchi Shoan was a Unicorn Clan shugenja.
== Early years ==
Shoan was a peaceful woman, small, slender, with long dark hair, and bright, shy eyes. After graduating the Iuchi Shugenja school she became the Josei-kateikyoshi, or governess to Shinjo Yokatsu's children. She was a small woman who rarely spoke, and in a low halting way when she did. The exception was when she was in the presence of her charges, then she was then quick and literate, eager to teach them. Way of the Unicorn, p. 75 She spoke in a quiet, halting voice, unless she was with her wards. Then, she was quick and clever, able to show them the richness of poetry and literature in descriptive images and adept metaphor. Clan War: The Clans, p. 50
== Horiuchi Family ==
In 1115 Imperial Histories, p. 127 when Shonoko and Shono were seven and five, they were part of a caravan to the lands of the Lion Clan. The caravan was attacked by bandits who fought the samurai caravan guards. Shoan fled from the bandits with a child under each arm. She was not fast enough and the bandits caught up with her. She protected the children with the spell Castle of Water while the remaining bushi dispatched their assailants. 
Days later, Yokatsu learned of her bravery and added Hori- to her name, which means moat. She remained the only Horiuchi for several years. Years afterward, her followers took the Horiuchi name. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 300
=== Love ===
Shoan met a young Crane while she was serving as Ide Tadaji's secretary in the Imperial Court, and fell in love. The Crane did not love her in return, and his image would appear in Shoan's mind when she was reading poetry. She never married. 
=== Advanced Training ===
Shoan was a student of Floating Leaf Dojo. During one of the school's stops at Shiro Iuchi she met a young Iuchi Karasu. The two became fast friends, and rode one against the other in an Engaging the Wind duel. Shoan defeated Karachu through her mastery of movement spells. Art of the Duel, p. 113
=== Orphanage and expanding the Horiuchi ===
Shoan remained as the only Horiuchi for many years, but when the Clan War broke, she decided to find and take in the orphans created by the war, and those of samurai birth took the Horiuchi name. 
=== Kaneka ===
Shoan was running her orphanage in during the War of Spirits, when Kaneka visited in 1150, barely able to walk. Shoan took him in and nursed him back to health. Shoan attempted to convince him to stay, but he could not. A Forgotten Saga, Part 1, by Shawn Carman Kaneka would return again though, attempting to aid her when he could. A Forgotten Saga, Part 2, by Shawn Carman
== Brotherhood ==
Shoan decided at one point of her life to became a nun and retired to Four Temples at Kyuden Seppun, Rokugan, p. 157 named Shoan. She later was raised to the leadership of the Brotherhood of Shinsei Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 72 after Hoshi ascended to the Celestial Heavens in 1159. Four Winds, p. 41 Her followers lived in a small temple, Shinden Horiuchi. Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 300
== Death ==
Shoan died in 1166, shortly after the death of Rosoku. She had been present at the Ten Thousand Temples during a bloodspeaker attack, and gave her life to save many of the junior acolytes. Rebuilding the Temples Storyline tourney Her sucesor was Tanari, formerly known as Tsuruchi. Tanari was made head of the Brotherhood. Masters of Magic, p. 63
== Shrine ==
In 1171 after the Horiuchi family was put to the torch as consequence they had been affected by a plague, the Unicorn Clan Champion Moto Chen ordered the construction of an ancestral shrine for Shoan near the main Temple of the Lords of Death. Letters, Volume 4
== See also ==
* Horiuchi Shoan/CW Meta
* Horiuchi Shoan/Diskwars
== External Links ==
* Horiuchu Shoan (Imperial)
* Horiuchu Shoan Exp (1000 Years of Darkness)
Category:Unicorn Clan Leaders
Category:Leaders of the Brotherhood of Shinsei
Category:Characters with Pictures