Byakko

Byakko was the Mantis captain of the Takarabako, a three-masted kobune ship. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 86
== Captain ==
Byakko was fifth cousin to Mantis Clan Champion Yoritomo, and the two spent a fair amount of time together as boys. He was fiercely loyal to his cousin and desperate for his approval. Yoritomo assigned Lady Aguri, a young but gifted shugenja adopted by his uncle, to watch over Byakko and keep him out of trouble. Byakko had much more interest in exploration than in piracy, and he hoped to map the coast of a rumored land in the south, filled with vast deserts, endless coral reefs, and savage creatures. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 86
=== Emperor's Gift ===
In 1123 Byakko was entrusted to travel with a gift from Yoritomo to the Emperor himself. Allegedly the cargo was the lost Kaiu Blade, the sacred weapon of legendary Crab Clan hero Hida Daisuke. Byakko hired a group of samurai to safeguard Yoritomo's gift after his own retained samurai mysteriously fell ill. The group took the blade from the Vault of Heaven, being ambushed by rōnin near the Takarabako's pier. The rōnin leader, clad entirely in white, was an infamously disgraced samurai of the Crane Clan and her companion was a Scorpion poisoner thought long dead. Byakko's hired samurai eventually took the upper hand and the blade was successfully transferred to the Emperor.
== See also ==
* Byakko/Meta
Category:Mantis Clan Members (TCG)