Shinjo Shono (TCG)

Shinjo Shono was the youngest son of Shinjo Altansarnai, the Unicorn Clan Champion, and Iuchi Daiyu, the Iuchi Daimyo. His parents were not married, and had two more children, Shinjo Yasamura and Shinjo Haruko. Curved Blades, by Ree Soesbee Daiyu had another daughter, Iuchi Shahai, A Most Suitable Teacher, by Katrina Ostrander who was disliked by the other three siblings. Family Duty, by Robert Denton III
== Early Life ==
Shono's life was saved by Iuchi Shoan when he was a child, and she had been his auntie ever since. His tutor Ide Ryōma would become his advisor and friend. When he was fourteen, Shono spent some time in the Lion lands, in the estate of Matsu Mitsuko's uncle. Shono developed romantic feelings toward the Lion maiden. Across the Burning Sands, by Daniel Lovat Clark
== Horses ==
Shono had several horses, such as Tsubasa and Umeboshi, his favored steed. 
== Unicorn's Heir ==
Her eldest brother Shinjo Yasamura was not happy with the idea of becoming the next Unicorn Champion, and Altansarnai knew of it, so she appointed Shono, her second son, as the Unicorn heir. Shono became Noyan of the Blue Horde. 
=== Failed Betrothal ===
In 1123 D.G. Laderoute confirmation in FFG forum the Unicorn had brokered a treaty with the Lion Clan, being Shono part of it with his betrothal to Matsu Mitsuko. Eventually the Unicorn did not honored the treaty and the Lion reacted seizing Hisu Mori Mura, which was among the named villages to be traded in the broken treaty. Mitsuko was the Commander of the Lion forces, killing the enemy commander Utaku Hisako in a duel. Shono led the Unicorn counterattack, to demonstrate that his personal feelings could not be leveraged against his clan. He single-handedly defeated Misuko, and his forces retook the village. These actions gave to the Lion ground to claim the Emperor his permission to wage full war against the Unicorn. A Swift End, by Lisa Farrell Shono was demolished for the loss of his beloved Mitsuko, and his mother quickly felt her son had to move away of Rokugan to recover his center. Across the Burning Sands, by Daniel Lovat Clark Moto Juro relieved Shono as steward of Hisu Mori Toride. Kunshu 2019 Clan Letters
== Shono in the Burning Sands ==
=== Sand Road ===
Shono traveled west to negotiate with the Caliph of al-Zawira and ensure continuing peace between the Nehiri and Unicorn, to avoid trade to be disrupted along the Sand Road. Her mother gave him this task because Shono needed time to grieve the loss of Mitsuko. Across the Burning Sands (FFG Web) Caliph Harun al-Hakim had long cast an envious eye on the Unicorn holdings outside of Rokugan, and when word of a Unicorn-Lion war would reached him, he might decide the time had come to raise against the Unicorn. A Call to Stewardship (Unicorn Clan letter)
=== Journey ===
Shono's entourage were attacked by Tegensai raiders, mountain folk who lived in the Pillar of the Sky, but they were saved by the timely arrival of reinforcements led by Moto Chagatai. They visited their cousins, the Ganzu peple, who lived in the Hidden Valley, to resume their journey to al-Zawira, guests to the Caliph. The negotiations went wrong due to the Caliph's ambition, who eventually sent his men against the Unicorn entourage. Shono was captured, losing his left eye at the hands of the Caliph's sorcerer, Mandana, but they managed to flee and reunited with the rest of his forces outside the Qamarist capital, pursued by ghuls and an Ifrit. Shono survived, along with several other Unicorn, including Ide Ryōma, Moto Chagatai, his auntie Iuchi Shoan, and his yōjimbō Utaku Yumino. Shono got married to Saadiyah al-Mozedu as part of their alliance against the Caliph. 
== The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow ==
Shono journeyed across the Burning Sands to aid Rokugan, because the hordes of Akuma no Oni had breached through the Kaiu Wall The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow (Voting Event) and overrun the Crab defenses, marching northwest, to the Shinomen Forest. The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow – Chapter One, by Robert Denton III In the fourteenth day of the Month of Togashi the assembled armies of the clans confonted the Oni Lord's horde in the Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow. Shono had ordered Chagatai to join them, and the arrival of his outriders bolstered the spirit of the fighting troops. The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow: Chapter Four, by Robert Denton The traitor Shoju was killed and the Shadowlands horde was defeated, with the Oni Lord being killed. The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow: Chapter Five, by Robert Denton III
=== Aftermath ===
With the Unicorn heir returned from the Burning Sands, Shinjo Altansarnai and Iuchi Daiyu began preparing to travel home to oversee spring planting and the foaling season. Their three children, Haruko, Yasamura, and Shono remained with Ide Tadaji in the capital to work out a new treaty with the Lion. Iuchi Shahai, who was last seen with Prince Daisetsu, was still missing. The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow: Epilogue, by Robert Denton III and Marie Brennan with Katrina Ostrander
== External Links ==
* Shinjo Shono (Breath of the Kami)
Category:Unicorn Clan Members (TCG)