Kakita Ikura

Please note: This article is about the Kakita Daimyo and the son of Kakita Noritoshi. For other uses of the term Ichiro, please see Ichiro (disambiguation).
Kakita Ikura was the Kakita Daimyo in the last years of the 12th century Family Matters (Imperial Herald 2013 Special Edition) and son of the previous Kakita Daimyo Kakita Noritoshi and Kakita Mai. His childhood name was Ichiro.
== Early Years ==
=== Kakita's Curse ===
Ikura was born while the doors of Kyuden Kakita were shut in 1160, and as such is afflicted by its curse. Blessings and Curses, by Rich Wulf Since he could not touch steel he had been taught music instead, learning the biwa. Consequences, by Nancy Sauer His father also had been a gifted musician. Secrets of the Crane, p. 65 As an adult he wore his wakizashi bound to its saya by chain like iron links. 
=== Poisoned ===
In 1169 Ikura was poisoned by an agent of Shosuro Jimen. When his father was in the final round of the Test of the Emerald Champion against the Scorpion, Jimen told the Ikura would die unless Noritoshi conceded defeat and he gave the antidote. Jimen became the Emerald Champion. The Test of the Emerald Champion, Part Two, by Shawn Carman Later was known there was no sign that he had been poisoned. 
=== Mother's Death ===
Ikura witnessed his mother's death at the hands of Bayushi Sunetra in 1170. After Sunetra killed his mother she mocked the boy offering him a dagger to take revenge if Ikura wished, knowing the boy was under the Kakita curse. Ikura refused to take the blade and the assassin departed mocking the boy. 
=== Wandering as Ronin ===
His father left his station and duties and they began to travel as if they were ronin on a Musha Shugyo. In 1172 Noritoshi was confronted by a hired assassin, Hitofu, near the Three Fish Village. The duelists did not begin the combat due to a zombie mob appeared, heading to the village. Hitofu departed to defend the village and Noritoshi left the place with Ikura. Three, by Lucas Twyman
=== Fostered to the Dragon ===
Ikura was sent to the Dragon lands in order to learn how to defend himself without a blade, an the sons of Togashi were experts in unarmed combat. Dutiful Apprentice (Path of the Destroyer flavor)
=== Shutai ===
In the month of the Hare of 1173, Imperial Histories 2, p. 253 Noritoshi was at the Scorpion village of Shutai prior to the Battle of Shutai. It is unknown if Ikura was there as well or already training with the Togashi, but Shosuro Sogetsu suspected him to be when he requested that Noritoshi leave the village without confronting Jimen. The Destroyer War, Part 1, by Shawn Carman & Lucas Twyman
=== Noritoshi's Death ===
After the end of the Destroyer War Noritoshi struck down Jimen and died as per the effects of poison. Endgame, by Nancy Sauer, Robert Denton, Yoon Ha Lee, and Shawn Carman Ikura was not immediately confirmed as the new Daimyo, which remained vacant for a time. Flowers in Darkness, by Nancy Sauer
=== Age of Conquest ===
Sometime between 1173 and 1199, Ikura completed his Gempukku, cast away his childhood name Ichiro, and assumed the position of Kakita Daimyo as Kakita Ikura. 
== Kakita Daimyo ==
This year Ikura was married to a Shiba and she had a child on the way the same year. The Daimyo Project, by C. Thomas Hand, Mari Murdock, and Maxime Lemaire
=== Taking Mitohime as Yojimbo ===
Ikura was in Tsuma when Kakita Mitohime confronted and killed her cousin Bayushi Mitsuo. Ikura's hatamoto mistakenly believed that Mitsuo had been after Ikura's life. After conversing with Mitohime, he learned that she had led Mitsuo to believe that Kakita Korihime, his target and her mother, was staying in Tsuma when she was actually elsewhere. Ikura offered Mitohime the opportunity to be his yojimbo after she said that she had little else to do other than return to her mother's estate. Ikura eventually passed to her the Kakita Blade Kandaisa, which had been wielded by Kakita Toshimoko himself. Spring 2015 Kotei Fiction – Act 2: Troubled Waters (Part 1), by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton
=== Undermining the Otomo ===
The Imperial Heir Iweko Seiken seized control of the Second City, and the Otomo had been tireless in keeping news of it out of the Imperial Court. Ikura and his Lord Doji Makoto had been forced to be very circumspect about how they approached discussion of the Colonies, and to whom. Maneuvering around the Otomo had consumed the Crane Champion for weeks. Letters to the Clans – November 2014 Makoto eventually brokered an alliance with Bayushi Nitoshi A New Alliance (The New Order flavor) to undermine the Otomo family. New Factors (The New Order flavor)
=== New Emperor ===
In 1200 it was announced that Iweko Seiken would become the new Emperor Iweko II. Doji Natsuyo sponsored duels to provide examples of the grand Kakita style during the Twenty Festivals. Their show of skills convinced Seiken that his yet unborn child should be trained in the Kakita Dueling Academy, a new which was announced by Ikura. Shortly after Kakita Shinichi defeated Mirumoto Higaru in a duel orchestrated by Kitsuki Akito and Natsuyo, to test if Kakita style was superior to Niten. Spring Kotei 2015 Fiction Act 1: Opening Moves, Day 2, by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton
== Rise of Jigoku ==
In 1200 Ikura was appointed as the Crane representative in the Imperial Court, because his Lord Doji Makoto had been killed shortly before. This year Daigotsu Kanpeki stormed Toshi Ranbo, but failed to find and kill the Emperor, leaving the Imperial City shortly after. The Crab Clan Champion Hida Kisada blamed that the rebellious Spider forces had vanished before the assembled Rokugani armies would engage them. The Phoenix revealed the location of the Third Seal, which was eventually destroyed by an endless horde of Shadowlands creatures. The Mantis Islands fell and the Rise of Jigoku was unleashed. The Dawn of Onyx Edition
=== Daughter ===
Decades later his daughter Kakita Maiko was a yojimbo appointed at Second City. 
== External Links ==
* Kakita Ikura (Twenty Festivals)
Category:Crane Clan Leaders