L5R - Matsu Shigeko’s dossier: People

Back to Main Page:
=Scorpions=
==P1 - Shosuro Hyobu==
The current Governor (G9) of Ryoko Owari is Shosuro Hyobu. I have already given an overview of her political position (which is basically unassailable by anyone within the city). Now I will address Hyobu as a person.
I find myself reluctantly admiring her. I admire the way she has made herself powerful on her own terms- not merely as her husband's widow or her son's mother, but as herself. As Governor she is not tolerated or humoured, she is respected and feared. She has used the power she was given with great skill to order the city to her liking and protect its interests.  There is no longer any doubt that she is a very skilled Governor.
However, I would hesitate to call her a "good" Governor. The reason for this, and for my reluctance to admire her in all her strength and skill, is that the ends to which she applies her tremendous abilities are so unworthy of her attention. She could make this city not only prosperous, but honourable. She could make its people not only satisfied, but safe. Yet her goals are modest; she wishes only that things not be "too corrupt': In this, I fear she means "too obvious': She keeps the opium trade deniable, hidden - but she expends no effort eradicating it. She maintains peace in the city by overlooking minor excesses of the firemen - when she could gain a lasting, honourable peace by replacing them with a better system.
An incompetent Governor would destroy this city; an average Governor would maintain it as it is. Hyobu's tragedy is that she is a superb Governor - but is content to achieve only what an average Governor could.P
==P2 - Shosuro Jocho==
As the son of Hyobu (P1, G9), Jocho is in line to inherit the post of Governor. In fact, he should have done so upon his father's death - but he has chosen instead to allow his mother to remain in power while he serves as the head of the Thunder Guard (G10).
Jocho strikes me, above all, as a shallow man. His desires are simple; he wishes to command an elite unit, to enjoy his pleasures and live a comfortable life. He seems to me a man who would rather seem honourable than be honourable.
He possesses great zeal for martial feats, and for this he should be commended, but it is my belief that his strong body masks what is, in many ways, a weak spirit.
==P3 - Shosuro Kimi==
Jocho's (P2) sister is a lovely girl who gives every appearance of sincerity with each word she speaks. She has never been anything but polite, respectful, helpful and straightforward with me. At all times and in all places she behaves in a manner proper beyond reproach.
Kimi appears to have no real political power or influence, other than what she gains from standing in the shadow of her brother and her mother (P1). She appears to have no goals other than those appropriate to a young maiden - please her ancestors, obey her mother, and marry well. Yet although she pursues these goals openly and in an honourable fashion, there are no signs that she has any other intentions, nor that she is scheming or manoeuvring the way so many other courtiers do.
She is either exactly what she appears to be, or the finest liar in a city known for them.
==P4 - Shosuro Gobei==
Shosuro Gobei is the brother of Hyobu's (P1) husband - uncle to Jocho (P2) and Kimi (P3). He is the patron of several large and profitable sake works in the city, and his beverages are exported through Rokugan as far as the Phoenix lands. He is a wealthy man but not, I think, a greedy one. He is not showy with his wealth, but neither is he stingy. He spends most of his time and attention on his mercantile endeavours. He makes a great deal of money, but does not seem to have money as his goal. He is almost like those swordsmen who practice, not to win battles, but in order to perfect their strikes and themselves. Yet I cannot see how such a thing can be done through buying and selling. Like Kimi,he seems to have no concealed interests, which may mean his interests are the most deeply concealed. There are persistent rumours that he is Hyobu's lover. I cannot say one way or the other; certainly he is her friend, and as such is no one to trouble lightly. 
==P5 - Bayushi Korechika==
Bayushi Korechika I like less than almost every Scorpion in the city, and yet I feel strangely comfortable around him. He seems so much the typical Scorpion; venal, slippery, dishonest and selfish. I feel that I know exactly what to expect.
Korechika came into power as the local head of the Bayushi family during the first year I was in office. He immediately took the stable and sedate Bayushi network of merchants and began gathering more merchants, and taxing others until they begged to be allowed to find new patrons. He is constantly jockeying for position among the merchants of Ryoko Owari, and has become a significant force in a short period of time.
He seems to have little time for personal concerns, except for his hobby of collecting rare foreign birds. I don't even think he keeps a mistress.
I suspect that his real concern is opium. He already has substantial rural holdings which grow the opium poppy; I believe his city holdings and merchant connections are being used to process the poppies into smokable or liquid form, and then distribute them throughout Rokugan.
I was able to successfully charge one of his craftsmen with possession of liquid opium, but before I could have him questioned, Korechika showed up with Yogo Osako (P10) and a writ signed by the Governor (G9, P1). They claimed that the craftsman was planning to distribute the opium locally, and that therefore it was a matter for the Governor's magistrate (Osako) instead of the Emerald Magistrate. It took all my willpower not to curse loudly as they took him away "for questioning': I know he died that same day, and my interrogator (P55) assures me that the prisoner was never taken to the torture hall.
It is clear to me that Korechika killed that craftsman, not for being a criminal, but for being an inept one and for putting his smuggling operation in jeopardy.
I believe Korechika learned from that mistake. I now suspect that most of his dirty work is arranged by a merchant named Sharp (P40). I have arrested three of Sharp's workers, but Korechika's protection has stymied my attempts to question the man himself.
Died in a duel with Tomoe during the Opium war. 
==P6 - Bayushi Saisho==
Saisho is Korechika's wife, and seems to be one of the most singularly sad women in Ryoko Owari. I am not sure why this is; can it be that she is an honourable woman, and is sorry to be married to a criminal? When I have tried (subtly, of course) to gain her confidence, I have been gently spurned. Perhaps she is only sad because her husband neglects her for his workings.
I have heard that she had a daughter she loved very much,and who died of a sudden illness. Surely, though, even a mother's love could not make her so sad after such a long time?
On the other hand, when I consider her son Otado, I wonder if perhaps she is not pining for some distant lover. It would be ironic indeed for her tricky husband to be unaware of his wife's entanglement even as he claims an illegitimate child as his own. But this is speculation - possibly my observations are coloured by my feelings towards Korechika.
==P7 - Bayushi Otado==
I have implied that Otado may be an illegitimate child (P6). This may not be so, since he does resemble Korechika (P5) somewhat in appearance. In behaviour, however, they are far apart - though not so far as I might have hoped.
Where Korechika is polite, Otado is crude and graceless. Where Korechika hides his venom with a mask of friendship, you always know what Otado is thinking - and it's rarely pleasant. Korechika's subtlety is thrown into high relief by Otado's blatant indiscretions. Though only sixteen, Otado has already been reprimanded by Hyobu (P1, G9) herself for a public brawl in a den of vice.
In short, he has the cruelty of the Scorpion and the base appetites of the Crab, mated to the crassness of the Unicorn.
==P9 - Soshi Seiryoku==
I have never had a pleasant encounter with Soshi Seiryoku - she hardly bothers to mask her hatred with politeness. A shugenja (but one who rarely attends a temple publicly), she has a reputation even within her own clan as a woman it is suicide to Cross.
She is a prominent merchant patroness. When asked about her, her merchants mouth platitudes about how kind and benevolent she is, while their eyes dart around in terror - as if they fear she might climb out of any nearby shadow and overhear them. The merchants stressed that they would never, ever consider going to another patron. It took some careful investigation to learn how highly she taxes her merchants. Clearly they are terrified of her - too frightened to seek a less fearsome patroness. I feel in my bones that she is evil, but I cannot make any accusation stick. I have petitioned the Phoenix clan to send one of their Inquisitors, but have had no luck.
If my successor is a shugenja, I encourage him to watch this woman very, very closely.
==P10 - Yogo Osako==
Yogo Osako is the first and most trusted of Hyobu's (G9, PI) magistrates. This means, of course, that she applies the laws of the city and the country in a very selective and arbitrary fashion. Although I worked with her on occasion and saw her almost every day, I find it hard to describe any feelings I might have had for her. She seems to be an honourable samurai-ko, and I cannot say I have ever seen her drunk or known her to shame her duty. We worked together on some non-political cases, and she was a competent and dedicated investigator; yet I never felt close to her. She never gave me the impression that I was anything but a tool to her when useful, and a hindrance when we were at odds. I suppose I feel the same way about her; it is difficult to even think of her as having a human heart.
=Unicorns:=
==P11 - Shinjo Yoshifusa==
Yoshifusa is the leader of Ryoko Owari's Unicorn clansmen in name only. He is an old man; the only time he is seen outside the Shinjo estate is when he attends services at the Temple of the Sun Goddess (L13). Despite this, he has not retired from his position as family head, nor as a merchant patron.
The story is that he went on a merchant caravan as a young man and earned great glory protecting the Unicorn trade interests from foreign attackers. Having made his fortune in this way he retired to Ryoko Owari, where he has spent the remainder of his long life.
At one time an influential merchant patron, his influence has waned as he has aged. Bayushi Korechika (P5) has succeeded in taking control of one of Yoshifusa's most prosperous stables (P43), along with several less important merchant concerns. At his advanced age, there is little the Unicorn can do about it.
==P12 - Shinjo Sanefusa==
Sanefusa is Yoshifusa's son (P11). Alongside his father, Sanefusa manages a number of merchant vassals. It appears that father and son do not always manage in complete harmony, however. There are persistent stories of one countermanding the decisions of the other. This may be one reason Korechika (P5) has been able to lure some of their vassals away.
Their most important and prosperous investment is the House of Foreign Stories (L22). Significantly, this is the endeavour that Yoshifusa cares least for. (His age and infirmity prevent him from taking the boat to Teardrop Island.) Sanefusa therefore has a free hand to manage their vassal Magda (P47) consistently, if not well. There are rumours that Magda is Sanefusa's mistress, but these are (of course) difficult to verify.
As for Sanefusa himself, he strikes me as a man whose mind and spirit are going east and west. He cannot act decisively because he is perpetually split between two views and cannot bring them together. For example, despite his age he has not married. It is commonly believed that he is waiting until his father dies, so that he will be the head of the Ryoko Owari Unicorns and will be able to make a better match. However, while he has waited, his father has continued to live on and Ide Baranato has ascended in influence until he is the local clan chief in all but name.
==P13 - Shinjo Yoshiko==
Yoshiko is the daughter of Yoshifusa (P11) and sister of Sanefusa (P12). Although she is almost old enough to have a child at gempukku, she has never married. Her own mother died not long after Yoshiko came of age, and Yoshifusa asked her to come and help mind the house until he could find another wife. That was many years ago, and neither of them has gotten married. Yoshifusa refuses to find her a husband, and as she ages her chances of marrying well continue to shrink.
==P14 - Ide Baranato==
While Yoshifusa (P11) is the official head of Ryoko Owari's Unicorn clan, it is Ide Baranato who makes all the significant decisions. The clan is fortunate in this, for Baranato is a man of honour.
He is also a skilled healer. I had opportunity to learn this after an altercation with a ronin called Ample (P32). Baranato and I had an interesting conversation while he was putting my arm back into its socket. He told me that Ample was very skilled with the Two Way Throw, but beyond that his jiujutsu skills were limited. I told him I'd keep it in mind.
Then he told me that I shouldn't be afraid to tell him that my arm was in pain - that if I told him where it hurt, he would be better able to make the pain stop.
"Or would the shame of admitting pain be worse than the pain itself?" he asked. I looked at him to see if he was joking, and he was, somewhat. But I also saw that my pain hurt him as well.
Baranato is a compassionate man, but there is more to him than kindness; I saw something unyielding at the back of his gaze. It is something I have seen in the eyes of Akodo Toturi, in the eyes of the Emerald Champion, in the eyes of Kakita Toshimoko. These men who have seen death, seen naked suffering, and understood these things - but have not been broken by them. It gives them strength,and I believe Baranato has the same strength.
==P15 - Ide Michikane [Deceased]==
Baranato's (PI4) heir and oldest son is charming, handsome, a fine hunter and a warm and sincere courtier. He is widely liked and admired, and seems to have no enemies within the city. His parents dote on him and he seems in all things destined for greatness.
==P16 - Ide Asamitsu==
Quiet, thoughtful and serious. He is the younger brother of Michikane, in whose shadow he appears to live.
[Naritoki’s Notes: There were rumours that he and his brother were both interested in the same woman. Prompting an investigation, but as the older brother appears to have died of an opium overdose and Asamitsu was with several guests on the night in question, the investigation was dropped.]
==P17 - Ide Nakatada==
I have very little to report about Baranato's (P14) nephew Ide Nakatada, except that he seems to appear at every celebration held by the Ide family or the Unicorn clan, and universally fails to do or say anything to arouse comment. I have seen him in the temples on occasion, and it is said that he is an accomplished shugenja.
A Crane of my acquaintance once said that every family has one member who avoids notice; Nakatada serves that function for the Unicorns of Ryoko Owari.
Was found dead alongside a Unicorn guard in a warehouse fire wearing a Thunderguard Uniform.
==P18 - Ide Shikibu==
The wife of Ide Baranato (P14) lacks the charms of the Crane or the subtlety of the Scorpion, but I feel a great affection for her - an affection that is, I think, shared by many in Ryoko Owari. She is a cheerful matron to the Unicorn clan - many of them call her "mother" to show their respect and love.
An example may illuminate; when I first arrived, Shosuro Hyobu (G9, P1) gave me the gift of a fine saddle, and Kitsu Senshi (P30) gave me a new horse bow. These gifts were appropriate, courteously offered to the new magistrate. Shikibu visited me personally, and her gift was a tree for the garden of the magistrate's residence. It was a strange, foreign tree - she told me that it needs little water but much sun, and that the blossoms can be dried and brewed for tea. (It is planted in the north-east corner of the magistrate garden.) She brought her own servants to plant it and as we watched them work she told me many things about the city - who sold the freshest fish, which heimin families were dependable servants, which merchants gave good value.
She left with the same wide smile she wore when she arrived, and I was greatly cheered. I felt that while others saw me come and gave gifts to my office, only she had concern for the woman who holds the office.
==P19 - Utaku Genshi==
Utaku Genshi is a dangerous and impetuous woman. In my first year as magistrate she and some of her servants started a brawl with some of Shosuro Korechika's (P5) vassals. I told her she was lucky that it was I who got there first and not the Samurai Squad (G10). Because she had not drawn her sword on Korechika's heimin and no one had been killed, I convinced Osako (P10) not to formally charge her - once Genshi had made an abject apology to Korechika.
The very next year, she came to blows with Korechika's son Otado (P7) while in the Licensed Quarter; I believe if they had been elsewhere, it would have been swordplay. Osako cuffed her for a month.
While Genshi was cuffed, I asked her why she caused such trouble for the Bayushis. She said it was only natural for an honourable woman to hate evil. I asked what evil they had done, and she told me to read a history of the Scorpion clan. Then I asked why she lived in a city held by the Scorpions, if she hates them so. She smiled and said I might as well ask why fishermen live near the water.
==P20 - Utaku Naishi==
Naishi is the younger sister of Genshi (PI9) and in many ways acts as if she was the older. She is respectful, thoughtful, honest and possesses a calm demeanour her rash sister sorely lacks. It was she who explained to me the root of Genshi's anger; as with many stories of anger, it comes from shame.
Some years ago, their cousin Utaku Isas challenged Bayushi Tomaru to a duel. When the appointed day came, Isas asked for a delay, claiming illness. Then, on the date of the delay, he vanished altogether. It is widely believed that he fled the country rather than face Tomaru.
Genshi believes that Tomaru somehow poisoned Isas before each duel, but I find it more likely that she is simply denying her cousin's cowardice.
==P21 - Iuchi Sadako==
luchi Sadako is a strange young woman. I'll admit that she is clever, honourable and keen eyed - but I fear that the composition of her spirit has too much imagination in the mixture. If she still resides in Ryoko Owari when you arrive, you will soon get to know her, along with her outlandish tales of secret cults and mysterious creatures garbed in human form. Be warned; she is persistent, despite a complete lack of concrete evidence for her outlandish tales.
==P22 - Iuchi Michisuna==
Iuchi Michisuna is noted throughout the city as a talented musician, and is widely admired for his accomplishments as a poet. Unlike many such artisans, he has not developed an arrogant attitude; instead, he has a balanced spirit and sees his gifts in proper proportion to the rest of the world. He does have a tendency to drink, and I suspect him of indulging in opium, but I have no proof. In any event, he is not a swaggerer, and his indulgences are discreet ones.
=Crab Clan=
==P23 - Kaiu Shinya==
Kaiu Shinya is not a social butterfly - but then who would expect a member of his clan to be? He is a skilled weaponsmith and cares little about city politics; these two facts in concert keep him in the good graces of the nobles, even if he is taciturn by nature. In this city of merchants, schemers and politicians, Shinya is one of the few who has known battle; he left his right leg, below the knee, in the Shadowlands. He now favours elaborate artificial legs and is rarely seen without an ornate walking stick. He honours his battle injury, and for that I should respect him.
Somehow, I cannot. Kaiu Shinya has never been other than respectful and helpful to me, but I do not like him. 
==P24 - Yasuki Nobuko==
[Annotation by Naritoki: New arrival to city, have not yet compiled dossier]
=Crane Clan=
==P25 - Ashidaka Naritoki [Deceased]==
[Scribes Note: Please see Section T1 for notes on the Honourable Magistrate’s demise.]
==P26 - Ashidaka Michitaka==
[Annotation by Naritoki: My Cousin, whom I have known since we were children does not require a Dossier at this time.]
==P27 - Doji Sukemara==
Doji Sukemara is a well respected merchant patron of the Crane clan. While he has many vassals, he does not seem to be the busybody patron that many in the city are. He seems careful to maintain time for the finer things - he is a great fancier of ikebana [Flower arranging], and he told me he still tries to practice with his katana for an hour every day.
He is of mature years. His wife is so graceful that when one visits, there is found at hand whatever one desires, but she is simultaneously so modest that it's as if one does not even see her serving you.
=Dragon Clan=
==P28 - Kitsuki Jotomon==
No one is completely sure what to make of Kitsuki Jotomon. She shows little interest in the romances which occupy the young nobles, nor aptitude for the merchant schemes which fascinate the older ones. She has one passion only, and that is swordplay.
Make no mistake; though she seems naive and trusting, she is a dangerous woman if she has a weapon within reach. I'll give an example; I was once present for a demonstration of her skill. I'd like to say I saw it, but it was too swift to be seen. She stood before a lit candle, set onto a bamboo pole. Then she cut the candle in half down the centre, along with a foot of bamboo. All this she did with such quickness that it looked like only a twitch; but she had cut the candle's wick in half as well - and both sides remained lit.It's a telling example of her skill, but there is more to Jotomon than skill. I heard a story about her from the Strong Arm Firemen. They said that one time they found some Moment's Edge Firemen in their area of town and, since they outnumbered them, decided to give them a beating to "keep them humble': It happened that Jotomon came upon this fracas while the leader of the Strong Arms was kicking a fallen opponent.
He said that Jotomon grabbed him and immobilized him, and then she said to him, "What are you doing? Don't you realize you could be executed for this? What if you kill him? Can't you see that he is helpless?" He told me that he was amazed that even as he struggled with her, she was concerned for his future and well-being.
Perhaps this attitude explains some of her more outlandish behaviours - specifically, she has opened a dojo located in the Merchant Quarter, not far from the south-east pier. She has a few noble students - the sons (P15, P16) of Ide Baranato (P14) study with her, along with luchi Sadako (P21) a member of the Mantis clan called Shrimp (P34) and a well respected Ronin Called Dove (P36). She also accepts peasant students, which occasioned much outcry (as you can imagine).
When Governor Hyobu (G9, P1) learned that Jotomon was teaching bushido to commoners, her first thought was to enact a law forbidding such instruction. Jotomon, however, asked for an opportunity to argue her case. Hyobu agreed, and convened a panel consisting of myself, the Governor, Jocho (P2) and Yogo Osako (P10). The panel would be allowed to freely advise, but in the end it was Hyobu's sole decision.
Osako and Jocho were expecting little from Jotomon, except some transparent attempt at political manoeuvring. Jotomon was certainly transparent; she said that if any student of hers was convicted of a crime, Jotomon would share in any punishment.
"It is my belief," she said, "that the code of bushido strengthens souls and improves those who study it. I will eject any whom I feel are unfit vessels for my knowledge, and I will accept the consequences of any failures in judgment:'
Then she said she would gladly accept the law if we could answer two questions. "First, if you believe that the way of the warrior improves the soul, does it not make sense to give its improvements to those whose souls are weakest? Or is it only the samurai whose souls need improvement? Secondly - if you believe that the samurai are truly superior to the heimin and hinin; why are you afraid? Surely such inferior stuff could never be made into superior fighters?"
We had no answers. Hyobu accepted Jotomons arguments and struck down her law. However, Osako, myself and the Thunder Guard all keep a close watch on her and her common students. There have never been any problems.
=Lion Clan=
==P29 - Ikoma Yoriko==
Ikoma Yoriko is a Lion samurai-ko in the truest sense of the word. She has taken strict vows and follows them with complete rigour. I have never known her to deceive, dissemble, or do anything other than offer complete cooperation to those of higher station.
It is, perhaps, her very honour which worries me. Perhaps it is a measure of how weary this corrupt city has made me; but I know that those of little honour consider devotees of bushido to be gullible pawns - easily led by our strong duty to what is right and wrong.
So far, this young woman has managed to avoid being ensnared by the machinations of evil men. I am afraid for her, though. As a magistrate I know better than most that the purest blossom attracts the most venomous insects.
==P30 - Kitsu Senshi==
Kitsu Senshi is a pillar of virtue in this ant heap of vice. A shugenja, she has been devoted to the spirits for over thirty years now. She has been an unremitting and inexorable supporter of the Emperor's justice since my arrival, and I have been glad of it.
=Phoenix Clan=
==P31 - Asako Kinto==
I have seen him only a few times; he seems to be something of a recluse, preferring the company of his home and his library to that of his peers. I did, however, consult him one time on a question of botany. He is known to be an expert on the subject, and a strange blossom had been found in a hoof print left by bandits.
He is a tiny man of tremendous age, and gives an impression of distance common to many who are closer to the next world. I had to remind him of my name several times, and at least once recall to him why I had visited. He did, however, inform me that the blossom was from a creeper which grew only along the banks of the River of Gold at high altitudes. This clue eventually led me to the bandit hideout and the extermination of those particular criminals.
It is my understanding that he is also something of a historian.
=Minor Clans=
==P34 - Shrimp==
This sailor owes allegiance to the Mantis clan, but seems to have little care for duty to his lord when he is this far upstream. On one occasion I found island silks on his ship that had no tariff mark on them; I had to confiscate the lot.
I have kept a sharp eye on him; however, I must say that his behaviour has either improved or gotten much more crafty since he began studying with Kitsuki Jotomon (P28).
=Ronin=
==P32 - Ample==
The ronin called Ample is well named - he is a grotesque heap of muscle and fat. He works for a gambler called Lean Meat (P50) providing what he calls "threat services". Consequently, he has had a few run ins with me, Osako (P10) and the Thunder Guard (G10) after snapping people's arms for defaulting on a debt.
Ample is usually open to reason, once he respects you. He is a fairly stupid man, and he consequently has little control over his emotions. He's not brash; it takes a bit of provocation to upset him, but once he's angry he is extremely difficult to calm. In addition to being very strong, he is proficient with the jiujutsu attack known as the Two Way Throw. (See P25 and P14.)
==P33 - True Word [Deceased]==
[Scribes Note: True Word was a Ronin Shugenja and Naritoki’s most trusted lieutenant. He was killed in the same attack that claimed his masters life. Please see Section T1 for notes on the Honourable Magistrate’s demise.]
==P35 - Jaw==
This ronin's nickname comes from a disfigurement he received from a tetsubo. He is a sullen, morose and uncooperative man, much given to fits of complaining and bitter speculation on unpleasant futures.
His self pity is as irritating as his excuses - and he has many, because he has much to be excused for. I have cuffed him for selling sake without a license (he later admitted it was stolen) and given him a public beating for being involved in a brawl in the Licensed Quarter.
==P36 - Dove==
The ronin called "Dove" is something of a conundrum to me. She works as a yojimbo (bodyguard) for hire, and apparently is quite proficient at her trade. On two separate occasions she has killed heimin - one member of the Strong Arm Firemen and three Fire Eaters (G 12). She claimed the Strong Arm was threatening a merchant she had been hired to protect (He has since relocated far downstream to Garden Under Shadow city.) In the second instance, she said the Fire Eaters had made violent advances.
No one knows much about her past; she herself will say only that she was hired by the Crab for work in the Shadowlands and that it was her experiences there that turned her hair white.
=Non-Samurai=
==People of the Temple Quarter==
===P37 - Abbot Okawa===
I saw little of the Abbot of the Daikoku Monks while I was in Ryoko Owari, but I had heard rumours of extremely unorthodox behaviour. The one time I did encounter him was during a festival, in which he told me quite cheerfully that I could expect to make little improvement to Ryoko Owari’s social order.
"Can a crow teach a fish to fly?" he asked me. "Certainly not - and a fish would have no use for the knowledge. But one fish can teach another:'
I asked him the meaning of this riddle, and he just laughed. "Now the crow would learn to swim?"
===P38 - Jirohei===
The monk Jirohei, who has authority over the temple's finances and is in charge of paying imperial and local taxes, is in all ways a more respectful and helpful man than his abbot. He has never been late with his tax payments, and is always exactly precise with his debts. In any case where you are dealing with the Monks of Daikoku, I strongly recommend you gain the assistance of this individual.
===P39 - Priestess Meiyo===
High Priestess of the Temple of the Sun Goddess. I have never had cause to cross paths with her as she does not attend social functions due to her old age and is entirely committed to her temple duties. Although I am told that she is highly respected by those who do take the time to speak with her. 
==People of the Merchant Quarter==
===P40 - Sharp/Surudoi===
I have exiled no fewer than three of Sharp's employees for opium smuggling - the last one he gave up voluntarily, mouthing sentiments about wanting to "clean his house': but I suspect he was simply making a pretence to save his own skin. He is a vassal of Bayushi Korechika (P5), who is a loud and belligerent defender of his merchant interests.
Sharp owns a number of barges and specializes in moving goods up and down the coast between the Scorpion domains and the Crab lands. To complicate matters, he also has a legitimate license to transport raw opium down the river for medicinal purposes. I have pressured Yogo Osako (P10) not to renew his license, but against my wishes she has done so.
===P41 - Subtle/Bimyo===
Sharp's (P40) cousin is older, wiser and more prosperous - possibly because his patron is Shosuro Hyobu herself (P1, G9). I have encouraged him to try to exert some control over his venal kinsman, but to no avail. I can only hope that Sharp will learn from example.
Subtle is also an exporter, but unlike his brother he transports his goods by land, taking them through Beiden Pass to the east, and then into the heart of Rokugan. He moves a great many goods, but his primary interests are sake, silks, timber and fine ceramics.
===P42 - Watchful/Jittu===
Watchful's patroness is the fearsome Soshi Seiryoku (P9) herself. No one who works for her has ever been caught in illegal dealing (though there have been a suspicious number of "accidental deaths" each time suspicion has fallen on her enterprises). She is a nervous mouse of a woman whose dread of her mistress outweighs even the threat of torture.
My suspicions of her mistress make me feel that there is something dirty in her dealings, but I have been unable to prove anything.
===P43 - Horse/Uma===
Horse was once a vassal of the Shinjo family (P11, P12) but has recently P43 switched her allegiance to Bayushi Korechika (P5), who made her a remarkably generous offer. I heard that Horse will be exempt from all formal duties to Korechika for a year, in exchange for her loyalty.
Horse runs an extensive stable which has produced some of Ryoko Owari's finest steeds. There are rumours that Korechika is pressuring her to concentrate less on producing a few outstanding mounts; instead, she is to produce large numbers of steeds of lesser (but still good) quality.
This makes me deeply suspicious. Through Sharp (P40), Korechika already has a well developed river transport network. If Sharp can get a supply of fine horses as well, he could begin to compete with his cousin's land transport business. 
I wouldn't care a fig for such merchant manoeuvrers if I didn't suspect Sharp of being Bayushi's opium smuggler. That suspicion makes me deeply uneasy about him forging paths into RokugansHeart.
===P44 - Builder/Tateru===
Builder is the most prosperous of Doji Sukemara's vassals (P27). He oversees a group of carpenters, and has become well regarded as a reliable builder. This has, of course, made him a target for Scorpion malice. Sukernara, I am happy to say, has shown a remarkable talent for turning Scorpion ploys against each other and coming out unscathed in the end. Nonetheless, Builder is probably at risk, despite his wealth.
===P45 - Whisper/Sasayaku===
[Dossier Missing]
==People of the Licensed Quarter==
===P46 - Gate/ Kado (Formerly Akodo Yogodayu)===
I first met Gate a long time ago. I had just taken my vows; he was a sergeant in the Lion clan infantry, and went by the name Akodo Yogodayu. Yogodayu and I became close friends, and served together at Beiden Pass. The man I knew then was brash and a little arrogant - he took great pride in his ancestors' deeds of renown and sought to match them in valour.
It was his love of his own family history that led to his downfall. In Ikoma Castle he found documents that contradicted what he had always been taught about his grandfather, Akodo Ippai. He never tired of telling the story of how Ippai had held Beiden Pass with only twenty samurai against a thousand Scorpions until their relief could arrive.
What the document showed was that Ippai had not been present at all; he had left his men there to present a false front of greater force while he retreated to a superior position. The twenty men - including Ippai's own son - were left to die so that he could retreat and protect the bulk of his forces. Ippai then lied about the battle - not only to conceal his numbers (which led to a later victory) but to protect his family's reputation as well.
Yogodayu was devastated and asked his daimyo for permission to tell the world the truth about his ancestor, and then commit seppuku to cleanse the stain from his family honour. The daimyo refused, saying that a story of valour was more important than a lie from the distant past. Yogodayu was shocked that his lord would allow his family to believe a falsehood and continue to honour a coward. (At least, Yogodayu believed Ippai was a coward.) The daimyo told him that if Yogodayu felt ashamed of his family, he could be relieved of the burden. Yogodayu chose to leave his family, and has not gone by the name Yogodayu since that time.
He came to Ryoko Owari and has lived here ever since. I would beg my successor not to tell Gate that you know of his past; he has suffered tremendously and deserves no punishment past what he inflicts on himself. He has a tremendous sense of honour; perhaps it is misplaced, but it is strong nonetheless. He will keep his word and be an invaluable ally to those he deems worthy.
===P47 - Magda===
Magda is a foreign woman with strangely tangled yellow hair and sky coloured eyes. She owns and runs the House of Foreign Stories (L22) as a vassal of Shinjo Sanefusa (P13) and his father (P11).
As a foreigner, her position in Rokugan is tenuous; she can only remain in Ryoko Owari as long as her papers are renewed by the Emerald Magistrate every year. This gives you a considerable threat to hold over her head. Judiciously applied, this pressure can yield a great deal of information. (There is an old Scorpion saying; "Hearts are the depositories of secrets; lips are their locks and tongues are their keys:' The mistress of a geisha house is privy to many things that even a magistrate does not know.)
Magda is aware of her position, but is also wise enough to know that removing her will cause as many problems for a magistrate as it would solve. She can be pushed - but not too far
===P48 - Precious/Kicho===
Precious is the most prominent geisha at the House of the Morning Star (L23) and as such is the unofficial queen of Teardrop Island and the Licensed District. While Hyobu (P1, G9) may reign over the political world of Ryoko Owari, and Jocho (P2, G10) controls the military, in matters of gossip, fashion and (most important) social favour, the influence of Precious is second to no one.
This raises the question of what sort of woman she is; the answer is that I cannot say. She is always traditional, compliant, friendly, respectful - and impenetrable. There is a sense of danger in every conversation with Precious, because it is absolutely impossible to know if she means what she says, or if she is simplysaying what you want to hear. (She never says anything that anyone would not want to hear; it's one of her many talents.)
The only words one can apply to her with certainty are "beautiful" and "influential". Every other impression could be a false one deliberately given. It is impossible to know the heart behind the face.
===P49 - Jewel/Hoseki===
What Precious (P48) is today - the arbiter of fashion and the ruler of the demimonde - Jewel was ten years ago. No longer under the direct gaze of admirers, Jewel is content to stand behind Precious and guide her.
Jewel is the owner of the House of the Morning Star (L23) and is a vassal to Shosuro Hyobu (P1, G9). Even though a hinin; she is no one to trifle with - and unlike Precious, Jewel has a discernable agenda.
That agenda is her own wealth and aggrandizement. Since Jewel's fortunes are yoked to Hyobu's, she pursues her agenda with the governor's full support.
She is a crafty, avaricious and manipulative woman. She has access to a great store of money, a greater degree of social influence, and operates largely above the law.
Her immediate goal is the destruction of the House of Foreign Stories.
==People of the Fisherman’s Quarter==
===P50 - Lean Meat/Akami===
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had just killed Lean Meat the gambler when I had the chance.
He is a scoundrel, and largely without honour, but he has a peculiar and undeniable charm. He runs a floating dice game in the Fisherman Quarter - never to be found in the same location twice, it meets once a week and the stakes are high. Though occasional violence is unavoidable at such meetings, Lean Meat has a knack for making the game more important than the money. I have heard several times that he will not accept bets if losing would leave the gambler destitute. When asked about this, he says that it is foolish to kill a cow for leather when it is still giving milk - but I suspect his motives are as merciful as mercenary.
In short - he is a criminal, but one who knows his place. He runs a game that is largely harmless, and if he were removed, it is unlikely that so forgiving a gambler would take his place.
===P51 - Shortcut/Chikamichi===
As I leave Ryoko Owari, I find myself thinking of Shortcut surprisingly often. He is thirteen as I depart - my successor will see him grow into manhood.
Shortcut first saw me during my fight with the Fire Eaters. He did not approach me then, but later he told me (in his childish, excited fashion) of his admiration for my swordplay. (He was then only eleven years old.)
I explained to him that swordplay is only the most superficial level of bushido, and he seemed fascinated. Seeing an opportunity to teach at least one child about honour, I told him my real strength came from the knowledge that I was doing a noble deed. Imagine my surprise when, a week later, he came and told me about an extortionist threatening to sink ships in the south-west Harbor.
From that moment on, Shortcut became my eyes and ears around the south-west piers. As he aged, he became well known throughout the Fisherman Quarter, where he now works as a messenger and courier.
If I had hoped to mould him into a miniature, heimin samurai I have certainly failed; Shortcut is too much a creature of the streets, too crafty and slippery and self interested. Yet I have given him a sense that justice exists and that there are higher things than self interest
Perhaps I'm a fond old woman; but I can see in him a better future for Ryoko Owari. Perhaps he can be the first of a new breed - still cunning and self interested, but without the brutal edge that has left its mark on so many in this city.
===P52 - Yellow/Kirro (Alias: `Captain Yellow`)===
Yellow - or "Captain Yellow" as she prefers to be called - is the captain of a riverboat that plies the waters between the City of the Rich Frog and the Scorpion Clan Palace. Her vessel is called the Bullfrog, and shemakes Ryoko Owari her port of call because her sponsor is Shosuro Gobei (P4). Gobei seems more concerned with ensuring a steady supply of his wares both up and down the river than he is with strictly enforcing his right of taxation upon her.
==People of the Leatherworkers Quarter==
===P53 - Eyebrows/Mayu===
I wish I could take credit for employing this endlessly useful eta, but I'm afraid that honour goes to my predecessor, Isawa Choyo.
Eyebrows is a herbalist and surgeon for the Leatherworkers, and also has some status within their fire-fighting league (which also serves as a de facto police force). When she wrote her dossier for me, Choyo stressed Eyebrows' proficiency at a skill he calls "dead reading:' This is nothing less than the ability to gain information from observing a dead body.
While this may sound like black magic, I assure you it is completely mundane. It is simply a matter of keen eyes and knowledge of certain signs - much as a skilled hunter knows how find tracks where game has passed. It seems that among the eta, the morticians are also the community healers. (It's appalling to think of one individual serving the dead and living alike - but that's why they're eta, after all.) While preparing the dead for burial, these healers have learned to see signs that indicate the cause of death. Eyebrows is so skilled that he can look at a man killed by a sword blow and say if he died quickly (from shock) or slowly (by bleeding to death).
Dead reading has proven invaluable on many occasions. In fact, Eyebrows is not limited to reading the dead; by looking at an injury, he can tell what sort of weapon inflicted it, how long ago, and from which direction the attack originated. Although working with an eta may seem unpleasant, I assure you that Eyebrows knows his place and is respectful at all times.
===P54 - Raspy/Oigoe===
The Leatherworker known as Raspy is the headman of their community - inasmuch as they can be said to have a leader (or a community, for that matter). He is a crusty old man, but like Eyebrows (P53) (who seems to be some sort of apprentice or protege) he is well aware of his station in life.
===P55 - Pitiful/Itoshi===
Like Eyebrows (P53), Pitiful is an eta whose services have great value to an Emerald Magistrate. I retained Pitiful as my torturer.He does not look like an inquisitor; he is older than me, and furthermore is missing his legs beneath the knees. He was given the name Pitiful partly because of this injury, but also (he tells me) because the Leatherworkers believe that an eta who accepts money to torment others in this life is doomed to be an eta in the next life as well. I suppose even the eta need someone to look down upon.
While I rarely opted to watch Pitiful at work, I became aware that he has an unusual style. He seems to develop a strange sort of empathy with his victim that makes them surrender all the sooner. I once heard him say 'This suffering is your choice; I am not a cruel man, but you must endure this by your own will. You know how to make me stop - but I cannot stop hurting you until you allow me to cease:'
Back to Main Page: