Lion Clan (TCG)

The Lion Clan was one of the seven Great Clans, founded by the Kami Akodo. The Great Clans (Learn to Play Rulebook)
== History ==
=== Return of the Ki-Rin ===
In 815 the return of the Unicorn to the Empire was a great blow to the Lion. The Emperor gave them the old lands of the Ki-Rin to settle upon, lands that had been given stewardship to the Lion since the departure of the Ki-Rin centuries ago. This created some animosity on the part of the Lion, as this represented a considerable loss of fertile farmland. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 18 The Lion armies had been defeated by the returning Ki-Ri Clan, which brought great shame to the Lion Clan. The Akodo family ordered the names of those soldiers to be removed from all records, including the Ikoma histories and genealogies. Thus, the defeated Lion soldiers became forgotten, “muenbotoke,” and they became the scourge of Tōshigoku, forming an army of faceless warriors in Lion Clan armor known as The Erased. Celestial Realms, p. 30
== Lion Clan ==
=== Families of the Lion Clan ===
The Lion consisted of four families, the Akodo, the Matsu, the Ikoma, and the Kitsu family. The Akodo guided the clan as its moral compass and de facto leaders. The warlike Matsu supplied the bulk of the Lion's military forces as the clan's largest samurai family. The Ikoma were the Lion's scholars and diplomatic face, keeping the clan's histories, advising elders, and representing the Lion at court. Finally, the Kitsu family of shugenja was the clan's spiritual anchor, its connection to the ancestors and the will of the Heavens. Fields of Victory, p. 45
=== Colors ===
The Lion was mostly identified with brown, Service and Sacrifice, by Mari Murdock yellows, and golden tone colors. The Price of War, by Mari Murdock
=== Duty ===
Forged to crush the Emperor's foes, Beginner Game (Akodo Masako portfolio) the Lion Clan committed itself to the study of warfare in all its forms. Legend of the Five Rings: Roleplaying Game (Beta), p. 35 With the largest standing army in the Emerald Empire, the Lion earned their place as the Right Hand of the Emperor. There were no sharper tacticians and no larger armies in all of Rokugan. Since the dawn of the Empire, the Lion Clan had embodied the Seven Tenets of Bushidō. Every samurai measured courage, honor, and duty against the standard set by the Lion Clan. They lived, breathed, and died for the Emperor and Rokugan. 
=== Military ===
The Lion were the most heavily militarized clan in the Empire, boasting a massive army, a relentless drilling routine, and an economy designed to support war. Their armies were huge, and they used their strength in numbers to overwhelm their opponents. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 57 For centuries, the Lion had dominated the military tactics and strategy of the Empire, pioneering new techniques and battle methods that other clans take years to adopt. They earned the honor to guard the Miwaku Kabe, the walls of Otosan Uchi. Miwaku Kabe Guard (Fate Has No Secrets Title and Traits) The Lion Clan Army was divided into legions. Matsu Seventh Legion (Breath of the Kami Title) Though Lion armies were highly aggressive, they were not reckless; they were known for meteoric, valorous gambits that overwhelmed opponents with both numbers and strength. Their signature warrior was the Matsu Berserker. Fields of Victory, p. 15
=== Worship ===
Each Lion family kept ancestral records of every person born into the family and presented offerings to them all. The Lion had more ancestral festivals than any other clan, and their household shrines to the ancestors were more elaborate and crowded than any others. In the richest homes, the household shrine was a separate building with halls dedicated to especially heroic figures. The Lion worshipped the Fortunes, especially Bishamon, the Fortune of Strength, and Hachiman, the Fortune of Warfare. They considered worship of the Fortunes a transaction based, while ancestor worship was their sacred obligation. 
== Details ==
=== Notable Holdings ===
To the north laid the Drowned Merchant River, the border with the Dragon Clan. The Lion also shared a wide border with the Crane Clan. Between the Lines, by Marie Brennan
* Castle of the Swift Sword
* Kyūden Ikoma
* Oiku
* Shiro Akodo
* Shiro Matsu
* Toshi Ranbo
* Yōjin no Shiro
=== Schools ===
The following were the schools within the Lion Clan: 
* Akodo Commander (Bushi)
* Akodo Soldier (Bushi)
* Ikoma Bard (Courtier)
* Ikoma Shadow (Courtier Shinobi)
* Kitsu Medic (Artisan, Bushi)
* Kitsu Medium (Shugenja)
* Kitsu Realm Wanderer (Shugenja, Bushi)
* Matsu Beastmaster (Bushi)
* Matsu Berserker (Bushi)
=== Lion Clan Champion ===
All four families had led the Lion at some point in history. Most often, an Akodo or Matsu had served as the Lion Clan Champion. Less commonly, an Ikoma had led the clan, and a handful of times, a Kitsu had been clan champion. 
The Lion Clan Champion was the leader of the Lion Clan. The following are the known Champions of the Lion Clan:
Akodo 	5 - 99
Akodo Tokoyama	2nd century
Akodo Kimiko 	c. 376
Ikoma Kojima 	c. 820
Akodo Arasou 	? - 1123
Akodo Toturi 	1123 - 1123
Matsu Tsuko 	1123 - Present
== See also ==
* Lion Clan/Meta
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Champion Lion